Chapter 4
“Did it happen a few days ago?”
Meanwhile, Azelina, mulling over Iana’s words, asked.
“Well… it’s just that… a few days ago, a maid working in the Emperor’s palace was suddenly stabbed to death…”
Iana whispered as if it were a highly guarded secret. In reality, it was common knowledge, but saying it aloud still felt awkward.
“Stabbed…?”
Only then did Azelina understand what Iana was referring to.
It was the shocking incident that had made the front page of newspapers, not only in the Egreta Empire but in several other countries as well.
A maid had died in the Emperor’s palace, where security was strict day and night—naturally, it caused a huge stir.
The true details were never revealed, and all that was known was that some illegal merchant group from the Zeppelin Empire was involved. Azelina herself did not know much beyond that.
But now she was hearing about it as if it had just happened.
“That happened almost a year ago…”
In other words, not only had she died and awakened, but she had also gone back a full year in time.
“….”
But at this point, what could she do but accept it?
Azelina had long resolved not to dwell on or worry about the absurd experience of dying and awakening.
She only wanted to enjoy this second chance she had been given and live a different life from before.
“Well… Your Highness, I’ll go prepare the meal then…”
Iana, cautiously observing the situation, quietly slipped out.
As soon as Iana left to prepare the meal, Azelina rose and gazed out the window at the Selina Palace backyard.
Even though it was a familiar and tiresome view, it felt new, perhaps because she had “died and come back.”
In one corner of the garden stood a fragrant peach tree, its branches heavy with countless peaches among the blossoms.
Azelina had never eaten peaches from the palace garden herself, but she had heard that they were sweet and refreshing, and the maids enjoyed them.
‘Of all things, I had to return to the past a year ago.’
Rashid remained the same. He treated her as insignificant and did not care for her attention in the slightest.
Returning to the past without dying was practically a miracle and should have been something to rejoice in—but Azelina didn’t even know if she felt happy or sad.
“Your Highness… p-please eat…”
While she was staring out the window, a timid voice came with a knock.
Naturally, she expected Iana, but when she turned, it was the maid Mable, carrying the meal.
Her crimson eyes were trembling, and around her neck was a white scarf that indicated her rank.
Most servants wore white; chief maids wore purple, regular officials wore blue, and high-ranking officials wore red.
Mable was one of the most timid and bashful maids in Selina Palace.
“Thank you.”
Azelina smiled gently, trying to put her at ease.
But Mable only stared at her as if she were looking at a dangerous beast ready to devour her.
‘…These maids aren’t at fault. Why did I act like that in the past?’
If there was any fault, it lay with Azelina herself.
The maids would not have hated the Empress for no reason.
Perhaps she had been cruel enough to participate in plots against them? Azelina thought bitterly, smiling wryly at the memory.
‘If I really have gone back to the past, the same incident will happen again in a year. I should first mend my relationships with the maids.’
The decisive incident would be Princess Shulia’s death, but that wouldn’t happen for another year, so Azelina couldn’t prevent it yet.
Probably, if it weren’t for the schemes of the young ladies and the maids, she wouldn’t have been falsely accused. To avoid that, she had to cultivate good relationships with them.
She vowed to survive by fixing her relations with the maids and the young ladies who had hated her so much.
Azelina nodded slightly and, mid-bite of mushroom soup, made eye contact with Mable.
Startled by Azelina’s sudden gaze, Mable froze.
Azelina paused for a moment, then spoke calmly.
“Mable, I’ve been too harsh to you, haven’t I? I’m really sorry.”
“…Yes?”
“I won’t mistreat you anymore, so don’t worry.”
Azelina smiled warmly and finished speaking, but Mable still only looked at her with fearful eyes.
‘If only one word could mend our relationship…’
Though Azelina had promised herself to strengthen bonds with the maids, seeing Mable trembling like this made the task seem daunting.
Azelina sighed lightly.
“…Well, can you really expect someone to believe I’ve changed? Even I might not believe it.”
“Y-Your Highness…”
“No doubt… the other maids will react the same way.”
Azelina smiled bitterly and returned to her meal.
‘Why is Your Highness acting so strangely?’
Meanwhile, Mable was thoroughly bewildered.
She had heard from the other maids that the Empress had been acting odd since that morning, but she hadn’t expected this.
‘Why is Your Highness acting like this? Please tell me, Sister Iana!’
Mable blinked repeatedly, confused.
Emperor’s Palace, Office
“Your Majesty, about the Empress yesterday…”
Ellen tentatively spoke up.
Even after a day, Ellen could not calm her nervousness.
Rashid responded calmly, unlike yesterday.
“What’s there to be surprised about? Hasn’t the Empress pretended to behave quietly and promised not to cause a fuss in the palace more than once?”
Still, for some reason, Rashid seemed slightly impatient. He spoke before Ellen had finished, and his handwriting, unusually sloppy, reflected his state.
“Judging by how well she recovered and is capable of doing trivial things immediately after waking, she must have pretended to faint just to get my attention, don’t you think?”
Rashid was taken aback by Azelina’s behavior, which he had never seen before.
She often pretended to be polite and obedient, always smiling at him, yet the Azelina he saw yesterday seemed completely indifferent—as if she had no expectations, interest, or even emotions for him.
‘She’ll be back soon anyway, so I don’t need to care.’
Still, Rashid couldn’t shake the image of the Empress he had seen at Selina Palace yesterday. It felt very strange.
A few days later
After lunch, sunlight poured through the windows.
“Your Highness… would you like some tea?”
Mable, wearing a frightened expression, set freshly brewed black tea in front of Azelina.
Even Iana was confused by Azelina’s sudden change in demeanor, so Mable was utterly bewildered.
She had assumed that Iana, who spent so much time with Azelina, would know what was happening.
“Am I doing this right?”
Azelina, who had been diligently embroidering a handkerchief, showed it to Mable. She knew how to embroider, but it had been a while, so her hands were clumsy.
Mable was flustered. Azelina’s kind smile, which she had never seen before, and the calm voice she usually only heard with the Emperor, were both surprising.
Still, there was no time for sentimentality.
Mable composed herself, examined the handkerchief, and nodded.
“I’m glad I’m doing this right. Oh, and thank you for the tea.”
Mable’s eyes widened again at Azelina’s thanks.
Even though she thought Azelina’s kindness to the servants would be temporary, it seemed her resolve was stronger than expected, leaving Mable astonished.
Meanwhile, Azelina took a sip of the black tea, closing her eyes briefly.
She had thought embroidery would be easy, but it was harder than expected after such a long time.
She lightly tapped her stiff shoulders from leaning over for a while.
Azelina wasn’t the type to sit still and leisurely enjoy things.
Her nature was lively and free-spirited. As a child, she often ran around the square with her younger sister after leaving the ducal manor.
But strengthening her relationships with the maids inside Selina Palace took priority over wandering freely, so she had little choice.
“…Your Highness, if you find staying in the palace stifling, how about a short walk?”
Mable, who had been sitting across from Azelina teaching her embroidery, gently suggested.
Azelina, who had started embroidering out of boredom, still looked somewhat listless even now.
“Hmm, shall we?”
Azelina smiled faintly and went out into the Selina Palace garden with Iana and Mable.
