I immediately got up and prostrated myself next to my maid.
“Your Highness?”
“Ivnoa!”
Naturally, both the maid and the Emperor were shocked. Trembling, I spoke.
“I’m so sorry, Your Majesty. I failed to train my personal maid properly. I truly apologize.”
The Emperor, clearly taken aback, grimaced and spoke.
“Ivnoa, can you stand up at once? My goodness, this is absurd. I have no idea what you’re doing, putting on a display like this out of the blue. You’re going to hurt your knees.”
I bowed my head even lower, choking back tears.
“I’m the one who failed… I’ll accept any punishment. Please, punish me instead of my maid. This is all my fault….”
The Emperor sighed, then looked at the maid and asked.
“What is your name?”
The maid was already pale with shock. Stammering, she responded.
“A… Ariel of Count Hianus’ household.”
The Emperor looked at her with a chilling gaze and commanded,
“I’ll refrain from punishment as per the princess’s request. However, it seems you lack the qualifications to serve as a maid. Return to the Hianus household and remain there in self-reflection.”
Essentially, she was under indefinite house arrest until I called her back. Not that I planned to call her back.
Looking downcast, I inwardly cheered.
Ariel stammered and bowed her head.
“I… I’ll obey the royal command.”
“And…”
The Emperor looked around my room.
“Everyone, out. I want to speak with Ivnoa alone.”
At once, all the other maids and attendants left the room.
I slowly sat back up, facing the Emperor. Once we were alone, he looked at my composed demeanor and asked,
“Why did you act like that just now? Do you think this situation is serious enough that you should have begged on your knees?”
His voice was more cautious than usual, as if he were studying my face.
Meeting his gaze, I replied calmly.
“No. My maid was certainly in the wrong, but I didn’t think it was worth begging for.”
The Emperor’s eyes filled with intrigue.
“Then why did you do it?”
Good. At least he wasn’t angry and seemed interested—that was a win so far. I smiled gently and replied carefully.
“With all the eyes of the servants on us, if Your Majesty had let it slide, I would’ve just looked like a princess who groveled over a trivial matter.”
“Hmm.”
“And if Your Majesty didn’t dislike me, I assumed you wouldn’t actually punish me just to save my face.”
The Emperor’s gaze narrowed. He was known for keeping sharp and perceptive people close to him. If that’s the type of person he favored, then it was likely his tastes in grandchildren were similar.
“I’m willing to take a gamble on this.”
Would he find his granddaughter’s test insolent, or would he recognize my resourcefulness?
I took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“Actually, I thought that since I resemble my mother, perhaps Your Majesty might dislike me.”
“What?”
“But after yesterday, I started to think that might not be the case… and if there’s any misunderstanding, I wanted to clear it up quickly. Plus, my maid was actually at fault.”
The Emperor, listening silently, questioned further.
“What if I hadn’t dismissed the others and asked for your reasoning?”
“You taught me to only stammer and tremble like that when I’m trying to gauge someone’s feelings, remember?”
I continued, smiling playfully.
“So I figured Your Majesty would naturally wonder why I was acting that way.”
Sitting up straight and answering in my usual calm tone, I tried to conceal my nerves.
‘I managed to get rid of the maid, and I’m making a good impression on the Emperor, so this is my chance.’
Suppressing the urge to fidget, I kept a composed smile on my face.
The Emperor stared at me for a moment before slamming the table with an exasperated expression.
“It’s outrageous that you dared to probe my intentions. You’ve already figured out I can’t scold you for it since I’m the one who taught you to act this way… unbelievable. Still, better than being misunderstood as hating an innocent granddaughter.”
I flinched, blinking in surprise.
Did he just say “misunderstood”?
It was hard to read his expression completely, it was so complicated.
After all, he was a man who had lost his only child at the hands of his daughter-in-law. I could only imagine the depth of those emotions.
“Well, I can see how you might feel neglected, and it’s natural to have such a misunderstanding at your age. But, no, I do not hate you.”
It wasn’t the praise I’d expected, but a warm feeling spread within me.
“Sigh….”
While I was still flinching and trying to gauge his mood, he quickly tempered his frustration. He took a deep breath and emptied a glass of water before speaking in a solemn tone.
“But, Ivnoa… as Emperor, I must think of the safety of the Empire’s citizens above all, even more than a single granddaughter.”
He nodded toward a newspaper I’d dropped earlier.
On it was a headline: “Decades of Children’s Disappearances Continue.”
I understood the Emperor. With the Empire still facing unresolved issues, he had little time for someone like me, who appeared to have everything.
According to my brother, even on the day his son died, the Emperor had tended to his duties as usual.
While he remained an intimidating figure, I no longer felt uncomfortable in his presence.
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
I nodded enthusiastically, meaning every word.
“I’m not disappointed at all. I’m just happy that any misunderstanding has been resolved.”
The Emperor smiled slightly as he stood.
“Then I’ll have to correct my teachings.”
He looked almost pleased.
“You have a sharp eye and a quick mind; you should use every asset at your disposal.”
He gently patted my head.
“Now, it’s time I take my leave. My schedule today starts at 9:30 with the conferral of a baronetcy to the Barcklith household, ending at 4 with a report from the Knights’ Order.”
At the mention of the baronetcy, I cheered inwardly.
‘Just as I thought!’
My memory had been right. I’d checked yesterday’s newspaper to confirm, and I was thrilled that my guess had been accurate. Today was the very day Kayan was due to enter the palace representing the Barcklith family.
Kayan Barcklith, the only son of “King of Mercenaries” Arthur Barcklith.
Arthur had originally been a mercenary of common birth but was made a baron thirteen years ago when he was appointed to protect my mother in the northern region.
‘So Kayan is the son of the Barcklith family baron now.’
When I was twelve, after my mother passed away and I came to the palace, I had wanted to stay in the North. My brother, at a loss, had asked Kayan for help.
“Ivnoa is fond of you, you know. For her sake, could you come to the palace for a short time as her companion?”
Thus, Kayan came to the palace with me. Though shortly after, I was swayed by my fiancé Simon and ended up declaring that we could no longer be friends.
It had been a complicated situation, but the reason I gave publicly was that “the son of a baron dared to act improperly toward a princess.”
Afterward, Kayan left the palace and returned to the North, where his father Arthur resided.
This progression made sense.
But the Barcklith family’s behavior after that had been intriguing.
Arthur Barcklith had pacified part of the northern territory, previously lawless, and incorporated it as part of the Empire.
For this accomplishment, he was granted a baronetcy.
‘Today is the very day Kayan arrives in the capital to receive the title on his father’s behalf!’
Arthur was supposed to come to the palace himself, but he sent Kayan in his stead.
In any case… I could finally meet him.
Not that I had stirred up all of this just to see him.
I fully intended to stay by his side now. And I wouldn’t let anyone come between us.
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