Chapter 153 - What A Wicked Man (2/2)
‘I can’t believe it…’
Outwardly she was calm, but inwardly she wanted to crawl into a mouse hole and never leave. Other people might not give second thought to their love affair, but Elena was so embarrassed that she wanted to die. The nanny looked curiously at Elena.
“Training hall? What happened there?”
Thankfully, Zenard had the sense to shake his head.
“Nothing. I’ll take my leave now.”
Zenard left with a look of satisfaction on his face, blissfully oblivious of Elena’s feelings. Elena fanned her hot face with her palm, and the nanny ventured with her question again.
“What happened at the private training hall?”
“…Nothing, nanny.”
Elena avoided her gaze and stared out the window. She may have a place to train now, but she suspected that rumors of the two sharing a passionate love life would spread far. She suddenly remembered when Carlisle leaned down to whisper in her ear.
—…Last question. It doesn’t matter what the method is, right?
It seemed that Elena still needed a lot of mental preparation before she could practice sword fighting as much as she wanted. Her face glowed red as she remembered the hot pressure of Carlisle’s lips against hers.
‘…What a wicked man.’
*
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*
Zenard quickly gathered all the servants that worked in the Crown Prince’s palace. An assembly was expected with a new mistress in charge, but it happened much sooner than anyone anticipated, as it was only a day after Elena rose to the position as Crown Princess.
Ungseong ungseong—
There was a rumble of feet as the crowd gathered, and Zenard confirmed to Elena that everyone was present.
“We are ready, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.”
They were assembled at an open garden outside the Crown Prince’s palace, as it was difficult to accommodate them all in one place indoors. Elena slowly ascended the high platform Zenard prepared, taking in the view of a larger crowd than she expected. The servants all gathered their voices together in unison.
“Hail to the Crown Princess. Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire!”
The voices sounded quite distant as everyone spoke together. Elena turned her head to survey the group and spoke in a calm voice.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. From this day on I will manage the palace, and I hope you will obey my will.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then, I will introduce my chosen head lady-in-waiting. From now on, treat her as such.”
For the servants of the palace, the head lady-in-waiting was their immediate superior, who they would encounter more than the crown princess. Everyone’s attention turned to the aged woman as she rose to the platform. She had a gracious air about her, but there was a sense she was not to be trifled with either.
“Pleasure to meet you all. From today on, I will be the head lady-in-waiting. If you don’t break the rules, there will be no need for embarrassment, so please do your part well.”
Everyone bowed to the nanny’s calm charisma.
“Yes, head lady-in-waiting.”
Elena watched with a look of satisfaction, and she studied each of the servants’ faces gathered there. Some of them she had already met several times before. And…
She spotted the face of the maid who brought her the plant to the parlor room. Elena pointed towards the maid.
“What’s your name?”
“Oh, I am Asabe, Your Highness.”
“Very well, Asabe. I would like you to serve as my personal maid starting today.”
Asabe’s eyes widened in surprise, then she quickly lowered her head.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
Elena kept her face outwardly smooth, but she had already secretly exchanged glances with her nanny. Elena may be able to find out more about Asabe and if she was secretly associated with the Empress. If the maid was confirmed as a spy, it was not yet known whether Elena would remove her, but the important thing was that she could be useful one day.
‘Even though she may be a spy, it doesn’t mean I have to keep her away. I can bring her closer to me and leak false information.’
To do so, it was urgent she find out who were her friends and who were her enemies. It was likely that many of the servants here were not only spies for the Empress, but of other nobles and even of other kingdoms.
‘It’s impossible to not be watched at all…’
Elena quietly looked at all the servants gathered here.
‘…The more you figure out who your enemy is, the better you can make your move.’
First she would look into Asabe, the first to catch her suspicion. Elena had taken her first step in her life as part of the Imperial Family.
*
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*
In the Empress’ palace, Ophelia lounged in a high-backed chair with a pipe resting in her hand. A spiral of smoke drifted in the air, when someone approached her silently from behind.
“Your Majesty.”
Ophelia turned her head at the low voice. Cassana, her head lady-in-waiting, stood before her.
“The gift was delivered to the Crown Prince’s palace.”
“…Is that so?”
Ophelia’s reaction was muted, however, and Cassana spoke carefully.
“They didn’t notice at all, so I don’t believe they’re the smartest type.”
“We’ll see.”
“It’s a bit disappointing that she didn’t even notice a simple gift.”
At those words, the corner of Ophelia’s mouth tipped upward. She wanted to test Elena’s reaction, and so she baited her with the plant. The Empress could’ve tried something more elaborate, of course, but for now a little taste to celebrate the arrival of the Crown Princess would suffice. If Elena didn’t notice anything about the plant, that was fine. It wouldn’t be good for Ophelia if Elena were to get pregnant before Sullivan died. Ophelia wondered how they would have reacted if they noticed the scheme quickly.
She placed her pipe back on her lips and relaxed, like a fisherman waiting for a fish to take the bait.
“…I look forward to seeing what the new family member will be like.”