Mother’s Contract Marriage

Chapter 5

Brinne informed her that Madam Glendelyn had been instructed not to come today because Lyrica had injured her head.

“Why don’t we inform Her Majesty that you are available for a visit? It just so happens to be tea time.”

“Can I do that?” asked Lyrica, her face brightening.

Brinne smiled. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Brinne promptly instructed another maid to send word to the empress. Though all of Lyrica’s maids had been replaced, the new ones all worked seamlessly under Brinne, as if they had always worked for her.

A moment later, the maid returned and politely informed them, saying, “Her Majesty was waiting.”

Lyrica beamed with joy but restrained herself from dashing down the corridor and stepped out into the hallway gracefully instead. Her mother’s quarters really were very close now. She only had to climb one set of stairs.

“Rica! Oh, you adorable little thing!”

Her mother enveloped her in a warm embrace as soon as she entered her sitting room. Lyrica let out a joyful laugh. Now, she truly had nothing to worry about. Since His Majesty had promised to leave her mother alone, she would be able to visit her every morning.

Ludia hugged Lyrica tightly as she cast her gaze toward Brinne.

“And you are?” she inquired.

“I am Brinne Sole, Your Majesty. I have been appointed as Her Highness’s personal maid.”

“A member of the Sol family, eh?” Ludia remarked, a subtle note in her voice causing Lyrica to glance at her.

Her mother smiled as she observed Brinne, and in return, the maid wore a soft smile as she demurely lowered her eyes.

“How lovely,” said her mother at last, gazing down at her daughter, who was looking up at her with curiosity.

That is truly wonderful.

Ludia could not help but laugh, a mixture of pride and concern swelling inside her heart. She’d had no choice but to place her daughter in a guest room until she’d solidified her place as empress, as the emperor paid little attention to such arrangements. Until she’d managed to replace the head court lady in the palace and take control of the inner court, she’d known she would not be able to interfere with the maids, or instructor, that Lyrica had been assigned.

There were many within the palace who constantly subtly undermined her authority, insisting that they could not accept her unexpected rise to the position of empress. But wasn’t it so clever of Rica to approach the emperor herself and secure her place with her own two hands?

Of course she did. Look at how adorable she is.

The emperor had surely had no choice but to fall for her charms. She laughed gleefully to herself.

I won’t let anyone lay even a finger on my Rica!

“Mother?”

Lyrica tilted her head in confusion, thanks to the way her mother was quietly smiling to herself. To Ludia, It was an endearing sight—truly, how was her daughter so adorable?

Why didn’t I realize it sooner?

Ludia deeply regretted her past blindness. She pulled Lyrica closer, hugging her with all her strength. Lyrica giggled with delight despite being caught in her mother’s crushing embrace. Her mother cradled her with an arm around her shoulders, then led her further inside and sat her down on the sofa.

In the blink of an eye, an assortment of tea and confections were set on the table.

“So, you had an audience with His Majesty?” she asked drolly.

Lyrica whipped her head around to her mother, startled. She hadn’t expected her to find out so quickly. Ludia stared at her daughter, waiting for her response.

“His Majesty came to visit me,” she explained.

“He did?”

“Yes.”

Ludia sighed and hugged Lyrica close by her shoulders.

“Rica, I am thankful for what you did... but there is no need for you to risk yourself like that. You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard.”

“But...”

Lyrica lowered her head, but her mother continued to hug her tightly and gently stroke her hair.

“I know you were worried about me, Rica. But I’m saying this because I am worried about you. You must not go to His Majesty anymore on just a whim. Do you understand?”

“Yes...”

Ludia smiled brightly and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

“But... His Majesty didn’t seem like a bad person,” said Lyrica quietly.

“That’s why he’s so dangerous,” replied Ludia, her tone solemn. “You must not believe in him just because he showed you a little kindness and affection. Do you understand? He can bite off your head before you know it, all with a smile on his face.”

Lyrica swallowed nervously and nodded.

Ludia’s expression relaxed. “I am not trying to frighten you, but I want you to be careful. And thank you. Because of you, I will be able to get some rest. Would you like to sleep with me tonight?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Let’s fall asleep together. It’s been so long since we last did so.”

Lyrica beamed at her mother’s words. The tea, the treats, all of it was delicious, but what made her happiest was spending time with her mother.

A tailor visited midway through the day, presenting the empress with designs for new dresses. Though they were all beautiful, Lyrica felt a slight twinge of disappointment. The dress they were discussing had a bustle and was indeed stylish. Her mother had remarked that it would soon be all the rage in society. The tailor had replied with a smile that they already were. Still, Lyrica couldn’t help but feel that a true princess dress possessed a voluminous crinoline skirt, although she could not possibly share her thoughts with her mother.

