chapter_0101

100 – The Upcoming Christmas

100 – The Upcoming Christmas

The next day, early morning.

In the indoor garden of the Imperial Palace.

“Hmm….”

Selvia, fluttering her red cloak as she moved about, turned to the side.

“What do you think, Inner Court Chief? Do I look alright?”

Seeing Selvia’s restless demeanor, the Inner Court Chief offered an awkward smile.

“Your Highness, you’ve already asked three times.”

“I can’t help it. It’s been a while since we last met… So, what do you think?”

Selvia was asking if her makeup looked good.

Having woken up early that morning, Selvia had requested the Royal Physicians to do her makeup, which was a rare occurrence, so they had put their utmost effort into it.

Of course, while they had put in a lot of effort, the makeup was not overly pronounced.

They had only used light foundation or powder to give her an elegant yet restrained beauty.

The lipstick on her lips was also a nude shade close to her skin tone.

So from a distance, it was so subtle that one could hardly tell if she was wearing makeup at all.

It could be said that the makeup had blended in naturally.

“I think you look very beautiful. I believe Colonel Daniel Steiner would naturally praise your beauty if he were to see you now, Your Highness.”

Daniel praising beauty?

Imagining Daniel giving compliments about looks, Selvia suddenly chuckled softly.

It didn’t quite fit with Daniel’s usual image.

“I don’t think so, but I hope he would. By the way, is the preparation for the Christmas banquet going well?”

The Christmas banquet was an important event hosted by the royal family every year.

Although its scale had been significantly reduced since the empire went to war, it was still a prestigious banquet attended by royalty, nobility, and the upper class.

Originally, this banquet was presided over by the Emperor, but this time it was under Selvia’s jurisdiction as she was acting on behalf of the Emperor.

Selvia, who didn’t particularly like spending money on banquets, had no hesitation in opening the national treasury this time.

The guest of honor for this banquet was none other than Daniel Steiner.

She intended to use the Christmas banquet as an opportunity to celebrate the war hero’s safe return.

With a solid justification, no one raised any objections, allowing Selvia to prepare for the Christmas banquet smoothly.

The Inner Court Chief, watching Selvia’s excited expression, nodded with a kind smile.

“As you mentioned, we have prepared the dinner according to Colonel Daniel’s preferences. Additionally, we have sourced ingredients from all over the world for the dessert. The finest whiskey to be gifted to Colonel Daniel will also arrive shortly, so you need not worry.”

Hearing the Inner Court Chief’s words, Selvia nodded.

Satisfied that the banquet preparations were going perfectly, the Inner Court Chief cautiously opened his mouth.

“Your Highness, the Empress has instructed me to deliver a gift to you through the Inner Court. May I show it to you now?”

“My mother? What did she send?”

“Well….”

The Inner Court Chief, glancing at Selvia, bowed his head as if feeling sorry.

“The Empress personally selected a few pieces of lingerie for you, Your Highness. She instructed me to convey her message: ‘Wear them when it’s important.’”

One of the maids standing next to the Inner Court Chief stepped forward and slowly opened the box of lingerie.

Unconsciously turning her gaze away, Selvia froze as soon as she saw the shape of the lingerie.

“What nonsense….”

Not only was the fabric minimal, but the design was bizarre.

It was an unpleasant design that seemed fit for someone ruled by lust.

If the person who gifted this wasn’t her mother, she would have been furious.

Feeling her face flush, Selvia waved her hand.

“Get rid of it.”

“Understood. However, the Empress also instructed me to convey that ‘since my daughter is sure to refuse the first gift, I have prepared another gift.’”

“…What is it?”

In most cases, curiosity overcomes discomfort.

As Selvia expressed her confusion, another maid stepped forward and opened the box.

Inside the box was an exquisite crystal bottle containing an unknown liquid.

‘Given that the color is pink, could it be…?’

As Selvia glared at the suspicious liquid, veins popped out on her forehead.

“Get rid of it immediately.”

Upon hearing the command, the maids closed the box and stepped back.

The Inner Court Chief was not surprised, knowing that Selvia would not accept it.

He was merely following the Empress’s orders.

“Please convey to the Empress that if she sends such gifts again, I will not pay her a visit for at least six months.”

Seeing Selvia looking quite angry, the Inner Court Chief bowed his head.

“I will convey that to the Empress.”

Selvia, who was about to say a few more words, closed her mouth and shook her head.

‘The Inner Court Chief was simply unable to refuse my mother’s words.’

What wrong could they have done?

