When I passed in front of the main palace, I saw the servants who recognized me hurriedly put their heads on the ground. Is he afraid that the infamous second Princess will be a mess?
I walked past the maids who were horrified at my appearance without a message and stepped into the palace, which was more ornate than any other citadel in the imperial palace.
At dusk, Senevere would enjoy dinner with the Emperor in the main palace or spend quiet time in the palace. I thought it would be the latter today.
As I expected, Senevere was relaxing in a secret studio at the back of her private study.
Descending to the basement through the doorway between the bookshelves, I could smell the dizzying smell of herbs, strong perfumed oils, and the faint smell of smoke tickling my nose.
The large room was littered with vials of alchemical Ingredients and various Instruments for experiments, and books written in all kinds of racial languages were piled up beside the large, blazing fireplace.
It was an unbelievably messy scene for a mother's room, which always deals only with valuable and gorgeous things.
But I walked across the room to Senevere's desk. I leaned back against the back of a chair with thick velvet cushions, scanning a scroll of parchment.
She didn't even look at me, and my stomach felt hot as if I had swallowed a fireball.
I leaned over the desk and spat out hard.
"Asroth came to visit me a while ago."
It was only then that her deep blue eyes flew towards me. I continued sarcastically.
"He told me that I was going to get married soon."
"I didn't know that Asroth was interested in you."
Senevere put down the parchment and said nonchalantly.
Seeing that she only paid attention to my younger brother until the end, I had the urge to throw things at her randomly. I grabbed the hem of my skirt and managed to suppress my violent desires.
"Why do I need to know about my marriage through him? What else does it mean that I am going to participate in this pilgrimage? What kind of scheme are you planning?"
"It's a trick, it's uncomfortable to hear."
Senevere let out a small sigh and stood up. After a moment of being mesmerized by the graceful movements, I looked at my mother's face with a gentle smile and a wary look.
Senevere said cheerfully, in an innocent girlish voice.
"It's time for you to get married, too. I just got a marriage proposal from the right person at the right time, so I proceeded with the work."
"Is that a suitable partner, a Serian or a snake-like person?"
I twisted the corners of my mouth as I remembered the sloppy man who escorted me to the dinner party.
"Of course, he is a man whom my mother has thoroughly tested, right?"
"If you're asking if Serian can play the role of a man... That's right. He has a great talent in that area. He will gladly serve you if you want."
When my retaliation for my mother's male side was met with an even more horrific counterattack, I lost my composure completely. Senevere's words turned into a spider and seemed to crawl on my skin.
I screamed.
"I don't need such a disgusting man! I'd rather bite my tongue and die than let him touch me!"
"Oh my god..."
Senevere squeezed one cheek and sighed sadly.
"Then let's find another bridegroom. I was trying to figure out if there was another suitable opponent."
She pointed to the parchment on her desk. I shuddered at recognizing some of the names of the men written on them. They were all fanatical followers of Senevere.
Is this woman planning to make one of the men who aspire to be her daughter's husband?
Anger and fear boiled up in my stomach.
"I don't want to get married! Don't pretend to care now, just leave me alone like you always did!"
"I mean... Do you mean that you don't like any other man who is not the heir of Grand Duke Sheerkan?"
I, who had been stabbed at the critical point, stepped back with a blue face.
Senevere pulled the corners of her mouth and teased her poisonous tongue fiercely.
"If you wanted him so much, you should have gotten him by any means necessary. I kept him by your side for seven years. What have you been doing all this time?"
She shook her head pathetically.
"Now the man you wanted will be the property of another woman in a few months. Are you going to stand by and watch him?"
My shoulders trembled. I was appalled that Senevere was looking into me so clearly.
Senevere, staring at her daughter's pale face, put on the mask of a loving mother again. She continued with a gentle attitude.
"Talia, I planned this for you only. To show my precious daughter a way out of this miserable situation."
Long, white fingers gently brushed against the corners of my cheeks. It was like a white snake crawling on my skin. I stiffened as if I were paralyzed.
Senevere stared into her daughter's frightened face and whispered softly as a feather.
"There are two paths for you. One is to get the man you want by any means necessary, and the other is to be a less miserable loser."
Her soft voice stuck to my ears like thick sap.
"I took the former method and got everything I wanted. But if you can't do that, you can choose another person who is just as satisfying as you are and pretend to be just as happy as the winner. It's a bit pathetic, but if you're going to be a loser anyway, wouldn't it be better to take care of your pride?"
I hurriedly pulled myself away from her like an animal escaping from a trap.
Senevere smiled sweetly at her daughter.
"This trip is the last chance I'll give you. Think carefully about which path you will choose."
I shot a defiant look at her and quickly ran out of the lab. A cheerful laugh like a bird chirping followed me like a shadow. The sound stuck in my mind for a long time and didn't go away.
***
Eventually, I went on a journey with my half-brothers, who hated me.
The Empress Palace provided all the personnel and equipment I needed for the trip, so I didn't have to worry about anything. Senevere even tried to escort her personal soldiers and high-ranking mages as escorts.
However, this was defeated by Gareth's fierce opposition. The Crown Prince was furious that he had to take his half-sister on a journey. He would not obey the order to accompany the Empress's subordinates.
It is said that Gareth personally went to the Emperor to persuade Senevere to revoke her order and had a heated exchange. It was a good thing for me. I had no intention of being surrounded by my mother's fanatics.
'For me? Don't be funny...'
I glared at the servants who were carrying their luggage on the wagon and tore off the hangnail next to my fingernails.
There is no way Senevere would concoct such a troublesome thing for me. There must be other plans.
I looked at the servants sent from the palace with suspicion.
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