Ch#141
"Miss Izriella Aradman has arrived."
Izriella's heart swelled at the palace attendant's announcement of her arrival.
'This isn't a dream. The Imperial Palace! The Main Palace at that!'
She wasn't entering the Imperial Palace for the first time.
The Genius Academy was an affiliate of the Imperial Palace, and they could enter up to the gardens once a year for the palace festivals.
But entering the Main Palace, and even deeper into the inner palace, was a first.
'Even most ministers can't come here.'
Now that she was inside, it made sense.
Unlike the Main Palace she had passed through so far, the inner palace exuded even greater elegance and dignity.
A place where only imperial family members could reside.
Currently, only the Emperor stayed there.
The others here were either servants attending the imperial family or visitors by invitation.
Izriella Aradman was the latter.
'That fool finally did something right this time.'
Izriella thought of Eve.
On the dawn of the Seasonal Festival, Eve had left the count's residence.
Though it was natural to be tense hoping all would go well, Izriella felt only relief.
'Finally, she's gone!'
The moment the carriage departed, Izriella ordered the maids to restore Eve's room to its original state as her own.
Whatever the outcome, she was just glad to be rid of the bothersome girl.
Only in the afternoon did tension set in, leading her to bite her nails and lips all day.
Though she had confirmed Eve's mark was genuine many times, the world had its uncertainties.
Besides, if those currently in power snatched Eve away as her father warned, what then?
'That fool would think anyone who buys her expensive things is fine.'
Thinking of what Eve had coveted made her stomach turn.
'Raised with nothing, yet she must claim every good thing she sees.'
That's why she had demanded everything in Izriella's room be changed.
Even when something better arrived, she never returned or shared the old ones.
Eve was the type who had to keep everything for herself to feel satisfied.
'Well, now I can see it as cute.'
Izriella held her head high as the palace attendants and maids bowed respectfully beside her.
Entering the room, the heavy, soft scent of wood mingled with the fragrance permeating the entire Imperial Palace.
At the same time, the beautiful room came into view.
And in its center, Eve sitting on the sofa.
"Princess Evebien!"
Izriella ran to Eve upon seeing her and knelt, dabbing at her tears.
On Seasonal Festival day, her father hadn't returned home.
She had paced her room all evening in tension, wondering what had happened.
Finally, at dawn, a letter from her father arrived.
It said Eve had been recognized as imperial and was staying in the Imperial Palace.
And that he too had been acknowledged without losing merit to others.
And today, following her father, she could finally enter the Main Palace.
"You've finally returned to the place befitting a princess! My heartfelt congratulations."
Izriella sobbed as if overwhelmed with emotion.
They weren't fake tears. She was truly overjoyed by the situation.
"Long time no see, Izriella."
Eve looked down at her with an even more arrogant voice.
Izriella had once found such demeanor annoying, but now it felt natural.
Eve was now Princess Evebien.
A being before whom all in the empire, save the Emperor, must bow.
"Yes, have you been well? I haven't slept a wink since you headed to the Imperial Palace, out of worry."
This was half truth, half lie.
She truly hadn't slept, but not from worry for Eve—from excitement over her own brilliant future.
'My heart was pounding so much!'
Then, a cough and presence came from one side of the room.
"Wh-who's there!"
Turning in surprise, Izriella saw a female knight with an eyepatch over one eye.
On her chest was the golden emblem of the Imperial Knight Order.
"K-Knight Hilde..."
There was only one such eyepatched female Imperial Knight, so no need to ask her name.
Hilde looked at Izriella and spoke sharply.
"Mind your words and actions, Miss Izriella. Eve has not yet been recognized as a princess, so until His Majesty's decree, you may not use the name Evebien."
"Pardon?"
Izriella felt as if struck on the head by Hilde's words.
Not permitting the name Evebien? What did that mean?
Eve, who had been sitting, glared at Hilde and bit her lip.
Then, with a sullen face, she said,
"Knight Hilde is right. They've confirmed I'm imperial, but they can't acknowledge me as Evebien yet. Why doesn't anyone believe me...? And why hasn't Dad called for me?"
Eve soon sniffled and shed tears.
Izriella hurriedly sat beside her, wiping Eve's tears with a handkerchief.
While doing so, she immediately asked about the bothersome part of Eve's words.
"You haven't met His Majesty?"
"Yeah, they said Dad is very ill. So I can't see him yet."
Then Hilde spoke again.
"You have not yet been recognized as a princess, so referring to His Majesty as father is also impossible. Please keep that in mind."
"......"
Izriella bit her lip at Hilde's words.
Thinking back, her father's letter said Eve was recognized as imperial and staying in the palace, but not as princess.
'Even so, to openly humiliate her like this!'
It was surely just delayed due to verification processes.
Wouldn't it be better for everyone if they called her princess and got close in advance?
Glare as she might at Hilde in protest, Izriella soon turned away.
Hilde's single-eyed gaze was chillingly cold.
Besides, a young girl couldn't withstand the stare of the Imperial Knight Order's infamous mad dog.
Izriella turned back to Eve.
"Don't be too sad, Eve. The imperial protocols are complex and strict, that's all. His Majesty will soon recognize you as his daughter."
"Really?"
Having heard what she wanted, Eve finally stopped crying and beamed.
With an expectant face, Eve said,
"I hope His Majesty calls for me soon. He'll surely hug me tight, saying he missed me so much. And he'll give me lots of things, saying I suffered."
Eve clenched her fists, convinced that day was near.
'Dad will......'
Give her many things.
She had lived so pitifully despite being a princess.
'So I hope Dad calls me soon.'
To receive what was hers faster.
* * *
"......So the Imperial Palace is in great chaos. His Majesty hasn't left his room, and with no other orders, the ministers are at a loss on how to handle this."
Evi sat listening to Arsel's explanation.
The Seasonal Festival had erupted into chaos. The moment the Emperor staggered upon seeing the letter, the Imperial Knight Order's atmosphere turned hostile.
They escorted him out of the banquet hall, taking Eve along.
After all, she was a girl confirmed as imperial before everyone thanks to Dean Seraphina.
They couldn't just leave her.
With the Emperor, Eve, and even Dean Seraphina leaving the hall, the festival couldn't proceed properly.
Music played by someone's order, but no one danced.
Everyone just talked about the suddenly appeared Eve.
Listening to Arsel, Evi cautiously asked,
"Um, we can't see His Majesty now, right?"
"Yeah. All state affairs are halted, and he's refusing meetings with the ministers."
"Is he very ill?"
"Well......"
Arsel hesitated at Evi's question.
Revealing the Emperor's health was a grave crime.
Even his father had been reluctant to tell him.
Arsel knew it wasn't right to tell others now. But......
Arsel looked at Evi.
Seeing her reddened eyes and slumped shoulders, he couldn't help but tell her.
"I heard he's mentally exhausted and staying alone in his room. He's barely eating."
Then Arsel added,
"And he still hasn't acknowledged that Eve as Princess Evebien."
It was unnecessary, but he felt he had to tell her that too.
But Evi remained sullen, unable to lift her head.
Then Irene, who had been listening beside her, spoke.
"So, that girl who pulled Evi's hair at Madam Crevel's Shop is imperial, got it?"
She muttered as if truly regretful.
"Tch, I should've found her before her imperial status was revealed and yanked out all her hair."
Grinding her teeth, the girl called the South's young fist distorted her beautiful face and clicked her tongue.
Her expression screamed utter fury.
