Chapter – 75
The carriage soon stopped inside the imperial palace.
Hearing noise outside, Di got down from the carriage and saw Jason’s group waiting in the garden.
Kyle and Jason — who normally got along so badly it was doubtful they could hold a proper conversation in private — exchanged relatively polite greetings.
Jason spotted Amila first and waved.
“Well, look who it is. Priestess Amila, the one who shot an arrow at me.”
Amila bowed politely to Jason, then asked Renette, who was standing behind her with a frown:
“Has your archery improved? It was terrible.”
“Shut up.”
“The South really is full of incompetents.”
She said it expressionlessly. Jason, who had been snickering beside her, frowned and muttered:
“Am I included among those incompetents?”
Renette answered calmly.
“You came from the South, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’re included.”
“No wonder I felt offended.”
Jason glanced back at the carriage again, searching for Di. Then he spotted the back of a blonde head running toward the garden and hurried after her in disbelief.
“Hey — is the priestess a child? If you’re an adult, greet people properly.”
“Sian! There are super sparkly fruits over there. Even though it’s winter!”
“Ah, those. Not fruit — glass ornaments. Since the garden looks empty in winter, they hang them instead of flowers or fruit.”
“…You’re not even trying to hide it anymore?”
“Hm? What did you say?”
Jason asked as if nothing happened, and Di shook her head dismissively.
“There’s basically no winter in the South. It’s warm even now.”
“Lucky. Perton is freezing.”
They walked closer to the ornaments. The glass pieces shimmered softly in the sunlight.
Di murmured:
“If I ask Kyle to buy some and hang them too, he’ll ignore me, right?”
Jason chuckled, reached out, removed one ornament, and handed it to her.
“Here.”
“Huh? You can’t just steal public property like that!”
“It’s fine. It originally belonged to Sian — he left it to me as inheritance.”
The ornament was clear glass decorated with blue dye and gold — extremely luxurious.
When Di tried to return it, Jason said:
“If you won’t take it, I’ll just break it.”
“Ugh, you criminal. Promise you won’t charge interest later.”
“What do you take me for?”
Jason clicked his tongue and pulled out a seal attached inside his jacket by a gold chain. The seal was decorated with diamonds.
“Look — this is my seal.
If I use it on documents, it means I certified them.
If I stamp an item, it means I transferred ownership.”
“Oh?”
He pressed the seal onto the ornament. It glowed faintly, and a golden emblem appeared — a wolf crest symbolizing the Deb family of the South.
“There. Done.”
Di stared blankly at the ornament in her hand, then urgently looked at Jason.
“Do it again!”
“…Are you a kid?”
“H-how does this work?! It’s amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this! Hurry, do it again!”
Looking around, she pointed at a ruby-decorated cigarette case peeking from Jason’s jacket pocket.
“That one’s good — stamp that, please!”
Jason, about to take it out, suddenly came to his senses and shouted:
“Y-you brat! You’re trying to take this from me!”
“…Tch. Another guy would’ve fallen for it.”
Di clicked her tongue. Jason was horrified — he’d almost handed over his belongings because of her innocent expression.
A truly dangerous swindler…
By the time they came out from the trees, all the luggage had been unloaded.
Kyle, who had been looking around after losing sight of her, approached Di and looked at the ornament in her hand.
“Wasn’t that hanging on a tree?”
“Yeah. Jason gave it to me. Said he’d break it if I didn’t take it — that threatening jerk.”
She then asked curiously:
“But is it okay to hang shiny things like this outside? Won’t anyone steal them?”
“Who would dare touch Sian’s belongings? He’d hunt them down and kill them.”
“S-scary…”
Kyle noticed the southern crest stamped on the ornament.
Did Sian really give away his belongings with no intention?
If so…
“Diana.”
“Hm?”
“Maybe that guy isn’t Sian.”
“…Why suddenly?”
“Otherwise he’d never casually give away his property.”
“Is that really shocking enough to doubt his identity? Just how obsessed with money is Sian…?”
Kyle muttered worriedly.
“And that seal — only the owner can use it.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been to Perton Bank, right? When you place your hand, it identifies you and opens the vault. The seal works the same way.”
“…No one else can use it?”
“Right. All imperial seals can only be used by their owner.”
Di blinked, confused.
She had long stopped suspecting Jason wasn’t Sian — so Kyle’s words startled her.
“There’s no other method?”
“Maybe… he cut off Jason’s hand and replaced it with his own.”
Kyle said seriously. Di shuddered and pushed him away.
“Hey! Don’t say creepy things!”
“What’s creepy? It’s possible. Bitensia’s medicine is very advanced—”
“Stop! I don’t want to hear it!”
Terrified, she shook her head.
“Can’t you think of something normal? Like forging the seal?”
“How is forging an imperial seal normal? Only swindlers would think that way. I guess it takes a swindler to know one.”
“…Kyle, are you actually dumber than everyone else?”
He held out his hand for the ornament.
“Why? It’s mine.”
“So I can check if the seal is forged. If it is, we can prove Jason is fake.”
“Oh. I take back calling you dumb.”
She handed it over and hurried to prepare for dinner.
After she left, Kyle called Zeder quietly.
“Zeder — check whether this seal is truly imperial. I suspect forgery.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And… break it halfway.”
“E-excuse me? It belongs to Priestess Diana…”
“It’s fine. Say you broke it by accident — she won’t get angry.”
“Why would you do that…? Do you dislike the priestess?”
“I’ll buy her a new one.”
Zeder left in tears, too afraid to argue.
His Highness really seems to dislike the priestess…
That Evening — The Ball
That night, the people of Perton attended a ball at the imperial palace.
Everyone was thrilled — they could never experience such luxury in Perton.
Di wore a soft cream-colored dress. She had planned to wear it at a ball Kyle would host someday — but the miser kept postponing spending money.
Underdress, silk dress, lace overdress.
By the time Stephanie finished her excellent makeup, the sun had already set.
Stephanie draped a cream shawl over her shoulders.
Di smiled at the mirror, satisfied with her neatly styled, jewel-decorated hair.
“Stephanie really is amazing.”
“Oh please, not that much.”
Amila, who had been waiting outside, entered.
“Why are you taking so long?”
“Amila, why are you always ready so fast?”
Stephanie answered casually:
“Because Priestess Amila is naturally beautiful — she doesn’t need fixing.”
“Stephanie, hurry and flatter me too.”
“Ah, our Priestess Diana shines brightest in the world…”
“Ah! Stephanie shines too! Face genius!”
Ellie, Amila’s maid, explained:
“If makeup takes too long, Lady Amila insults you with her eyes. So we finish quickly.”
“Mystery solved.”
“I rushed because I was scared.”
Di nodded sympathetically.
The ballroom was already crowded.
The capital’s scale and splendor were incomparable to Perton. The imperial palace had multiple halls — today’s grand hall was covered in silk wallpaper and lit by thousands of candles. Nobles were far more extravagantly dressed than Perton’s.
Clutching her fan nervously, Di whispered:
“Let’s not look like we’re from Perton…”
“I-I’m nervous…” Ellie trembled.
Stephanie reassured:
“Capital people aren’t that special.”
“As expected from a capital native!”
Amila calmly scanned the hall.
Remembering her sharp eyesight, Di asked:
“Which dessert is running out fastest?”
“Chocolate cake — left third table, fifth spot.”
“Is it that good?”
“Meringue, chocolate cream, almonds.”
“Good. Let’s attack that first.”
They headed over.
Di slowed down — she saw Kyle talking with his parents near the stairs.
He was surrounded by noble ladies from the capital.
“…Wow. He’s popular.”
