The questions Liliana sent to the participants of the May Fairy of the Founding Festival were delivered.
Although the delivery times differed, the questions were properly received.
The questions also arrived to noble ladies living in Noble Town, located within the Empire.
Noble Town was a place where nobles with wealth and power gathered to live. Among them were House Valentier and House Lennox.
Cecil of House Valentier frowned when she saw the questions.
“This is the test?”
- What goes and never comes back?
- What stays close, yet can never see one another?
- What is one thing, yet appears differently to each person?
The questions really felt like riddles.
This competition had originally been planned to be hosted by Consort Isabella, but it was suddenly changed to Princess Consort-to-be Liliana, which left Cecil extremely displeased.
“If Her Highness the Imperial Consort had conducted it, I would have passed easily.”
The Emperor suddenly changing the host to Liliana caused everything to become complicated.
Cecil took the questions and went to find her father.
Count Valentier, who received the questions, was also displeased.
“To set such riddles as a test…”
Since they still had to write and send the answer sheet, Count Valentier gathered all of Cecil’s tutors.
At that same time, the questions also arrived at House Lennox.
Claire, the Young Lady of House Lennox, picked up her pen the moment she saw the questions.
Having been close to books since childhood, she was well-educated and quickly deduced the answers.
“Easy.”
After writing the answers at once, she sealed the answer sheet in an envelope, stamped it with the family seal, and sent it to the Imperial Palace.
***
A few days after sending the questions, answer sheets began to arrive.
The first answer sheet to arrive was from Claire of House Lennox.
“As expected, that was fast.”
Lady Claire was a woman with abundant knowledge and intelligence. It had been expected that she would quickly derive the answers.
The second answer to arrive was from Cecil of House Valentier.
After that, the answer sheets of other noble ladies also arrived.
The answer sheets were personally delivered by the official in charge, Sir Martin.
Liliana had to stay up for several nights to check each answer sheet one by one.
“This kind of work really doesn’t suit me.”
Liliana yawned while pounding her shoulder with her fist.
“It looks like about ten have been selected.”
After reviewing and reviewing the documents, it felt like her eyes would fall out.
Out of dozens, only five people wrote the correct answers perfectly.
The remaining five were selected from among the ladies who got two questions right and those who got one question right.
“How can they not solve such easy questions?”
That only five people out of dozens got the correct answers was truly an absurd number.
“They say solving riddles is not as easy as it seems.”
“That’s true.”
“And noble ladies do not really study academics or these kinds of problems deeply.”
At Anna’s reasonable words, Liliana nodded.
The noble ladies of the Empire generally only learned enough to read and write.
Because in the Empire, a woman’s responsibility was to marry and support her husband.
In other words, the Empire’s way was that as long as they bore children and supported their husband well, that was enough.
There were occasionally ladies interested in academics, but they were only a minority. It was an unfortunate reality.
In any case, the candidates had been selected, so acceptance notices had to be sent.
Liliana sent acceptance notices to the candidates.
Those who passed would begin preparing to participate in the main tests.
The competition would be held on the third day of the Founding Festival, and the winner would be selected through a total of three tests.
And Liliana had to personally plan and prepare all of those tests.
“If Your Highness had not become engaged to His Highness, Prince Estevan, you would have become the May Fairy. What a pity.”
At Anna’s lament, Liliana responded with a smile.
“Maybe so.”
“Do you not regret it?”
Liliana shrugged.
“Not really. I have no lingering attachment.”
Liliana hadn’t participated in the competition in the past either.
At that time, she couldn’t participate because she was engaged to Mikael. There was a rule that ladies promised in marriage to the Imperial Family couldn’t participate.
If Liliana hadn’t been in a marriage arrangement with the Imperial Family, she might have participated. The May Fairy was that much of a dream position for noble ladies.
“I’m already dreaming of something else, so it’s fine if someone who needs that position takes it.”
“I see.”
Liliana stretched widely.
“I should sleep now. I haven’t slept for days, so I’m tired.”
“Yes, I will prepare.”
Liliana bathed with Anna attending her, washed up, and went to bed at two in the morning.
It had been a truly exhausting few days.
***
Time passed, and the day of the Founding Festival arrived.
