CH 27

Sosa looked at him in surprise. 

Jackal had a look that seemed to have concealed a calm storm inside him. 

Seeing that, Sosa immediately responded with seriousness.

“Then I will follow you.”

* * * * *

Asha followed the chamberlain throughout the day, taking care of all the chores. 

She performed all the chores associated with the Emperor as if she was his personal attendant, and wherever she went, eyes followed her and gossip continued. 

She wondered if they were jealous of her just because she was a servant brought by His Majesty.

Even if the servants didn’t bully her directly, doing it behind her back was worse.

And before she knew it, all the servants were secretly handing over all their jobs to her.

As soon as the Emperor finished eating, she went to the kitchen and could see the dishes piled up like a mountain.

“Then, shall we go and prepare the banquet for the flowering ceremony?”

“Yes, let’s do it.”

They ran out of the kitchen, chatting loudly among themselves so that Asha could hear. 

Cooking utensils used by the best chefs were scattered everywhere, and plates were piled up like a mountain. 

Asha bit her lower lip and began to work in silence. 

Although it seemed unfair, she couldn’t help it. 

She didn’t know if this kind of situation was what the Emperor wanted.

He is waiting for the moment when she can’t take it anymore and kneels before him. 

She won’t surrender so easily as he wishes. 

Just as she was making a decision, a maid approached her from behind.

Asha, who thought that someone was approaching to pick a fight again, turned her head and her eyes grew bigger. 

There stood a girl with wavy red hair, green eyes, and freckles on her face. 

The only maid who stayed by her side until the end in this Imperial Palace…… 

It was Sonya Carnation.

Asha felt her heart ache.

Sonya was the only maid she had a close relationship with and Karaf nearly decapitated her because of her.

On the last day of her escape from Karaf, Asha sneaked out of the palace and found her in an empty alley.

There was a moment while escaping that she knew they couldn’t escape together, Asha stood bewildered with her eyes wide open, but Sonya just smiled at her and said one last time.

‘Come on go, Lady Vanessa. No matter what happens, I will guard the door.’

Although she must have been traumatized by her near decapitation, Sonya helped her escape until the very end. 

She helped her unconditionally and at no cost, and told her to run away to a place where the Emperor is not and to be happy…… 

And while she trembled with fear, she won’t forget her face as she held her hands tightly as if trying to reassure her. 

Her eyes reddened with tears. 

When her expression suddenly turned into tears, Sonya jumped up in surprise and said.

“Don’t… don’t cry! Perhaps because the flowering ceremony is coming up, everyone is very sensitive due to the sudden increase in work. That’s probably why.”

Sonya seemed to think she was depressed because the servants were bullying her.

“If you don’t know anything, don’t hesitate to ask me! I haven’t been to the palace long, but I’ll teach you all I know. It’s your first time at the palace, so you don’t understand much. I’m also confused.”

Sonya said that and timidly twisted her curly hair with her fingers. 

She must be having a hard time in the Imperial Palace, but she was indeed a lovely and kind-hearted child. 

Asha said with a slight smile.

“Thank you.”

She had said the same thing at the last minute before separating from Sonya.

「“Thank you…..”」

As soon as Asha was found missing from the Imperial Palace, Karaf immediately executed Sonya.

There was no mercy for her twice. 

Sonya risked her life for her master’s happiness, but she never managed to escape from Karaf……

Feeling sorry for Sonya, Asha couldn’t bear to raise her head.

But Sonya was only happy when she just thanked her.

Her face was flushed and she helped her wash the dishes. 

Asha glanced at her sideways.

Thank you for being by my side back then and now…….

If she was officially announced as the butterfly on the day of the flowering ceremony, she wanted her to be her exclusive maid, freeing her from all these chores. 

The higher her position is in the Imperial Palace, the more stable and comfortable her life will be. 

She had another purpose for returning to the Palace. 

Asha wanted to be a proud master to her in this lifetime. She also wanted to repay her for her negligence. 

And to do that, she must completely capture Emperor’s heart at the flower banquet. 

Thanks to Sonya, Asha made up her mind again.

After washing the dishes, Asha went straight to wash the Emperor’s clothes.

To relieve stress, she wanted to put all the Emperor’s clothes in a huge basin and step on the clothes with her feet. But she had to carefully wash the precious clothes by hand so as not to damage them.

It took her longer to finish the laundry than she thought. 

With no time to dry the clothes, Asha hurriedly grabbed the basket and headed out. 

One by one, Karaf’s clothes were hung on the clothesline, and the sunset could be seen from the sky. 

