Chapter 5: 5

“Calm down, my lady.” Kestiel’s voice rang in my ears, and it interrupted my thoughts.

“Quiet.”

Mumbling so, I breathed in and continued my introspection. It was more of a disturbing dream than a reflection. I hoped it would at least be a dream.

If I go back, would I be able to live with that person again? While taking the risk of not knowing when I’ll die, condoning yet another murder.

Then, I don’t know when I’ll die again.

‘Well, that’s not great.”

“Lady Eilish!”

“- Ah.”

Only after Kestiel’s voice had risen considerably did I manage to come to my senses, pressing gently on my temples.

It felt like I was concentrating on my blurred vision. As I looked down at the piercing pain I felt, I saw my arm being held, the sleeve being wrinkled.

The pain, which I couldn’t feel until now, crawled up and spread.

“Kyung.”

I turned my gaze upward and stared at the swaying and soothing green of his eyes. Kestiel questioned in a calm voice, trying to settle me.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“It’s nothing. I’m a little sleepy.”

“Your eyes were open.”

“Oh.”

He had a serious look on his face.

I stopped trying to think about why Kestiel was making that face toward me. It was still too early to name my feelings, I didn’t want to think about it.

First of all, I couldn’t afford to.

I remained silent until the carriage stopped. To be precise, it was meant to be. Half were successful.**

Well, it was quiet until Kestiel suddenly opened his mouth.

“I never thought that the Young Lady was weak.”

It was a significant opening. I replied with silence and, as if he didn’t care, he continued.

“Young Lady, do you remember me saying that I haven’t met anyone I want to protect?”

“… Yes.”

When you first said it, where in this empire was there a lady that you can protect?

At the time, he didn’t answer.

So I thought that if I asked him the same question once more, he’d shut up as he did before…

“Miss Beatrice is definitely a gentle person. So it is true, what I said before, that I would imprison the Archduke, the assassin, and even your sister.”

I stopped moving as if I had been hit by something. My eyes, opened wide, met those calm green eyes properly. And what I saw there.

“Why didn’t I ever accept that Beatrice doesn’t need me anymore?”

‘No.’

No. Something is wrong. There is no way Kestiel would say this. I suppressed the urge to turn away from him.

“When you mention the emptiness of prisoners, you look at me with the same eyes you look at them.”

“…”

Did I?

I furrowed my brows.

In the original story, Kestiel said he wanted to protect the happiness of his master and Beatrice.

The combination of the person he wants to protect and the person he wants to give his allegiance to was precious to him, though it wasn’t sweet.

In the original, he muttered to himself about the execution of Florencia. It’s over now. I’ve protected this happiness. I remember the last chapter, which stated that he truly thought so.

“Go ahead.”

It was definitely a loyalty that could not be turned into a private matter and was not light.

Kestiel continued, regardless of what I was muttering to myself.

“You saw it right. It’s empty. I’ve never felt this way before.”

I pondered his words for a short time, then slowly curved my lips. Laughter, a mixture of weariness and satisfaction, drifted softly and then dispersed into the air.

Again, I am not tactless. The person in front of me may feel a gap in this situation, more than I thought.

“I don’t think Young Lady is weak. You may be someone who wants to protect but doesn’t have to.”

The corners of my lips that had lifted slowly went down.

“So I just hope that Young Lady needs me.”

“…”

He let go of my arm and let out a whisper. “Wouldn’t that fill my emptiness?”

I didn’t say yes or no. It was up to him to look for possibilities in that ambiguous attitude.

The conversation ended there. The coach announced the arrival of the carriage, and without saying a word, I gently removed the outstretched hand to reject the escort and took a step towards the Imperial Palace.

It’s time to negotiate.

***

“Maharet Eilish and Sir Lerod have entered the palace.”

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The voice of the person announcing my arrival was unusually loud. I took another deep breath. Kestiel was blankly staring at me.

The emperor’s permission to come in quickly arrived, and I took a cautious step forward. My low-heeled shoes padded silently against the soft carpet. At the same time, a voice full of intimidation penetrated my ears.

“Yes, you seem to keep your appointments better than I thought.”

The emperor, who looked up and faced me, was a man full of dignity beyond what was described in writing.

