It was a few days after the selection office was established.
“I can’t find Madame Korsol.”
Pristin, who left work from the herbal garden, looked around and found Aruvina. She was the one who always greeted her first when she returned to Camer Palace. For the first time, when she was not around, Pristin was puzzled.
“Ah, Madame Korsol is currently in your room.”
“Is that so?”
“Countess!”
Then from a distance Madame Korsol hurried over.
“I’m sorry. I lost track of time… I missed your arrival time.”
“No, it’s okay. Is there something going on?”
“No, there is no special event… but suddenly there was a call from the central palace.”
“From the central palace?”
“Yes. I am going to participate in the evaluation of empress candidates this time.”
“You, Madame Korsol?”
“Yes, somehow that happened. So, I’ve been reading the profiles of the young ladies who have applied as empress candidates.”
“Ah…”
“Do you want to see it?”
“No, it’s okay.”
Pristin smiled awkwardly and shook her head. What reason did she have to look at that? She didn’t even have anyone to compete with.
“But it’s unexpected that you are participating in the examination. You’re already in charge of Camer Palace….”
“That’s why I was a little puzzled when I first heard.”
But Aruvina seemed to know a little why Jerald gave such an instruction.
‘He wants to subtly ask Countess Rosewell who to keep and drop as empress candidates.’
Of course, there was a limit to that, too. She knew from Jerald that Pristin wouldn’t like Tanya very much, but she couldn’t dismiss a high-end aristocrat like Tanya as a candidate for empress.
‘My guess may be a leap.’
Aruvina thought that if it was Jerald she knew, he could possibly assign her the examination with such intention.
However, as far as Aruvina knew, apart from Tanya, Pristin didn’t have any particular individual that caused any troubles thus far. Therefore, Aruvina decided to single out the kindest and gentlest person, instead of voicing her thoughts to Pristin.
“Anyway, I’ll make sure there is no special problem in serving Your Excellency. Don’t worry.”
“Ah, I was not worried about that.”
Pristin said with a faint smile on her lips.
“As soon as the exam is over, a large number of empress candidates will move into the palace.”
“Yes. About ten of them should move in.”
“Is that so…”
Pristin echoed quietly, and Aruvina looked at her profile and asked.
“Does it bother you?”
“…By what?”
Her response came a beat late. Aruvina replied with a barely smiling face.
“About His Majesty accepting an empress.”
“…No, why would I be bothered?”
Pristin avoided Aruvina’s gaze and shook her head.
“I have no reason to be concerned. It is natural for him to accept an empress now that he has ascended to the throne.”
Rather, Pristin felt it was a good thing. After accepting the empress, Jerald wouldn’t harbor any other thoughts towards her.
Even if such a situation arose, Pristin was confident she could reject it. The emotion one feels towards an unmarried individual and a married individual should be different. Therefore, she wished he would get married soon. If he became another woman’s husband, the strange emotions that surged every time she thought of him might be quickly sorted out.
“I hope good people come in.”
As if her feelings were genuine, Pristin gave an elegant smile, and Aruvina, watching her, wore an inscrutable expression.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The selection of the empress candidates proceeded quickly.
“Hmm…”
Tanya, who was looking over the profiles of ten empress candidates including herself, let a smile pass over her lips.
“They’re all average.”
She had been worried about what would happen if all ten candidates were from notable families, but it seemed that her concerns were unfounded. However, Duke Gennant had a slightly different perspective.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for us, dear.”
“What do you mean?”
“If His Majesty truly holds Countess Rosewell in his heart, as we suspect.”
Upon hearing her father’s words, Tanya’s expression quickly crumbled.
“The most important thing would be that the empress candidates are not from significant families. Look at the candidates now. Aside from the daughters of anti-political families, they’re all just average.”
“So, are you suggesting His Majesty deliberately…”
“Yes. There’s no rule stating that the empress must be chosen from amongst the empress candidates.”
The Duke of Gennant nodded, narrowing his brow.
“If he wanted to proceed smoothly with his plans in the future, he’d probably be reluctant to have too many daughters from powerful families among the candidates. The selection council may conduct the examination, but they are also His Majesty’s subjects, aren’t they?”
“Ha!”
Tanya exhaled sharply, as if she had been deceived.
“Why didn’t he just appoint Countess Rosewell as the empress directly? Why go through all this hassle?”
“Well, that’s nothing unusual. Didn’t Emperor Edwin do the same?”
“That’s ridiculous. I won’t just let such a thing happen.”
As if she were already the empress, Tanya trembled violently.
“The empress must be chosen from the empress candidates. A fallen noble luckily gets a title and aims for the position of the empress… It’s so funny!”
Tanya remembered Pristin’s pale face and gritted her teeth.
“I cannot stand such lowly blood mixing with the royal bloodline!”
“Calm down, dear.”
The Duke of Gennant calmed his daughter in a calm voice.
“Just focus on winning His Majesty’s heart in any way possible. That’s what’s most important.”
“Father, that’s easier said than done.”
“Men are simple creatures. A woman who looked pretty yesterday might look plain today.”
Having seemingly forgotten that he was also a man, Duke Gennant gave his daughter a pat on the shoulder with a stern expression.
“Don’t worry too much. You’re smart, you’ll find a way to work it out.”
“Yes.”
Tanya said fiercely, squinting her eyes.
“I will stop that woman from becoming the empress, no matter what it takes.”
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
And it was finally the day before the empress candidates entered the palace.
