Chapter 8: I Searched for the Mastermind of the Tragedy (2)
Hera immediately provided Eliana with a place to stay.
However, directly supporting Eliana might arouse Verkley’s suspicions, so she took measures to secure support from other nobles instead.
That day, Eliana was officially placed under the patronage of Marquis Demeter and stayed at his estate.
Naturally, her ultimate destination was the Imperial Palace.
In other words, the Demeter estate served as a temporary residence for preparatory lessons before moving to the Imperial Palace.
The Demeter family had trained holy knights for generations, and the marquis of this generation was a young man who had been told since childhood that he would become the next holy priest.
Currently, he was outside the capital, exterminating demons, so his seat was vacant.
Marquis Demeter never appeared in the original novel, so it felt as though he were invisible.
‘I suppose it’s because I met Hera earlier than in the novel, so I ended up staying at his house… but this change doesn’t seem to have a significant impact on the original story.’
Finn thought that Demeter was supporting Eliana.
She was delighted when she learned that Eliana could stay at the palace with his support.
This was because Bonil hadn’t told Finn about their meeting with Hera, so he asked Eliana to keep it a secret.
After Eliana moved to the Demeter estate, Finn immediately quit her job at the Museau estate and followed her.
“Is it okay for you to quit your job so easily?”
“My lady is no longer there for me to serve, so what would I do in that place anyway?”
“I think you like me a lot.”
“Of course, don’t you like me, Miss?”
“Yes, I like you.”
“Then what’s the problem? I like you, you like me, so I can follow you.”
“…Hmm.”
While Eliana stared at Finn with an amused expression, Finn puffed out her chest and gestured for Eliana to trust her.
Eliana began preparing to depart for the palace that day.
Hera sent instructors to teach Eliana all the details related to royal etiquette and the Emperor’s preferences.
Although it seemed their goal was to make her seduce Verkley with the information they provided.
Naturally, Eliana welcomed everything.
Since she didn’t know much about the mysterious Emperor, understanding his simple tastes in advance would be a great help in surviving within the palace.
It was the day before her planned entry into the Imperial Palace.
Bonil came by from time to time to check on how things were going, but even his visits became rare.
The Empress Dowager had laid out all her cards, so Eliana had to act accordingly.
“I’m nervous.”
“I’m sad, Miss.”
Finn responded in a sullen tone to Eliana’s muttering. As Eliana turned to her curiously, Finn continued.
“I thought I could go with you…”
“Huh? What do you mean? Aren’t we going to the palace together?”
When Eliana asked again, Finn shook her head.
“Commoners aren’t allowed to enter the palace.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Eliana realize the difference between herself and Finn.
There was a hierarchy in this world, and the gap between an aristocrat like Eliana and a commoner like Finn was vast.
After reincarnating into this world, Finn was the only person she could talk to comfortably, so she had forgotten.
‘…Of course, she cares about the real Eliana Museau, not me.’
In fact, Finn might start noticing changes in Eliana if they continued to stay together.
It would be better to part ways at this stage, no matter how sad it was.
When Eliana didn’t say anything in response, Finn clenched her fist and said.
“I’ll find a way to be by your side somehow.”
“No, you don’t have to push yourself.”
“No, I’m sure I can find a way. So in the meantime, don’t forget me.”
Eliana replied with a bitter smile.
“I could never forget you.”
That night, Eliana stayed awake comforting Finn and calming herself to sleep due to her nervousness.
* * *
The next day, as promised, a carriage bearing the Imperial Palace’s emblem arrived at the Demeter estate.
A stern-looking woman poked her head out of the carriage.
Judging by her attire, she appeared to be a lady-in-waiting.
Given that most ladies serving the royal family were nobles, she must be one as well.
The woman certainly introduced herself with authority.
“I am Sophia Moore, lady-in-waiting. Are you Eliana Museau?”
She had guessed correctly. The Moore family was more capable and resourceful than the Museau family.
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s an honor to meet you, my lady.”
“I’ve heard about you from the Empress Dowager. Get in the carriage. We must go before it gets late.”
The lady-in-waiting stepped out of the carriage.
Since Hera had ordered her to personally escort Eliana, she must be Hera’s lady-in-waiting.
“You take care of yourself, Miss.”
“Goodbye, Finn.”
Eliana placed a handkerchief over her eyes and hugged Finn tightly before boarding the carriage.
