“What should I teach you next… I’m worried.”
“It’s all thanks to you Countess Achille.”
“Oh my. I never thought you’d be so well-mannered. I think our class is going to be over far too soon.”
Rachel touched her hair awkwardly as if it was difficult to hear such compliments.
Rachel, who was blushing and feeling embarrassed, slowly shut her mouth.
“This is the end of today’s class.”
The Countess approached Rachel quietly and slowly.
“You have to look right into a person’s eyes. Don’t avoid looking at me.”
“Yes.”
“No matter how perfectly you walk, if you don’t have the confidence in your eyes, it’s all for nothing.”
Rachel nodded.
“Unless your rank is below the other lady, never lower your head.”
Countess Achille raised Rachel’s chin slightly with a careful touch.
“Like this.”
Rachel nodded awkwardly again.
She was about to bow her head down again, but forced her head up.
“Please hold my gaze right now. You seem to be shy, but with a few practice sessions, you will soon get better.”
The Countess held Rachel’s chin with her hand with a compassionate smile that was uniquely hers.
Rachel’s face stiffened, as she felt awkward and uncomfortable, but she immediately straightened her gaze as the Countess had said.
“You’ve already gotten a lot better.”
“…Thank you.”
No matter how uncomfortable and difficult it was, she had no choice but to follow the order.
***
The first class with Countess Achille was over after she reviewed what she’d learned.
“My lady, I’ll be on my way now.”
As soon as the Countess left, Rachel fell on her bed as if she was tired.
“Almost…”
Rachel let out a small sigh.
She had no idea who the heck the other people thought she was.
“Unless your rank is below the other lady, never lower your head.”
According to the Countess’ words just now, Rachel should’ve kept her head down throughout the class with her.
She was a countess, and Rachel was a commoner.
However, the Countess raised her chin, and told her not to bow down to someone lower than her.
‘Who does she think I am?’
Did that mean Rachel was a higher rank than the Countess?
Was that what Countess Achille was thinking?
“Huh, what the heck is going on here?”
Rachel sighed deeply again.
She didn’t understand Ian, who said she’d need noble etiquette, nor the Countess, who told her to raise her chin and to never lower her head.
She had a headache from trying to understand what Ian was thinking.
‘Don’t lower your head.’
What the Countess taught her was the opposite of what she’d learned so far.
Since she was very young, she’d been taught to lower her head. Even when she’d first entered the Imperial palace, and received her maid education. The first thing Rachel learned was to lower her head.
Don’t look at her master face to face, but lower her head.
Don’t stare at her master’s face unnecessarily, and don’t raise her eyes.
Those were the first things she’d learned as a maid.
But now, she wasn’t to lower her head, and she was to maintain eye contact.
“….”
What was Ian saying to people about her?
A dark shadow formed over Rachel’s face.
Rachel pursed her lips in concern, and sighed deeply.
***
Knock Knock
“Come in.”
Anna opened Diana’s door after taking a deep breath.
“My Lady, you got a reply from the Imperial palace.”
“Do you have it?”
“Yes, here.”
At Anna’s words, Diana hurried over and picked up the letter.
Tear
Diana ripped the envelope open as if she couldn’t stand to wait even for a moment.
“….”
Diana’s gold eyes moved busily.
But as she read, her face hardened.
“My Lady? What did His Majesty say?”
Anna quickly stopped talking to Diana, who was biting her lip. She didn’t think that the reply was good.
“Read it yourself!”
Diana pushed the letter into Anna’s face angrily.
If the distance had been a little closer, Anna would have definitely been struck on the face by Diana’s hand.
Anna received the letter from Diana without saying a word, as if she was familiar with this.
“….”
The reply to Diana was a short message of rejection.
[Unfortunately, His Majesty has a tight schedule due to State affairs. I am sure that Lady Avery understands this well. Also, I don’t think you should expect a reply in the future.]
Diana frowned.
“Didn’t you say that I should be able to meet Ian if I sent a letter like this?”
“…I’m sorry, My Lady.”
“It’s not even a letter from Ian himself! It’s from his assistant Harmond!”
DIana stared at the maid with resentment.
“Your silly advice made me a laughingstock.”
“I’m sorry, My Lady.”
“You’ve ruined my reputation!”
Even though Anna apologized, she stared at the maid for a while as if she was still angry.
