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The imperial villa they arrived at was a beautiful place. And it was vast.
There was a considerable distance from the castle gate to the castle itself, and the area inside the gate was lush with greenery, so quiet it felt as if they were in a forest. Amidst the trees, which appeared natural yet were clearly well-maintained, the beautiful old castle stood tall, quiet yet majestic.

“What a wonderfully serene atmosphere.”.
“This is where emperors of past generations have lived after abdicating, so it’s designed to allow for a quiet life.”

Mikhail said this, but considering the historical context, perhaps it was designed this way to ensure they were “made” to live quietly.

“It’s quite a challenge once you’re inside the castle, though. With one renovation after another, it’s become like a maze. Apparently, each former emperor spent an abundance of time remodeling it to their own tastes, so new servants are bound to get lost.”

I see.
Building a castle to one’s liking—that kind of construction hobby was one of the pastimes of royalty and nobility, wasn’t it? Like Neuschwanstein Castle in my past life.

“Grandfather loved music, so he mainly renovated the theaters. In particular, the open-air theater we’re about to visit has been remodeled to look exactly like the stage of the Temple of Music. For the sake of Grandmother, you see.”

A theater inside the castle… Judging by the way he spoke, there must be several others besides the open-air theater. So, he invites theater troupes, singers, and the like to his home on various scales… In my past life, I saw on TV that celebrities had movie theaters in their mansions and thought it was amazing, but real royalty is on a whole different level…

.

They were told that attendants weren’t allowed beyond this point, so Mina and Luka had to wait elsewhere. They must have seen right through the fact that Mina is a combat maid capable of killing even with her bare hands; there’s no way she could be allowed in the presence of the former Emperor.

As Ekaterina and Mikhail walked along the garden path guided by an elderly servant, the open-air theater came into view.
Its shape was reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman theaters. Or rather, in this world, perhaps it was in the style of ancient Astra. The audience seats were arranged in a bowl-like formation, with a semicircular stage at the bottom. Behind the stage was a wall designed to echo the sound.
On that wall, the figure of the God of Music stood out as a huge, vividly colored relief.

The God of Music had a form that seemed to be a blend of human and bird. Ekaterina recalled the Buddhist statue of the Garuda she had seen in her past life. That statue had the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a bird, but the God of Music appeared to have a lower body just like a human’s. He had beautiful features that were neither distinctly male nor female, with multicolored wings on his back, decorative feathers in his hair, and a long tail feather extending from his waist. The attire he wore had a distinctly Eastern flair, and he was adorned with numerous necklaces, bracelets, and anklets.

In the VIP section set up within the outdoor theater’s audience area—a section where special chairs and tables were placed in the spot with the best acoustics, allowing guests to enjoy drinks while watching the songs and plays—the former Emperor and the Empress Dowager were waiting.

.

“Mikhail, my grandson. Thank you for coming.”

The Former Emperor Valentin broke into a smile that radiated dignity.
He was currently sixty-three years old—two years younger than Ekaterina’s grandfather, Sergei. His hair, which in his youth must have been a pale blue like a spring sky, was now pure white. Yet the color of his eyes remained a vivid blue. In portraits painted around the time of his accession, he possessed a beauty that could be mistaken for a woman’s, but with age, he now had the air of a dignified elderly gentleman. Just as he had been described as intelligent yet frail, he was slender and did not appear to be in great physical shape; he was not as tall as the current Emperor, Konstantin, but his eyes sparkled with intelligence.

“I’m glad to see you’re in good health. Haven’t you grown taller again? You’re almost as tall as Konstantin now.”

Smiling beside the former emperor is Empress Dowager Klementina.
In the portrait, her hair was the same bluish-silver as Lydia’s, but now it is a magnificent silver. Even though the color has changed, her hair retains its luster, elegantly pulled back into an updo, making her the very picture of a refined elderly noblewoman. Her slender figure appears tall due to its excellent proportions, though she is not actually very tall—she is simply well-matched in stature to the late Emperor.

Born as the middle child of three sisters in the Seleznyov family, she was reportedly treated coldly because her beauty was said to be inferior to that of her older and younger sisters. Yet, if she were to stand alongside them now, she might well be far more beautiful than either of them. It felt as though the years she had spent standing as the most noble woman in the Empire had transformed into a quiet radiance.

“I still can’t catch up to Father. But I’m almost there. Father disliked it and told me not to eat too much.”

Mikhail said with a smile, and the two of them laughed cheerfully in unison.

“Your visits are the greatest joy of my life here. And this time, you’ve even brought a beautiful friend with you.”

With the expression of a doting grandfather gazing at his grandchild, the former emperor turned his gaze to the young women.

“She possesses such remarkable talent that I simply had to introduce her to you. This is Lady Ekaterina Yurnova.”

Following Mikhail’s introduction, Ekaterina curtsied.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Ekaterina Yurnova.”
“So you are the granddaughter of my brother-in-law, Sergei?”
“What a beautiful young lady.”

The former emperor and the empress dowager smiled together.

“Ekaterina, I have heard of your accomplishments. I would very much like to try my hand at this ‘glass pen’ myself.”

Oh! A new spokesperson for the high-end glass pen line!
No, no, don’t let your business sense show here.
But I’ll have to consult with Khalil and Lev. They’ll surely be delighted!

“Thank you for your kind words. I am sure my brother Aleksei would be deeply honored as well.”
“Hm, please be sure to convey my regards to Aleksei.”

Nodding, the former Emperor turned his gaze toward Lydia.

“Lydia has often helped relieve my boredom. I hear you will be singing for us today as well—I look forward to it.”
“Knowing how diligent you are, I’m sure you’ve been practicing every day. I’ve been looking forward to it as well.”

At the words of Their Majesties, Lydia curtsied gracefully.

“Though my skills are humble, I shall do my very best.”

In the glance she cast toward Ekaterina, a glimmer of defiance and superiority could be seen.