Chapter 25

Adelina quickly regained her composure and blinked her eyes. If she was caught staring absentmindedly, this sly man would tease her about it endlessly.

“The issue with this verification method is that if you’re a virgin, the pigeon blood naturally flows and disperses in the holy water.”

“Of course, because it’s blood. What if you’re not a virgin?”

Then the blood would naturally disperse; it’s not going to clump together like oil!

“This test hasn’t been conducted for 100 years. Even back then, it was used to prove the virginity of women who were doubted. There hasn’t been a case of the opposite.”

Ahem… Lexion cleared his throat softly and subtly moved one arm behind her back. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

‘It’s okay. Adelina. Although it’s a bit odd to give my first in this way, well… if it’s to navigate through this crisis, I can do it.’

As he gradually increased the pressure on her shoulder, he looked into her face. He was ready. 

Just say the word.

Lost in thought, Adelina furrowed her brow slightly, staring at one spot for a while before lifting her gaze to meet Lexion’s deep eyes.

“Adelina. Whatever you decide, I’ll go along with it.”

Lexion stared intently at Adelina’s lips. Seemingly resolute, a determined look appeared in Adelina’s eyes, and her small, red lips began to part slightly.

“Get me resin. And birch sap too.”

“What?”

“Get them secretly. The Emperor and the temple must not find out.”

“Alright.”

What is this deflating feeling?

Lexion stretched his arms unnecessarily and stood up from his seat.

“We agreed you’d stay at my place from today, right?”

Lexion took Adelina’s hand and helped her stand. As Adelina smoothed the wrinkles of her dress, his heart beat pleasantly. He now had someone he could openly converse with at home.

“The Emperor strictly forbade it. Until we’re married. I must stay at the Marquis’s residence.”

Stephan quickly interjected, taking Adelina’s hand.

+++

Adelina, who usually enjoyed sleeping in, had instructed that no one enter her bedroom until 9 a.m. However, today, starting from 7 a.m., the head maid entered with a group of maids, drawing back the canopy curtains.

“Miss, the Princess has invited you to a tea party.”

“Ha… No matter how many times I say it, you don’t understand. I must inform His Majesty and replace the head maid.”

When one maid drew back the heavy blackout curtains on the terrace, Adelina threw off the covers and sat up. As the maid opened the terrace window, the fresh morning air entered the room, slightly easing Adelina’s irritation.

“I’m sorry, Miss. The Princess’s invitation just arrived, and we had no choice but to wake you. It’s an invitation to a concert this afternoon.”

The head maid bowed to Adelina. Given her past behavior, it was likely that Adelina would indeed say such things to the Emperor without hesitation.

“Ha. Sending an invitation to an afternoon concert on the morning of the event. How gracious.”

Adelina let out a dry laugh and tousled her hair with one hand.

‘Ah. Annoying! Am I just an easy target?’

+++

The concert was held in the garden of the Princess’s palace. Despite the overwhelming scent of lilacs, not a single bee was in sight.

‘Oh! It’s a hawk moth!’

Seeing something that looked like a hummingbird flying near the lilacs, Adelina ran over to it.

“Miss! We’re on our way to see the Princess!”

The maid from the Princess’s palace, tasked with guiding her, stood there annoyed, motioning for her to return quickly.

“Look at this! There’s a moth here that looks like a hummingbird!”

Adelina pointed at the moth still fluttering around the lilac tree. Seeing the creature she once saw on a country road in a past life filled her with such nostalgia that her nose tingled.

Unable to bear it, the maid briskly walked over and pulled Adelina’s hand down.

“Marquis Young Lady. Getting so excited over a common moth. Please maintain your dignity. And the Princess is waiting.”

Reluctantly, Adelina was led by the hand, resisting as much as she could, back to the hallway of the Princess’s palace.

‘Tsk. I tried to stall as much as possible because I didn’t want to go.’

Click. Clack. As she walked, her footsteps echoed on the marble floor of the Princess’s palace, and Adelina dawdled, looking around restlessly.

“Look! There’s a ladybug!”

“Marquis Young Lady!”

Seeing a ladybug smaller than her pinky nail flying around, Adelina once again dashed into the garden.

+++

In one corner of the Princess’s garden, two round tables for six were set on the lawn, covered with white tablecloths. On a small platform, ten musicians were tuning their instruments. Once the piano was placed on the platform and each instrument was tuned, a soft opening melody began to play as a group of women entered the garden.

Contrary to the bright spring day and the gentle music, they appeared utterly pale and somber. Yet, unable to hide the etiquette ingrained in them, their elegant dresses swayed gracefully as they approached Isabelle.

Isabelle, dressed in an ivory gown dusted with pearl powder, greeted them with her maids.

“Thank you for inviting us, Princess.”

The women bowed to Isabelle.

“Welcome, ladies.”

As Isabelle nodded to each of them in greeting, the maids guided them to their seats.

