CH 17

Not many people could finish writing their New Year's address properly due to the lack of time. The King's chief secretary set up a partition in the center of the contest hall, and hung New Year's addresses submitted by the royal family and nobles on it.

Every participant took a look at it.

Most of them had similar contents. They praised the Emperor's achievements and pledged allegiance to the Empire. They were all vassal-like oaths of allegiance.

Only one New Year's address stood out from the rest.

It belonged to the second Prince, Lewicia Ortega.

Several of the young nobles stood motionless in front of it. After reading the New Year's address over and over again, they stared at Lewicia, and soon fell into deep thought.

Among them were the successors of influential families that did not belong to any faction, and those who were already considered to be the next generation leaders due to their excellent abilities.

“His Highness Lewicia, should we have a meal together in the future?”

“Should we do that?”

“I heard that Your Highness's palace is beautiful, but I've never visited it before. Could you invite me sometime?”

“…Should I do that?”

They were young people who loved the Kingdom of Ortega, and who wanted the Kingdom to gain independence from the Empire and stand tall on its own.

That is why they were fond of Lewicia, the only member of the royal family who did not behave obsequiously and protected Ortega's pride.

“The New Year's address that will be sent to Baikan is Marjoram's.”

The King's chief secretary chose the New Year's address written by Kristin and submitted by the first Prince, just as Yulia had expected. It was a battle where the winner had already been decided in advance, so no one had any regrets.

As Yulia felt someone's gaze and turned around, she noticed that Kristin was looking at her.

Although her New Year's address had been chosen, she didn't look happy in the slightest. It was because all the nobles that they had to win over were currently standing by Lewicia's side.

Kristin knew that the New Year's address submitted by Lewicia had been written by Yulia. She couldn't ignore it. Yulia's writing habits scattered in the assignments and dissertations that she tediously had to copy for four years straight were fully revealed in Lewicia’s New Year’s address.

A terrible sense of inferiority spread through her heart like poison. Although her head was hot, her whole body was cold.

If she could, Kristin wanted to go back to four years ago and to before the graduation exam. That way, she believed she could win.

Yulia didn't avoid her gaze.

'You lost again.'

Even without saying it out loud, the words would have reached her.

'What? Should we exchange names again?'

As Yulia slowly lifted one corner of her mouth, Kristin ran out of the contest venue, clutching the hem of her dress tightly.

*****

That evening.

Lewicia, who was in a good mood, offered to give Yulia a prize. He wanted to assign her an exclusive maid.

However, Yulia rejected the offer. She said that if she, as a commoner, was assigned a maid who worked in the Prince's palace, it would create a sense of disharmony.

“Then what shall I give you?”

“Jewelry.”

Thinking that she would refuse to receive a prize, the puzzled Lewicia nodded his head.

“What kind?”

“A tiara decorated with pearls.”

“Isn't it pretty specific?”

“It's what I like.”

There were many jewels in the Prince's palace. Since he was the only son born to the King's concubine, his palace overflowed with money and jewelry.

Yulia went straight to Coco's room, carrying the expensive pearl-decorated tiara that Lewicia had given her as a prize.

"What is it?"

Coco was getting ready to go to bed wearing a nightgown that was more flashy than a dress.

When Yulia stood in front of the door and handed out a small box to her, Coco didn't accept it, but instead stood at a distance and asked what it was.

“It’s compensation.”

“Compensation for what?”

“You appeared out of the blue earlier and saved me. You were worried that I was going to get bullied, so you followed me. On the first day, you even scolded the palace officials for me.”

“Hey, don’t misunderstand. I only went because I was annoyed that His Highness's honor would be hurt if you went there and got beat up. What is this... who do you think you are for me to save you?”

“Please, just accept it. It doesn't suit me anyway."

"I don't want to. Why should I accept gifts from a poor commoner?”

“If you don’t take it, I will throw it away.”

Yulia was a strange girl. No matter how spiky Coco was, she didn't get upset and accepted it easily. On the contrary, whenever Coco said something rude, Yulia kept smiling as if that was what she wanted.

“I’m really going to throw it away.”

Without permission, Yulia strode into Coco's room, stood in front of the fireplace and stretched out her arms. The small box in her hand swayed precariously over the fire.

“Why would you throw that away!?”

“If Coco doesn’t accept it, then I...”

"Hey!"

Coco came running in her nightgown and snatched the box away. At the same time, the lid opened, and the pearl-decorated tiara inside it came into view.

Coco held it up with both hands and looked at it as if possessed.

Yulia laughed and whispered.

“You like them... pearls.”

