《Extras Are The First To Be Abandoned》 Chapter 1 ¡°Father, me too. Please take me with you! Me too!¡± I was ten years old. On a day that I would never forget, the Imperial Palace was unusually noisy. It all started with a surprise in the evening darkness. As a small and weak child, I was alone in a cold room reading a fairy tale. There was no one around and it was bustling outside. The fairy tale book, covered in the shadows of the window grid pattern, was very cool. The moment I opened the door with trembling hands at the sound that suddenly grazed my ears¡­. ¡°Help me, please help me! Oh, no!¡± That was the end of the sweetness that the fairy tale had gifted me. I walked down the corridor with a puzzled look on my face. The Imperial Palace, where the screams of the maids were heard, was very unfamiliar. My home seemed so different from what I remembered that even as I walked, a shiver ran down my spine. It was the ¡®rebellion¡¯ my father was so afraid of. ¡°Rebellion or no rebellion, that¡¯s when we¡¯re done, Michelle.¡± The loud voice of my father, who was trembling with fear, resonated in my head. My mother bit her pale lips, and I looked at them both in turn with anxious eyes. It was treason. How could I have known the smell of blood when I lived in the confinement of the Imperial Palace? The shouts of the soldiers coming from afar were laced with endless pain and sorrow, their white feet streaked with blood. The ripples in the calmly spreading sea of blood quickly disappeared, and red blood splattered the white walls with a zap. I started to run. ¡°Enemy of the House of Windsor! Emperor, come forth and receive the sword!¡± ¡°Take it!¡± The emperor of the empire, my father, was famous for being timid. And a cowardly emperor usually becomes a scarecrow. He became a tyrant¡­ And cowardly emperors can become scarecrows, or tyrants, because they expose their uncontrollable fears to the whole world and wield their swords recklessly. Scarecrow or tyrant? My father belonged to the latter group, and the sword he wielded killed the entire Windsor family, a prominent aristocratic family. Their crime was treason. That was the end of the unbalanced political bargain. The line was broken. It was at the hands of a cowardly tyrant, the emperor, my father. Poof, their heads fell at the same time, and my father ended the game with their beheadings. Rather than gracefully subduing or coaxing his opponents, he stepped on them as if they were terrible insects. Windsor was an honorable family that lived a life of simplicity and never lost its aristocratic dignity, and those who died with both eyes open that heaven would prove their innocence even to the moment of death. So how high was the prestige of the name? He slaughtered one of the venerable families that symbolized the aristocracy, and the exploding nobles formed a coalition to challenge the imperial family. How to bite a cat when a mouse is cornered. Originally, the cat was also a cat with missing teeth and a bell on its neck. Until now, it had just barely kept its seat with a crown on top of its head, and held down what came up from below with a lid of tyranny, like a rat coming up from the sewers. The suppressed anger of the nobles erupted on this day. I am the daughter of that cursed tyrant. It¡¯s over. ¡°Protect Princess Karen! Protect the Empress!¡± I kept running as I felt my bloody pajamas graze my thighs. Were there any people who wanted to protect the princess? No. Those people weren¡¯t trying to protect me. They had never been my knights. Karen. My sister. I¡¯ve learned that where she is, my family is. A voice came from my mother¡¯s room. In the empress¡¯s room. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± I bit my lower lip as I arrived in front of my mother¡¯s bedroom door, which I was afraid to knock my whole life. ¡°May I come in?¡± Then the maid¡¯s cry burst out from beyond and I hurried inside. ¡°Mother, father, sister¡­brother.¡± My family was there. My father was frantically trying to open the huge iron door embedded into the wall, and my mother was holding her two children in her arms. Karen and Joseph. My eyes trembled. Help me. My mother looked at me for a moment, but as soon as the door opened, she took the two children and headed inside. ¡°Father!¡± I called out for my father. His cold gaze turned towards me. At that moment. ¡°Over there! I heard a voice from over there! Come on, move. Don¡¯t let anyone escape. Move!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s your father!¡± Instead of answering, my father went behind the door and slammed it shut. ¡°Oh, no¡­!¡± I quickly ran over and desperately pushed the moving wall away with my small hands. Of course, I wasn¡¯t strong enough. Boom. I failed backwards with a thud and looked at the familiar wall as I exhaled painfully. I gasped, my breath leaking out of my mouth. Just then, the soldiers came inside. My pounded buttocks ached. I couldn¡¯t see what was in front of me because of the tears. As I wiped the tears away, a man walked slowly among the soldiers and approached me. ¡°What, all they left is a maid?¡± Even at the moment I was abandoned, I thought of only one thing: how could I live? I wanted to live, even though my parents abandoned me and my life was insignificant. I hated to die. What could I say to save my life? I think. My head was blank, but my lips let out instinctive words. ¡°Please, help me¡­¡± A lone man walked up to a man at the front who appeared to be the Commander-in-Chief. ¡°We have no time to waste. We must move before the ruffians run farther away.¡± ¡°Leave it to us. We¡¯ll handle it.¡± Two more men sprang out of the crowd. The commander shook his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just hear that?¡± He turned his back on me. ¡°I have no time to waste on a maid¡­¡­¡­¡± His armored cloak fluttered, and I gasped. Dreams always end there. It¡¯s a memory from my childhood, not anyone else¡¯s. My chest rises and falls wildly, and the sunlight beyond the window above my head wraps around me in thousands of comforting rays. I wonder if I woke up too early. I take a breath and dig into the warmth of the covers. A voice suddenly interrupts the peace. ¡°Ethel, what are you doing, don¡¯t come down!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Stella Ethelanche, the Second Imperial Princess of the Empire. However, she¡¯s no longer called Stella. Ethel. That¡¯s my name now. I get up from the bed and lightly comb my hair, and see a woman with brown hair and brown eyes in the mirror. Every time I face my reflection, I think. Is there anyone in the Imperial bloodline as ordinary as me? On that day, still fresh in my dreams, it was my mediocrity that saved me. I was more than ordinary for an imperial bloodline. I was not as beautiful as Karen, the ¡®Moon Goddess¡¯. I was not as radiant as Joseph, the ¡®Second Coming of the Sun¡¯. ¡°Ethel!¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± I am alive because the knights mistook me for a servant and did not kill me. I roughly brush and tie my hair up in a knot. A strand of hair, unbound by the hair tie, sits gently on my face. * * * The sound gets louder as I descend the stairs and approach the first floor. It was busy. Perhaps it¡¯s because it¡¯s morning time, but the restaurant on the first floor is quite crowded. A chubby middle-aged woman is moving through the tightly packed tables like water flowing. She raises her head and looks at me. ¡°Ethel, when you wake up, please help me with my work as soon as possible. Go set that table over there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I turn my head and look at ¡®that table¡¯, and I twitch reflexively. ¡®He¡¯s here again today.¡¯ Our gazes meet and I avert my eyes. My chest throbs fast. The armor the man is wearing is an imperial armor. The royal crest engraved on the surface is clear even from a distance. ¡®Does he suspect me?¡¯ Ten years after the disappearance of the second Princess. The first thing the restored imperial family did is to search for the ¡®lost princess¡¯. Me. Papers are rolling around the city saying that they¡¯re looking for the missing Imperial Princess, and the newspapers published some sort of sighting story that has nothing to do with me. ¡®Even if it¡¯s an unverified story, if you put it in the paper, people will be curious.¡¯ For those who have such a hard time living with it, the ¡°missing youngest princess¡± is the biggest concern. [A huge amount of gold, castle and title are offered to anyone who found Princess Stella Ethelanche.] For those who dream of turning their lives around, the princess is their chance. Everyone is desperate to find the missing princess. But how can you find a princess who you don¡¯t even know what she looks like? All the portraits of the missing princess as a child were burned to ashes. There¡¯s no way the imperial family would remember the exact face of an imperial princess that was lost ten years ago. Besides, I¡¯m no longer a ten-year-old girl. I¡¯m an adult, and no one can recognize the missing princess from my face. It¡¯ll be more accurate to say that she¡¯s dead and gone. ¡°If only I can find the princess, I can turn my life around, think of it, a title, a land¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re drunk, my dear. Please stop now.¡± I walk past the table with the drunk man and head for the table in the corner. That is where the imperial knight is. ¡°Hello, do you have the menu you are looking for?¡± The knight doesn¡¯t answer and I wait patiently, not letting him see the cold sweat breaking out on my hands. Then I get startled when I hear a voice behind me¡­ ¡°Hey, Ethel! Bring a beer over there, hurry!¡± Mary¡¯s cheerful voice calling me. I turn around at the sound of her voice and then hurriedly turn back to look at the customer. I didn¡¯t forget to smile nonchalantly, of course, in case he¡¯s suspicious of me. He¡¯s the first one to avoid my gaze in the awkward air. ¡°I¡¯ll have this.¡± He points to the mushroom soup on the menu. ¡°And this one, too.¡± Despite the coolness of his voice, his ears are burning red. With trembling hands, I write down the menu and say calmly. ¡°You chose the mushroom soup and the baked turkey. And what else is on the menu?¡± ¡°Can you recommend a wine to go with the meal?¡± He raises his head and looks at me. I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze this time. I stare at his face for a while and blink. Oh, big mistake. I quickly flip through the menu on the table and open it to a page labeled ¡°Alcoholic Beverages.¡± ¡°The safest is ¡°Night Dew¡±, ¡°Sage¡± if you want to raise the price a bit, if price is not an issue, ¡°Pure White Saint¡± is good. That¡¯s the most delicious.¡± ¡°Pure White Saint, please.¡± ¡°Yes. Is there something else?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The end. As soon as I turn around and walk away, a sense of relief descends on my frozen chest. The sight of the imperial crest still makes my heart pound even after ten years. Even though such a long time had passed. Chapter 2 ¡°¡­ They do look alike, but I¡¯m not sure. I think the only thing the woman at the inn and the missing princess have are brown hair and hazel eyes. Just that¡­¡± The carriage was riding at full speed with the duke¡¯s aide¡¯s horse. Their destination was the Imperial Palace. The Duke always headed there after having a meal. Once the carriage stopped, the door opened and the sentence etched on the man¡¯s imperial armor reflected the light. The duke and his aide walked quietly in the silent palace halls. ¡°Your Grace.¡± The aide referred to the Duke, whose forehead was wrinkled. He had a bothered look on his face, but ignoring that, his aide continued. ¡°I don¡¯t want to nag but you should be more punctual, now that you¡¯re the Commander of the Imperial Knights¡¯ Order, and soon will be a member of the Imperial Family. As I said in the carriage, she looks like Stella Ethelanche¡­¡± The aide pursed his mouth slowly, with a pensive look. The Duke walked without saying a word. The aide let out a sigh. ¡±¡­are you still hung up over that unrequited love?¡± ¡±You¡¯re talking nonsense.¡± ¡°A lot of fakes claimed to be Princess Stella. But fakes are fakes. I¡¯m sure the one at the inn is a fake too.¡± ¡±Talking without knowing the truth. How much longer will you blabber till I shut you up?¡± The man¡¯s blood-coloured eyes gave a warning to his aide, a bloodthirsty aura released to cut down anyone in front of him. Yet, the aide did not give way. ¡°It¡¯s already been 10 years since there were no stars in the Imperial Palace¡¯s sky. Almost ten years. The stars don¡¯t appear at all. That too, only in the Imperial Palace, nowhere else.¡± ¡°¡­Heaven blames the imperial family. But it¡¯s farfetched to say that the missing princess survived. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a reason for heaven¡¯s anger? The woman in the inn.. She¡¯s just an empty shell that looks just like Stella. Your Grace, you have to face the present. Please don¡¯t get swayed.¡± His war-ravaged personality hadn¡¯t changed at all. The aide rolled his eyes and looked at the blade near his neck. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was still so sensitive. Stella Ethelanche, the missing princess, was certainly the sore spot. The aide tried to apologize for his rudeness, when- ¡°What are you talking about?¡± A silver-haired woman popped out of the corner of the hall. The aide¡¯s eyes widened. As if he was overwhelmed, he greeted her with immense courtesy. The woman¡¯s eyes fluttered, and her hair hone. The silver-haired woman in the white dress was an eye-catching beauty, but the Duke was stoic. ¡°Your Grace.¡± With a smile on her face, she linked her arms around the Duke¡¯s neck. The Duke immediately showed an uncomfortable expression. But she didn¡¯t yield. The first princess Karen Ethelanche. She was the moon goddess, called the Moon Child, and the first love of many men. ¡°I missed you, Knight Commander.¡± And most importantly- She was the sister of Stella Ethelanche, the missing princess. * * * ¡°He seemed to like you.¡± Mary¡¯s voice rang out along with the clatter of dishes. I replied instantly, ¡°No way,¡± smiling and carefully tucking the well-washed plates into the drawer. After washing the dishes, Mary supported her waist with her hands and stretched her back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m right. All he does is look at you with a stupid look on his face. I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but the servant seemed to be looking for you, so I called. Don¡¯t blame me too much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too into fairy tales.¡± ¡°What? No, no, no, just no. When I called, ¡®Ethel,¡¯ he looked shocked. His expressionless face even had a hint of embarrassment¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstanding is a disease, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding is nothing.¡± Mary grinned as if she knew everything. She covered her mouth with one hand and waved with the other. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in a pink love, have you? He¡¯s so handsome, wears imperial armor, not a bad catch at all. That¡¯s how you meet your right one, you know.¡± (T/N: Pink love as in¡­ well, as the name suggests, fluffy first love.) ¡°Here comes the advice of Mary ¨C the most popular girl in town.¡± Uncle Hans was coming into the kitchen with a pile of plates. Clack, the dishes were placed on the table. ¡°Good job, Hans.¡± Mary kissed Hans on the cheek. Hans said with a grin,¡±I went to pick up a little something, and you¡¯re already talking about Ethel meeting with a guy.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not seeing him yet.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. How time flies like this.¡± Mary and Hans gave me a big hug in unison. I looked at those two and smiled. Their arms were warm. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ve been holding you for too long. Now listen to me. You should rest. You did a great job today, baby. I brought muffins to your room.¡± ¡°I used the raisins I brought in yesterday. It¡¯s going to be very delicious.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I bowed and turned around, Mary and Hans, who were busy chattering. As I slowly climbed the stairs, Mary¡¯s words became clear in my mind. That the man from the morning might like me. ¡®Aunt Mary could have thought that because she didn¡¯t know I was the missing princess.¡¯ As I take the last step, I see a warm room waiting for me. My room. My room to welcome me, not anyone else. There¡¯s only one thought in this peaceful moment. I don¡¯t want to lose this place. So let¡¯s just hope this incident doesn¡¯t matter. The servant left without a doubt and didn¡¯t come looking for me. There¡¯s no way I will be more involved. * * * ¡°My father wants me to marry the Duke as soon as possible.¡± Karen, the first princess, examined the Duke. The Duke stayed in the carriage without saying a word. Karen¡¯s eyes were on the Duke¡¯s teacup. As expected, the aide pestered the Duke. ¡°Your Grace.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Grace.¡± The Duke sighed and scratched his head. It¡¯s annoying to entertain a chatty woman when he¡¯s been swinging a sword all his life. The aide, who chatted next to him, was just as cumbersome. But, he had a brain in him and looked at the princess with his usual expressionless face. ¡°That¡¯s why you called me?¡± A low, calm voice with courtesy, but Karen easily noticed that he was angry. Karen¡¯s eyes fluttered. Her mouth formed a pretty line. She seemed to know that her smile was lovely, and the way she spoke was friendly. ¡°You must be busy assisting Father. I bothered you too much. But don¡¯t be too upset because I just wanted to meet you.¡± The aide was still staring blankly at her. She shifted her gaze and glanced at the aide. She pulled up the corners of her lips, ¡°Do you mind if I borrow His Grace for a moment, Sir Peter?¡± ¡°Oh, you can borrow him for as long as you want. Even for your whole life.¡± The aide¡¯s body shook. The cold-eyed duke said, expressing his displeasure, ¡°If you have nothing more to say, I¡¯ll get up.¡± Standing up from his seat, he bowed politely to her. A gentle voice grabbed his step to leave quickly. ¡°The Duke is a strong candidate for Buma. In people¡¯s views, father¡¯s¡­And mine too.¡± The Duke looked at her without saying a word. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thinks.¡± Karen¡¯s eyes drooped. As the Duke¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a long time, Karen blushed a little and avoided his gaze, looking embarrassed. ¡°Now, then¡­Excuse me.¡± The princess looked at the distant Duke. The aide offered an apology on behalf of the duke who slammed the door. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± It was quite excessive to call it a poor apology, but Karen, of course, did not point it out. Instead, she smiled kindly and received his apology as if it were natural. ¡°No, I was the one at fault.¡± * * * The aide in the hallway looked silently at the back of the departing people. His stare soon turned to the Duke¡¯s restless hands. The Duke was clasping his hands in an anxious manner. It was like the behaviour of a man trying to shake something off. ¡°To the .¡± As soon as he got on the carriage, the Duke spoke in a determined voice. Judging from his stubborn look, he seemed to have no intention of changing his mind. ¡°By the time you get to the , it¡¯ll be about four o¡¯clock. There¡¯s not enough time to have a meal¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± The aide gave a discontented look to the Duke, but the Duke didn¡¯t spare a glance. As the Duke ran his rough fingers ruggedly through his black hair, his eyes blazed. His two red eyes looked extremely agitated. ¡®He looks like this again.¡¯ The Duke, who doesn¡¯t even care about most people, has looked like severe pain ever since he met the First Princess. ¡®I just can¡¯t understand what he¡¯s thinking.¡¯ That¡¯s why he¡¯s just silent. He just watched his master. * * * ¡°Sister, sister!¡± A little girl burst open the door, ran over and sat next to me. ¡°Look, another witness to the youngest princess. Look!.¡± ¡°Daisy.¡± Daisy was the daughter of Mary and Hans, who took care of me. The ten-year-old little lady fiddled with the front page of the crumpled newspaper. The newspaper seemed to have been picked up from the floor. [Unlucky princess, spotted again? : Special Report on Hampshire Street] The missing princess. My face was printed in the newspaper. I looked at the portrait. My hands gently traced the face which didn¡¯t look anything like me. Daisy added excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m right, no? Right? The youngest princess is so pretty that she was hidden in the palace. They kept her existence hidden in the palace so that no great nation¡¯s emperor could dare to covet her.¡± Hidden away. Yes, it was known that way. But the reality was even more brutal. I hid my bitter smile and stroked Daisy¡¯s hair. ¡°Daisy must be interested in the youngest princess.¡± ¡°¡®Everyone in the world is curious except you. What, are you not? ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°She must feel like she has everything in the world, right?¡± Daisy looked up at me with a look of excitement. ¡°I would want a sister like Her Highness, and a brother like His Majesty the Crown Prince. Imagine being treasured by the Emperor and Empress, so that no one would be able to take her away.¡± I just smiled and tucked Daisy¡¯s hair behind her ears. ¡°The youngest princess who was never found¡­Daisy is prettier than that princess.¡± ¡°Sister is a liar.¡± Daisy stuck out her lips and folded her arms, with a pouty look on her face. After a moment, she turned and asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, Daisy is the prettiest in my eyes. A princess.¡± Daisy curled her lips for a moment and soon hugged my waist tightly. The warmth of the little girl against me was comforting and I stroked Daisy¡¯s back. ¡°Ethel.¡± I looked back at the door. Mary standing behind the door said, ¡°Heh. I knew it,¡± she beckoned me with a knowing look. I walked to Mary with a surprised look on my face and she whispered in my ear. ¡°Go down to the first floor.¡± I froze on the spot. *** Chapter 3 My hunch was accurate. What I saw on the first floor was that knight Mary had mentioned earlier. ¡°I just wanted to know the name of the wine I had this afternoon¡­¡­..¡± He was talking about wine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting your break time.¡± He said sorry for interrupting my break. ¡°It was . If this wine suits your palate, you can buy a bottle.¡± ¡°Yes, two bottles, please.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment. Head to the wine cellar and¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just about to go to the wine cellar, so I¡¯ll bring it.¡± Mary¡¯s voice interrupted. I hummed and glanced at Mary, who was moving away, then moved my gaze to face the knight again. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± He talked about wine, apologized for interrupting my break, and that was it, he didn¡¯t even mention the missing Second Princess. I thought that was fortunate. ¡®So he is not here to look for the Princess.¡¯ I suppressed my surprise and waited for Mary to confirm that the knight was just stopping by again to get the bottle of wine he liked. I forgot for a moment and my gaze was drawn to the imperial crest on his armor. ¡®I¡¯ve been looking at it for far too long.¡¯ The Imperial symbol. I came to my senses and my hands were soaked with sweat. I looked up and our gazes met once more. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ He had a handsome face. He had black hair covering his forehead and red eyes. His face was extremely masculine, with dark eyebrows that made a deep impression. I didn¡¯t know much about him since I was always too curious about the Imperial family¡¯s symbol, but seeing his face so closely was once again a surprise. My neck was stiff-looking up at him, perhaps because of his sturdy physique. I turned my head away, thinking. ¡®But why is Mary taking so long?¡¯ It shouldn¡¯t take long to find the ¡°Pure White Saint¡± in the wine cellar. As Ethel looked at the stairs leading down to the wine cellar, she heard a voice. ¡°May I know your name?¡± ¡°My name?¡± I smiled, trying my best to hide the awkwardness as my speech quivered a bit. Instantly, his eyes shook. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Ethel.¡± ¡°Ethel.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Clyde¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very common name.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a name that you can¡¯t forget once you¡¯ve heard it¡­¡­¡­..¡± A hint of surprise drifted across his face, then quickly disappeared. I quickly averted my gaze when his insistent stare was directed at me. As I was looking at the grain patterns on the floor, I heard his voice. It was a low, cold voice. ¡°How did you know that the name Clyde was not a common name in aristocratic society?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡­.¡± ¡°Information on the aristocracy is highly restricted to commoners. By the way¡­.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± He stared at me with suspicion in his eyes. ¡°Since all I hear every day are the names of commoners, I just thought the appearance of the unfamiliar nobleman and name was unusual.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The name Clyde seems to be rare in aristocratic society. I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± I gave him a quick and plausible excuse, but that didn¡¯t erase the scowl on his face. I carefully scanned him. Clyde. Clyde Delanhill. Black hair, red eyes. Could this person be¡­? I shuddered at the sight of someone I might have known ten years ago. ¡°Your Highness, are you still here?¡± A man in precious clothes opened the door and walked in, staring at him and me. His Royal Highness. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a Duke. ¡®But if he¡¯s a Duke then no.¡¯ This person couldn¡¯t be that Clyde Delanhill that I knew. Clyde Delanhill was the fifth illegitimate son of Baron Delanhill. I don¡¯t think that he would ever be called ¡®Duke.¡¯ The memory of the Imperial Palace, buried beyond my memory, came to mind, and my lips grew pale. While I was lost in thought, Mary came back with bottles of wine. ¡°Here are two bottles of ¡°Pure White Saint¡±. The price is 2 gold each. They¡¯re the expensive ones.¡± ¡°You¡¯re late, Aunt Mary.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m late because I had to search through the depths of the cellar. It¡¯s not easy to find these guys in there.¡± ¡®You said it¡¯s hard to find wine in a wine cellar where wine is organized by type?¡¯ In a flash, the Duke pulled four gold coins out of his pocket. ¡°Ethel.¡± I thought his voice was nice to hear. Our eyes met and he put the gold coins in my hand. Our hands touched. The feeling of the gold coin taking away the warmth of my hand was incredibly cold, but the hand that suddenly touched mine was just as hot. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll be late.¡± The Duke followed the man who came into the inn late and headed out the door. I fiddled with four gold coins and stared at the tightly closed door. ¡®Clyde.¡¯ I recited the name quietly. It was a face that could only remind me of Clyde Delanhill. But the man who came in after Clyde clearly called him ¡®Duke.¡¯ I shook my head. There might be another person named ¡®Clyde¡¯. I cleared my thoughts as I fiddled the gold coins, heated up by the warmth of my hand. **** ¡°Brother.¡± The first princess, Karen Ethelanche, softly called the Crown Prince. Her voice oozed a gentle charm that couldn¡¯t help but draw his attention. Her moonlit silver hair was scattered over her white dress, and her sparkling green eyes were beautiful. Crown Prince, Joseph Ethelanche, turned and looked at his sister. ¡°Karen.¡± Then, he quickly turned his gaze back at the front page of the newspaper article. As Karen went over and sat down beside him, Joseph could smell the scent of freesia passing his nose. ¡°You used a different perfume today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of smelling like jasmine.¡± Joseph nodded half-heartedly and focused his gaze on the newspaper silently. A portrait of a woman smiling brightly reached his trembling fingers. Joseph opened his mouth. ¡°¡­I¡¯m wondering if Stella really looks like this. No matter how long it¡¯s been, she must be.¡± ¡°Are you still thinking about your sister?¡± Joseph didn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t until some time later that he opened his mouth again. ¡°I don¡¯t think she would look good smiling like this. She probably doesn¡¯t look good with her hair like this either. She was a girl who liked to keep a low profile. When the maids recommended fancy dresses, she shook her head enthusiastically and said that she always wore monochromatic clothes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karen silently looked at the portrait on the front page of the newspaper. The dazzlingly beautiful girl was smiling at her. It was a smile that contrasted with the color of the girl¡¯s plain hair and purple eyes. Karen tilted her head slightly. ¡°Yes, her nickname is Sparrow, isn¡¯t it? Brother is an eagle and I¡¯m a swan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This one doesn¡¯t look much like a sparrow, does it?¡± Karen said as if she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with it, which made Joseph feel uncomfortable. ¡°She didn¡¯t like that nickname.¡± ¡°Oh, did she?¡± Karen¡¯s eyes fluttered. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know that. I thought it was interesting to hear the maidens talk about birds. Birds are so cute, why didn¡¯t she like sparrows?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your face, not the picture. My sister. Karen spoke in a voice as sweet as honey. When the silence drifted away, she said again. ¡°I want to see her.¡± ¡°So do I.¡± At the sound of his voice, Karen glanced at Joseph. His golden hair was as brilliant as the burning sun, and his green eyes, like hers, were as crisp as the grass. His large hands, such as they were, seemed to be very warm. Karen leaned back on his shoulder, and Joseph slurred painfully. ¡°I should never have kept her existence a secret in the first place. I shouldn¡¯t have done it. I should have let her free. If I had done that, it would have been much easier to find her, probably by now¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, brother. Hm? It was inevitable.¡± ¡°What a disgrace to the imperial family. D*mn it.¡± ¡°Still, wouldn¡¯t it be better if the other empires were afraid of the hidden princess? Rather than to think of her as such an empty shell of a person¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Still, she is your sister¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Blaming won¡¯t change anything. So please don¡¯t do it, brother.¡± Joseph sighed deeply. Karen did not speak any further. *** ¡°It seems that someone has put the youngest Princess aside.¡± ¡°The Crown Prince, who resembles His Majesty, is an eagle, the First Princess, who has Her Majesty¡¯s beauty, is a swan, and the youngest Princess¡­She¡¯s like a sparrow. A sparrow caught in the rain.¡± ¡°This is the last portrait, isn¡¯t it? The last portrait of the youngest princess.¡± ¡°I hope this one goes away soon. The portrait with the four of them is like an ancient masterpiece because it¡¯s unrealistic and beautiful, but actually having the princess there just makes it¡­.¡± I blinked slowly. When the memory faded away, what my two eyes saw was a beautiful night sky. The blackness seemed to cover everything in the world in a comforting way, but at the same time, it seemed to swallow it up cruelly. Then I heard a voice calling me. ¡°Sister.¡± Daisy let out a sleepy yawn. The image of me against the night sky fell into her eyes. ¡°Who was that person who just arrived this afternoon? Sir knight?¡± ¡°He was just a customer.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I replied, but Daisy shook her head. ¡°No, no. As a mere customer, the way he looked at sister was different¡­.¡± ¡°We¡¯d never met before.¡± ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be true¡­¡­..,¡± Daisy said. A cool breeze was blowing. ¡°The stars are so beautiful. They¡¯re sparkling.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stars. I always had bad memories about stars. ¡°How do you show a child like this to other countries? Hmm? Karen could see the moon at the age of five, and Joseph could handle the sun at the age of eight. But Stella, this child is late. If those people knew that this child¡¯s abilities are far behind¡­¡­¡± ¡°Stella is only five years old. She¡¯s only five.¡± ¡°There should be some use. If she¡¯s an empty shell that doesn¡¯t have the ability, she¡¯s pretty¡­ Stella.¡± As if to cut off the bad memories, I said to Daisy. ¡°Daisy likes the stars, doesn¡¯t she? Usually, stars are called tears in the sky.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Daisy stared at me with sleepy eyes. ¡°They¡¯re not the best looking. They¡¯re not as bright as the sun or as glittering as the moon¡­.¡± ¡°And yet, without the stars, the vagabonds¡­¡± Daisy blinked gently. ¡°They will not even be able to see the road in the dark.¡± Daisy left the words and fell asleep leaning her back against the fence. Numerous fireflies embroidered the night sky, glistening brilliantly. The sound of grass bugs pleasantly tickled my ears, and the stars in the night sky shone dazzlingly as if they whispered to me. ¡®They are looking for you¡­¡­..¡¯ I closed my eyes tightly as the voice hazed in my ear. I gripped Daisy¡¯s arm tightly and said with determination. ¡°They are¡­but I¡¯m not going back.¡± I recited to myself like brainwashing. Chapter 4 ¡°Sister.¡± On the journey home Daisy dozed off, and as soon as I washed her and laid her down on the bed, she looked at me as if to ask when I had done that. She smiled as I stroked her hair. She squeezed my hand and whispered. ¡°Tell me a story.¡± I looked out of the dark window. My gaze shifted to the burning candle in front of the starlit window. The candlelight, which has a short life span, burned precariously. It¡¯s time to change the candle. With that thought, I shifted my gaze to Daisy again and whispered. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll sleep soon if I tell you a story.¡± ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t ask for another one.¡± ¡°I promise. I promise.¡± Daisy stuck her pinky finger out at me, and I happily wrapped my pinky finger over hers and smiled slightly. ¡°So, what story should I tell you? Story of a giant going to a dwarf country? Or about a man who flew so high that he lost his wings in the sun and fell to the ground? Or about a princess who went and met a fairy in the land of flowers?¡± ¡°No.¡± Daisy said, shaking her head . ¡°Tell me about the ugly duckling. That¡¯s the most interesting.¡± ¡°Yes, Daisy. That¡¯s the most interesting story.¡± Daisy, who was completely buried in the pillow, nodded, her eyes shining. The candle flickered in the wind and my shadow disappeared. In the darkness, I began whispering the story. ¡°Once upon a time, in the kingdom of the ducks, there was an ugly duckling princess. Her parents were the most dignified and beautiful ducks in the land. The first son, the prince duck, was like his father and was very dignified. The second daughter resembled her mother and was the most beautiful in the world.¡± ¡°By the way, is that so?¡± ¡°The youngest born, the Princess Duck, was an ordinary duck. If she was ugly, I would have understood a little better why people hated her. But the youngest duck was just plain ordinary.¡± ¡°Then maybe there was a mystery of birth?¡± Daisy said with a twinkle in her eyes. I shook my head without saying anything, Daisy blinked her eyes and added. ¡°But, you know, there¡¯s a puppet show at the market, and there really is a mystery of birth¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The youngest duck is the youngest child of the imperial family. There is no such thing as a birth mystery.¡± ¡°I see¡­.¡± Daisy nodded with a puffy face. Then she asked me with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°So what¡¯s happened to the ugly duckling?¡± ¡°The emperor and empress duck became worried when the ugly duckling was so ordinary. How could she be their child? Not only she didn¡¯t have any abilities, but also her face didn¡¯t even look like theirs. At first, they were overwhelmed with worry, but then anger took its place. They fought with each other the whole day. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s like you.¡± Said the emperor. ¡°No, I think she¡¯s like you.¡± Said the empress. ¡°Oh, my God, you¡¯re so mean. But she¡¯s still my daughter.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± So the ugly duckling stood in the corridor at dawn, breathless. She had a nightmare that night, but even scarier than the nightmare were the voices leaking out of her parents¡¯ room. ¡°I think she went there because the nightmare scared her.¡± Daisy said. ¡°Yes. After a constant battle, the emperor and the empress decided to keep everything about the ugly duckling a secret. At that time, the situation outside the palace was not good. Fearing the nobles, the emperor and the Empress Duck spread rumors that the youngest princess was actually very beautiful and powerful.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°Then they demoted the ugly duck princess from princess to maid. The ¡°real¡± one, who never existed, was abandoned in a remote palace, so the ugly duck princess actually became a fake who took care of her sister.¡± That¡¯s how they decided to hide the existence of the ugly duck princess. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Next¡­. I continued the story calmly. ¡°The ugly duckling met a very special duck. He was a brave duck that cherished the ugly duckling.There was also a gentle side to him that every time he visited the ugly duckling, he gave her fresh apples with a slightly reddened face.¡± ¡°The brave duck?¡± ¡°Yes. He was the best duck in the Imperial Palace at sword fighting. ¡° ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°They spent a lot of time together. One day, however, the brave duck disappeared. The ugly duck princess waited, and waited, and waited again, but the brave duck never came.¡± ¡°She must be sad.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, someone poisoned the duck pond. So the imperial duck family ran away quickly. And the ugly duckling princess¡­. She did her best to escape and survived. But when she came back to her senses, there was no one around. The little duckling waddled in the darkness, calling for her mother and father. But¡­¡± Daisy nodded with downcast eyes. Eventually, she closed her eyes tightly, unable to withstand the sleepiness. I pulled Daisy¡¯s covers up to her chin. ¡°Good night.¡± I blew out the candle and the white smoke at the end of the candle wick dispersed into the darkness. A cold wind came in and I closed the window tightly. The starry sky flickered like an afterimage. **** There was a place under the same sky, but not a single star was visible¡­. It was above the Imperial Palace. I looked at a somewhat lonely sky. It reminded me of the phrase ¡°the imperial house that the stars abandoned¡±. The Imperial Palace, a woman on the luxurious bed tossed and turned and opened her eyes. Her body was shaking with her head buried in her hands, as if she had a terrible nightmare. ¡°Honey.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who threw her away¡­¡± ¡°Michelle!¡± She finally took a breath and shuddered as her body cramped . ¡°I miss my child.¡± With those words, the Empress dove into the Emperor¡¯s arms. Her thin shoulders raised up and down. She was sobbing. ¡°I still remember it vividly. How that little thing stared at me and the look she gave me. I felt so guilty that such despair was on the face of that child¡­¡± ¡°Michelle.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I know that it is impossible to find the child. I also know that she may be dead.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in a good place.¡± ¡°Really¡­I can¡¯t live with myself¡­¡­ with all this going on, I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to end up like this one day.¡± ¡°I understand. I want to see her too.¡± [Father!] The emperor¡¯s brows wrinkled as the scream of the child was still clearly echoed in his ears. The situation was like a blood stain that can¡¯t be erased even if you try. Rather than being erased, the guilt grew bigger day by day. [Father!] He wanted to grab anyone and ask them what it was about blood relations that made him gouge his heart so badly. He knew that what they were looking for was a shell with no ability. But in order to get rid of this endless guilt, he had to find Stella. He wanted to find her and make amends. He wanted to enjoy the luxury of sympathy for that little thing that he discarded as surplus to life. As he was suffocating with guilt, time beautified the memory. Yes, she was a normal girl, but she had his eyes. She had a cute smile on her face, a rare kindness. As they did so, a sense of loss enveloped them, as if they had lost something precious. The Empress whimpered silently and raised her head to look at her husband. ¡°The Duke of Delanhill is looking for the child.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Stella.¡± ¡°We must find her sooner than that monster.That is, if Stella is still alive.¡± The Empress nodded and remembered Clyde ¨C the Duke of Delanhill. Black hair and red eyes. When that man came to them soaked in blood, they shuddered as if they had seen the Grim Reaper. ¡°He¡¯s a monster. I would never give Stella to that person.¡± ¡°They all said that he seems crazy about something.He turned his house into a pool of blood and didn¡¯t even blink. The fact that someone like that wants our daughter so badly is a real surprise¡­¡­¡± Clyde ¨C the Duke of Delanhill. He was the one who helped to take control of the family and rebuild the imperial family by killing the members of his own family who were instrumental in the rebellion. People referred to him as such. But behind the scenes¡­ He¡¯s a monster. There were no two monsters alike under the sky. Born as the fifth illegitimate son of a baron, he entered the palace with his superior swordsmanship and lived quietly as if he was dead. As soon as the rebellion broke out, he went to the territory and killed his father and the people of the house, just like that¡­¡­¡­ ¡°The day he became a duke, I told him that he must keep his promise to give me Stella, how stern his eyes were¡­.¡± The Empress closed her eyes, shivering with shame. The emperor said with conviction. ¡°No matter how much he helped to rebuild the imperial family, what belongs to the heavens belongs to the heavens, and how could he dare to go after our child with that duke status?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Karen is attracted to his monster face and wants to marry him.¡± ¡°This is outrageous! He can have Stella as his bride after finding her but he won¡¯t ever have Karen!¡± ¡°I was hoping that the storm would sweep away the dirty dust, but I don¡¯t think of calamity as a friend for the reason that I am grateful.¡± A spent storm must go. ¡°Let it be as it is for now. The duke is not happy about the engagement with Karen either, so we¡¯ve some time¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°First thing first is to find Stella.¡± The Empress nodded. ¡°Yes, of course¡­¡­¡± **** ¡°Duke.¡± A voice interrupted his thoughts, the Duke pointed with his chin to the desk. A bottle and glass lay neatly in front of him, and his sharp gaze leisurely skimmed over the writing on the bottle. . It was a cheap wine he bought for 2 gold. He lowered his head in silence and then looked at the papers on his desk. He was a Duke. Born as the fifth bastard in the prestigious Barony of Delanhill, he was too shallow by blood to be called a duke. If he dared to trace his childhood, all he could remember was the beatings. When he thought of how colorless and vague his life was, a faint voice lingered in his ears. [Garbage that crawled out from between the bridges of the lowly ones. Die. Die. Clyde Delanhill.] His father, who was looking at him with his eyes as if he was a livestock, paid a high price to the slave dealer. It seemed like a natural procedure, since all the so-called ¡®bastards of the Delanhill family¡¯ had been sold that way. He was a skilled swordsman, and risked his life to hold the gold that would satisfy his father, while his father pushed him out of the house. His trembling hand picked up the wine bottle and poured it relentlessly into the empty glass. ¡®¡­I miss her¡¯ Her beautiful brown eyes. Her soft brown hair. A sweet voice. [No. Brother Joseph!] [¡­Stella.] The Duke, isolated in the room, gulped down the wine like a thirsty man. His throat began to swell. [Please don¡¯t hurt this man. I beg you.] The voice that kept echoing in his head made him thirsty even as he drank and drank. Chapter 5 Daisy was asleep¡­. In complete silence, I crawled under the covers and looked at the old ceiling. I let out a small sigh, If I fall asleep like this, will I have that dream again? ¡®I don¡¯t want to dream.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to have any more dreams about my family. I wanted to forget it since they¡¯re all gone, but why do I keep dreaming? I closed my eyes and counted sheep in my head. I took a deep breath and the air rushed into my lungs, choking me. As I tossed and turned, the story we read earlier rushed into my head. ¡°The Ugly Duckling met a very special duck.¡± ¡°It was a tough duck that took care of the ugly duckling princess.¡± I thought of Clyde Delanhill. The Imperial¡¯s best swordsman. He was a slave who scrubbed floors, but on the recommendation of the Imperial knights who took notice of him, he became Joseph¡¯s swordsmanship partner. I still remember all of it vividly. The metallicity of the swords as they clashed, the sweat that ran down the foreheads of the two young men. The man would always give my brother a last-minute loss. Even though it looked like he could win. When the practice was over, Karen would run to Joseph and give him a water bottle and a handkerchief. ¡°Thank you.¡± Karen would tuck her hair behind her ears and smile like a spring breeze. ¡°What¡­Did you get hurt, brother? It was pretty intense.¡± ¡°No, Clyde is very useful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Karen glanced over at Clyde. ¡°I heard he¡¯s born with a talent. He must be¡­ well dressed and happy, right? I heard he was originally a floor cleaner, did you smell anything on his clothes, brother?¡± ¡°Karen. Don¡¯t say that about Clyde. He¡¯s my Swordmaster.¡± ¡°What? No¡­ I was just worried about you, brother. And now seeing that a humble person like him is doing well, I, the Princess of the country, feel much better.¡± ¡°Well, Karen. That¡¯s very thoughtful of you to say that.¡± Karen laughed as Joseph patted her on the head. I stared at them as they conversed, then glanced at Clyde. Our gazes met, and I twitched, and the boy turned quickly to the side. I thought that the man was exactly like a creature. A foal that had not been tamed. He was the complete opposite of Joseph, who looked like a prince in a fairy tale with blond hair and deer-like eyes. The boy¡¯s dark hair and red eyes were definitely something to catch the eye. Our gazes met again, and this time I pretended to look elsewhere. My hands were sweating. Then, one day. ¡°Your Highness! Are you all right? Oh my god, your arm is bleeding¡­¡± With a dull thud, the sword in Clyde¡¯s hand fell to the floor. The tip of the sword had the blood of the crown prince on it. My brother¡¯s blood. Clyde had a confused look on his face. When they would practice fighting, he always stopped at the end and let my brother win¡­ Our eyes met each other. When Joseph¡¯s sword came his way, he tried to block it, but accidentally cut Joseph¡¯s arm. ¡°Oh my god, you, despicable thing! Big brother, big brother, are you alright?¡± Karen ran to Joseph. ¡°Guards, guards! Arrest him for trying to kill my brother immediately! You shouldn¡¯t trust the lowly, brother. Are you all right?¡± As Joseph nodded vigorously, the guards quickly snatched the boy¡¯s arm. Clyde. I slurred his name. The man¡¯s empty eyes and resigned face caught my attention. He stared at Joseph with his red eyes which held no defiance or explanation, just waiting for his punishment. I was curious to see the wry smile on his face as if he was relieved that something boring was finally over. ¡°No, Brother Joseph!¡± I stood in front of the man and looked at Joseph. ¡°Stella¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt this man. I beg you.¡± In the darkness, I was always hoping for someone to reach out to me among the light. But no one came and I complied rather than resisting. I was used to my situation because no one listened to me. Everyone pointed to me as the ¡°ugly duckling¡± who was not capable and was not outstanding. So, I understood Clyde¡¯s grimace as I looked at him. He, too, felt as if he was left alone in this world, and had given up fighting. I wanted to reach out to him. Karen screamed at me. ¡°Brother¡¯s arm is injured and you¡¯re defending that lowly? How much faith did brother have in him? He¡¯s an ungrateful filth. I wonder who it was that let him hold the sword with his dirty hands¡­¡± ¡°Karen.¡± It was Joseph¡¯s voice as if he was telling her to stop. The attendants were stopping the bleeding in his arm. He bit his lower lip, struggling to resist the pain. In the meantime, Karen raised her voice again. ¡°I need to look into the background of that lowly thing. I¡¯ll call the doctor, and¡­..¡± ¡°Sister is kind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I watched them, I spoke. ¡°Brother, please have mercy. I was watching and he didn¡¯t mean to do it, but I¡¯m sure he made a mistake because he was distracted.¡± ¡°Stella, what are you talking about? He was distracted because he was looking at you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m trying to say¡­¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m hearing an excuse that dumb and unbelievable. If that lowly thing likes you, he will tell you the truth. Stella, you are making outrageous excuses in an attempt to satisfy your self-interest.¡± Karen said, emphasizing the word ¡®self-interest¡¯. It was a typical behavior and interest of Karen in using rather difficult words. The nobles often praised Karen for her cleverness, saying the 12 years old Princess would surely become a great leader. ¡°Your compassion for those below you is worthy of high praise, Stella. What shall I do, brother? Shall I let that lowly thing go out of pity?¡± Karen said sarcastically. ¡°If Clyde had intended to attempt an assassination, he would have put poison on the tip of his sword.¡± Joseph¡¯s words caused the soldiers to let go of Clyde¡¯s arm. As I sighed in relief, Karen looked at Clyde with a still disgruntled look on her face. ¡°Hey, floor cleaner.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Are you sure you were distracted because of my sister¡¯s face?¡± The guards giggled the whole time Karen was talking. When Clyde was about to open his mouth, I interrupted him. ¡°I misspoke. Ah¡­Actually he stopped to steal glances at the beautiful Princess Karen. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, it is because you are so beautiful¡­¡± ¡°You should have said that from the beginning, then there wouldn¡¯t have been any misunderstanding.¡± The adults said that lying is bad. Was that why the lies I told hurt me so much? Past Karen, I met his gaze. His hair was as black as jet, and under those dark brows, his eyes were as red as flames as he looked at me. The man had a truly magnificent appearance. I gazed at him blankly for a while, forgetting all about courtesy. Our gazes crossed and Karen¡¯s noisy voice broke the silent tension. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to your room. You need to rest, brother.¡± I breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them disappeared. I was just about to head towards the door with my usual quiet steps. ¡°Your Highness.¡± A voice stopped my feet. I turned around and our gazes met, and Clyde, perhaps embarrassed, ruffled his hair while looking at the ground. When he was about to say something, I interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m not Your Highness, I¡¯m just Stella.¡± He looked at me as if he was confused by my statement, and I calmly explained. ¡°The term ¡®Highness¡¯ is too excessive for me.¡± I was born as the youngest daughter of the Empress, but I had never been a Princess. It was because I was ordinary. Because I was not beautiful. I wasn¡¯t capable so I couldn¡¯t be the child the empress expected. That was why I became a fake. The real Princess Stella, the youngest of the princesses, was somewhere else. Somewhere in the palace, she was very beautiful, smart, and capable. That¡¯s how the world knew it. I was the fake Princess. A fake playing the real one because they were afraid people might scare their beloved youngest daughter, the Princess. I was a bait¡­ a shield. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Princess Karen¡¯s maid. That¡¯s why I¡¯m unworthy of the status.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± The man said. ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry?¡± I blinked, snapping out of my reverie. How dumb was that? I was sure I could have done better by now. Fake acting. ¡°When people ask, you tell them you¡¯re a fake. Introduce it as bait and trick them into thinking you¡¯re a decoy.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Bait that exists for the safety of the real youngest princess! You are an imposter. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Tell them that the real youngest princess is in the detached palace and that she is beautiful, and powerful at the same time. You¡¯re Karen¡¯s maid. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡­..¡± I didn¡¯t want to be a bait¡­ I remembered the words I was unable to say. I shook my head. No need to think about it. I told myself. I had a real family now. Daisy, Mary and Hans. I no longer connected with the people of the Imperial family. I didn¡¯t need to be someone I wasn¡¯t for others any more. But, that man sure looked like him. Clyde Delanhill. I closed my eyes, thinking of the knight who visited in the morning. I suddenly felt warm. **** Karen laid on her bed, her head propped up in one hand as she pondered. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Duke¡¯s aide said there¡¯s a woman somewhere who looks just like Stella.¡± The maids bowed their heads in fear at the mere sound of Karen¡¯s voice. Karen sat up, glancing through the maids. ¡°I have to find her, that woman. You know who I need help from, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go see the commander. He¡¯s very difficult to please.¡± Karen left her seat. The maids followed her without saying a word. Chapter 6 Bang! The sharp tip of the cue hit the billiard ball. ¡°Nice.¡± At the same time, an exclamation escaped. The blond man whispered in a condescending tone as people applauded. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them?¡¯ He smiled awkwardly and swept his hair back. The light and the golden hair shined brightly. His eyes were red as blood. ¡°Jason Evanders!¡± The voice calling his name was sweet and alluring. The man named Jason turned around, and the women around him flushed, glancing sideways at him. His face was sharp and attractive as if an Angel had descended. His blond hair was frizzy and slightly covered his eyes. A gorgeous woman moved closer to him. First Princess Karen Ethelanche. She met his gaze and smiled ceremoniously, her eyes downcast. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Her slightly raspy voice was incredibly seductive. The man took out a steel case from his pocket, plucked a cigar from it, and asked, ¡°Cigar?¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it.¡± Jason nodded and bit the cigar. A peculiarly insincere look was directed at the edge of the table, and he tilted his head and asked, ¡°Does anyone have a light?¡± A woman with heavy makeup strikes a match and lit his cigar. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jason smiled kindly and took a deep inhale of the smoke. The woman who had lit the match blushed away. Holding the cigar deftly in his fingers, Jason leaned back against the billiard table and stared at Karen. He had a lazy look in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t like it then why come here?¡± ¡°I need a favor.¡± Karen smiled, her eyes searching for his. Jason Evanders. Chieftain of the Underworld and only son of Marquis Evanders, and now Viscount Evanders. If every man¡¯s unrequited love was Imperial Princess Karen Ethelanche, then every woman¡¯s unrequited love was Jason Evanders. That was how it spread throughout the Empire. However, in front of the angelic and handsome Jason, Karen was nonchalant. His appearance had no effect on her. ¡°I want to find someone. It¡¯s a personal favor.¡± ¡°Will it do me any good if I do as you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something to talk about when everyone is listening.¡± Karen glanced at the surroundings. And the eyes of everyone here were on the two of them. ¡°Follow me.¡± Jason said in a low voice, then stepped away, and Karen followed. In the middle of all this, the woman who had lit Jason¡¯s cigar earlier was still blushing bright red and sneaking looks at him. A disdain flashed across Karen¡¯s perfect smile. However, her smile quickly faded. Her expression as she looked at Jason was as calm as looking in a mirror. * * * ¡°Make yourself at home.¡± In a private room, the man held the burning cigar in his hand. His crimson eyes shone sharply, though they looked lonely. Karen tilted her head and looked at her share of whiskey on the table. ¡°There¡¯s a woman who looks just like my sister, Stella Ethelanche. She¡¯s a commoner working in some diner.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± Jason tilted his head slightly. ¡°We don¡¯t even know exactly what the princess looks like, so even the portraits in the press may or may not resemble the ¡®real¡¯ one.¡± ¡°The man said it looked like her. So I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Who is he¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± Jason stared at Karen who seemed hesitant. ¡°He¡¯s my future husband.¡± Instead of saying more, Karen took the glass of whiskey and emptied it in one gulp. Jason chuckled. He gave Karen an interesting look as he turned the cap of the whiskey bottle. ¡°Would you like a refill?¡± At his words, Karen¡¯s gaze went to the whiskey bottle he was holding. It was a luxurious type. She could see the black spade on the bottle¡¯s label, and the word ¡°delight¡± written in wiggly letters. ¡°It¡¯s an expensive one.¡± ¡°Well, an important person is here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The most beautiful person in the empire came to see me, this is the least I could do.¡± Karen chuckled. She didn¡¯t want to prolong the conversation so Karen decided to be blunt and opened her mouth. ¡°Anyway, find her. Follow Duke Clyde¡¯s trail. She¡¯s probably in one of the diners he regularly visits.¡± ¡°By the way, Your Highness. Why are you suddenly looking for your sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Substitute.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­because all everyone thinks about is that child. Stella, she¡¯s probably dead, and if there¡¯s a child who looks so much like her that she can fool the Duke, so why not use her. I¡¯ll teach her a few things about Stella and let her play the role of the Princess.¡± ¡°That sounds like something a good girl would do. Is that right?¡± His voice was slow and supple. A look of nervousness came over Karen¡¯s face and Jason lifted his whiskey glass and took a sip nonchalantly. Karen sighed and said in a dry voice. ¡°Of course. I care about my family.¡± ¡°What are you going to do if the real one is still alive? If the fake becomes the real one, the search for the real one will end. It¡¯s stealing the real one¡¯s identity. Yet, you want me to find her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of my family.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Instead of answering, Karen took the bottle of whiskey and filled her glass. Instead of answering, Karen took the bottle of whiskey and filled her glass. ¡°One more request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°When you get her, make sure she¡¯s completely on your side.