"Who exactly is running wild, completely out of their mind?"
I approached the old man who appeared to be their leader. He was trembling uncontrollably while clutching his cane. How many times in his life had he been insulted like this? I am sure he had lived a life of arrogance, riding on the coattails of the name Pison. That is why he could have spoken so unhesitatingly to insult the Countess.
"You have neither a surname nor a middle name. On what basis should I treat you as an elder of the family?"
“Young lady!”
"You'd better shut up. It looks like you didn't even inherit a noble's surname. Don't you think so?"
The man who had been trying to block the old man's path flinched and stepped back. Along with him, several people were seen shrinking back. It was just as I had expected. When I mentioned my family name and middle name, I noticed that some people were fidgeting nervously. Their expressions looked as if they were sitting on a bed of thorns.
The people here are those who have not even obtained a middle name, let alone a family surname. In other words, it meant that all their children were legally commoners. Even the oldest person was a noble without a middle name. There were quite a few young people here, not just the elderly and middle-aged. The probability that they carried on a noble lineage was low. I would guess that about one-fifth of them were commoners who had not inherited a noble surname.
I would have tried to let it slide quietly if they hadn't run wild like this. After all, my maternal grandfather would have kept them as members of the family even though he knew better.
"Young Lady, it is no different; you have not forgotten the family name either!"
The old man squeezed his eyes shut at the young man's words. I turned my gaze away from the old man and looked at the young man. He bore a striking resemblance to the old man. He looked quite young to be a son, so he seemed to be something like a grandson.
I smiled brightly at him. The young man, whose eyes met mine, blushed slightly.
The Marchioness was one of the most beautiful women in society. Aside from my hair color, I resembled her the spitting image. Moreover, regardless of my inner self, I am physically in the prime of my life, just beginning to bloom. I curled the corners of my lips.
"Good heavens, to think that someone lacking even the basic knowledge required of a noble is claiming to be a member of the Count's family. Who should be held accountable for this?"
The faces of the elderly and a few others of a certain age turned dark. The rest, who were on the younger side, seemed unable to understand my words and just glanced around nervously.
"You're not answering me. What kind of nonsense are you spouting..."
"Stop!"
The old man interrupted the young man. He looked at me with an indignant expression.
"Would it be alright to acknowledge him?"
The old man pointed at Evan and asked. I felt a pang of resentment at his attitude, which seemed as though they were willing to back down. If I had intended to end it at this point, I wouldn't have started in the first place. These were the kind of people who would eventually hold Elle back. I intended to cast them all out this time.
“By what right do you?”
“Young lady!”
The old man shouted with a face full of anger. I responded to his shout with a snort.
"Bjornne Rossa Elliott, you know what this name means, right?"
The old man's body trembled uncontrollably, more than ever before. Some of the elderly could not support themselves and collapsed to the floor.
In my name, 'Rossa' was both a middle name and another surname. Usually, aristocratic women take their husband's surname upon marriage. Naturally, their children also take their husband's surname. They are not allowed to use their maternal family's surname until they die. However, there was an exception to this.
In cases where there is no heir to the family, or at the will of the head of the household, the right of succession may pass to a daughter. However, since daughters are not permitted to inherit the family under the laws of the land, the right of succession is passed on to her husband or her children.
If the husband's title is lower than the inherited title, he naturally inherits the wife's family. If the opposite is true, one of her children inherits it. The problem arose when there was only one child. One person cannot inherit two families. Nor can one of them be abandoned. In such cases, the child takes the father's surname and incorporates the mother's right of succession into their middle name. Here, the name of the family's founder serves as the symbol of the right of succession. A person bearing the family founder's name as a middle name was no different from the heir to that family.
My middle name is Rossa. Rossa is a feminine name. The masculine form of Rossa is Rosat, and the founder of the Pison clan was Rosat Riddle Pison. Since I am a woman, I cannot become the heir, but I could wield the right of succession.
"I banish you from the family by the right of my name, and you would do well to be prepared for impersonation of a noble."
Even the young people who hadn't understood a word turned dark-faced, but it was simply their own doing.
***
Act 6. Oath
"This can't be the way to the Visad Palace."
After my maternal grandfather's funeral, I entered the palace a week later to meet the Crown Prince.
Meetings with the Crown Prince usually took place in the rear garden of the Visad Palace. Occasionally, when the weather was bad, we would have tea at the Crown Prince's palace. Today, the weather was sunny. I naturally assumed that the imperial attendant in charge of my tour would lead me to the Visad Palace. However, he led me to a different place. The place he was heading to was not even the Crown Prince's palace, which I visited occasionally.
I stopped following behind him.
"I have received Your Majesty's order to escort the Lady to Baharot Palace."
