***
“I want to be close to the Empress,” Brianne said, barely containing her excitement.
“With me……?” Liv asked back in bewilderment.
“Oh my, I’m sorry if I’m rude. The Princes exchange words like this with each other and actually get to know each other…. …….”
Liv went silent for a moment then spoke blandly.
“I hope we can be close as the Princess said.”
Saying this, Liv hastily placed it in the teacup that was placed in front of her.
‘Can we ever be close?’
They had a history of fighting over a man.
And from now on, the woman in front of her was bound to be her sworn enemy, with whom she would have to fight for her life again.
Liv only smiled bitterly, perhaps because of her increasing emotions.
Before long, Brianne gently lifted the cup in front of her and asked her a question.
“Does His Majesty still feel uncomfortable with me? It bothers me that I think I did a lot of things wrong at the last conference hall.”
Brianne cut to the story of her last encounter with Carius, kissing him on the cheek. Liv watched her, teacup in hand, sipping and savoring.
‘Whatever the customs of the Delta Kingdom, His Majesty the Emperor does not like his body to be touched without his permission. Be careful next time.”
Suddenly, Brianne grabbed the fan beside her, covered her mouth, and started laughing. Liv and Edgar looked at her curiously.
Brianne finally managed to stifle her laughter and said.
‘’I suppose the emperor can’t do that to the Empress either….”
Edgar’s eyes immediately took on a different look.
Liv couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at Brianne’s words. Then she recited a low voice.
“Princess, please refrain from insulting the Emperor.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Forgive me if I was rude.”
But Brianne still had a smile on her face as if she was teasing Liv.
”Actually, I was really curious to see what the Empress was like. I’ve been hearing too much about the Emperor.”
Without saying a word, Liv brought the teacup to her red lips.
Brianne stared at her. It was as if she was seeing everything about her.
“I understand now that I’ve met the Empress. I wonder why the Emperor, who had so stubbornly refused to marry, married the Empress immediately.”
At Brianne’s words, Liv averted her gaze from her teacup and looked at her.
“I’ll think of it in a positive way.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Brianne nodded her head lightly. She seemed to be flattered.
All Liv could do was sigh briefly, unable to look at the two figures in front of her properly. Those two people were the ones who made her this way.
Subtle fate had brought those two in front of her again. It seemed that there was no way to avoid them. Liv’s expression suddenly darkened.
Edgar raised his eyes gently, his emerald eyes gleaming as he locked gazes with Liv. He was looking only at Liv.
Noticing the atmosphere between them, Brianne’s expression stiffened. She hastened to ask Edgar, as if she was trying to get him to look at her.
“What kind of woman do you like, Your Highness?”
Smiling, Brianne raised her slender hand and gently placed it on his chest. Edgar’s gaze lingered on it, and he rushed to get away.
She opened her cherry-pink lips slightly.
“Do you like the solitary, elegant style of the Empress?”
Edgar rolled his fists and cleared his throat. He seemed to be trying to hide the redness on his face.
Liv almost spit out a mouthful of tea when she said that. What in the world was she thinking to say something like that? She stared at Brianne with a harsh gaze.
“What do you mean by that, Princess?”
At her fiery stare, Brianne put her hand on her chest and bowed her head.
“The Empress, who has captured the heart of the icy Emperor. I was only asking metaphorically, Your Majesty, if His Highness the Grand Duke also shares the Emperor’s taste.”
Brianne raised her head and and smiled.
“Please don’t be angry, Your Majesty.”
Liv stood up, probably because of the anger boiling up from her stomach. She felt like she was choking and couldn’t breathe.
“It seems that I have interrupted your date. It’s time I return to the Imperial Palace.”
Then Edgar and Brianne also left their seats.
“Oh, Your Majesty. I’m sure the Prince is still having fun, but you’re already leaving….”
“The Emperor must be waiting. I should leave.”
She turned, and Edgar hurried to stand in front of Liv.
“Your Majesty, it’s not safe to go alone. I will escort you until you get in the carriage safely……”
Suddenly, before Edgar’s words were even finished, Liv heard someone’s voice speak loudly in her ear.
“We’re in big trouble!”
