Mother’s Contract Marriage

Chapter 4

Lyrica promptly dipped her head low in a bow and folded her hands neatly in front of her.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

“Why?”

The emperor’s brusque retort made Lyrica look up in surprise.

“Pardon?”

“Come here.”

Lyrica hesitantly shuffled a step closer when the emperor beckoned her to do so with a crooked finger.

“I said, come here.”

“Why do you insist on troubling the adorable princess?” interjected the brown-haired man.

The emperor frowned. “How am I troubling her? I’m merely asking her to come closer. Now, come here.”

Lyrica gathered her courage, before skirting around the desk to come to a stop before him. To her astonishment, the emperor lifted her clean into the air and then sat her on his lap so that they were face-to-face.

“You’re as light as a candy wrapper. Your clothes make more noise than you do. Your mother made it sound as though she adored you, but perhaps she’s been starving you.”

Lyrica bristled. It was fine to insult her, but she would not tolerate any insults paid to her mother.

“She didn’t starve me!” she fired back.

“Why are you so light, then? You look like you’ll topple over if I so much as poke you.”

“No, I’m strong!”

It was an instinctive response. After all, Lyrica would never have been able to get any jobs if she were not healthy.

“Is that so? Let’s see.”

And with that, the emperor pressed his middle finger against his thumb and then flicked her on the forehead.

Thwack!

Her vision momentarily went white. Since she had been only precariously balanced on his knees, Lyrica tumbled backward and landed with an unceremonious thump on the floor. Her face grew flushed, her forehead throbbing and her head aching, but it was the humiliation that stung the most. She struggled to her feet. Lucky for her, the plush carpet had spared her from any serious injury.

However, the two other men in the room shouted in unison, clearly horrified.

“Your Majesty!”

“Alterres!”

The knight who had blurted out the emperor’s name in shock rushed over and scooped Lyrica into his arms.

“Oh, Your Highness! You’re as light as spun sugar,” he gasped.

“For heaven’s sake, Your Majesty! Are you all right, Your Highness? Your forehead is bright red! How does the back of your head feel? Does it hurt when I touch it?” asked the brown-haired man.

His gentle words and worried expression helped Lyrica resist the urge to burst into tears.

“I-I’m okay,” she murmured. Anyone could see, however, that she was struggling to hold back tears.

The man’s voice grew icy cold. “Your Majesty.”

“She said she was strong!” spluttered the emperor.

“Your Majesty.”

“Atil would have been totally fine, wouldn’t he?”

“The crown prince is a boy, and he is also a Takar.”

At this, the emperor sighed gustily. “I’m sorry. It’s my first time having a daughter.”

“Would you at least call for a physician?” demanded the brown-haired man. He turned back to Lyrica. “Your Highness, please take a seat here and relax.” He gestured to a sofa in a corner of the study. “Come to think of it, I’ve yet to properly introduce myself. My name is Latt Sandar, and that burly man over there is Tan Wolfe. You may call him Tan. Unfortunately for our empire, he is the captain of the Imperial Guard.”

Tan scoffed and growled in reply, “The empire’s true misfortune is that you are its only chancellor.”

“It’s pitiful that you can only respond to another’s wit by repeating their insult back to them.”

“What—” Tan was about to argue, but Latt ignored him and continued speaking to Lyrica.

“Oh, dear! Your Highness, that bump on your head looks likely to swell.”

The emperor summoned his attendant and ordered that a physician be brought. Then he added, “Bring refreshments. Something the princess will enjoy.”

The attendant’s eyes gleamed briefly with surprise, but he swiftly bowed and retreated from the room.

Latt looked quite amused as he observed the scene, quipping, “Attempting to remedy the situation with treats may be a low-effort solution, but given the circumstances, it does seem to be the appropriate choice.”

Within the palace, how best to treat Lyrica, the adopted daughter of the emperor, was likely a matter of debate. This was after putting aside the staff’s opinions regarding the empress. That she had been summoned to his study and a physician called to tend to her, in addition to refreshments being provided by the emperor himself, would naturally shift everyone’s attitude toward her. After all, the most powerful supporter one could have within the palace was unquestionably the emperor.

Alterres openly stared at his newly adopted daughter. Truthfully, he had completely forgotten her existence until now, but... he suddenly found that he could no longer do so.

Is it even possible for our introduction to have been more memorable? he wondered, amused.

Her light brown, slightly frizzy hair and determined expression bore little resemblance to her mother, but their eyes were undeniably similar.

He appraised her openly, and Lyrica met the emperor’s gaze directly in turn. Her forehead throbbed. Lyrica’s impression of the emperor remained generally unchanged. Though he was quite tall and extremely handsome, there was something about him that seemed almost inhuman. She had heard he was terribly frightening, but now, she got the feeling that perhaps he was a good man under all that.

