To the Love Born in the Lowest Place-Chapter 165

Crash!

The porcelain made a loud noise as it fell to the floor. Olivia, who had been trying to move it, opened her mouth wide, then soon turned pale as if realizing what mistake she had made.

"I-I’m so sorry, Your Majesty! Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I’m fine."

Liv looked at the shattered remains of the porcelain scattered on the banquet hall floor. Maids quickly rushed over to clean it up, and Olivia was at a loss among them, fretting.

"Miss Gentzen, it would be better to just leave such things to others and not handle them yourself as much as possible."

Anne said that in a seemingly mocking voice, causing Olivia’s face to redden even more.

Liv and the maids were on their way to the conference room for a meeting in the afternoon, and they had stopped by the banquet hall on the way as it was there. Preparations for the banquet to be held in a few days were in full swing, so it was just to check on the progress. Olivia didn’t need to step forward to help the maids, but she had done so enthusiastically and ended up making a mistake.

Liv narrowed her eyes and stared at Olivia with a searching gaze. These days, she seemed to have lost her mind somewhere, always flustered and making more mistakes.

"Miss Luter."

"Yes."

When Liv gestured and called Elena, she quickly ran to Liv. Liv put her mouth to her ear and whispered in a small voice.

"It seems Miss Gentzen is a bit strange, so please keep an eye on her for a while."

"Yes, I’ll do that!"

If there’s something personal going on, she might need help. If it’s due to ostracism among the maids, Liv might need to intervene now.

But Liv didn’t take this matter very seriously. Even if there were mentally difficult issues, people around could help, and the mistakes Olivia was making could be recovered from. She just needed to be given some rest.

* * *

However, Liv had to retract that thought not long after.

"Oh my!"

When Liv headed to the garden to rest, what she witnessed there was an unexpected sight. As Liv’s face became dumbfounded, Greta, surprised, opened her mouth wide and exhaled behind her.

"Y-Your Majesty, should I stop them?"

"M-Miss Wolfe! Miss Gentzen!"

Maria and Elena fidgeted anxiously behind Liv, watching her reaction. Instead of answering those words, Liv sighed.

"Why do you pick a fight with me every time you open your mouth!"

"Who’s the one who can’t distinguish between what to say and what not to say!"

Anne had Olivia’s hair in her grip, and Olivia was kicking and hitting Anne wildly to escape from her grasp. Nevertheless, Anne just held onto Olivia and glared at her with a face that showed no impact. It was natural for someone who had been holding a sword for a long time.

She knew that the relationship between these two was the worst among the maids from before, but she didn’t expect it to come to this. Finally, Liv sighed again and opened her mouth.

"Gentzen, Wolfe."

Recognizing whose voice it was, Anne quickly let go of Olivia’s hair. Then Olivia’s kicking at Anne also stopped. Their faces turned to look at Liv simultaneously, showing a look of dismay.

Before Liv could speak, the first to scold them was Greta, the head maid.

"What is this fighting in the sacred imperial palace? How can those who should be serving Her Majesty most closely and be her face act so shamefully?"

"..."

Knowing they had done wrong, they didn’t talk back. Liv looked at them alternately and asked a question.

"Miss Wolfe, tell me what happened."

"...Miss Gentzen attacked me first."

"Miss Gentzen, is this true?"

"Miss Gentzen, as she did before... mentioned the matter between the late Viscount Wolfe and Grand Duke Lartman."

"But Miss Wolfe picked a fight with me first...!"

Olivia interjected in an aggrieved voice.

"She found fault with everything I did. So I just..."

"Hah..."

Liv sighed. Of course, Olivia’s attitude of starting the physical fight first wasn’t right, but it was also a problem that Anne had picked a fight with her. For now, everyone needed a warning.

"...You’ve been making a lot of mistakes lately anyway, so go back and rest today."

Although she said to rest, everyone present knew that this was a warning Liv was giving to Olivia. Olivia bowed her head with a gloomy face.

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

"And Miss Wolfe, it would be better for you to get along well with the other maids."

"...I will make sure this never happens again, Your Majesty."

Anne bowed her head in a rigid posture, and Liv didn’t say anything more to her. Watching Olivia walk away with drooping shoulders, Greta quickly added a word.

"Your Majesty, I will make sure to manage the other maids well from now on."

"Yes, please make sure this doesn’t happen again."

Standing next to Greta with a thoughtful face, Liv frowned slightly. She had intended to leave it alone, but it seemed that soon...

* * *

As Liv immersed her body in the aromatic water, she finally felt her fatigue dissipating. Being in the early stages of her reign, Liv had a lot to do, and she had to work busily every day. The time when she used to live as the fake saint of the Hamelsvoort family, doing nothing, seemed like a distant past. Well, anyway, now was better than then.

Elena applied freesia-scented oil to Liv’s hair. She looked satisfied with the subtle scent that gently surrounded her, not too strong.

And when she went to bed in a light dress, Liv looked at Emmett with a soft and comfortable expression as always.

"I missed you."

Saying that, she naturally lay down on the bed and snuggled into Emmett’s arms, and Emmett habitually embraced Liv and kissed the top of her head.

"Was there anything unusual today?"

"No, everything went smoothly. I just missed you."

Smelling Emmett’s familiar scent, Liv felt her body melting. Even after coming to the imperial palace, his scent hadn’t changed, and when she was in his arms, Liv would reminisce about the times when she was trapped in Abgrund, or when she was secretly in love with him at the Hamelsvoort family.

"I didn’t know I could be this happy in the past."

A dreamy voice, as if immersed in old memories, flowed from Liv’s mouth.

"When I was trapped in Abgrund... at that time, it was just hard to imagine the world outside. I couldn’t fathom how much happiness would come to me."

At that time, Emmett was Liv’s entire world, and Liv thought being able to talk with him was the greatest happiness.

"When I was adopted into the Hamelsvoort family, I was just happy to be able to see you. Occasionally having conversations with you was a great happiness for me."

When everyone treated Liv as a fake saintess, she didn’t think she could marry him. At that time, she thought it was an extremely presumptuous thing. Even when Emmett disliked her, Liv was satisfied just loving him alone.

"But now, I really have everything. You’re by my side, and everyone knows it. It’s something I couldn’t even imagine."

"Only wonderful things will be filled in the future, my Emperor."

Encouraged by those words, Liv looked into Emmett’s eyes. She had been thinking it was time to tell him too. So...

"Emmett, do you want children?"

"...Children?"

At those words, Emmett’s pupils shook slightly, then he naturally continued speaking.

"It doesn’t matter. I’ve heard that having children takes a big toll on a woman’s body, and you’re busy now too..."

Hearing those words, Liv’s courage grew even more. It seemed that Emmett didn’t desperately want children either.

"...Emmett, there’s something I haven’t told you."

"If it’s alright, please tell me."

It was something she hadn’t been able to say for a long time, but once she made up her mind, the words easily came out.

"I can’t have children."

Saying that made her feel like a blockage had been cleared. It seemed Liv couldn’t live with secrets from him after all. Liv expected him to comfort her, or be a little sad, or pretend to be okay. Either way would have been fine.

"Liv, did you know...?"

That is, if Emmett hadn’t come up with an unexpected response.