Liliana caught a glimpse of suspicion in Estevan’s gaze.
He never trusted anyone who wasn’t his own. He would continue to doubt and doubt her.
Liliana knew that she wasn’t yet one of his people.
From a young age, Estevan had always been wary of those around him. In the Imperial Palace, there were more people who sought to harm him than those who were friendly toward him.
He couldn’t even eat food carelessly.
He either prepared it himself or hired someone he could trust to handle it. In the Imperial Palace, the only one he could rely on was himself.
Having grown up in such an environment, it was only natural that he was full of suspicion.
Even so, Liliana wanted to give him trust.
‘It’s probably impossible for now.’
She would approach him slowly, until the day he no longer doubted her.
***
After Liliana left, Estevan fell into thought.
He couldn’t understand where the boundless trust she showed him was coming from.
There had been no point of connection between the two of them. She had suddenly chosen to become engaged to him and approached him.
‘She wants to be honest with me?’
Not a single person around him had ever said something like that.
Those who approached him all wore masks of pretense and came to stab him in the back.
When he lost his mother at a young age and was confined, there had been a maid who was the only one to comfort him.
She brought him food and took care of him when he was young.
He trusted her—until the moment he saw her secretly putting poison into his food.
From that day on, he pretended to eat what she gave him and threw it all up.
After that, there were several more such attempts, and because of it, Estevan became unable to trust anyone easily.
‘I still can’t trust her.’
For the sake of the throne, he would simply use her. Their relationship was nothing more than a transaction.
And yet, strangely, he found himself wanting to believe her words. It had been the same when he formed a magic contract with her.
It was something worth thinking about.
And yet, in that moment, he had accepted her.
“What on earth is she?”
He couldn’t understand what her true identity was that made him this confused.
Her very existence was a source of confusion to him.
***
Liliana headed to the Ruby Palace with a gift prepared for Consort Isabella.
The visit had been arranged in advance.
Liliana met Consort Isabella in the reception room of the Ruby Palace.
“Welcome, Princess Consort.”
“I am not yet officially a Princess Consort. Simply calling me by my name is more than enough, Your Highness.”
Liliana was still just the Prince’s fiancée. It was because she hadn’t yet married Estevan.
“The wedding will be soon enough, won’t it? Come, sit.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
She sat in the chair that a maid pulled out for her.
“This is a new tea that has recently come in. I hope it suits your taste.”
Liliana savored the tea and brought up her business.
“Your Highness, I have prepared a small gift.”
“A gift…”
At Liliana’s gesture, two attendants brought in a painting.
“A painting.”
“Yes. I heard that Your Highness likes Klimt’s works, so I managed to acquire one.”
At those words, Consort Isabella’s eyes widened.
“Klimt?”
Klimt was a famous painter of the Empire. He was an artist who hadn’t been recognized in his youth but gained fame in his later years, and since he had left behind only a few paintings during his lifetime, they were extremely rare.
When the cloth covering the painting was removed, Consort Isabella gasped even more.
The painting had been obtained from the black market through Paris.
“Is this not the final piece of the Twilight series? My goodness…”
The Twilight series was a set of five paintings, and the one Liliana brought was the fifth.
Consort Isabella, who liked Klimt, collected his works. However, the final piece of the Twilight series was the only one she had been unable to obtain.
And now Liliana had brought it.
“Are you truly giving this to me?”
“Yes. And I also have a favor to ask.”
At the word favor, Consort Isabella’s shoulders flinched.
For Liliana to ask her for a favor in return for something so valuable—she wondered if it was some kind of request or solicitation.
“A favor, you say… Shall I hear it first?”
“It concerns my friend.”
“Your friend…?”
“Elisha.”
Consort Isabella’s expression hardened. Liliana pinched her thigh as hard as she could to force tears to well up.
“It turns out my friend was in a relationship with Prince Mikael.”
“What do you mean…?”
With tears clinging to her amethyst-colored eyes, Liliana looked at Consort Isabella with a trembling expression.
“Please accept Elisha as Your Highness’ son’s concubine.”
