Chapter 11 – Selection Day (3)

Seilia slightly regretted her impulsive actions, but the water had already been spilled.  

If it couldn’t be gathered back, she had no choice but to step into it.  

Seilia reached out her hand and, as if charging forward, kissed Leo. It was a genuine kiss, the kind one would give to someone they truly loved.  

The people who had been about to leave the scene froze momentarily, trying to process what had just unfolded before their eyes. Then, as if on cue, they all clamped their mouths shut and screamed in shock.  

Standing beside the staircase, Princess Blair and the other candidates stared in utter disbelief.  

Surely, this would be enough now.  

Seilia let go of Leo’s collar, which she had been clutching.  

Leo, whose surprise was evident, quickly masked his emotions.  

Again.  

Why did he keep trying to hide his emotions?

It made her feel like a fool, trapped in a delusion of her own making.  

For him, it was just a fleeting feeling, but for her, it was an unshakable, foolish attachment.  

As if trying to erase the familiar sensation of his lips, she rubbed hers lightly and masked her feelings in the same way.  

“It was just something I did on a whim. It doesn’t mean anything.”  

The delayed embarrassment only added to her torment. To think she had been the one to initiate a kiss with someone who had caused her so much pain, someone who had made her cry.  

As she took a step to descend the stairs again, Leo grabbed her.  

His firm grip brought their considerable height difference into alignment, making it so their eyes, trembling with emotion, couldn’t avoid each other.  

“What are you doing right now?”  

No matter how much strength she put into her expression and attitude to force him to let go, Leo didn’t release her.  

Instead, he murmured nonchalantly.  

“It doesn’t mean anything to me either.”  

With one hand holding Seilia’s waist, Leo used his other, larger hand to cup her face, leaning in to kiss her again, slowly this time.  

His words, claiming there was no meaning, were completely at odds with the earnest way he kissed her.  

The inexplicable action left the onlookers nearly fainting, their hearts racing wildly in excitement.  

Though the kiss was brief, Leo’s unusually ragged breathing, mixed with hers, betrayed the truth.  

And Leo himself acknowledged it.  

Finally pulling away, Leo, who had always maintained an impassive expression even during their earlier kisses, opened his mouth to speak.  

“Up until now, it didn’t mean anything. But I think it might start to.”  

With just those words, the sturdy wall she had erected crumbled, shaken to its core.  

She had thought they were long finished, that they should never cross paths again, believing their connection to be a cursed and fateful one.  

Yet, in the eyes of the man looking up at her now, she saw herself, just as she had in the past.  

What on earth did those words mean?  

She wanted to ask but couldn’t bring herself to.  

***

After the Selection Day ceremony for the Empress had concluded, Seilia, now residing in the Imperial City, headed to her temporary quarters in the Southern Palace’s annex.  

The Belton Empire’s Imperial City was divided into four main sections: east, west, south, and north.  

The Eastern Palace contained banquet halls, conference rooms, and large audience chambers for hosting external guests.  

The Western Palace, where Princess Blair currently resided, also served as accommodations for other distinguished visitors.  

The Southern Palace housed the Emperor and Empress. Since Seilia’s wedding had not yet taken place, she would be staying in the annex for the time being.  

The Northern Palace, designated for the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and other imperial descendants, was largely vacant due to Leo being an only child.  

After walking through the vast Imperial City, Seilia finally arrived at the annex. The Imperial City was ridiculously large. Despite being called an annex, it was as grand as any of the other palaces.  

At the entrance, servants stood in formation, awaiting their new master.  

As soon as they spotted Seilia, they bowed in unison. A middle-aged woman with a neat appearance, who seemed to be the head maid, stepped forward to introduce herself.  

“May peace reign in the Belton Empire. We are the ones who will serve you, My Lady.”  

With an elegant gesture, Marse indicated the assembled servants, who all bowed deeply to greet Seilia.  

“And I am Marse, the head maid. I will serve you with utmost sincerity and diligence, ensuring no detail is overlooked.”  

Seilia responded with a light bow, acknowledging their greetings.  

