A Day In The Grand Duchess’ Life (2)

The imperial palace was in turmoil.

Perhaps because everything had been arranged so suddenly, the birthing chamber had been set up right beside the Empress’s bedroom.

All they had done was bring the pre-prepared birthing bed into the room.

The Empress often raised her voice.

The Emperor did not leave the birthing chamber at all.

His voice could not be heard, but whenever the Empress called the Emperor’s name, it was easy to guess that he was in there.

For that reason, it fell to Reichardt and Alicia to receive the imperial family and soothe everyone in the waiting room outside the birthing chamber.

“Among the Ischtern delegation, waive the security search for Her Majesty’s relatives.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Reichardt was even issuing orders the Emperor should have given.

“Aaaagh!”

A loud sound rang out from the birthing chamber.

“…….”

Alicia turned toward the birthing chamber with a startled face.

Every member of the imperial family in the waiting room held their breath.

“She’s doing well!”

At the palace physicians’ voices encouraging the mother, everyone drooped their heads with drained expressions.

“Eleanor!”

For the first time, the Emperor’s voice rang out from the birthing chamber.

Alicia, who had been seated, sprang to her feet.

The others in the waiting room also rose in shock.

“He’s born. It’s a prince.”

Pulling Alicia into his arms, Reichardt pressed his lips near her ear and whispered.

Alicia pressed herself close to Reichardt’s chest and let out a breath.

“Aaah!”

Because it was twins, the Empress’s labor continued.

Each time Alicia’s shoulders jolted, Reichardt soothed her by stroking the back he held in his arms.

Rapid voices went back and forth inside the birthing chamber.

“They’re identical princes.”

Reichardt whispered into Alicia’s ear.

Alicia looked up at Reichardt with tears pooled in her eyes.

“W-what do we do? I’m so happy… Thank goodness….”

At Alicia’s whisper, Reichardt kissed her damp cheek.

Inside the birthing chamber, voices tinged with joy passed between people.

Soon the door opened and the Emperor came out.

Ignoring everyone else who had been waiting for news, he embraced Reichardt and Alicia at the same time.

“The blessing you gave has come true. Thank you.”

The Emperor’s face was flushed deep red, as if he had been crying.

After thanking Reichardt and Alicia, he went right back into the birthing chamber.

From inside came Eleanor’s laughter, brimming with joy, along with the Emperor’s voice.

Soon the imperial physician stepped out and announced the situation.

“The princes have been born. They are identical, and they were born three minutes apart. Both have platinum-blond hair like His Majesty, and green eyes like Her Majesty.”

Alicia, who already knew the news, was the one most startled—and most delighted.

Reichardt soothed Alicia once more.

The imperial family members gathered in the waiting room all offered etiquette in unison.

“Congratulations to His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!”

There was no separate celebration banquet.

The Emperor and Empress said they could not come out because they were caring for the newborn twins, and they only briefly conveyed their thanks to the guests who had come for the princes’ birth.

No one expressed disappointment at the Emperor and Empress’s behavior.

Everyone left the palace with bright faces.

All through that night, fireworks were launched from the imperial palace to announce the birth of the twin princes.

In the imperial capital, Baden, the grand ducal residence had a wide garden spread out before the main mansion, with multiple annex buildings arranged around it.

To Alicia, now the Grand Duchess of Tessen, Reichardt gave the Adelheid House in the east as her private quarters.

Adelheid House was a three-story building made of pale ivory marble.

On the first floor, a grand banquet hall lay at the center, with an audience room on the right and a prayer room on the left—so it was not a living area.

The second and third floors, too, were less living quarters and more like a storage vault for the Grand Duchess’s wedding gifts.

At present, Adelheid House was the building in the residence with the most guards assigned.

Guests who came to see the Grand Duchess could remain only in Adelheid House’s audience room and the waiting room attached to it.

At the other entrances to Adelheid House, knights stood to control entry.

From morning to evening, Alicia received guests in the audience room.

When she took brief rests, she went up to the fourth floor.

