Chapter 29

Diana staggered after getting all the maids out and went to her room. 

Some say.

‘Didn’t His Majesty the Emperor keep anyone by his side except for the Empress, who passed away a long time ago? But as soon as he met Her Highness Diana, he decided to make her Empress Consort?’

‘Oh my, he must have fallen in love at first sight.’

‘There’s a story I’ve heard, that the first meeting couldn’t have been so romantic. I heard that His Majesty the Emperor saved Her Highness Empress Consort Diana, who was in danger?’

‘In conclusion, they’re a really good match. She is gentle in character and has the ability to handle the imperial affairs on behalf of the busy Emperor, and above all, she even gave a precious gift Prince Delmar to the precious Emperor. How much does His Majesty love Her Highness the Empress Consort?’

The meeting between the Emperor and Diana was inevitable and fate.

Much of what they said was true.

Her words of character and ability, as well as the gift of Prince Delmar, are right.

It was right that the Emperor saved Diana at the first meeting and that the first meeting was quite romantic.

Diana received the proposal the same day she met the Emperor. It was an act of ignoring all the complicated imperial etiquette. 

The busybody was whispering about what kind of wind it was, but when they saw the Emperor smiling at Diana, they closed their mouths.

‘But.’

Everything else is wrong.

The Emperor had an unknown mistress and the 1st Prince in between. 

And the Emperor doesn’t love the Empress Consort. 

The Emperor never looked for the Empress Consort first.

Back in her own bedroom, Diana closed the door. Her body slowly collapsed.

‘The marriage life that I imagined….’

It wasn’t like this.

The life she dreamed of as a child was definitely not like this, but now her childhood memories were just blurry, as if they overlapped them with something.

She tried to recall it, but she couldn’t think of it. Only the reality that ate the dream comes to mind.

An emperor who is twisted somewhere. A wizard whose intentions are unknown and whose side he is on is also ambiguous.

For some reason, a stepson who is being treated coldly by the Emperor.

Such images could not be erased by flashy jewels, the Empress Consort’s crown, or the status of a son.

Diana threw away her tiara and bit her lip.

Nothing has changed since Aurelio left.

The Emperor hates Aurelio. He is close to hating. 

He always gave Aurelio a sharp look as if he was cautious. 

The boy who couldn’t put off his gaze and accepted it without saying anything disappeared.

Seeing all the hatred from the side, Diana used to think vaguely.

Wouldn’t the Emperor’s mind be a little more comfortable if he no longer sees the person he doesn’t like?

However, even after Aurelio went to Xenon, the scenery of the palace remained unchanged.

The Emperor was still sensitive, still cruel, and still edgy.

He’ll find the next target. If it’s her, if it’s Delmar.

Can she endure it? 

‘Why, what… What is that prophecy?’

“You prophesied.”

There is a saying that even if a monarch rules the world, his mate rules the monarch.

But at least it doesn’t fit the Vladin Empire. 

It is not a King who rules this country but wizards. 

The word of the wizard is to hold the Emperor and shake him.

‘Let’s say his prediction was not good. That’s why His Majesty hates Aurelio. So… was there no prophecy about Delmar?’

Diana, who washed her face dry, breathed heavily.

Why didn’t she think of it until now? 

He is an Emperor who doesn’t like Radanum but believes in his prophecies.

If Radanum whispers bad things about Delmar to him.

‘It could be dangerous.’

Just like Aurelio did.

Diana, who was sitting down and thinking, got up.

She can’t just sit back and do nothing.

Sitting at her desk, she picked up two sheets of paper.

*****

“Hello, Mrs. Plum!”

Again, again. 

Mrs. Plum, a pharmacology teacher, doesn’t accept the greetings. 

Cold expressions, cold eyes, and even tight clothes make her feel excessive this fall.

It’s like the epitome of a strict and hard teacher. The mere sight of it makes her gasp.

Luce, who sighed inaudibly, nevertheless spoke with a big smile.

“It rained a lot. Wasn’t it hard on your way here?”

“….”

“I stepped on the wrong puddle and ruined my shoes. There’s a big puddle in front of the door, so be careful when you go out, Mrs.” 

Mrs. Plum turned over the book without answering.

Luce, who looked at her wrinkled side face for a moment, also thought as she turned over the book.

‘At first, I was very nervous to see if I did anything wrong.’

It’s been a long time since she has seen someone so openly blowing cold wind.

Every wriggling muscle of Mrs’ face seems to be talking. I don’t like this position.

At first, Luce was worried and nervous, too.

Did I make a mistake? Are you trying to read my mind?

Or were you the kind of teacher who wanted a bribe? 

