I Married a Sick Husband - Chapter 21

OCR: Ingra

 

“There is something the Empress should keep in mind.”

 

The emperor told Meredith in a dry voice.

 

“Your authority is my authority.”

 

“……..”

 

“Even if you are my enemy’s daughter.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

Meredith said in a calm voice.

 

“I’ll do my best tomorrow. So that no one will challenge your majesty’s authority.”

 

“……Yes.”

 

He replied quietly.

 

“So I’m just here to help. There is no need to give it any meaning.”

 

“I know, you’re cold-hearted and more discerning than anyone else.”

 

Meredith added with a smile.

 

“Thank you for telling me, though.”

 

“……It seems confident, but sometimes it’s soft.”

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing, go to bed. I’m tired.”

 

The emperor quickly laid on the bed.

 

Meredith looked at him and lay down next to the emperor.

 

But it didn’t occur to them that the distance between the two was close.

 

Although they were lying on the same bed, it was because the size of the bed was so large.

 

So it felt like they were using different beds.

 

Meredith, as usual, held the emperor’s hand in silence.

 

And slowly closed her eyes, feeling the vitality drained away.

 

“Good night, Your Majesty.”

 

“You, too.”

 

After a good night greeting, which is now quite natural, the two quickly fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Meredith opened her eyes like usual.

 

As always, she was up first today.

 

Looking at the clock, it seems that she woke up earlier than usual, so instead of waking the Emperor, Meredith quietly observed his condition.

 

The temperature was not high, and the breathing was regular.

 

She wanted to ask about a headache or any other symptoms, but she didn’t want to wake a sleeping person for that.

 

Meredith chose to come straight out of the bedroom.

 

“Oh, Lord Felix.”

 

When she came out, Felix was there. Meredith spoke in a surprised voice.

 

“You woke up early.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

“If His Majesty coughs, can you check his condition? For now, I think he will be fine… I don’t know how he’ll feel after he wakes up.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

“Then, have a good time at work.”

 

It was the moment she was about to leave, leaving a dry greeting like the usual.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

Felix caught Meredith.

 

Meredith turned back with a curious look that asked, ‘Do you have anything to say?’

 

Felix hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.

 

“I heard you’re having your first tea party today.”

 

“Oh, yes.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll do well alone.”

 

Here Felix hesitated once more.

 

“But I wanted to tell you to do well.”

 

“……what?”

 

Meredith looked puzzled at the moment because she didn’t understand the situation.

 

However, soon after, she realized that Felix had been giving her the word ‘cheering’ and opened her mouth quickly.

 

“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

 

“Then be careful, Your Majesty.”

 

Unlike the day they first met, he bowed to Meredith quite politely.

 

Meredith looked at the figure with a strange look and turned her back.

 

‘……that’s a big deal.’

 

When she thought about Felix’s attitude when they first met, the situation earlier felt like a lie.

 

‘In just one month, his attitude has softened.’

 

Well, isn’t that a very strange thing?

 

Even if it did not improve dramatically, the emperor’s condition was gradually improving.

 

‘At least two people have cleared me of suspicion of me being a fraudster.’

 

But even with that in mind, Lord Felix’s changed attitude was quite a surprise.

 

Although they are still uncomfortable with each other.

 

Meredith was stunned until she reached the Empress Palace.

 

“Your Majesty is here.”

 

When she arrived at the empress palace, Yulia greeted Meredith politely.

 

Meredith nodded and asked.

 

“What time did you say the tea party was?”

 

“Two o’clock, Your Majesty.”

 

“There’s still a lot of time left.”

 

Meredith stared at the clock for a moment and opened her mouth.

 

“I won’t have much time for work today because of the tea party, so please prepare something simple for lunch. Even in the morning.”

 

“But then you’ll be hungry in the afternoon.”

 

“I’m going to eat a lot of sweet things at the party anyway. It’s okay.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty. All right.”

 

Yulia bent gracefully and then stepped back.

 

Meredith immediately sat down at the desk.

 

She was going to spend the whole morning working.

 

* * *

 

Time went by so fast that she ended up having lunch.