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at that, aren¡¯t you? Seducing people. I want you to make her a doll that listens well and take her to me. Is that hard to understand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t do business with a woman¡¯s heart. I hate trouble.¡± ¡°Pretending to be stubborn, I see.¡± Karen laughed heartily. It annoyed her that a mere merchant with all that rotten money could be so arrogant in front of the imperial family. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to bring her in. But¡­be careful what you say, Princess.¡± His lips twisted. ¡°I¡¯ll help you because we¡¯re in an alliance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like the penniless imperial family is on the same level as the Evanders family, is it?¡± Jason smiled kindly. **** Peanut butter and jelly, mayonnaise, and pickle jars¡­..It was always a struggle to deal with a storage unit that was taller than I was. I reached over and pushed the peach extract into the side of the three neatly placed bottles. Huffing, I sighed and put my hands on my waist. I stared at the bottles in the storage cabinet with delight. However, I could only fill four of them. Come to think of it, there were more beautiful jars to put in the cabinet. Or to be more precise, there were many. When are they going to put all of these in? Let¡¯s talk to Uncle Hans later when he comes. I¡¯d like to get it done before the dinner guests arrive. The height of the storage shelves was too low for me if I stepped on the chair and too high for me if I lifted my heels to organize the bottles. It was a height issue. ¡®When I¡¯m a little older, will I be able to reach them properly?¡¯ I picked up the bottle and stretched my arms. I got on the table and stood on my tiptoes and finally reached the storage cabinet¡­¡­. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Crash. The jar slipped from my hands and fell to the floor, and shattered into pieces. The scent of sweet citrus spread quickly. At the sound of an unseen voice I turned around to see who had disturbed me. The man alternately looked at me and the broken jar. ¡°Oh my God, you¡¯re not injured, are you?¡± The man in front of me asked politely. He was an aristocratic man with curly blond hair that slightly covered his red eyes. He looked dazzling as brother Joseph. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to startle you. I¡¯ve come to see someone.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jason Evanders. My friends call me Jay.¡± He had a kind smile that no one could dislike. He quickly held out his hand to me. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ethel. It¡¯s just Ethel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡± He had a fancy appearance, and I knew I might be blinded if I looked at him too long. ¡°By the way, who are you looking for?¡± ¡°You.¡± His lips formed a nice arc line. ¡°May I speak to you for a moment, Ethel?¡± Behind him, I could see Aunt Mary poking her head out of the open doorway. There was an expectant look in her eyes, as if the young lady¡¯s spring breeze was blowing again, but I smiled awkwardly and kept my distance from him. He was a stranger. He was also of high status. I wondered if he was related to the Imperial family. I said, exploring him. ¡°What brings a noble to visit me?¡± ¡°You have an elegant accent.¡± I looked at him in surprise at his unexpected words. A moment later, he took the tense silence into his own hands and stepped closer to me, narrowing the distance between us. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special, but I¡¯d like to make a proposal. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be interested in it. Have you heard of the missing Princess?¡± The missing Princess¡­.My hands froze. ¡°There is no need for such caution.¡± The man took one more step closer and our gazes met. ¡°I¡¯m not a bad person.¡± Flawless, I would say. He smiled harmlessly at me with his beautiful face, but I was nervous. My intuition told me to run. I took a step back and he moved another closer, closing the distance between us again. ¡°You¡¯re more beautiful than I thought.¡± The man was smiling kindly, but the subtle uneasiness rose up my spine. And I knew that kind of smile. It was a perfect one, created through decades of practice. Karen used to smile like that to everyone. This man was dangerous. I took another step backward. With a crunching sound, I felt a sharp pain under my foot. *** Chapter 7 ¡°Ah¡­.¡± I winced reflexively. I tried to move my feet, but there was broken glass all over the floor. It was painful. I sharply sensed that blood was leaking through the cut, and then the throbbing began to take control of my feet. ¡°Stay still.¡± I heard the man¡¯s neat voice. ¡°What are you doing now¡­?¡± Before I could finish my sentence, he came up to me and picked me up gently. At the same time, his body scent drifted into my nose. The scent that resembled him, was both splendid and luxurious. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes. So let go of me.¡± ¡°Stay where you are. Don¡¯t turn down help.¡± Unlike his fake flawless smile, his arms were spacious and comfortable. I didn¡¯t know where to look, so I looked at the other parts of the room and hoped he¡¯d drop me off soon. He sat carefully in a chair, and looked down at me, while I was cradled against his chest. Blood was dripping down the floor. His low voice rubbed against my ears. ¡°I saw one presence, but she moved away. I¡¯m sure she will bring something to help you¡­¡± ¡°Ethel!¡± Jason¡¯s gaze turned to the doorway when he heard the voice interrupting him. What he said was correct. Aunt Mary was approaching, carrying a small wooden box. ¡°My God, look at the blood! Ethel, why did you get hurt like this? Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Finally, I looked to the ground and saw the few drops of blood that had splattered there. Mary¡¯s face turned pale. I tried to get up, but a strong force grabbed me tightly. I turned and looked at Jason. He laughed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you, so just sit tight. It¡¯s my fault. Oh, and madam¡­?¡± Mary¡¯s eyes wavered as his gaze went to her. ¡°Can I have a moment alone with Ethel? I need to talk to her.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Mary placed the first aid kit on the table and stepped away. Jason got up from his seat and sat me down on the chair. He opened the first aid kit, grabbed some tweezers, medicine, cotton and bandages, then knelt down on one knee in front of me and examined the wound. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a deep cut.¡± He lifted his head and stared at me. ¡°It¡¯s going to take some time to heal. You¡¯d better not do any walking.¡± Our breaths oozed out into the quiet air. His deep lashes tilted, and with a sharp tweezer he pulled out the glass. ¡°Ugh,¡± a small groan escaped my lips. ¡®Who¡¯s he?¡¯ There was blood and wounds, but he did not look panicked. What does he do? For a moment, I was curious. He skillfully disinfected the wound and then bandaged it up. It seemed he knew this kind of work. When I looked at his neat shirt collar, I didn¡¯t think he was someone who was out there touching blood and wounds. I guess it was my bias. I was glad it wasn¡¯t too bad that I needed stitches. He raised his head and looked at me. When our eyes met, he turned his head and smiled gently, as if to reassure me. But no words of consolation were spoken. ¡°Next time, make sure you wear some shoes to work. If your feet hurt, it will bother you all day.¡± It was a very gentle voice. Jason pulled one one of the chairs out and sat in front of me. ¡°Why did you take your shoes off? I¡¯m curious.¡± I don¡¯t normally wear shoes except at lunchtime or dinner time when it¡¯s crowded with customers. ¡®We can¡¯t look alike. Shoes.¡¯ I shook my head, thinking in my mind. I didn¡¯t want to waste time talking rubbish to a stranger. ¡°Would you like me to give you one? I¡¯ll give you a pretty dress as well.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean to be hostile. I don¡¯t like presents either.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, was the woman from earlier your mother?¡± Let¡¯s not give him any doubts. I¡¯ve been working very hard. I¡¯ve been protecting this place very well. ¡°Yes. The owners of this inn are my parents.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man replied as if we were friends for a long time. It hadn¡¯t been but only a few minutes since we met. However, with that appearance, everyone would surely want to be his friends. He had an impression that would please everyone. It was a category that seemed to be a million miles away from me. ¡°Is there anything that Ethel wants to know about me?¡± ¡°No, sir.¡± I responded with a generous smile. ¡°Does Ethel not like me? I¡¯m a little disappointed.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be rude, sir. Just¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to do something fun with me, Ethel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°The rewards will be more than you can imagine.¡± ¡°I am just a stupid commoner girl. I don¡¯t want to engage in the work with someone as noble as Lord Evanders.¡± ¡°I believe Ethel will do well enough.¡± He pushed my rejection aside with a sly smile. His face was smiling, his tone was still kind but coercive. ¡°I have an interesting story to tell you¡­ can you keep a secret?¡± The look in his eyes, which was only kind, sank deeper. He interlocked his long and manly fingers. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You seem to know when to use your mouth, so it must be a lie when you said you were stupid.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°A commoner who knows her duties well is a smart commoner.¡± * * * ¡°I need a substitute.¡± The sunset approached and then moved away. A small force pushed my back and I could see the sky and my toes as my hair fluttered in the wind. I gripped the two ropes tightly and became absorbed in swinging. Daisy, who had pushed the swing, sat beside me and looked up at the sky. ¡°What are you thinking, sister?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I watched the sunset again, and the voice penetrated clearly into my ears. ¡°¡­His Majesty the Emperor and Empress lost their youngest daughter, and they are so heartbroken that they can¡¯t sleep comfortably or eat well. If Ethel can help me, they will be happy to have their daughter back, and Ethel will be able to help with your family budget¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I am not as beautiful as the youngest princess of the rumors, nor do I have strong abilities.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re beautiful enough.¡± The hands holding the dangling rope grew stronger. I gripped the rope tightly and let out a deep breath. ¡°Pretty. Ethel.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t say that often, do they? Pretty.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Daisy¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned and looked at Daisy. ¡°Yes?¡± Daisy said with a lively look in her eyes. ¡°You know that story you told me before we went to bed? The ugly duckling princess.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How does it end? You didn¡¯t tell me the ending.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I let out a short sigh and said as if it was insignificant. ¡°The ugly duckling, who had never looked in the mirror before, decided to look in the mirror when she forgot all the painful memories at the palace. That¡¯s when she became an adult. The ugly duckling closed her eyes tightly. She slowly floated up and looked at herself. She was very surprised.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It had a beautiful beak, white feathers, and a noble appearance. The duckling, more beautiful than any duck, was reflected in the pond. Yes, the ugly duckling was, in fact, not the ugly duckling.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a duck, but a swan¡­¡± Daisy said. ¡°No.¡± I gave a small laugh. ¡°The ugly duckling princess no longer hated herself, but loved herself. She had learned to accept her reflection in the mirror and to protect it with all her heart.¡± ¡°It would have been a lot more interesting if there was a mystery of her birth.¡± Laughing at Daisy¡¯s cute whining, I turned my head and concentrated on the swing. ¡°Anyway, the happy Ugly Duckling was no longer alone. Because she and the strong duck met again, had babies and formed a family, and lived happily ever after.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± I laughed bitterly at the sound of Daisy¡¯s voice. Unlike real life, fairy tales for children must have a happy ending. I couldn¡¯t help but ponder as I watched the faint smile on Daisy¡¯s lips. ¡°Despite my appearance, I am just an empty shell. I can¡¯t make the stars shine, and I can¡¯t even hear them. And all of those abilities that the princess is reputed to have¡­.¡± ¡°Ethel, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s because Princess Stella had very little ability to begin with.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°That was the testimony of someone who knew Princess Stella better than Ethel. You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± I scoffed when the man said that it was the testimony of someone who knew Princess Stella better than I did. I closed my eyes and felt the wind tickling my ears. ¡°Ethel just needs to be Princess Stella. You won¡¯t have to stay in the palace for long because your marriage is already decided.¡± ¡°To who?¡± ¡°Clyde ¨C the Duke of Delanhill. He¡¯s very wealthy, young and handsome, so don¡¯t worry, Ethel.¡± Clyde ¨C The Duke of Delanhill. A duke. I was reminded once again of the title ¡°Duke¡± that followed the familiar name. Clyde Delanhill, I wondered, is that the man I know? Then how did the Baron¡¯s bastard son who was Joseph¡¯s swordsmanship partner become a Duke? Did I hear it wrong? Or maybe there were two people named Delanhill. I pictured him in my memory as the recent visitor at the restaurant. He was a handsome man who had a striking resemblance to the boy in my memory. I remembered my conversation with Jason again. I had a firm look of rejection on my face. ¡°It¡¯s a tempting proposition, but I¡­¡± ¡°Ethel, there are things that we all value and want to protect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I understand what you meant by that.¡± ¡°Princess Karen values her family very much.¡± His eyes sank coldly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Ethel cherish anything?¡± It was an obvious threat. I closed my eyes tightly. **** It was on a Tuesday that I was reunited with a face I believed I would never see again. A woman who looked like she was made out of moonlight walked into the inn with two knights behind her. ¡°I¡¯m here to see a person named Ethel.¡± As I was wiping the table, I raised my head and looked at her. Karen. What is to come has come. Our eyes met. Chapter 8 *** Karen approached me as her shoes were tapping the floor sharply. I put down the rag I used to wipe the table and bowed my head. Thoughts went through my head. Maybe she recognized me. Her clean hands were in my field of vision. And my rough hands, too. Traces of time we¡¯ve been living. Then, I heard a gentle voice. ¡°You work here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Raise your head. I am Karen Ethelanche, the first Princess of the Empire.¡± Suddenly, Karen grabbed my hand. Did she recognize me? From my voice? When I stared at her with a confused look on my face, Karen said, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Ethel, who works here. Where can I find Ethel?¡± I thought, listening to her soft voice. My sister hasn¡¯t changed a bit. Karen was kind to people. With her beautiful smile and kind voice, she could easily win people¡¯s favor. There was no one who didn¡¯t like Karen. And if I wasn¡¯t Karen¡¯s sister, I might be swayed by her gentleness. It was rare for a princess to hold a commoner¡¯s hand while meeting her for the first time. But I quickly snatched my hand out of her grasp. Karen stared at me in surprise, but I didn¡¯t want to play along with her kind Princess skit. Because I knew how Karen was. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you hold the hands of the humble.¡± ¡°¡­No, the hands of the people are the honorable hands that sustain this empire. Please, do not refuse my favor. As an Imperial princess, it is only natural for me to take care of my people.¡± The knights standing behind her looked very impressed. Karen looked around. ¡°This is a really nice store. By the way, do you have a reception room here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± Karen blinked. ¡°I once had a sister who had brown hair and brown eyes, just like you. She was a cute kid. I really cared for her. Everyone in my family loved her very much, but she was lost when the country was in turmoil¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ethel.¡± Karen looked startled for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. Nonetheless, the ¡°it can¡¯t be¡± didn¡¯t go away easily. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful¡­..¡± She said in a small voice. Our gazes met, and she said flatly, ¡°Oh, please pretend you didn¡¯t hear me.¡± ¡°I heard that Jason startled Ethel quite a bit. I apologize.¡± She held out her beautiful hand to me, and I looked at it silently. I couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯s letting Jason be the villain and calling herself a saint¡­. Jason must have had Karen behind him. I said in a distant voice. ¡°How am I supposed to hold the hand of a royalty?¡± Taking a step back, Karen was about to say something. Perhaps to point out my attitude. I spoke quickly so that she wouldn¡¯t catch the wordplay. ¡°We don¡¯t have a reception room, but I¡¯m sure we can talk in my room if you don¡¯t mind the dirtiness.¡± With just those words, I turned around. If she was the Karen I knew, I¡¯m sure she would be cursing inwardly, wondering why I asked a noble princess to come to the room of a commoner. It was none of my business. I didn¡¯t hear her footsteps for a while, but by the time I reached the top of the stairs, another slow thud echoed through the air. I quickly made my way to my room without looking back. I took a deep breath and squeezed my hand, which was getting colder. I didn¡¯t want any of my emotions to leak out. ¡°This is my room.¡± Karen¡¯s brow wrinkled, and when our gazes met, she deliberately put her friendly face back on. ¡°I believe you are well aware of why I am here, Ethel.¡± Karen sat down on the bed and lightly tapped the seat next to her with her precious hand. I sat down next to her, keeping my distance, but she grabbed my hand. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡­.¡± Karen tried to speak with tears in her eyes. When I tried to pull away, she squeezed my hand again. ¡°Please, Ethel. You¡¯re my last hope.¡± Finally, Karen burst into tears. The tears streamed down her cheeks. Then she said briefly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± and turned her face away. After wiping away her tears, she looked at me with tearful eyes that seemed to have a lot of stories. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for showing you my weakness. But please listen to what I have to say. My family has been living with guilt over the loss of my sister, Stella. Endless guilt. Do you know what it¡¯s like to live with guilt? It hurts my heart. The pain of the family is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± My voice was trembling slightly. I shook off her hand and looked at her. ¡°I am a commoner. I don¡¯t have the ability to play a noble person.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember anything from her childhood. And after living outside the castle for ten years, it¡¯s natural that she will act like a commoner. ¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A real Princess could be alive.¡± ¡°There is someone I love.¡± Karen¡¯s firm voice interrupted my words. ¡°He¡¯s a poor man who lives in the past because he can¡¯t forget the woman who might be dead. He¡¯s not the only one. The entire Imperial Palace can¡¯t forget her and is living in the past.¡± Karen¡¯s voice became desperate. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would be fooled by your voice, thinking Ethel is Stella.¡± Karen burst into tears, put her face in her hands and her shoulders shook. If I had magic, I would erase Stella from their sight. I felt like I¡¯d been hit in the head. When I was a child, I had to be a fake Stella even though I was the real one. Now I was told to be the fake one again, to soothe the guilt of these people. There was no Stella, not anywhere. ¡°Have you ever loved your sister?¡± Karen was surprised by my question. Those were words she never thought she¡¯d hear. However, her reply was simple. ¡°Of course. I love my sister with all my heart¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then how can you ask me to be her so easily? This is the life of a person who may be alive. How can you ask me to take it away? The princess is¡­..¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for her, Ethel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably dead. I know. Please don¡¯t ask me how I know. I just do.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Karen¡¯s perfect smile turned crooked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Princess is very devoted to her family.¡± Karen bit her bottom lip. Despite the darkening of her expression, I said what I wanted to say. ¡°The same goes for me. Please don¡¯t take my family away from me. I love my family as much as you love yours.¡± ¡°Ethel.¡± ¡°I do not want to live as Princess Stella. I love my family now. So please¡­¡­.¡± Mary, Hans, Daisy and this inn were all I had. I didn¡¯t want it to be taken away from me. I was loved as Ethel, and I lived as Ethel. I don¡¯t want to go back to that place now. ¡°Your Highness. Please go back.¡± ¡°Ethel, I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Please.¡± I knelt down in front of Karen. I bowed my head deeply as I didn¡¯t have the confidence to make eye contact. My mouth was bitter. My heart ached. My withering heart, which was already so full of scars that I believed it would never hurt again, ached. Still, I had to protect it. I had to protect what I had. My ¡°real¡± family, the one I love. Even if I had to do it this way. Karen looked down at me without saying a word and eventually got up from her seat. ¡°Choose, Ethel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What would you like to have here instead of an inn? A fruit shop? A seafood shop? A manure store wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, would it? The commoners farm and eat directly, so there would be a lot of demand.¡± ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡± ¡°Choose something that can replace the inn when it¡¯s gone. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°Princess¡­.¡± I was dazed. How could she threaten to destroy one person¡¯s life and family so casually? How could someone who claimed to care so deeply about her family said those words? She started to laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one week. I¡¯ll let Ethel make a choice¡­.¡± Karen turned. As she went to grab the door handle, I opened my mouth. ¡°A choice?¡± My voice was as cold as ice. Karen turned around and looked at me. ¡°What kind of choice is that if I can¡¯t choose? You say I can choose while holding a sword to my neck.¡± ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°What kind of choice is it when I have to choose while you hold the breath of my family? How about your family? You said your family loves and misses Princess Stella¡­while you¡¯re doing this to my family.¡± My voice was stifled, and my unkind, cold voice was spat out of my mouth. ¡°So this is really what you¡¯re doing for the people who miss Princess Stella?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Karen snorted as if she was speechless. It was just me and her in the room. She showed her bare face because her plan didn¡¯t go her way. ¡°¡­Since you feel so sorry for her, I¡¯m sure my dead sister must be in tears in the sky and feel very grateful. You¡¯re acting presumptuous as if you¡¯re already the second princess just because you look like her ¡­.¡± ¡°As you said, I had to be the perfect Second Princess, right?¡± In the cold ice, I made a disastrous proposal. I could see a faint surprise on Karen¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m a very useful person to Her Imperial Highness, so if she needs me, I¡¯ll do what she wants.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to start correcting that habit of yours. You certainly don¡¯t seem to know who I am since you are a commoner who didn¡¯t learn much.¡± ¡°Yes. However, since you are a noble princess, I am sure you will understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uneducated commoner.¡± Karen glared sharply at me with a look of unresolved anger. She looked as if she was about to call the guards and order them to tie me up. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t do that because she needed me. ¡°Come to think of it, the first Princess I remember was an Imperial Moon who was compassionate and noble, and who always thinks of the lowly ones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But now she¡¯s different from what I thought. I¡¯m sure the guards standing outside would love to know this, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± I walked past her and headed to the door. ¡°Can I take the carriage?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Also I¡¯d much rather it be at an inn than a fertilizer store.¡± I opened the door and headed out and Karen slammed the door behind me and grabbed my arm. ¡°Watch your mouth¡­.¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Her Imperial Highness hurts my arm so much.¡± As my knees touched the floor, I grabbed my arm, acting as if I was in pain, and the knights stared at Karen. She smiled awkwardly and released my arm, taking the lead. I quietly watched her silver hair as it wavered, and then I stood up. ¡°Sister Ethel?¡± Daisy peeked out and looked at me, and I shook my head at her. Daisy nodded and quickly ducked behind the door. I thought as I walked down the empty hallway. The Imperial family is hanging on the fake Stella and trying to erase their guilt. And Karen, hiding behind a mask of hypocrisy to satisfy her own ¡°self-interest.¡± I wanted to destroy the Stella they had painted. I didn¡¯t want to be a victim of their black atonement. So I decided to go back to where I belonged and erased myself from them. The beginning was a reunion. Chapter 9 *** The Imperial Palace was exactly as I remembered it. ¡­¡­ Over there, yes. There was a family portrait hanging right there. It was the only one with five people in it. It was me, Joseph, Karen, my mother, and my father. The Emperor looked at me with disbelief. The Empress¡¯s eyes turned red. Their demeanor was different. They both looked at me with indifferent expressions, because I was probably just another fake. ¡®I have no memory, I will not let the stars in the sky rise. Then how can you believe that this child is Stella!¡± The angry emperor was no more. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she¡¯s a child with no memory, Karen?¡± When Joseph¡¯s gaze went to Karen, she said, ¡°When the child came back to the Imperial Palace, the memories came back to her. Now she has memory,¡± she stammered. I stepped forward. I touched the wall and cast my eyes down. ¡°The wallpaper here was originally red. It was a favorite color of my great-grandfather, Alexander the Sun King.¡± ¡°Hey, how did you¡­.¡± It was the Empress¡¯s voice. ¡°And that room was your room. Is it still?¡± I turned to look at Karen. Karen¡¯s expression was one of confusion. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s still the same.¡± It was the largest and most beautiful place of the Imperial Palace. ¡°It always smelled of jasmine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with freesia now. I¡¯m tired of jasmine.¡± Joseph closed his eyes and laughed softly, and I turned my head away and deflected his smile. I hated it. All of it. When I turned my gaze, I saw the Emperor. ¡°Father.¡± He shivered at the sound of my voice. ¡°Does your left arm still hurt? You were out reindeer hunting and it was grazed by a bear¡¯s claw.¡± ¡°Well, how about that¡­.?¡± ¡°Mother had insomnia, and the court doctors jumped at the chance to cure her, but to no avail. I don¡¯t know if the insomnia was cured. And brother Joseph¡­¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± The Empress hugged me tightly and sobbed. But that didn¡¯t last long. Her legs weakened and she sat down. ¡°Stella, my child. My child. My beloved¡­..¡± While the Empress was crying and hugging me, I looked at Karen, who was standing behind her. Looking at her flustered face, I suddenly thought, did Karen really want Stella to come back? No, she did not. If she had wanted that, she wouldn¡¯t have filled her sister¡¯s place with a poor impostor with no memories or abilities. There was a chuckle. It was because Karen had finally done what she wanted. It was obvious that she wanted to make sure that her family knew that the real Stella no longer existed. It was her goal to show them the fake so that they would let go of their lingering feelings for the real Stella. If I was lucky enough to succeed in fooling them, Karen would ask me to erase the beautified Stella from the family¡¯s minds forever. And if I failed, she would still be happy that she had reaped a good harvest. To put it bluntly, it was a profitable business. ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± Joseph tried to take my hand, but I quickly moved it away. I stepped back and the Empress looked at me with tears streaming down her face. The emperor had a confused look on his face. ¡°Did Karen teach you to say that?¡± He looked as if he wanted me to say something different. So did Joseph. Karen, the Empress, and the Emperor all stared at me with distant eyes. I spoke calmly. ¡°If anyone asks, I¡¯m a decoy. Introduce yourself as bait and trick them into believing so.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes were shaken by my calm voice. The Empress covered her mouth and burst into tears. The insipid voice flowed out once more. ¡°The bait is there for the safety of the real youngest princess. You are an impostor. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­Stella.¡± ¡°Those words were not something Karen can teach you. It was something the Emperor said directly to Stella.¡± The Emperor said. ¡°Stella. It¡¯s really you, my, my¡­..¡± Joseph looked at me in a daze. The Emperor looked like he was hit in the head with a mallet. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to come back.¡± ¡°Huh, why not?¡± I didn¡¯t want to face the look of panic on the Emperor¡¯s face as he looked at me. I said as I looked at Karen¡¯s room, ¡°The day of the rebellion, Karen¡¯s room smelled of jasmine as well. That¡¯s right. So I walked over and called out to my father. Oh, please help me,¡± I said. ¡°No, you can stop now¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to my ragged appearance, the rebels mistook me for a servant.¡± ¡°Stella!¡± ¡°I am alive. And Karen threatened to hurt my life savior.¡± My gaze went to Karen. ¡°Stop it!¡± Karen raised her voice. I was silent, and Karen looked at her family. ¡°I want to help you.¡± It was depressing to see Karen worrying about the reputation she was going to lose. Karen was such a bore. She was endlessly afraid. She was afraid Stella would come back here. She would have to face her again. But Karen was nothing after all. She was just an ordinary ¡®person¡¯ who only worried about her own safety, and that was the same for the rest of the Imperial family. That was all. At the end of the earth, I looked down at the pit of darkness and feared to sink down there, but when I went down, there was not much. I just realized that what was consuming me was fear itself. The monster was inside of me. And the name of that monster was not Karen or the Imperials, but fear itself. I did not tremble. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that my marriage has been decided.¡± I looked at my father for a second. For the first time, I didn¡¯t shy away from his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m going to live there quietly, so please stop searching for me. Please abandon me one more time. I¡¯ll live quietly and you¡¯ll never see me again.¡± I clenched my fists and stared at my family. ¡°Leave me alone.¡± Even when I got used to the fact that I was abandoned, and tried to learn how to live with it¡­ Even when I came to terms with the fact that I could never, ever be a top priority¡­ I¡¯ve never felt such a strange emotion before. My chest heaved like a stormy sea, and it hurt somehow. I wondered why. I thought I was really getting better. That was what I believed. My family looked at me blankly, having forgotten how to breathe. The Emperor was the first to speak. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go to that monster,¡± he said. ¡°This is how we reunited again, but never! To that monster¡­.¡± ¡°Monster?¡± I laughed. ¡°Who¡¯s the monster?¡± Karen blinked and raised her voice. ¡°Stella Ethelanche, there¡¯s something you can and cannot say. What is it now..?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, sister.¡± I said as I made eye contact with Karen. ¡°You must have had fun twisting Ethel¡¯s neck into playing the good and beautiful princess.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Stella?¡± Joseph interrupted. ¡°Who¡¯s Ethel?¡± He turned his gaze towards Karen. Karen was frozen in place, speechless. ¡°Karen!¡± Karen avoided Joseph¡¯s gaze. She couldn¡¯t stand the tension, so she tapped me on the shoulder and then moved away. I stared at my mother, father, and Joseph. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You invited me here for a marriage proposal, didn¡¯t you? From what I¡¯ve heard, my husband-to-be is a famous war maniac, and I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t want to send Karen to this monster, and you suddenly remembered that there was another princess.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not true. We¡¯re not going to send you to that monster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, baby. Never will I send you to that monster. Never.¡± The Emperor and Empress shook their heads quickly. Just then, Joseph whispered. ¡°No, Stella.¡± When I made eye contact with Joseph, he continued speaking in a calm voice. ¡°The reason why your marriage was decided is simple. The Duke wanted you. Not the first imperial princess, but you. On the day he received his dukedom, he knelt down before father and said, ¡®The only thing I want as compensation is Princess Stella Ethelanche.¡¯¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°He worked in the imperial palace and might have been watching you.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He was my swordsmanship training partner and mentor.¡± I heard the sound of my mother sobbing. My father averted his gaze, wrinkling his brow. *** ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn lunatic! You madman¡­. you¡­to my family, to me.¡± For a moment, the pen stopped, and the Duke¡¯s eyes glanced blankly at the document. Suddenly his rough hand shook as he saw the blood pooling under the pen. In his memory, he, himself, was a monster. Clyde compulsively filled his wine glass and quenched his thirst. As the last drop touched his throat, he heard a voice with a knock on the door. ¡°It¡¯s me. Your Highness.¡± It was his aide. ¡°What is it?¡± The Duke hoped he wouldn¡¯t continue talking about the First Princess. Because his hands were itching. His red eyes rolled slowly and scanned where his sword was. It was an animalistic movement. ¡°She¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Who is?¡± ¡°Princess Stella Ethelanche.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°They say that the people are gathering at the imperial palace to see Princess Stella float the stars in the sky. How curious must they have been when they were told that she was the hidden princess?¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the most important fact remained. According to the rumors of the people in the Imperial Palace¡­.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The Duke wrinkled his brow. He had no idea what the aide was trying to say. ¡°They say the returned Princess Stella is truly beautiful. They can¡¯t take their eyes off her.¡± *** ¡°She¡¯s back?¡± The blond man looked down at his glass of whiskey, slowly distributing the elaborate glass with one hand. Then he threw the dart in his other hand in an insincere manner. With a ¡°thunk,¡± the dart pierced the red target with precision. The dart made a chattering sound. ¡°Who?¡± Jason Evanders averted his gaze and looked at the servant. The servant lowered his head. ¡°Princess Stella is back. It¡¯s like a festival in the palace. The people want to see Princess Stella raise the stars¡­¡± Jason clicked his tongue and looked mischievously at the servant. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet you a diamond mine in Sutherland territory that the Princess won¡¯t be able to raise the stars.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do it, because you never put money on a bet you¡¯re going to lose.¡± Jason laughed and moistened his throat with whiskey. ¡°You¡¯ve been working in this mansion for over a decade, but you haven¡¯t learned anything, have you?¡± ¡°I always learn, Young Master.¡± The servant bowed his head politely and turned around. After taking two steps back, he stopped where he was. ¡°I was fortunate enough to avoid the bet, but the people at the casino would certainly be interested. It¡¯s a diamond mine in Sutherland. How many people would refuse?¡± Jason smiled brightly at the words. ¡°Then let¡¯s win the jackpot again today.¡± ¡°Good luck, Young Master.¡± After the servant left, Jason quickly put on his jacket. He smiled confidently and headed out the door. A stand-in that resembled the real one. He wondered how that woman could fool the imperial family, but the heavens could not be fooled. His hands were already itching to see how much money he¡¯d get this time. A jackpot at the casino, followed by a scene of horrible despair as it was revealed that the woman was a fake. It had to be a spectacular sight. Chapter 10 **** ¡°Why can¡¯t you hear what the stars said to you? Why! East or South, those lunatics are definitely plotting against me behind my back. So, that¡¯s why your father has to know. Hmm? Tell me, tell me right now!¡± ¡°Father, I did my best. Oh, I can¡¯t hear it. I, too, want to hear what the stars have to say, but I can¡¯t. Not a word. I, no, I tried¡­¡­.¡± I was seven years old when I got slapped in the face. My face was tingling and my ears were ringing, and my father was looking down at me with a cold stare. It was miserable to see my expectations crushed by the person I wanted to be recognized by the most. My father looked annoyed. But the worst part was not the physical pain. ¡°How can you call that an imperial princess! How did you give birth to such a useless person? It¡¯s my child, how could you do that to me¡­?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s my fault? I¡¯ll divorce you, I¡¯ll go back to my home country, let¡¯s get a divorce!¡± ¡°You¡¯re divorcing me! You think I¡¯m scared? Let¡¯s do it now!¡± Was there anything more frightening to a child than the divorce of her parents? And having to listen to it all with one wall between them. With all the heavy steps back and forth, I blamed myself for all that happened. It was scary. Later, I developed a tolerance for fear and the horror story of the monster under my bed didn¡¯t scare me anymore. I grew up as an ugly duckling in a nest in a world of only darkness and shouts. I wasn¡¯t as pretty as my sister, and I wasn¡¯t as brilliant as my brother. The ugly duckling in the fairy tale ended up becoming a swan, more beautiful than anyone else, with a happy ending. So what kind of ending awaits this ugly duckling of this country? ¡°Oh my, you really are beautiful.¡± I could see the maid¡¯s eyes looking at me in the mirror. I blinked slowly. It was awkward. I looked like Stella, not Ethel. The one I least wanted to face. I swallowed a small sigh. The maids chattered on. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. And you¡¯re even more beautiful when you¡¯re dressed up¡­¡± ¡°Please let me be alone.¡± I chose the most modest clothes I could find and even changed my makeup formally. The maid looked at my complexions, bowed their heads, and disappeared. I stared at myself in the mirror. Yes, I had a lot to process. I knew that in order to protect my real family, I had to first get to know Jason as a person. And the person who knows Jason better than anyone else was ¡­ Karen. I got up from my seat and took my steps. You can¡¯t crack a rock with an egg, but it¡¯s only a matter of bumping into it. **** I knocked on the door and heard Karen¡¯s voice, which sounded very upset. ¡°Go away Joseph. I¡¯m not in the mood for conversation right now.¡± She thought Joseph was the one who came to visit her and comfort her, as always. I sighed, opened the door, and walked in. ¡°Are you crying?¡± Karen nervously raised herself up on the couch and averted her gaze. ¡°If you come here to apologize for your rudeness, then go back. I¡¯m in no mood to accept your apology.¡± ¡°Apology? What do you mean?¡± I sat down across the couch and stared at Karen. ¡°I¡¯m not here to apologize. I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to listen right now¡­¡± ¡°Shall I go to the others and tell them? I can tell your parents how my sister threatened me even though I didn¡¯t make any mistakes.¡± Karen cringed at my emotionless voice. She gave me a bloodshot look and raised her voice. ¡°What I held and shook was the neck of a commoner. You may be Stella now, but what I touched was only a commoner, Ethel. No one cares if you¡¯re dead! Worthless! I was the one who made you who you are! How could you¡­!¡± ¡°The hands of the commoners are the virtuous hands that sustain the empire. You told me yourself, did you not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And what will you say to your parents? That I¡¯m a commoner and you can do that to a commoner? Something like that?¡± ¡°¡­. It¡¯s ¡­¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°Why are you so upset already? I haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± Karen swept her rich silver hair as if what she had heard was outrageous. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡± Karen said sarcastically, her lips pulling up tightly. ¡°No matter what you say, no one believes you. Who would listen to the words of a little girl who couldn¡¯t even understand the word ¡°social¡± in her entire life? Hmm?¡± ¡°Are there any people in this palace who like you? I am Stella Ethelanche.¡± ¡°I am the first princess of the empire, and you lived outside the imperial palace for ten years, raised among the commoners¡­¡­¡­ ¡° I waited calmly for Karen to finish her story. Karen stared at me with her arms crossed, unable to finish what she wanted to say. ¡°You have been pathetic and insignificant since you were born and had to be my maid. You still are. The only thing you can do is to sully your mouth with your horrible presence. If you¡¯ve said what you have to say, then go. I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one in the Imperial Palace.¡± Karen raised her eyebrows as if it was obvious. ¡°But there are a lot of people who know me. I¡¯m perfect, elegant, graceful, and she loves her family and her people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we write a contract? I have a contract in my hand with your beautiful handwriting on it. Don¡¯t you think people will trust your handwriting?¡± Karen¡¯s face was clearly perplexed. She didn¡¯t seem to have forgotten the substitute princess contract that she took my life and the lives of my family as a mortgage. But she didn¡¯t expect the shackles she put on me to turn into a spear pointing at her. She couldn¡¯t have imagined it. ¡°Why, there is proof, sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Why don¡¯t you have your people search my room right now? Go ahead, tell me. Hurry up and bring me the paper containing the fact that you threatened the lives of three innocent commoners, if you don¡¯t want your parents to find out from me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad because sister is a person who loves and wants to protect her ridiculous and dying fame.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°When we left the inn, my sister squeezed my arm. When I pretended to be in pain, she let go of my arm, looking at the faces of the soldiers. I mean, your act of pretending to be good is amazing. My sister came to the den of the commoners who were so abominable, and the few elite soldiers she brought with her so as not to make a scene couldn¡¯t be the closest entourage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡±In other words, there¡¯s no card you can play in this situation. You know, I¡¯ve got a firm grip on your weakness.¡± Unable to say anything, Karen clutched the hem of her skirt with her head down. I asked, staring at her with my arms crossed. ¡°I have one question for you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who is Jason?¡± ¡°Why would I tell you ?¡± Karen sat up as if she didn¡¯t need to answer. I turned around to leave when I heard a high pitched voice behind me. ¡°Evanders!¡± I turned back and sat down on the couch with my legs crossed, and stared at her, Karen avoided my gaze as she bit her bottom lip. ¡°His full name is Jason Evanders. He is a talented businessman and the only son of the third generation of the Evanders family. He goes by the name King of the Underworld and is also the owner of the largest casino in the empire, Spade. ¡­Most of all, he is famous for his diamond mines in Sutherland.¡± ¡°Diamond mines?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his main source of revenue. It¡¯s also a family heirloom that has been passed down in the Evanders family for a long time. Of course, there are many other businesses that he does, but the diamond mine accounts for about 40% of his revenue share¡­.So when he makes a sure oath, he would say, ¡®I swear it in my diamond mines of Sutherland,¡¯ which is the idiom of those who admire him.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, Karen. The information was helpful.¡± I expressed my gratitude, but it was only a pretense that was less than respectful. The moment Karen avoided my gaze, the clock struck and announced the hour. It rang a total of seven times, it was exactly five hours before midnight arrived. ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy.¡± Karen said, looking at the ground with a distressed expression. As she leaned her head back and met my eyes, a bright glow of hatred flashed through her green eyes. ¡°Because you won¡¯t be able to pass the final test to make the stars in the sky rise. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re the real Princess or not, you were a fake since the moment you were born. You will always be a fake, and when everyone turns their backs on you, I will hold you accountable for your rudeness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In five hours you will see, Stella Ethelanche. The price of being arrogant in front of me that you dare to shame the Imperial Princess will be expensive.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I didn¡¯t say much. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡± I heard Karen¡¯s empty laugh behind me. As I walked out of the room, I felt eyes on me from the other side. Joseph, who was walking this way, stopped and wanted to talk to me, but I nodded and quickly moved away. He was going to see Karen to comfort her. I was about to pass him, but I heard his voice. ¡°Stella.¡± I stopped at the voice calling my name. ¡°Please speak.¡± I said quietly without looking back, and then I heard neat footsteps behind me. When I turned around, what I saw was the face I had loved so much when I was younger. I had always wished for the attention of the ¡°gentle¡± Joseph, so much that I secretly hid in the sword training hall to watch him every day. But now I understand. All he did was stand on the sidelines and give me his time and affection as if he was doing me a favor. He was a saint who wanted to get drunk on his own kindness, not his family¡¯s. ¡°You weren¡¯t in the room, so I was worried.¡± He was a righteous bystander. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The love he gave was not pure warmth, but only sympathy. It didn¡¯t solve the problem, but it was a temporary warmth, like a scab on a wound. But there was no responsibility to stand by me for the rest of my life, making me suffer more¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t come into my room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 10 years.¡± He stopped me in my tracks. ¡°You have lived for ten years¡­¡­¡­¡± I tried to walk past him when he stood in front of me again. At that time, I heard voices. It was the voices of the maids. ¡°Did you hear? There¡¯s a huge bet in Spade. Master Jason has placed a bet on the Sutherland Diamond Mine.¡± ¡°The bets are really interesting. They bet to see if Princess Stella will really be able to raise the stars.¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°Please step aside.¡± I walked past him and went over to the maids who were chatting. ¡°I want to hear what you were saying again.¡± The maids looked at me once and then looked at each other. *** Chapter 11 **** ¡°Please lend me one carriage and a blank check.¡± The Emperor and Empress stared at each other in amazement. As I continued, the Empress grabbed the Emperor¡¯s arm. ¡°Now that I¡¯m back, I want to enjoy all the things I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d like to buy some jewelry and a few dresses.¡± I gazed at the building in front of me with awe. I pulled my cloak more deeply over my head and took a step. The Spade Casino. It was a noisy place. It was also a dirty place. Drunken people, people cheering when they won the jackpot, people kneeling on the floor crying after losing. People. I made my way forward, parting the multitude of people. I huffed out a breath. It was still three hours until midnight. So I had plenty of time. I could see people gathering like a swarm of bees, and I fiddled with the checkbook in my hand. It was a check issued by the bank of Jason Evanders, the owner of this casino, so there was no doubt about his identity. It was a good thing, seeing as how these gambling dens were thriving when the treasury was at its lowest ebb. Jason¡¯s power overwhelmed the Imperial family. And that was why the bank that the Imperial family used was Jason¡¯s bank. The Imperial family was in debt to Jason. That explained the friendship between Karen and Jason. Jason provided the money and the Imperial turned a blind eye to his actions. A picture had been painted. People¡¯s eyes turned to me as I walked. My fingers itched. The manager of Spade, who had kept pace with me, said to me with a shrug. ¡°The gambling house is over there. Since it¡¯s the princess who¡¯s returning, everyone¡¯s curious about her, so today is a bit more hectic. If you want to make a bet, hurry¡­.¡± Ignoring his words, I strode over to the man behind the desk. Dozens of eyes followed my steps. It was as if I was an interesting spectacle. ¡°Which one do you want to bet? The stars will rise or nothing.¡± ¡°What is the current betting situation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s overwhelmingly high on not rising.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°If you bet a billion gold, you¡¯ll get Master Jason¡¯s diamond mine as a dividend¡­¡± ¡°Pen, please.¡± I did a short calculation to see how many zeros would be in a billion gold. Then, without hesitation, I wrote down the numbers. ¡°A billion gold for a star.¡± ¡°I will give you the opportunity to change your mind now. A billion gold is a lot of money.¡± ¡°I changed my mind.¡± ¡°A wise choice. It¡¯s better to stay afloat and have a steady stream of money ¡­.¡± ¡°Ten billion gold.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you call gambling, isn¡¯t it?¡± I took the pen from his hand again and added another zero after the countless zeros I wrote on the check earlier. The man seemed like he was about to say something, but he quickly fell silent. His eyes lazily ran over the issuer of the check. ¡°I¡¯m not here to mess around.¡± His face went white. He seemed to confirm that the issuer was Evanders¡¯ Bank. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know, right?¡± I was sure he wondered what kind of a person I was, in a building owned by Evanders¡¯, to have a blank check issued by Evanders¡¯ Bank? ¡°I was told that this was the best casino in the Empire, but it seems that the only thing that is not the best in the Empire is the treatment of noble guests.¡± Our gazes met, and he gave me an awkward smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Then I will do so. I hope you will keep this card in a safe place. It is a magical tool that contains your ¡®choice¡¯.¡± The man quickly hid the check under the table and held out a black marble bill. I grabbed it tightly and turned around. The loser was cold. ** * ¡°No, what do you mean? Your Highness, you¡¯re almost there and you¡¯re thinking of turning the wagon?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same Princess Stella you¡¯ve missed so much?¡± The Duke did not say anything, he just silently looked at the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± The aide said, sounding very suspicious. ¡°Is it because of the girl at the inn? She¡¯s the Princess Stella you¡¯ve been waiting for so long?¡± ¡°You talk too much, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± The Duke did not answer. The aide¡¯s eyes fluttered in dismay. ¡°Are you serious, Your Highness? The reason why the Duke regained the Emperor¡¯s crown in the first place is¡­. As far as I know¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The Duke looked out the window with his arms crossed, his face even more confused than usual. He seemed to have taken a liking to a woman named Ethel. It was either a fake that looked like the real one or the real one that he had painted in his heart his whole life. The aide turned away with a rueful look in his eyes. For he could fully understand the confused mind of his lord. In silence, the carriage headed for the Imperial Palace. The place where the stars did not shine. **** ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± When I came back from the casino, I found my mother in my room. When I looked at her at the tea table, I could see Joseph and Karen¡¯s beauty from every angle. It was as if I was looking at a classic masterpiece. She had pale blonde hair, and green eyes. If a virtuous queen of the forest existed, she would be like that. I bowed my head and greeted her. I left her question unanswered. My mother got to her feet and hugged me tightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you not just disappear again and make me worry?¡± I didn¡¯t disappear. You abandoned me. I swallowed the words that wanted to come out with all my might. What good would it do to talk about it now? It was already past. I didn¡¯t come back to receive compensation for what had passed. Not to go back in circles. Trying to shake off her warmth, I suppressed the words I wanted to say. She let go of me. Then she stared at me with tearful eyes. ¡°I was so scared that you might have gone away again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Say something. Why don¡¯t you say anything?¡± My mother cried out, spitting out words. She looked like she was about to collapse on the floor. The maid by my mother¡¯s side silently handed her a handkerchief and she staggered a little. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± My mother¡¯s thick eyelashes quivered. They were stained with tears. She sat there, unable to bear her grief. I stared at her. How touching it must look, a mother and daughter reunited after ten years. While my mother¡¯s servants wiped away their tears with handkerchiefs, my mother sobbed soundlessly. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I thought it was the best paradox I¡¯d ever uttered. Even though I didn¡¯t leave, I didn¡¯t disappear, but in my mother¡¯s memory, I was the one who left, the one who disappeared. It was too easy for people to forget the scars they left on others. It was just so empty to think that far. It was a touching story that wouldn¡¯t be so bad if it weren¡¯t me. The missing princess and her mother, reunited after ten years¡­ I closed my eyes, because closing them seemed to make me feel better. I squeezed my hands together, holding back the voice that wanted to escape my mouth. I felt like I wasn¡¯t in a story where I was the main character. When I opened them, I could see countless people in my eyes. The cheers of the people were so loud that I could almost see the sound. My heart pounded violently. A chill ran through from my head to toes. I squeezed my hands, which were oozing with sweat. I inhaled deeply. ¡°Stella.¡± I turned my head to the side of the voice. Joseph gave me a pale smile. ¡°You can do it.¡± I turned my gaze away instead of replying. When I looked at my mother, she put her hands together. I felt the urge to ruin these people¡¯s expectations, but I still needed the power to protect my real family. So I had to be Stella Ethelanche. I¡¯ll return to them, not as Stella, but as Ethel and protect them with my position. I closed my eyes and the world closed in darkness. At the same time the voices of the people died down. In the infinite black abyss the voices grew louder and louder. ¡°The stars!¡± ¡°Hey, the stars, the stars are coming out! The stars in the sky!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just one! Finally, stars appeared in the sky above the Imperial Palace¡­ ¡­¡­! She really is the Imperial Princess! It¡¯s the Imperial Princess!¡± I felt a cool breeze blowing and shaking the hem of my dress. The hem of my dress was smooth to the touch, and I drew in a deep breath. The cheers became louder and louder. Eventually, the cheers became shouts. ¡°Ethelanche! Ethelanche! Ethelanche!¡± Embroidered the sky of the palace, glistening with glitters. Silver stars, a myriad of glittering light sculptures. The stars, which had not been floating only in the Imperial Palace, were now filling the sky above the palace brightly. It was like a miracle. It was as if the sky was opening its eyes. With the stars shining above, I opened my eyes. I saw millions of people cheering for me. When the strong wind shook my hair, I felt a shiver. It was my first time. I had never seen so many stars floating in the sky. Since the day I was abandoned, I have seen my abilities grow slowly and progressively, but this was the only time I have had so many stars calling my name¡­ ¡­. The stars whispered words to me. ¡®Stella¡­Stella.¡¯ A painful breath escaped my lips. I stood there, barely able to support my wobbly legs. ¡°The youngest princess has returned!¡± ¡°She¡¯s back for the Empire! The youngest princess is alive!¡± ¡°Glory to the Ethelanche!¡± ¡°Glory!¡± I immediately burst into tears of laughter. The stars in the sky fell in a meteor shower, as if in blessing. My fingers went numb. ¡°Whoa!¡± A thunderous cheer erupted. I could hear it clearly now. I could see. There were thousands and thousands of stars in which I floated. ¡°Stella¡­it¡¯s really amazing.¡± My mother looked thrilled. My father sat down on the floor trembling and a dazed expression on his face. Joseph¡¯s eyes caught the numerous stars and Karen stood there without saying a word. I turned my gaze to the many people below the city walls. I saw Jason Evanders standing blankly in the forefront. I smiled at him when our eyes met. As my tear-stained vision cleared, the last thing my eyes saw was¡­. ¡°¡­¡± It was him. The Duke, whom I had met in the past, Clyde. My body shuddered. Certainly, it was him. I felt like I was struck by lightning. **** The black tile, which once symbolized my shabby inferiority, became the very sign of my overwhelming victory, and glittered in my hand. In Jason¡¯s parlor, I made eye contact with him and said, ¡°I thought it was an interesting idiom, Lord Evanders. I can¡¯t believe you swore on your diamond mine.¡± Jason Evanders, who sat across from me, looked absolutely bewildered. He smiled awkwardly. I understood that smile. People smile like that when there¡¯s no bravery involved and the situation is taxing. His gaze turned to the black card in my hand. It was a magic tool that contained my choice. ¡°You will no longer be able to use that idiom. It¡¯s such a shame.