The Empress Called for Me
**BACKTICK**CHAPTER_TITLE: The Empress Called for Me**BACKTICK**
The corridors leading to the Empress’s Palace were as quiet as always. That silence felt uncomfortable and unsettling.
The carpet was thick, and the walls were covered with repeated imperial crests. This place felt like a space where even footsteps required permission.
I entered the inner reception room following the maid’s guidance.
The Empress sat by the window, wearing a pale golden dress, her hair perfectly arranged, and her smile flawless. She was as beautiful and elegant as ever.
“Come in, Noel.” The Empress waved her hand.
I forced a bright smile and approached.
“Mother!” The Empress’s eyebrows twitched slightly in displeasure.
“You seem to be in a good mood today as well.”
“Yeah! I ate sweets!”
“Is that so.” The Empress smiled softly. Anyone might have thought she was a gentle mother from that smile alone. In reality, the palace people viewed her that way: dignified, elegant, and kind.
All of it was an act. Ah, perhaps I inherited this talent for acting from her blood. It was disgusting. That I had inherited her blood, and that I was doing the same things she was doing now.
I had been thinking about this lately. If I hadn’t been acting like an idiot, would I have treated me better? Wasn’t it all my fault? If I hadn’t lied, would she have shown me her true feelings?
I sat quietly on the chair. I slightly rocked my legs, placed my hands neatly on my knees, and soon reached for the plate of sweets.
The Empress watched me with a smile.
“It seems you’ve been getting quite close to the Grand Duchess lately.”
I picked up a sweet and tilted my head. “Adel?”
“Yes. Adelaine the Grand Duchess.” The Empress’s smile softened a little more. Too soft, it was actually sharp.
We needed to wear masks to face others like this.
“The Grand Duchess seems to like you.”
I put the sweet in my mouth and smiled widely. “Yeah! I like Adel!”
“That much?”
“Yeah! Adel rides horses well and gives me sweets! And she doesn’t punish me.”
“Doesn’t punish?” The Empress repeated slowly. “Is that so.” She was smiling, but her eyes were not. She was displeased. “Noel, when I disciplined you, it was because I wanted what was best for you. I wanted you to understand your mother’s heart someday. Very much so.”
Her hand stroked my cheek. A voice full of pretended sadness. The eyes looking at me held nothing at all. No affection, nothing.
“I heard the Grand Duchess, being a Northerner, is not good at expressing emotions.” The Empress said. “She seems quite kind to our youngest.”
“Yeah! Adel is kind!” I answered while eating sweets.
The Empress lifted her teacup to her lips. The way she drank tea was utterly refined. “That’s fortunate.” The Empress looked quite satisfied. She must have judged that she could use me more easily now.
She set the teacup down and picked up a small box beside it. “That’s why, Noel.”
“Hmm?”
“When you go to the North soon, there will be many unfamiliar things.” The Empress looked at me with pity. “In that crude and barbaric place, can our delicate imperial prince endure…?” Her hand stroked my head. It hurt. It was uncomfortable. It was frightening.
“Or, something bad might happen. I am truly worried about you.” She opened the box. Inside was a small diary with a light brown leather cover. The imperial crest was pressed into it, and the corners were decorated with gold. Beside it was a small silver pen.
“It’s a diary.” The Empress said. “A diary?” “Yes. In the North, there will be many things you hear and see, so write down what you felt.”
“I’m bad at writing.” I said immediately. “Can I draw?” “Of course.” The Empress smiled. “Draws are fine, and the words you hear and see are fine. Who you met, where you went, what was interesting. It would be good to write everything down.” “Everything?” “Yes. Our youngest is honest.” She pushed the diary toward me. “You should be able to write exactly what you saw and heard, right?”
“Yeah!” “Next time you come, you must bring this diary.” “Why?” “Because I’m curious. I want to know if our Noel endured well there, what happened, and if there’s anything I can help with.”
I looked at the diary with sparkling eyes and hugged it to my chest. “Thank you! I’ll draw Adel too!”
“Yes. Draw the Grand Duchess as well.” “Adel will draw pretty!”
