So Consort Diena harbored deep resentment toward Consort Isabella.
The reason she had desperately built her own power was not only to survive, but also to take revenge on Consort Isabella.
“This year’s Fairy of the Founding Festival is being handled by the Princess Consort-to-be, I hear?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
When head maid Peggy answered respectfully, Consort Diena, who had been feeding the birds, set down the spoon of feed, turned around, and sat on the sofa. Listening to the chirping of the birds, she continued.
“How unfortunate for Consort Isabella. I can clearly imagine how much her pride must have been hurt.”
“I do not think she will give up.”
“Of course not. She will try to make her own people advantageous somehow. What about the person we prepared?”
“They are staying in the Capital and preparing, as you commanded.”
“The Founding Festival is only ten days away. They must devote themselves during the remaining time.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Consort Diena pointed at one maid and had her massage her shoulders.
“I wonder if the test questions have been delivered.”
“I heard they will be passed to the administrator today through a maid of the detached Palace.”
“I see. I’m truly curious what kind of questions they set.”
“Shall we intercept them?”
“That would be nice, but it may not be easy. It would be better not to.”
Her intuition was telling her. Even if she did nothing, the side of Consort Isabella would make the first move.
‘That Princess Consort Liliana isn’t ordinary.’
Consort Diena possessed sharp insight.
Liliana looked gentle on the outside, but she had a feeling that she was nothing of the sort.
‘Shall I test her?’
Having made up her mind, Consort Diena looked at Peggy.
“Prepare a gift. I should meet the Princess Consort.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Even without being told what kind of gift, head maid Peggy knew well. Whenever Consort Diena went to meet someone, she always brought a special dessert.
***
Liliana, who had been reviewing the details of the competition in the office, was puzzled by the unexpected visit.
“Who did you say has arrived?”
“Consort Diena has come, Your Highness.”
As the maid spoke with a restless expression, Liliana quickly rose from her seat.
“Is she in the reception room?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
She hurried toward the reception room.
When she opened the door and entered, Consort Diena stood up to greet her.
“I greet Your Highness the Imperial Consort.”
When Liliana bowed, Consort Diena raised her hand with her characteristic alluring smile.
“Please rise.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Consort Diena stared intently at her from head to toe. Even under her piercing gaze, Liliana met her eyes without concern.
“It is an honor that you came all the way here, Your Highness.”
“I heard that you have recently taken on an important task, Princess Consort, so I brought a small gift.”
At Consort Diena’s gesture, Peggy presented the gift placed on a tray.
“It is a food often enjoyed in my mother’s homeland. It is called mooncake.”
“I have seen it in books. I wanted to try it at least once, so thank you, Your Highness.”
The Consort personally picked up a mooncake and held it out.
“Try it.”
Liliana quietly looked at the mooncake being offered, then accepted it and put it into her mouth.
The soft and mild texture was excellent.
“It is delicious.”
The eyes of Consort Diena, who watched her eat the mooncake with apparent enjoyment, flashed sharply.
Liliana didn’t miss that look.
‘Putting a laxative in the mooncake, how nasty.’
The moment she swallowed the mooncake, Liliana used magic to break down the laxative component.
Consort Diena smiled.
“I heard the Princess Consort is well-versed in magic. It seems that was true.”
“Compared to Your Highness, it is insignificant”
“What do you mean by that?”
Liliana spoke as if she already knew everything.
“You also possess considerable magical power, do you not, Your Highness?”
This time, Consort Diena looked genuinely surprised.
“Your attribute is water. I heard that during the drought five years ago, Your Highness was praised for bringing rain. So you really do possess water magic.”
She was momentarily flustered by Liliana’s unusual insight. But she quickly regained her composure.
“You truly are an interesting person.”
“Thank you for thinking kindly of me.”
“I heard you are close with Consort Isabella. Please visit the Garnet Palace from time to time as well.”
“If you invite me, I will gladly accept.”
Consort Diena offered one more piece of advice.
“Be careful of Consort Isabella. She will surely try to make her own person win as the Fairy of this Founding Festival. She might even try to steal the test questions.”
