Using the teleportation technique, Linel arrived at an empty room in the Empress's Palace. Looking out the window, Linel confirmed that he was on the second floor.
"Master of the Tower, you stay here with the Princess for a while. I will meet with Princess Jasper in person and explain the situation before bringing her in."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Linel hurried out, leaving behind Bellos, who was displeased with being alone with Princess Resilia. The sudden appearance of the Emperor of the Lapion Empire in the Empress's Palace hallway left the courtiers bewildered. Linel asked a servant he encountered on the stairs where Princess Jasper was. The servant, recognizing him, was startled but quickly answered,
"The Princess is chatting with Her Highness Zelda and Her Highness Rosie in the reception room."
"Really? Where is the reception room?"
"I will show you, Your Majesty."
"Thank you."
Linel followed the servant to the reception room. He was delighted to hear that Zelda had arrived at the Empress's Palace, but his heart felt a little heavy when he thought of Rosie. Guided by the servant, he arrived at the reception room, knocked, and entered.
"...Your Majesty? What brings you here, Your Majesty?"
Zelda, who turned toward the door at the sound of the knock, jumped up from the sofa in surprise at the sight. Rosie and Princess Jasper also stood up, startled by Linel's appearance. Linel smiled slightly, showing a hint of welcome, but then approached Princess Jasper with a serious expression.
"I brought Princess Resilia with the Magic Tower Master a little while ago."
He spoke simply, cutting through the long-winded explanation, but Princess Jasper immediately understood.
"So that was today..."
Princess Jasper replied, glancing sideways at Rosie. Rosie's expression was clearly tense. The thought of Princess Resilia being nearby made her heart pound anxiously. Zelda tried to soothe her anxious mind, holding Rosie's hand, but what Rosie needed right now was Prince Norton's embrace.
"I apologize. At the Princess's request, we've moved here instead of the main palace."
Linel apologized, saying it was unavoidable.
"No. The Princess has always valued dignity, so she probably didn't want to appear in front of people in her cell."
Princess Jasper replied with a knowing expression.
"I think Princess Resilia thinks you're on her side."
Rosie smiled bitterly.
"She's probably thinking about the Continental Hunting Tournament."
Princess Jasper nodded at Zelda's words.
"For now, I'll have Princess Resilia stay with me at the Empress's Palace. If the Princess moves to the main palace, you'll inevitably clash with each other, so that's probably better."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Rosie was genuinely grateful for her consideration.
“I will return to the main palace immediately and send Prince Norton on his way. In the meantime, Your Highness, please look after Princess Resilia.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so.”
“It would be best if we also go out with Your Majesty now.”
Zelda quickly wrapped her arm around Rosie’s shoulder and left the parlor with Linel. The three hurried out of the Empress’s Palace and boarded the waiting carriage. Linel immediately ordered the coachman to depart.
Zelda, sitting next to him, asked him, slightly flustered,
“Isn’t Bellos still with Princess Resilia? We should wait and then go together.”
“There’s no time to lose. He’s waiting, so we should hurry and tell him that Princess Resilia is at the Empress’s Palace. Your friend will know how to get there on his own with teleportation.”
“Oh, I see.”
Now that he heard it, it was true. Zelda nodded in agreement.
“If I hadn’t met you at the Empress’s Palace, I would have taken the magic tower master.”
Linel didn't like the idea of his wife and Bellos facing each other in the carriage. But he couldn't have them sit next to each other. So he kept his expression solemn, hiding his true feelings.
***
Prince Norton, who had heard Linel's explanation of the situation, immediately went to the Empress's Palace. He had been worried that the two people who had used teleportation to Princess Resilia's cell had not shown up even after some time had passed. Prince Norton laughed when Linel told him what he had heard.
'And yet, she asked Princess Jasper to take her to get dressed.'
As expected of Princess Resilia, he thought. Even in this situation, she was a woman for whom her appearance mattered.
When he heard that Rosie was also there at the same time Princess Resilia had arrived at the Empress's Palace using teleportation, he felt uneasy. He remembered the expression on Rosie's face the night before when he had told her that Princess Resilia would be brought to the palace, her eyes drooping as she accepted the decision.
When the ministers told him to take in a concubine, his guilt was so deep that he could barely make eye contact.
Prince Norton had promised himself that even if he had ten concubines, he would never let Rosie feel threatened. He was confident.
Their love was built on trust.
The Prince truly cherished Rosie's pure and kind heart.
Even her dislocated, absurd shoulder dance, which she had once performed to seduce him, was endearing. He wasn't one to be swayed by the flashy appearances of other women.
He wished Rosie understood this, but her anxiety seemed to grow.
As Prince Norton entered the lobby of the Empress's palace, Princess Jasper's servant was already waiting for him.
He climbed the stairs, stopped at the landing where the reception room was, and ordered the servant,
"Tell the Princess to ask to see her in the reception room."
In fact, he hadn't come to see Princess Resilia but to ask Princess Jasper a favor.
Ten minutes after Prince Norton arrived at the reception room first, Princess Jasper opened the door and came in.
