Though monopolizing the color was burdensome, the dress design itself was also groundbreaking.

Of course, it wasn’t as deeply cut in the front and back as the last evening dress, but it was shaped to completely expose the shoulders.

As the palace gardens spread out in the distance and the carriage slowed down, I covered my shoulders with a shawl I had prepared in advance. It was thanks to Angela, who secretly brought it to me after Countess Korhena took it away, saying it was absolutely not allowed.

Ricardo stared at me intently. I thought he might find me somewhat unsophisticated compared to the young ladies of the Dermaier nobility. Even so, I strongly wanted to appear less exposed to others’ eyes at the moment.

“It’s a bit chilly.”

I swallowed hard after giving an answer to an unasked question. Loud enough for Ricardo to hear in the surrounding silence.

“There’s no need to be nervous.”

“It’s not like I can just stop being nervous because I don’t want to be.”

The carriage stopped and Freddie opened the door. It seemed he still accompanied on important schedules. As Freddie extended his hand towards me, I gathered my courage and stood up.

But Ricardo blocked me and got out first, allowing me a moment to catch my breath.

As I grasped the arm he extended for escort, Ricardo squeezed my hand tightly. It meant not to be nervous.

‘How considerate of him.’

Timidly mocking him only in my mind, I raised my head to look at the palace.

“Wow…”

The palace, unfolding so magnificently that it made me momentarily forget my situation, was dazzlingly splendid.

If the Rochester ducal residence gave a heavy and elegant feeling, the palace was more sleek and brilliant in comparison. To the point where I had to squint for a moment to adjust to the surrounding scenery.

While I was looking around with a dumbfounded expression, palace attendants flocked towards us. As I reflexively took a step back, Ricardo pulled my hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. The pressure I felt immediately calmed my mind.

People bowed deeply to him in greeting, but Ricardo didn’t spare them a glance.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Though he walked slower than usual to accommodate me, his gait was effortlessly agile and graceful. Even as a child, Ricardo had the talent of making his surroundings seem like his backdrop, but I didn’t know he could make even the palace seem to exist for him.

I glanced at him a little before entering the interior he was guiding me to.

The slightly cooler and chilly air inside made my body shiver a bit.

In fact, the trembling that started last night had even robbed me of the sweet sleep of my weary life.

‘I really don’t want to go in.’

What on earth was happening in my life, where the most important daily concerns were whether Sam from the lower town selling milk would come today or tomorrow, and how many eggs the chickens in the coop had laid?

“Lienne.”

Ricardo’s gentle voice automatically drew my gaze. While knowing I should live up to his expectations, looking into his eyes involuntarily stirred up resentment towards Harold.

If only Harold had told me about that wooden sword beforehand.

If he had explained how sacred that black forest was.

I wouldn’t be here like this now.

‘This is all Harold’s fault!’

“Harold?”

“What?”

“You’re calling out that man’s name again.”

Sensing Ricardo’s eyes turn cold for a moment, I quickly lowered my head. They say even desperate words uttered in one’s mind can be heard. I didn’t even shout that loudly this time… At this rate, shouldn’t mind-reading be included in the powers of Roche?

“Who exactly is that man?”

“A friend, as I told you before.”

In truth, it wasn’t resentment towards Harold, but rather misplaced resentment that had lost its target.

“But why did you call me?”

“To tell you there’s no need to worry, as you seem to be trembling a lot right now.”

The long corridor we walked through with Ricardo was lined with splendid paintings and beautiful sculptures.

His voice echoed lower than usual due to the high ceiling.

At his genuinely concerned tone, I glanced at his face again. His eyes were fixed on the shawl covering my shoulders. Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I cleared my throat while fidgeting with the shawl.

“It’s just a bit chilly inside the building. I’m really fine. It’s natural to be nervous visiting the palace for the first time, isn’t it?”

As we reached the audience chamber, the massive doors opened heavily without a sound.

The audience chamber was reminiscent of the scale of a banquet hall in any mansion. However, unlike other banquet halls, it was shaped like a long rectangle. At the end was a platform as tall as a person, and atop it sat the imperial throne. The throne was entirely made of gold. Even the eagle figure decorating the right side of the throne, symbolizing Dermaier, was golden.