The court physician soon arrived carrying his medical bag, flinching as he entered and surveyed the room. The emperor, the chancellor, and the captain of the Imperial Guard—the three most powerful men in the empire, were all present.

The physician asked Lyrica where she’d been hurt, then examined the spot and told her an application of salve would quickly reduce any swelling. He then applied the ointment and placed a compress to her forehead, stepping back just as the attendant entered bearing refreshments.

A small cup of melted chocolate sat on a silver tray, alongside a plate of fresh, puffy pastries. It was evident that the palace cook had gone all out to prepare her the most delicious treat possible in a very short amount of time.

“You can dip the pastry into the chocolate in the cup, Your Highness,” the attendant explained politely, then stepped away.

Lyrica stared down at the beautiful silver tray.

“W-won’t you join me?” she asked hesitantly to the room in general.

“No. It’s all for you, child.”

“It was brought for you, Your Highness. Please, enjoy it without worry.”

The emperor and Tan spoke one after the other.

Lyrica carefully picked up the silver fork and used it to dip the pastry inside the cup of chocolate. She then brought it to her lips. Her eyes widened, and her expression brightened immediately. The three men, without realizing it, all wore satisfied smiles as they watched her. She marveled over the existence of something so delicious, as she carefully dipped the pastries into the chocolate and ate them with relish.

“Perhaps we should have a drink brought for her?”

“Milk?”

Lyrica let out a great big sigh as she finished the sweet pastries and sipped at her cup of cold milk to cleanse her palate.

“Thank you very much for the treat,” she said, thanking the emperor while holding the glass cup tightly with both hands, afraid to drop it.

When she raised her head, she was startled by how intently the three men were staring at her.

“Um... is there something on my face?” she asked, worried that she had clumsily smeared food around her mouth as she ate.

Latt, however, shook his head. “No, no. It is just that Your Highness is so utterly adorable.”

Lyrica’s face flushed a deep shade of red. It was the first time anyone had ever said she was adorable. It had always embarrassed her that, though her mother was an unmatched beauty, she fell short in comparison. But hearing such a compliment now caused her fingers and toes to twitch shyly.

“Th-thank you.”

“I am merely speaking the truth. But more importantly, Your Highness... Was your earlier concern something Her Majesty conveyed to you?”

“Pardon me?”

“When you commented that Her Majesty... was being tormented every night.”

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Lyrica, shaking her head vigorously. She was afraid of causing a misunderstanding. Lyrica didn’t want them to think her mother was using her to lodge a complaint. “I came here of my own will.”

“Then who was it that told you such a thing?”

Lyrica was at a loss for how to reply. She dropped her gaze to the cup in her hands.

“W-well, I...”

“I understand.” Latt nodded, then continued to speak. “If I may ask you another question... Are you enjoying your life here?”

Lyrica lifted her head as she responded. “I am doing my best.”

It was not an answer to his question, but Latt smiled nonetheless.

“I know you are.” Turning to the emperor, he asked, “Your Majesty, how about assigning Brinne as Her Highness’s personal maid?”

Tan raised an eyebrow, and Alterres stared at Latt for a moment before nodding.

“Very well,” said the emperor.

“Yes, a young maid would be most suitable,” Latt said with a serene smile, before turning back to Lyrica.

Despite his amicable demeanor, however, Lyrica reminded herself that he couldn’t possibly be as kind as he appeared.

Few people in positions of power are truly kind.

Though it did not mean that a kind person was automatically weak, the two traits were nearly interchangeable in Lyrica’s mind. Those who sat in high positions were decisive, often cold, and occasionally ruthless. Latt, as chancellor, could be no different.

“Now, let us leave these two to their work. I shall escort you back to your room, Your Highness,” said Tan, waving his hand about.

Lyrica jumped down from the sofa without pause. “It’s all right. I can go back on my own,” she stated.

“Nonsense. I cannot allow the princess to wander about on her own. I could instruct an attendant to attend to you, but today, I will do it myself.” Tan winked at her. “Thanks to you, I’ll be able to get out of work for a bit.”

Lyrica was still contemplating how to respond when Tan suddenly lifted her up, before depositing her on his shoulders. She shrieked, her legs instinctively tightening around his neck. While the layers of undergarments and petticoats she was wearing ensured that nothing inappropriate could be seen, it was still an embarrassing position to find herself in.

“L-Lord Tan!”

“You can just call me Tan. Only the Takars refer to each other using such formalities.”

