The next day.
I rode the carriage that Uncle Grimy had arranged and came out to the capital’s salon.
Through the window, I saw Lady Gonallong standing to welcome me.
Escorted by a footman, I gracefully stepped down, and Lady Gonallong widened her eyes and put her hand to her mouth.
“Goodness, they say the rose has become a person, and it’s true!”
Ugh.
Though the compliment was cheesy, I smiled as if I was used to it.
“You flatter me.”
“There are so many people in the capital praising the young lady’s beauty, it’s almost deafening.”
“Can anyone be more elegant than Lady Gonallong?”
Ha ha, ho ho.
We looked at each other and smiled tightly.
Those around us watched us very fondly.
We kept smiling and warmly looked at each other as we walked.
Then, as soon as we turned the corner out of sight,
“How long do you plan to keep making me work? I’m human too. It’s hard!”
Lady Gonallong frowned deeply.
I smiled gently.
“Making you work? We’re so close that such words don’t suit us.”
“That’s too much! How can you make me work for seven years?”
Seeing me ignore her words, she started to choke up.
For seven years, Lady Gonallong had been my highly efficient rumor collector.
‘It needs regular oiling, but it’s still useful.’
I clapped my hands as if I had just remembered.
“Oh, by the way! I have a gift for you.”
Lady Gonallong’s eyes sparkled as if she had never been upset.
Rustle, rustle.
I took out a small note.
Knowing me well, Lady Gonallong wasn’t disappointed that it was just a note.
With eager expectation all over her face, she asked,
“What is it?”
“This is truly a jackpot piece of information. If you invest, it guarantees three hundred percent profit.”
Three hundred!
Lady Gonallong forgot the dignity she valued so much and her mouth dropped open.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but I had already seen everything.
‘No wonder Lady Gonallong lasts so long.’
“We do seem to get along well. Hohoho!”
Lady Gonallong laughed loudly and linked her arm with mine affectionately.
Oh, this cute greedy one.
‘So that’s why we’ve helped each other for seven years.’
Indeed, a relationship where both sides use and are used by each other is the best.
‘Very comfortable, too.’
As I smiled, the well-oiled information collector began to spill information.
Lady Gonallong lowered her voice and whispered in my ear.
“The Empress Dowager is planning to visit the art gallery. She says she’s going to see her nephew’s painting.”
“I see.”
The oil was definitely worth it.
‘Finally meeting. That expensive face.’
I laughed wickedly, fitting the villain role.
A few days later.
On the day the Empress Dowager was supposed to come, I quietly went to the art gallery.
I hid the carriage nearby and waited inside, watching the people coming and going.
Han Jihyeok, who followed me, asked,
“What does the Empress Dowager look like?”
“I don’t know either.”
“What?”
Han Jihyeok looked at me with a puzzled face.
“She always covered her face in mourning clothes after the late Empress passed away.”
“How can you approach the Empress Dowager if you don’t even know what she looks like?”
“I do have some information.”
“...You should’ve said that sooner.”
He complained, and I chuckled.
“They say she resembles the Emperor a lot. You’d know if you saw her.”
“The Emperor? He looks sharp like a bandit chief. So, we just need to find a noblewoman who looks like a bandit chief?”
“Yeah. If we know she’s coming to the gallery to see her nephew’s work, all the social ladies will be there too. It’ll be easy to spot her.”
So many people tailing just because of one schedule to see a nephew’s work.
That’s how the Empress Dowager’s movements are.
“Hmm, that would indeed make her easy to find. A bandit chief surrounded by noble ladies.”
Han Jihyeok grinned like the plan was set.
But after a while,
Han Jihyeok grumbled, looking annoyed.
“When is she coming?”
We had already waited for several hours.
No sign of the Empress Dowager’s carriage, no bandit chief, no ladies trailing behind.
‘Is it not today?’
Did Lady Gonallong get the rumor wrong?
I tilted my head.
Strange.
Lady Gonallong is usually very accurate with rumors...
She also spreads rumors herself.
‘If the information isn’t wrong...’
Still, we couldn’t just wait endlessly.
‘I’ll go check with the Empress Dowager’s nephew about when she’s coming.’
Han Jihyeok and I quietly got off the carriage where no one could see us.
Since the art gallery was where the Empress Dowager’s nephew exhibited paintings, even the entrance was splendid.
Large trees carefully nurtured by gardeners.
Benches carved like works of art placed here and there.
At the end of the path stood the gallery building.
‘Wow...’
The gallery looked just like a temple.
Its exterior was so beautiful and antique that it inspired awe naturally.
Is the Palace of Versailles like this?
