Karan rose and approached Elise. As he bent down, a strong smell of wine wafted over.
“Wine, Elise.”
Karan licked the shell of her ear.
“Can be consumed in various ways. Even a little can intoxicate you. Shall I teach you?”
“You want to kiss, don’t you?”
Elise prided herself on having come to understand Karan quite well. She raised her chin confidently.
Karan furrowed his brow.
“The student is so clever, I want to skip right ahead.”
“Huh?”
“Today, let’s try something other than kissing.”
Karan tilted the bottle slightly. Drip, drip, the trickles of wine soon formed a stream cascading down Elise’s shoulder, collarbone and between her breasts.
“Cold…ah!”
Before she could register the chill, something hot touched her. Long, tousled hair tickled Elise’s chin.
Elise arched her back. Karan pulled her close, burying his lips in the hollow of her collarbone as he murmured,
“Try drinking like this, today.”
Even with just a small amount, one could thoroughly enjoy the celebratory wine for a long time, he smiled against her skin.
“Your Highness… Your Highness…”
Elise tried to push him away several times. He said it was drinking wine, but to her it felt completely different.
The spark within began crackling, igniting a blaze.
****
Elise and Karan’s engagement ceremony drew to a close.
Elise began a rare day with no scheduled events. But that didn’t mean she had no tasks –there was much to do.
Having been entrusted with handling the Chase incident, she had no time for leisure.
Elise got straight to work.
“Regina, a pen and paper.”
Before Chase returned to Bedrokka, Elise intended to spread detailed rumors about the atrocities he committed in Tetris.
Once public opinion turned completely against him, no matter how hard Lange tried to cover it up, it would be impossible.
Elise’s pen flowed smoothly, and the letter to Deboa was quickly completed.
Even without embellishment, simply stating the facts already painted Chase as a villainous scoundrel.
“Send it by the fastest falcon.”
After swiftly dispatching the letter, she returned, rolling her eyes as she scanned the doorway.
“Miss, pardon me first thing in the morning.”
Regina fidgeted, tapping her fingertips together as her lips moved wordlessly. Elise chuckled lightly.
“Iris is here, it seems.”
At Elise’s murmured words, Regina gave a small apologetic response.
Regina had nothing to apologize for, but then again, Iris excelled at making others feel uncomfortable.
“I told her she couldn’t just barge in right away… What should we do?”
“I’ll go out.”
“Pardon? You, Miss?”
There were no secret conversations to have with Iris. And most people in the palace were on Elise’s side. Elise’s status in Tetris had also become certain.
In other words, even if Elise and Iris caused a commotion in the hallway, it would not harm Elise.
Their quarrel could even spark public sympathy towards Elise, or at least damage Iris’ reputation.
“Yes. Just tell her to wait. I’ve only just woken up and need to get ready.”
Regina answered resolutely and went outside. Not long after, attendants entered to assist Elise’s preparations.
“Shall we get you ready quickly?”
They were mindful of the guest. But Elise shook her head.
“I’d like to enjoy a leisurely morning for a change.”
“We’ll prepare the bath first.”
Understanding Elise’s intent, a maid headed for the bathroom. Elise truly took her time, lingering over her preparations.
It took Elise a little over two hours to get ready.
She indulged in things like a massage she normally didn’t do, trying on outfits at the maids’ suggestions, gazing in the mirror, and carefully styling her hair.
She even took time for a leisurely breakfast.
Only the maids who wished they could doll up the pretty Elise to their heart’s content were delighted. Outside, Iris was surely stewing with impatience.
“Just how long does she intend to keep me waiting?”
Iris’ shout from outside could be clearly heard in the room.
“Seems she still hasn’t left yet.”
Elise had expected her to be gone after waiting this long. Iris must be absolutely fuming.
‘Is she genuinely worried about Chase?’
The sudden thought made Elise snort in amusement. The selfish Iris was unlikely to be. She had come for her own sake, plain and simple.
A maid secured a stray strand of Elise’s hair and withdrew her hand. Elise smiled warmly.
“Thank you.”
Though just doing her duty, the maid’s cheeks flushed slightly at Elise’s gratitude, something she offered each time.
‘So she’s the one who tamed the silver wolf… How impressive.’
In Tetris, valor was admired. Looks were important too, but in this harsh land, having the strength and courage to protect oneself in peril mattered most.
Thus, the higher one’s status, the more valor was demanded–be they man or woman.
But in recent years, that principle had wavered slightly. The demands for valor became skewed towards one gender.
It started as the notion of dainty, gentle, graceful femininity being the ideal spread among upper-class women.
‘Ever since Queen Bennet entered the palace.’
