Walking in the gardens is the only way to be free from unwanted ears. If one keeps the servants far enough, it's an easy way to have a private conversation.

However, it's actually trickier than it looks at a first glance.

There are a lot of people working in the garden. Maids, gardeners, male servants helping the first two carry things around... There are also children playing that are tolerated as deemed innocent and harmless, but they too have ears.

Sometimes, switching to a foreign language is enough. But one can never know who is listening. What looks like a gardener cutting grass could be a trained agent from a far-away land.

Thankfully, I'm skilled enough to avoid being caught. I hope the Emperor is too, or our conversation will sound weird.

As the whole delegation serving his majesty stays next to the table, I get up and stroll with him towards the central area. No person is in there, and no one will dare to approach now. I can relax for a moment and stop obsessing over some details.

No children, no maids, no gardeners. We're completely alone.

Alone, and in silence.

I have to wait for his majesty to start the conversation, but he doesn't seem in the mood to do so. He just invited me to walk with him, and I hope that walking isn't all he needs: he must have something to say, after strolling far from everyone.

«Duchess Kyre,» he starts, finally. «Have you noticed that Marquise Lindell isn't in the court anymore?»

«Yes, I have, your majesty.» I also asked Alexander about it, but he didn't give me a proper reply. «My days are so peaceful lately.»

Is it thanks to the Emperor? Has he sent George far away from the court for the time being?

«Marquise Lindell left our world earlier this year. He's the victim of an unfortunate incident...»

«Incident?» Oh, fate must have eyes, sometimes.

«Yes... Around March, his carriage slipped over some melting ice and fell in a river.»

March? Has his majesty orchestrated everything to look less suspicious? If it happened in November, it would have been clear that it was because of me. Well, actually because of Alexander, but whatever...

Waiting for March made everyone forget about the scandals of the summer. But why doing so much just for me?

«I couldn't offer you prompt justice, Duchess. I hope this will make up for my failure. At least, in part.»

Why is an Emperor admitting failure?

Even if it is the case, they can't admit it! Oh, who taught this one?

«Your majesty has never failed,» I reply, reminding him that there are better ways to get out of a similar situation without revealing fault. «Your majesty always makes a perfect choice.»

He should have made up some excuse for being late or said that he decided to prefer me over George.

«My dear cousin once told me that a good ruler has to admit failure when it happens,» the Emperor chuckles, moving his eyes on me to check my reaction.

«That is right, your majesty. A ruler has to admit failure when it happens, but only to themself. For their subjects, they must be unmistakable. It's important that they realise what happened and how not to repeat it, that is correct. But subjects need to see divinity in an Emperor's figure.»

«It wasn't like that at your court, Duchess.»

«I wasn't an Emperor,» I point out. I was just a Queen. Of a small merchant city, at that. I needed collaboration rather than obedience, as I didn't have the power to decide everyone's thoughts.

Here in Ethiro, their Emperor is a mystical being. So much that they do not pronounce the name from the moment he's crowned. A myth can't be wrong, for goodness!

«Well, I guess there's more to the story than it looks,» he sighs. He offers me his arm, and I accept.

We walk some more, passing next to a group of girls planting new flowers and removing the old leaves. As soon as we're out of ear's reach, we return to the previous topic.

«I have to admit it was entertaining.»

«What was, your majesty?»

«I sent one of my killers to reach George Lindell. I decided on the date after thorough consideration, and I waited for the reply for two days. I even started suspecting the killer failed, but the story he told me explained the delay.»

«What happened, your majesty?»

«My killer met another killer,» the Emperor says with a grin. «You can guess whose.»

«Oh,» I murmur. «Could it be my husband's?»

«Exactly. Duke Kyre sent one of his spies for the exact same day I did.»

I chuckle, realising what Alexander meant when he said I didn't need to worry. There is no threat at the moment.

«And whose killer did the job, in the end?»

«My man reported that it was him. He swore he blew the fatal hit. Then, the two worked together to hide the delict and stage an incident.»

«How funny,» I say. «I believe your majesty's agent lied.»

«Why is so, Duchess?»

«Because I'm sure my Duke's spy was paid better.»

The Emperor chuckles, passing a hand through his hair. He straightens his back to look taller than me, and we continue our stroll.

The hot topics must be over, so what's next on the schedule?

«My proposition from last year is still valid, Duchess. I'd like you to act as an advisor of the crown.»

«Why me, your majesty?»

«Because you're not afraid of telling me what you think for real.»

«Should I be afraid?»

«No, Duchess. There's no reason to.»

«What about my reward? My husband is going to have his title back without my help. It's not enough of an incentive anymore, your majesty,» I comment, shameless almost like my Duke.

«I do not believe you didn't have any role in this, Duchess Kyre. But I'll pretend to believe in your sincerity. I can offer you a personal title and income coming from it. No territories, for the moment being. We can have this conversation again in a few years. There is a city in the south that is still not allocated.»

It's just bait. How would I be able to manage a place so far from Kyre?

Also, I do not need anything in exchange. The reputation an advisor of the crown has is enough. But I should as well ripe some benefit.

«A title?»

«Yes, a title. You won't need to present yourself as a Duchess or Archduchess.»

«Will I be knighted?» I murmur. I don't dislike my title as Lady Kyre, by the way. It's not as tempting as the Emperor thinks.

«There won't be any ceremony. I'll just sign the document and deliver it to you. You'll be able to choose whether you want to be called Duchess or Dame Kyre.»

Oh, nice. I wouldn't lose Alexander's surname. I wasn't willing to get another name with the title like the Princess.

«It's too early for a title,» I sigh. «A payment for my services will be enough for now.»

«Money?» the Emperor repeats, dumbfounded. «How much does the crown need to hire the wife of Duke Kyre? Do you have any problem with liquidity?»

«Oh, no!» I chuckle. «I want to make my own money. Living off my husband isn't as fulfilling as gaining my own salary.»

«What do you need money for, Duchess?» he asks, doubting my intentions.

«Buying presents for my husband,» I reply. It wouldn't be nice to use his money for that.

His majesty isn't suspecting I would organise revolutions in Polis, is he?

He analyses my face in search of lies, but my cute smile is too sincere to be fake. Oh, I can't wait for Alexander to come back. I will buy something for him with the money from selling the paintings.

That's still exploiting his hard work, but what can I do? I have just started earning; one can't expect too much from me.

«How can one hire a woman that doesn't desire anything?» the Emperor asks, looking at the flowers at our feet. «Duke Kyre is lucky, indeed.»

«Oh, it was your majesty that saw it fit and declared our marriage. It's not our merit if we're happy.»

«I didn't see another way to fulfil a promise,» he says. Is he referring to Alexander's request to let me live, or the Princess's insisting on making us husband and wife?

«There is a way to appease a woman that doesn't have desires,» I start, remembering what I asked of his majesty the first time he offered me the job. «It's gifting those around her.»

«Are you referring to Duke Kyre?»

«Yes, your majesty. It would be just fair if my husband was recognised for his achievements. Till now, he only received many harsh words and few rewards.»

«It's not easy, Duchess. Your husband is seen as a competitor of myself.»

«He's loyal, your majesty.»

«I know,» he sighs. «And I will show you that I appreciate this side of him.»