Translator: Nox

Chapter 20

Unable to contain her surging resentment, Talia raised her hand once more. A sharp slap followed, and a stinging pain spread across her palm.

Expecting to be restrained again, Talia reflexively hunched her shoulders in surprise. However, the man who had just been struck remained perfectly composed.

“I will consider that payment for the sin of laying hands on Your Highness without permission,” he said, tapping his smooth cheek—which didn’t even show a finger mark—with his gauntleted fingertips.

“But I have no intention of indulging your tantrums any further. I suggest you keep in mind that I am no longer your personal knight.”

With that, he pulled himself out of the carriage and slammed the door shut.

Talia remained frozen against the back of the seat for a long while before finally peering out the window.

Barkas was nowhere to be seen; he must have left the area already. Instead, all she saw were servants unloading crates from the baggage wagons and a dazed imperial knight urging them along.

She wanted to burst out right then and show those who ignored her orders what was what, but she knew Barkas wouldn’t stand for it. He never tolerated cruelty toward subordinates.

Her fingers curled instinctively as she recalled the icy gaze he had directed at her the day she hacked off the hair of a maid who had been burying her face in the coat Barkas had left behind.

Talia yanked the curtains shut irritably. Cradling her throbbing palm, she curled her body tightly onto the seat.

After some time, the sound of a trumpet announced the start of the journey, and the carriage began to move slowly. It seemed the trek that would surely become a lifelong nightmare had just begun.

Talia stared at a single ray of light filtering through a gap in the window before sealing the curtains even more tightly. Buried in the dim shadows, she found herself wishing this procession would lead straight to hell.

If they could all just march into a grave together, if everything would just end… nothing would make her happier.

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The imperial family’s pilgrimage was scheduled to follow the footsteps of the founding emperor, Darian, winding along the Silviska River from the north to the west, and then north again.

Back when the continent was divided into ten kingdoms—Weddon, Tristan, Balto, Guin, Osiria, Libadon, Arex, Valis, Dumnos, and Siekan—Darian Roem Guirta, a member of the Guin royalty, had migrated to the central region to escape the invasion of the Balto Kingdom. There, he became the adopted son of Duke Vallender, the maternal uncle and leader of the Osiria people.

Later, after unifying the various tribes of Osiria, Darian gathered powerful supporters from each nation and launched a movement to unify the ten kingdoms. After twenty years and dozens of wars, he achieved the feat of merging the ten kingdoms into one, establishing a vast empire.

The massive procession starting from the Imperial Palace was both a sacred ritual retracing his path and an important event to proclaim the dignity of the imperial family by presenting the Great Emperor’s descendants to the citizens. Consequently, the scale of the march was incredibly lavish and grand.

Led by the Crown Prince mounted on a massive golden horse, about a hundred members of the Imperial Guard crossed the city center, carrying flags embroidered with the imperial crest. Following him was the carriage of the First Imperial Princess, Aila Roem Guirta, and her own guard.

Citizens gathered in the streets to see Darian’s descendants erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

The Roem Knight Order, carrying on hundreds of years of history and tradition, led the procession with solemn faces. They wore pure white combat uniforms embroidered with the imperial crest over armor made of Orihalcon, the so-called divine metal. To their right, infantry units marched in a steady rhythm, carrying silver shields engraved with the crest of the guard on their backs.

The citizens’ excitement grew at the sight of the soldiers’ disciplined march. Women crowded along the roadsides scattered colorful petals toward the knights, and troubadours sang songs blessing Darian’s descendants.

As if responding to the citizens’ cheers, the First Imperial Princess opened her window and revealed herself. The crowd let out a collective gasp of admiration.

Could there be anyone else in the world who suited the title of Imperial Princess as perfectly as Aila Roem Guirta?

She possessed a posture as elegant and upright as a lily, clear skin with a rosy glow, lustrous dark brown hair, and large emerald eyes.

People craned their necks like tortoises to get a better look at her lovely face. Some even followed the carriage as if entranced. Had it not been for the surrounding knights, the First Imperial Princess’s carriage would have been completely swarmed by the enthusiastic citizens.

Swept up in intense excitement, the people showered the lovely princess with endless words of blessing.

However, when the next carriage—gaudy to the point of being loud—appeared, the festive atmosphere turned cold as if doused with icy water. The knights scanned the surroundings with tense eyes.

Those who had been cheering at the top of their lungs just moments ago now held their breath, whispering urgently into each other’s ears. It seemed they had realized that the one inside the carriage was the notorious Second Imperial Princess.

The crowds that had flocked to the main road slunk back, casting looks filled with a mix of curiosity and hostility. Some crossed themselves or spat on the ground. The knights sighed bitterly. It wasn’t hard to understand such a reaction; there wasn’t a citizen in the capital who hadn’t heard of Talia Roem Guirta’s cruel nature.

The Emperor’s illegitimate child, who had caused a stir throughout the empire from the moment of her birth, continued to keep the capital buzzing with grim incidents even after being officially recognized as a princess.

More than a few servants had been kicked out of her separate palace in a state of ruin, and some had even met untimely, violent deaths. Naturally, the citizens’ gaze toward the Second Imperial Princess was cold.

“Why don’t you draw the curtains and greet the people, Your Highness?”

Unable to watch any longer, the knight Edric Ruben approached the carriage and made a cautious suggestion. But no response came from within.

He looked at the window, draped in thick curtains, with a dissatisfied gaze.

Ever since the procession began, the Second Imperial Princess had remained holed up inside the carriage without showing so much as a glimpse of her face. It seemed she was deeply sulking over her confrontation with Lord Siekan.

He swallowed a sigh that rose to his throat.

Her face is pretty enough that if she just showed herself a little, the people’s reaction would change…

In some ways, he thought she was an incredibly tactless woman.

If she acted just a little bit sweet, there would be no shortage of men willing to give her their very hearts and souls, yet Talia Roem Guirta acted as if she were determined to be hated. She harassed those around her with such a sharp attitude that even her beautiful features, inherited from her mother, seemed to lose their luster.

How many knights had fallen away, unable to endure that terrible temper? Lord Siekan, who had stayed by her side for seven years, seemed like a saint in comparison.

Though it doesn’t seem like he just took it lying down all that time…

Recalling the sight of his superior tossing the Second Imperial Princess into the carriage like a piece of luggage, Edric looked ahead. Among the knights marching in orderly fashion, he could faintly see the figure of Barkas, his black hood pulled down low.

That man, too, seemed to have had quite enough of Talia Roem Guirta.

In a way, it was almost surprising. Just how much havoc had she wreaked for that rigid man, who was the very embodiment of loyalty to the imperial family, to resort to such aggressive behavior?

Edric wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. He began to think that perhaps the Second Imperial Princess had a natural talent for inciting hostility in others.