Ch#58
Talia’s spine straightened as if she had been struck by lightning.
The woman turned gracefully and continued speaking.
“Her Majesty the Empress has commanded that Your Highness be adorned to perfection, so that you may be fit to have an audience with the Supreme Sovereign of the Empire. Please, cooperate with us.”
She then gave a light gesture to the maids. The four maids in the front row, carrying various garments, approached the bedside.
Talia jerked her body back.
“All of you, get out. I have no intention of meeting a man like that.”
“Refrain from such blasphemous language.”
The woman’s soft voice suddenly turned as sharp as a frost-covered blade.
“No matter if you are an Imperial Princess, I cannot tolerate such reckless talk regarding His Majesty the Emperor. I will overlook it this once, so please be careful from now on.”
After a brief flinch of her shoulders, Talia’s eyes sharpened.
“And if you don’t overlook it, what are you going to do? Are you going to run and tell the great Lord Emperor?”
“I could certainly do that.”
The woman retorted coldly.
Talia let out a dry laugh.
“Really? Then run to the Main Palace right now and tell him. Tell him that the ill-mannered Second Princess is screaming that she has no desire to see his precious face!”
At that moment, a stinging pain flared on the back of her hand.
Talia looked up at the woman with a dazed expression.
The woman, who had struck her with the thin switch she held in her hand, directed an icy gaze toward her.
“The authority Your Highness enjoys as a princess originates from His Majesty the Emperor. I cannot overlook such absurd remarks.”
“How dare you… How dare you do this to me…!”
Talia couldn’t finish her sentence, her body trembling violently.
Looking down at her with a dispassionate gaze, the woman moved toward the door.
“Her Majesty the Empress gave strict instructions to bring Your Highness before His Majesty by any means necessary. Do you wish for us to resort to more forceful measures?”
The woman whispered threateningly as she flung the door wide open with one hand.
Talia’s breath hitched when she saw the soldiers belonging to the Empress Palace lined up in the hallway.
As if savoring the sight of her pale, terrified face, the woman watched her quietly before continuing softly.
“There is no need for us to turn this into an ugly scene. If Your Highness cooperates, this will be over quickly.”
It was a clear message: if she didn’t cooperate, they would use force to compel her.
Talia clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. Her eyes grew hot with a sense of humiliation.
In this moment, if Senebier were standing before her, she felt she could drive a dagger into the woman’s heart.
Did she really have to trample on Talia’s final shred of dignity in such a manner?
She felt she could never, ever forgive that person as long as she lived.
“Now, hurry and wash Her Highness clean.”
As the Head Maid’s order fell, two maids leaned over the bed.
Talia roughly brushed their hands away.
“Don’t touch me!”
Startled by the shrill scream, the maids scrambled back as if avoiding a shower of sparks. They looked concerned that she might seek retribution against them later.
Noticing their hesitation, Talia took a more overbearing stance.
“I will leave my bath to my Nanny. So, all of you, get out of my room.”
The woman looked down at her with thoughtful eyes before letting out a sigh of resignation.
“Very well. However, you must leave the dressing to me. I will not yield on that point.”
The Head Maid soon led the other maids out of the room.
A moment later, the Nanny rushed into the bedroom.
She was someone who had always hurt Talia with her thoughtless words. And yet, the moment Talia saw her face, she felt a wave of relief so strong it brought her to the verge of tears.
Talia buried her face in the shoulder of the Nanny, who had approached to support her.
Unaware of the turmoil inside her, the Nanny was simply delighted.
“You heard the news from the Head Maid, didn’t you? His Majesty has asked for you! He must be worried after hearing the news that you were injured.”
Talia let the Nanny’s chatter go in one ear and out the other as she struggled to stand. A throbbing pain shot up through her bones.
A surge of anger rose within her.
What did they mean about letting her walk without trouble? Her mangled leg couldn’t even properly support her own weight.
Talia grit her teeth and dragged her aching leg behind the folding screen.
As she stumbled and lowered herself into the marble bathtub, the Nanny poured warm water over her body.
Soaking in the lukewarm water, Talia looked down at her leg. The reddish-purple scar looked exactly like a bloated earthworm.
