*

Sienna looked out the window and muttered blankly.

“I want some hot borsch.”

“What’s that? Is it a specialty of the north? Just ask whatever you want. I’ll get it to you one way or another.”

Hain rushed in with an ambitious look.

Sienna, who had been looking for food all day long last week like a ghost of gluttony, was now saying that she had no appetite with an uninterested face no matter what Hain brought out. Perhaps because Sienna hasn’t been eating properly, she was just spread out on the sofa with a weak face. So worried that Hain was about to do anything with regards to Sienna’s food.

“I’d like to eat a lot of spicy sauce on top of shaslick in addition to the borsch.”

“I’ve never heard of these words. Is that even a name of a food?”

Sienna nodded to Hain and smiled at her question.

“Tell me. Like the basics of how to make it roughly or where I can get it, and I’ll bring it to you. Of course, I don’t cook myself. But you know that. How amazing is Mrs. Costari who is in charge of the kitchen.”

Mrs. Costari’s skill was acknowledged by Sienna. Although she was weak at fancy imperial cuisine that was presented aesthetically, her rough cooking made Sienna think that eye-catching cooking was not really important in food. She really had a great ability to send her tongue to heaven. Even Carl admitted to Mrs. Costari’s cooking.

If Sienna explained the characteristics or ingredients of any dish to Mrs. Costari, it would be brought out with great skill. But she couldn’t. The ingredients were not available, to begin with.

Borsch was a soup boiled with meat and vegetables, and the way to make it was not difficult, but red fruits from Heidel should be added that could be only found in the region. The red fruit called culey added a spicy flavor. However, it was a fruit that grows in a cold place, so it gets damaged after a while. It won’t be easy to airlift the material to the capital.

The same goes for shaslick. It’s a dish made by baking a piglet until it’s crispy, but the spicy sauce that goes on it rather than the meat itself was the actual delicacy, and no one knew how to make it unless they were a native of Sienna’s hometown.

“Phew.”

Sienna breathed heavily. When Hain saw her face depressed again, she beat her chest with frustration.

“Just say it and I’ll get it somehow. Yes?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“You say you are okay, but you haven’t even had a decent sip of water since yesterday. You said you felt sick whenever I brought you something. And you’re not even seeing the doctor. I’m telling you, you don’t listen to the right thing… Oops, I’m sorry!”

Hain belatedly realized she was scolding her master and apologized. Since Sienna’s been so easy on her, she has been too relaxed.

Fortunately, Sienna didn’t care about her tone of voice. Nevertheless, cold sweat broke out behind Hain’s back.

Sienna was glad that it was just two of them together, but she was worried that Hain might make this mistake in front of others. No matter how comfortable she was with Sienna, she was still her master. Sienna was a person who should not be reckoned with.

“It’s all right. It happens.”

“No, I’m sorry. I’ll watch my mouth from now on.”

At Sienna’s words, Hain apologized again. But Sienna waved her hand and comforted her because she knew Hain didn’t mean it badly.

“You can be careful next time. But other than that, the last time I stopped by Empress Arya for Shaylin…”

“That day? Your Majesty was really cool that day. You saved Shaylin from that terrible empress!”

“Well, it’s my job. But how is Shaylin after that?”

At Sienna’s words, Hain tilted her head and said, “If you ask me how… similar to usual. She’s so quiet and careful. Quiet as she used to be. Good at my job. It’s just…”

“What is it?”

“She doesn’t seem to get along well with Leia.”

“Leia?”

Sienna listened to Hain with a troubled face. She recalled the other day when Sienna asked Shaylin to clean the bedroom with Leia, Shaylin insisted that she could do it alone.

“As you know, Leia is so sweet. So everyone likes her, but strangely, Shaylin avoids Leia. Leia’s trying to take more care of Shaylin, but…”

It was very strange. Why does Shaylin avoid Leia so much?