"You're earlier than I expected."
"Thank you for your help, Sister-in-law."
Prince Norton thanked Princess Jasper first.
"You're welcome. Would you like to see Princess Resilia right away? She just finished her bath and is getting ready. She seems to be waiting for you, Prince."
Princess Jasper studied Prince Norton's expression carefully.
"I see."
Just by looking at Prince Norton's expression, she could tell what kind of feelings he had for Princess Resilia.
“Is Her Highness Rosie alright?”
Princess Jasper deliberately asked about Rosie this time.
“I came straight here without meeting her. I should go back and comfort her. How did she seem to be feeling at the Empress’s Palace?”
Prince Norton, who had been expressionless until just now, moved every muscle in his face when he spoke of Rosie. It was a stark contrast to when he mentioned Princess Resilia.
“You truly love Her Highness Rosie.”
Princess Jasper felt a sense of relief.
“I would like to avoid meeting Princess Resilia unless it’s official. Until then, please watch over her, Sister-in-law. I apologize for the difficult request.”
“It’s not difficult at all. But how much should I accommodate the Princess?”
Princess Jasper asked, pondering.
“Except for letting her see Rams, you can accommodate most things.”
“Of course.”
“Then I will be going now.”
Prince Norton nodded lightly.
“Are you really going to leave without meeting Princess Resilia?”
“Yes. I don’t want to.”
Prince Norton was about to leave the drawing room first, but he still held onto the doorknob and turned to Princess Jasper.
“Um... Sister-in-law. Did you love my brother?”
“Which brother are you talking about?”
Princess Jasper asked, and Prince Norton opened his mouth in embarrassment.
She smiled briefly and continued.
“If you mean Prince Calvain, then no.”
Her voice was quite firm, her shy smile fading.
“Sister-in-law, then perhaps...”
“About Prince Calvain, later. We’ll talk again after the Emperor’s coronation ceremony has safely concluded.”
Princess Jasper seemed to have something to say about Prince Calvain.
Prince Norton also didn’t seem to have any urgent matters, so he followed Princess Jasper’s wishes and ended the conversation.
***
Princess Jasper, who had parted ways with Prince Norton in the drawing room, returned to the guest room where Princess Resilia was.
“What about the Prince?”
Princess Resilia, who had been smiling while leaving the maids to do her hair and makeup, asked the Princess who had returned to her room alone.
“I heard he won’t be free until the party. But I guess you can see him before the party,”
Princess Jasper said with an awkward smile.
“He came all the way to the Empress’s Palace and just left without seeing me?”
Princess Resilia’s face crumpled involuntarily.
“He asked me to take good care of the Princess. So please feel free to ask if there’s anything you need.”
“I want to see Rams.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s difficult.”
Princess Jasper's kind expression instantly hardened.
Princess Resilia hadn't expected the question, so she quickly changed the subject.
"Then, tomorrow afternoon, I'd like to enjoy tea and refreshments with the ladies here... Is that possible?"
"Refreshments with the ladies?"
"Yes, I missed those little things the most while in prison."
What was her plan?
Princess Jasper was somewhat suspicious of the Princess's intentions.
However, it wasn't a request so difficult as to refuse.
Moreover, Prince Norton had said he could be considerate as long as it wasn't related to Rams, so she granted the Princess's request.
"Yes. There are already many ladies coming and going from the palace these days, so inviting them shouldn't be a problem. I'll give them the instructions right away."
"Thank you. Oh, and if you're going to do it, please invite the potential concubines too."
Princess Resilia smiled and added,
"Yes, that's right..."
A moment later, Princess Jasper returned to her chambers and ordered her servants to urgently send invitations to the three young ladies considered candidates for concubines and those who frequently visited the palace. She then sent her own dedicated servant to relay the news to Zelda and Rosie.
***
The next afternoon.
“Welcome. It is an honor to meet you, young ladies. I am Princess Resilia Hale of the Kingdom of Shattonil. I am Rams’s biological mother.”
Princess Resilia deliberately arrived early to greet the young ladies in the reception room, as if she were already the mistress of the palace.
Having lived in the royal court all her life, Princess Resilia was far more adept at dealing with noble ladies than Rosie, who had always been a bookworm.
The news that Norton would bring in concubines upon ascending to the throne was irritating, but it was a good move for isolating Rosie.
Once she became Empress, she could then eliminate them one by one.
'Yes, I'm about to become Empress, so I don't need to worry about such things.'
Yesterday, she received some unexpected good news from the maid who had been attending to her bath.
The ministers of the Pasha Empire were opposing Prince Norton's marriage to Rosie, claiming that Rams's biological mother should become Empress.
However, for some reason, Princess Jasper hadn't told her such an important thing.
Prince Norton might have told her to keep quiet, but she might also be wary of Rosie, so she deliberately avoided asking.
The important thing was that the ladies all knew this.
'That's why they accepted my invitation, and that's why they're all bowing and being so kind.'
A few seconds later, the concubine candidates, Ester, Glenn, and Savannah, deliberately entered the reception room last and greeted Princess Resilia separately.
