“Princess Lisha. What on earth is that dress?”

Eva pushed through the guard knights.

After Patricia left for the expedition, the imperial guards had come to the west tower three times. The guard knight finally got Prince Patrick’s signature on several documents.

In Eva’s judgment, it was clear that the empress was plotting to expose Patricia, the shadow princess, to the world. She couldn’t let her be dragged to the guard like this.

The emperor’s intentions were unknown, but for now, she had to get the princess to meet Patrick.

“Showing all that bare skin. Oh my goodness.”

“Lady Eva. We must escort Her Highness the Princess to the guard now.”

The usually calm Eva made a fuss as she lifted Patricia’s dress hem.

“Sir! Can’t you see this? Her Highness isn’t sneaking into the palace secretly. Plus, she might see His Majesty the Emperor. Also!”

Eva gently pushed Patricia’s back inside the bronze door.

“This will be the occasion to introduce Her Highness to the nobles and the world. Sir, we’ll come down after changing her dress and fixing her hair.”

The knights hesitated at Eva’s clear and firm words. There was no room to argue with her statement. Eva followed Patricia up the stairs.

‘Though she spoke sharply, it seemed like there were tears in Eva’s voice at the end.’

Patricia turned to look at Eva while climbing the west tower stairs.

Eva, who had been following with gritted teeth, looked up at Patricia who had stopped. Tears she had been desperately holding back flowed down without her realizing.

Patricia went down one step and hugged Eva. When she was young, she used to fit perfectly in Eva’s arms, but now she was taller and Eva fit into her embrace.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No. I missed you.”

“Thank goodness. I was worried when I heard you were taken prisoner.”

“What about Patrick?”

“His Highness is in the garden.”

Patricia ran up the stairs in one breath and went to the garden. Patrick was sitting neatly in a rattan chair under the darkening window. He seemed to have fallen asleep while reading, as a book was in his hand and his eyes were closed.

Hot wind blew through the open window, but Patrick was wrapped in a blanket from head to toe.

“Patrick.”

“…Lisha.”

“Ah!”

Patricia couldn’t make a sound as her throat choked up. Patrick’s faintly smiling face was green. His lips were blue and his eyes were sunken and dark.

Patrick tried to get up from the sofa but lay back down. He reached out his bony hand to hold both of Patricia’s hands and examined her face and body.

“You came back safely.”

Why were Patrick’s bones so thin?

Mother said it was because I had taken all the nutrients from him in the womb.

‘If I had been even faintly aware when I was just a tiny cell like a black dot, I wouldn’t have taken Patrick’s nutrients. I never intended to.’

“Why are you so… Patrick, you’re not well at all.”

“Lisha, the empress must have schemed. She found out you went on the expedition instead of me and got confirmation. Say that I suddenly became very ill that day and you went instead. For the first and last time. Understand?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Also, now that your identity as a princess has been revealed, assert your right to be protected as a direct imperial family member and don’t respond to difficult questions. Designate Count Fidel from the Valenti family as your spokesperson.”

“Fidel Valenti. From the Kingdom of Torun, mother’s family.”

“Yes, the problem is the expedition decision. They’ve asked several times if I gave the order to you. They’re probably trying to pin it on you.”

“What, that’s absurd. I clearly received the emperor’s expedition order.”

“Lisha, do you have the expedition order? Show it to me. Did you consult with me?”

“Ah, that’s with Emperor Carsick.”

“Was there Father’s handwritten signature and seal on the order?”

“Of course, I checked it myself, and Emperor Harchen Carsick checked it too.”

“Harchen. How was he, is he healthy? He must have been disappointed that we broke the peace treaty.”

“He was very angry.”

“Even though you were taken prisoner, he must have shown you respect? Did you reveal that we’re twins?”

“Yes.”

“Your Highness, I apologize for interrupting, but the princess needs to change her dress. If you stay in the reception room, she’ll come out after changing. You can continue talking while her hair is being done.”

“Alright, I understand, Eva.”

Eva had prepared Patricia’s dress and accessories in advance for the time when she would stand before the emperor and imperial nobles, just as Patrick had predicted.

It was the light blue satin dress that the late Empress Aldisha had worn at her first imperial banquet after being appointed as crown princess.

The dress had a deep neckline and sleeves with delicate cream-colored lace. It flowed calmly and neatly without being puffed up by a pannier, accentuating her graceful features.

Seeing the late empress in Patricia’s appearance, Eva fervently hoped that the departed empress would protect the princess from the empress’s grasp.

‘Lady Aldisha. Please protect Prince Patrick and Princess Patricia.’

When she went out to the reception room after putting on the dress, Iden and Patrick, who were in the middle of talking, casually looked up and then showed a strong reaction.

“Wow, Lisha. I’m at a loss for words.”

“Patrick, now is not the time for this.”

“You’re unrealistically beautiful in this situation.”

Iden blushed and Patrick exclaimed without restraint.

“But from what Iden said, you escaped from a castle, not a military camp?”

“It was called Pana Castle, it was incredible. Patrick, listen to how amazingly she escaped. Iden and Bri at the right time and place…”

Bang bang bang.

