"Ih!"
When it was time to breastfeed Ian, the wet nurse opened the door and came in, startled by the sight of a stranger. Mrs. Howard, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes, and Amelia also looked away from the window.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Her exclamation startled two people at once. When the wet nurse realized this, she quickly bowed her head and apologized.
“My Lady, this is Karen, Ian’s wet nurse. Karen. This is the Priestess of Escliffe.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
Mrs. Howard, who had hurriedly shaken off the sleepiness, straightened her clothes and got up from her seat. Then she explained Amelia's existence to the wet nurse, who was still looking around in a dazed manner.
“The lowly one did not dare to recognize it.”
“It’s okay, don’t be so nervous. It’s also my fault for suddenly showing up before we were properly introduced.”
Amelia soothed the wet nurse in a gentle voice. She wasn't angry, and she didn't want to be angry at the person who had been breastfeeding Ian every few hours while she was away.
"Thank you..."
But the wet nurse, perhaps touched by such kindness, simply stared at Amelia with sparkling eyes. Amelia turned her head away, trying to avoid the somewhat burdensome gaze. Carefully, her eyes turned to where Ivan had been earlier.
“...”
But he was already gone. It was as if no one had ever been there in the first place. Even though she was aware of that fact, it was hard to look away.
“What if you disappear while I’m unpacking?”
Louis didn't hide her displeasure as she scolded Amelia. Her room was right next to Amelia's, and Amelia had disappeared just as she was ordering her to pack up her belongings.
“This is not a temple. You must be careful about every action you take.”
They had a lot to hide. In particular, Amelia's identity was surrounded and protected by several layers of the temple. Even in such circumstances, Amelia was a woman who caused trouble. Louis couldn't help but feel uneasy because she didn't know where she would go if she looked away for a moment.
“Whenever you go anywhere from now on, be sure to tell me. You have to take me with you at all times.”
So she had to emphasize several times that she should not move alone. In fact, since she had not heard anything from Aaron yet, even Louis was unsure of the exact reason why she had come to the palace.
“You’d better not talk nonsense here. We have eyes and ears even inside the palace.”
“...”
“And as I said before, the royal family has been in conflict with the temple, so their feelings toward the Priestess may not be very good either.”
All that could be done was to educate Amelia's mind in advance so that she would not do anything foolish.
“Whatever the Emperor is whispering to you, it is not sincere. The reason he brought the child here is that he was afraid that he might become a weak point in the temple. So don’t even think about talking nonsense to match the rhythm. Do you understand?”
Louis spoke at a rapid pace. Amelia didn't believe what Louis was saying. Ivan had risked his life twice because of her. So she knew that he would never do that. He was Ian's father. She believed that was why Ivan had brought Ian.
“Why is the relationship between the temple and the imperial family so bad?”
However, there was one thing that she was curious about. Ivan had asked Amelia before why she hated the royal family. It seemed that the relationship between the royal family and the temple was not good, so she was worried. She hoped that Ivan would not hate or despise her. She did not want her love to be repaid in that way.
“The Emperor is bad. He keeps trying to take away our rights.”
“...”
“The fact that you have lived like this for generations was actually due to the imperial family’s greed.”
Louis dismissed all explanations with just those words. It was all incomprehensible to Amelia.
In fact, it was always like that. Louis and Aaron just gave orders without any reason, and Amelia followed their wishes like a wooden doll with her hands and feet tied to strings. All Amelia knew was the role she was given.
“Your Ladyship.”
As Amelia was mulling over her thoughts, there was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Warner appeared.
“There is a message from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I'm ready to listen.”
It was hard to get a sense of what was going on. However, Amelia also noticed that Ivan, who had barged into the bedroom without warning, wanted Louis and Aaron not to find out about their relationship. At least, it didn’t seem like it was the kind of story that revealed their friendship.
