3.

 The emperor’s young fiancée was a frail and beautiful girl. She was pale and delicate as if she could break at any moment. Her abundant chestnut hair rippled like her mother who was like the crescent moon, and under her long eyelashes, her pink eyes were as pure as summer-lit flowers. 

 He had heard she was quite a beauty.

Years ago, when his father’s concubine who had fled the mansion was found in some rural village, the mansion—no, the entire Valetona region was in an uproar. That must have been why even her maternal grandfather’s mansion was noisy. 

 Antonia looked at her half-sister who would soon enter the palace. She was as thin as a mayfly. Her birth mother whom she had seen during the day also looked as skinny as a metal skewer…. She lowered her gaze. 

 Though they were sisters, the gap in their social status was too great to even sit face to face.

Nevertheless, the reason Antonia brought her to the terrace wasn’t because they shared blood as sisters. 

 “I heard you’ll be entering the palace soon.”

She spoke while placing a white, round teacup shaped like a tulip bud before her. Raspberry jam-filled pie and moist vanilla sheet cake topped with figs. The girl who had been blinking her rabbit-like eyes at the table decorated with wild roses and white wildflowers that had bloomed two days ago, raised her head. 

 “That’s why I arranged this meeting. We won’t have many chances to get close. Normally, you wouldn’t even be allowed to sit face to face with me, sister, but……”

Antonia smiled slightly. Her blank face looked foolish.

A beauty who caused an uproar throughout the West…… A girl who was evaluated to grow into a beauty surpassing even her mother, who was called ‘The Morning Star of Valetona,’ beyond just a remarkable beauty. 

 But wasn’t it also true that she was foolish enough to make one laugh? Antonia lowered her gaze as she watched the girl moving her lips with clear eyes. 

 “Elaine was foolish, and I heard sister suffered a lot because of it. To think she would run away with sister who is His Majesty’s fiancée and future consort. Really, tearing her apart wouldn’t be enough.”

Antonia lifted her teacup without erasing her smile. 

 The snow-white face seemed to distort slightly before freezing. She truly looked like a doll. Antonia felt a strange pleasure as she rolled her eyes. Her father had never embraced her. Though he was affectionate, that was all. He wasn’t close to any family member and hadn’t allowed anyone near. And yet…. 

 “Anyway, I’m so happy sister has returned. You might not know, but I knew about your existence. I heard stories from my nanny since I was young. About how father’s concubine ran away with you, sister.” 

 Antonia recounted the stories she had heard since childhood with a face that showed no joy at all. She had heard her father had a concubine. They said she was a woman as beautiful as a legendary beauty with wavy hazelnut-colored hair. 

 She had seen that woman’s portrait in father’s bedroom. A woman wearing a blue satin dress revealing her white, smooth neck and round shoulders, wearing a pearl necklace while holding a swaddled baby. Her mother had always wanted to remove that portrait. 

 “I……”

The girl who had been quietly watching her moved her lips. Even her soft voice flowing between her red, plump lips felt unreal. Just as her face contorted into a smile— 

 “Miss!”

A servant’s voice was heard from afar. Antonia, who had been called “Miss” all her life, instinctively turned her head—but the servant wasn’t addressing her. Instead, they had called ‘Miss’ for Jeanne.

 At this fact, Antonia felt an unbelievably intense displeasure. She clenched her fist to keep from grimacing. 

 “How dare you in this household……” 

 “I apologize, Miss Antonia.”

The servant who came running apologized profusely. However, as if there was something more important to do, he didn’t spend long apologizing. Antonia found that displeasing as well. No, it was insulting. 

 She had lived like a princess in this mansion. The servants, the head maid…… Even the old butler had trembled and tiptoed around her just two months ago. Her status had undoubtedly fallen since Jeanne’s appearance. 

 ‘Unforgivable.’

She glared at the servant with sharp eyes. 

 “What is this about?”

The servant who was extending his arms toward Jeanne, who sat still like a taxidermied fairy, turned to look at her. Jeanne, who had been lifted into his arms without resistance, looked down at Antonia before casting her gaze into empty space. The servant holding the emperor’s young fiancée moved his lips before finally answering with what seemed like a sigh. 

 “His Majesty has arrived. It’s said to be an unofficial visit.” 

