Welcome To The Imperial Palace (15)

The refreshing night didn’t last long.

Late at night, past midnight.

Knights bearing torches arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence.

The procession of knights carrying bright flames resembled a long tail.

At the head of that tail was a royal messenger from the Imperial Palace.

The messenger announced that the Emperor had ordered the Grand Duke to enter the palace.

He had further orders.

The Empress had summoned Alicia as well.

The royal messenger stated that knights would safely escort the Grand Duke and his future bride to the palace, then departed.

Behind him, several knights bearing torches followed.

There were more knights leaving with the messenger than remained before the residence.

“It’s today.”

Alicia spoke briefly.

Reichardt, though initially puzzled, quickly understood.

The Baroness of Goggins.

Lady Maude was going into labor.

Because it began unexpectedly, far ahead of the due date, the Emperor had ordered a temporary siege of the House of Manners.

He also summoned some royals to the palace while confining others under the guise of protection.

The moment of the Emperor’s first child’s birth was drawing near.

The atmosphere in the palace was chilly.

Not because of the early hour.

The Baroness of Goggins had been in labor all day.

The rooms surrounding the birthing chamber were packed with guests.

Despite the many people, the mood remained silent and cold.

The Emperor frequently entered the room to speak with the mother-to-be.

Any reluctance he had felt about the premature birth had vanished since the evening before.

The Empress and the other concubines felt similarly.

Their initial annoyance at the sudden inclusion of a new concubine had turned into sympathy after a full day of labor.

The court physicians were barely holding on, citing the excuse of a difficult first birth.

Rumors that something might go wrong spread like mold among the attendees.

Though the female court physicians kept insisting that everything was progressing well, no one believed them anymore.

Alicia was in the room right next to the birthing chamber.

When she first entered, the Emperor and Empress had been there.

As the labor dragged on, the Emperor moved into the delivery room.

Because she was so close, Alicia could hear everything the Emperor said to the Baroness of Goggins.

Though he had multiple consorts, the Emperor carefully maintained proper decorum.

Still, it was clear he dearly cherished the Baroness.

After leaving the birthing chamber, he spoke with the court physicians. If things didn’t improve and a decision had to be made, he firmly ordered them to save the child over the mother.

The Emperor had no heir yet.

He had been under intense pressure both inside and outside the palace due to the lack of a successor.

Issuing such a command without hesitation couldn’t have been easy.

As time passed, one by one, members of the royal family began arriving in the room where only the Empress, Reichardt, and Alicia had been.

The mood shifted from one of celebration for the new royal birth to one of anxiety, fearing a funeral might be in order.

Things grew even more serious when the Baroness of Goggins cried out in desperation.

She pleaded for her family to be allowed into the palace, as though she foresaw her death.

Despite having previously ordered the House of Manners under siege, the Emperor gave permission immediately.

“The Chancellor and his wife have arrived.”

Everyone in the room rose in silence.

Neither the Empress nor the other royals bothered with formal court etiquette.

Though the court physicians considered family members outsiders and thus disapproved,

The Chancellor’s family gathered at the birthing chamber door, tearfully calling Lady Maude’s name.

One physician quietly admitted that at the current pace, the child would likely not arrive until the next day.

The Emperor first instructed the Empress to return to her quarters to rest.

He told the rest of the royal family they would be summoned when the child arrived, so they should wait in their private rooms.

The Empress gave words of encouragement to the laboring woman’s family before leaving.

Those who had arrived earlier left the room, and those who came later remained.

Alicia moved with Reichardt into a nearby room.

Having spent the entire day in tense anticipation, she fell asleep the moment she sat down.

The large chair with armrests and a high back was comfortable, but Alicia’s face was furrowed.

Reichardt quietly observed her sleeping face.

Although Alicia Rain was widely known as angelic, her first impression had often been described as cold and sensitive.

Reichardt hadn’t agreed with that opinion—until now.

Now, looking at her sleeping face, he could see signs of tension.

Her face, even in sleep, revealed how much strain she was under.

Alicia always appeared composed, as if she knew everything.

Even when facing monsters that made people call Tessen a land of death, she remained unshaken.

But seeing her rare sharpness now, Reichardt realized Alicia was human like everyone else.

The frown on her sleeping face twitched as she stirred.

“Not yet.”

Reichardt spoke as Alicia groggily woke.

He cleared away the cold tea and poured a fresh cup.

“Thank you.”

Alicia murmured slowly, dragging the teacup toward herself.

Then, not long after, she dozed off again.

And once more, she startled awake as if suddenly shaken.

This continued repeatedly—short naps, sudden wakefulness.

Reichardt simply replaced the tea with a warm cup each time.

Finally, Alicia shuddered once more and checked the time.

It was early evening.

The sky outside glowed pink with the sunset.

“It’s time.”

Looking out the window, Alicia left the room.

