Chapter 12.9

An heir. That meant a child born of her and Boris.  

It was only natural, given that they were married. Besides, the two of them had been fulfilling their marital duties diligently. Perhaps a child would come sooner than expected.  

Why hadn’t I thought of this until now?  

“Of course, an heir. Even if it’s a daughter, it would be wonderful. His Majesty would be pleased as well. After all, it would mean more descendants of Princess Elga.”  

“It’s always a blessing when the royal family grows.”  

“If not for that strange curse, Princess Elga would have……”  

The Marchioness of Hermus abruptly stopped speaking, interrupted by another noblewoman nudging her side.  

It was a story everyone avoided, one that Livie had been curious about for a long time.  

“Speaking of that curse… How exactly did Princess Elga—my mother—pass away?”  

Although she had never seen her face, calling her “mother” felt strange. Yet, she was undoubtedly the woman who had given her life.  

“Oh dear, I think I drank too much.”  

“So did I. I’m feeling dizzy.”  

“Now that you mention it, I should excuse myself as well. I need some rest.”  

The noblewomen, who had been so friendly moments ago, quickly distanced themselves from her. She didn’t even have time to stop them.  

“…….”  

Livie stared blankly at the spot where they had disappeared before turning away.  

No one in the palace was willing to speak freely about Princess Elga, so Livie had never had the chance to hear the full story.  

Left alone, Livie decided to take a walk.  

Looking toward Boris, she saw that the group around him had grown even larger, making it difficult to spot him among the crowd.  

Quietly, she stepped back and made her way toward the banquet hall’s exit.  

***

Livie wandered in search of a quiet place to be alone.  

“Phew.”  

She couldn’t remember the last time she had stepped outside for fresh air during a banquet.  

The cool breeze enveloped her as she left the stifling atmosphere of the banquet hall.  

Perhaps a brief moment to clear her head would help before returning. The thought of enduring the rest of the banquet made her temples throb.  

If she felt this way, how much worse must it be for Boris? She felt a pang of guilt for leaving him behind.  

“……Where am I?”  

The interior of the palace was still unfamiliar to her. She had only walked the same paths repeatedly, so finding herself in an unfamiliar, deserted area felt unsettling.  

Even with guards patrolling at regular intervals, the darkened palace exuded an intimidating aura.  

“Maybe I should go back.”  

Turning around, she found herself at a three-way intersection.

“Where is this?”  

Livie couldn’t figure out which of the three paths she had come from.  

“Where are you headed?”  

A soft, gentle, and unfamiliar woman’s voice reached Livie’s ears, catching her off guard.  

“…….”  

Livie stopped in her tracks, feeling an inexplicable sensation.  

‘Was someone there?’  

The voice had come from very close by, as if someone was standing right next to her, whispering into her ear.  

‘This close?’  

A moment ago, there had been no one around. Yet now, a voice seemed to be speaking directly into her ear. There was no sign of anyone nearby.  

A shiver ran down her spine. Livie swallowed hard several times before slowly turning toward the source of the voice.  

As soon as she turned, she gasped sharply at the sight of a woman standing alarmingly close to her. The proximity wasn’t an illusion—she was so close that Livie could have touched her with an outstretched hand.  

“Ah.”  

Livie let out a small gasp as her eyes met the woman’s vivid green ones. The reaction stemmed from two things:  

First, she was startled.  

Second, the woman who had suddenly appeared was breathtakingly beautiful.  

The woman’s beauty was so overwhelming that Livie felt as flustered as a teenage boy confessing his first love.  

‘Is she even human?’  

The thought crossed her mind instinctively.  

The woman’s soft, light green eyes sparkled beneath thick lashes as she gazed at Livie with a look that held both curiosity and kindness.  

Her long, ash-blonde hair, reminiscent of melted moonlight, flowed gently down to her hips, shimmering with every movement. Her white, airy dress swayed in the breeze, perfectly complementing her ethereal appearance.  

Adding to her mystique, a faint glow seemed to surround her, as though she were a vision conjured by moonlight.  

Yes, a vision. Perhaps everything Livie had just heard was nothing more than an auditory hallucination.  

Drunk and possibly seeing things, Livie waved her hand in front of her face to clear her head.  

Thud.  

Her hand brushed against something soft and warm—the woman’s flesh.  

“Oh…….”  

“Oh my.”  