She has been thinking all sorts of things.

‘But it was like that to Rev. But if it’s about politeness, she said I didn’t do anything wrong.’

Rev agonized with her, but he couldn’t give her any answer.

It was also a problem that no one could give an answer to.

Luce clapped before Rev, who began to struggle seriously, covering the engineering textbook he was solving, fell into the swamp of unanswered questions.

“Maybe she doesn’t like pharmacology, not me. She’s already retired and living freely, and she has to read again! Oh, I’m sick of it! I mean, it might be this kind of psychology.”

“Is that so? But you can’t get tired of reading books….”

“Hmmmm. But I have the homework you gave me. I don’t understand this problem because it’s a bit difficult, Rev. Can you explain it one more time?” 

“Ung. I can.”

Rev recited the question slowly.

“If I give you one apple from an apple in a basket with three apples, how many will it be, Luce?”

“Oh, it was an additional question? I roughly pointed it out without looking at it with the intention of turning your attention, but damn it.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you say you didn’t understand this?”

“…I’m not sure if you’re being kind or if I’m looking a little stupid.”

Luce thought while looking at Rev, who solved the problem.

There is a saying that those who hate me without reason should make a reason.

Of course, it will be possible to do something if she puts her mind to it.

She can run to the Lord in tears and whine that the teacher is strange or pretend not to know and put jelly on her chair to make her velvet clothes all sticky.

Oh, my gosh, it was a mistake. I’m sorry. Pft. 

In a few words, there were many people who would still be on the side of Luce, a child.

‘But I don’t want to do it just to relieve my uneasy feelings right now. That kind of trick suits rude guys like Vincent. Mrs. Plum is also a teacher brought in from the next city with difficulty… For some reason, when I see her, it reminds me of the nurse in the orphanage.’

That’s exactly what the old head nurse of the orphanage, who spent her previous life until she graduated from high school, looked like.

Far from being benevolent and kind as one might imagine, it was terrifying and strict.

On the day when even one violation was found, everyone hated her because it was as if she was catching a mouse. (T/n: 쥐 잡듯: as if catching a mouse: The manner of restricting someone from moving and tormenting him/her.)

What she was particularly sensitive to was the electric heater. Thanks to this, even though it gets cold in the winter, the kids at the orphanage haven’t been able to use an electric blanket or a curling iron even though they want to look cool.

The children all resented the nurse head.

Until another nun, who had been listening to the children’s complaints, told her about a big fire that broke out in the dormitory more than ten years ago.

‘She thought it was all her fault, so she was stricter.’

Once she knows it, she can see it.

The burn marks glimpsed through the nurse’s head’s sleeves. 

She thinks it’s all her fault that she couldn’t save the children and the traces of her past left behind.

Luce, who was staring at Mrs. Plum’s velvet dress, which looked really stuffy, opened the {Beginner Antie} part.

“This antie is used to neutralize mild poisons from plants or bee stings.”

Luce often felt out of place when she was learning about pharmacology. 

“Unspecified amounts of pollen and moldy food are examples of weak plant poisons. Toxicity is also caused by old bedding and unclean environments.” 

From Mrs. Plum’s explanation, it sounds like everything in the world is poisonous.

However, Luce, who was a rhinitis patient in her previous life, knew right away.

Simply put, it is an allergic reaction. This ‘primary antie’ must be an antihistamine.

Of course, ordinary people can be surprised. There was no problem until yesterday, but why they’re coughing all of a sudden? 

They were fine until last year, but why did their whole body start to itch when they touched a peach?

The causes of allergies are very diverse and complex. It would be almost impossible to explain them one by one. 

But she never thought it would be written like this even in pharmacology textbooks. Is it because it’s an introductory book? 

Luce shook her head unconsciously. 

“It’s too broad.”

“…What did you say?”

Oops. The words seem to come out of her mouth. 

Mrs. Plum was looking at her. 

Luce, who was rolling her eyes, said awkwardly.

“Ah, um. I think the range of ailments this antie cure is too broad. Even the word plant poison sounds a bit ambiguous. Pollen and tree essence are the same but do old bedding and unclean environments fall into the category of plant poison? 

“Even if you know this much, it is enough to live selling herbs in this mountain valley.” 

It’s a strangely out-of-focus answer.

Let’s say the question of ‘3-5=?’ is brought to the children.

Elementary school students will say, ‘Teacher, this problem is wrong!’

But a middle school student would say, ‘It’s a minus 2!’ 

Luce thought Mrs. Plum’s answer was just a way to avoid teaching a kindergartener negative numbers, which she either couldn’t or didn’t want to do.

‘But I want to learn more.’

Luce narrowed her brows.