Patricia went to Diaroom, the main palace banquet hall, for the dinner.

Head maid Anna and maid Lena accompanied her. At the entrance of the dining hall, Anna went to the head butler’s office and Lena entered the maid’s waiting room. Guided by a servant, Patricia entered the room.

At the table sat Carolina, Alesia, and an unfamiliar woman.

Like the two princesses, her long, lustrous black hair stood out like ebony. She greeted with courtesy, with her pale skin that seemed almost bloodless and plump red lips.

She was a beautiful lady with onyx-like black eyes that shone exceptionally bright.

“Julia Leak, I am honored to meet the Princess of Tane.”

“I am Patricia Calian Evas.”

The servant pulled out a chair, and Patricia sat next to Alesia. Alesia, who had been burying her nose in a thick book until then, lifted her head.

Ah, c-cute. The large glasses covering half her face seemed about to slip off the tip of her nose. Alesia took off her round glasses and greeted her warmly.

“You’ve come, Sun Warrior.”

Alesia said it was a nickname she gave with good intentions and asked if it was uncomfortable to hear.

Though thinking she wasn’t quite a warrior, Patricia smiled and said it was fine.

Carolina introduced Julia as a lady from the Leak ducal family and her cradle friend. Julia looked intently at Patricia and said,

“I came as an uninvited guest, wishing to meet the Princess.”

Julia had learned of the dinner schedule at Diaroom from the Mina and Lena sisters. She had been with Carolina all afternoon and decided to attend, saying she should naturally meet the Princess.

The servant standing at the entrance to the banquet hall merely greeted the Leak princess without checking if she was invited.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m a classmate of Prince Patrick at Tane Academy. You look amazingly alike. I could believe you were Prince Patrick.”

Patricia carefully observed her as she spoke in a clear voice with precise pronunciation. She wasn’t a common beauty, but her unique charm captivated the eye.

Ah, she remembered.

The lady under the parasol who gave Harchen a water bottle wrapped in a handkerchief during the outdoor swordsmanship class, the one who got drunk on Astrazan at the Poeni tavern, who danced the waltz with Harchen…

Thinking back, they had encountered each other several times.

“You handle a sword, I hear? They say you were in command of this battle?”

It was Carolina’s question. Patricia hadn’t expected such a direct question, so she hesitated to answer.

“…Yes.”

Patricia answered simply, gripping her folding fan tightly. The fan was specially made by Patrick. An argentum rod was inserted at the very end of the folding fan.

Julia immediately followed up with a question.

“Oh my, then. Were you the prisoner who escaped from Fort Pana, Princess? I went to Fort Pana to deliver tonic pills to Harchen. But how did you end up in a national marriage?”

Patricia was at a loss for words at the princess’s question.

So, how did it come to a national marriage. Until escaping as a prisoner, she only thought of saving Patrick. Why did the Emperor accept the national marriage proposal?

“Julia! Show some respect to the one who will soon be the Empress. You two are still playing childishly well together.”

Alesia looked up from her book and glared at Princess Leak as she spoke. Then she took Patricia’s hand, which was tightly gripping the fan on her lap, and released it.

“Princess. Don’t mind them. Those two have been absorbed in playing make-believe without an audience since they were in the cradle. Actually, I’m also curious about the questions Carolina and Julia asked. But I think the intent behind the questions is fundamentally different. I personally have goodwill towards you, Princess. So I thought when we become closer…”

“My, who gave Alesia the right to speak?”

Empress Dowager Diana entered the banquet hall, speaking in a clear voice. The Empress Dowager sat down at the head of the table alongside Isabella.

“Princess. Was the White Palace comfortable?”

Isabella’s question.

“Yes, Karsik’s summer is not humid and is pleasant.”

The Empress Dowager picked up the champagne glass served as an aperitif and said, looking at Patricia,

“May Karsik’s golden sun be with you forever. Welcome, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

When the Empress Dowager set her glass down on the table, the servants brought out the food.

Patricia placed the folding fan with the argentum rod Patrick had given her on her lap, but did not remove the rod inserted in the fan ribs.

It was when Patricia was about to pick up the soup spoon from the array of cutlery and scoop up some soup.

“Just a moment, Princess.”

Alesia took out a thread-thin argentum rod from between the pages of her book.

“According to my confidential information, I’ve heard that poisoning incidents have been frequent in Tane recently. It’s suspected that the late Empress also died by poison, so I thought you might be uneasy about eating, so I…”

“Alesia. What kind of rude behavior is this?”

Isabella said in a quiet voice.

“Alesia, skip the private talk and get to the conclusion.”

The Empress Dowager said with a serious expression, erasing her eye smile.

“Yes, I think if we test a few dishes set before the Princess with this, she’ll be able to eat with peace of mind.”

“Well then, go ahead and try it.”

Alesia dipped the argentum rod into the soup bowl placed in front of Patricia. As soon as it was dipped, the silver rod turned dark green.

“Oh no!”

The people seated at the table covered their mouths in surprise. Patricia’s face turned pale blue.

Alesia took out three more thread-thin silver rods from between the pages of her thick book. She dipped one into the water glass placed in front of Patricia, and one into her own soup bowl. Neither changed color.

She stuck the last one into the salad plate placed in front of Patricia. In an instant, the rod turned dark green.

“Head butler! Bring the chef here immediately.”