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re done, please sign the contract. I will be grateful for the diamond mine.¡± ¡°Before I sign the contract¡­.¡± He said as he clasped his hands together. His red eyes turned to me. ¡°It¡¯s a scam, isn¡¯t it? You put money directly into something that the princess is involved in, and you get a dividend. This is not as the owner of a diamond mine, but as the owner of a casino ¡­..¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give me fair compensation, I will regulate this place at the imperial level. I¡¯ll give you three seconds.¡± ¡°You really do make light of such a heavy subject as regulation, don¡¯t you, Imperial Lady?¡± His eyes folded finely. ¡°You know why this place has been so solid until now¡­don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Karen has your back.¡± His smile faded. ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t me, you know. It¡¯s the casino that scams the princess as well. It¡¯s certainly a casino that a lot of people want to go to. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­Your Imperial Highness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what that means?¡± The paper under my hand crossed the desk and was placed in front of him. ¡°You owe me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Apparently you¡¯ve just arrived at the palace, so you don¡¯t seem to understand the rules.¡± ¡°Rules?¡± I did. I looked at him with a hardened expression. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m playing by my rules. Now.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Even a beast cub doesn¡¯t threaten his family. Viscount.¡± Chapter 12 *** Jason was calm with the situation. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been through a lot. You¡¯ve lost a lot of weight in your face.¡± The kind face was overlaid with the expressionless face he had shown to ¡®commoner Ethel.¡¯ Jason Evanders- Karen¡¯s dog. I said repeatedly in my gut. My mind was as calm as the ocean after a storm. My eyes turned to the contract. Judging by the man¡¯s lack of generosity, the mine seemed to be a great one. But it wasn¡¯t the mine that I wanted. He was the king of the underworld, and I wanted to put him in debt. Money is important, but what¡¯s more important is power. The power to protect what is mine. And power is something that comes from people. We had to be careful. If I faced him with the mindset of trying to win, I would lose. But if I want to get him to my side¡­. ¡°Instead of the mine, I will take the money that the mine is worth.¡± He opened his eyes wide at the sound of my voice. He didn¡¯t expect to hear such words. It¡¯s a good sign when the opponent is upset. I calmly continued with my words. ¡°I was told that Evanders has that kind of money.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a loss for me to take the money as it is. Because it¡¯s like choosing between a golden goose that constantly brings diamonds and the treasure in front of you.¡± At that moment the mischievous smile on his face quickly disappeared. Jason stared at me, without saying a word. The opponent had his full attention in conversation. Good. That was a good sign. His action of focusing on me obviously helped to break the tension. ¡°I am the princess, and you are the entrepreneur. The mines that are rotting in your hands could be put to better use by me. Then again, you knew that already and hesitated to give me the mine.¡± ¡°You pointed out ¡­¡­ accurately. Frankly, I¡¯m a little impressed.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t ignore the symbolism. Because the diamond mines of Sutherland belonged to Evanders. It belonged to my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. It¡¯s a legacy. And what about the diamond marketing expertise I¡¯ve accumulated over the decades? I¡¯ve done everything from formulating and adjusting the amount of diamonds that need to be disposed of to the value of the ore in the marketplace, so leaving it in your hands would not be very desirable. Because they are all related to the logic of a huge market.¡± Jason nodded. His red eyes twinkled. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it then. Forty percent of the mine¡¯s monthly earnings. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to get that and some gold in exchange for the mine. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Forty percent¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll keep the money in your bank. That¡¯s quite a concession I¡¯d be willing to make.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much? In the end, I¡¯ll be left with 60% of the mine¡¯s profits.¡± ¡°And then there¡¯s the special customer.¡± ¡°The Evanders¡¯ bank is the most secure bank in the empire, even the royal families of other countries deposit their money there. To think that depositing your money there is a favor to the Princess¡­¡± ¡°Then give me the mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that too hard?¡± Jason looked very unhappy, but I actually didn¡¯t care what he thought of this condition. Forty percent was a start. That¡¯s all that really matters. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten percent.¡± ¡°Thirty.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it more important to find a consensus than to stick to your respective opinions? Twenty percent.¡± He raised two fingers and looked at me. ¡°Or, I will accept the deal if the Princess lends me an hour of your time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gold commensurate with the value of the mine, plus twenty percent of the annual earnings, was a very generous income. My goal was to manage the mine as well as I could. Twenty percent was a bonus. Jason Evanders, who somehow refused to pay, was no longer there. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. And the dividend, excluding the price of the mine, is my investment in the casino. Half goes to the business and the other half goes back to the people who lost their money. If a lot of money is concentrated on one person, the aristocracy will stumble. It¡¯s a specification that this country will be destroyed.¡± ¡°Then I will create a foundation in Princess Stella¡¯s name and return the money to the nobles.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± Jason nodded, then took his pen and marked off the various parts of the contract, and wrote down the new agreement in elegant letters beneath it. Then I signed my name next to it. ¡°Once the Princess signs next to the written portion, the contract will be complete.¡± He quickly pushed the paper in front of me. ¡°Not yet.¡± I was adamant about it, and Jason stared at me with curiosity. ¡°This is a favor from me, Viscount.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I let you off the hook. And I hope Viscount appreciates it. Don¡¯t forget to thank me. Viscount Evanders.¡± Jason did not answer. I was expecting that much arrogance. ¡°As a loser.¡± It said he was quite a competitive man. Rising from the ashes, I defeated him at once. ¡°Be polite to the winner.¡± Beside the nice handwriting, I wrote my name as the princess and took my share of the contract. The contract was now signed. Creditor versus debtor. He owed me a debt. * * ¡°I sincerely apologize for everything I¡¯ve done¡­¡± I faced Jason in the parlor, not in his office. I was his visitor earlier, but now I was his creditor, the big client. That was followed by Jason¡¯s dead smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t even touch the tea? Aren¡¯t you going to drink it? It¡¯s the best tea in the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Excuse me then.¡± Jason took the cup in front of me and emptied it. Maybe because the tea was cold, he drank it without stopping. The empty teacup was placed in front of me again, and he closed his eyes and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t have you poisoned, you¡¯re my special customer now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides, being the princess the people¡¯s love is a power in itself. I¡¯m just an entrepreneur. You¡¯re an Imperial Princess. If I were foolish to kill the star lord that the people and the Imperial family love, I would not even qualify to call Her Highness ¡®customer¡¯.¡± His voice was soft. ¡°Knowing that the Princess¡¯s support is not weak, isn¡¯t this the reason why you came to make a deal with me? It¡¯s because you believe. You believe in your position.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°It looks like you¡¯re wondering how many minutes have passed. Do you not like me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I hated you.¡± It¡¯s funny. His eyes that once looked down at me menacingly turn to me with familiarity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to be such a bad guy. Please believe me.¡± ¡°How much was your contract with Karen?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Since you changed your attitude quickly, I wonder how much your alliance with Karen cost.¡± He was silent. The sarcasm I was making was not a very pleasant one. I decided to cut to the chase and get down to business. ¡°I was told that you own the largest mercenary guild in the Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He didn¡¯t smile or whisper sweet nothings like he did earlier. He seems to have understood that sweet words wouldn¡¯t work on me. ¡°Good. I¡¯m in need of mercenaries.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for your family, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sure you want to protect them.¡± (*Jason is talking about the family at the inn, Mary, Hans, and Daisy.) ¡°You think you¡¯ve found my weakness?¡± ¡°No, of course not. You¡¯re my customer¡­.¡± My mouth went dry at the look on his face as if he didn¡¯t know what was in my heart. But I was not to be beaten. ¡°If you touch my family, the first thing you will lose will be a special customer, followed by the trust of your people. Lastly, the trust and dignity of the Evanders¡¯ name. Eventually, everything.¡± I gripped the contract tightly in my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll get them for you, but¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The man clasped his hands together on the desk. ¡°Certainly, there¡¯s no client to trust the man who cheated on the princess. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So how do you plan to keep the mercenaries in that inn?¡± Bingo, I raised the corners of my lips. * * ¡°Hans, come over here and see! You said you wanted to work here, eh, um, what did you say?¡± Mary turned and stared at the rough men. Eventually, the large red haired man scratched his head and turned away to look at the large man next to him. Then he straightened up and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m a chef. And this one, um¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at cleaning. I can carry heavy things too.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad. We¡¯re short of help.¡± A plump, middle-aged woman jumped up and down, applauding. She turned to the large red-haired man again. The axe strapped to his back flashed in the sunlight. ¡°Oh, by the way, what¡¯s with the axe?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s good at slaughtering animals, and chopping wood too.¡± The third big man, who had been keeping quiet until now, was quick to answer. ¡°I see,¡± Mary nodded. Just then the door of the inn opened and Hans walked in. He immediately froze in place with his mouth wide open. It was because of the three men standing at the door. Mary turned to him and said, ¡°They are young men in need of work. They only need food and a place to sleep instead of getting paid. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s good? We¡¯re short handed after Ethel left.¡± Hans¡¯s expression hardened. Then he took a step and looked up at the men in the distance. The tanned sun cast shadows on the men¡¯s faces, giving them a somewhat eerie atmosphere. The men deliberately gave Hans a friendly smile, and at the same time, Hans smiled back awkwardly. He said cautiously. ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re more suited for mercenary work than this restaurant. You can get ten times or even a hundred times more than the restaurant¡¯s pay if you work as mercenaries. So, why do you want to work here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­uhm¡­¡± Of the three figures, the one standing in the middle stepped on the red haired man¡¯s foot and shook his head. Then the red haired man answered with a stern look on his face. ¡°There are more important things than money.¡± ¡°Yes, there are more important things than money. A little happiness, for example.¡± The man standing in the middle replied with sad eyes. As the two figures looked at each other, the third man said¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of working in an inn since I was a child.¡± He courageously confided his dream to Mary. ¡°Oh, dear, is that so?¡± Unlike Mary, Hans was still in a state of shock. Daisy, who showed up late, wondered who these men were. As she stared at them, the three men looked at her with smiles on their faces. Suddenly, the sound of the carriage door closing with a clang drew everyone¡¯s attention. The carriage had stopped nearby. Daisy stared blankly at the man who was walking towards them. Hans opened his mouth. ¡°Oh, how did you end up in such a humble place¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ethel.¡± At the mention of Ethel¡¯s name, Mary¡¯s gaze turned to the seal on the man¡¯s armor. It was the crest of the Imperial family. ¡°Why, Ethel is my child¡­¡± Mary¡¯s smile faded away. Did something happen to Ethel? The daughter, whom she held in her heart. In the guestbook, Ethel left a note, [ I will explain the details later. Do not worry.] Ethel had never sent a single letter after that. In Daisy¡¯s words, Ethel left one day with a very beautiful sister. (Karen) Mary¡¯s mouth felt bitter. Ethel came to her family like a miracle. But she was a child with many secrets. Mary¡¯s heart ached, even though she knew that Ethel was a child who would one day wander off like the wind. ¡°I want to know where Ethel is.¡± The man said. Chapter 13 **** *Bolded text is either the past events or the character¡¯s memory* *** ¡°Ethel left here one day. She didn¡¯t even leave a word about where she was going.¡± There was sadness on the innkeeper¡¯s face who said so. ¡°She¡¯ll pay with her life if she lied to the Duke!¡± The aide said loudly. The Duke glared at him. He squeezed his misshapen hands together as his animal instincts seethed. It would be really easy if he could do it his own way. It would be even easier if he could chop off the annoying aide¡¯s head. Despite the impulse that surged through him, the Duke was cautious about looking for Ethel. ¡°Do you really don¡¯t know anything?¡± ¡°Yes, we really don¡¯t know anything. Hans and I left the inn for a while, and when we came back ¡­.¡± He managed with the information he gained by immediately drawing his sword. He wanted to narrow the siege somehow and find her. ¡°Stella.¡± He hated himself for not being able to do anything when it seemed he was finally this close to her. The Duke stopped thinking and returned to the present. A trembling hand fastened his cufflinks. There were countless questions in his head. Who was it? Who was this Ethel woman he had met in the past? Why did that woman look so much like Princess Stella standing before all the people? If Ethel was not Stella, where had Edel disappeared to? ¡°Aide!¡± The aide, who had been sorting through papers in the corner, stepped toward the door, which slammed noisily. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± The glamorous door closed with a loud bang. *** Like all the people of the empire, the Emperor could not forget that day. The day where the glittering jewel stars filled the sky. He was a man who did not believe in miracles, but his daughter, whom he thought was most incompetent, proved him wrong. The still raw voices of the people ripped into his ears. ¡°Ethelanche! Ethelanche!¡± The Emperor gasped for breath. Ethelanche. There was a simple reason why he had sat on the cold floor that day in his memories. Resurrection. For with his eyes he had seen firsthand the resurrection of the imperial family. He had never felt such a shiver before, not when Duke Clyde Delanhill took back the Imperial Palace, not when the crown was placed on his head again. But.. Stella. It was truly a miracle that the child had returned. A child he thought was dead came back. In addition to that, the child returned with great ability. The silly, inadequate figure he saw before was nowhere to be found. He looked up at the sky in a daze, and in that moment, he thought to himself, ¡°Yes, this is it. This is what it feels like.¡± All the people were cheering for her, and the roars were so deafening that it shook the ground and startled the sky. The ¡°real princess¡± he hoped for had returned. The real one, the one he had wanted all his life. Not the weak little girl with no skills and an intimidated appearance. The Empire¡¯s proudest second Princess, Stella Ethelanche, was at his side. From that moment on, he was submerged in the thought of how he should welcome his returned daughter, and how he should give back the crown that he had taken from her. However, he couldn¡¯t help but be disappointed at the lack of things he could do. How nice it would have been if the child had manifested her ability a little earlier and beat the nobles with the support of the people ten years ago. The Emperor touched his goatee as he reconsidered, ¡°Since this is how it happened anyway, there is no need to look back.¡± Stella was now his precious child, no different from Joseph and Karen, but the guilt he had always felt weighed on Stella¡¯s side of the scales. He decided he had to treat her well. The Emperor had just taken back the throne and his lost daughter returned, so this all seemed wonderful. However, he didn¡¯t know things were not as good as he thought. As he was about to leave his seat, the Emperor quieted his floating mind, there was a knock at the door. Eventually realizing that it was Karen, the Emperor managed to hide his irritation. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Only then did he remember that he had called for Karen. He parted his lips quietly, suppressing his disappointment. ¡°The reason I called you¡­.¡± ¡°I know, father. It¡¯s because of Stella. It¡¯s a good thing I found Stella early and brought her back. A princess should enjoy the most precious things in the Imperial Palace¡­ She would have been rolling in the streets and no one would have known.¡± ¡°Yes. I was just thinking about¡­¡± ¡°If you want to say thank you, you can leave it at that, I was just being a good daughter and doing what a sister should do.¡± With a saintly look on her face, Karen smiled like an angel. The Emperor, on the other hand, did not even look into Karen¡¯s eyes, which were sparkling with anticipation, but seemed to be thinking of something. It was only after a while that he opened his mouth . And what he said was not what Karen expected. ¡°Where did you find Stella? How does she¡­.?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did someone take care of her? Give her food? I have to compensate them. Was it a nursery? A sanctuary? Or where? I¡¯ll give them a title, land, and gold¡­¡± ¡°I picked her up off the street. Father.¡± ¡°The street?¡± Karen nodded, and the Emperor wrinkled his brow as if he was thinking about something. ¡°The street¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it, father. Stella is back to her family now.¡± Karen reached out and touched her father¡¯s hand, but the Emperor said nothing. He just stood up and walked out the door. Karen chuckled as she slumped down and stared into her teacup. ¡°I knew this would happen.¡± It was a foregone conclusion. The guilt alone was enough reason for her family to take an interest in Stella. However, since the child had demonstrated her abilities in front of the entire empire, what was she supposed to do? Karen¡¯s lips quivered. It was the first time she felt so helpless. The emotions that she never had suddenly surged through her body. She felt her throat tighten as if she was going to vomit. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in the same class as that girl¡­¡­¡± Karen¡¯s shoulders shook as she wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°I still have Jason Evanders.¡± He¡¯s a man of unrivaled wealth, and he¡¯s very smart. Although he was not a perfect alliance, and sometimes she felt sick seeing his beautiful fake face, still, he was on her side. Thinking if she treats him well, he will continue to be cooperative. ¡®If I tell Jason, that is¡­..¡¯ He¡¯ll handle it just fine. Karen breathed out, trying to escape the unfamiliar perplexity. When an urgent knock was heard, Karen, who appeared human* for a while, went and greeted the person with the perfect smile that everyone was familiar with. (*It meant that she showed her emotions like a human being for the first time.) Karen collected her expression and opened the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The three viscountesses that had been following Stella, stepped inside the room, bowed their heads, and approached Karen. The smile on Karen¡¯s lips slowly faded after one of the viscountess whispered something in her ear. ¡°Stella met Jason.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a meeting, Princess. Master Jason escorted Princess Stella to the parlor, where he served her the finest tea and ¡­.¡± ¡°Jason is kind to everyone.¡± Karen said sternly. ¡°¡­I heard that he escorted Princess Stella to her carriage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That arrogant man that Karen knew would never escort a Lady to the carriage. Even she, the first Princess of the Empire, was no exception. Jason would put on a kind and polite face in front of her, but as soon as the business was over, he simply bid her farewell without sincerity. The next thing he did was to escort her out of his place without giving her a chance to say anything else, as if she was a piece of luggage. As if to tell her to get lost quickly. ¡®Jason Evanders, you bat-sh*t crazy bastard.¡¯ Karen cursed inwardly, then spoke. ¡°Thank you, Becky.¡± ¡°My name is Anne.¡± Of course, Karen wouldn¡¯t care enough to know if it was Anne or Becky. Karen suppressed her anger and corrected her words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m tired so I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I admire you. I want to become a lady of elegance and grace like Your Highness someday¡­¡± The girl, who looked very young, shyly confessed her dream. Karen forced a smile as she looked at the girl. But her eyes were not smiling. ¡°Of course you¡¯ll be one day. Thank you, Becky.¡± ¡°But my name is¡­.¡± ¡°Have a nice day.¡± Karen walked past the girl with a hardened expression, without giving her a chance to speak. The girl stared blankly at Karen¡¯s back. The remnants of Karen¡¯s freesia perfume seemed to linger in the air, and the girl took a deep breath. ¡®How kind the Princess is.¡¯ The girl gazed blankly at the closed door. * ** The emperor was a cowardly monarch, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a stupid man. He still didn¡¯t honestly believe Karen¡¯s words that she had picked up Stella on the street. He began to wander in search of traces. If there was a benefactor for his daughter, he would compensate. Stella received a blank check from him, so it was very likely that she had spent it on her benefactors. However, the Emperor¡¯s prediction was twice wrong. Evanders¡¯ Bank had delayed replying about the money his daughter had spent. It certainly meant that a large force was intervening. Simply because you give money to the commoners of a town does not mean they will delay their response. And there was one more thing. His daughter did not communicate with anyone except Jason Evanders. He wondered why. ¡°Is that all you have?¡± The emperor asked the chief of staff the fact that he already knew. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­Think again, chief. Stella spent 10 years outside the palace walls. Don¡¯t you think there was a benefactor? There must be someone who clothed her, fed her, and gave her a place to sleep. Did they exchange letters?¡± ¡°Princess Stella has sent one letter so far. Your Majesty. It was a letter to Lord Jason Evanders. Seeing as how the Evanders¡¯ Bank is so tight-lipped about it, I¡¯m sure the use of the check is not unrelated to Jason Evanders.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I doubt that Princess Karen really picked up Princess Stella from the street. I know it¡¯s a sin to say this, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth questioning the substitute. Considering the friendship between Princess Karen and Lord Jason Evanders, it would have been easy for the two of them to find a woman who resembled the second Princess. If Princess Stella was picked up on the street, this result doesn¡¯t match up with Princess Karen¡¯s words.¡± ¡°The stars have risen.¡± The Emperor stared at the cheif with frosty eyes. It was so intense that the chief could not even raise his head. ¡°And the child remembered things that Karen didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my child.¡± The chief did not dare to decipher the glint of emotion in the emperor¡¯s voice. It was seemingly of anger, sadness, longing, fear, and confusion. The chief was afraid of the emperor being driven by such emotions. It was exactly like the face of the tyrant he saw ten years ago. The emperor who was more afraid of treason than anyone else¡­ The emperor, who wasn¡¯t incompetent, but that didn¡¯t mean he was perfect enough to overcome the nobles, destroyed anything that threatened him with that face. ¡°Then who lied to me?¡± The face of the emperor of ten years ago, soaked in blood and stricken with madness, now appeared superimposed on his face. The chief¡¯s hands trembled as he held the documents. ¡®Did she really pick Stella off the street? Karen, the girl wouldn¡¯t lie to me, would she?¡¯ The Emperor thought. ¡°If Princess Stella attempts to contact anyone she considers a benefactor, I will inform you immediately, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Get her to buy a lot of dresses, shoes, and jewels that would make her happy right now! It¡¯s been a long time since she came back to the palace, so she should be able to do at least that!¡± ¡°But the treasury¡­ No, I¡¯ll tell the head maid.¡± It was then that the Emperor was convinced that something was wrong. The child that Karen had picked up on the street sent only one letter, rather than contacting anyone who might be a benefactor. It was to Jason Evanders. As if she needed to see him, as if he knew him well. It couldn¡¯t be true that the child was picked up off the street. Something was strange about Stella. She deliberately ignored him, but the way she looked at him was different. The girl who had craved his affection and attention as a child was gone. Why? Now he seemed to have finally got the powerful, beautiful and ¡®real¡¯ youngest princess he had hoped for. The one who would bring wealth and strength to the empire¡­¡­ The Emperor¡¯s expression was filled with an indescribable impatience. Chapter 14 *** Perhaps if I wrote a letter to my family that I missed, it would be something like this. I¡¯ll start off with a simple, ¡°How is everyone?¡± That was my greeting. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I like writing them down one by one. ¡°Mother. Father. Daisy. I want to see you.¡± I found myself writing the letter quietly. Even though I knew I couldn¡¯t send it. [How are you all doing? Mother, Father, Daisy. I miss you. The sun should be shining brightest in the inn by now, and I miss the warmth of that time of day. I also miss wiping down the tables in the silence in the morning after all the guests have left. I would write down the names of the guests in the old book, and wake up after the nap I was allowed only on Mondays. Every single task¡­. I am realizing how precious everyday life is. It¡¯s kind of silly because it was only when I rose to the highest ranks that I realized that happiness comes from the most trivial and mundane things. I miss it. The smell of the bedding in my old room, the warmth of it, reading stories to Daisy by her bedside until she fell asleep, all of it¡­..] I turned my head to the side when I felt a presence, and there was a small girl. When our eyes met, she nodded. ¡°If I bother you, I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I knew that I had to be wary of the many eyes surrounding me, but it was not as easy as I thought it would be to act firmly towards the little girl. It was all the more so because I was just reminded of Daisy. As I roughly folded the letter and put it in my makeup mirror drawer, my eyes met with the girl looking at me in the mirror. As I turned around and stared at her, she kept her head bowed deeply and said in a shaky voice. ¡°Please forgive my rudeness, Princess. You looked so sad for the first time in a while.¡± That girl was my maid. ¡°I was a little distressed about something. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± The girl said with a blush. She was a small, harmless girl. But I had to hide the letter from her. I hated doing that. It left a small shadow on my mind that I had to be wary and suspicious of someone like this. It was then that Karen walked into my room with a quiet knock. As the girl quickly disappeared out of the room, Karen sat on the couch with her chin up and spoke in a high-pitched voice. ¡°Sit down. And if you have a guest, you should bring out the tea, Ethel.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t order Stella around, so I don¡¯t know what you think about Ethel, but I prefer that.¡± I pulled on the rope beside the bed and called a maid, then faced Karen. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here just to see my face, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way a Princess talks¡­?¡± ¡°It seems I¡¯m still a long way from becoming an imperial princess like my sister. Maybe it¡¯s because I just got back to the palace¡­Will you forgive me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see how much more rudeness can you have¡­.¡± ¡°Of course you would if you were a benevolent sister. Thank you, sister.¡± Karen couldn¡¯t argue anymore as the maid walked up just in time to bring her tea and refreshments. Karen frowned and cut to business as soon as the maid left. ¡°I told father that I picked you up on the street. As you can see, this is a consideration. I¡¯m being considerate to my sister. You don¡¯t know if father will compensate your family or lock them up. At least one good thing for you¡­right?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s fair to say that you didn¡¯t want to miss the weakness you held. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems I have guessed correctly. Because I can see it in your expression.¡± ¡°You seem to have the habit of interpreting people¡¯s favors in such a twisted way. It is a mindset that an imperial princess should not have.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t need that favor, so I¡¯ll go see father now¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Sit down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Why are you lying to me?¡± I returned to my seat and Karen spoke up. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t send a single letter to your family. The family who doesn¡¯t care if you live or die. What¡¯s the point? You probably didn¡¯t want father and mother to know.¡± ¡°I see. And why do you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When the existence of my loved ones is revealed, I am wary of what will happen to them. I am a useful being. Sister, the Imperial family can¡¯t do anything to stop me from doing this.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about returning to the common people, you¡¯d better quit, Stella Ethelanche. The royal family is¡­.¡± ¡°I miss it already.¡± There was silence in the air. Despite Karen¡¯s mockery, I continued quietly. ¡°I miss it to the bone.¡± Just then, I heard a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The maid bowed her head, then whispered in my ear. ¡°Excuse me, sister.There¡¯s a Duke waiting for me in the parlor.¡± Karen clasped her hands together. I got up and walked out the door, accompanied by the maid. **** Clyde, the Duke of Delanhill, his past was stained with blood, and he always considered his past to be a sin. From the people¡¯s point of view, they defined his birth as a mistake. A bastard. A servant. There was no affection in any of those words. He was not his father¡¯s son, but his father¡¯s disgrace. His life was a series of resignations. He lived through the day and held on for the day. As if it were supposed to be like that with breathing. I guess you just have to have something to breathe. When you go crazy with something, time passes quickly. He was crazy about sword fighting. When he held the sword, time went by quickly. When he tried to cut something with anger, the pain was forgotten. He spent a day like that, and another day like that, and a week passed. A year passed. Yes, he wasn¡¯t living life, he was just going with the flow. ¡°A bastard born of that dark-haired woman.¡± He was born out of wedlock. ¡°He is especially good with the sword, and if sold to slave traders, he will certainly be useful in building a mercenary army¡­¡± He was sold into slavery. ¡°Huh? I think this bastard is dead?¡± ¡°Try kicking it with your foot. insects crawl when you touch it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you should use water¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, damn it. Don¡¯t worry. Just kick it. Don¡¯t waste cold water. Kick it until it wakes up.¡± He often starved and slept in cold places. When he collapsed, they beat him until he realized he was waking up in a living hell. Then, he was sold to the Imperial Palace for a high price and became a squire to imperial knights. ¡°At his age, there is no one who can compare to him in swordsmanship. He is a genius with a sword.¡± He met a good master and was fortunate enough to become the Crown Prince¡¯s swordsmanship teacher, teaching him the art. When he was invited to the Crown Prince¡¯s dinner and was served his first meal, he forced the food into his mouth, not caring how Princess Karen, sitting next to him, looked at him. This whole thing was like a mirage. He felt as if he was back in the slavers¡¯ grates, which had been hellish. He gobbled up the food in front of him. Without saying a word, he split the meat with his knife and fork and shoved it in his mouth. Princess Karen put the knife down noisily as if she felt sick. ¡°I guess you can¡¯t change your blood. Come on.¡± She turned around with a disgusting look on her face. Meanwhile, Cyle had no idea how jealous the boys of his age were because he could dine with Princess Karen. ¡°How can his name be Clyde, too? Isn¡¯t that vulgar? It sounds like the name of a dog fighting at the bottom of the barrel.¡± ¡°Karen¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this for you. I¡¯m worried about you, brother.¡± He wasn¡¯t hurt by the sound of words leaking through the door. He was fed and clothed with the money of the royal family and lived like a human being. He knew exactly who he was. He was a bastard the minute he was born, then a slave, and a dog fighter, but he knew his superiors well. He knew that if there were people who were loved by everyone for no reason, then on the contrary, there were people who were hated by everyone for no reason. But¡­. One day, something fell into his life. Something sweeter than light appeared to the sewer rats, who had been frowning at the light leaking through the cracks in the sewer gutter. Like a miracle. ¡°No, Joseph! Don¡¯t hurt this man. I beg you.¡± What was it? What was this feeling? He looked blankly at Stella¡¯s back. It was unfamiliar to him. He was confident he wouldn¡¯t feel any emotion, but when he did feel warmth, his heart shook. It was so special and warm to know that someone was thinking of him. It wasn¡¯t as exciting as the pain, nor was it just sweet enough to remind him of it often, but the feeling didn¡¯t fade, it kept him awake. Pain had never been like that. He thought of her even as he lost everything and survived on rotten bread on the cold floor. For when he thought of her, music would come to his ears. He did not know the melody, because the sweet sound of the piano she played struck him. Only the cold and harsh present was black and white, but only the memory of watching her fingers creating brilliant melodies was vividly polarized. The animal instinct to walk into the sweetest and gentlest memories lightly overwhelmed those who defied him. People hailed such behavior of his as a ¡®miracle.¡¯ The dawn that seemed not to come was approaching, and in the bright light there were people watching him. It was the day he reclaimed the crown for the Emperor. The emperor said to him. ¡°Brave knight, tell me what you want. There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t give if it was what you wanted. I would even spare my daughter Karen, whom I love very much, for you.¡± Karen blushed and looked at the Duke, but he did not even give her a glance. ¡°There¡¯s only one.¡± It was a really long, long battle. ¡°I want the star of the empire, Princess Stella, who was once called Princess Karen¡¯s maid.¡± And. Princess Stella, who wasn¡¯t dead, has returned. But why, why now? ¡°Ethel.¡± Did that woman reveal it in her eyes? Was it because her voice resembles the young voice of Princess Stella in his memory? Her smile? Because of the dimples on her beautiful face that he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off¡­ The reason why his eyes fell on that woman was simply because Ethel looked like Princess Stella. People said that Princess Stella was dead, and Clyde learned that it was a miracle that the missing Princess returned. Now that all of this was over, he knew that she was gone. But he was so lonely and in so much pain that he wished only that someone who looked like her could bring him back to that moment. Otherwise, he was going to go crazy. At that point, he even had a vague hope that the woman was actually Princess Stella. When the brown-haired, brown-eyed person passed by, he looked at her again, even turning around, but in the end he felt no emotion. But when he looked at Ethel, his heart throbbed. His head became fuzzy. And now Princess Stella has returned. He wondered if he loved Ethel or Stella now. If Ethel was different from normal people, what would be the reason? When he saw Princess Stella, he rushed to the Imperial Palace to see if this confusion in his head would go away. Just then, there was a knock at the door. The door opened and he was standing in front of the balcony, his body stiffening as he turned his head to look at the person who walked in. The loud voice of the servant in front of the parlor door resounded. ¡°Second Imperial Princess of the Empire, Stella Ethelanche.¡± It was her. Chapter 15 *** Six years ago, when the imperial family was falling apart and the aristocratic chiefs were wearing the ¡®emperor¡¯s crown¡¯, I heard a story while working at an inn. Those who relieved the day¡¯s fatigue with a glass of wine said with red faces, ¡°A blood-crazed monster has won a great victory against the noble faction.¡± At first, people chalked up the young man¡¯s victory to luck. After that, they said it was a series of coincidences, conventionally helped by the gods. Otherwise, there was no way this impossible would be possible. Those were words that circulated in the streets. God gave that hero the mission to protect the imperial family, and that the restoration of the imperial family was what Heaven wanted¡­ In an Empire where politics and religion could not be separated, the people¡¯s trust in the man as God¡¯s representative gave him more and more power. Furthermore, the man became a hero of the people at once, representing the hopes of the slaves and bastards who had been suppressed until now. The man, who broke the prejudice that heroes should be noblemen, was an illegitimate child. In the process, the people¡¯s new enemy became the aristocracy in power. The young war hero was the emerging guardian of the sky. And the aristocrats in power became the villains that such guardians must destroy. With the tacit support and covert help of the people, the battle quickly became a battle between 99% of the people and 1% of nobles. It was obvious how the fight would end. The young man became a hero of the patriots after almost six years of hard fighting, and the restored emperor gave him a title. All the people praised and loved the new hero, but I thought differently. Even if the man did not restore the Emperor, the Empress, Karen, and Joseph to their former positions¡­. I didn¡¯t have to tremble in fear that the Imperial family would be looking for me. The second Princess who disappeared could have ended up missing forever. So I knew I would hate that hero for the rest of my life. That was, until I found out his name. Clyde Delanhill. ¡°This way, please,¡± said the servant, as the door of the parlor slowly opened. ¡°This is Princess Stella, the Second Princess of the Empire.¡± Our gazes met immediately. Would he recognize me? When my shimmering eyes stared at him, he strode towards me. What¡¯s going on? Is he trying to say hello? I was pondering for a moment¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± The man hugged me tightly. At the same time, his body scent rushed into my nose. I could feel his body heat. A hand that seemed to want something, but was also very carefully patted my head. Suddenly, I felt something warm touch my neck, and I stared blankly into space. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to show his face, so he buried his head around my neck and his broad shoulders shook. ¡°Stella.¡± He called my name. ¡°Ethel.¡± He called my name again. At that moment, I thought to myself. Why did Clyde have to return the crown to the royal family? Was it because Joseph was Clyde¡¯s benefactor, and the imperial family fed him and clothed him, so he wanted to return the favor? Was that why he chose to become a hero? Or did he choose to become the sky guardian? Then I realized that the reason he was here was exactly the same as the reason I was here. To fight luridly for the people who had given him the only light in his dark abyss of a life. I felt frustrated because I had come to understand him in this way, and I couldn¡¯t hate him any more. After that, I became worried. If he is so loyal to the imperial family, there is a possibility that he will tell the emperor everything¡­. I tap him lightly on the back with my trembling hand. I was afraid. This man knew Stella and Ethel. I hated him. He was the one who pulled me away from my family, not anyone else. But in the end, I was glad to see him. The only boy who was there for me during my miserable childhood had become a man and sought me out again. And so, with a feeling of serenity, I took him in my arms and swept his back as he shook his shoulders. He made it here after a fierce battle, and if he was like me, he needed a pat. The man¡¯s back was so hard and wide that my hands could not sweep it all the way. * ** ¡°Empress, Duke Delanhill is meeting with Princess Stella in the parlor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Empress.¡± The Empress came back to her senses and looked at the maid. She then nodded and stared blankly at the teacup. Her brow furrowed. She was reminiscing. In the teacup was the night sky of that day. There were people cheering, and there was Stella, shining brighter than anyone else. Clink. The spoon was placed on the table and she buried her head in her hands. Ten years ago, Stella left her family. Yes. That was the truth that all people knew, that she remembered. Stella was gone. ¡°Don¡¯t ever disappear again. Not even a single moment.¡± But the memories she saw in her naps and dreams said otherwise. ¡°Mother!¡± She saw herself holding Karen and Joseph, turning away from Stella, who was calling her urgently. Then the inner voice said. ¡®Actually, you were turning away on purpose, weren¡¯t you?¡¯ No. She wanted to believe it wasn¡¯t. ¡®I threw her away. I threw away the incompetent and useless girl because I thought she would die on this occasion. I couldn¡¯t get rid of her, then you¡¯d let someone else do the job.¡¯ It was heartbreaking. Stella cried out for them desperately, but the iron gate closed coldly with an ear splitting clang. While walking through the secret passageway, the child¡¯s voice calling for her parents rang clearly. She fled to avoid the rebellion and the conversation she had with her husband began to ring in her ears. ¡°How could a mother leave a child behind? Are you still a human?¡± ¡°You did the same thing! You wanted her dead, you wanted her dead!¡± Suddenly the Empress grabbed the maid¡¯s arm in a fit and said, ¡°Mrs. Fairfax.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°That girl, Stella, left us. Isn¡¯t that right? She left us, and now she¡¯s coming back to us, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Yes. People say the second Princess came back with divine power and saved their lives. But why is there no trace of the glamorous detached palace that sheltered Her Imperial Highness?¡± ¡°There was no such thing as a detached palace.¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Since the beginning, there was no such thing as a detached palace to hide that child¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve seen your beloved Princess again, and it seems that your body and mind have been overwhelmed. Even the people on the streets know that the imperial family cared about the youngest Princess and hid her in the secret palace.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Those who remember the truth are already dead¡­ There was never a detached palace to hide the real Stella from the beginning. That poor child, Stella, disguised herself as Karen¡¯s maid, and spent her entire life in her sister¡¯s shadow, being called a fake¡­¡± After hearing all this, Countess Agatha Fairfax, the head maid, summoned the court physician, saying that the Empress must have been mentally confused after seeing the second Princess for the first time in a long time. The court physician diagnosed it as a delusion caused by severe mental shock, but the Empress knew the truth. Instinct made her realize what had happened that day. And the person she remembered herself to be was a bad mother. The fact that nothing can undo what was done at the time also hurt the Empress even more. It was so cruel to face the problems that had been neglected¡­ Stella did not disappear. When the empress realized this, there was only one thought that came to her mind. ¡®I will be really good to that child now. I will give that child back the title of Princess Stella, and I will take care of her as a mother sincerely with my heart. Because now we have met again. Because Stella is still with me.¡¯ ¡°Did you say she is with the Duke?¡± The Empress rose from her seat. * ** ¡°Do you still play the piano?¡± Clyde¡¯s trembling hand on the parlor table approached my hand carefully. Perhaps he wanted to hold my hand. At that moment, his fingers carefully stroked mine. My skin was so sensitive that I could feel the slightest tremor between our touches. I thought he would let go if I looked at him, but I was wrong. His eyes fixed on me, he continued what he was doing like a thirsty beast. I replied with warmth because I didn¡¯t hate the touch. ¡°Not often, though.¡± ¡°I have a piano in my mansion on the Island.¡± His hand slowly, slowly rubbed between my fingers. A strange, though slightly ticklish, subtle feeling tapped at my fingertips. The atmosphere was unfamiliar to me, so I looked him in the eye and asked him a question. ¡°Does the Duke also play the piano?¡± ¡°I have no aptitude at all.¡± There was a moment of silence. I thought I would have much to say if we met again, but¡­the man was no longer a boy I used to know. He was like a different person. He looked pretty worn out and tired, and yet, he seemed to be insistent on something¡­. ¡°But I know someone who¡¯s good at it.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± He did not answer my question. Who could that person be? Is it someone he liked in the past? Is she his lover? A one-sided love? Is that person a servant in his house? He lifted the cup with trembling hands. It was a small and cute teacup that didn¡¯t fit his large and rugged hands, which made me smile for no reason. When he was taking a sip of his tea, I asked, ¡°You said you wanted to take me as your wife¡­.¡± He coughed. ¡°Oh, are you all right?¡± I handed him a handkerchief and he covered his mouth with it and coughed. His face was burning red. That¡¯s when the aide standing behind him interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Your Highness, it was never the Duke¡¯s intention to ask something like that¡­¡± Clyde¡¯s face stiffened at the sound of the aide¡¯s voice. His face was so cold that I couldn¡¯t imagine him as the man who had almost tears in front of me earlier. Was that how people tremble just by looking at that face? The Duke¡¯s sharp gaze turned to his aide. He was a murderer in addition to being a war madman, so he must have stepped in a sea of blood with that look. That¡¯s what I felt like. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°My lord¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still standing there? I told you to leave.¡± With those words, the aide bowed his head and then disappeared. The Duke resumed the conversation shortly after. His face was much more docile than before, however, my body trembled a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Along with my answer, there was an awkward atmosphere in the air again. He said firmly as he stared down at his hands. ¡°I got permission from your parents to marry Princess.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t gotten permission from the Princess yet.¡± His eyes, red as the sun, looked at me as if they would swallow me up. Immediately he took out a small box. He must have been carrying it around for a long time, because the box was covered with handprints. ¡°I will be the Princess¡¯s only knight.¡± When he opened the box, the hot sunlight fell on the diamond of the ring, spreading brilliant light to tens of thousands of branches. It was an engagement ring. His hand trembled slightly as he held the box, like when he touched my fingers earlier. Suddenly, the door swung open as he was about to speak. I stood up, thinking it was rude¡­ ¡°Mother?¡± The Empress¡¯s gaze turned to the ring box. She looked pale as if she had seen something scary. Chapter 16 *** ¡°Stella.¡± The Empress called me in a determined voice. Her gaze immediately went to Clyde, but Clyde seemed to sense what the Empress was about to say. He had an impatient look on his face as he was holding the ring box, but he didn¡¯t act rashly. At his silence, the Empress spoke, ¡°It¡¯s been ten years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d give you my child, but it¡¯s been a decade I¡¯ve been away from her, Duke. However, what can this poor mother do if you take her away so quickly without giving her even a fleeting moment?¡± The Duke¡¯s eyes sank low. ¡°Think about it. Wouldn¡¯t my daughter miss her family too? She needs to rest in her father and mother¡¯s arms. Yes, we promised to give her to you, but to take her away like this¡­¡± ¡°I want to leave with him.¡± The confrontational gazes of Clyde and the Empress turned towards me at once. It was an impulsive act. It was just a funny thing for my mother to say, that she was now going to play the role of a mother. It didn¡¯t seem like a bad choice. To leave. When I came to the place and showed what I was capable of, I knew I couldn¡¯t go back to my home, to the inn¡¯s ¡®Ethel¡¯. Looking at countless joyous faces of the people who were happy seeing the stars, I was heartbroken. For I had made a choice that I could not take back. In the name of protection, I ended up becoming Stella and came to this place. In order to be influential and protect my family, they couldn¡¯t be my weakness. I couldn¡¯t go home, could I? I felt that way, and it hurt. So, if I couldn¡¯t go home, I would rather be in Clyde¡¯s mansion than in this dreary imperial palace. Even if he was the one who had separated me from my family. Better than these people who abandoned me. ¡°My daughter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see? The reason I¡¯m here is because I¡¯m fed up with the search for me. Mother said I disappeared, but I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t disappear, not for a second. Because it was mother who abandoned me.¡± ¡°Yes, I abandoned you.¡± There was great despair on the Empress¡¯s face. She tried to say something, but only bit her lower lip. I didn¡¯t say anything more, and the Empress squeezed my hand, as if she was afraid that I would leave her. Her hands, which I had not felt for a long time, were a little rough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She said after a long silence. For a moment, I was afraid that I almost forgot that she had abandoned me because her wet eyes were shaking precariously. I was scared beyond description that the eyes were looking at me with regret, with understanding. I was afraid I would forgive her. I was afraid it would weaken my heart. I wonder if I have ever craved so much, the touch of my mother. It¡¯s funny. I brushed off her hand. Because there was no Stella they were looking for. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°My child¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late. I don¡¯t want any more apologies from you. So, if you¡¯re sorry, just leave me alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy as it is. I don¡¯t need mother, father, or brother.¡± ¡°¡­But you came back¡­ Didn¡¯t you come back¡­for us?¡± ¡°No, I did not come back to ease mother¡¯s guilt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mother, you say you¡¯re sorry but you¡¯re still the same. Once you¡¯ve thrown me away, you have to take responsibility for how much guilt you have.¡± My hand trembled as I gripped Clyde¡¯s wrist. Slowly, we walked past the Empress. The aide and Joseph standing at the door stared at me blankly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I turned and spoke calmly to Clyde. ¡°¡­to where we can talk more quietly.¡± *** The Duke and I were in front of my bedroom door, and we stopped at the sound of a voice leaking through the gap in the door. I could hear the indignant voice of the Emperor. ¡°You lied to me!¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll pay the price with your life. Guard!¡± ¡°I could not tell you about the letter, as the Princess who was writing it seems to be in great grief. Please have mercy on her¡­¡± ¡°Father.¡± I headed into the room. I had to intervene. The young maid who talked to me earlier was in tears and trembling in the angry presence of the emperor, and the guards were holding her little hands without consideration. The drawers of the vanity table were opened and my letter was in the Emperor¡¯s hands. His face immediately softened when he saw me. ¡°What¡¯s going on in my room?¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please give it back.¡± I reached out and took the letter from him with a trembling hand. passed my hand to him and he handed me the letter with trembling hands. I immediately hid the letter behind my back. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hurt you. Please be honest.¡± He looked at me, waiting to hear my answer. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect me to sit like a useful puppet, did you, father?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°¡­You are the Second Princess of the Bellvic Empire.¡± The emperor said without stepping back. ¡°Soon you will be wearing the crown of the princess in front of the people. I was going to give you the title. But before that, tell me where did you come from? What kind of pain did you suffer?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to know where I came from, but I thought you should know I¡¯ve been rolling in the mud. You are suspicious because I made the stars float, aren¡¯t you? Because the second Princess was incompetent to begin with. She was useless¡­¡± ¡°Stella!¡± ¡°Who cares if I¡¯m fake or real or where I came from, father? I¡¯m sure that never mattered to you.¡± ¡°You are Stella Ethelanche, the Second Imperial Princess of the Bellvic Empire. And I am your father.¡± The Emperor grabbed my arm tightly as if he was about to crush it. ¡°I swear to you, I will not do anything to hurt you. With my power, I am your most glorious¡­.¡± ¡°With the power created by whom?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Father, don¡¯t mind my business. Please let the poor maid go.¡± At the end of the sentence, I headed to the door. As the servant opened the door, there was the beautiful face of the Duke who stood behind the door. That¡¯s when. ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± The Emperor¡¯s trembling voice stopped my steps. ¡°How could you resent your family to the point of agreeing to marry a Duke you¡¯ve never seen before, and to follow him without hesitation?¡± ¡°I am resentful?¡± It was ten years later. There was not much I could say. ¡°I just wanted you to stop looking for me.¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°Goodbye, father.¡± ¡°Duke.¡± My body jerked as the Emperor called the Duke. My hands spontaneously sweated. From the moment I said goodbye to the Emperor, my legs finally supported my body and there were no thoughts in my head. The only thought was to leave. But then the emperor said to the Duke, ¡°Put Princess Stella in her seat. Looks like there¡¯s a lot to talk about.¡± When my gaze met the Duke¡¯s, I shook my head. If the Duke is on the Emperor¡¯s side, how am I supposed to endure this? My body trembled as he walked slowly towards me. I didn¡¯t have the strength to resist. No, even if I had the strength in the first place, I wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him as a knight. Is this a checkmate? What I said to the Emperor was a foolish move, but after I said it, it was spectacular¡­. However, I should have been a little more meticulous. I should have used my brain a little more and acted better. At least pretend to love the family. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from feeling nauseous. Does Princess Stella have to do something in order to be happy? Only if she¡¯s good at something, that is. Can she be loved and be safe? I was a child then, and I am a worn out, tired person now. Clyde¡¯s intimidating shadow loomed over me, and I looked up to speak. Tears slowly streamed down my cheeks, and as our gazes met, he covered my back and supported my legs, taking me into his arms. How warm his arms were, how generous and steady he was. I forgot what I wanted to say and looked at his face. ¡°All right, now sit back on the couch. Tell the head maid to serve tea.¡± Asking the head maid to serve tea was to give me strength. But none of it was pleasant. Even though the young Stella had wanted it so badly¡­ ¡°Duke.¡± I opened my eyes wide at the Emperor¡¯s voice. ¡°Duke!¡± Clyde walked silently down the hallway with me in his arms. I stared at him with a look of wonder. Clyde was the one who had brought the crown to the royal family. Clyde was also the one who had made my father emperor again. However, such a man disobeyed the emperor¡¯s words. His aide walked quickly and followed the Duke. ¡°Your Highness, honor is hard to gain by and easy to lose.¡± Clyde didn¡¯t even pretend to listen as he strode silently on. ¡°You must make a wise choice. As long as the wedding hasn¡¯t taken place, the Princess is the property of her father, the Emperor. Her Imperial Highness, who belonged to the Imperial Family, can¡¯t be taken for granted like this¡­ Your Highness, you can see Her Imperial Highness later. When His Majesty approves the marriage, then¡­¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Clyde¡¯s grim expression made me shudder. ¡°You talk a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong to anyone.¡± ¡°Your Highness, please be patient and calm about this¡­.¡± ¡°Peter Gilworth, your head is still attached to your neck has proven enough that I have patience.¡± ¡°What, huh?¡± ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to see you today.¡± ¡°That means¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fired. I¡¯ve found what I need, and I don¡¯t need to walk around with an Imperial family¡¯s aide.