“Yes. I want to know what kind of person the Grand Duchess you see is.” I smiled widely. “Yeah! I like Adel!” The Empress smiled. “Yes. Draw as much as you like.” Until I left the Empress’s Palace, I carried the diary in my arms the whole time.
When I stepped out into the corridor, I slightly lowered my head. My expression remained as foolish as possible. But inside, it was cold and still.
That night, I pretended to be asleep on the bed. The lamps in the room were out, and the maids’ footsteps had disappeared. After the presence outside the door completely vanished, I moved my fingertips.
Shadows slowly rose from under the bed. The shadows left the room. The night of the imperial capital was more honest than daytime. During the day, nobles laughed, etiquette hid people, and crests covered the truth. At night, money moved, rumors were sold, and frightened people came seeking masks.
Northwestern Alley. Inside an old tent. The information broker wearing the White Mask sat on a chair. Another me I had made. Or the face I breathed most easily with. Each shadow sorted the information collected calmly.
The movements of Valen de Leohardt were as expected. After the horse race loss, he was spreading rumors that the Grand Duchess of the North had made dangerous rides. Targets were two noble salons, one imperial capital newspaper, and around the gambling houses.
He sent records to the newspaper editor about who Valen met before and after the race. To the salons, he leaked testimonies that Valen provoked the Grand Duchess before the race. The gambling houses were handled differently. He spread stories that Valen’s cousin was involved in betting before the race.
I tapped the table with my fingers. Good. The best way to block rumors was to plant the opposite rumor first. If Valen tried to dig up dirt on Adel, people would first doubt his credibility.
What a despicable man. I unfolded the next report. There, the movements of the First Prince were written.
Hunting Competition. It was to be held in a few days at the royal hunting grounds on the outskirts of the imperial capital. The pretext was for friendship. After the horse race, to calm the disturbed noble atmosphere and draw young nobles’ interest back to imperial-centered events.
At the bottom of the report, there was suspicious content. The hunting grounds management staff had suddenly been replaced. A few external hunters were temporarily hired. Questions related to the course went back and forth to the hunting grounds management office. And “Black-feathered Arrow.” I muttered lowly. That was what the report said. It was not the standard arrow used at the royal hunting grounds. The color, balance, everything was different. More suitable for hitting humans than hunting. I needed to increase surveillance on the hunting competition, especially the hunters on the First Prince’s side. Name, origin, debt, family, recent money received. Everything.
I folded the report. The Empress had handed me the diary. The First Prince was preparing for the hunting competition. Valen was spreading rumors. The imperial capital was still pretending to be calm. But underneath, it was noisy.
At that moment, a small presence was heard outside the tent. The agreed code. Three times. Pause. Twice.
I looked up. “Come in.” A small boy entered the tent. A street delivery boy. An acquaintance face. He bowed deeply and handed over a black envelope. “The White Mask was told to deliver this.”
“Who.”
“I don’t know. The face was covered. I received the money in advance.” The boy also handed over a small pouch. It was heavy. It was quite a sum. I took the envelope. Black wax. No crest. The scent was almost none. The paper was ordinary capital paper, but it was midway between the high-grade paper nobles used and the cheap paper commoners used. Had he deliberately chosen something ambiguous? A cautious requester.
I opened the envelope. Inside was a short request letter.
“The requester.” I looked at the delivery boy. “Did you really not know?”
“Yes. The voice had been altered.”
“Height.”
“A little taller than me. Could be an adult man, or a woman in a thick cloak.”
“Hands.”
“Wearing gloves.” Thorough. The Empress? The First Prince? Or someone else?
I set the request letter on the table. “Convey that I accept.” The delivery boy looked up. “I will take the request.”
“Understood.”
“However, the result delivery is in two days. Same route. Additional cost is double.”
“Yes.” The delivery boy bowed deeply and left. The tent was left with just me again. I looked at the request letter. Whether the Grand Duchess of the North genuinely cares for the youngest prince. I did not know how Adel thought of me. To be precise, I pretended not to want to know. It was troublesome. It was dangerous. It was politically burdensome. She covered it with such words. But I was afraid. Whether she really liked me, or was trying to use me like others. Either way, it was frightening.