“Hal······.”
A quiet woman’s image reflects in the mirror.
She looks somewhat stiff, and though I tried to smile, it ended up being an awkward grin, so I quickly gave up.
It seems I have no talent for acting.
After staring into the mirror for some time, one thought came to mind.
“Wow. You’re really beautiful······.”
Every time I see myself, I think it’s absurd how beautiful I am.
No matter how I look from this angle or that, I never get tired of my appearance, and time seems to fly when I’m standing in front of the mirror.
Honestly, my face has a mesmerizing charm that captivates.
Though it’s been nearly four months since I’ve been in this body, my feelings remain the same.
It’s not narcissism; I’m speaking from a very objective standpoint.
“It’s almost as if I’m a goddess of beauty······.”
“Mmm. Mom.”
“Tia woke up······ Huh?!”
I was startled by Tia’s voice and lost my balance, falling as I tried to detach myself from the mirror.
The back of my head felt numb.
While lying quietly, Tia rushed over with a worried expression and lay down in front of me.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot? Do you want me to blow on it?”
“Blow on it.”
“Come here. Ho······ Ho······.”
I slightly lifted my head and leaned it against Tia.
Tia hugged my head and began blowing softly on the back of my neck.
Whenever Tia bumped into something or fell and cried, I would blow on her like this.
When she fell, looking bewildered until I arrived and then finally letting out a wail was so cute I can’t even describe it.
But these days, it seems she’s grown more resilient; she doesn’t ask for me to blow on her for just a little injury.
A bit. Just a tiny bit, it makes me feel a bit sad.
“Does it not hurt anymore?”
“Yeah. Thanks to Tia, it seems all better.”
“Mmm······.”
I held Tia tightly.
When I was little, my mother would hug me every chance she got, claiming she was recharging her energy.
Each time, I would snap back that this couldn’t possibly fill me with energy.
But now, I understand my mother’s feelings.
Just the act of holding Tia and rubbing our skin against each other seems to give me strength.
“Mmm. It’s hard to breathe······. But, Mom, are you going out today?”
“I told you. From today, I’ll be teaching the prince as his tutor.”
“Oh. That noble person?”
“That’s right. So I’m really nervous! I can’t afford to make a mistake.”
“Re-really? I’ll hug you again!”
“Thank you······.”
This time, Tia opened her arms and presented her tiny frame to me.
I was drawn into her embrace and hugged her tightly.
Then I gave her a strong kiss.
To instill courage or something.
It definitely had an effect.
“Mom will do well! I’m sure of it!”
“Hehe. Is that so?”
“Mmm. I saw you practicing your greetings in front of the mirror since morning. You will do well without mistakes.”
“Thank you······. Huh?”
Just as I was about to get immersed in the warmth of my daughter’s support, my body suddenly stiffened.
She saw me practicing greetings to the nobility in front of the mirror?
You mean she wasn’t asleep at that time?
If she saw that, then she must have also heard me rambling nonsense when I was pressed up against the mirror just a moment ago.
I could feel my face heating up in an instant.
“Are you okay, Mom?”
“N-no······. I’m not okay······.”
In embarrassment, I wanted to just die.
I didn’t want to know what kind of feelings a mother would have when caught being self-absorbed in front of her daughter.
I never imagined I would find out.
Tia looked innocent and curious about what happened, making me feel even more embarrassed.
It felt like I had revealed this side of me not just once or twice…
“Uh, are you going to change your clothes now? It’s about time to go.”
“Mmm!”
I hurriedly distanced myself from Tia and decided to change my clothes.
My face was burning so much that I even considered opening a window, but as soon as I slightly opened it and felt a cold breeze, I quickly shut it again.
I opened the wardrobe and pondered for a moment over what to wear today before I made my decision.
A somewhat loose, solid-colored dress without flashy decorations.
I chose the longest hem that wouldn’t drag on the floor.
I made this decision with the focus on not standing out.
After all, I learned that drawing someone’s attention in the palace only leads to troublesome situations…
‘Nervous. I wish I had at least a calming pill······.’
I never thought I would miss that terribly bitter medicine I took on exam day.
In my nervous state, my trembling hands fumbled into the drawer.
I pulled out a token that resembled a large coin.
It was something a sailor had handed to me before.
‘By the way, what on earth is this······.’
I still wonder why a person I barely knew threw this at me.
I was curious about it, so I asked the duke, but he mischievously smiled and told me to keep it safe because it was precious, evading my query.
I decided to take it with me just in case.
For some reason, fiddling with it seemed to calm my mind.
I then tightly clenched the token in my fist and placed it in my small bag.
“Mom, I’m going now, okay?”
“Have a good day! Stay strong! Tia will keep cheering for you!”
I left the accommodation with a smile, but I was still trembling uncontrollably.
I was worried I might make a mistake due to my nervousness.
But I must go.
I gritted my teeth and walked toward the carriage waiting for me at the main gate.
“Huh?”
“······.”
Suddenly, the coachman opened the door, and I had to suppress my expression from crumpling.