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fire me. The Emperor himself assigned me to you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to return you to your original place.¡± ¡°Wo, Your Highness!¡± Just like that, Clyde carried me away. What will my life be like from now on? As long as I let the stars float in the sky, I could not return to be Ethel. The Imperial family would need me. It was fine. Because I was ready. Where there¡¯s something to gain, there¡¯s something to lose. As long as I¡¯m here as Princess Stella, my real family is safe. I¡¯ll make sure they will be safe. What about me, then? I hadn¡¯t thought about it. I just feel that I have to protect my family first. But what if I want to see my family? What if I miss their warmth so much that it makes me nostalgic? What if I get tired of being ¡°Princess Stella¡±? Should I still smile for all the world to see? I was living a life where no one cared about me, yet I routinely lied and said ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±. It reminded me that I had to live and lie every day. I looked at Clyde. This was all his fault. He was the reason the Imperial family started looking for me. It was also the reason I had to leave my adoptive parents. But I couldn¡¯t bear to hold a grudge. Chapter 17 *** A daughter who is not married in the Bellvic Empire is the property of her father, and she must not be reckless before he gives her to another man and has her wedding night. And Karen was a person who cared very much for that old fashioned formality. Karen¡¯s brow furrowed as she watched Clyde cross the hallway with Stella in his arms. An imperial Princess should not be ¡®reckless¡¯ like that, and Karen moved like a storm and knocked on the door of her father¡¯s office. It was, of course, to correct Stella¡¯s such slovenly conduct. ¡°Father, you won¡¯t believe what I just saw. Stella, she¡¯s¡­¡± Her father was lost in thought. The unusual atmosphere and the air that seemed to tighten around his neck to keep him from speaking left Karen in silence, waiting for him to speak. Karen¡¯s eyes shook as the Emperor slowly turned his head to look at her. It was the first time she had seen his eyes like this. ¡°You said you picked her up on the street.¡± ¡°Father¡­.¡± ¡°What street did you pick her up?¡± ¡°Well¡­..¡± Karen faltered, unable to answer. There was no way she could know the name of a city where a bunch of commoners were languishing. There were no common street names that she could lie about. She didn¡¯t know any of them. ¡°Get out of my way, you useless thing!¡± ¡°Father. I¡¯m your daughter!¡± *** It¡¯s funny that people are pleading with me now. I wanted their love so much that I ended up being an empty shell. There¡¯s no Stella they painted. With one move I became the real thing. The ¡°real princess¡± that I struggled to be as a child, the ¡°real princess¡± that I wanted to be so badly. Thus, if my existence is a matter of ability, then so be it. It¡¯s fake and real, and maybe there was no Stella in the first place. It may just be that Ethel is really there. Nonetheless, these people persistently seek Stella from me. They ask me to trace my painful past just to dwell on it. Because they finally need Stella. ¡°I can¡¯t let her go like this. Duke.¡± The flag with the imperial seal fluttered proudly in the blue sky. The guards covered the gates of the palace, and I stood next to the Duke, watching the Empress. The Empress looked at me coldly, as if she couldn¡¯t make even the slightest concession. ¡°One year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just wait one year, Duke. I¡¯m asking as a mother, not an empress. Ten years we¡¯ve missed Stella. Now that Stella is back, she should enjoy everything she can as a Princess. Shouldn¡¯t you give us a chance to make up for it, even if we¡¯ve become emotional because of the situation?¡± The Empress¡¯s trembling hands grabbed mine. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you also listen to your bad mother¡¯s words before you go?¡± Looking into the Empress¡¯s eyes, I could see that all that was left was reconciliation and happiness. She didn¡¯t seem like someone who would harm me, and she just wanted to apologize for being an immature mother in my childhood. But I didn¡¯t want her warmth. I didn¡¯t want to accept her embrace. Is it my fault? The Emperor approached from afar. A ragged breath escaped from between his lips, as if he¡¯s been running for a while. ¡°It would be wrong if I asked you not to leave, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything.¡± The Empress stared at her husband, wondering if the conditions the Emperor had set forth were unbeatable. Nevertheless, the Emperor said sternly. ¡°Give us a year, or even just six months¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If not caring is what you want, I will listen. Whatever you want to hide, I will hide it under my sky. Will you be a useful doll? Okay. I¡¯d like that. You can be a doll and stay at the Imperial Palace.¡± Be a doll and stay in the Imperial Palace. To live luridly, forgetting my days, and laugh and ease their guilt beside them. Do they know how cruel those words are? I don¡¯t know. They were too immature and inexperienced to be the parents their children wanted them to be. So they speak with urgency, with whatever words they can grab to capture the moment. They wanted me to be there for them. If I nurse their wounds for six months, accept their apologies that I don¡¯t want to hear, and live like a doll¡­. Are they going to be satisfied? I wanted to ask, but I didn¡¯t. Because there is something more beautiful when you hold it firmly in your heart than just grazing your lips. ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± I looked at my parents, who had given birth to me. ¡°If I were incompetent, would you two treat me the same?¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t.¡± The Emperor took my hand as he spoke. ¡°You are Stella Ethelanche, the one and only Star Princess of the Bellvic Empire. I will make sure that you feel it every moment of your stay in this imperial palace. I promise you if you stay, I¡¯ll do everything for you.¡± What was truly amazing was that I had decided to accept their offer at this moment. The emperor¡¯s answer was so gratifying that it made me chuckle. ¡®But you aren¡¯t incompetent. You are the one and only star Princess.¡¯ The moment I heard this answer, I knew. I would never forgive them, even if my heart was weakened by their mistakes. I was too young to have spent the night with such a festering heart, and I couldn¡¯t forgive them, even if I was sorry. I hadn¡¯t held my mom¡¯s hand in a long time, but it was a little rougher than the last time I held it. It was so warm that I wanted to leave right now. The longer I stayed, I might feel sorry for them. I was afraid I might forgive them. I was afraid I would be tamed by the love they gave me. I thought I had to be their foolish second daughter, to be tamed and mocked. But it was a pointless worry. If I only pretended to be grateful for the meaningless golden lacquer and the sweet candies they would give away, in six months¡­ I would be free. ¡°You¡¯ll listen to whatever I want?¡± ¡°Anything you want.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I told them. ¡°¡­ After six months, forget me. No matter where I go or what I do, don¡¯t look for me.¡± There will be one perfect ending to this skit. I shall go where the wind blows and they will forget me. And the ugly duckling imperial princess, who escaped the royal family, will be alone again. With that ending this time, I will be happy. Yes. I will not return to my beloved family, for I do not know if the emperor is honest enough to keep his promise. My daily life with Mary, Hans and Daisy, whom I loved so much, had to be there. I can recall those memories perfectly. I will make sure that they can enjoy that everyday life happily. There is nothing I want to take away from the people I love. Just as every little detail of daily life was important to me, so it is to them. I don¡¯t like the idea of the mass of blessings that took care of me becoming a threat to them. All the glitters in the world become natural one day when they reach it. My ability will also be a blessing for them. ******* After everything was sorted out, I met Clyde in the parlor again. He was waiting for my reply to his proposal of marriage. We didn¡¯t have much to talk about. After a few moments of silence, he asked me to marry him again. I looked at him silently. ¡°You told me that I don¡¯t belong to anyone.¡± He nodded. ¡°You said you wanted my permission, not my parent¡¯s.¡± Then I asked if he could let me go. He said he wanted to disappear to a quiet place where there is no news of the Imperial family. I laughed a little when he said that. His gaze followed my smile for quite some time. He tried to say something for a while, but stopped. I still remembered his words as he scratched his head, got out of his seat and approached me. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll see your face at least once a week instead.¡± He said with a growl. ¡°Please give me that much of a chance.¡± His hand¡¯s muscle was tight when he held my chair. ¡°Only if I can be useful to Your Highness, you¡¯ll remain at my side.¡± I had to say, ¡°Okay.¡± His gaze looked so earnest. I said I would, and promised him that I would see him every Monday. After I saw him off, I spent some time watching the beautiful vase cast a shadow and slowly tilt to the side. When I first heard rumors of Clyde on the street, I wondered if the imperial family would gain their positions again. I wondered if there would ever come a day when I would consider the man who had torn everything apart useful. *** ¡°Why are you so upset, Princess?¡± His voice was supple and gentle. People would even stop and turn around if they heard it. Jason tilted his head and looked at Karen. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He said I¡¯m useless.¡± Karen covered her lips and said nervously, shaking her small white fists. ¡°I¡¯m the useless one, he said. I¡¯ve never heard such a thing in my life.¡± ¡°How did you feel?¡± ¡°Do you think I came here to get psychological help?¡± ¡°She¡¯s been hearing that all her life.¡± ¡°She?¡± ¡°Princess Stella.¡± Karen burst out laughing at the words. ¡°It¡¯s true what I¡¯ve been told, isn¡¯t it? Jason Evanders, you turned to my sister¡¯s side.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that Princess.¡± Jason chuckled. Karen¡¯s eyes wavered as he slurped his whiskey. She bit her bottom lip and waited for Jason to speak. ¡°I¡¯m just rubbing shoulders with my big shot client.¡± ¡°A big..client?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not just me.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Jason Evanders, you¡¯re not the only one?¡± ¡°Oh, my client won a huge bet and returned all the remaining dividends, minus my gold mining fee, to the nobles. It was a lot of money. It¡¯s really genius of her to come up with such an idea.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the Stella Ethelanche Foundation?¡± Karen couldn¡¯t say anything to those words. After a moment, she stammered. ¡°What kind of foundation is that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡± Jason smiled obliquely. Chapter 18 ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Peter Gilworth, former Duke¡¯s aide, politely knocked on the emperor¡¯s office door. He was fired by the Duke, but showed no signs of disappointment. ¡°Should I put the past behind and work diligently for a new lord from now on?¡± he spoke, sticking out his chest and nodding his head, waiting for the emperor¡¯s approval. The Emperor granted Gilworth an audience with a very unwelcome visit. ¡°What is it? If you have a headache, leave it at that. I¡¯ll deal with it later.¡± ¡°No, the problem is¡­. It¡¯s the princess.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Those haughty nobles wanted to know about Princess Stella. And from what I¡¯ve heard, the reason for that is¡­.¡± ¡°Well, yes. Everyone is excited. The whole empire has seen Stella make the stars rise.¡± When the Emperor replied indifferently, Peter Gilworth shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just for that reason. From what I¡¯ve heard, Her Imperial Highness Princess Stella has set up a foundation and is generously sharing her money with nobles who have lost money from gambling. Where that money came from, I do not know either.¡± ¡°What?¡± The emperor stood up. The buried thoughts slowly popped into his head. The first thing Stella had done as an imperial princess was to demand a blank check. Moreover, the girl had sent only one letter to Jason Evanders. The Emperor learned that Jason Evanders ran the largest casino in the empire. The daughter with unknown origins refused to talk about the past. Now she¡¯s giving money to the impending nobles of the casino. So does that mean that the girl will become the Imperial Princess and take over the empty treasury and appoint herself their dog? Give them money and beg for their loyalty? The child¡¯s confidence came from such a low price at most. The Emperor felt as if the last ounce of pride he had left since the imperial place under siege was trampled on. He barely managed to keep his face expressionless as he said. ¡°It¡¯s not a good time to discuss this issue. Let¡¯s talk about it later.¡± ¡°But, Your Majesty¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid if these words leak out somewhere¡­¡± Under the Emperor¡¯s maddened eyes, Peter Gilworth¡¯s shoulders shook. ¡°Leave.¡± Gilworth bowed and walked out of the office quickly as if he was flying. The Emperor certainly seemed to have the power to overwhelm those around him, he thought as he took a deep breath. As Gilworth staggered down the stairs, the scent of freesia wafted through the air. The aide turned and stared at the woman behind him. He took off his hat and bowed his head in fear. ¡°Your Royal Highness Princess Karen. ¡°Is there some news I¡¯ve missed?¡± She smiled beautifully. Karen grabbed Gilworth, who was in a hurry to get away. He couldn¡¯t lie to her and soon confessed everything to her. ¡°¡­Princess Stella gave a large sum of money to the nobles. I¡¯m not sure where the money came from¡­.Hmmm¡­It¡¯s interesting. There¡¯s absolutely no way that the first princess of the empire doesn¡¯t know about this.¡± * * * The appointed day was Monday, but Clyde visited me every day. I wanted to say something about how sometimes he reminded me of my childhood memories, but I stopped. Still, I kept repeating the thought in my mind. I was waiting for him long ago. I wanted to say those words when I saw him again. But now they¡¯re just words that have lost their use. I looked into his red eyes, savoring the taste of the tea that was placed in front of me. He blinked slowly, bringing me into his field of vision. In the silence, his hand came quietly closer, hesitating to touch my hand several times before finally covering my hand on the table. Ridiculously, as he did so, I felt the urge to turn my hand over and touched the knots of his thick fingers. I couldn¡¯t get used to the warmth, so I withdrew my hand. For a moment, I froze in place at the strange feelings I could feel in my fingertips as our skin rubbed against each other. Soon after, he grabbed my hand. My body sank for no reason as my small hand was swallowed up, buried in his large hand. The constant silence was strange, so I looked at the table and opened my mouth. ¡°Today is not Monday either¡­.¡± Suddenly my heart pounded violently for no reason. It was the first time my familiar body sent such a heterogeneous signal. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°When are you returning to the north¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want.¡± He squeezed my hand tightly. ¡°And I¡¯m not going anywhere until I have it in my hands.¡± His thumb gently grazed the inside of my palm. Not wanting to get carried away with the mood, I decided to change the subject. ¡°What is the north like?¡± The coldest and harshest part of the Empire was the North. It was said to be blessed with many natural resources, but the demons ruled there, making it difficult for people to live. His father¡¯s fearful nature must have played a role in sending this man to such a place. He was afraid that this man would threaten the imperial authority. He sent Clyde to the most remote, cold, harsh place. He explained the North, his North, matter-of-factly, as if this fact did not frustrate him. I said defiantly. ¡°The East is most beautiful in the spring.¡± They say that all the troubles of the world are forgotten when you look at the eastern plains in bloom. Many painters and artists have been fascinated by the beauty of the East and have left behind many works of art. ¡°They say that the south is the hottest and most passionate part of the country.¡± In the south, the sunlight is intense, the summers are very hot, and there is a constant sense of romance and passion. It¡¯s a place where the songs of minstrels are mixed with a glass of wine as they come and go in the sultry night air. ¡°They say that autumn in the West is the most beautiful autumn in the world.¡± Autumn in the West is spectacular. Many famous poets and writers were from the West. It is a place where everyone is a friend as long as they have a book, where there is always a debate going on in the square. And the North was a place that people in those three huge cities feared. I was eager to explain to him that the compensation he received was not reasonable, but his word was unexpected. ¡°Do you not like cold places?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nice place. The servants are moderately quiet, and the people of the territory are very sympathetic to the cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I wish you could go to the North.¡± I removed my hand from his hand slowly. The warmth of his hand was still there, but it felt empty against the cold air. I didn¡¯t say yes or no, I just said, ¡°I think it¡¯s a nice place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see the north someday.¡± The conversation did not continue after that. Then, I saw him off to the main gate, and as soon as he was about to get into the carriage, he bowed to me. Then, he whispered something to my ear and left. I watched for a while where his carriage disappeared. Then I thought about what he had said to me before he left. ¡°Someday, when you¡¯re ready to step foot on northern soil. I¡¯ll be there for you.¡± He will be there. *** The next day Clyde came again. The time when I was seeing him off, and someone I did not expect to meet came into the gate. The stranger bent his arms and bowed his head so gaily that it felt like an exaggeration. ¡°Well, hello. Jean Bezil has come to make a special dress for the princess. I see this is the Princess I¡¯ve heard so much about. It is an honor to meet you.¡± The man took my hand and kissed the back of it. Then Clyde¡¯s expression hardened and he grabbed the stranger¡¯s wrist, making him let go of my hand. I sneakily wipe the back of my hand on the skirt in bewilderment. If I remember correctly, Jean Bezil was the best designer in the empire. He had a really distinctive face exactly as I saw his picture in the newspaper. I took Clyde¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I did not invite him.¡± As soon as I moved away, Jean Bezil shook his head and said with a proud face. ¡°The Emperor would like to present you with a dress that would be perfect for Her Imperial Highness ¡­..¡± ¡°Tell him I won¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°Did you say you won¡¯t accept a dress from me, Jean Bezil! I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Me, you said you would not accept a dress for shopping! The dwarf can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Jean Bezil is upset. Princess. I will never forget today¡¯s event.¡± He was a strange person. When I gave him a look of bewilderment, he grinned and grabbed my hand. ¡°I was just joking, Your Highness.¡± Clyde looked uncomfortable and grabbed his wrist again to stop him. ¡°Oh my, excuse me, Princess.¡± He replied simply and let go of my hand. At that moment, I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and I saw a familiar face as I turned around to look. The imperial family was coming down the stairs with two maidservants, looking as dignified as ever. The Empress Emperor looked annoyed. Joseph had a usual calm face, but Karen ¡­. When our gazes met, Karen lifted one side of her mouth as if she were smiling. It was a look that I saw many times. It was rare for the imperial family to get together in this large palace, but it seemed that Karen was behind all of this. They quickly got close. Karen stood in front of them, lifting her chin. ¡°An imperial princess must be mindful of her people and must always be prudent in her use of the treasury.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Is it not enough that you gave money to the nobles, now you¡¯re spending extravagantly? My sister, Jean Bezil¡¯s dress is¡­.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Stella distributed money to the nobles? Karen.¡± When my mother cajoled Karen, she became more and more eager. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Stella directly. Doesn¡¯t it bother you too, mother and father? I think now is the time to ask questions face to face. The question is, what did Stella do with the treasury she borrowed from her parents?¡± ¡°The Duke will solve it.¡± Clyde replied coldly. Karen, who stood in front of the Emperor and Empress, pulled me closer to them. ¡°Common, Stella, why don¡¯t you tell us what happened?¡± I was currently the wealthiest person in the empire, excluding Jason Evanders. Karen seemed to have heard the story of how I started the foundation, but I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t want to explain whose pockets the money for the foundation came out of. ¡°Common.¡± Karen urged as I remained silent. They didn¡¯t even know I was digging their graves. Chapter 19 *** ¡°I spent exactly ten billion gold of the imperial money.¡± She didn¡¯t expect to hear that much money, and Karen stood frozen for a moment. She burst into laughter,and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to her. ¡°My God, ten billion gold¡­. Stella, that¡¯s why people need education. Is it because you spent so much time with the commoners that you don¡¯t know how much money that is? But you¡¯re a Princess¡­¡± I ignored Karen and spoke to the Emperor and Empress. ¡°I will return everything today. Mother and father.¡± ¡°And how are you supposed to do that?¡± Karen said, her brow wrinkling. ¡°Ten billion gold doesn¡¯t grow on trees, you know. And if you want to borrow the Duke¡¯s money, that¡¯s shameless ¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see soon, sister.¡± ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something I don¡¯t know? But I think you need to know better in the future to correct your wrong behavior¡­¡± ¡°Then how can you not know? As of this moment in time, who is the richest person in the empire, aside from Jason Evanders? Who is that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ But how can you cut off your sister¡¯s words like that? You need to learn who has a higher rank here.¡± ¡°I asked who it was. Sister.¡± I locked gazes with Karen. Karen¡¯s lips pursed in a pouting grimace. At that moment, one of the attendants whispered something into Karen¡¯s ear. Suddenly, the smile on Karen¡¯s lips deepened. She had a confident look on her face and looked at me. ¡°If Jason Evanders is famous for his business and diamond mines, you have Duke Delanhill¡¯s mighty army and the natural resources of the north¡­¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°Yes, I almost missed Angelica Lize. She¡¯s the heiress to Gustave Lize¡¯s vast inheritance. The total assets have reached 2.605 trillion gold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long way off.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are a long way off.¡± I lifted my lips up crookedly. ¡°You left out one person. His current assets alone are worth 45 trillion gold, the largest diamond mine in the empire. And the money that is properly deposited into that person¡¯s bank account every year alone is 20% of the total earnings from the mine.¡± Karen glared at the servant standing next to her. He shook his head as if he didn¡¯t know anything. At that time, Karen¡¯s expression hardened. Karen¡¯s eyes rolled back and forth as if she was trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle in her head. She licked her lips as she mumbled, ¡°maybe¡­¡±, then her face turned pale. ¡°There is a famous saying that sister knows. ¡°I swear on my diamond mine in Sutherland.¡± Well, that diamond mine is mine now. Because I won a bet against Jason Evanders.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t stop there, I bailed out the nobles who lost their bets. I created a foundation in my name. Do my steps sound like an ¡®imperial princess¡¯ to you, sister?¡± At that moment, the Emperor interrupted. ¡°What bet? ¡­What was the bet about?¡± I said expressionlessly as I looked at him. ¡°It was a bet that father and mother told me all my life.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, Stella Ethelanche.¡± My mother¡¯s vacant gaze was agitated. ¡°Can I make the stars rise in the sky, or not? was the bet. As you can see, the winner seems to be me. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me. The borrowed ten billion gold will be handed over by the end of the day.¡± ¡°Stella Ethelanche, you are¡­.¡± ¡°Sister.¡± I looked at Karen with an oblique smile. ¡°That¡¯s why people need education?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So what kind of education did you receive, sister? I¡¯ve never studied, but I think I¡¯m much better than you, who has lived in the imperial family all her life and has received the best education. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to go.¡± Jean Bezil¡¯s fuss behind me, but I ignored and led the Duke to the carriage. ¡°Goodbye.¡± My hand slowly dropped. It was the same greeting as yesterday and the day before. He seemed to want to say something, but I just said, ¡°No consolation.¡± He got into the carriage and just as the carriage door was about to close, the gate of the Imperial Palace slammed open. My father, with an angry face, ran out the door. ¡°Can I have a word with you?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± I glanced at the Emperor. My gaze went from the money-dazzled father to the plush chair of the Duke¡¯s glamorous carriage. I quickly climbed into the carriage, ignoring the servant who held out his hand to me. When I was a little girl, I used to enjoy climbing fences with the neighborhood kids, but this is about as far as I got. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Facing the Duke who stared at me with curious eyes, I shut the carriage. ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± Even though I thought I was a little brazen, my heart was overwhelmed. For the first time, I didn¡¯t care about my family or anyone else. Because I did what I wanted to do. * * * * Same time at Spade Casino. ¡°More and more people want to know.¡± Jason huffed at the aide¡¯s words, stopping his pen. He leaned his head back and stared at his competent aide. The aide bowed and continued speaking. ¡°Restrictive information and the Foundation¡¯s gold come down like rain from the sky, it¡¯s not surprising that people are curious. People want to know about the Stella Ethelanche Foundation. And who Princess Stella is.¡± ¡°It is, indeed.¡± That sounds interesting. Jason put his hands together. His sharp eyes sparkled for a moment. ¡°The social world wants to create a new idol. Our guests get tired of the same ones too quickly¡­¡± ¡°¡­Did you foresee this whole situation?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we have to debut the big client when curiosity reaches its peak?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The idol that everyone is wondering about is actually a big client of the Evanders family. He smiled obliquely. ¡°Power doesn¡¯t come from elsewhere, it comes from the moment people are enthused and paying attention. And Stella Ethelanche is the perfect power in this situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ That¡¯s the story.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to benefit. We don¡¯t make them buy it, we make a brand name that they will beg to buy, and we make a rich ¡®Evanders¡¯ empire with that money.¡± Jason¡¯s eyes shone with aspiration. ¡°I shall have to spread this glory to my future generations, shall I not? Just as my father and grandfather did. Evanders, chosen by the Star of the Empire. The easiest way to gain envy and favor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Then I will prepare a gift for Her Imperial Highness.¡± ¡°It must not be an ordinary gift. Have a huge one that can decorate the front page of the Empire¡¯s newspaper.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± The aide bowed his head and headed to the door. Jason spoke arrogantly. Public relations using buzz is one of the best ways to increase a brand¡¯s value. ¡®Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re worth forty-five trillion gold, Princess.¡¯ Jason lowered his head and stared at the document on his desk. Just then, the aide who was about to open the door looked at him. ¡°..By the way, Young Master¡­¡± Jason nodded. The aide opened his mouth with a grim expression. ¡°I hesitate to say this, as I can¡¯t be certain, but as far as I¡¯ve heard, there is someone who preoccupied Princess Stella. The Duke of Clyde Delanhill. I¡¯ll be on the lookout for that person¡­¡± ¡°The Duke and my client?¡± The aide nodded. At that moment, Jason¡¯s perfect smile shifted. *** After avoiding my father, Clyde and I made our way to his mansion, what I found was a familiar piano. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s someone playing the piano in the mansion.¡± If there is only one piano in the world, I would be a fool not to notice it. I knew this piano in front of me. Because this piano has one missing key, just like the one in my memory. Its black body is really beautiful, but if you sit down in front of its majesty and follow its knees, you will see that it has what I call ¡°the chin of the piano,¡± with horns that you can feel in your hands. Then I suddenly whisper to the black beast. ¡®It¡¯s you. We¡¯ve met again.¡¯ ¡°None.¡± (*Clyde answered to what Stella said earlier that it looks like someone playing the piano in the mansion.) At the Duke¡¯s answer, my hand that reached for the keys, stopped. I look up at him with startled eyes. ¡°So far, no one.¡± ¡°¡­it must have been difficult to obtain as it was an imperial item that was once destroyed.¡± ¡°It was easy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was the first one to set foot in the ruined palace.¡± He brought it from the Imperial Palace, which was empty after the rebel aristocracy was swept away. ¡°¡­..I see.¡± I placed my hands on the keys and began to play a simple tune. There was nothing more to say. I needed to escape this strange feeling. Some people say that music brings back memories. It is said that music and scents lead people, therefore, to the past. The melody that flowed from my fingertips took us to ten years ago. The soft music closed my eyes. Chapter 20 Ten years ago, I received a piano as a gift from Karen. ¡°You have to cultivate culture.¡± That¡¯s what she said when she gave it. It was a piano that Karen bought for herself. However, one day one of the keys on the piano broke, so Karen ordered to take it away with her face saying that she was tired of playing it. And that expensive piano was then headed towards my room. Did the servants treat my room as a large dumpster? However, I was not concerned about it in the first place. It was my first present. It felt mysterious when sounds were coming from the piano when I pressed the keys hard. I grew interested in it and started playing it often and with time got very well in it. My skills improved dramatically. ¡°Stella plays the piano very well.¡± After Joseph¡¯s warm compliment, I felt like I played harder everyday. Now that I look back, all the effort was all in vain. It was just their shallow interest in me but it was all precious back then. ¡°This is my treasure.¡± Coincidentally, I happened to show Clyde how to play the piano. Perhaps he liked it, so he came to hear the piano more and more often. ¡°If you come at 4 p.m, I¡¯ll start to be happy at 3 p.m.¡± Like the famous phrase in a book called ¡°1)¡±,* I became happy even before Clyde came. Though I didn¡¯t even know when he¡¯d come. The only one who found my world was a reticent but reliable boy. So, if the sound of the piano went out of the door of my room, it would probably lead him to me. I was full of anticipation and happiness that he will knock on my door one day. It hit. The warm sunlight hit and filled her vision as she escaped from her thoughts. The warmth of the afternoon sun permeated between the two of them, leaving a lasting impression, just like a memory. ¡®You still remember¡­¡¯ Stella brushed her fingertips on the keys, recalling a familiar tune. While remembering her bitter childhood, how a boy who had not been tamed by anyone looked at her. She felt his gaze, but she didn¡¯t look back. He then tried to remember the tune completely, and played a precarious tune that seemed to break, groping through each memory after memory. Stella pedaled and tried to recreate the sound as fully as possible. This simple tune was all she could give to the man who returned her piano. A lot has changed, but she wanted to tell him that there is one thing that hasn¡¯t changed. The sound of the calm music spread. * * * ¡°45 trillion!¡± The emperor suddenly spoke up in a loud voice because he felt sick. So, was Stella¡¯s calm attitude and words not pretentious? She didn¡¯t get her dignity from begging the nobility, nor from the affection of any man. It was entirely her own effort. That made it even more unique and he couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe. The emperor couldn¡¯t help but exceed his expectations. The finance minister replied calmly. ¡°I found out that it was true. Her entire fortune is said to be kept safe in the Golden Bank of the Evanders family. Now, even if the princess breathes, it¡¯s interesting enough¡­.¡± ¡°Is it really true that she has 45 trillion? 45 trillion gold?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Uh-huh. The emperor clicked his tongue. Come to think of it, money is the most needed thing for the imperial family. It¡¯s not worth it to bow your head in the face of the arrogant Evanders¡¯ golden table because of his money, but 45 trillion! His eyes glistened. ¡®I¡¯m proud of you. I¡¯m very proud.¡¯ ¡®Not only that. I¡¯d like to make a donation to the Stella Ethelanche Foundation.¡¯ ¡°Letters are coming to the palace one by one. I¡¯m sure the nobles who wanted to follow Princess Stella reached out first.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already won the hearts of the nobles! Haha, that¡¯s my daughter!¡± The Emperor laughed loudly and roared. The Empress stared at her husband silently. She had a pale complexion on her face. The emperor, unable to control his joy, held the empress arms and said, ¡°Why are you not smiling on this fine day? My daughter isn¡¯t just a billionaire, she¡¯s a Trillionaire, huh.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t miss me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If she has a lot of money and there are precious people who regard her as her family, she will not miss her ugly mother. I was thinking¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about now?¡± ¡°I heard Karen didn¡¯t pick Stella up on the street. Stella, she¡­. you said she had a letter that she wrote herself, and there was a family Stella missed in her letter. Let¡¯s find those good people and talk with them. How she¡¯s been, what she likes. Honey, l mean we¡­¡± ¡°You.¡± The emperor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Do you even know what that means?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°She told me not to touch them. Don¡¯t try to know, don¡¯t try to be curious. She said she hated us so much, so just treat her well, feed her well, and dress her well. Why are you trying to mess things up? Do what the child tells you to do.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even speak? My child is sick of me. She comes back and says I¡¯m not her mother, grabs another man¡¯s hand and turns her back on me and then you say I shouldn¡¯t do anything? It is enough for you to ignore that I am from another country. Even now, I get information about those people I¡¯m grateful for from Karen.¡± ¡°She did it because you weren¡¯t even like a mother.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯d better behave if you want to be her mother even now. Misella, Don¡¯t do anything useless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this every day. Every day. My words don¡¯t even make sense to you? What a good father you were then¡­¡± Karen watched the two through a gap in the open door and took a step back. ¡®I¡¯m sick and tired of it.¡¯ The fight between these two people everyday. It¡¯s all because of Stella. Karen swallowed her seething anger. Nothing has changed since she was young and now. Mother and father always fought over Stella¡¯s abilities, and the two fought over Stella¡¯s abilities again, ten years later. Stella. Stella. Again Stella. It was fine though. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re a good girl, Karen.¡± Karen was thankful for the sweet privilege she was given. It was nice to be the only daughter who was loved and recognized and felt that she was special. ¡°Get out of the way, you useless thing.¡± Useless thing. She brooded over the words. Karen, who was walking down the aisle, greeted with her usual face as a familiar face approached on the other side. ¡°Princess?¡± The owner of the distinctive voice was Jean Bezil. Even Karen knew who he was. He was a top-notch designer who pushed ¡®El Vione¡¯, the luxury clothing brand of Evanders, which had a legendary status in the market, with one skill. When he shows his respect, Karen raises her chin and says, ¡°Raise your head.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you again. Princess Karen. I¡¯m Jean Bezil, the most recognized designer of the Empire. The Ciel collection has been well received by ladies and girls. I greeted you at the front door earlier.¡± Producers and consumers in the high-end clothing market were not aware of Jean Basil¡¯s ¡®Ciel Collection¡¯. The Ciel Collection was a collection perfectly suited to the times, well received by the conservative aristocratic community for its dramatic luxury and unrestrained beauty-seeking design. It was also a dress label that was worn by Angelica Ridge, the Empire¡¯s most famous heiress. A label that was always mentioned as number one when it comes to dress among aristocrats. A dream dress. ¡®Well, if he recommends so earnestly, then I might wear it with a simple design at least once¡­¡¯ Karen raised her neck and opened her mouth in a slightly arrogant manner. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. By the way, what¡¯s that?¡± Karen¡¯s eyes turned to the envelope in Jang¡¯s hand. Jean said with a big smile. ¡°Oh, this is an invitation. I was just looking for a servant to deliver this to the Princess, who was purely inspired. So Your Highness the Princess¡­ ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Karen snatched the envelope. Jean Bezil blinked with a surprised look on his face. Then he shook his head and smiled brightly. ¡°No, no, no. Jean Bezil wanted to write a letter to Princess Stella, Princess Karen¡¯s younger sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I was going to ask Princess Karen, of course, but the thrifty Princess Karen is not interested in my collection, so what would you like to ask?¡± Karen recalled what she had said to Stella in front of Jean Bezil. ¡°Is it a luxury to give money to the aristocrats now? Jean Bezil¡¯s dress is like¡­¡± ¡°Okay, bye. I¡¯ll deliver the letter.¡± Karen¡¯s hand trembled as she held the letter. ¡°Yes, please. So kind.¡± Jean Bezil smiled indisputably, nodded and walked away. Karen glanced at the invitation. ¡®Yeah. I am the thrifty princess Karen Ethelanche. She is a good young lady. She is unlike anyone who is extravagant.¡¯ She turned around and quickly moved on. * * * ¡°I heard you met Princess Stella.¡± A woman who was looking out the window of a mansion turned around. Jean Bezil, the designer, overwhelmed by her beauty, stiffened for a while, then picked up in a loud voice. Even for him, who likes men, the woman in front of the huge window was so beautiful that it seemed impossible to take his eyes off her. The slender woman was like a living, breathing doll. Thick eyelashes, long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her blue eyes seemed to be immersed in the depths of the water. Her name was Angelica Reese. She was a young heiress of Gustave Reese, who has become a hot topic. Gustave Resse was also the fourth richest man in the Empire. ¡°Everyone is curious about her. And me too, of course¡­¡± When Angelica smiled faintly, Jean Bezil wondered if angels from heaven were surrounding her and blowing the trumpet. Angelica moved slowly and sat on a luxurious sofa. ¡°Jean, what kind of person is she?¡± When her eyes as clear as the sky turned to Jean Bezil, Jean was in awe. ¡®I always get inspiration when I look into those eyes. Like ¡°Ciel Collection¡±.¡¯ Jean Bezil moved inside and sat down next to Angelica. Angelica stroked the white brush with her hand. ¡°Princess Stella is my benefactor. Thanks to her foundation, I was able to prevent a big loss.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s been a while since I heard good news. I needed a friend.¡± ¡°¡­friend?¡± Jean Bezil blinked. Angelica nodded in conviction. ¡°I¡¯m not a very courageous person, Jean.¡± She lowered her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m tired of my uncles, men who want to marry me, and scammers who are trying to cover my eyes and ears¡­ Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t push them out.¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, I think a strong person would be able to be a good friend. Don¡¯t you think so as well?¡± Angelica said with a sad face. Jean Bezil nodded. ¡°I think so, ma¡¯am. Your Highness Princess Stella was the most courageous and dignified person I¡¯ve ever seen. With that, she¡¯s also wealthy like Miss Angelica, so I think she might understand you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Angelica smiled softly. ¡°You¡¯ll see her in society soon. ¡­my benefactor.¡± **** 1) Antoine de Saint-Exup¨¦ry, The Little Prince, 1943, 4. Chapter 21 *** ¡°It¡¯s really pretty.¡± At that time, as Stella rolled up and hugged her knees, she was engulfed in happy thoughts. Her gorgeous dress was smeared with reed sand and her shoes were loose on the sand, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind either of these. Clyde couldn¡¯t figure out what Stella was thinking. It looked precarious. He looked at her and suddenly thought about it. Why? ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to come here with an excuse, Duke.¡± Immediately after arriving at his mansion on the Isle, Stella was guided and scattered in the mansion. Then, with a placid and undisturbed look, she asked Clyde to lend her a horse. Clyde asked to accompany her, and Stella readily accepted. It took them quite a while to arrive at a reed field on the sandy beach. She sat down and looked at the distant horizon of the lake that spread out endlessly in front of her. ¡°It was the same place I¡¯d visit as Ethel.¡± Soft brown strands of hair fluttered in the air like a curtain on her fine face. The hair on the other side ran wildly through her ear. Strands of hair reached Clyde¡¯s face. Clyde was overwhelmed by the urge to bury his nose in her hair and inhale the scent deeply. Is it really okay to think like this? Is it right to dare to think that I want to put such a beautiful person in my arms and get my way? Secretly, he clasped his hands. You have to control yourself. He couldn¡¯t imagine her pensive, appalled gaze if she ever found out about his gruesome thinking. Stella continued to stare over the horizon, as if she was all alone there. Her dry, bloodless lips clapped. ¡°It¡¯s a place to hide from the people of the Imperial Family. I thought it would be okay to show this to Clyde.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell anyone, are you?¡± She slowly turned her head and looked at him. Have you ever felt that someone was pretty, so purely and instinctively? Clyde¡¯s mind went blank. With her in a closer distance, he could notice the minute details ¡ª her eyelashes were extraordinarily long, eyes even bigger and rounder, and her nose just as small and cute.. Wondering what made him feel this way, Clyde kept staring at Stella for a long time. Maybe a fairy popped out of a fairy tale. He nodded his head in a daze. She smiled looking at the sun disappearing deep into the horizon, clueless of how Clyde felt. Stella turned her head and watched the vast lake devouring the lumps of light. And in a daze, she rested her head on his arm. Clyde could feel his heart palpitate for the first time. After a while, he barely looked at Stella¡¯s face. She had comfortably closed her eyes. He tried to avoid her gaze before she opened them. Unexpectedly, she opened her mouth and he flinched. The words that flowed through her lips felt very calm and lonely. ¡°I wish I could just stay like this.¡± It seemed like the words of someone who knew better than anyone that it couldn¡¯t happen. Clyde knew well that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trusted. He was someone who had neither lust of power nor lust of fame. That is because if he had greed, he would never have been satisfied with the North. He would have asked for the eastern part of the granary. He would have fed his supporters and built up strength by giving them a place to live. Clyde¡¯s supporters, the commoners, the Seoers, and the slaves, were hoping for a new land, a new home for themselves. It was desirable to give them what they wanted. But Clyde is said to have taken his supporters straight to the North as soon as the Emperor sent him there. What has been given to those who have followed the revolutionary leader for a long time in their dreams of a new era, is nothing but a land with endless barrenness. It was a privilege, but that was all. Hiding to the North for fear of discrimination, persecution, and tax was something that could be done even before the new era began. It was because in society the saying ¡®severe politics is scarier than monsters¡¯ was prevalent. Contrary to his followers¡¯ expectations who believed in him, their hero led them to North because he was biased that a bastard could not be a hero. It was a choice unwelcomed by his supporters. Endless winters and blizzards were far from utopia. And those who couldn¡¯t represent the interests of the group would soon lose their power. Although Clyde¡¯s position in the Empire was still solid, there must have been voices of dissatisfaction. I was certain Clyde took that risk for a reason. To obediently listen to the words of the imperial family¡­ Perhaps his driving force was loyalty. ¡®So, even with the northern part that the emperor gave me, I was happy.¡¯ Contrary to public opinion, he may have been more loyal to the Imperial family, rather than a spokesman for the b*stards, slaves, and suffering commoners. The royal family dismissed his identity as a child and guaranteed him a basic life, so his loyalty was not incomprehensible. However, if he is the sword of the imperial family, he shouldn¡¯t be trusted. Since he knows my identity as ¡®Ethel¡¯, my beloved Mary, Hans and Daisy and my previous home, I have to be wary of Clyde. Nevertheless, I felt comfortable when I was reunited with the piano in my memory and pressed the white keyboard in his mansion. I felt strange. Maybe it¡¯s because of the familiar tune tapped on the ear. Suddenly, I felt that the man sitting beside me was not the great revolutionary leader, or the great spokesman of the suffering. He seemed to be the Clyde I knew from the past¡ªthe one I missed. The original plan was to follow him, make excuses for staying in the duke¡¯s mansion, and head here, but I modified the plan a little. I watched as the sun set. It was a day when the sky appeared especially pretty; the ripples of the calm, unmoving lake glistened with a new shade of silver and the reeds swayed gently in the cold breeze. I think that¡¯s why I asked him. Can you keep a secret? ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell anyone, are you?¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask if he could keep ¡®Ethel¡¯, my family and their home a secret. Instead, I asked something vague that carried a lot of meaning. Even though I already knew what crazy things he had done for the imperial family. Despite knowing he was responsible for tearing me apart with my loved ones, I still had a tinge of hope. He looked me in the eye and nodded, just like a boy, resembling Clyde from the past. Then an unexplainable sense of relief finally bloomed in my heart. Have I ever felt so comfortable? Have I ever let go of my mind¡ª forgetting my identity and worries¡ª to be in the moment? I leaned my head against the arm of the boy who had now become a man. I sighed deeply as I recalled the wish deep in my heart which I knew would never be true . ¡°I wish I could just stay like this.¡± Without realising that the thoughts of a person shouldn¡¯t leak out. ¡°¡­the two ducks were close. However, one day the brave duck didn¡¯t come. The ugly duckling waited, waited, and waited, but the brave duck never came.¡± Knowing that this person could hurt me again. * * * I leaned against his arm for a long time. I didn¡¯t want to tell him to get up first, so I just waited for him to move, but he sat there calmly and let me lean. When I got up from my seat, my feet sank in the magnificent sand between the reeds. He realised I was searching for my shoes and immediately placed them in front of my feet. As I cautiously lifted them, he brushed off the sand from the soles of my feet with his rough hands, and carefully put on my shoes, one side at a time. I felt dazed because it was unexpected. As I was contemplating whether to thank him, he took me in his arms. I looked up at him with his eyes wide open in surprise, but he walked silently. It was stranger than I thought, to look at the boy who became a man. I never knew he was this tall. Neither did it occur to me that his embrace would be so warm. In this short time, I started wishing for this person to stay by my side. After heading for the horse¡¯s nest in the reed bed, he dropped me from his arms and focused on untying the horse¡¯s knot. I tried to do it with a different knot, but it didn¡¯t work. It was very difficult to untie the horse as it was usually tied up tightly to prevent it from running away. He gave me the reins of the horse when I was wondering how to loosen it with less force and more efficiently. My hands brushed under the reins. He quickly retrieved his hand, looking surprised. ¡°Clyde.¡± I suggested carefully to him, who shied away and washed his face dry. ¡°Do you want to ride with me?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± It was the most intense emotional change I had ever observed in him. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to.¡± I shrugged my shoulders, stepped on the saddle stirrup, and jumped on the horse. When I was about to say I was going first, in the blink of an eye he sat behind me. His hand gently wrapped around my waist. I felt that a head was next to my ears, so I put strength in my hands which were on leather straps. The man looked me in the eye and pointed his finger somewhere. ¡°¡­the peacock is over there.¡± It felt like his breath had hit my cheek. I quickly looked ahead and started riding the horse so that my face would not be seen. I thought it was fortunate that the saddle had dropped us so we couldn¡¯t reach it. Otherwise, it was obvious that he would have noticed my arms trembling. Although the horse was quite slow, the man did not let go of his hand from my waist. Occasionally he gave me directions and leaned closer to me, and I felt strange for nothing, so I quickly replied that I knew what he was going for. It was near the lake, so when the cool night breeze blew, my hair flew back and tickled him. * * * Belviche¡¯s institutional society was particularly renowned for its aristocratic and conservative members. They were obsessed with discipline and were just as strict when it came to art and sexuality. They were people who always spoke with a high level of formality, but kept their ears open. Although they despised the Yellow Daily as vulgar, they loved gossip. For this reason, the yellow daily report of the premium label¡ª which aimed to focus on them¡ª was even released. Of course, the catchphrase, which promotes newspapers, was a daily newspaper of sophisticated people for gossip¡¯s ¡°high-level briefing.¡± And the newspaper was a hit. It was the story of the famous Velvet Daily. The reaction would be devastating if rumors spread that a Princess, who is not married, stayed at the house of a single man. That said, I chose to stay firm against the detractors. I know it¡¯s good to gain the power of nobles, but I¡¯m not desperate enough to crouch at them. It was nearly midnight that, after running for quite a while, Clyde and I finally reached the duke¡¯s mansion. I got off the horse and looked up at the white marble building that shone in the dark. ¡°I see there are a lot of rooms here.¡± It sounded like an admiration for Clyde¡¯s mansion, but the intention was actually brazen. I meant that there would be no room to stay in such a spacious house for about a day. It was late, but I didn¡¯t intend to return to the palace, conscious of possible rumors that could spread. As much as today, I did not want to see the faces of the royal family again. I didn¡¯t want to ruin the good memories. In addition, for the first time in my life, when I get to the front page of the newspaper, I wonder how hot the reaction of the Imperial family will be. I wanted to show that if the emperor was thinking of using me as a trophy for the noble, he was wrong. I said I¡¯d stay in the palace for six months. However, I never said I would stay calmly and quietly. Chapter 22 ¡°It¡¯s going to be a special news.¡± Evanders¡¯ dog, Hector Selbache, was looking at its owner with a face full of anticipation. Jason Evanders leaned against the back of his chair and took a deep breath of cigars with his legs on the desk. Jason spat out smoke in front of the man¡¯s face with an indifferent look, even though he was aware that it was quite rude to spit out smoke in the direction of a person¡¯s face. Hector Selbache became impatient. ¡°Th..the topic is Stella Ethelanche. Everyone will be curious about this¡­! If you post the fact that Princess Ethelanche has spent the night after leaving for Darren Hill with Duke, the reaction will definitely be explosive. Not only will the Velvet Daily¡¯s stock price rise, but the daily¡¯s sales rates are also guaranteed.¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. Seeing Jason¡¯s eyes, Hector Selbache had to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He thought he¡¯d like it. Jason Evans didn¡¯t seem very happy from the time he came. ¡°Oh, no. I made a slip of the tongue.¡± Hector Selbache rose from his seat. It was definitely a good idea. This topic was definitely going to be a hit among people. Nonetheless, Jason Evans didn¡¯t feel good. Tick. Tick. The second moving hand on the clocks moved continuously. Jason¡¯s red eyes reflected on the smooth ground of the pocket watch. ¡°21 minutes and 38 seconds.¡± Click. He pressed the watch button slowly. ¡°That¡¯s the total time you have wasted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m.. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. I have come at the wrong time¡­¡± There was a look of dismay on the face of the man who was before elated to see his master. The secretary dissuaded him from meeting Jason, but there was a more powerful man who screamed, ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Jason Evans rubbed out the cigar in the ashtray and said. ¡°Lord Hector is old now. You seem to have a lot of sense.¡± ¡°You, you mean me? No. I made a mistake.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s time for you to step down as chief editor of the Velvet Daily.¡± At his drowsy voice, Hector Selbache shuddered like a dog that peed. Velvet Daily, a huge pillar that supports the mighty empire in this land, which is also called the ¡®Evanders Empire¡¯ because there is no one who can compare with them. And the pinnacle of this success, the hand holding cultural power was the editor-in-chief of Velvet Daily. How hard has he worked to stand in this position? Hector Selbache could never, ever give up his position for such a small mistake. He quickly got up from his seat. ¡°I¡­.I¡¯m sorry. For interrupting when you¡¯re so busy¡­¡± Jason rose from his seat and approached him. Hector Selbache bowed his shoulders and shivered. He grabbed Hector¡¯s cravat knot with one hand without changing his expression. Jason tightened the knot to the point where the tendons in his hands were revealed. Hector could barely breathe and made a ¡®hyuk¡¯ sound. Jason didn¡¯t let go of his knotted hand, even as he watched Hector¡¯s face grow red and blue. Contrary to his expressionless face, the swollen veins on the back of his hand looked like they were about to burst. ¡°Good job, Hector Selbache.¡± Hector Selbache hardly nodded. Jason¡¯s motionless hand slipped on his chair like a broken marionette. ¡°Say it.¡± Jason told his aide. ¡°If there is a newspaper that talks about the Stella Ethelanche scandal, I will step on it by any means possible. Ah.¡± He curled his lips softly. ¡°There¡¯s something else I need to tell the imperial family.¡± ¡°¡­Sir.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± As Jason handed out a folded envelope, the still calm face of the aide turned pale. ¡°Dear Empress, this is my favor.¡± * * * Clyde said that the guest room at the Duke¡¯s mansion was small and asked me to change the room. He gladly gave me the largest room in the mansion and took my room. Holding a candlestick, I was immersed in the beautiful landscape painted on the ceiling. Unexpectedly, I heard a cautious knock. I found Clyde when I opened the door. Our eyes met in the dark. I felt a strange tension that I couldn¡¯t describe, so I just fiddled with the candlestick. He smelled of soap and in the dark, between his open bathrobe was revealed. ¡°¡­I wanted to see if you liked the room.¡± His gaze shifted to the ceiling. I didn¡¯t know if it was to cover up this awkwardness or to put a beautiful ceiling painting in my eyes. ¡°I like the room¡­. To be honest, it¡¯s amazing.¡± The room was a Gothic style ornate room that would be seen in any ancient mansion, but it was this crude landscape painting that left a strong impression. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Usually, the ceiling is painted with traditional themes, but the ceiling in this room seems different.¡± A picture of a shepherd tending sheep, a landscape of a swaying barley field, and a spring in full bloom. It was as if nature had moved. The word landscape painting is barely made and used, and it is a time when people look down on it as a lowly genre. It was not easy to get out of the eyes of authoritative critics. What the aristocratic society loves are majestic and extravagant paintings. I wondered who the architect was who dared to venture and paint landscapes on the ceiling. Clyde? The flickering light slowly descended, revealing his face in the gloomy darkness. We looked at each other and didn¡¯t speak much. It was Clyde who avoided eye contact first. It was then that I discovered that he had large and small scars on his chest. I¡¯ve seen traces like that. Living in an inn on the street, you meet various people. One scar was from a whiplash. Other one was a scar left by a sword. Just by looking at it, it felt like someone was whipping and cutting my body. Before he took notice of where I was staring, words quickly popped out of my mouth. ¡°¡­I was curious about the design of such a painting on the ceiling, so I asked the maids, and they said that it was better to ask the owner. Are they all told to stay quiet? If you ask me to, I won¡¯t say much.¡± They were loyal to their owner. He brought his people north and they didn¡¯t say anything. I continued to speak without a break. