Arriving at the Palace the next morning, I sensed something different than yesterday. The air felt charged, heavier.
I walked inside, followed by Adel, Cassius, and Valerie.
Eyes were flying toward us from every direction. The servants paused in their cleaning, the guards tightened their grips on their spears, and the nobles whispering in the corridors fell silent as we passed.
As we approached the familiar intersection, Flavia was waiting for me, just like yesterday. We walked up to her.
Flavia curtsied deeply. "My Lady, I will continue to accompany you while you are in the Palace."
I was surprised. With my own retinue fully reinstated, I thought her duty was over.
"Is that necessary, Flavia?" I asked. "Or is your companionship an order from the Palace?"
"My Lady is right; the order to stay beside you is still ongoing," Flavia explained, keeping her head bowed respectfully. "Even though your maid and your guards are allowed to stay beside you wherever you go, the Palace still wants one servant to accompany you."
I glanced back at Adel. She kept silent, her face unreadable.
I turned back to Flavia. "Well then, you may stay with me."
We continued to walk to the Arch-Treasury hall. Flavia led the way.
Arriving at the hall, the first thing we felt was the heavy, tangible stare from the other nobles. It was a physical weight. As we walked down the corridor, I could hear snippets of conversation—hushed tones speaking badly about me.
I fell into step beside Flavia.
"May you tell me," I whispered, "which peerage rank the nobles in here hold?"
"Most of them are Counts," Flavia answered quietly. "The highest peerage rank in this hall is Marquis. If it is about peerage rank, I think My Lady is the highest one in this hall."
What!!
I nearly stopped walking. I was the highest-ranking noble here? How could the Royal Court not have higher-ranking officials in such a vital department? A Duke's daughter outranking everyone in the Treasury?
We arrived in front of the Arch-Treasury door. Before I could reach for the handle, it swung open.
Lady Hillaria and Lady Clara stood there, smiling.
After knowing the truth about their families from the book—the military Antia family and the manipulative Aliena family—I felt different about them. A cold wall rose in my heart. I wanted to distance myself.
"Good morning, Lady Aurelia," Lady Clara greeted me warmly.
"Good morning, Lady Clara, Lady Hillaria," I answered politely.
Hillaria didn't look at me. Her eyes were fixed on Adel, scanning her from boots to hair ribbon. Then her gaze shifted to Cassius, sizing him up with a warrior's appraisal.
Nudge.
Clara bumped Hillaria's arm with her own.
"Do what I told you!!" Clara hissed through her teeth.
Hillaria sighed, stepped forward, and bowed to me.
"Lady Aurelia… I offer you my apology. May you forgive me for what I did yesterday to your guard."
I looked at her. It was a rare sight for a noble of her standing to bow to another in apology.
"I have told you, Lady Hillaria," I said gently. "Don't make this matter a feud or grow a grudge between us. I accept your apology. May you stand up right now; it is quite embarrassing for a noble like you to bow like this."
Hillaria straightened up, looking relieved.
I looked at both of them. "After what happened yesterday, let us not let our relationship stretch thin. Let us not grow a grudge between us... and not let our tea time be disturbed by this. May we go inside and do our best?"
"Agreed!" Clara beamed.
We went inside. I walked to the main desk where Livio sat.
He looked up, startled by the size of my entourage.
"Why are there new faces here?" he demanded. "And where is the other guard who was with you yesterday?"
"These people will stay with me," I stated firmly. "The other guard is no longer with me."
Livio pointed a shaking finger at Adel. "She can stay with you. The others cannot."
"But the Palace allows them to stay with me, wherever and whenever I am in the Palace," I countered.
"Sure, the Palace allows it," Livio huffed, crossing his arms. "But in this room, I don't allow it. It's too crowded!"
I looked at Cassius and Valerie. They looked ready to argue, but I raised a hand.
"Well, you two can stay in the garden," I told them. "Find Flavia, the maid from before. Ask her to prepare a place for me; she will know it."
They nodded and left the room.
I went to my desk and started my work.
…
Just a few hours later, the bell chimed.
Clang. Clang.
The job was done. It was barely three hours of work.
Like yesterday, Lady Clara and Lady Hillaria immediately invited me to tea time. We left the room and headed to the garden.
At the garden, Flavia had already prepared our usual pavilion. Cassius and Valerie were waiting there, leaning against the pillars, looking bored.
I went to them first.
"What did you do while waiting for me?" I asked.
Valerie rolled her eyes. "We were just waiting here, listening to some bullshitery from the other nobles passing by."
I suppressed a smile and sat down at the table with Clara and Hillaria.
…
As we sipped our tea, Lady Clara leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Has Lady Aurelia heard about the rumor?"
"The rumor?" I asked innocently.
"I hope the rumor does not affect you, Lady Aurelia," Hillaria added, looking at me over the rim of her cup.
"May one of you tell me about this rumor?"
Clara set her cup down. "Is Lady Aurelia aware of the rumor of the Crown Prince being in a relationship?"
"Ah! With Lady Anna. I am aware of that rumor."
"That rumor has been circulating around the Kingdom for seven years," Clara nodded.
Not into my territory or my home, apparently, I thought bitterly.
"But the rumor has been disturbed by you, Lady Aurelia," Clara said meaningfully.
"By me???"
"Yes. You know, the Crown Prince's invitation to you yesterday was big news around the Capital."
"Big news?"
"People thought the Crown Prince's partner would be Lady Anna," Clara explained. "But now they think Lady Aurelia stole him from her. And since you have a higher rank than Lady Anna… it is quite the scandal."
"May I ask a question to both of you?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"What do both of you think about the relationship between the Crown Prince and Lady Anna?"
They looked at each other, hesitant.
