episode_0026

“Sigh—”

In Elaine’s hand, there was a single white flower.

As soon as breakfast was over, she sat crouched in a small garden on one side of the mansion.

The neatly plucked petals began to flutter down to the ground in a zigzag pattern.

She’s coming.

She’s not coming.

She’s coming.

She’s not coming.

She’s coming…?!

She’s not coming….

The moment she plucked the last petal, tears welled up unexpectedly due to the conclusion she never wished for.

As the chilled tears threatened to fall, the sky, absentmindedly glanced at, seemed achingly blue.

A solitary white cloud hanging in the sky seemed almost like it was looking at her.

It had already been three weeks since the prince’s visit.

It felt like an endlessly suffocating time, which could be considered short or long, depending on how one looked at it.

During this time, many changes had occurred for Elaine.

Her mother, who had been driven away, returned.

With her mother, she received the title of Baroness.

Prior to all of this, Katia’s mother suffered a divorce and was chased out with her daughter, crying, to her family home.

Certainly, it was something that caused quite a stir.

Elaine knew very well that it was a complicated process requiring quite a long time to prepare for.

However, as if it had been prepared for a long time, everything progressed rapidly in just a few days.

Of course, it was something to be happy about.

But she wasn’t happy at all.

At the moment, she had no energy to care about such things.

The prince’s face kept popping into her mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

The prince had clearly wanted to be engaged to her.

Without her, he had said, he couldn’t navigate this treacherous world.

So why on earth could he go for three weeks without even a single word?

Could it be that he lied?

Sigh, another sigh escaped her.

If he came so suddenly, shouldn’t it be a basic human courtesy to at least send a letter when leaving?

For some reason, the image of the prince’s smiling face that kept resurfacing made her feel bitter, igniting anger within her.

Of course, she knew that writing a letter wasn’t an easy task.

She herself had attempted to write one dozens of times.

In the early morning.

Even in the bright daylight.

And even in the late night when everyone was fast asleep, she was the one who couldn’t get past three lines, eventually crumpling the paper and tossing it behind her with a sigh of frustration.

From the start, it was an emotion so sudden and overwhelming that she couldn’t control. Expressing this inexplicable feeling in words was never an easy task. It was an intersection that she could never have imagined in the first place. Perhaps it would be closer to fate if a thunderbolt struck the dry sky instead.

Yet, there seemed to be no way to contain this overflowing and chaotic heart. Would being a princess make a difference? Strangely, thinking about it made the feelings of resentment fade. The lost resentment soon boiled into worry.

Maybe her fingers hurt, preventing her from writing the letter. In truth, she desperately wanted to see him, but perhaps she was once again unable to come due to a severe injury. Having suffered unimaginable injuries multiple times before, it was a possibility that couldn’t be entirely ruled out.

If that were the case, she should just heal herself… Her irritation grew. Just moments ago, she had been angry, but now, almost as if becoming dual-natured, she felt nothing but sadness. All she wanted was to see the prince’s face near her heart.

However, she felt incredibly pathetic for not having a single valid excuse. Of course, that didn’t mean she had the courage to go find the prince herself. After all, they were engaged; she couldn’t just boldly declare that she had come to see him.

Hmph, it was then that a cautious voice emerged from behind. “Miss.”

It was the maid. Now that Katia had been driven away, the only one receiving respect in this vast mansion was herself.

“What’s the matter?” Elaine asked, still sitting without looking up, her tone blunt.

“The Queen Mother has summoned you to the palace,” the servant said, exerting every effort to be polite, a stark contrast to how she had always treated her in the past.

Elaine sprang to her feet. She didn’t know why the Queen Mother had called for her, but now she had a reason to enter the palace. Finally, she would be able to see the prince.

However, when I thought about seeing the empress,

I felt much more scared than I had anticipated, and my legs trembled.

***

Empress Herphina of the Mersenne Empire.

She was currently engaged in conversation with Duke Shurain.

In truth, it wasn’t much of a conversation.

The duke hadn’t taken a sip of his tea for quite some time.

He sat there, enduring the suffocating silence, wearing nothing but a solemn expression that made him look like a loyal subject pleading for forgiveness.

On the other hand, the empress, with graceful movements, took a sip of her tea and even managed to smile with a somewhat languid expression.

“So, what has become of Duke Felios?”

“He hasn’t left his estate for a week.”

“That’s peculiar.”

Setting down her teacup, the empress tilted her head slightly.

“He sustained significant injuries from the recent attack and is having difficulty moving.”