Until that day, the palace scrambled to welcome ten new candidates. Of course, it had nothing to do with Pristin, so she stopped by the herbal garden as usual and faithfully did her job.
“Finally, tomorrow, the empress candidates will enter the palace.”
Welsh, who was trimming herbs next to her, spoke to Pristin. Next to her, Pristin, who was trimming herbs together, answered in a dry voice.
“Don’t you have any interest, Countess?”
“Why would I have any interest?”
Pristin responded in the same dry voice.
“It doesn’t concern me.”
“Ah…”
At that, Welsh stopped doing what she was doing and looked at Pristin.
“I honestly thought you would become the empress, Countess.”
This time Pristin stopped doing what she was doing and looked at Welsh.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Welsh continued, hesitating.
“Well, after you became a countess, there were numerous rumors that His Majesty cherishes you a lot… Giving you the Camer Palace was quite unprecedented, so…”
“…”
“I apologize if what I said was inappropriate. But I thought you would make a fitting empress. Of course, after you came to the herbal garden, I almost forgot about that thought…”
“That’s just a misunderstanding. Everything His Majesty has done, from giving me the palace to granting me a title, is all…”
Pristin paused for a moment here.
“To establish the princess’ authority. If those who stay by Her Highness’ side could not meet certain conditions, who knows who might become her opponent.”
“I see…”
“Above all, if there had been any hint of something like that between His Majesty and me, I would not have entered the herbal garden. As you said.”
“Yes, I see. I apologize if I upset you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Pristin smiled calmly and turned her attention back to her work.
“By the way, can you show me how to trim this part of the herb? It’s a bit tricky.”
“Oh sure, which part?”
“Here…”
To make Welsh feel less uncomfortable, she quickly changed the subject.
Before she knew it, the uncomfortable feeling that had been dominating Pristin’s heart was almost forgotten.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
After returning from the herbal garden, Pristin had a quick dinner and went to bed early. The uncomfortable feelings that had bothered her until that day were overshadowed, and she could sleep well. Pristin slept very deeply without having a nightmare.
“Umm…”
However, probably because she had gone to bed too early, she woke up early as well. Although she tried to fall back asleep even after regaining consciousness, the sleep did not return. In the end, Pristin reluctantly got up from her bed.
“… The moon is beautiful.”
When she turned her head, she was met with a pure, white moonlight. It felt as though she was in a scene from a novel, which caused her heart to flutter. She stared out the window for a while then slowly got out of bed. Wearing a white dress with a blue shawl over it, she left her bedroom.
“Countess, where are you going at this hour…”
“Just a short walk.”
Pristin spoke to the maid guarding the door, wearing a fleeting smile.
“I’ll go by myself.”
“But…”
“It’s alright.”
After speaking in a graceful tone, Pristin walked out gently. Upon stepping outside, it wasn’t as cold as she had thought. While looking up at the large, bright moon in the sky, she slowly started walking.
Before she knew it, her steps had led her to the back garden, filled with blooming flowers. Standing in the middle of the bridge over the pond, Pristin looked up again to admire the moon.
“…So it’s today.”
Once day breaks, ten young ladies including Tanya will enter the imperial palace. All wishing to be by the emperor’s side.
‘Maybe they all see me as a thorn in their side.’
Pristin recalled what Welsh had said earlier in the herbal garden.The remark about her potentially becoming the empress.
‘If Welsh thought so, other young ladies must have a similar idea.’
Pristin’s expression naturally darkened.
‘The problem is that it’s difficult to leave the palace right away.’
There was the promise she made with Claret, and it was difficult to leave the herbal garden right away.
‘His Majesty probably won’t allow it either.’
Of course, there was the option to run away secretly, but that was practically impossible. Jerald will find her unless she left the empire.
And Pristin, who was waiting for her younger sister to return, couldn’t leave the Limburg Empire. Living abroad wasn’t as comfortable as it seemed.
‘More than anything…’
Pristin knew that such an irresponsible escape was really unkind to Claret. Of course, she might forget her soon, but even speculating about that casually was presumptuous. Regardless of what might happen with time, she would be hurt for now.
Moreover, now that she had even received a title, she absolutely couldn’t act recklessly. In a way, the title of countess had become shackles that tied down her deviation.
‘I’m not sure if Jerald considered all that when he made the decision, but…’
Regardless, staying in the palace was an unavoidable choice for Pristin at the moment.
‘But how long do I have to stay here?’
One thing was certain: Pristin had no intention of staying even after Jerald welcomed the empress. She couldn’t bear the thought of witnessing him living a peaceful married life with another woman, despite treating him so poorly.
‘…Let’s not dwell on it too much.’
After all, life doesn’t always go as planned. She couldn’t predict what would happen in the future or how things would unfold.
Pristin didn’t know her younger sister would go missing, or that she would meet the princess and end up caring for her in exile, or that she would encounter her ex-boyfriend and reunite with him as the emperor in the palace.
At this point, Pristin thought it would be best to focus on dealing with things that came her way rather than planning every aspect of her life.
‘I should go inside now.’
As she felt the chilly air starting to seep into her body, Pristin decided to return to the Camer Palace.
“Oh…”
Just as she was about to turn around, Pristin was taken aback when she unexpectedly saw someone. Jerald stood there, dressed in his royal robes, without saying a word. Looking around and seeing nobody else, it seemed like he was alone.
Startled, Pristin called out to him.
“Your Majesty, what brings you here…”
“…”
“Your Majesty?”
But Jerald’s condition was a little… It seemed different from usual.
