~CHAPTER 13~
“Have you been well, Lady Ortensa?”
Sir Roisen, just back from his vacation, barely managed to finish his greeting before Dianu thrust a man’s cloak right under his nose.
He looked confused.
“A gift…?”
Dianu was speechless.
When she unfolded the cloak instead of answering, Sir Roisen narrowed his eyes.
“…This is His Majesty’s cloak.”
It wasn’t strange that he recognized it right away.
That deep purple fabric and golden thread combination was used only for the Emperor and Empress’s garments.
Even making a handkerchief in that combination was considered disrespectful—let alone a cloak.
Just holding it made Dianu’s hands tremble.
Cora didn’t even dare to touch it.
When the Emperor had draped the cloak over her, had he foreseen the trouble it would bring her?
Dianu couldn’t tell.
“Please return this to the Imperial Palace. You’re a Royal Guard Knight, so you’re allowed to handle His Majesty’s clothes, aren’t you?”
“But Lady Ortensa is handling it right now.”
“It’s not like I want to!”
Sir Roisen’s face was pure and innocent, free of any malice.
“Did His Majesty just take it off and leave it?”
Though his tone sounded mildly irreverent, he wasn’t wrong.
Dianu quickly explained herself.
“He thought I was cold, so as a gentleman, he lent it to me.”
“It’s summer, though.”
“It was in the middle of the night…”
A heavy silence fell.
Dianu felt truly wronged.
“Don’t get any strange ideas!”
“I wasn’t, not even a little.”
“Then please take it away right now.”
Even if Sir Roisen didn’t misunderstand, others might.
Countess Ornin or one of the other maids could see it, and then who knew what kind of chaos would follow.
He still looked puzzled, but thankfully, Sir Roisen accepted the troublesome cloak.
“Then I’ll return it right away.”
“If you happen to meet His Majesty, please also thank him for me.”
“Why don’t you go yourself?”
“I’m… busy.”
“Busy… I see.”
Sir Roisen looked doubtful.
And who could blame him? He’d watched her loiter around waiting for the Princess for weeks now.
But she couldn’t tell him that after the subtle tension between her and the Emperor last night, she hadn’t slept a wink and wasn’t emotionally ready to face him again.
Fortunately, Sir Roisen was a man of manners.
Instead of pressing her further, he left for the Imperial Palace alone.
With the Emperor’s cloak finally gone from sight, Dianu felt a little more at ease.
She sat down on a long bench, trying to calm herself.
“I need to pull myself together.”
She wasn’t even sure what exactly she needed to pull herself together *for.*
* * *
Time passed relentlessly.
Every morning, Dianu tied her hair with the ribbon gifted by the Emperor and headed to the library in the Oak Palace.
She spent an hour or two reading while waiting for the Princess.
Of course, the Princess never appeared.
She spent the rest of her time playing the pianoforte in the music room or writing letters to Grand Duchess Ellaris and Grand Duke Erin.
She also sent polite letters with vague updates to the family in the Erbinjel Duchy.
Her days were peaceful—so quiet it was almost painful.
That was, until she ran into Bertona Aldebaron again.
Dianu had come to somewhat regret how unpleasant their first meeting had been.
She realized she’d let her temper get the better of her.
In hindsight, she could somewhat understand Bertona’s position.
After all, a woman who was neither a maid nor a scholar had somehow taken the post of the Princess’s tutor and was being treated as an honored guest at the Oak Palace, barely doing her supposed job.
To someone like Bertona, who likely handled a heavy workload as a maid, Dianu must have looked insufferable.
There was usually only one reason a noble lady entered the Princess’s service: the connections and marriage prospects that came from being close to the Princess.
To “graduate” from that service usually meant marrying a fine husband.
But with the Princess refusing all public appearances, Bertona’s original goal had long slipped out of reach.
Now she was just stuck doing chores under Countess Ornin’s strict supervision, unable to voice her frustrations openly.
Still, there was no excuse for the way she chose to vent them.
“The Ortensa family—where are they from, exactly? Never heard of them.”
“Oh my, so the Baron’s daughter works as a tutor now?”
