Chapter 13

“Who is it?” Marie called out.

The door swung open to reveal a Perkan woman clothed in an attendant’s outfit. Stepping forward, she said, “I am Emilla Hustler of the Ravello Palace.”

Marie tilted her head in confusion at their unexpected guest. Ravello was the crown prince’s palace, and had nothing to do with them. Marie began, “What brought you—”

“I have nothing to do with you. I am here for your master,” Emilla rudely interrupted, as she fixed her sharp gaze and turned her nose up at Marie. Pushing Marie aside, she immediately stepped into the room.

The atmosphere immediately grew tense. Irene, who was disinterestedly touching her bowl of soup with a spoon, put it down and gently wiped her lips with a napkin. She turned to fix her stare on their uninvited caller and thought, ‘She’s impolite.’

“Nice to meet—”

“Before that, apologize,” Irene icily interjected.

“Pardon?”

“Because of you, my maid almost fell.”

The vacant look in Irene’s eyes had been replaced with a sharp glare, transforming her from a gentle sheep into a beast instantly. ‘That’s a sign that she hasn’t given up on everything yet!’ Marie internally rejoiced.

“Excuse me. The crown prince has summoned you. Come with me,” Emilla bristled and stiffly spat, ignoring Irene’s demand for an apology.

It was an outrageous attitude, but the Perkan costume Emilla wore was a visual reminder to Irene that they were in a foreign country. Though Irene utterly disliked the attitude Emilla displayed, she thought, ‘Be patient. I have to be patient.’ No matter how Theorin had treated her, her family was still there. Nothing would be gained from causing a problem here.

Irene’s gaze turned to look at the candle that lit the hallway outside; its flames casting shadows that danced along the wall. It was already dark enough for the candle to be lit, so if the conversation was long, she would have to return late.

“Marie, I’ll be back. If I’m late, go to bed first,” Irene instructed.

“Yes milady, please be safe.”

Irene followed Emilla to Ravello, but what awaited her caused her to immediately frown. Dipping her hand into the water to scoop out the rose petals, she asked, “What’s this?”

“This was a special summons. Unless you’re an idiot, you’d know what this means,” Irene sarcastically sneered.

Irene felt her heart sink over her miserable fate. It didn’t matter to her whether this was an order from the Empire or not. In a bitter tone, she morosely said, “I have no obligation to respond to his order.”

“Are you disobeying an order from the crown prince when you’re a hostage?” Emilla asked, looking visibly displeased.

Irene’s eyebrows twitched at Emilla’s harsh choice of words. She allowed herself to be vulnerable before Marie, but she wasn’t about to let others see her weak. Perching herself on the edge of the tub, Irene crossed her legs and fixed an arrogant stare on the attendant. Letting out an obvious sigh from annoyance, she defiantly said, “So what?”

Emilla looked perplexed by Irene’s confidence and stammered, “Lady, y-you’re in the harem.”

Until a few decades ago, Atrichen palace had been the royal harem. Though it was no longer used for such intents and purposes, many still believed its original function remained. Princesses and young maidens sent from other countries as hostages that voluntarily entered Atrichen generally had only one goal—to earn the young, single crown prince’s favor. Rather than attending the academy to learn imperial culture, where they’d be subjected to discrimination and contempt, this was a more pragmatic way to fix their fate.

“And?”

“Pardon?” Emilla replied, enraged by Irene’s lukewarm response. ‘Who does she think she is? Ha! She may have been a knight, but she needs to know her place. This snobbish attitude of hers can’t stand! She needs to be taught a lesson.’

The crown prince, who’d never summoned any woman before, had appointed a woman for the very first time. Any woman chosen by Kael would be the object of envy throughout the empire, and yet this woman had the audacity to act in this manner? As a member of Marquis Charis’s faction and absolute supporter of Della, Emilla was already upset by Kael’s unexpected order. There was no way she’d address anyone nicely in her current mood.

Emilla rolled her eyes and began, “Like I told you, the crown prince has appointed you, so you must—”

“Yes, I know. As you said, I’m a hostage and I came here voluntarily. However, as you pointed out, Atrichen is the royal harem. And the harem belongs to the emperor.”

“T-that…”

“I wish to return,” Irene said, as she stood up. She blinked slowly, before fixing Emilla with a firm gaze.

Emilla’s shoulders began to slightly tremble under Irene’s stare. It wasn’t even a murderous look, but she felt like she was standing in front of a ferocious beast. Moreover, Irene had a point. Since the harem officially belonged to the emperor, it meant that even the crown prince couldn’t touch it without expressed permission.