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a room with a ceiling like that. I¡¯ve always wanted to live in a house like this.¡± These words were meant to cover up the awkward atmosphere. Nevertheless, they were not empty words. The imperial palace I remember was a lavish place full of reverence, glorification paintings. It was a beautiful place, and I have some memories of it in my childhood. I wished to have a mansion full of beautiful scenery and clocks that I could see. Comfortable and cozy. As a result, a small smile appeared on my lips. ¡°If you look at the ceiling with gleaning women on it, there will be many nobles to sign.¡± A ceiling painted with the four seasons, a hallway with as much furniture as possible for a fun hide-and-seek game, and a large garden where the master does not scold you even if you run and lie down to your heart¡¯s content. Clyde¡¯s mansion resembled the one I dreamt of in my childhood. ¡°I ordered it.¡± My gaze shifted from the paintings on the ceiling to his face. ¡°¡­as the ceiling painting was a fresco*, it wasn¡¯t difficult to modify it. I was instructed to scrape off all the murals on the existing ceiling and paint a new one.¡± (Fresco- a painting done rapidly in watercolour on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colours penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries.) I once told him about my dream house. Don¡¯t tell me he remembered. ¡°I¡¯ve made sure you¡¯re doing well, so¡­ I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Contrary to what he said, he stood there and looked at me for a long time, waiting for my answer. He hesitated to take a step. He then carefully pulled his hand out and swept it inside my long hair. His skin felt unspeakably strange. I didn¡¯t stop his hand and he lifted my chin gently and carefully, letting me see him. The hand that had been stroking my chin slowly passed and touched the tip of my chin. His gaze lingered on my lips for a long time, and my eyes blinked spontaneously several times. The arm holding the candlestick trembled. It was dangerous. What if he comes up to me and kisses me on the lips? At the thought of that, I started to feel dizzy. Strangely, I didn¡¯t want to close the door. As my gaze reached his chest, I even thought like a fool, what if I could hold him in my arms and close my eyes. However, he didn¡¯t do anything. I just rolled my hand in the dark and dropped the other hand on my chin. When I knew it was time to say goodbye, I reached out and impulsively stroked his wound. His shoulders trembled enough to be visible. The protruding wounds that were exposed through the gaping robe and the fingertips that no longer felt any pain, slowly felt the pain. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You were seriously injured while the time I haven¡¯t seen you.¡± Depending on the angle of the flickering candle, his face was subtly immersed in the darkness and revealed. We stared at each other for a while, touching each other. The fingertips that touched his skin were stinging for no reason. ¡°Good night.¡± I closed my hands, feeling the touch of bare skin that touched me. The man bowed his head and turned around. I watched him walk away and took a deep breath I had been holding back, leaning inside the closed door. He was clearly trembling when I touched it. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what it was like. * * * There was a reason why the people missed Stella more than anyone in the darkest time of the Empire. The imperial torch was the infinite glory of the empire that never went out (SOL). ¡°Ethelanche won the war again!¡± ¡°Long live King Alexander!¡± ¡°Hurray!¡± The second torch that brightly illuminates the night sky and was a great warrior who protected the light even in the dark (LUNA). ¡°Don¡¯t back down! That bright light will become Belvice¡¯s warrior!¡± ¡°As long as the warrior stays, we win!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± And above all, there is STELLA, who is the smallest torch and shines softly, is everywhere and listens to the lamentations of the suffering people. It was because she was a being who listened to the groanings of the suffering people. The owner of the stars was a compass leading the Empire in the right direction, a milestone in the great year. That is why the people raised their enthusiasm about whether or not Stella could launch a star. It meant that they would give to the hungry, and put forward a policy for the people to protect them. I was meant to listen. That day, it was not just the stars rising in the empty sky that people shed tears and called Ethelanche¡¯s name. The sky was filled with light from the stars. It was a group of warm lights that touched the hearts of the injured, hungry and persecuted people. It¡¯s been 20 years since the last star¡¯s successor lost its power, and now lights from the stars filled the sky of the lands. The bright sky with stars was more beautiful than the full moon. No one knew how much that inflated the hearts of the people of the Empire. Stars are the closest thing to ordinary, most familiar people. The true ¡®resurrection¡¯ of the imperial family, which had already been extinguished, was completed with Stella. ¡°I really want to get it¡­.¡± Reading a catalog, Jason Evanders shrugged and stared at the front page of a fairly old newspaper, Stella¡¯s portrait. It was a good morning. The bright sunlight poured out of the window and the Espresso, which the butler burned, smelled good. The typeface of the article about the princess caught his eyes. Jason¡¯s indifferent gaze checked the time on the pocket watch. Tick. Although he was thirsty, he just took a look around his surroundings and got up. The moment he opened the door, he was surprised to see a familiar face. ¡°Your highness the Princess? For what purpose¡­.¡± And his hands were clogged in mid-air. Jason grabbed Stella¡¯s wrist with a calm face. His trembling hands were shaken off. An angry voice escaped Stella¡¯s lips. ¡°You played a very funny prank while I was away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°How dare you betray me and tell the Imperial Family where my family is?¡± Jason looked at Stella with a stiff face. Looks like the news has arrived. He calmly waited for Stella to finish her speech, thinking that he might be slapped on the face. ¡°I hate things that I can¡¯t understand once I¡¯ve said it.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°At first, I was suspicious of Karen. However, that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± Jason¡¯s indifferent gaze turned to the empty space behind Stella. Did you come alone? Then what gave you the confidence to come like this? ¡°Why did you inform the Empress of the location of my family?¡± In the meantime, Jason¡¯s gaze unconsciously looked at Stella¡¯s neck. He quickly noticed that her lips were not swollen. Then Jason¡¯s lips curled slightly. He hated it when someone touched something that belonged to him. In a sense, this woman was perfect. Chapter 23 03. Who¡¯s the monster? *** ¡®I suppose it¡¯s because she wasn¡¯t even like my mother.¡¯ Stella had just left for the Duke¡¯s mansion when the Empress secretly visited Karen with a desperate heart. The empress expressed to the emperor her desire to find Stella¡¯s foster parents, but he did not cooperate at all. The Emperor had been extremely secretive since he realized that Stella was the owner of a tremendous fortune. He looked as if he didn¡¯t want to go against Stella¡¯s moods in any way. He would really like to take the money and invest it in the bottom of the open treasury. The emperor repeatedly reminded the empress that she must not make any kind of background checks on Stella. He even acted thoroughly concerned that she might possibly waste the imperial personnel on this. ¡°It¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s order.¡± The knights bowed their heads as if they were sorry. ¡°He told us not to let you leave the imperial palace.¡± They stopped the Empress from going outside. The Empress was from another country and she could only rely on her husband, but as usual, he only adhered to his opinion and raised his voice. ¡®I¡¯m sick of it.¡¯ Money? Money was not important to her. Her lost daughter was back. The only thing she realized when she first understood the situation was that it was too late. She stared stunned at the puzzle of relationships that had been cut into thousands of pieces, trying to piece everything together. If only she could fill in the gaps in time by bringing Stella¡¯s foster parents into the royal family and asking them what had happened. If she could give them a title and feed them a full belly, the child would be satisfied. That was all. It was a good opportunity, since Stella was out of the room. So the Empress appealed to Karen. ¡°Please don¡¯t mention the lie that you brought the girl from the street again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Karen. This mother really doesn¡¯t mean to harm them in the slightest. I just want to express my gratitude to those who have raised Stella. And I would like to know how Stella spent her time all those years? What are her favorite things to do? If there are any traces left of what passed, I¡¯d like to follow some of those traces¡­..¡± Karen looked like she wanted to say something, but what she said was different. ¡°I don¡¯t really know anything. Mother, if I knew anything..¡± Karen was afraid to lie to the Empress. But what scared her even more was losing Stella¡¯s only weakness in her grip. That was if her parents took good care of Stella¡¯s parents. If they keep them under complete protection¡­¡­ But If they leave her like this, she will leave here quietly and silently in six months. She¡¯ll go to the family she loves so much, or she¡¯ll go somewhere else, or she¡¯ll disappear without a trace, right where she came from. Stella wouldn¡¯t marry the duke, and leave quietly. This was very good news for Karen. But what good would it do to go against the girl? If she had no home to go back to, she would never leave. With nothing left to lose, she would expose Karen¡¯s true nature to the whole world. The contract Karen wrote with Ethel will meet the cold air of society. It was Karen who looked at Stella and said she won¡¯t live as pitifully as she does and cultivated a sense of unseen privilege. Even if she died, Karen didn¡¯t want Ethel to be in the place of Stella, whom she had ridiculed. ¡°Don¡¯t be a ¡®useless thing¡¯.¡± It was then. ¡°Karen, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You.¡± The Empress said quietly. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl¡­¡± A good girl. Karen looked like she was going to cry as she heard the words. She was a sweet child to them. And she wanted to be their good child forever. ¡°¡­¡­ I really don¡¯t know anything about it. Mother.¡± So Karen didn¡¯t say anything to the Empress. ¡°Head maid.¡± ¡°Yes, Empress.¡± ¡°Go get Joseph.¡± The Empress quietly called for Joseph. ¡°I have a letter to send to Evanders.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why you thought I was the one who let it slip and not Princess Karen.¡± Jason¡¯s face, who gracefully poured tea into my teacup, was terribly calm. His accent was a model of aristocracy, as if blue blood ran through his bones, and his choice of words was always expensive. The language was neat, but it was arrogant for a man to stick to ¡®I¡¯ instead of ¡®me¡¯ when referring to himself, even when facing the princess. ¡°This time it¡¯s a different tea. Last time you were here, you barely touched the tea.¡± I looked down at my teacup and then at Jason. I still hadn¡¯t touched it. ¡°I thought Princess Stella and I are pretty good friends.¡± Although he said it with regretful mischievousness, there was a thorn in his words. It was about whether or not I could trust him. Clink. Clink. He looked at the surface of the teacup with empty eyes as he stirred his teacup with a spoon. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a shame. Am I more suspicious than Princess Karen?¡± He said flatly, as if he knew nothing about it. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that I really leaked the location of a family member that the Princess really cares about to the Imperial family? Are you sure it¡¯s not Princess Karen?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come here unaware of the situation, so stop.¡± ¡°Customer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Princess.¡± I intercepted his words. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to play word games with him. ¡°She asked Karen first where Stella¡¯s adopted family was. But Karen did not open her mouth. So the Empress sent Joseph to you. Joseph met you and asked you to inform the location of my adoptive parents, and you refused. But you quickly changed your mind. There are many possible reasons, but I¡¯m here to hear it myself. Why did you do that?¡± Jason just stared at me with an interesting look in his eyes, as if my anger was merely amusing and nothing more. Struggling to contain my anger, I connected my words, letter by letter, word by word, to make it clear to him. ¡°I trusted you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such an honor¡­¡± ¡°I was a thoroughly chauvinistic person. I thought that you would be thorough in your dealings with me because I was of benefit to you. Your mercenaries that I hired will protect my family and I will be your major client. It was our deal.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You betrayed my trust and threatened my family. Did you really think that was a wise move? Did you really think your actions would pay off, businessman?¡± At that moment, there was a little bit of Jason¡¯s mask left on. It was broken. He was a great man indeed, to be beaten down as an ¡°entrepreneur¡± by an imperial princess. If there was a food chain in the empire, he would be at the top. There was no one on earth wealthier than him. With his vast capital, Evanders created culture, interfered in politics with nations large and small, and was rarely without a hand in commerce. Moreover, he monopolized the distribution business. Evanders¡¯ distribution network, like the veins of the human body, large and small, was stretched throughout the body of the empire. Whether it was in the sunshine or in the darkness, he controlled all the business areas. There was even a joke going around that If the sun and moon and stars of the empire are the imperial family, then the heavens are the Evanders family, who monopolized the capital. I called him ¡®businessman¡¯ in a tone that showed no fear or respect of any kind. Just as an ordinary royal family member would call his subordinates. That was all the word meant. He must be angry. But can he be as arrogant with me as he is with the rest of the royal family? I was expensive. My influence and wealth would be very new to him. He was a businessman. That¡¯s the word. As I did so, I found a clue. The reason why he changed his mind and told the Empress my secret. ¡°Jason Evanders, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jason flicked his teacup. His throat rumbled faintly. When his teacup was placed in the perfect center of the plate, he asked with a blank look on his face. ¡°If I am what the Princess sees me to be, and if I am a businessman, why would I have done anything to offend you? In fact, wouldn¡¯t it be more plausible to claim that Princess Karen confided in the Empress?¡± He chuckled, amused. ¡°It must not have been me who could not have foreseen this would happen. Why would I dictate to the Empress the location of the family you care so much about, and lose your trust?¡± He spoke calmly, as if he was speaking the obvious. Then he continued his words in a polite but sharp tone. ¡°I think it would be best if future visits are arranged at a mutually agreed upon time after the princess sends your letter to me. Of course, the princess is an important guest, but time is precious. Especially mine.¡± He chuckled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡± His eyes bent with joy, as if he had won. When he rose and turned, I opened my mouth. ¡°Jason Evanders.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sit down.¡± ¡°Earlier you said I was a businessman, and now you treat me like your dog?¡± ¡°No, sir. I¡¯d like to make a bet. I bet my mine in Sutherland.¡± I¡¯d like to place a bet on my interest in a mine in Sutherland. Karen once told me. A bet on a mine in Sutherland was his only possession. What if I try it out? I was practically the mine owner now. ¡°Would it cost more than your ¡®precious¡¯ time?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°My point is that you were the one who let it slip, not someone else. Of course you said that Karen did.¡± Perhaps he wasn¡¯t interested, but Jason sat down again. Putting his hands together, he said shrewdly. ¡°Interesting bet. Then you must also tell me what the princess will get if she wins?¡± ¡°Your knees.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you lose, you will have to kneel before me, businessman.¡± I replied without hesitation. Betting on the best bettor in the Empire. The victory was definitely mine. Chapter 24 On my way back to the Imperial Palace this morning, I opened the newspaper without much anticipation. I thought my face would appear on the front page. But unexpectedly, the front page of the newspaper was empty. It was the same in any of the papers. Someone interfered. I thought it was strange. I¡¯m sure Jason Evanders wouldn¡¯t miss a story like this. It was useless gossip that was up on the front page. There must have been a very large number of witnesses, but there was no way that information that expensive could not have been sold to numerous newspapers. From what I heard, my information was expensive. Most of the nobles wanted to know. So who got their hands on it? It had to be someone who could influence the entire empire. It also had to be someone who would be harmed by this gossip. There was only one person who met both requirements. Jason Evanders. ¡°Let me ask you a question. Jason Evanders. What¡¯s the headline on the front page of Velvet Daily today? The Velvet Daily is under your command, so you can¡¯t possibly not know.¡± ¡°It is that I have presented Her Imperial Highness, Princess Stella, with the most rare emerald necklace.¡± ¡°¡®Then I will ask you. Why did you get your hands on the article?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ you need me.¡± His eyes twinkled with interest as he heard that. The look on his face says that he was glad that I had figured out the answer. Yes. This man must have wanted to test me. And yet, he had the temerity to put Karen under suspicion and leave the table. If I wasn¡¯t perceptive enough to notice his ulterior motive, he was going to make a fool of me. ¡°As a businessman, you wanted to take advantage of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My support and influence would be useful to you. That¡¯s why I prevented the scandal with the Duke and instead stuck your face next to mine. That¡¯s why you gave me the money in the first place. It was much more profitable to have a solid connection with me than not giving me dividends. I was a business to you, businessman.¡± The long silence was an affirmation. ¡°In the first place, my family, my anger, and my existence were goods to you. You gave me the mine because you had a use for it, and¡ªyou¡¯re threatening me by grabbing my family¡¯s necks because I have no use for you.¡± ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°The message was delivered clearly. I¡¯m sure you want me to be a useful person. But then, you are. How useful can you be to me?¡± ¡°Customer¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the warning was uncalled for, sir.¡± Jason Evanders informing the imperial family of my family¡¯s location was an obvious warning. If they don¡¯t do what I want them to do, it means I¡¯ll have to deal with my own important matters in a selfish way. If I can¡¯t get my money¡¯s worth, the deal is off. It was clear that the imperial family would not be able to touch my family even if they knew their whereabouts. The Empress had in fact sent assassins to my family, but they ended up in the hands of my mercenaries before they could reach my family. So, this is a warning. Because the next step is for Jason to get his hands on them directly. It was stupid. I trusted this human, even a little, before I knew him perfectly. ¡°But your biggest flaw is that you need me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious who the winner is. You¡¯re the one who told the Empress the other location of my family. Jason Evanders.¡± He silently rose from his seat and turned to face me. The man¡¯s hand grasped mine, and one of his knees slowly lowered, reaching the floor. His red eyes filled me completely. He slumped down and placed his lips against the back of my hand. His devilish lips bent gently. The man was laughing. He has the marvelous face of someone who gazed at something too brilliant and dazzling to be true. It was not a humiliating sight. Rather, it was a look of rapture, of discovering something more precious than his knees. He adjusted his expression before speaking. ¡°I do not kneel to anyone. Princess.¡± He rose from his seat. ¡°But the reason I am doing this is because I want you so badly¡­I wish to clear your mind. There are so many things I would like to do with you.¡± He gently holds out his hand to me. It¡¯s as if he was going to shake my hand. I stared at his hand and he smiled. ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t pay for no reason. You¡¯re worthy of gold, so I just decided to leave you the legacy of the family. The Princess is certainly the right person to enhance the value of the Evanders name, and she¡¯s a wise person to keep around.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So I made an investment. It¡¯s what I¡¯m good at. Please don¡¯t hate me too much. I had to have something to show my father and the heads of the family. If I lost that much money for no reason, they would have reprimanded me.¡± It seemed that there was a high level of rounding people up at this point. It was a gentle, soothing attitude and plausible rationalizations. Calm down and convince. I wasn¡¯t fooled by him, but I did acknowledge the fact that he was a smart man. ¡°I admired Princess¡¯s judgment. Therefore, instead of leaving here in six months, why don¡¯t you become the apex of the empire?¡± I wondered how fast he was informed, as he even knew the fact that I would be leaving the imperial palace in six months. ¡°Your Highness is too good to live as a duchess or any other vagabond. Take your seat at the Emperor¡¯s table and stand before your family with dignity.¡± ¡°And what will you get?¡± ¡°One pretty picture of me buying the emperor with gold worth the price of a mine will suffice. It is worthy of satisfying the people of my family. And it¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s perfect,¡± he said, leaning toward me with his elbow on my chair. ¡°I am the ¡­¡­ helper.¡± ¡°What if I accuse you of treason?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He smiled generously. I felt awful, but for now, he and I needed each other. ¡°What can the Emperor do, if I may say so?¡± ¡°The people are on the side of the Imperial family.¡± ¡°The people are on the side of faith, but they are slaves to money.¡± Then there¡¯s me.¡± Jason came closer. ¡°It belongs to the Princess¡­it¡¯s not so bad if I¡¯m her helper.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ If you work according to my plan, and not go against my expectations, I am a loyal companion of Her Imperial Highness. It¡¯s a good deal for us both.¡± I thought as I stared at his hand that stretched out to me. Before, I would have never imagined such a moment. When he came to visit the ¡°commoner¡± Ethel, he had a much higher status than me. So I think the partner proposal as an equal position was a whole other world. ¡°You¡¯ll be making your debut soon. I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll help you.¡± His face took on a satisfied hue as I held out my hand as if to shake his. But¡­ I quickly retreated my hand. I rose from my seat and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your good family thinks of you, but to me, you¡¯re just the most incompetent and incapable of doing even the easiest and simplest things I¡¯ve ever told you to do.¡± Jason¡¯s perfect smile disappeared. ¡°You can¡¯t even do what you¡¯re told, so what more do I expect from you? I¡¯m not going to accuse you of treason, as you said. But if you want my approval, you¡¯ll have to try a little harder than that.¡± I walked past him. It was a shame that I couldn¡¯t see his distorted face. **** For Jason Evanders, life has always been a privilege. Everyone he met liked him as a matter of course, and he was always welcome. Fortunately, he had no brothers or sisters to compete with over the family business. And so it was the same with his father¡¯s and grandfather¡¯s generation. So there were no troublesome relatives. He was articulate. When his father entrusted him with a business, the first thing he launched was the Velvet Daily, the largest newspaper in the empire. Before the newspaper opened, people had talked a lot about Evanders finally losing his senses. To make a newspaper that large, publishing the imperial newspaper that the nobles despised so much! It was an idea beyond common sense. Claude Evanders, father of Jason Evanders, was said to have been the only one who quietly watched over his son. And the newspaper was very well received. Jason Evanders was an excellent reader of the market. He took perfect advantage of the fact that the aristocrats liked to make a lot of noise, and at the same time, they valued reputation more than anyone else. The daily papers of the ¡°cultured¡± for ¡°high-class briefings¡± on gossip sold like hotcakes among the aristocrats. Some critics were cynical that putting lace on newspapers, which the aristocracy despised so much, and calling it luxury was a big hit, but the aristocracy was ¡°enamored with the premium newspaper. The Velvet Daily seemed to say this to the hitherto thirsty nobility. ¡°I¡¯m looking for an interesting story, and I didn¡¯t really like the commoners or the low-priced newspaper.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all had the experience of forcing your nemesis to fill a seat at the Tea Party for fear of being less than well-informed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve paid high prices for informants, but have often gotten cheap information that hasn¡¯t been verified. I know, I know. I understand.¡± ¡°This is a special daily newspaper where you can feel the tradition and expertise of Evanders, the man who founded the first newspaper.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like velvet for the honorable one percent.¡± The perfect solution, put forth as understanding all the complaints of the nobility, quickly became the talk of the Empire. A sociologist who analyzed the success of the Velvet Daily also opined. Considering that the educated people of the empire proudly refer to themselves as ¡°Velvians,¡± the name ¡°Velvet Daily¡± was very familiar to the nobility. When the high aristocracy tried to buy it, it was a planned procedure for the bourgeois to imitate them, and the newspaper was even exported to other countries. Some princes of other countries even came to study abroad to learn the pronunciation and ¡°Vian accent¡± of the nobles of the Velvians. Velvian¡¯s clothing style and tea culture were becoming popular all over the world. Why not their gossip? The gossip was successful and lucrative, as other nations, eager to catch up with the Velvians, were also willing to spend on the Velvians¡¯ style of fashion. Having created one craze and successfully taken his father¡¯s place, Jason¡¯s life was solid. That was, until Stella Ethelanche appeared in front of him. ¡°Your knees are not just a body part of one person, but the face of Evanders.¡± Jason¡¯s aide said after Stella had left. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she was Stella Ethelanche, you shouldn¡¯t have given up your knees so easily. Evanders men don¡¯t kneel when proposing.¡± Jason had been his father¡¯s aide since he was a boy. ¡°Sir?¡± The aide called Jason, and he finally looked over at his aide. His master seemed to be in a state of shock. This was because he had never been rejected in his entire life. Besides, his master had never had a private relationship with any woman, so the aide could see how deep his shock and despair was when he was rejected. His master had always had many women around him, but none that he would place on board his ship. This time, however, Jason Evanders was the one to be rejected. ¡°Did you intend to support Her Imperial Highness as Emperor?¡± ¡°..No. It is indeed the status quo that makes her listen to Evanders so closely. She has no head for politics, but if you throw money at her, she is suitably obedient.¡± ¡°Making Her Highness Princess Stella, who is both wealthy and prosperous, the emperor is certainly damaging to Evanders. That¡¯s what I thought, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So, to add to my lack of opinion, I am truly fortunate that Her Highness has no desire for power. If she had any ambition, she would have been the one who managed to use the young master to rise to the top.¡± ¡°I see. Good.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with you? It is more valuable to confirm that the Princess has no desire for power than to lose the corporate muse. We¡¯ll also cause a scandal at the appropriate time. Once Princess Stella makes her debut, the world will take notice of Evanders.¡± Jason Evanders did not answer. The aide looked at Evanders¡¯ successor as if he didn¡¯t understand. It was some time later that Jason began to speak with a confused expression on his face. ¡°¡­¡­ if I want her.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I want that woman more than the business wants her.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to decide yourself.¡± The aide replied without hesitation. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Evenders name solve everything?¡± Evanders. His name had always been the perfect answer to this kind of riddle, but never more so than at this moment when Jason Evanders thought he didn¡¯t know the answer. Chapter 25 When I returned home after finishing my work with Evanders, I was greeted by a familiar face. ¡°Ethel.¡± Who else in the Imperial Palace would dare to call me Ethel but Karen? I shook off Karen¡¯s hand and moved on. I didn¡¯t want to talk to Karen too much. There was nothing I wanted from the imperial family. ¡®I don¡¯t want to have to force you to smile.¡¯ Karen followed me persistently and grabbed my wrist. I looked back at her, shaking her hand off, and she exhaled nervously and met my gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I really didn¡¯t. I told you. Jason, he did it. I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but please, just listen to me. Jason Evanders told mother through Joseph¡­.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I turned and walked, Karen blocking my way. Her hands trembled as she grabbed both my wrists. ¡°Let me tell you something about your commoner parents, if it¡¯s okay with you. I am truly innocent. Stella Ethelanche.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that cunning man said to you, but I swear I didn¡¯t do it. I am¡­¡± ¡°What are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s my social debut soon. It¡¯s a celebration for my return. Are you scared because you think I¡¯m going to reveal your true self that day?¡± ¡°What are you saying now?¡± ¡°Then keep being afraid.¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°It¡¯s vague until I open my mouth.¡± I knew Karen didn¡¯t do it and that it was Jason¡¯s fault. But the moment I was about to say that I knew, I suddenly had second thoughts. I wanted Karen to feel too. The feeling of trembling with fear, of being helpless, of not knowing when you might lose the thing you love most. I never forgot the day I knelt down in front of Karen and begged for the life of my own family. Karen¡¯s voice trembled as she answered. ¡°¡­I kept your secret as I promised.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not doing it for me. Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re being nice.¡± ¡°But I¡­.!¡± I quickly moved away from her. I wanted to rest. Just being face to face with Jason was enough for today. ¡°Everyone else¡­¡± I stopped walking when I heard Karen¡¯s voice behind me. ¡°People know that Princess Stella Ethelanche is a very beautiful person. Because she is known as such.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Everyone will be disappointed. But that¡¯s because you are you. You¡¯re not Stella. Even after all that time, you¡¯re still just a plain, stupid idiot. Yes, you¡¯re really¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment. If I¡¯m not Stella Ethelanche, who am I?¡± After all, unlike me, Karen was a ¡°real¡± princess, so all she could do was swear at me like a fool. Street junkies are more than that. Having already become immune to a great deal of swearing at the inn, I nonchalantly struck back at the princess¡¯s last provocation. It wasn¡¯t even a blow. Her reputation didn¡¯t matter to me anyway. The same was true for people¡¯s evaluation. ¡°Do you think people will be disappointed in me like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If they¡¯re going to be disappointed, tell them to be disappointed.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°¡­Because I don¡¯t need people like that in my life. I don¡¯t need those people in my life. I have the ability to say this, and that¡¯s okay. The people who need me will fit me. What is it that you have, sister?¡± I tried to walk away so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the last of her languishing, but Karen opened her mouth. ¡°¡­ Your letter.¡± ¡°What?¡± Karen walked over to me and pushed the letter towards me. The letter was stamped with the seal of ¡°Jean Bezil¡±, the most famous designer in the empire. ¡°Take the damn emerald necklace you left in my room and this damn letter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good luck then.¡± Karen strode past me. I watched Karen¡¯s silver hair as I fidgeted and followed her to her room. Come to think of it, I remembered leaving the necklace that Jason Evanders gave me in Karen¡¯s room. When I got somewhat closer to the room, I could smell the scent of freesia. Karen¡¯s maids bowed respectfully to her, and the attendants opened the door to the gorgeous room. When the door closed, I said to Karen, ¡°The room is very spacious and beautiful.¡± Karen looked at me, her shoulders shaking with fear. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it when I was little, but now my eyes have grown a little wider. The wood of the bed is the finest, isn¡¯t it? Oh, and the window curtains are made of silk, too. Each piece of embroidery is so delicately embroidered, it¡¯s an exquisite product. ¡° ¡°Don¡¯t you touch it.¡± ¡°Even if the silk is as small as the palm of your hand, people don¡¯t even want to use it as a handkerchief, so they put it in a frame and hang it on the wall. This was the case when I worked as a servant in a bourgeois family. The owner was very sparing of that piece of cloth and wouldn¡¯t even let me go near the frame. But this one has prettier colors and more delicate embroidery than that. There¡¯s also a bed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sit there!¡± I ignored Karen¡¯s words and fell flat on the bed. The chiffon-like comforter was fluffy, and it slowly shrank and supported me like a cloud. I glanced at Karen¡¯s terribly unhappy face and looked out at the majestic canopy. I can¡¯t count the number of times in the empire that an honorable woman would live in a room like this. Finally, I could tell which room the ¡°real¡± princesses lived in. When I was a child, a mere attic room in an imperial warehouse was all I had. ¡°Please, come down from there, you¡¯re making my bed dirty!¡± Karen was calling me, almost screaming. Indeed. How about me lying on Karen¡¯s bed, when she already felt dirty just by talking to me? I made eye contact with Karen, who was whimpering. ¡°¡­ Sister, do you want me to take this room?¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not very polite.¡± ¡°Shut up and get out of my bed right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of money to pay for it¡­If I ask mother and father to give it to me, I think they¡¯ll give it to me. Should I ask for this room?¡± Tears were about to fall from Karen¡¯s beautiful eyes as she shook her head like an innocent child who knew nothing. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What are you going to do then?¡± I stood up and looked at Karen, who had just made a sour face. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask your parents not only for this room, but the entire contract with Ethel in this room as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um, the terrible memorandum of understanding that Princess Karen Ethelanche told Ethel to write. Perhaps if I fail to play the real Imperial Princess in the last paragraph, you¡¯ll go to Ethel¡¯s house¡­..¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Karen began to sob. Do I become a bad person when anyone comes in at times like this? I decided to stop teasing Karen. ¡°I won¡¯t take your room even if you give it to me, so please stop, sister.¡± I got up from my seat and grabbed the fancy jewelry case that was on Karen¡¯s tea table. It was the emerald necklace that Jason Evanders gave me as a gift, saying it would make a scandal. It was published on the front page of the Velvet Daily News on this date. I brought it with me when I came to pursue the situation with Karen as soon as I returned from the Duke¡¯s residence that morning. ¡°It must be nice to cry and everything will be solved like this. If you¡¯re that old and you always have the Princess talk in your mouth, be your age. Be a Princess and don¡¯t be stingy.¡± ¡°Keep the bedding and curtains. I¡¯m not going to use what you¡¯ve touched again anyway.¡± ¡°I appreciate that, but I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have enough money to buy them if I took it. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m richer than the imperial family.¡± In my Velvian accent, I said goodbye to Karen and headed for the door. ¡°I¡¯m my bad guy, aren¡¯t I?¡± Karen¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I¡¯m the only bad one, aren¡¯t I?¡± I stepped forward, ignoring her words. Karen grabbed my arm. ¡°Jason Evanders might have said sweet nothings to you and given you gifts. But your family has been loyal to you, so in your eyes, I am the only bad girl and this is my year to be punished by the heavens. However, it is best not to trust anyone. Especially Jason Evanders. That man is still a human being, no matter what you think. He¡¯s good at pretending. That¡¯s my favor to you, Stella Ethelanche.¡± Karen shook my hand away. ¡°It would be the most foolish thing you could do to ask for that human¡¯s hand, just because you¡¯re losing to us.¡± Karen seemed to be trembling with fear as she said this. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything.¡± The fear on Karen¡¯s face after the words had become miserable. After I walked out the door I stared at the emerald necklace in my hand, I knew where I was headed even before visiting Karen. *** ¡°Editor-in-Chief!¡± Hector Servache was the editor-in-chief of the Velvet Daily. He wasn¡¯t good at his job, but he was outstanding in the eyes of his boss. There was a saying that if you rub your hands as hard as Hector Servache, you won¡¯t even get cold in the winter. He was a hyena. He devoured the leftovers of the other animals on the top of the food chain. He even pushed the other animals off the cliff. Then ate what they left behind. His opportunistic looks and resourcefulness in dealing with the world made him the editor-in-chief of the Velvet Daily. With such a balance in his favor, the Imperial family was not so feared. They had the support of the people, but what meaning could they possibly have beyond symbolism? They had no stability because they had only just been reinstated, they had no money, and all they had was legitimacy. It would have been noteworthy if they had sold out their daughter to the leader of the revolution, Duke Clyde Delanhill, but the imperial family was not that much of a businessman. It was a choice that Hector, a merchant rather than an aristocrat, could never share. His newspaper was expensive, but his respect was even higher than his newspaper. That was why Hector Servache was confident enough to hide behind his master and be arrogant when the Imperial family called. The Imperial family was nothing to him. Except for one person. ¡°Her Imperial Highness Princess Stella Ethelanche.¡± He remembered the face of his master, Jason Evanders, in the scandal of Stella Ethelanche. It was anger. It was a bit complicated to see it as simply a look made by the loss of one of the most promising corporate muse. In a moment, the color of his face, which had fed him all his life, worked quickly. At first glance, Princess Stella was the most likely future ¡°Lady Evanders¡± that Hector Servache could see. The aristocrats saw the headlines on the front page that were talking about it and argued that Princess Stella and Jason Evanders must have a business relationship, which was preposterous. Not now, but at a later date, if Princess Stella would see him better than anyone else, he would clearly benefit. The right attitude to take towards the princess in such a situation was obvious. He promptly rushed from his office to greet the princess with courtesy. And Hector Servache, who had been so confident, was now facing the crisis of a lifetime within a minute of facing Stella. The princess was never ordinary. Chapter 26 ¡°I would like to offer you some information.¡± When the princess said that she had come as an informant, Hector Servache let down the tension that had been raised to the maximum level. It¡¯s such an honor to be called like this already. He thought. No matter which gossip the Princess wants to publish, Hector will sincerely help her. Just what he needed was a connection to the Princess, and may he be allowed to be this close to her! He was filled with trepidation. Until the Princess took a step past him and threw the newspaper in front of him¡­ It was placed across the desk in a truly beautiful way. ¡°This one.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a follow-up to the article in the paper.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­.¡± ¡°I heard directly from Jason Evanders that I had turned down his expensive gift.¡± With that, Hector Servache¡¯s face went blank. I said without regard. ¡°How much would it cost to put that on the front page of the newspaper?¡± ¡°That, that, that¡­.Umm, it¡¯s..¡± It was utterly unnerving. Hector Servache finally grasped his reason and said, ¡°First of all, the Velvet Daily would never publish an article like that. Besides, did you really return the necklace?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. There was no way your master, Jason Evanders, would have laughed at the necklace and given it back to me honestly.¡± How much money did the owner spend to get the necklace, give it as a gift, and then spread rumors about it? It didn¡¯t make any sense that the thorough Jason Evanders smiled and said, ¡°The gift, thankfully, I got it back.¡± In any case, all this was an investment. Hector Servache glossed over. ¡°I¡¯ll look into that some more¡­.¡± Soon the sharp words fell. ¡°Why do you think I came here in person? Mr editor?¡± ¡°Well, Your Imperial Highness¡­.¡± ¡°I could have called you directly to the Imperial Palace. Then again, given my position, that would have been a natural thing to do. Why would I have taken the trouble and time to walk all the way here, directly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want you to get things done quickly and with certainty.¡± Hector Servache remembered that the Imperial Princess had lived as a commoner for ten years. So it wasn¡¯t going to be a stretch for him to take the Imperial Princess on as his mouthpiece. He thought of all the commoner idiots scattered in the fields. But when he finally met her, he got the feeling that he could not treat the princess recklessly. The perfect Velvian accent that the Imperial Princess used froze him. Besides, for some reason, he felt that if his master liked her. If she could take away a huge amount of money from his master in a single negotiation, he would have to be careful with his words. As he did so, the editor¡¯s voice gradually faded. ¡°I still need to do internal checks for accurate reporting. I¡¯ll ask the parties involved in the scandal directly¡­. After that¡­¡± ¡°Scandal?¡± My cold voice made Hector Servache shudder involuntarily. I seemed pensive for a moment, but then said, ¡°Yes, it was a scandal. It¡¯s not just a report of a gift.¡± ¡°¡­Your Imperial Highness.¡± ¡°How much do I have to pay you when I request a corrected report? The scandal is a laughable story, and you even reported that I returned the necklace¡­¡± ¡°Even if you give them ten billion dollars, they can¡¯t report facts that haven¡¯t been verified.¡± ¡°Then, are the facts that just appeared in that newspaper verified?¡± ¡°¡­That..¡± ¡°Some of it is fact. Because it is true that Jason Evanders gave me the necklace. But scandal, is that true? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m saying it¡¯s a possible scandal, sure ¡­.¡± ¡°What about the fact that you can¡¯t report on the fact that I gave you ten billion dollars and it hasn¡¯t been verified?¡± ¡°We are only suggesting possibilities. It was created by cause and effect. However, according to Her Imperial Highness, although she had no proof, she still returned the gift to its owner anyway. And that¡¯s not a front page headline.¡± ¡°Does it matter that there is no evidence?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Hector Servache spoke as happily as if he had found a rescue. ¡°All I have heard are the words of Your Highness. So if you would be so kind as to give me a moment of your time¡­¡± ¡°Igor.¡± I turned and stared at Igor. Hector Servache had never seen such a large man before. He had heard that the Princess had bought quite a few mercenaries from Jason Evanders. ¡°Tell the editor what I said to Jason Evanders.¡± ¡°Her Imperial Highness first brought up the contract she had written with His Excellency Jason Evanders. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°There was no provision in the contract that the Princess would be a leading figure in the scandal and help businesses in the country, so she refused the gift and asked him to ensure that 20% of the mining revenue be deposited in the future.¡± ¡°And did Jason Evanders get his gift back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± I said to Hector Servache. ¡°What, should I have gotten a deed from Jason Evanders to prove this?¡± Hector froze. That was amazing. Did this woman really win at the negotiation table against Jason Evanders? Twice? **** After leaving Karen¡¯s room with the necklace, the first place I went was Jason¡¯s office. I presented him with the contract. It wasn¡¯t in our contract for him to use me for gossip, so I was going to return the gift and correct the article. My hand swooped down on the desk and pushed the fancy jewelry case to Jason. He looked at me without saying a word and happily accepted the gift. I thanked him briefly and left to correct the article in the newspaper. Jason left his seat as well and followed me. ¡®Is he going to see me off?¡¯ Just when I thought I was overreacting, he grabbed the doorknob. My brow furrowed as I watched him. When I asked him to let go, he chuckled and bowed toward me and said, ¡°If the last time the reason the Princess did what she wanted was money¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s entirely my favor.¡± His hand tapped the contract I was holding. ¡°Of course, the contract says that.¡± He gripped the doorknob more tightly as I opened the door to leave. It was easy to see that his hand had more strength in it. It was monstrous strength that stopped me, but he said, not changing a single expression on his face. ¡°You should be proud to have won my favor.¡± It was a very arrogant voice. ¡°You may use it to your heart¡¯s content in exchange for hurting your feelings.¡± He then placed the edge of the doorknob in a showy manner. As I walked past him, I thought it was a truly typical apology from him. I felt bad, but I was still glad that I got what I wanted. The next day, I spread out the newspaper on the tea table as I drank the tea the maids brought me. The front page of the Velvet Daily welcomed me with a bright smile on my face. It was still not a reflection of my actual portrait, though, and not a face that resembled me much. The headline was, I coolly rejected the condescending Jason Evanders. It was a pretty good conclusion. *** After checking the corrected newspaper article, I prepared to sneak out. I knew that Mary, Hans and Daisy were safe, having heard about it through the mercenaries I had hired, but I wanted to check the safety of the family with my own eyes. The Empress had sent her maidens to speak with me so far, but I sent them back. There was nothing to say. I packed my bags and was about to head out the door to meet my guards, the mercenaries I had hired, I heard the presence of someone. Our gazes met at the open doorway, and the brilliant man mimed a small smile as he tapped on the door of the room. ¡°Stella.¡± I could see the sweat running down the man¡¯s forehead as if he had been practicing. His cheeks were flushed, and his glittering green eyes contained warmth. They always did. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°I came to visit as soon as I had time.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to feel embarrassed about what he did. Now was the first time I met him after hearing that he had delivered my family¡¯s location to the Empress. ¡°I expected you to come to me first and demand an explanation. But¡­¡± ¡°I see you were curious as to why I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I came to explain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not curious.¡± I replied. ¡°Please leave. I have nothing to say, brother.¡± ¡°Stella.¡± Joseph looked surprised at my words. It wasn¡¯t an incomprehensible reaction. To Joseph, I was the kind sister who always listened to him. Joseph, the wonderful ¡°Crown Prince Brother,¡± looked like he was in a fairy tale. The loving Joseph. I craved his affection and always seemed to give him away in my relationship with him. When he asked me to wait, I waited. Even when we were playing hide and seek together as children and he walked away after Karen caught him, I waited for him alone. I understood him even when he awkwardly refrained from talking to me in public, and when he apologized to me the next day by bringing me a wildflower. But this time was different. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to listen to his words. His warmth was no longer special to me. There was no reason for me to lose and beg for his piece of affection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I startled you. Mother sent me in first place¡­¡± ¡°Please stop.¡± ¡°Stella¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± He wasn¡¯t a bad person to me, but he wasn¡¯t a good person, either. I remember him as a person who was kind to everyone. And being everyone¡¯s friend meant that I wasn¡¯t his only friend. He would come up to me in sympathy, but he could not pull me out of my solitude. People would not like him acting that way. Even if he was nice to me, it wouldn¡¯t be nice to everyone except me. That¡¯s what I meant when I said he was everyone¡¯s friend. He was truly a righteous bystander. There was a sense of justice in throwing out sympathetic affection, but that¡¯s all he shall ever be. What a cruel man he was. I felt the warmth he gave me and made my young heart want more. He made me want his love desperately. He made me wait for time with him. He is who he is. I had unconsciously learned to just be myself. ¡°I don¡¯t want to accept your apology again.¡± I drew the obvious line. ¡°If you are here to apologize, please don¡¯t. Things have already happened and there¡¯s nothing you can do to undo them. So please don¡¯t try.¡± I smiled at his two shimmering eyes. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make you a good person to me.¡± Chapter 27 When Stella left Clyde¡¯s mansion, Clyde didn¡¯t know that she was leaving until the carriage became a dot and disappeared. And so, from then until now, he had not thought of her for a single moment. It all came back to him vividly. The long brown hair that brushed him like a spring breeze on the way back from the reeds, the familiar scent, and the waist that fit perfectly in his hands. The way she looked at him with the setting sun at her back while he was drunk on her, it didn¡¯t faze him. For the first time in his life, the emotions he was feeling overwhelmed him with the urge to touch her more. He moved closer and smelled her scent. Just looking at her made his heart flutter. Looking at her made him want to know more about her. He felt like he wanted to monopolize her. Clyde couldn¡¯t escape the desire to be the only man in Stella¡¯s life. As he contemplated her leaving, a stiff newspaper was shoved into Clyde¡¯s face. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a fight on our hands.¡± His former aide, Peter Gilworth, visited Clyde in a hurry with the newspaper. Tossing the newspaper to the side without looking at it, Clyde rose from his seat. ¡°I understand I¡¯ve dismissed you, Gilworth, was I wrong?¡± ¡°No, sir. Of course, Your Highness dismissed me, but fortunately he didn¡¯t notify the servants of the mansion, and everyone thought I was on a small vacation. So, as luck would have it, I came straight to your office. Wait a minute. You should listen to me before you find the sword.¡± Gilworth, who had assisted the Duke for some time, knew exactly where the Duke¡¯s sword lay. And if the bad lord wasn¡¯t in a good mood, he would look for it. Gilworth picked up the Velvet Daily from the floor, turned nobly with his hand, and spread it out neatly. Placed next to Stella¡¯s brightly smiling face was the pompous face of Jason Evanders. It had been a few days since it was published, and the second princess had even issued a correction, so the news was already out of date. But that didn¡¯t change the fact that Jason Evanders was interested in Stella Ethelanche. Gilworth began to talk. ¡°Heh. I mean to say that Your Highness the Duke has used it for the benefit of his rival. ¡­Of course, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of the Velvet Daily¡­¡± He said this, but Gilworth was completely convinced that his master had not read the Velvet Daily. In addition to being too dull, his lord was too serious and uninterested in the fashions of the nobles. At the mention of Princess Stella, Clyde finally grabbed the newspaper and started reading. ¡®Hmmm, I guess you didn¡¯t know about this.¡¯ Gilworth was in a very good mood. Gilworth was caught off guard and was grabbed by the chest by Clyde, he reflexively ducked. When Clyde saw him shrink back, he grabbed his outstretched hand to suppress his anger. The aide was quick to add. ¡°Ah, of course, Lord Evanders is rich, and is very well liked by the ladies¡­. Ah!¡± Gilworth said quickly as he saw Clyde¡¯s eyes turn deadly. ¡°I will give you information, special information, that will help Your Highness defeat that man! As you can see, I have heard much in the Imperial Palace while I have been dismissed for some time.¡± As he said this, Gilworth reminded Clyde of a chicken that persuades predators not to catch and eat it. Seeing Clyde was somewhat bothered, Gilworth said in an excited voice. ¡°Do you know what kind of letter Princess Stella took from the Emperor on the day she decided to leave the palace after six months? That turned the palace upside down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I do know. I know. The letter is at ¡­..¡± ¡°Then how do you know about it?¡± Once again, the chicken, or rather Gilworth, said while barely suppressing the urge to let out an almost high-pitched scream. The Duke¡¯s eyes staring at him were still deadly. ¡°I know because I have eyes and ears. So I¡¯m not talking about the fact that Your Highness doesn¡¯t have eyes and ears. ¡­..¡± ¡®I will die.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll definitely die.¡¯ Ah! Gilworth sucked in a breath. The Duke, holding his neck as if it would twist at any moment, glared at him with murderous eyes. ¡°Peter Gilworth.¡± ¡°Um, Your Highness. Let me go first¡­.¡± ¡°What was the content of the letter?¡± ¡°Please let me go first.¡± As the Duke¡¯s hand squeezed tighter, Gilworth¡¯s mouth fluttered, begging for his life. ¡°Oh, oh, no, ah. From what I¡¯ve heard, according to the letter, Princess Stella had another family. Other than the esteemed Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Family¡­ so ¡­.¡± ¡°Speak briefly.¡± As his hand tightened gradually, Gilworth opened his mouth, trying to remove the Duke¡¯s hand as if he padded his wings. ¡°It is said that there is a family of commoners that Princess Stella misses! Yes, there was a story about Princess Karen picking up Princess Stella from the street¡­.¡± ¡°Picked her up on the street?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important about shareholder shares, is it? It¡¯s about the important person of Her Imperial Highness Princess Stella¡­¡± ¡°She picked her up from the street.¡± The relaxed voice made Gilworth think. The Duke always had a talent for making Princess Karen¡¯s words sound like a waste of time. ¡°If she lived on the street half of her life, how did the second princess suddenly show up at the Imperial Palace and take millions of golds from the Jason Evanders gambling house?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Ignoring Gilworth¡¯s faltering, Clyde thought of the correlation between Ethel and Stella. Come to think of it, the reed field in his memory where he had gone with her was not far from the inn where Ethel was staying. ¡°It was a place I used to visit when I was called Ethel.¡± Yes.That¡¯s what Stella had said. Then how did ¡°Ethel¡± suddenly return to the Imperial Palace and rob the heir to the Evanders family of millions of gold? Clyde knew the lives of the commoners as well as he knew the lives of lowborns. And as far as he was concerned, it was nearly impossible for ordinary people to act as Edel did. Something was wrong, he thought. Why did she come back? What made her come back? And why would she want to leave? Clyde was confused. But this one thing was certain. The one open fact that Karen Ethelanche had picked up Stella from the street was a lie. Karen, the woman did not roam the streets of the common people. That was the premise from which the story did not begin. Besides, Stella seemed to be someone who didn¡¯t want to return to the Imperial Palace. Plus, the shady connection between Stella and Jason Evanders. Something had gone wrong. While Clyde was thinking, Gilworth suddenly spoke up. ¡°Hmph, once again, I can provide you with information. Your Highness.¡± Finally, Clyde stared at him with a look of realization on his face that Gilworth was also present in this space. ¡®What do you think then?¡¯ Gilworth was quick to suggest when Clyde¡¯s grip on his neck loosened. ¡°If you hire me again. I¡¯m always happy to provide good information.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°None, of course, though there was no greater honor than to serve the Emperor. Nevertheless, I am willing to assist the great Duke¡­¡± As he spoke, Peter Gilworth thought of the Emperor¡¯s grim stare. ¡°If these words leak somewhere else.¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes flashed with madness as he said this. At that moment, Gilworth thought of the happy, peaceful days he had spent with the Duke. The Duke was a relatively ¡°good¡± lord who could always grab the last bit of reason and restrain himself as long as he kept to the good, but he was not the Emperor. Gilworth remembered what kind of tyrant the emperor had been ten years ago. The emperor was a madman. He was the one who had cut off the head of his political opponent at an audience, his eyes black with blood stained face, and showed the enemy¡¯s head in his hands to the nobles. Today, ten years later, the Emperor¡¯s eyes were looking at Gilworth with the same vigor they had back then. At that moment, Gilworth sincerely felt the need to get out of the Imperial Palace as quickly as possible. Would that be all? ¡°¡­Stella had scattered a large sum of money to the nobles that no one had any idea where it came from. That¡¯s interesting. There¡¯s no way the first princess of the empire wouldn¡¯t know anything about it.