Published at 30th of June 2019 09:12:28 PM
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 – The Empress’ Gift To The Concubine (2)
“I’m not sending one . ”
The ladies-in-waiting exchanged relieved glances among themselves .
“Thank God . ”
“I was so worried that Her Majesty might send her a gift . ”
There were many reasons not to send one . After Sovieshu’s secretary left, I researched any precedents, just in case . Even if there was a banquet, there was no obligation to give a gift . If there were multiple concubines, one could withhold gifts to prevent certain ones from building too much power or influence with the empress’ close relatives .
But the situation with Rashta was neither . In any case, I had no desire to give one at all, and Sovieshu had sent his secretary to tell me not to worry about it . Why couldn’t I just say “Please take care of my husband”?
“Don’t worry . I don’t know if there’s a reason to send one, but I won’t . ”
A satisfied look came over the ladies’ faces .
“Laura would have been happy if she were here… I was thinking of going out of the palace today, so I’ll tell Laura about it, Your Majesty . ”
“How is Laura?”
“When I saw her the other day, she spoke angrily about ‘that woman . ’”
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“Marchioness Tarithal is also furious and tells the story every time she has a tea party . ”
I thought it better that they were on my side . Sovieshu and his aides would take good care of Rashta anyway, and I didn’t think those close to me needed to be supportive of her .
“By the way, Your Majesty…may I ask you something?”
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“What is it?”
“Rumor has it that the prince of Western Kingdom is coming for New Year’s Day . Is that true?”
The other ladies-in-waiting stopped talking and fixed their eyes on me . I nodded, and they squealed as they covered their faces or fanned themselves . I strained my lips to keep myself from smiling . The ladies-in-waiting had every reason to look forward to his appearance . The “Prince of the West” was the lone younger brother of the king, who was renowned for many things .
“He’s so handsome, isn’t he?”
“They say eye contact is enough to put you under his spell . ”
“But I hear he’s quite stubborn . I wonder if even the current king of the Western Kingdom has given up on trying to get him married . ”
“Are the rumors of him being a seedless watermelon are true?”
“I don’t know . But it’s a bit suspicious that the king hasn’t had any children, and neither the prince when he’s been with many women too . ”
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I nodded discreetly as I listened to the whispers of the ladies-in-waiting .
The Western Kingdom was a country of great military power, virtually equal to that of our Eastern Empire . It terms of wealth, it was the richest in the world . The prince, who was said to be the first in line to the throne of such a place, had many rumors swirling about him .
I left my thoughts of Sovieshu and his concubine behind and indulged in the sugary conversation of the ladies .
“There’s no banquet?”
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When Rashta asked Emperor Sovieshu how big the banquet would be and whether she could invite her friends, she was not prepared for this blow .
“But the Baron said we were going to have a big party…”
“Didn’t I tell you that it would be New Year’s Day soon? I didn’t want to rush this, but you were the one that wanted the signing ceremony as soon as possible . ”
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Despite his explanation, Rashta only looked on in puzzlement . Sovieshu realized he was thinking too highly of her level of common sense . She seemed smarter than she appeared, but he had forgotten that she knew nothing about the nobility .
“It’s my mistake . ”
“What do you mean?”
“It is not easy to arrange a large banquet . There are other things I am busy preparing . Time is tight, and it’s rude to have one large feast after another . ”
“Ah…! But is there another banquet on the same day as Rashta’s signing ceremony?”
“New Year’s Day will be soon . ”
Rashta turned crestfallen as her dreams of being congratulated by nobles at a lavish, grand banquet turned to dust . She had always wanted to see people flocking to her, and so she persuaded Sovieshu to have the ceremony as soon as possible . It was clear that the Emperor would be annoyed by this, and so Rashta did not show any signs of unhappiness and remained silent .
However, her disappointment only increased on the day of the ceremony . Even if there wasn’t a grand banquet, she still expected one of some sort . And when that didn’t happen, she expected the Emperor shower her with apologies and a promise of gifts . There was neither a word of congratulations nor a gift from the Empress either . She felt sad as Baron Lant had told her that the palace’s great halls were under the domain of the Empress .
Rashta had diligently practiced her signature, but after signing the document she felt empty . When she finished, the chancellor immediately left, saying he had work to do . There was no cheering, applause, or the feeling of ecstasy as if she had everything in the world .
Sovieshu also left with a “There’s work I have to finish,” and “I’ll see you later . ” When Rashta returned to her room, she buried her face in her hands .
“Why is it like this?”
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Rashta’s maids approached and asked her what was wrong, and the hurt that she had been holding inside her finally burst .
“The Empress must hate me, otherwise we wouldn’t have skipped the banquet or the gift . Even if she doesn’t give me a present, couldn’t she show her face?”
“Don’t cry, Rashta . Why are you crying on such a good day…”
“Don’t worry, you’ll rarely see her anyway . ”
However, Rashta’s hurt did not fade . When Sovieshu finally hurried to see her after he finished his work, he noticed she was in a somber mood .
“Why does my prey look so down on this meaningful day?”
“What do you mean, meaningful day? I haven’t been congratulated by anyone…”
“Not congratulated by anyone? The chancellor congratulated you . He bowed to you, and the servants as well . ”
But what Rashta wanted was the congratulations of the nobles, not the servants . She wanted to be recognized by those who lifted their chins as if they were the best in the world .
“The Empress must loathe Rashta…”
As Rasta’s face grew gloomier, Sovieshu was forced to confess something .
“The Empress didn’t prepare a banquet or a gift because she hates you . I told her not to because it wasn’t a good time . ”
Rashta nodded, but was clear that she didn’t believe him . In this atmosphere, it was impossible for Sovieshu to relax and enjoy himself with his concubine .
The next day, Sovieshu gave his secretary a gift, who in turn gave it to Rashta in the name of the Empress .