The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 31】

One of the reasons Rianel came to such a decision was because she learned how her bribery charges had been cleared.

‘I thought it was because the receipt Asil attached was accepted as credible evidence.’

Thanks to the Princess adding her testimony, the receipt was adopted as evidence material.

[I saw it. At that dress shop. Duke Novantium was personally paying for the dress.]

“So, I intend to express my gratitude.”

‘While I’m at it, I’ll also check on the Princess’s condition.’

The thin arms glimpsed between the voluminous lace sleeves and that expression as if she didn’t even know whether she was depressed looked just like…

‘My own face when I was withering away in the Imperial Palace.’

It was the face of someone standing at the edge of despair, so I couldn’t turn away just because it was bothersome.

“Then let’s go together.”

“You mean you, Bureau Director?”

“If Her Highness the Princess protected my subordinate, wouldn’t it be proper for me as a superior to express gratitude together?”

Lately, Rianel had been avoiding Asil.

That day. If Asil asked why she had stroked his head, she would have nothing to say.

Of course, Asil hadn’t deliberately mentioned that day’s events, but now that she was under suspicion, his very existence felt awkward, so she tried to avoid being alone with him.

‘To think we have to go to the Princess Palace together.’

“Do you dislike it?”

“…No.”

Rianel couldn’t find words to refuse her superior’s reasonable request.

‘I suppose this is why people need to get promoted.’

So the next day, which was a holiday.

Rianel arrived at the Princess Palace with Asil as her tail, carrying a ‘gift’ for the Princess.

“Wh-who might you be…?”

“We’re from the Special Tax Bureau. Could we see Her Highness the Princess?”

“What? Why would the Tax Bureau come here…? H-Her Highness is busy right now!”

The maid who had come out to greet the guests without much thought shouted in great confusion.

“It’s not that, we came to express our personal gratitude. I believe an audience request was submitted yesterday under Duke Novantium’s name.”

This time Asil spoke.

“An audience request? I’ve never heard of such a thing…”

However, unable to ignore the weight that the title ‘Duke’ carried, the maid guided them to the reception room.

“Please wait a moment.”

Asil just sat down, while Rianel spent time scanning the reception room with her eyes.

‘The household items are mostly the same.’

Rianel, who had visited the Princess Palace several times during her days as Empress, felt bitterness at the scenery that wasn’t much different from her memories.

However, this leisure didn’t last long.

Noise began flowing in through the corridor.

“What, an audience request? And you let tax officials inside because of that?”

“They’re not tax officials…”

“Nobody received an audience request in the first place, so what-“

“Me! I received it!”

The conversation between the maid and her superior was cut short by an even higher superior’s voice.

Not long after, the reception room door opened and Princess Tiren entered.

She looked somewhat more disheveled than at the ball.

One corner of her indoor dress was folded, and her brown curly hair was also tousled.

Still, she looked much better than at the ball. A flush mixed with anticipation and excitement colored her cheeks.

“Oh, actually I didn’t think you’d really come… No one has visited my palace in recent years.”

Asil smiled.

“I couldn’t break a promise made with Your Highness the Princess.”

Tiren’s face grew even redder.

“S-so what brings you here?”

“When I was suspected of accepting bribes, I heard that Your Highness the Princess actively testified on my behalf. I express my gratitude for this.”

“I-it was nothing. I just said what I saw…”

The Princess, still awkward with praise, lowered her head in embarrassment.

Then she noticed the large box in Rianel’s hands and widened her eyes.

The savory, mouth-watering smell that had been wafting since they entered the reception room was coming from there.

“Um, that is…?”

Rianel placed the heavy box wrapped in cloth on the table.

“This is my small token of appreciation.”

It’s not small though?

“Children in their growth period must consume quality meals to achieve balanced physical development.”

Quality aside.

‘Isn’t the quantity too much?’

“Um… did you bring this meaning we should dine together here?”

“No. Your Highness will consume all of it.”

“Are you perhaps planning to turn me into a pig?”

Are you plotting to fatten me up and eat me?

“That is not the case.”

“Ahaha, of course, right? Sorry, I’m a bit strange…”

“Raising humans is inefficient. The amount of meat obtainable compared to the cost of feed is extremely small.”

“…?”