For that reason, even the second and third floors of Adelheid House were strictly controlled—but the fourth floor was guarded more tightly than anywhere else.

When evening came, the Grand Duchess of Tessen’s audience schedule ended.

The knights’ entry-control duties also concluded.

After sunset, only a very few were allowed to remain in Adelheid House.

On Adelheid House’s second floor, large wedding gifts were stored.

In the silent Adelheid House, Alicia was rummaging through things.

A new coat of arms the imperial family was granting to the Grand Duchy of Tessen.

A grand-duchess’s crest the imperial house bestowed on the Grand Duchess of Tessen.

A double tiara the Empress granted to congratulate the Grand Duchess of Tessen’s investiture.

A tiara with a teardrop-shaped pearl ornament that the imperial family loaned to the Grand Duchess for life.

A sealed chest for the Grand Duchess of Tessen that Tessen presented to Alicia as a gift.

A sapphire ring and an aquamarine ring the imperial family gave as the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess’s wedding rings.

A diamond necklace Reichardt and Alicia commissioned to commemorate their marriage.

Bracelets Reichardt gave Alicia.

The four dresses she wore at the wedding, and two reserve dresses.

The jewelry sets coordinated with the dresses.

A necklace and ring that held a large emerald.

A yellow-diamond earring set.

Bracelets and hair ornaments that showcased exquisite craftsmanship.

The ruby set of Duchess Marguerite that Reichardt gave Alicia.

Inside a luxurious jewelry case were a tiara, earrings, rings, and a necklace, each adorned with rubies and diamonds.

Each ruby of Duchess Marguerite was as precious as a treasure.

Alicia let all the glittering things pass by.

“…….”

Having already checked the entire second and third floors for the third time, Alicia wore a puzzled expression.

Because she had been on edge, she felt drained as well.

“It’s not here.”

Alicia opened the drawers where the jewelry was stored one more time.

She opened every single one without exception, searching every corner.

“Why isn’t it here?”

After rifling through the jewelry drawers for the fifth time, Alicia sat down on the sofa chair with a face that had lost all strength.

Sitting on the sofa meant for enjoying the solemn, splendid jewelry room, Alicia’s expression was only bleak.

No matter how many times she looked, the pendant watch was not there.

“Where could it be?”

Among the lavish jewels, Alicia muttered to herself with a gloomy face.

In the rare free time she had gotten, she had been looking forward to the moment she found the pendant.

But it was not there.

There was not even anything that looked like a pendant.

Reichardt and the imperial family had only given her glittering tiaras and extravagant jewels.

“Haa.”

Alicia sighed, sinking into dejection.

The radiant jewels, indifferent to Alicia’s gloom, scattered dazzling sparkles as if flaunting their beauty.

Leaving Adelheid House, Alicia wandered listlessly.

The Adelheid House grounds—made up of the Persephone Fountain, the Fish Pond, and the Severius Tower—had plenty to see.

Her face, touring the beautiful garden, was full of worry.

Should she say it?

No—she should not.

Alicia hesitated, wavering back and forth.

The watch that had dropped her into hell had arrived together with the wedding gifts Reichardt had sent.

But this time, it was not there.

Why?

Her curiosity and uncertainty tangled together, making her feel stifled.

“Is it not here right now?”

Perhaps because her head was a mess, she kept letting words slip out to herself.

Alicia let out a short sigh and headed for the residence.

By coincidence, just as Alicia reached the entrance, Reichardt was arriving home.

“Alicia.”

“Rei.”

Alicia greeted him with a smile.

It was hard to say whether that was good luck or bad luck.

“Did something happen?”

Reichardt dismissed the people around them and led Alicia into the residence.

His gesture to dismiss the servants was practiced and firm.

Henrik, Roderick, and the footmen who had tried to follow hesitated and backed away, reading the room.

“No.”

Alicia also read the room.

Her violet eyes studied Reichardt with eyes full of things to say.

Reichardt watched the face that was gauging him, then pretended not to notice.

“How did you spend today?”

