CH 3.14

After having a pleasant time with Kierhan, Marie parted ways with him.

Soon after, the Crown Princess selection took a sudden turn. While everyone assumed that Ariel, lady of the Shulian Duchy, would be chosen, Rachel began to stand out little by little

“Argh! Rachel, you despicable woman!”

Seething with rage, Ariel stormed into her chamber and angrily threw things in her path. When she was on her way back, she once again clashed with Rachel. The mere thought of Rachel’s affected politeness with malicious undertones ignited a fiery rage within Ariel.

“Milady, please calm down…”

“I hope His Highness will see through that vile Rachel’s facade!”

“May the heavens punish that horrid Rachel someday.”

“His Highness will definitely dislike her pretentious behavior.”

The maids join in, disparaging Rachel in an attempt to console Ariel. The latter, who was rather simple to please, slightly calmed down as soon as the maids started insulting Rachel.

‘Anyway, things can’t go on like this,’ Ariel thought, biting her nails hard.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince had yet to express his preferences regarding who was in his favor and who was not. He simply looked at both candidates with an indifferent gaze. However, it couldn’t be considered an ideal situation. Ariel hoped that the Crown Prince’s attention would be focused solely on her.

‘I have to make a move somehow.’

Although Ariel had no doubts that she would not be chosen, she had been feeling anxious lately. She realized that relying solely on her family’s prestige would not suffice; she needed to make an impression on the Crown Prince as well.

‘What should I do?’

Ariel was troubled. As someone who had been sheltered like a flower in a greenhouse, ideas did not readily come to her.

After wracking her brains for a while, Ariel inwardly cursed Rachel. ‘It’s all because of that detestable woman!’ Not only did Ariel harbor ill feelings towards Rachel, but she also find Marie, the maid who always stuck by Rachel’s side, somewhat disagreeable. ‘I don’t like that Marie either.’

Rumors had it that the maid had a role in Rachel’s recent prominence. While it wasn’t confirmed, Ariel’s aversion towards her remained.

‘I won’t let that maid off easily,’ she resolved. However, amidst the fierce competition between the two candidates, an unexpected development occurred in the Empire.

It was such a serious matter that it took everyone’s attention away from the Crown Princess selection.

It involved a delegate from the East. The unexpected arrival of said delegate captured the entire Empire’s attention.

During a council meeting attended by the empire’s ministers, including Prime Minister Oren, the Crown Prince said with a nonplussed expression, “A delegate from the East is coming…?”

“Yes, Your Highness. They have crossed the border and will soon arrive at the capital.”

“Why have they come announced? Why on earth are they coming here?”

Indeed, they were uninvited guests. The Crown Prince’s reaction was understandable, considering the East nation had a long history of animosity with the East Empire.

One of the ministers, with a ruddy face, raised his voice, saying, “Your Highness, is there a need to receive those heretics? We can simply send them away.”

“Right. There’s no need to entertain them.”

Some of the ministers agreed, all sharing a strong antipathy towards the ‘herectics’.

However, the Crown Prince shook his head. “We cannot dismiss them simply because you dislike them.”

The East Nation!* It was a nation ruled by the Sultan, a powerful empire that had virtually conquered North Africa and West Asia.

*it actually directly translates to *eastern church* but i decided not to use that bc pretty sure sultans (nor their religion) don’t operate in churches…

The two empires shared a border across the sea and had been cautiously monitoring each other’s power innocuously.

“Shouldn’t we at least hear what they have to say? What their business is?”

The Crown Prince nodded in response to Prime Minister Oren’s words. “Yes, we should. After all, it’s been almost centuries since they sent an official delegate like this.”

With that decision made, another issue arose: how to receive the East delegate. Traditionally, the internal affairs were handled by the Empress or the Crown Princess. However, since the Crown Princess position had been vacant since the civil war, the Crown Prince had taken on the responsibility of receiving the delegates himself. But this time, it posed a challenge.

“If Your Highness personally welcomes the delegate from the East, it may stir up controversies.”

The Crown nodded in agreement. The religion of the Eastern Empire—like all other countries in the West—was Catholic.

If the Crown Prince, the ruler of such empire, personally received the ‘herectics’, it could become an issue with the Vatican. Although the East Empire, with its formidable power, paid little attention to the Vatican, it was best to avoid unnecessary controversy. Therefore, the task of handling the ‘heretics’ fell to someone below the Crown Prince.

“Then who will receive the delegate? Isn’t there someone in the palace who can take charge?”

“Why not the two candidates?” Prime Minister Oren replied, as if it were obvious. “Lady Ariel and Lady Rachel, the two Crown Princess candidates. Either one of them can receive them, right?” He continued, “This will also be a good opportunity to test the abilities of the two candidates.”

The Crown Prince nodded in agreement with Oren. Although he had doubts about whether the two candidates without political experience could skillfully handle the delegate, according to the customs, it was the Delphina, the Crown Princess candidate, who should handle such matters.

“Very well.”

