Page 220 of Remarried Empress

Although it was amazing to see Kapmen again, there was no time to be cooped up in the detached palace, worrying about my future.

So I went to visit Christa, as I had originally planned.

“Navier,” Christa murmured in surprise as soon as she saw me, she had no idea I would come to visit her.

She greeted me soon after.

“I did not expect to receive your visit.”

“I came to see how the acacia flowers I sent were,” I replied.

Christa seemed surprised for a moment, but immediately smiled and asked one of her ladies-in-waiting to prepare the table.

Moments later, Christa’s lady-in-waiting put jasmine tea and snacks on the table before leaving.

Once we sat face to face, I asked her, “Did you like the Acacia Flowers?”

“I really... liked them, Navier.”

“I’m glad.”

She smiled and sipped her tea.

I waited for her to finish before asking her another question, “Are they likely to bloom again?”

Acacia flowers meant friendship in the flower language.

Christa should be familiar enough with high society to understand what I meant.

Indeed she understood my words immediately and looked down into the cup of tea in silence.

She thought about it for a moment before answering, “To know if they will bloom in the future it is necessary to take good care of them. But I am sure they are alive.”

Christa had no intention of pretending with me. When I heard her answer, I was relieved.

So with more courage, this time I expressed myself frankly, instead of asking another indirect question.

“We’ve both done similar things, so it’s better not to talk about it.”

Christa, who was stirring the tea with a teaspoon, stopped.

“I don’t want to get into unnecessary psychological warfare.”

“!”

“In the end, it won’t result in anything good for you or me.”

I examined her as I finished my words.

Christa was still motionless in the same posture she stopped in.

Only after a moment, she moved her stilled hand again, slowly stirring the tea with the teaspoon.

Then suddenly she spoke with a smile, “I know that too.”

Christa looked really exhausted as if she had given up everything.

“I don’t want to fight either. But... right now I hope we can both be comfortable with this distance between us.”

Her response also lacked strength.

I pondered her words, then smiled broadly and said, “That’s all right,” rising from my chair. Satisfied with her suggestion.

But on the way to the detached palace, Rose asked me, “How did it go?” and I answered in the negative, “The result was not good.”

On the surface, Christa’s words sounded as if she accepted the reconciliation.

Didn’t she say she didn’t want to fight?

But the words that followed.

‘Right now I hope we can both be comfortable with this distance between us,’ was the real problem.

It is Christa who would benefit from maintaining the current situation, not me.

Christa showed no hostility towards me, even leaving room for rapprochement. At the same time, she suggested that we maintain the current distance. In this way, she was maintaining the situation that favored her, preventing future problems, and even if they arose, she now had a way to avoid them.

If at any time I became anxious about the slow progress of the situation and tried to act hostile, she would say she intended to approach me.

“I’ll have to choose another way.”

Perhaps, unlike what I thought, Christa was just being sincere. But whether it was calculated or not, continuing with the current situation would still be detrimental to me.

So I couldn’t simply trust Christa’s words and wait for her to change her mind, while I remained isolated from high society.

I considered for a moment and then ordered, “Send Miss Mullaney Corydalis and Geldya flowers for me. Do it secretly.”

In the flower language, Corydalis meant secret, and Geldya meant cooperation.

Mullaney would understand.

Rose understood what I meant, then nodded and laughed.

Mastas didn’t understand at all though and asked, “What? Rose, why are you laughing? Your Majesty, are you laughing too?”

“You’re too loud.”

“It’s because you are laughing except for me. Why is that?”

“Don’t act so impulsively in front of Your Majesty.”

“Ah, but I just want to know.”

However, as I was walking towards the detached palace, watching Mastas and Rose arguing. Unexpectedly, I saw Kapmen not far away.

He walked alone around the detached palace in a different attire than before, sighing and observing it.

What was Grand Duke Kapmen doing here...?

As I was thinking about it, he suddenly raised his head and looked at me.

Our gazes met again. It was awkward, but it was already the second time. If I avoided him again, my ladies-in-waiting would find it strange.

When I went to visit Christa I was able to avoid him because where he was there were so many people. But now, Grand Duke Kapmen was alone, and on top of that, he was on the path I was to follow.

Eventually, I walked over and greeted him pretending to be calm.

“How have you been, Grand Duke?”

Grand Duke Kapmen moved his lips as if he wanted to answer. However, nothing was heard.

Looking at him, he had an extremely embarrassed expression. He seemed like he was about to die of embarrassment.

Only his lips kept moving, and then he covered his mouth with one hand.

Before, I had noticed that he had failed to neutralize the effects of the potion. But now looking at him in front of me, it seemed that the effectiveness... had not diminished at all either.

I was perplexed.

Even my ladies-in-waiting looked puzzled at how the Grand Duke of a foreign country was staring at me.

But when Grand Duke Kapmen finally turned and walked away without a word, Rose and Mastas snorted angrily.

“Who does he think he is to blatantly ignore Your Majesty the Queen?”

“Shall I bring him back right now?”

“...It’s Grand Duke Kapmen of Rwibt.”

Rose and Mastas were surprised to hear who the Grand Duke was.

I didn’t know if they had heard his name before, but they immediately exclaimed, “Ah, him?”

“Your Majesty, he’s one of the top graduates of the Magical Academy, right?”

“Still, it was too rude.”

“It’s alright. He’s a shy man,” I dissuaded Rose and Mastas, quickly returning to the detached palace.

But I was really worried. The effects of the potion were still very strong. Could we still proceed with the negotiations?