“You do not need to worry about that. The questions will be properly delivered to the participants.”
“That is quite a confident tone. I assure you, there are always variables in everything. Be careful.”
“I will gratefully keep your advice in mind.”
With a gentle smile, Consort Diena left the detached palace.
Liliana escorted her out, her expression turning cold.
After leaving the detached Palace, Consort Diena looked back at it once more with sharp eyes.
“She is no ordinary opponent.”
It seemed it would be difficult for her own person to become the Fairy of this year’s Founding Festival.
The same would likely be true for Consort Isabella.
In truth, Consort Diena didn’t have much greed this time. She had only intended to interfere with Consort Isabella.
But after meeting Liliana in person, it seemed that even without her interference, it wouldn’t be easy for Consort Isabella’s candidate to win.
“This will be interesting.”
She was very curious who would end up claiming the honorable crown.
***
Estevan looked at the test questions Liliana had brought with a dumbfounded expression.
“I didn’t expect you to really set something this nonsensical.”
“Did you think I would set a different kind of questions? Still, it is quite a good test, is it not? At least it is better than asking what ingredient is used to make maple syrup.”
“This is certainly better than that.”
The question Consort Diena had proposed had many problems. It was an obvious, easy question with no power to distinguish participants.
That was why the riddle-like questions Liliana set might actually be better.
“How was it, meeting Consort Diena in person?”
“Do not even ask. She actually fed me a laxative.”
At those words, Estevan’s expression hardened. Concern filled his eyes.
“So what happened?”
Liliana shrugged and answered confidently.
“I completely broke it down with magic.”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, I am perfectly fine.”
“That is a relief.”
The thought that Liliana might have gotten sick made him feel very unpleasant.
“You should be careful of Consort Diena. Unlike Consort Isabella, she is very scheming.”
Even when Consort Isabella drove out the Empress and ran rampant, she survived.
At that time, several concubines were executed, yet Consort Diena survived to the very end and reached her current position.
In a way, she was truly an impressive woman.
If Consort Isabella was like a fox, Consort Diena was like a snake.
Like a venomous snake hiding deadly poison, with no telling when she might strike.
“I felt that too after meeting her. She was impressive in a different way from Consort Isabella.”
“By the way, were the questions delivered safely?”
“Of course. I delivered them to Sir Martin. Someone did try to intercept them on the way, though.”
When Anna and Jennifer left the detached Palace with the document, attendants blocked their path on the way to the administrator.
They deliberately picked a fight, and in the meantime tried to steal the questions, but Jennifer caught them red-handed.
Liliana had instructed Jennifer beforehand before they left the detached Palace, so she only subdued them and let them go.
“It must have been one of the two Consorts.”
“Most likely.”
The questions were safely delivered to Sir Martin. The rest would be handled by Sir Martin, who would copy the questions and send them to the participants.
“Ah, and the Magic Kingdom has announced their intention to visit for this Founding Festival. It seems they will send a Royal Prince in person.”
At those words, Liliana’s eyes lit up.
“So they have expressed their intention to visit.”
It seemed Jerdin had properly spread the rumors.
“You seem to know something.”
“In fact, I spread some rumors over there about the magic stone mine.”
“So that’s why they are trying to visit.”
“That is right. They will try to confirm whether the magic stone mine really exists.”
It would become a very good negotiation opportunity.
Liliana had no intention of negotiating modestly.
‘We must hold the initiative no matter what.’
If the other side gained the initiative, they would only end up being dragged along.
‘That must never happen.’
She intended to directly show who held the upper hand. Of course, she also planned to squeeze a large amount of money out of them.
Trying to pay a modest price while taking magic stones with 99% purity was ridiculous.
“Do you plan to meet them in person?”
“Yes, I will meet them myself and proceed. Of course, I will conceal my identity and appearance.”
“I will go as well.”
“Your Highness will go too?”
Liliana looked at Estevan in surprise. He narrowed his brows.
“Is that a problem?”
“It is not, but then you will also need to hide your identity.”
“I will.”
Since he said he would go together, Liliana didn’t refuse.