‘Living corpses. It’s a wonder none of them ever collapse.’

Isabelle watched them struggle to stand before the chairs they were guided to and then moved to her own seat.

Isabelle invited all of Emperor Grain’s concubines to this concert. Although they were called concubines, no one in Petrus truly regarded them as such. Hence, they were simply addressed as “ladies.”

“But, I don’t see Countess Sopen here.”

As soon as Isabelle sat down, she stretched her neck slightly, seemingly searching for someone. The maid attending her leaned in, covering her mouth with a fan.

“Princess, Count Sopen has instigated a rebellion…”

Though she pretended to speak softly, the ladies heard her and their faces grew even more somber. There wasn’t much interaction among the women held as hostages, but whenever they were dragged out to events, they exchanged glances to comfort each other. One of those women was absent today.

“Ah, such a tragic event. I believe she was not yet 25 years old.”

She’s bound to die soon.

Isabelle didn’t voice the latter thought. She merely waved her fan with a sorrowful expression, as if genuinely saddened.

‘See, no matter how much you struggle, you’ll ultimately have to bow down under Petrus.’

This concert was merely a form of amusement for Isabelle. Whenever a vassal state rebelled, she held such concerts to demonstrate the might of Petrus.

+++

Adelina arrived at the garden of the Princess’s palace only after everyone else had gathered.

“I greet the Princess.”

She held the hem of her dress and slightly bent her knees. Isabelle craned her neck to find the maid who had fetched Adelina. Seeing the maid wiping sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, it seemed Adelina had given her quite a hard time.

“You’ve arrived just in time, Lady Adelina Florin.”

Typically, when invited by a superior, arriving 30 minutes early is considered polite.

Isabelle scrutinized Adelina’s appearance. Her slightly flushed cheeks and the grass and dirt on the hem of her dress brought a smirk to Isabelle’s face.

“Yes, Princess. I received the invitation late and hurriedly prepared.”

Because of someone. Someone who rudely sent a late invitation.

As Adelina feigned exhaustion, gently placing her right hand on her chest, Isabelle’s lightly fluttering fan came to a halt.

“Please, come this way, Marquis Young Lady.”

“Wait.”

As the maids tried to guide Adelina to the second table, Isabelle called out, waving her fan again.

“The Marquis Young Lady should sit beside me.”

‘Damn!’

Seeing Adelina’s cheek twitch, Isabelle’s fan created a refreshing breeze.

Once everyone was seated in their assigned places, the musicians began their performance in earnest. The maids poured red raspberry drinks into transparent glass cups filled with ice.

“Princess, it seems you haven’t invited other ladies.”

Adelina took a sip from the glass, which was now beginning to bead with droplets of water. She was thirsty after her tussle with the maid in the garden.

“I only invited the concubines. And you.”

“What? I didn’t realize you thought of me that way.”

Since when did you start caring for me?

Adelina turned her head toward the musicians on the platform with a wry expression.

“Haha, of course, I think of you specially. You’re the highest noble lady of Ernst.”

Isabelle chuckled softly, prompting Adelina to turn her head toward her.

‘Chills. Hey! Cut it out! I don’t need your attention!’

Adelina looked around.

‘Why… is it… so chilling…’

Everyone was uniformly expressionless, the emotions unreadable on the faces of the hostages. Beneath the guise of elegance, the tendons in their necks stood taut.

Gulp. Unable to suppress their indignation, they swallowed hard, staring intently at the platform.

+++

The first part of the music performance concluded. Isabelle called Marianne, the woman who played the violin, closer.

“It was a splendid performance.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“I heard you’re from Ernst, just like Lady Adelina Florin here.”

“Nice to meet you, Marquis Young Lady.”

Marianne curiously eyed Adelina’s silver hair as she bowed.

“Oh!”

It seemed as if Marianne’s head collided with the glass cup in Isabelle’s hand. At the same time, the glass cup fell to the ground.

Crash. With a shattering sound, the glass broke. The red raspberry drink stained the hem of Isabelle’s ivory dress.

“I’m sorry, Princess!”

Marianne bowed so deeply her hair nearly touched the floor.

‘When did she pick up the glass? It was clearly on the table!’

Did the Princess’s hand hit her head? It didn’t feel like it…

Marianne trembled slightly. The sharp glass shards on the floor glinted menacingly in the late afternoon sunlight.

“How dare you!”

As Isabelle raised her hand, Marianne squeezed her eyes shut.

+++

‘This has nothing to do with me. This has nothing to do with me. I’m not even a real Ernst person!’

Adelina, watching with her heart pounding beside her, instinctively stood up.

‘Oh… when did I…’

By the time Adelina came to her senses, she was standing next to Marianne, firmly grasping Isabelle’s hand.

“Adelina Florin!”

Adelina was overwhelmed by the sound of Isabelle’s voice, growling like a lioness, and the frantic beating of her own heart.