Chapter 18

‘I’m not that scary…’

To be honest, I don’t care if they treated me like a normal person. Though I think it would be a bit too burdensome to do it if they looked at me as if I’m some incredible and difficult person to handle.

‘What if I lose my place later on…’

In the end, I responded with an ambiguous smile to the Young Lady maid, who was wearing an awkward smile.

“The yellow is bright, so wouldn’t that be nice?”

“I’ll take your order.”

Hearing my clumsy answer, she then bowed deeply.

When she lifted her head again, I could see her eyes twinkling with determination. It was as if she was thinking, ‘The Empress is not someone to look down on. Let’s not be deceived even if she looks clumsy.’

‘No, I’m not a great person or anything…’

I’m just a novel enjoyer who has read everything in Raniero’s head from the perspective of a third-person omniscient reader! Regardless, there was no way I could say such a thing so the misunderstanding only grew bigger and bigger.

That wasn’t all.

What I yelled at Marquis Jacques in the audience room spread like an oral tale and somehow started to gain weight. The image of the Empress, who had yet to socialize with anyone in the social circle, began to harden into a ‘fiery charisma’ or a ‘cunning fox’ amid the lush rumors.

‘Ugh!’

No… Even though I wanted to run right away and correct the misunderstandings right away, I also knew that if I stepped out and denied it here, it would only hurt me.

‘I just didn’t want to offend the Emperor!’

To be honest, the words I said were closer to outputting pleading sounds to Raniero!

Anyway, as a result of that, fantasies about me were inflated…

In the end, I was somehow recognized as a very cold-blooded and temperamental Empress. It seemed that I still couldn’t win the favor of outsiders due to this strong image that strangers already had of me.

‘No, this is all a misunderstanding. I’m not like that at all…’

Such a cry could only be made in my mind.

On the surface, what could I do?

After the esteemed Madam was captured, I had no choice but to do the things that were slowly being assigned to me. Thanks to Angelica’s habits and memories left in this body, I was able to carry out the work of the Empress without any sense of incongruity.

My head is spinning a little better than in my previous life. Angelica, fortunately, seemed to have been the blunt type. Ha… because she’s such a woman, she would have demanded her ventures from the Emperor.

However, at the same time, I knew that some of Angelica’s abilities either drifted off or crumbled as I possessed her body.

For instance, now, my work performance seems to be inferior compared to the original Angelica. I could tell that Cisen was trying to encourage me by saying, ‘It’s because you haven’t been acclimatized to the Actilus Empire yet.’

People who assigned me the work expected first-grade quality, although in reality, my ability was barely a third-grade or so…

While I could do it if I stayed up all night, I was still not very good at it and I’m just doing it to get it done.

‘I wish I had someone who could help me. Ha…’

Even though Cisen was capable, as anyone mentioned, she was still not used to the customary of the Actilus Empire yet. Meanwhile, the maids under me were also already having a hard time with me and being wary of me at the same time…

Taking deep breaths, I looked at the landscaping plan for the garden before going out to check the actual measurements.

Now that I was a new member of the Imperial Palace, I had to plan the event to welcome guests and greet all the other nobles. All of that must be over before the most important event of Actilus.

The symbol of the war God, Actilla, was the sun.

So, the summer solstice, when the sun would be the longest, was the most important day in Actilus, where people worshipped God Actilla. It was said that on this day, nobles from all over the Empire gathered together to hold a ceremony and have dinner together.

And because of that, I had to prepare everything perfectly for this ceremony.

‘Of course, it’s something I must do but…’

The schedule was too tight.

With only half of Angelica’s ability, I was already on the verge of being overworked.

‘Oh, my God… I’m too busy being entrusted so much with the Empress’s job!’

In the midst of this, after Raniero pushed me like a beast that day, I couldn’t even see his nose after that. Either because he forgot me or lost interest.

‘God—no, God Actilla! I would be very happy if that’s the case!’

It was a ray of light in this harsh world for me.

If I had to meet Raniero, I might collapse and die because I didn’t really get to sleep enough because of all of the work.

It was at that moment when I hurried to leave the garden after observing, as I was thinking of going back to the Empress’s Palace and getting a massage and closing my eyes for a while, outside the main gate of the Empress’s Palace, a person’s figure could be seen.

…It was a woman with long, beautiful silver hair.

Although she looked slightly disheveled, her shoulders and back were upright, and her figure was graceful. Our eyes met suddenly as she was standing in front of the closed iron door, holding her hands together neatly.

However, one of the maids following me behind me quickly blocked my view.

“Why don’t we go back and take a rest…”

Because I was a little less flamboyant from the constant overwork, I asked in a blank voice.

“Who is that person?”

The shoulder of the handmaiden who stood in front of me stiffened.