ALL NOVEL Chapter 14 - An Atypical Empress
Due to the empress’s sudden visit, the employees of the Berger family had to finish preparations from the crack of dawn.
For if they did not treat the empress with proper decorum, the family’s dignity would surely plummet.
Of course, she had refused, saying she disliked such things, so it was brushed aside – but the empress’s presence remained formidable nonetheless.
“…You have arrived rather suddenly, Your Majesty.”
However, Rizehl Berger, who was to soon inherit the lordship, showed her displeasure unfiltered.
She could tolerate the loathsome empress attending the garden tea party she had hosted. But having to yield the primary seat to her was quite vexing.
“Requiring the permission of one who is not even a lord would diminish the imperial dignity.”
It was a rather blunt insult, implying she was beneath seeking approval from a mere lady-in-waiting.
“I am soon to complete the inheritance ceremony and become lord.”
“Yes, but for now you are simply a lady.”
The empress nonchalantly brushed aside Rizehl’s excuse.
“A few letters of title after one’s name does not command respect, my lady. Respect is not like some cheap market food whose value changes by altering its name, is it?”
“Surely you know the vast difference in standing between a lady and a lord.”
“Yes, once you complete the inheritance, my lady, you may receive a degree of respect. But will that respect truly be for you as a person?”
At the ensuing scathing critique, Rizehl ground her teeth and glared at the empress.
Penelope Arvin, the current empress of this empire, was once one of the five heroes who had been active on the battlefield, a renowned military commander famed for her brilliant mind.
And above all, she was a beauty with lovely silver hair and shining emerald eyes. By looks alone, she possessed the elegance of an empress.
But what about below her face? Was she not confined to a wheelchair, unable to even walk? Her legs aside, she was an unchaste woman, having loosened her body even before marriage, to the point of never having had a proper wedding night.
“…Yes, I shall take Your Majesty’s advice to heart.”
The other ladies present were stunned that Rizehl so meekly backed down.
For Rizehl was one who always got what she wanted, never did what she disliked, and never retreated no matter what.
“By the way, upon receiving news of Your Majesty’s visit today, I hurriedly prepared a gift.”
Rizehl had her maid bring over a gift the servants had specially prepared.
“These are flowers.”
Flowers were often used as gifts, so at first glance there seemed nothing particularly strange – except that the flowers Rizehl had gifted were black lilies.
With their pure white color, lilies symbolized chastity, so the meaning of black lilies was known to all.
All the ladies except Rizehl and the empress began giggling softly behind their fans.
“Ah…What a beautiful flower indeed.”
Of course, the empress was not one to take offense at such a petty insult.
“It’s a flower my friend Raul quite liked. I never thought you would prepare such flowers knowing that. You must truly be a good younger sister.”
The empress mocked Rizehl and Raul’s relationship, putting Rizehl to shame.
“Oh my, I did not expect you to bring up that man. How unexpected. Ah, now that I think about it, you two did have quite the special relationship.”
“Yes, he was a good friend.”
“You are truly gracious, Your Majesty, to befriend even such an arrogant man. Or perhaps out of sheer benevolence, you do not discriminate in choosing objects to share your love with?”
This was an obvious insult, but the empress did not get angry, instead calmly sipping her tea with a serene expression.
Rizehl even wondered if the rumors of the empress being terrifying when angered were exaggerated.
The sword sheathed behind her wheelchair was likely just for show, and in reality she may be incapable of anger, a mere pushover.
“By the way, since we brought up the former count, he was quite the unpleasant one, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, truly an unpleasant one. If you spoke to him, he always responded curtly and never smiled.”
“And his fashion sense was so strange too. Wearing two thick coats even in high summer.”
“Sometimes that cold, indifferent demeanor of his was quite chilling. Somewhat of a relief that we won’t be seeing him at parties anymore.”
“I heard rumors he was constantly taking some nameless medicine…Could that medicine have been…”
And at that moment, with the sound of wind being sliced, the hair of the ladies present was cut off.
Only Rizehl and the empress’s hair remained untouched, while the other ladies’ and noble matrons’ hair was cleanly shorn, leaving them looking like dock workers.
“Oh my…?”
