Chapter 17
How long had they been traveling?
When the carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace, the two of them got out.
As Lucy had expected, being with Bartholomew prevented any mishaps from happening the moment she stepped down from the carriage.
Lucy made sure not to let her eyes wander to the surroundings.
Though she was astonished by the grandeur of the palace, she couldn’t show it.
Even if she had been living in a detached building far from the main palace, she was still royalty.
Letting herself gape at the palace could easily become a topic of gossip.
“Master Bartholomew, will you escort me?”
Lucy extended her arm to him.
Bartholomew paused, initially not understanding her, but soon extended his own arm.
Lucy lightly placed her hand on his and together they reached the palace gates.
The gatekeeper, surprisingly recognizing Lucy, greeted her politely.
When Lucy tried to pass through, the gatekeeper blocked her.
“Who is the person accompanying you?”
He asked Bartholomew.
“I am Bartholomew Faraday of the Faraday Ducal House.”
“I’m sorry, but your name is not on the guest list.”
Even though the Faraday family was widely known, the gatekeeper remained strict.
He asked Bartholomew to show some proof of identity, but Bartholomew had none.
About to be stopped from entering the palace and failing her quest, Lucy stepped forward.
“This is my guest.”
She held Bartholomew’s arm with both hands, moving closer to him.
“Is there a problem?”
When she gave the gatekeeper a firm glare, he could no longer stop them.
Following Lucy’s lead, Bartholomew walked in, observing her quietly.
‘She looks completely different from outside.’
It wasn’t just her tone; the atmosphere was entirely different.
No, it wasn’t only about her tone.
Bartholomew finally realized that her kindness was not given to just anyone.
‘Because I am the only one she has—Master Bartholomew.’
He recalled the words she had once said to him.
Had there ever been someone who desired him so earnestly?
Never in his life.
Never had anyone treated him as if he were someone the world needed.
Shaking his head, he snapped out of his thoughts.
Lucy led Bartholomew toward the banquet hall.
‘Wow.’
Though she had promised herself not to show it, Lucy couldn’t hide her admiration when entering the hall.
Sunlight poured through the arched windows, reflecting off the marble floor.
Rows of columns were intricately carved, and the high ceiling was adorned with grand murals.
Candleholders, gilded in gold, were as tall as a person.
‘The difference from my detached building is… enormous.’
Lucy suddenly realized just how humble her own lodging was.
“Master Bartholomew.”
Lucy released his arm and looked at him.
“I have to go pay my respects to His Majesty now.”
She leaned toward him, lowering her voice.
“You remember what I said, right? Please handle it as I requested. And we’ll meet again when the time comes.”
“I understand.”
Bartholomew nodded.
Lucy stepped away from him with a resolute expression.
‘From now on, I have to proceed with the game without Bartholomew’s help.’
The more she moved away from him, the heavier her body felt.
After only a few steps, she was out of breath.
She regulated her breathing to avoid showing any disgraceful behavior in front of the emperor.
Then, a sweet floral scent wafted by.
“Lucy.”
She turned her head.
Elisha was standing beside her.
Seeing Elisha, Lucy’s lips parted slightly.
‘She clearly came prepared.’
Anyone seeing her would think she was a woman attending her ex-boyfriend’s wedding.
Elisha looked twice as beautiful as usual today.
Next to her, Lucy in her simple dress seemed almost invisible.
“Let’s go see Father together.”
Elisha smiled kindly.
Matching Elisha’s polite smile, Lucy also smiled.
With their lips curved softly and looking at each other, they appeared like a very close pair of sisters.
Lucy followed Elisha to the emperor.
The emperor sat on the throne on a low platform.
Elisha held her dress and slightly bent her knees.
Lucy quickly followed suit.
“We pay our respects to His Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Make yourselves comfortable.”
The emperor gestured to Elisha and Lucy.
They each sat in the two chairs to the emperor’s left.
Naturally, Elisha sat closer to him.
The emperor glanced at Lucy.
“How is your health?”
Although he asked about her condition, his tone was cold, almost as if reluctantly asking.
Lucy lightly nodded in response.
She worried about what to do if the emperor asked more detailed questions.
But her concern was pointless—he didn’t pay her any attention at all.
His gaze immediately shifted to Elisha.
“Elisha, I hear you’ve been focusing on your painting lately?”
Lucy managed to suppress her exasperation.
The emperor’s favoritism was blatant.
He called Elisha by name affectionately and even knew about her recent activities.
Lucy had to watch silently as the two of them engaged in conversation.
‘No wonder Lucy became timid.’
When she had played the game, she had criticized Lucy’s indecisive personality.
But experiencing this kind of coldness firsthand, Lucy’s timidity made perfect sense.
The emperor laughed warmly every time Elisha spoke, much to Lucy’s irritation.
After their long conversation, the emperor finally turned away from Elisha.
He smiled and spoke to the attendant beside him.
“Begin the Imperial Palace banquet.”
Ding!
[Imperial Palace Banquet Quest Start!]
[Showcase your talents at the palace banquet and catch the Emperor’s eye!
Good luck!]
Lucy glanced at the system window, then naturally shifted her attention elsewhere.
The musicians began to play.
The attendees started enjoying the prepared feast.
Lucy and Elisha, daughters of the emperor, were to make their appearance toward the end, marking the finale.
Normally, the most skilled person would appear last, but Elisha kindly gave that spot to Lucy.
She wanted to show off her own skills first, then reveal Lucy’s poor performance, making her look even more laughable.
Lucy raised the champagne glass in front of her and took a sip.
The emperor’s attention was still on Elisha, leaving Lucy like a forgotten spectator.
She decided to enjoy the banquet hall at her leisure.
‘Hmm?’
Then Lucy noticed something strange.
Among all the attendees, only three people emitted a subtle golden glow.
One of them was Cecil.
Meeting his gaze, Lucy smiled brightly with delight.
Cecil gave a brief bow, a beat late, before averting his eyes.
Lucy turned her gaze to the other two.
Then,
Ding!
[Name: ?? Age: ??
Traits: ?? Affection: ??]
Similar windows appeared for the other two individuals.
Lucy finally realized that the people glowing in gold were the male leads from the game.
She started from the leftmost person.
Tall, sturdy build.
Red hair and golden eyes like a predator.
‘That must be Logan.’
The commander of the knights, a male lead who was gruff but warm toward his woman.
‘Because he was tight-lipped, it was hard to carry a conversation for more than three lines.’
Lucy’s gaze shifted to the next person.
A man with golden hair and red eyes.
His delicate features and smiling lips gave a softer impression than Logan.
‘Patrick Helio.’
He was the eldest son of the Helio marquis family, and another male lead.
Sensing Lucy’s gaze, Patrick looked toward her.
Lucy quickly turned her head to avoid his eyes.
She brought the champagne back to her lips, hiding her expression.
Naturally—she had disliked Patrick the most when playing the game.
‘Despite his appearance, he was a complete troublemaker.’
Lucy shivered.
Even if she had to pursue all the male leads to reach the ending, she didn’t want to get involved with Patrick.