It was at that moment when a resigned Selvia let out a low sigh.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner has arrived!”

A soldier from the Imperial Guard shouted loudly from the entrance of the indoor garden.

Startled, Selvia hurriedly went to sit at the table.

It was an instinctive gesture to lift the cup of tea to avoid showing that she had been waiting for Daniel.

As she did, Daniel Steiner confidently walked over from the other side.

Wearing the Imperial Army uniform, Daniel’s face showed a hint of fatigue, which only made him more attractive to Selvia.

‘He seems to have become even more handsome during the time I haven’t seen him.’

She found herself staring at his face, forgetting to pretend to sip her tea.

In reality, his appearance hadn’t changed much since before he went to Bellanos.

“Your Highness.”

As Daniel approached, he bowed in accordance with royal etiquette.

Since it was a personal call, he deemed this gesture more appropriate than a salute.

Selvia, gazing at Daniel, cleared her throat and set down her cup.

“This isn’t something to stand for, so please take a seat.”

Nodding, Daniel sat down opposite Selvia.

Though Selvia was immensely happy that Daniel, whom she thought was dead, had returned alive, she had to maintain the dignity of the royal family, so she spoke as calmly as possible.

“Congratulations on your safe return.”

“Thank you. Everything is thanks to the grace of His Majesty the Emperor and Your Highness.”

After Daniel’s formal response, an awkward silence fell between them.

Not knowing where to continue the conversation, Selvia opened her mouth with a nervous heart.

“Do you have any idea why I called you, Colonel Daniel?”

Is she testing me? Daniel, feeling tense without realizing it, answered as naturally as possible.

“I believe you summoned me to hear detailed information about the results of the conference.”

“I’ve already heard enough about that through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make my ears hurt. The reason I called you today is for personal reasons.”

“Personal reasons?”

Selvia fiddled with her teacup, buying time.

Inviting him to the banquet felt oddly like asking him out on a date.

As she pondered how to phrase it so that Daniel would accept, Selvia finally spoke up.

“Do you know, Colonel Daniel, that a grand banquet will be held at the Imperial Palace for Christmas?”

“Oh. I’ve heard. They said preparations for the banquet are already underway.”

“Then we’re on the same page. I would like to formally invite you to the banquet this time.”

Now it was Daniel’s turn to express his honor.

Selvia waited for him to say something, but Daniel did not respond immediately.

Choosing his words carefully as if he were in a difficult position, Daniel offered an awkward smile.

“I have a prior engagement, but if I adjust my schedule, it shouldn’t be difficult to attend the banquet.”

The mention of a prior engagement raised a question mark over Selvia’s head.

“A prior engagement? With whom?”

“Oh. That is….”

Daniel paused for a moment before speaking.

“I have a subordinate named Lucy Emilia, and we decided to spend Christmas together this year since neither of us had any particular plans for the holiday.”

Lucy Emilia was someone Selvia vaguely knew of.

She was a woman who had made contributions to stabilizing the occupied territory of Nordia.

However, Selvia had not expected that Daniel would be involved with her.

“Hm….”

Selvia smiled faintly, as if it didn’t bother her.

“That’s good. I’ll also invite Colonel Daniel’s subordinate to this year’s Christmas banquet. Then there’s no need to adjust your schedule, is there?”

The atmosphere became subtly tense, but Daniel didn’t notice and nodded.

“If you do that, my subordinate will also consider it an honor. I will convey the message.”

“Alright. Then you may leave now.”

“Understood.”

As Daniel stood up, he bowed in accordance with etiquette.

As he turned to leave, Selvia quietly watched his retreating figure.

The excitement that had been in her half-open eyes had vanished without a trace.

Lucy Emilia.

As Selvia repeated the name of the woman Daniel had mentioned, she lifted her cup and took a sip of tea.

Clink—

As she set down the cup, Selvia’s lips parted.

“Inner Court Chief.”

Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, the Inner Court Chief hurriedly approached and bowed his head.

“Listen carefully. I will say this only once.”

The maids standing behind them also perked up their ears, sensing the frost in her voice.

“Contact the Intelligence Agency and order a thorough investigation into Lucy Emilia’s background. I want to know everything: her education, date of birth, political affiliations, hometown, relationships, and even her family background.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Upon hearing the Inner Court Chief’s response, Selvia’s blue eyes narrowed sharply.

‘I need to know.’

About the woman who was trying to get close to Daniel Steiner.

‘If it’s not pure affection but some ulterior motive…’

She would stop it at all costs, even if it meant using all her power.