¡± He even went against the Emperor¡¯s orders to mention Stella, and blew Karen off for the extravagance of not knowing where the second Princess came from. Of course, he had to hide behind the Duke to save his life! The Duke stood there with a face thinking about something. Then he quickly strode out of the room. Gilworth called out loudly and chased after the Duke. ¡°Your Highness, what am I going to do if you just walk away like that?¡± Gilworth stepped urgently. However, for him, who was accustomed to holding a pen at a desk, it was impossible to follow the footsteps of the knight from the battlefield. ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m going to be hired again? Your Highness! Your Highness!¡± Of course, there was no reply. Gilworth, who was exhausted after following the Duke, sat down and watched the Duke leaving the mansion through the windows, obliviously. Chapter 28 There was definitely a distinctive characteristic in a place where people live compared to an empty place. It was the same with warmth. There were unexplainable traces that remained in the place where people stayed. Joseph held his breath for a moment and looked around Stella. What Stella gave them was a grace period of six month so it was their opportunity to change Stella¡¯s mind, but nothing seemed to have changed compared to the opportunity that was hard to earn. Stella¡¯s room completely seemed like a place for people to just pass by. The room where he stood was like a guest room, not the one owned by his sister. ¡°¡­Because that doesn¡¯t make you a good person to me.¡± Joseph realized the feeling of resentment between them was deeper than he thought. How should he act now? It was hard for him to face someone whose visage felt as if they were someone else. The face that seemed to have lost everything was very strange to him. Moreover, Joseph wasn¡¯t used to the situation itself. He was a competent crown prince and everyone loved him. Even when the treason took place and they had to leave the palace, Joseph was the first thing his mother looked for. Even when Joseph was dressed in rags, the people on the streets were kind to him. The people also gave him something when he was miserable. A bowl of soup without any pieces of meat and vegetables would have been their dinner after a tiring day. He was always being loved enough to be given such precious food. However, for the first time in his life, someone looked at Joseph with resentful eyes. He thought he was being a good brother to her. He still hasn¡¯t forgotten to have played the music box with a child in her room. But Stella, who had returned, told him to not even apologize to her. Joseph quickly opened his mouth because he couldn¡¯t just do nothing. ¡°I knew they were precious to you.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Her voice that came out was cold. Joseph felt as if he was just being hit by a hammer on his head. Has Stella ever treated him with such a voice? She was a younger sister who would welcome him with a warm smile all the time. She was a cute child who pestered him to read this book and didn¡¯t let him go anywhere. However, When Joseph was in a state of shock, Stella didn¡¯t change her expression and recited as if she had enough. ¡°I asked who told you that they were precious to me. Was it father who went around and told everyone about the letter I wrote, or mother who received information from Jason Evanders and sent ten assassins for my adoptive parents.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Probably the latter. Because it was you who conveyed the information to mother. If you could step aside now¡­.¡± ¡°Mother never has any intention to hurt your savior.¡± Joseph urgently went on to say that and grabbed both of Stella¡¯s arms. ¡°I mean, father is using the hands of mother. I don¡¯t dare to go against your will. I was just telling you let¡¯s do according to the contract. I don¡¯t care about your own business. But my mother couldn¡¯t do that. My mother¡­¡± ¡°So I have to understand that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°Father is right.¡± Stella avoided Joseph¡¯s hands by twisting her body away from him. She spoke still with an expressionless face just as she was before. As if it was the last smile he would see when she told Joseph not to apologize. ¡°You should have followed the contract.¡± ¡°Stella!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why she was doing useless things. If she just- leave it on its own, everyone would be happy ¡­.¡± ¡°How can you say that to mother? Not just anyone else, but to mother!¡± ¡°She was the mother who abandoned me.¡± ¡°Mother is repenting. For real! So I was pushed due to father¡¯s pestering. He always said he was reliable after signing the contract, and said he wouldn¡¯t be curious about everything regarding you and wouldn¡¯t say anything even if you left. So¡­¡± ¡°I know what happened after that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. It¡¯s not like my mercenaries don¡¯t have mouths.¡± ¡°¡­Mercenary?¡± ¡°Yes, the mercenaries that I hired. They said that my mother was the one who sent ten assassins to my adoptive parents. And then they reported it to me. Then I got rid of those people who dared to hurt my adoptive parents.¡± Stella was calm when she said several people had died. Was he really with the same person? With Stella from ten years ago. Joseph stood still blankly there without being able to say anything. ¡°I guess mother didn¡¯t tell you that. Seven died instantly and three died a bit painfully.¡± ¡°¡­They are mercenaries who will escort your adoptive parents safely and secretly to the palace. Mother hired them behind my father¡¯s back! Don¡¯t you know that? Mother is a person who comes from a foreign country and has no power over you. So I¡¯m going to desperately use that method.¡± ¡°Then convey it. Next time, pay a bit more and hire people that are fit to work for you, oh, you can¡¯t do that.¡± Joseph seemed to hear a ringing sound in his ear. Stella continued regardless of what seemed to happen to him. ¡°I¡¯m Jason Evanders¡¯ special client. Unfortunately, even if mother gives you billions of dollars, you still can¡¯t hire the Empire¡¯s best mercenaries. I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°Are you really my sister¡­.¡± Stella replied to Joseph who mumbled dejectedly. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m your sister? Does the ¡®real¡¯ one have to come back while smiling all the time, telling you everything is okay, understanding everything, and smile like a fool regardless of whatever happens and being the trash can of your guilty feelings?¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t be like that, it seems like I am the fake sister in your eyes.¡± Stella¡¯s voice was as cold as death. ¡°I¡¯ve never been real to you even just for a moment.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± Stella raised her voice to him. Joseph was frozen in shock and looked at Stella¡¯s face. ¡°Mother, mother, mother. I¡¯ll get going now.¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting sick and tired of this, so stop calling my name, brother.¡± Stella bowed her head and didn¡¯t show her face to him. Stella was crying. She wiped her tears harshly as if it was an ugly sight for him to look st and took a deep breath. ¡°If you¡¯re going to come and talk about other people every time like this, don¡¯t even show up in front of me again and sympathize with me impertinently.¡± ¡°I have never sympathized with you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a bad person.¡± Her wet eyes looked up at him. Bad, Person. He spent a while managing the information contained in those words inside his head. He had never heard of those words before. It was the first time he felt the resentment of others toward him. He was new in this kind of thing, that¡¯s why. He had made a mistake that he shouldn¡¯t have made in the first place. ¡°Are you acting like a baby now?¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°No matter how much I said that. Is it so hard to understand that your mother cares so much about you?¡± ¡° ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I told you. They were mercenaries hired directly by mother to keep your savior a secret from father. Mother genuinely cares about you unlike father. She wanted to know about your past. But how can you be so cold-hearted that you killed her people?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t always put you first. But you shouldn¡¯t be so childish. I¡¯ll try my best to understand you from now on, so just this time¡­¡± ¡°You said you weren¡¯t sympathizing with me.¡± Stella shook his arm off roughly. He looked like he was hurt on his face. ¡°This is not helping me. From now on I need to try to understand your position again, so I should yield to you this time. For this time again. So it seems like I¡¯m a person who is extremely desperate to be loved by my brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re worse because you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re a bad person.¡± Stella¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Other people won¡¯t know that you¡¯re this kind of person, so I will be the only one who¡¯s just making a fool out of myself.¡± ¡°¡­You, you¡¯re not my sister. Stella didn¡¯t do this. My sister.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s alright if you still see me like that.¡± Stella ran past his shoulder. ¡°It would have been a shame if I still looked like a sister who is begging for love from her brother.¡± *** Where should I go now? The palace is not my home, and I couldn¡¯t go to the inn that I called home. Jason Evanders, of course, but Clyde was not an option¡­. I didn¡¯t want to owe him twice. Standing vaguely in the middle of the stable, I felt distant when I stood in front of the horse and looked at the ground. A horse rubbed its face against my face as if it comforted me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said while stroking the horse¡¯s face. I spent some time in the stable sometimes, so I guess that¡¯s why we¡¯ve gotten a bit closer. The docile mare didn¡¯t refuse my touch. Its soft brown body was sleek, pricked ears that were moving cutely, while the white stripes between both of its eyes became friendly. Should I come back after seeing Mary, Hans, Daisy, and the family from a distance? What should I do if I feel the urge to get close to them? Let¡¯s not go there. I pulled down on my hood and shook my head. I thought to check their safety, so I decided to go. ¡®It¡¯s obvious what¡¯s going to happen if I get back to my room in the palace.¡¯ My mother will be angry if she knows what I was talking about to my brother when I faced her in my room. Will it be okay for me to get some clear air? Will I have the courage to return to the palace? I finally decided to go see my adoptive parents from afar. There was nothing to be afraid of as long as the emperor knew where my family was. ¡®As long as I don¡¯t go there too often.¡¯ My efforts of not visiting my family to avoid them getting caught were in vain. So, as long as I don¡¯t pay a visit to them too often, it¡¯s going to be okay. ¡®No matter what happens, I have the power to protect my family. Just one look at their face¡­¡­.¡± With that in mind, I stretch out my hand to pull the lock in order to get out of the room. At that moment, I could hear a voice from afar. Is it mother? After hearing Joseph¡¯s words, my heart raced hastily thinking that she had decided to find me. The servant¡¯s voice was getting closer. ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t mind doing this myself. Please give it to me. I-I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get whipping if it reaches the head of the maid¡¯s ear that I didn¡¯t serve the higher ranking people!¡± I didn¡¯t hear the answer. Instead, what followed was the sound of the stable door opening. The light stretched straight across the chilly shadow on the floor. I remained in that position and raised my head slowly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± If it was the empress or Joseph who came to the stable looking for me, I wouldn¡¯t back down. I tried to stand up even when they criticized and blamed me. Because that¡¯s what it meant to return but not actually returning as my old self. It wasn¡¯t much of a big deal to get rid of me anyway. I thought of my situation at the edge of the cliff as a privilege and tried to pour out all the words I hadn¡¯t dared to say when I was young. With that in mind, I held the reins of the horse tightly. Even though I know that I was tired. ¡°Stella.¡± But then he appeared like magic and he obviously recognized me when he called my name. I slowly took off my hood and faced him. ¡°Clyde.¡± And called his name. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 *** Clyde thought he would have a lot to say when he met Stella. He quickly got on a horse and headed for the palace. The servant¡¯s words asking him to wait a bit for the horse carriage to be prepared didn¡¯t reach his ear. Ignoring the servant¡¯s request to leave his horse in the stable, he headed from the stable and fastened up his horse. Just a few more steps ahead when he thought that he would see Stella. ¡°Stella.¡± He recognized the familiar figure at just one glance. Clyde gave the horse reins to the servant and walked over toward Stella. As if the servant was grateful, he accepted the reins while thanking them continuously. Clyde stood in front of Stella and looked down at her quietly. He easily found traces of tears on her face. The eyes that he always thought were pretty, now burning red and the tip of her nose was also red. At that moment he was at loss for words. It felt like all the thoughts in his head had disappeared entirely. He grasped her hand tightly. He wanted to ask who made her cry. Anger covered his eyes, and he agonized about what to do with the emotion seething inside him. Who was it that brought tears to the eyes of this little, soft, and lovely thing? And then a part of his heart ached. It was a really strange feeling for him to ache like this. His life was never a smooth one, but it was the case from others¡¯ views, they thought it was his life was smooth. He honestly didn¡¯t know where it hurt as he was enduring each day breathlessly. The pain was bearable when the wound was festering at the time when he was being whipped or his hands got swollen. Even when he was being sold in a bag like an animal with the permission from his father. He just couldn¡¯t feel anything at that time. The murmur of the conversation was heard between the slave trader having a talk if he was a sad dog[1] and the sound of rain could be heard over the sack. The sound of the carriage window wavering may have been vivid, but it didn¡¯t hurt him. However, looking at her face made his heart ache. ¡°¡­you¡¯re seriously hurt. I haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡± It was only when the woman touched his wound that he felt the pain. She soothed him even though she was already hurt as well and looked at him with a worried look, saying he was seriously hurt, and the place where her fingertips touched his body was hurting. He thought he didn¡¯t know why. He looked at Stella quietly, forgetting what he was about to say. He didn¡¯t even know what to do. He wondered if he could steal her eyes with his hands? If she doesn¡¯t like it when I want to crumble her in my arms. He wanted to hold her in his arms and give her a hug as if he was going to crush her but choose not to do that if she doesn¡¯t like that. Although he wanted to hold her hand, he had no idea whether she would completely elude his grasp or not, so he clasped his hand. Conscious of his gaze, she turned her head and he felt like almost losing his mind. Next thing she knew, she looked at him with a surprise look. His thumb slowly swept around her eyes. He came to ask her a lot of questions, but decided not to ask anything when he was looking at her eyes. He only held her in his arms without saying a word. His rough hand stroked her back. When she struggled to tell him about what had happened and buried her head in his arms, he lowered his head and took a deep breath. The scent tickled him and filled his nose when it was almost impossible for him to reach it. The rough hands landed on her slender back and stroked there as if to comfort her. *** ¡®What have I done?¡¯ Joseph was still absent-minded and unable to move even after Stella left the room. ¡°¡­Y-You are not my sister. Stella didn¡¯t do this. My sister.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s alright if you still see me like that.¡± He still couldn¡¯t forget that cold face. She was his sister who had come back after ten years, and she would have suffered more than anyone else in the past. He wondered if he should have said that. All that remained was only terrible consequences. ¡°It would have been a shame if I still looked like a sister who is begging for love from her brother.¡± It was a relationship that couldn¡¯t be reversed and had been too out of line. Such relationships couldn¡¯t be carried in ragged quilts, no matter how hard he tried. This meant that it couldn¡¯t be as new as it used to be. Joseph instinctively knew that nothing could comfort Stella¡¯s broken heart. He should¡¯ve acted emotionally, but the situation pushed him to the limit. Unfortunately, his eyes were blinded and he somehow wanted to win the trifling quarrel, being a righteous and competent man, and there was nothing left for him. It was just an empty room with a deeply hurted brother. The guilt of hurting someone filled himself and the remorse that shouldn¡¯t have pressured him. Then he remembered that Stella¡¯s coronation ceremony was close. The debutante. He recited to himself. *** I forget about it when I look at the busy streets. Who I am. What kind of duty would be placed in front of me. What would happen to that duty later. In the midst of this busyness, my concern was hidden and my senses focused on the noise outside. People were so busy moving around. People who placed and sold seafood. People who offered the fresh fruits and raised their voices. The mailers. People working diligently on making the lace over the window. The pretzel sign that hung on the bakery was very lovely. The children passed by while smiling ear to ear. The noise from the small printing shop buildings wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought. Clyde held my hand in silence. I stared at the hand that caught me in surprise and looked up at him. His hands were so big and rough. His hand was very flabby, perhaps because he held the sword all his life. It was hard rather than smooth and quite different from Joseph¡¯s soft hand that I wanted to hold so badly, but this hand was warm. Does this person know that my heart is throbbing at this moment? He fixed our holding hands while looking to the front again and his body flinched. Even that little delicate emotion was conveyed through the hand that held mine. We walked without saying a word. He didn¡¯t ask anything and I also didn¡¯t explain anything to him. That was more comforting for me. The fact that there was someone who stayed by my side even without saying a word. ¡°There you go.¡± I pointed ahead with my chin while looking up to him. ¡°So pretty.¡± There was a place I used to know in the middle of this busy street. A very friendly place. A pretty wooden sign hung at the end of a steel bar and left a cozy reflection. Mary, Hans and Daisy would probably be in that building. ¡°It¡¯s such a pretty place that I hope it will remain that way. As always.¡± I didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid to put this beautiful scenery embedded in my head as if I were drawing a picture. Whenever I became weak, I thought I should come to this place. The happiness of those people behind that door was depending on my shoulders. I¡¯ll do my best to protect them. Because as much as my ordinary daily life was precious to me, so would my family. Aunt Mary once said this. ¡°This building descended from my aunt. Maybe it¡¯s even older. My grandmother used to sit me on her lap and tell me that this building would be three times older than you. She said this building might have been more than 400 years old.¡± Back then, I blinked helplessly while listening to the story of the old inn building. ¡°Someday this place will belong to you and Daisy. This place used to be my mother¡¯s, my grandmother¡¯s, my great grandmother¡¯s, my great-great grandmother¡¯s resting place.¡± Mary offered me a warm soup when I became depressed. She said while stroking my head as I lay face down and sat on the desk. ¡°Baby, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to be worried.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my family, too. No matter where you¡¯re from, no matter what happens.¡± I knew better than anyone that I couldn¡¯t run to meet Mary and Hans right away even though I was overwhelmed with the urge to do so. What¡¯s more terrible than not being able to see them would be to face them and say, ¡®You¡¯ve been threatened because of me, so pack up right now. I¡¯ll take you somewhere safe.¡¯ That building, the harmonious and simple daily routines that unfolded in that place, was life for them. So the best I could do was go back to where I had come and quietly reminisce about my time with them, as well as hoping earnestly that their favor wouldn¡¯t turn out to be their calamity. Returning their lives quietly to the way they were before so that they wouldn¡¯t regret picking me up. I was just disappearing from their lives. When I was about to turn around, I heard a voice behind my back. ¡°Daisy.¡± I heard the name that I missed very much so I had no choice but to look back. A group of boys who looked about three spans taller surrounded Daisy and said. ¡°Here it is, rattlesnake. I was wondering where you went.¡± ¡°Hey, I heard your sister ran away. Did her name Ethel?¡± ¡°No, I said she was sold off. Your parents sold your sister, didn¡¯t they? Huh?¡± ¡°I said no!¡± Daisy snapped at them with tearful eyes. ¡°One day, someone as beautiful as an angel came and took my sister! My mother said she took my sister because she was a high-class princess from a faraway country!¡± ¡®Princess from faraway country?¡¯ Was that how they made up the reason for my leave to Daisy? Why? That¡¯s what I was thinking. Pftt, a scornful laughter escaped one of the boy¡¯s lips. The boys¡¯ laughter grew wilder. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a high-ranking person.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call the second princess who just returned is your sister?¡± ¡°Hey, wake up. Your sister didn¡¯t go to another country. She was hunted, being kept as a slave somewhere, and whipped.¡± Clyde grasped my hand tightly. Looking at his side profile, I remembered that Clyde was a dogfight slave before entering the palace. My heart pounded. [T/N: the term ¡®dogfight slave¡¯ might have meant someone being enslaved to fight constantly and without proper treatment.] I was afraid he might have been hurt by that. A part of my heart was sore. The boys were still chattering. ¡°¡­if you don¡¯t have enough luck to wipe the floor until it becomes dirtless, you¡¯ll be serving the host tonight.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s why you have no luck. It¡¯s your fate.¡± They giggled among themselves. The boy said while pressing his index finger firmly to Daisy¡¯s forehead as she looked up at them with glaring eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask your lying mother if the inn wasn¡¯t going well back then. She wants to sell her daughter to get money¡­.¡± I was about to come forward when I was unable to stand the scene any more, Clyde held my hand tightly. I looked at him with a look of asking him to let me go there, but he shook his head. He let go of my hand and walked forward. I held his hood in my hand. Clyde went in front of Daisy and said. ¡°Princess Ethel¡­ sent me to you.¡± Daisy blinked her eyes absentmindedly. Clyde knelt down on one knee in front of her and they made eye contact. The really big man then grabbed Daisy¡¯s little hand and kissed the back of her hand. I stood there and looked at both of them, not even imagining that he would do such delicate action. ¡°¡­Sir knight?¡± Daisy said as she remembered Clyde¡¯s face when he came to the inn. Clyde looked Daisy directly in the eye and nodded. ¡°As you said, Her Highness Princess Ethel returned back to become the princess of the faraway country.¡± ¡°W-Was it true?¡± The boys who bullied Daisy just a moment ago suddenly became contemplative and looked at Daisy and Clyde alternately. Clyde didn¡¯t pay attention to them and continued. ¡°Your Royal Highness the Princess is fine. However, His Majesty The King of the kingdom and Her Highness The Queen haven¡¯t sent her away so she hasn¡¯t been able to come. But she misses this place and her family every day.¡± ¡°Is my sister really a princess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Daisy said with an excited face. ¡°Really? Like the princess in the fairy tale, right? She is the type of princess who wears a pretty dress and drinks tea every day, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Clyde pulled out some gold coins from his pocket and slipped them into Daisy¡¯s little hand. ¡°She is the most noble and beautiful woman in the world. ¡­She asked me to deliver this.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Daisy exclaimed as she looked at the gold coins in her hands, then turned around and faced the boys. ¡°My sister is really a princess! You idiots!¡± The boys trembled while looking on each other¡¯s faces at the condescending face of Daisy. Daisy turned her head and said to Clyde. ¡°Sir Knight, Sir Knight. Can you tell my sister that my family really misses her a lot and I love her as well?¡± Clyde nodded slowly. ¡°I swear to tell her for you.¡± As if he had been so kind toward her, Clyde¡¯s sharp eyes turned to the boys behind Daisy as they trembled beyond his gaze. ¡°Oh, and also.¡± When Clyde stood up and turned to the boy, they froze and shivered with his aura. ¡°As the representative of Her Highness¡­¡± Clyde took a step forward and headed for the boys. Daisy looked very confident with her figure turned against them. ¡°¡­the next time I see this, I¡¯ll be willing to punish you severely and make an example out of you for everyone on the street.¡± Hic, one of the boys started hiccuping. ¡°You¡¯d better behave carefully.¡± The boys darted away after apologizing over and over. Daisy¡¯s eyes gleamed as she looked at Clyde¡¯s back. ~~~ [1] Sad dog: an unfortunate person, morose or dismal looking person. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 *** Stella¡¯s next destination on the commoners¡¯ street was none other than Jason Evanders¡¯ office. Jason Evanders looked at Stella who was rushing into his office like a storm. It was really rude of her. Such rudeness was unacceptable to him who valued formality and procedure. Even now, this woman went in and out of his office like being in her own home. Letter? Appointment? Those things weren¡¯t in this woman¡¯s dictionary. Rather than feeling sorry, it was the look that seemed to be glad she had come here directly on her own. ¡°People don¡¯t know about it.¡± ¡°¡­what are you talking about, Miss Client?¡± ¡°I thought they didn¡¯t know the face of The Second Princess when I looked at people on the commoner¡¯s street. Now that I think about it, has there ever been a proper report about me?¡± ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°It would have been great news if I happened to fly a star in the sky. Nothing was reported. Was that the reason? People don¡¯t know anything apart from the fact that The Second Princess had come back and flew a star in the sky. The fact that they don¡¯t even know who The Second Princess really was or even Stella Ethelanche Foundation meant that the media has shut up about it. The news hasn¡¯t spread yet.¡± Jason had a throbbing headache listening to the obvious inferiority situation that he never heard in his life. During his grandfather¡¯s generation, the nobles who worked for a living were despised, but things turned to be very different ever since the imperial family was ruined. He lived in the time when the blessed capital was passed down by his father, and the imperial family also took notice of him. This woman really didn¡¯t know the ¡®rules¡¯ and didn¡¯t even know where she came from. ¡°Furthermore, Imperial Princess Karen didn¡¯t even know about ¡®Stella Ethelanche Foundation.¡¯ Then who knows about my foundation? Isn¡¯t it foolish to expect people to know about it?¡± Jason reckoned why Stella was bringing this up. Aha. Would they use national events for political propaganda? If the fact that she had spent ten years among the commoners were to be revealed, she would have been able to approach the commoners closely. If the story of the foundation spread out, the noble who didn¡¯t benefit from the foundation would also have a good impression of Stella. If that was the purpose of The Princess, he wanted to say he was sorry for not doing as she wished. He wanted to restrict the information about Stella in order to make people become more curious. It¡¯s true that he had become interested in her, but he was always a person who put work first. If his thought was right, the interest between the two of them would eventually end here. ¡°If you¡¯re here to make a request for removing the Embargo[2]¡­.¡± [A/N: 2) Prohibition for reporting until a certain period of time. ¡ºNational Institute of Korean Language, Urimalsaem¡»] ¡°It¡¯s the other way around.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My knight, I haven¡¯t sent them out yet.¡± His voice without a doubt indicated that he had been putting his hands on the media. She¡¯s a woman who can use her head well. Jason appraised her for that. He heard that she had lived somewhere on the outskirts of the island for ten years as a commoner, but her agility was unrivaled. Sitting in front of him and giving him orders arrogantly when she realized that he had put his hand on the press. All the while, the Princess talked about the thing she was looking for. ¡°You can handle the newsflash regarding my foundation. However,¡± ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°¡­I hope you will keep my background and personal information strictly confidential from now on.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about your purpose.¡± She didn¡¯t wish for the commoner to know the face of the princess. If that¡¯s the case, was there any other reason? He interrupted the princess¡¯ words. ¡°Oh, Your Highness The Princess trying to keep it a secret from your adoptive parents about the fact that you¡¯re here. Because you want to hide that Ethel is Stella.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°If Your Highness¡¯ adoptive parents end up entering the palace, they¡¯ll be involved in this situation. ¡­Their lives will be in danger in an instant. If the news spreads across the country that Your Highness has adoptive parents, there could be more people trying to send assassins in order to get rid of them.¡± Stella didn¡¯t say anything. Oh so that¡¯s how it is. Jason thought to himself. For her family. That woman was being a real headache to him. When he stood in her position, he could clearly see how he would plan his move to win a checkmate from this gigantic chessboard. He knew very well on how to make her to be the ¡®Queen¡¯. Obviously if she was just reaching into his hand as well being a unique and clever person, she would become a person who¡¯s able to have many things. She would belong to his class. But she didn¡¯t move the way he thought. She jumped into an unexpected place and catched him off guard whereas hesitated in a place where she could have everything like this. There, she said. ¡°It¡¯s good that we understand each other¡¯s words.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Therefore I will never, ever allow anyone to paint my portrait. However, even if someone wants to spread my portrait to the media, please do take care of that.¡± ¡°All right.¡± He answered keenly. ¡°If it¡¯s Your Highness¡¯ request, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°You better not betray me this time.¡± ¡°Would I do that? At the words, the princess snorted as if it was funny and got up from her seat. That woman was like that until the end. Jason felt something stirred inside him but still asked her if she wanted to be escorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need an escort.¡± She said while looking down at his hand. ¡°Cause I¡¯m not a Lady.¡± *** I remembered the time when Karen was acting pompously in front of the Emperor and the Empress. ¡°I think it¡¯s time to frankly ask questions. I mean, what Stella did with the treasury she had gotten from mother and father.¡± At that time, I vaguely wanted to think that Karen had tripped over her feet, but when I ultimately thought back to that time, there was a strange part about the situation. How could the Imperial Princess didn¡¯t know about the ¡®Stella Ethelanche Foundation¡¯? If she didn¡¯t know, then who would know about it? Of course the beneficiaries of the foundation would know, but the information didn¡¯t even reach Karen¡¯s ears. My spine went cold as my thoughts reached all the way to one point. That someone was controlling the information. I have a hunch that this problem wasn¡¯t just a matter of Karen tripping over her own feet. Yeah. The commoners didn¡¯t know the princess¡¯ face. Daisy also didn¡¯t know that I was a princess. So it was clear that Mary and Hans made up a lie like that for Daisy who was waiting for me. I went on a long trip to a faraway country in order to become a princess. They meant to protect Daisy¡¯s innocence when saying that. There must have been some people who saw me closely on the day I flew the stars in the sky, but those numbers of people were small. And if people except them didn¡¯t know who I am or where I came from, someone might have controlled the media. On my way back to the Imperial Palace, I quickly headed for the display stand that was selling newspapers. Then when I asked the stand¡¯s owner if there had been any articles about the second princess, he answered as if what I had said was absurd. ¡°If it¡¯s the news about the second princess, the nobles don¡¯t even see it in the exclusive newspapers, but we do know about that from other newspaper companies.¡± ¡°¡­you mean the Velvet Daily?¡± ¡°Yeah. That Velvet¡­ Velvet Mercy, oh, why do you know that expensive newspaper?¡± If my prediction was right, my destination was clear. I headed to Jason¡¯s office. ¡®You¡¯ve been trying to take advantage of me too much.¡¯ There was only one reason why he wanted to restrict the information. He was trying to use me for his own gossip. To raise the name of his enormous business. He might be trying to raise everyone¡¯s attention by making people curious. I pushed through people who were trying to dissuade me from entering and managed to open the door of Jason¡¯s office, taking the seat in front of him. He smiled at me. I said to his smiling face. ¡°People didn¡¯t know.¡± It was truly a good thing that our f***ing interests fit perfectly. *** The owner couple, Mary and Hans, who had run the inn looked at their little daughter Daisy with loving eyes. ¡°Daisy has been depressed ever since Ethel left, but she is sleeping well today.¡± Mary¡¯s eyes when she looked at Daisy was filled with a deep affection that wasn¡¯t able to be expressed with words. It¡¯s a deep motherly love. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see her like this.¡± Hans wrapped his arms around Mary while hugging her tightly. ¡°Looks like a gentleman was passing by and showed kindness to her. I heard he was with a girl wearing a cloak.¡± ¡°Oh gosh, the knight must have gone out for a walk with the Lady and helped our Daisy on their way. I¡¯m grateful. Look at that.¡± Mary lowered her voice and pointed toward Daisy¡¯s small hand. ¡°She is still holding the gold coins given by the knight in her hand.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t let it go even when she was eating.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very grateful to whoever he is. Daisy said she had seen him once before. I think she meant it was the knight who came to our inn looking for Ethel.¡± ¡°Since there are not many occasions for His Grace to visit here, he may have been confused as another knight in armor. It isn¡¯t so common to meet knights here so maybe she thought that way just by looking at the armor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well.¡± Mary nodded her head. ¡°Whoever it is, they will surely be blessed.¡± Mary¡¯s lips drew into a soft line. It was a very rare smile after Ethel left the inn. Hans hugged Mary tightly. ¡°Our child, she will be back soon. And even if she isn¡¯t coming back¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°¡­we¡¯ll be with her forever because of the fact that we love her so much.¡± Mary bit my lip as if trying to hold back her tears. ¡°She has grown up a lot now.¡± She said, ¡°She will be fine.¡± *** Once my work was done, I then headed for the imperial palace. Because it was a contract with the imperial family. The main gate of the huge imperial palace opened, and I climbed the stairs quietly while heading for my room. It was almost midnight when I returned to the imperial palace. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s been long since then.¡¯ Walking down through the dark hallway, I was lost in thought for no reason. Ten years ago, a young girl who was walking with a storybook looked like a faint afterimage in front of me. I walked along the afterimage while scanning through the newly plastered wallpaper with my hand. The moonlight shadow that reached out like a net was deriving from the huge dark window of the hallway that covered me as I took one step forward. It took me to my room at the place where my young afterimage dispersed. My new room was not far from Karen¡¯s room. It was a large, nice room, obviously different from the attic of the imperial family. I walked into the room after receiving the greetings of mercenaries who saw me with a nod. The room was exactly the same as when I left. I leaned against the door as soon as it closed. I pushed my head back and let out a deep breath. Fatigue came swarming into me. When I was about to step ahead and wash my body, a thing placed on the faraway tea table caught my eyes. It was made of steel, shining in the dark. I moved quickly, wanting to see what it was. I picked up the small object and stood still. ¡®Music box.¡¯ It was a small music box. Next to it was a letter. ¡®Joseph.¡¯ I put down the music box without even trying to read the letter because I didn¡¯t know who put it here. At that moment, the door behind me opened once again. It was Joseph¡¯s face that reflected with guilt as the shadow at the door gap slowly swept through the dark. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m waiting for you in the drawing room. Because I wanted to give it to you in person.¡± He passed by me and picked up the music box on the tea table. ¡°I guess this old-fashioned gift wasn¡¯t fun.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Have you ever played it?¡± His voice was cautious. Since that morning, he was still the Crown Prince of the Empire, the son of his mother, and he still remained the same¡­ as Joseph though. Then he said, ¡°I was going to give it to you when you get back.¡± I could tell because I clearly remembered what the music box meant to me as a child. ¡°¡­it finally met its owner after various things happened.¡± This was none other than his apology. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 *** Joseph said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anything we had played ten years ago, but I managed to remember the tune and asked the music box craftsman to make it. It has been planned from the day I returned back to the Imperial Family as the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°It took quite a while for the master craftsman to make it. I¡¯d be heartbroken if you threw it away.¡± Joseph looked at me while fiddling with the music box. He picked up my hand carefully and placed the music box on top of it. The metal body of the cold music box stole away the warmth of my hand. He patted my head with a hurtful face. He said while merely making eye contact with me. ¡°I somehow wanted to apologize for what happened back in the afternoon. I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I couldn¡¯t control my emotion when I somehow tried to win over the argument so I was just really keen on stating my own opinion.¡± ¡°What I said was right at that time, but why can¡¯t you understand that? I might¡¯ve gotten angry at you for nothing. And about mother¡­ Moreover because I had watched around how much she¡¯s been trying to get along with you again, I have no choice but to say it from her perspective.¡± He brought my hand to be wrapped around the music box. He had bloodshot eyes for me to see as if it was not a lie when he said that he had waited in the living room without going to bed all this time. The Crown Prince was indeed a busy man. That was the reason why I understood how desperate he wanted to apologize to me. However, That¡¯s what he could only do all this time. ¡°I understand your position well.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± He squeezed my hand tightly. ¡°Perhaps I was too used to coercing you for a conciliation. That¡¯s why I had no choice and naturally decided to say those to you today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s still some time left, so why don¡¯t you give me another chance?¡± He spoke to me gently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always ask me to be your partner for the debutante?¡± My childhood dream was to hold Joseph¡¯s hand during the debutante as we walked under the light of the extravagant ballroom. Because my brother was similar to the prince in a fairy tale who was busy every day. He didn¡¯t even have much time to spare for himself. So I used to talk to him carefully. Couldn¡¯t my brother at least become my partner on the day of my debutante? Joseph gave me a stroke on the head to let me think about it. Joseph¡¯s room comes to mind at the time. I thought it was a warm place because it felt like him. There were also so many amazing things. My favorite among those was the music box. I laughed brightly when Joseph turned the handle of the music box to let the beautiful music come out of it. Like having the whole world to myself. ¡°I¡¯ll have the best dress and shoes ready for you. Maybe they can also customize it according to your demand with the design you used to scribble on the paper as a kid, okay?¡± He spoke to me like a father did to his daughter. I squeezed the music box tightly. I looked him at the eye while returning his smile. ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± ¡°Then tomorrow I will immediately¡­¡± ¡°However.¡± I said, looking at his puzzled face. ¡°I already have someone I want to go with for the debutante. Not with you, but someone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°When things change, people change as well. Same happened to me, I guess I¡¯ve changed a lot.¡± Joseph had an unexplainable look on his face. ¡°Since it¡¯s getting late, I would like you to go now.¡± I took out my hand that was wrapped in his hand and proceeded to put the music box on the tea table. ¡°I understand your sincerity, but because now it¡¯s quite late for me as well, I want to rest.¡± ¡°¡­sure, I didn¡¯t even think about that part.¡± ¡°Then, enough for today.¡± I said goodbye to him with a drawn-like smile. Joseph had a look that wanted to say something, but then he simply answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± and headed out of the room. After he left, I looked quietly at the music box placed on the table. I was astounded. I can¡¯t believe I was so unimpressed with this. *** ¡®I¡¯m going crazy¡­¡¯ Clyde thought while walking out of the bathroom. He thought taking a hot bath would clear his head, but it was the opposite. The memories of when he was bidding farewell to Stella filled his mind at all times. It was the moment when he only gazed blankly on her face because he couldn¡¯t bid farewell to her as he wanted to be with her for one more hour. ¡°Thank you very much for today. Speaking to Daisy on my behalf ¡­was really thoughtful of you.¡± She smiled. Clyde felt his heart stop beating when he saw a pretty smile appear on her lips. His mind was in a state of shock. She tried to lift her heel up to see whether things would go her way and she asked him to lower his head for a moment. Did something smear his face? He bowed his head for her obediently. Then, she pressed her lips lightly on his cheek for a moment. Clyde couldn¡¯t come to his right mind as she smiled sweetly at him and her swaying gaze looked at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± He hasn¡¯t been in his right mind since then. While watching Stella disappear behind the palace¡¯s gate, he just stood there blankly for a moment before he came back to his senses and finally got on the horse. He felt so weird. This good feeling which couldn¡¯t be explained and his heart pounded like crazy because he kept on repeating the event that happened earlier in his head? It felt affectionate and warm, fresh and sweet. Perhaps that was why he stayed up that night with eyes wide-awake. *** ¡°No, what kind of idiot would reject my good son?¡± Slammed by the Princess in the evening, and then his father the next morning. Jason Evanders thought while looking at the door of his poor office. There wouldn¡¯t be any more doors left to replace it. He stood up and bowed respectfully to his father. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Are you going to remain quiet about this, you ugly fool? Are you saying that you would let the newspaper publishing company under your control know that the Princess had just dumped you!¡± ¡°Father.¡± ¡°If your mother gave birth to you so well, then what is it that was lacking until you got rejected! That¡¯s how a woman is anyway. You¡¯ve done very well. Very well.¡± Claude Evanders nodded with a pleased look. Jason Evanders was always a good son to him, even if he didn¡¯t ask him to do so. The man had a younger sense, more classy and commendable than him, and had been managing the company for a long time. He was a reliable son who he was comfortable to be with and trustworthy. But one thing that bothered him was that it was difficult to find the human personality in his son. It¡¯s because he raised his child that way. Sometimes Claude Evanders wondered if Jason would¡¯ve grown up that way without having a huge legacy to inherit. Therefore as a father, he felt sorry inside at one part of his heart. However, it was a woman! Upon hearing the news, he immediately rushed from his villa to the Evanders¡¯ mansion. ¡®He¡¯ was called Claude Evanders back in his vigorous youth who had neither blood nor tears, but the world looked different when he got this old. Nowadays, judging from how the families of the servants seemed to be getting along genially when they were attending the wedding ceremony of their son, he was willing to have a reliable daughter-in-law who would manage the family along with their son. He didn¡¯t think Jason would like it if he found a woman for him when his only son was at his busiest peak. However, good news happened to arrive at his villa just in time. His wife, Lizzia, would also smile faintly when she heard the news as she was currently living far away in the South. This was tremendous enough that she would smile even though she was more realistic and rational than anyone else. There was a woman who he gained interest in even though her son was retreating from them at first. How much he was so into her that he even devoted his family¡¯s mine to her and published it on the front page of the newspaper even without hiding the article which stated she was refusing his gift. It¡¯s something to see in his long life. He thought his son was good at everything, however he was not as experienced in this area since he was still a young man. But it was fine. ** ¡°When is the day of the ceremony?¡± ¡°¡­..Father.¡± ¡°You fell in love at first sight and thought about getting married, so I gave you the family properties so easily just like that. If both of you get married, the money of the Second Princess will become our family¡¯s property again. I already wanted to see my daughter-in-law¡¯s face. About the grandchildren¡­¡± ¡°I was defeated.¡± The air froze coldly as Jason Evanders admitted his loss humiliatingly. The smile on Claude Evanders¡¯ face disappeared. Jason felt helpless with his head hung down as he clenched his fist really hard that his hands turned white. ¡°I¡¯m defeated, the Princess won.¡± Jason believed his father would be disappointed in him. But right after that, a burst of laughter filled his office. Claude Evanders drew near and patted Jason¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s great that you know how to admit defeat. Even more so when you are standing on that side.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Yeah, that could have happened. I should be grateful that even my son has a precious person who taught him that there are times when you fail in your life.¡± Claude Evanders bursted into a roar of laughter. Considering the fact that the entire family¡¯s mine was snatched away, it was quite a great laugh for him. ¡°You weren¡¯t defeated, you just lost.¡± Claude Evanders nodded his head and said, as if he kept thinking about what his son had said. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t mean that you would not care about her at all. Since you¡¯ve never lost in your life, you¡¯d be interested. To the woman who had beaten you.¡± Jason Evanders didn¡¯t deny it. Because after all, it was true that he had taken an interest in Stella. Then Claude Evanders pushed her son¡¯s back. ¡°Then what are you doing here! Don¡¯t just dawdle here and go meet her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do¡­¡± ¡°Oho, what do you think after you see there is literally your father here, I¡¯ll take care of this, so you go and get the woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You heard it, isn¡¯t there a debutante for the Princess? If you keep yourself rigid like this for the rest of your life, you are likely to die of old age while still being single. It¡¯s good to take the role of the family¡¯s successor, but there is always a chance to enjoy some fun for your age, right? Now go out of this degraded office.¡± It was a fairly large office to be called ¡®degraded¡¯, but Claude Evanders was adamant. ¡°¡­you need to meet some girls! When your youth and gorgeousness are at its peak. Now that I think about it, I was as earnest as your mother was. The speed of the running carriage would not have been comparable to my straight-forwardness.¡± With that being said, Jason was pushed out of the mansion. Perhaps it was only his father who could make him like that in his own mansion. ¡®D**m it.¡¯ Taking one step forward, Jason¡¯s aide came to give Jason a small gift that he might have prepared any time. ¡°I wish you good luck, sir.¡± Moreover he also handed Jason¡¯s jacket to his superior. The door slammed shut and Jason stared blankly at his jacket in one hand and the present in his other hand. The weather was damn good. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 *** ¡°This is the rival of His Grace the Duke!¡± The reinstated aide claimed in a passionate voice. His hand pointed toward Jason Evanders who was smiling brightly at the front page of the newspaper. Clyde¡¯s face clearly indicated he was not happy at all, but the aide continued. ¡°According to my informant, Sir Jason Evanders is a gentleman with the highest prestigious reputation of the Empire, he was also desired by many young noble ladies of high society. Would that be all? He was also the representation of ¡®Velvian¡¯ which implied for the nobles of the Velvice Empire. He¡¯s the most handsome businessman in the Empire, and regarding his famous mine¡­¡± ¡°¡­cut to the chase.¡± ¡°So we have to prepare everything thoroughly. Isn¡¯t the late debutante of the Second Princess coming soon? You should work hard from now on if you want to stand beside Her Highness because it would be really meaningful to become her partner in such an iconic ball! You must prepare and gain the approval of the Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ ¡± The Duke gave up after agonizing over whether to find a new and less talkative aide or not. ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan?¡± In the future, he was going to not keep the information from his aide floating in his head if all of it was simply worthless. ¡°¡­about that, so this information is very, very, very difficult to get¡­¡± Peter Gilworth pushed out his chest and said with a proud look. ¡°¡­but this gentleman also has weakness. Right, I¡¯ve heard that Sir Evanders made a huge mistake that curdled Her Highness¡¯ heart.¡± Gilworth nodded eagerly at the Duke¡¯s doubtful face. ¡°It¡¯s true. It¡¯s really true. Sir Evanders has handed over information regarding the commoner family of Her Highness the Second Princess to the Imperial Family¡­¡­ Eek!¡± Bang! Peter Gilworth shrank back at the sound of the duke hitting his hands against desk. The Duke was furious. Gilworth shook his shoulders while watching his superior, suddenly felt as if the air around them became heavy. ¡°Then.¡± The Duke spoke coldly. ¡°What happened afterward?¡± ¡°I-I swear I don¡¯t know what happened after that! The maid, who gave me information, said that a letter stamped with the seal of the Evanders family was delivered to Her Majesty the Empress, and the detail of the letter is¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s what the detail is about. So, the Duke somehow managed to trace the Princess¡¯ savior quickly and brought them.¡± ¡°So he held the precious people of the Princess as hostages?¡± ¡°No, sir. I mean¡­¡± ¡°So he locked them up in his mansion?¡± ¡°What are you saying?! It¡¯s just a necessary protection for those who are in need of it¡­¡± ¡°And that Princess Stella seems incompetent from your perspective.¡± ¡°¡­b-but it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°The debutante wasn¡¯t that important.¡± Clyde got up from his seat. If Jason Evanders indeed knew information regarding Stella¡¯s commoner family and handed it over to the Imperial Family. If that was true. If Jason was holding Stella¡¯s weaknesses and dared to threaten her with that. If that was the reason why Stella returned to the Imperial Family. If it was true that Karen Ethelanche had something to do with this. He couldn¡¯t just stand still. ¡°I¡¯m going to that damned Evanders.¡± Gilworth had a troubled look on his face. If his rigid master ¡­¡­.has asked him to seek such valuable information, he should¡¯ve used it to gain the upper hand over Sir Jason Evanders! What a waste of time and force to knock down Evanders, who was said could make the ocean with the amount of gold he has? Gilworth spoke helplessly but he felt like his anger was burning inwardly. ¡°I¡¯ll get the carriage ready¡­.¡± Gold and sword would collide against each other. It was absolutely not exciting news for Gilworth, who was aiming for a long and transparent life. *** At that time, Jason Evanders was drinking tea in the drawing room of the Imperial Family. The maids blushed and kept glancing at him through the crevice of the opened door. They wondered what he did here. The ladies spoke in whispers as they walked down the hallway. Even though they were the Imperial Family, they were unaware of the fact that they would have to visit Jason Evanders directly if they wanted to meet him. But who made the gentleman come here? That was what made them interested. The maids who didn¡¯t know about the situation kept wondering, while the servants of the First Princess were flattered because they were able to serve him. The person he wanted to meet even kept him waiting for half an hour. Jason Evanders looking alternately between the cold black tea and his pocket watch. The pocket watch in his hands shook due to the force of his grip. His cold eyes flickered on the smooth surface of the clock, and then his calm face would look ahead as if nothing had happened. Jason Evanders closed the lid of his watch and tossed it back in his pocket jacket. He was sarcastic to her by saying that there was no letter or appointment beforehand, but he somehow ended up doing exactly the same thing to her. ¡®Father¡¯s personality really isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡¯ His short-tempered nature remained the same ever since he was a child. Thirty minutes had passed by. When he thought that, the door of the drawing room opened. Jason suppressed the boiling anger in his mind and fixed his expression. ¡°The Empire¡¯s Second Princess, Your Highness Princess Stella Ethelanche, has entered.¡± He rose from his seat at the voice welcoming the Princess and greeted her with courtesy. Their eyes met. *** The first thing I decided to do today was to find the owner of the letter Karen had given to me. ¡°¡­your letter.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Take the d**n emerald necklace you left in my room and this f***ing letter.¡± The letter was sent to me by Jean Vezelle, the most famous designer in the Empire. I will eventually have to prepare for the dress because my debutante wasn¡¯t far away anymore, and I didn¡¯t intend to refuse the offer he gave me. Apparently, Jason¡¯s clothing store was the best in the Empire. It was said that he almost monopolized the market. However, actually it was Jean Vezelle who broke that down with just one aptitude. Jason tried to use me as a scandal to raise the value of his business. Thus, I thought the most perfect way to harass him was by joining forces with Jean Vezelle. I didn¡¯t intend for Jason¡¯s plan to happen. And¡­. ¡°I have someone I want to go with. Not you, but someone else.¡± I thought of Clyde when I picked up the letter. Why don¡¯t I ask him to come with me? I had that thought for quite some time. When I came up with such a perfect plan and was about to get out of the palace, Jason Evanders came. ¡°Tell him to return, ah no need.¡± I still needed him. I hate to admit this, but I was still using his mercenaries in order to protect my family. I deposited a huge amount of money in his bank. ¡°¡­tell him I¡¯ll be there, please wait a little longer.¡± I was upset, but I thought I had to hear what he was about to say. But still, I didn¡¯t want to see him just yet. After the maid went out, I sat in front of the tea table inside the room and read the letter quietly. Half an hour would be enough. That was when I finally got up from my seat after keeping him waiting until now. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t come for no reason, and he must¡¯ve had a secret plan in his mind.¡¯ ¡°The Empire¡¯s Second Princess, Your Highness Princess Stella Ethelanche, has entered.¡± Jason rose from his seat to show his courtesy. After receiving his greeting half-heartedly, I sat leisurely on the chair that the servant had pulled out for me. He was extremely relaxed for a person half an hour late. I spoke while putting an arrogant look on my face as if I was merely able to control my anger. ¡°I heard the rule is to make an appointment first then pay a visit afterwards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, come to think of it. That¡¯s what you¡¯ve said.¡± ¡°It would be better for the meeting to take place at the time which would be settled by both of us after the Princess sent a letter to me, Your Highness. Of course the Princess is a precious customer, but time is also valuable. Especially for me.¡± ¡°¡­I thought we were no different from each other.¡± He retorted. I thought he was referring to the moment when I pushed open his office door without any warning. Of course I didn¡¯t keep quiet this time. ¡°Like I said before, I¡¯m not a lady, Viscount. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have such a high-minded brain to follow that noble common sense. But I thought you would be different from me because you¡¯re a noble. Aren¡¯t you?¡± All the while, she spoke those words with a perfect Velvian accent. Velvian accent was a pronunciation that could be spoken perfectly among the high-class nobles, only used by 0.3% of the overall population in the Empire. Jason frowned, but soon regained his expression. ¡°¡­Many apologies would still not be enough in order for me to be forgiven by the Princess because I¡¯ve been handing over information about the Princess¡¯ adoptive parents to the Empress.