Chapter 7

After some time, Irien slowly sat up and composed herself. She looked down at her wrinkled gloves, then smiled elegantly at Senri.

“Senri. New gloves.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Senri placed a box of ladies’ gloves of various types in front of Irien and bowed. She didn’t raise her head while Irien changed gloves.

Irien, now wearing delicate white lace gloves, gave her next command.

“Call the maids. I need to change clothes and eat. And summon the secretary—I want a report on the matters from this morning’s council.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Except for her slightly red eyes and swollen lips, she had returned to her flawless Queenly appearance, and Senri replied neatly.

Soon the summoned maids arrived, and Irien dressed in full regalia with their careful help.

Irien looked at her reflection in the mirror, calming herself further.

“Smile, Irien. In every situation, never forget you are my proud daughter.”

Recalling the words of the late King, who passed five years ago, her lips curved gently. A maid, running errands in the distance, caught sight of the beautiful Queen in the mirror and gasped softly.

“Ah…”

“Ahem, ahem.”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

Senri coughed and signaled, and the new maid quickly bowed her head.

Looking at the Queen’s face without permission was forbidden, and being caught made her pale.

Irien, seeing this from the mirror, spoke kindly.

“A new face, I see. Are you new?”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty…”

“Hoho, don’t be so frozen. Senri? Don’t scold her too much, comfort her well. She must be nervous on her first day.”

“I will, Your Majesty.”

Senri replied as if she had no choice, and the new maid was moved by the Queen’s mercy. The other maids, as if expecting it, glanced at the Queen with admiration.

Receiving their longing gazes, Irien smiled even more beautifully.

‘Good. No problem at all.’

There was nothing difficult about playing ‘Queen Irien,’ and no one noticed anything strange.

She had always done well, and surely would continue to do so.

…Or so she thought.

***

“…Um.”

Fireworks shot up into the dark sky.

The streets brightened for a moment, and among two women moving quietly in the shadows, one in a robe—Senri—whispered anxiously.

“I really think you should return, Your Maj—”

“‘Camellia.’ You have to call me that outside.”

The woman walking ahead turned and reminded her. Camellia, with more glamorous makeup than usual, winked.

But unlike her relaxed demeanor, Senri anxiously scanned the surroundings. The alley was deserted, but loud laughter echoed from the main street.

It was the eve of the Queen’s birthday festival.

“Tomorrow morning, you have to greet envoys from every nation. And you promised Princess Murien you’d wrap up ‘Camellia’ soon…”

“My sister said ‘soon,’ not ‘now.’”

“Your Maj—!”

Their conversation was interrupted as a group of passersby went by. Listening for their fading footsteps, Senri whispered again.

“There are more outsiders than usual. Should I contact the Second Knight Commander…?”

“Don’t. She’s probably already home and resting.”

Second Knight Commander Hilde Istara had been Irien’s close friend since her days as a princess and was the usual escort for these secret night outings.

But tonight’s outing was so spontaneous, there was no time to contact Hilde, who had already left for the day.

“What are you worried about, Senri? We used to go out together just fine.”

That was when Irien was just one of many princesses. Even though she was the late King’s favorite, few paid attention to a young princess’s movements.

But—

“You let your guard down and we got caught by Dame Hilde, the Captain of the 2nd Knight Order, didn’t we?”

“In the end, we gained a very reliable ally. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

Senri decided it was useless to argue further and fell silent.

Arriving at the back door of Fiore tavern, Irien tightened her robe and glanced back.

“Don’t worry, Senri. I’ll enjoy the stage all night and return as diligent Irien by morning.”

“…Yes.”

Thus Irien—no, Camellia—entered the tavern. As she did, Madam Olga’s delighted laughter burst out.

Outside the closed back door, Senri quietly fiddled with the metal bracelet on her wrist.

‘But tonight’s purpose isn’t just the stage…’

Princess Murien had informed them that the Tefnu Merchant Group, which had left for the border, was returning to the capital for some reason.

Irien had discreetly asked Senri to find out the reason, but as soon as her official duties ended, she urged Senri to bring Camellia’s wig and costume, leading to this moment.

‘Maybe she wants to meet the foreigner… Is that why she insisted on coming out tonight, Irien…?’

But Senri could not speak about facts her master hadn’t voiced herself.

Senri sighed and twisted her metal bracelet. Click—the sound of the clasp locking, and her figure blurred.

It was a concealment magic tool bestowed by Irien for her, who was not only her loyal maid but also her shadow warrior.

‘May tonight pass quietly.’

Glancing up at the moon, shrouded in thick clouds, Senri quietly slipped into the tavern.

***

‘So quiet…’

Irien exhaled pale smoke into the air.

Fireworks for the festival’s eve exploded endlessly above, and Fiore tavern was packed as always.

The lively sounds spilled over the walls, but Camellia barely felt them.

She watched the cigarette in her holder burn down. It was her third cigarette tonight.

“Another cigarette? You’re doing it more than usual tonight. And you came back so soon after leaving… Is something bothering you?”

Olga, as usual, let her use the backyard, but wore a puzzled expression.

Camellia sighed.

‘Why am I disappointed…’

Third cigarette, third break, third silence.

That man, Usher, did not come. Irien finally let her cigarette burn out and crushed it underfoot.

Her heart, which had been oddly excited since morning, finally calmed.

‘I knew there was no guarantee he’d come.’

Murien’s message had given her hope.

“I got a sudden message this morning. He said he had something important to discuss besides the contract, and asked if he could meet.”

“So?”

“I told him your birthday festival was more important right now, so it would be hard to make time. I said we’d arrange something once he arrived in the capital. …Why? Do you suspect something?”

“No. Nothing. If there’s news, let me know.”

She’d told Murien that, but inside Irien’s heart raced.

Usher only knew ‘Camellia’ was Murien’s agent.

So ‘the important matter’ might be about her, Camellia.

“The thing I truly wanted, after coming to this country, was you.”

She wondered if he meant to persuade her to leave with him.

‘No matter what he says to my sister, my answer won’t change… But still.’

She felt he would come to the tavern one more time to see ‘Camellia.’ So she came, too.

Just to see him one more time.

But…

‘Enough.’

No matter how long she danced or smoked, he didn’t come. Maybe he hadn’t arrived in the capital yet.

But as the birthday festival would last a week, she couldn’t go out every night, and tonight was her only chance.

‘Just one more song, then I’ll go. Yes… Just one more.’

It was the third time she’d resolved that tonight, but Irien forced herself to ignore it. She put away her cigarette holder and returned to the tavern’s waiting room through the secret door.

She noticed the performers seemed restless, whispering to each other and giving her strange looks.

‘What’s going on?’

Irien wondered. Just then, Olga pulled aside the curtain and looked at Irien with relief.

“Oh, Camellia. It’d be best if you went home tonight.”

“What?”

Irien’s eyes widened at the unusual request. Olga, who usually begged for one more song, now looked tired, her earlier smile gone despite the flood of customers.

“Something troublesome happened.”

“What do you mean…”

Crash!

A loud noise made Irien frown. The commotion outside finally reached her ears.