NTWBR 05

Chapter 05

“May I give you my answer now, to what you said yesterday?”

“Now?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Any time. I’ve been waiting for your answer since I gave you mine yesterday.”

“My answer is……”

Ernst paused for a moment to catch his breath.

He wasn’t fully convinced that these words lingering on his lips would change his life from now on.

Irene’s expression as she watched him remained unchanged.

“My answer is……”

“Yes, Sir Ernst……?”

Ernst approached where Irene was and suddenly dropped to one knee on the floor.

It was a posture just like a knight pledging loyalty to his liege during a knighting ceremony.

“My answer is… I will follow you, Your Highness. Please become my liege.”

“Sir Ernst.”

“Please become my liege, my lord.”

“……”

Irene felt breathless.

She didn’t know what to say to Ernst, who was calling her his lord and asking her to accept him.

She wondered whether she should accept this.

But her hesitation was brief.

“Rise, Sir Ernst.”

“I will not rise until you accept me.”

“I accept your oath. So rise.”

“I obey, my lord.”

“That word ‘my lord’—don’t use it yet.”

“Why not?”

Irene and Ernst’s eyes met.

Irene smiled as she looked into Ernst’s intense gaze.

“I am neither Emperor nor Crown Princess yet. So calling me ‘my lord’ is premature.”

“But……”

“The day I ascend the throne. From that day on, I will allow you to call me that freely. I promise.”

“…Understood, Your Highness.”

Ernst rose from his position and looked at Irene.

Irene deliberately ignored his gaze and looked out the window.

All that could be seen outside the window was the garden.

But it was enough to steady her racing heart.

“Sir Ernst.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“In your estimation, when do you think the Duke of Welbrun will come to see me? Today? Tomorrow?”

“He said ‘soon,’ but he won’t come immediately.”

“Why not? …Ah!”

“You’ve figured it out.”

That was it.

There were only four days left until Irene’s sixteenth birthday.

And four days later, in the evening, according to custom, was the day of Irene’s social debut.

So no matter how politically indifferent the Duke of Welbrun was, it was unthinkable that he wouldn’t attend his own niece’s debut into society as the Emperor’s eldest daughter.

“Then.”

“That day is the opportunity, Your Highness.”

“That day.”

“Yes. And on that day, His Majesty will once again press you about marriage.”

“Do you think so?”

“He might. Or he might not, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare in advance.”

“I see. Thank you for the advice, Sir Ernst.”

Her mind and heart grew cold again.

She even considered that her father, Pern V, might very well do such a thing.

Irene quietly traced her memories.

As she recalled what had happened on her sixteenth birthday in her previous life, Irene’s face turned pale.

“Are you unwell?”

“Ah, no.”

She sat up straight in her chair, but she couldn’t hide the slight trembling of her hands.

The fear etched into her body was rising to the surface.

“Your Highness, is something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Only then did she remember.

It was the day when Empress Laila adopted the son born to Chabi Hatra and installed him as the Crown Prince.

Along with that, they had also announced her engagement to Crown Prince Franz Mestia.

Irene felt she absolutely had to prevent this.

But that thought lasted only a moment.

‘No… Mestia is a nation with power as brilliant as the rising sun. I must use it.’

“Sir Ernst.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I have a question. If… I were to say I would marry the Crown Prince of Mestia, what would everyone’s reaction be?”

“What exactly are you curious about?”

“I declared three days ago that I would decide my own marriage, and then I said I would become Emperor.”

“Yes, you did.”

“If I, having said that, were to announce in just seven days that I would marry the Crown Prince of Mestia, how would people see me?”

Even without asking, the answer was clear.

That Irene’s declaration three days ago about living an independent life would be dismissed as childish behavior, and that her life would unfold the same as in her previous life—this was certain.

“Since it wouldn’t be a formal marriage, you wouldn’t lose your standing in the succession line. However.”

“However?”

“Your Highness’s dignity would fall to the ground.”

“Did I… have any dignity left to begin with?”

At Irene’s words, Ernst couldn’t say anything.

Irene knew it too.

What kind of treatment she received within the palace.

That she was merely given the title ‘Madame Pailin’ because she was born the eldest daughter.

A political marriage pawn and one of the chess pieces on the board.

That was how the palace viewed Irene.

“…If that is the case, may I offer you a piece of honest advice?”

“Speak.”

“I do not know what your intentions are in wanting to marry the Crown Prince of Mestia. But if your path is toward the throne, I oppose it.”

“Why?”

“He is royalty of another nation. Bringing a foreign power into the succession of your own country looks ill-advised.”

Ernst’s expression toward Irene was resolute.

He was determined to stop her if she truly intended to marry Franz Mestia.

However, a smile played on Irene’s lips.

Ernst’s eyes, watching her, were filled with curiosity.

“I know.”

“You know, but why……?”

“I was just speaking hypothetically, Sir Ernst.”

Irene smiled as she looked at Ernst, who let out a small sigh.

She knew it too.

That it wasn’t right to become Emperor by borrowing the power of another nation.

‘If necessary. I will borrow that power if I must.’

If necessary.

Four days later, in the morning.

It was Irene’s sixteenth birthday.

Perhaps because of that, the entire palace was bustling with party preparations.

Gorgeous flower decorations hung everywhere, and the chandeliers shone even brighter.

