128. The Crown Prince’s Coronation Ceremony

As if venting her accumulated stress, Princess Tania was mercilessly beating Nora—but her hand froze mid-motion.

Panting heavily, the princess turned and, spotting Roselia, quickly smoothed her expression into one of elegance, as though nothing had happened.

“Returning from seeing Aaron, I assume? This isn’t something you need concern yourself with, Lady of the Marquess. Move along.”

If it weren’t for Nora collapsed on the ground, disheveled and battered, one might not have guessed what had just transpired, given the princess’s composed demeanor.

Roselia calmly walked past the princess and reached out to take Nora’s wrist, helping her up.

“Get up.”

Dazed from the beating, Nora staggered to her feet, her face clouded in confusion.

Watching them, Tania sneered.

“Feeling a sense of kinship, are we? Well… I hear from Grand Duke Rubelio that your time in Rugbeljet wasn’t all that smooth either, Lady Marquess. No wonder you’re so chummy with Duke Valtazar…”

Roselia cut her off coldly, clearly knowing where the princess was headed.

“Life as a servant in the Duke’s household was rather comfortable, actually. Judging by Your Highness’s conduct, I imagine life for the palace staff here in Raphelios is quite miserable.”

Her words implied that the Duke’s house treated people better than the imperial palace, a clear jab at Tania’s vile behavior.

Apparently not too dim to miss the insult, Tania’s face turned red with fury.

“Y-You dare insult the Imperial Family…!”

Roselia once again cut her off with a blunt reply.

“It’s Your Highness who’s doing that.”

Sweeping her gaze over the young noblewomen, Roselia’s eyes landed back on Tania.

Finally, the princess noticed the frightened, pale faces of the ladies around her.

“No matter how exalted royalty is above nobility, you can’t close their eyes and ears. You’d best mind your conduct.”

As Roselia spoke, Tania stiffened, her shoulders tensing.

Roselia then took Nora’s wrist and pulled her away.

After walking some distance, far enough that the princess was out of sight, Nora yanked her hand free.

“Are you expecting me to thank you?”

Her eyes still burned with hostility, and Roselia let out a sigh.

“I know full well you have no intention of doing that, even if I didn’t ask.”

Roselia turned to leave, indifferent, but Nora suddenly shouted.

“If you had just stayed out of this!”

Roselia turned back, puzzled.

Nora stood trembling, staring at the ground—whether in tears or rage, it was unclear.

“If you hadn’t shown up, I wouldn’t be like this now.”

Roselia knew she wasn’t talking about the incident just now.

She meant the Imperial meeting about the coronation—the moment when everything changed.

“If I had remained the only blood-relative woman, the princess wouldn’t have dared lay a hand on me!”

At Nora’s hysterical cry, Roselia responded coldly.

“Would she really not have?”

Nora flinched, her face hardening.

If Roselia hadn’t appeared, Nora might have enjoyed some favor for a time.

But once Prince Alphonse was crowned, things would have ended up the same.

Her usefulness would have dried up—just as it has now.

Roselia turned away, leaving Nora standing there, bruised and vacant-eyed.

* * *

Nora sat in the dining hall, her face tense, eyes fixed anxiously on the door.

Since entering the Imperial Palace, this was her only chance to see Alphonse.

Even then, if he was too busy, she’d be left to dine alone in silence and leave without so much as a word.

Fortunately, the swelling from when the princess had hit her had gone down.

Though the scabbed-over lip and dark bruises remained…

Just then, the door to the dining hall burst open and Alphonse entered.

Without so much as a glance in Nora’s direction, he threw himself into his seat and irritably ran a hand through his hair.

“Damn it. Looks like I’ll have no choice but to hand over the position to Aaron.”

With a loud slam of his hand on the table, Alphonse’s outburst made Nora flinch and tense her shoulders.

Noticing her, Alphonse scowled in distaste.

“What the hell is that face.”

Even if the swelling had gone down, her scabbed lips and bruised skin must have been visible.

Nora hadn’t expected comfort, but she had at least hoped for a simple “Are you alright?”

Her face stiffened in response.

Alphonse, looking at her with contempt, stood up abruptly before any food was served.

“You’ve killed my appetite.”

Nora lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes, but his words pierced painfully into her ears.

Alphonse glared down at her with clear disgust before turning away coldly.

“Bring my meal to my room.”

Leaving only those words to the servants, he strode out of the dining hall.

Left alone, Nora’s shoulders trembled with humiliation and shame.

Her fists, clenched tightly on her lap, were so strained the bones jutted white beneath her skin.

That frustration and rage had nowhere to go, and turned inward, festering in her chest like a misplaced arrow without a target.

* * *

The day of Prince Aaron’s coronation had finally arrived.

Roselia stood near the imperial palace entrance, her gaze emotionless as she looked at the rows of opulent carriages.

“Young lady, it’s our turn.”

At Eva’s words, Roselia turned her head and gave a gentle smile.

“Let’s go.”

Johannes had already stepped down from the carriage and now offered his hand to escort her.

Dressed in a lemon-yellow gown, Roselia took his hand and descended gracefully.

The lemon dress, adorned with green accents—clearly influenced by Eva and Claucet’s personal taste—made Roselia shine like a spring fairy.

As Johannes and Roselia stepped onto the red carpet, all eyes turned to them.

The two who had contributed most to Aaron’s rise to Crown Prince.

Johannes, head of House Euciliod—the pillar of Raphelios—and Roselia, the only woman of true blood among the noble bloodlines.