“Our hair just now…”
“What is the meaning of this indignity!”
The empress returned her drawn sword to its sheath and spoke with a bright smile:
“It’s better for either your hair or tongue to be short.”
The guards of the noble ladies rushed to the commotion, but the empress froze them with just a cold glare.
Rizehl forced her trembling hands to stay still. How could the empress, who had never seen combat, be capable of such feats?
“I am not so immature as to grow angry over personal matters.”
As the empress drew her sword again, her strike halved the enormous marble table prepared for the tea party.
“But I cannot abide my friend being insulted by filthy mouths.”
The tea party now in shambles, Rizehl could no longer hold back her anger and furiously approached the empress.
“Just what is the meaning of this discourtesy!”
“Discourtesy, you say? You speak laughable words, my lady.”
The empress returned her sword to its sheath and spoke:
“I cannot treat you discourteously even if I wished to, my lady.”
“After doing something like this, what nonsense is that…!”
“The reason is, you are not Raul.”
At her brother’s name being mentioned again, Rizehl’s expression began to sour.
“You currently lack his achievements, abilities, and connections. Discourtesy is a concept that only applies between those of equal standing, my lady.”
The empress’s kindly smile faded as she glared at Rizehl with the fierce countenance she wore on the battlefield, pointing her sword at Rizehl’s neck.
“Even if I killed you now, I would face no punishment. For I too possess achievements, abilities, and connections.”
“But I have yet to take the lord’s seat…!”
“Yes, you have yet to complete the inheritance ceremony and build such things. But so what? The world is not your mother’s embrace to indulge such circumstances.”
Feeling an overwhelming pressure for the first time, Rizehl froze.
Having never been scolded since birth, the impact was tremendous.
“If you wish today’s events to constitute discourtesy, then first cultivate yourself. Build achievements, hone abilities, forge connections – then come find me. I will gladly apologize.”
The empress then addressed the other ladies and noble matrons present at the tea party:
“So if you wish to become such a person, study instead of wasting time bonding with these parrots who only repeat meaningless words to stay in others’ good graces.”
The empress called them parrots for mindlessly repeating empty pleasantries to stay on others’ good side without backbones of their own.
“And one final warning.”
The empress spoke in a low voice only Rizehl could hear:
“Do not even think of hurting Raul’s heart from now on. For then, I too shall perform a sincere dance of blades.”
“That man…!”
“Yes, if he saw this spectacle today, that would be your brother scolding me in place of those frozen fools over there.”
Leaving that hushed warning, the empress abruptly departed.
And Rizehl could only grit her teeth as she gazed upon the ruined tea party.
“Raul…Raul…That man again…? Who was it that hurt whose heart…!”
Rizehl could never forgive Raul no matter what. She could never forgive Raul for killing her fiancé.
The empress’s aide cautiously asked as he pushed her wheelchair:
“Are you truly alright with this?”
“What do you mean?”
“But still, she is to be the next lord of the Berger family. Was that not somewhat excessive treatment…”
“It is better than being surrounded by such vermin, wasting away wealth and dignity. And the whip is more effective than the carrot in spurring people on.”
The conduct the empress displayed today had all been calculated, serving to drive out the fleas while conveying a message to a friend’s sister.
“I truly thought Your Majesty was enraged…”
“Oh no, I was angry. How could I not be angry when such a fool was toying with my friend’s life? I almost considered just killing them all.”
She was one who spoke cruel words with a gentle, madonna-like expression.
“But I held back because I did not wish to make Raul grieve.”
“…It seems the next lord of the Berger family will have a difficult time ahead.”
“In truth, I wanted to reveal what kind of depraved cur her fiancé was before extracting her teeth. That insolent brat needs a good beating with a club to come to her senses. I don’t know why my friends’ sisters are all such horrible bitches.”
“Your Majesty…?”
The empress’s aide stopped in his tracks, stunned.
“Before worrying about others’ chastity down there, she should worry about her own filthy mouth. Just like a syphilitic whore with that mouth of hers…”
“Your Majesty, I fear others may hear.”
The empress had the foulest mouth in the empire.
Even Camilla or Raul would cover their ears if the empress truly let loose with obscenities.