WTSP - 47

“Blonde? Your Majesty?”

The unfiltered question popped out.

I had heard that Westerners’ hair color could change as they grew up, but I never imagined Serdel would be one of those cases.

I stared at him with a truly surprised expression.

Whether my gaze was burdensome or not, Serdel still had an impassive look. He acted as if it was nothing strange at all.

What would he have looked like with hair as bright as the sun? Blonde and green, it’s quite a good combination, isn’t it?

I suddenly remembered when I first conceived of the male lead, I had hesitated between blonde and black hair.

Blonde definitely appealed to me, but I had thought, ‘The male lead has to have black hair!’ and chose without hesitation.

Above all, Serdel had a cold and ruthless image, so I had decided that black hair suited him perfectly. I scratched my cheek with the tip of my index finger.

“Even if Your Majesty had been blonde... I think it would have suited you well. Would it have given you a slightly softer image than now? Aren’t you a little sad that your hair color changed as you grew up?”

“What kind of imagination are you having? My current hair color is dyed with magic.”

Serdel answered the question in a very matter-of-fact tone.

It wasn’t a natural change, but dye. It was an unexpected statement. I couldn’t hide my confusion and gave him a questioning look.

Could it be that blonde hair made him look too kind and gentle, so he changed his hair color for a drastic image transformation?

Soon, he began to tell a story that completely overturned my speculation.

“...My father, the late Emperor, was one with so-called dazzling blonde hair like the sun. He would attach ridiculous meanings to it, saying it was the color signifying the Empire’s sole sun. Hair color is merely hair color, yet...”

Serdel lightly frowned as he recalled the past.

Was it a memory he didn’t particularly want to bring up? I nodded and quietly listened to his story.

“As soon as I ascended the throne, I obtained a potion from the Imperial mages that would change my hair color permanently. It solved one problem that had always bothered me whenever I looked in the mirror.”

“Did you want to change your hair color because it was the same as your father’s?”

“The elder nobles would say that every time they looked at me, they were reminded of my father, the late Emperor, in his prime, looking so majestic. They seem unaware that they could be severely punished for lèse-majesté. It was too troublesome to warn them all individually, so I decided to change it myself. Was that already over a decade ago?”

I knew better than anyone that Serdel didn’t have a close relationship with his father.

His mother, the late Empress Alicia, had been kept in bondage by that man until the end, so it was unlikely that her son could have any affection for him. I could somewhat understand his desire to not even have the same hair color.

‘He must have really hated his father. And rightly so. I also didn’t want to hear that I resembled my father back when I was Seo Yeon-hee.’

Living as Seo Yeon-hee, the story of a national fencing athlete father and daughter wasn’t very welcome. It felt like I couldn’t escape my father’s shadow.

The reasons were different from his, but I felt a sense of kinship in wanting to escape a father’s shadow.

Serdel was staring into the distance, his lips tightly closed as if lost in reminiscence.

I quietly caressed the handle of my teacup. It would be best to change the subject before the atmosphere became completely沉重.

Just then, Lena’s dejected face came to mind.

“It’s a shame we can’t fully enjoy the festival in the city this year. Since Your Highness has become the Imperial Concubine, it’s something we have to endure... Ah, I absolutely didn’t mean to blame Your Highness!”

“It’s alright. I understand what you mean. What was it like last year?”

“I went all over the place with the carriage driver, Rowen, and Lily. We only enjoyed it for a few hours, but it was still a truly fantastic festival. I wish Your Highness could enjoy it too...”

Lena, hanging her nightgown on a golden hanger, looked quite gloomy as she unwrapped her memories.

I took a sip of tea and asked in a bright voice. I didn’t want him to think of his father anymore.

“I heard that even during the same festival period, the atmosphere inside and outside the Imperial Palace is quite different. Has Your Majesty perhaps ever experienced the commoners’ festival?”

“Hmm. I think I went once with Harpin the year before last. Last year, I was too busy with work to have the leisure to go on an inspection.”

Serdel replied softly, as if it were nothing special. I nodded, letting out a small exclamation of admiration.

I hadn’t particularly thought about wanting to go outside the Imperial Palace, but now that the topic had come up, I felt quite interested. It must be much more lively and enjoyable than the restrained atmosphere of the Imperial festival.

“So, do you often go outside the Imperial Palace with Sir Harpin?”

“I usually go out about once or twice a month to observe the lives of the common people directly. There’s a limit to what you can hear secondhand, after all. Not just me, but all the emperors throughout history must have looked after the public sentiment in that way.”

