Chapter 66
Christian stepped closer to Ilias. The two locked eyes, neither willing to look away. Their blazing gazes clashed like an invisible duel, fighting without swords.
They growled at each other in hushed voices, throwing etiquette aside.
“Prince Ilias, you should be protecting Her Highness from others, not from me. There’s no one in this world who can safeguard her better than I can.”
“How dare you spout such arrogance? It is I who will protect Adeline.”
For a moment, their eyes burned so fiercely that I almost mistook their fight for one born out of affection for me.
If this had been a battle between romantic rivals, I might have enjoyed the situation. But this was nothing of the sort.
One was my contract husband, the other a scout for the Saintess.
This was a strictly businesslike confrontation, devoid of romance.
Sensing that letting them exchange more words would be a mistake, I quickly intervened.
“Both of you, that’s enough.”
“Adeline!”
Two equally indignant gazes landed on me at the same time.
“This is hardly behavior befitting men of your esteemed positions. Childish quarrels are best left to Prince Aiden. Surely, neither of you wishes to stoop to his level.”
At my repeated comparison to Aiden, both men pressed their lips together in silence.
With the situation defused, I decided to change the subject and ask something I had been curious about.
“Oh, Cardinal Berzel.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I noticed that your divine power feels different from others. Why is that? Does the strength of the blessing vary depending on the amount of power conveyed?”
A flicker of surprise flashed across Christian’s face, but he quickly masked it.
“You felt a difference in power?”
His reaction made me wonder if I had asked the wrong question.
He pressed further.
“Are you certain that it felt different?”
I hesitated, unsure how to answer, but just then, Empress Sierra approached.
“Cardinal Berzel, I’d like to have a word with you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Though Christian seemed displeased, the Empress paid him no mind and urged him along.
As he disappeared with Sierra, I exhaled in relief.
Who would have thought there would come a day when I found Empress Sierra helpful?
Exhaustion suddenly weighed on me, and I leaned against Ilias.
“Adeline, are you unwell?”
“I’m just so tired. I want to rest.”
“Let’s say our goodbyes and return to the palace.”
We made our rounds, bidding farewell to the Emperor and the other guests at the blessing ceremony before heading back to the palace.
—
The exhaustion must have come from everything I had been through since the wedding.
Now that I thought about it, I had been living in a constant state of tension every single day, leaving my nerves frayed.
‘How many times have I genuinely laughed since getting married?’
I turned my weary gaze to Ilias.
‘If I feel this drained after such a short time, how did he endure it for so long?’
And he had done it alone.
A hollow wind swept through my chest.
Before I knew it, my hand moved on its own and clasped his.
I didn’t even realize what I had done until Ilias’s brilliant eyes flickered toward our hands.
“Oh!”
Startled, I quickly let go as if I had been burned.
‘What on earth is wrong with my hand?’
Heat surged to my face, and I felt it flush red. Thank goodness the darkness of the night concealed my embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry.”
I didn’t wait for his response and hurried ahead.
But my attempt to flee was in vain—within moments, Ilias had effortlessly caught up with me.
“Lin, why are you walking ahead?”
“Well, um, that’s…”
I couldn’t very well tell him that I suddenly felt sorry for him.
I didn’t want words like pity or sympathy to wound him.
Suddenly, his hand cupped my cheek, warm and gentle.
“You’re burning up. Are you feeling unwell?”
“N-No, that’s not it.”
Seeing the concern in his eyes made me feel guilty.
So, I chose humiliation over his distress—better for me to suffer embarrassment than for him to endure hardship.
“Well, actually… I just really need to use the restroom.”
At my words, Ilias’s expression turned grave.
‘No, wait. I only said that to lighten the mood—why are you looking at me like that?’
Ilias glanced around and then called out.
“Zion! We must return to the prince’s palace without delay. Dispatch a unit ahead to clear the way.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The prince’s palace guards responded in booming voices.
‘No! That’s not what I meant! How did my kindness backfire like this?!’
I let out a silent scream as my face burned even hotter.
—
Back at the palace, I did my best to avoid Ilias for the rest of the night.
I soaked in the bath for so long that the maids grew concerned I might faint.
And in the end, I did push myself to the brink of collapse, only emerging when my vision began to spin.
I dried my hair as slowly as possible, changed into my nightgown, and trudged toward my room like a condemned prisoner.
To my relief, the room was empty.
“Thank goodness.”
I dove into bed, pulling the blankets over my head.
My hand moved on instinct, reaching for the pendant around my neck.
The moment my fingers brushed against it, I recalled what Christian had done at the banquet.