Their appearance alone was enough to captivate the attention of the nobles.

At that moment, Hyeon, the envoy leading the Zelos delegation, appeared.

While Johannes paused to greet another noble, Hyeon approached Roselia and leaned in close to her ear.

“You’d best avoid attending the banquet after the coronation.”

Startled by the sudden words, Roselia turned to him with wide eyes.

Hyeon, keeping his gaze ahead as if the choice was entirely hers, continued in a quiet voice.

“This is advice from someone you once saved. Take it to heart.”

With that, Hyeon calmly led his delegation into the palace.

Roselia stood there, blinking in surprise, until Johannes returned.

“Do you know the envoy from Zelos?”

“Ah… we met briefly at the hotel.”

“I believe his name was ‘Hyeon.’ I’ve heard he’s so reserved that he rarely speaks at all.”

For such a man to approach her and speak so cryptically was puzzling.

Pushing aside her tangled thoughts, Roselia took Johannes’s hand and continued forward.

The central hall, where the coronation was to take place, was already filled with nobles and envoys from various delegations.

Among the diplomatic seats, familiar faces stood out—Prince Asif and Marquis Bellog among them.

And at the very back, Hyeon of Zelos sat, his eyes fixed steadily on Roselia.

She offered him an awkward nod before turning her gaze forward.

Though she could still feel his gaze lingering, she pretended not to notice and spoke to Johannes.

“I hope Prince Aaron isn’t too nervous…”

Johannes gave a gentle smile.

“He will do just fine.”

It wasn’t a perfunctory remark—it was filled with trust and confidence.

As Roselia looked up at him, a trumpet sounded, announcing the start of the coronation.

The Emperor and Prince Aaron appeared on the dais, prompting applause from every corner.

Following the chancellor’s instructions, Aaron bowed deeply before the Emperor.

The Emperor then placed a crown and a red cloak on the kneeling prince and spoke words of blessing.

More applause followed.

Wearing the red cloak that still seemed too heavy for his small frame, Aaron stepped forward to address those gathered.

“I pledge to do my utmost to assist His Majesty the Emperor and to lead the Empire and the Imperial Family, so as not to betray the faith and trust you have placed in me. And I offer my gratitude to the envoys and monarchs who have come a long way to be here today.”

Though only eleven years old, his voice was composed and mature beyond his years.

No one dared to mock him.

The nobles aligned with the concubine factions stood begrudgingly, their expressions sour, but most regarded the young prince with high hopes.

Especially with the dependable House Euciliod at his side…

Aaron’s gaze turned to Johannes.

“I offer thanks to Marquess Euciliod, who has always guided and supported me, and to all the nobles present. I vow to be a crown prince who listens with humility to your wise counsel.”

Johannes responded with a warm smile.

Roselia watched the exchange with affection, until Aaron’s gaze turned to her.

“And… to Lady Roselia of House Euciliod, also known as Viscountess Bernas.”

Startled by the sudden mention, Roselia’s eyes widened.

Everyone in the hall turned their attention to her.

Looking flustered, Roselia glanced up at Aaron, who smiled kindly as he continued.

“Welcome home. I am greatly indebted to you as well, and should you ever find yourself in trouble, I vow to stand by your side without hesitation.”

Roselia, smiling in return, bowed gracefully.

Her dress caught the light, spreading like golden silk beneath the warm glow.

And everyone in the hall watched her, utterly captivated.

* * *

After the coronation, the imperial banquet to celebrate Prince Aaron’s ascension began promptly.

Nobles made their way to the banquet hall with light, excited steps.

It wasn’t just an ordinary imperial banquet—this was a multinational event with delegations from across the continent.

Roselia, accompanied by Johannes, was climbing the stairs toward the entrance of the banquet hall.

Unlike the usual gatherings held in the Imperial Central Hall, this one took place in an entire castle adjacent to the main palace, converted solely for this occasion.

As a result, entering required ascending many steps covered in red carpet.

Though Hyeon’s warning still lingered in Roselia’s mind, she couldn’t very well skip a banquet where Prince Aaron himself would be in attendance.

“Roselia!”

At the top of the stairs, Claucet and Klaus stood waiting, having already arrived.

Claucet waved warmly, and Roselia returned the gesture with a bright smile.

Watching the exchange, Johannes gave her a gentle smile and spoke.

“Take your time, Roselia. I’ll go ahead and join Prince Aaron.”

It was his way of giving her space to enjoy the evening with Claucet.

Roselia smiled in gratitude at Johannes’s thoughtful gesture.

As he disappeared into the banquet hall, Claucet and Klaus greeted her joyfully.

In the distance, she could also see Asif and Marquis Bellog approaching with friendly expressions.

Though the time she’d spent here felt short, the bonds she’d made had become precious, and the warmth of that realization brought a soft smile to her face.

But then it happened.

Nora, in a red dress, suddenly approached and stood beside Roselia.

Roselia looked at her, puzzled.

“Nora?”

Her expression was unsteady—so unstable it felt dangerous.

Sensing something was off, Roselia instinctively took a step back.

In that instant, Nora’s tear-filled eyes locked onto hers.

“If only you weren’t here.”

It all happened in a flash.

Nora’s hands shoved Roselia’s shoulders with force.

Behind Roselia stretched the long staircase.

In the briefest moment, she caught sight of Claucet’s horrified scream, Asif’s face frozen in shock—

—and just before bracing for the imminent impact, Roselia saw Klaus racing toward her.

“Roselia!!!!!!”