The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 45

As Cayenne’s closest confidant, Glenn was naturally well aware of the recent changes. However, he did not think as much of them as Miller, the Chief Attendant, nor did he understand them as deeply as Emma.

“Your Majesty, did you find me?”

“I did.”

A moment of silence settled between them. The two had spent a vast amount of time together, but they usually remained silent. From their childhood in the barren lands of Rubeo, they were the type to share their thoughts through the clashing of swords rather than conversation.

“I am thinking of… reaching out to the Empress.”

“Yes.”

Cayenne let out a short sigh and looked Glenn straight in the eye. “I need you to think this through with me.”

“Yes.”

Glenn, answering like a soldier out of habit, blinked. “Pardon?”

It was a rare moment of bewilderment for a man whose stoicism rivaled Cayenne’s own.

“Do you mean… with me, Sire?”

“Who else is here?”

There were countless people with better opinions than Glenn. In fact, anyone but Glenn would have sufficed.

“Perhaps Madame Emma would be—”

“She is not here today.”

“The Chief Attendant, then, or the other head maids—”

Cayenne shook his head immediately. Emma was his mother’s maid and a witness to his childhood, so he could reveal his inner thoughts to her, but his pride would not allow him to bring up such a topic with other servants who were little more than strangers.

“Don’t give me that look. It’s not as if I wanted to choose you for this either.”

“Yes, I expect as much,” Glenn replied with resignation. “However, you must not expect the same level of capability from me as you do from Madame Emma.”

“I don’t expect it.” Cayenne checked the clock impatiently. Had he known it would come to this, he would have spent his morning thinking instead of pacing. “Do you remember when I summoned the Minister of Rites?”

“Yes. You inquired about the validity of the marriage.”

“Right. And that deadline is today.”

Glenn nodded stoically.

“Well? Do you have nothing to say to me?”

“Pardon? Ah… congratulations.”

Is he mocking me? Cayenne’s face darkened with a scowl before he realized Glenn lacked the wit for such a thing.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You said the limit was one year from the wedding. Does that not make today your first wedding anniversary?”

Sometimes, a moment called for a questionably simple answer. It was a perfect excuse that had been right under his nose.

“Glenn!”

“Yes? Did I say something wrong? Shall I go fetch Madame Emma now?”

“No. It seems you are useful for something after all.”

However, finding an answer did not mean every subsequent judgment would be sound.

“Start thinking now. I will send a gift to the Empress’s Palace using that as an excuse.”

Glenn blinked blankly. “What should the letter say?”

Cayenne was already so absorbed in his goal that he didn’t even look at Glenn.

“Usually… what kind of gift is given for a first anniversary?”

He began to pace restlessly again. His expression was as grave as when they discussed battlefield tactics in a Rubeo tent.

“Well… do people not pick flowers and give them?”

Rubeo was also a place where people lived. Since he saw the lives of commoners more closely than those in the palace, a relatively normal answer emerged.

“Then let’s worry about the letter later. First, let’s head out.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As Glenn answered spiritedly, the two men locked eyes and nodded.

“As expected, I can count on you.”

“You flatter me, Sire.”

Had Emma witnessed the sight of these two men and their burning friendship, she surely would have clutched the back of her neck in exasperation. However, the two were already in perfect accord, wearing satisfied smiles.

“But… will mere flowers be enough? I feel it may be insufficient.”

Cayenne made a rare, sensible remark, but his companion was Glenn.

“How about picking a great deal of them and putting them in a large basket?”

Cayenne smiled at Glenn’s confident suggestion. “A fine idea.”

They did not realize that flowers were unlikely to be blooming in the dead of winter, nor did they realize how much it defied his status for a man of his rank to pick flowers himself like a commoner. They did not even know that an Empress’s flower basket was something a craftsman usually spent days perfecting.

“But… I don’t see any flowers.”

The two men, having circled the garden as if surveying a battlefield, paused in deep thought.

“Ah. Is it because it is winter that flowers aren’t blooming?”

“Oh… indeed!”

In a sense, it was a blessing that no one else was watching this. No one should have known that these two men were currently being this serious and passionate.

“Then where are we to get flowers?”

“Your Majesty, do not worry.”

Cayenne looked at Glenn with trust. Today, his confidant felt incredibly reliable.

“How about this?”

Glenn picked up a pinecone that had fallen beneath a coniferous tree and spoke triumphantly.

“That is not a flower.”

“It is a byproduct of a garden tree, so it is the same as a flower.”

“I see. Effectively the same.”

