Chapter 124 - United We Scheme

 

‘Wow. It has my name!’ Cecile repeatedly ran her finger over the name printed on the page. She’d been amazed that Irene’s name was included, but she hadn’t dreamed that hers would be too! Contrary to Irene’s expectations, Cecile wasn’t vexed by her lack of stars or rank. She wasn’t concerned about her origins in the first place. While others might’ve taken it as a slight against their home country, Cecile never held the slightest bit of affection towards the kingdom of Navitan anyway.

 

“Interesting. Is my name in the other book as well?” Cecile asked excitedly.

 

“Yes, it is, but…”

 

As Cecile moved to the other book, Irene’s face stiffened. At first glance, the two seemed like similar almanacs, but there was a significant difference behind their purposes. While the former listed rank by birth within the empire, the latter was ranked by achievements. It included not only nobles but also those of famous commoners as well.

 

‘Although, of course, I’m highly regarded in that book too…’ Irene remembered the page dedicated to her was titled: A promising noble daughter of an earl and an accomplished lady of the academy. Then what was written about the empress? The answer was absolutely nothing. It was natural since the empress had no achievements to date. Irene tried to manage her face lest a sneer appear, as she watched Cecile thumb open the book.

“Eh?” The empress exclaimed in surprise, “I’m on the very first page?”

 

Irene looked at the first page with wonder and disbelief. Usually for such books, well-known celebrities were featured up front, followed by sorting alphabetically. Cecile placed last in the previous almanac, yet… ‘How could she be on the very first page? Shouldn’t she be at the very back?’

 

Irene’s assumptions were reasonable, as despite her title of empress, Cecile had no substantial achievements to note. While Irene was bewildered, Cecile began scanning her page. Unlike the previous book that listed stars and rank, each entry contained a short biography, including the name and birthplace of the entrant. Compared to other pages, her entry was sparse, but what caught Cecile’s attention was the line following the basic introduction.

 

‘It starts from here on out.’ That sentence jumped out at Cecile. What had the writer been thinking when they wrote this sentence? She was merely a puppet that moved according to the emperor’s will, with no special background or ambitions of note. It was too much to expect anything to happen from here on out… but for some reason it made Cecile’s heart flutter with excitement. She sensed the writer’s anticipation for her future feats.

 

“It seems that this is a flawed copy,” Irene said stiffly, as she watched Cecile absorbed in the book. The empress placed before the emperor? What nonsense was this?

 

Cecile pouted in response, feeling disheartened that she might’ve been excited over nothing. However, before she had a chance to respond, an attendant brought forth a stack of letters piled high on a silver platter. “I have brought what you have asked, Your Majesty,” the attendant said while placing the platter on the table.

Knowing that Irene would arrive today, Cecile had given instructions beforehand to bring all the invitations she’d received. Picking up the letter placed atop the pile, Cecile’s eyes narrowed. The sender was Yuliana Aswan. Ever since the seminar, Yuliana had been keeping a low profile. Yet, somehow the minute Estian was away, she decided to send a sudden invitation? It was too convenient to be a mere coincidence; as if the princess had been holding back in the emperor’s presence, and was now picking a fight in his absence! Cecile felt her mood instantly sour. ‘You think I’m a pushover without His Majesty?’

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“Whose invitation is it to make you look so serious?” Irene asked curiously, as she watched Cecile’s face darken.

 

“The sender is Princess Yuliana,” Cecile replied. “It looks like she is adjusting well in the empire. Enough to already be sending a personal invitation.”

 

Irene’s expression hardened at Cecile’s words, and they both fell quiet. Eventually, Irene moved to break the silence first.

 

“Your Majesty. Would it be alright to speed up our progress a little faster?”

 

“How fast were you thinking?”

 

“Please look at number 88.”

 

Cecile flipped through the pages of the booklet until she came to the page—Number 88: One instance of mercy is enough. The two women gazed at each other and exchanged meaningful glances.

 

“It appears I did an excellent job in selecting my handmaiden,” Cecile remarked merrily.

 

“It is an honor, Your Majesty. I will not fail you,” Irene replied in a mirthful tone.

 

The attendants around them were surprised by the sudden laughter. Some rubbed their eyes at the sight; one attendant even grunted in confusion. ‘Odd. Did I just see Her Majesty and Lady Irene clap their hands?’

* * *

On the top floor of a luxury imperial hotel, a secret meeting was afoot during the late hours of the night. Yuliana took in the sights of the gorgeous guest suite, which spanned across several luxurious rooms meant to receive distinguished foreign guests. In the farthest room from the entrance stood an antique bookshelf. Yuliana approached the case and began removing a certain number of books, and then lightly pushed the bookshelf. Despite appearing unmovable, the heavy-looking bookcase smoothly slid backwards.

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