Chapter 36
“Ash, you were the one who first told me to become the Winter Queen. Do you still think that way now?”
“Think about Marin. How did she treat you at first?”
“……She acted like she didn’t like me somehow. But then later she suddenly said things like, ‘You’re more my type than I expected,’ and tried to dress me up.”
“What moves people’s hearts is the story behind the background. Stupid, foolish Marin, who had only heard bad rumors about you at first, judged you exactly as she’d been told.”
“But after that, I told Marin my story…….”
“A pitiful story is a special kind of wrapping paper. It only took the time for a cup of tea for Marin to judge you again.”
“…….”
“Then how long do you think it’ll take for the masses to start seeing you differently?”
Once again, it was the handsome man’s hypnosis hour. The problem was that it always sounded sweet, and convincingly so.
But this time, Violet wasn’t making her judgment because she was bewitched by Ash.
She had to decide purely by her own thoughts.
“If I become the Winter Queen, what’s in it for you, Ash?”
“It’s fun. I like chaos, and I thoroughly enjoy ruining people’s lives.”
Another lie.
But Violet could instinctively tell that Ash had some hidden intention.
‘According to the future vision, in the future where Marigold becomes the Winter Queen, a great calamity occurs—’
If so, then it would be good for that future to be thrown off course.
“There’s only one thing that separates Marigold and you: reputation. I want to flip your reputation completely upside down. And one more thing.”
“…….”
“If you become the Winter Queen, you’ll get a chance to speak in front of influential figures from all over. An impression speech, something trivial like that.”
The secret of her birth.
And the fact that she had acted as a proxy for academy assignments.
“Whatever it is, announcing it in a flashy setting is what gives it credibility, Violet.”
She didn’t want to make Marigold happy, even for a moment.
Rather… she longed for the moment to become her nightmare, the moment to say just one word.
‘Because in the future, you’ll even frame me, Marigold.’
Violet looked into Ash’s eyes.
“I don’t want to give Marigold the position of Winter Queen. If necessary, I’ll even play the clown.”
She added,
“And I genuinely hate the Crown Prince too. Doing something that ugly in the temple.”
She had only glimpsed a single future, yet she felt an unusually intense revulsion toward the Crown Prince.
“I feel the same. The more you talk, the more you fit my tastes.”
Ash said gently.
At that moment, there was a knock.
“Who’s coming today?”
“The last person I’m meeting today.”
Ash gestured for Violet to stay seated and went to open the door.
Standing on the other side was a woman with a high, straight nose, accompanied by attendants.
Her sun-tanned olive skin looked quite healthy and attractive.
‘That person is… the Crown Princess?’
Violet thought. She was sure she’d seen her in the newspapers before.
“It’s our first time meeting in person, Your Highness the Crown Princess. Please, have a seat.”
Ash greeted her lightly.
The Crown Princess raised her eyebrows. She looked displeased.
Naturally so—if what Ash had said earlier was true, she must have just learned of her husband’s affair.
‘So the women who came into the room earlier were the Crown Princess’s close aides.’
Violet tried to stand, but the Crown Princess sat down faster.
She placed her hand on the table and began speaking rapidly.
She was so angry that she stomped her foot repeatedly, and spewed words that sounded like outright curses to anyone watching.
‘That’s another continent’s language.’
The common language of the Kaol Continent, where the Empire was located, was Imperial.
But people from other continents had their own common tongues.
Then Ash spoke a few gentle words in that foreign language. It sounded like he was telling her to calm down.
“That damn Crown Prince. Marigold—I just learned her name, but she’s a damn bitch too.”
Huria said in Imperial. Her Imperial was much clumsier than expected.
“She says thank you for informing her about the Crown Prince’s affair and who the other woman is. She says she understands.”
Ash replied.
“And you?”
The Crown Princess looked at Violet this time.
“My name is Violet Everdeen, Your Highness.”
“Everdeen?”
In an instant, her face twisted. It was the same surname as Marigold’s.
“I’m Marigold’s older sister. And I hate her more than anyone. I also despise adultery.”
She didn’t speak well, but fortunately, she seemed to understand. The Crown Princess rolled her eyes around exaggeratedly, then said,
“I remember you, pretty young master and pretty young lady. I’m Huria. I owe you. What do you want?”
“Your Highness Huria.”
Violet nodded in affirmation.
‘Pretty young lady is an excessive title.’
Pretty young master, on the other hand, seemed fitting.
“If you know you owe us, there’s something you can help us with right away.”
Ash stepped closer and whispered a few words into her ear.
Huria seemed to understand him without difficulty.
Soon, an intrigued smile spread across her lips.
“Ash, a single day spent with you feels like a whole year.”
Riding in the carriage back home, Violet was already thoroughly exhausted.
If she were told to fight dozens of people instead, she could do that easily.
But meeting new people, shocking secrets being revealed… she wasn’t used to things like this.
Ash, as always, wore a mysterious smile.
“Doesn’t it seem like things are going to get interesting from now on?”
“It’s beyond interesting—it’s overstimulating. Up until now, the only stimulation in my life was the occasional lucky snack and a risqué novel.”
Considering that the only sibling she had was committing adultery with the Crown Prince, it suddenly felt unfair that she alone had lived like a sinner.
“Think of it as waiting for a new life.”
“When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound bad. Anyway, I didn’t expect Her Highness the Crown Princess to agree to meet us so easily just from being told about the affair.”
“Huria’s country venerates the strong.”
“Did she approach you back in her homeland?”
“Before. I got to know her when she was trying to scout me, and shortly after that, she became the Crown Princess.”
As expected, being a Sword Master seemed to make contact with high-ranking figures easy.
The carriage stopped.
They were already in front of the house.
“Today’s the day my uncle comes back.”
Violet said absentmindedly.
“Even better. Then go and get your uncle’s permission.”
“……Permission for what?”
“To see if he’s okay with you becoming famous soon. Oh, and—”
“…….”
“Whether he’s okay with you having a social boyfriend.”
She knew that wasn’t what he really meant.
But Ash worded it in a way that invited misunderstanding.
“You mean a fake boyfriend, right?”
“Depending on interpretation.”
“Got it. I’ll explain it well. He seems pretty open-minded about that sort of thing, so it should be fine.”
Emphasizing rigid household discipline was something only strict noble families did in the first place.
“Open-minded, you say? I think that might be your misunderstanding.”
“My uncle’s too busy to worry about my private life. Even though we live in the same house, I’ve barely seen his face properly until now.”
“There are eyes watching. You shouldn’t say it like that.”
“……Huh?”
“Get home safely, Violet. See you again tomorrow.”
Ash reached out beside Violet and gently opened the carriage door.
“Welcome back, miss. Sir Cyril will be returning shortly, so please change your clothes and prepare for dinner.”
Olive opened the door as usual. Violet greeted her and went straight up to her room.
After changing into casual clothes and looking outside, she saw Cyril’s carriage entering the grounds.
‘I like Uncle Cyril, but I still don’t really know him well.’
Meeting her uncle only after she’d grown up made it somehow difficult to treat him familiarly.
Determined to have a proper conversation today, Violet went downstairs.
“Uncle, welcome back.”
Cyril, having finished a long journey, looked slightly fatigued.
He wore a cape coat with leather adorning his broad shoulders, and a very small silver earring in his ear.
‘Uncle, doesn’t he sometimes get mistaken for a handsome street idler?’
Violet suddenly thought.
