Starting a Reversal in Life From the Time of Release

14 – A Woman’s World for Big Matters (5)

Emperor Anastasia, or rather, Anastasia, had just finished her bath and felt truly refreshed, a feeling she hadn’t had in years. This was thanks to the deep love she had shared with her husband, whose whereabouts had been a mystery for a few years.

“Ugh…”

With her eyelids closed, she continued to moan, her heavy lower abdomen still throbbing.

The ecstasy and faint sense of anticipation that maybe her youngest child would be born disappeared from Anastasia’s mind.

“Have you come out now?”

As she walked out of the bath, Mari, who had been waiting at the door, punched the air and smiled.

Mari Elizabeth was the second of Anastasia’s two daughters and one son, and there was something about her that was unpretentious.

Just like right now.

“Yeah, were you waiting?”

“Yes, I heard you were going to the bath.”

As Mari nodded and smiled, Anastasia’s head tilted slightly to the side.

“Then why didn’t you come in without waiting?”

“It’s not that dirty.”

“Are you implying… that I’m dirty?”

“Father and you were in bed for a week, how could it not be dirty?”

Mari was about to give a more pointed comment but stopped.

It couldn’t be helped that the room was filled with the smell of both male and female.

Of course, the servants cleaning the room had blushed as well.

“Ahem! There’s nothing we can do about that. Your father’s whereabouts have been unknown for several years…”

“That’s enough at this point.”

Anastasia’s awkward footsteps moved forward, and Mari walked alongside her.

The sound of people’s footsteps echoed heavily in the inner corridor.

“You’ve detoxified and shared the aftereffects, so… are you going back now?”

“That’s right. It may be an uncomfortable situation as it is, but if I stay here longer, the Duke will feel more burdened. We can’t leave the throne vacant for too long.”

As Mari climbed the stairs to the upper floor and asked, Anastasia replied calmly.

She did come to talk to Charlotte, her eldest and next in line for the throne, about taking over the regency, but she was still the actual owner for now.

So it was better to go back quickly.

She had forgotten about seeing Alberto’s face.

“Oh, by the way, how’s that young immigrant man mentioned in the letter?”

Instead of focusing on the room she was diligently cleaning, Anastasia entered the reception room on the third floor and asked.

She had already notified the landlady that she would use this room before going to the bath, so she had no hesitation.

“Hmm?”

Anastasia pushed past the attending maids and sat by the terrace window, facing Marie.

But until then, there was no satisfactory answer, raising suspicion.

“Why? Do you see any signs of him being threatened?”

Unless in formal settings, Anastasia never referred to Alberto as the Duke, but used endearing terms of endearment.

She called him by his pet name, “my love.”

The person next to her was visibly uncomfortable.

Marie felt the same way, her skin crawling as she spoke.

“No, not at all. From what I’ve seen, he’s a good person. Reliable.”

“Reliable? Well… I suppose. He had to be reliable enough to bring him from such a faraway place. A wanderer, it seems.”

While Anastasia nodded approvingly, Marie calmed her thoughts.

She intended to convey the story she heard from Yusihu in its entirety.

So, she carefully chose her words and began speaking, prompting wide-eyed surprise from Anastasia.

There was a hint of skepticism, but it was minimal.

The current emperor wasn’t as closed off as other monarchs; his ears were open.

“A different world, you say. And in that world, men hold power? That’s fascinating. What’s even more interesting is that women also share that power.”

“Yes, in that place, men handle significant responsibilities. Interestingly, women also have their share of power.”

“Both men and women take charge? It must be quite complicated.”

Imagine if people with a strong inclination for meddling were actively participating in politics or society?

For Anastasia, it was utterly horrifying.

Not all men on the continent were boorish, but there was a general undercurrent of brutishness among them.

Thinking about Yusihu’s way of life based on that, her head throbbed.

“Hmm… just listening to it makes my head spin.”

“I agree.”

“Well… that’s their situation; we have our own.”

As if dismissing any further irrelevant thoughts, Anastasia waved her hand.

Instead, her eyes glinted sharply as she inquired,

“Anyway, we should send a magician to investigate the place with the circular crack. Having such a passage on our territory is a welcome development… but we should also discreetly inform the Dakhian royal family.”

“What?!”

Dakhia.

Mari exclaimed in surprise when the discussion of another powerful nation that faced the Empire and its borders arose. “Is it really necessary to do so? There would be many benefits gained through cooperation with other worlds…”

“Your point is valid. However, I reached this conclusion because I have a different perspective,” Anastasia responded, calming her sharp gaze after taking a moment to collect herself.

