Chapter 61 : Empress (7)

The empress, whom I met after a long time, was still in good health.

Well, considering her age, it was only natural. If we were to compare by age, she was the same age as Ayla.

So, that meant the empress had achieved the feat of conquering the empire at that age.

As expected of an empress with an unusually sharp intuition, the moment she saw my eyes, her expression changed.

Of course, she probably wasn’t immediately certain, as most people wouldn’t be.

Even if she had deduced that I was here, she would never have imagined that I had turned into a woman.

After all, if there had been a way to change one’s gender, the empress would have eagerly used it to strengthen her political standing.

So, at the very least, she was aware that ‘such magic does not exist.’

But that didn’t mean she completely dismissed the possibility.

Did she think I was cross-dressing? If so, she would have had to ignore my legs.

Besides, ironically, the clothes I was wearing at the moment revealed my figure quite clearly.

It wouldn’t be easy to suspect me after seeing this.

“So, let’s get this sorted out.”

Surprisingly, Ayla didn’t seem intimidated in front of the empress.

Even when the empress had entered her home uninvited, she confidently said, “Let’s move to the parlor.”

I wanted to say that I needed to change clothes first, but in this situation, I couldn’t leave Ayla alone with the empress.

So, in the end, I chose to follow them. Of course, I walked carefully.

“You came from the empire, I hear.”

“That’s correct.”

The empress responded in an odd tone.

She had entered someone else’s domain so boldly and then ignored the command to stay outside, entering the mansion without hesitation.

But still, she was aware that, at least for now, she was ‘hiding her identity.’

Her eyes kept glancing toward me.

She wasn’t completely sure, but she was still suspicious.

Her expression was complex and subtle.

From my memories, the empress was never someone with such varied expressions.

Not that she was expressionless—most of the time, she had a smile on her face.

Whether it was a genuine, cruel smile or a fake, polite one, it was always there.

She was someone who constantly purged and crushed her opposition, so perhaps it was only natural.

Unfortunately, the empress wasn’t the only one constantly looking at me.

Daisy, who had rushed out of the villa upon hearing of the empress’s arrival, was also here.

Even the shadow guards had quickly moved from their rooms to this one.

Not to mention, the most skilled combat maids in the mansion were all gathered here as well.

It was clear enough what kind of people the four ‘attendants’ the empress brought along were.

At this point, it would be reasonable to assume that she wasn’t trying too hard to hide her identity.

Perhaps not explicitly stating she was the empress was just a minimal courtesy.

“You can speak comfortably. There’s no need to call me Countess. ‘Ayla’ is enough.”

“It is an honor to be allowed such familiarity upon first meeting.”

“I already have some idea of who you are.”

Within a county, the count is king.

In the empire, where noble power had diminished due to long civil wars, this might not be the case.

But in the kingdom, it was even more so.

It wasn’t just about the county—any noble had the same authority as a king within their own territory.

If the king visited a noble’s land, they would be treated accordingly, but the king had no right to give orders to the noble.

As far as I knew, even in the empire, this was a formality that was at least upheld in name.

Ayla was simply not foolish enough to issue commands to the empress.

“I took some time to gather my thoughts on the way down here.”

Ayla lifted her teacup as she spoke.

“There is certainly turmoil in the empire. How is it that you were able to come here?”

“Oh?”

“The incident at the border—it’s not entirely genuine, is it?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know.”

The empress smiled and picked up her teacup as well.

“I am not such a high-ranking figure in the empire.”

“You aren’t hiding that you’re from the empire, though.”

“I can’t help it. One’s origins are the hardest thing to conceal.”

Saying this, the empress took a sip of tea and blinked.

It seemed to be to her liking.

“You caught the attention of the baron, and you came all the way here.

It seems to me that you had a clear purpose from the start.

It looks like you are quite certain that the ‘friend’ you are looking for is here.”

I had spoken about Ayla quite frequently.

That was my goal from the beginning.

Of course, the empire would have planted spies in the kingdom.

Through them, they would have learned about Ayla—who she was, who she married, and that her spouse had recently died.