The duke seemed to be swallowing nervously, his face showing signs of anxiety.

“Merely due to such reasons, he wouldn’t give up easily, would he?”

“Even those who were close to him have all distanced themselves, and considering his age and the severe injuries, his spirit is likely broken in the end.”

After taking another sip, the empress dabbed her lips lightly.

“I see.”

“What should we do…?”

“….”

During a brief silence, the duke, who had been cautiously observing the empress, finally mustered the courage to reach out his hand toward the teacup.

The taste was too bitter to bear any longer.

“I suppose this is enough. Leave me alone.”

However, just as he was taken aback by the sudden appearance of his daughter’s voice, his hand accidentally brushed the teacup away. In the end, he had no choice but to awkwardly touch the table and hastily retrieve it.

“What about Lord Bart?”

The duke’s face, which had brightened slightly, quickly darkened at the mention of Bart.

“All those who were in that position… have been removed.”

“Ha! Father, why are you acting like this lately?”

Despite clearly being angry, the empress, as always, maintained an elegant smile.

“I-I apologize.”

“How long will you persist in dragging this out instead of simply getting rid of one mere viscount?”

Although her words were quite harsh, her expression remained gentle.

“Viscount Bart’s abilities are so outstanding that there is no one who can replace him, no matter how hard I look. If he were to die, the upper echelons will soon fall into ruin. I will have to plant someone new, just a little-”

“Then at least tighten the leash properly. No, never mind. I’ll do it myself.”

The face of the marginalized duke reddened with anger.

“How is the Emperor these days?”

“A few days ago, he mentioned the engagement of the Crown Prince.”

“What about the Grand Duke’s title? Was there any mention of that?”

“No, Mama. It seems unnecessary to worry about that part. The Emperor was always more obsessed with legitimacy than anyone else from a young age. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for bestowing the Grand Duke’s title upon the Crown Prince, who committed a terrible crime. Even if he insists, I will pressure the Emperor with his beloved legitimacy until he complies as if it were his own idea.”

The Empress’s face brightened a bit.

“Oh, right, didn’t they say someone was coming out from the Temple of the Goddess today?”

“Yes, the Emperor and the Chief Secretary have a lunch appointment.”

“The purpose?”

“It’s said to be because of the recent ‘White Night’ incident in the capital. The temple believes someone chosen by the goddess has displayed extraordinary divine power.”

“Extraordinary divine power? Does such a thing even exist? Aren’t those things the priests write about just symbolic, like healing magic?”

“God is nothing but a good means to make money. Haha.”

As the atmosphere finally relaxed around her daughter, the duke naturally laughed and once again brought his hand to the teacup.

“Your Majesty, Lady Elaine Bart has arrived.”

But just as his finger touched the teacup’s handle, the maid’s voice was heard.

“Father, please, it’s time to leave.”

In the end, the duke had to leave the palace with a dry mouth without even taking a sip of tea.

“I-I greet Your Majesty, the Empress.”

As soon as the duke left, Elaine entered.

Her modest attire and stiff posture clearly revealed her humble origins.

A satisfied smile graced the Empress’s lips.

“Ah, you’re here? It hasn’t been long since I called, yet you’ve come so quickly. How about having lunch together with me?”

“Ah… Yes!”

In truth, after meeting the empress, Elaine wanted to have the meal with the crown prince.

However,

She felt a sense of fear in front of the empress who was smiling so brightly.

It was not a role she could dare to refuse.

***

It had been a week since receiving the oath of allegiance from Duke Fellios.

– No way, this can’t be happening, how could the crown prince… How could he!!

Even though he had just sworn by his mana, the duke kept muttering as if he were insane for a while.

Seemingly taken aback, he appeared to regret his oath.

But magic was based on the belief of the sorcerer.

A sorcerer’s oath, made with their mana, was never something to be taken lightly.

Regretting it later was already too late.

The absolute weight of the mana’s pledge was that if one defied the oath, the mana within would erupt and explode with an overwhelming force, a characteristic of the mana pact.

That was why the duke had secluded himself for the past week.

It was because he couldn’t possibly defy my order to quietly recover after spreading rumors of a serious injury.

That precious mass destruction weapon, known as the “Brain of Thunder,” was to be used only when necessary.

I chuckled to myself.

As Astia, who had been dozing off by the window, stirred slightly and closed her eyes again.

It was at that moment that Glenitno, who had flung open the door, rushed in.

“Your Highness! Elaine is here at the empress’s palace, no, um… the prospective crown princess has arrived!”