Lady to Queen

"Who was it?" Patrizia knew the visitor had been Lucio. Since she had not been sleeping, it was a given that she knew, as long as her ears were intact. Taking a nap was purely a lie to avoid meeting with him. Mirya answered Patrizia's question as she placed the box on the table. "His Majesty the Emperor came himself to deliver this."     

"…"     

Patrizia's expression was strange. Mirya did not miss this as she smiled and asked, "What should I do?"     

"… Throw it away."     

However, for the first time, Mirya did not carry out Patrizia's command. She unwrapped the purple ribbon that was tied around the paper box and checked what was inside. The sweet smell spread permeated around the room in an instant. Mirya released a shout of excitement as if she was surprised. "It is a brownie!"     

"He had nothing else to bring but that…"     

"I think he might have made it himself. Oh my, there is a card in here too."     

"… I said throw it away."     

"How can I do that? It is the first time I have heard the Sun of the Empire bake something on his own."     

Mirya seemed to be more excited than the recipient of the gift, and Patrizia gracefully crinkled her eyes at the sight.     

"If you like it so much, then you should eat it."     

"If I did that, I might get arrested and imprisoned for disrespect, Your Majesty! How dare I eat something that His Majesty has made himself?" Mirya shook her head as if the very notion was ridiculous, and served the steaming brownies on a pure white plate. Patrizia climbed onto the bed and turned her back on Mirya, as if she would not be concerned over it anymore.     

However, obscuring her line of sight did not obstruct her sense of smell, and the strong smell of chocolate from the brownie was transmitted into Patrizia's nostrils. Patrizia let out a frustrated groan. 'He did not receive any assistance, and yet he made it that delicious?'     

"Your Majesty, would you like to try a piece?" Mirya continued to ask Patrizia without any tact.     

Patrizia finally sighed as she firmly delivered her reply, "I told you to throw it away."     

"But what if you are punished for daring to insult the Emperor? If Your Majesty will make sure to save me in that situation, I will follow through with your order."     

"…"     

Patrizia told Mirya in a tired voice, "Then you can just eat it. You can give some to Rafaella as well."     

"Are you sure you will not try it at all?" As Mirya asked this question, she bit off a small piece of the brownie and nibbled on it. In fact, she had not been anticipating much in terms of the taste, but it was unexpectedly delicious.     

Mirya voice showed that she was quite surprised, "I did not know that His Majesty was also skilled in baking."     

"…"     

"His Majesty made it fairly well. I do not think he received the Imperial Chef's help, and it seems he put in some effort."     

"This is what I mean. Is it not obvious to the eyes that this is all part of his elaborate scheme?" Patrizia asked cynically.     

Mirya smiled brightly at her question and answered, "That is why you should please look more fondly at the Emperor, Your Majesty."     

"…"     

The conversation ended there. Mirya ate another piece of the brownie and then asked Patrizia. "Are you really not going to try the brownie, Your Majesty? It is quite delicious."     

Patrizia was notorious for being absolutely obsessed with desserts, and among them, brownies were her favorite. Patrizia tried to say something, but gave up on those thoughts. Instead, she left only the words. "…Leave it there and go."     

"Yes, Your Majesty." Mirya grinned and left the box behind before leaving the room quietly. Mirya knew well that Patrizia still needed time. Anyways, the important thing was going in the direction of her becoming happier. If the Emperor really had the confidence to care about the Empress, Mirya wanted to trust him one more time. It would not be a good thing for the Empress to spend this long, long life free but alone.     

---     

"… How useless."     

'Who asked him to make something like this?' Patrizia rose from the bed. The white dress she was wearing dragged on the floor as she moved. Patrizia looked down at the box of brownies on the table. It seemed to have cooled down and melted slightly, but it still appeared tasty. She sighed briefly, then broke off a piece of brownie.     

The chocolate mousse flowed down. As she brought the piece of brownie into her mouth and gently licked up the crumbs that were stuck to her finger, the aroma and flavor of chocolate filled her mouth and lingered pleasantly. It was delicious. Patrizia was forced to let out another sigh quietly.     

"It is uselessly tasty."     

She took a seat and raised a fork to eat in earnest. Did he really make this all by himself? If so, what had he been thinking about throughout the process? Wondering what he would have thought about, Patrizia polished off all the brownies he had made for her.     

---     

Meanwhile, Lucio had returned to the Central Palace, and was solely focused on waiting for Patrizia's reaction. He had expected all kinds of reactions, but the one he did not want to hear the most was that she did not even open it and threw it away. Of course, if he thought about his actions, he had nothing to say if she chose to do that... Still, the human mind was unmatched in greed and desire, so when he earned one thing, he wanted two, and when he earned two, he would then want three!     

"Your Majesty."     

At that moment, someone opened the door and walked in. It was the Empress' Chief Maid.     

Lucio asked with a beating heart. "What is it?"     

"Your Majesty, the Empress…"     

Lucio swallowed without realizing it.     

."I was told to deliver the news that she has eaten all the brownies Your Majesty made."     

"… Really?"     

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Chief Maid was speaking calmly, but she also seemed a bit excited. Lucio could not hide his joy, and a smile filled his face.     

"Ah… that is a relief."     

The Empress' Chief Maid did not even bother to say the additional useless words, "At first she told me to throw it away..." She left her words behind and departed discreetly.     

Lucio was left alone to leisurely stroll around the room in an unusual fashion, carrying an expression of sheer drunken delight. It was actually a common behavior he displayed when something made him happy. He continued to wander around the room for a long time, and later decided to take a walk to calm his heart and mind.     

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Translated by Haeli     

Edited by RED