Inside the carriage, the duke was lifting his hat off his face and looking at me with slightly sleepy eyes.
It seemed he had been napping in the carriage.
“What are you doing here, my lord······.”
“I was just resting my eyes for a bit. I got too drowsy waiting.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“Yulia, you’re not acting like yourself and stammering! You must be very nervous. Here, drink this.”
“Huh? Ugh?!”
The duke stepped down from the carriage and held something to my mouth.
The liquid in the small vial was poured into my throat before I could even taste it.
As soon as I gulped it down, I realized I might have made a mistake.
What if it was a poison or some other strange medicine?
“W-what did you give me?”
“It’s a rare remedy. Ah, but it’s not expensive, so don’t worry too much.”
“A remedy? What for······.”
There was no need to ask any further.
I could immediately feel the effects of the medicine and knew what it was.
The pounding of my heartbeat began to calm down, and the trembling in my hands started to subside.
I felt more at ease.
When I looked up in surprise at the duke, he wore a gentle smile as if reassured.
Strangely enough, his smile didn’t look disgusting today.
“Um······.”
“Let’s hurry. We’ll be late like this.”
Just as I was about to say something, the duke nudged me to get into the carriage.
As I sat down, I blankly stared at him as he casually spoke.
“What are you waiting for? Should I go with you, too?”
“No?! I’ll decline!”
“Hahaha. I was just joking. You seem relaxed now, so have a good time. Just remember that if you make a mistake in front of the prince, I may not be able to cover for you.”
“I won’t make a mistake······.”
I thought he would cling a little longer.
But surprisingly, the duke waved his hand and sent me off.
Soon, the carriage started to move.
Just a moment ago, my heart felt heavy and sweaty, but now I felt calm and collected.
‘What on earth is that person······.’
It’s maddening.
He’s a man who trampled all over my dignity and pride without so much as a word of apology.
Yet, I can’t hate him completely, which only irritates me more.
What am I to that man?
Just a disposable object?
Is he merely being somewhat kind to prolong my usefulness?
If not······.
“Ugh.”
As my face reflected on the fogged-up glass, a sigh escaped my lips.
There was a flush on my cheeks.
My heartbeat felt a little more intense.
Damn it. I thought he said it wasn’t an expensive medicine.
It seemed the effect had already worn off.
*
“Did you sleep well, Your Majesty?”
“Cough! Cough! Ugh······.”
Around noon, Emperor Vladimir III staggered out of his bedroom, coughing dryly.
His beard and hair had turned completely white and his back hunched over.
In the frame on the wall of the wide corridor, a monarch clad in armor stood proudly, exhibiting dignity.
It was how he looked merely five years ago.
The emperor aged drastically within just five years after experiencing war.
“Your Majesty. The meal is ready.”
“I don’t need it. I just woke up and have no appetite. More importantly, where is Nikolai?”
Vladimir shoved away the servant who approached him to help and shouted.
His only solace, after having penned his will and already selected the next emperor, was none other than the prince, Nikolai.
Though he had come to him late in life and was nearly like a grandson, Vladimir had completely fallen for Nikolai.
Rumors even circulated that Vladimir chose Nikolai as the next emperor, rather than his eldest daughter who currently governed the duchy.
“He should be studying now.”
“What subject?”
“Mathematics.”
“Then he’s probably playing truant somewhere. Haha. Now where should I go to find this rascal······.”
“His Majesty is currently receiving a lesson in the classroom.”
“What? Has this boy finally come to his senses?”
Vladimir’s expression brightened.
Since he was a cherished son, under the pressure from his ministers, he had assigned several tutors in various fields to Nikolai.
However, since the emperor turned a blind eye to Nikolai skipping classes for subjects he disliked to practice swordplay or do whatever he wanted, the effort had hardly yielded results.
But now, hearing that Nikolai was earnest in attending the math class, it felt like the sky had flipped upside down.
“A new math tutor has been hired today. A commoner woman from Dragania······.”
“A Dragania human, huh. Tsk.”
Vladimir clicked his tongue in displeasure.
He couldn’t help but think that this might be a spy planted within the palace; however, such worries didn’t seem necessary.
Information accessible through the identity of a royal tutor wouldn’t be anything substantial, and Dragania doesn’t resort to such crude schemes.
If they aimed to plant a spy, they would have thoroughly disguised the identity instead.
“Does the background really matter? As long as she teaches well, that’s all that matters. Let’s see how she conducts her class.”
Suppressing his anger, Vladimir headed towards the classroom.
Once upon a time, he was known as a reforming monarch.
He believed he wasn’t the kind of person who would discriminate against others based on their origin or background.
Still, given that this tutor is presumably skilled, he would certainly manage to keep that troublemaker Nikolai seated.
With slight anticipation, Vladimir peered into the window of the classroom.
“Why are you constantly nitpicking? You said you’d give me discretion!”
“Discretion was given, but who said I could make blasphemous mistakes?”
“This is blasphemous? The blasphemy is in how you’ve put forth such sacrilegious answers to a sacred math problem!”
Voices sounding like an argument leaked out from inside.
The emperor’s expression hardened.
