Chapter 13: A Visitor at Night
“What?”
Marie repeated, her eyes wide with disbelief.
I calmly repeated myself.
“I said I’ll attend the banquet tomorrow.”
“Are you serious?”
“An imperial event cannot be missed.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Her tone was filled with disbelief.
Marie wasn’t the only one.
The other maids reacted the same way.
‘It’s no wonder they’re surprised.’
Most official events in the imperial palace were co-hosted by the Emperor and the Empress.
However, Helena had never attended a single event since becoming Empress.
Fueled by jealousy over the Emperor’s attentiveness to the Imperial Consort, she had always used illness as an excuse to avoid them.
“I apologize for not informing you sooner,” I said with a bright smile.
“I know it’s sudden, but could you help me prepare starting now?”
“O-Of course, Your Majesty!”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We’ll make everything perfect.”
“Leave it to us!”
The maids clenched their fists with determination.
Until now, Helena had never asserted her authority as Empress or attended events, leaving the Empress’ Palace staff feeling subdued.
But now, their Empress had declared she would reclaim her rightful position.
“For the necklace and earrings, I think they should match Your Majesty’s amethyst-colored eyes.”
“No, a brighter, more radiant color would suit Your Majesty’s fair complexion better.”
The maids began debating which colors suited me best.
“Oh! I heard that the Hilbert Marquessate recently imported rare gems from overseas.”
“If it’s from them, it’ll be trustworthy. Let’s secure it immediately, no matter the cost.”
Excited, the maids busily discussed outfits and jewelry, moving about energetically.
Wait… are they more excited about this than I am?
“There’s no need to go overboard. Something simple will suffice,” I said, hoping to tone things down.
Honestly, I wanted to avoid drawing attention.
As someone branded as a villain, the last thing I wanted was to make a grand entrance and steal the spotlight.
But the maids didn’t agree.
“That won’t do.”
“Tomorrow, Your Majesty must outshine everyone else.”
Their resolve seemed almost militant.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. We’ll ensure everything is secured before the Imperial Consort’s side can get their hands on it!”
Marie’s loud declaration was met with a stern “Marie!” from Countess Chloe.
Ah, so they’re worried I’ll be overshadowed by Fay at the banquet.
Still, I hadn’t expected them to take this so seriously.
If I’d known, I would’ve mentioned it earlier.
Touched by their sincerity, I found myself smiling.
‘The Emperor’s birthday banquet, huh?’
As the Emperor’s birthday, it was an important event for the Empire.
But for me, it held a different significance.
‘It’s the day the Empress’ jealousy and misdeeds toward the Imperial Consort are publicly exposed.’
In the original story, Helena, consumed by envy and rage toward the Imperial Consort, suddenly went on strike.
She refused to fulfill her duties as Empress, using various excuses.
Contrary to her expectations, the Imperial Consort flawlessly filled the void, earning the Emperor’s increased trust.
The real trouble began later.
Seeing the Emperor’s favoritism toward the Imperial Consort, Helena, blinded by jealousy, caused a massive scene in front of everyone.
She poured wine over the Imperial Consort’s head, slapped her, and finally, with a crazed laugh, watched her cry on the floor.
To do all that in front of the Emperor and everyone else… Helena was bold, to say the least.
But I had no intention of repeating her actions.
If Helena went on strike in the original, I would do my duties as Empress properly.
I would calmly smile and brush off the Emperor’s favoritism toward the Imperial Consort.
Yes! For a peaceful Empress life!
Rolling up my sleeves, I spoke with determination.
“Can someone bring me the inventory and menu suggestions for the banquet? Oh! And we’ll need people to help with decorations and musicians.”
“…?”
The maids, initially surprised, quickly responded in unison.
“Yes.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
“We’ll bring them right away!”
***
Imperial Knights’ Conference Room
A meeting of the captains overseeing the security of the palace and its surroundings was underway.
The solemn atmosphere was interrupted by the door abruptly opening as a man entered.
His jet-black hair.
His languid, gleaming blue eyes.
A striking appearance that drew everyone’s attention.
An aura of distinction surrounded him.
“You’ve arrived?”
The three captains who were already seated stood and bowed respectfully.
Leonard nodded lightly.
His gaze shifted to the white-haired knight seated at the head of the table.
It was Gabian, captain of the Empire’s First Knight Division.
“You’re late.”
