Chapter 71

“Now that the greetings are done, please lead the way.”  

When Adelina firmly grabbed Jaeyon’s hand, he released her hand and stood beside her.

“It’s quite awkward exchanging greetings between friends.”  

When Adelina placed her hand on his arm, the knights lined up on either side raised their swords high.  

‘It feels like walking down the aisle at a wedding.’  

As they passed through, the maids from the imperial palace showered red petals over Adelina and Jaeyon’s heads.  

“To call a friend as a hostage like this. I need to redefine the meaning of friendship.”

“You must have wanted it too, Adelina.”

At the end of the path, a lavish red carriage resembling a camellia and Prince Isya, with a bright smile on his face, awaited them.  

“Address me correctly. Always. Everywhere. If you are truly my friend.”  

As they reached the carriage, Adelina withdrew her hand from Jaeyon and extended it to shake hands with Isya.  

“It’s been a while, Prince Isya.”  

At Adelina’s address, Isya’s eyebrows twitched, and then he burst into laughter.  

“Hahaha. It’s been a while, Your Highness.”  

Even Queen Sweeney did not address Isya so informally.  

No king of any decent kingdom addressed the prince of the Tiola Empire so informally.  

Especially not a queen who came begging for a ship!  

Holding Adelina’s hand and shaking it, Isya glanced at Jaeyon and Hailyn, who had somehow come to stand beside him.  

‘Hailyn surely has a good eye for people.’  

Releasing her hand, Isya gestured for the attendants around the carriage to step back.  

“I have prepared the Camellia Palace. It’s the palace where princesses have traditionally stayed.”  

“Thank you.”  

Noticing the slight tremor at the corner of Adelina’s mouth, Isya personally opened the carriage door for her.  

+++

‘I must stay alert!’  

Adelina secretly swallowed as she looked inside the carriage Isya had opened.  

The lavish and plush carriage appeared to her as nothing but the gaping maw of a giant beast.  

‘I’m already married… why is this happening!’  

The Camellia Palace. The Camellia Carriage… frequently used in the Tiola Empire during royal weddings.  

Of course, it was used for other occasions as well, so there was no specific fault to find.  

‘Finding fault… when I came here to beg…’  

Even acting this haughty now would be futile before the Emperor of the Tiola Empire.  

“Allow me to assist you.”  

Jaeyon approached with a squint, extending his hand.  

‘I won’t be fooled! You rascal!’  

Adelina gave him a slight smile.  

If Isya and Jaeyon intended to use her, she would use them in return.  

“Thank you.”  

She placed her hand atop his, applying pressure, and set one foot on the carriage step.  

It was time to enter the beast’s maw willingly.  

“Stop!”  

Suddenly, the knights who had lined up surrounded the carriage and pointed their swords in one direction.  

+++

Adelina lowered her foot from the step and turned her head in the direction the swords pointed.  

Though she couldn’t see through the tall knights, she could tell a considerable number of people were approaching them.  

From the sound of clinking metal and swords, it seemed they were knights.  

Her heart began to race wildly in response to the sound.  

As the sea breeze tossed her hair, she glimpsed what seemed like a black flag fluttering above the knights’ heads.  

“We meet again here, Duchess. It’s been a while.”  

The chill running down her spine made Adelina clench her hands tightly.  

As the wind blew harder, a golden dragon embroidered on the black fabric appeared majestically. 

+++

“Prince Isya, is this how the Tiola Empire treats its state guests?”  

Adelina murmured softly to Isya and Jaeyon beside her, not to Leophris.  

Allowing delegations from warring nations to meet at the port like this was clearly a mistake by the Tiola Empire.  

Moreover, only women had come from Ernst.  

Prince Isya, who had promised to ensure their safety, would have nothing to say.  

“I apologize, Your Highness.”  

After bowing his head to her, Jaeyon squeezed through the knights and stood before Leophris and his party.  

‘Damn it. I never expected to see Leophris here!’  

Since the Tiola Empire was still officially neutral, Leophris had arrived two days earlier as part of the Petrus delegation.  

Seeing them holding the dragon flag high, wearing blue uniforms, Jaeyon extended his hand to Leophris.  

“It’s been a while. But remember, you are here for the Emperor’s birthday banquet in the Tiola Empire. Any friction at this time is unacceptable.”

“Friction, you say.”  

While shaking Jaeyon’s hand, Leophris tilted his head to catch a glimpse of Adelina.  

‘Ha! Does the Tiola Empire’s Imperial Knights think they are the Royal Knights of Ernst!’  

However, the Imperial Knights of the Tiola Empire pressed closer, revealing none of the woman behind them.  

Leophris straightened his head and shook Jaeyon’s hand.  

“It’s truly a shame I can’t greet someone I’m so delighted to see, Duchess.”  

His provocative words made Jaeyon’s face flare with irritation, which was quite a sight.  

“Leophris.”  

Finally, the sweet voice of Adelina, which Leophris had been waiting for, pierced through the knights’ guard.  

“Ernst has already declared itself a kingdom, yet the news seems slow. Where do you plan to advance with such slow news? If the news is slow, at least have some tact.”

‘Damn it! Ignorant Adelina!’  

He had thought she might have become a bit more ladylike as a queen, but she was still far from grace.  

Each syllable of Adelina’s voice resonating in his ears made Leophris barely restrain himself from drawing his sword and beheading her.  

