/
“You can put it down here.”
Finally, at the end of the examination of the priests, Luke gave gifts to the servants again and was guided by the maid. Upon entering the Empress’ palace, Luke glanced at the previous maid.
“Is his Majesty by the Empress’s side?”
“Yes. Ever since his Majesty left the political affairs meeting.”
The maid answered politely. Luke was lost in thought for a moment.
“How is his Majesty? Does his Majesty care about her Majesty like the rumors say?”
“He cherishes her a lot. His Majesty is always by her Empress’s side, except for when he steps aside to manage political affairs.”
“Really?”
It was true then. Lyle didn’t have a disposition where he could stay with someone he didn’t like for a long time.
“What happened all of a sudden?’
It was good news for his sister, but Luke couldn’t help but become worried because he knew that the Emperor was not a person who changed his mind so easily.
Medea had long been the object of the Emperor’s scorn and indifference. He couldn’t imagine how hurt she would be if the Emperor rescinded his affection after she had tasted it’s sweetness.
‘I hope the Emperor is sincere.’
***
“Your Majesty the Emperor, your Majesty the Empress, the heir to the Duke of Card has arrived,”
announced a handmaiden in front of the reception room of the Empress’ palace. There seemed to be a drowsy voice from the inside, so the maids opened the door and stepped aside.
“Your Majesty the Emperor. Your Majesty the Empress. I greet you after a long time.”
As the maid had told Luke, Lyle was next to Medea. He sat side by side with Medea and hugged her waist and made her lean on her. Luke was internally quite surprised by the unimaginable sight before him, but he greeted them as if he saw nothing.
“This is a gift from the Duke of Card.”
When Medea beckoned with curiosity, Luke made the Duke’s servants bring things.
A box made of gold was first brought into the inside, and then a box made of platinum took over the room one after another. When Luke winked, the servants opened the box one by one.
‘Oh my god… What’s all this?’
Since morning, Medea had received gifts from high-ranking aristocrats. But none of them compared to the gifts from the Duke of Card.
Luke watched with joy as Medea, who woke up from her seat, looked at the golden box with curious eyes.
Lyle seemed to be vigilant. He hadn’t even announced the pregnancy yet, but already they had found two gifts with poison. The ‘gifters’ had been caught. But Lyle was wary, he’d rather be safe than sorry.
Why had that happened?
Lyle had never even been threatened since he had become Emperor.
Medea had also an unshakable position because the Duke of Card was behind her. Trying to poison Medea now seemed to be a belated and poor attempt.
Rather, it would have made more sense if the Medea had an assassination attempt against her after giving birth to a son. The Duke of Card could have come out as the guardian of the Crown Prince and it would have been a masterful maneuver to hold the empire in his hands.
But it didn’t make sense to kill Medea now. Why would he want to kill Medea now?
‘Is it because you are favored by me?’
Until now, Medea had been wielding power in Card Duke’s name, but had not the confident standing as an Empress. Of course, Medea had attempted to remedy that.
“Right… There were Medea’s suicide attempts.”
The first few accidents had vaguely raised his suspicions that someone might have been after her, as Medea had claimed.
However, after that, it was revealed that Medea herself had fabericated those assassidenation threats, then she herself tried to commit suicide and made a fuss, so he had ignored it. Like the story of the boy who cried wolf.
Lyle frowned at the sudden thought. Coincidentally, it was a story that could not be confirmed because Medea had amnesia.
“Thank you for coming, Luke.”
At Medea’s word’s, Luke’s face flushed with joy.
“No, thank you—I… I wanted to see you again.”
Medea was relieved by Luke’s response. After their last meeting she had guessed it would be right to address each other without titles and be on a first name basis. At least in the absence of other nobles.
“I heard that you have good news,” he said, “so I had come to convey my congratulations.
“Oh. It’s embarrassing to hear that from Luke.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m still in the early stages, so I’m not sure what’s changed because I’m slow.”
What was the only notable change was that she had not menstruated. It was the significant reason why she had called a doctor.
“… Are these the only gifts you have? I think the Duke sent something else,”
After Lyle’s words, Luke winked at the servant with a nervous look. The servant returned with a box engraved with the Duke’s coat of arms. When Luke opened the lid, a large necklace with quail-sized rubies appeared.
“It’s a congratulatory gift from my father to His Majesty.”
“Wow… It’s big…….”
In fact, the Empress Palace had tons of jewelry received at the Imperial wedding or inherited from the predecessor Empresses, but the current Medea did not even know they existed. Medea’s eyes widened when the large jewel-studded necklace that belonged in a movie suddenly appeared.
‘It’s pretty, but…… Does this go around a person’s neck? I think it’s going to be heavy.’
“Would you like to try it on?”
Luke asked Medea, who could not be touched easily. Medea hesitated for a moment and then reached out to the necklace.