Fortunately, she didn’t drop it on the floor or set it down with a loud bang. Stella stepped back two paces.

There was nothing more she could do.

Creeeak.

Though it was just a small box, the sound of the lid opening seemed unusually loud. Due to the earlier commotion, people watched with heightened tension.

Finally, the emperor took out the Bloodline Document. In his large hand, the certificate appeared insignificant. Stella shut her eyes tightly.

She lacked the courage to witness what would happen next. Stella stood alone in the darkness.

A moment later.

“She is the legitimate princess of Amalrune.”

The wizard’s voice echoed.

Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest. Stella tried to maintain a calm demeanor while observing the situation. From beneath the wizard’s palm, the Bloodline Document emitted a dazzling white light.

It felt as though all the blood in her body had drained to her feet.

Thank you.

Stella offered a sincere prayer of gratitude, not knowing to whom she should be thankful. Now it was time to inspect the gift sent from Amalrune.

Having overcome a major hurdle, Stella didn’t care what the gift was. The important thing was that she had survived for now.

The gift box sent by the King of Amalrune was about the size of a suitcase. Judging by the gifts opened so far, the smaller the box, the more valuable the gift. The current box was on the smaller side.

The air in the golden hall buzzed with anticipation and curiosity.

As the emperor nodded, the gift box was opened. However, what followed was silence.

The short silence was broken by none other than the emperor.

“Is this my gift?”

Inside the box was a tea set made of gold. Chuckles erupted here and there. It was undoubtedly an expensive item, but it was clear to anyone that it wasn’t a treasure of the Kingdom of Amalrune.

She couldn’t quite recall what happened afterward. For some reason, she felt relieved to have survived, yet she was saddened by the king’s judgment of her worth as being as small as a tea set, and she found her situation somewhat amusing.

A faint smile.

Perhaps it was the relief of having survived. Stella unknowingly let out a small laugh, then quickly composed her expression.

Staring blankly at the golden teapot, Stella didn’t notice the emperor’s deep eyes gazing at her.

Her mind felt empty. As Stella returned to her seat with the box containing the Bloodline Document, twelve pairs of superior eyes fixed on her. It was the moment when the lowest rank in the Plant segment was determined.

There were only about ten minutes left until the appointed time with the chamberlain.

‘Annoying old man.’

Everyone in the Credion Empire trembled like frightened puppies just by meeting his eyes. But the stubborn old man who was immune to money and threats was different.

Harman, who had been by Kai’s side since birth, constantly nagged and bothered the emperor.

Sometimes it was annoying, but ironically, the time Harman spent scolding him was the most comfortable for Kai.

Harman was more than just a chamberlain to Kai.

As he waited for time to pass quickly, the central hall entrance suddenly became noisy.

The people seated around the banquet table simultaneously turned their gaze towards the noise, but Kai simply smirked and brought his half-full wine glass to his lips.

“Lady Melissa Frentium is entering.”

As soon as her name was mentioned, the smiles vanished from the faces of the seated princesses.

“Why is she coming here?”

“Could it be that His Majesty invited her too?”

“No way, this is a banquet exclusively for princesses from various countries. A mere marquis can’t attend.”

The princesses, who had been fiercely competing against one another, united against a common enemy. Stella felt greatly relieved that their attention had shifted away from her and turned her head.

True to her nickname, the Goddess of War, Marchioness Melissa stood tall and confident from head to toe.

Unlike the princesses who emphasized their slender waists with corsets and wore crinolines to puff up their skirts, Melissa’s purple dress had a simple design that naturally flowed along the curves of her body.

It was a simple form without any embellishments, but it emphasized Melissa’s toned figure even more.

Her silver hair, reminiscent of moonlight, her violet eyes resembling violets, and a dress that seemed to match her eye color.

Melissa was perfect without a single gaudy jewel. She was a woman whose natural beauty surpassed any artificial tightening or puffing.

Princesses, who seemed ready to humiliate and expel her, all stood up with bright smiles as Melissa approached.

Melissa walked slowly toward the emperor, as if enjoying the attention of the other princesses.

The emperor, who hadn’t even glanced at her until she was close, set down his glass as she stood right next to him.

“Welcome.”

