Chapter 3. The Gray Tower and the Cursed Princess

There were no more attackers using Sedas’s name. However, Yerena could still occasionally hear about assassination attempts against Roshan.

‘A legitimate son exists, yet a bastard is emperor…… Well, that’s actually impossible. And even if there were no heir, with his legitimate half-brother as crown prince, the emperor must be beside himself. He must feel anxious and impatient.’

With the continuing assassination attempts, Yerena thought the emperor’s hatred for his half-brother was no ordinary matter. But why should she care about the circumstances of her country’s invader and enemy? She merely sighed with disappointment whenever she learned an assassination attempt had failed.

‘……I wish it had succeeded.’

Day by day, her disappointment deepened, and her dark emotions showed plainly on her face. Whenever Yerena was like this, Jane, sitting across from her, would flinch unnecessarily and look outside. Then she would try to change the atmosphere with an awkward smile and a new topic.

“It’s fully autumn now. Once we arrive, I should get some warm clothes ready first.”

“Is winter in the Empire very cold too?”

“Of course. Especially the capital, being at a high altitude, is quite cold in winter. In winter, quite a few poor people freeze to death.”

Whenever Jane did this, Yerena suppressed the emotions welling up deep inside and went along with her. During the last attack, Jane had almost been in danger trying to stop Yerena, yet she never blamed her once. Yerena felt guilty about this.

“The winter two years ago was particularly harsh, and many children in the poor districts died. My mother, unable to bear it, tore up our blankets to make clothes for the children. Thanks to that, my siblings and I slept in pairs under one blanket, pressed tightly together. It was a bit uncomfortable, but not bad. The youngest sister who slept with me was such a good storyteller that the nights were never boring.”

“That’s amazing. You have an excellent mother.”

Though the beginning might have been somewhat artificial, the more they conversed, the closer Yerena and Jane became. Jane described the outside scenery and surroundings several times a day for Yerena, who couldn’t see. When she explained what color the river was, how cute the family of ducks carrying fallen leaves in their beaks were, Yerena would smile and occasionally burst into laughter.

And there were a few who stole glances at her when she was like this, but the one who watched Yerena most closely was Frederick. Riding his horse near the carriage carrying the two women under the pretext of being a guard knight, he would sometimes interject in Yerena and Jane’s conversations when the carriage window was open.

“Still, conditions in the capital are better than in other regions. There are quite a few poorhouses managed by the state.”

“……Jane. The wind is a bit cold. Could you close the window a bit?”

Yerena still acted stiffly when dealing with Frederick. Whenever she did so, Jane paid more attention to Frederick’s arms than his handsome, slightly frowning face. Yerena, unable to see, didn’t know, but Frederick had a splint on his left arm.

‘Frederick. You failed to properly guard the princess as I ordered.’

‘Your Highness. Frederick left the carriage then because there was an accident behind us. And all three of us were under concentrated attack……’

‘Whatever the reason, failing to fulfill your responsibility is a crime. If you had to leave your post, you should have at least left one of your subordinate knights behind.’

‘……You are right. It is my fault.’

‘You need a suitable punishment.’

‘I will accept any punishment willingly.’

Jane knew who had broken Frederick’s arm and why, but she remained silent about it. She had long learned that it was best not to speak about anything she saw or heard that was even slightly frightening or unsettling.

‘……It’s best to pretend not to know things I can’t handle.’

For similar reasons, she deliberately ignored the red gaze she occasionally felt. After all, the gaze was directed not at her but at the blind princess sitting across from her, who boasted a beauty so stunning it could blind.

“Is there anything else you’re curious about regarding the capital? Shall I tell you about the night market that opens once a month?”

“Yes, please.”

“The night market is quite large, and there are many places selling delicious food. Plus, in months with holidays or founding day celebrations, there are all kinds of performances. Among them, I like the play about Saintess Aran the most.”

The longer the silent maid’s idle chatter continued, the closer the carriage got to its destination. And after a month had passed……

“Princess. Please step down carefully. There are quite a few stones on the path.”

“Thank you, Jane.”

The blind princess, reduced to a war trophy, finally arrived at the imperial palace in the center of the Empire’s capital and stepped out.

* * *

The war with the Sedas Kingdom ended in a glorious victory from the Vistius Empire’s perspective. The imperial army, specifically Roshan’s black army, conquered and brought the Sedas Kingdom to its knees much faster than expected with a small number of troops. However, the emperor was cold to those who returned with news of victory.