That much wasn’t even a secret.

The fact that she came looking for me directly suggested that she didn’t believe I would simply let Ayla’s marriage happen without interference.

Click.

Ayla placed her teacup down.

Then, she glared at the red-haired woman seated before her and spoke.

“So, why don’t we have an open and honest conversation?

If the information you seek is something I am aware of, I might be willing to share it.”

As she said this, Ayla glanced at me.

The empress followed her gaze and also looked at me.

Of course, I was still wearing the same clothes.

The empress’s expression grew even more subtle.

She wasn’t sure if Ayla was lying or not.

For someone known for her sharp intuition, even she seemed uncertain.

This was the first time I had ever seen her make such an expression.

“I would like to hear about this ‘information.’ It would be best for both of us to confirm whether it’s what I’m looking for.”

“Is that so?”

Ayla shifted her gaze away from me and looked back at the empress.

“I have heard that Your Majesty has hunted a dragon before.”

The two attendants standing behind the empress flinched.

They didn’t make a move, but they were tense.

“Leave us. Wait outside the mansion with the other two.”

“But, my lady—”

Was ‘my lady’ the appropriate title here?

“I said, leave.”

With a wave of her hand, the empress dismissed them.

The two attendants glanced briefly at Ayla before stepping out of the room.

“Would you all mind waiting outside as well?”

Ayla addressed Helena.

“Understood.”

“Oh, but the other guest and Daisy should stay.”

“Hm.”

At Ayla’s additional remark, the empress let out an amused snort.

She watched as the maids left, then asked,

“So, why did you leave those two behind?”

“Since it’s just us, how about we stop hiding our true identities, Your Majesty?”

At Ayla’s words, the empress blinked. Her red eyes shimmered slightly.

The way she looked at Ayla somehow conveyed a feeling of ‘exceeding expectations.’

“Are you saying that I can truly act as the ‘Empress’ now?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Since we both already know the truth, there is no reason to hide it.”

Ayla did not lower her head unnecessarily, nor did she stand up from her seat.

She simply met the empress’s gaze directly and spoke.

“However, I regret that I was unable to properly welcome Your Majesty since you visited without any prior notice.”

Still seated, Ayla gave a slight nod.

“There is no need to concern yourself with that. I am aware that I arrived quite discourteously.

Since I did not observe proper manners first, it would be unreasonable for me to expect others to do so toward me.”

“I am grateful for your boundless grace.”

“You don’t need to use such cumbersome honorifics.

I can clearly see that you do not sincerely think that way.

So then.”**

The empress glanced between me, Daisy, and the shadow, before turning her attention back to Ayla.

“The ‘friend’ you mentioned—are they in this mansion?”

“Are you doubting me, Your Majesty?”

“Not exactly, but…”

The empress’s eyes turned toward me.

Once again, she wore a troubled expression.

It was no surprise—my current situation was shocking even for her, someone known for her keen judgment.

The issue wasn’t just that I had turned into a woman.

No, it was probably the outfit I was wearing that was the real problem.

“Aren’t they standing right in front of you?”

“Right in front of me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. You may find it hard to believe.

The one who greatly aided you in hunting the dragon is now standing before you in such attire.”

“Someone who… aided in dragon hunting? In this attire?”

Once again, the empress’s gaze landed on me.

I glared at her with all my might.

Her expression briefly slackened—

Then, she suddenly looked dumbfounded.

Her brows furrowed, and her eyes widened.

“So… what you’re saying is…”

**”Yes. I am not sure how significant my contributions were to the empire.

Nor do I know if I was truly considered a hero.

However, the one who once possessed immense power is now serving as my personal maid.

I apologize, but even I do not fully understand the reason.”**

For a while, the empress simply stared at me.

Then, she leaned back heavily against the sofa and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“I never imagined… that it was just cross-dressing all along…”

There was so much I wanted to say, but I was not foolish enough to speak hastily in this situation.

I could only hope that before the empress discovered the full truth, she wouldn’t decide to execute me on the spot.