Chapter 214. Come Back, Navier (1)

Translator: Aura / Editor: Maybe

Rashta became nervous as I approached. When I held out my hand and asked her to dance, her eyes widened.

“Huh?”

She looked like she would never have expected it.

The surrounding nobles were also puzzled.

Although we had our faces covered by a mask, those present could clearly recognize that we were the new empress and the former empress.

It was strange to everyone that I suddenly asked Rashta to dance.

I silently pointed with my other hand to the dancing stage. Rashta looked confused, but got up and followed me, perhaps to prevent me from saying something awkward out loud.

When we stood in the middle of the stage, the music stopped with an unusual violin screech, the musicians were also surprised.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, about 30 seconds later.

The music started again.

Probably out of consideration for us, the music played was not necessarily meant for a man and a woman to dance.

The dance steps were identical, so you just had to move the same.

Rashta calmly asked while adopting a dance posture.

“Do you want to defeat Rashta that badly?”

“?”

“You dance better than Rashta, that’s what you want to hear right now.”

“…”

She had a really unique imagination.

But there was no reason to praise her, much less waste time on unimportant things.

“Let’s make it look like you’re a good dancer.”

I concluded firmly, and got to the point, “If you ever find yourself in trouble next to Baron Lant, ask Marquis Karl for help.”

“Huh? What?”

Rashta was even more puzzled, her eyes widened again.

As if she couldn’t understand why I was saying this out of the blue. I didn’t want to delve too deeply into the subject. So I simply continued, “Marquis Karl is a subordinate of His Majesty, but he is a just man who is not swayed by personal feelings. If it’s for the country, he’ll help you.”

“What are you…?”

“It is not necessary to completely push away those who seek only power and profit. Even some of those people are talented, it’s just that they pursue different goals. However, they should not be part of one’s close aides, and in case they are, one should always keep an eye on what they pursue.”

“!”

“You’d better stay away from the person who picked out your outfit today.”

Rashta was completely stunned, she even stumbled a little in the dance. Her eyes were full of confusion.

I know. I don’t have to tell her any of this.

But…

“I’m not doing it for you. It’s advice for the sake of my home country.”

After I coldly added that, Rashta’s gaze finally turned slightly haughty.

“What about the promissory notes I gave you? Have you given them to anyone else yet?”

However, her haughty gaze quickly disappeared after those questions.

She stopped staring at me at the mention of the promissory notes, her gaze darting around with a pale complexion.

“Hmm, Rashta doesn’t quite understand what you’re talking about…”

“If you can get them back, do it. If you can’t, you’ll really have to fund the institutions with your own money from now on.”

Rashta snorted.

She thought I was saying that because I didn’t want her to take advantage of my money.

Not so much, Rashta.

I was afraid that a problem would arise because of that money and that the institutions I had funded would be implicated.

Legally, just because a problem arose for Rashta did not mean that those institutions would also have a problem, but a sponsor would not donate to an institution involved in a scandal.

However… instead of pointing out possible scenarios, I decided to stop here.

I just told her how to prevent the worst.

If I went into detail I might end up shooting myself in the foot.

Not so much because of the money I gave her, but rather because Rashta has already blamed others for her mistakes on different occasions.

If I gave her more information, she could prepare to blame someone else again in case a problem arose later.

At that moment, Rashta suddenly collapsed on the floor and began to scream.

“Ah, my belly!”

She began to moan in pain, “My belly hurts!”

I looked down quietly at Rashta.

I don’t know if it was true or false but continued to cover her belly.

“Rashta!”

Sovieshu rushed over in astonishment. Rashta sobbed and clutched his arm.

“Your Majesty, my belly hurts so much…!”

Sovieshu turned his gaze to me. We looked at each other expressionlessly.

His lips were trembling, but instead of saying anything, he simply scooped Rashta into his arms.

However, he kept looking at my face.

Although I supposedly had hurt Rashta, his face reflected no such thought.

He was literally just staring at my face.

Why?

Was he recalling the time we were dancing together before he threw me away and went with Rashta?

“Good heavens.”

Heinley came up to me, grabbed my hand, and advised Sovieshu in a soft voice.

“Your Majesty, you had better take her to the palace doctor soon.”

Rashta writhed in the air, her hands pale.

Seeing that she was actually in a cold sweat, it must be true that her belly ached.

Sovieshu finally left with Rashta in his arms.

The nobles looked in my direction. I could clearly feel their eyes on me, but I nonchalantly grabbed two glasses of champagne from a passing servant.

I handed one to Heinley, and immediately took a sip from mine.

It was good to have spoken in front of the nobles. Whether or not it hurt, Rashta will definitely blame me.

***

“Well?”

At Sovieshu’s cold question, the palace doctor withdrew his stethoscope and quickly replied.

“It was just a scare, she’s fine.”

“What happened to her?”

“It seems to be due to stress.”

“Stress?”

Sovieshu looked at him with a face of, ‘What stress could she have?’

The palace doctor smiled awkwardly. That was something Sovieshu should know better than he did.

When the doctor eventually left, Sovieshu walked over to Rashta, who was lying on the bed, and grabbed her hand.

Rashta clung tightly to Sovieshu’s hand.

“Your Majesty, did you see? The Empress blackmailed me. I’m scared.”

“I didn’t see anything.”

“The Empress blackmailed me.”

Sovieshu sighed at Rashta’s words.

“What did the Empress blackmail you with?”

“She…”

Rashta hesitated.

For someone to blackmail you, that person must know a weakness of yours to pressure you with. She knew this better than anyone else because she had been blackmailed by Viscount Roteschu before.

Therefore, it was difficult to make up her words before Sovieshu. She obviously couldn’t mention the promissory notes.

In the end, Rashta covered herself with the sheets, tears welling up in her eyes. Sovieshu sighed heavily at the sight.

She did seem to be under some stress.

From Sovieshu’s viewpoint, the Empress was not someone who would take advantage of others’ weaknesses to blackmail them.

However, the intentions of the speaker and listener did not always coincide. Rashta could have taken the Empress’s words as blackmail.

Either way, Rashta was visibly frightened at the time.

“Rest.”

Sovieshu stroked her wavy hair, patted the sheets several times, and left.

They had both unconsciously called Navier— Empress.

Rashta frowned when she realized this fact.

‘Stupid!’

Rashta blamed her own mouth.

Rashta had called her Empress so many times that it still came out of her mouth involuntarily.

The wedding ceremony was held yesterday, and now the Empress of the Eastern Empire is me. There is no reason to call the Queen— Empress.