Queen Of The Scalpel

It was at that moment.

The emperor who was deep in conversation with her father turned around and smiled cheerfully at her .

"Today our lady is acting quite strange. I feel like she  has slightly changed the aura  around her . In fact it seems like she has  become even more ladylike."

Elise  slightly blushed.

In the past she had done so many immature things .

The Emperor always let it go as if she was his own niece who was only acting out cutely .

The Marquise Ed laughed heartily .

"That true your Majesty . Suddenly one day she started acting very maturely .In fact these days she has changed a lot ."

"Ah, Father."

"What happened recently ..."

Then the  Marquise starting to act like a over doting father bragging about his daughter recent changes which didn"t suit his stern expression at all.

He bragged on about her  various acts of  filial piety towards her family and how generously she took care of the people below her.

"The whole estate is overflowing with her praises theses days."

"Ha Ha , really?"

The emperor just  looked at Elise .

He had watched over her since childhood so he knew how she acted normally . He  had always believe that her character would improve with time  but for her to  change so much so suddenly?!

"She really brews your tea all the time?"

"Yes, that right. The tea she makes  has such a deep flavor it really surprised me."

"Seriously? I"m curious. Will you please grant me the honor of trying your tea?"

His teasing voice made Elise whole face blushed with embarra.s.sment.

"It a honor  your Majesty .However  I am afraid my inadequate skills will only ruin your taste ."

"What are you saying? You are like my own niece .Any tea  that you make for me I will drink it gladly and  it will make me feel happy so don"t worry about it .  Now show off your skills to your hearts content."

At those words she had no choice but to get up from her seat  and bow her head .

"If you say so I will try my utmost best .If the tea is lacking please don"t blame me too much."

Then she went and approached the servants.

"Can you ready the things I will  tell you right now?"

"Yes my lady."

"For now prepare some black and white tea from the east . The water must be freshly draw mineral water from today....."

Even if you use the same tea leaves depending on the type of material you use or the condition of the water and temperature when you steep the leaves the difference in taste is like the heavens and earth.

"The Tea the Emperor used to favor is..."

She went through her memories and replicated the process the way the Emperor enjoyed tea.
In her past life she had brewed tea for her father in law a couple times so she knew his taste in tea quite well.

"I have brought the tea, your Majesty."

She brought out the tea will small reserved movements and the Emperor who smelled the fragrance couldn"t hide his surprise .

"The smell is so rich . In the past I had tried the tea brewed directly by the neighboring country Cheong amba.s.sador himself. The fragrance is similar to that. "

"You flatter me your Majesty ."

He spent some time savoring the tea scent then took a sip  . Once he tasted the tea his expresssion became even more amazed .

"Wonderful , When did you study Darye (etiquette for tea) ? I will have to ask the palace servants to go learn how to brew tea again from you."

The Emperor looked at Elise with a proud face .
After the tea trade was opened by the eastern country Cheong drinking tea became fashionable among the n.o.bles . Depending on  how the tea was poured out and the way you drank it was a status symbol of  cla.s.s and elegance . The entire empire n.o.bility wives were pa.s.sionately into the study of Darye.
Therefore the more n.o.ble the lady the more wonderful the tea she could make. Elise"s tea didn"t lose to any of the wives of  n.o.bility in a empire full of  tea professionals.

"She says she had studied on her own secretly . I  too ,drink the tea she brews everyday. When I drink it my hear clears and my fatigue goes away."

The Marquise Ed once again started bragging about his daughter.

"Yes , It exactly as you said .My head cleared up and my fatigue went away .It wonderful .To think you can drink tea like this every day I am jealous."

She felt taken back by the continuous praises and shook her head.

"My skills are still lacking . I fear your praises are too extreme ."

"No it not. By the way.."

"Yes?"

The Emperor asked with fond eyes .

"When you enter the palace will you brew tea for me sometimes?"

"....!"

Elise expression stiffen .
Currently the Emperor was discussing about her marriage to the crown prince!

"That..."

"Anyway Since you allowed me to taste such wonderful tea I must grant you a reward.Is there anything you like? Please ask without reserve .We are going to be one family anyways so what can"t I do for you?"

He looked at her with eyes as if she was truly his family .

"....."

 She gulped back her spit.
"I need to tell him before it too late."
She took a deep breath and started speaking .

"Your Majesty I have something to say."

"What is it? Just tell me."

"The truth is..."

But it was at that moment!
A cool voice cut into  her heart .

"I was later Father sama"

"....!"

As soon as she heard that voice her expression harden.
"Really....? This voice is....?"
The indifference  .
So it was able to hurt more spreading coldness throughout her soul .
Her hands started shaking at the sound of his voice she could never forget .

"Oh yes, welcome "

The Emperor raised his head and looked at "him."

"Crown prince."

Linden del Lambert
He was her previous self husband due to missteps led to destruction and he was the one who ordered the execution blade to be lowered on her.
The Crown prince looked at her with indifferent gold eyes .

*******************************************************************************

The portrait  ability only  carried by the  Royal bloodline was in those gold eyes . Those  transparent gold eyes carried the chill of the northern winds .

His face looked like he was born with the light of G.o.d. He had both beauty and coldness entwine around him. He was cold to the point of chilliness yet so beautiful at the same time.
He was the one who will be called  the Emperor of Britannia and the most famous elite of the current  era Linden del Lambert

"Elise De Clorance greets his highness."

At this unexpected reunion she was greatly taken back but she hid her feelings and greeted him properly. The prince just looked at her indifferently.
"In the past I like his cold gaze a lot".
Even at the moment her  head was chopped off at the execution block she was deeply in love in the prince.
That cold glare , beautiful face and short words of his .
She loved everything about him.
"But it was a unrequited love"
Unfortunately he didn"t love her back .
The more he push her away the more twisted her heart became.
"From the start I shouldn"t have tangled with him"
In the past she had a bad character but she wasn"t evil enough to commit crimes .
There was only one reason she had become twisted .
Her twisted relationship with him.
To be more accurate it was because of her unrequited love and his coldness towards her.
The more entangled she got with him the more twisted she became. She end up clinging to  her vanity and greed to sustain her.
Then her love became a obsession crossed a forbidden line which  resulted in her losing her entire family and her head on the executioner"s block .
"Well, it was all my fault. I was really foolish. Seriously ."
She sighed inwardly.
Yes, it was truly foolish. It was stupid.

The Korean tea ceremony or darye (茶禮) is a traditional form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea. Darye literally refers to "etiquette for tea" or "tea rite" and has been kept among Korean people for over a thousand years.

I added Sama which is j.a.panese because it more familiar to viewers but he really saying nim which is basically the same thing .