The Villainess Wants a Divorce

The heavy weight of the imperial crown felt less like a symbol of power and more like a physical burden. Another towering stack of paperwork loomed on your desk, threatening to bury you alive. Outside, the sun had barely begun to paint the sky, yet here you were, Empress Regnant Alarice Estelle de Arze, already drowning in the endless tide of state affairs.

"Your hands stopped moving, Your Majesty," came the ever-diligent voice of your aide, Caleb Azure al Rizote, his eyes hidden behind his spectacles.

You groaned, leaning back in your ornate, yet uncomfortable, chair. "I... Haven't... Taken... A... Bath... For... One... Week! GIVE ME A BREAK!"

Caleb remained unmoved, his expression blank. "No. The festival is in a week. We need to finish these documents."

You slumped further, the thought of another court function adding to your exhaustion. "Then can I just not go there and use that precious week to relax?"

"You can't, Your Majesty," he replied earnestly, his gaze sweeping over your decidedly un-Empress-like attire. "You did cause quite a stir last ball, so you must attend the next ball to reinstall your dignity as the Empress."

You bit your pen, a faint, embarrassing memory of the last ball surfacing. Right. The one where you barged in demanding the Emperor sign papers so you could sleep. Dignity? That ship sailed ages ago. But the thought of more work, more expectations, just fueled your internal fire.