Chapter 31
“Alchemy ability?”
Alchemy ability? Out of nowhere? Cindy blinked, unable to grasp the situation.
“It seems you weren’t aware.”
“…No. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Unable to answer the first question properly, Cindy bit her lip. But lying would only bring worse consequences.
‘I must answer the next one properly.’
As she anxiously awaited the next question, the Empress’s voice softened a little.
“The Spes family trains with small orbs when they discover compatible materials. Have you ever seen her with anything like that?”
“Oh, yes! The iron beads!”
“Can you tell me more about that?”
“The butler told me to deliver them to the young lady on her first day at the mansion. It was a heavy box full of iron beads. She sat by the window staring at them for hours.”
“Did the beads move?”
“No, she just stared at them. I heard her mutter sometimes, wondering why it wasn’t working.”
“I see.”
The Empress’s lips curled upward. She had been wary upon hearing Eluana might possess alchemical power strong enough to bend iron bars, but it seemed it was more of a miraculous power triggered by a life-or-death situation.
“What do you think of the girl Eluana Vita?”
Cindy darted her eyes around. She still wasn’t sure what kind of answer would help her most.
“Well… um… the young lady is…”
“Just speak honestly. Tell me your unfiltered thoughts.”
“She… she’s kind of stupid.”
Cindy cautiously looked around. Then she realized she’d made the right call—the Empress’s face visibly brightened, and even Lady Shavia of Marquis Pegimule seemed pleased.
“She lived in a remote estate. I heard she came to the Duke’s mansion because he promised to clear her father’s name.”
“Go on.”
“She was given the best room in the mansion, so I thought she was some kind of VIP. But she hardly enjoyed anything. She avoided expensive clothes and kept wearing plain ones. She just ate whatever was served, didn’t complain even if we brought cold water for washing. She never gave me any orders or summoned me. Her daily routine was reading or staring blankly at those iron beads by the window. Honestly, she seemed kind of dull.”
Excited by the Empress’s interest, Cindy poured her heart out, then paused when she noticed their expressions becoming less amused.
“What about the younger brother?”
“He’s creepy-smart. That little brat charmed the whole Duke’s household.”
Malice flickered in Cindy’s eyes as she spoke about Louis. Seeing her hostility toward her former mistress made the Empress’s smile curl subtly.
“I see. Shavia, do you think you can handle Eluana?”
“She’s an easy type to manipulate.”
Lady Shavia answered with a graceful smile and a soft voice that sounded like she was singing. She was everything Cindy had ever dreamed of in a noble lady.
“Anything else? Something odd perhaps?”
Snapped back to focus by the continued questioning, Cindy quickly racked her brain.
“Yes, there is something! The room Eluana uses—it’s the one that was once the fiancée’s room. I heard the Duke’s former fiancée used it long ago. It’s too fancy for a guest with no family or background, but she was given that room.”
“You mean the room used by Princess Stella?”
The Empress’s gaze sharpened.
“Yes. I heard it’s been empty for fifteen years.”
Realizing the Empress was intrigued, Cindy eagerly continued.
“There’s a portrait of the princess in the study, and Eluana looks just like her. Same hair and eye color. Similar eyes, even the overall aura is similar.”
If Eluana Vita resembled Princess Stella, then this was no longer a simple matter. The Empress was glad she had sent Regis.
Her interest piqued, the Empress’s lips curled.
“I see. You’re a clever and observant girl.”
Cindy beamed at the compliment.
“So, dear, is there anything else?”
Cindy began to list Eluana and Louis’s shabby tastes and quirky habits. She rambled on for a while before noticing the Empress and Shavia seemed bored, prompting her to stop.
“…That’s all I know.”
“I see. Is there anyone else left at the mansion you can get information from?”
Cindy thought for a moment. While Maggie had foolishly confessed and was kicked out with her, Jane was still working at the mansion.
“There’s one. She loves jewelry.”
Cindy answered immediately, sensing how they planned to use her.
“Good. Shavia, why don’t you take her in?”
“That sounds like a good idea. Wait outside for a bit, dear.”
Cindy swallowed hard as she looked at Shavia. It felt like a dream that someone as beautiful as her would take her in. She vowed to do whatever it took to win her lady’s favor.
At the Empress’s signal, a maid led the starry-eyed Cindy out of the room.
As the door closed, the Empress’s smile disappeared. The idea that Eluana resembled Princess Stella was not something she could ignore.
Sensing the Empress’s concern, Shavia spoke.
