“The competition for succession... It’s been 200 years since the last one, but, well, it’s not impossible.”
Now that's what they call talking. I was so shocked that I glared at Cesare.
It would be refreshing if I could really step on his foot. It was just a shame that I couldn’t get up from my seat while watching the mask play. Even though it was a special seat given to the Princess, it was designed so that I could see clearly from the other side.
“If you have something to say, just say it. The next room probably won’t hear you anyway.”
Cesare said calmly. Just then, a jubilant chorus began, so I lowered the fan I had been waving gracefully and growled.
“No. So, we have to wait until the results come out from the blood test or something, right? It’s supposed to take six months. You said you’d take care of everything before then!”
My voice got a little louder because I was upset. Thanks to my careful attention, it wasn't loud enough to make me go outside the special seats.
I craned my neck, looked down, made sure no one was listening to me, and then whispered again.
“But what the hell is this nonsense about a competition for succession all of a sudden? Is this why you put me here?”
“Originally, it would be right to wait until the blood test results come out.”
Laskan answered calmly.
“But why...”
“His Majesty is in a hurry. He cannot wait until the results of the examination come out.”
“What on earth is that judging stone that takes so long?”
As I grumbled, Cesare spoke up.
“They are a pair of stones. They can only be used twice a year. First, they must be soaked in holy water for three months to purify the blood that is on them.”
“Three months? That long?”
“Yes. The time it takes to feed blood to the purified judgment stone also takes three months. One side is fed with the blood of the family, and the other side is fed with the blood of the examiner once a month.”
...Wait a minute. You say I have to drink blood? Then the blood of your family is His Majesty's blood, and the blood of the examiner... is my blood?
While I was speechless, Laskan continued Cesare's explanation.
“When two blood-infused stones are placed in a vessel if they cling together and emit light, they are said to be of the same blood.”
It was a magical story, even if it was a relic from a magical age that only appeared in legends.
I asked back without letting go of my dubious expression.
“Is there any possibility that the judgment stone is wrong?”
“In all the experiments I have done, the results have never been wrong.”
“What is the possibility that the results could be skewed by someone else’s hands?”
“The blood-fed judging stone is strictly sealed. Not even the Pope can open it.”
“...”
“So the probability of it being manipulated is...”
"Doesn't exist."
Cesare answered firmly. Laskan glanced down at the stage where the play was in full swing and continued speaking in a feminine tone.
“It is true that His Majesty is in a hurry to resolve the succession issue.”
“Right? It’s definitely weird.”
“There have been cases like this throughout history. Usually, when the Emperor was seriously ill or judged that he could no longer run the country, he would hurry up and designate a successor.”
I was so surprised that I opened my mouth. A chronic illness? I thought back to the face of the Emperor I had seen at the dinner a few days ago.
As usual, he had a look of concern on his face, but there was no sign of illness. But there was a corner of my heart that was uneasy.
“...When there is a chronic illness or when it is difficult to run the country?”
“Yes. Even if you are chosen as the successor, you must study the three-year course of Emperor Studies. Alexis II is the only Emperor who ascended the throne without completing this course.”
Alexis II. A murderer who took the throne by killing all of his older brothers.
He was a man who had made great contributions to establishing the empire's territory as it is on the current map but was never given the title of Great Emperor. Because of the brutality of the way he ascended to the throne, he was always plagued by gossip.
The example is too gruesome. I asked back, rubbing my arm with goosebumps.
“What about Lady Veronica? Didn’t she already study the science of kingship? She had a ton of qualifications and degrees.”
“The study of kingship is an exception.”
“Why? What she wanted was the throne, so that sounds like the first subject she should have learned.”
“If you touch the four subjects called ‘Imperial Studies’ just because the Emperor has not designated you as his successor, it is treason. You can be summarily executed for a felony.”
Another scary word suddenly popped out. I continued speaking in despair.
“Then, I really can’t move...”
“Yes. The competition for the throne will begin soon.”
...I’m screwed. If this wasn’t the Imperial Opera House, I would have been pulling out my hair. I was bragging to Lady Veronica that I would win.