With just a single word, the princesses imagined how wonderful it would be if it were directed at them, and they gazed enviously at Marchioness Melissa.

Melissa smiled gracefully and casually placed her hand on the emperor’s shoulder. Her action, which seemed to flaunt her familiarity with him, made the princesses’ expressions even more rigid than before.

“I have been longing to meet the princesses, and I am truly grateful for the invitation, Your Majesty.”

Her slightly husky voice was even alluring. Although her voice was hoarse from the rigorous training she had undergone that morning, Stella already found everything about Melissa impressive, making her own childlike voice seem bothersome today.

In response to Melissa’s greeting, Kai shook his head with a helpless smile.

Throughout the formal dinner, the emperor, who had been expressionless, began to smile and speak kindly, as if Melissa’s arrival had melted the ice around him.

Seeing the two standing together, the princesses’ faces hardened with an indescribable sense of defeat.

It was clear to everyone that the star of this formal gathering was Marchioness Melissa Frentium.

***

The formal dinner was both intriguing and tedious. The tense pride battles among the princesses lost their significance with the arrival of Marchioness Melissa.

Of course, there was no opportunity to act according to the meticulously memorized etiquette of Credion.

By the time everything was over and they returned to Verdura, the sun had already set. The castle assigned to her was still old and ominous, but it didn’t matter at all. All she wanted now was to soak in hot water.

If it had been Rudina, she would have chattered non-stop from the moment they left the banquet hall, asking if she had seen the emperor’s face, if he was really as fierce-looking as the rumors said, how the food was, who was the prettiest, and surely, the princess was the prettiest, wasn’t she?

But Milla kept her mouth shut the entire way, as if she had no interest in Stella.

Even if she had asked, Stella wouldn’t have had much to say.

She had seen the emperor’s face up close, but she couldn’t remember it at all. Thinking back to the moment of the pedigree evaluation made her stomach churn.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly overwhelmed by nausea, Stella bent over hurriedly.

“Princess!”

Milla approached with a surprised look and checked Stella’s complexion.

“I’m fine. I guess I was just a bit nervous.”

She straightened her head and slowly inhaled the cool air. Her chaotic thoughts gradually began to settle.

Yes. I survived. That’s all that matters.

Everything from now on was entirely up to her. As Stella looked around with a renewed perspective, she suddenly realized that there was a very wide and beautiful garden in front of Verdura Castle.

In her lonely childhood, Stella’s friends were the pretty flowers that bloomed in clusters each season, the nameless birds that would cautiously approach to peck at breadcrumbs, the earthworms that wriggled out whenever she dug the ground, and the moist soil.

Whenever she felt troubled, handling the soil with her bare hands would somehow make her feel at ease and warm. It was as if someone was telling her that everything would be alright.

Stella gazed at the garden and called out to Milla.

“Milla.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Milla answered while still observing Stella’s complexion.

Though they hadn’t known each other long, it was comforting to know that there was at least one person who cared about her.

“Can I use this garden however I want?”

“Yes, Verdura Castle is for your use, Princess.”

“Really?”

Seeing the colorful flowers lifted her spirits a bit. Then, one flower caught Stella’s eye. Without hesitation, she walked briskly to where the flower was blooming.

“What is it, Princess?”

“This flower. It’s a daisy, right?”

“Yes, it is. Why is that flower here? I’ll call the gardener tomorrow to have it removed.”

“Why remove such a pretty flower?”

“It wasn’t planted by the gardener. Its seeds must have blown in from somewhere. It doesn’t match the overall landscaping.”

The flower that had intruded into the garden seemed to reflect her own situation.

“But this garden doesn’t really have much landscaping to speak of, does it?”

Realizing Stella was right, Milla closed her mouth. Verdura had been an unused castle for ten years. With its interior in disarray, an untended garden couldn’t possibly be in good shape.

“I’m bored, so maybe I’ll start gardening.”

“Then I’ll call a few gardeners.”

Milla pondered how many gardeners to summon, considering the budget allocated for Verdura Castle. But Stella spoke first.

“No. I want to try doing it myself.”

Milla blinked as if she’d heard something unbelievable. However, Stella’s gaze was already fixed on the small creatures standing near the daisy.