Ā Chapter 04
> “What?!”
I stared straight at the Emperor, my mouth wide open, unable to speak.
The Emperor faced me with a faint smile on his icy face.
> “The previous Empress candidates haven’t lasted more than two days, so you’d better be prepared.”
The banquet hall buzzed.
Inside me, an even bigger storm was brewing. I had been wondering whether the Emperor would cut my neck or hang me, and now he was talking about an Empress?
> ‘What kind of crazy development is thisā¦?’
I was so shocked that the words about the previous candidates not lasting two days didn’t even reach my brain from my ears.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one shocked; everyone who had been standing with their mouths open like fools finally came to their senses and quickly gasped.
“Your Majesty!”
An elderly minister strode forward from one side of the banquet hall and raised his voice.
“This is far too hasty a decision!”
“That’s right, Your Majesty!”
“The selection of an Empress must be careful. It is a position that requires thorough examination of family background, education level, and even political influence!”
“Above all, you must also consider the dignity of the families who sent their precious daughters for this dayā¦ā¦.”
The protests of the ministers, who had shrewdly joined the old man’s outcry, echoed through the banquet hall. The Emperor, who had been quietly listening to their words, waited for the commotion to subside before slowly opening his mouth.
> “Because you said you didn’t like Falkenstein since it was too strong a family.”
The Emperor’s already low voice grew even colder.
> “I have chosen a humble family that you don’t even need to worry about.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
> “No matter how much you raise your voices like this, you cannot break my will. Haven’t you learned that lesson yet?”
“Your Majestyā¦ā¦.”
> “Instead of wasting my precious time, I think it would be wiser for you to cozy up to the person who will become your new Empress.”
The Emperor slightly lifted his chin, pointing at me. In the near-perfect silence, the overwhelming attention of everyone in the banquet hall staring at me pressed down on my throat like physical pressure.
> “The ball is over. Those who wish to enjoy themselves may do so, but you, who will be my Empress, should return quickly and send a letter to the head of your household.”
Leaving behind such nonsensical words, the Emperor turned his body as if he had no more business.
“Ah. For your safety, just in case, I will return with only a small portion of my Imperial Guard. Since it’s an open ball anyway, I hope everyone can relax and enjoy themselves.”
The Captain of the Imperial Guard, who had been blankly watching the cloak spread wide with the turning motion, hurriedly stepped forward.
“Your Majesty! To return like thisā¦!”
“The ball was to select an Empress, and I have selected an Empress. Is there any need for me to stay longer?”
“But!”
“From now on, time is of the essence to prepare for the imperial wedding. You have already lost about ten chances to give me your loyal advice just by failing in your little play today.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
The Emperor, who had silenced the Captain, left the banquet hall, leaving me, who was staring up at him like a soul out of its body, just as I was.
The moment the Emperor disappeared, the atmosphere in the banquet hall changed completely.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“The Evergreen familyā¦ I’ve never even heard of it.”
“I heard she’s the third daughter of a frontier baron family.”
“Someone like that as Empress? Just because she helped with a trivial thing like this?”
People hiding their faces behind fans started whispering among themselves. The gazes freely scanning me were far from favorable.
Curiosity, wariness, jealousy, andā¦ hostility.
Not only the ladies who had been Empress candidates, but even the eyes of the ministers who had failed to dissuade the Emperor were not kind.
The ministers exchanged glances even more unpleasant than the ladies’ and whispered among themselves.
I sat alone like a statue in that whirlwind of noise, staring only at the spot the Emperor had left.
That was when it happened.
“You are truly something else.”
A cold voice came from behind me. When I turned around, a beautiful blonde lady was standing there.
“Ah. That Falkensteinā¦.”
> “Yes. I’m Adeline Falkenstein. I came to greet you because you helped me, even going so far as to give me your precious dress.”
The woman gave an answer with a smiling face that held no trace of a smile. Then she gracefully bent her knees and crouched down in front of me. Just as I was about to ask if she was feeling better, Adeline spread her fan wide and lowered her voice.
> “You ruined my story last time, and now you’re getting in my way again like this.”
“Last time? What do you meanā¦ā¦.”
Adeline stared straight at my bewildered face and lowered her voice even more.