“I’ve noticed. Oh, and when did Shaylin become a probationary maid? Who recommended her to join us?”

“Well, I think it’s been about three years. She came to work at the castle not long before your marriage to Emperor Carl. I thought I got a letter of recommendation from some kind of lord…The documents should remain in the castle. Shall we find out?”

“Will you take a look?”

At that moment, a servant sent by Bluebell informed them that she was going to visit this afternoon.

“It’s strange that Empress Bluebell is coming all the way here.”

Since she visited Sienna and threw a fit a month ago, Bluebell has rarely left her residence. It would have been harder to show her face because of what she did.

‘Is she trying to show off the fact that she’s pregnant?’

“It is. But while she’s here, you can give her the congratulatory present this time.”

Sienna had heard of her pregnancy and had prepared a present for her.

“Yes, please. Get me the present.”

Hain left the guest room, saying, “I should prepare refreshments with the gifts.”

Finally, it was the time that Bluebell said she would come for a visit.

“Your Highness Sienna.”

Bluebell entered the guest room with her nanny. As Sienna felt before, Bluebell never used the title ‘Empress’ to Sienna. Sienna was considerably annoyed but she thought it was such a trivial issue so she held herself back.

“Your Highness Empress Bluebell.”

Sienna greeted her with courtesy.

Bluebell didn’t look very well. Sienna had no idea why she had come to visit her but offered her a seat for now. Meanwhile, Hain quickly served tea and cookies on the table.

“Wow… if you don’t mind, I’ll have barita tea.”

Bluebell said. Hain said yes and quickly brought out barita tea.

‘This tea has an unusual nickname. Eternal rest… …’

Barita tea was a strong-scented and dark-colored tea that was used often for hiding poison. With Sienna’s suspicious gaze, Bluebell made excuses with a frightened face.

“These days, strong-scented tea attracts me…and barita tea is perfect for this season because the hotter it is, the better it smells.”

“Yes, I like the scent of barita, too. I don’t enjoy it often, but I sometimes have it during this season. Fortunately, I have a barita tea from Crimloid. It probably would smell nice.”

Bluebell sighed heavily at Sienna’s words. Sienna couldn’t dispel doubts at the sigh of relief.

‘Why is she so nervous?’

Before becoming the Second Empress, even when Bluebell was just a lady of the Ferrer family, she accused Sienna of entering the palace and taking her place. It was not really understandable that such a shameless woman appeared so nervous in front of her.

What was even stranger was the behavior of Bluebell’s nanny. She wriggled her fingers, unable to stay still for a moment.

Sienna remembered her as a quiet and calm woman. Sienna couldn’t believe that she could hide her anxiety like that. Sienna was nervous about what Bluebell was going to say here.

“I’ve heard that you have good news. I’d like to congratulate you. I should have visited you in person and congratulated you, but I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s not something to celebrate.”

Bluebell’s reaction made Sienna tilt her head even more. In the past, Bluebell was busy bragging about her pregnancy.

At that time, maybe because Sienna didn’t have good feelings for her, Bluebell showed off her pregnancy to the people around her as if a child were showing off their gift, even as Sienna remembered now.

When she walked, she walked with her stomach forward which barely showed any signs of a bump, and whenever she went somewhere, she tried to walk with someone’s help. She was impatient to let everyone know that she had a child in her stomach, an heir, a blood of the royal family.

But now she was so different from then. What’s more, last time she glared at Sienna like she was going to kill her, but today she avoided making any sort of eye contact with Sienna for some reason.

Sienna knew that Bluebell wasn’t here to apologize for her actions last time. So Sienna thought the reason Bluebell came here today was to brag about her pregnancy, but her behavior was strange.

“Of course it’s celebratory news. This is a blessing to the Imperial Household. Above all, the Emperor must be very pleased.”

Bluebell’s expression turned cold at Sienna’s words. Sienna continued to talk, pretending not to have seen her expression.