“I was a bit unprepared because I had no word of your visit. I asked you to sort everything out by today, so I hope you will feel better soon, and I would like to have dinner with you two.”
“...”
"He said."
It was a friendly invitation.
“I’m not at all offended. I’m just grateful that you’re so considerate of me, even though I’m an unauthorized guest. Could you please tell him that I’ll definitely be there for dinner?”
There was no reason to refuse. She accepted Ivan's invitation without asking for permission, but Louis did not interrupt Amelia or glare at her.
“I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”
As Mrs. Warner, who had relayed Ivan's words, left, Louis let out a sigh.
“Please remember what I said.”
And she warned Amelia again, looking at her. Amelia reluctantly nodded. And as Louis had said, she changed the dress that had become wrinkled from riding the carriage, and fixed her hair again.
“I will serve you.”
After about an hour, Mrs. Warner came back and said she would personally guide me to the banquet hall in the main palace where the Emperor was staying.
“His Majesty...”
“He will be here soon.”
Mrs. Warner whispered and took a few steps back from the banquet hall. Then the heavy door opened, and a banquet hall that was too large to be prepared for just three people was revealed.
“I heard that the chandelier in the banquet hall of the palace is famous.”
As soon as the door opened, the first thing that caught her eye was the chandelier. The chandelier was modeled after a fountain and had numerous crystal candles. Each part was connected like petals on a stem, and even the crystals hanging down like feet at the bottom of the chandelier swayed and swayed. As a result, the hundreds of candles blazed, reflecting their light in all directions and creating a dazzling light.
Below that, at first glance, there was a long table that could seat dozens of people, but three sets of cutlery and flower arrangements were prepared just for three people.
“This is truly amazing.”
Louis was purely desirous and admiring. It was a voice that did not have the slightest hint of trepidation. As the daughter of the powerful Count Skipper, she was used to expensive and splendid things, but it seemed that he could not help but be surprised to see the imperial buildings that were openly built with money. It was even more so when it was the imperial family that she had ignored.
“Is this your first time, Louis?”
“Only my father can come to a place like this.”
Louis replied, seeming a little annoyed. As if she were saying that it would be impossible to invite a young lady from a noble family to a place where she could have a face-to-face conversation and a meal with the Emperor.
“It’s not that I had any strange intentions…l...”
There was no ill intention, but it was as if she had ignored Louis. Just as Amelia was about to apologize, the door to the banquet hall opened again. Naturally, Amelia and Louis, who had not yet sat down, turned their gazes toward the door.
“I apologize for being late.”
Ivan appeared, dressed in a neat uniform and with his hair neatly combed back. It was only the second time she had seen him in such neat and elegant attire. His beauty was more beautiful and natural under the chandelier than under the stained glass, reflecting the moonlight of the splendid, dark night. It was ridiculous to think of Ivan as some kind of apprentice priest until recently.
“See the sun at Escliffe.”
Louis hurried to offer her a greeting. Ivan was the Emperor of Escliffe, even though the temple was not on good terms with him. Louis, the daughter of Count Skipper, had to pay him a courtesy.
“No need to say hello, that’s enough.”
Ivan, who had passed Louis naturally, approached Amelia and pulled out the chair closest to the head table for her.
“Oh, thank you.”
Amelia was just staring at the chair at first, but when she saw him motioning for her to sit down, she realized what he meant. She carefully lowered herself into the chair that Ivan had pulled out for her. Ivan pushed the chair inward accordingly.
“...”
And Ivan released his hand from the chair. His long fingers, clad in white silk gloves, gently brushed Amelia's arm. Amelia looked up at Ivan, tensing up involuntarily at the sensation of the hairs on her skin standing on end.
Ivan smiled at Amelia and sat down at the top of the table. It was hard to sense any discomfort on Ivan’s face as he sat down. Amelia, who did not know Ivan’s true feelings, also intuitively felt one thing.
He was a genius at acting.
