Vakran I, who knows it better than anyone else, started to withdraw from state affairs last year. He still received important briefings and attended meetings, but the workload was nowhere near what it used to be when he would frequently stay up all night working.
At first, the courtiers and officials around him resisted this decision. Everyone recognized his need for some downtime and secretly hoped that during this period, he might find a wife and bring a new Empress to the throne.
But their deep fear of Vakran I was too great for anyone to step forward and plead for him to marry. He was an Emperor who had never wielded a sword unless it was against an enemy, but his military prowess displayed on the battlefield was so formidable that it struck fear into everyone’s hearts.
“Seeing that Your Majesty’s sparring attire is still perfectly unwrinkled, it seems only Knightmaster Heinz will die in just a few days.”
Renier smiled. Ever since he had begun to focus on swordsmanship, Vakran I’s swordsmanship had improved at a frightening rate, and now even his swordsmanship teacher, Knightmaster Heinz, was no match for him. As a result, he was unable to find any enjoyment in his swordplay, making the Emperor’s days feel like quicksand.
“Well then, please take a rest. I will visit you again after the noble assembly.”
Renier said as he stood up from his seat. Then Vakran I, who had his legs on the table and his eyes closed, suddenly asked,
“Has a new tutor for Tito been found?”
Tito, Jeremiah Titus von Levi, was Vakran I’s younger brother’s nickname.
Only the imperial family could have four names, and the second name, which the emperor shortened to Tito, was a very private one, given only to close friends, family, or spouses.
He usually initiated them rather than listing them in full. For example, even the second name of Vakran I was simply referred to as ‘A’ for simplicity, and very few people knew his second name.
“Yes. On Countess Bloomberg’s recommendation, a lady from a baronet who goes by the name Francis, will take care of his overall education, and an intermediate priest sent from the Rahan Imperial Temple will take charge of his theological education.”
Although Vakran I has a naturally unexpressive and blunt personality, Hugo, who knows how much his one and only younger brother means to him, quickly asked.
“Would you like to meet the new teachers?”
“There is no need.”
The emperor replied curtly, and Hugo couldn’t hide his disappointment.
Due to Duke Levi’s peculiar trauma, Vakran I’s beloved younger brother was terrified of his older brother. He would have seizures and throw a fit whenever he saw his brother.
Therefore, sometimes Emperor Vakran I secretly visited his younger brother’s residence at the Palace of Dawn, and Chamberlain Hugo was well aware of this. The Emperor, who did not know how to approach someone affably, kept a distance and simply observed Duke Levi.
“Go out.”
In response to the Emperor’s command, Meinard and Renier left the audience chamber. As soon as the door closed silently, Vakran I opened his eyes, which had been shut, and swallowed all the liquid in the cup.
His face remained unchanged, as if he didn’t feel the burning sensation coursing down his throat, even though mechen was known for being quite strong.
Everything was free.
* * *
—People wouldn’t expect there’s an intermediate priest from a commoner background. If only you maintain your composure, no one will suspect your origin
Cradinal Geoffrey’s cool voice echoed vividly in her ears.
—As long as you don’t put the teacup down like that
His reddish-brown irises, burning like fire, warned her intensely, and he shouted,
—From the beginning!
“Huh!”
Elena woke up gasping, hastily inhaling a breath. The bed rustled as she jolted up.
“D-damn it, old man! Now you’re even appearing in my dreams, causing a ruckus!”
She trembled. Before entering the palace, Elena had undergone a hellish and intensive training in etiquette. Of course, her teacher was Cardinal Geoffrey.
Cardinal Geoffrey was just as stern as he seemed at first glance, making Elena believe that he would even go without soup. Throughout her etiquette training, Elena had been haunted by nightmares of how harsh and rigorous he taught.
Now that she had entered the palace, she felt relieved knowing that she wouldn’t have to see his face anymore. But after returning from the tour of the palace, she encountered his face once again during her pleasant afternoon nap. The dream had been so horrible that her heart still raced and she struggled to catch her breath.
“I should at least freshen up the air.”
Elena opened the window in her bedroom. It seemed she hadn’t slept for long as the sun was still high in the sky.
“Huh? A carriage?”
