As if escorting her, Rosenite pulled me towards her. I returned to the banquet hall with Rosenite.
“Blessings and glory to the sun of Hadelamide!”
I managed to make it in time after a hurried pace. I bowed and paid my respects.
Pushing through the crowd of nobles, we advanced toward Desmond II.
“Blessings and glory to the sun of Hadelamid. Greetings, Father.”
“Heh... heh, Eve. I was wondering where you were, and you were with Rosie.”
Rosenite answered quickly.
“Yes. We were out enjoying the fresh air together, and then I heard that Father was coming, so I quickly brought my sister.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Desmond II's gaze was directed towards his daughters' interlocking fingertips.
It seemed that the father was very proud to see the half-sisters showing such a close bond, which was rare in the imperial family family.
I, who felt uncomfortable with the situation, quickly changed the subject.
“I am deeply moved that you showed up to see me despite your busy schedule.”
“Welcome a little more. I hope you didn’t come empty-handed.”
As soon as Desmond II finished speaking, two of his servants brought something in. It was an ornate chest.
'If it's big and only requires two people, it's probably overpriced.'
“I am deeply moved that you showed up to see me despite your busy schedule.”
“Welcome a little more. I hope you didn’t come empty-handed.”
As soon as Desmond II finished speaking, two of his servants brought something in. It was an ornate chest.
'If it's big and only requires two people, it's probably overpriced.'
I finished my estimate like this.
Meanwhile, the nobles who were curious about the contents were making a fuss.
Usually, the best gift the Emperor gives is the one that is immediately visible.
The more invisible something is, the better it is.
As was the case with the garden bestowed upon Rosenite, or the title and estate bestowed upon me.
So, let's make sure that the items being moved by manpower like now are gifts.
The nobles did not have high expectations.
But Desmond II looked happier and more cheerful than ever.
“Ahem! This is my unloading birthday present. It’s precious, so open it carefully.”
“Yes, Father.”
As I approached the chest, the attendants opened the lid.
"Ah!"
At that moment, an exclamation burst out of my mouth without my knowledge.
The curiosity of the nobles reached a fever pitch as they watched the ever-calm Princess in amazement. I held up the bounty for all to see.
It was an elongated staff carved from wood. In the hands of a master craftsman, the tool was immense in its artistic value alone. It had both graceful beauty and imperial majesty.
The winged head was studded with magic and alchemical stones that glowed green and amber, each one a national treasure.
Desmond II also touched on that point.
“Are you disappointed because the material is wood?”
“No way. It’s ridiculous, Father..”
I denied it wholeheartedly. This tree is one of the three metals in terms of rarity.
It was much more valuable than silver, black gold, or gray iron because it was a branch of the World Tree that I had offered to Desmond II.
'Wow, you're thinking of making a staff with this.'
I looked up at Desmond II with sparkling eyes. The father felt proud to have received all of his daughter's admiration.
“Hmmmm, I knew you'd recognize the material. The branches of the World Tree didn't seem to be of any use to me, and though I had only intended to borrow them, I decided it was better to return them to you sooner rather than later. I've done some work on it rather than just giving it away.”
“Father..."
The value of this staff is astronomical. The banquet hall is proof of this.
In the stone, Brigitte was trembling with jealousy and greed.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, really... I am so grateful, Father.”
I bowed deeply. After finishing the presentation of gifts, Desmond II looked around at the nobles in the hall and said.
“I hope you will celebrate the 7th Princess’s birthday and the 8th Princess’s health together. Then, please continue enjoying the banquet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As any wise superior would do, Desmond JII was quick to step aside.
He had just stepped outside the ballroom. He caught a glimpse of a suspicious figure in the hallway. Marquis Limitiello, the head of the Privy Council, had rushed up.
In the stone, Brigitte was trembling with jealousy and greed.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, really... I am so grateful, Father.”
I bowed deeply. After finishing the presentation of gifts, Desmond II looked around at the nobles in the hall and said.
“I hope you will celebrate the 7th Princess’s birthday and the 8th Princess’s health together. Then, please continue enjoying the banquet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As any wise superior would do, Desmond JII was quick to step aside.
He had just stepped outside the ballroom. He caught a glimpse of a suspicious figure in the hallway. Marquis Limitiello, the head of the Privy Council, had rushed up.
'What's going on?'
The nobles who were bowing to see him off also felt something unusual and nodded to each other. I also observed the situation.
The scene was captured of the Marquis of Limitiello handing something to Desmond II.
I immediately recognized the object's identity.
'Newspaper. Gossip.'
