I Once Thought I Had No Place, Being Married Off to An Enemy Nation as A Token of Apology but That Was Only for One Night - Chapter 15

It was the day of the debut party. I was wearing a night-colored dress that Grete had finished to perfection. The shimmering jewels and embroidery made of silver thread were said to symbolize the snow that fell into the night sky. Given that she knew the circumstances, I found her boldness in creating such a dress quite impressive.

Rather, I was the one who was worried. I had received Frieda’s assurance that it was fine, but lately, she seemed ready to say that anything I did was fine. I wondered if the Emperor would truly find no issue with this dress.

Carrying that anxiety in my heart, I walked down the hallway. In front of the party venue, a man who stood out remarkably greeted me. Emperor Albert looked radiant again today. As he saw me, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You have silver thread embroidery in the shape of snowflakes, I see,” he remarked.

“Yes. I was told it is a common pattern in the Empire. Do you find it unpleasant?” I asked, hoping he would not misunderstand my intent.

He gave a soft laugh. “There is no issue. I have the same pattern on my own attire.”

I only noticed it once he pointed it out. He wore a deep indigo long coat, and his shirt was embroidered with snowflakes. It was as if our outfits were coordinated. As that thought occurred to me, I was struck by a realization.

“Emperor Albert, which tailor did you commission for your formal wear?”

“This? It was a tailor named Grete. Frieda introduced her to me,” he replied.

“I see,” I whispered.

A part of the question I had the other day finally clicked into place. I did not know how much of it was a coincidence and how much was intentional, but the matching designs were certainly no accident. Grete was likely involved for certain. Beyond that, it was either Frieda, Emperor Albert, or perhaps both. In any case, it seemed I was surrounded by talented people who were very good at acting.

“Noel?”

“No, it is nothing at all,” I replied with a composed smile as I took Emperor Albert’s arm. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Many of the nobles in this country are aware not only of the blunders of your brother and the Saintesses but also of your alias,” he warned.

The citizens held a favorable image of me because I had purified the Capital. However, the nobility felt differently. To them, I appeared to be a wicked woman taking advantage of the fame of the Saintess of White Snow.

“That is exactly what I expected. Someday, I will rewrite their evaluation of me,” I stated.

“I see. Then I shall watch over you as you do,” he said.

“You will watch over me?” I asked, wondering why he used those words. It sounded as though he had been watching over me all along. I questioned him with my eyes, but he did not answer. Instead, he signaled to the staff. Immediately after, the doors to the venue opened. The lights from the magical tools on the chandeliers were dazzling, and the buzz from inside the hall rushed toward us like a wave.

Escorted by Emperor Albert, I made my way toward the back of the venue. The gazes of the people we passed were fixed on me, and many of them were filled with hostility.

“Noel, are you alright?”

“Yes, there is no particular problem.”

“I see. Whether you can create a place for yourself in the Empire depends entirely on your actions,” he told me.

I widened my eyes in surprise. “What is the matter?” he asked.

“No, it is just. I was wondering if I had ever mentioned the idea of creating a place for myself to you, Your Majesty.”

“What are you saying? You were the one who told me. You said you had decided to create a place for yourself in this country,” he replied.

“Did I truly say that?”

I felt as though I might have said it, but the way he spoke just now was remarkably similar to my interactions with the older boy I had admired. Of course, since he was that person, it was not strange for him to say similar things. Still, I wondered if he realized I was that same girl from back then.

No, that was impossible. It had to be a mere coincidence. If he found out that the girl who shouted, “I will become a great Saintess and protect you too,” had later been sent to him as a token of apology, I would die of embarrassment. More than anything, if he realized I was desperately trying to hide it for that reason, I would want to punch my past self for being so bold.

“Noel?”

“It is nothing at all,” I insisted.

“Very well. Then brace yourself. They are coming.”

Emperor Albert looked toward the back of the hall. There, I saw the Six Archlords walking toward us. At the front was a wild looking young man with spiky blonde hair. That was Ludwig Greifner, one of the Archlords who ruled a territory adjacent to Frieda’s. Frieda’s earlier warning flashed through my mind.

