Chapter 57: The Rising Sun

Friend. The meaning of a friend that this woman talked about would not have been a normal relationship.

“Even if I am disrespected by the nobles, I do not receive any disrespect from His Highness. He doesn’t spend time with me anymore, but he’s still supportive. Still, the memories of comforting each other must have been pretty good. Shouldn’t that be a relief for me?”

Valeria felt her immediate pledge not to act frivolously gradually fading.

“I won’t be here for very long either. Even if it’s long, it won’t go beyond winter.”

It was just the beginning of winter, so it meant that their relationship would end in four months.

“Don’t lie to me, Valeria. I don’t think you want to rot in here forever.”

Valeria felt it at that moment. Maybe the day would come when this damn low life would come to an end. There were many lower class people with grand dreams who fell. But Valeria had a different opinion. Shouldn’t only those who missed the opportunity, experience the fall?

This woman could be the first and last chance in her life. Even if she was a shallow, vulgar gypsy and lost His Royal Highness Wilhelm’s favour, there was still a possibility if the material support remained.

The possibility of leaving here and enjoying a rich life. As long as the other maids continued their lives the same as always in the backyard of this splendid imperial palace, if she took this opportunity and made good use of her……. She didn’t need to worry anymore. Valeria knelt down in front of the woman.

“I will do my best to entertain you.”

There was no embarrassment or joy in the woman’s eyes. She seemed to take Valeria’s answer for granted. It was a strange thing too. She looked so carefree that Valeria couldn’t read her eyes for some reason. It was just a while ago that she thought she could figure her out easily…. The woman who got up from her seat helped Valeria up and hugged her gently.

“Thank you very much for accepting my offer. I’m sure this is the happiest day since I came to the imperial palace.”

A coveting feeling of being caught touched Valeria’s cheek. She put her hands neatly together and gently fell into the woman’s arms.

“My name is Susan. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Valeria.”

The most vivid thing in Valeria’s memory of that day was that Susan had no scent at all.

***

From that day on, Valeria was called to Susan whenever she had time. She did not end up being called, but spent more than half the day by her side, excluding sleeping. Valeria sat next to Susan and savored Ashtar’s peppermint tea as the other maids sweated, mopped and worked on the chopping board. Susan had enough material wealth, just Valeria had imagined. One day she looked curiously at the golden label in a tin box, and Susan said with a cute smile.

“Do you like that one?”

The next day, a servant left twenty boxes of the same brand of tea in Valeria’s room and disappeared. On that day, Valeria realized that she was really “different” from the other maids. There were two main reactions from her fellow employees. Either very jealous or…

“A bitch who wipes a gypsy’s back.”

…or despised her. The latter were usually maids of the Imperial Castle. Women from noble origins who took care of the imperial family did not like to see a mere maid enjoying as much luxury as themselves.

“Don’t be stupid. What do you want from an out-of-season flower that doesn’t even attract the prince’s attention?”

(T/N: out of season flower means a woman who has fallen out of favour from the prince)

“Do you want your lady to be smart or attractive? She had nothing but her face, so she ended up like that.”

Someone even gave her some pretty heartfelt advice.

“If you’re a maid, act like a maid. Don’t look as if you’re taking things for granted. Do you think there are one or two kids who have disappeared without a trace after acting like you?”

The abusive language of the powerful maids did not quiet down in front of Susan. Some even laughed loudly as the two passed by. But Susan turned their ridicule on deaf ears. No matter how awful it was, Valeria, who felt sympathy for her, who went initially unnoticed, was now able to ignore it easily.

“People are all the same. They envy others for what they don’t have, and despise others for threatening their place. Those who mock me in front of my eyes? Don’t be too emotional with them, Valeria. It’s much better than hiding their true feelings and acting like a fox.”

If her situation was not favorable, she would have snorted, saying, “It’s nonsense.” But Susan was as confident as she always was. Valeria was very curious about that. Had Susan really lost her favor with His Highness Wilhelm? Maybe she was holding on to the prince’s weakness? Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy this luxury.

At some point, Valeria’s impression of Susan began to change little by little. Susan was the strangest woman Valeria had ever seen. The cold face when she stared out the window suited her much more than her habitual smile. She had a calmer, clearer tone that could only be heard late at night and stuck more in Valeria’s ears than when she was talking in a high-pitched, trembling voice. The same was true of Susan’s voice when she made her do the ‘job’, which would be the biggest turning point in Valeria’s life.

“From now on, I will teach you how to make The Rising Sun.”

“The Rising Sun?”

When Valeria asked back, Susan smiled briefly.

“This is the recipe for my favorite red wine. In fact, it’s so simple and convenient that it’s embarrassing to even describe it as a recipe.”

Susan poured wine into the wine glass in front of Valeria. Then she opened a small glass bottle of red liquid next to it and dropped a tiny amount into the glass.

It was so small that it was questionable whether there would be a change in the taste.