Amidst the bustle, Irene remained calm. Well, actually, she was a little annoyed.

It was because of the dresses the maids had brought for her to wear to today’s social debut party.

They were lavish dresses adorned with all sorts of jewels, ribbons, and lace.

She felt a chill, as if wearing that dress would bind her entire body.

Moreover, just selling the jewels attached to the dresses they brought would generate more than enough money to buy several hundred carts of wheat for the famine that would occur a few years later.

“Are there any others?”

“Th-then……”

“They’re too flashy. Next dress!”

The maids began to glance at the head maid, Kate.

Irene realized the situation only after seeing the maids’ behavior.

Surely her father the Emperor had ordered the head maid to make her dress extravagantly.

“Bring another dress!”

“Y-Your Highness.”

“Or summon a seamstress immediately.”

“Your Highness!”

Now the maids were kneeling on the floor, begging Irene.

But Irene had no intention of taking back her words.

“Summon a seamstress and have all of those removed.”

“Your Highness!”

“Head maid. This is my dress. Don’t interfere.”

“Your Highness.”

“I don’t want to dismiss you with my own hands. Stop it.”

Irene stopped the head maid’s interference and looked at the maids.

The maids’ eyes then turned to the head maid, Kate.

Kate looked at Irene once more after seeing the maids’ gazes, then slightly shook her head.

Seeing Kate’s gesture, the maids bowed their heads deeply and took all the dresses out.

“Your Highness.”

It was Kate, calling out to Irene as she tried to leave the dressing room.

“What.”

“Time is short. So please choose one of those dresses.”

“I don’t like any of them.”

“Your Highness!”

“Why do you keep objecting to what I say, Head maid? If you have that much time, go and help them.”

“……”

“They’re too flashy.”

‘And too extravagant. Considering the path I’m going to take from now on, I won’t wear such clothes anymore.’

“How am I supposed to move in a dress like that?”

“The other princesses and noble ladies will be wearing them too.”

“All the more reason to wear something different, don’t you think? That way I’ll stand out.”

This was partly to convince Kate, but also to convince herself.

However, Kate, seemingly persuaded, quietly left the dressing room.

She would likely press the seamstresses immediately to bring a dress that Irene wanted.

Irene smiled wryly and looked in the mirror.

Her reflection in the mirror was beautiful.

She had a beautiful face, shining silver hair, and the blue-violet eyes characteristic of the Istana imperial family.

She felt pathetic about her past self who had such a beautiful face but didn’t know how to use it properly.

‘I won’t live like that anymore. I will definitely become Emperor.’

If it was necessary to become Emperor, she was even willing to marry Franz Mestia.

The playboy Crown Prince of the Mestia Empire, hailed as the rising sun.

Despite such a reputation, Franz Mestia maintained his position.

Irene could easily guess his capabilities just from that.

‘If I can take revenge, if I can become Emperor. I will join hands with any devil.’

Even if that devil was Franz Mestia, Irene was determined to take his hand.

Time passed quickly.

The maids and seamstresses, following Irene’s request, had removed all unnecessary decorations.

They created a very simple yet elegant dress.

The silver dress, matched to Irene’s hair color, had only small lace made of silver thread as decoration.

Irene smiled with satisfaction upon seeing the dress.

Then the maids began to adorn her.

“Keep the makeup as minimal as possible too.”

“Your Highness?”

“The makeup should match the dress, shouldn’t it? Do it that way.”

“…Yes.”

The maids sighed and began applying Irene’s makeup.

After the maids’ busy hands stopped, Irene opened her eyes and looked in the mirror.

In the mirror sat Irene, radiating a beauty that even minimal makeup couldn’t conceal.

Irene looked at the mirror for a long while, then took off the lavish necklace around her neck.

“Your Highness!”

“Bring a smaller one. Yes, that one with the small diamonds would be better.”

And so Irene replaced her necklace, earrings, and bracelet with subtle, simple designs.

Irene’s appearance after changing her accessories was very neat and beautiful.

Her shining blue-violet eyes even made her look mystical.

“Your Highness……”

It was the cautious voices of the maids.

Irene was pleased that the maids were now starting to be careful around her.

Irene gestured for the maids to leave and looked at the still-displeased head maid.

“Head maid.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You don’t like it, do you?”

“…No.”

“Then quit.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said quit. I’m not at an age where I need a head maid anymore, am I? If you don’t like me like this, then quit.”

Leaving the head maid, who glared at her as if she could kill her, behind, Irene made her way to the ballroom where the party would be held.

Everyone she passed along the way stopped and looked at her once more.

The ballroom, where she arrived after hurrying, was already crowded with many people.

It was inevitable.

As it was a rare official banquet, it was packed with nobles eager to build connections.

Moreover, as it was also Irene’s social debut party, envoys from foreign countries also contributed to the crowd.

“So many.”

“You have arrived?”

“Why are you here?”

“I was waiting because Your Highness had not yet arrived.”

“I appreciate the thought, Sir Ernst.”

Irene moved to the entrance of the ballroom with a dignified posture.

The doors opened immediately, and the herald’s announcement heralding Irene’s entrance rang out.

Irene carefully walked to her seat and sat down, looking around.

Everyone in every direction Irene’s gaze touched was looking at her.

“There are so many people.”

“Yes, there are.”

“How many of these do you think I need to make my own?”