Chapter 16 – Do You Like Me?

As Seilia crossed the entrance to the Western Palace, her gaze and every movement of her eyes carried a deep-seated fury.  

Even the maids quietly following behind her held their breath, as this was the first time they had seen Seilia so enraged.  

Finally arriving in front of Princess Blair’s room, the servants, intimidated by Seilia’s expression, quickly opened the door.  

Blair, who had been standing by the bed, looked at Seilia as if she were an unwelcome guest. After a moment of hesitation, she changed her expression and greeted her warmly.  

“Princess Blair.”  

“Lady Seilia?”  

Blair asked in an innocent voice, as if she were entirely unaware of the situation.  

Anyone ignorant of her true nature might have been completely captivated by those crimson, flower-like lips every time they parted.  

That feigned ignorance of hers—it was infuriating to the point of making one’s teeth grind.  

***

The atmosphere surrounding the two, seated on opposite sides of the table, grew colder and more tense with each passing moment.  

Seilia needed to quickly wipe the smile off Blair’s face, which remained bright and cheerful.  

But Seilia wasn’t the only one lost in thought.  

Blair found the situation strange. Judging by Seilia’s expression when she entered, she had seemed ready to grab her by the hair at any moment. Yet now, she sat there calmly and composed.  

Fiddling with the rim of her teacup, Blair glanced at Seilia and clicked her tongue inwardly.  

‘Persistent woman…’  

Even after spending a fortune to pave her way to death, Seilia had returned unharmed, sitting right in front of her. Blair wondered if she should poison Seilia’s teacup herself.  

If she couldn’t have the Empress’s position, it would be better to drag her down, even if it meant killing her. Reaching out for something she desired was only natural. Yes, removing obstacles was unavoidable, wasn’t it?  

Seilia, too, observed Blair as she lifted her teacup for the first time.  

At that moment, a sharp pain radiated from her injured left arm, wrapping her entire body in agony and clouding her thoughts.  

Frowning deeply, Seilia roughly set the teacup down and clutched her arm.  

Was it because of the day the tailor came for my wedding dress fitting? Had Leo gripped my arm too hard back then? 

Though the wound had begun to heal, the lingering pain refused to disappear.  

“Are you injured?”  

Blair’s overly concerned expression betrayed a hidden satisfaction she didn’t bother to conceal.  

“It’s just a minor injury to my arm. Nothing serious, Princess.”  

Ah, so it’s her left arm.  

Blair’s pale blue eyes sparkled with intrigue.  

At least they managed to wound her somewhere. It felt like the money spent had been worth it.  

For the first time in a while, Blair felt a sense of relief.  

“Oh dear. Should I not have asked? I happen to know of a tea that helps sword wounds heal quickly. I’ll have someone send it to your palace.”  

Blair smiled sweetly, her expression laced with a faintly nauseating insincerity.  

Seilia returned the smile, meeting Blair’s gaze.  

You never fail to meet expectations.  

She hadn’t even hinted at anything, yet her prey had willingly poked its head out of the water to take the bait.  

“Princess Blair. I don’t believe I ever mentioned that my injury was caused by a sword wound.”  

Seilia’s casual remark, tossed out as if in passing, instantly derailed Blair’s plans to wrap up their conversation with a hollow laugh. Blair’s cheerful expression froze in an instant.  

While Blair’s face stiffened, Seilia’s remained eerily bright, a chillingly serene smile adorning her lips.  

“Do you possess some divine power that allows you to discern the cause and history of others’ injuries? Or are you admitting that the person who sent assassins after me was none other than you, Princess Blair?”  

How utterly foolish.  

“You should have known when to stop, Princess Blair.”  

“What are you talking about, Lady Seilia?”  

Was she planning to feign ignorance until the end?  

“There’s no need to deny it when it’s just the two of us here. You ordered Earl Bilgeor to hire an assassin group to target me. And you specifically chose the assassin group from the Kingdom of Faelin, likely because you wanted someone who would follow your orders. People from that kingdom certainly have plenty of reasons to want me dead, don’t they?”  

Princess Blair, who had been feigning ignorance, found herself speechless as Seilia laid out her deductions with calm precision.  

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to admit it either.  

“No matter how noble your words may be as the soon-to-be Empress, baseless accusations are quite unpleasant.”  

Though Blair’s voice remained composed, her throat felt parched, and her carefully maintained facade began to crumble under pressure.  

“If I dig into Earl Bilgeor’s actions, I doubt these accusations will remain baseless. And if I throw all your maids into the underground prison, I’m sure I can extract testimonies that you, Princess Blair, ordered them.”  

Would anyone risk their life to defend Blair, who treated her subordinates so poorly?  

Seilia’s expression, as she stared at Blair, radiated a deadly aura.  

“I didn’t come here expecting you to admit it easily. Nor do I have the time to waste on such matters.”  

Her words were sharp, like a blade pointed directly at Blair.  

“So consider this a warning. Don’t cross me again. If you ever wish to return to your homeland alive, make sure you leave the Belton Empire in one piece.”  

Blair waited until Seilia’s unwavering gaze finally left her. Only after Seilia had completely exited the room did Blair let out the breath she had been holding.  

Every time Seilia’s presence loomed over her, her entire body trembled uncontrollably.  

***

As Seilia left, she felt neither triumphant nor uplifted.  

What irritated her even more was the fact that her thoughts were consumed by one person—the man she had left behind.  

Leo Ares Belton.  

After leaving Blair’s room and heading toward the Western Palace garden, Seilia spotted Prince Eselyn in the distance, his striking blue hair making him stand out.  