¡± ¡°I sincerely apologize for my rudeness. Ms. Client, but like I said, I had my own reason to do that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand your situation. You must¡¯ve wanted to test me. Because you wouldn¡¯t have given a million dollars to a foolish commoner so you wanted to test me to see if I was clever enough to read your intentions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And since you¡¯ve given me the money, you must¡¯ve intended to use me for your gossip as well, so that I can be a little bit of help to Evanders Family. Because you are a businessman. Yeah, I could see through that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But in the midst of the process, the Viscount had threatened my beloved ones twice. Let¡¯s say what happened the first time you took my family¡¯s power and threatened me with it was because Karen might have asked you to do so before we signed the contract. But now, the second time, no matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s unacceptable for me.¡± I couldn¡¯t forgive him for telling the Empress about the whereabouts of my adoptive family for whatever reason. ¡°I told you, Viscount, don¡¯t play and took an interest in the little beast¡¯s family.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± I got up from my seat after saying those words to him. ¡°All the while, you came here presumptuously and wasted my precious time. Someone who is originally able to manage his time thoroughly.¡± ¡°¡­here.¡± He rose from his seat with a look that could barely hold back his own anger. I¡¯m sure it was because his extraordinary pride had been damaged. He walked to stand right in front of me and looked down at me. His shadow was turned against the light which covered myself. ¡°I didn¡¯t waste half an hour of my precious time waiting for you only to hear this, Your Highness. I¡¯m here to settle an offer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Like you have used me once, you still have a second chance to use me. You needed me from the beginning, Ms. Client.¡± He looked down and made eye contact with me, blocking me in that way. His lips curved gently. ¡°Isn¡¯t it much more worthy rather than finding unnecessary attachment and seeking attention for a thorough interest?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you with your debutante. Please let me be your partner. What I will gain is the Princess¡¯ reputation, and I will introduce you to some of the socialites who were worthy to be acknowledged in society in return.¡± He added. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve known about the general knowledge that a woman should not speak to a man first¡­. That, if you know how to use a Velvian accent perfectly.¡± In the Imperial society, the woman must remain quiet until her father introduces her to another man. Because that was the courtesy of a Lady. It could be considered rude or disrespectful if women was thinking of walking up near a man and introduced themselves on their own. Jason Evanders was the center of society, almost becoming the person at the top of it. It would be a huge privilege for me if he would step up and introduce me to socialites in the society. He was the friend of the nobles, and the Imperial family was once ruined by them. It was foolish of me to reject Jason¡¯s offer if I, the Princess of the Imperial Family, ever wanted to gain the favor of the nobles. If I don¡¯t want to be escorted by the country¡¯s Crown Prince, it would be a huge loss to refuse his offer in particular. Someone had to introduce me to the nobles. ¡°Is it your favor as well, this time?¡± ¡°This time it¡¯s purely my favor.¡± It was what he said as he corrected the article. He replied after a short while. ¡°Yes.¡± The unexplainable emotion on his face was conveyed through his answer. I said with a smirk. ¡°Then I won¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°Wh-what did you say?¡± ¡°I said I will not use it.¡± ¡°¡­For what reason?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing cheaper than a favor given from a traitor.¡± ¡°If you thought I¡¯d be happy with your cheap favor, you¡¯re completely wrong, Viscount.¡± He looked completely stunned. ¡°See you at the banquet hall.¡± It has always been easy to pass him. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 *** ~~~ The pattern is standardized when noble girls who have enough money in Velvice pay a visit to designer Jean Vezelle¡¯s boutique. They walked in and took a quick look around his boutique and said. ¡°How much is this all from here to there?¡± ¡°Give me the most valuable and expensive one here. Please give me everything and the rest in this place.Because I can¡¯t stand the sight of other girls buying those as well.¡± The price of his dresses has sky-rocketed at once, but it was no surprise. This place was none other than the Velvice Empire. Moreover, the wealth in Velvice was equal to wealth owned by countries all over the world. No matter how rich the royal family of neighboring countries was, most of their wealth couldn¡¯t even equate to Velvice¡¯s. Certainly, their hopes to be called ¡®super rich¡¯ vanished the moment they met Jean Vezelle. They would take out a blank check, scribble down their signature and said to him while keeping their chin up high in the air with an arrogant look on their face. ¡°How much do you need?¡± Then he would explain. Thank you so much for liking his dresses, and it is always a pleasure for him to make a dress for them. He could only make a single dress for one person. And the dresses displayed here were his work portfolios and that he wouldn¡¯t sell them. And he convinced them. That he would make one distinctive dress for them who were special enough to walk into here. He was inspired from the extraordinary people he had met, he took pleasure in conveying it into a dress. He wouldn¡¯t have been this famous if he was all about having fun for his own pleasure, but because he was even doing good at what he liked to do. Luckily, he knew what people liked and his preference was luxury. He was a genius needed in this era. His dress never failed to satisfy the client¡¯s demand and swept across the Velvice community like a storm. Then the ¡®Jang Vezelle¡¯ craze began and became the talk of the town, the beauty and extravagance eventually became more important than the function of the clothing itself. Where did the lace come from, how many jewels they used, and how the fabric of the dress was cutted out! The dresses that represented the luxury of the Velvice Empire were carrying out the level of extravagance as well as his pride. His dress sketches were still being traded, praised, and became some sort of icon among the nobles in other countries. Therefore, some even called Jean Vezelle the ¡®leading figure in the Clothing Renaissance.¡± He had a strange customer who came up with that. Which cornered him and wasn¡¯t able to come up with an answer. ¡°¡­don¡¯t you like it?¡± When Princess Stella Ethelanche came to his boutique, he was full of confidence. His design would certainly impress her. But after looking at the sketch for a while, she just said, ¡°It¡¯s definitely pretty.¡± Jean Vezelle nodded as if waiting for her to say more. She then said, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be uncomfortable if made like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think it would be difficult for me to move my arms, and my waist¡­ it would be hard for me to breathe.¡± He wondered if this was a ¡®rational¡¯ question or a ¡®senseless¡¯ question. No one in high society has ever asked him such a question. Up until now, clothes were worthwhile as long as they looked beautiful, so he was going to make such dresses in the future as well. But it could appear as a defect in the beauty of the dress if she wanted it to be compromised around that area, so Jean Vezelle paused to dwell on what he was going to say. Then he told Stella. ¡°So how would you like the design to be modified, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± She looked at the design and said, ¡°I have to tell you scrupulously since I¡¯m not an expert in this, but I still want the dress to be comfortable enough when I wear it.¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a design that allows me to move my arms freely at all since I will not wear a corset under my dress¡­ I want you to loosen the dress. I thought it would be better to have the dress definitely opened up or draped normally on the shoulder rather than having the dress barely draped on it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Also, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for me to trip over and fall if there were this many laces? And instead of tightened around the waist like this, why don¡¯t you make a design that can trick people¡¯s eyes so that your waist will look slender?¡± Stella said to Jean Vezelle as he just blinked absentmindedly. ¡°I think luxury and extravagance are preferable. It represents nobility and nobles¡¯ consumerism certainly helps the economic cycle. But it took away the basic function of clothes itself¡­ I thought it was the part that needed to be reformed.¡± Take out the lace, not wearing a corset, open the shoulders part but if not, make sure to conceal it! If the shoulder parts were to be opened, it may not suit the tastes of some conservative nobles, which then might be considered as lecherous even at its slightest. But if the shoulder was hidden too much, of course it would be too boring, isn¡¯t it? On top of that, not wearing a corset would be a talk that can turn the society upside down. Is that all? He couldn¡¯t believe it when she demanded for the laces to be taken off as the many varieties of lace was currently a hot topic in the society. Jean Vezelle was about to faint from all this. ¡°O-of course I can do that for you.¡± He pulled himself together and spoke carefully. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, this ball is said to be the Princess¡¯ debutante. And usually, you have to follow the megatrend if you want to get approval from the majority. It¡¯s true that I prefer this design, but I hope from the bottom of my heart that Your Highness will experience a successful debutante.¡± ¡°I understand how you feel about this.¡± Stella expressed her polite gratitude to him. ¡°But this is not the dress that I wanted.¡± ¡°It may be a dress that the nobles of the Empire wanted, but not for me.¡± She wondered for a bit and then said so. ¡°Maybe some people would think that way as well?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Maybe there are people who want comfortable and beautiful clothes, but they just didn¡¯t realize it until now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­but still.¡± People are yearning for unexpected things, but at the same time they fear it, Your Highness. He wanted to say that, but he couldn¡¯t spat it out when he saw the glisten in the Princess¡¯ eyes. He spoke up after a long silence engulfed both of them. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know, Your Highness. Well, there¡¯s a ¡®rule¡¯ in the Empire¡¯s society. And¡­¡± The Princess laughed at his words. It was not a wicked laugh, but a refreshing one, as if the morning dew encompassing the leaves. Stella said to Jean Vezelle who looked at her with a startled face. ¡°It reminded me of someone who told me the same thing.¡± ¡°¡­perhaps you didn¡¯t understand the rules because it wasn¡¯t long after you arrived at the palace.¡± ¡°So what did they tell you, Your Highness?¡± The Princess just smiled at his question. When he saw that smile, perhaps Jean Vezelle already knew how he would make the dress exclusive just for Princess Stella. The Princess was a person who could not be measured with anything that she had in her hand. *** In certain areas, the privilege of overlooking the lower part of the empire from the top was granted. This meant overlooking the Empire with a different perspective unlike others from the higher places. The judgment which was formed out of them, more acquaintances from various places and more information. To have all three of them and win over the empire. It would be like looking at a swarm of ants moving around from a human sight. It was the way to read the flow of this huge society. In order to see what others couldn¡¯t see. And there were Jason Evanders in that position getting curious about the judgment of nobles in the Empire about Stella. So he wanted to make Stella a muse so that all nobles would be envious and pay attention to her. ¡®Evanders¡¯ also wanted to make her the muse of his huge legacy. The savior that was wanted and desired by the nobles. He represented their interests, being wise at the same time, smart, and of noble descent. They yearned for such a savior. Since the current emperor is a mad tyrant who will go down in history, it is understandable. The nobles wanted the Emperor to take pity on them after they got fed up with His Majesty¡¯s reign of terror, and they wanted to speak their interests to him. They needed an emperor who could listen to their voices. Joseph, the Prince who symbolized the sun, wasn¡¯t an attractive choice for them. Alexander, the great-grandfather and ¡®the Empire of the Sun¡¯ of the Crown Prince was the heir as well as the emperor of the Sun who could wield an absolute amount of power. Alexander led the golden era of the Velvice Empire, the majority of conquests wars also took place in his generations. His widened territory was record-breaking and could not be challenged. Back in those days, the people of the Empire were so patriotic that they were waving the Empire¡¯s flag like crazy. The nobles haven¡¯t been able to speak out in those days. How was ¡®Blood and Iron Monarch¡¯ going for Carlos, who was in fact, Alexander¡¯s son? Carlos II ¡®the King of the Moon¡¯, who invented the saying, ¡®When the day passes by, the night falls¡¯ settled numerous laws and policies to form a solid system for the Empire. He reestablished the great estates that his father had left behind and stabilized the empire. Among them, his best effort were the strengthening of Imperial power. He made sure that the heads of the territories that his father had acquired could never rebel against them. Perhaps that was the reason why nobles were as quiet as they were at this time. The next emperor in line was the current emperor, a mad tyrant who wasn¡¯t as capable as his father or grandfather, but longed for the same authority like both of them. Of course, the nobles smelled the new emperor¡¯s incompetence better than anyone else. They tried desperately to build their strength around this time, but they were oppressed and their necks were blown away by the emperor¡¯s madness. Then they thought they would succeed in committing the treason, but the Imperial Palace managed to return. Because of the crazy duke of Clyde Darrenhill who jumped into the game when they almost won. He alone made people drive people crazy and jumped around, but commoners didn¡¯t call such a duke as ¡®the Guardian of Heaven¡¯ or even praise him as a ¡®hero¡¯. The nobles have been fed up enough. Now all they wanted was a friendly and communicative Emperor. A good and wise king. Due to that, the nobles held high expectations for Stella. The miraculous star of the Princess which moved and fled to the sky when the empire was at stake. Hundreds of stars in the sky appeared when she finally returned a decade later. They would listen to the words of those who were suffering and getting worn out. Not only the commoners who managed to find comfort when they looked to the stars. Nobles who were terribly tired were also comforted by the stars. The mythical and transcendent return of Stella was their only hope. In such a situation, how grateful they must have been when she helped the nobles who were in crisis by creating a foundation. With very limited information about her and only her debut which was just around the corner, the nobles¡¯ expectations skyrocketed even more. So Jason needed Stella. He wanted Stella to be Evanders¡¯ face before she was becoming anyone¡¯s. Gaining Stella¡¯s favor was thus, the biggest and greatest goal in Jason¡¯s life these days. But it wasn¡¯t easy. First, Stella wasn¡¯t stupid enough to do as he wanted. Stella was far from stupid and quite clever for Jason to be able to read through her. He felt she was ¡®reading through¡¯ him when he was with her. It was shocking for him who had been ¡®reading¡¯ through people all his life. And second, she also raised a faithful wolf. ¡°My Lord, Duke Clyde Darrenhill is here to see you¡­¡± Bang. ¡°Jason Evanders.¡± This one was also very annoying. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The aide was clearly in utter confusion as he led Clyde to Jason¡¯s office. Even more when Clyde kicked Jason¡¯s office door open. It was said that he was an illegitimate child. The aide made an eye gesture to Clyde. He turned his head and quickly looked at his superior. Sir Jason Evander would drive this senseless b****rd out. This rudeness of him that had gone beyond common sense had to be corrected, even though he was a duke. Of course his noble master would be willing to do it. But contrary to the secretary¡¯s expectation, Jason Evanders smiled politely and walked to the Duke, reaching out for his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve come a long way.¡± The duke frowned while staring at Jason Evanders¡¯ hand as if he had anything on it. The duke naturally did not react to the handshake. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know how you found out about the Princess¡¯ foster parents.¡± ¡°Please receive my handshake first.¡± Jason Evanders grabbed the Duke¡¯s hand. The Duke¡¯s forehead was contorted, as if his grip was much stronger than expected. ¡°Then, let¡¯s have a conversation.¡± Jason smiled as if nothing had happened after letting go of his hand. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we still have enough time?¡± The atmosphere between the two men was ominous. *** ¡°Your Highness the Princess.¡± Karen Ethelanche drank the tea from her cup quietly without any expression. The maid who was standing next to her said. ¡°His Lord Jason Evanders personally came here to meet Princess Stella directly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Sir Jason and Lady Karen had a close mutual relationship as dear friends.¡± Karen¡¯s teacup was placed back quietly on the plate. Then the chief maid said carefully. ¡°However, if you two don¡¯t have any more deal with each other, the monthly contribution given by Evanders to the Imperial Family will be¡­¡± It was a well-known fact that Evanders was giving money to the imperial family in the name of contribution. The returning Imperial Family was poor and unstable, while on the opposite the Evanders Family were prosperous and needed authority to depend on. The Imperial Family received money and turned a blind eye from Evans¡¯ solo lead family. Evanders built the ¡®Evanders¡¯ Kingdom¡¯ which harmed the Empire along with the Imperial Family behind it. That was their deal. The representative for the deal of the Imperial side was Karen Ethelanche. For Evanders¡¯ side was Jason Evanders. The deal that had been going on was broken off with the return of Stella. The Evanders Family no longer contributed to the Imperial Family. ¡°It was said that His Majesty has spent almost all of the money he has saved to plan a grand coronation for Her Highness the Princess Stella. And also funds to further expand the scale of the Princess¡¯ debutante.¡± ¡°My father always did that.¡± Karen looked at the empty teacup and said. It was more like a small murmur. ¡°¡­he was always obsessed with useless things. For a worthless empty shell. Even if he was here, he still wouldn¡¯t make any difference.¡± Karen didn¡¯t know how the glory of the infinite honor of the Imperial Family was extinguished and how the national treasury ended up ruined. ¡°Your Highness!¡± The chief maid urged her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such a thing about His Majesty.¡± ¡°This is not the time when the authority of the Imperial Family is more important than ever, is it? His Majesty is using this event as an opportunity to show the infinite honor of the Imperial Family to the entire empire. It¡¯s the debutante of Princess Stella, who was no different than anyone else, so it won¡¯t be a disgrace to the great Velvice Empire if it¡¯s just held on a simple scale.¡± ¡°But no one knew she was an empty shell.¡± Now, and ever since ten years ago. Karen laughed scornly. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Get out of here, Lady Fairfax.¡± Only then did Karen turn her head away and look up at the maid. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± The chief maid simply bowed her head and left the moment she felt like the misery has bern revealed in Karen¡¯s scornful laugh. Karen stared blankly at the tea table. One corner of her mouth was pulled up. ¡°Seems like some people have been keeping an eye on the merchants every time while feeling happy when our deals that I¡¯ve been working on had broken off, but my one and only lovely brother had gone out to buy a dress, so it will be a good thing to sell.¡± Please fail. Karen cursed Stella. She wished for the girl to somehow trip on her own foot. She hoped repeatedly in her heart. *** ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward since you are curious about this.¡± Jason Evanders was still calm when he faced Clyde who felt his anger arose. Jason spoke in a calm voice. ¡°First of all, I have to explain about the relationship between the Princess and me.¡± Clyde¡¯s expression was visibly contorted at his words. The relationship between him, and the Princess. Jason thought to himself and giggled inwardly. It was really simple. Was there anyone else who could show their facial expressions so well? ¡°Her Highness¡­¡± Jason deliberately paused for a moment. ¡°¡­is my customer.¡± ¡°Customer?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s literally my customer.¡± Jason¡¯s aide who was standing next to Jason then handed a document to the Duke. The Duke put the documents on the desk without even bothering to read them. Jason said while raising one corner of his mouth slightly. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m sorry, sir. I forgot that you can¡¯t read.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Clyde glared at Jason as if he was going to kill him, but Jason opened his mouth, not minding the deadly gaze. ¡°It is about the Imperial¡¯s watchdog.¡± Watchdog. Which is a dog that protected the house. Clyde didn¡¯t fall for the man¡¯s provocation even though it was an obvious expression of ridicule. Jason said. ¡°Even though you have earned the status of the Duke, your unofficial status is only the Imperial Family¡¯s watchdog at best. And you are just the head of those lowly things which roamed the streets. ¡­The Guardian of Heaven who was just supported by the commoners, illegitimate children, slaves, and others? That¡¯s good, but what does that mean in this era of peace?¡± ¡°I asked you, how did you know about Princess Stella¡¯s family?¡± ¡°That is something I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± The glass plate on the wooden desk was smashed into pieces because of the Duke¡¯s hand that was slammed on it. Blood dripped out from the Duke¡¯s clenched fist. Jason said without losing his composure. ¡°Why should I tell you my customer¡¯s information? Now, you have to know that I have already done my job which is to give my precious time to you like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m wasting my time because I think you deserve it.¡± ¡°You know about it.¡± With a loud roar, the luxurious wooden table fell to the side with a loud roar. It was a fairly heavy table, but with the strength of the Duke¡¯s arm, it fell to the side easily as if it was just a mere toy. The glass broke into pieces on the floor along with a huge shattering sound. The Duke spoke with bloody eyes while holding onto Jason by his collar. ¡°¡­why did Ethel have to become Princess Stella in just one night?¡± The Duke¡¯s voice was unmistakably trembling with pure rage. The answer came after a long while. ¡°I don¡¯t know, do you think it may be because of some people inside this empire ¡­¡­sir?¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Princess Stella returned to the palace to protect her beloved commoner family.¡± ¡°From who?¡± ¡°Who could it be?¡± Jason said as he snorted. ¡°From the Imperial Family which you had tried so hard to restore, sir Duke.¡± ¡°¡­How come?¡± ¡°You must have known that the relationship between the imperial family and the Princess had been strained and fell apart. A lot of things happened. However.¡± Jason shook Clyde¡¯s hand off when he was shaken as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s my client¡¯s matter, not yours. I see no reason to tell you about my client¡¯s private affairs.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The important thing is that the Princess wanted to protect her precious family from the Imperial Family. She is currently the customer who deposited the most money in my bank. Money, authority, and do you know what she doesn¡¯t have?¡± Clyde didn¡¯t answer. Jason said as if he had been expecting it. ¡°Power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Princess who is supported by the nobles will have power. I know you¡¯re here because you certainly want to be of help to the Princess. But think about it. Do you really believe that you will be of help to the Princess? Even after you knew all of this information.¡± Jason¡¯s words continued smoothly as if he was sure of that. ¡°As an illegitimate child, and then became the leader of a revolutionary group, don¡¯t you think you have a pretty wonderful track record? The Duke isn¡¯t even worthy to be envied and didn¡¯t respected by the nobles but only a subject of fear ¡­what would happen if you were to accompany her in the debutante?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°People in the society call you a monster, sir Duke.¡± The Duke clenched his bloody fists until his fists shook uncontrollably. Even his short nails were digging into the rough flesh of his palm. Jason said, as if it was ridiculous to him. ¡°Now change the subject of the question and ask yourself this question.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°How much of this action you are currently doing is helping the Princess?¡± *** ¡°Once again, thank you very much for visiting my boutique, Your Highness. I hope you have a safe and peaceful way on your way home.¡± Jean Vezelle took off his hat and bowed politely. ¡°I would rather thank you.¡± Jean Vezelle¡¯s face was in a daze, perhaps not expecting my gratitude. ¡°Please take good care of my dress, Sir.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s an honor.¡± I nodded slightly to him and leaned my body against the back of the carriage. The door closed and soon the carriage started to depart. ¡°To the Dukedom of Sir Darrenhill.¡± It was obvious where I would be going. *** ¡°Your Grace, I know you¡¯re really heartbroken, but¡­hing!¡± The Duke¡¯s aide, Peter Gilworth, withdrew as he tried to dissuade the Duke. The Duke was losing his mind when he finally returned to the mansion. He couldn¡¯t control his anger and began to smash and destroy things placed in his office. The aides didn¡¯t know what to do in this sort of situation and started to say things which were to no avail. ¡°H-He¡¯s such a rude person¡­ I mean Sir Evanders. Your Grace is such a good Duke¡­.¡± He muttered as he picked up one of the papers that was scattered on the floor. ¡®Oh God¡­¡¯ The aide wanted the sky to help him for once and somehow send a savior to stop this mad duke. And indeed, he was lucky. ¡°Your Grace.¡± At the voice of the woman, the duke¡¯s ferocious red eyes, which people called as ¡®monster¡¯, looked up slowly and directed his gaze to the door of the office. The mansion¡¯s maid spoke up. ¡°Your Highness Princess Stella has come to see you.¡± Clyde quickly opened the door by himself and headed to the front door of his mansion. She stood behind the door like magic. Like the sunshine, so noble and beautiful which he always drew. The lady. Was here. ¡°¡­..it¡¯s Monday.¡± She said while smiling beautifully. ¡°So I decided to come today.¡± Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Clyde stared blankly at Stella for quite a while. As if he didn¡¯t expect her to remember the promise. ¡°In return, I¡¯ll meet you once a week.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s what she said to him. ¡°You have to give me a chance.¡± And she promised. He would meet her every Monday. Even at that moment, blood was still dripping from his hands. Stella carefully took Clyde¡¯s hand and looked at it with a surprised look. Those eyes which were twinkling like brown beads in the warm sun carefully examined his wounds. ¡°How did you get hurt again?¡± When Stella said so, he suddenly felt a stinging and painful pain in his hands that he had not felt earlier. This woman never failed to make him aware of the pain. Wherever her fingertips reached seemed to revive his dead sense. She gave colors to his dull life the moment she decided to approach and touch him. His heart pounded without knowing boundaries as he once again realized that fact. *** ¡°There¡¯s a piece of wood stuck in the wound.¡± Clyde thought that if getting himself hurt could eventually result with this, he would be willing to get hurt every day. Stella was concentrating solely on treating his wounds as she held his hand. ¡°¡­oh, this will hurt a little.¡± Stella picked out the small piece of wood with a pinset and put it on top of the white gauze. As the hot blood leaked out, Stella bit her lower lip when the hot blood leaked out and he was hurting even more. Clyde had a hard time controlling his feelings because of her charming appearance. His other hand that had already been treated and wrapped in bandages was trembling. His heart was tickling for no solid reason at the same time when her breath reached his stinging wound. ¡°It must hurt a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll blow it for you before disinfecting it.¡± She blew out a small puff of breath to the wound and quickly followed by coating the medicinal herbs at the gauze. ¡°It must¡¯ve hurt¡­¡± She muttered in a small voice, but he was too engrossed in looking at her profile without showing any signs of hurting. How could there be such a beautiful person? She seemed like a person who gathered up all of the hopes around the world. Being with her made him feel at ease. He felt this pleasant aura was coming out of her. ¡°It stings a little.¡± He was at loss and looked away after she flashed a smile at his gaze. His ears turned red. ¡°I¡¯m going to put on the bandage now.¡± She rummaged through the first aid kit box and pulled out a bandage. He stared at Stella¡¯s face while she wrapped the bandage around his hand. How can her lips look so lovely and pretty curved up like that? He looked at her intensely as he counted each of her breaths. She was finally done. Stella noticed Clyde¡¯s gaze when she raised her head while saying so. They looked at each other like that for quite a while without saying any words. *** ¡®Huff.¡¯ The Duke¡¯s aide, Peter Gilworth, watched the restoration of the duke¡¯s office which was suffering from utter disrepair from his rage earlier. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had just seen. ¡°Suddenly, as soon as the Princess came¡­¡± Not knowing how to deal with anger, the wild beast became docile in less than a few minutes after not knowing how to deal with his master¡¯s anger. The aide couldn¡¯t forget the duke¡¯s calm expression as he held Stella¡¯s hand while entering the mansion. The duke absolutely entrusted himself in her hands and looked at her with an affectionate look, he looked like a giant wolf wagging its tail enthusiastically in front of a woman. ¡®Yeah, the owner of the leash simply had to show up.¡¯ So that was the way¡­ He murmured forlornly. As a person who gave a huge contribution to the effort of keeping him alive, Gilworth realized that the answer he had been searching everywhere was actually not far off. ¡°His Grace has conveyed that he wanted to go out. The carriage has been prepared.¡± Gilworth nodded at the head servant¡¯s words. ¡®Thank you¡­.¡¯ Then his legs gave out and sank in his spot. The sky must have known how grateful he was to Stella, and he was deeply moved by her visit. *** When I finished wrapping the bandage around Clyde¡¯s hand, I thought I have been seeing him up close. At that time, our eyes met each other for quite a while. So, perhaps I was expecting just for a bit. Don¡¯t tell me he wouldn¡¯t ever ask me? Aren¡¯t we going to the debutante together? If he was going about becoming my partner, there wouldn¡¯t be a better time than now. But he didn¡¯t ask that. He just asked me about one thing. Would I not like to see my family a lot? He stroked my cheek using the back of his trembling hand. He carefully raised my chin with the tip of his finger and made me look at him. ¡°¡­would you like to go see them with me?¡± His face looked like he was about to tumble down at any moment. I nodded my head. I don¡¯t think anyone would try to deceive me with such a face. I would have patted his back if only he lowered his head and leaned it against my shoulder. Just like when he put me in his arms and patted my back. But when he heard that, he got up from his seat. He said he would get the carriage to be prepared. That was all. After that, we didn¡¯t do much. We just looked at the inn from afar. I saw the inn door open and then close again. It was just a simple thing, but it brought a great comfort to me because I knew that my family was safe. Did he know that I thought I was really lucky to come here with him? He didn¡¯t say anything on the way back. He didn¡¯t ask anything regarding the debutante either. ¡®I thought he would ask about it¡­.¡¯ Sometimes I think I know him, but at times like this, I feel like I don¡¯t know him completely. I thought of him as a person who I could trust, and I would ruminate on the fact that I intentionally forgot so suddenly. This person was the ¡®Guardian of Heaven¡¯ and the revolutionary leader who restored the Imperial Family. He was my childhood friend, but that fact also couldn¡¯t be ignored either. Well. Should I try to give my father or my brother a chance to be my partner? ¡®means that I¡¯m going to prioritize those who would become the master.¡¯ Then I suddenly thought. I was the one who would leave in less than six months. He knew about it, so I thought he might be trying to distance himself from me while doing the least favor because I was a member of the Imperial Family and his childhood friend. Even though sometimes the warmth he gave me was so comforting, I know that I shouldn¡¯t have expected it and trusted him completely. Like this, I get used to his warmth like a fool. I got used to him and ended up expecting it. The sky and the weather that I thought was good, as well as the noisy streets no longer felt beautiful when I realized that. It was something like that. Then, he halted on the street and I looked up at him with curious eyes. ¡°¡­jewel, do you like it?¡± He pointed to the accessories on the display stand. I liked it because it was one of the stores on the commoners¡¯ street, so it wasn¡¯t filled with luxurious things that nobles would often wear. ¡°I don¡¯t like luxurious things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me, so I don¡¯t feel like wearing it.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± I thought it was right to turn down his intention and let him pass by the store. After all, we have to say goodbye later. It seemed necessary not to get used to each other¡¯s warmth by keeping the distance between us. I wanted to leave for another place and live a better life where I could breathe easily without having to be in contact with the Imperial Family in six months. If he joined me, who had become the revolutionary leader for the Imperial Family, their shadow would follow him wherever he went. So it was the right decision to let him go. I said out of impulse. ¡°But those look pretty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Eunje¡¯s accessories¡­ I want to have it. Back when I used to be Ethel, I usually spent my day cleaning the silver cups of the nobles and silver candlesticks.¡± Then I shut my mouth because I thought I shouldn¡¯t have said that. ¡°¡­if you have said it. Let¡¯s go in now.¡± Then he walked into the store and heard a jingle, a clear sound of the bell which had just rang. What he chose was earrings. I was waiting outside because I didn¡¯t wish for the store owner to see my face, and then he handed me a small box once he came out of the store. ¡°Thank you.¡± I meant it. This gift was more valuable and precious to me than Jason Evanders¡¯ countless amounts of money and an invaluable emerald necklace he had given me. ¡°I¡¯ll wear and keep it with great care.¡± He seemed to hesitate for quite a while, but then he spoke while avoiding my eyes. ¡°It is not as good as the emerald necklace Your Highness had received but¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that necklace.¡± I said while fiddling with the wooden case he gave me. ¡°I returned it.¡± Clyde looked at me with a little surprise look, perhaps not yet hearing the news. Maybe the corrected news didn¡¯t reach him. ¡°It was a gift that didn¡¯t even suit me in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­I-¡± He frowned, but quickly controlled his expression and spoke carefully. ¡°I think that necklace looks good on Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s much better than my gift.¡± Had it been my illusion when I thought that the man¡¯s eyes when he spit out those words were shaking and hurting? He walked without saying a word after that. I stood next to him doing the same thing. There was still a long way to reach the carriage, our destination. I had to walk a little longer because I couldn¡¯t put the extravagant duke¡¯s carriage in the middle of the common people¡¯s residence. Was it because of that? I opened my mouth. ¡°But if it¡¯s given by that person.¡± Of course, I was talking about Jason Evanders. ¡°¡­I would have not received anything from him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I told him when he asked that. ¡°Because he¡¯s not the person I want to go to the ball with.¡± When I said so, his face changed. It was a really small change, but fortunately I didn¡¯t miss that. Then I, being reckless and blunt. I mustered up the courage to speak up. ¡°I want to go to the ball with you. With me.¡± Chapter 36 Chapter 36 While Stella was spending her time with the Duke, Karen simply waited for Stella to return to the Imperial Palace. What the maid said lingered in Karen¡¯s head. ¡°However, if the two of you no longer have a deal, Evanders¡¯ donation to the imperial family every month will be¡­¡± Karen¡¯s beautiful hands were clenched up firmly. She sat in front of the tea table and waited, waited, and waited for Stella to return, but, Stella didn¡¯t return. Soon after, Karen got up from her seat as she checked the time. She couldn¡¯t sit still like this anymore. She should meet her father. Her father, who would be fully immersed in the delight of the thought holding a super luxury coronation and ball. ¡°What do you mean there are too many chandeliers? As much as possible! The ceiling of the imperial palace needs to be extravagant until it can barely hang out there!¡± The emperor¡¯s voice reverberated loudly in the drawing room. ¡°Honey¡­¡± The Empress dissuaded, but the Emperor kept being stubborn. ¡°Like a banquet which was held during the Emperor Alexander¡¯s reign, my grandfather, no I mean make it more than that. Put those up a lot more. Recreate the chandelier which was hanging like a gaggle of grapes in the sky at that time! It would be even better if I turn the stairs into gold this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can we not use the stairs that the terrible aristocrats used? You over there, the one who¡¯s currently lacquering the stairs¡­ No! I mean, how much is it to change it with gold?¡± The servants looked at each other¡¯s faces as they glanced at the long list in their hands. The merchants behind them didn¡¯t have a pleasant look on their faces either. The Minister of Finance had a stressful look on his face. As soon as the door opened, the servant who stood next to the door spoke in a loud voice. ¡°The first Princess of the Empire, Your Highness Karen Ethelanche has arrived.¡± As Karen entered the huge drawing room, the emperor ran with a welcoming look and held Karen¡¯s hands tightly. As if the delighted emperor¡¯s face seemed to be clouded with lunacy as well. The Empress, who was looking at her husband, then sighed and rubbed her forehead. It wasn¡¯t the proper attitude to be seen here with servants and merchants inside the room, but the Empress did look really tired now. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Come here.¡± Regardless of that, the emperor grabbed Karen¡¯s hand and headed toward the servants and merchants. Karen shared her gaze with the Finance Minister. The Finance Minister lowered his gaze as if he had become hopeless. The Emperor said while bragging. ¡°As far as I could remember, we were talking about stairs until earlier. Karen, what do you think I should do, hm? Do you want this Father to lacquer the stairs of the Imperial Palace with gold? Or replace it with gold! Do you really want me to change it to gold entirely?¡± ¡°Please, please. I told you to decide for it. It¡¯s the first and last coronation and debutante of your younger sister, so I shouldn¡¯t prepare it carelessly, right?¡± ¡°Father.¡± Karen called coldly. Then the Emperor¡¯s face gradually stiffened by the words that came out of Karen¡¯s mouth. The emperor opened his trembling lips after a long moment of silence and said. ¡°What?¡± Karen shut her lips firmly after she was done talking. ¡°What?¡± The Emperor only let out a small yet insanely uncontrollable laughter, unable to control the twitching of his lips and grasped Karen¡¯s arms tightly. ¡°Did you say that the National Treasury¡­ is empty? And Stella, Stella had gone to the best designer of the Empire. She went to get the dress there?¡± In an atmosphere that sank to the bottom and was suffocating as if it had catched their breath, the servants had a look like they would rather choose to be dead as if they couldn¡¯t breathe because their breath had been caught in the ominous and suffocating atmosphere. *** ¡°May I take you straight to the palace?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded at the driver¡¯s question. The jewelry box that Clyde gave me as a gift was held in my hand. As soon as the carriage departed again, I carefully opened the wooden box given by Clyde with trembling hands. The earrings were really beautiful when I picked them up. Tak, I looked out of the carriage window when I had closed the case again. The passing scenery on the outside was quiet and beautiful. ¡°I want you to go to the ball. With me.¡± I keep thinking about the answer I received at that time. Now that I think about it, I had forgotten about that matter for quite a while. Clyde Darrenhill. ¡°Giddy up!¡± [T/N: I think this line was said by the carriage driver.] That kind boy was one of the people who would leave me as well. ¡°¡­But one day, the brave duck didn¡¯t come.¡± Back in my childhood, there was a boy who filled Joseph¡¯s place. The boy was reserved and didn¡¯t say much, but I was delighted when he kept staying by my side. When the boy came to the attic, I used to play the piano, give him tasty food secretly, or sing for him. I was too engrossed in a sweet fantasy when I read him a storybook. He took his fleshy hands and I let him brush slowly through the letters with his fingertips, then he began to read while stuttering the name of the letter slowly as he watched the movement of his fingertips. I had taught him to write. He read out one letter after another and soon his eyes turned to me. And then one day. ¡°The ugly duckling waited, waited, and waited, but the brave duck never came again.¡± He has never come since then. I always waited for him to come back with a slight hope, but he never did. It was particularly cold and lonely on a rainy day, so she headed to Joseph to look for Clyde, but she was thrown out relentlessly after being told by the servants she had acted rude. ¡°How is your behavior so different from the First Princess? Why do you want to meet the Crown Prince without prior notice and without showing a polite manner like an uneducated animal¡­¡± ¡°I want to see Clyde. If it was my brother, he would know where Clyde is.¡± ¡°Did you want to see that floor cleaner? Are you going to spread rumors that they are playing together and disgrace the name of the Imperial Family?¡± Back when I was still young, I spent my time alone while wishing for one thing. Wishing that Clyde would¡¯ve come back to me. But my small wish didn¡¯t come true. I was completely alone, even the stars weren¡¯t on my side either. Until the day the Imperial Family ruined miserably and fell apart. After a long time, he appeared again in front of me as Clyde Darrenhill, the so-called ¡®revolutionary leader¡¯ when I almost forgot about him. That was what I thought when his gentle warmth enveloped me. One part of my heart which hasn¡¯t yet to grow up seemed to have missed him without realizing it. Maybe that¡¯s why I was trying to forget him even more desperately. ¡°¡­I apologize, Your Highness.¡± The fact that Clyde came back, but it wasn¡¯t because of me. ¡°For the ball¡­ I think it¡¯s better for you to be with someone other than me.¡± At the same time, I recalled the moment when I sometimes decided to ignore that fact, and it hurted my heart a little. *** ¡°What do you mean that we don¡¯t have any money?¡± The loud voice of the Emperor reverberated through the huge drawing room. Karen shivered and avoided the Emperor¡¯s gaze. In spite of that, the Emperor even yelled at Karen until the veins around his neck protruded out. ¡°Why is there no money, why!? Unless you had used up all the money that f****ng Evanders gave us, we would still have money. I think we need a grant for this month!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s you! Did you use it all greedily? You didn¡¯t want your sister to get the attention at the ball. I hate that your sister¡¯s coronation are going to be so huge that it would be recorded in history.¡± ¡°I. didn¡¯t. take. it. Father.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The emperor smiled and pulled up the corner of his mouth as he kept his angry face intact. His outstanding face, his raised mouth along with his crazy gaze sent the shiver down Karen¡¯s spine. ¡°You are telling a lie.¡± ¡°Why should I¡­¡± ¡°¡­You have lied once, so why can¡¯t you do it for the second time, huh? Does your Father look funny to you now? You too, do I look funny? Tell me. Why can¡¯t you just talk!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± The Empress intervened because she couldn¡¯t bear to see it anymore. Karen looked down to the ground with the look she usually put on her face. The emperor glared at her and retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t interfere here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your daughter.¡± ¡°Do not. interfere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡± ¡°I told you to not interfere, Misella.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your daughter. Even if you don¡¯t believe me, you have to believe your daughter. Just stop ¡­now, stop making me miserable and listen to Karen¡¯s words. You have to listen to your daughter. Please?¡± ¡°Yeah, you said it really well. The mother also caused a headache as well as her daughter.¡± ¡°¡­Father.¡± ¡°I heard you sent an assassin to Stella¡¯s adoptive parents. You even make people in trouble by doing things they didn¡¯t ask you to do. You¡¯re doing such a wonderful job, Misella. I¡¯ve been telling you over and over not to touch them.¡± ¡°I should have done that.¡± ¡°Now you are talking back to me¡­¡± ¡°I had to do that, at least in that way.¡± The Empress¡¯ low-voice echoed through the silence. ¡°You are very confident. Then what kind of good things have you done in these 10 years? I¡¯ve had enough of you, honey, you spent all of the money on imitating this sort of banquet in order to become like your father? You can¡¯t imitate his abilities, so you must¡¯ve been trying to look good on the surface¡­¡± ¡°Your mouth, you¡¯d better watch your mouth. Misella.¡± ¡°¡­You were very desperate to try to build your appearance as if you were a puffer fish inflating its body, pretending to be calm toward the nobles who were keeping an eye on your throne somehow. You¡¯re telling me to do what Stella wanted to make up for that. I didn¡¯t even know she was crying quietly.¡± ¡°Would a mother who cared so much about her daughter send an assassin to your daughter¡¯s adoptive parents?¡± ¡°I just did what I had to do as a mother.¡± The Empress replied in a voice trembling with anger. ¡°I even sold off my wedding items to hire mercenaries, did you know that? I was about to bring Stella¡¯s adoptive parents and treat them well. At least I had tried to do something even if I ended up failing.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with this?¡± ¡°¡­Father.¡± ¡°Like what Karen had said. Stella, she¡¯s currently going to the high-class designer to ask for a dress, she would wear the best dress that nobles would like and you just interfered. That child knows what will help us, so she does it for us. Why did you do things I didn¡¯t tell you to do? You ruin things!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you feeling so proud after sending the assassins to the adoptive parents of your little daughter? Don¡¯t you know what we really need to do now? Our job is to keep our commendable daughter away from the cruel monster.¡± The Emperor¡¯s voice trembled with strong emotions as he said that. ¡°Now that my real youngest daughter is back, you can¡¯t give that precious child to such a monstrous duke, can you? That precious child¡­ hm?¡± When the Emperor grasped the Empress¡¯ arms while shaking them, she turned her head away as if she refused to hear him. ¡°Father.¡± Karen, who couldn¡¯t bear to that anymore then blocked the Empress by standing in front of her. ¡°P-Please stop.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please stop. Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ Ah, Father¡¯s money is given to Stella, right? Since it¡¯s on her, you don¡¯t have to fuss over useless things.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°She had lived in the house like that for her entire life. A-And she had come back home, but she gave us a chance for only 6 months at most¡­ Please think about the first thing she sees after she arrives at home after requesting a nice dress is her father yelling at her mother.¡± Karen thought she had never been as miserable as today in her entire life being Stella¡¯s older sister. Unlike her calm face, Karen spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°W-Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to be seen by her and to the precious guests who came here? As the Emperor of the Empire, you have to set an example to your subordinates¡­..¡± Ha. A dismayed laugh came out through the Emperor¡¯s lips when he heard that. Karen retracted back because she had a bad feeling about it. Hahahaha! When the emperor burst out into an insane laugh, his attendants and the merchants trembled with faces like they were predicting their death. The Emperor pointed to the merchants and said. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m going to send them out alive?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Am I going to save those who have seen my flaws with their eyes coming out alive?¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­ Please save me. Please save me, I beg for your mercy¡­.!¡± ¡°Guardian!¡± The door opened when the Emperor called the guards like a madman. ¡°The second Princess of the Empire, Her Highness, Stella Ethelanche!¡± Everyone inside the room looked at the lady behind the huge door as if they just saw a savior at that moment. ¡°I came.¡± Stella smiled brightly. But Karen was able to realize it. That the storm would come to ruin this place, since that smile was not just a mere smile. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 As soon as I arrived at the Imperial Palace, the attendants guided me to the drawing room. It was said to be the Emperor¡¯s order. They also said that the emperor had prepared a special gift for me in the room. Although their expressions were not very good when they said so. ¡°May I open the door?¡± It didn¡¯t take long to find out the source of this unpleasant feeling. ¡°No.¡± The sonorous scream of the Emperor was heard behind the door. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do that.¡± I opened the door widely with both hands and walked through it. The bright light instantly invaded right into my pupils, I could see numerous faces looking at me at the same time. ¡°The second Princess of the Empire, Her Highness Stella Ethelanche!¡± The last place my gaze went was with the face I was most reluctant to see. The emperor¡¯s eyes shook violently. I said to him looking at me without even forgetting what to say. My gaze landed on the most unwilling person I wanted to see at last. ¡°I came.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t forget to put a smile on my face. After a moment, the emperor¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°You, you, you! You came! You¡¯ve returned! Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve returned just in time, dear. We were discussing together about the preparation for your extravagant debutante ball. Of course, the coronation ceremony as well! L-Listen.¡± The Emperor held both of my hands. ¡°I recalled that you ever said you had the money you won from the bet.¡± ¡°Stop it, honey.¡± The empress murmured with her head lowered down. At that moment, the Emperor frowned, but he soon regained his composure. ¡°¡­you, I¡¯m talking to Stella right now, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you use up a little bit of that money, your returning ceremony will be completely magnificent. You can make it as magnificent as possible, can¡¯t you? As you can see, the Imperial Family will be able to hold not just one event, but two at the same time¡­¡± Karen could be seen over the Emperor¡¯s shoulder looking to the floor and bit her lower lip harder than anyone else. The Emperor continued to talk. ¡°¡­Looks like we¡¯re not in a good condition, even after six months have passed since we stayed here.¡± ¡°Are you short of money, Father?¡± I said while looking at my hand which was held by him. He wouldn¡¯t have wanted to admit the fact that he had no money when authority is far more important in his life. I shook off his hand. Then I walked past him and headed to the attendants who were all standing behind his back. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The necessary things needed for the debutante ball and¡­¡± The attendant who replied then looked at the other attendant next to her. ¡°¡­for the coronation ceremony which was planned by His Majesty.¡± I snatched the long list from the attendant¡¯s hand and read it. ¡°Well. ¡­Father.¡± I turned around after calling out the Emperor. The Emperor looked anxious when he saw the list was in my hand. It was a look hoping for me to hold this list carefully. And in that moment. Shred. Two pieces of the paper then fell down and spread on the ground. The Queen stopped breathing for a moment and soon she heard a panting sound. ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Stella Ethelanche.¡± Karen took my hand as her face was becoming pale. ¡°How can you ¡­that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need this.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­.¡± The emperor had a surprised look on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t need anything from me, I¡¯d like to hold the banquet this way.¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡± ¡°You thought about making me feel nostalgic, right? Right. The banquets from ten years ago were very extravagant.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°A banquet that will remind me of the good old days from ten years ago. I¡¯ll be very grateful for such a present, Father.¡± The Emperor folded both of his hands but didn¡¯t raise his voice to me. ¡°But do you have money to make it happen?¡± ¡°¡­Stella Ethelanche.¡± ¡°Shut up, sister.¡± [T/N: GO STELLA!!!] I retorted while still fixated on the Emperor. ¡°Among all of my assets in a total of 45 trillion gold, I don¡¯t have a single penny to give you, Father.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And yet, you still want me to stay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± I kept talking without even giving him a chance to answer. And, ¡°Afterall,¡± Shred- The budget proposal for the coronation ceremony which was being held by other attendants was also torn apart in my hand and the pieces fluttered to the floor. ¡°I didn¡¯t even want to become the Princess of the Imperial Family either.¡± *** ¡°You¡¯re not in your right mind.¡± Karen caught me as I was about to go into my room. Karen yelled as if she had waited to do so after I thought it was too troublesome to shake off her arms and decided to look behind me with an irritated face. ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s not the Princess¡¯ job to plan a ball in the first place?¡± I left the drawing room after telling the Emperor that I would take care of my own ball. I had no intention of changing my mind about this matter. ¡°I¡¯m planning it by myself because it¡¯s my money.¡± ¡°You, listen carefully. If your purpose is to win the hearts of the nobles, it¡¯s better to listen to me carefully. Stay back. Even if you are still planning to do so, put mother¡¯s name in the name of the person in charge. Did you plan to humiliate the Imperial Family? A girl who isn¡¯t even married yet¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I intend to humiliate the Imperial Family. That¡¯s true.¡± I shook Karen¡¯s arm off and told her who gave me a look as if she couldn¡¯t understand my words. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I also heard something today. The ball is absolutely owned by me as long as I use my own money. Father, mother, sister, and brother¡¯s name will not be listed even if it¡¯s in Hanja.¡± Karen shook her clenched fist as if she was just getting humiliated. I told her that. ¡°By the way, after hearing you said this, did you perhaps want to be a good daughter to your father?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even until now ¡­you¡¯re still trying really hard.¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. You, tell me. Stella Ethelanche. How would you know? The feeling of being loved. How it feels like to be their only hope, I don¡¯t know how you think of them, but I would say proudly that they are my parents.¡± ¡°How envious I am of you.¡± I wouldn¡¯t have said this easily if I didn¡¯t have my loving adoptive parents. I might not have been able to respond to Karen without having any lingering feelings. Maybe I would¡¯ve envied her a little. Even if I still had everything at that time, I wouldn¡¯t have had the lovely family that Karen had. So I felt even more grateful. Toward my adoptive parents who live well in a safe place. ¡°Then, let¡¯s see how well you do. With your parents.¡± I patted Karen on her shoulder and walked off. Karen staggered in her place, perhaps because she didn¡¯t expect that sort of reaction from me. Toward the back of my head, Karen said in the midst of anger. ¡°¡­you.¡± I stopped in my place. Because I wasn¡¯t afraid of what she was going to say. Because I didn¡¯t feel the need to run away from her. ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t know about what you have done today, huh? You work along with a designer who is admired by the nobles so you can please them. Nevertheless, don¡¯t try to run a bluff on me saying that you won¡¯t follow the implicit rules of society and listen to me. Stella Ethelanche. You¡¯ll regret it later¡­¡± ¡°Just wait and see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell me what I should do with my money. I¡¯ll take care of it by myself.