Chapter 5 Part 8
‘Somehow, I think I can do well.’
Throwing a ball into a goal seemed easy enough. Elia’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Aksion.
“Shall we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
“A wish. The loser grants the winner a wish!”
Elia spoke confidently. Aksion, seemingly interested, nodded.
“Alright.”
The two stood side by side in front of the stall.
Each had ten balls.
The one who threw the most balls into the goals would be the winner.
“Ready, start!”
At the vendor’s signal, Elia grabbed a ball first. The red ball arched towards the goal.
Thunk.
“Oh, so close.”
The ball hit the goalpost and dropped. It was just the beginning. Elia focused and threw the next ball.
Two, then three…
Elia successfully scored seven goals in total.
‘Hmm, this isn’t bad, right?’
She glanced at Aksion.
Aksion’s face turned serious. His eyes fixed intently on the goal.
‘Why does it feel like…’
The atmosphere had shifted, becoming more intense. Was it just her imagination?
Aksion’s ball went through the goal. Then the next, and the next.
He successfully scored all ten goals without missing a single one.
“Wow, you did well despite the distance! Here’s the first prize!”
The vendor handed over a small wooden rabbit figurine. It was a delicate piece, surprisingly luxurious for a night market prize.
Aksion placed it in Elia’s hands.
“Here you go.”
There was no need for excuses; Elia had lost fair and square.
She wasn’t without a competitive spirit, but losing cleanly left no regrets.
Elia held the wooden figurine and stroked it for a long time.
“This is the first time I’ve received something like this.”
The treasures she received as a princess were never as warm as this.
Elia cherished the figurine.
“Thank you, Aksion. What’s your wish?”
“I’ll save it for later.”
Aksion deflected with a smile.
The warm night air, the bustling noise, everything about the street was beautiful.
‘I want to give him something too.’
Even though she had lost the bet and received a gift.
Elia looked around. She spotted a stall selling handkerchiefs. But it wasn’t just selling them.
“We can transfer a drawing onto a handkerchief here.”
It was a popular dyeing technique.
Not embroidery, but still…
It seemed like a meaningful gift.
Elia sat down and started drawing on the board. She chose black paint and moved the brush around the board.
“Are you done?”
“Yes, though it might not be perfect…”
Elia awkwardly handed over the board.
The vendor expertly placed a handkerchief under the board and pressed it down.
“All done!”
The vendor handed over the handkerchief. A small black beast was drawn on it.
Seeing the drawing, Aksion muttered.
“Is this a dog?”
“No, it’s supposed to be a black panther…”
Elia had intended to draw a beast resembling Aksion but ended up with a puppy.
‘I guess I’m not good at drawing.’
Realizing this, Elia’s shoulders slumped.
Aksion took the handkerchief and looked at it for a long time.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
His words offered some comfort.
The two of them held hands and walked through the cool night air.
Spring’s breeze is peculiar. The warm breeze often stirs one’s emotions.
“Aren’t you going to use your wish today?”
“You didn’t say there was an expiration date.”
What is he planning to wish for, saving it like this?
Elia was curious but didn’t ask. She was happy enough already.
“Did you enjoy the date?”
“Yes, very much.”
It was her first time participating in such a festival.
It was more fun than balls or tea parties.
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
Without him, she wouldn’t have had such a wonderful night.
Elia added a small word.
“…I think it was even better because I was with you, Aksion.”
“I feel the same.”
They wandered the night market until all the lights went out.
Their entwined hands felt warm, like the warmth of spring.
* * *
The next day after a dreamlike date, Elia found herself at the Violice Palace, the Empress’s residence.
‘Summoned just like that,’ she thought with a sigh.
The Empress’s attendants had arrived at the Second House early in the morning, causing a commotion. Although it had been scheduled, Elia was not in the best of moods. She entered the opulent palace with a resigned sigh.
“Princess Elia has arrived,” the attendant announced as she signaled her entry. Shortly after, the door to the reception room opened.
The Empress’s cold eyes were fixed on Elia.
“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Elia said with a bow.
“What are you doing? Sit down,” the Empress commanded.
As Elia sat, a lavish array of refreshments was placed before them. Before even lifting her tea, Empress Rubieno spoke.
“Truly, Elia, I am so very disappointed in you.” Her elegant tone was marked by a deep sigh, like one burdened with worry.
“Violet traveled all the way to the distant north, and you turned her away so heartlessly.”
Her gaze clearly conveyed her disappointment. In the past, Elia would have been overwhelmed by such a look from the Empress. Whether it was true or not, everything always seemed to become her fault.
Seeing Elia’s silence, the Empress seemed to believe she was frightened and continued speaking.
“How could you turn away a child who came to her sister with a wounded heart? Don’t you feel any pity for your sister?”
“Your Majesty, there seems to be some misunderstanding. I never told Violet to leave,” Elia replied calmly, her composed demeanor only fueling the Empress’s anger.
“How could you hurt Violet knowing all that?” the Empress exclaimed, slamming the table, causing the tea cups to rattle and spill hot tea onto Elia. Despite the scalding liquid soaking her dress, none of the Empress’s maids made any move to help.
It was a situation that would intimidate anyone. Yet, Elia remained unfazed. After all, it was all part of her plan.
‘It’s my doing,’ she thought.
The perfectly timed newspaper articles and the arrival of Violet were all orchestrated by Elia. The royal family had desperately tried to suppress the newspapers that published Kanus’s articles. However, one new newspaper continued to expose Kanus’s corruption without restraint.
The newspaper, Monien, released new reports every morning. The owner of Monien remained shrouded in mystery.
‘The newspaper is mine,’ Elia thought, as she maintained constant contact with Rien, the head of the Valunize branch. Rien proved to be more helpful than she had anticipated. Valunize’s abilities were crucial in hiding the newspaper’s true ownership and evading those who tried to uncover the truth.
‘I have more than enough money to buy information or move people,’ Elia thought, making good use of the dowry she received from the royal family. She sighed as she watched her dress get wetter.
“I tried to stop it, but I didn’t expect things to turn out this way,” she said.
“What kind of excuse is that?” The Empress’s voice was icy as she frowned. Even Rubieno vaguely sensed that Elia was not acting like her usual self. Yet, she did not realize the full extent of it. Instead, she perceived Elia’s demeanor as insolence and pressed on harder.
“Then you should have taken responsibility and handled it properly.”
The sound of her tongue clicking echoed through the room.
“Sir Kanus probably did it to gain the royal family’s favor. Things went wrong somehow. Didn’t you escalate the situation unnecessarily?” The Empress blamed Elia for everything that had happened.
‘How predictable,’ Elia thought, struggling to suppress the smile that kept tugging at her lips. But it was becoming impossible. The Empress noticed her smile and her eyes narrowed sharply.
“Are you laughing?” she asked.
“Well, perhaps it’s because Sir Kanus’s misconduct was so intolerable,” Elia said openly.
The Empress fell silent at Elia’s blatant sarcasm, giving her a chance to speak.
“Isn’t it fortunate that the truth is revealed now, Mother? Slavery in this day and age? Just hearing about it is horrifying.”
