Until The Real One Shows Up

Anastasia did not bother to tell the other ladies of the Empress palace what happened to Melina that day. The same was true for the Duchess of Rochester.

But it didn’t matter much whether she spoke or not, as Melina ran out of Anastasia’s bedroom crying out loud.

Of course, they might have questioned Selene, Anastasia had no way of knowing and did not ask.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Rochester and other maids didn’t talk about Melina at all after they noticed that Anastasia had noticed Melina’s rudeness.

No, to be exact, at least they didn’t mention Melina before Anastasia.

Anyway, it was undeniable that Melina had been Anastasia’s friend for a long time.

Will she come back to me?

It was on the fifteenth day after Melina’s work that held such questions.

Anastasia, who quickly returned to her normal routine after regaining consciousness, recalled the time she had forgotten for a while.

Maybe we’ll end our relationship like this forever.

However, it was already meant to happen from the moment the situation occurred. Even if she bent over there, she was not confident of treating Melina the way she felt before.

It was also because she made inappropriate remarks about Wilhelm in front of the empress herself, but the attitude she showed to Selene was more shocking.

But there’s nothing I can do.

Anastasia shook off her thoughts and concentrated on her original job again. After a while, Mrs. Rochester approached Anastasia and handed out the documents.

“This is a report on the selection of a school site, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, did you finish this already?”

Anastasia accepted the report with amazement After her last visit to Mrs. Essential’s cabin, Anastasia decided to start the school in earnest.

“It’s a school that serves as an orphanage as well.” 

Establishing a foundation was a risky task as the Empress did not involve the Imperial Family and proceeded independently. There were also many concerns like the foundation would suffer from ownership problems after the abdication.

However, whether it is a school or an orphanage, if the building is simply built with her own private money, there will be no problems in the future. It’s a structure that can’t make a profit anyway.

Of course, it would be the neatest thing to do after being deposed, but…

The faster it went, the better. In addition, there is still more than 10 months left before she is deposed. It’s much more efficient to proceed with construction than to play around with that time.

Of course, it was not enough to build a school with just the money she saved so far. However, there were a series of auctions scheduled soon, and there will be no problem with the supply and demand of funds as it will be held several more times before being deposed.

“Thank you. I’ll take a good look at it and let you know when I decide.”

After deciding to build a school, the first question to be decided was where to build the school. Since it is the first school to be established, it will be symbolically important and have a great attachment.

Above all, she wanted to set it up in a location where as many people as possible could benefit.

“Yes, Your Majesty, as soon as you decide, we will proceed to the next step.”

“Yes, and…….”

“Y, Your Majesty! We’re in trouble!”

Then, someone rushed into Anastasia’s office in a hurry.

The Duchess of Rochester narrowed her brows just by hearing her voice. Soon she preached in a stern voice to the person who appeared before her.

“Miss Selene, haven’t I repeatedly emphasized the need to be modest in front of your Majesty the Empress?”

“S, sorry, madam……. But it’s too urgent…….”

“What’s going on, Selene?”

Anastasia’s eyebrows also narrowed. She wondered what must have happened for Selene to come running in such a fuss. It’s also a matter related to the Empress Dowager’s Palace.

“It’s….”

Perhaps in a hurry, Selene gasped for a while and then opened her mouth.

“Maybe…maybe His Majesty will take in a paramour.”

“What? A paramour?”

The protagonist of the startled voice was the Duchess of Rochester. Anastasia looked a little perplexed, but she was relatively calm.

“Well, the emperor is always so worried about her. How can this be……!”

“What do you mean, Mrs. Rochester?”

Anastasia, who managed to grate her teeth and mutter in a small way, asked puzzled.

At last Mrs. Rochester quickly returned to her original composure.

“……nothing, Your Majesty. More than that, Miss Selene, tell me in detail. Your Majesty is taking a paramour?”

“That’s… I happened to hear it when I was walking by the conference hall.….”

