Translator: HH Editor: HH
They said Bluie could be used as a messenger bird if trained, but how was I supposed to train him? Hm. I need to call someone who knows about birds well to the Palace soon.
I looked at Bluie eating food and boredly opened a book.
I couldn’t go to my library either, because I had to stay inside the Emerald Palace. So these days, I asked the maid unnies to bring me books.
Half-lying down on the sofa, I flipped the pages. I was reading a world culture book, but I wanted to read a more interesting fiction novel. But I didn’t want to ask the maid unnies to bring the books I had hidden in the library.
Keuk. The embarrassment with Lucas and the guards from last time was enough. Ah, how was Lucas these days? The World Tree was quite far off from what he told me. He would snicker at my appearance now, wouldn’t he?
I opened another book and thought of a bunch of other things and held my hand out.
“Money.”
But nothing happened.
I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t able to use my magic again after that time I made all those coins.
Why wasn’t it working? Sometimes it worked when I wanted it to, and sometimes it didn’t.
“Gold coins!”
Silence.
“Come out gold!”
More silence.
Sigh. It definitely wasn’t easy to use magic…sorry, Lucas. I was looking down on him ever since I could use magic.
I put my arm back down and collapsed on the sofa.
“Princess, can I come in?”
If it was Lili, I would’ve sat down properly again, but listening to the voice, it was probably Hannah.
“Come in.”
So I greeted her lying on the couch. She opened the door, and she slightly paused upon seeing me.
“Y, You must be tired?”
She was speaking to me in a careful tone, like she was dealing with her teenage niece.
“I made some madeleines for you.”
“Ooh, seems yummy.”
Seeing the desserts Hannah made for me, I felt better again.
As expected of Hannah, who was in charge of my desserts since I was younger.
“Is it just me? Or is the palace quieter than usual today?”
“Oh, they said they need help for the ball so some people from our palace went to help.”
Aha, so that’s what it was. They were forced into it because they thought they were just playing around in my palace.
“So Ces is probably gonna be in the Garnet Palace the whole day.”
“So you must be bored, huh?”
“Ahh, no, not you too? I’m not that close with Ces unnie.”
Hannah denied what everyone in the Emerald Palace knew and complained again.
Ces and Hannah were like a needle and string, like two pieces of a pair of chopsticks. Everyone in the Emerald Palace knew, even the tiny insects, but she was pretending she didn’t know.
“Anyways, Princess, I told the chef to take extra care in our meal today, so let’s have a good time ourselves this evening, ok?”
I became a bit down at what she said.
Ah, she was trying to cheer me up since today was Claude’s birthday. Especially since it was a birthday I was supposed to participate in.
“Ok, thanks, Hannah.”
I thankfully smiled at Hannah. But the atmosphere was a bit awkward, so I looked away.
But that evening, I couldn’t enjoy a cozy dinner like I planned.
Because guards suddenly burst into the Emerald Palace.
“W, What did you say?”
Surprised, I looked at Lili’s back, who was blocking the guard’s off. They had entered the dining room and said shocking words.
“It’s the Emperor’s command to force Princess Athanasia out right this instant.”
“Force out! How dare you say…..!”
“If you don’t want to buy the Emperor’s anger, move aside.”
“That’s impossible! You can’t lay a finger on……No, Princess!”
The head guard pointed his chin at others seeing that Lili wouldn’t move. And so the guards started to move as if they had been waiting.
“Ack! Let go!”
“Let go of the Princess right this instant!”
The guards also grabbed the maids in the dining room because they might try to protect me. And they forced me up from the chair.
“Princess!”
Uh, what exactly was this situation? I was trying to spend a cozy dinner with the maids in my palace. Wasn’t there a party going on in the ballroom right now? But why was Claude forcing me out?
Ah…did I hear correctly? He didn’t ask for them to bring me, but to force me? Treating me like I was a criminal?
“P, Princess Athanasia de Obelia is entering.”
In this situation that didn’t seem like reality, I didn’t understand what was going on. I was standing in front of the ballroom, looking foolish with the guards surrounding me. The servant announced me in a hesitating voice.
But before he finished announcing me, the guards took me into the room. The light of the ballroom seemed so far away. But the guards threw me down and made me get on my knees.
“Athanasia.”
Then a cold, but familiar voice pierced the air.
Oh, it was Claude.
I knew there wasn’t a bit of warmth in his voice, but I still raised my head.
And I met his ice cold eyes.
“I showed you generosity unbefitting of me, and I let you live.”
His cold eyes were piercing through me from the large throne located on the highest position in the ballroom.
His chin was in his hand, like it always was, but his eyes were cold as ice.
“But my ears had to be dirtied with your name on this day, so what should I do.”
Everytime Claude spoke a word, the ballroom became colder and colder.
I couldn’t even hear the sounds of the people in the ballroom breathing.
“Your Majesty!”
Felix shouted out like he couldn’t take it any longer.
“How could you do this? How could you, to Princess Athanaisa!”