> “You can’t even imagine how long I’ve been waiting for this opportunity.”
“Excuse me?”
> “I’ve been preparing every day, studying all sorts of things, dressing up, and taking all kinds of ridiculous tests.”
Deep anger was embedded in her voice.
> “Have a little conscience. How can you act as if you alone are the truth, and only your actions are just? Butting in all of a sudden, causing a disturbance like this, turning other people’s efforts into wasted workā¦ Aren’t you sorry?”
Adeline’s words struck my chest.
> “I can clearly see what you’re trying to say. ‘That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to help. I wanted everyone to end things nicely and happily.’ Right?”
I couldn’t answer. Because that was exactly what I had been about to say.
> “Know this.”
Adeline cupped my cheek and whispered like a final warning.
> “Just by existing, you are ruining other people’s lives. And pretending not to know that, pretending you’re right, is the most cowardly thing of all.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
> “I’m not going to just sit back and take it anymore, so be prepared.”
When Adeline left after giving her harsh warning, I was truly alone. The words just poured on me hit me like a slap to the face.
After the shock came a rather painful realization. That the man who was the Chairman of the Natural Law Error Countermeasures Committee or whatever had sent me here precisely for this moment.
> ‘To make me realize that my best efforts can be harmful to someone else.’
How many people’s hard work had my efforts destroyed? How many people’s dreams had I stolen? How many people’s lives had I ruined? Guilt suddenly washed over me, making my chest tight.
> “I hope that the arrogant warrior who cut off my neck is reborn in a world where nothing ever goes his way. I hope he endlessly continues a trivial, uneventful, and infuriating life.”
The Silver Dragon’s curse filled my head.
At the same time, I understood why Perenustus had pushed me into a place like this without any explanation.
> ‘He wanted me to realize it on my own and then be shocked like thisā¦ā¦.’
The feeling of injustice that had been crouching in a corner of my heart raised its head again.
> ‘So what! What! Should I have just let everyone breathe in that toxic mist and get sick? Just because I’m an easy target, you grab me by the hair and pick a fight?’
Rather, that seemed more plausible. I tried not to dwell on Adeline’s words, stood up abruptly, and vigorously brushed off my skirts. Because I had torn my skirt hem without thinking to save Adeline, my already shabby dress was in even worse condition.
> ‘Nobles, honestly. Whenever something happens, it’s always someone else’s fault. They never know how to be grateful.’
I lifted my nose and stomped back to my room, making as much noise as I could. As if trying to erase the rising dissatisfaction and guilt with the loud sound of my footsteps.
The maid who had been hesitantly following me to the door only mumbled “good night” and retreated as if running away.
Left alone again, I looked out the window and let out a deep sigh.
> ‘It’s just as the curse said. Nothing goes my way.’
Maybe because my head and heart were too complicated. While staring at the leaves outside the window, meaningless time just flew by.
The world outside the window had changed from a dusky blue to the color of pitch-black midnight, but sleep wouldn’t come easily.
I had thought I would just go with the flow and die when the time seemed right. But something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
> ‘One thing is for sure: that Chairman bastard and Adeline are both just unlucky.’
When I’m feeling unsettled, blaming others is the best. I immediately put into practice what I had learned from Adeline and nodded my head, and my churning feelings seemed to calm down just a little.
If I changed my perspective a little, this was actually a very advantageous situation for me.
> ‘Right! For the daughter of such a humble family that even her personal maid doesn’t know her name properly to suddenly become the Empress-in-waiting would be an enormousā¦.’
Suddenly, my mind went blank.
> ‘Empress-in-waiting.’
That short phrase blocked my throat and choked me.
I felt as if the ceiling pattern of the bedroom ā which was embarrassingly luxurious compared to the log cabin in the cliffside mountain village where I originally lived ā was all pouring down on me.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling. The patterns on the ceiling really were moving on their own, forming a long silver sentence.
> <Get caught up in an assassination attempt targeting the heroine who will become the Empress, and die>
And then the long sentence condensed into a single, brilliantly silver word.
> <Heroine>
Heroine? Me?
> “Ah, no! This is not right!”
It was the moment I scrambled my hair and jumped up from the bed.
Tap. Tap.
A small sound came from the window.
