Oh! My Empress

"I am here to take you out as the part of your training, lady Whittemore," Alex greeted Kim Su Won the next day, ready in his garb as her guard for the day.

Isaac Laurent had decided that Emmeline Whittemore lacked the real world experience and needed to get out before she started her lessons to understand how the real world worked.

He had informed the kid and her maid that his son would be taking her out for the day. They had allotted her a budget of hundred krislas, the currency of Krislabet. She were to spend the money however she see fit but had to check out at least ten different businesses and write a report about her experience.

It was a great exercise for herself because, although she knew what innovations the originally transmigrated woman had brought about in the novel, she had far less idea on how people were living here.

Kim Su Won wanted to make money herself, but since her years were numbered, she was also glad to be of servitude nature to the citizens. If she could raise her own reputation among the masses while helping them out raise their standard of living, would it not be the best for the original transmigrator too?

She had readily agreed to the proposal. The only thing she did not know was that Ivan had insisted on going with them and she was now stuck with him too.

She had wanted to be lowkey, so she was wearing one of the simplest dresses she owned. She was almost at par with what Anna was wearing. Simple gowns with no frilly skirts in pastel colors. There were no accessories or ornaments. Kim Su Won had her hair half tied in a pony and Anna was wearing a bun. The kid did not have to worry about her identity being discovered because her hair was a bit more common in the area than her siblings and Whittemores in general.

Alex had to put on colored fake glasses to hide his eye's color and he was wearing a cap that hid his hair color well. Ivan had to do the same. They looked like twins with matching outfits and equally handsome faces.

The carriage had arrived, which was also not flashy like the official carriages of the duchy. There was no insignia of the dukedom on the carriage too.

"Thank you for going along with my wish to remain anonymous, Alex," Kim Su Won smiled when she realized that the trip was going to be smoother than she thought. Except the presence of Ivan but she had decided to ignore her elder brother for the time being.

Alex nodded. It was his duty as her guard. And he wanted her to do well on her assignment. "Please let me know if you need anything else my lady… I mean E-Emmeline."

"When did you guys go on first name basis?" Ivan shifted his gaze from one to other, his eyes full of suspicion. They had officially just met. Alex still did not call Ivan by his first name after all these years but he was already so chummy with his sister?

To say that Ivan was unhappy was understatement. He was jealous! Of how easy it was for his younger sister to form relationships. All that kid needed to do was either smile or pout. She was a kid, a pretty one at that. And she did not need to think about her position as a Whittemore either.

Ivan Whittemore suddenly felt like the position of the heir was not as lucrative anymore. He did not have any freedom at all.

"Ahem, young lord, we are in disguise. So, we need to call each other by names rather than courtesy anyway," Alex's face slowly started to match his eyes without glasses. He had to come up with an excuse!

Emmeline was still like a younger sister to him who did not have any siblings. He could not call Ivan by his first name under any circumstance though. Ivan was his lord through and through.

"Oh? So do you get to call me Ivan too?" Ivan asked, crossing both his arms and legs, his gaze full of anticipation.

"Listen elder brother. He can still shorten my name to Emma and no one would know. But your name is so common. How about giving you another name? Something like… like Robert! It will keep us under disguise," Kim Su Won realized that Ivan was putting Alex on the spot deliberately. Or he just wanted his friend to call him more affectionately.

Wait a minute! Were they friends or was their relationship strictly of a knight in training and duke in training? If it was the latter case, then it was a pity. Ivan did not have that many friends as far as she remembered.

There was rivalry between the kids of the dukes and the royalty was, well, royalty. The imperial kids only saw everyone beneath them. It was very later in their lives that they started becoming friends. But by that time, the generation had taken over as liege and his citizens, so their relationship could never blossom into great friendships.

Hah! Such a pity indeed!

Anyway, Alex looked at Kim Su Won gratefully. He could not call the person he was serving by his given name but alias was fine. He had almost sweat pour down his forehead. Kim Su Won could also feel his relief.

She was happy to help. In her original world, it would be more like calling your boss by their first name, something she could not imagine in Asian culture.

"Ehhhh? I wanted him to call me by my name. This is just so unfair," Ivan whined in cutesy voice. Kim Su Won almost choked on her own saliva.

She had no idea that Ivan Whittemore, her handsome brother who seemed like the whole duchy's burden was on his shoulders, could throw a tantrum like a kid. But again, he was a fourteen year old who had been forced to man up too soon too.

She had to remember that all of them were still kids!

"It's okay elder brother. I think Robert suits you well. Say Alex, I am sure you could complete his wish by calling a nickname like Rob though. Does that not sound more intimate?" Kim Su Won teased the two friends while Alex coughed on the side. Ivan was still not happy, he just rolled his eyes at his sister's lame joke.

"Haven't you become cheeky lately. Your success at the exam must have gotten to your head. Your troubles have just started my little sister.. You need to be careful from now on," Ivan warned.