Chapter 177
After setting down the invitation, Alice put on a bonnet with an attractive red ribbon and gloves she rarely wore.
Then, with a handbag that matched perfectly with her walking dress of beige and purple, Alice left the mansion looking every bit the perfect noblewoman and boarded the carriage.
“Travel safely, my lady.”
“Yes.”
As Alice conveyed her farewell with a smile, Aileen closed the carriage door.
Ruyd, mounted on his horse, spoke through the carriage window.
“My lady, we will depart now.”
“Yes.”
As the carriage set off for the imperial palace, Alice exhaled a deep, tense breath.
“I can do this.”
Everything on her side was perfectly prepared anyway.
She had received the invitation yesterday and had already finished discussing everything with the Chief Deity.
‘The moment your blood touches the magic circle, I will know. I’ll come down in time to save you, so don’t worry.’
Of course, she was somewhat concerned about Kylus, who would see her fall into the trap…
But she had given Kylus advance notice last night, so it should be fine.
‘…Will it really be fine?’
Despite her confidence in everything else, Alice couldn’t completely shake her unease about Kylus.
Because of his expression last night.
Unlike Alice, who brightly said everything would soon be over, Kylus’s gaze had been strangely subdued.
The emotion in his dark eyes wasn’t worry, but rather something like… sorrow?
That kind of emotion.
‘Is there something bad happening that I don’t know about?’
She felt uneasy and couldn’t dismiss the discomfort, but she couldn’t continue thinking about Kylus.
Because while she was lost in thought, the carriage had already arrived at the imperial palace.
“My lady. We have arrived at Her Majesty the Empress’s palace.”
Ruyd’s voice sounded.
As she stepped out of the carriage, she saw someone waiting for her in front of the palace.
Countess Hestils, the head lady-in-waiting of the Empress’s Palace who had delivered the invitation to her yesterday.
Alice approached her with leisurely steps, neither too fast nor too slow.
“Duchess Dearrut.”
As Alice stopped, the countess and the maids standing behind her bowed their heads in greeting.
In response, Alice felt anew her changed position.
When she first came to the Empress’s Palace, she had been dragged by Countess Hestils without so much as an invitation.
Moreover, the maids of the Empress’s Palace hadn’t waited for her in front of the palace and greeted her like this.
But now they were not only following protocol but also welcoming her with hospitality befitting the reputation of the Dearrut Duchy.
She had become a force to be reckoned with for the Empress.
Perhaps because of this, the tension that had stiffened her shoulders relaxed considerably.
Just then, Countess Hestils raised her head and continued.
“Her Majesty the Empress is in the garden. Please follow me, Duchess.”
The garden… that place from before?
Alice nodded her head lightly and followed Countess Hestils into the palace.
And her prediction was correct.
The Empress was sitting under a large gazebo in the garden of white flowers, the place where they first met.
In the same beautiful appearance as that day.
For a moment, she felt a strange sensation, as if she had returned to that time, but no matter how similar the setting, she was different now from who she was then.
Too many things had changed.
Unlike that time, Alice walked toward the gazebo where the Empress was, without hesitation, before Countess Hestils could even open her mouth.
As Alice entered the gazebo without permission, the end of the Empress’s straight eyebrows rose slightly, as if displeased.
However, Alice pretended not to notice the Empress’s displeased expression and calmly paid her respects.
In abbreviated form, at that.
“I greet Her Majesty the Empress, the moon of the Empire.”
“…Raise your head, Duchess.”
The Empress, who answered after a beat, offered Alice a seat as she raised her head.
“Please sit.”
“Yes.”
Alice took a seat opposite the Empress.
But contrary to her composure until just now, Alice hesitated when she saw the table.
This was because the desserts and tea set on the table were exactly the same as at their first meeting.
And this place too.
Alice loosened her slightly stiffened expression and raised her gaze to the Empress.
“Nothing has changed here since that day. The beautiful flowers, the tea, the desserts. It’s as if time has stopped only in this place, Your Majesty.”
“My, you remember that day. That’s right. I wanted to spend a special time with you today, so I prepared everything exactly the same as our first meeting.”
The Empress opened her eyes wide as if surprised, then smiled benevolently.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think the Empress had prepared something special for Alice.
But Alice was not someone who didn’t know better.
Special time, my foot.
She had deliberately prepared everything the same as that day to displease her.
That day, unlike now, the Empress had a definite upper hand, and she had been terrified.
As Alice watched silently, the Empress spoke softly.