She had told me that Ludwig was the master of a Saintess who had lost her powers. He felt responsible for recommending her and felt that his mistake led to her downfall. Consequently, he strongly loathed the Crown Prince of Ashtar who caused it.

In other words, he was the person with the highest level of hostility toward me as a relative of that prince. Furthermore, since he was known to be a hotheaded person who spoke his mind, he was essentially my natural enemy.

As I was thinking this, they arrived to give their greetings. Frieda and Ludwig arrived first, accompanied by Matthias Nordenlicht, the only elderly man among the Archlords.

“As one of the Six Archlords, Frieda offers greetings to Emperor Albert and Empress Noel,” she announced. She took the lead, and the other two followed suit. Emperor Albert responded first, and I followed. The greetings seemed to go smoothly until Ludwig spoke up.

“Empress Noel, I heard you were called the Saintess of Black Snow in your own country,” he said, cutting straight to the point.

Frieda took a step forward, but I stopped her with a look. “Yes, I was indeed called the Saintess of Black Snow.”

“I see. But why is a Saintess with the power of purification called by the same color as miasma? Can you truly perform purification?”

“That is,” I started, wondering what the correct answer should be.

It would be easy to show my power here, but doing so would reveal that my snow is actually white. I had decided to be recognized as the Saintess of Black Snow, so I could not let the truth out yet. As I struggled with how to respond, Frieda stepped forward.

“Ludwig, that is far too disrespectful. Furthermore, Empress Noel purified the miasma in my territory magnificently. I personally guarantee that her power is the real thing,” Frieda declared.

“You do?” Ludwig looked surprised, and the other Archlords began to buzz with conversation. However, Frieda stood tall. “That is correct. Is there a problem with that?”

While there was no issue with the content of her statement, there was a major issue with the fact that Frieda was the one saying it. She had changed her tune far too quickly. As a fellow Archlord, Ludwig likely felt that more than anyone. Still, it was a fact that she had helped me.

“As she has inadvertently proven it, do you still require more?” I asked.

“No, I have no intention of doubting Frieda’s word,” Ludwig replied, backing down unexpectedly easily. He seemed more shaken by the unexpected ally I had in Frieda than actually convinced. Regardless of the reason, I had cleared the first hurdle.

Before I could even take a breath, the remaining three approached. Leading them was a woman of mature years. Since Frieda was the only other female Archlord, this had to be Seraphina Waldenstein. She also ruled a territory adjacent to Frieda’s. Beside her were a boy in his early teens and a man in his thirties.

“As one of the Six Archlords, Seraphina offers greetings to Emperor Albert and the Saintess of Black Snow,” she said.

The three gave their greetings in succession. While the wording was similar, only Seraphina called me the Saintess of Black Snow instead of the Empress. It was a clear sign that she did not recognize me as the Emperor’s wife. I wondered how I should handle this. While Emperor Albert returned the greetings, I refined my response and gave her a deep smile.

“This is the first time we have greeted each other. The excellence of the Six Archlords and their high loyalty to the Emperor are well known even in the Kingdom of Ashtar. Thank you for coming to our wedding debut party today,” I said.

Seraphina reacted immediately to my indirect phrasing. As expected, the Archlords were as excellent as the rumors suggested. However, because she was so capable, she found herself in a predicament. She had refused to call me Empress. Yet, this party was intended to introduce me as the Empress, and it was hosted by Emperor Albert himself. Therefore, her attitude was a direct defiance of the Emperor’s decision, and she had done it right in front of him.

I had pointed that out. Thus, she had only two choices. She could continue to resist me and openly defy the Emperor, or she could prioritize her loyalty to the Emperor and admit her mistake to a woman she loathed.

Seraphina’s gaze flickered toward the Emperor for just a moment. She bit her lip once and then forced a smile onto her face.

“Now that you mention it, I have not yet offered my congratulations. Congratulations on your marriage, Emperor Albert and Empress Noel,” she said.

She had acknowledged me as the Empress. Inwardly, she was likely fuming. Even so, I respected her for being able to prioritize her loyalty. Therefore, just before Seraphina could step back, I called out to her. That alone caused the air around us to grow tense.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The Six Archlords are truly the wonderful people I heard they were,” I said.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked, perhaps thinking I was being sarcastic.