As the sole Lady of the House of Ernian, a powerful family, Seilia’s reputation preceded her. Known as a socialite who stirred up scandals and manipulated others, her servants had braced themselves for a difficult mistress.  

However, as they observed her, their initial tension gave way to surprise. The Seilia standing before them seemed nothing like the woman from the rumors.  

‘She doesn’t seem like someone we need to be so nervous about.’  

Her beauty was undeniable, a perfect embodiment of grace and elegance. To the servants, she appeared to be a gentle and delicate young lady, far removed from the gossip that had surrounded her.  

But first impressions were crucial in determining how the servants would behave moving forward.  

Seilia, who was far from naive, understood this perfectly.  

With a smile as radiant as a rose, yet as thorny as one, she began to speak.  

“I will do my best to treat you all with consideration. However, I am not generous enough to extend that courtesy to those who fail to show me proper respect.”  

Her faint smile disappeared, replaced by a cunning, cold smirk.  

The Seilia standing before them was not a newly selected Empress, overwhelmed and struggling to adapt.  

In less than a minute, the servants had gauged their master’s temperament. Those who had underestimated her lowered their heads further, hiding their cold sweat.  

Even Marse, who had served in the Imperial City for a long time and attended to many nobles, realized that this master would not be an easy one.  

“I believe that’s enough for now. Shall we head inside?”  

***

In Princess Blair’s room in the Western Palace, chaos reigned.  

The sound of breaking and shattering objects echoed without pause. Outside the door, the attendants stood frozen in fear, unsure of what to do.  

Crash!  

A small, ornate hand mirror, which had been gleaming on the table moments ago, was thrown to the floor, shattering into pieces.  

The floor was littered with broken items and overturned furniture. Amidst the mess, one thing stood out clearly.  

[A Perfect Failure for Princess Blair of the Kingdom of Faelin to Secure the Position of Empress.]  

The word “perfect” was heavily emphasized in the gossip paper.  

Dozens of similar papers lay crumpled and torn on the floor. As the papers were shredded, so too were Blair’s hopes and expectations.  

The head maid desperately tried to intervene, but she couldn’t get close.  

“Princess, please calm down…”  

“Calm down?”  

Blair repeated the words darkly, staring at her hands.  

Her hands were covered in blood from the shards of the broken mirror. Hot blood flowed from her veins, and the pain served as a cruel reminder of her shattered dreams.  

No. This can’t be happening.  

Blair pulled out the shards without hesitation, staring blankly at her bleeding palms.  

“Do you know how much effort I put into securing that position of Empress?”  

Her face was devoid of emotion as she looked up.  

A face filled with rage might have been better, but Blair’s expression was chillingly devoid of any feeling.  

Seilia had laughed at her.  

It was a laugh filled with pity and scorn, as if looking down on something pathetic.  

Why am I pathetic? Why? Why on earth?  

“That damned House of Ernian. What’s so special about them?”  

I am a princess. A princess born with noble blood.  

Grinding her teeth, Blair stared blankly with unfocused eyes.  

In the Kingdom of Faelin, she had shone brighter than anyone, but in the Belton Empire, she was always cast aside.  

Always. Constantly. Relentlessly.  

She had thought she had finally taken something from that man, perfectly and completely.  

But nothing had changed.  

Moments later, the Western Palace was filled with Blair’s anguished screams.  

She clawed at her hair, letting out a wail that sounded like sobbing, yet her face remained expressionless.  

It was a grotesque sight.  

Then, the screams abruptly stopped, as if cut off with a knife.  

Blair slowly straightened her hunched body. She opened the door, ignoring the terrified stares of those around her, and grabbed the sword of a nearby knight.  

When the head maid rushed forward to stop her, Blair struck her down with a single slash.  

Even after the last glimmer of life left the head maid’s body, Blair didn’t stop.  

Blood splattered across the walls and floor, staining them red.  

Some of the maids fainted, unable to bear the sight.  

Another life was lost.  

Someone who had been moving, speaking, and laughing just hours ago now lay lifeless on the cold floor.  

By tomorrow, the head maid would no longer be there.  

No word of this incident would escape the palace.  

And so it would remain.