“She’s probably not Princess Stella’s child. There’s a six-year-old younger brother. If she had him with another man, there’s no way they’d have raised him together. Plus, there’s no explanation for those alchemically altered swords.”
“True.”
It made sense.
If she were the biological daughter, she would be Cantio. The rumors wouldn’t have been allowed to spread. Regis wouldn’t be freely walking around right now. The Duke of Spes would’ve had him punished severely. He’d even refused to summon a priest to share his daughter’s pain.
The Duke had previously retaliated tenfold against anyone who had harmed Princess Stella.
Same with Cindy—she stole food meant for the Vita siblings and fed them servants’ leftovers, leading to her expulsion. If Eluana were the Duke’s real daughter, Cindy wouldn’t have walked out on her own two feet. The fact that they didn’t even bother silencing her meant it was probably just a coincidence.
Yes. A coincidence.
The Empress had come to the Empire when Stella was still living in the imperial palace. At the time, the Empress knew little about Cantio. She only knew that royal children with the middle name “Cantio” were adopted into the imperial family and dedicated their lives to praying for the Empire.
She hadn’t learned the truth until after becoming Empress. It was a secret shared only between her, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Western Magic Tower.
A shameful truth even high nobility only knew in fragments.
At first, she felt sorry for Stella—she thought they were in the same boat. But Stella had the Duke of Spes. He visited daily, sometimes even took her out despite her confinement. No one in the palace could stop him, so it was effectively condoned.
The Empress’s sympathy gradually turned to jealousy. Then, Stella vanished. For years after that, the Duke was mentally broken.
“Even if it’s just a resemblance, it’s still a problem. Who knows what the Duke of Spes will do?”
“Maybe he’s doting on her because she looks like the Princess? He pressured His Majesty to delay the crown prince’s appointment. He never used to care about imperial matters.”
“That might be it. Either way, we should investigate just in case.”
Logic told her it couldn’t be true, but the unease wouldn’t leave her. In such cases, it was best to be sure.
“Find a proper use for that tactless girl. I wonder how Regis is doing.”
Watching the Empress sigh, Shavia smiled sweetly.
“Don’t worry. My brother will take care of everything.”
“Yes. He knows how important this time is.”
Unaware of what kind of mess Regis might be in, the two of them continued to enjoy a leisurely tea time.
*
“Master Louis is a genius.”
Madam Renée, the new tutor, made this declaration within half a day.
Stage 1: Walking with a book on your head while stepping on a thin ribbon.
Stage 2: Straight posture, straight mind.
Stage 3: The key to elegance! How to bow gracefully.
Stage 4: Silent tea sipping.
Stage 5: Correct order of cutlery and dining etiquette.
Louis mastered the two-week curriculum in half a day and smiled brightly. Madame Renée, a woman never stingy with compliments, kept repeating, “Amazing. Perfect. Excellent!” throughout the session.
“Truly flawless.”
As she praised him again, the book on Eluana’s head thudded to the ground—she was still stuck on stage one.
“Ugh.”
She quickly picked up the book and placed it back on her head. Why was this so hard? She had to admit she lacked balance.
“Straighten your back.”
At Renée’s instruction, Eluana tried to straighten up more. But that only made the book wobble harder.
Ugh.
Eluana stepped onto the long, thin pink ribbon laid across the floor. The ribbon was exactly foot-width, so walking on it automatically corrected posture. She also had to accept that she’d been walking pigeon-toed her whole life.
Watching Eluana struggle, Renée offered gentle encouragement.
“That’s it. Lightly, softly—walk like a butterfly.”
Easier said than done. How was a person supposed to walk like a butterfly?
She wanted to protest, but Renée herself was fluttering like a real butterfly. Her movements were the textbook definition of grace. Eluana stared in awe and asked,
“How long will it take to walk like you?”
Renée gently replied,
“You’ve been walking however you liked until now, right? You’ve built many bad habits that will take time to correct.”
“…Yes.”
“You’ll be learning things that usually take years to master in a short time. It may feel difficult now, but eventually, you’ll walk just like me.”
After offering her encouragement, Renée turned her attention back to Louis. He was demonstrating the proper use of cutlery with flawless posture.
“I’ve taught etiquette to noble children for years, but I’ve never seen anyone as gifted as Master Louis. He’s truly exceptional.”
Most noble children observe their parents and naturally absorb etiquette before formal lessons. But Louis had no prior knowledge, yet was learning faster than anyone—he was a genius.
“Our Louis really is smart.”
As Eluana grinned like a proud fool, the book fell off her head again. She quickly replaced it and resumed walking with an embarrassed smile.
She felt like an idiot.