“It is simply my honest thought. I think your spirit in prioritizing loyalty to the Emperor over your personal feelings toward me is wonderful. Therefore, I will also speak what I must as a Princess of the Kingdom of Ashtar.”

My brother’s blunders have nothing to do with me. Personally, that is what I believe, but my position does not allow for that. I noticed everyone was watching me. I decided to raise my voice so that everyone could hear me clearly, wanting to settle this once and for all.

“As a member of the royalty of Ashtar, I offer my sincere apologies for the verbal abuse my brother directed at you all,” I announced.

“Are you saying you will bow your head in his place?”

“No, I have no intention of bowing my head as his substitute. However, since my brother directed verbal abuse at you during a formal international meeting, I understand that I bear responsibility as a member of the same royal family.”

I felt it was unreasonable, but that is how the world works. I could not simply run away from responsibility because I disagreed with it.

“That being said, I do not believe I am in the same position as my brother. In fact, please do not treat my brother and me as if we are on the same level. It is unpleasant to be grouped with someone like him,” I added, letting my true feelings out as well.

Seraphina widened her eyes slightly and then curled the corners of her mouth up just a bit. “That man profaned the heroes who died for the sake of the people. Therefore, it is not something that can be forgiven with a mere apology. However, I understand that you do not hold the same views as he does.”

I smiled as if to tell her not to forget it, and she returned a smile that suggested she would not. With that, she departed along with the other Archlords. I watched them leave and exhaled softly. The chasm between the Archlords and me was deep, but I did not think it was impossible to fill. As I thought about this, Emperor Albert began to chuckle softly, his shoulders shaking. I could feel it through the arm I was holding.

“Emperor Albert?”

“I thought you would handle it somehow, but it was unexpected for you to speak your mind so boldly,” he said.

“I am sorry. It was more stressful than I thought to be treated as my brother’s kind,” I apologized.

“No, there is no need to apologize. It was likely a good thing for them to learn your true thoughts as well.”

“Do you truly think so?” I asked, wondering if they thought I had simply snapped in anger.

Emperor Albert gave a soft smile. “In this Empire, it is not uncommon for children to die from Erosion Disease. Compared to other countries, the average life expectancy is quite low. Therefore, there is a strong tendency to cherish one’s relatives.”

I felt I could understand that. I had heard that in eras when hygiene was less advanced, more than half of children died before the age of six. In such times, people would especially dote on the children who grew up safely.

“Because of that, when a relative is hurt, people get angry as if it were themselves. If there is an enemy, it is only natural to hate the relatives of that enemy as well. That is the norm in our country,” he explained.

“I see. So that was the reason,” I said.

If the country is different, the way of thinking changes. In that sense, asserting that I was a person with a different mindset from my brother might have been a more meaningful act than I realized.

“I wanted to tell you that being recognized by them would be difficult, but it seems you have already been recognized by Frieda,” he noted.

“Yes, it seems my work in her territory was evaluated more highly than I expected.”

“I see. Since she places that much trust in you, I doubt that is the only reason, but still,” he mused.

“Well, there were various things involved,” I replied vaguely, unable to tell him that I had been found out as the Saintess of White Snow.

“Very well. In any case, if she has acknowledged you to that extent, then you must have put in a corresponding amount of effort. It seems I should also reevaluate my opinion of you.”

“I am honored,” I replied. Since I had hidden my achievements, I did not expect him to say such a thing. A smile escaped me, knowing that my hard work had been worth it. Immediately after, the party venue grew noisy.

“What happened?” Emperor Albert called out.

A messenger knight came running toward us. He fell to his knees in front of us and began to report loudly.

“I have a report! A stampede has occurred in both the Greifner and Waldenstein territories! A massive swarm of monsters is reportedly descending upon both territorial capitals!”

If they reached the cities, there would undoubtedly be massive damage. The phenomenon known as a stampede had occurred in two places simultaneously. Faced with this report, the venue fell into an uproar.