“Firstly, the crack is not just our problem, but rather a concern for the entire continent. This also applies to Dakea. Secondly, it is to prepare for the potential issues that may arise once that world becomes aware of the crack. How many humans live in that world, and how many countries are there? What is their level of weaponry? We must also determine how we will respond if they have superior abilities and express their greed.”

Therefore, it cannot be solved by hiding due to greed.

Mary nodded obediently because she believed Anastasia’s words were all correct.

“I’m relieved that the man didn’t inform anyone about the round crack. He probably knew that it would lead to a great chaos once it became known,” Anastasia smiled, recalling the moment when she quietly left the room without a word.

As Mary became even more perplexed, she controlled her excitement and calmed her breathing. Being educated in the royal palace, she quickly regulated her emotions.

It seemed that concealing her emotions was more advantageous than revealing them in this situation.

“Yes. I like him,” she replied.

“Well, the world is different, so the roles and temperaments of men must also differ. Is that why you’re attracted to him?”

“I guess that’s a big part of it. But still… I just want to get closer to him because I find him intriguing.”

“You’ve fallen for him. I felt the same way when I first met him,” Anastasia chuckled, remembering the first encounter with Alberto.

She had the feeling that meeting men was quite similar, perhaps due to her bloodline.

“In that case, pursue him and make him yours.”

“I didn’t intend to… Are you okay with it?”

Mari asked, her eyes widening in surprise, to which Anastasia responded nonchalantly.

“As you know, nobles and aristocrats often strategically marry. They do it to expand their influence or solidify their position. They also claim various reasons, such as the need for compatibility in order to communicate effectively.”

“Yes. That’s only natural,” Mari agreed.

So consider a good family, and consider the person.

Even Maria, who had given up her royal title earlier than anyone else, knew that much.

She knew, but when the Emperor himself told her not to worry, she had nothing to say.

“But, why should we be so entangled? I chose your father regardless of political reasons.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So, don’t choose based on your background. After all, even a prestigious family won’t be with you until the end when you die. It’s all an illusion.”

People naturally are influenced by the family they grow up in. So, the saying that marriage is a union of families is also true for me.

However, in the end, living together after marriage is about people and people.

Anastasia emphasized that point.

“It’s better to find someone who will love you first, regardless of their family background. Of course, your sister and brother also think the same.”

“Wow…”

It may have seemed overly radical and dangerous, but all that came out of Maria’s lips was admiration.

“It’s a nice sentiment, but… I don’t think it’s what the Emperor meant.”

“As long as people don’t deviate too much, they can pursue happiness however they like. Getting a good person is part of that happiness.”

However.

Anastasia paused for a moment and then brought up the thoughts she had kept inside.

“I have one request. Will you listen?”

“Yes? You can give me orders, but calling it a request… makes me nervous. What is it?”

As if she was curious, Maria blinked, and her mother answered in a low voice.

“Follow that man, see the world he lives in. Check if it could be a threat to us, how much of a threat it might be. Also, see if there’s anything to gain or learn from him.”

It’s not simply about going to a different place. It means scouting a completely different world.

Maria sensed the weight hidden in this request and nodded slowly.

“That’s good. I wanted to go see it once too. When you call it a different world, it piques your curiosity.”

“Yes. Just as you have curiosity, the people there will be curious about us when they get to know us. So, it’s best to quietly investigate when you have the chance.”

“I’ll do that.”

“This matter doesn’t need to be broadcast openly, but it’s not something to be hidden at all. If you start hiding these feelings from the beginning, there’s no end to it. For those you can trust, let them know.”

Especially for those who will become family.

Maria gazed at her mother, who had already quietly tied Yushihu into her family, and smiled with her eyes.

He might not love this man enough to marry him just yet, but she felt it would be okay to marry him right now.

At least he seemed much better than the men she had experienced before.

Furthermore, there was a possibility that deep affection could bloom as they lived together in marriage.

After coming to a conclusion about Shifu, Mari thought back to what he had said and spoke up.

“But we should at least hear Shifu’s opinion. He said he came here for an investigation, so we shouldn’t leave our positions vacant for too long.”

“Is that so? Then ask him about his intentions. If he says he needs to leave right away, follow him immediately.”

“Follow him immediately?”

When Mari asked with a puzzled look, Anastasia showed an expression that seemed to imply it was obvious.

“Well, if there’s a way to leave a little earlier, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Just make sure to convince him of that point. Don’t disappoint him.”