When it was time to breastfeed Ian, the wet nurse opened the door and came in, startled by the sight of a stranger. Mrs. Howard, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes, and Amelia also looked away from the window.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Her exclamation startled two people at once. When the wet nurse realized this, she quickly bowed her head and apologized.
“My Lady, this is Karen, Ian’s wet nurse. Karen. This is the Priestess of Escliffe.”
“Oh, my goodness.”
Mrs. Howard, who had hurriedly shaken off the sleepiness, straightened her clothes and got up from her seat. Then she explained Amelia's existence to the wet nurse, who was still looking around in a dazed manner.
“The lowly one did not dare to recognize it.”
“It’s okay, don’t be so nervous. It’s also my fault for suddenly showing up before we were properly introduced.”
Amelia soothed the wet nurse in a gentle voice. She wasn't angry, and she didn't want to be angry at the person who had been breastfeeding Ian every few hours while she was away.
"Thank you..."
But the wet nurse, perhaps touched by such kindness, simply stared at Amelia with sparkling eyes. Amelia turned her head away, trying to avoid the somewhat burdensome gaze. Carefully, her eyes turned to where Ivan had been earlier.
“...”
But he was already gone. It was as if no one had ever been there in the first place. Even though she was aware of that fact, it was hard to look away.
***
“What if you disappear while I’m unpacking?”
Louis didn't hide her displeasure as she scolded Amelia. Her room was right next to Amelia's, and Amelia had disappeared just as she was ordering her to pack up her belongings.
“This is not a temple. You must be careful about every action you take.”
They had a lot to hide. In particular, Amelia's identity was surrounded and protected by several layers of the temple. Even in such circumstances, Amelia was a woman who caused trouble. Louis couldn't help but feel uneasy because she didn't know where she would go if she looked away for a moment.
“Whenever you go anywhere from now on, be sure to tell me. You have to take me with you at all times.”
So she had to emphasize several times that she should not move alone. In fact, since she had not heard anything from Aaron yet, even Louis was unsure of the exact reason why she had come to the palace.
“You’d better not talk nonsense here. We have eyes and ears even inside the palace.”
“...”
“And as I said before, the royal family has been in conflict with the temple, so their feelings toward the Priestess may not be very good either.”
All that could be done was to educate Amelia's mind in advance so that she would not do anything foolish.
“Whatever the Emperor is whispering to you, it is not sincere. The reason he brought the child here is that he was afraid that he might become a weak point in the temple. So don’t even think about talking nonsense to match the rhythm. Do you understand?”
Louis spoke at a rapid pace. Amelia didn't believe what Louis was saying. Ivan had risked his life twice because of her. So she knew that he would never do that. He was Ian's father. She believed that was why Ivan had brought Ian.
“Why is the relationship between the temple and the imperial family so bad?”
However, there was one thing that she was curious about. Ivan had asked Amelia before why she hated the royal family. It seemed that the relationship between the royal family and the temple was not good, so she was worried. She hoped that Ivan would not hate or despise her. She did not want her love to be repaid in that way.
“The Emperor is bad. He keeps trying to take away our rights.”
“...”
“The fact that you have lived like this for generations was actually due to the imperial family’s greed.”
Louis dismissed all explanations with just those words. It was all incomprehensible to Amelia.
In fact, it was always like that. Louis and Aaron just gave orders without any reason, and Amelia followed their wishes like a wooden doll with her hands and feet tied to strings. All Amelia knew was the role she was given.
“Your Ladyship.”
As Amelia was mulling over her thoughts, there was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Warner appeared.
“There is a message from His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I'm ready to listen.”
It was hard to get a sense of what was going on. However, Amelia also noticed that Ivan, who had barged into the bedroom without warning, wanted Louis and Aaron not to find out about their relationship. At least, it didn’t seem like it was the kind of story that revealed their friendship.
