Summer 3

The carriage carrying the Empress and the Prince arrived at the Summer Palace.

Gaspar and the attendants, who were dressed in neat uniforms, lined up at the main entrance of the main building to greet them.

It was a modest procession for royalty indeed. Judging by the mere dozen or so carriages, it seemed that only essential personnel, such as guards, attendants, and cooks, had been brought.

This meant that the palace servants would have to fill in the rest. Swallowing a sigh, Gaspar straightened his back further.

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of them. The Imperial attendant who had arrived earlier opened the door, and the prince stepped out first. He scanned the surroundings briefly with dry eyes and then extended a hand inward. The Empress took his hand and slowly emerged.

The people of the Summer Palace were momentarily speechless at the sight of them.

The Empress, who had come from the north, was an otherworldly being. Her blonde hair was so light that it appeared white, like silver thread. Her skin was snow white, and her eyes were the color of the northern sea in winter. She looked as if winter itself had been sculpted into human form.

In contrast, the prince standing beside her looked nothing like his mother. His dark hair and bright golden eyes clearly marked him as a descendant of the Malezik Imperial Family.

However, his delicate, youthful features bore a striking resemblance to the Empress’s ice-carved features, proving that they were mother and son.

Furthermore, although he was only about fourteen years old, he was half a hand taller than the Empress, who was tall for a Northern woman. He was sure to grow into an imposing height, with few to match him.

“Are you the manager?”

Gaspar, who had been lost in thought at the sight of Iskandar, snapped back to attention and bowed his head.

“Yes, Your Highness. It is truly an honor to serve you.”

“You must be weary from your long journey. Have Her Majesty the Empress brought in.”

The low voice wrapped around Gaspar’s ears. Though still a boy, he possessed the dignified demeanor of someone born and raised as the legitimate heir to the Imperial Family. It was to be expected of someone who would become Emperor one day. Accepting this readily, Gaspar observed the two of them. The Prince didn’t seem particularly tired, but the Empress definitely looked a little weary.

“I humbly obey. Please follow me to your quarters.”

Gaspar turned and led the way.

Following behind, Iskandar glanced up at the palace. The charming, lovely exterior of the modest, pale pink building seemed to suggest that this wasn’t Rasrosad.

The days he would spend in this quiet land without the emperor and his mistress would surely be peaceful. Even if it was temporary peace with a predetermined end, his mother would find stability during the summer. In the meantime, he could appease her and spend his free time hunting. If he thought of it as a summer vacation, it wouldn’t be so bad.

As he continued his thoughts about the future, the wind of Martiera approached the boy. Since it was his first time setting foot on this land, the touch of the wind, the scent of the northern vegetation, and the concentrated sunlight all felt unfamiliar.

Confronted with the unknown, Iskandar suddenly felt a strange discomfort. It was as if something sticky, like the thick moisture of the sea breeze, was clinging to him.

“Iskandar?”

Svetlana’s voice grabbed the boy’s attention before he could be overwhelmed by that damp sensation. Iskandar realized then that he had stopped, his brow furrowed.

He smoothed his rarely creased face and spoke.

“What do you think? Do you like it here?”

It was an appropriate question for the situation. Svetlana smiled faintly and replied, “Yes, I think it will be pleasant.”

“I’m glad.”

“Thank you for your concern. Do you like it?”

In response to her question, Iskandar reflexively put on a faint smile. It was a meaningless, habitual expression.

“Yes.”

Calmly fabricating a lie to match his expression, he strode up the stairs with his long legs. The well-cleaned stairs were spotless, but Iskandar’s awareness didn’t extend that far. It was a given. The places he walked were always like this — they had to be. That was Iskandar de Malezik’s world.

* * *

Despite her high expectations, which had grown like a summer thunderstorm cloud, Senita couldn’t see the Empress or the Prince at all. This was to be expected, as she wasn’t permitted to participate in any of the proceedings, from the welcome ceremony to personal attendance.

“You naïve thing. Who would give us a chance to see Their Highnesses?”

In a corner of the empty ballroom, Melissa’s rebuke mingled with the sound of a rag being dipped into a bucket of water. Melissa, who was four or five years older than Senita, liked to act maturely and lecture her, and today was no different.

“Is that so?” Senita murmured. Well, Melissa was right. It was virtuous for a dirty, lowly cleaning maid to remain unseen by their masters.

That’s how it should be. Yet I dared to have such foolish delusions.

Senita chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed by herself.

“I thought I might be able to see them from afar.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Well, you might be able to sneak a peek when they leave.”

Melissa nudged Senita with her elbow and chattered on. Water splashed from the bucket as Melissa pulled out a rag with her rough hands, spraying Senita’s cheek. Silently, Senita wiped the water off her shoulder. Melissa, unconcerned, continued her chatter.

“Julia said that the prince is incredibly handsome.”

“Really? Did she see him herself? I’m so envious.”

“She said it was amazing. Like he was from another world.”

Senita’s eyes glazed over dreamily.

What kind of person was a prince who was amazing just for existing? Did he look like the angel statues she saw in the cathedral? 

She was curious and really wanted to see him, but it didn’t seem like something she was allowed to do. Sighing softly, Senita wiped the floor with the wet rag. The colors of the water-soaked patterns deepened.

Fifteen days had passed since the Empress and the Prince arrived.

As the summer heat intensified day by day, the two of them spent their time quietly.

Since no nobles had come to join them, there were no boisterous banquets or concerts. The management of the riverside farmhouse and farm remained the work of the servants, as it was intended for country life.

Although the prince went hunting several times in the vast forest behind the palace, accompanied by his guards, it was still difficult to catch a glimpse of him.

Life for the mother and son was quite monotonous. Nevertheless, the people of the Summer Palace always talked about what they ate, said, and did.

The maids seemed to enjoy sharing stories, such as when the Empress complimented the garden or when the Prince worried the Empress by staying late at the hunting lodge. For the people of Martiera, the lives of their masters from the bustling capital were the most interesting topic.

Servants from the Imperial Palace looked down on those from the Summer Palace; even gossiping about them was entertainment.

Thus, they prepared tea and meals for their masters, bustled around the palace, exchanged trivial chatter between tasks, hung laundry under the clear blue sky, and tended to the trees and flowers in the garden.

In any case, those were truly peaceful days.

One afternoon, on such an uneventful day, Senita ended up going to the forest.

* * *

“Just deliver this to the cabin next to the hunting lodge. Do some cleaning there and bring back the urgent laundry in the basket, and you’re done.”

After the morning cleaning was finished, Isabella, a senior maid, called Senita to the back of the palace. With Senita being the only one currently with some free time, she gave her a basket that held dried meat, jam, and dry bread. The basket was for the gamekeeper, who was busy managing and driving the game, maintaining the equipment, and attending to the Prince.

“He might be out, but he’ll have left the door unlocked, so you can just go in. Can you do it?”

“Yes!”

At her enthusiastic response, Isabella smiled and patted Senita on the head. Then, she took out a plum that she had set aside in the basket and gave it to the child.