CH 128

When Cecile appeared the next day with the scepter in tow, Richard had begged, “Let me touch it! Just once! This thing has amazing magical properties too!”

“Put those filthy paws away!” Cecile retorted, slapping Richard’s greedy hands away as they waited for Irene.

At that moment, the doors opened and Irene entered. “Good morning, Your Majesty. Regarding yesterday’s… Mother of God!” Irene yelped.

Thanks to Irene’s reaction, the meaning of the regalia truly set in for Cecile. Inwardly, she berated Estian for unceremoniously dumping such an important treasure on her. However, despite her grumblings, she held sincere gratitude towards her husband. She’d always considered herself a mere figurehead empress; nothing more than a puppet. Yet, Estian had gifted her an object of such importance, handing over all his powers to her before leaving. It was possible that man hadn’t given it much thought, but nevertheless, Cecile was happy. Who cares if there was meaning to it or not? What mattered was that the scepter had been given to her and no one else.

* * *

Cecile allowed the hotel owner to escort her inside the venue. Her figure was that of absolute beauty and grace, a product of her spartan training at the hands of Irene over the past few days. Irene had taught her with vehement rigor, barking orders left and right.

“That’s not it. Raise your head a little more, please!”

“You must gesture a little more slowly!”

Irene was a veritable slave driver, sans whip. Her training was so intensive, even the attendants watching felt anxious. When an attendant gently suggested taking a break, with the implication of ending the lesson, both Cecile and Irene cried out simultaneously, “That won’t do!” and “I can’t allow that!”

The lessons wrapped only after the two were on the verge of collapsing from fatigue, and it was deep into the night. Now, all the sweat and tears were paying off. Cecile could feel the impact of her lessons, and she marveled at the improvement she’d undergone with a bit of proper training. In the past, she’d only been able to mimic the appropriate aristocratic mannerisms, and bemoaned the difficulty of conducting her walks in proper form. Those days were no more. Now, her steps were unfaltering despite the heavy adornments.

As Cecile looked straight ahead, everyone around her kneeled as she walked past. She spotted Yuliana bowing near the end of the line. She wondered whether the princess had seen the scepter. Her complexion certainly appeared deathly pale.

* * *

Yuliana was biting her lips again. ‘Curses! Does the emperor cherish her enough to hand over the scepter?’ Her mind had blanked the moment she’d spotted the scepter in Cecile’s hand. As far she knew, the emperor had never handed his scepter over to anyone in his absence. Yet, his first campaign after welcoming the empress, and he’d readily handed it over to her! Although this alone was upsetting, there was something even more irksome. The figure of Cecile walking down the aisle was a model of etiquette. ‘What did she do to transform in such a short time? This doesn’t bode well.’

While mulling over how to knock Cecile down a peg, Yuliana had decided on a plan to attack the empress’s etiquette and manners. In their previous encounter, the princess had observed that Cecile’s mannerisms were lacking when it came to formalities. Few had noticed that day at the seminar, partially because they were dazzled and knocked senseless by her unexpected appearance, but mostly because many attendees were not accustomed to court manners. The only other person who might’ve noticed was Lady Irene, who was firmly on the empress’s side. However, today’s occasion would be a different matter.

After learning that all the delegations from outside the empire would flock to the casino’s opening, Yuliana thought it would be the perfect stage to humiliate the empress. The crowd would be filled with royals and nobles from far and wide. It was the perfect opportunity to begin her assault by deliberating exposing Cecile’s shortcomings. That was supposed to be the case, but… ‘I see no weaknesses.’

The empress’s footsteps were perfect, as she approached with the scepter in hand. That wasn’t all—her gaze reflected that of an arrogant ruler, resembling Estian’s appearance in the last banquet. What she had lacked then, she had since found. Before Yuliana realized it, Cecile was standing before her.

‘Whatever’s the case, I should give greetings first.’ As the thought crossed her mind and she moved to greet the empress, she was beaten to the punch.

“What rudeness, Princess Yuliana. Have you yet to learn proper manners?” Cecile’s low but clear voice rang out.

‘Say what?’ Yuliana’s head jerked in bewilderment. What was the empress going on about? She was supposed to call out Cecile on her manners, so why were their roles reversed? Only after glancing around her did Yuliana realize the difference between herself and the others. She was the only one standing in front of Cecile. Of course, they were surrounded by royalty and nobles, but all of them had knelt and bowed their heads in greetings to the empress. She was the only one left in a standing position.

‘Drat!’ Yuliana inwardly cursed. If only her mind hadn’t blanked. Otherwise, she would’ve known to bend her knees in respect towards the authority of the scepter. Her mind had been too busy preparing herself to meet the Empress Cecile, she hadn’t bowed as dictated by decorum. Hurriedly, Yuliana moved to lower herself into a bow, but her efforts were in vain yet again.

“I shall let it slide once considering that you have invited me today,” the empress’s voice rang out before Yuliana could act. Her tone was full of benevolence and she wore a gracious smile on her face.

Yuliana was forced to express her gratitude for the empress’s grace, and bowed her head. All the while, she swallowed her rage and muffled the gnashing of her teeth.