Han Jihyeok glanced around and said,
“There are many old people here.”
Indeed, there were many elderly gentlemen and ladies, just as he said.
“The exhibition’s theme is ‘Old Streets,’ so I guess that’s why. There are many old scenery paintings.”
The theme was perfect for elderly people taking a nostalgic trip.
That must be why the Empress Dowager said she would come. Though it was her nephew’s exhibition as well.
Inside the gallery, the rest areas seemed even more thoughtfully arranged than outside.
There were an unusually large number of benches, and the faces of the elderly sitting there were full of longing.
Then,
“Hey.”
Han Jihyeok lightly touched my sleeve and nodded toward the center.
A noble lady was walking in with a maid.
Her outfit was as splendid as this grand gallery.
I caught a glimpse of her lower face.
But she wore a wide-brimmed hat that hid most of her face.
Still, it was obvious at a glance that she had been an impressive figure in her youth.
After the noble lady fully passed by, Han Jihyeok whispered in my ear,
“Her presence is no joke.”
“That’s right.”
Han Jihyeok and I pretended not to be waiting for anyone and calmly looked around the gallery.
After seeing everything and on the way out, I asked a staff member like any other visitor.
“Where is the painter?”
“Oh, they’re not here at the moment. Please wait a moment.”
The polite staff checked without suspicion through other staff members where the painter was.
“Confirmed, they’re in the backyard.”
“Thank you.”
Han Jihyeok and I headed straight to the backyard.
But then,
‘Who is that?’
Han Jihyeok noticed too and gave me a glance.
He had spotted the noble lady with presence heading this way.
‘They seem to be going the same way.’
We slowed our pace slightly.
The tall noble lady strode ahead and quickly passed us.
It was clear they were heading in the same direction.
The noble lady was heading toward the backyard.
The backyard where the painter, that is, the Empress Dowager’s nephew, was.
“Hey, that must be the old man, right?”
“Maybe.”
I carefully watched the noble lady’s back heading to the backyard.
Then,
“Oh!”
A young woman walking out of the backyard bumped into the noble lady with presence.
“Sorry!”
Behind the apologizing young woman came a cute and kind-looking noble lady.
Judging by her appearance, the young woman who bumped into the other must be the maid of that noble lady.
Seeing her maid bump into the noble lady with presence, the noble lady seemed to understand and spoke.
“Oh dear. I’m sorry. Eben...”
“What an impolite act! Don’t you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» know who this is!”
Instead of the noble lady with presence, her maid went wild.
Han Jihyeok muttered,
“I think that old man is right.”
I silently watched them.
Compared to the noble lady with presence, the other noble lady was shorter and looked gentle.
The maid of the noble lady with presence scolded the maid who bumped into her as if she wanted to eat her.
The smaller noble lady looked embarrassed and spoke.
“I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
At that, the noble lady with presence who had been silent all this time snorted.
“Is that how you apologize?”
‘Wow. Terrifying.’
I thought she was just tall and full of presence, but even her voice was terrifying.
The noble lady with presence arrogantly raised her chin and looked down on the other.
“Do you not know manners? You shouldn’t show you’re a stiff old woman.”
Her covered eyes flashed with a fierce glare as she ordered the smaller noble lady.
“Again.”
Anyone could tell the noble lady with presence was overpowering the other. This argument seemed about to end in her favor.
Han Jihyeok quickly whispered to me,
“Wouldn’t it be better to interrupt before she fully apologizes? If we praise the Empress Dowager here and save her face, we might get on her good side?”
He seemed anxious that we were just watching and missing a chance.
I ignored his words and quietly observed.
The cute old lady’s maid didn’t know what to do and stamped her feet.
“Madam, excuse me─”
“Where do you lowly people think you’re butting in!”
Swish!
The noble lady with presence sharply raised her hand with a sound like rough wind.
At that moment, I spoke to the noble ladies.
“Madam.”
Startled by the sudden interruption, the noble lady with presence froze with her hand raised.
Unlike the expression of annoyance she had before, when she looked at me, she slowly lowered her hand.
“My apologies. I saw the scene from afar.”
I spoke quite politely and then turned around.
I looked firmly at my opponent.
“How about ending this here since there are many guests present?”
Gasp!
Han Jihyeok behind me almost jumped in surprise.
‘Are you crazy? Why pick a fight with the Empress Dowager?!’
His silently moving lips said so.
It was understandable.
The person I was telling to stop, looking straight in the eye, was—
“A little girl like you should not interrupt an adult’s words!”
The elderly lady who Han Jihyeok believed without a doubt to be the Empress Dowager, her face half covered!