“I was a bit unprepared because I had no word of your visit. I asked you to sort everything out by today, so I hope you will feel better soon, and I would like to have dinner with you two.”
“...”
"He said."
It was a friendly invitation.
“I’m not at all offended. I’m just grateful that you’re so considerate of me, even though I’m an unauthorized guest. Could you please tell him that I’ll definitely be there for dinner?”
There was no reason to refuse. She accepted Ivan's invitation without asking for permission, but Louis did not interrupt Amelia or glare at her.
“I really don’t know what you’re thinking.”
As Mrs. Warner, who had relayed Ivan's words, left, Louis let out a sigh.
“Please remember what I said.”
And she warned Amelia again, looking at her. Amelia reluctantly nodded. And as Louis had said, she changed the dress that had become wrinkled from riding the carriage, and fixed her hair again.
“I will serve you.”
After about an hour, Mrs. Warner came back and said she would personally guide me to the banquet hall in the main palace where the Emperor was staying.
“His Majesty...”
“He will be here soon.”
Mrs. Warner whispered and took a few steps back from the banquet hall. Then the heavy door opened, and a banquet hall that was too large to be prepared for just three people was revealed.
“I heard that the chandelier in the banquet hall of the palace is famous.”
As soon as the door opened, the first thing that caught her eye was the chandelier. The chandelier was modeled after a fountain and had numerous crystal candles. Each part was connected like petals on a stem, and even the crystals hanging down like feet at the bottom of the chandelier swayed and swayed. As a result, the hundreds of candles blazed, reflecting their light in all directions and creating a dazzling light.
Below that, at first glance, there was a long table that could seat dozens of people, but three sets of cutlery and flower arrangements were prepared just for three people.
“This is truly amazing.”
Louis was purely desirous and admiring. It was a voice that did not have the slightest hint of trepidation. As the daughter of the powerful Count Skipper, she was used to expensive and splendid things, but it seemed that he could not help but be surprised to see the imperial buildings that were openly built with money. It was even more so when it was the imperial family that she had ignored.
“Is this your first time, Louis?”
“Only my father can come to a place like this.”
Louis replied, seeming a little annoyed. As if she were saying that it would be impossible to invite a young lady from a noble family to a place where she could have a face-to-face conversation and a meal with the Emperor.
“It’s not that I had any strange intentions…l...”
There was no ill intention, but it was as if she had ignored Louis. Just as Amelia was about to apologize, the door to the banquet hall opened again. Naturally, Amelia and Louis, who had not yet sat down, turned their gazes toward the door.
“I apologize for being late.”
Ivan appeared, dressed in a neat uniform and with his hair neatly combed back. It was only the second time she had seen him in such neat and elegant attire. His beauty was more beautiful and natural under the chandelier than under the stained glass, reflecting the moonlight of the splendid, dark night. It was ridiculous to think of Ivan as some kind of apprentice priest until recently.
“See the sun at Escliffe.”
Louis hurried to offer her a greeting. Ivan was the Emperor of Escliffe, even though the temple was not on good terms with him. Louis, the daughter of Count Skipper, had to pay him a courtesy.
“No need to say hello, that’s enough.”
Ivan, who had passed Louis naturally, approached Amelia and pulled out the chair closest to the head table for her.
“Oh, thank you.”
Amelia was just staring at the chair at first, but when she saw him motioning for her to sit down, she realized what he meant. She carefully lowered herself into the chair that Ivan had pulled out for her. Ivan pushed the chair inward accordingly.
“...”
And Ivan released his hand from the chair. His long fingers, clad in white silk gloves, gently brushed Amelia's arm. Amelia looked up at Ivan, tensing up involuntarily at the sensation of the hairs on her skin standing on end.
Ivan smiled at Amelia and sat down at the top of the table. It was hard to sense any discomfort on Ivan’s face as he sat down. Amelia, who did not know Ivan’s true feelings, also intuitively felt one thing.
He was a genius at acting.
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