Chapter 6: To You Who Have Forgotten Me (3)
No, he returned not just whole, but as a fully grown and commanding man.
At the sight of him, Marguerite ground her teeth in fury. Now, Marguerite was deep in thought.
The only option left was that wretched, insignificant fiancée of his.
The princess from Ainel. The hostage everyone despised. That pitiful girl might be the only excuse left to strike at Caius.
And yet now, he wasn’t even looking for his betrothed? After all that drama about being unable to live without her, was he truly having second thoughts?
[“The princess will no longer answer to Your Majesty’s summons. I’ll see to that no matter what.”]
Marguerite vividly remembered those words, spoken by Caius like a warning.
At the time, she had been thoroughly using the princess. She had orchestrated everything so that others tormented the girl, while she herself remained the image of a generous, benevolent Empress.
All of it was to draw a reaction from Caius, and as she planned, he personally intervened every time the princess was insulted. Watching the First Imperial Prince stand up for a mere hostage, many sighed and sneered behind his back.
When he finally stepped forward and proposed to her himself, Marguerite had no choice but to rejoice. If the fool ended up marrying that girl, it would serve as a strike against his legitimacy even if he became Crown Prince.
And so, the current situation was a fresh source of anxiety for her.
“It seems it’s time for a small garden party.”
Marguerite murmured the command, shaking off her thoughts.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll make sure it’s arranged promptly,” replied Madame Colleen, the chief lady-in-waiting, instantly grasping the implication. Marguerite added with a razor-edged smile:
“The Western Palace should be the perfect venue.”
* * *
For several days now, the palace staff at the Western Palace had been busy preparing for the Empress’s event. Leah stood at the railing, watching with unease as the once-dilapidated hall was gradually transformed.
“Her Majesty the Empress has announced she’ll be hosting a small gathering at the Western Palace.”
The Western Palace, where Leah stayed, was the oldest and smallest of the guest palaces meant for foreign envoys. The Empress had never set foot in it before. Yet now, she intended to host a party there.
The Empire’s grand victory celebration had already taken place, but the official excuse was that a separate event was warranted for Caius, the one who led them to triumph.
[“And since His Highness’s fiancée resides at the Western Palace, Her Majesty thought it the ideal location.”]
Recalling the words of the Empress’s maid, Leah turned her gaze back to the hall, which was nearly ready.
The person who would be most furious at Caius’s return was none other than the Empress. She would never truly prepare an event in his honor.
“Lady Leah.”
Lost in thought, Leah turned at the sound of her name. A short distance away stood Sophia, one of the maids assigned to her.
“It’s almost time to get ready. You need to be in the hall by noon.”
“…Alright.”
Leah pushed aside her unease and turned away. As she walked down the corridor, still deep in thought, she suddenly looked over her shoulder at Sophia, who followed behind.
Sophia had been sent by Caius.
When he witnessed the original palace maids mistreating Leah, he had immediately replaced them with loyal attendants of his own. Since the old staff had been exiled to the outer palace, Leah had finally been able to receive proper care.
[“Leah, why don’t you just stay with me in the Prince’s Palace?”]
Even after taking those steps, Caius remained concerned about her living in such a small, secluded place. Knowing the gossip it would cause, Leah had firmly declined, but she had been deeply moved nonetheless.
Now, as the weight of reality pressed down, she slowly closed her eyes.
Was there truly no going back? Even though every memory still felt so vivid?
“Lady Leah? Are you alright?”
Startled, Leah lifted her gaze. Sophia was looking at her with concern. Leah shook her head and gave a soft smile.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
The garden party began just before noon. As expected for a small gathering held in a minor palace, it was modest in scale. Still, since the Empress was the host, the event drew members of all the major noble houses, too important to be taken lightly.
“But… isn’t the First Imperial Prince absent?”
The question rang out in the center of the hall.
At once, the expression on Marguerite’s face subtly stiffened as she exchanged pleasantries with the noblewomen.
Though the party was supposedly in Caius’s honor, the guest of honor had yet to appear. If he failed to show, it would make a mockery of the Empress who had hosted it.