As she fiddled with it with her fingertips, the Nanny gave her back a sharp smack.
For a moment, a wave of sorrow washed over her, but Talia pulled her hand away without a word. She was afraid that the Nanny might get angry and leave the room.
“Now, I’m going to rinse your hair, so tilt your head back.”
As instructed, she leaned her head against the tub, and the Nanny tilted a large pitcher to pour lukewarm water over her.
Finally, once the soap was thoroughly rinsed from her body, Talia wobbled as she stepped out of the bathtub.
The Nanny, holding a large towel, dried her off and dressed her in fresh undergarments and a petticoat.
“There, the Head Maid will take care of the rest.”
Once the Nanny left the room with a light expression, having finished her task, the Head Maid returned with the other maids.
Talia silently endured the gaze that swept up and down her body as if grading her.
The woman circled her several times before finally clapping her hands at the maids.
“Braid her hair up and dress her in the clothes we prepared. I will choose the jewelry myself.”
Soon after, dozens of fingers began moving busily around her.
Talia silently endured being handled like a doll, feeling as though she were being tortured.
Three or four maids repeatedly put clothes on her and took them off, while the remaining maids worked on braiding her waist-length hair into several sections and pinning it up.
The Head Maid, who had watched the entire process with a fastidious expression, finally nodded after a long while.
“This will do.”
The maids who were tidying her outfit immediately stepped back.
Talia looked up at the Head Maid with exhausted eyes. The woman draped a pearl-colored silk cape over her shoulders and turned toward the entrance.
“It is time to go.”
After a moment of hesitation, Talia left the room. She wanted to walk as naturally as possible, but her desensitized leg would not move as she wished.
With every uneven step, she could feel the soldiers’ eyes on her. She wanted to crush every single one of those eyeballs.
Suppressing her sense of humiliation, she stepped out of the Separate Palace to see a carriage waiting in front of the garden. Standing beside it was a stranger in armor.
Had the previous knight quit?
The face of the man who had annoyed her throughout the journey flickered through her mind.
But she soon decided it didn’t matter. He was just a guard knight they swapped out every season anyway. It was about time for a change.
Talia boarded the carriage with a disinterested face. The Head Maid, who boarded after her, opened her tightly shut lips and spoke in a stern voice.
“His Majesty the Emperor will be discussing something of great importance today. Please refrain from any words or actions that lack etiquette.”
“What is this ‘important’ talk?”
“I do not know that myself.”
“Then how do you know if it’s an important talk or some trivial nonsense?”
The woman kept her mouth shut. It seemed her patience was reaching its limit.
Talia turned her gaze away from the woman rubbing her temples and looked out the window.
Before long, the carriage had left the Separate Palace garden and was vigorously crossing the vast grounds of the Imperial Palace.
Watching the rapidly passing scenery with anxiety, Talia massaged her knee, which had already begun to throb.
Despite the thick cushions, the slight vibrations of the carriage seemed to ache deep in her joints. Wiping away the beads of sweat that were forming, she desperately swallowed the pain.
After some time, the rattling carriage finally came to a halt.
Stumbling outside, Talia frowned at the sight of the wide plaza where the white sunlight was pouring down.
Today, there were an unusually large number of people swarming in front of the Main Palace. As she stared at them with bleak eyes, the Head Maid stepped up beside her and spoke urgently.
“His Majesty is waiting. Let us go.”
Talia bit her lip and began to walk.
The sight of people recognizing her and whispering invaded her vision. She tried to ignore them as she attempted to pass those blocking the entrance, but someone stopped her.
“You cannot pass through here right now. I am sorry, but please use the side door…”
The soldier who had hurriedly blocked her path caught his breath as he belatedly recognized her face.
Talia glared at him with a cold gaze.
“Who do you think you are blocking?”
“I-I am sorry, Your Highness.”
The soldier scrambled out of the way.
Talia passed the people awkwardly bowing their heads to her and entered the building.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat from the effort of trying not to reveal her unnatural gait. Despite her efforts, it didn’t seem to be going as she hoped.
She scanned the reactions around her from the corner of her eye. Just then, a giant birdcage placed on one side of the hall caught her attention. Talia’s eyes widened at what was inside.
“…What is that?”
