75 – 75. Arrogance
The scent of the East permeated the Empress’s chamber.
Sheena, who had come to meet the Empress, looked around the room and smirked.
“Has it grown even more since the last time I came?”
From the jade-adorned desk to the 12-panel folding screen fit for a royal palace, and the luxurious furniture made of sandalwood.
At first glance, one might think she was more attached to her hometown than when she was plagued by homesickness, but that was not the case.
Lately, there had been fierce competition among the noblewomen of the empire to be invited to the Empress’s gathering. A cup of royal tea in this chamber could become a bragging right in high society.
Ultimately, it was about building connections using the fantasy of the East.
Sheena had known for a long time that the Empress wasn’t doing this as a joke. She knew she was laying the foundation.
“But I never expected her to play tricks on me.”
After a while, the Empress appeared, accompanied by her maids.
A beauty with a robe of crimson silk and a shawl called “Hapi” draped over her shoulders.
At first glance, she still looked fragile, but she was as lively as a firearm.
Watching the maids escort her slowly and gracefully, Sheena could understand why the noblewomen of the court admired the Empress.
“Sorry for making you wait, Sheena,”
“Would you like a cup of lemon tea?”
“…Not that, but I was writing a letter to a destitute child. I made sure to prepare warm clothes for the winter. If not me, who would help Anais?”
She mentioned Anais in her own words.
Sienna gazed at the empress, recalling a smile. She would welcome getting straight to the point.
Sienna, who had brought items to pressure the empress, took out something.
It was precisely 20 doses of Silocivin.
To be exact, it was artificially cultivated Silocivin. Unlike the crude collection and selection in the past, now it was enough to refine it by bringing it from the greenhouse.
This would be the greatest pressure on the empress, who depended on Silocivin.
“Thank you. But there’s no need to bring it anymore, Sienna.”
“What?”
When Sienna looked puzzled and glanced, the empress smiled.
“How long can you rely on us? …Actually, about three months ago, through an organization called the Imperial Obstetrics Association in the homeland, I requested if a similar mushroom with similar effects could be cultivated. Thanks to Empress Buhwang’s special attention, we were able to mobilize over 200 doctors.”
“So what?”
“They found out for sure. Soon, you won’t be causing trouble for you anymore.”
Saying this, the empress smiled warmly.
Sienna felt a momentary confusion.
Well, when health soups were trending, Alan had said something. He mentioned that when it came to pharmacology, the frontier was more systematic than the empire. Empress Yeonhwa was a princess of that frontier. Moreover, she was the daughter the emperor cherished. If it was a request from such a princess…
‘Wait a minute.’
Come to think of it, it was a bit strange.
Did the empress really no longer need Alan’s Silocivin?
It could be true, but it seemed like boasting with a high probability.
In fact, Alan had mentioned this too. There was no one else who could cultivate Silocivin mushrooms. He said it casually as he passed by, but it stuck in the memory more.
In a country as vast as Jinkuk, could there be a talent like Alan, no matter how large the population? Unlikely.
Sienna decided to trust Alan rather than the Empress.
“Wow. Even if you don’t do that, I won’t really stop the Silosivin. Don’t worry.”
“I told you so.”
“You should have mobilized at least two hundred herbalists to secure it. Alan even said he was surprised by the higher-than-expected mushroom occurrence. The lawmakers of Jinkuk couldn’t have done it easily. Don’t lie.”
Sienna looked at the Empress with a sly smile.
The Empress, perhaps sensing Sienna’s wit, didn’t engage in an awkward confrontation.
Perhaps the Empress had tried to avoid letting Sienna wield the weapon called Silosivin. Even though that tactic failed, the Empress showed no sign of surprise. Instead, she seemed rather pleased.
‘It’s just the beginning.’
Sienna didn’t disdain the Empress for deploying strategies effortlessly, as she herself was no different.
“Speak. Why did you do such a thing?”
Sienna asked, tilting her head.
There was a brief silence between them.
**
“What do you want?”
Empress Yeonhwa just smiled at her daughter’s question.
From Noble mtl dot com
‘I’ve already achieved over 60%.’
Honestly, all that remained was just wrapping up the loose ends.
Alan Madox.
Making that demanding subordinate a part of the royal family was the Empress’s biggest goal.
She couldn’t tolerate a subordinate who couldn’t be controlled, a subordinate whose true intentions were unpredictable, taking on the role of a mere knight.
But using force to subdue him was too risky and a waste of talent, so it was better to embrace him into the royal family.
In fact, she had wanted to pair him up with her youngest daughter.
However, she didn’t expect Alan Maydoff to agree. And her prediction came true as her second daughter took the bait.
“Siena, I couldn’t just leave Alan alone. He could become a threat to the royal family.”
“Well, as for Alan…”
“His own intentions don’t matter. It’s his mere existence that poses a threat. …Think about it. How would people from foreign countries view a knight who single-handedly brought down a powerful clan? They would all be terrified, even if they didn’t show it.”