“I met some friends I want to sponsor for a bit. That was my only audience today, and I wrote a letter proposing whether Annie might make her debut in Baden society. What about you, Rei?”

Whenever Reichardt returned home, he changed out of his outdoor clothes.

If he did not, it did not feel like he had truly come home—an odd habit he was fixated on.

Anyone staying at the grand ducal residence knew Reichardt’s habit.

Alicia knew it too.

So when Reichardt came back, she usually waited in the tea room or the library.

Today, Alicia hovered around Reichardt after he returned home.

That was why he asked if something was wrong—and why she said nothing was wrong.

It felt like something was clearly going on.

She was worried, but Reichardt did not voice any suspicion about Alicia’s behavior.

Whether or not he meant to, he did not dislike Alicia lingering by his side.

Reichardt did not stop by the dressing room and went straight to the tea room.

Alicia looked utterly unaware of Reichardt’s unusual behavior.

“I met with His Majesty alone three times, and I received a visit from the High Priest. His Majesty tried to assign me the preparations for the celebration banquet for the twin princes’ birth, so I pushed it onto Marquis Lennox. Marquis Istevna will look it over again anyway.”

Reichardt spoke like a child full of complaints as he closed the tea room door.

“You met His Majesty three times?”

“Today wasn’t even that much.”

Alicia prepared tea.

Reichardt helped by taking out teacups.

“His Majesty wants to give Alicia a special post in the imperial palace. If I had to guess, he’s trying to make you a ‘Palace Count.’ The main duty of the Palace Count is to decide matters related to the imperial house together with the Chief Steward and the Head Maid.”

Alicia poured tea into Reichardt’s cup.

“Thank you.”

Reichardt offered thanks and tasted the tea.

“Palace Count?”

Alicia’s expression subtly crumpled.

She had something to say, but before she could say it, she looked as if she had taken on yet another worry.

“It’s like a nickname. If he grants a formal title, His Majesty will give you a good title-name. But if you accept a special post, things will get noisy.”

Just from Reichardt’s explanation, Alicia felt her head starting to ache.

“That seems likely.”

It seemed the Emperor had decided Alicia was a prophet.

Neither Alicia nor Reichardt made any effort to correct the misunderstanding.

More than anything, Reichardt did not consider the Emperor thinking of Alicia as a prophet to be a misunderstanding.

“The High Priest said she intends to offer Alicia the position of Chief Adviser of the Great Temple.”

While speaking, Reichardt let out a faint smile.

“What is the Chief Adviser of the Great Temple?”

Alicia was still being pursued by the Emperor and the High Priest.

She avoided them on the excuse of being too busy, but she could not do that forever.

Caught in the middle, Reichardt was facing the Emperor and High Priest’s interrogations—interrogations that were not quite interrogations—every day.

He calmly batted away the harassment of the highest powers.

When questioned, he sometimes deliberately provoked them or picked fights.

“It’s probably like making you the Grand Duke of the Great Temple.”

Reichardt said sharply.

“Ah….”

Alicia did not try to correct Reichardt’s nasty remark.

“Be careful of the High Priest. The Great Temple will do anything for its objectives while flaunting ‘nobility.’ The imperial family is the same. As much as possible, be careful of both sides.”

At Reichardt’s words, Alicia smiled faintly.

“Yes.”

After drinking her tea, Alicia set her cup down and moved a little closer to Reichardt.

Reichardt watched Alicia silently.

“Rei.”

“Yes.”

“I have something to—”

Alicia finally managed to speak.

But her words were cut off at once.

Reichardt drew Alicia close by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss deepened in an instant.

‘No, not this… that isn’t what I meant…’

Startled, Alicia actively returned the kiss before realizing belatedly that this was not it.

But by the time she came to her senses, she was in Reichardt’s arms, being carried toward the bedroom.

“Rei…”

Alicia called to Reichardt through quick breaths.

By now, Reichardt had mastered the skill of opening and closing doors one-handed while holding Alicia.

After the astonishing trick of twisting the doorknob open with his elbow, he shut the door with his back.

Thud.

The bedroom door closed, firm and neat.