She spent the afternoon watching her mother be fit for the new dress, chatting with her about various topics and discussing party invitations. Time passed by in a flash.

That night, wearing a nightgown and lying on a smooth, plush bed wrapped in her mother’s arms, Lyrica breathed in her mother’s scent. She was the happiest she’d ever been. She fell asleep quite late for the first time in a long while.

* * *

Mother told me not to visit the emperor. But...

Ever since that day, she found herself being summoned to his study daily. Nothing of particular importance ever happened in the emperor’s office. Refreshments were served, and she ate while listening to the emperor and Latt converse with one another. Occasionally, Tan appeared as well.

Her mother was exasperated by the situation, and it appeared as if she had even argued with the emperor over it. He seemed to have won the debate, however. The constantly changing parade of treats was tasty, and Lyrica was quickly growing accustomed to hanging around in the study. She began to relax a little but reminded herself of her mother’s advice and tried to stay alert.

Sometimes, the emperor tossed a question or two her way, and Lyrica answered as earnestly as she could. Whenever she did, however, Tan always laughed heartily, and even Latt turned around to muffle his chuckles with a cough.

One day, as Lyrica was nibbling on a freshly baked financier, the emperor studied her for several long moments and then sighed loudly.

“Why isn’t she growing?”

Latt looked up, perplexed. “What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”

“This little one. She’s clearly eating well, so why isn’t she growing?”

“Your Majesty. It has not even been ten days.”

“But Atil visibly grew every day. What if she’s sick?”

“Your Majesty. The princess is not a Takar, nor a Barrat, a Sandar, a Wolfe, or any of the other gifted nobles.”

Lyrica rolled her eyes, and then her hand shot into the air.

“What is it?” the emperor asked.

“I am not at all sick. I am very strong and growing quite well. Brinne said my dresses will need to be made bigger soon.” After a pause, she cautiously added, “And... I’m a Takar as well.”

She was adopted, certainly, but she was a Takar nevertheless—Lyrica Nara Takar. That was her new name, and for as long as she was a contracted princess, she would insist that her name was indeed Takar. If she made a concession on such an important matter, then what was the point of the contract?

Latt smiled widely at Lyrica’s declaration.

“That’s right. You are indeed a Takar, Your Highness.”

“You’re growing? Really? Shouldn’t you grow at least a full finger’s length a week?” Alterres remarked as he looked Lyrica up and down.

Her face did look much fuller than when he’d first met her, and she seemed less spindly overall.

“No one grows that fast, do they?” asked Lyrica in alarm. “That sounds more like an illness to me, Your Majesty.”

Alterres raised an eyebrow before his lips twisted into a wry smile.

“That’s how I grew.”

“But that’s because you are not human, Your Majesty.”

She had meant it as a quip, but the remark instantly sent a ripple of unease throughout the room. As a child who’d had to grow up quickly, Lyrica was uniquely attuned to negative emotions. Had she said something wrong? Saying someone was not human certainly had the potential to be deeply offensive...

“Who told you that?” the emperor asked at last in a casual tone, though Lyrica sensed the seriousness behind it.

She needed to be careful. Lyrica answered in a soft voice. “Brinne told me that the imperial family is descendants of dragons. And that you, Your Majesty, are practically a dragon yourself...”

At this, he let out a short, heavy sigh.

“You are correct, Your Highness,” interjected Latt. “However, saying that someone is not human can be easily misconstrued, so it is best to avoid saying it.”

“Well, what does it matter? It’s what everyone thinks, is it not?” scoffed Alterres.

Lyrica quickly spoke up. “I think it’s incredible! Truly, it’s so amazing!”

When Lyrica had asked which dragon’s chamber the emperor resided in, Brinne had smiled and responded, “His Majesty’s chamber does not bear the name of a dragon because His Majesty is a dragon himself.”

How enthralled she had been by the story—it had seemed just like a fairy tale. Lyrica was now striving to convey the sincere admiration she had felt.

At her words, the emperor crooked a finger at her, which Lyrica now understood to mean that he wanted her to stand in front of him. She hurried over, her feet padding along the carpet.

Alterres found it deeply amusing that, although one flick of his hand could mean the end of her life, she approached him without fear. No, it wasn’t that she lacked fear. She understood the breadth of his power, but she trusted that he would not harm her. The unwavering trust shown in her scurrying little feet made him oddly reluctant to shatter it.

