Episode 20
“Your Majesty.”
From the knight’s serious expression, the Emperor could tell something was wrong. He turned to me and gave a gentle smile.
“Eilene. Please rest here. I’ll just speak with him for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The two of them walked off together to a quiet terrace, leaving me behind.
Once the Emperor disappeared, I suddenly realized how alone I was in this huge and fancy place.
I felt bitter. I had come to the enemy’s territory… with the enemy boss, no less.
Raymond never liked flashy parties like this. Even though he was born into royalty, he was simple and modest. Thinking of him made me feel embarrassed to be here, and it also felt kind of funny.
But that feeling passed quickly. Being greeted by so many people had worn me out, so I sat down to take a break and sip some water.
“Whew.”
As I let out a breath, I started hearing whispers from the ladies nearby.
“They said the Lady was kidnapped, but she looks fine.”
“I know, right?”
“I was so shocked when His Majesty came with her. He’s never done that before, has he?”
“It seems like he really cares about her. I heard when the kidnapping happened, he searched the whole area to find her.”
“Oh my, are they really that close?”
They must’ve thought this was their chance to gossip while the Emperor was away.
Excuse me, I’m still here, you know? Guess I don’t matter to them.
Still, I guess I should be glad they were at least whispering and not saying it out loud.
But the actual content of their gossip? Ridiculous.
He “cares about Eilene”? Please. I almost scoffed.
When the Emperor heard about the kidnapping, he only pretended to look for her. It was just a show for his unwanted fiancée. Like how tired cops give a half-hearted search when someone goes missing.
If he really wanted to find her, he could’ve easily done it with his power.
Even though I wasn’t the real Eilene, hearing them talk about me like this didn’t sit well.
Whew. If I had come alone, it would’ve been awful. I would’ve been humiliated.
Thank goodness the Emperor came with me. If I’d shown up alone after the kidnapping, I can only imagine the nasty rumors. Maybe someone would’ve even insulted me to my face.
As I was grumbling to myself, I heard another group of ladies talking behind me. Though they were a little far, the word “Grand Duke” caught my ear. I perked up right away and listened closely.
They were talking about Raymond’s absence from the party.
“The Grand Duke isn’t here, huh?”
“Yeah. I heard he’s still staying in the capital.”
“Maybe the Marquis didn’t invite him.”
“That’s a shame. I really wanted to see him.”
Two of the ladies blushed as they spoke.
Well, of course. If Raymond isn’t here, people are bound to miss him.
I nodded in agreement—until I suddenly noticed something strange.
Wait… wasn’t he supposed to be an unpopular villain in the original story? Why are these ladies looking for him? Was he secretly popular?
I mean, considering his looks and personality, it makes sense a thousand times over, but still…
While I was tilting my head in confusion, another lady suddenly hushed the others and covered their mouths.
“Shhh! Be quiet! Do you want to get in trouble? What if His Majesty hears you?”
“Huh? Why would he care?”
The two who mentioned Raymond looked surprised and wide-eyed.
“Do you girls not know politics? The Grand Duke is second in line to the throne, so the Emperor sees him as a huge threat. Why would the pro-Emperor Marquis invite him?”
“Oh… I didn’t know that.”
The well-informed lady explained everything like she was teaching children, and the others nodded along quickly.
Ooh. She actually knows stuff.
Impressed, I turned to get a look at her face. But when the ladies noticed me looking, they all jumped and scattered like seagulls flying off after someone threw a rock in the middle.
They probably thought I was on the Emperor’s side. That would explain their reaction.
But the one who had given the smart explanation actually walked toward me. She lifted her skirt slightly and gave a graceful bow. Her deep pink dress made her look like a flamingo.
“Lady Cowet, I’m Helena, daughter of Count Kitten. Do you remember me?”
“Oh, nice to see you.”
Since she asked if I remembered her, I figured we’d only met briefly before. I smiled and pretended to recognize her like the original Eilene would.