Reichardt quietly followed by her side.

Just then, the birthing chamber doors burst open.

“The child is coming!”

The head lady-in-waiting called out to Alicia.

Alicia entered the room next to the birthing chamber as the head butler approached the attendants and maids to issue instructions.

“It’s now, my lady!”

“You’re doing well!”

The female court physicians’ voices rang beyond the delivery room.

The court doctors and medical trainees moved in and out swiftly, carrying necessary items.

From within the delivery room, the short cry of the Baroness of Goggins echoed out.

“The child is born!”

One of the court physicians shouted.

But there was no sound of a baby crying.

Instead, a door connected to the antechamber opened, and a group of people entered.

A constant scratching of quills spread from them.

The men wore purple cloaks with hoods, the women purple bonnets.

The men each held a small notebook in one hand and a short quill in the other, writing as they moved.

The women removed their lace gloves and followed the court medical trainees.

“……”

“……”

Rather than the usual door used for the delivery room, the trainee opened another door on the opposite wall.

The man leading the group of men followed the women through.

He was likely a First-Class Scribe from the Grand Temple.

The room fell into confusion at this unexpected development.

Only the temple’s recordkeepers remained calm.

Those in the room exchanged wary glances.

At that moment, the door to the delivery room opened and the Emperor stepped out.

Almost simultaneously, the cry of a newborn rang out.

The court trainee rushed out and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, congratulations on the birth of a princess!”

The Emperor didn’t even give the others time to bow before turning back into the delivery room.

Sounds of his joy and words of thanks to the Baroness of Goggins could be heard from beyond the door.

“Congratulations on the birth of the princess.”

Reichardt bowed, followed by everyone in the room doing the same in unison.

“The child shall be named Dorothea.”

The Emperor’s voice came again from the delivery room, speaking to the Baroness.

Reichardt looked silently at Alicia.

Others in the room exchanged glances.

It was rare for a newborn to be acknowledged as royalty and given a name immediately upon birth.

It was an extraordinary occurrence.

She might have just become the fastest-named princess in imperial history.

The scribes’ quills scratched rapidly as they recorded everything.

Among them, only Alicia felt a sense of relief.

Reichardt, seeing the small sigh of relief on her face, gave another formal bow.

But before he could even finish speaking, the Emperor emerged from the room and embraced Reichardt.

Joy overflowed on the Emperor’s face.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor patted Reichardt on the back, then approached the Marquis of Manners.

The marquis and his wife were wiping away tears of emotion.

The Emperor comforted them both at once.

Reichardt ignored the stares from his royal siblings and looked only at Alicia.

“Get some rest.”

“What about you, Your Grace?”

“There’ll be a family celebration in the Grand Real Session Hall. Once it’s ready, I’ll come for you. Please rest.”

Alicia had barely slept three hours over the past two days.

She had been in a prolonged state of tension and mental fatigue.

She simply nodded.

Reichardt took Alicia to the Empress and her ladies-in-waiting, asked them to look after her, and stepped out of the room.

Other members of the royal family followed after him.

Just as Reichardt had duties at the celebration, the other royals had their own responsibilities.

The head butler and the servants approached each royal, urging them to carry out their tasks.

The chilly, heavy atmosphere quickly turned boisterous.

The Empress looked at Alicia as if she had something to say but closed her mouth upon seeing her dazed expression.

Soon, the Emperor’s command was issued to gather at the Grand Real Session Hall.

The Grand Real Session Hall was immense and lavish.

The Emperor, seated at the head, wore a broad smile.

He raised a goblet of wine and said:

“My lords and ladies, thank you for coming to celebrate the princess’s birth.”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

As if to toast him, everyone in the hall extended their glasses toward the empty air before them and shouted.

Smiles spread across the faces of all holding drinks.

Everyone looked happy.

“……”

To Alicia, the scene looked grotesque.

The Grand Real Session Hall was full of illusions.

The true star—the newborn princess—was not here.

The mother, who had endured two days of agonizing labor to give birth, wasn’t here either.

Only members of the House of Manners were present, and even then only the Marquis and his son.

The Marchioness couldn’t attend, as she was caring for her daughter who had just given birth.

The true protagonists were busy in the birthing chamber, preparing for their futures—they had no time to be here.

Everyone here wore fake smiles and carried their own hidden motives.

Alicia herself was no exception—she, too, had her own secret intentions.

Pop!

The Emperor emptied his first glass and opened a new bottle of wine.

Seated beside him, the Empress offered more words of congratulation and requested another drink.

The concubines smiled radiantly as they looked at the Emperor and Empress.

They clinked glasses and said kind things about the newborn princess.

Alicia wondered whether the Empress could genuinely rejoice at the birth of the Emperor’s first child.

She also doubted whether the concubines’ cheerful smiles at the happy couple were truly sincere.