Though only a few years had passed, the culture quickly shifted as Bennet, the pinnacle of womanhood, set the tone.
However, with the reopening of the Gate and the incident at the hunting festival, the winds of change blew through people’s perceptions once more.
They must become strong.
Longing turned toward the strong. Hence Elise’s popularity was soaring even faster than she imagined.
“Change into these shoes.”
Replacing the dazed maid, Regina set down a pair of heels. Elise slipped off her indoor slippers and into the shoes.
“Shall we move to the reception room, Miss?”
“No.”
Elise’s unusually firm response made Regina’s face brighten behind her.
Eager to see Iris’ expression, Elise headed out to the hallway.
Iris was seated on a sofa placed there.
Sofas were scattered around for the convenience of guests visiting the palace.
It was a sofa Iris would normally never sit on–until now, she likely met people at her own convenience.
“Why did you take so long to come out?”
As soon as Iris spoke, the maid beside her cautioned her.
“What? You’re telling me to mind my manners? What household are you from?”
Elise sighed.
She felt embarrassed by Iris’ inability to distinguish right from wrong and her unruly behavior. After all, they did share a father’s blood.
Elise sighed again.
She used to think Iris was an intelligent person. When she had just regressed, Elise had feared dealing with her.
She constantly worried–when would Iris go for her throat, undermine her from behind, or harm her people?
But as time passed, that fear dissipated. Iris was foolish. More precisely, her thinking seemed to stop when situations didn’t unfold as she intended.
Even now, exasperated from the long wait, she forgot this was the Tetris palace and was ready to lose her temper.
“What household would it be? This is His Highness Karan’s palace, so I’m one of His Highness’ maids.”
“No, I belong to Lady Elise, the prospective princess.”
The maid immediately corrected herself.
Through her engagement to Karan, Elise had gained many things.
First, she was assigned dedicated ladies-in-waiting. Until now, temporary maids hired to assist her engagement and Karan’s palace maids had attended to her.
Elise could now officially have her own ladies-in-waiting.
Naturally, Regina, Ruo, and Fiona would become her ladies-in-waiting, with the rest sent from the palace.
That must be why the chief attendant asked the others about their wishes regarding assignments a few days ago.
Secondly, Elise gained the authority to enter anywhere except the King and Queen’s quarters without permission.
Third, she could freely come and go from the royal family’s villas and other properties.
This privilege pleased Elise the most. Not that she intended to go on leisure trips, of course.
There were many other minor privileges too, so numerous she couldn’t recall them all at once.
“My apologies for not recognizing you right away.”
Elise looked up at the line of maids and her warrior guards in the hallway. Familiar and unfamiliar faces coexisted.
“You were all assigned last night and have been on duty since dawn, so it’s only natural you wouldn’t know them. I’ve been remiss in making introductions.”
Stating they would introduce themselves individually later, those in the hallway bowed deeply, the warriors going down on one knee.
“We serve Lady Elise.”
The resounding voices and aura made Iris flinch. She bit the inside of her lip.
She could not stand that they had bowed in Elise’s direction.
“Is this why you made me wait in the hallway? To show me this?”
“I didn’t intend to show you, but since you seem to be enjoying it, I suppose it worked out well.”
Seeing Iris’ trembling lips, Elise smiled. After telling those still bowing to rise and return to their duties, she faced Iris again.
“If you have something to say, say it quickly? As you’re aware, I’m rather busy cleaning up the mess your fiancé caused.”
“You…”
Iris barely stopped the harsh words from spilling out of her throat. She needed Elise’s cooperation to resolve the situation with Chase.
Though she would try other methods too, she immediately needed Elise’s help to get the detention order on Chase lifted.
“It doesn’t seem like the kind of conversation we should have here, Elise. There are too many eyes, let’s move elsewhere.”
“If it can’t be discussed here, don’t bother bringing it up. It seems you’ve come to plead for a criminal’s release, but I can’t entertain such requests.”
“Criminal? Your words have been rather harsh from the start. Chase is your brother-in-law. Does it make sense that your own brother-in-law tried to harm you?”
“What doesn’t make sense is something else entirely.”
Elise glanced around. The gazes of the maids and warriors observing from about five paces away quickly dispersed.
Elise stepped right up to Iris. Iris narrowed her eyes, glaring at her.
That glare used to be intimidating once. But now it only seemed laughable.
In Tetris, Iris was nothing.
‘All I had to do was change the setting.’
It was that simple to break free from the situation Iris tried to control.
Why couldn’t she have done something so easy in the past?
Shaking off regret, Elise spoke up.
“There are women who kill their husbands, so imprisoning a brother-in-law is nothing, wouldn’t you agree?”