Eilene wasn’t very outgoing and didn’t have any close friends. After the Emperor cast her aside, no one ever came to visit her.
Her quiet personality was honestly a big help to me. People like Count Kitten’s daughter were easy to handle—we’d just exchanged names before, so there was no danger of being found out. If someone closer had tried talking to me, I might’ve been in big trouble.
“May I sit next to you?”
“Sure.”
I moved my skirt slightly to make space, and Helena sat down beside me. Every move she made showed how well she had been raised as a noble lady.
“I heard about what happened. Are you all right now?”
She asked me directly, without hesitation.
But since her tone was careful and not rude, I didn’t mind answering honestly.
“I’m fine now.”
“I’m so glad. I was so shocked and worried when I heard.”
She placed a hand on her chest like she was truly relieved.
“Thank you for worrying about me. I didn’t know you thought of me like that.”
“Oh, of course! I always wanted to get closer to you, Lady Cowet, but the chance never came.”
She smiled sweetly. It was obvious she wanted to get on my good side, but she didn’t come off as annoying.
“Your rose headband is so stylish. May I ask where you got it?”
“Oh… The maids bought it for me, so I’m not sure.”
“I see. I usually buy my accessories from Madame Bing’s boutique. She’s always ahead of the trend.”
Helena kept chatting about light topics. I played along and nodded at the right times, and she seemed to grow very fond of me.
“If I’d known you were this friendly, I would’ve gotten close to you much sooner.”
She looked genuinely touched that I was listening and responding to her.
It was clear that the daughter of Count Kitten wanted to make a good impression on me—the Emperor’s fiancée.
With the Emperor showing up at the party as my partner, it was basically an open invitation to start political friendships. Helena, though young, already seemed eager to begin that path. Very impressive.
“I’ll invite you to my next tea party. Please come.”
“Yes, I’ll look forward to it.”
Just thinking about all the social games and power plays ahead made me feel tired already. No wonder Eilene kept people at a distance. I think I finally understood why.
Still, it seemed smart to build a few relationships, so I kept up my polite and friendly act. Honestly, a big part of me also just hates awkward relationships.
Then the Emperor returned from the terrace.
He looked tense, his face stiff and his steps rigid. Clearly, something had made him very angry.
But instead of coming toward me, he headed straight for the exit. He passed by quickly and our eyes met for a second—but he immediately looked away.
Did he really not see me?
“Your Majesty.”
I called out just in case, but he completely ignored me and walked past like I didn’t exist.
What the…? He just totally ignored me.
So I’m not even worth a reply now?
A servant quickly rushed over.
“Lady Cowet, His Majesty had an urgent matter and left early. He instructed me to escort you back to the mansion. Please let me know if you need anything.”
“All right. Thank you.”
Good thing he left the servant behind. With so many eyes watching, the servant was doing damage control for the Emperor’s rude behavior.
The Emperor’s face earlier had been completely twisted, like his mask had slipped off and his real self showed through. Just from the way he glanced at me, I could tell—if I’d tried to stop him, I might’ve gotten in real trouble.
That moment made it clear: all his past kindness was just an act.
Of course. Two-faced jerk.
I wasn’t expecting anything, so I didn’t feel disappointed. But I definitely wanted to find out what had happened.
After the Emperor left, the party settled into a more casual mood with people gathering in small groups. I decided I’d done enough and headed out, like someone who shows up at a wedding just to make an appearance.
“Lady Cowet, are you heading back to the mansion?”
“Yes. Since His Majesty left, I’m going to leave too.”
“I see. Let’s spend more time together next time.”
I said goodbye to Helena and left the hall. As I walked away, I heard whispers behind me—saying stuff like, “She’s leaving now that the Emperor’s gone.”
Like thread and needle, huh.
Whether I meant to or not, this party had given everyone the impression that the Emperor and his fiancée were very close.
