Lady Adele gave her an encouraging smile. "Go on. You know I'm not so easily shaken."
Sylvanna glanced around the room, then leaned in slightly. "It's about the Empress," she said, her voice low. She paused again, biting the inside of her cheek before continuing. "I've… heard things. Rumors, mostly. That her Majesty is… difficult. That she has a temper. And that she once…" Sylvanna hesitated, then gave a small, bewildered shake of her head. "That she once bit a countess. During court."
Sylvanna looked up, expecting a scolding, or at the very least a frown. But instead, Lady Adele stared at her for a moment, eyes wide—then burst into laughter. Not the polite kind, but a full, gleeful laugh that made her shoulders shake and her hand go to her chest.
"Oh dear heavens," Lady Adele said between chuckles. "That again?"
Sylvanna horrified, taken aback. "S-so… it's true?"
Lady Adele wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Let's just say… the countess was lucky it was only a nibble. The Empress was in a very bad mood that time and that woman is not helping at all with her troublesome attitude" She smiled. "But don't worry, my dear. If the Empress ever did bite you, it wouldn't be out of spite."
Sylvanna's whirled around in horror. "T-that's not very reassuring, my lady"
Lady Adele caught Sylvanna's stricken look and, to Sylvanna's further dismay, she laughed again.
"Oh, you should see your face," she managed between chuckles, pressing a hand to her ribs. "Goodness, it's been far too long since I laughed like this. You truly are the only person who can make me laugh so freely, my lady."
Well… Sylvanna couldn't quite agree with that. She was, after all, known for having more excellent humor than everyone. "S-so… you were just teasing me?" she asked, half embarrassed.
"Of course I was," Lady Adele replied, shaking her head. "I was only fooling you, please forgive this old woman. I can't help myself. The Empress has never bitten anyone…"
She stepped back, likely recalling the scene in her memory "I don't know where you get this story but all of it is true except the bit part. It was a rather heated quarrel with that countess, yes—but rumors have a way of twisting events. Often, they turn it into something far more dramatic. If you ever hear such things about the Empress, you should come to me first before believing them."
Sylvanna brows frown. "Couldn't the Empress stop these rumors from spreading?" Sylvanna asked, testly or perhaps retreatingly. Even she wasn't sure.
But it didn't matter, anyway. Whether you were loved or hated, you would always be a subject of ridicule. Especially an Empress—among aristocrats and nobles, there was always a torrent of critique and speculation, day after day. Even for her. That was the price of fame and power. And Sylvanna knew it well from her own experience.
"The Empress hardly cares about such things," the lady replied. "If they want to speak ill of her, they had better make sure she doesn't catch them, otherwise, they'll have to face her directly."
Sylvanna cannot help but be impressed. If it were her she would punish these people with slander. Perhaps the Empress was simply more patient or maybe she had grown used to such things. After all, she was expected to remain a dignified figure, no matter what was said about her.
She was honestly relieved that the rumor wasn't true, part of her had nearly believed the Empress was some kind of fire-breathing tyrant.
Before arriving, she'd done her share of digging, trying to piece what kind of ruler the Empress really was. There were a few good things she'd heard... but clearly, the Empress didn't have the cleanest reputation.
Still, someone like her couldn't be ignored.. not by anyone.
"Then… is it true that after that event, the Empress began to hate women with the title of countess?" Sylvanna murmured under her breath.
Lady Adele looked at her with disbelief "You see, Lady Sylvanna.. you may be a brilliant woman, but sometimes you can be a little dense. You have this different sort of personality that sets you apart from the rest of us. It's not a bad thing."
Sylvanna didn't bother arguing with that. She had her own way of thinking, and no one else was like her. She was a certified 21th century woman.
There were things in this world she didn't understand and honestly, she preferred to leave them that way. She wasn't trying to be some advocate or something. She doesn't want to be a hero to express change.
The moment she realized she'd been thrown into another world, far vast on her old one she'd made up her mind. She would embrace it, take it as it was. Accept her fate. That was her plan, and it still was.
She was Sylvanna now, not the Silvana she used to be.
Lady Adele smiled, then added, "You can relax. There's no danger in speaking to the Empress at least, not that kind. You only need to be lucky enough that the empress is in a good mood. She is known to have different colors each day."
Sylvanna let out a nervous laugh. "Lady Adele, I don—"
"My lady!" a woman's voice cut her off. Someone came rushing in their direction.