“Actually, I was worried that the Duchess might not remember our first meeting. That day, you were so nervous that you couldn’t even properly take a sip of tea before leaving.”
The Empress clicked her tongue, “Tsk,” as if she had been very concerned about Alice then, and continued.
“When people are too nervous, they tend to forget what they said or did.”
The Empress wore a virtuous expression, pretending to be concerned for Alice, but Alice wasn’t swayed at all.
‘If that’s what you want, I should properly show you I understand the situation.’
“Yes. I was so nervous then that I couldn’t even taste the tea. But now many things have changed, so I’m fine.”
She met the Empress’s gaze with complete composure.
“Your Majesty must know better. How much the world outside the Empress’s Palace has changed.”
As she raised the corners of her mouth smoothly, as if to show her firm resolve, the corners of the Empress’s mouth stiffened slightly.
But only for a moment. The Empress let out a faint laugh, “Phew,” and answered.
“Indeed, that’s true. Truly, much has changed. Clearly, everything was peaceful until this spring…”
The Empress let her words trail off as if reminiscing about a happy past, then said to Alice.
“Strangely enough, since the Dearrut Duchy gained a mistress, there hasn’t been a peaceful day in the Empire. Perhaps because you’re from the countryside with no experience in institutions, the events you’ve triggered have been quite turbulent, Duchess.”
The Empress subtly, or rather, blatantly disparaged Alice by citing her background.
However, Alice, showing no sign of being affected, instead opened her eyes wide and said.
“My goodness, what do you mean by events I’ve triggered? Your Majesty, I’ve done nothing. I merely helped injured people and rescued those in danger.”
“…”
“And the one who caused a great disturbance in the Empire was… rather Axion, ah, no longer a prince but just Axion, isn’t it?”
Alice deliberately brought up the Empress’s biological son, feigning innocence.
At this, the Empress’s violet eyes turned fierce for a moment.
Unlike before, it seemed quite difficult for her to contain her anger this time.
Especially seeing how she was biting her lip.
Alice simply observed the Empress quietly.
As if to say, whatever you do won’t affect me.
As if mocking the Empress’s boiling insides, she asked.
“Your Majesty, your complexion doesn’t look good. Are you feeling unwell?”
Her eyes blinked as if she knew nothing.
For a moment, the Empress’s expression cracked, but she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.
Eventually, the Empress released her tightly bitten lip and slowly opened her mouth.
“…I’m fine. And as you said, it was my foolish son who caused the disturbance. But it seems different rumors are currently stirring up the Empire.”
“By rumors, you mean…”
“I’m talking about the story of the oracle that came from the temple.”
Finally, here we go.
Alice slightly hardened her expression, which had been feigning innocence until now.
The Empress observed her and then waved her hand once toward the surrounding maids without saying a word.
In response, Countess Hestils, as if she had been waiting, left the garden with the maids and servants.
After they had completely disappeared, the Empress turned to Alice.
“I hear an oracle has descended on the temple after 100 years. And only to High Priest Prion, in secret.”
“…”
When Alice said nothing, pretending to be bewildered, the Empress lowered her voice as if telling a confidential story.
“But the content of that oracle was truly ominous. They say it’s an extraordinary message that the Chief Deity will send a hero to this land to eradicate all evil forces.”
“…Is that so?”
Alice answered slowly, as if there was something more to it.
At this, the Empress’s smile deepened.
“People are debating the authenticity of the oracle, but I know it’s real. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a connection in the temple.”
“I know. I remember the threat you made before.”
Haha.
Suddenly, as if unable to contain herself, the Empress burst into laughter.
She waved her hand as if to dispel the laughter and said.
“Ah, a threat… Yes. If the Duchess says so, then I suppose it was. Anyway, that’s not what’s important now.”
Alice narrowed her brow slightly and asked.
“What is it you want to say to me?”
The Empress gazed at Alice with deepened eyes and said.
“No matter how much I think about it, it seems the hero of the oracle is none other than our Duchess. I called you because I wanted to properly see the face of the hero.”
“Your Majesty…”
The Empress raised her hand to stop Alice’s words.
“Don’t think about denying it. As I said earlier, I’m someone with quite significant connections in the temple. Besides, I know your holy power better than anyone else.”
‘She’s more certain than I expected.’
The Empress was speaking not to probe her but as if she had already reached a conclusion.
‘Then I just need to drive the point home.’
Alice deliberately hardened her face and opened her mouth.
“Since you know everything, I won’t deny it any further. Your Majesty’s thinking is correct. The hero chosen by the Chief Deity is indeed me.”
