Catherine and the Black Emperor

035. The Wall of the Heart

June 29, Kremlin.

Elizabeth, wearing a crown and royal robes, walked under a pure silver canopy, which was supported by eight generals.

Behind her were Catherine and Peter, and then Johanna and her courtiers.

The group descended the famous red staircase (the golden red staircase connecting the Cathedral Square and the Palace of Faceted Faces), passed through the Cathedral Square guarded by the Praetorian Guard, and entered the Basilica of the Assumption of Mary.

Elizabeth led Catherine and Peter to the velvet-covered altar, where, under the archbishop's supervision, Catherine and Peter exchanged rings.

"In Her Majesty the Empress, Catherine is hereby granted the title of 'Grand Duchess' and the honorific title of 'Your Highness'!"

The ceremony ended four hours later.

The booming cannon salute and the ringing church bells heralded the end of the engagement ceremony for the Russian Grand Duke.

Elizabeth walked out of the church, enjoying the cheers of the people in the church square.

Courtiers surrounded Catherine and Peter, offering their congratulations incessantly.

Peter looked quite agitated; he ultimately couldn't get engaged to his beloved—the Polish princess, Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting, or anyone else.

When Ekaterina didn't see Sergei in the crowd, her mood became low.

"It's better that he's not here. What I did hurt him. I should be happy that he doesn't hate me," she murmured to herself.

A mansion on a street southeast of Moscow.

This is Sergei's house in Moscow. It originally belonged to his brother Peter, but he paid Peter a hefty sum to buy it from him.

At this moment, he was covered in cement, and he was building a new wall in the room.

The name of a girl is engraved on the wall—Sophia Augustus Frederica.

He listened to the cannon salutes echoing throughout Moscow as he wrote the final stroke of the name.

The Grand Duke's engagement banquet and ball were held in the Faceted Palace of Granovitaya.

Sergei showed up at the banquet and apologized to Elizabeth for being late.

"Saltikov, you've come at the perfect time. You'd better show off your dancing skills later; that's your specialty for attracting women!"

Elizabeth did not blame him; on the contrary, she thought Sergei's absence from the Grand Duke's engagement ceremony was very sensible—there were rumors in the court that he and Catherine were getting too close.

Although Elizabeth knew that it was she who had Sergei keep an eye on Catherine.

Johanna was still upset that she couldn't sit at the same table as her daughter at the dinner—the Grand Duchess's mother was unable to dine with members of the royal family, namely Queen Elizabeth, Grand Duke Peter, and the newly crowned Grand Duchess.

"As the mother of the Grand Duke's fiancée, it's utterly absurd that I have to sit with a bunch of female servants!"

Like Sergei, Peter ate absentmindedly.

Ekaterina looked at her mother, who had left the emcee at a loss, and felt utterly exhausted.

Elizabeth was so angry about Johanna's antics that she had a table set up for Johanna in a secluded private room.

It seems that, apart from the guests who were truly uninvolved, no one enjoyed the engagement ceremony.

Following the engagement, the celebrations lasted for three days in Moscow.

It wasn't until the eighth day, when Razumovsky told Elizabeth that Dr. Kalamaldi had finally arrived in St. Petersburg, that Elizabeth decided to return home.

"I hope this belated doctor will surprise me!" Elizabeth said, her tone displeased.

Sergei was in charge of receiving the doctor, who was a short man with glasses, a pointed beard, and a tall hat, giving him a somewhat shifty appearance.

Upon meeting Sergei, Kalamaldi stated bluntly, "I need to discuss my payment with you first. I am not satisfied with what we discussed before. I am here to treat Her Majesty the Empress's intractable illness."

This is precisely why the other party has been slow to arrive.

"Of course, no problem," Sergei replied with a smile.

The doctor then continued to express his dissatisfaction.

"I imagined my workplace would be a modern European city, but look at this place, it's even worse than I expected! Get rid of these groundhogs immediately, seal all the burrows—they're breeding grounds for disease!"

"Don't worry, I'll arrange it, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Sergei responded as he led Kalamaldi to his residence, a relatively secluded place within the Winter Palace complex, but clean and not far from Elizabeth's bedroom.

"You arranged this? I'm quite satisfied. At least it makes me speak to you more gently." Kalamaldi restrained his temper somewhat.

"Your lunch will be delivered shortly. After you finish eating, you can take a nap. I will wake you up in the afternoon to go for a private check-up for Her Majesty the Queen."

"No problem," Kalamaldi waved his hand.

After Sergei left the room, the doctor noticed a small bag on the table. When he opened it, he was surprised to find it full of rubles.

"This duke is such a pleasant surprise!" Kalamaldi exclaimed in high spirits.

The private inspection took place in Elizabeth's bedroom in the afternoon, with Razumovsky accompanying her, while Sergei and other courtiers stood guard outside.

The examination results were normal. In Dr. Kalamaldi's words: You are able to have children, just like other healthy women, and there are no problems at least in terms of your physiological structure.

"Prepare medicinal leeches and morel mushrooms for me. Also, from now on, Her Majesty the Empress must exercise every day," Karamaldich Lazumovsky ordered.

"Doctor, once I give birth to my heir, you will have immeasurable wealth. Do your utmost!" Elizabeth then looked at Razumovsky, "And you too."

Then she gave instructions to Razumovsky.

"Bring Ekaterina here; she needs to be examined again."

Razumovsky nodded, left the room, and ordered Elizabeth's maid to summon Catherine, and to have Sergei and another courtier go with her.

At this moment, Catherine and Peter were in the garden, discussing various activities such as fencing, hunting, boating, and swimming.

A maidservant approached the two men: "Your Majesty, His Majesty requests that the Duchess of Sussex come over. The newly arrived doctor will examine her."

The Grand Duke was initially unhappy about his date with Catherine, but upon seeing the maid, he immediately smiled—he had long since fallen for the Polish princess.

"Come here," Peter beckoned.

The waitress took two steps forward in confusion, and Peter planted a kiss on her lips.

"Your Highness! You can't do this!" The maid was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground.

Catherine looked at Peter in disbelief: "Grand Duke, how could you...?"

Peter stuck his tongue out at her: "I can do whatever I want! You're the lover my aunt chose, and I only like the people I like!"

After saying that, he turned and left, and when he reached Sergei's side, he quietly gave him a command.

"I'm leaving this to you! You handle the rest, and don't let your aunt know, or she'll kill me!"

Sergei nodded subtly.

Naryshkin approached him, watching Peter leave, his lips twitching slightly: "To kiss Her Majesty's maid in front of the Grand Duchess—how could the Grand Duchess be so abnormal?"

"Hasn't it always been like this?" Sergei asked calmly.