At ten in the morning, the Emperor appeared before the people and gave a congratulatory speech, and the Imperial Consorts, Concubines, and Princes appeared in turn to celebrate the opening of the Founding Festival.
Nobles gathered in the Grand Banquet Hall, and various performances and food stalls were set up throughout the Capital.
It was the official beginning of the Founding Festival.
Liliana, after spending several hours getting dressed, appeared with Estevan in the Grand Banquet Hall.
She greeted the Emperor and the two Imperial Consorts, and exchanged pleasantries with various nobles.
After that, Liliana performed the first dance with Estevan. It was a gentle waltz.
The dance the two performed together was extremely elegant and beautiful.
All the nobles, including the Emperor, watched their dance and applauded.
Except for one person.
Mikael clenched his fist tightly as he watched the two dance. He couldn’t take his eyes off Liliana in particular.
Today, Liliana wore a silver dress. Each time she danced, the diamonds embedded in the silver hem reflected the light and sparkled like stars.
Her vivid red hair was as beautiful as a rose, and her brilliantly shining amethyst-colored eyes were truly mysterious.
But the fact that her partner was Estevan and not himself made him angry.
Originally, the place beside her should have been his. But Estevan had taken it away.
Mikael hated Estevan to death.
‘That damned bastard.’
He wanted to crush that brightly smiling face.
At that moment, Consort Isabella approached from the side, held Mikael’s hand, and whispered.
“Relax your expression, Prince. His Majesty is watching.”
“Yes, Mother.”
He forced himself to relax his expression.
“Shall we move seats? There are people who wish to greet you, my Prince.”
Mikael followed Consort Isabella, his steps reluctant to move.
After performing the first dance, Liliana and Estevan headed to the terrace to rest.
The weather was truly bright and pleasant. The breeze blowing in was cool.
“The weather is really nice.”
“It is.”
Just as Liliana said, the weather really was nice.
Estevan realized it anew.
That Liliana, all dressed up, was so beautiful that it was hard to take his eyes off her.
So he couldn’t look away from her. He didn’t want to miss even a single one of her expressions or gestures.
“Is the preparation for the competition going well?”
“Yes, I am working hard on it.”
“I’m looking forward to it. To seeing who will become the May Fairy under your supervision.”
“But do not fall for her, Your Highness. I will get jealous.”
Estevan stepped closer, took her hand, and kissed the back of it.
“That will never happen.”
“Then that is a relief.”
Liliana withdrew her hand and stepped slightly back from the terrace.
“Shall we go back in?”
“Alright.”
When Estevan extended his arm, Liliana naturally linked arms with him and returned to the banquet hall.
***
With the start of the Founding Festival, the Imperial Palace was filled with a festive atmosphere. Even the maids and attendants working today were allowed to add decorations to their outfits.
“Shall we go now? It will soon be time for the distinguished guests from foreign nations to enter.”
Delegations from other Kingdoms had come to celebrate the founding of the Empire.
Three Kingdoms and two Duchies surrounding the Empire had visited.
Liliana and Estevan sat side by side below the Emperor on his right. On the left were the two Imperial Consorts and Prince Mikael, and below them sat the other concubines.
After a moment, the sound of trumpets announcing the entrance of foreign dignitaries rang out.
The Royal Families of the Magic Kingdom Baharus, the Eastern Kingdom Silaon, the Northern Kingdom Isilif, and the Duchies of Sabotea and Paemonte had come to visit.
The Southern Kingdom Temberk and the Desert Kingdom Meklen were unable to attend due to the outbreak of an epidemic and a civil war.
Liliana first focused on Ricardo, the Royal Prince of the Magic Kingdom Baharus, who entered first.
‘That’s a considerable amount of magic.’
Even from afar, she could sense how high his level of magic was.
At that moment, Prince Ricardo’s eyes met Liliana’s.
Ricardo bowed first in greeting. Liliana also nodded in return.
Once the greeting procession ended, congratulatory gifts from the foreign nations poured in.
The Magic Kingdom presented magic tools, the Eastern Kingdom offered tea and rare elixirs, the Northern Kingdom presented porcelain shaped like snow crystals, and the Duchy of Sabotea offered an unusual pet.
Looking at the pet, she thought of the egg she had carefully stored in her subspace. She had been feeding the egg magic little by little.
‘I wonder how much magic it needs before it finally hatches.’
