I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
“Welcome.”
The Empress smiled faintly.
“…It’s Lottie Pandelion. It’s an honor to be summoned, Your Majesty.”
As I greeted her respectfully, the Empress’ eyes widened slightly, then she smiled gracefully again.
“Yes, you mentioned losing your memory.”
That’s right, the Empress nodded slightly as she looked at me.
“Roel Pandelion. A powerless old woman.”
Powerless old woman? What a joke.
I had already asked Betty how the current Emperor ascended to the throne, just in case my assumptions were wrong.
‘It was a pointless endeavor.’
My assumptions were spot on.
The Empress had voluntarily stepped down from the throne to provide a firmer foundation for her son to begin with.
‘The transition of Emperor is the most chaotic time.’
But once the Empress established her reign, there couldn’t be any disturbances.
So, the current Emperor could navigate through the precarious time without much noise.
And this person was considered a powerless old woman?
It was a ridiculous notion.
With just one finger, she could wield immense power.
I suppressed a chuckle while swallowing saliva, my eyes gleaming.
In short, the person in front of me was the real power behind this palace.
And I had something to gain from such a figure.
“Now that the greetings are done.”
The Empress gestured to the seat opposite her with a smile, indicating for me to sit.
As I took my seat, other maids and servants who were waiting behind me came forward to set plates and teacups.
‘A bit harsh.’
The touch of serving the cookies and cakes on the plate and pouring the tea was perfect, but…
The glances being cast at me were sharp.
One servant was even glaring at me openly.
Perhaps because the situation felt similar to when the Empress collapsed, but this was too intense.
And wasn’t the Empress calling me over as a form of apology?
“Your Majesty.”
“Hmm?”
The Empress, who was about to take a sip of tea, looked at me as I spoke.
“May I sip that tea first? Otherwise, I feel like I’ll be stabbed by all these stares.”
The eyes of the servant who had been glaring at me widened significantly at my words.
Why, did they expect me to just take it without saying anything?
But then, laughter followed, and my eyes widened as well.
“Ahaha-!”
The Empress burst into hearty laughter. Then, she turned her head towards the glaring servant.
“Leave.”
“But, Your Majesty.”
“Leave.”
The somewhat softer tone turned icy as the servant began to protest.
The servant’s eyes darted around before bowing and leaving.
“I apologize. These are people who have been with me since I was young. They can be overly sensitive at times.”
“I believe you are someone who distinguishes between public and private matters properly.”
It was a subtle hint to handle the situation correctly without getting swept away by emotions.
Laughter spread across the features of the Empress, who understood my intentions remarkably well.
“Of course.”
As the Empress gestured, a maid brought along several other maids.
They all looked grim, chewing on their lips, but soon lowered their heads.
“We apologize. We doubted Princess Lottie without any evidence.”
“We were rude, we were wrong. We are ready to accept any punishment you deem fit.”
While the maids accompanying her bowed their heads in apology, the Empress, as if nothing had happened, sipped her tea.
Lifting the teacup, taking a sip, savoring the aroma and flavor.
Each action exuded composure.
For a moment, I glanced at her before turning my head towards the maids.
“I forgive you. Given the circumstances, suspicion was only natural.”
The faces of the maids brightened with my forgiveness.
“But in return, please serve Her Majestys the Empress diligently, as she is the wisdom of the empire.”
“Yes, Your Highness Princess Lottie.”
“We will follow your instructions!”
As the apologetic maids stepped back, the Empress spoke first.
“You forgive quite easily.”
“To be honest, considering the situation…”
“You could have been angrier.”
“If I had shown more anger, Your Majesty would have pushed me away.”
Didn’t the Empress say so herself? They were the people who had served the Empress since childhood.
In other words, they were already within the Empress’ circle of trust.
But what about me? I wasn’t so sure.
So, I couldn’t afford to take risks.
“Isn’t that so?”
The Empress laughed brightly at my words as if affirming the correctness of my statement.
Curiosity crept into her fierce eyes.