“Since the atmosphere isn’t good this year... it must be difficult for you to go out, right? You also have to uncover the mastermind behind Theo’s incident.”

“I can’t say that’s not the case... but, Ophelia, you have a look of curiosity about the atmosphere outside the Imperial Palace.”

Serdel chuckled and slightly lifted his chin. He had a relaxed expression, as if he had read my thoughts exactly.

I gave an awkward smile.

Was he just quick-witted, or too quick-witted? Sometimes I even suspected he had the ability to read minds.

...In a world with mages, spirits, and even an isekai’d person, it wouldn’t be strange if there were humans capable of mind-reading. It wasn’t an entirely impossible speculation.

I chuckled softly and nodded obediently. What good would it do to try and deceive him?

“I am a little curious. Even when I was a young lady, I didn’t get out much. Back then, my health was much weaker than it is now.”

“If you are that curious, why don’t you go and see for yourself?”

“Huh? Really?”

I had thought I wouldn’t be allowed to step even a foot outside the Empress’s Palace, but permission was granted surprisingly easily. I stared at Serdel with excited eyes.

Noticing my sparkling gaze, he wore a slightly firm expression.

“Considering the child’s incident and in many ways, it seems you need a change of pace, so I am giving you permission. However, don’t even think about going out alone. It is only possible under the condition that you are protected by knights.”

As Serdel said, experiencing something different might help me shake off the lingering gloomy feelings in my heart.

His thoughtful consideration once again made my heart flutter. But at the same time, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that it might be excessive protection.

I pondered deeply and suggested an alternative.

“It’s good to have a knight accompany me for safety, but wouldn’t one be enough? Your Majesty also went out alone with Sir Harpin.”

Going outside the Imperial Palace alone was certainly a dangerous thing.

Especially after experiencing such an incident a few days ago, it was only natural that I needed to be accompanied by someone. I had no intention of stubbornly insisting on going alone.

However, going around with several people who were clearly knights would defeat the purpose of enjoying the festival.

If I did that, I might end up attracting everyone’s attention.

“If Your Majesty permits, I’d like to go with Lena and Sir Rovair. We occasionally spent time together when I was at the Maerdis estate. Sir Rovair is a knight whose swordsmanship is unparalleled, so he can easily do the work of three or four men.”

However, Serdel shook his head at my words.

“I acknowledge Rovair’s skill, but unfortunately, he is currently carrying out an important imperial command. You will probably not even see his face for a few days. Harpin must stay by my side, so we will have to choose another knight.”

Stroking his smooth chin, Serdel thought of several candidates before the unfamiliar name Cloden flowed from his lips. I slowly blinked and put down my teacup.

“Cloden? That’s a name I haven’t heard before.”

“He is one of the Imperial Knights. I myself have only known his name for a few days, but he seems quite trustworthy. His skills and character have been well-regarded by those around him, so he should be suitable. Go with your maid. However, only during daylight hours.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. You said the festival ends the day after tomorrow, right? Then I will go out tomorrow morning. ...It would be nice if Your Majesty could come and see it too.”

It was a sincere thought. Enjoying the festival was good, but it would be even more enjoyable if I could go with him.

However, Serdel shook his head and ran a hand over his tired face. He looked noticeably exhausted, perhaps due to the recent increase in workload.

“The opponents I have to deal with are not just one or two. Right now, uncovering the mastermind behind the mages is the top priority...”

Before Serdel could finish his sentence, someone cautiously knocked on the door three times.

“That must be Harpin.”

Could he recognize the person just by the sound of the knock? It seemed they had a prior arrangement.

I discreetly rose from my seat and gave a light greeting with my eyes. Serdel, despite looking very tired, gave me a very faint smile.

“I will have Cloden sent to the Empress’s Palace tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you. I know you must be troubled, but please don’t overwork yourself too much, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. Just the thought is enough.”

He told me not to worry, but there was no way I wouldn’t be concerned. In the end, I nodded and opened the door.

Harpin, who had been waiting in the hallway, greeted me politely as always.

‘......What kind of world lies beyond the Imperial Palace?’

A gentle excitement welled up within me. As I clasped my hands tightly due to the fluttering in my heart, it suddenly occurred to me that it had been a long time since I had felt this thrilled.

If I looked around at various things outside, the gloom that had settled in my heart due to Theo’s incident might gradually recover.

Suppressing the slowly swelling anticipation, I walked towards the Empress’s Palace. I thought I should go to bed early today to prepare for tomorrow.