“What’s that red liquid?”

“It looks like blood, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a very precious ingredient. This ingredient is the heart of the recipe for The Rising Sun. This is the finishing touch.”

And Susan poured the sparkling wine, the Rising Sun, out of the window. Valeria looked puzzled by her behavior.

“Why didn’t you give it to me instead? I was wondering what it would taste like.”

“You should never drink this.”

The empty wine glass also went straight to the trash can.

“And you and I should be the only ones who know how to make this, okay? It means no one can take this glass bottle away.”

Without understanding a word, Valeria accepted Susan’s glass bottle. Based on the atmosphere, it seemed to be an important item, so she put it inside her pocket for now. Why would she give it to me? Valeria, who was thinking for a while, asked Susan.

“Is there anything I should do?”

“No.”

With a smile, Susan pulled out two wine glasses from the array. And she continued, filling it with red wine.

“You don’t have to step up or do anything. If someone asks you for a Rising Sun, you just have to comply with it.”

That day Valeria fell asleep drunk. She had to get up early in the morning, but she didn’t have to struggle because she only had to take care of Susan, not to do chores.

***

It was three days later that Valeria fully understood Susan’s meaning.

“Valeria Malta?”

Valeria’s heart almost popped out of her throat at the man’s call. It wouldn’t matter if it was a normal servant. However, the servant who came to her was not just an ordinary attendant, but someone who had served in the imperial castle for a long time. He was a servant who guarded the emperor’s bedroom.

“Yes, I’m Valeria Malta. W-what can I do for you?”

“It is His Majesty’s command. The Rising Sun will be an offering to the Emperor.”

From that day on, Valeria served the Rising Sun in the emperor’s bedroom every day. When she first stood before the emperor, Valeria dared not make eye contact. The emperor also seemed to have no interest in Valeria. A maid could not have been spotted by the Emperor. But…

“You have clear eyes.”

On the third day of offering the rising sun, the emperor pretended to know her for the first time. Valeria’s face was so hot that she could barely say thank you.

My eyes are clear? It was beyond belief. She couldn’t believe she heard that from the emperor. As the day went by, their conversation grew longer. One day, Valeria replaced the emperor’s mistress. She rubbed the old man’s legs while he savored the rising sun. It was not even allowed for nobles to touch the emperor’s body. Susan said so.

“Think about it. Every day there’s a young person who gives you the sweetest drink in the world. A young person with fine limbs and a pretty good face. As what kind of existence will that young person be imprinted on your mind?”

Valeria was silently appalled. It meant that all of this was Susan’s plan. A few days passed like that. Valeria had often been mentioned in the emperor’s mouth. By the time it was four days, she had spent more time with the emperor than with Susan.

Valeria enjoyed the feeling that she was dancing on a single wooden bridge to heaven[1]. Wasn’t it that the emperor wanted no one else but her by his side? It didn’t matter if she was meant to disappear in a few days. No, if Valeria was good, she would not be a favorite whose end would be in a few days. Especially if the emperor somehow liked her in bed….

“You must be the first one to entangle yourself with the emperor who drank it.”

Valeria worked hard to understand Susan’s short words. And she reached her conclusion. Perhaps the liquid in the glass bottle from Susan contained the wrong ingredients. Perhaps, Susan called Valeria to present this seat. And she made up her mind. She couldn’t let go of Susan’s rope.

“What are you going to do with his majesty the Emperor?”

Knowing that this wasn’t a question to ask, Valeria couldn’t contain her curiosity. What purpose did Susan have that she was using her to achieve it? Susan replied with a casual look.

“You should bury it quietly after eating it all the way to the bone.” [2]

At first, she thought it was a damn joke. But deep inside, fear was creeping up.

“Ah! Of course it’s a joke, Valeria. Don’t take it too seriously. How dare I do that?”

Listening to Susan’s addition with a gentle smile, Valeria thought that if it was her…

“I thought you would.”

If it was Susan, the words that she threw might not be light. It was then that Valeria abandoned her own resolution. She had always been grateful to her Susan for raising her to this position, but her heart was separate from her survival. Valeria had no intention of doing anything dangerous to the emperor, or to that extent.

‘The situation now is different from when I chose Lady Susan.’

Wasn’t there the emperor in her left hand now? However, Valeria was not born harsh, and she could not immediately throw out Susan’s hand since she chose her. How many days had passed with a close distance between the emperor and Susan. In the end, the worst situation that she feared came.

***

[1] now for the explanation, the whole single wooden bridge thing basically comes from old times when bridges were made from a tree trunk, but because it was narrow, only one person could pass so Valeria is saying that she enjoyed feeling like the only one getting all this attention from the emperor

[2] here she’s referring to the Emperor, like she’ll eat him up and bury him quietly but she said in a way that she isn’t directly pointing out the Emperor and at the same time she isn’t pointing out at herself that she’s going to “eat” him