Chapter 13
Possessing Princess Eve
There was no way the Empress would ever approve this.
She was probably already disappointed that I hadn’t been humiliated today as she expected.
And since the story about me donating a pile of jewels to the temple must have spread, she was likely even angrier.
None of it surprised me. I had sent the maid at this late hour fully expecting to be refused.
“Alright, good work.”
I said absently as I dried my hair and stood up, only to notice the maids bowing their heads and trembling.
All of them were pale as paper and shaking hard.
They must have been terrified I’d start smashing things in anger.
“Don’t worry, I’m not angry.”
I passed the frightened maids and walked toward the bedroom.
“I’m too tired to be mad anyway. I’ll just rest tonight.”
At that, they all sighed in relief.
“Shall we bring you some tea, Your Highness?”
“No. I think I’ll sleep now.”
Using fatigue as an excuse, I sent them all away early.
They wanted to stay on duty outside my door, but I told them to rest — I wouldn’t need anyone tonight.
When the night grew dark, silence filled the room completely.
I sat alone in my bedroom and waited for the time to pass.
After a while, I checked the clock — it was already past ten thirty.
‘It’s time.’
Quietly, I opened the door and slipped into the dressing room.
I passed by the furniture and boxes in the dark and opened one of the wardrobes.
Inside hung dozens of dresses.
I picked out the plainest one — a simple navy dress.
If I wanted to go to the chapel without being noticed, I needed to look ordinary, preferably in a dark color.
I changed into the unpatterned navy dress, put on a cloak, and pulled the hood low to cover my hair.
That hid my distinctive red-gold hair completely.
When everything was ready, I quietly opened the door and stepped outside.
The corridors of the palace were silent and dim.
I walked toward the nearest chapel.
I already knew the way — I’d memorized the palace layout from the beginning, pretending to visit the chapel every night just for this reason.
Thankfully, there was no one around.
I opened the small iron door leading into the chapel and slipped inside.
It was pitch-dark, the lights all out. The golden murals on the ceiling had disappeared into the shadows.
Only pale moonlight streamed through the stained glass, casting a silver glow across the marble floor.
The statues stood in silence, their dark shadows stretching long behind them.
The chapel was completely empty.
‘No one’s here?’
I looked around for the Grand Duke, but there was no sign of him anywhere.
‘Is he not here yet?’
My stomach tightened with nerves.
Standing alone in the dark chapel, I began to feel anxious.
‘What if he doesn’t come all night?’
Maybe he wouldn’t believe me and would ignore my message.
He disliked me so much — it wasn’t easy to trust me after all.
‘Or… did he never even find the note?’
I had hidden the note inside the bouquet’s petals, asking him to meet me here at this hour.
I couldn’t explain everything on that tiny slip of paper; the story was far too complicated.
Had he found it?
When he accepted the flowers, he did look suspicious…
‘Or maybe he really doesn’t trust me.’
From his point of view, I was the Emperor’s daughter — his enemy’s bloodline.
It would be dangerous to believe the words on a single scrap of paper.
I knew from the start this plan had little chance of success. But I had no other choice.
If he never came… what would I do?
Maybe I should attend the Duke’s ball and try to talk to him again there.
I was still lost in thought when a low voice came from the shadows.
“Your Highness.”
I flinched and turned around.
The Grand Duke stood beside one of the gray pillars holding up the ceiling.
“You said there was something urgent you needed to tell me…”
He stepped toward me slowly, his violet eyes glinting coldly in the dark.
“I’m curious to hear what it is.”
The man who emerged from the darkness gave off a chilling, dangerous aura.
“T-thank you for coming,” I said carefully, choosing my words.
The Grand Duke replied calmly, “I was already here.”
“…What?”
I blinked, confused. He tilted his chin toward the wall clock.
“It’s past eleven.”
The minute hand was just a few millimeters past the mark.
So what — two minutes late?
I couldn’t believe it. I had arrived early!
He’d just been hiding there silently, which made me slow to greet him.
Of course, I knew why he’d done that — to see if I brought anyone with me.
“I apologize for being late. I had to avoid people’s eyes on the way.”
He ignored my excuse and simply said, “It’s fine. I didn’t wait long.”
‘…Good grief.’
What a hard man to please.
Still, I needed his help desperately — my life depended on it.
“Actually, there’s something very important I must tell you,” I began politely.
He said nothing, just watched me quietly.
“You might be very surprised when you hear it.”
“Don’t worry,” he said coolly. “After receiving a note as outrageous as yours, if it isn’t shocking enough, I’ll only be annoyed.”
He took a small folded note from his coat pocket — the same one I had hidden in the bouquet petals.
[The sword’s scabbard is kept inside the goddess statue’s scabbard in the western garden.]
The Grand Duke read the words and let out a faint, humorless laugh.
“I never imagined that you, Your Highness, would know something about the lost holy relic.”
The lost relic — that meant Rucan’s Sword, one of the Empire’s five sacred treasures.
It had once been the Grand Duke’s family heirloom, but decades ago, it was stolen under mysterious circumstances.
The Grand Duke’s family had considered it a disgrace and had searched for it ever since, with no success.
But I knew where it was.
It was written in the original novel.
The sword’s blade and hilt were hidden separately, but the scabbard had remained inside the Grand Duke’s estate.
In the garden stood a statue of a goddess holding a sword, and inside the stone scabbard at her waist was the real, hidden one.
Apparently, he had already checked and confirmed it.
‘Of course. He wouldn’t have come here if he hadn’t.’
You’d think he’d be thankful after recovering part of his family’s treasure — but he didn’t look grateful at all.
He crushed the small piece of paper in his hand and stepped closer to me.
“How did you come to know this, Your Highness?”
“Is that what you’re curious about?” I asked, pretending to be slightly surprised.
“I thought you’d be more interested in where the blade and hilt are.”
“You know where they are?”
“Of course.”
In the story, Rucan’s Sword had been split into three parts — the blade, hilt, and scabbard — each hidden in different locations.
The book even described those places in detail, because the heroine, Sorel, was the one who eventually found them.
“If you wish, I can find them for you. This relic is very important to you, isn’t it, Your Grace?”
As I said this, I watched his expression carefully.
Anyone from the Grand Duke’s house would be shaken by such words — but he didn’t move a muscle.
That frighteningly handsome face showed no change at all, though faint anger flickered in his violet eyes.
“What do you want?” he asked bluntly.
I took a deep breath, stepped closer, and said clearly,
“Help me. I need your help.”
He stared silently.
I continued anxiously, “Someone is planning to assassinate me on my wedding day.”
“Is that so?” he replied in the same calm tone.
“That’s not a very surprising thing to hear. I can even sympathize with whoever it is.”
“You think I’m joking?”
“Who in this Empire would dare to attempt the life of His Majesty’s daughter?”
He gave a quiet laugh, his voice laced with arrogance.
“Who would dare try to kill my fiancée?”
A faint smile appeared on that beautiful, almost divine face.