 * * *

 “Just try giving my daughter to that bastard! I’ll kill them! Kill them all……”

“Madam! Please! Watch your, watch your words!”

A maid knelt before Elaine who was throwing flowers at the wall. The woman’s face, which had been tearfully saying this wasn’t right, grew stern. Though she was pleading, it was practically silencing her. 

 If she had been merely the Count’s mistress…… If she had been just a woman kept temporarily, she would have slapped her regardless of whether she had children or not. 

 In the noble world, even a mistress’ treatment varies by their noble status. However, Elaine is a slave. Even before falling into slavery, she was merely a commoner, but now she’s just the Count’s property who has lost even that freedom. 

 Though she has the emperor’s young fiancée as her daughter, that fact rather puts her life at risk, and if not for the Count, she would have been beaten and torn apart long ago. If Count Spetunia hadn’t stepped forward to protect her, she might have become morning dew on the execution ground by now. 

 But whether she had forgotten her position or was determined to die…… When told the young emperor had arrived, Elaine wouldn’t stay still. 

 “I won’t let them take her. My Jeanne is mine. To that woman Alisandra’s son……” 

 “Madam!”

The maid looked around with reddened eyes and screamed. Elaine, who had been screaming and pulling her hair like a mad woman, ran out of the Count’s bedroom. The startled maid rose to catch Elaine who was running down the corridor. 

 Elaine ran like mad. After returning to the Count’s mansion, she had been practically confined by Khalil, unable to move freely. He wouldn’t even let her see her child. Though Jeanne was her child. Her daughter alone whom she had carried for ten months with pain…. 

 ‘Bastard…..’

Her teeth ground together as tears welled up. Despite everything that had happened, Khalil didn’t care. Even knowing how she had fallen and what status their daughter had fallen to. He had no hesitation in offering their daughter to the imperial family. 

 According to him, the promise with the imperial family was closer to an ‘imperial command’ than a simple promise. He said he couldn’t resist as an imperial knight since even his marriage to her had been forced. However…. 

 ‘She’s not a bride. I know! Unless you’re a fool, you’d know how that woman will treat our child……”

Elaine cried out sobbing. The reason she couldn’t give up Jeanne wasn’t just because of her humiliated life. If only she had fallen, things might have been slightly different. She had fled from Khalil’s side not only intending to take Jeanne from them for revenge but also out of concern for Jeanne’s life that would be cut away from her. 

 To dare use my daughter as a surrogate…… When you have a son who will live in eternal deficiency unless he has my daughter…. 

 “Jeanne!”

She rolled down the stairs while running madly. Though she bruised her knee, she couldn’t feel the pain. She limped toward the entrance. Horse neighing could be heard from afar. She bit her lip and searched for her daughter. 

 “Where are you? Baby!”

Her wet voice echoed off the high ceiling. She saw Khalil who had come out with his household members to greet the emperor. The young emperor jumped down from the carriage and narrowed the distance. Elaine grabbed her throbbing leg and bent her waist before moving again. 

 “No……”

The emperor stretched out his arms to take his fiancée who was in her father’s arms. She screamed with tears in her eyes. The emperor who held his fiancée turned to look at Elaine. His emotionless gaze was horrifyingly dreadful. 

 * * *

 “Elaine!”

The insane woman pushed down the emperor. 

 Though he was only fourteen, the emperor was well-developed. Even if Elaine used all her strength against him who had long been trained in military arts, she was no match. She was three spans shorter than the emperor after all. He knew Elaine’s strength well. 

 As for the emperor, despite being fourteen, he was an opponent that Khalil had to give his all to defeat. So he must have fallen on purpose. What could his intention be? 

 “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Khalil bit his lip, holding back the urge to grimace, and extended his hand. The emperor, who had been looking up at Elaine with a blank face, took his hand and stood up. Behind him, his pale attendant was glaring at him with a hardened face. Khalil ignored those impudent gazes and looked at the young face. 

 The emperor, acting unlike himself, dusted off his clothes and spoke. 

 “I see mother-in-law is still the same.”

He smiled. Elaine, who had snatched away her daughter, grimaced. Khalil gave a faint smile toward the emperor to calm the situation. 

 “I apologize, Your Majesty. The child’s mother’s mind has grown ill from suffering outside.”