Remarried Empress

g?zoom=1.25&resize=40%2C40&ssl=1 ” class= ”img-responsive ”>“Rashta asked.”

Countess Eliza’s face twisted.

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know…just tell me right away if you hear anything strange.”

*

*

*

I kept busy with preliminary research about Rwibt— I compiled information from tourists, merchants, and explorers who were recently at the Hwa continent, but their time was spare and they couldn’t abandon their jobs.

I was so busy that I forgot my birthday was coming.
Surprisingly, it was Sovieshu that brought it up.

 “It takes several hours to go to the villa by carriage, so we should finish up our work and leave the day before.”

I was just finishing the imperial budget before submitting it for approval to Sovieshu.
At Sovieshu’s sudden reminder, I put my feather pen down on the inkwell.
It took me a few seconds before I realized what he was talking about.

“Ah.
Birthday…”

“Oh goodness.”

Sovieshu chuckled as if he found my dazed reply amusing.

“The empress really doesn’t care about anything when she gets into her work.”

It was a teasing remark.

“Can you guess whose birthday I was talking about?”

“I remember now.”

“You should remember your own birthday.”

“…”

“Do you mind if we leave a day early?”

“I’ll schedule it.”

I flipped through my schedule, and Sovieshu spoke up again.

“Do you remember the tree planted at the villa?”

I nodded, and Sovieshu stretched himself lightly as he reminisced.

“It was when you were still crown princess and very small.
You were cute back then.”

“…”

This time I smiled.
 In the Eastern Empire, there was a story of a wish tree, and superstition had it that if you made a wish while planting a tree, it would come true.

When I was a princess I was very short for my age, and I found it especially stressful when I was always surrounded by adults.
After worrying alone, with no one to share these feelings with, I finally planted a wish tree.
The rule was that I had to shovel the ground and plant the seedlings myself.
However, I was young and small, and after a few hours of inefficient digging, I hugged the seedling and passed out from exhaustion.
When I woke up, I found Sovieshu digging the hole.

– Your Highness! If you dig, I’ll have to do it over again!

– It’s all right.
We’re a couple.
A couple is like one body, so it doesn’t matter if you or I do it.

– …Really?

– Yeah.
That’s what my father the emperor said.

Shoveling was a tough job, so I relented and allowed Sovieshu to do it.
After digging a decent-sized hole, I placed the seedling in it and covered the base with dirt.
I put my hands together and made a wish, and Sovieshu said, “What did you wish for?”

– …I asked to be taller.

– Why? It’s nice to be small.

– I follow the Empress and she always goes beyond a partition.
But the screen is bigger than me, so I can’t see…

After that I felt unwell with body aches, and Sovieshu got into trouble because his palms were ragged.
Sovieshu was always taller and stronger than I was, but he was still young too.

The ends of my mouth tipped up in a smile.
When I looked at Sovieshu, I saw him smiling as if he were remembering as well.

“But that tree worked, didn’t it? Now you’re very tall.”

I smiled wordlessly, picking up the feather pen again and looking down at my papers.

A bitter feeling mixed in with the memories.
After all, my wish was not about my height.
Back then, I prayed that Sovieshu and I would keep a good relationship for the rest of our lives.

…But it didn’t come true.