“……”
“The truth is, there was once a merchant from the kingdom who approached Alan Maydoff’s family. There may even be a clandestine operation that we haven’t detected. …Siena, do you know what this means?”
“If it’s a daring nation, they might try to buy Alan. At the very least, they would try to gather information about the heroine by infiltrating Alan’s surroundings.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
The Empress chuckled and caressed Siena’s head…
Or at least, she intended to, but Siena lightly turned her head to avoid it.
In that moment, the hand that had reached out became somewhat uncertain.
Still, the Empress had no regrets.
She was a person who had grown up in a country where any existence that threatened imperial authority was killed and observed, a country where all government institutions functioned to elevate and maintain the Emperor’s authority.
If this were the true kingdom, she would have had Alan monitored until her suspicions were cleared. And whether the suspicions were cleared or not, she would have inevitably coerced him.
But it was difficult to do so here, which is why she came up with the idea of marrying him to the princess.
From the beginning, she had only mentioned the youngest daughter because she thought if she tried to attach him to the first or second princess, her husband would refuse.
“Eventually… Anais was just bait, wasn’t she?”
“Not really. I was somewhat certain that you or your sister would intervene, but I also hoped that Alan would accept Anais as his wife without any objections. After all, she is my salvation, and I can’t leave her in the monastery until I die, can I?”
“Do you think Anais would reject that?”
“Individual will doesn’t matter in a marriage. As long as the interests align, we can compromise and live together. In the end, we are all pawns, you know.”
Silently, Siena frowned.
Was it because of the term “pawns”? The Empress smirked and tapped her fingers.
“It’s no different for me, Siena.”
Silence.
“Think about it. How could I have become the Empress of this country? It’s because the Emperor favored me. He sent me as a bride to the ruler of a foreign land across the sea, thinking that I wouldn’t have to face exile as I grew older.”
“But you contracted the Perfume Disease.”
“But I’m still alive, aren’t I? I live with gratitude every day.”
After the Empress spoke so passionately, Siena finally calmed down.
The child must know that it’s not wise to confront her mother about something that has already ended. She must understand that compromise is more reasonable than fighting.
The Empress looked at Siena with her chin raised.
And in a gentle tone, she instructed her stepdaughter,
No, she gave her orders.
“I’ll help with the procedures, so get engaged to Alan in about two months. We have to elevate that friend to the level befitting a future Emperor, right?”
There was no sign of rebellion so far.
Of course, it didn’t end there.
“And later, assist in Anais’s pardon. Asking for help here means not interfering, understood? Can you handle that much?”
“… Go on.”
As expected, he consented. It went as anticipated.
Now, one more thing before we conclude.
“Starting next year, I will recommend to His Majesty to control op*ium cultivation by law. I found out that both morphine and heroin are crucial raw materials for op*ium. Even if Alan’s friend is resourceful, making heroin without the raw material wouldn’t be possible.”
“…”
“It’s not about prohibiting the manufacturing itself. Just ensure transparency in production so that His Majesty is not uneasy, only in cases where the country requires heroin.”
The Empress, after saying this, gazed sharply at Siena.
Honestly, there was more she desired.
Once Alan is incorporated into the royal family, she planned to use his talents to cultivate Sylcivin within the palace grounds and easily maintain ties with the homeland, ensuring the supply of genuine Jinju liquor. After all, there are many troubled ladies-in-waiting in the homeland as well.
‘It’s a matter that can be pushed forward once he becomes a son-in-law.’
The Empress thought while looking at Siena, who was absorbed in contemplation, with a cute expression that even lacked the sophistication of youth.
**
Siena diverted her attention from the overly relaxed gaze of the Empress.
Supervising op*ium cultivation by law honestly irked her.
But venturing into a precarious business could be rewarding. Openly violating the law might be less thrilling, but finding loopholes seemed interesting.
And Anais’s pardon?
She hated it, but she could turn a blind eye. Creating a situation where pardoning isn’t possible later is also an option.
Shiena lowered her head in frustration, unable to control her wavering heart.
Whether the Empress misunderstood it as surrender or not, she playfully tapped Shiena’s cheek.
Since they became close, the Empress had been doing this kind of thing often. It made Shiena uncomfortable, perhaps because she had experienced Allan’s gentle touch.
Even worse, the Empress blurted out, “Well thought out. But I’m not sure if it’s something to congratulate Allan Medovhan on. How difficult would it be to live while enduring your personality?”
It was probably a joke in her own mind.
When Shiena raised her head, the Empress had a benevolent smile on her face.
Was she suggesting that everything was over and they should return to being affectionate mother and daughter?
However, Shiena couldn’t just brush it off as a joke. It was an infuriating joke for some reason.
“Endure and live?”
She couldn’t tolerate that statement.