Chapter 17:
“...”
The empress explained when she saw Samantha and I frown with displeasure, “I need to think of my baby, so I am always very careful.”
In Cransia, it was a clear insult to use silverware during a social eting, especially when the host was about to serve the food or drink gifted by the guest. It ant the host didn’t trust the guest.
Most people had one or two pieces of silverware for safety and they used them when dining privately. But this!? This was too much. It was one thing to have the edges of a few tableware painted with silver, but it was another matter to have everything made completely from silver.
I knew enough of the Cransian customs to realize that this was an unforgivable insult to .
Her maids prepared tea as if nothing was wrong. A warm beautiful aroma filled the room, but I still felt cold.
A tulip-shaped silver teacup was placed in front of . The dowager empress and the other won stared at with interest. They were curious about how I would react to this offense. Depending on what I did, their attitude towards would change.
My decision was quick. I didn’t plan on letting them win.
Never let anyone bully you into anything. I learned this from the emperor.
I smiled brightly. I picked up the silver teacup quickly before anyone else and took a sip.
“...”
Gulp. I swallowed loudly.
I took a few more sips for show and turned to the dowager empress. She looked baffled. It was rude to eat before your superior, therefore, everyone—including myself—should have waited for the dowager empress to have the first sip.
Before she could criticize , I explained to her quickly, “There is nothing wrong with the tea. You can relax and drink it now, Your Highness.”
The dowager’s lips showed faint spasms.
A deadly tension filled the room. Everyone—the ladies, Samantha, and the maids—stared at in shock. I ignored them and smiled.
I knew exactly what my action ant. The dowager empress insulted by implying that my gift may be harmful. I insulted her right back by drinking before she did. I was also very blunt in pointing out her rudeness towards my gift.
Now, I was the one waiting for her to respond. I wondered how the dowager empress would react.
I kept a bland smile on my face. I didn’t know how, but I managed to pull it off.
The silence was painful, but I knew it had to end at so point. I was sure it probably felt much longer than it actually was.
The dowager empress’s cold glare suddenly turned into a smile. Then, she started to laugh out loud.
“Hahahaha!”
The tension broke finally. I almost dropped my cup in shock; thankfully I didn’t.
The dowager empress laughed for a long ti before gesturing her maid. The maid handed her the teacup. The dowager empress took a sip herself and nodded.
“You’re right. It has a beautiful aroma and the taste is very smooth.”
As if on cue, the other ladies also picked up their cups.
The room relaxed into mundane conversations as everyone complinted the tea.
The dowager empress looked at with a mysterious smile. She was older, but her beauty was beyond this world. What a dangerous woman. Her lips were smiling, but her eyes remained cold.
If the emperor was a snake, the dowager empress was a hawk.
She was gawking at . I was a mouse that just survived the hawk’s claws.
“What an intelligent and thoughtful daughter-in-law you are. I am so happy to have you. You realized my worries and took an initiative to help feel safer. What a smart child. No wonder the emperor wanted to marry you no matter what.”
It was a complint wrapped around a deadly thorn. All the won recognized it and looked at smugly.
The lady, who comnted on my gift before, said to , “I have been excited to finally et you, Your Highness.”
Samantha whispered to from behind, “That’s Countess Declare.”
I nodded and replied to her, “I am happy to et you too, Countess Declare.”
She nodded and said to smoothly, “Only a few days ago, you were the forr emperor’s concubine. Today, you are the new emperor’s wife. Many believe that you must be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Now that I see you in person...” Her voice was kind, but her words were like knives directed at .
“...”
Countess Declare didn’t finish her sentence on purpose.
I felt furious. I realize I am not a great beauty, but how rude of her to point it out! It made sense that people would make such an assumption since I supposedly ‘seduced’ two emperors with my beauty. However, in reality, of course, I wasn’t beautiful at all.
The won laughed mockingly at my expense.
Countess Declare sneered at . I was the woman who married the father and his son. It was a ridiculous situation. Even I had difficulty believing that I truly could be the current emperor’s wife.
Suddenly, I felt hopeful.
If it wasn’t proper for to be the emperor’s wife, then wouldn’t the emperor let go since I would be of no use to him?
A clear voice from behind interrupted the situation.
Samantha said to Countess Declare calmly, “Countess, her highness was a candidate to beco the forr emperor’s concubine, but it didn’t actually happen. Therefore, her highness has every right to beco the current emperor’s wife.”
Huh? What was Duchess Gust talking about?
The room buzzed at Samantha’s sudden declaration. Countess Declare narrowed her eyes and asked.
“What lies are you spreading? We all know that two days ago, her highness was officially pronounced as the forr emperor’s concubine!”
Many won agreed out loud, but Samantha replied quickly with a confident smile, “According to our law, the marriage is valid only after it is consummated. Since the forr emperor passed away even before her highness entered his bedroom, the marriage is invalid. Isn’t that right, Marchioness Toruka?”
Marchioness Toruka was the dowager empress’s principle maid in waiting. The fact that Samantha asked her must have ant Marchioness Toruka’s words carried a great power in this place.
Marchioness Toruka looked around the room uncomfortably before finally answering, “That’s true.”
Samantha smile and stepped back. She looked like a knight who just won a duel. She whispered to from behind.
“Three generations ago, a similar thing happened in the Toruka family.”
I could understand now. If the sa thing happened in her family, Marchioness Toruka had no choice but to agree with Samantha’s logic.
Marchioness Toruka must have been an influential figure. The won accepted her words without question. They didn’t look happy about it, but they still remained quiet.
Samantha whispered to again, “The dowager empress’ maiden na was Toruka.”
Oh. I nodded.
This ant Marchioness Toruka was a relative of the dowager empress. If they questioned my marriage, they would have no choice but to question the dowager empress’s family history as well.
I now had a clear understanding of this situation. I enjoyed the expensive tea quietly and watched the won talk among themselves.
This was less scary than I expected. It would have been worse if I was eting the dowager empress alone, so I was thankful.
Now, I thought it was my turn to attack.
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