'I should have paid attention to Heinley when he showed interest in me.'
Rashta waited for the nobles to move away before she emerged from the bushes and headed for Duke Elgy's room.
Every time she heard the crunch of grass as she stepped down, her anger rose.
"Don't you look well?"
Duke Elgy asked, immediately noticing Rashta's deep anger.
"I heard bad news."
Once Rashta confirmed that no one was around, she closed the door.
"Bad news?"
"How would the Duke feel if someone you have a bad relationship with became happy?"
"Not very well. It would be a little unpleasant."
"It's the same for Rashta. A woman Rashta hates is living happily. Rashta doesn't like that. That woman dumped her misfortunes on Rashta and left to be happy."
"Who are you talking about?"
"... There is such a woman."
Rashta spoke vaguely and pointed to the large suitcase behind Duke Elgy.
"By the way, where are you going?"
"Ah. I'm going to visit the Western Empire for a while."
"The Western Empire? Why?"
Rashta worriedly approached Duke Elgy. Gently gripping a corner of his suit with both hands.
"Will you abandon Rashta?"
"I'll just be gone for a while. I want to see Heinley."
"Why him..."
"I'll congratulate him on his first child."
Rashta's expression darkened. She was in a bad mood about it. Her insides seemed to twist when she heard that Duke Elgy would be going to congratulate him.
"Oh, right. The Duke is a close friend of His Majesty Heinley."
"Your Majesty Rashta isn't going?"
"Why would Rashta go there?"
"You should have received a formal invitation. Don't you want to go?"
"She should have received a formal invitation, doesn't she want to go?"
Rashta whispered in a depressed voice.
"It's not that I don't want to. Rashta recently hasn't been treated like an Empress even in the Eastern Empire. Would Rashta be treated well in another country?"
"Every country should treat its distinguished guests with the utmost courtesy. You are the Empress of the Eastern Empire, so you will certainly be treated well."
Truth be told, Rashta did not want to see Navier flaunt her happiness. She didn't want to see the woman who pushed her into a well and left to be happy.
However, she wanted to see Emperor Heinley one more time.
Rashta believed that Heinley had interest in her back then, but she was so obsessed with Emperor Sovieshu that she pretended not to notice. In the end, Heinley married Navier.
Now that her situation had changed, she thought the outcome might be different.
Whether he was still interested in her or not, she wanted to test the waters. Besides, Duke Elgy would also go to the Western Empire...
"On second thought, there's no special reason not to go."
"Shall we go together?"
"I would like to, but I don't think His Majesty would allow it..."