It was an enormous sculpture, so intricately crafted that when we first entered the audience chamber, I mistook it for a real eagle.

As we approached, I instinctively shrank my neck, feeling as if the giant golden eagle might come to life at any moment and bite my throat.

“His Majesty will arrive shortly.”

The attendant who guided us bowed politely before leaving the audience chamber. After he left, knights in perfect ceremonial attire entered and lined up on both sides.

Just looking at them made my neck stiffen involuntarily. Not long after the knights took their positions, the emperor appeared through the door connected to the left side of the platform.

The man with dazzling golden hair that fell to his shoulders and eyes of an indescribable color walked steadily to take his seat.

Plopping down carelessly enough to make a sound from his clothes, the emperor had a face startlingly similar to the crown prince I had seen in a wheelchair not long ago.

His appearance, which made it difficult to guess his age, and his inscrutable gaze exuded an indescribable sense of intimidation.

He stared down at Ricardo and me for a while without saying anything.

I tried to break away from Ricardo to pay proper respects to the emperor. But Ricardo didn’t loosen his grip on my arm. It was impossible for me to break free unless he let go.

“We greet Your Imperial Majesty.”

Ricardo paid his respects without even bowing his head. The emperor didn’t even spare him a glance. Focusing his gaze solely on me, he spoke abruptly.

“I would believe you to be a phoenix.”

‘Me?’

So he’s talking to me now. You mean I’m just like a phoenix that can’t be killed no matter how hard you try, is that what you’re saying? A wave of fear washed over me, making me dizzy.

The two men continued their conversation as if they had neither said nor heard such terrible words.

“Congratulations on your engagement.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

At first glance, it seemed like a rather peaceful scene from a play, but that play rushed towards catastrophe without a moment to breathe.

It was because the emperor simply stood up and left through the door he had entered.

And that was the end. It felt like he had just shown his face to pay off a promised debt.

In a way, it was understandable. From the emperor’s perspective, Ricardo was a person who had come into the world branded as a traitor. It was unlikely that the emperor, who couldn’t freely deal with someone who claimed his position by divine right, would look kindly upon him.

It was fortunate for me that I could see the emperor briefly, but my fear of him had only grown.

Six months later, the emperor seemed like someone who would order me killed again, if only to confirm whether a phoenix was truly an immortal being or not.

“Hah…”

As my legs gave out and I was about to collapse after the emperor left, Ricardo grabbed my waist to support me.

“If it’s too difficult, let’s just return to the mansion.”

“No, no.”

Then I’d have to come back here later, wouldn’t I?

According to what I heard before coming, the emperor wasn’t the only person I had to meet at the palace today. I had to meet the crown prince, as well as Chaplin and the young lord Paquin, and also visit the Grand Temple within the palace. When I heard that the Grand Priest, who should be at the Grand Temple on the border, was in the palace, I nearly fainted.

So if I gave up and left today, it meant I would have to come back to this terrifying place someday.

Only after leaving the castle with the audience chamber and facing the vast garden did I feel my senses returning a bit. As the surroundings overflowed with warm energy and I could even hear the sound of water flowing from a distant canal, my trembling subsided considerably.

There were flowers everywhere my eyes landed. As I was gazing at the flowers swaying aimlessly in the wind, Freddie, who had been waiting in front of the castle with the audience chamber, approached.

“Young lord, the Grand Priest wishes to see you separately.”

“The Grand Priest?”

Ricardo briefly furrowed his brow and glanced at me. Seeing the clear annoyance on his face, I realized it was the first time today he had shown any emotion.

“Guide Lienne to the crown prince’s palace. Don’t leave her to the palace attendants, escort her yourself. Don’t let her enter the palace.”

“Understood.”

Ricardo gave orders to Freddie and ran his hand through his hair. The cold tone, completely different from when he spoke to me, made me tense involuntarily. He let out a barely noticeable sigh and then turned to face me completely.