He lifted her up and sat her on his lap. She had grown accustomed to this by now and settled comfortably against him. The child’s heart beat much faster than his, but the sound of it was softer. Her temperature was higher, and her body was so light that it still surprised him. There were few who dared to look him in the eye, yet Lyrica did not hesitate to meet his gaze directly.

Just like Ludia.

The woman who had proposed this contractual marriage had stared at him the exact same way. Until Crown Prince Atil came of age, he would steadfastly support her and ensure that she was able to fulfill her role as the empress of the land. However, there were limits to what an emperor could do, and high society was an entirely unique battlefield in and of itself.

Would she be able to navigate between the foxes, the flowers, the snakes, and the wolves that schemed within society? So far, she had exceeded all expectations. But compared to the mother... how could one describe the daughter?

I’ve never encountered someone like her before.

The little girl was a rare sort, one that wasn’t usually found within the palace, and so he was intrigued.

“Your Majesty?”

Lyrica tilted her head and called him cautiously, and Alterres smirked.

“Why are you calling me Your Majesty?”

“Pardon?”

“Shouldn’t it be Papa?”

“Huh?”

“It should be.”

“Um... Yes, I suppose?”

“Then…”

Go ahead, say it.

Lyrica shifted her gaze nervously, while Latt observed the unfolding scene with great interest.

“Well... Uh...”

Her head began to spin. The emperor was frightening, but he was a kind man. Still, could she actually refer to him as her father? This was only supposed to be a job. Perhaps she should do it, since it was part of the task. Would it not, however, be seen as presumptuous? Lyrica wrestled with the word in her head.

Papa. Papa.

To her, a father had always been someone who existed only in her dreams, but the man in front of her was to be her father, for the next eight years anyway. A real father, who existed in real life. The thought caused tears to drip down her face before she even realized it was happening, Lyrica began furiously patting her cheeks dry.

No adult likes a child who cries so much!

“I-I apologize,” she said. “I apologize...”

“Don’t.”

Alterres took both of her hands in his. The girl had done nothing wrong, yet she was punishing herself.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“No. It was my mistake. Just because I married your mother, that doesn’t mean that I’m automatically your father. It’s my fault for pressuring you.”

He reached his hand out to Latt.

“Handkerchief.”

Latt wordlessly handed him a clean square of cloth, and Alterres gently wiped Lyrica’s tear-streaked face.

“It’s all right. You did nothing wrong. If she finds out I made you cry, your mother is sure to raise hell.”

He sighed, and Lyrica couldn’t help but laugh. Despite everything, it seemed that the emperor and her mother were getting along well.

“Now, blow your nose.”

Lyrica’s face grew red as he held the fabric to her nose.

“She’s embarrassed, Your Majesty. Perhaps you should stop,” Latt said dryly.

“I-I can do it myself,” she stammered.

She accepted the handkerchief and wiped away her tears, then beneath her nose. He ruffled her hair with a hand that was rough but full of affection. Lyrica understood this and smiled at him in return. The emperor took the handkerchief from her and tossed it back to Latt.

“Right, back to business.”

He kept Lyrica seated on his lap as he spun his chair back to face his desk.

It seemed that he would no longer insist that she call him Papa. Oddly, this left Lyrica feeling slightly disappointed. She mentally tried the word on for size and fidgeted. She felt closer than ever to the once-frightening emperor.

Papa... Papa...

Perhaps he would ask her to say it again one day. She fidgeted, feeling both embarrassed and full of anticipation. Then, her gaze drifted to his desk and she froze in place.

It’s so messy!

She hadn’t noticed it before due to all the piles of documents covering its surface, but now she could see that the inkwell was caked with dried ink, stray quill nibs were scattered everywhere, and crumpled parchment was littered all over the desk. She could not bear the sight of her papa’s— His Majesty’s desk in such disarray! She wished to do something to help him and quickly opened her mouth to speak carefully.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty?”

“Yes?”

“May I... clean your inkwell?”

“My inkwell?”

“There’s dried ink all over the rim. It will be much cleaner if I rinse it with warm water,” she said, pointing at it.

Latt frowned and was about to say something when the emperor spoke first.

“Go ahead.”

“Your Majesty!”

“What of it? I dislike allowing people in my study,” the emperor said to Latt. Then he turned to his daughter and said, “Lyrica, you can get anyone you like to help you, and feel free to arrange the study as you see fit.”

Latt pressed his palm to his forehead, clearly exasperated. While it may have seemed like a generous offer, it was little more than a thinly veiled excuse to put the little girl to work.