Lady to Queen

0When one lived a life that did not encounter a single hardship, this meant that it was a dry life that was not enjoyable.     

However, at times Lucio wished that he didn't mind if his life was crazily not fun and dry if he did not have to go through any hardships. These words were a luxury for him.     

It was dawn when Lucio opened his eyes. Exactly before dawn, in other words, it was time for the sky to gradually begin to shine from dark black to slightly blue.     

He instinctively noticed that this was not his room, and realized that it was the room of the Empress only with the subtle scent of freesia flowers somewhere. Lucio sighed, recognizing this fact.     

"Ha..."     

Lucio showed a side to Patrizia that he shouldn't have. He didn't show this side of him to a single person except for Rosemond.     

Lucio wrapped his arms around his face in a sense of frustration. Perhaps it was due to it raining all night, and his head was shaking. He might have caught a cold.     

As he saw the raindrops still knocking outside on the window, the rain still did not seem to stop. He thought of leaving this room and returning to his palace even now, but he decided to just lie down after feeling his heavy fatigue and body at the moment. Because he had shown this side of him already, he couldn't play it off, and overall it was just meaningless.     

By the way, he realized he hadn't seen the Empress. This bed he was lying on right now couldn't be hers, could it? As he thought this far, his forehead started to wrinkle.     

Ah, this was totally the worst. He had not been a drunken drunkard, but he had acted really stupid and ugly. He thought it would be better if he didn't stay here anymore and eventually raised up his heavy body. Still, this side was better.     

After opening the door and leaving the room, Mirya, who was the head of the maids for the Empress, discovered him while looking surprised. She seemed to begin coughing for some unknown reason, and then quickly greeted him.     

"I see Your Majesty of this great empire. Glory to the precious Sun."     

"… Did the Empress bring me to this place?"     

"Yes, Your Majesty."     

"I have given her trouble."     

"..."     

Mirya, who hesitated for a moment, carefully talked to him.     

"Your Majesty, I regret to say this..."     

"..."     

"I don't know that Lady Phelps is special to His Majesty."     

"…How do you know that?"     

It was both safe and fatal. Nobody could touch it. No one, except Rosemond, whom he had solely allowed.     

So Mirya was now, perhaps risking her life and telling him this.     

"I am sorry. My late mother who had served as a maid for a lifetime told me."     

"…"     

"I cannot dare to request you to not place her in your heart, Your Majesty… Can't you just turn around and look back at Her Majesty a little?"     

"…With what daring?"     

He spoke this in a bitter voice.     

"On the first day of being wed, I said don't expect love and got a promise to not touch Lady Phelps out of her. Do you think someone like me deserves to care about the Empress?"     

"…"     

Mirya couldn't bear to reply in agreement, so she did not say anything. At that honest attitude, he made a bitter face and then spoke on.     

"I have already gone too far to do that. You must know since you heard it from your mother, but I can't abandon Lady Phelps. That's an act of denying my identity."     

"..."     

Mirya was no longer able to speak. To side with her master, Mirya was one of the few people who knew the Emperor's feelings.     

She, as the Empress' maid, knew well that she shouldn't have this sort of mind but, the Emperor was pitiful. To the point that it was amazing that he had not gone crazy right now. Mirya bit her lips without her knowledge, and as he saw this, he still couldn't hide his complicated expression and spoke to her.     

"Tell the Empress that there were many instances of inappropriateness last night. I don't feel comfortable knowing that I have given her trouble."     

"…Yes, Your Majesty."     

So Mirya could only answer like that after all. Lucio turned around and started walking along the hallway of the Empress Palace.     

Thus, when he came out, the rain that had been pouring heavily until now was gradually fading away, and he walked to the Central Palace getting hit in full by the weak rain, without even thinking of having to use an umbrella.     

Patrizia felt very tired when she opened her eyes. Her ominous feelings had become reality. She might have really caught a cold.     

Ah, she felt like she had done a kind deed and ended up only losing out. Patrizia sighed deeply and raised up her heavy body. A moan of "oh my" sprang out by itself.     

"Have you coughed, Your Majesty?"     

"Ah, Mirya. Did His Majesty cough?"     

However, the face of Mirya who was asked this question looked serious. Patrizia asked about her expression with a confused face of her own.     

"What's wrong?"     

"That is… after coughing at dawn, he immediately returned to the Central Palace."     

"Ah..."     

She nodded as if she understood. It made sense if he had a conscience, it was right to leave right after he got up. He had taken over and slept on someone else's bed after all. Of course, he was the Emperor, but still. Mirya passed on to Patrizia what Lucio had said earlier.     

"He said that you felt uncomfortable for bringing you trouble. There were many examples of this last night..."     

"It is a relief that he knows."     

"..."     

Mirya said no more. Yes, maybe it was already late, as His Majesty had said. Patrizia would not understand Lucio on a level with common sense, and Lucio would not be willing to explain to Patrizia the situation with the presence of Rosemond.     

In any case, His Majesty the Emperor was obstinate in this respect, but it was, in fact, inevitable, from his point of view. It was a situation where he had no choice but to. And if she had been in that situation, she might have done the same thing.     

Anyways, she didn't want to continue to worry about his situation. Because her owner was Patrizia, no matter what.