In front of the palace in the early morning, there was a quite sophisticated-looking carriage with an elegant exterior. It’s not clear if anyone had gotten off already, but the coachmen were unloading the luggage. The luggage bags seemed to be constantly coming down from the carriage’s cargo compartment as if it was embarrassing that all of her belongings barely fit in one bag.
Suddenly, when Elena looked at the side of the carriage, her eyes widened at the lily pattern.
“A lily engraved on the shield… Count Blomberg!”
Her heart started pounding. Rosaline, the female protagonist, had finally arrived here.
Elena quickly descended from the bed where she was taking a nap, washed, and tidied up her disheveled hair. After making sure her robe was not wrinkled, she cautiously opened her door.
While she was tidying herself up, the people standing in front of the palace seemed to have come upstairs. Elena quickly pulled the skirt of her robe with one hand and headed toward where the voice was coming from.
“…I can see the garden at a glance. It’s so nice.”
Elena put her hand over her mouth and gasped silently. It was clearly Rosaline’s first line after entering the palace in the early morning.
Elena walked softly towards the open door, stealing a glance inside. She saw the back of a woman who was walking gracefully inside a bedroom that looked slightly different from her own.
With each step, the woman’s well-styled blonde hair swayed around her shoulder. The way she walked, with her back straight and confident, seemed very sophisticated to Elena.
“It’s the female lead…”
Elena muttered in disbelief. It seemed that the world in this book was blatantly trying to favor the protagonist, as there seemed to be a halo around Rosaline.
At that moment, Rosaline, who had been showing her back all along as if sensing Elena’s gaze, turned around. Elena’s eyes widened even more when she finally saw Rosaline’s face. Because she was more beautiful than Elena had imagined.
“Um, who might you be…”
Seeing Elena lingering uncertainly between the doors, Rosaline asked. Even her voice seemed like rolling crystal beads.
“I-I am Elena, an intermediate priest who has been entrusted with the theological education of Duke Levi this time.”
Elena followed the noble etiquette taught by Cardinal Geoffrey and bowed with her knee bent in greeting.
“I see. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Rosaline von Francis.”
Her clear, blue eyes folded gracefully as she smiled. Elena, who had been absentmindedly staring at her for a moment, suddenly snapped back to her senses and smiled at Rosaline.
“N-nice to meet you.”
Elena, a commoner, had no notable background to introduce herself, so she simply passed it off with a polite greeting. Rosaline, who was observing her with a hint of amusement, immediately asked with a smiling face,
“Elena, where are you from originally?”
“I came from the Avalon Central Temple.”
“Then, before that….”
“Oh, I’ve been in Avalon all along.”
Smiling vaguely, as if she hadn’t gotten the answer she wanted from Elena, Rosaline seemed to have more questions remaining. But just as she was about to speak again, the attendants who had carried Rosaline’s luggage from the carriage arrived in the room.
“Oh, I’ve caused a disturbance. I apologize. The Duke’s lessons start from tomorrow, so I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“It might take some time to unpack. Well then, see you tomorrow, Sister Elena.”
Elena and Rosaline greeted each other and went back to their respective rooms.
There was a short distance between Rosaline’s room at the end of the hallway and Elena’s room right in front of the stairs, but they were still close. It felt like her beloved celebrity had become her neighbor. Elena’s heart beat with excitement as she lay on the bed.
“I mean, she’s that beautiful, it’s no wonder that those guys fell head over heels for her, right?”
I completely understood the feelings of the three men who rushed in like moths.
A woman who is so beautiful, has a good personality, and even has a good head on her shoulders. It feels like some kind of fictional character, but the protagonist is different from any other person. At some point, you just have to accept and move on.
“Wasn’t Meinard the first person Rosaline met?”
The feeling of knowing exactly what would happen to her in the future, as if looking into the palm of her hand, was somewhat strange. It made her want to tell someone, like she had a big secret. She even thought about becoming a friend who would listen to Rosaline’s worries and give advice when she got involved with three men in the future.
“If I help, maybe they can sort things out without too much heartaches?”
Elena, who was flicking her fingers while looking at the ceiling above the bed, smiled mischievously as she made up her mind.
“Well, what’s the harm in helping a little?”
She thought that being a friend to a kind, beautiful, and smart female protagonist didn’t seem so bad.
But then.