After the news spread that one of the candidates would receive the delegate, the annex where Ariel and Rachel stayed was in chaos. Both of them had sensed that it was an important test of their abilities as Crown Princess. Successfully handling the delegate would prove their capabilities as Crown Princess.

‘Who will welcome the delegate?’

‘This is a golden opportunity to earn the favor of the Crown Prince. I must not miss it.’

With two candidates and only one delegate, only one of them would get the opportunity. They both made desperate efforts to seize that chance. Besides Ariel, Rachel also used the limited connections the Count of Istvan still had. However, in the end, the opportunity to welcome the delegate went to Lady Ariel. No matter how hard Rachel tried, she couldn’t beat the influence of the Schulian Duchy.

“Hoho. This time, I will show that there is no one but me, Ariel, who will be the crown princess,” Ariel said with a smile, after being chosen to receive the delegate.

She had been feeling overshadowed by Rachel lately, but this opportunity allowed her to make up for it.

‘Rachel, you despicable woman, let’s see how it goes this time.’

Ariel vowed to see Rachel’s hypocritical face twist in frustration once she successfully welcome the delegation. Meanwhile, even without Ariel’s smugness, Rachel was already grimacing. She was restless, muttering to herself in her chamber, “What should I do, Marie? Ariel must not succeed in this.”

Rachel’s face was filled with unease, unlike her usual calm demeanor. That was how important the task of receiving the East Nation delegate was. If Ariel succeeded in this matter alone, all the favor Rachel had accumulated would be in vain.

‘That can’t happen! Isn’t there anything I can do?’ Rachel pondered, but it was Ariel who had been granted the authority to receive the envoy. Unless Ariel made a major mistake, Rachel had no way to intervene. However, Rachel believed that the possibility of Ariel failing to handle the delegation was low. Ariel would undoubtedly leverage her family’s influence to achieve the best possible outcome.

‘No, I can’t just sit and watch. What should I do?’

Marie, who watched Rachel anxiously, couldn’t help but grimace. ‘This is not just about the crown princess selection but also about the empire’s sake. I hope the reception of the delegation doesn’t turn into a mess.’

Although Marie thought otherwise, she kept her thoughts to herself. ‘But can Lady Ariel handle the delegation from the East nation successfully?’

For a moment, she entertained such doubts. Of course, it wouldn’t be difficult to extend hospitality. The problem lied in the cultural differences between the East Nation* and the Empire.

*again, direct translation is *Eastern Church*

‘Receiving the delegation of the East Nation is completely different from welcoming delegations from other Western countries. It’s not just about hospitality; cultural differences must be taken into account. Can Lady Ariel handle such a task without making mistakes?’

It goes without saying, but it wouldn’t be easy. The East Nation had a cultural sphere completely different from the Catholic culture of the West. Even the smallest details were completely different.

‘Surely she wouldn’t make a mistake like serving pork dishes, would she?” Marie worried.

A few days later, the East Nation delegate arrived at the Empire’s capital. The people of the Empire cast wary glances at the tan-skinned delegate.

The Empire and the East Nation were like oil and water: impossible to mix. Although things were quiet now, the Empire and the East Nation had frequently shed blood in battles in the past. As a result, the East Nation delegate was bound to be unfamiliar and intimidating to the people of the East Empire.

Likewise, the delegate from the East Nation also gazed uncomfortably at the people of the Empire.

‘They’re all infidels.” Kashan, the East Nation delegate, wore an uneasy expression as he looked back at the onlookers. ‘Somehow, I’ve ended up in the land of infidels.’

Being a relative of the Sultan, the ruler of the East Nation, Kashan held one of the highest positions in the East.

There was originally no reason for someone like him to set foot in the land of the infidels (from their perspective, the Eastern Empire was the infidels)*.

*i did not add those parenthesis in, the author wrote it, which i lowkey find funny cause idk it sounds defensive. anyway, both christians and muslims called each other ‘infidels’ during the crusades/medieval ages. infidel refers to someone who follows a different religion than believers of a certain faith.

If it hadn’t been an important matter within his nation, he would never have visited in the first place.

‘I want to wrap this up quickly and head back home,’ Kashan sighed, his face filled with fatigue.

“Please come this way.” The Royal Guard Knights, who had been waiting in advance, escorted him to the imperial palace. As they passed through the city, the towering castles revealed the grandeur of the palace. Kashan, the East Nation delegate, wore a surprised expression at the sight before him.

He had low expectations since it was the land of infidels, but it turned out to be more impressive than he had anticipated. At the entrance of the palace, the Palace Manager, Count Gilbert, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were waiting.

“I am Count Gilbert, the Palace Manager. Welcome to the Eastern Empire.”

A translator who knew the Eastern language conveyed his words.

Kashan nodded and replied, “I am Kashan of the East Nation. By order of the Sultan, I have come to discuss matters with the ruler of this empire, Crown Prince Rael.”

The Palace Manager, Count Gilbert, ushered him in. “I will inform His Highness of your arrival. Please come inside for now.”