‘With his extraordinary divine power, could he know the true purpose of this pendant?’
A sudden wave of unease pressed down on me.
I needed to meet with Paulian as soon as possible to shake off this anxiety.
Click.
The faint sound of the door opening reached my ears, and I quickly shut my eyes.
‘I can’t even kick the blankets in frustration since I’m not alone.’
I felt Ilias moving carefully onto the bed, making sure not to wake me.
His earlier “escort mission” to the restroom flashed through my mind.
The more I thought about it, the more mortified I became.
I desperately wanted to fall asleep and forget my shame, but I tossed and turned in humiliation until the break of dawn.
Eventually, I managed to doze off—only to wake up almost immediately.
—
Having overslept, I barely had time for breakfast before hurrying to prepare myself.
Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the Empress’s palace.
A lady-in-waiting greeted me and led me to the reception hall.
“Please have a seat and wait.”
“All right.”
I sat on the sofa, dazed, for two whole hours.
‘If it was going to take this long, she should have summoned me later. I rushed here without even eating. Is this revenge for yesterday? Or is she trying to tame me?’
Hunger fueled my irritation, and I finally stood up.
“It seems Her Majesty the Empress is quite busy. When she has time—”
Click.
Just then, the door opened, and Empress Sierra entered. Her hair was pulled back tightly, making her sharp eyes appear even fiercer.
As she looked at me standing there, her gaze lifted even higher, making her look downright chilling.
“What were you about to say after ‘when she has time’?”
Her voice was as cold as a winter wind, like a hyena waiting to pounce on its prey. One wrong answer, and she would sink her teeth into me.
I quickly put on a bright smile and answered innocently.
“When she has time… I was going to say, I would wait! Of course, I would. It is Her Majesty the Empress who summoned me. I should wait all day if necessary.”
My tongue moved on its own, desperate for survival.
“Then why did you stand up?”
“I saw the garden through the window and thought it was beautiful, so I considered stepping out for a moment. The Imperial Palace is truly magnificent no matter where you look. But among all the places, I believe the Empress’s palace is the finest. It’s clear that Her Majesty meticulously manages it, making it truly exceptional. I would love to learn from you.”
I clasped my hands together, eyes sparkling as I spoke.
I knew well that the Empress took immense pride in her palace. Other than her son, Aiden, it was the only thing in the world she truly cherished.
She certainly didn’t call me here just to say nice things, so I figured I should at least try to soften her mood.
Especially today—her tightly pulled-back hair made her eyes look even more menacing. I was genuinely terrified.
The Empress, instead of her usual sharp retorts, spoke smoothly.
“At least your eyes seem to work properly.”
“Beauty is something anyone can appreciate, after all.”
“That’s true. Sit down. I have something to say.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I sat down, pretending to be fully attentive.
“Now that you are part of the Imperial Family, you must host a tea party for the noblewomen of high society.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
Traditionally, the first tea party after a royal wedding was arranged by the Empress.
“Of course, I would love to prepare it for you, but there are many who doubt your abilities. This would be a great opportunity for you to prove yourself, wouldn’t it? That way, people will acknowledge you as a true member of the Imperial Family.”
I knew full well that “proving myself” was just an excuse.
‘As if that wasn’t obvious. It would be far stranger if Empress Sierra did something out of goodwill for me.’
If she had prepared it for me, I would have had to waste energy wondering what kind of trap she had set. After all, this wasn’t something covered in the novel.
I clasped my hands at my waist and bowed my head respectfully.
“I am deeply grateful for such generous consideration. I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but as Your Majesty said, I will do my best to prepare for it.”
The Empress looked down at me arrogantly.
“Princess, it’s not enough to simply try your best. Anyone can do that. But in the Imperial Family, that is not enough. You must do it well. The empire’s stability depends on it. That is what it means to be a member of the Imperial Family.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“Princess.”
Was that not the end of it?
Something about the way she gently called me sent a bad feeling creeping up my spine.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“I heard you requested permission from the Emperor to continue your previous social activities?”
“Yes, I made such a request, and His Majesty granted permission.”
“I see. It is not necessarily a bad thing. However!”
Just as I thought I had dodged the worst, it came right at me.
“Shouldn’t you first focus on fulfilling your role as a princess? I believe it would be best to delay this for now. Once you have fully adapted to life in the Imperial Palace, we can revisit the matter.”
Anger surged within me, but I remained composed.
If I showed even the slightest displeasure, Empress Sierra would be delighted. And I had no intention of giving my enemy such an easy victory.