Her already terrifying voice had become hoarse and harsh.
After her maid, now a much younger girl than her, tried to stop her, she got furious to the point of anger bursting out of her head.
‘But what to do?’
I wasn’t scared at all.
‘I grew up looking at my grandfather.’
I grew up looking at a dinosaur, so there’s no way a lizard would scare me.
I calmly spoke.
“Sorry, madam. But this is an art gallery built by the royal palace. It is His Majesty the Emperor’s domain.”
“What?”
“So it’s not right to cause a disturbance here. There are many eyes watching. I say this for your own good.”
But my fearless speaking seemed to get on the noble lady with presence’s nerves.
Her face looking at me reddened and paled repeatedly, then she pointed a finger at me.
“I will remember this. You and the old woman, what are your names and families?”
Oh dear.
Just as I was about to speak, a smaller noble lady who had been watching stepped forward to block me.
A very gentle and mild voice came from her lips.
“Elisabeth Calsoye.”
“...!”
“...!”
But that name caused a huge stir.
“What... Elisabeth, Cal, Soye?”
The noble lady with presence slowly repeated the name and instantly turned pale white.
Everyone nearby who had been watching the commotion excitedly became shocked.
Calsoye.
There is only one case when the imperial surname can be used as a family name.
‘If you’re royal.’
And among those with the surname Calsoye, only one person in the empire has that name.
Elisabeth Calsoye.
‘The Empress Dowager of this country.’
After understanding the situation, everyone around gasped and fell flat on the ground.
Of course, the noble lady with presence, who had been high-handed demanding an apology, did the same.
“May you enjoy glory!”
“May you enjoy glory!”
The Empress Dowager cupped her round cheeks and sighed.
“I didn’t intend to disturb my nephew’s exhibition.”
Han Jihyeok, who had called me crazy earlier, opened his mouth wide and looked back and forth between me and the Empress Dowager.
Even without asking, I could tell what he was thinking.
“How did you know?”
I smirked inside.
‘Because of the word Eben.’
“Excellent. But how about leaving for today? The ‘Eben’ (shower) will come soon.”
Eben is not the name of the maid accompanying the Empress Dowager.
It’s an old word used by elderly royalty.
‘I recognized Michelan because of the old word he used.’
“Oh dear. I’m sorry. Eben...”
The Empress Dowager’s apology for Eben means ‘Sorry for bumping into you in the backyard in a hurry because of the rain shower.’
If her maid hadn’t interrupted, we would have known.
As proof, there was still moisture on the Empress Dowager’s clothes.
After the noble lady who had demanded an apology had shrunk and disappeared as if all her charisma and presence had been taken away.
The Empress Dowager looked at me and smiled kindly.
“Thank you for your help.”
“No, it was nothing. You wanted to see quietly, but I made it more difficult.”
I said politely, and the Empress Dowager chuckled.
“No, no. Have you seen all the exhibition? If you like, shall we look around together?”
I had pretended to be an ordinary visitor earlier and had already seen everything long ago.
But I dropped the act and happily said,
“Is that really okay?”
“Of course. I like brave ladies.”
The Empress Dowager smiled warmly.
Though terrifying in reputation, she was truly a kind and lovely noblewoman.
If you saw her like this, you’d never think of her as scary.
‘But I can’t let my guard down.’
I followed the Empress Dowager with my innocent smile.
Han Jihyeok tactfully kept his distance behind us.
Walking along the corridor with the Empress Dowager, I talked about the paintings.
“Oh my. You’ve seen that art book. With the historical interpretations, it might be hard for a child.”
“The words were difficult, but I studied hard while looking at it. It’s a collection of works painted over five years!”
“You must like painter Goyde.”
“Yes. Though some say his style is rough and coarse, I think that’s his charm.”
“Oh my! That’s exactly how I feel. I also like that unrefined touch. You and my lady share the same taste.”
“Wow, really? I must have good taste! Your Majesty’s taste is surely the best in the country!”
I said innocently, eyes wide, and the Empress Dowager laughed amusedly.
This was truly a K-office skill.
I felt the Empress Dowager was starting to like me.
Some time later, she shared her own story.
“I like painting too. I don’t know how to paint, but my mother used to paint.”
‘Good. This topic suits me.’
I asked even more innocently.
“Wow, do you think there might be paintings I know?”
“Probably not. Back then, if a woman painted, it was unlucky, and they would burn her works.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes were distant as she spoke of those past times.
I swallowed dryly, waiting for her next words.
“So my mother painted a lot at home. She never showed them, but they were very precious to me.”
‘Done!’