¡± That was the last thing I said to her before finally walking into my room. Karen no longer refuted the word ¡®my money¡¯. *** Clyde politely refused to be my partner for the ball, he did not come to see me on Monday either after that. Three weeks passed peacefully. I¡¯ve been occupying myself with work to not bother him. I received help from Lady Agatha Fairfax and the chief maid of the Imperial Palace to plan for a great ball. She sincerely helped me with a thrilled face because she didn¡¯t expect that I would reach out to her. She recommended some reliable maids along the way. Sometimes, Mrs. Fairfax would begin talking indiscreetly about the Empress and suggesting she have a conversation with the Empress, but I didn¡¯t answer that. Lady Fairfax couldn¡¯t hide her pity for him, but she didn¡¯t suggest any further. Meanwhile, Jason Evanders would occasionally show up in the Imperial Palace and talk about useless things to me. As if we just collided against each other, he smiled brightly while handing over things such as flowers, jewelry, and opera tickets to me. Of course, I refused everything. Still, when he asked if his proposal didn¡¯t need to be looked up thoroughly, it certainly wasn¡¯t. One day, he came to the Imperial Palace with a map. Map? I was curious and then headed to the drawing room to meet him. What he brought wasn¡¯t just flowers or jewelry like usual, so she became interested. ¡°I¡¯d like to invite Your Highness someday. To Sutherland,¡± That¡¯s what he said. ¡°¡­although you are the owner of the mine, you¡¯ve never actually seen the mine itself, haven¡¯t you?¡± And he briefly explained his diamond mine. Jason¡¯s diamond mine was said to be the size of a big city in ¡®Sutherland¡¯, the southern part of the empire. I barely could hide the surprise look on his face when he spoke about that as if it were no big deal to him. ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t that explain the huge value of the mine?¡± From here. He poked the sharp tip of the compass into a map on the table. There it was. His compass spinned around in a circle for several times slowly before it was directed to one point. ¡°All of these are mining areas. Everyone here makes ends meet by the income coming from my mine. The whole city is solely for my own business.¡± Did the God also look down to us from the sky just like when he looked down at the map? ¡°Evanders is like a king here. Now my mother, Lizia Evanders, is currently running this place.¡± There was a hint of arrogance in his voice when he said so. It was a sort of attitude that indicated he was born as a noble without having the need to exclaim it. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want to visit it , when the ball has ended?¡± Of course I refused it. He left after saying that¡¯s all he had to say. Then, it was already the night before the debutante. ¡°Stella.¡± The stars in the night sky called for me and whispered gently. ¡­the debutante, it¡¯s going to be great. Lady.¡± No way. I turned around and looked at the veiled dress. Jea Vezelle made it for me. ¡°The debutante will never succeed.¡± I answered the stars confidently. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I deem to be right.¡± A lot of people have said it to me. ¡°¡­It hasn¡¯t been long since you returned to the palace, so I think you didn¡¯t understand the rules.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something the Princess should know. Well, there are ¡®rules¡¯ in the Empire¡¯s society. And¡­¡± ¡°She must wear the best dress that nobles would like¡­¡± ¡°You work along with a designer who is admired by the nobles so you can please them. Nevertheless, don¡¯t try to run a bluff on me saying that you won¡¯t follow the implicit rules of society¡­.¡± There was a thing called ¡®rule¡¯ in society. Naturally I didn¡¯t intend to act obedient. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to do well on the day of my debutante.¡± ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°Everything is according to the ¡®rule¡¯, but wasn¡¯t it a real failure to mess around with the unacceptable rules?¡± Everyone believes that I will get the support from the nobles to keep the Imperial Family in line but that was what they said without knowing me well. Debutante. Tomorrow, I wanted to show everyone that I was nobody¡¯s puppet. I felt a sense of relief without any particular reason, it might be due to the idea that I could leave this place anytime as soon as my contract with the Imperial Family was over. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Rulemaker. On the day of the debutante, Karen¡¯s satisfaction was greater than ever when she peeked at Stella¡¯s dress. ¡®God, the fair one, listened to my prayers!¡¯ Please screw up. Screw up. She only whispered it to herself, but she didn¡¯t expect her oath would¡¯ve really come true. ¡®As expected, she doesn¡¯t know anything because she is a commoner.¡¯ In Karen¡¯s perspective, Stella¡¯s dress was completely out of social custom. The shoulder parts were opened up boldly while there was no room for the corset to fit in the design, and the lace was completely moderated so it wouldn¡¯t be revealed as much, however was inflated moderately so it would flutter glamorously when she danced. That was the problem. In society, it was essential to use up all of the laces when defining a perfect dress. Moreover, who does the shoulder design part like that? Although the perfect beauty was keeping it from falling down as if it was about to fall down the shoulder and narrowed moderately. Karen clicked her tongue. Even the adequate amount of jewelry used in it was also other things which made her shake her head. The jewels put in the right place of Stella¡¯s dress were splendid and dazzling, but that was just it. It was a general trend in which the amount of jewels used on dresses became a hot topic on their own. But that was an ¡®anachronistic¡¯ kind of dress. Karen was in a good mood for the whole day while thinking about Stella who would surely fail. Even Stella Ethelanche, who she thought was extraordinary, has at one flaw in herself. The pitiful girl didn¡¯t know how to read the trend at all! And apparently, it seemed like the girl didn¡¯t have a partner. How many people would laugh at her at the ball? Of course, she could¡¯ve pointed this out solemnly as an older sister. ¡°Don¡¯t ever tell me what I should do with my money. I¡¯ll take care of it by myself.¡± She hasn¡¯t been in her good mood ever since that day. What¡¯s the point of doing favorable things to others? Karen thought so. ¡°¡­His Highness Joseph Ethelanche, Her Highness the First Princess Karen Ethelanche, and Her Highness the Second Princess, Stella Ethelanche had arrived.¡± The attendant of the ballroom said while hitting the baton, announcing the beginning of the debutante ball. Karen tightened her clasped hands in her partner, Joseph¡¯s arms. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand still like that, smile beautifully.¡± Karen whispered in Stella¡¯s ear when she stood next to her. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before you can¡¯t smile like that anymore.¡± Karen spoke with an indulgent look toward Stella, who didn¡¯t even bother to change her expression. ¡°You go first. You¡¯re the star of today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was hoping for afterall.¡± Karen laughed inwardly as she watched Stella walking ahead slowly. As expected, the ballroom was petrified. Some musicians forgot to play and looked at Stella with a piercing gaze and how great the shock was displayed on the nobles¡¯ face. The ladies looked at Stella quietly with their keen eyes from behind the fan, and the rest of the crowd didn¡¯t open their mouths either. Stella¡¯s appearance was indeed shocking. ¡®I appreciate the effort, but you¡¯re going to be cancelled now.¡¯ Karen laughed secretly and sneered at her. After a while, the nobles began to talk with puzzled looks after they pulled themselves together. ¡°Her Highness the 2nd Princess walked into the ballroom without a partner? Oh my god, how could this kind of thing happen¡­.¡± ¡°Moreover, that dress! It¡¯s my first time seeing that kind of dress in my entire life.¡± ¡°Who designed this? Ah, since Her Highness is said to be close to Lord Evanders, it might have been the work of ¡®Elvione¡¯.¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s hard to put it into words, but there is a bit of this new feeling. But still, I found such a dress unacceptable. I don¡¯t think she knows the least etiquette because she isn¡¯t wearing a corset. Even the designer who designed such a dress is inexcusable.¡± ¡°But it still looks comfortable.¡± A voice intervened their talk. It came from a woman with long black hair and sparkling blue eyes. She¡¯s Angelica Lizze. Before Stella returned, she was the richest female in the empire and the woman who was called as the heiress according to the rumor. She inherited about 2.605 trillion gold from the early death of her father, Guistaf Lizze. Apparently, she was a woman who would never meet anyone unless a small number of her acquaintances and was very reluctant to engage in outside activities, but what brought her here? The voices erupted from all over the room even before people¡¯s curiosity could be resolved. ¡°It¡¯s true that we¡¯ve never seen such a dress before.¡± ¡°Like Angelica Lizze said, the girl does look really comfortable in it.¡± ¡°By the way, who is Her Highness looking for?¡± It was customary for the ball¡¯s star to do the first dance of the ball. People could finally dance after the first dance was over. Princess Stella didn¡¯t have any intention to dance, and seemed to be looking around for someone. Karen waited for Stella to fall into the abyss as she watched Stella just like that. ¡®The engagement with the duke has been annulled.¡¯ As she expected, it¡¯s a debutante without a partner, isn¡¯t it? I thought it would be quite a view. Karen derided Stella for the messed up debutante that she would remember for the rest of her life. *** ¡°Are you out of your mind!¡± Peter Gilworth, the Duke¡¯s aide, still had a neck attached to his body even after he dared to ask if her superior was not ¡®in his right mind.¡¯ The duke might not go to Princess Stella¡¯s debutante ball because of that. Gilworth could not understand the duke¡¯s decision at all. The Duke was absorbed in his work without even giving Gilworth his usual murderous gaze. Then Gilworth said while punching his chest as if he was about to die of frustration. ¡°Your Grace. It¡¯s Princess Stella¡¯s ball, not just anyone else. No matter how hard it is for you, you still have to show your face at the ballroom¡­ Hick, I-I know that I¡¯m talking about a lot of nonsense, but still. Isn¡¯t that my job? To assist Your Grace.¡± ¡°Your job is to keep your mouth shut, be quiet and do your job well.¡± ¡°Are you really going to lose Her Highness the Princess to Lord Jason Evanders?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s Princess Stella¡¯s debutante. The miracle that Your Grace has been hoping for is happening right before our eyes.¡± The aide let out a sigh when the duke only clenched his hand but pretended to not hear it. He wasn¡¯t going to use this sort of method until earlier, but His Grace had been acting too much. As if he had been waiting for this, Gilworth took out the daily newspaper behind his back and showed it to the Duke. Jason Evandez¡¯s handsome face naturally displayed on the front page of the newspaper. ¡°That is what this person said. The position and history of Your Grace will only hinder Princess Stella. That¡¯s why Your Grace refused to apply as a partner for the Princess. I know. I do not dare to say that I understand your feelings, but I do know how things are going here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But can you really believe in Lord Evanders¡¯ words? Are you going to accept what this person has said and just stay here as you are now?¡± Only after that did the duke look at Gilworth with the gaze which had been directed toward the desk. ¡°You should not forget that this is the person who disclosed information about the Princess¡¯ adoptive parents to the Imperial Family. It must have been because he deliberately used this kind of trick to separate Your Grace from the Princess! Now hurry up¡­¡± Even before Gilworth was able to finish his words, the duke got up from his seat and quickly headed outside. He knew his superior would¡¯ve done that. Gilworth followed the duke while wondering. ¡°I knew this would happen, so I prepared a tailcoat beforehand. No, what if you just leave as you are now? Your Grace, Your Grace!¡± The voice of the aide reverberated throughout the duke¡¯s mansion once again. *** My plan was simple. First, I would walk quietly into the ballroom to find Clyde. And ask him to be my partner once again. In society, unmarried women knew they shouldn¡¯t have to talk to men first, but I didn¡¯t want to even care about such a custom in the slightest bit. I wanted to do my first dance with Clyde. I wanted Clyde to see me in this dress. And since it was my first time paying attention to myself in times like this, my heart trembled at each step on my way of approaching him. But Clyde was nowhere to be seen, and my heart just grew even more nervous than before. People¡¯s murmur grew louder and louder as time passed by. I wouldn¡¯t have understood the situation where the Princess was desperately looking for someone when she was supposed to do the first dance. I was looking over here and there for a while before my body bumped against a person who was walking toward the opposite side and my shoulder was trembling. ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± I tried to get past him quickly, but then I heard a voice. ¡°Your Highness.¡± It was a familiar voice, so I looked up and saw Jason Evanders right in front of me. Numerous eyes were following his figure and fixed on his back. He straightened my tilted tiara and looked at me quietly. When I greeted him with a nod and tried to get past him, he cut off my way. I gave him a glare once so that no one could see it, however he tilted his head toward my side when I was about to walk away again. Soon, a low whisper was heard in my ear. ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even need your help, just get out of my way.¡± ¡°If the Princess was looking for the duke, he would not come to the ball today.¡± He held my wrist tightly while still whispering in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re even more beautiful today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense¡­.¡± ¡°I already had.¡± With that word, he slid his hand which was still holding into my wrist and linking his finger between mine. ¡°I¡¯ve been saying a lot of nonsensical things, Ms. Client.¡± It looked like a tight grip was holding onto my hand. It was at that moment when my hand was buried in his big one. The ballroom stirred. ¡°If it was me, I wouldn¡¯t have left a woman like you alone even just for a moment.¡± His low laughter tickled my ears. He skillfully slid his hand into my hair and lifted my chin as I glared at him. ¡°This time, can¡¯t I just ask the Princess to dance with me without having to pay with something in return? ¡°Let go of your hand before I step on your foot.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give you a chance to step on my foot as well. Your Highness.¡± He spoke arrogantly. ¡°People are watching. Do you not want to dance with me?¡± It seemed like all the eyes of people were fixated in this direction. The women whispered something behind the fan, and some of them even looked at Jason¡¯s back with surprised looks. They seemed to believe that the Velvet Daily scandal was true even though it had already been corrected at that time. The gentlemen stared at Jason with curious eyes. Among them, some who knew about Jason¡¯s nature looked at the situation as if it couldn¡¯t get any more interesting. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Let go of my hand. Unless you do not intend to hear the answer.¡± I took a step back and widened our distance as soon as he did what I said. Jason looked as if he wanted to approach me right away and get a hold of my hand again, but I hid it behind myself. I spoke as if everyone was listening after looking around. ¡°I realize this is the perfect time to tell people about our scandal allegation which was a lie, Viscount.¡± ¡°¡­What are you doing right now?¡± He talked in a small voice. I said while tapping my palm on his shoulder as if I understood everything regardless of what he actually meant to say. ¡°With the amount of attention we¡¯re getting which is the most notable thing for this purpose, I meant to ask you to give up this time, right here. That was a really great choice for both of us. Now everyone in the Empire will know that we are not lovers, and loveless companions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was brought from the sky.¡± When I pointed my finger toward the ceiling with a contented smile, all the eyes of the nobles in the ballroom headed to the place where my fingertips were pointing. I spoke leisurely as if I have been waiting for this moment and Jason looked at me with a stunned look. ¡°¡­¡­and also, thank you for helping us build the Stella Ethelanche Foundation with a huge amount of gold. Everyone knows about the story, don¡¯t they?¡± I said while looking back at the nobles. ¡°The story about the mysterious Princess of the star who took refuge among the stars and moved the star palace above the clouds when the Imperial Family was threatened 10 years ago.¡± Karen was watching me with a ridiculous face. Right. That folktale I quoted was nothing but nonsense which was believed by the people. There was no such thing as a star palace that existed in the first place to hide the real Stella. Because I posed as someone while playing the role as Karen¡¯s maid even though I was the real one. But what would those, the Imperial Family members who knew the truth do? They wouldn¡¯t have any intention of showing their disrespect to me in front of anyone. And I would take advantage of the fact. Jason Evanders has stopped reports of the Ethelanche Foundation until he was done issuing embargo to the entire press, and also the fact that my information is extremely limited to the noble society. I will use it only for my own sake. ¡°You were the first person on earth to understand my intention so well to help the nobles who had lost billions of dollars.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s very unfortunate that there are people who suspect such a strong ¡®friend relationship¡¯ as a romantic relationship. I believe Viscount will behave so well that such a thing won¡¯t happen anymore in the future.¡± Jason Evanders looked like he was just getting a perfect blow in the face. He, who was considered as the cream of the crop in the empire, wouldn¡¯t have expected to be dismissed in front of so many nobles. [T/N: ¡®cream of the crop¡¯ means someone who is carefully selected as being the best of a class (source: Merriam-Webster).] I was just treating Jason like a complete subordinate. The Imperial Family couldn¡¯t just come and go to him like they pleased. Only then did I take a step forward to him as he looked at me with a cold and stiffened face. ¡°But friends can dance with each other at least once. Don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, now that I think about it, there was an antiquated rule for people who live in reality. Was it about an unmarried woman who couldn¡¯t talk to the man first?¡± I smiled beautifully while keeping my gaze straight to Jason. ¡°I take it back if it¡¯s rude of me to ask for a dance like this. There will be many people who want to dance with me.¡± It wasn¡¯t a disgrace to me even if he refused, and I nailed down the fact that it wasn¡¯t a loss either. What about you? Jason Evanders. He looked at me for quite a while and flashing a smile after that. And he came up to me to reach out for my hand. ¡°Your Highness always surprises me.¡± ¡°Therefore, this would be the first dance of my debutante.¡± I took his hand and lightly grasped his shoulder with my other hand. His hand wrapped around my waist and he pulled me against him. When our gazes met, gentle music hummed into the air. He tilted his head and whispered in my ear. ¡°¡­To be frank, I was angry. The information about the Ethelanche Foundation was a special news that my side once tried to spark up and disclose, but it¡¯s not even a breaking news anymore because it was not new.¡± And he lifted me up so lightly to harmonize with the tempo. Our distance was pretty close when our eyes met in the air. He seemed to grin at me with a surprised face. And I began to step leisurely. ¡°But somehow, I thought that I could be taken advantage of if it¡¯s for Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And, Your Highness¡­ at least if I could only protect Your Highness¡¯ adoptive parents in your regard.¡± The distance between us grew closer again. ¡°Can you show me your weakness?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°I was talking about using the Imperial Family¡¯s falsehood to hide the past of Your Highness, who was once a commoner.¡± I turned around in my place when he held onto my hand. Jean Vezelle¡¯s masterpiece, the glamorous laces on the dress spread around beautifully so that it was able to evoke exclamations from the people. He said while wrapping his hands around my waist again and tilted his head toward me. ¡°I asked if the lies the Imperial Family made to make Your Highness look like a nobody can also be used to protect your adoptive parents.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t like people who were too smart like this.¡± ¡°Hiding your past of living with commoners and gaining favor from the nobles with your transcendent image, while hiding the existence of your adoptive parents at the same time. I was used by the Princess without realizing it.¡± ¡°You were the first one to take advantage of me. Moreover, when you said you came to help me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°On top of that, using me to overcome the situation where you could have been humiliated because you don¡¯t have a partner. In addition, it¡¯s great to give a blow to the Imperial Family as well.¡± When I looked up, I saw the emperor and empress looking at me from the top seat. Their faces were pale. As if they never expected me to act like this. I smiled at them as if I was saying ¡®look at me¡¯. Do I still look like a fake princess who was just a bait? When the music came to an end, my debutante¡¯s first dance had ended successfully. The gentlemen immediately gathered around Jason when he stood facing me as if he had waited. When I saw them all looking at me, I thought they were going to take over the turn asking me to dance after Jason. I hummed and turned to the source of voice only to realize it was my acquaintances, Lord Hector Selvice, the chief editor of the Velvet Daily. ¡°Do you mind if I ask Your Highness to dance? Of course, just because you two are completely friends, I wouldn¡¯t have intruded tactlessly.¡± He kept watching Jason¡¯s tact while saying so. ¡°Friends? ¡­.Ah.¡± Jason approached me and wrapped his arms around my shoulder instead of answering. He stared at Jason with an unexpected and intimate move, but Jason answered deftly while fixing his eyes to the men. ¡°Of course we are, but because there are so many gentlemen gathered here, why don¡¯t we go play billiards together? I suggest it because I think it would be better.¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Hector Selvice replied as if he had been waiting for it. Most of the gentlemen looked reluctant to play billiards, perhaps not interested in it, however Hector Selvice excelled in leading the ambience. ¡°Come to think of it, Lord Evanders is pretty good at billiards, so it would be great if you could introduce the game to your partner here. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± The men barely nodded with dismayed looks. I glared at Jason with all my strength, but he answered deceitfully. ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason to hesitate.¡± After uttering those words, Jason turned around with his shoulders still wrapped on my shoulder. One hand was unfortunately stuck into his trousers¡¯ pocket. I tapped Jason¡¯s hand around my shoulder as soon as we turned around, however he tilted his head and whispered to me. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve used me as you pleased, it¡¯s your turn to help me.¡± He was very skilled in dealing with people. *** ¡°I¡¯ll let you go first. Lord Winchester will go first.¡± Jason won each of the matches even though he always gave up the first turn without difficulties. His eyes became sharp when he skimmed the ball, different from his usual gaze which were always gentle when he looked at people. While his arms tucked under the cue, he hit the white ball on the table in a quite straight posture. Whenever he leaned down his upper body and women could see his shirt was about to burst through the stretched vest, the women¡¯s breathless exclamations kept coming. At this moment, the sky seemed to be on his side. The white ball rolled exactly as he wanted and eventually hit the enemy ball. Despite his endless winning streak, Jason responded to the game with a face like it was just a trivial matter for him. The tendons on his forearm stood out as he delicately pushed the ball with a cue.. Only then did the fine and firmly attached muscles on his body be able to catch my attention. I thought I could understand where the power that lifted me up earlier came from now. ¡®He won again.¡¯ How much would I have to reciprocate if I kept staying here? When I was about to leave my seat silently, he approached me. The eyes of the people who were in their seats headed in this direction altogether. Jason Evanders was just like a magnet that could attract the attention of the people. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the star of the day try to play it as well?¡± ¡°No need.¡± I said quickly because I didn¡¯t want to get involved. The situation where people¡¯s attention focused on me was not great either. I didn¡¯t want to stay in the noisy ballroom for long because Clyde didn¡¯t come either. ¡°Please enjoy yourselves. I can go now if I have watched this, right?¡± ¡°Hector Selvice.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Take this back. Have fun.¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Hector Selvice quickly moved away after he received the cue from Jason Evanders ¡°I was just getting bored as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I saw the piano on the way here earlier, so how about I play the pianoforte?¡± [T/N: Pianoforte is the longer word for ¡®piano¡¯ which is used when someone is referring to antique or modern rearrangement of piano.] ¡°No, I¡¯m going, just by myself.¡± I should¡¯ve told him this. That was what I thought soon after. But he had an unexpected rival. ¡°Sir Jason, please play the piano for me as well.¡± ¡°I also wanted to do so. ¡°Are you finally playing it? You always refused no matter how Young Lady Hayleen asked you to do it at the previous ball.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll play it if Your Highness wants me to.¡± All the women looked at me with sparkling eyes when he said so. ¡°Your Highness, please listen to Sir Jason playing the piano.¡± ¡°He can play any song perfectly. I¡¯ve never heard of such a delicate pianoforte performance.¡± ¡°There was probably no such good performance in the Starland where the Princess resides.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Jason took off his jacket and draped it on my shoulder as if he had been waiting to do so. He said it was cold, opened it tightly, and tilted his head and whispered closely. He whispered closely and tilted his head, adjusted the jacket firmly while saying the air was cold. ¡°Aren¡¯t you about to go?¡± His jacket had a unique scent. ¡°¡­.because you¡¯re my friend.¡± He once again tightened the jacket that was draped on me as a way to prevent me from taking off his jacket and returning it. ¡°Between friends, we can accept a kind of request to this extent. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Play as much as you want. Because I have to go.¡± It was at that moment. ¡°I helped you, Stella.¡± He whispered in a really low voice that it could only be heard by me as he drew closer, and flash a beautiful smile when our eyes met. ¡°Please help me just this once.¡± Chapter 40 ¡°All right, go there.¡± I pushed his shoulder back with one finger. Naturally, I took a step back because I didn¡¯t think I could push him away with my strength. Then I saw the young noble ladies were looking at us. There were also new faces that could be seen among the crowd, perhaps because the billiards tournament didn¡¯t last long without Jason. And all of them were looking at me with anticipation. I opened my mouth in that kind of atmosphere. ¡°Alright then. My ¡®friend¡¯ makes me a really impudent person. I think this atmosphere really didn¡¯t allow me to go anywhere.¡± I wanted Jason to know that there were thorns in between my words even though I said it while flashing a smile. That¡¯s what I said, but I didn¡¯t intend to go along with this obediently. ¡°But I have one condition.¡± I said it to the curious faces. ¡°I will play it.¡± Jason used his brain to do tricks, so I must do so as well. Those youngsters must be interested in Jason Evanders¡¯ performance, so they wouldn¡¯t like it if I told them I was the one who would play it. Then I could avoid this atmosphere and leave the room when they were surprised to have some fun¡­ ¡°Your Highness, will you really play the pianoforte?¡± Young ladies¡¯ voices interfered in my plan with gleaming eyes. ¡°For us?¡± ¡°Oh my God, then Sir Jason Evanders should take a break for today. You can¡¯t interfere when the star of the day are playing, hoho.¡± ¡°I would like to do it as well.¡± Jason Evanders reached his hand out to me. ¡°I will escort you.¡± I politely declined his escort while giving an innocuous smile. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to be like this more.¡± *** When Clyde arrived at the ballroom, there were not many people there. He looked around, but Stella wasn¡¯t there. He grabbed the passing servant and asked the male who then said there would be a pianoforte if he went straight inside. Whether he was right or not, but the more people he saw when he walked deeper into the hall. Clyde quickly headed inside because he wanted to see Stella. It wasn¡¯t even difficult for him to step forward either. This was because the nobles, who were turning pale with fear, quickly ran away from their spots after discovering him. He thought he even heard a voice calling him ¡®monster¡­¡¯ from somewhere, but he didn¡¯t care about it. He hadn¡¯t seen Stella for about three weeks. He thought he had endured it really well until earlier, but he couldn¡¯t even stand still when the thought of finally seeing her came to his mind. As the familiar tune whirl on his ear, Clyde moved forward as if he was lured by the people to do so. Clyde couldn¡¯t help but to stare at her blankly when he finally stood at the front row. Stella was playing the piano once again. As she did in his mansion last time. But the difference from that moment was that too many people were surrounding her now. The nobles were smiling brightly at Stella, but stiffened their faces one by one when they found Clyde amongst the crowd. ¡°But please think again about it. Do you really believe that you would be of help to Her Highness?¡± The nobles avoided Clyde¡¯s gaze as if they just saw a ghost. Some young ladies even shivered and hid behind the man that was next to them. ¡°Aren¡¯t your history of being an illegitimate child and a revolutionary leader quite wonderful? For the nobles, sir Duke is not someone who is worthy to be envied or respected either, but a person to be feared ¡­so what would happen if you accompany Her Highness in the Princess¡¯ debutante?¡± It was clear how the nobles reacted when they saw Clyde, who had wiped out the nobles and became a duke soon after. A slaughterer. A monster who had neither blood nor tears who slaughtered their own like a monster! Nothing has changed in contempt from a decade ago. The look of contempt had not changed at all since ten years ago. Because he was an illegitimate child, a slave, a fighter-dog, and now a slaughterer. Clyde felt like his head went cold rigidly as soon as he realized it. Yeah. That was the outcome. It was only then that Clyde thought he came here for no absolute reason. If he walked toward Stella, Stella would probably pretend to not know him. Even if he did, would Stella see him like she did when they were only with each other? He was afraid to know the answer. His shaky vision looked over the beautiful Stella sitting in front of the piano. At the end of Stella¡¯s performance, Jason Evanders placed his hand on Stella¡¯s shoulder. Stella then turned her head and spotted him. Jason sat next to Stella and started playing after he praised Stella¡¯s performance. The man who was currently playing the piano was like a paragon of a nobleman. ¡°They said he¡¯s a symbol of the Belvian, and that is exactly what I am saying.¡± Clyde looked down at his hands hearing the words of a young lady who was dramatizing Jason¡¯s performance. It seemed that his hands would never match such a thing as piano in his life. Jason tapped on the piano and the smooth white keys as if he was becoming as one with the piano from the start, and the young ladies looked at Jason as if they were really into Jason¡¯s performance. Clyde nervously watched Stella. Stella reluctantly played a duet with Jason, but looked like there was no room for Clyde to interfere between the both of them. Finally, when Stella pressed the last keyboard and said she would stand up, Jason grabbed her wrist and said. Don¡¯t go. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he clenched his fist and turned around, and Stella¡¯s eyes turned toward him at the same time. Toward Clyde. ¡°Clyde?¡± At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes fixated on Clyde. As Clyde turned around and began to walk away, the nobles quickly moved away from Clyde with terrified looks on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s really you. Where are you going?¡± Clyde couldn¡¯t bear to turn around even though Stella¡¯s voice was heard behind his back. The awful voice of the wanker came to interfere. ¡°It seems like the duke is busy, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°Ms. Client.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve offended me at this point, Evanders. Let go of my hand while I¡¯m still saying it nicely.¡± Clyde thought as he kept on dwelling at the numerous gazes watching him and the many eyes he was looking at right now. Yeah, someone like him was not supposed to enter this place from the beginning. That was what really helped Stella. He had never resented his own fate, but Clyde had never been as hateful of his life as he was at that moment. *** ¡°Clyde!¡± How did Cinderella manage to get out of the ballroom so quickly? I called Clyde while ignoring the pain that came from my throbbing feet. My hands that held the shoes were trembling. I even tasted blood in my throat, probably because I ran for a while. ¡°¡­Clyde.¡± It¡¯s late autumn now. The night breeze was pretty cold, perhaps because of the upcoming winter that would come soon. A faint breath came out of my lips as I called him. Clyde stopped and stood in front of me. I approached him with sore feet and also stood still in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± I made eye contact with him. There were so many things I wanted to say, but nothing could come out of my mouth. Yeah, you¡¯re very late. I kept thinking about it inwardly. You were ten years late. So, he was just about to leave me behind again this time. It was painful for a bit, but I couldn¡¯t even utter a word. I was afraid to even say something because I thought he would disappear like this forever. I uttered the words with a calm smile. ¡°Dance¡­ You have to dance before you take your leave.¡± ¡°Look at this. I¡¯m wearing the earrings you gave me.¡± His eyes were shaken by those words. I nodded and tucked the hair behind my ear. Then, the beautiful silver earrings gleamed under the moonlight. ¡°So, come with me.¡± I reached out for his weak hand when he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He hadn¡¯t even moved an inch at first, but eventually began to walk slowly. He was just liking the fact that this small hand, if compared to his hands, could pull him along. So we headed back to the flashy light without saying anything to him. It was the same for him, not saying anything to me either. *** ¡°I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡± Clyde spoke up when the music started and we stood facing each other in the ballroom. He swept his face with his big hand, perhaps embarrassed to give that sort of answer. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s easy.¡± I approached him and held his hand tightly. He flinched, and I blushed unavoidably and bowed my head. Then, I linked my finger in between his fingers. A strange sensation spread through my hands when our fingers brushed against each other. When I met my eyes, the atmosphere became quite awkward and I quickly turned my head. My hand gently stroked up his arm and placed it on his firm shoulder. I looked at him carefully, as he avoided my gaze while wondering what to do. Perhaps, was it because he hasn¡¯t gotten used to this kind of situation that happened during the ball? ¡°Put your hand on my waist.¡± ¡°But¡­ Would it be all right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± His cautious hands, which never relaxed just for once this entire time, were wrapped around my waist as if he was holding a feather. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead now.¡± I thought he was adorable. Such a tall person could move one step at a time and follow my lead carefully. Maybe that was why. I flashed out a small smile to him. It was so lovely to see his ears turn red at that time. If the feeling that tickled my heart was the sort of emotion exactly like I thought. I might have been missing this person more than I thought. His dance was definitely different from Jason Evanders¡¯ impeccable one, but it felt even more special to me. ¡°¡­Thank you for coming.¡± As the atmosphere heightened and the tempo of the music slowed down, I carefully took step by step forward and buried my head in his arms. When I looked up at him with my head leaning against him, he seemed to be at loss as to what he should do. He stiffened as he was and made some mistakes in his steps for quite a while. Did he dislike it? Being with me. Thinking about getting away from him with that thought in mind however, the sound of the man¡¯s heartbeat was so loud that I could hear it clearly in my ears and I couldn¡¯t help but to feel it all over my body. His trembling hands stroked my back for quite some time. I felt a tingling sensation in every place he touched with his rough fingertips. A particular sensation must have come out under his fingertips just with a mere touch on me. Touching him and being touched by him seemed to be completely different from the contact with Jason earlier. There was a special atmosphere between us as well as the time that felt like it flew so fast. Somehow, my heart pounded without any reason when I let go of his hand after the music came to an end. I thought it was saddening. This feeling should¡¯ve meant nothing. First, the wall between us was so strong that it seemed like my voice would never reach the other side. It was really atrocious that we didn¡¯t hate each other even though the paths we took were completely different. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 I judged the situation calmly. Jason Evanders was a man who was admired and respected by all the nobles, so it would have been a shock to the nobleman that Clyde could somehow beat him up. He hadn¡¯t just attacked a man named Jason Evanders, but the face of nobles as well as being the idol among them. Everyone was looking at me with eyes asking for Clyde to be punished severely. Jason Evanders said in the midst of this situation. ¡°I think jealousy must be really scary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, duke?¡± ¡°Jason Evanders.¡± Jason turned his head and looked at me after he stared at Clyde with a look of contempt. ¡°I need to be treated because I¡¯m hurting a lot. I would like to be moved somewhere for a bit accompanied by the Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And Duke Darrenhill.¡± Clyde got up from his position and bowed his head without even making eye contact with me. ¡°Wait for me in the drawing room. I¡¯ll decide on what to do about you at that time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. I added as he looked distressed and really helpless. ¡°This time¡­ Promise me that you won¡¯t leave first.¡± When I said that, he raised his head to look at me. I smiled softly at his shaking gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you. Promise me.¡± ¡°¡­I promise.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end the ball here. Let everyone return home safely.¡± ¡°Your Highness, please¡­ akhem, I mean, you have to give proper punishment to Duke Darrenhill.¡± ¡°I only asked you to take good care of Lord Evanders.¡± ¡°I think he is hurting a lot¡­¡± I nodded when the nobles looked hesitant and were about to voice their thoughts. ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll take care of this on my own. Everyone, please do not worry and return home. Security guard.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Then, anyone over here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to accept your order.¡± The servant bent one arm slightly in front of me and bowed his head. I told them. ¡°The guard will tell the rest of the soldiers that the ball ended earlier than scheduled and keep the guests safe while they are leaving. And the servants also have to inform all of the servants to escort guests with utmost courtesy and clean up the ballroom afterwards.¡± ¡°I will take your order.¡± I nodded my head at their determined voices and turned to Jason Evanders who was waiting for me. ¡°Follow me.¡± I took the lead. It was extremely a relief that the nobles disappeared and there was no need to flash a smile at home anymore now. *** I had imposed the task on all of the servants and said I would have to talk with Jason alone before heading to a quiet room. As soon as the door closed and I turned around, Jason locked me up between the wall and his body. He spoke quietly while tilting his head and turned his back against the light. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Would you like to take a look at my wounds?¡± He lowered his head and leaned closer to me with his arms against the wall. ¡°I think he hit not just one or two places on my shoulder and body but I felt pain all over the place.¡± I stomped hard on the man¡¯s feet because I had enough listening to his rant. Jason bit his lower lip, which had already beaten up once with a painful expression on his face. I took the opportunity when the gap emerged between us to escape from his arms. And I looked at him while speaking up. ¡°What did you do to your Clyde?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed quiet if you are doing a favor for me. And don¡¯t be mistaken. I¡¯m not on your side right now, I¡¯m simply angry at you.¡± ¡°Clyde?¡± He replied sulkily. ¡°I¡¯m your man yet you are siding with Clyde? Even though I got hurt?¡± He walked slowly and drew near to me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me you would treat me, Your Highness? Isn¡¯t this a little different from what you had promised in front of the nobles a moment ago? Was I just fooled by you?¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I looked up straight at him without avoiding him approaching me. ¡°I¡¯m not as stupid as you thought, so let¡¯s just get to the point, okay?¡± ¡°Stella.¡± ¡°Why did you mess with someone who was just standing still and quiet? Do you think I would assume Clyde Darrenhill had hit you first out of nowhere? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Nobles believe in those foolish words, but I¡¯m not. You were the one who did something first to him. You were the one to bother him first.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± ¡°Of course¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He said as if he just realized something. ¡°Eh¡­ Do you like that person more than me? Is that the reason?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I even got hurt.¡± ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡± ¡°Stella, I was wrong.¡± He came closer and caressed my cheek. The man moved his lips slightly as he licked his lips slightly. Just like when he was thirsty. His drooping eyebrows and darkened gaze caught me. Was he going to use his beauty and pulled a badger game now? I shook his hands off while thinking about those ridiculous as well as funny ideas and said to him. ¡°You should have apologized to Clyde in front of those nobles earlier. That is the thing which has been bothering me since earlier.¡± When he tried to reach out to me again, I grabbed his wrist and said. ¡°Don¡¯t say my name so carelessly. Unless you want me to reveal blatantly that I¡¯m not your princess. Do not dare to presume I would tolerate your action.¡± After saying those words, I shook his hand with all of my strength. ¡°Call me Stella one more time.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do, then?¡± He didn¡¯t yield and retaliated against me. ¡°What can you do?¡± I took one step closer and overwhelmed me with his frame. His face while looking down at me was cold. ¡°What could you take from me? Not even a scratch on my face. You, how far could you go when you couldn¡¯t even reprimand me in front of the nobles earlier? You knew better than anyone else that they would trust me, not the dog-fighter duke, Stella.¡± At the end, his hand slipped through my hair and grabbed my chin. His thumb pressed against my lips firmly. ¡°What are you going to take away from me, properties? Even if they are gone, money would still come back to me. From the moment I breathe until this moment when we are fighting, my time is turning into money. But you¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°So, does the great Jason Evanders even like me, the ragged princess of the Imperial Family, who has already been ruined once and returned with many sorts of difficulties with the power of the duke?¡± I held his hand which was wrapped around my cheek. His face remained cold. I took a step closer to him after turning away his hand from my cheek. He flinched when the drops of blood ran down his dotted cravat.¡¯ ¡°No. It was just ridiculous. It must have been fun and cute to use and take advantage of the princess in your own way. You must¡¯ve thought Clyde was also a mere toy for you. You must have wanted to ruin my debutante from the beginning. That¡¯s your real intention.¡± I poked his hard chest. It¡¯s painful, ¡°¡­How dare you, don¡¯t ever call me by my name whenever you want. It makes me feel dirty every time I hear it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch my people. I can¡¯t stand it because I¡¯m really upset by the fact that Clyde was hurted by a person such as you.¡± He was still looking at me with an expressionless face without opening up his mouth to speak. I took a step back and stared at him. ¡°You have a knack for making people feel miserable. Do you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask Clyde and me to side with you after making us both feel miserable. Because I¡¯m conscious of you who were surrounded and supported by those people? Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± I grabbed his cravat and spoke while looking straight at him. ¡°Because you value the trust of the nobles in you too much. I was trying to get it and use it as a knife to aim at you when things go awry for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I hate the Imperial Family, you, and those nobles in the same way.¡± I left the room after uttering those words for the last time. *** Lady Fairfax, the maid, repeatedly told me when I headed to the drawing room after finishing my first business. ¡°He is also the one who brutally assaulted Sir Jason Evanders and ruined the ball. Please be careful.¡± ¡°I will, Lady Fairfax.¡± ¡°Your Highness, if you need an escort, I¡¯ll call in your mercenaries¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can go alone.¡± Leaving behind the maid and the servants who looked at me with concerned gazes, I opened the door of the drawing room with both hands. After the door had been closed behind my back, Clyde and I were the only people in the drawing room just like the first time we met. Clyde was lowering his head while looking out at the window. He spoke in a tormented voice when I tried walking closer to him. ¡°I will gladly obey you if you punish me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Therefore, please just stay right there. You don¡¯t have to come to me.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go there?¡± I spoke calmly like the princess who needed to adjudicate on something before deciding for a ruling, however I couldn¡¯t help being unwavered at the end of my words. The man spoke with his head down. ¡°Because I¡¯m a monster. I, the subject of an unwelcome illegitimate child, appeared in Your Highness¡¯ debutante and assaulted the nobleman.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± He couldn¡¯t answer my question. Then he answered after quite a while. ¡°Because he said something offensive to me.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all.¡± He told me not to come to him earlier, but I took a step forward and headed toward him. He didn¡¯t look at me and was still lowering his head. ¡°Raise your head and look at me, Duke.¡± When I said so, he carefully raised his head and looked at me standing next to him. The miserable tears in his eyes made my heart throb. But he still smiled brightly at him without showing his feelings. ¡°Duke Darren Hill is a great knight for my beloved sister, Daisy and was sweet enough to build a mansion that his childhood friend dreamed of together with him when they were still young. The piano, the ceiling that went well with the scenery of four seasons, and the spacious garden were so beautiful, enough for me to run around it. ¡°There were so many furniture in the hallway to make our hide-and-seek game fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You promised to protect my secret place, and even when the emperor asked you to bring me back into the room again, you disobeyed your superior¡¯s order and took me out. Is that all? I told him I don¡¯t belong to anyone. So Clyde Darrenhill, as the Princess of this Empire, I said you are not a monster.¡± The tears in his eyes formed into a drop and slowly passed down his cheeks. ¡°And as your childhood friend¡­¡± I took a step closer to him. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The man bit his lower lip and bowed his head when I said that. He couldn¡¯t raise his head for a while and I patted on his back. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Everything was settled, and I was treating my feet by myself quietly in my room. Perhaps it was because I ran a long distance barefooted to stop Clyde, as the soles of my feet were scraped and there was even congealed blood on it. Did Clyde know it? Earlier, I was afraid he¡¯d tell me to return and rest if I said my feet was hurting. She hid her pain by pretending to be okay because I was unwilling to see him left the ballroom. Many people, including Joseph, had left me but only Clyde who didn¡¯t want to turn his back away from me again. So I deemed him like a ¡®friend.¡¯ Childhood friends. To him, I was just a sweet childhood friend in his memory. I imagined something a little surreal and sweet occasionally when I felt lonely and sick like this. If he wasn¡¯t the sword of my father, not the Guardian of Heaven, not the leader of the shunned revolutionary group, but only stayed on my side. How if the brave duck returned to the ugly duckling empress after 10 years? ¡°Clyde might have laughed at me if he heard it¡­¡± I shook my head while saying it was indeed a ridiculous story. Thereupon, the quiet air of the dawn rushed into my lungs. While letting out a small sigh, Jason Evanders¡¯ voice rang in my mind. ¡°Then what are you going to do to me?¡± ¡°What could you possibly do?¡± I felt like I finally came to my senses once I heard it. Right, what could I do to fight against Jason Evanders? I protect my family using the power Jason had lent to me, but what should I do if Jason became a threat to me? I hadn¡¯t thought about this. There¡¯s no way the deal would be changed. I thought I could¡¯ve somehow fixed it when this sort of situation came up. But when he asked me, he looked down at me arrogantly while guessing what I could do, but I had nothing to say. ¡°Because you value the trust of the nobles in you too much. I was trying to get it and use it as a knife to aim at you when things go awry for you.¡± Perhaps when I told him that. And when I said this to Clyde. ¡°So Clyde Darrenhill, as the Princess of this Empire, I said you are not a monster.¡± I might have decided. From this time on, I would return completely as Stella, the Imperial Princess, not Ethel, who missed her family. I tore the contract I had with the imperial family in half. If I stayed here for six months obediently, the Imperial Family would not ask me for anything. That¡¯s how I signed a contract with them. But in the end, it was all useless. The safety of my family was not obtained through permission of others. It was foolish of me to try to protect my people based on the trust and favor from my opponent. People¡¯s minds would always change. In this case, it¡¯s because the weak have to beg for the favor of the strong. And because I just have to wish everything would turn out to be fine. Therefore, I would eventually become the Princess who gained the support of the nobility and people. Jason Evanders needed Stella Ethelanche, the Princess who could have an influence on the nobility. The Imperial Family also wanted the same thing from me. ¡°If you could be the perfect Second Princess like I said.¡± It would not hurt me for being a substitute just like Karen who needed one. It was clear that Jason would never dare to say such a thing to me again if I could become the Princess who succeeded in winning the favor of the nobles. Because my influence would turn out to be a threat to him. Even the Imperial Family would not dare to lay even a fingertips to my family. Because they knew better than anyone else that it would harm them if they were to take advantage of my weaknesses. Only then would the contract be kept as a mutual relationship. I closed my heavy eyelids while laying down wearily on the bed. If I had known this thing would happen, I would¡¯ve grinned while saying farewell to the ¡®Adventurer¡¯s Refuge¡¯, the place where I called it my home that would be the place I return to someday. *** Jason Evanders leaned roughly on the chair and took a deep inhale of the cigar smoke. When he exhaled, the hazy smoke dispersed into the darkness. He stared into the air with a blank gaze. His vest was unbuttoned loosely, his shirt opened up a little and slightly revealed his bruised wound. His lips was cracked and the blood was drying up. His servant, who was studying his master¡¯s face, took a step and proceeded to unbutton his master¡¯s shirt one by one. ¡°¡­It¡¯ll last for quite a while.¡± He examined the wounds on Jason¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not impossible for you to live a normal life like usual after this. I¡¯m also glad the Princess had dried it out for you.¡± The man once again wetted the cloth with disinfectant before wiping it on the minor wounds in his master¡¯s body. He was very familiar and quick when doing it, as if he had already done this sort of treatment many times. There was no work to be done anymore because the doctor already handled the big wounds, so he only looked at the man¡¯s condition. A bandage on the shoulder and another one on the ribs, the bruise¡­ Let¡¯s see where others are. There are one, two, and three big bruises. He checked the condition of his master calmly and put his shirt back on. It happened oftenly. When his superior sometimes had to deal with dirty stuff and returned home covered in blood like this. At that time, the man¡¯s duty was to check whether his master was in good or bad condition, and adjusted his master¡¯s schedule after figuring out the situation calmly, then he was just prescribed strong painkillers so the owner could live his daily life thoroughly. With his help, Jason Evanders was always able to put himself as the heir of Evanders¡¯ Kingdom, not as the human version of Jason Evanders. Thus, Jason Evanders acted as the face and heart of Evanders. ¡°I will take my leave now.¡± He bowed his head and left quietly like usual. Then Jason opened his mouth. ¡°Whiskey.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve taken medicine, so it¡¯s better not to take it now. As I said, the Viscount¡¯s body does not solely belong to you, but to Evanders¡­¡± ¡°The aide babbled about the same thing. Just bring it to me.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He bowed his head again before leaving Jason¡¯s office. His master didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today. He heard from his master¡¯s aide that this was not because of his work, but because of a woman¡­ He walked forward while saying there was a very unusual thing that had taken place today. Because of a woman? He shook his head while insisting that he must¡¯ve heard it wrong. *** ¡°W-w-what had happened? What? Your Grace. Why didn¡¯t you even tell this poor aide earlier? Now, if he brings Your Grace to trial¡­ No, he shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Princess, what did she say? Your Grace, aghh!¡± Clyde closed the door in front of his noisy aide¡¯s face, who was busy babbling, and sat down on the sofa while covering his forehead. He recalled what Stella had said to him earlier. Stella was asking him in a soft voice. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± With a warm voice full of concern to him, to the worthless monster. Clyde couldn¡¯t help but hesitate for quite a while when Stella asked him that. Why did Clyde Darrenhill beat Jason Evanders up? It wasn¡¯t long before he decided to answer her. ¡°Because he said something offensive to me.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to say that he did it because he was in love with the Princess. The Princess and Jason Evanders seemed to be such a good match for each other. Would it turn out to be different if he told Jason Evanders that he didn¡¯t like him to stay beside the Princess? It was clear that people would only point their fingers at him because of the fact that he was jealous of Jason Evanders. He went through a lot of things today, and he couldn¡¯t be honest toward her because he thought it would¡¯ve been unbearable if he got rejected. He did it to Jason only because it was related to her. The man next to her made his blood boil so he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. No matter how much Jason Evanders insulted himself, Clyde was confident that he could endure it all. But he shouldn¡¯t have dragged Stella. Stella¡¯s virtuous name shouldn¡¯t have flowed through his dirty lips. Moreover, when Stella found out that he had interrogated Jason Evanders before, the man would¡¯ve come forward and Stella would finally find out about things he couldn¡¯t tell her directly. Stella would obviously stay away from him. What should he do to help Stella out in her matter? Therefore, he decided to be quiet. While not saying anything on his mind. She was so kind and warm toward him. Then Clyde thought of something. He thought it would¡¯ve been better to make Jason Evanders do that instead. Rather than being an obstacle to Stella due to him being an illegitimate child, it was better for him to pose as a threat to everyone. He was accustomed to be the target of hate for everyone and feared by them, so there was no reason for him to be hesitant. He would¡¯ve taken away all the darkness and dirty things in the world, because he wanted Stella to be like a bright light that illuminated the night sky in his shadow. The person who was feared by the nobles wasn¡¯t the Imperial Family, but him who had successfully returned the crown back to the Emperor, therefore he would stand silently beside Stella and leave everyone quivering in fear. So that Stella could be loved fully in a safe and shining place. Velvice¡¯s people called him a hero who was able to restore the Imperial Family back to their original place. ¡°So Clyde Darrenhill, as the Princess of this Empire, I said that you are not a monster.¡± There was only one person, who told him that he wasn¡¯t a monster, and that person was Princess Stella Ethelanche. It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t stay by her side because it was something he didn¡¯t even dare to wish for in the first place. Now that the Emperor has been crowned again after fighting he fought to the point that he almost crushed his whole body, he didn¡¯t care if nothing had changed. He was going to dedicate the rest of his life protecting her. Because the girl was his only salvation.