“You rejected the gift. Do you have something else in mind?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and replied.
“I would like to enjoy tea time with Your Majesty.”
That was my aim. Not some jewel hairpin given anonymously.
A gift that could gauge the relationship between me and the Empress.
“With me?”
“Yes, if possible?”
The Empress chuckled, her chin resting on her hand.
It was a gaze that seemed to imply she could still decipher my intentions even if I tried to hide them.
So be it.
Since I had no intention of hiding anything anyway.
“If possible, it would be great if many people could witness it. How about the central garden?”
It wasn’t the best place for tea time, but it was a good spot for sightseeing.
“If not, then how about taking a walk around the palace with me, holding hands?”
Like a very affectionate grandmother and granddaughter.
It would be even better if she hugged me and stroked my head from time to time.
“…!!”
At my words, the maids and servants standing behind us were all struck with astonishment.
I blatantly expressed my desire to display intimacy with the Empress.
But the Empress…
‘Indeed, she’s amusing.’
She just laughed openly.
It wasn’t mockery. It was more of an amused laugh, expressing interest.
Indeed, who wouldn’t want to openly display their friendship like that?
“Well, I’m a bit busy, you see. I’m not sure if I’ll have time to be with you.”
Ah, don’t have that fond expression while speaking.
“So, how can I get Your Majesty the Empress to make time for me?”
“Hmm.”
As if uninterested, she lowered her gaze to her tea, then looked back at me.
“What if you tell me the reason? Why do you want to have tea time with me.”
“Well, the reason is…”
I rolled my eyes for a moment before bursting into a wide smile like a naive child.
“What other reason could there be? I want to become close to my grandmother!”
Despite showing my true intentions so blatantly, the servants and attendants were even more astonished.
“Ahaha!”
The Empress burst into hearty laughter.
It was brief. By the time the Empress began tidying up her disheveled hair, she returned to her cold demeanor.
Yet, a hint of a smile still lingered on her lips.
“It’s quite interesting.”
The Empress stared at me intently as she spoke.
“You weren’t like this before.”
“I almost died in prison.”
My mention of being wrongly accused of regicide and facing execution wasn’t the only thing I was talking about.
The prison was old, filthy, and damp enough to have mold growing.
And I wasn’t in the best condition to spend a long time in such a place.
‘I must have either died or fallen seriously ill.’
In a way, it was simply a matter of place and time.
Whether I had died in prison or fallen ill after being released and died in my room.
“Is the change in temperament a problem after overcoming such a big ordeal?”
The Empress’ laughter deepened at my response. It was a laugh that indicated she was starting to like me more and more.
Creepy.
I have to be careful not to be swallowed up.
“Let me ask you one question. I heard that during your walk, you suddenly ran up and shouted one of the ancient languages. Right?”
Me?
I blinked in surprise for a moment. Did I chant in an ancient lang… Ah!
“I, Lottie Paeon, hereby resign from this life!!”
“I don’t want to work!”
Oh, that time!
‘It’s because I just regained my memories that my language didn’t come out right.’
My language was originally the language I first learned, but now it has become an ancient language, with current-life memories and habits added on top, naturally changing the language.
And before I knew it, I had rushed forward and shouted at the gods, so of course I got caught.
As I pressed my forehead as if my head hurt, the Empress laughed.
“Is that also an ability gained from surviving life and death?”
Or perhaps.
“It seems like you’ve regained old memories.”
…Wait, did I lose my memories again?
I blinked. Did my expression serve as an answer? The Empress smiled faintly.
“I’m too busy for tea time. But, I can give you this.”
Saying so, the Empress extended the amulet she had on her wrist.
“Take it.”
I politely accepted the worn protective amulet she offered.
“I’ll see what you want to do with me on your back.”
I’ll take good care of it. I won’t disappoint you.
“Thank you.”
I carefully held the amulet close to my chest.
I won’t disappoint you. I’ll make good use of it, Your Majesty the Good Empress!