The imperial attendant bowed respectfully toward me. I could not help but frown at his words. Baharot Palace is the Emperor's palace. The Emperor never summoned me on the days when the Crown Prince and I met. It was the Emperor's consideration—or rather, a condescending gesture—to allow the two of us to spend some intimate time together.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
“So it is.”
"Something felt off. There was no reason for the Crown Prince, not even the Emperor, to summon me to the Emperor's palace. What is the reason?"
"How could a humble person fathom His Majesty's heart? I am merely obeying his command."
The imperial attendant bowed his head once again. There was nothing to be found by asking him.
'What was the Crown Prince thinking summoning me to the Emperor's palace?'
I felt an inexplicable unpleasant sensation, but I could not delay any longer.
“Guide me.”
At my words, an imperial attendant took the lead. I followed him down the corridor.
Unlike the charming Visad Palace, the corridor leading to Baharot Palace was grand and splendid. After passing through the wide, long corridor, we arrived at a massive garden. An imperial attendant strode into the garden. My body followed behind him, yet my mind was racing with complex thoughts.
I could no longer understand the Crown Prince's thoughts.
'Wasn't it supposed to be a meeting with the Emperor?'
I couldn't even begin to guess why, or for what reason, he had summoned me to the Emperor's palace—and not even inside the building, but in the garden.
The palace attendant guided me to the Inner Garden, located deep inside the palace grounds. Inside, the Emperor and the Crown Prince were waiting for me. They were sitting opposite each other at a spacious tea table under an awning that blocked the sunlight.
"Oh! Bjornne, come here."
"Bjornne Rossa Elliot greets the Sun of the Empire."
I grasped the hem of my skirt with both hands, bent my knees, and bowed deeply at the waist. The Emperor looked toward me in this state and let out a hearty laugh.
"That is enough of a stiff greeting."
“Yes.”
"Don't just stand there; come here quickly."
I straightened my back and stood upright. The Emperor smiled and gestured toward me. Watching the Emperor, the Crown Prince rose from his seat. He pulled out the empty chair beside him and smiled at me.
“Bee.”
"What are you doing? Why aren't you sitting down?"
I sat down in the chair the Crown Prince pulled out for me with a reluctant step. He pushed the chair forward and leaned his face close to my ear.
"You are beautiful today as well. My Bee."
"Haha, it really looks good. Doesn't it?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty. It is truly a beautiful sight."
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction and laughed loudly. The Chief Chamberlain stood beside him. He chimed in in agreement with the Emperor's words. Watching them, I tried my best not to frown.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
"I am deeply humbled, Your Majesty."
"Tsk, to think you still use such a stiff tone."
The Emperor clicked his tongue in displeasure. The Crown Prince spoke to him.
"Isn't that the charm of Bee? Please understand, Father."
"Who doesn't know that? Why are you acting like this!"
The Emperor lashed out at the Crown Prince. Despite the Emperor's outburst, he merely smiled. The Emperor looked at him with disapproval. The Emperor turned his head toward me.
"Bjornne, no, our Bee."
"Yes, Your Majesty, please ask."
It was hard to believe that the Emperor had been angry just moments ago, yet his tone when calling my name was affectionate.
"I am truly disappointed in you."
"I am sorry. Have I disturbed Your Majesty's mood?"
I was bewildered by the Emperor's words. I hadn't met the Emperor recently. Since I hadn't met him, naturally, there was no reason for me to make a mistake with him. I quickly racked my brain, but I couldn't guess anything at all.
"When on earth will you be able to treat me comfortably?"
I closed my mouth. Only now did I realize what the Emperor was about to say. The Emperor spoke in a warm tone, as if to soothe me as I remained silent.
"Aren't we going to become one family soon?"
“I apologize.”
I had nothing to say but that I was sorry.
The Emperor remained the same then as he is now. The Emperor back then was just as kind to me as he is now. Even before the engagement, he welcomed me with a smile whenever I frequented the palace, and when I entered as the Crown Princess, he affectionately looked after me, making sure I had everything I needed and lacked.
Even when I went to find women who admired the Crown Prince and acted wickedly back then, the Emperor just laughed it off. No matter what I did, the Emperor was always lenient toward me.
Back then, I followed that Emperor like a father. I indulged in the childish behavior I had never once shown to the Marquis...
I acted childishly toward him without hesitation. The Emperor always indulged my spoiled behavior. He generously overlooked me, even when I behaved so self-indulgently that it sometimes made him frown.
Looking back now, it was a bit strange. What on earth did the Emperor see in me that made him like me so much?
"Tsk. That's not what I meant to say."
"Please stop, Your Majesty. Isn't Bee uncomfortable?"
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