When Olga laughed out loud at my boast, saying that distribution was good once, I should have fixed my temper by doing whatever came to mind. How could I win...?
I held onto the railing and pounded my forehead, reflecting deeply. It should have hurt, but instead, it felt like I was hitting something hard and warm.
Before I knew it, Laskan had his hand blocking the space between my forehead and the railing.
“You've got a broken eye.”
Now that's what they call talking. I was so shocked that I glared at Cesare.
It would be refreshing if I could really step on his foot. It was just a shame that I couldn’t get up from my seat while watching the mask play. Even though it was a special seat given to the Princess, it was designed so that I could see clearly from the other side.
“If you have something to say, just say it. The next room probably won’t hear you anyway.”
Cesare said calmly. Just then, a jubilant chorus began, so I lowered the fan I had been waving gracefully and growled.
“No. So, we have to wait until the results come out from the blood test or something, right? It’s supposed to take six months. You said you’d take care of everything before then!”
My voice got a little louder because I was upset. Thanks to my careful attention, it wasn't loud enough to make me go outside the special seats.
I craned my neck, looked down, made sure no one was listening to me, and then whispered again.
“But what the hell is this nonsense about a competition for succession all of a sudden? Is this why you put me here?”
“Originally, it would be right to wait until the blood test results come out.”
Laskan answered calmly.
“But why...”
“His Majesty is in a hurry. He cannot wait until the results of the examination come out.”
“What on earth is that judging stone that takes so long?”
As I grumbled, Cesare spoke up.
“They are a pair of stones. They can only be used twice a year. First, they must be soaked in holy water for three months to purify the blood that is on them.”
“Three months? That long?”
“Yes. The time it takes to feed blood to the purified judgment stone also takes three months. One side is fed with the blood of the family, and the other side is fed with the blood of the examiner once a month.”
...Wait a minute. You say I have to drink blood? Then the blood of your family is His Majesty's blood, and the blood of the examiner... is my blood?
While I was speechless, Laskan continued Cesare's explanation.
“When two blood-infused stones are placed in a vessel if they cling together and emit light, they are said to be of the same blood.”
It was a magical story, even if it was a relic from a magical age that only appeared in legends.
I asked back without letting go of my dubious expression.
“Is there any possibility that the judgment stone is wrong?”
“In all the experiments I have done, the results have never been wrong.”
“What is the possibility that the results could be skewed by someone else’s hands?”
“The blood-fed judging stone is strictly sealed. Not even the Pope can open it.”
“...”
“So the probability of it being manipulated is...”
"Doesn't exist."
Cesare answered firmly. Laskan glanced down at the stage where the play was in full swing and continued speaking in a feminine tone.
“It is true that His Majesty is in a hurry to resolve the succession issue.”
“Right? It’s definitely weird.”
“There have been cases like this throughout history. Usually, when the Emperor was seriously ill or judged that he could no longer run the country, he would hurry up and designate a successor.”
I was so surprised that I opened my mouth. A chronic illness? I thought back to the face of the Emperor I had seen at the dinner a few days ago.
As usual, he had a look of concern on his face, but there was no sign of illness. But there was a corner of my heart that was uneasy.
“...When there is a chronic illness or when it is difficult to run the country?”
“Yes. Even if you are chosen as the successor, you must study the three-year course of Emperor Studies. Alexis II is the only Emperor who ascended the throne without completing this course.”
Alexis II. A murderer who took the throne by killing all of his older brothers.
He was a man who had made great contributions to establishing the empire's territory as it is on the current map but was never given the title of Great Emperor. Because of the brutality of the way he ascended to the throne, he was always plagued by gossip.
The example is too gruesome. I asked back, rubbing my arm with goosebumps.
“What about Lady Veronica? Didn’t she already study the science of kingship? She had a ton of qualifications and degrees.”
“The study of kingship is an exception.”
“Why? What she wanted was the throne, so that sounds like the first subject she should have learned.”
“If you touch the four subjects called ‘Imperial Studies’ just because the Emperor has not designated you as his successor, it is treason. You can be summarily executed for a felony.”
Another scary word suddenly popped out. I continued speaking in despair.
“Then, I really can’t move...”