It would have been helpful if someone had been there to stop them, but no such thing happened.

“Look, I see acorns too.”

Cayenne personally bent his waist to pick up an acorn and flashed a grin. They firmly believed they were doing something incredibly wise, brilliant, and proud.

“Your Majesty, I have another great idea.”

“What is it?”

Cayenne’s eyes sparkled with boyish excitement. He had been stifled for three days without word from the Empress’s Palace; the mere fact that he had found an excuse to approach Alicia made his heart soar.

“Did you not say you would write a letter? If we gather many and put them in a large basket, then place your letter right in the center, it will surely stand out.”

Again, the problem was that there was no one to stop these two men.

“Glenn.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You are quite dependable today.”

The two men smiled proudly at each other and began to gather pinecones with a competitive ferocity. Eventually, looking at the two men who had sweated to pile up a heap of pinecones, the Chief Attendant could say nothing.

“You are asking to put these in a basket and send them to the Empress’s Palace… with Your Majesty’s letter?”

The best Miller could do was ask once more so that Cayenne might realize his own mistake.

“Yes. The Empress likes plants and trees, so she will be pleased.”

Looking at Cayenne’s face, which was full of hope and anticipation, no one could have brought themselves to tell him that the gift was wrong.

“Yes, I shall do as you command.”

Miller bowed and swallowed a sigh.

“Send it quickly. At once.”

Cayenne was still smiling. Perhaps the last three days had been better after all.

A short while later, the gift of these two passionate men caused a great deal of confusion at the Empress’s Palace.

“What is this…?”

Alicia could not hide her bewilderment as she stared at the pinecones inside the overly large basket.

“Your Majesty, Sir Miller conveyed that these were all personally picked and gathered by His Imperial Majesty and Sir Glenn.”

The Chief Attendant’s words, intended to convey the Emperor’s sincerity as much as possible, only confused everyone further.

“His Majesty personally picked… these pinecones… and sent them to me?”

“That is correct.”

Until a moment ago, she was curious about Cayenne’s inner thoughts, but now one more question had been added.

“I can’t take this anymore,” Alicia muttered under her breath. “Tell His Majesty that I have received the gift with gratitude.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the Chief Attendant bowed to withdraw, Alicia quickly added, “And tell him that if he has time today, I would like to invite him to the evening banquet at the Empress’s Palace.”

Agnes looked surprised at the sudden declaration, but her expression soon turned into a joyful smile.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Even after the Chief Attendant respectfully withdrew, Alicia stared intently at the pinecones.

“To think His Majesty gave such a gift himself. You are pleased, are you not?”

“No.” Alicia was firm. “I’ve simply become even more clueless about what he is thinking.”

A gift was not always a welcome thing. Sometimes, the intent behind a gift could be more terrifying than any blade.

“I can’t stand it anymore. I have no choice but to ask him directly.”

Though the path was a bit skewed, the result was exactly what Cayenne had hoped for.

“Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep because I’ll be so curious.”

“Yes, that is a wonderful idea. If you are curious, you should find out immediately.”

Only the perceptive Agnes knew what it meant to be so curious about someone. No matter how bizarre the action, who would lose sleep over curiosity if they weren’t interested in the person?

“I will handle the banquet preparations, so you should take a bath first.”

“Me? Why?”

Seeing Alicia turn her head away tartly, it seemed her anger toward Cayenne hadn’t quite fully subsided. Or perhaps, she was embarrassed at how quickly her heart had softened.

“It is merely to prepare for asking your questions.”

“Pardon? I only suggested it because the weather is chilly and a fine new bath additive has arrived.”

At Agnes’s nonchalant reply, Alicia secretly blushed and nodded reluctantly. “Fine. I was just starting to feel cold anyway.”

To Agnes, Alicia’s attempt to sound dignified was simply adorable.

“Nancy will assist you with the bath. In the meantime, I shall tell the attendant to light the fireplace.”

“Well! I have nothing else to do right now anyway, so I might as well enjoy a leisurely bath.”

Though no one had asked, Alicia made her excuse and, contrary to her words, rose hurriedly from her seat. Nancy curtsied and escorted her.

“Maren, we must hurry,” Agnes said to the remaining maid. “Before Her Majesty finishes her bath, we must lay out all the dresses and jewelry we set aside in the bedchamber.”

“Yes, Madame. I will prepare the vanity as well.”

“Then, I shall head to the kitchen first.”

Tonight, the Emperor was returning to the Empress’s Palace. That fact alone was enough for the maids to arm themselves with grim determination.