The Empress Dowager, with trembling hands, pointed to the bowl in front of Patricia and instructed the chef, who had rushed in breathlessly, to eat the soup and salad.

The chef pleaded his innocence, but couldn’t quell the Empress Dowager’s anger.

“I apologize. It is indeed my responsibility. I will eat as Your Majesty commands.”

“Just a moment, Mother.”

It was Alesia again.

“Unless the chef is a fool, he wouldn’t have touched the food on a day like today. It doesn’t seem the best solution to feed him potentially poisoned food. For now, let’s have today’s meal brought in one bowl and divided here at this table.”

“Yes, Mother. I think it’s best to follow Alesia’s suggestion.”

The Empress Dowager looked at Patricia.

“I’m so ashamed before the Princess.”

Patricia was impressed by Alesia’s suggestion. If refused here, the meal would be stopped and the chef would have to eat the poisoned soup. Assassination of an enemy princess, poisoning of a national marriage bride-to-be. It would become a major incident.

“I agree with Lady Alesia’s wise opinion.”

At Patricia’s answer, the Empress Dowager instructed the chef to bring the food back and set it randomly at the table.

The chef pulled the towel around his neck to wipe his face, which was streaming with sweat like rain, as he left.

A heavy silence fell over the table.

*

In the maid’s waiting room, the Viser baronet sisters were holding hands tightly. Though it had only been two days since they parted, they asked after each other’s well-being as if they hadn’t met in a long time.

“Thanks to the young lady, Huan got a job at the Mathis trading company. As a supervisor, no less. As soon as the gold mining rights are decided, he’ll leave right away.”

Lena felt uneasy hearing that the Leak princess had helped not only Mina since childhood but also her boyfriend and lover, Huan.

It felt like she might ask for something tremendous after helping like this. She got goosebumps all over her body at the feeling of deep sin and concentrated evil energy rising.

“This is what the young lady gave me. In three or four days, the court doctor will give medicine to supplement the body. She told me to switch one of the five pills with this.”

“What kind of pill is this?”

“A contraceptive pill.”

“Ah!”

Just then, a commotion was heard from Diaroom. Lena, who heard the situation from the servant guarding the dining room entrance, went to the waiting room with a pale face. She grabbed her younger sister Mina’s shoulders.

“Mina, did the princess use poison today by any chance?”

“No, why? What happened?”

After hearing Lena’s explanation, Mina said,

“It’s definitely not the princess. I personally got this pill from Old Man Chen’s pharmacy in Oro Alley.”

“If the princess asks you to do anything, make sure to tell me. Understand?”

“I will. You be careful too, sister. They say the princess handles swords. They say she even cut the Emperor’s neck with a sword and left a wound.”

The chef brought the food on a movable tray and served it on plates at the side table. Maids and servants set the table.

Patricia had completely lost her appetite. But she couldn’t not eat, so she ate a little. Everyone except Alesia nibbled at the food with uneasy expressions.

“I plan to take the entrance exam for Tane Academy next year.”

Alesia asked Patricia about Tane Academy while finishing all of her steak.

After the meal, they moved to the tea room for dessert. The Empress Dowager, saying she felt a migraine coming on, left first.

As the Empress Dowager and her maids left the tea room, Alesia took off her shoes, threw them aside, and sat sideways on the sofa. She put on her round glasses, opened a thick book on her lap, and lowered her head.

Isabella asked Patricia if she had chosen the wedding dress material and design well and if the maids were taking good care of things.

“Princess.”

It was Princess Leak.

“From age six until now, Harchen has been the only man for me.”

“Ah!”

Patricia was flustered. At the same time, she suddenly remembered.

Patrick had told the Emperor there was a woman with whom marriage talks were ongoing. She thought they must be quite close if they were on a first-name basis.

Carolina had said that after graduating from the academy, marriage talks between Princess Leak and the Emperor were postponed due to the late Emperor’s passing.

“Princess, I have been rude.”

Princess Leak pressed her hand to her chest and slightly bowed her head towards Patricia.

“I asked Harchen if he loved you, and he said, ‘Talk of love in a national marriage?'”

Julia leaned forward on the sofa she was sitting on and took Patricia’s hand. It was bare, without gloves. Cold and clammy.

“So I ask you, Princess. Please recommend me as the Empress.”

The moment she heard those words from the princess, Patricia felt as if hot water had been splashed on her face, hot and stinging.

“That, I think, is for His Majesty and you to decide, Princess.”

Patricia barely managed to answer.

“Yes, then I’ll take it that you agree, Princess.”

Patricia asked Isabella for permission to leave first. She walked as quickly as possible out of the main palace and went to the White Palace. Lena and Sir Bern followed.

While walking in the garden, she sat on a bench under a lilac tree. Lena stood under the lilac tree, silently tapping the lilac branches.

The scent of lilacs fell in drops.

Right. Talk of love in a strategic national marriage. But then why did he kiss me? He’s a playboy. After spending nearly twenty years with such a cute princess.

Well, I did it for Patrick too. Let’s go to Tane after treating Patrick’s illness here. Let’s help Patrick become Emperor. Let’s end everything as originally planned and go to the seaside of Eva and Torun.

I’ll ask for a divorce first.

It was the moment her afternoon’s resolution completely changed.

Patricia glared towards the Emperor’s office. The black glass windows gleamed in the dark, unlit space.