“Yes. The competition for the throne will begin soon.”
...I’m screwed. If this wasn’t the Imperial Opera House, I would have been pulling out my hair. I was bragging to Lady Veronica that I would win.
When Olga laughed out loud at my boast, saying that distribution was good once, I should have fixed my temper by doing whatever came to mind. How could I win...?
I held onto the railing and pounded my forehead, reflecting deeply. It should have hurt, but instead, it felt like I was hitting something hard and warm.
Before I knew it, Laskan had his hand blocking the space between my forehead and the railing.
“You've got a broken eye.”
Cesare didn't seem to be surprised by this. At first, he was terrified every time Laskan showed any consideration for me.
Cesare shrugged his shoulders and continued.
“Whatever it is, it’s an opportunity for us. If we can defeat Lady Veronica even once, public opinion will tilt even more in our favor.”
That would be true. If I ever beat Veronica, or even come close to it, her life would be marred.
Even if she ascends to the throne, it will be difficult to be evaluated as perfect as before. Her reign will start unstable. Especially if I am later revealed to be a fraud.
This was extremely cruel to her and to me. I let out a long sigh.
“So, you’re saying that we absolutely, absolutely have to have that competition?”
“Yes. Thanks to Your Highness’s haste, the table has been set in your favor. I don’t know what his intentions are, but in any case, it is a good thing.”
I ignored Cesare's words and lowered my gaze toward the stage where the dance had begun again.
A woman wearing a black plague mask danced ominously between the smiling white masks.
On the stage that has become a mess, Temer's favorite daughter, Odemeraire, takes up an arrow. The plague dares to seek the heavens and falls, and Odemeraire announces the bright start of the new year.
All the dancers who fled to escape the black plague return and dance in joy. The climax of a splendid and beautiful stage.
But I couldn't take my eyes off the limping plague dancer for long.
***
It is now the third day of Entremete. The first day is a ritual to honor the dead sun, the second day is a masked dance to resurrect heaven, and the last day is a day of joy. It is a ball where people eat, drink, and dance day and night.
Of course, since it is a festival with a strong religious overtone, it is not something you can drink as much as you want like on George's New Year's Day, but at least for me, it was a meaningful day.
Today is my prom debut day. But somehow it seemed like the people around me were more concerned than me.
The dress I wore today was sleeveless and had no petticoat, leaving the hem of the skirt hanging loosely.
A long veil of the same color hung down my back from the dark blue fabric, and tiny diamonds sparkled like stars in the night sky whenever I moved my body.
The lack of sleeves was complemented by long white gloves that reached halfway down the forearm and jeweled decorations that hung down the shoulders like a spider web.
Irina said with a very relieved expression as I was doing a final check of the appearance in the reception room.
“But when you wear it like this, your slender figure stands out. It’s not very classic, but it makes you look elegant, confident, and active.”
Irina seemed genuinely relieved to see that the answer was unexpectedly long. I was about to scratch my cheek in embarrassment when I barely remembered that I had applied white powder.
“...Were you that worried?”
“That’s what I’m talking about. I was thinking about hiding this dress somewhere and getting a new one.”
Although it was a popular style among the wealthy nouveau riche and wealthy commoners, it was too daring for a royal woman to wear.
The closer a woman is to high society, the more she tends to stick to traditional clothing. That's why all the so-called trends are the same.
However, I was a Princess raised among the citizens, and acting like a guardian of conservative values as soon as I entered the imperial family could have left a rather negative impression.
So it was Cesare who recommended this dress, Isabella who was terrified and stopped me, and Lascan who told me to do whatever I wanted.
The maids... found out too late and were foaming at the mouth.
Anyway, after I put my hair up elegantly and put on all my accessories, I was ready.
I was wondering if the ruby necklace would go well with the dark blue dress, but since they are both deep colors, they go together quite luxuriously.
“Your Highness. The Duke has arrived.”
Just as the maids were leaving the mirror, Laskan arrived. He stopped dead in his tracks as he entered the open door.
I was starting to feel impatient as Laskan watched me silently for a while. Was he surprised by the overly provocative clothes? I asked him, spinning around in place.
“How is it? Is it okay?”
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