A Stranger Wearing the Name of Your Wife - Chapter 5

“It’s been a while, Tria. I’m glad you’ve returned to the palace.”

“Well, to be honest, so am I, Eck.”

We smiled at each other and sat down in our chairs. My favorite chair still had the cushion that matched my hair color. Even after I left for the Kingdom of Addison, the chair remained here. That made me very happy. This is where I belong.

“You must be tired, though. Shall we talk later?”
Rui asked with concern, but I shook my head.

“I’m fine. The roads on this side are well maintained.”

I wasn’t lying. After crossing the border, the speed of the carriage more than doubled, and the shaking was reduced by half.

The main roads in the Empire were properly built. In the Kingdom of Addison, the roads were just flattened dirt. When it rained, ruts would form. The wheels would get stuck, and the carriages often broke. But in the Richter Empire, the roads were made by laying down stone.

They broke apart rocky mountains and laid the flat stones in rows. Sand was spread underneath to adjust the height. Because the water drained well and each stone was large, deep ruts didn’t form easily. These smooth roads helped people and goods move more efficiently.

The roadwork had started in our grandfather’s time and continued even after my brother became emperor. Thanks to that, we enjoyed a very comfortable ride with hardly any bumps.

“That’s good to hear.”

I sipped the tea that had been prepared for us. In front of Eck was a large stack of documents. The papers were filled with writing and looked very heavy. He placed them at his feet instead of on the table.

“Eck, what’s that?”

Fort asked casually, as always. Eck just shrugged.

“As Prime Minister, it’s my job to protect the lady’s honor. These documents… but I doubt Fort would understand them.”

It sounded a bit like an insult, but Eck didn’t mean any harm. Fort didn’t seem to mind at all and just brushed it off.

“I see. Then I’ll leave the hard stuff to you, Eck.”

It might sound risky to someone listening from outside, like they’re about to fight—but they always end peacefully.

“Now then, Tria, let’s hear your story.”

“Yes. I only noticed something was wrong by coincidence.”

It was truly a coincidence. If not for that, I might still be living the same way. Still playing house as a married couple… still waiting for that man to return. Just thinking about it gives me chills.

My face naturally stiffened.

“A few days before I contacted you, I went to the temple on an errand.”

It was a rainy day. The light rain kept falling, and I really just wanted to stay home. But a gap in my schedule opened up, so I decided to take care of something that had been on my mind for a while.

I sent a messenger ahead to the temple and made proper preparations before going. I went to receive a blessing charm pouch for little Ingrid. I could have asked the butler or a maid to go in my place. But I chose to go myself. Maybe that too was part of God’s will.