Marguerite briefly excused herself from the ladies and approached her maid.
“You did inform the First Imperial Prince, didn’t you?”
Her quiet voice carried a sharp edge. The young maid stammered.
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty. I delivered the message to him personally, but… I’m not sure what went wrong…”
Clicking her tongue internally, Marguerite slowly scanned the guests filling the hall. Her gaze came to rest on Leah, standing quietly in a corner.
Hair neatly tied back with a single hairpin. A navy gown of modest design. And yet, with her striking beauty, the lowborn girl still drew attention.
Marguerite watched her for a moment, lost in thought.
The Caius she knew would never leave his fiancée alone.
And yet, not only had he not sought her out since returning, he hadn’t even shown up to today’s event. What was he playing at?
Contemplating this, Marguerite made her way toward Leah’s table.
“Princess.”
At the sound of her friendly voice, Leah, who had looked rather dazed, lifted her head.
“Your Majesty.”
Her greeting was flawless, refined by countless efforts to avoid criticism.
Marguerite looked at her with a trace of contempt, then smiled sweetly as if nothing had happened.
“Why are you standing alone? Caius is nowhere to be seen.”
“That’s…”
Leah faltered, her expression troubled. Marguerite, realizing she had no more idea than anyone else, folded her arms leisurely.
“I take it he didn’t leave you any message either?”
The casual question made Leah’s expression tighten. After a pause, she calmly replied, eyes cast downward.
“His duties are likely overwhelming. Perhaps the gathering simply slipped his mind.”
It was the best defense she could offer him.
Marguerite’s lips curled faintly.
“Ah, yes. He has just returned victorious so he must be quite busy.”
Her voice was gentle, her smile warm, but her eyes radiated tension that coiled around Leah’s heart.
Leah knew that look. She had faced it many times before. Without a doubt, the Empress was about to do something cruel.
“If Your Majesty permits, I’ll send a maid to fetch His Highness,” Leah offered quickly, swallowing dryly.
Marguerite merely smiled in amusement, watching the tense girl stand upright.
After a moment’s pause, she casually glanced toward the woman standing to her right, her chief lady-in-waiting, Countess Colleen. Understanding the signal, the Countess silently withdrew.
Then, in a voice low enough for only Leah to hear, Marguerite whispered: “There’s no need. He’ll come… if I make him come.”
Her tone dipped into something vicious and venomous. Leah flinched back, but the Countess was quicker.
Splash.
Red wine was flung across Leah’s face. The Countess set her glass down with a sharp clink and glared fiercely.
“Ah…”
Sticky wine dripped from her white-silver hair and soaked into her gown. Leah stared at the Countess in shock, unable to speak. Before she could ask what on earth she was doing, the Countess barked furiously.
“Princess, how dare you speak such insolence!”
The commotion drew every eye in the room. Their gazes flicked between the drenched Leah and the composed Empress. Interest and curiosity sparked in their eyes.
“What’s going on, Your Majesty?”
Like a scene from a play, the noblewomen hurried to Marguerite’s side and stared Leah down.
They had long resented her, but had held back only because she was the First Imperial Prince’s fiancée. Now, Countess Colleen took her cue and exploded in righteous anger.
“The princess dared to insult the Empire! Right in front of Her Majesty!”
The ladies gasped, wide-eyed, as the Countess recited her lines, almost as if rehearsed.
“She said that once she becomes Crown Princess, Ainel would all but rule the Empire! Even if she’s betrothed to the First Imperial Prince, such treasonous words in Her Majesty’s presence are inexcusable!”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Leah hastily tried to defend herself.
“Madam, I never said such—”
“Princess.”
Marguerite raised her hand, cutting Leah off. She closed her eyes, as if trying to quell her anger, and opened them slowly.
“You were chosen by the First Imperial Prince himself, and I’ve always respected you, regardless of your origins.”
Her voice was full of the same benevolence she was known for in public.
Not allowing Leah even a moment to protest, she continued: “However, that does not mean you already wield the authority of a Crown Princess. How could you not know such a simple truth, and behave so recklessly?”
Her tone sharpened with regal authority.
It was a performance, and everyone was playing their part.