"You can tell me truthfully," I pressed.
They still looked eager to avoid the question, but finally, Clara spoke.
"I think their relationship is like a friendship," she said carefully. "I don't find any intimacy or romance between them… but the public sees it differently. They see their relationship as intimate and romantic. Even though there is a rumor that both of them are betrothed."
I turned my gaze to Hillaria. "How about Lady Hillaria? What do you think about this?"
Hillaria shrugged, popping a sweet into her mouth. "I don't really care about their relationship."
Typical.
These two were on the Royal side. What would happen if I told them about my betrothal with the Crown Prince? Would they believe it? Would they report it?
I looked at Adel, who was standing a few paces away. I waved her over.
She stepped to my side immediately. I leaned up and whispered.
"Can I tell them about my betrothal?"
Adel frowned slightly. "I advise not to tell them, My Lady."
"Is there any reason for that? Will it break the betrothal if someone knows?"
"It is not about that," Adel whispered back. "Their families are on the Royal's side. Are you sure you want to tell them about this?"
"Well, if it harms me, I will try to think about it later. But for now… I think it won't harm me."
"If My Lady insists, I cannot do anything to stop you. At least I have advised My Lady about it."
"Thanks for your advice."
Adel bowed and stepped back to Cassius and Valerie.
"Is there a problem, Lady Aurelia?" Clara asked, watching the exchange curiously.
"There is nothing," I smiled. "I just asked her something."
I took a deep breath. "Apart from the Crown Prince and Lady Anna rumor, there is something that I want to tell you about."
Hillaria put down her treat and her tea. She sat up straight. "It must be something important if Lady Aurelia needs to confirm it with your maid."
"I don't know if this is an important matter or not, like Lady Hillaria said… but… I want both of you to keep it secret until it becomes public."
Their faces grew serious, preparing for a revelation. I took a slow sip of tea to steady my nerves.
I put down the cup.
"What will happen if I tell both of you that the Crown Prince and I are betrothed?"
…
Silence fell over the table.
Both of them stared at me. Clara mechanically stirred her tea. Clink. Clink. Clink.
Finally, Clara spoke, her voice breathless. "Is that sort of a pun from you, Lady Aurelia?"
"It is not a pun," I said calmly. "It is the truth."
Hillaria narrowed her eyes. "Is there any merit to Lady Aurelia telling us this matter?"
I was confused by her cynicism. "What do you mean by merit?"
"I just feel there is another reason why Lady Aurelia told that to us," Hillaria said sharply. "For example, you want us to influence you in the Palace."
"Why do you have a thought like that, Lady Hillaria?"
"Because of your family," she stated bluntly. "All of the nobles in here are not the same as you, Lady Aurelia. You are the highest noble in this hall—or, I can say, in the Court. So I think your statement is a tool or chance to influence other nobles to be with you… or that you being here is a chance for your family to influence the Royal Court."
"For what merit does my family need to influence the Royal Court?"
"Well… there is some of it," Hillaria countered. "Your family occupies a quarter of this Kingdom, while the Royals themselves occupy less than your family. All of the direct Royal vassals are Viscounts and Counts. The Royal Family itself does not hold a Duchy; all the Royal lands are Counties. So a Duke can easily take over or influence all the Royal vassals with his power."
She leaned forward, her eyes intense. "This Kingdom consists of eight Duchies, but still, the biggest influence and power is in your family, not in the Royals. So to tell us you are betrothed with the Crown Prince, and there is still no publicity about that… It feels like you were trying to influence us to go on your side, not on the Royal side."
Suddenly, her tone dropped, becoming fierce and accusing.
"…..or your family is trying to seize the Kingdom."
Tension snapped across the table like a whip.
Lady Clara laughed nervously, trying to diffuse the situation. "Wellllll... I think Lady Aurelia will be suitable for the Crown Prince if the betrothal is true. And to say 'seize the Kingdom,' I think that is too far to be true…"
Hillaria turned on her. "Clara, you are from the Aliena family. Why do you act like that?"
"Because I don't want my relationship with Lady Aurelia to become distant," Clara retorted.
Just as the book said. Hillaria, the Antia, was fiercely loyal to the Royals—a guard dog barking at a threat. Clara, the Aliena, was manipulative—trying to keep me close, spreading her hook.
Suddenly, their expressions changed. Their arguments died in their throats. They stared at my face in horror.
"There is blood on your mouth, Lady Aurelia…" Clara whispered.
"Blood?"
I touched my mouth. My fingers came away red.
In an instant, Adel, Cassius, and Valerie were beside me.
"My Lady!" Adel gasped. "We need to go back home immediately."
She helped me stand up. My legs felt weak.
"Is there something wrong, Lady Aurelia?" Clara asked, standing up in concern.
"She is just not in great condition," Adel snapped, cutting off any further questions.
"I am alright, Lady Clara," I tried to say, forcing a smile. "Thanks for your concer—-COUGH! COUGH!"
Blood sprayed from my lips, spattering the white tablecloth.
Without a word, Cassius swept me up into his arms, lifting me effortlessly.
"Go! Now!" Adel ordered.
We rushed out of the garden. Cassius strode with purpose, practically running toward the exit. Everyone's eyes were on us—the nobles in the garden, the guards in the palace corridors.
My vision began to blur. The sounds of the palace faded into a dull roar.
I heard Valerie and Adel exchanging hurried whispers as we moved.
"Will she be like before?" Valerie asked, panic in her voice.
"This one… there is no trigger for this," Adel replied grimly. "If you are talking about that incident, that was because she got triggered by emotions. But this time… it is just a weekly or daily state."
"So is it safe then?"
"Yes… I can handle it this time… if she loses control."
That was the last thing I heard before the darkness took me.