Patricia blushed as she saw the emperor’s gaze linger on her décolletage, and she covered her chest with a gloved hand.

“Your Majesty, please avert your gaze.”

“I’m trying to.”

The emperor took her hand back and stood in front of the honor guard lined up in two rows. The honor guard drew their ceremonial swords and raised them toward the sky. As they passed between the rows, the sound of swords being lowered was heard behind them.

Ascending the stairs to the main palace, the emperor tilted his head and looked down at Patricia.

“My gaze is drawn there on its own. But you smell of roses, princess.”

Patricia looked up at the emperor with a questioning gaze. Harchen, maintaining a blank expression, brushed his bangs up and turned his head forward. Patricia’s natural scent was nice.

“I’m not a fan of fragrances. Don’t use them from now on.”

It was loud enough for Annie, who was holding up the train of Patricia’s dress behind her, to hear.

‘How can he say such things so casually….’

Patricia suddenly remembered the kiss she shared with the emperor at the Pana Palace.

‘That’s right. He was a rude man. He did as he pleased.’

She realized that her marriage partner was that arrogant Harchen Eint Carl Berk.

Three women standing in the corridor bent their knees and bowed their upper bodies and heads in front of Patricia.

“Greetings to the princess of Tane. You must be tired from your long journey. Welcome. I am Isabella.”

“Hello. I am Patricia Calian Evas.”

“Wow. You are beautiful. I’m Alesia. I had prejudices hearing that you commanded a war, but they vanished the moment I saw you. Actually, one cannot judge a person’s inner self by their appearance, but a person’s unique aura is…”

“Enough, little crow.”

At the emperor’s words, Alesia covered her mouth with her hand. The princess standing next to her greeted.

“I am Carolina.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Patricia pressed her neckline with her left hand and bowed her upper body.

Isabella, Carolina, Alesia. Patricia had heard about the three princesses several times from Harchen when she went to the academy disguised as Patrick.

Interestingly, their appearances were similar to what she had imagined based on the information she heard from them.

The youngest, Alesia, had a charming, twinkling gaze that didn’t hide her curiosity. Isabella had a gentle aura, and Carolina was cold.

They went to the third-floor audience chamber where the empress dowager was waiting. Harchen was displeased. He had asked the empress dowager to come down to the first-floor imperial audience chamber or the central tea room in consideration of the princess who was tired from the long journey.

The attendant who went to inform that the princess had entered the palace said that the empress dowager had difficulty coming down due to knee pain.

The emperor walked down the long corridor, checking the princess’s complexion. He experienced worrying about someone else’s well-being for the first time without realizing it. It was an annoying experience.

“The princess of Tane has arrived.”

At the attendant’s announcement, Patricia grabbed the hem of her dress and entered the audience chamber.

“Patricia Calian Evas greets Her Majesty the Empress Dowager of the Karsik Empire.”

“It must have been hard for you to hurry here for the hastily decided royal marriage,”

The empress dowager smiled softly, but there was something unsettling in her gaze.

That was because the empress dowager had not considered any other lady as a candidate for empress except Lady Julia Leak for the past ten years.

‘A princess who fell like a bolt from the blue, the one responsible for starting a war by inheriting the blood of her warmongering father, and on top of that… fraternal twins.’

The empress dowager thought that Harchen, who had no war experience and a strong sense of responsibility, had decided on the royal marriage to avoid war with Tane and maintain peace.

She could dip her hands in boiling lye water for the sake of her only son, who was like the sun in the sky.

Hiding her poisonous determination deep in her heart, she smiled calmly. The empress dowager exchanged small questions with Patricia about the royal marriage.

“It may be a bit late, but would you like to have afternoon tea? The plum blossom tea made by drying plum blossoms that bloomed on the ice cliffs of Mount Kao is famous for its captivating aroma.”

“The princess needs to rest, so meet tomorrow evening.”

The emperor answered directly before Patricia could reply.

The three princesses looked at their elder brother with a startled expression. Quick-witted Isabella continued with wit.

“Yes, you must be tired from the long carriage journey, so get plenty of rest. Let His Majesty serve you the plum blossom tea.”

“That’s something I’ll take care of myself.”

Harchen gently pulled Patricia’s arm to make her stand up and put a hand on her back. As Harchen and Patricia left the audience chamber, the maids followed behind them.

“What’s with you, Harchen? It seems like you’re putting up a defensive wall in advance in case we ask difficult questions.”

“Alesia, you should have seen the way elder brother glared at you as if he was going to devour you when you said you had prejudices about her commanding a war.”

“I said they vanished the moment I saw her. But she really is a beautiful person. Can you believe she started a war? How could she swing a sword against sturdy soldiers unless her slender wrists are made of steel?”

“Enough, Alesia. My daughters. I don’t understand. I thought he was angry because it was a royal marriage for an agreement with the warmongering Emperor Kazan. But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case, does it?”

“Did you see elder brother’s flushed cheeks?”

“He put his hand on that princess’s back. Who did I just see? How can a person change so suddenly.”

“Mother. The princess of Tane seems like she stepped out of a myth. I imagined a woman with broad shoulders and a large build since I heard she was a commander, but could it be that a goddess is hiding her existence and abilities…”

Isabella, who pulled Alesia’s arm to stop her from talking, said,

“Mother. Wasn’t her dress a bit revealing? But even though her cleavage was showing, she looked dignified. I think it’s because the lace was added upright. I should cut the front of my dress deeper too.”