Is that what you should be saying right now?

Tiren opened her mouth blankly at the bewilderment she hadn’t felt in a long time.

I wondered where I felt this sense of déjà vu.

‘Sister-in-law?’

However, it was also true that she felt glad.

‘It’s been so long…’

Only then did Tiren realize why she had spoken up to clear the charges of someone she had only encountered once.

‘Because this person resembles sister-in-law.’

Because she resembled that person who comforted her while pretending not to, and quietly stayed by her side.

‘I wanted to help too.’

It was a gift from someone who resembled such a sister-in-law. Tiren couldn’t refuse.

“Um… I’ll eat it well.”

If I can remember you even in this way, that would also be a good thing.

* * *

After Rianel and Asil left, the Head Maid who had been standing a step behind approached.

“Shall I throw it away?”

Her brow was slightly furrowed.

She had expected something when they said they came to offer a gift to royalty, but their behavior of bringing food was displeasing.

‘Being a Duke and a Lady, what’s with food? If they were going to express gratitude anyway, they should have offered cash.’

Or at least gold items that could be easily converted to cash.

“We can’t even offer this kind of thing to the Temple.”

At the Head Maid’s grumbling, Tiren felt displeasure.

Three years ago, after the former head maid retired due to old age, Tiren selected her as the new head maid.

It was because her modest attire and straight posture resembled her sister-in-law.

But when she actually faced the new head maid, she was completely different from her sister-in-law.

Whenever she opened her mouth: God, faith, donations, offerings.

God’s name always came first from her lips.

‘Sister-in-law said there’s nothing as unscientific as God, and nothing as easy to manipulate with as faith.’

The head maid was a person completely devoted to religious faith.

She made sure that not only most of her own salary, but even the Princess Palace’s budget was donated to the temple.

Luxury goods were naturally cut, and even clothing and food had to be strictly reduced. She was always hungry and struggling, but…

‘I had no choice.’

Because that’s what the head maid said.

[Her Majesty the Empress passed away in such agony because of the sin of disbelief. God was angry and took her away so early, in such a manner.]

The head maid didn’t slander her sister-in-law whom everyone cursed.

She simply said that she had incurred God’s wrath and met such a fate.

[For Her Majesty the Empress’s soul to find peace even after death, we must appease God’s anger. By making offerings and showing devotion.]

Since only steady donations could appease God’s anger, Tiren followed those words too.

‘Sister-in-law can’t go to hell.’

But today, the head maid was disappointing.

‘That person resembled sister-in-law.’

She said she also respected the Former Empress and felt sorry for her death. How could she not recognize the Former Empress’s shadow reflected in Rianel?

Instead of grumbling, Tiren hugged the box.

She knew such complaints might sound strange.

“This is a gift, so I’ll eat it. You said God also gets angry when food is wasted.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

When she mentioned ‘God’ as usual, the head maid obediently backed down.

Tiren opened the box.

Inside was a jar of honey and plenty of bread to go with it. She could also see a pot containing beef stew.

It wasn’t expensive food, but.

‘It looks just like the food sister-in-law used to make.’

Perhaps because it had a nostalgic appearance, it seemed special.

This was the food her sister-in-law used to bring whenever Tiren seemed to have no appetite.

Especially the stew.

‘The vegetables and meat cut into large pieces, and just a touch of tomato to reduce the sour aroma – it’s exactly the same…’

Suddenly she felt hungry. It had been a long time since she’d felt such a primal desire.

Tiren impulsively ate a spoonful of stew.

Even the mild taste spreading from the tip of her tongue was so familiar…

“Ah…”

Tears came.

“Did it go bad after all?”

“No.”

Tiren took another full spoonful of stew.

“It’s just… such a nostalgic taste.”

The tears kept coming.

* * *

“Why did you do that?”

Only when they had moved away from the Princess Palace did Asil ask.

“When we entered the Princess Palace, I mean.”

If she had said they were from the Special Tax Bureau, they would naturally not have been refused entry, thinking it was official business.

Rianel was confident.

“Well, because I really did visit on official business.”

It was a brief moment, but Rianel had seen it.

The mold growing on the corner wall of the Princess Palace’s reception room, and the cracked edge of the tea table.

‘As expected.’

Isn’t it suspicious?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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