“She’s not even the Baron’s daughter. Must be from some distant branch. Probably split off generations ago.”
“Then she’s hardly a proper lady, isn’t she?”
“Just look at her clothes. Anyone would think she’s middle class.”
Their laughter pierced the air.
Dianu forced herself to keep a calm, blank expression just to hide her disbelief.
She’d come to the garden for her usual after-meal walk, wanting some quiet time to think.
She’d even told Sir Roisen to stay behind.
But two of the Princess’s maids were already there, and as soon as they noticed her, they raised their voices so she could hear every word.
Dianu clenched her fists and tried to hold back her anger.
“Why can’t women duel?”
If she were a man, she would’ve marched straight up and thrown a glove in Bertona’s face.
Plenty would have praised her for being gallant.
But a lady wasn’t allowed to grab another by the hair.
Bertona Aldebaron glanced briefly at Dianu, then turned to her fellow maid with an exaggerated tone.
“I heard she graduated from a girls’ school in the capital.”
“Oh? Why bother?”
“Maybe her family couldn’t afford a proper education at home. When parents can’t teach manners themselves, they send their daughters off to—”
Before she could finish, the other maid, Luicilla, clamped a hand over her mouth.
Not because Dianu’s face had turned demonic with rage, though it nearly had.
“I can’t stand hearing any more of this.”
The voice came from behind Bertona.
Someone was walking toward them through the garden, each step sharp and deliberate.
The familiar tone carried both contempt and irritation.
Dianu’s mouth fell open.
Parting the bushes came Princess Elpenlira herself.
“Y-Your Highness!”
Bertona and Luicilla hurriedly grabbed their skirts and bowed deeply.
The Princess looked down at them with eyes cold as frost.
She was dressed much like she had been at the hunting ground—wearing a loose shirt and riding breeches more suited to a man, a short sword at her waist.
With her golden hair tousled and a few leaves caught in it, she looked like she’d just woken from a nap in the woods.
The Princess brushed off her shoulders and plucked a leaf from her hair.
“Bertona. Luicilla.”
The two maids reluctantly lifted their heads.
The Princess asked,
“What is a maid’s virtue?”
Neither Bertona nor Luicilla could answer.
Dianu almost pitied them.
Had she been in their place, she wouldn’t have been able to speak either.
Only after the Princess’s face hardened with anger did the two manage to whisper a reply.
“Silence… Your Highness…”
“Correct. Silence. Then should I have to watch my maids gossip shamelessly within my palace?”
“…”
“Didn’t Countess Ornin tell you I despise rumors and slander? Should I be scolding her for not teaching you properly instead?”
At the mention of Countess Ornin’s name, both women went pale.
In unison, they lowered their heads, trembling as they begged for mercy.
“We’re sorry, Your Highness. We spoke without virtue or restraint.”
“It will never happen again. Please show mercy and forgive us.”
The Princess didn’t seem interested in granting mercy.
Her voice remained cold as she twisted the metaphorical knife.
“And who was it you were gossiping about so eagerly?”
The two glanced at each other but stayed silent.
The Princess’s tone sharpened.
“She was chosen by His Majesty himself. Didn’t Countess Ornin tell you that as well?”
The maids began shaking like cornered rabbits.
The Princess delivered the final blow.
“Are you questioning His Majesty’s decision?”
The two nearly fell to their knees.
Even Dianu, just watching, felt chills run down her spine.
The Princess, having crushed her maids without even glancing at Dianu, turned away as if none of this concerned her.
“Do not appear before me until further notice. I’ll leave your final punishment to Countess Ornin.”
With that, she disappeared back through the bushes.
The maids burst into tears and fled from the garden.
When the storm passed, only Dianu remained.
“What… just happened?”
It wasn’t as if the Princess had defended her.
The maids’ offense wasn’t “insulting Dianu Ortensa.”
But something had undeniably changed.
The Princess had appeared before her of her own will—ultimately to help her.
“She wouldn’t have… changed her mind, would she?”
“Is it okay to hope, even just a little?”
With a slightly lighter step, Dianu left the garden.
She couldn’t wait to tell Sir Roisen what had happened.
