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Join the Server“Of course. It will soon become Lord Fria’s residence. The Emperor’s residence is Lord Fria’s, and Lord Fria’s is the Emperor’s, is it not?”
When did you get here? Startled by the sudden appearance of the chamberlain, Fria quickly sat up. The chamberlain, smiling brightly, offered a polite greeting.
“Did you sleep well, Lord Fria? I trust your night was peaceful?”
For someone who had dragged him out in the middle of the night and forced him to nurse the emperor, it was an awfully shameless greeting. Dumbfounded, Fria stared at him with a sullen expression.
“Thanks to your care, His Majesty has improved remarkably. He rose early this morning and returned to his duties. He is already attending to the afternoon’s affairs.”
The clock already pointed to 2 p.m. Realizing he had been fasting since the previous evening, hunger suddenly struck. At the sound of his stomach growling, the chamberlain’s lips curled slightly as he stepped aside and gestured behind him.
“Please have a light meal first, and then you may dine properly at the evening banquet.”
Inside, a table with elegantly curved legs had been set, bearing a simple meal, soup, white bread, and an omelet. As the warm soup went down his throat, his body quickly warmed.
Unlike Alphennia in the south, the empire lay deep within the continent, enduring long, bitter winters and brief summers where flowers bloomed and withered in haste.
Thinking of the snow that still hadn’t melted in the garden despite spring having long passed, Fria tore a piece of bread and dropped it into the soup.
“Um, there’s something I’d like to ask… Chamberlain.”
“Please speak freely, Lord Fria. I am your subordinate.”
Seeing the old man’s wrinkled face, Fria found it hard to speak casually. Though of noble birth, he had grown up neglected and without strict training in hierarchy, and still wasn’t used to treating elderly servants dismissively.
“Did you come by before I woke up?”
“Yes, Lord Fria. You were sleeping so soundly that I chose not to wake you.”
“Was I… sleeping there too? I mean, in His Majesty’s… bed? I don’t remember lying down, so I wondered if perhaps you had moved me.”
“The only person permitted to touch Lord Fria’s person is His Majesty the Emperor. Might it not have been His Majesty who moved you?”
‘No way.’
Fria looked at the chamberlain with clear disbelief.
“As you must already know, His Majesty is a very kind man.”
‘Yeah, right.’
Fria pouted, clearly unconvinced.
“You’ll come to see it soon, Lord Fria”, the chamberlain nodded as he poured tea into an empty cup.
****
“Lord Fria! You’re safe!”
Judith, who had been waiting eagerly for the door to open, rushed toward him with delight.
“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? I was so worried I couldn’t sleep at all!”
“What’s this drool on your mouth, Judith? And these marks on your cheek?”
Grabbing her cheeks playfully, Fria teased her, while a group of noblewomen watched the informal exchange.
‘What on earth is he wearing?’
‘He’ll have to wear a wig, surely. Who knew his hair would be so short?’
‘His skin is so fair, he doesn’t even need powder. What’s his secret?’
Exchanging glances as they observed him, the ladies finally cleared their throats, prompting the chamberlain to introduce them.
“Lord Fria, the Duchess of Trida, the Marchioness of Marcia, and the Countess of Luria.”
Following the introductions, the ladies approached one by one, gracefully gathering their skirts as they greeted him. Overwhelmed by their intense scrutiny, as if appraising a gemstone, Fria awkwardly bowed in return.
“No way! No way! Are you really the Duchess of Trida, the patron of the Sabina Collection?”
Judith burst forward in excitement the moment she heard their names.
“You know me?”
“Of course! The red velvet dress from last season was a total sensation! That bold design! That rich color! And you-are you the Marchioness of Marcia who made the twelve-braid hairstyle famous? And you must be the Countess of Luria, who started the raspberry rouge craze? Ahhh! I’m such a fan!”
As Judith bounced with excitement like a girl meeting her favorite performer, Fria stepped back and looked to the chamberlain for an explanation.
“They are here to assist with your preparation, Lord Fria. They are very busy people, so it was quite difficult to bring them here.”
Their schedules are booked through next spring, he added with a proud chuckle, stroking his beard.
“Judith is more than enough for me. I’d love to help these busy ladies return to where they came from.”
Sensing something ominous in the word “preparation,” Fria took a step back, but it was too late. A group of maids had already surrounded him, blocking his escape.
“Chamberlain, the bath is ready.”
“Attend to him with the utmost care. There is not much time before the banquet.”
“Yes, Chamberlain.”
“Judith! Judith!”
Surrounded by veteran maids, Fria called out pitifully, while Judith waved at him with flushed cheeks. To meet the legendary Duchess of Trida, along with the great Marchioness of Marcia and the divine Countess of Luria!
If she could learn directly from them, perhaps she could elevate Lord Fria beyond a mere consort… even to the position of empress. Confidence surged within her.
****
After being subjected to a flower bath in a massive bathing chamber, an extravagant relic of a former emperor’s peculiar tastes, Fria collapsed onto the bed.
Fanning him, Judith spoke with sparkling eyes.
“Lord Fria, the marchioness said that a pair of blue gemstone earrings perfect for you was completed just this morning. She had been on her way to present it when she was summoned here. Isn’t that amazing? It must be fate!”
“They didn’t make those for a man like me to wear.”
“What are you saying? They’d be honored! And about this summer’s trends, other noble ladies have already commissioned several outfits.”
“Then you should get one too, Judith.”
“Not me- you, Lord Fria! Shall I ask for five outfits?”
“Five?!”
“You have a reputation to uphold.”
“I think my reputation got washed away earlier.”
Those ladies were terrifying… Shuddering, Fria closed his eyes.
Soon, the women returned with artisans, bringing with them the finest clothing, accessories, and cosmetics of the age. While Judith gasped in admiration, Fria remained unimpressed, wounding the designer’s pride enough that she brought out even more extravagant garments.
“This piece uses only the finest silk from Axcendar. It is the most expensive in our collection. Does it not please you?”
Fria remained silent.
After dozens of outfits, he still looked disinterested, only glancing at Judith. ‘Handsome or not’, the designer thought bitterly, ‘at this rate I might as well send him out naked.’
Fria, for his part, was equally miserable.
‘Half a day to choose clothes, another half to dress- what did it matter? To the emperor, all these outfits would look the same anyway.’
“Judith, haven’t you chosen yet?”
“They’re all so pretty! How can I pick just one?”
“Pick the easiest to put on and take off.”
“I can’t! This is torture!”
‘The torture is happening to me. Just pick one already.’
“I can’t!”
“Could you show us everything again from the beginning?”
At that moment, Fria jumped up, snatched a dress from the artisan’s hands, and said,
“This one is good. What was it called? Hymn of Dawn? Whisper of Afternoon? Ah- Return of the Bluebird. Yes, this one.”
At last, the dress was chosen. The duchess sighed in relief, and the other ladies brightened.
“Your taste is exquisite, Lord Fria. It’s not an easy color to pull off, but it suits you perfectly.”
“Your complexion is so fine, after all.”
“For so long, without a lady of the palace, things have felt dull and lifeless. The next banquet will be something to look forward to. Light-colored wigs will surely come back into fashion.”
“Since Lady Yonanna, you mean?”
“Oh my- Countess!”
As the countess accidentally mentioned a forbidden name, the marchioness quickly nudged her.
Fria, who had been letting the maids fasten countless buttons, turned his head.
“Who is that?”
“…Pardon?”
“Yonanna. Who is that?”
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