She thought that the clothes would not dry today. 

Exhausted, Asha tried to use the power of the wind to dry the laundry, but she made a mistake in controlling her power, and the Emperor’s robe he used to sleep in was blown away.

“Oh…..!”

Just as she reached for the robe fluttering in the air, someone snatched the robe. 

Asha’s eyes widened slightly, and she froze. 

The robe was rolled up, revealing the luxurious dark green uniform of the knight commander, a symbol of the Cactus Knights.

Numerous golden badges and insignia hung from the broad shoulders and chest. 

It was Duran. 

But somehow he kept his mouth shut, avoiding Asha’s gaze. 

The way she tried to grab the robe a while ago was unintentionally so funny. He was forcing himself to contain his laughter. 

Asha, who finally came to her senses, said while blushing from the sudden surge of embarrassment.

“….Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Duran handed her the robe. 

Fortunately, the robe didn’t fall on the ground, so it didn’t need to be washed again, but she felt strange when she took the emperor’s robe from him. 

But then, Duran said.

“I had no idea that the power of the wind could be used for such a purpose.”

Asha’s face turned even redder. 

She calmly counterattacked because it seemed like he was making fun of her.

“Sir Duran is not as clumsy as I thought.”

“Yes?”

Asha pointed lightly at her own head.

“You have gray hair, you know?”

This time, Duran, perhaps embarrassed, immediately blushed, and gently put one hand over his head.

That naive childish reaction forced Asha to suppress her laughter.

The man she remembered was a man thorough enough not to miss anything. 

She felt a little fresh that he also had this sloppy side.

Duran stuttered making excuses.

“Our Dandelion family….. We tend to have a lot of gray hair. I don’t know why, but if we leave it alone, it can turn completely silver.”

“It really looks like a dandelion, and it looks good. I’d like to see you have silver hair one day.”

As Asha taunted him and laughed, Duran’s face turned red and he couldn’t raise his head. 

Asha laughed bitterly because she felt a bit strange while playing a prank on him.

In her previous life, she had never had these kinds of private conversations with him. 

To her, he was just a heartless man who came to catch her on the Emperor’s orders.

“…..Sir Duran.”

Duran’s eyes widened at her solemn and dignified voice. 

Asha looked at him and asked gracefully.

“Did His Majesty order you to keep an eye on me?”

Duran felt a pang of conscience. He asked hesitatingly.

“Why do you think so?”

“Seeing your reaction, I’m right.”

“……”

Duran seemed speechless. 

He probably didn’t know that she had already caught him.

Asha could feel Duran pacing nearby from time to time as she worked.

Duran was an expert at killing people as the knight commander, but Asha could tell him through the wind energy.

If someone was standing still, like a rock, even though the wind current changes subtly, she could tell it was him without looking. 

But at his unexpected words, Asha blinked.

“….. I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep my promise.”

His expression was blank, but there was sorrow in his eyes. 

The day she met the emperor, he reprimanded him for not bringing the Lycaon as well.

Asha looked away and said.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I already expected it.”

“…….”

“What did His Majesty want to know about me?”

He was so embarrassed that he couldn’t answer. 

Asha asked again without changing her expression.

“He wants to know about my childhood? It’s an unfortunate past, so it’s probably not a very interesting story.”

Duran sighed. It was the Emperor’s order.

“….. When did you realize that you are a butterfly? Butterflies have different awakening mechanisms, so I heard that many women don’t even know that they are butterflies even when they reach adulthood.”

As he said, there were certain ‘awakening mechanisms’ to make the butterfly hatch from its pupa.

There were cases where the butterfly pattern didn’t form on their bodies and therefore they did not know that they were butterflies.

Asha felt a little vague and answered calmly.

“It was a long time ago. When my village was destroyed, I suddenly found out that I was a butterfly. I still remember it very well. My awakening was going to the brink of death.”

Duran’s face hardened as he kept his mouth shut. 

It was the harshest awakening he had ever heard.

All butterflies go through all kinds of hardships and trials until they wake up as butterflies. 

They had to survive harshly from childhood, which was compared caterpillar stage in butterfly terms, and they were given the final test to awaken from the pupa. 

Those were the ‘awakening mechanisms‘. 

Of course, not all awakening mechanisms were atrocious, but the more difficult the girls experienced, the more likely they were butterflies. Most of the butterflies were commoners and not nobles.

This was the reason why all women who came of age were always invited to the Palace for the flower banquet.

And in the case of Karaf, finding a butterfly was very difficult, and that is why the flower banquet was celebrated for many years.