Even taking into account the fact that he was gradually declining as the ending of the prince and the heroine approached, he was still a monarch with an entire country at his feet.

I was stunned that Florencia could spit so arrogantly in front of such a man.

‘You seem to have lost your mind. Seeing the rulers of the country circling around a woman from such a low background, to love or support her, I can’t even imagine how bleak the future of the empire will be.’

In front of the emperor, who shouted, “Can’t you keep your mouth shut?” The villainess rudely smiled with an imperious face, her arms crossed.

After that, the readers cheered when she was directly rejected by the crown prince.

At that time, what I had considered being a forced scene, simply there for catharsis, had come as a shock.

At least, the man in front of him seemed to be more experienced than the Crown Prince. Although he was buried in the protagonist, he was.

At least, the man in front of me seemed to be more experienced than the Crown Prince. Although he was buried in the protagonist, he was.**

‘My sister is so… gutsy.’

Anyway.

“I see you, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Kestiel said hello first. The emperor nodded and looked back at me.

“I said yes, but I never thought you’d step into the palace so calmly. But it’s not as bad as I expected.”

He spoke in a sarcastic voice. It was an obvious mockery.

“Sometimes the unexpected happens. Thank you for your permission to enter. I see Your Majesty the Emperor.”

I counteracted the ridicule with a soft voice. It’s better not to bend too much. You would only look like a loser if you beg and flatter.

The emperor lowered his hand that was resting on his chin.

“I never gave you permission to lower your formality to the Emperor.”

‘… I’m sorry, I’m a supporting character.’

Haa. With an inaudible sigh, I bowed my head toward the man who would soon descend from the throne.

“May the Goddess be with you. I see the high sun of the empire. Oh, should I repeat it from the beginning?”

There was a sound of inhaling from behind. No, even in front. Everyone had a bewildered face. I laughed helplessly.

My sister, Florencia Jay Eilish, is a wicked woman. An arrogant, bright, beautiful, and ferocious woman. If that’s the definition of a villainess, no one can match it better than my sister.

She had a special sisterhood and vowed not to harm me, but she was my family anyway.

In other words, I was able to watch everything she did right next to her.

It was only natural that I resembled Florencia since I spent more time with her than with my father.

So I dared to be so rude in front of the emperor of the empire.

Anyway, it was a position that I should give up to the Crown Prince sooner or later, but I do not deny that it is a position worthy of respect, so I began to calculate the consequences of my actions.**

In my mind, behind that meaningless expression, the number of cases in which I was dragged out appeared and disappeared quickly.

“You’re discourteous. You truly resemble your sister.”

Said the emperor. It was only then that I realized he didn’t receive my greeting. And the situation around it.

He wasn’t interested that I said hello to him in the first place. Yes, he just wanted to get a head start.

Ah, you fools. Unfortunately, I did not regard the contempt they intended to give me in this comical situation.

So, the reply that flowed out was rude without any correcting.

“Because we’re sisters. But I’m sorry to say that my sister has caused His Majesty more trouble than I thought.”

“What?”

“I’m not Florencia. You seem to have mistaken me and my sister.”

“… it’s so obvious.”

The emperor did not hide the anger that began to creep in. I responded by slowly blinking my eyes.

“The acquittal of the members of our family, except Florencia, has been revoked. It was the will of the Crown Prince, and it was also the opinion of Beatrice, whom the Emperor loved so much. But His Majesty welcomes me just the same.”

I looked around as I was preparing for a spear to be aimed at me, with the guards standing around all armed. After that, I smiled arrogantly, as Florencia did.

“Have I ever been a threat?”

There was a long silence.

***

The crown prince and Beatrice stood closest to the emperor and looked down at me.

Instead of keeping my eyes on the emperor, I turned my eyes toward the prince and fixed them on him, waiting for an answer.

The emperor moved his lips, with eyes giving away that he didn’t know if he was holding back his anger or trying to test me. No one here expected a third party to dare cut the emperor’s words. Including me.

“Father.”

Expectations were beautifully wrong. The Crown Prince suddenly stepped in and cut off the Emperor, who had just started hurrying.

The funny thing in the middle was that no one around was rude and didn’t say anything. Only Beatrice secretly grabbed his sleeve and narrowed her brows.

The emphasis on power was so obvious that it made me laugh.

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