As soon as the lady-in-waiting got in and gave the signal, the carriage departed.
The carriage rattled with the sound of horses’ hooves.
As they traveled along the main road, the carriage picked up speed.
Suddenly, Eliana felt a sharp pain in her chest, curled up, and clutched her chest.
Sophia called out to her in surprise, her expression puzzled as Eliana struggled.
“Miss Eliana?”
“…Ugh.”
Eliana groaned, unable to respond.
Her head was buzzing, and she felt like she was about to vomit.
It was different from motion sickness.
At that moment, she heard a familiar sound mixed with the clatter of horses’ hooves.
The screeching of car tires, but there were no cars here.
Soon, the sound of car horns pierced her ears.
Her entire body was trembling, and her mind was in a daze.
Sophia grabbed Eliana’s now-limp arm.
“What’s wrong? Are you unwell?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Eliana managed to reply.
She opened the window and took a deep breath.
It was strange. When she rode the carriage with Bonil, she hadn’t felt this way.
It was a terrifying feeling that made her nervous.
‘I’m scared… Is this because of the speed we’re going at?’
The last time she was in a carriage was when she met Hera. It hadn’t moved quickly because the streets were crowded.
So she hadn’t felt anything.
But when she rode this carriage, the streets were empty, and she felt fear. It reminded her of the bus accident.
Eliana tried to push those memories aside.
The trauma was more serious than she thought.
Once she realized how similar the carriage was to the bus, her anxiety grew.
Eliana took shaky breaths and kept her head near the window until they reached the palace.
As they sped up even more, Eliana told Sophia they were going too fast.
So she asked Sophia if they could slow down, because once her heart started racing, it wouldn’t stop.
Sophia Moore clicked her tongue as if she thought Eliana was exaggerating.
Her racing heart didn’t calm down until the carriage came to a complete stop.
Sophia handed Eliana cold water as soon as they entered the living room.
Eliana eased her lingering anxiety with a glass of cold water.
Sophia, who had been watching with disapproval, was annoyed.
“Surely that wasn’t your first time in a carriage… Motion sickness is quite troublesome.”
“Haha, I didn’t leave the estate much, so I was a bit uncomfortable.”
Eliana, who felt a little better, smiled awkwardly.
“You can’t be too weak while you’re supposed to take care of His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Sorry, my lady.”
When Eliana apologized somewhat, Sophia clicked her tongue.
It wasn’t normal for a person to feel so overwhelmed after sitting in a carriage.
Eliana was embarrassed.
It seemed she would have to avoid carriages for the time being.
“I’ll inform the Empress Dowager of your arrival, so be prepared.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Eliana nodded lightly.
Click.
The lady-in-waiting closed the doors behind her, leaving Eliana’s gaze to wander around the room.
The living room inside the Imperial Palace was unparalleled in size and elegance compared to the one at the Museau estate.
All the furniture was gilded, and sparkling jewels were elegantly embedded in the wood.
Freshly picked flowers in a vase added vibrancy, while the carpet on the floor gave an elegant atmosphere.
Eliana was amazed, admiring the living room that reminded her of a movie set.
It was then that she truly realized she had been reincarnated into the era of the empire.
After looking around her surroundings, the doors to the living room opened.
Her gaze instinctively turned toward the door, and she met Hera, dressed in a splendid gown.
Eliana quickly rose from her seat and slightly lifted the hem of her dress to show courtesy.
“I greet the Empress Dowager, the flower of our empire.”
“I heard you suffer from severe motion sickness. How do you feel now?”
It seemed Sophia had informed her mistress.
Eliana nodded gratefully with a shy smile.
“Thanks to your concern, I feel much better.”
“That’s reassuring.”
The Empress Dowager smiled gracefully and sat across from Eliana.
Then another maid poured tea for them. Hera reached for her teacup.
The cat Eliana had seen last time jumped onto Hera’s lap.
Clink!
“Ahh!”
“Empress Dowager! Are you alright?!”
Hera screamed as she clutched her wrist.
The scalding tea had spilled onto her skin.
The cat fled in surprise, and Hera held her hands slightly away.
Sophia quickly brought a cold, wet towel and placed it on Hera’s red hand.
“It’s fine.”
But then Hera struck Sophia with the towel.
Sophia looked nervous as she noticed Hera’s expression.
Hera ordered in a calm tone.
“Sophia, bring it.”