Consort Isabella’s face stiffened. She couldn’t tell whether she should smile or get angry.
“I heard she has already given her chastity to His Highness. If she is cast aside like this, that child will be treated miserably.”
“That… well…”
Liliana wept as she tightly held both of Consort Isabella’s hands.
“Please show her mercy. Of course, I know it will reflect poorly on Prince Mikael. But as her friend, I simply cannot stand by and watch her misfortune.”
“That is not such a simple matter. For a Prince who has not yet even married to take a concubine first goes against protocol.”
“Then would it not be fine if it is kept a secret until Prince Mikael marries? I understand that taking a concubine afterward would not be an issue.”
Consort Isabella didn’t respond.
“Please, do not turn a blind eye to my friend’s situation.”
“If your heart is this soft, how do you intend to survive the harsh life of the Imperial Palace? Sometimes, you must pretend not to see even a friend’s misfortune.”
Liliana replied with a downcast face.
“Yes, I understand. Your Highness, I ask this just this once.”
Consort Isabella found Liliana, who had come to her with a Klimt painting for the sake of her friend, quite admirable.
She felt a pang thinking of how much trouble Liliana must have gone through to obtain such a painting just to prevent her friend’s misfortune.
Because of that, she sincerely found it regrettable that Liliana had become Estevan’s fiancée.
‘What a waste.’
Liliana would have been the perfect match for Mikael.
‘Is it still too early to give up?’
An engagement could be broken off at any time. If Estevan and Liliana were to call off their engagement before officially marrying, there might still be a chance.
For that to happen…
‘I suppose I have to grant her request.’
In any case, even if Liliana hadn’t asked, she had already intended to make Elisha Mikael’s secret concubine.
If the fact that Elisha was his concubine were revealed after Mikael’s official marriage, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Very well. Considering your sincerity, I will grant your request.”
Liliana visibly brightened.
“Really?”
“Yes, so you need not worry.”
Liliana repeatedly bowed her head.
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
She didn’t forget to wipe away her tears as she spoke.
“For my sake as well, please take good care of that child, Your Highness.”
At Liliana’s earnest request, Consort Isabella let out a sigh.
It was a sigh tinged with irritation, but she didn’t show it.
***
Mikael met Elisha at the teahouse with a displeased expression. He was even more irritated because he disliked having to meet her secretly while hiding his face.
Mikael looked at Elisha, who was sitting across from him, leisurely drinking her tea.
She was a very attractive woman, with silky silver hair and sapphire-blue eyes.
He had been drawn to that charm and had met her. Her naivety had been cute and lovable.
At least, it had been.
He had cared for her. So how had things ended up in such an uncomfortable situation between them?
“My mother has given her permission. I will bring you into the Emerald Palace.”
Elisha set down her teacup with a delighted expression.
“Really?”
“But there is a condition.”
“A condition?”
“No one must know that you are my concubine.”
Elisha’s expression hardened.
“A Prince who has not yet married isn’t allowed to take a concubine according to Imperial protocol. My mother and I are breaking that rule to take you in.”
“…”
“If the fact that you are my concubine is revealed before I’m married, not only you but also my mother and I will have a hard time surviving. So our relationship will be kept secret until my marriage.”
“Then… after the marriage, Your Highness will reveal me?”
“Yes. At that point, even if your existence is revealed, no one will be able to say anything.”
“I understand.”
“Tonight, I will take you to my mother. Prepare and wait. When I contact you, you must come out without anyone noticing.”
“You are not trying to kill me, are you? If anything happens to me, Her Highness’ corruption will be exposed to the entire world.”
“Don’t worry. Neither I nor my mother are foolish enough to overlook something like that.”
Elisha felt a slight fear, but she didn’t show it.
Before meeting Mikael, she had gone to see Liliana. Liliana had said she had already asked Consort Isabella to make sure nothing would happen to her.
‘At least for Lily’s sake, they won’t be able to do anything to me. If something happens to me, Lily won’t stay still.’
With that, Elisha steadied her mind and parted ways with Mikael.
