Helena was actually a little pleased to see that Lucia wasn’t completely unaware.
Even if these weren’t pleasant memories.
“And supplies weren’t the key either. But in the end, you were still under half-surveillance. Even if your family’s Merchant Guild operations have had no problems all these years, that feeling of having a knife at your throat—it wasn’t pleasant, was it?”
At this, Lucia paused.
“After all, before you became Empress, your parents already wisely stepped back to avoid attracting too much attention and to avoid giving you a bad reputation.”
Lucia toyed with the silver fork in her hand, adding casually.
“Though… I don’t think it would have made much difference if His Highness’s brother had taken over the Merchant Guild.”
Helena added.
“At least… he inherited their cautious style—rarely showing himself unless absolutely necessary.”
“But… when it comes to me, it’s completely different.”
Helena looked at her sharp-tongued daughter, lowering her eyes bitterly.
“I’m sorry, Lucy… I didn’t have the courage to raise you properly. When I was pregnant with you, I thought of countless ways to raise you, countless times I pondered how to make you happy…”
Lucia coldly cut off Helena’s emotional appeal.
She withdrew the foot she had been dangling under the table, put on her shoes. The white high heels once again pressed firmly against the floor, producing a dull thud.
“Forget it. There’s nothing more to say about that now. Let’s continue talking about the Emperor.”
Helena answered quickly.
“As you know, the former Archbishop Bulaien wanted to rebel. But because Bulaien still carries the bloodline of the annexed duchy… you probably didn’t know that? Even though the human nations have been unified, ordinary people no longer care about such things.”
Lucia crossed her arms and nodded seriously.
“Indeed, I didn’t know.”
She only knew that Bulaien had also joined the Empire after the Holy Kingdom. In a sense, the unification of the Empire—the Church’s compromise. But in the subsequent tug-of-war between Divine Power and Imperial Power, Bulaien harbored ill intentions again, simply because he was the illegitimate son of the former Duchy King.
Just then, Mia, who had been sitting quietly beside them like an exquisite, oversized pocket dress doll, suddenly moved.
Lucia had almost forgotten she existed until she stood up.
Even though the mother and daughter had just discussed so many sensitive topics, even at loggerheads, Mia had maintained a polite smile and hadn’t interrupted a single word.
But now, Mia slowly rose.
Instead of walking directly to the door, she did something Lucia hadn’t expected.
She bent over slightly. The deep V-neck “big pocket” swayed gently with the movement, the heavy fruit nearly breaking free. She reached out one hand to steady herself on the table edge, while the other hand elegantly reached down to her heel.
A pair of emerald green high heels was taken off and gently placed on the carpet.
Then the other.
Those were a pair of delicate, small, and exquisite feet, wrapped in pantyhose.
It was truly amazing. Even though Mia’s “pocket” was so big and her height exceeded the Empire’s female average, what supported all of that were such small feet.
Under the glossy black silk stockings, the arches of her feet formed graceful curves, her toes round and cute, showing a hint of pink.
Because the stockings were transparent and smooth, the five toes were clearly visible within the black silk, slightly curled, gripping the floor.
Mia stood barefoot on the floor like that.
Even wearing those slippery glossy stockings, her small feet remained perfectly steady on the smooth wooden floor.
Like an elegant black cat, moving quietly and gracefully across the floor inch by inch.
Although her face still maintained that light, airy atmosphere from the first meeting, her eyes had sharpened a bit.
Mia circled the room once.
Lucia watched as her glossy black silk-clad soles alternately lifted and fell.
This was a restaurant, even if it was a private room—the floor was bound to have tiny grains of sand or wood splinters. For extremely thin, high-quality glossy stockings, these were all fatal enemies.
With just a light snag, the expensive stockings would immediately run and be ruined, or even cut the delicate soles.
But Mia didn’t care at all.
She walked around like that, disregarding the possibility of dirtying her stockings or getting them snagged. Like a ghost, she silently pushed open the door and left the room.
As the door closed, not even a whisper of wind stirred.
Lucia raised an eyebrow.
She had thought Mia was bored, or perhaps as an adopted daughter, she had no chance to interject between the Empress and her biological daughter, so she chose to leave.
But apparently not.
She had probably gone to check if anyone was eavesdropping.
Lucia knew that the moment the waiter left, Helena had cast a sound-muffling spell inside the room.
But Mia still went out to confirm.
Was it cautious checking?
Or was there really one of the Emperor’s men?
Even if it were the Emperor’s men, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.
After all, Helena had publicly invited Lucia that day—every noble knew that Helena and Lucia, this mother-daughter pair, were going to have a meal together and strengthen their bond.
And the young masters and ladies studying at the Academy would surely tell their parents or use it as gossip at social gatherings.
It would be stranger if it didn’t reach the Emperor’s ears.
Hmm… that possibility did exist.
Lucia looked at the spot where Mia had been sitting.
The pair of abandoned emerald green high heels were still standing there alone, the insoles seemingly still retaining the warmth of their owner’s soles.
Soon, the doorknob turned silently.
Mia was back.
She still hadn’t put on her shoes.
Her glossy black silk-clad small feet stepped on the hard floor without slipping, without making any sound at all.
Lucia instinctively glanced at the soles of her feet.
The glossy black stockings were still perfectly intact.
It felt as if she hadn’t actually stepped on the floor but floated directly, completely unscathed.
“Sorry~”
This Lucia arc is dragging on