“Isabella! Alesia, Mother. What about Julia? Think about Julia, everyone.”

Carolina said in a cold voice. Just then, an attendant entered the audience chamber and stood next to Carolina.

“Princess Carolina. Lady Lena Biser, the viscount’s daughter, has come to see you.”

“The viscount’s daughter from the Biser family? I don’t know such a person and I have no audience scheduled for today.”

“She says she has brought a letter from Lady Julia Leak.”

As they left the empress dowager’s audience chamber, Calip, who had been waiting in the corridor, greeted them.

“I am Calip, Your Majesty’s sword. We met at Pana Palace.”

“I remember, Sir Calip.”

“I’m glad you are in good health. I was worried about your safety. Haha, so you did manage to escape safely after all.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I went through several near-death experiences with His Majesty for losing you then, princess.”

“I’m sorry.”

“At least the negotiation proposal arrived and I survived.”

“Yes.”

“But princess. I’m really curious, you had an accomplice, right? The maids said you gave a chicken dish to a tremendously large eagle, could that accomplice be a magician who transformed into a large bird?”

“What? Hoot, no.”

Harchen tilted his head and looked at Patricia.

What, you answer so simply like that. Give a longer answer. Your voice is nice to hear. But you’re not apologizing to me.

Walking down the corridor, Harchen clasped his hands behind his back.

“I tried to guess your movements to write a report, princess, but it was absolutely impossible with just your own strength. Could you perhaps be a supernatural being capable of teleportation?”

“Hoo, no.”

“Take me as your disciple and teach only me.”

You’re trying hard, Calip.

Calip tried his best to make the princess feel comfortable and to make her laugh somehow.

The princess narrowed her eyes and gave an eye smile, but she didn’t laugh out loud or give long answers.

In front of the central staircase, Harchen took the princess’s hand. Even though she was wearing gloves, he could feel the delicate touch of her hand through the cotton and lace.

“I’ll escort you to the White Palace.”

Harchen turned around and gave Calip a chin gesture to go to the office. Quick-witted Calip understood immediately and sent the maids ahead first, then touched his forehead to his bent elbow and turned back.

They descended the main palace stairs and headed east. They entered the White Palace garden.

“The White Palace is entirely the princess’s space. Over there on the 2nd floor east wing of the main palace are my office, audience chamber, and bedroom, my private space.”

Harchen paused for a moment. He thought she would look at his space, but the princess only had her gaze on the flowering trees in the garden in front of her.

She didn’t even glance at the emperor’s space and turned her body. Harchen frowned.

“Not curious, I guess?”

“Pardon?”

“Usually in this situation, one would be curious about the emperor’s space and look back.”

Only then did Patricia slowly turn around and look up at the 2nd floor of the main palace. Soon she turned her head back and walked.

“It’s grand.”

The princess is indifferent.

The two knights guarding the entrance to the White Palace saluted in greeting. The emperor nodded his head and entered the central hall. There were maids standing in the corridor in front of the reception room.

He took off his gloves one step behind Patricia and put them in the pocket of his uniform pants. At the same time, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder. As his bare skin touched her exposed shoulder, Patricia’s eyes widened and she looked up.

“…Your Majesty?”

Patricia.

“Princess. Come over to my space after dinner.”

“…For what reason?”

The emperor threw his head back and exhaled, hoo.

“You should have something to say to me.”

He stopped and shifted his angle slightly. Then he took a step closer to Patricia. His knee brushed the hem of Patricia’s dress.

“Your Majesty. As far as I’ve heard, there are no more schedules for today. Telling me to come to Your Majesty’s space… Isn’t that too unilateral?”

“Why are you being like this, princess?”

Patricia’s back hit the portrait of the previous empress hanging on the wall as she stepped back. Patricia turned around to look at the portrait and then took a step to the side.

“Hey, princess.”

Harchen reached out his arms and braced the wall on either side of Patricia’s face. Trapped between his hands, Patricia lowered her gaze as she met his green eyes that glared at her as if to devour her.

“Who was the one who unilaterally ran away at Pana Palace?”

Harchen had been smoldering and simmering for a month as he waited.

Teasing me while disguised as Patrick, bewitching me as a woman of marrying age, stealing a kiss and running away. You need to apologize for that too.

“I’m giving you a chance to apologize.”

He was determined to make her regret, make her fall for his charm and cling to him, and make her cry.

At some point, the intense emotions of wanting to get revenge on her and make her cry subsided a little. Only a pure longing to see her remained.

He wanted to take a walk with her in the garden where moonlight flowed and introduce her to the various palaces named according to their characteristics.

During the harsh winter, he planned to take her to the hot spring in the Kaosan glacier where red plum blossom petals had fallen.

But when he directly saw the princess’s face, his mind went blank, reason disappeared, and only emotions ran wild.

Harchen lowered his head further. The princess, who was holding her breath and breathing excessively, looked frightened but also raised her eyes in defiance.

Under her delicate chin, her neck was as white as if milk had been poured. On her exposed thin shoulders, round bones shone white.

He clenched his fists tightly on the marble wall he was bracing. If he lowered them just a span, his hands would touch her bare, trembling shoulders.