Chapter 35
“It would be best to wear a dress that emphasizes graceful simplicity rather than grandeur—something easy to move in, since you’ll be heading to the Magic Tower.”
“Do that.”
On the fourteenth day since the start of the Prayer Festival, the day to finally head to the Magic Tower had arrived.
The maids bustled about, assisting the Duchess of Western in preparing for her journey.
As she was attending alone, representing the Western Duchy in place of her absent husband, the significance of the trip was immense.
The maids busily braided and twisted her thick, lustrous black hair.
Maia gazed into the mirror.
A woman praised by all for her beauty at a single glance—yet always described as so serene and still, she seemed more like a sculpture than a living person—stared back at her.
Maia forced herself to lift her sinking heart.
If she had been the type to be shaken by matters like this, she never should have chosen this path to begin with.
“Wait a moment.”
The maid’s hand, which had been bringing over ornate earrings, paused.
Without a word, Maia opened a drawer and took out a small, sparkling pair of earrings.
“Those are…”
“Use these.”
What dangled from Maia’s pale fingertips was a pair of earrings.
They were far simpler than any she had worn since becoming Duchess of Western, never once worn in that time.
The gems embedded in them were colorless—plain white, with no adornment.
Yet when touched by the midday sunlight streaming through the window, they radiated a dazzling brilliance that evoked awe from all who saw it.
“Aren’t they too plain…?”
“You’re quite talkative.”
“M-my apologies.”
The maid quickly bowed her head and carefully took the earrings from Maia’s hand.
They had belonged to Maia’s mother.
No—more precisely, they had been a gift from Maia’s father to her mother.
Her father.
Maia knew more about what she didn’t know of her father than what she did.
His name, his status, his personality—nothing was known to her.
Inexplicably, her mother had never revealed a single detail about him.
All Maia had ever heard was that he had fled from a faraway country beyond the sea, that he had been found collapsed on the shores managed by the Mayus Merchant Guild, and that her mother had rescued and nursed him back to health.
They fell in love, married with the blessing of their families, and…
Before even two years had passed, for some unknown reason, her father had left to return to his homeland—and was never seen again.
The reason Maia chose to wear those earrings today was not out of longing for a father whose face and fate were unknown.
Rather, it was to recall the memory of Rihi—the one who had shattered the nightmares that tormented her childhood and saved her.
“Look properly.”
Maia stared at her reflection, wearing the earrings once gifted by her father to her mother.
“You think you’re disgusting? Repulsive? That you hurt others?”
She felt nothing—just as she had in her youth.
“Whether your father truly abandoned you and your mother, or was kept from returning for reasons unspeakable—it doesn’t matter.”
Fragments of shattered glass, the crescent moon in the night sky, and golden eyes that had stared at her against that backdrop.
That vivid memory returned—the moment she looked up at the boy with tear-filled eyes, gasping for breath.
“Look at yourself in the mirror. You’re here, now. I’m with you.”
She recalled herself, forcing oversized earrings onto her bloodied ears.
“Don’t listen to those who call you worthless.”
Despite her face speckled with blood, the boy was hauntingly beautiful as he wrapped his arms around her delicate shoulders in the mirror, whispering in her ear.
“You are not in denial.”
His rough voice, as if scolding someone too foolish to grasp the most important truth in the world, said—
“You’re not less than any person in this world. Because you’re someone I cherish.”
“…My lady, your eyes…”
“Ah.”
Back then, Maia hadn’t been able to respond to Rihi’s words—she had only wept silently.
Even now, just recalling the memory brought tears to her eyes.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Though she addressed her maid, Maia was also speaking to herself.
The doubts and distance she had felt toward Rihi were nothing but illusions, born from her own fear and insecurity.
She would trust him.
He would never betray her.
He would never abandon the friendship, the affection he had reached out to her with first.
“Let’s go.”
There could be no more secrets he was hiding.
Even if he had concealed his identity out of necessity, he had always given her his full sincerity.
Maia steadied her heart and rose to her feet.
Her steps toward the Magic Tower carried a determined weight.
“Duchess of Western.”
“…Greetings, Your Grace, the Grand Duchess of Adelstein.”
The Grand Duchess of Adelstein, wife of the second prince and daughter of the Marquis of Nephras, greeted Maia with a gentle smile.
This year, the emperor’s official delegate for the Prayer Festival was the Grand Duchess of Adelstein.
Until now, the emperor had never failed to delegate this duty to the crown prince—but in an unprecedented move, he had appointed a non-blood relative.
The nobility were in constant uproar over this change.
…But considering the recent incident, it was understandable.
Even the emperor, who had remained unmoved throughout the chaos, seemed to have recognized a serious issue with entrusting such authority to the crown prince.
“This is my first time carrying such a heavy responsibility, so I’m quite nervous. It’s reassuring to have you here with me, Duchess.”
“If I can be of help, I won’t hesitate.”
Unlike the crown princess, whose very presence irked Maia, the Grand Duchess was so quiet she was nearly invisible.
She fulfilled her duties impeccably as Grand Duchess, but never overstepped.
She never involved herself in noble faction politics, nor was she ever the subject of gossip.
In Maia’s eyes, she was the perfect Grand Duchess—someone born to endure the pressures and duties of the royal court.
“Well then, let’s gather the heads of the houses and begin with formal greetings.”
The Grand Duchess spoke in a bright, pleasant tone.
The heads of each house slowly gathered.
“Greetings to Her Grace, the Grand Duchess of Adelstein. Ah, Duchess of Western, you’re here as well.”
The Grand Duchess replied with a clear voice.
“Marquis Renessa, I heard you were unwell. I hope the long journey hasn’t been too difficult.”
“Thank you for your concern. I may be old, but I’m not useless yet.”
The old noble, with his white eyebrows lifted and rough voice, was Marquis Renessa.
A descendant of one of the founding heroes of the empire, he was also a seasoned political veteran.
Maia simply offered a polite nod instead of speaking.
Though he was a staunch conservative who held tradition and hierarchy sacred, he had never shown hostility toward Maia.
“…Is the Duke of Western truly not attending?”
“Countess Polaris.”
A cold, sharp voice pierced the air. Maia turned her head.
A woman with a mix of white and black hair—making her hair appear ashen—gazed at her with icy eyes.
Countess Polaris.
Maia met her gaze without emotion.
Today, the red lipstick on her lips seemed especially vivid.
Irenea Herion Polaris.
Born the only daughter of Count Polaris, ruler of the empire’s southern territories, she had killed the uncle who stole her title before even coming of age and claimed the title for herself.
Perhaps because of her unusual past…
Despite the existence of the crown prince and second prince, she had been a vocal supporter of Princess Rivka’s succession to the throne.
In short, she was one of Maia’s most hostile opponents.
“Countess Polaris, you’re here as well.”
“Greetings to Your Grace, the Grand Duchess of Adelstein.”
Even though years had passed since Princess Rivka’s death, the hostility in Countess Polaris’ eyes remained.
She offered courtesy only to the Grand Duchess, with nothing further to say.
This was the first curveball of the delegation.
Maia felt a knot twist in her stomach and tried not to let it show.
“You’ve all gathered already? Oh dear, apologies for being late.”
A light-hearted voice broke through the heavy air in front of the carriages. Maia sighed and looked over.
Golden hair, bright like melted gold, instantly drew attention.
Even though it was slicked back with pomade, a few strands danced over a pale forehead.
Maia’s gaze lowered.
“Oh, if it isn’t the Duchess of Western.”
Green eyes curved in a smile.
The second curveball had arrived.