At that moment, the gossip paper was crumpled in Desmond II's hand.
It was so crumpled that it was unsightly. Just a moment ago, the two of them were sharing their love.
As if it were a lie, his face was distorted with rage and fright.
I felt something and turned my head.
'Bridgette.'
Indeed, my intuition was correct. In one corner of the banquet hall, Brigitte was smiling with a sense of satisfaction.
In a short time, I finished assessing the situation.
Right now, gossip papers like the one crumpled up by Desmond II would be scattered all over the capital.
The content would be Stephania's claim that Derek was murdered by me.
'The banquet is over.'
I lowered my eyes to the floor.
There is a very provocative gossip called the Family Strife.
It wasn't just a rumor, it was published in print. Regardless of whether it's true or not, it will be difficult to recover and the damage will be great.
The honor of the imperial family is directly linked to the authority of the Emperor.
What's more, in a situation where a child disobeys orders and commits an accident on her own, what will be the reaction of an authoritarian father who has been embarrassed?
It was obvious.
"Woah, Your Majesty is at...!”
Desmond II, his face a mask of rage, pushed past his chamberlain and re-entered the banquet hall.
The Emperor's wrath reverberated through the banquet hall. The nobles fell to the floor in fear.
Stefania, who had prepared herself for anything, was calm. As if she had expected this, she stepped forward and knelt before Desmond II.
“Yes, Father.”
“What the heck! Ha! What the hell have you done! How dare you...! Huh! Just follow me!”
Desmond II barely managed to muster up his wits and move.
But there was one person who couldn't give up the stage where a large audience had gathered. It was Bridgette.
She rushed over to Stefania's side and appealed to Desmond II.
“Father!”
“...What is it, Brigitte?”
“Please, Father. I don’t know the exact circumstances, but it must have been something Nia did because she couldn’t overcome her grief over losing Derek! She just had a momentary lapse in judgment, so don’t blame Nia too much!”
On the topic of the final mastermind, it was a trick to pretend to protect Stefania and then deny having anything to do with the incident.
That sight was only unpleasant to my eyes.
It seemed like it wasn't what it seemed. Desmond Ii grabbed the back of his neck.
"This person!"
Desmond II's face turned red and blue as his anger reached its breaking point.
Brigitte swallowed a wicked laugh as she watched her father suffer from high blood pressure.
'The banquet starts now. Isn't that right, Eve?'
Now, it seemed that all that was left was for Desmond II to harshly reprimand me and humiliate me in front of all the nobles.
“Brigitte! Are you in a position to protect Stefania right now? Your nose is three inches long!”
"Yes?"
The target the arrow hit was Brigitte.
'What?'
I and Brigitte both felt at the same time that the flow of the situation was strange.
It was then that Rosenite, who had come closer again, grabbed my hand and whispered.
“It’s okay. It’ll end well, Sis.”
What the hell is going on? I couldn't understand Rosenite's actions.
I was confused, but I didn't have time to think deeply.
It wasn't long before Desmond II looked at me with a single, piercing gaze.
The first arrow, originally mine, went to Brigitte, and the second arrow, originally Brigitte's, went to me. What does this reversal mean?
When I had difficulty finding an answer, Desmond II asked in a chewed-out tone.
“Evienose, is this your doing?”
“Father?”
“I'm asking! Did you instigate Nia to do this?”
“...I’m sorry. I’m so foolish that I don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“It’s stuffy! Look!”
The crumpled bundle of gossip flew away and landed in front of my feet. Before I, who was in a panic, could reflexively bend my back, Rosenite picked it up and handed it to me.
I took it in a daze and read it.
The content of the gossip was largely different from what I had expected.
Stefania's revelations were true, but she was targeting Brigitte, not me, as the culprit who killed Derek.
“...I think Betty, you should read it too.”
"What?"
Instead of the dumbfounded Brigitte, her fiancé Antonio took the gossip paper. Brigitte also read the article right away.
“Ah, no, this, this...!”
Brigitte couldn't even speak properly when the article's content was completely different from what she had expected.
She glared at the back of Stefania's head with menacing eyes.
But the situation was not good enough to be caught up in resentment. Bridgette tried to take care of the situation first. Her method was similar to her usual one.
“It’s unfair, Father. This is clearly Eve’s doing...!”
That was when.
“Father!”
An unexpected figure intervened: Rosenite.
While I and everyone else opened our eyes wide in surprise, Rosenite knelt down to give her advice.
“Rosie? Why are you coming out?”
Rosenite appealed to Desmond II, whose eyes were narrowed.
“This is all my fault!”
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