Selene began to tell the story she had heard.

***

“Are you really going to take in a paramour?”

Wilhelm did not respond to the voice from behind.

He just silently continued his steps back to the central palace.

Frustrated at the sight, Colton urged him.

“Your Majesty.”

“That’s uncharacteristically pressing. The meeting just ended.”

“Marquis Lutent seemed very determined. He’s been meeting nobles a lot lately, so I guess they are planning something like this.”

“…….”

Wilhelm did not answer back, but in his head he remembered what had happened at today’s political meeting. Something was off from the start of the meeting. The nobles came out of nowhere worrying about their future affairs.

“Your Majesty has been married for two years. There must be a problem if you still don’t have a successor.”

Of course, the pro-emperor nobles, including Duke Barantes, immediately protested.

“Are you saying there is a problem with His Majesty?”

“Of course, I’m not saying there’s a problem with the emperor.”

“So, you’re saying there’s a problem with Her Majesty?”

“I just want to say that it’s a great misfortune that the empire still has no successor.”

“If the Emperor is mutilated, there will be no heir to the throne immediately.”

“Your majesty is still young; you’re worrying too much.”

“I know. He’s still young, but why is he unable to conceive an imperial heir?….”

“What?”

“If you think about ordinary couples, a child should have been born already.”

But there was a big problem with their logic.

That Wilhelm and Anastasia are not “ordinary couples.”

Instead of revealing this truth frankly, Wilhelm watched the situation with observation. He stared at the face of the person who is participating in this meeting most passionately.

“Well, what are you going to do?”

“You mean to say you want to remove Her Majesty the Empress? How dare you, she’s the woman of the oracle!”

“Calm down, everyone. We all know it’s impossible.”

“Yeah, it’s important to have a successor, but it’s just as important to support the will of the goddess Rosenia.”

“In any case, the goddess Rosenia would also like her descendant, the Imperial Household, to flourish. Isn’t that so, Your Majesty?”

Wilhelm, who had been silent, opened his mouth and asked.

“What do you want to say?”

“Let the paramour in.”

The answer came right away. Although he expected it from the time they mentioned the issue of future affairs.

It was so obvious that he couldn’t even laugh.

“……Paramour.”

Wilhelm asked after a moment of reflection.

“What if I refuse?”

“Your Majesty, this is not just your problem, is it?”

“Your future is also a matter of the safety and survival of the Empire.”

“But even if I die without leaving any children behind.”

Wilhelm continued dryly.

“The empire will never cease. I’m sure you all know. Don’t you think so?”

“……Your Majesty, that is…”

“…….”

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Wilhelm turned to Duke Barantes, who looked perplexed.

……what is he thinking? I don’t know.

Is he thankful? For I said something that is difficult to say. 

At one point, Wilhelm’s eyes were still on Duke Barantes.

“Your Majesty.”

A familiar voice broke the silence and spoke.

“The next emperor must be your descendant. That’s the right thing.”

“…….”

“Take in a paramour. For the stability of the imperial family and the empire, you must see the heirs yourself.”

“Marquis Lutent.”

Wilhelm opened his mouth and called out the names of those who participated in the meeting most passionately today.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What if I try harder with the Empress?”

“…….”

“Are you still going to tell me to bring in a paramour?”

“I think you’ve done enough already.”

We’ve never been a real couple. How could you say that we have done enough? 

The worry was not long. The shameful confession will not solve this situation.

Wilhelm, who had been thinking for a while, said,

“I’ll talk to the Empress.”

“Your Majesty, this matter is……!”

“Whoever becomes a paramour.”

Wilhelm interrupted Marquis Lutent dryly.

“The Empress will take care of it. So, she should be consulted.”

“…….”

“You know that, and let’s call it a day.”

He wondered how she would react to this news. Will she be angry? Or will she be as uninterested as ever.

And which side should he hope for?