Episode 38

The jewels and golden crown atop the round hood gleamed as brightly as her smile.

Her neckline was cut in a square shape, revealing a white lace top underneath. The dress fit snugly on her upper body and flared out below.

Given that the setting was the royal palace, she wore light jewelry, though it was light only by royal standards.

As she walked closer to the table, we bowed our heads.

The princess, rarely so formal, greeted her with proper etiquette.

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

“Good afternoon.”

Her soft voice carried a hint of laughter, yet she did not instruct us to raise our heads.

Only after she sat down and slowly observed each person gathered did she raise her hand.

“Sit down. You must all be uncomfortable.”

Suppressing a sigh, we took our seats.

I heard Andrea, seated next to me, mutter, “What a day…”

“Meeting like this feels different. It’s rare to see you all so close.”

“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for gracing this gathering with your presence.”

Tielle and Liliana, who were known for their perfect manners, spoke up. Their eye contact was impeccable.

“These ladies of this gathering receive numerous invitations in the capital’s social scene, yet our princess seems to monopolize their time. Thank you for indulging the princess’s whims.”

“Your Majesty.”

The princess called the empress quietly, showing a hint of displeasure on her face.

“…It’s always enjoyable to socialize with people who are like-minded. We are simply grateful to the princess for organizing these gatherings.”

Stella spoke up.

The empress turned to her with a gentle smile.

“The viscount’s daughter knows how to speak considerately.”

The empress likely knew the family backgrounds and names of all the ladies present. Her deliberate use of “viscount’s daughter” was a clear message to Stella: ‘A mere viscount should not overstep.’

Stella smiled bitterly and bowed her head.

The empress’s smiling face was perfectly composed, without a hint of falter.

Yet, strangely, to me, she looked extremely angry.

‘How intimidating.’

I picked up my teacup and took a sip.

If I spoke up now, I would likely become the next target.

Various conversations took place for a while.

Tielle mainly responded to the empress’s words.

Though she was not usually talkative at our gatherings, she seemed to be considerate of the others today.

They discussed events, meetings, and praised the princess’s recent birthday party.

Come to think of it, the empress hadn’t attended the princess’s party.

The atmosphere remained tense, like walking on thin ice.

Everyone was smiling, but it was clear their hearts were not in it.

Despite the ongoing conversation, the empress didn’t reveal her true feelings.

Everyone was confused and uncomfortable, unsure of the true reason for the gathering.

Before long, another attendant entered.

He bowed to the empress.

“…I see. It seems it’s time for me to leave. You must have all been uncomfortable because of me. Please enjoy the rest of your time.”

At her words, we all expressed insincere sentiments like “Not at all,” and “It was an enlightening time.”

Watching her stand up, I felt a sense of relief.

As I was inwardly sighing, the empress paused and turned to look at me.

“Oh.”

The moment our eyes met, I froze.

She was angry with me.

“I would like to arrange a separate meeting with Lady Rodri. You’ve been spending quite a lot of time with my children, haven’t you?”

‘Children.’

Children, she said.

The empress knew about my acquaintance with the crown prince.

So today’s gathering was a warning for me.

Chills ran down my spine.

She hadn’t even bothered with the usual roundabout noble language.

It was almost a direct accusation.

I glanced at the princess.

She looked as pale as I felt.

No wonder the empress had been making unusually many remarks undermining the princess today; she knew that the princess had been helping the crown prince and me meet.

“I hope you will attend my tea party next time.”

The Empress felt like an ancient dragon hiding within a human shell.

Her bright smile alone could fool anyone into thinking it was a genuine, friendly invitation.

My forced smile trembled, tension gripping my neck and shoulders. I bowed my head, then raised it slowly.

“If you invite me, it would be an honor.”

“Yes. Do attend if you get the chance.”

With that, the Empress exited, and we all let out a collective sigh of relief.

Everyone looked drained, myself more than anyone as the target of her ire.

“Lady Evelyn,” Tielle called. “Be careful.”

Though we weren’t particularly close, her concern touched me. A few others gave me sympathetic looks.

“…Lady Evelyn,” the princess called, wiping her face. “Can you stay a bit after the meeting?”

“Yes.”

I needed to talk to her anyway. I’d never considered this aspect before.

I always thought Duran killed me just to overthrow Igon, but reality has more layers. Kenneth’s interest in me, the Empress’s disapproval—it all intertwined.

Perhaps my relationship with Kenneth contributed to my death. Instead of withdrawing, I decided to use Kenneth’s favor to survive. I had to live, no matter what.

* * *

The meeting ended much earlier than usual. Everyone quickly left, looking exhausted.

Only the princess and I remained at the table, silent for a while, struggling to find words.

“It’s horrible,” the princess finally said, giving a faint smile. “I didn’t think Her Majesty would find out.”

“…Thinking about it, it’s stranger that she didn’t know. There are so many eyes in and out of the palace.”

“You seem quite calm.”

“Because it’s already happened.”

I sighed deeply as I said that. I felt a bit overwhelmed, unsure of what to do next.

The princess looked intently at my face.

“You seem quite different from before.”

“Pardon?”

“Sometimes, you looked very precarious. But now…”

She trailed off, her gaze shifting over my shoulder as if she’d seen something.

“Here he comes.”

I turned my head to where she was looking. A tall man in a red robe was striding towards us.

“The root of all this trouble.”

It was the crown prince, Kenneth.

I wondered if it was okay for him to be here, especially after the Empress’s warning. Shouldn’t he avoid meeting me right now?

But the princess didn’t seem surprised, and I realized she must have called him.

As Kenneth approached, the princess suddenly lowered her head and asked me,

“Just to clarify, you’re not involved with His Highness in any way, are you?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re not, right?”

Her tone suggested she was asking if there was any romantic involvement between Kenneth and me. There wasn’t, but neither could I say we were nothing to each other.

Kenneth was the first person in this world to suggest being friends, and that’s what we became.

Seeing my contemplative face instead of an immediate denial, the princess’s face turned to shock.

“No way… I always thought there was something between you and the Duke!”

“What? No, that’s not it, Your Highness.”

Her voice rose in volume. I couldn’t clarify anything further because Kenneth had reached us.

“The Empress was here?”

As usual, no greetings, straight to the point.

Yes, direct.

But not entirely bad.

“She must have made quite a scene?”

“Of course. Thanks to her, today’s gathering was the worst.”

The princess turned her irritated gaze from me to Kenneth.

Seeing them standing side by side, they looked remarkably alike.

“How did you handle things so that it reached the Empress’s ears?”

“It was a mistake. I thought she would speak to me first.”

The princess rubbed the back of her neck, letting out a laugh of disbelief.