“Empress?”  

“…Prince Eselyn.”  

Seilia approached Prince Eselyn, who stood in the middle of the garden, looking lost.  

“I feel like I’ve been walking in circles for several minutes now. Could you help me?”  

Seilia stopped in her tracks and replied in a dry tone.  

“Of course.”  

When Seilia gave her permission, Prince Eselyn smiled brightly, almost childlike, as Seilia looked at him with a slightly bewildered expression.  

The Western Palace garden, being part of the palace where visiting guests stayed, was designed more lavishly than other palace gardens. Its vast expanse often caused visitors to lose their way.  

Having frequented the Imperial City since childhood, Seilia was now familiar with its layout.  

Somehow, she ended up walking alongside Prince Eselyn through the Western Palace garden. After a while, he cautiously asked her,  

“May I ask your name, Your Majesty?”  

“Seilia Estelle Ernian.”  

“A lovely name, easy to remember. In the Kingdom of Barmalin, names are usually short, so I was worried I’d have trouble remembering names here.”  

Every graceful gesture of this man only deepened Seilia’s confusion.  

“There’s no need for you to go to such lengths to remember it.”  

“But I want to remember it.”  

“We’re unlikely to meet again once you leave this place. The Kingdom of Barmalin is too far away.”  

“If I remember it on my own, fate will surely bring us together again someday.”  

He was a little presumptuous. Seilia felt an inexplicable sense of exhaustion just from his presence.  

Eselyn’s striking eyes curved beautifully, forming a perfect arc.  

And there was that smile again.  

His blatant and direct manner was becoming impossible to ignore.  

Even if she were misunderstanding his intentions, it was Prince Eselyn who had given her the impression. She couldn’t simply let it slide.  

“That’s just your own one-sided idea of fate, Prince Eselyn.”  

Her tone was cold, almost excessively so, considering they had only met for less than half a day. But she felt it was necessary to avoid any future complications.  

“Prince Eselyn, there’s something I’d like to ask.”  

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please, go ahead.”  

Eselyn’s reflexive response startled her for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and continued.  

“Do you like me?”  

The question slipped out thoughtlessly.  

“Yes, I fell for you at first sight.”  

His calm and straightforward reply left Seilia wide-eyed in shock. She asked again,  

“Excuse me?”  

“I fell for you, Your Majesty.”  

She had at least expected him to deny it once, but his bold admission left her utterly speechless.  

“I’m getting married in four days.”  

Flustered, she blurted out words like a rushing tide. Who wouldn’t react this way to such a situation? And wasn’t he here as an invited guest to her wedding?  

“I know, Your Majesty.”  

Eselyn smiled again, his expression dazzling enough to blind anyone watching. Seilia found herself at a loss for words, staring at him in silence.  

It wasn’t that she had nothing to say; rather, he left her speechless.  

It seemed there was another person as unhinged as Leo standing right in front of her.  

“Do you not understand what marriage means? It means I already have someone I love, Prince Eselyn.”  

Seilia, barely managing to regain her composure, spoke slowly and clearly, as if explaining to someone hard of hearing.  

She felt a pang of guilt for mixing in a small lie… but two years ago, her words would have been entirely true.  

“But you don’t love His Majesty the Emperor, do you?”  

“…!”  

‘How does he know that?’  

“You’re so transparent in your dislike that only the oblivious wouldn’t notice. If it’s truly a secret, then I must have an extraordinary sense of perception.”  

Ah, come to think of it—when Leo had wrapped his arm around her waist, she hadn’t managed to hide her expression at all.  

“And, well, I’ve overheard things I probably shouldn’t have.”  

The more her careless mistakes were revealed, the more her head ached. She quickly cut him off and returned to the original topic.  

“Whatever the case, I have no intention of accepting your feelings, Prince Eselyn.”  

Her firm declaration was followed by an apologetic turn of her head, avoiding his gaze. Eselyn, watching her with a sorrowful expression, finally spoke.  

“Does that mean I’ve been rejected?”  

“I never even considered it a confession in the first place.”  

“Then, can I at least remain as your friend,Your Majesty? Or is that also not allowed?”  

Such persistence.  

Seilia frowned slightly, her delicate brows knitting together, before slowly nodding her head.  

“Being friends is fine.”  

There was no reason to refuse that much.  

Eselyn extended his hand as if asking for a handshake. After hesitating for a few seconds, Seilia finally reached out and lightly grasped his hand.  

As their hands met, a pleasant fragrance wafted up, warming her senses.  

“Then, I’ll take my leave and return to my quarters.”  

“Farewell, Prince Eselyn.”  

Eselyn, who had been walking back toward the garden with a wounded expression, soon strode confidently toward the entrance of the Western Palace, his long legs carrying him swiftly.  

Hadn’t he said he was lost?  

Seilia found it odd but didn’t dwell on it. Behind her, a dark shadow moved, carrying Leo’s familiar scent.  

As quickly as events unfolded, time passed just as swiftly, and the day of the wedding finally arrived.  

Seilia, who had risen at dawn, bathed herself meticulously in fragrant waters several times over before beginning the long process of getting ready.  

“Here, I’ve brought the tiara holder.”  

“Thank you. Leave it there and fetch the shawl next.”  

The people busier than the bride herself were Marse, the other maids, and the numerous high-society ladies who had come to assist.  

They bustled about, dressing the still-drowsy Seilia with great care. After hours of preparation, Seilia was finally adorned to perfection, looking radiant enough to dazzle anyone who saw her.