The Princess, in turn, smiled brighter when greeting the three of them.
The ladies attending the tea ceremony examined Princess Resilia one by one with curious eyes.
She was as beautiful as the rumors said.
Even a woman would find her appearance captivating.
“Meet Princess Resilia.”
The young ladies slowly bowed to the Princess, paying her respects.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. You are all beautiful.”
Hearing such compliments from true beauties made the young ladies feel secretly pleased.
“You three, especially since you will serve His Majesty the Emperor in the future, I hope you all get along like real sisters.”
Princess Resilia reached out to the concubine candidates first.
Everyone flinched at her words.
Was she serious? Suspicious eyes stared at her.
“Please treat Rams as if he were your own son. I, too, will treat any Princes or Princesses you give birth to as my own children.”
“!”
Princess Resilia cleverly imprinted Rams’ presence on them.
And before the young ladies’ embarrassed expressions could even fade, she quickly changed the subject.
“Oh, have you all met Her Highness Rosie?”
“No, I saw her from afar at Prince Calvain’s funeral, and I haven’t seen her up close yet. Do you know Her Highness Rosie well, Your Highness?”
Lady Ester asked the question everyone was curious about.
Princess Resilia wanted to laugh at Rosie’s appearance, but she knew it would be obvious even without her saying it.
Seeing her as if she were being mean would only damage her image, so she just shrugged, pretending not to know.
“Well, she’s definitely charming. That’s why Prince Norton would have liked her...”
Princess Resilia trailed off vaguely and offered the tea and snacks the servants had already set out.
Meanwhile, Moiya, who was flying around the Empress’s palace, occasionally heard Rosie’s name. He went to the window where the voice was coming from and looked inside, and was startled to see Princess Resilia.
"Oh? How did that crazy bastard get here?"
Moiya transformed into a fly and entered the drawing room.
"I heard that Princess Jasper is calling a designer to the palace today for the convenience of the congratulatory delegation. We were thinking that we should visit, meet Her Highness Rosie, and get to know each other beforehand."
"That's right. It'll be awkward meeting for the first time at the party, after all. Wouldn't it be more fun if we got to know each other beforehand? Hohoho."
"Well, that's not bad."
Princess Resilia agreed with the young ladies' words.
'They like socializing.'
The princess snickered inwardly, noticing the young ladies' petty annoyance.
"Anyway, Prince Norton chose Her Highness Rosie, didn't he? She definitely has a great charm. I'm curious about that."
Young Lady Savannah spoke, slightly provoking Princess Resilia's feelings, and Young Lady Glenn, sitting across from her, added a word.
“There must be a secret to capturing Prince Norton’s heart. So, isn’t he planning to make Her Highness Rosie his Empress, leaving behind the Princess, who is Rams’s biological mother? That’s what we think among ourselves.”
Princess Resilia frowned, her brow furrowed in irritation at the young ladies’ words.
“Oh? Everyone seems curious about how Rosie appealed to Norton! Then I should tell them, Moiya~?”
Moiya listened to the young ladies’ conversation, and a bright idea struck him, and she entered Princess Resilia’s body.
The Princess’s shoulders trembled for a moment, and she opened her mouth.
“Orange Head is a good dancer.”
“...Who is it?!”
The young ladies simultaneously stared at Princess Resilia, their eyes wide.
“That’s the secret, isn’t it, Moiya~?”
Princess Resilia shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking earnestly.
“Everyone, are you curious?”
“Yes!”
The young ladies chorused together.
Then Princess Resilia stretched out her palms and shouted.
“If you’re curious, ask for sausage!”
"Well, that's not bad."
Princess Resilia agreed with the young ladies' words.
'They like socializing.'
The princess snickered inwardly, noticing the young ladies' petty annoyance.
"Anyway, Prince Norton chose Her Highness Rosie, didn't he? She definitely has a great charm. I'm curious about that."
Young Lady Savannah spoke, slightly provoking Princess Resilia's feelings, and Young Lady Glenn, sitting across from her, added a word.
“There must be a secret to capturing Prince Norton’s heart. So, isn’t he planning to make Her Highness Rosie his Empress, leaving behind the Princess, who is Rams’s biological mother? That’s what we think among ourselves.”
Princess Resilia frowned, her brow furrowed in irritation at the young ladies’ words.
“Oh? Everyone seems curious about how Rosie appealed to Norton! Then I should tell them, Moiya~?”
Moiya listened to the young ladies’ conversation, and a bright idea struck him, and she entered Princess Resilia’s body.
The Princess’s shoulders trembled for a moment, and she opened her mouth.
“Orange Head is a good dancer.”
“...Who is it?!”
The young ladies simultaneously stared at Princess Resilia, their eyes wide.
“That’s the secret, isn’t it, Moiya~?”
Princess Resilia shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking earnestly.
“Everyone, are you curious?”
“Yes!”
The young ladies chorused together.
Then Princess Resilia stretched out her palms and shouted.
“If you’re curious, ask for sausage!”
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