As his forehead furrowed more severely, Julietta said soothingly, "I feel a pressure on my chest. I'm going to get heavier soon because of my second child, so I'd like to go get some fresh air before that."

Killian immediately gave up his claim when his heart sank at the sight of Julietta's sighs, looking out of the window. " Promise me you'll be back as soon as possible. A week is too long."

"I'll try."

Killian sat next to Julietta and hugged her and their child. "I'm sorry I can't come with you."

"It's okay. If you, the Emperor, move, the tour schedule will be longer. I will try to hide my status as the Empress and pretend to be Maribel's relative, so as not to attract attention."

No matter how free travel between countries was thanks to the Magic Square, it was necessary to use a process when the Empress of the Empire visited other countries. Julietta leaned her head on his shoulder.

"And I think I'll bring Phoebe on the way."

Killian nodded at the words. "Three years will be enough to reflect. Now, if the second child is born, it would be too much for Mrs. Grayson and Vera alone, so I'm in favor of bringing her in."

Killian put Julietta on the bed and gently ma.s.saged her belly with perfume. The belly ma.s.sage was a unique ritual for the two that took place before bed every day.

"I don't think that your belly is as full as you were with the first baby. Is it a daughter?"

At the voice full of hope, Julietta complained bitterly, "You said you wouldn't discriminate against a son and a daughter!"

"It's not discrimination, but a wish. I want to have a pretty princess who looks like you."

Mumbling with greed for his daughter, Killian worked hard to ma.s.sage Julietta's belly until late at night.

***

Vicern's shopkeeper, who had been so obstinate, quickly agreed and sold his shop when Julietta came and offered some suggestions. That was the start of construction of the Raefany's branch in Vicern, which had been ready and waiting.

Julietta marked the gla.s.s display case on the site of the small triangular general store. "This is how we have a site where we can use three sides as a display case, just like the Raefany's on Eloz Street."

"It took longer than we thought. I thought the original size was pretty big, but it was hard to buy the next stores out because you said it had to be bigger," Duke Oswald sighed as he looked into the drawings of the site, where their biggest store was to be built on the Lechant Street.

"Vicern's Raefany's will have a more advanced strategy than Austern."

"I don't understand that part. Is it necessary to be more advanced than the fas.h.i.+on hub in Austern?"

"That is because the capital of Austern is the center of fas.h.i.+on. Austern's Raefany's deals in a variety of items, including pet ornaments, small jewelry, and furniture. So, a lot of customers come and go every day. They even come from across the ocean to buy things. But it can be a distraction for customers who come to pick out more expensive ornaments."

Julietta indicated a small room in one windowless area in the drawings. "We will create small rooms like this in Vicern that will allow them to enjoy top-of-the-line products and purchase them. It's going to be a totally different kind of Raefany's."

A bright, energetic Raefany's and a quiet, calm Raefany's; she planned to open a completely different style of Raefany's and Chartreu at each branch.

Oswald nodded his head in admiration. "Then I'm sure you're planning to have a new feel for Raefany's in Bertino."

"That's right. Bertino is a relatively small place compared to Austern and Vicern. Most people will visit Raefany's while they're in Bertino, but they won't feel the need to go there for it."

Julietta pointed to an area in Bertino. "I've heard that a special mineral has been found here."

"Yes, we haven't crafted it yet, but they say the color of the crystal varies from day to night."

Recalling a kind of gem she had seen on the Earth, Julietta exclaimed, "Maybe it depends on what kind of light it gets. Can I see the mineral? I am wondering if Bertino could be the only one handling jewelry made from that mineral."

Oswald replied to Julietta, "The collected ore has been sent to His Majesty. For now, we don't know whether it has a value as a jewel or not, and development of the mine has stopped until permission has come from His Majesty."

"Then I'll have to ask His Majesty!" Julietta stood up and bowed to Duke Oswald. "I'll go, then."

"I'll see you back in Austern."

Julietta was seen off by Oswald and boarded a waiting carriage. While the carriage ran to use the Magic Square outside the capital of Vicern, the Vicern Temple was visible outside the window.

"It was three years ago," Julietta muttered, recalling the Proof of Blood at the Vicern Temple.

Maribel gave Philip to Vera, as he was anxious to play, and looked outside.

Three years ago, Dian had confessed to killing Regina and her nanny. Her plan was obvious from the nanny's body hidden under the bed, so it was judged intentional and could not be taken as an accident.

Julietta thought Regina had died naturally, and was surprised by Dian's cruelty when the nanny's body was found. 'How could such a good and innocent girl change like that?'