Tan grinned and left the study behind with Lyrica still perched atop his shoulders. The attendant who had been standing at attention outside watched on in shock, but Lyrica herself was too worked up to take note of anyone’s reactions. She was high in the air and afraid of falling down. Actually, she wasn’t all that worried because Tan had a firm grip on her, and his shoulders were wide and comfortable. It was almost enjoyable to look down from such a high vantage point.

It’s time to forget about being embarrassed. Perhaps princesses always go about like this. You are a princess now, Lyrica, so you must act like one!

She tried to regain her dignity from her position atop Tan’s shoulders.

“Escort us back to the princess’s chamber,” Tan ordered the attendant, who scurried ahead of them at once.

Lyrica looked around her, then suddenly remembered something.

“Uh, Tan?”

It felt a bit awkward calling someone both older and so high in position by their name. However, he didn’t seem to mind in the least.

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“If your last name is Wolfe, then do you know a man named Sir Lauv?” Her voice trailed off as she inadvertently slipped between speaking formally and more casually.

Tan nodded. “Yes, he’s a part of my family. He’s probably a... sixth cousin or something.”

“I see. Well, please apologize to him for me, as I spoke to him rather harshly,” said Lyrica, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tan looked highly amused.

“You did?”

“Well, I thought Lauv was trying to kidnap me, so...”

Tan laughed loudly. “I wonder if Your Highness is even capable of speaking harshly, but I shall pass on the message.”

“Thank you.”

Feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, Lyrica turned her gaze ahead.

When they reached her room, Tan let her down gently and said, “This was quite enjoyable. I’m usually surrounded by brutish males, you see. Farewell for now.”

He sketched a polite bow and quickly turned away, taking long strides befitting of a knight.

Lyrica let out a long sigh. She had exerted herself far too much already today. She would have to get some rest before Madam Glendelyn arrived.

But those pastries were delicious. The chocolate, as well.

How could she describe such a fantastic flavor? Who knew the dark liquid would be so delicious? Her mind was still occupied with thoughts of chocolate as she climbed up onto a tall stool by the window. From here, she could see part of the garden. She sat close to the window, just staring at the view. She gazed outside absentmindedly for a while before opening her spelling book. Suddenly, however, there was a commotion outside her room.

The door swung open and a girl who appeared to be about fifteen years of age marched inside. Lyrica immediately took in her neat, bobbed hair and the sparkling headband on her head. The girl strode confidently toward Lyrica, then swept into a practiced curtsy before she spoke.

“My name is Brinne Sol, Your Highness. I am to be your personal maid from today. I look forward to being of service.”

Ah, right! Latt said something about this earlier.

Lyrica nodded. “I look forward to working with you, too,” she said.

Brinne stood up and clasped her hands together.

“Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered that you be moved to new accommodations. I shall assist you in relocating.”

“Huh?”

“Now, now. Not to worry, just follow me! The attendants will move all of your belongings.”

Lyrica was taken aback but knew she had no choice. She had to obey the emperor’s command.

She couldn’t help but shriek when she beheld her newly-appointed quarters. Her original room had already been impressive and luxurious, but this suite of rooms was on an entirely different scale of grandeur.

A lovely sitting room greeted her upon entering, and through the large windows, she could see the entirety of the garden spread out before her. The bedroom featured large windows with slim, elegant windowsills as well. The space seemed to be at least three times larger than her previous room, and just walking around it seemed like it would be a good amount of exercise.

“How do you like it, Your Highness?” Brinne inquired. “It is close to Her Majesty’s quarters as well.”

“Really? I like it very much!” Lyrica exclaimed. “I can see the garden so clearly from the window... Can I go outside?”

Her previous room hadn’t had a balcony, but this room boasted a large, spacious one.

“Of course.”

Brinne pushed the glass doors open, and Lyrica cautiously stepped outside.

“Wow!”

A joyful exclamation escaped her lips. Her heart raced when she saw that she was standing so high above the ground, but it was rather exhilarating as well. It called to mind her ride on the captain of the guard’s shoulders. The balcony was so spacious that there was plenty of room to sit outside and drink tea.

Brinne smiled contentedly. “I am pleased it is to your liking. This room is called the White Dragon Chamber.”

“White Dragon?”

“Yes. You’re aware that the first Takar emperor was a dragon, right? All the rooms within the Sun Palace that are for the members of the imperial family’s use are named after dragons. His Highness the Crown Prince resides in the Black Dragon Chamber, and traditionally, the empress’s room has always been the Silver Dragon Chamber.”

“I see,” said Lyrica.

She hadn’t known this at all.

I wonder what my old room was called.

She decided not to ask, however, as she suspected that Brinne might be embarrassed to answer truthfully. It was highly unlikely that her old room had been named after a dragon.