Lady to Queen

0When one of the noblewomen said that, the atmosphere flowed on strangely. Some paid attention to Patrizia, while others seemed to just enjoy the situation. Someone even said, "How could she attend this gathering, Lady? If it were me, I would feel so apologetic to Her Majesty, that I wouldn't dare show my face."     0

It was only a month after Patrizia had been crowned Empress. However, the Emperor, even though he was a newlywed, had immediately given his mistress a title.     

This was not unprecedented, but it was never accepted in the good sense. Anyways, whether this was intended or not intended, there was no denying that he had dropped the authority of the new Empress Patrizia.     

"True, that must be so. She can't possibly have such a thick face to so shamelessly..."     

"I am late."     

At that time, everyone's gaze focused on the voice that had interrupted at that moment. Patrizia stared at Rosemond walking towards her, with an emotionless face. The unadorned white dress was beautiful as it matched with her white face. She approached the table that the women and Patrizia were gathered at, and elegantly bent her waist in greeting.     

"I give my greetings. I am Rosemond Mary La Phelps."     

"Welcome, Baroness."     

One of them greeted her with a grim look. For the noblewomen, Rosemond was an existence to be welcomed.     

As the higher nobility had great pride in their lineage they would have felt disdain towards her, and the lower nobility felt a certain degree of jealousy as they were in similar positions and age as her and yet she was the much younger Emperor's mistress.     

In either case, Patrizia's perspective was that the more enemies she had, the better.     

"Sit down, Baroness."     

Patrizia looked at her with a smile and encouraged her to take her place. As the position was set in order, of course, she was seated at the way end, and so was furthest away from Patrizia. Even more, she had just recently become a Baroness, and because she was young, it made sense she was sitting on the opposite side of Patrizia.     

Patrizia felt comforted by that. If she had to drink tea with her in the near vicinity, she would have certainly not felt the tea entering either through her throat or nostrils.     

"What were you all talking about?"     

"Ah, we weren't talking about much."     

Rafaella, who had attended today not as a knight but as a lady, laughed cheekily and said, "We were just talking about you, Lady."     

"My story?"     

"Yes."     

Rafaella, who answered succinctly, pulled her outer mouth corners up and subtly blamed Rosemond.     

"We thought the Baroness would not come. Of course."     

"I?"     

"Yes. I thought I wouldn't come if I had been you."     

"Why is that?"     

Rafaella blatantly stared at Rosemond who had continued to ask questions, and with a cheery smile that didn't seem to match the future content she responded with.     

"I'd be ashamed. If I had even a little bit of something like a conscience left, I probably wouldn't have come."     

"..."     

Rosemond did not wrinkle her face at Rafaella's criticism. Patrizia thought that she had to highly credit that ability to manage her facial expression so well, and another lady added on to the words.     

"True. If there were even a bit of those feelings, there would be no reason to stay put beside the Emperor that wasn't even bringing an Empress in."     

"..."     

The situation was turning offensively towards Rosemond. Perhaps it would have been different if Rosemond had been a noble lady with a higher rank, but, unfortunately, her father was a mere Baron, so the nobles did not consider her kindly.     

Rosemond sat down for a while with a deadpan face and then opened her mouth dryly.     

"I don't know why everyone does this."     

"What?"     

"As you have said, I have spent a year serving His Majesty in the palace where the Empress was not even present. I don't think it was something that was so wrong."     

Rosemond raised one corner of her mouth and laughed piteously. Patrizia looked at her for a moment and momentarily shuddered. It was a look that gave her goosebumps.     

"I did not try to directly harm Her Majesty, so please don't look at me like that too much. I actually rather wish the Emperor would grant his intimate favor to Her Majesty. Always, every night he looks for me, and my body can't get any rest."     

"..."     

Discreet mockery and implacable flaunting. Patrizia smiled momentarily out of shock. Then Rosemond looked at Patrizia with smiling eyes and tied up her words with a nice voice.     

"Of course it's not something I can control, but I think I'm going to talk to him more actively. As you have said, I have a conscience and it hurts my heart that the Empress has to sleep alone every night."     

"..."     

With those words, everyone fluttered about. The truth was, they had to know. The Emperor had fallen for his mistress and stopped his visits to the Empress Palace. Nobody chose to show they knew, Patrizia opened her mouth, not knowing what to say to Rosemond that had brought it to the open, until someone interrupted, "Baroness Phelps."     

Patrizia was startled by the familiar voice.