Diana’s reputation had been ruined since she’d made a fuss when she visited the Imperial palace on her own and demanded to see the emperor without any appointment, but she didn’t seem to be aware of that fact.
“I’m sorry, My Lady.”
It was unfair, but Anna could only bow her head deeply and apologize.
“I don’t want to see you, get out now!”
Anna hurried out of the room as Diana was shouting at her to do exactly that.
“AHH! So annoying!”
Diana, who was still angry for a long time even after Anna left, tore the letter to pieces.
She gasped for breath, her face flushed red.
“I helped you, and you dare!”
Her neatly manicured nails were digging into Diana’s white hands, but she put more pressure on her hands like someone who didn’t feel the slightest bit of pain.
“Even Father wouldn’t dare!”
Ian, a child who ran away six years ago without anything.
It was the Avery family who hid him, who was young and poor. Didn’t he hide in her family’s territory, while they kept him safe? So he was indebted to her and her family.
She also couldn’t believe he was the emperor now.
When Ian Dakendov became the emperor, Diana believed that it was she who would be the empress.
Who else should be the empress other than the daughter of Duke Avery, who helped the emperor when he was running for his life?
“How can you repay my kindness like this? Are you betraying me?”
Ian seemed to have no intention of giving her the position of empress. He didn’t seem to care even a little bit about her.
“Let’s see how long you can do this.”
Diana had no intention of letting Ian go.
So far, she’d never let go of what she thought was hers. There had never been a time when she couldn’t get what she wanted.
He would end up in her hands.
Diana tugged on the bell-pull aggressively.
***
The Emperor’s Office
The emperor’s aide, Harmond, frowned to the fullest as if he’d seen something that he couldn’t believe, and soon blinked vigorously.
“….?”
Ian was trying to keep his face expressionless, but his lips were slightly raised and even his cheeks.
They were more puffed up.
Ian Dakendov.
He was smiling.
“Your Majesty?”
The look didn’t suit Ian at all.
Harmond had never seen him smile during his time with Ian.
Even when he won the war or received great cheers from the people. Even when he became the emperor.
He still had an indifferent and expressionless face.
The expression of deep calm caused him to look as if he wasn’t interested in anything, like he couldn’t feel emotions.
It was definitely like that.
But Ian was smiling right now.
“Should I call a doctor?”
“What?”
In an instant, the smile disappeared from Ian’s mouth.
“You looked uncomfortable.”
Ian glanced at Harmond and shook his head slightly.
“Not at all.”
“…I see. I must have seen it wrong.”
Harmond mumbled to himself that he’d seen it incorrectly.
“I’m sorry. I thought Your Majesty was smiling. I was mistaken.”
Ian frowned as he looked at Harmond.
“Why do you want to call a doctor because I’m smiling?”
“…!”
Harmond’s eyes moved busily as if embarrassed by Ian’s question.
“…I’m sorry.”
As if he realized that any excuse would sound ridiculous, Harmond gently bowed his head and regretted his mistake.
“Nevermind. I’m in a good mood today.”
“…What?”
“Just work.”
He couldn’t work after hearing this.
Harmond’s mouth hung open blankly.
It was obvious that he’d said he was in a good mood.
He thought Ian didn’t feel anything.
He seemed to have fallen in love properly.
“Is it because of her? The reason why Your Majesty smiled.”
For a moment, Ian frowned a little bit around his eyes. Harmond’s interest in Rachel seemed to make him feel uncomfortable.
“I’ve told you to work.”
“…But.”
When Ian looked at Harmond fiercely, the aide nodded and bowed deeply.
Harmond’s hands quickly busied themselves with rummaging through the papers.
***
The sun had gone down, and Ian arrived at the mansion again.
“….”
Ian looked at Rachel, who was sitting in front of him.
She was in a good mood that morning. She’d talked longer, and walked closer than usual.
But she didn’t seem to feel comfortable now.
Rachel had returned to her original expressionless and thoughtful face, just as she did when she first came to the capital. When they walked together, she consciously tried to widen the space between them.
Did something bad happen to her?
Or does it hurt somewhere?
Ian’s purple eyes sank lower. His eyes moved slowly along until it reached Rachel’s spoon, which was moving pointlessly.
“…How was your day?”
When the meal was almost over, Ian opened his mouth.