The emperor slowly surveyed the room. The faces of the nobles aligned with the First Prince’s faction turned deathly pale.
Whether they knew of these events didn’t matter. The moment the word “treason” left the emperor’s lips, half the nobles in the room would face a merciless blade.
His gaze lingered on me.
“I will strip the First Prince of his succession rights.”
That was the emperor’s answer to my declaration of war against the First Consort. His resolve was unshakable, leaving no room for deviation.
Unfortunately, tying the First Consort to treason would implicate too many others. A blind blade could cut down the innocent along with the guilty.
And it could cast a shadow over Sys’s reign.
“The First Prince, ‘Kaita Mohorn Lui Priston,’ is hereby appointed lord of the Asten territory and barred from leaving for any other territory for the next twenty years,” the emperor declared.
“Your Majesty!”
The First Consort let out a piercing scream. Asten, a northern territory, was vast but largely barren, composed of rocky mountains and deemed worthless in the empire. Its biting cold was notorious.
To be confined there for twenty years was tantamount to exile.
“The First Consort is ordered to remain confined in her palace until further notice. Her fate will be decided later,” the emperor continued.
“How can you do this to me?”
“Be grateful you’re still alive.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Take the First Consort to her palace at once.”
At the emperor’s command, knights surrounded her but hesitated to touch her. Sinner or not, she was the emperor’s consort and the First Prince’s mother. Seeing their reluctance, the emperor clicked his tongue.
“Obey, First Consort, unless you wish to be dragged out like a dog.”
A grinding sound came from her clenched teeth. She glared murderously at the emperor, but he didn’t flinch. Blood dripped from her clenched fists, staining the floor.
“Take the First Consort—”
“I’ll walk,” she interrupted, stopping the emperor mid-command.
She swatted away the knights’ hands and turned, standing tall—not like a criminal, but a ruler still in command.
Click, clack.
Her heels echoed loudly on the marble floor as the room fell silent. Suddenly, she stopped before me.
Her sharp, venomous eyes met mine, her bloodstained lips twisting into a sneer.
“Don’t think this ends here.”
“Do you think you’ll have a chance later?”
“…!”
I didn’t give her time to respond. Before her mouth could open, I stepped closer, whispering in her ear.
“The First Prince will never set foot in the capital again.”
“You wretch!”
Her hand swung toward me. Prepared, I stepped back, and her arm sliced through the air. Unable to balance, she staggered, nearly falling.
“The First Consort seems overwhelmed. Escort her out,” I said.
Before I finished, knights caught her as she swayed. Regaining her footing with their support, she glared at me with murderous intent.
“We’ll escort you to your palace, Your Highness,” a knight said.
“Let go.”
She shook off their hands, her furious eyes still fixed on me. Sensing trouble, Sys and Father stepped closer protectively. I smiled at them, signaling I was fine.
Her rage was nothing compared to the venom I once harbored. There was no need to fear or worry about her threats of revenge.
“Have you more to say?”
“I’ll make you pay.”
“It won’t be easy, but I’ll be waiting, Your Highness.”
I had no intention of letting her slip away quietly while basking in victory.
—
Act 17: Omen
“Welcome, Lady Eliant.”
Upon entering the palace, a servant from the Crown Prince’s palace greeted me. Guiding me toward it, he relayed Sys’s message.
“His Highness has been called away by His Majesty but asks you to wait in the palace.”
I nodded and followed.
The Crown Prince’s palace was deep within the inner court. The path, once lined with colorful flowers, was now a snowy trail, transformed by time.
My breath formed white clouds in the cold air. Though my nose stung, the mink fur coat Father had given me kept me warm.
*“I don’t need it, so you take it.”*
I recalled Father’s gruff face as he handed me the fur from the hunting tournament, his ears tinged red despite his nonchalant gesture. It mirrored Rant’s shy embarrassment.
The coat’s warmth brought a smile to my face.
“Cackle!”
A carefree laugh snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Brr, it’s cold!”
The voice was clear and unshadowed.
“It’s my first time seeing something so white and cold!”
A voice I hadn’t forgotten, even in dreams.
My body, warm moments ago, began to freeze from the heart outward.
“Lady Eliant?”
The servant, noticing I’d stopped, turned with a puzzled look. I tried to move, but my feet felt frozen to the ground.
“Whoa!”
A gust of wind blew toward me, carrying a small, fluffy white hat that rolled to my feet.
“Wah, my hat…”
A tearful voice approached with pattering footsteps. I felt her presence but couldn’t lift my head.
“That’s my hat…”
Her coaxing tone and rhythmic steps were unmistakable. My heart froze, paralyzed by her voice alone.
“Are you alright?”
The servant approached, checking my face. Taking a deep breath, I slowly raised my head.
Sky-blue hair pierced my vision like a needle.
“My lady.”
Clenching my fists to steady myself, I saw maids fussing around her.
“Are you alright, my lady?”
“Wah, my hat…”
Tears glistened in her amber eyes. The maids’ gazes followed her pointing finger to the hat at my feet, now caught on my shoe.
“Could you return the hat?”
The head maid stepped forward. I didn’t need to search my memory to know her—she was the woman who, like a mother hen, had fiercely guarded her lady, clashing with me at every turn.
Like my nursemaid, she was the head maid of the future empress’s palace, a loyal dog—or perhaps a leech in disguise.
Are you truly loyal, or just another parasite like my nursemaid?
The ice around my heart began to crack.
Will I repeat the past?
The answer came easily. Straightening my trembling body, I deliberately stepped on the hat.
I wouldn’t waste my emotions as I did before. But that didn’t mean I’d let her insolence slide. I twisted my lips into a smirk.
“How rude. Which palace are you from?”
My voice was cold. She flinched, startled. Her teary eyes looked ready to burst, and the maids quickly surrounded her protectively, as if I meant to harm her.
“You’re the rude one! Do you know who she is?”
Slap!
The head maid’s cheek reddened, her head snapping to the side. Stunned, she blinked, unable to straighten.
Brushing my stinging palm, I looked at the girl hiding among the maids. Her trembling figure was exactly as I remembered.
“What is the meaning of this?”
