Winter Bud - Chapter 29

“The monks of the Old Empire valued refinement, so they paid great attention to hygiene.”

“…Yes.”

“From now on, whenever you’d like to use the bath, you can come here. As for the water, you’ll have to light the fire and boil it yourself.”

“…Yes.”

The woman gave a faint smile and turned away. Nanna nodded as she watched her disappear. Sure enough, there was a fireplace connected to the bath. Several stacks of dry firewood were piled nearby, so it seemed she truly had to light the fire herself to heat the water. Looking around, Nanna picked up a few pieces of wood and crouched in front of the hearth.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d heated water herself. Even as Empress… perhaps because she had been born a commoner who once lived in a common household, Nanna had no aversion to labor usually left to maids. It wasn’t particularly hard or strenuous. It was a little troublesome, but she felt it was almost better because she could live the monastic life she once hoped for, here in the Western Palace.

Now that she thought about it, the woman in the plain black dress hadn’t seemed like a maid but more like a nun.

“Are there still nuns here?”

Nanna whispered quietly to herself as she began pouring buckets of water into the hearth.

***

“If that’s what you were going to do, I don’t know why you kept her in the Western Palace.”

Jophie muttered toward her son across from her, taking a sip of steaming tea. If he was going to go all the way to the Western Palace to bed the woman, why confine her there at all? She couldn’t see the reason. There was no clear purpose. Since she had been demoted to concubine, it wasn’t as if it interfered with Thea’s position anymore.

Of course, perhaps he simply didn’t want her near Thea. Considering Thea’s feelings, it wasn’t an incomprehensible measure. But the Emperor had said he slept with Nanna. And when she learned that he hadn’t even bothered with contraception, saying it might be necessary, she truly didn’t know what to say.

“Keep her in the rear court. Then Thea won’t have to be troubled by her.”

Theodora lifted her gaze from stroking the round teacup. Karl wasn’t looking at her, lost in his own thoughts. His sharp golden eyes held a murky thoughtfulness. His face, which so casually reported that he had lain with a concubine in the Western Palace as if it were state affairs, looked somehow distorted today. Theodora parted her lips, then gazed at him steadily.

“What are you thinking?”

“The more imperial heirs there are, the better it is for Thea’s position.”

“Then keep concubines.”

“That wouldn’t be for Thea’s sake, which is why I made this decision.”

“What decision? Are you talking about going into heat for that girl?”

Jophie didn’t bother with euphemisms. Her cold gaze was as sharp as an awl, but she didn’t back down. She wasn’t lying. Orestes had been physically involved with Nanna for a long time. The two matched well in that respect; Nanna became pregnant quite often. Perhaps it was just her constitution.

But Theodora didn’t want to interpret Orestes’s behavior any other way. He simply felt lust for Nanna. That was why he went to the Western Palace to spend the night with the woman confined there. It was possible. It wasn’t behavior outside the norm. Though it looked like confinement, Nanna had merely changed residences, and a concubine was the Emperor’s mistress.

And yet….

“Do you mean to scold me for my actions?”

“What is there to scold? Nanna is your woman no matter what anyone says. Doing as you please with her is only right.”

“….”

“But sometimes I think that girl is pitiful. And for Thea’s sake as well, keeping her like that isn’t right.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Orestes didn’t drag his words out. Theodora fell silent, staring at her son. What should she say first? How should she approach so as not to provoke his anger? Slowly, she lowered her gaze.

Suddenly, from outside the door came the clear voice of an attendant. The message was that the Empress had come to visit. Jophie looked tensely at the man across from her. But he didn’t look particularly flustered.

“Let her in,” she ordered the maid.

Soon after, the door opened and a delicate woman walked gracefully inside. Thea bowed politely to the Empress Dowager before sitting beside Orestes.

“The weather is really nice today.”

“Yes, it is.”

“It was already hot this morning.”

“You must have gone for a morning walk. You must always take care of your health. The closer summer comes, the harsher the sun becomes.”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind, Mother.”

Thea smiled faintly. Then she turned her head to look at her husband. The Emperor was pouring hot tea into her round teacup decorated with orioles and rose vines. Thea gazed at him for a moment, then opened her lips.

“How is Nanna?”

“She’s fine.”

“Did you enjoy the night?”

“….”

Thea’s face was still bright. Orestes’s was indifferent and plain. His handsome face didn’t show a single shadow or hint of embarrassment. Thea stared at him, then turned her gaze away. She gracefully lifted the tea her husband had poured for her and took a sip.

“Shouldn’t we prepare a birthing chamber ahead of time? We’ll also need to select a physician and midwives. She can’t give birth in the Western Palace, so we’ll have to bring her back to the imperial palace.”

“There’s no need to prepare in advance,” he said, his voice indifferent and low.

Thea twitched the muscles around her eyes. Her head felt like it was burning, then suddenly cold again. How had she felt when she heard that Orestes had gone to the Western Palace? Thea knew that the husband who hadn’t returned was holding Nanna.

He hadn’t bothered to deceive her or speak around it. That was unlike him, and rationally she agreed with it. At least five children were necessary. The more, the better. That was what it meant to be Emperor, and as Empress, she had to either carry it out herself or accept it.

In any case, her status would not fall. She had once suggested selecting daughters of noble families as concubines, but if handled poorly, they might have to be brought in under the title of “Second Empress Consort.” Thea knew well how troublesome a challenge to her authority would be.

Theodora had once suggested taking several daughters of lesser noble families as concubines. In the past, it had been difficult to even bring up such words in her presence, but things had changed.

Thea, too, had to accept that cruel reality.

“If that’s the case, it would be better to keep using Nanna.”

“…You think so too?”

“How else did you think I’d feel?”

To that unexpected reply, Thea had quietly answered. The Empress Dowager had ended the conversation with, “No.” Thea looked at her steadily, then turned her eyes away. She nearly said that three children were enough… but decided not to be emotional. Still, last night….

“Why? Didn’t you spend the night with that intention?”

“I only meant it wouldn’t be too late to arrange things once pregnancy is confirmed.”

“…Really?”

Thea smiled sharply. Orestes stared at her silently, then rose from his seat. Thea didn’t see him off. Theodora, sitting like a block of wood, watched the woman gazing out the window. For both of them, and for Nanna as well, action was needed. Nanna had to be sent out of the palace.

“Don’t be too upset.”

“What’s there to be upset about?”

“Thea.”

“But sometimes I feel like that girl has taken everything from me. That she should rather….”

She wanted to say: be sent back as her father’s mistress. She held it back. No, she swallowed it down. Her nose stung and her lips tightened. She lowered her eyes for a moment. Then suddenly, her mother-in-law’s gentle voice rang in her ears.

“I intend to send Nanna out of the palace.”

Thea lifted her gaze. Her composed face was calm and serene. Thea thought of Nanna. A woman who irritated her even when out of sight….