“Duchess.”  

Leophris’s jaw trembled.  

“It’s Queen of Ernst. If you can’t address me properly, don’t even think of calling me.”  

Her cold, sharp voice made Leophris clench his fist and step forward, but his party held his hand and stopped him.  

“Prince Isya.”  

“Your Majesty, the state guest protocol was inadequate. We will escort you to the palace immediately.”  

Hearing Adelina’s haughty voice followed by Isya’s polite tone made Leophris let out a hollow laugh, as if he were exasperated.  

‘I’ll make sure to kill you with my own hands!’  

After driving her to the brink of begging for death, he planned to watch her slowly die in agony.  

Leophris gritted his teeth as he watched the carriage carrying Adelina depart.  

+++

The royal palace of Iberis. Chellus had been lying in the adjacent bedroom to Sweeney’s for several days.  

“Your Majesty, the meeting preparations are complete.”  

The head maid approached Sweeney, who had been holding Chellus’s hand for an hour as he lay in bed.  

Chellus, severely injured by the dragon Evans rode, had yet to regain consciousness.  

In contrast, Sweeney hadn’t suffered a single hair out of place.  

“I understand.”  

Sweeney kissed the back of Chellus’s hand and slowly rose from her seat.  

‘I will never regret my choice.’  

As she left the room and elegantly walked down the corridor to the meeting room where her advisors awaited, she showed not a hint of disturbance.  

The attendants opened the door, and Sweeney began the meeting with her usual expression, standing before her advisors and nobles.  

To her right hung the nautical chart gifted by Jaeyon and a map of the Aslan Continent.  

“We have lost the southern and eastern plains to Evans. We will be severely short on food to aid the refugees.”  

A seasoned high-ranking noble cautiously began to speak.  

The vast plains now occupied by Evans.  

There, wheat was ripening with only a fortnight left until harvest.  

“Then we must reclaim our plains.”  

As Sweeney replied, glancing around the room, the commander seated right beside her brightened his eyes.  

“Shall we head to the southern plains? We can deploy the army immediately!”  

His enthusiasm, as if he would draw his sword and charge on horseback at once, made Sweeney smile softly.  

She picked up the baton and stood beside the map of the Aslan Continent.  

“Why fight a war on our land?”  

She pointed to a spot on the map with the baton.  

“Head south. Cross the border into Petrus.”  

At her words, the commander leaped to his feet first.  

“I will fulfill Your Majesty’s will! We will wash away the disgrace of the past ten years!”  

Sweeney looked down at the bowed retainers as she rose from her seat.  

‘Father, watch over me. Finally, Iberis will truly be independent.’  

Her hand clenched with such force that her knuckles stood out prominently.  

+++

After ordering the escort knights to clear the street, Jaeyon exchanged sharp glances with Leophris once more.  

“Remember that during the period when envoys from various countries are here, even warring nations must show courtesy to each other.”  

“We will try.”

Leophris relaxed his eyes and suppressed his anger as he glanced around the harbor.  

• Ernst will request warships from the Tiola Empire. Under no circumstances should Ernst obtain those warships!

The special mission given to him by Emperor Grain.  

To achieve this, he would have to endure his anger and maintain good relations with the Tiola Empire for the time being.  

‘Jaeyon, your day of bowing under the dragon’s claw of Petrus will soon come too!’  

Leophris painted a plausible smile on his face and left with his party.  

+++

Adelina and her party, guided to the Camellia Palace, decided to rest first and have lunch with the Emperor the following day.  

One corner of the garden, dense with camellia trees, was not yet in bloom, with only lush green leaves.  

In front of Adelina’s bedroom stood a large birch tree, offering the sound of a refreshing breeze.  

“You all should rest now. You’ve worked hard coming by ship.”  

As Adelina looked around her bedroom, she watched the maids check her dresses and jewelry.  

“Yes, Your Majesty. Truly… everything is all set…”  

Seyra, organizing Adelina’s luggage that the maids of the Tiola Empire had moved, felt dispirited.  

As Hailyn had said, Jaeyon had prepared everything.  

From dresses to shoes, and even various jewels to wear.  

‘Oh dear… it’s overwhelming. What if it’s more splendid than what I brought!’  

I should have brought everything Lexion gifted me…  

I should have brought the diamond set…  

Fearing she might not return, she had brought less expensive items, making her belongings seem too shabby.  

Even the maids who came with her seemed to feel the same, looking rather downcast at the splendid dresses and jewels.  

“Haha. They’re treating us like state guests. Let’s organize the rest tomorrow, and everyone rest now.”  

Adelina patted the maids’ drooping shoulders and shooed them out of the room.  

‘Now’s the time!’  

She pulled out the mirror wrapped in cloth from deep within her bag and hopped onto the bed.  

‘Perhaps… will I see Lexion? Or another important scene.’  

She had deliberately brought only one mirror…  

She wondered if clueless Lexion would understand its significance.  

As expected, the hand mirror Stephan made wasn’t just one.  

‘I figured two hand mirrors would come from that big mirror!’  

She had taken only one of the two mirrors from the secret space.  

Carefully unwrapping the cloth, she held the mirror and looked at her reflection.  

‘Ah, Lexion appear. Over.’  

She tried it once.  

Who knows? Since it’s a magic mirror, maybe she could use it like a walkie-talkie to communicate with Lexion.