The people of the Palace used to call Coco the Devil Maid when she wasn't around. As a result, Coco was worried that Yulia would end up getting hurt because of her.

However, from Yulia's point of view, Coco hadn't changed much from before.

“How can I get close to you?”

“Just pretend to be pitiful. No, you don't have to act more pitiful than that. From being an orphan commoner to being abandoned by an aristocrat, dying and coming back to life... That's already enough. Everywhere in the royal palace, you will be mistreated for being a commoner which will unquestionably lead me to take pity on you."

“In any case..."

"I might get worried that you will be mistreated by everyone in the palace and try to chase you out of my sight."

“That’s an illness, Coco."

“I know that too! Still, try to put up with it for the time being. And if the Prince says he wants to give you a prize, ask for a tiara decorated with pearls."

“Wh-... did you really want to receive that?"

“That's not it! Think about how indebted I would feel if a poor kid like you presented me with such a precious thing! I will try to compensate you tenfold! That's what you should aim for."

“Even though you want to receive it..."

“Well, I should at least receive something that I want, no? Because of you, in my next life, my destiny will be overturned."

It was useless to point out that only her would remember that, and that Coco would be taken advantage of without knowing anything. Then, she laughed saying, "If I can be useful, just use me."

Among the many people she had met throughout her life, Coco was the only person who could be said to be on her side without any hesitation.

“I know this may sound arrogant, but you know... If I were to be reborn again and again just like you, I might think that this life wasn't a failure just by the fact that we became friends. Ah, I am getting chills all over my body, don't remember that! I just... wish that you would think like that too."

It was the same for Yulia.

Even if she died and was reborn again, she didn't think she would regret this life since it allowed her to become Coco’s friend.

Yulia snatched the tiara from Coco's hesitant hands, and placed it directly on top of her head.

*****

4. Is it love play or house play?

A week had passed since Yulia and Carus parted at the inn.

On an afternoon when the southern sun was blazing intensely, Carus and his men were on a boat.

On top of the warship, which moved slowly as if to show off its majesty, over a hundred soldiers were kneeling and bowing their heads.

A sense of tension reigned on the deck as if a knife would fly if someone sneezed. The soldiers broke into a cold sweat and prayed that this time would pass quickly.

“Navy of the great Baikan.”

The sound of confident footsteps could be heard. The heavy boots hit the deck roughly. Wearing a black cloak over leather armor, Carus walked quickly.

“I heard rumors that you have become an errand boy for the pirates.”

At his voice, which had no hint of a smile, the hearts of the soldiers shrunk.

Why did it have to be Carus Lankea? Why is it the Bloodless Admiral? The man without blood and tears was famous for mercilessly throwing anyone involved in a mutiny aboard into the sea.

And the collusion between the Navy and the pirates was a crime comparable to a mutiny.

“There is a proverb that says that on a ship, the one who wears a hat is king."

It meant that on a ship, the captain's orders took precedence over laws and institutions.

However, that didn't work for Baikan's Navy in this instance.

“Your captain is dead.”

The captain's hat in Carus's hand dropped in front of the soldiers. It was soaked in sticky blood. The soldiers who watched it trembled.

“From now on, my men will divide you into two groups. The ones to kill now, and the ones to kill later.”

Carus sat cross-legged on a chair in the middle of the deck. Beside him, Babaslov was cleaning the blood off his knife.

“Then, testify. Those who are useful will be saved, and those who are not will all become food for the fish on the southern coast.”

Carus suddenly raised his eyebrows as Yulia came to mind/

Food for the fish on the southern coast.

Unwittingly copying what Yulia had said before, he clicked his tongue before speaking to Babaslov.

“Scour the whole place. Find evidence and bring it to me, and if you can’t do that, fabricate it and bring it to me."

“How can I bring you something that doesn’t exist?”

“If you throw these guys into the sea one by one, it will eventually reveal itself.”

"Ah... Yulia should have been here.”

Babaslov muttered as if talking to himself. When Carus looked at him with an inquisitive expression, he pursed his lips and grumbled.

“You know. If that clever kid had been here, she would have been able to tell us a lot.”

“Are you going to believe and follow everything that strange woman says?”

“When did Yulia become a strange woman..."

“Who is your superior, Babaslov?”

“It's you, sir.”

“If you miss that woman that much, go to Ortega’s palace. You can live there, bowing and playing the role of a servant.”

'It would suit you', Carus added as he laughed. Babaslov, who had been grumbling while walking on eggshells, sneaked up to Carus and asked in a low voice.

“Still, you’re going to pay her a visit after the mission is over, right? She is our savior. Shouldn't we make sure that she is eating well and living well in the palace?"