 

Meredith began to dress up for the social gathering in earnest.

 

Since it was the first tea party to be held after becoming the Empress, the symbolism of today’s party was great.

 

Yulia mobilized all the maids to get Meredith ready so that Empress Dowager would not find fault with anything.

 

“Do you like it, Your Majesty?”

 

Soon after, thanks to them, Meredith was transformed into a very beautiful figure.

 

Of course, Meredith was always beautiful.

 

“Pretty.”

 

Standing in front of the full-body mirror, Meredith smiled satisfactorily.

 

She never underestimated her looks, but she didn’t take it particularly high.

 

Even in her eyes, she looked really beautiful today.

 

It was when she was happily watching the reflection in the mirror.

 

“Your Majesty, everyone is arriving.”

 

Diane, who came into the room, reported the situation.

 

Meredith turned from the mirror and went straight outside.

 

The place where the tea party was held was the drawing-room of the empress palace.

 

Meredith walked a few minutes to get there.

 

As Diane said, many of the invited ladies were seated.

 

“Her Majesty the Empress is entering.”

 

Beyond the door, I could hear people dragging chairs and getting up.

 

After entering, she could see everyone getting up from their seats and courtesying her, who had become Empress.

 

“Greetings to Your Majesty.”

 

“I see the Empire’s Moon.”

 

“Infinite peace to the Imperial family.”

 

A sight I’ve never thought of in my life.

 

To Meredith, it seemed awkward and unfamiliar.

 

She, an illegitimate child of a duke, changed her status in an instant and was receiving greetings from these beloved noble ladies.

 

Meredith, who sat at the top of the table, made a slight gesture, and then the ladies sat back down.

 

Even that appearance was not compatible with Meredith.
(t/n: She felt disconcerted with the appearance of the ladies following her orders/gestures)

 

‘Hmm…’

 

While checking the few empty seats, Meredith soon noticed that all but two had arrived.

 

“The Duchess of Schwartz is not here.”

 

“Ah… “

 

“Princess Schwartz, too.”
(t/n: the author used ‘공녀’ which means Duke’s daughter or (ducal) princess)

 

She looked at the clock and it was a little past the promised time.

 

‘…Looks they will continue to act like this.’

 

It would not have been so unpleasant if another lady was late.

 

One of the ladies quickly opened her mouth, apparently aware of Meredith’s discomfort.

 

“Something must be wrong.”

 

“They will arrive soon, Your Majesty.”

 

……Well.

 

Meredith was skeptical of that remark.

 

It was rare for the Duchess of Schwartz and Katarina to arrive on time during the three months of socializing as Ducal Princess Schwartz.
(t/n: when Meredith was socializing before her wedding)

 

It was at any meeting.

 

They arrived late at a fixed time, whether one minute or five minutes or ten minutes, even half an hour sometimes.

 

‘In a word, they are people who have a habit of being late.’

 

Meredith didn’t want to go ahead with things at their disposal.

 

It was the moment when the tea party was about to start, except for the two who did not arrive after all.

 

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

 

She heard Diane’s voice outside.

 

“The Duchess of Schwartz and Princess Schwartz have arrived.”

 

After a while, the door opened, and a sweet voice rang in the drawing-room.

 

“I’m late, Your Majesty.”

 

It was Catarina.

 

Whether she was not aware of being late for the first tea party hosted by the empress or whether it does not matter.

 

She stepped into the drawing-room with great nonchalance, spitting out an insincere apology.

 

And naturally, she found her seat and sat down.

 

The attitude of the two, without even saying sorry, was extremely rude.

 

Meredith was in a moment’s agony about whether to scold the two.

 

Anyway, it was because the guests gathered today considered these two people as her ‘family’.

 

‘Is this why you introduced me as the second daughter?’

 

If he had revealed that she was an illegitimate child, she would have had no hesitation in confronting them.

 

However, it was not advantageous for me to show a quarrel with my parents in a situation where it was already revealed that they shared the same blood.

 

“Duchess Schwartz.”

 

But even so, it was ridiculous to just condone the situation.