The woman, whose chest had been inadvertently touched, didn’t appear flustered. Instead, she smiled as though she found the situation amusing.  

She wasn’t a vision.  

The sound of her voice and the tangible warmth of her skin confirmed that she was very much real.  

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”  

Livie quickly withdrew her hand, panicking as she bowed repeatedly in apology.  

“It’s alright. I must have startled you. I’m sorry.”  

The woman apologized instead, her demeanor so calm that Livie felt even more embarrassed. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.  

“Judging by your attire, you must be a noblewoman of high status. It’s dangerous to wander around alone in a place like this.”  

The woman seemed more at risk than Livie, yet her tone remained gentle. Livie thought to herself that it was just as dangerous for this woman to be wandering alone.  

“I’m fine walking alone. I know this place well.”  

The woman’s voice was steady as she continued.  

“But you… you seem lost.”  

Unlike before, when her voice had sounded as if it came from right beside her, it now seemed distant, despite the woman standing in front of her.  

Livie blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the woman’s otherworldly aura.  

“Yes, I went for a walk to sober up, but now I’m confused about where I came from.”  

“The palace is vast, with many buildings that look alike. It’s easy to lose your way, like wandering through a labyrinth.”  

“Yes, I didn’t expect to get lost. Could you perhaps guide me back to the grand banquet hall?”  

The woman smiled softly and gestured for Livie to follow her.  

“Of course. Follow me.”  

With that, the woman began walking ahead. Livie, as if entranced, followed her.  

No matter how quickly Livie walked, she couldn’t catch up to the woman, who maintained a consistent distance of a few steps ahead. Eventually, Livie slowed her pace, realizing that the distance between them remained unchanged.  

The woman’s steps were confident, as though she knew the palace like the back of her hand.  

“You seem very familiar with the layout of the palace.”  

“I’ve lived here for a long time.”  

The woman replied briefly, her movements as fluid as flowing water.  

Her graceful steps and the elegance that radiated from her entire being were extraordinary. Watching her, Livie couldn’t help but wonder who this woman was.  

Someone as stunning as her couldn’t have gone unnoticed at the banquet.  

Her attire, her delicate hands, and her snow-white skin, untouched by sunlight, all suggested that she was of noble birth.  

And she had mentioned living in the palace for a long time.  

‘Living here……?’  

Livie realized something odd about the woman’s words. Living in the palace implied a certain status.  

Only members of the royal family, such as the King’s descendants or siblings, or nobles granted special permission by the King, were allowed to reside in the palace.  

Could this woman be one of them?  

‘Is she royalty?’  

But all the royal women were said to have either gone mad or died young.  

It was also difficult to estimate the woman’s age. She seemed to be only a few years older than Livie, but there was an unearthly quality about her that made her appear ageless.  

As Livie followed the woman, she noticed a faint glow surrounding her.  

At first, Livie thought it was the moonlight reflecting off her, but even in the shadows of trees where no light reached, the woman’s body emitted a soft radiance.  

Could a human body emit such light? Perhaps she was a fairy… or a spirit… or something otherworldly.  

Despite her doubts, Livie couldn’t stop following the woman.  

‘Who are you?’  

Livie wanted to ask, but now it felt awkward to do so. The opportunity for proper introductions had already passed, and it seemed strange to suddenly ask the woman’s identity now.  

“Do you have something to say to me?”  

“Pardon?”  

The woman’s sudden question startled Livie, making her jump.  

“You seem curious about something.”  

The woman’s soft eyes curved as she turned to look at Livie.  

“I… well…”  

Livie fumbled for words, trying to come up with an excuse, when a realization struck her.  

“How did you know I was curious about something?”  

“I have eyes on the back of my head.”  

The woman’s face turned cold, and Livie felt a chill run down her spine.  

“What made you trust me enough to follow me?”  

“You said you’d guide me.”  

Livie felt as though someone had grabbed the back of her neck, and she hesitated, stepping back cautiously.  

The woman was right. Why had she followed a stranger so blindly? It was as if she had been under a spell.  

“You’re more naive than I expected. What if I were to lure you into a trap and hand you over to bad people?”  

The woman suddenly closed the distance between them, and Livie, startled, stepped back until her back hit a tree trunk.  

The woman’s face was so close that Livie could feel her breath.  

“Remember this: In this palace, trust no one. Not a single soul.”  

“…….”  

“That’s the only way to survive.”