Prince Oscar rushed into the cafe. Immediately, all the eyes in the cafe were on him.
Brianne gave Oscar a cursory glance.
“Oscar, I told you to behave according to etiquette!”
But the child didn’t seem to hear her warning. His face turned deathly pale.
“It’s a big trouble. Really………….”
Liv asked suspiciously as she looked around.
“Where is the Prince?”
Then Oscar began to stammer, his hands trembled.
“He…..”
Oscar was shaking so much that his pants started to get wet, and soon it wet his shoes.
“My god!”
Brianne hurried closer and quickly covered the child’s pants.
“Oscar, what is this……!”
For a moment, Liv began to feel uneasy. She hastily lowered her body and grabbed Oscar by the shoulders.
“Did something happen to the Prince?”
“Your Majesty, um… ….”
Brianne’s face was flushed with uncontrollable anger.
“What an embarrassment……….!”
Brianne turned her head, fanning her face incessantly, and spoke secretly to Edgar.
“I have to go to the local clothing store and buy some new clothes for the prince to wear, Your Highness.”
With that, Brianne turned to go, dragging Oscar with her.
Liv snatched her hand. The stern look on Liv’s face turned to Brianne.
“Don’t you think it’s more urgent to know where the Prince is?”
Finally coming back to her senses, Brianne stopped in her tracks. She was concerned about the stares around her, and she fumbled to pull down the brim of her hat to cover her face.
Liv, bowing before Oscar, making eye contact.
“Where is the Prince now?”
“I, we were watching the play and we met some some unidentified men….”
At the word “unidentified men,” Liv’s red eyes grew infinitely larger. Her voice was filled with urgency.
“You’re saying that the Prince has been captured by someone?”
Oscar immediately bowed his head deeply.
“I tried to bring him in somehow, but…”
Liv felt dizzy and her legs weakened.
“Your Majesty.”
Edgar hurriedly grabbed hold of Liv. She felt like her mind was going blank.
It was an emergency. If Theodore was taken by an armed group, she had to find him by any means necessary. Liv hastily shaking off Edgar’s hand and straightened herself.
“Where is it?”
“In the alley behind the performance………”
Liv hurriedly out of the cafe, holding the skirt of her dress tightly in both hands. Even though her hat fell on the floor by the wind, she only ran without a moment to look back.
Edgar hurriedly picked up Liv’s hat and stood in place, watching Liv with anxiety.
Brianne hurriedly called out to him.
“Your Highness, please take me to the clothing shop now. We need to get Prince Oscar changed.”
Edgar was helpless in the midst of it all, his eyes busily looking around.
Glancing at Liv, who was disappearing into the distance. Then Brianne, beckoning him to come quickly in front of the carriage.
At last he walked hurriedly to the carriage and said in a firm voice.
“It is not safe for the Empress to be walking alone. I must go there myself.”
Brianne raised her eyebrows in wonder at his words.
“What? We don’t know anything about the geography of this place. And you tell me to go on my own?”
“I’m sorry. The horseman will take you to the clothing store.”
“Your Highness …!”
She caught him nervously, but it was Edgar who quickly and calmly turned away. He started to run towards Liv in a hurry…
Brianne’s hands kept shaking with anger as she watched him absentmindedly.
At that moment, the ladies who were about to enter the cafe whispered to each other as they looked at Prince Oscar.
“My goodness!”
This caused Brianne to finally gather her gaze, which was directed at Edgar. Then she hurriedly pushed Oscar into the carriage.
***
The carriage was on its way to the clothing store.
Brianne couldn’t contain her anger towards Edgar and only but her lower lip. She spoke quietly to herself.
“How dare to leave me and go to the Empress…”
Oscar was frightened at her appearance, but he looked at her and finally spoke.
“I’ve made a big mistake………..”
Then Brianne’s cold gaze went to Oscar. Oscar stammered out the words as his hands trembled uncontrollably.
“I left His Imperial Highness behind……he tried to help me……….”
Brianne stared at Oscar in surprise at his words. She too immediately asked, at a loss for words.
“What did you say….”
“If I hadn’t run away………..His Imperial Highness would have been safe… “
At that moment, Brianne hurriedly reached out and blocked the child’s mouth.