Along with the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs, about twenty imperial guard knights entered the garden. The guard captain came into the reception room and showed a paper with the royal command.

“I deliver His Majesty the Emperor’s order. Princess Patricia Calian Evas is under arrest for the crime of treason for disobeying the imperial command.”

The guard knights moved in unison to surround Patricia and tied her arms and body with ropes.

“Captain. I have no intention of fleeing, so don’t tie me with ropes.”

The knight who had momentarily paused at Patricia’s calm voice looked at the guard captain, then proceeded to tie her up.

“Eva. Put the gloves on me.”

Eva put on the satin gloves she was holding.

“I’ll be back, Eva.”

“Harchen.”

Princess Alesia quickly descended the stairs towards Harchen as he dismounted from his war horse. With arms outstretched.

As she came down without even looking at the steps beneath her feet, her long dress swirled dangerously. Harchen bounded up three steps at a time and swiftly embraced her.

“Kyaah! Harchen, I’m a lady now. Put me down.”

“Alesia. You seem to have gotten smaller?”

“How was the war, is it over? War is the most reckless thing in human history.”

“You adorable little raven.”

“Is it true that the Tane Empire really invaded? How long has it been since the peace treaty was signed? From my research, Emperor Kazan of Tane is notorious as a warmonger. He’s waged 17 wars over nearly 30 years on the Arkan continent, conquering 11 kingdoms. His cruel acts that will go down in history…”

“Enough! The speech ends there.”

“But Harchen. Do you have a lady hidden in Pana Castle?”

“Hah, this little raven, there’s nothing you won’t say.”

Harchen climbed all the stairs, set Alesia down, and pulled her head close to kiss her crown.

Her black hair, having absorbed the pouring sunlight, exuded a lovable, girlish scent.

Alesia, the youngest child born late to the empress dowager, was fifteen years old. Being nine years younger than Carolina right above her, she had quite enjoyed being the baby of the family.

True to her nicknames of “walking encyclopedia” and “genius princess”, she had read and mastered various types of books.

Especially, she was obsessed with reading dictionaries. The princess’s goal was to sweep all the world’s knowledge into her small head.

The problem was that while she had expert knowledge, she had no practical experience, so she could only list off facts without understanding.

In front of Harchen, she was no different from an immature child. She made lisping sounds, excessively forced aegyo under the pretext of being cute, and threw tantrums.

In short, no one in Carsick Palace could verbally match her, nor did they want to try.

The butler and head maid either avoided her or just answered “yes, yes, yes” like pigeons to avoid getting caught up in the princess’s wordplay.

“Your Majesty. It’s fortunate you’ve returned safely.”

Isabella and Carolina. The two princesses greeted and paid their respects in unison.

Aren’t these ravens hot?

Harchen wanted to sweep aside their black hair, cut straight across the forehead and shining down to their waists like parting curtains.

He wondered if they had heat rash on their napes or if plants that grow in shade might sprout there. Compared to that, Patricia’s golden hair felt like it sparkled between his fingers before disappearing, ah.

I’m dying, I need to bring her here quickly.

Patricia’s hair that had touched his hand, her delicate shoulders. And those maddening lips. Harchen’s spine tingled as he vividly recalled the hot sensation.

“Mother?”

“She’s waiting.”

Harchen went to the empress dowager’s audience chamber.

The emperor and empress dowager greeted each other formally before sitting facing each other on sofas. The two princesses sat tightly next to the empress dowager like black curtains, while the youngest, Alesia, sat right beside Harchen.

“Your Majesty, we are very curious why lady’s dresses and supplies were sent to Pana Castle.”

The empress dowager nodded at Isabella’s question.

“For a lady to be married?”

“Wh-wh-what? Marriage?”

The four women simultaneously opened their mouths in surprise, then quickly shut them.

“Elder brother. Perhaps, are you referring to Princess Julia Leak?”

Carolina, the second princess who had pledged unchanging friendship with Julia Leak, asked while snapping open a fan trimmed with black lace. She was asking despite already knowing it wasn’t the case.

“Patricia Calian Evas, the princess of Tane.”

Harchen said, looking at the empress dowager.

“Mother, I have decided on a state marriage with the princess of Tane.”

“Elder brother, no, Your Majesty. As far as I know, the Tane Empire only has princes.”

“She’s the twin of Crown Prince Patrick.”

“What are twins?”

“Elder sister Isabella. Twins are when two babies are conceived in one mother’s womb and born on the same day.”

“No, why would they give birth to two at once?”

“That’s not something you can choose, it’s like a destiny that’s selected. According to the literature I’ve read, it’s when one egg from a woman and one seed discharged from a man’s body split into two during fertilization, conceiving two children. Regardless of gender, two or even up to three…”

“So why does that happen, Alesia? Your explanation is making it more confusing, stop talking. Your Majesty, how did you meet this unknown person?”

Carolina nervously fanned herself before slapping the fan against her palm.

“As the leader of Tane. She was my prisoner.”

“Oh my goodness. If she was the leader, does that mean the princess started the war? What does that mean? Harchen. How could a princess be a commander, no, start a war…”

“Elder brother, please explain in more detail.”

Harchen frowned, getting increasingly annoyed at the three ravens cawing away.