The emperor did not offer a single official word of praise, but the people were different. Roshan had been more popular than the current emperor since his days as a prince. The capital’s people welcomed him, voluntarily throwing flowers and laying red cloth on the path where the army passed, shouting cheers of joy.

The people’s cheers and celebratory fireworks rang out, but the offended emperor indefinitely postponed the victory banquet, using a sudden illness as an excuse.

Roshan, as always, didn’t care much about the emperor’s attitude. But his subordinates were different.

“It’s pathetic, though I expected it. I thought they would at least give us a grand welcome, if not a triumphal arch. But then again, when has our great Emperor ever done such a thing?”

“Frederick. There are many ears listening. You’d better watch what you say.”

When Frederick sneered while walking down the imperial palace corridor, Hayden immediately tried to stop him. However, his face also clearly showed signs of discontent.

“He’s not wrong, so what can they say to us even if they hear?”

“Knox! Why are you joining in too?”

Even Knox, who would normally just keep his mouth shut, sided with Frederick. Knox was furious to the tips of his hair with anger toward the emperor. The emperor’s petty schemes against his lord. Because of that, he had lost several cherished subordinates.

“Hayden. Don’t be afraid. No one in this palace can cut down a knight of His Highness like you. You know the level of knights who only stay in the palace and never go to the battlefield.”

As Knox joined in, Frederick continued his sarcasm. The famous Roshan Vistius and the three knights following him. The gazes of the palace attendants naturally followed them.

Roshan moved on, paying no attention to what his subordinates were saying. Then, upon reaching a large building inside the palace, he briefly stopped and looked back. At their lord’s silent command to be quiet, the three knights immediately stopped talking.

Just as Roshan and the three knights had climbed halfway up the stairs toward the building’s main entrance, someone hurriedly came down from above and bowed deeply to Roshan.

“Your Highness. Congratulations on your safe return.”

With a somewhat thin appearance, brownish-gray hair neatly styled without a single stray hair, and thin silver glasses, the man exuded the aura of a civil official to anyone who saw him. He looked quite tired judging by the dark circles under his black eyes. But his neat appearance still made him quite handsome.

“Where is the high priest?”

Roshan acknowledged the man’s greeting with his eyes and immediately asked. Since he didn’t even stop walking, the brownish-gray haired man followed him from the side, climbing back up the stairs he had just descended, and answered.

“I’ve arranged everything as you instructed.”

As if it were a familiar task, the brownish-gray haired man maintained an indifferent expression. However, the eyes of the three knights behind Roshan were filled with pity as they looked at him.

As Roshan nodded at the man’s answer and climbed the last step, a much more imposing building than what was visible from below came into view. Roshan examined the gold-decorated roof once and then looked ahead again. Several attendants who had been waiting in front of the building rushed over, bowed at the waist before Roshan, and announced.

“Welcome, Crown Prince. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for you.”

* * *

No sooner had she arrived at the imperial palace than Yerena was separated from Jane and dragged away by strangers. After being briefly confined in a room, women suddenly burst in and led her to a bath.

Yerena was extremely tense, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment and her blindness. And now, she was expected to show her n*ked body to these strange women without any explanation. Unable to process the sudden events, she could only speak after the bath was finished.

“What’s going on? Where are you taking me?”

But they treated Yerena like a doll, busily adorning her without any response. There seemed to be at least four pairs of footsteps moving around her, yet not a single answer came, pushing Yerena’s anxiety to the extreme.

‘What is this……’

And then the dress they put on her. Though she couldn’t see it, Yerena could tell that the dress the women had dressed her in was not something noble ladies would wear.

The female attire in the Sedas Kingdom and the Empire differed greatly in style, but in both countries, high-status women avoided exposing their bodies except for shoulders and arms. Yet the dress she wore felt clearly open in the front and was as thin as paper.

‘No. You’re no longer the most noble unmarried woman of a country, but merely a concubine, no, a bedroom slave.’

As cold air entered through the exposed front of the dress, Bianca’s curse echoed in her mind. Yerena unconsciously reddened her eyes at this unfamiliar situation. She feared what the emperor of the Empire would do to her, which was all too predictable.

‘I hate this. I hate being dragged to the emperor’s bedroom like this.’

When leaving Sedas, Yerena had thought she would sacrifice her body for her country. But when the situation actually arrived, she wanted to follow her family. She hated becoming more miserable than this.