“I see, I did not expect you to be this full of enthusiasm, Princess Consort.”
Liliana took Empress Isabella’s hand with both of hers.
“Your Highness, do not worry. I will surely carry out the competition successfully. A fair competition without any corruption.”
“If you say so, then I will watch. If you run into difficulties, come find me anytime.”
“Yes, I will.”
Consort Isabella let out a sigh as she looked at Liliana’s innocent face.
As the saying goes, one cannot spit on a smiling face, and Liliana was looking at Consort Isabella with exactly that kind of expression.
“Haah, it seems I have kept you too long, Princess Consort. You must be busy, so you may go now.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. Then I will take my leave.”
“Very well.”
After Liliana left, Consort Isabella looked at her head maid Emma with a serious expression.
“Send a letter to House Valantier at once. Inform them that this competition will be overseen by Princess Consort Liliana.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Consort held her forehead as if she had a headache.
She had put considerable effort into this competition. High society was an important place for her to expand her network.
If the woman she chose became the Fairy of the Founding Festival, then for three years high society would revolve around her. Just as it had for Consort Diena.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that for the past three years, high society had been dominated by Consort Diena.
And this year, the crown of the Fairy that she held would have to be passed on to the new winner.
It was a rule that someone who had participated once and won couldn’t participate again.
‘This year must be mine.’
She couldn’t afford to lose it.
She had to find a way.
***
After leaving the Ruby Palace, Liliana headed to the Sapphire Palace to meet Estevan.
Today, Estevan was training in magic.
Liliana quietly watched so as not to disturb him.
‘As expected, he is high-level. What is it that he can’t do?’
There really was no cheat-like character like him. Of course, the same could be said for Liliana as well.
Estevan was doing magic accuracy training. It was training to hit distant targets with magic.
To hit a small target far away, high-level concentration and delicate control of mana were essential.
Fwoosh.
A flame that rose from Estevan’s hand shot out like an arrow and struck the targets. All of them were dead center on the vital point.
After hitting all five targets, Estevan turned his body and looked at Liliana.
“It seems peeking is a habit of yours.”
Liliana, letting out a small laugh, spoke as if she were hurt.
“Peeking? I just happened to see it while coming to meet Your Highness.”
“I nearly missed because you distracted me.”
“It seems I distracted you that much.”
Estevan shook his head.
“Judging by your expression, it seems you have something you want to say.”
Liliana clapped her hands as if surprised.
“Can you read my expressions now?”
“You are easy to read.”
Liliana smiled softly and grabbed Estevan’s arm.
“You are done with your training, right?”
Instead of answering, Estevan nodded.
“Let us have some snacks.”
Led by her hand, Estevan headed in.
As if it had been prepared in advance, snacks were set out in the reception room of the Sapphire Palace.
Seeing the snacks, Estevan looked at Liliana with a surprised expression.
“They are all things I like.”
The sweet desserts that Liliana liked were nowhere to be seen.
“It seemed that Your Highness prefers lighter things, so I prepared these.”
She picked up a multigrain cookie with her hand and offered it to him.
“Try it.”
Estevan put the multigrain cookie into his mouth and nodded.
“It’s good.”
“Please listen while you eat.”
Liliana spoke with a serious expression.
“I have been put in charge of selecting the Fairy of May for this Founding Festival.”
“You were put in charge of that?”
“Yes, His Majesty entrusted it to me.”
“I thought Consort Isabella would be presiding over it this year, but I suppose not.”
“I heard there was corruption during the competition three years ago.”
That fact was a secret known only to a part of the Imperial Family. If it became public, the sacred festival might be thrown into chaos, so the Emperor had covered it up.
“Consort Isabella won’t stay still.”
“Yes, that is why I am worried. She will try by any means to make her own person win.”
“Have you checked the list of participants?”
“Yes, I brought it. Would you like to see it yourself?”
Estevan nodded and checked the list.
