Chapter 284. Painting (1)

Translator: Aura

/ Editor: SaWarren

What’s worse? That Heinley thought I was trying to avoid him, or that I was only interested in his body?

The first made me look like a cold-hearted woman. The second made me look like a floozy.

Thinking about this I couldn’t stay calm, so I put down my pen and got up from my chair.

What did I do wrong? The mood flowed like that, didn’t it? I just get carried away with the moment. So then why?

Was it because I touched him? He was touching me too. So when he touched me, it was love, but when I touched him, I just wanted physical gratification?

Was I only interested in his body? If I was only interested in his body, I wouldn’t be concerning myself with anything else.

I wish it was like that, I would have enjoyed every day, working during the day and playing with his body at night!

It was painful because I was not only interested in his body, but even more…

If he often talked about taking a bath together, doing it in other places, in other positions, role-playing, and any number of things! How could I be the dirty one for putting my hands in his pants a little!?

“Your Majesty? You seem disturbed.”

As I paced the drawing room with pursed lips, my ladies-in-waiting also looked anxious.

I shook my head at Countess Jubel’s concern,

“It’s just that a complicated problem came up. It’s all right.”

Then Laura ran up like a squirrel and asked,

“What happened? Discuss it with us, Your Majesty! Then, we might be able to find a quick solution to your problem. It is said that several heads together can always find a way, right?”

Thank you, Laura. But I couldn’t say that my husband considered me a nympho who only wanted his body.

I couldn’t discuss this embarrassing matter with anyone. What’s to discuss? If someone found out about this, I would die of embarrassment.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll go!”

Laura, who ran to the door excitedly, hurried back shortly after and shouted,

“Your Majesty, Grand Duke Kapmen is here to see you!”

Oh… Good heavens. It can’t be!

Of all times… The Duke came right now!

“Can you tell him to come later?”

“He said it was an urgent matter…”

“An urgent matter?”

“It’s about the first three test teams!”

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, but there was nothing that could be done.

“Let him in.”

My God, I hope nothing that happened before with Heinley does not cross my mind in front of Grand Duke Kapmen.

***

Three young ladies of similar age were sitting side by side on a flight of stairs, and in front of them two large dogs were play biting each other’s tails.

The dogs barked and jumped happily, but the young ladies had bored expressions.

With the departure of the Duchess Tuania, and even the Empress Navier, lately high society had become drastically dull.

Large and small parties were held in different parts, but there were no parties organized by very high status nobles, which was a little boring.

Only when high-status nobles hosted a party, a great diversity of personalities gathered. Duke and Duchess Troby had gone to the Western Empire, while Duke Tuania was depressed and stayed cooped up in his mansion after getting divorced.

Marquis Farang was the kind of man who preferred hunting competitions, fencing and training carrier pigeons to parties.

Marquis Karl rarely hosted parties, perhaps because he was the emperor’s chief secretary, while the young ladies were reluctant to go to parties hosted by Grand Duke Lilteang because of his bad temperament.

And Empress Rashta met only with men, so the young ladies were bound to be bored.

Eventually Rivetti, who was sitting quietly, asked curiously,

“Have you ever had a romantic relationship?”

Alischute looked at Rivetti in surprise,

“Is there someone you like?”

Alischute had been Laura’s best friend, but since Laura left for the Western Empire, she had been hanging out with Rivetti and Anne.

Rivetti thought, ‘Why should I say if there is someone I like?” and answered resolutely,

“No.”

“Then why are you suddenly talking about romantic relationships?”

Anne, who was listening quietly, said in a serious voice,

“Romantic relationships are for after marriage. It’s not good for rumors to spread that you dated before marriage, Rivetti.”

Rivetti pursed her lips. She was also well aware of the nobles’ philosophy of ‘separating love from marriage,’ but those words annoyed her a bit due to the fact that it led to the divorce of Navier, the empress she liked the most.

“It’s not a romantic relationship because I like anyone. It’s because it’s necessary.”

“Why? To get married?”

“To a certain extent.”

Alischute and Anne, who were bored, looked at Rivetti with a twinkle in their eyes.

“Who is it?”

“Who do you want to marry?”

“Is your father against it? If not, ask your father to raise the marriage with his family.”

Rivetti’s lips twisted. If she could, she would have already done it.

But she was aiming at the Emperor, not at an ordinary noble. Besides, she was doing it out of revenge, not love. She intended to seduce him and then toss him aside.

Her father and brother would not help her in this. Of course, even if they wanted to help her, her family did not have enough status to persuade the Emperor to take her as his concubine.

“That’s not possible. I’ve tried to seduce him, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in me.”

“How old is he? Is he too old or too young? Maybe that’s why he’s not interested in you.”

Anne had made another smart remark. Rivetti hesitated, thought about it, and replied,

“He’s older. But there’s not much of an age difference.”

“You’re radiant and energetic, isn’t that your charm? You must expose it.”

“How?”

“Why don’t you show yourself strong? When there’s a hunting competition, shoot an arrow splendidly in front of him.”

“I don’t know how to shoot an arrow.”

“Then ride a horse splendidly!”

The young ladies gave their opinions, but it wasn’t very helpful.

Eventually, Rivetti forgot about the seduction topic as she laughed and joked with her friends. She only lamented it, after parting from them.

‘Ah! How did we get from the seduction issue to the topic of that palmistry?’

Rivetti patted herself lightly on the head, lamenting her stupidity.

Still, she enjoyed hanging out with her friends. Rivetti walked casually back home.

But halfway there, she felt someone following her.

Rivetti stopped and looked back.

‘Was it my imagination?’

Although it was getting dark, there were quite a few people passing by here, so she could not determine if anyone was following her.

Despite feeling a little uneasy, Rivetti finally kept walking. There were many passersby, so she figured no one was blatantly following her.

“…”

But after a few steps, she was once again overcome by an unpleasant fear.

Although she walked busily for a while, the strange sensation did not disappear. Rivetti stopped again and looked back.

People were still coming and going normally. There was no sign of anyone following her.

‘Is it my imagination?’

Rivetti, who half turned her gaze to the front, looked back again when she became aware of a startling fact.

It was the passersby!

It was the same passersby! She was sure they were the same people as when she looked back the first time.

At this point, Rivetti panicked and got goosebumps.

She turned her head to the front quickly and ran off.

Then, the passersby stopped and turned their gaze to her back at the same time.

A child squatting among wooden crates in the corner of an alley watched the scene, licking a lollipop.

That was the last day Rivetti was seen.

***