Chapter 113 Duchess Solange Vivienne DAlecon
That morning, the King's private chamber was filled with endless complaints.
But it wasn't the finance minister grumbling about taxes in the eastern provinces, nor was it a border soldier's report. This time, the noisiest person in the room was his beloved wife, furious and pacing in the middle of the floor.
Duchess Solange Vivienne D'Alecon, the most powerful consort in the palace and Claus's biological mother, marched back and forth in front of the King's desk like a broken iron.
The little porcelain dish on the desk nearly got smashed if she hadn't remembered it was one of her favorite expensive pieces.
"Your Majesty! Did you see the morning paper?!" Solange's voice rang out as she waved the front page, showing her son in a matching midnight-blue outfit with Ilse de Varannes.
"Your son is completely beyond my expectations! He never acted like this before!"
The King, who was usually fierce with ministers and anyone else, shrank the moment he saw Solange's flushed, angry face. He lowered his head, massaging his aching temples. He was always defeated by this woman. As emperor, his pride vanished whenever he faced Solange.
"Alright, Solange, please, sit down and have some tea to calm your nerves," the King pleaded, his tone turning into that of a kitten being scolded by its mother.
"I was just as shocked as you when he pulled Ilse de Varannes onto the dance floor. How was I supposed to know that kid had such a hidden talent for causing a national uproar?"
"Don't tell me to drink tea!" Solange snapped, slamming the paper onto the desk so hard that it creased.
"You're his father, but you can't even control your own child! If the D'Alecon family ends up the laughingstock of the empire because of this embarrassing headline, I won't talk to you for a whole week!"
At that threat, the King's face turned pale. State affairs suddenly felt lighter compared to the threat of his favorite wife's silent treatment.
"Yes, yes, I'll summon Claus for an interrogation," the King surrendered, raising both hands. "But you know how stubborn he is, telling him off is useless."
Solange huffed, folding her arms and looking away. "I don't care! There's no way my son wears matching outfits with some girl unless I'm the one who chose her!"
Meanwhile, in another wing of the palace, things were much calmer, but the interrogation here was far more amusing.
In the Empress's private tea room, adorned with spotless white silk curtains, Claus sat upright on a velvet chair. Across from him, the Empress, renowned for her cold, ruthless demeanor and almost never smiling at anyone, sipped her black tea with regal elegance.
The Empress wasn't Claus's biological mother. But everyone in the palace knew their relationship was much closer than the Empress's relationship with her own son, Prince Didier.
The Empress cared for, respected, and was far prouder of Claus, who always did his duty and could be relied on, than she ever was of Didier, who only caused trouble, was manipulative, and easily swayed by ambitious women like Lysandra.
The Empress set her teacup gently on its saucer. The porcelain made the faintest clink, but her eyes glanced mischievously at Claus, barely hiding the smirk at the corner of her lips.
"So..." The Empress's voice was calm, but her gaze was playful, determined to dig for her stepson's secrets.
"Matching outfits, Claus? I never imagined the most feared general in the country had a hidden romantic side. Since when did your fashion sense sync up with that Viscount's daughter?"
Claus was silent for a moment. His eyes were fixed on the teacup before him, refusing to show any awkward expression. "I'm not joking, Your Majesty."
The Empress laughed softly, pressing him further. "Oh really? Not joking? You even shocked the whole palace when you dragged her onto the dance floor, and in matching outfits, no less!"
Claus sighed quietly, then raised his head to meet the Empress's gaze. "I know exactly what I'm doing."
The Empress smiled wider, a rare sight Didier had never witnessed in his life. She couldn't help but be happy to see Claus finally involved in something besides swords and blood, even if he still went about it in his typically military way.
"Well, independent kids get to do as they please," the Empress teased, handing Claus a cookie. "But brace yourself for your mother's wrath. This morning I heard she almost tore apart her room because of your matching outfit headline."
Claus chewed his cookie and shrugged nonchalantly. "Let her."