“They are all from formidable Houses. You will have to narrow this down to ten candidates, but I wonder if that will be possible.”
On the list of participants, dozens of names were included, even daughters of provincial noble Houses.
From among them, Liliana had to fairly select ten candidates.
“That is why I came to consult Your Highness.”
“What do you want to consult about?”
“The questions. I have to give questions to the participants.”
“Hmm…”
In order to filter the dozens of participants, questions were given, and those who provided the most suitable answers were prioritized in the selection.
That was the judging rule.
The problem was what kind of questions should be given.
“What kind of questions would be good? When I looked at past examples, they were all common knowledge questions.”
Basic knowledge that noble ladies were expected to possess had been the main type of questions.
“It seems you want to give a different kind.”
“I am thinking of something easy, but difficult.”
“If it were me, I would give a riddle.”
“A riddle?”
“It is easy, but the hardest to figure out.”
Liliana smiled.
“That sounds interesting as well. It seems it could draw out various answers and reveal wit and sense.”
A riddle was like a playful question, but it wasn’t easy to solve.
It was the kind of problem one could solve if they thought creatively.
“As expected, I am glad I came to consult Your Highness.”
Estevan pointed to the name of a certain House on the list.
“Here, it would be best to be cautious of House Valantier.”
Quick-witted, Liliana immediately replied.
“It must be Consort Isabella’s person.”
“Yes, it seems Count Valantier has been visiting the Ruby Palace frequently lately.”
At those words, Liliana’s eyes lit up. It was something she already knew.
How could she forget House Valantier? The lady who had won with the backing of Consort Isabella was precisely the daughter of House Valantier.
But this time would be different.
This year, there would be no chance of that young lady winning.
‘There was originally a different winner.’
There was a lady that had reached the finals but failed to win due to Consort Isabella’s interference.
It was Claire Lennox of House Lennox.
House Lennox was a scholarly family that had produced six outstanding scholars, yet it was also a loyal House that had always maintained neutrality in the Imperial succession struggle.
It was said that Consort Isabella had tried to win them over, but because they were so rigid, they rejected her outright.
Holding a grudge over this, she had placed financial pressure on House Lennox.
‘They are in quite a difficult situation.’
The reason Lady Lennox was participating in the competition was also to properly get back at Consort Isabella.
Lady Lennox was a combative woman. She was a woman of steel who always carried the mindset of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Though she didn’t win, she later honed herself and became active in high society, rebuilding her House.
She had an unyielding spirit. She was also a noble woman with a sense of justice, one who wouldn’t turn a blind eye to wrongdoing.
If someone like her were to win and help Estevan, there could be nothing better.
‘It’s a perfect opportunity to get back at House Valantier and also gain someone for His Highness.’
“Your Highness, what do you think of House Lennox?”
“A House I would like to bring over. But that House has maintained neutrality in the succession struggle for generations. That principle will likely not be broken.”
It was a rigid House that pledged loyalty only to the Emperor who had ascended the throne.
During the succession struggle, no amount of pressure would work on them; their convictions were truly remarkable.
Estevan frowned slightly and looked at Liliana.
“Don’t tell me you are thinking of bringing House Lennox over?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Estevan waved his hand.
“It will be difficult.”
“If it is easy, it is not fun.”
Liliana smiled. Looking at her, Estevan spoke.
“Where on earth does that confidence of yours come from?”
“I wonder, where does it come from?”
“Answering a question with a question?”
She tilted her head.
“I do not really know how far my confidence goes either.”
“This is absurd.”
Estevan let out a hollow laugh. She was truly an unpredictable woman.
“These multigrain cookies are quite good.”
Liliana chewed the multigrain cookie crunchily and gazed steadily at him.
“Your Highness, please give me your hand.”
“Why my hand?”
“Hurry.”
When he reluctantly held out his hand, Liliana grabbed it and moved her magic.
Estevan’s eyes widened at the refreshing sensation.
“What did you just do?”