“Unusual for you. Take a seat. Let’s begin the meeting.”
As Leonard sat, Gabian spoke.
“The Emperor has ordered that security at the Imperial Consort’s Palace be doubled.”
The room buzzed with murmurs.
“But the Imperial Consort’s Palace already has a significant number of knights assigned to it.”
“And now you’re saying to double that?”
In response to their questions, Gabian nodded.
“There have been suspicious incidents targeting the Imperial Consort’s Palace, including the recent intrusion.”
“…That’s true, but…”
“With the Emperor’s birthday banquet approaching, we can expect suspicious individuals to try blending in with the guests.”
“But doubling the security would mean assigning nearly half of the total knights to the Imperial Consort’s Palace…”
“That could leave gaps in the security elsewhere.”
The knight commanders couldn’t hide their dissatisfaction.
“This is a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor, so there’s no room for argument. Adjust the knights’ schedules and submit them,” Gabian firmly concluded the tense meeting.
At that moment, Leonard, who had been silently listening, opened his mouth.
“Was there any mention of security for the Empress’ Palace in this directive?”
All eyes turned to him at his unexpected interjection.
Leonard rarely spoke in such meetings, and his mention of the Empress’ Palace—a stark contrast to the Imperial Consort’s Palace—drew even more attention.
Gabian, briefly taken aback, shook his head.
“There wasn’t. The Emperor’s orders were solely about the Imperial Consort’s Palace.”
“I see…”
Leonard murmured quietly, his gaze darkening.
***
The Empress was the highest-ranking woman in the imperial palace, but her position was far from glamorous and comfortable.
On the surface, it seemed like a simple job of attending grand events, smiling gracefully, and greeting guests.
In reality, it was entirely different.
The Empress was responsible for overseeing every event held by the imperial family.
Overseeing meant inviting guests, preparing food, hiring musicians, and even deciding the overall ambiance and decorations.
Although the Empress delegated most tasks, she needed to grasp the big picture, requiring her to know countless details.
“Ah, if I’d known it would be this busy, I would’ve declared a strike like the Helena in the original story.”
Since declaring that I’d fulfill my duties as Empress, my days had been so busy it felt like two bodies wouldn’t be enough.
“It’s chaotic since it’s my first time doing this, but at least it seems to be coming together.”
Jerome’s birthday banquet was now just a day away.
“The general direction is set, the food is ready, the musicians are booked, and the carpets and decorations are… ugh, it’s endless.”
After double-checking every detail for the banquet, I finally reached the last item on my list: the guest list.
The names of tomorrow’s attendees.
I stared intently at the paper in my hand.
It was a neatly compiled list of notable guests, complete with brief information about each one.
Some familiar names caught my eye.
They were people who lingered in Helena’s memories, like remnants of her past.
They must be important people, I thought.
But all I felt was vague familiarity, as if I’d merely heard their names before. I couldn’t recall who they were or what roles they played.
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped me.
How am I supposed to memorize all this?
Even as a former Korean student cramming expert, memorizing the names, titles, and details of hundreds of people in a single day was impossible.
“This is too much. I can’t do it.”
I declared my surrender.
Countess Chloe, who had been quietly observing me, chuckled softly.
“You don’t need to memorize every single person, Your Majesty.”
“What? But they’ll all come to greet me. I can’t afford to be careless in my responses.”
“You’re handling more responsibilities than anyone else, Your Majesty. They won’t expect you to know them all.”
Countess Chloe added with a reassuring smile.
“And before they greet you, they’ll introduce themselves. You only need to memorize the most important individuals.”
“Hmm…”
She had a point.
“For example, this person seems to be the most important one on the list.”
“The Kingdom of Kalus?”
“A powerful northern kingdom. They recently crowned a new king, who is visiting the Empire to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday.”
“A foreign king… That does sound significant.”
“The Kingdom of Kalus is one of the most critical nations to us.”
The Kingdom of Kalus…
I vaguely remembered hearing the name before.
“No wonder His Majesty is so on edge about this event.”
“Indeed. That’s why everyone is paying extra attention to this banquet—there are many distinguished guests this time.”
“I see. Could you prioritize the list for me?”
Countess Chloe narrowed it down to about eighty individuals.
“Alright. I’ll memorize these before tomorrow. You’ve all worked hard today—go and rest.”
“Yes. Have a peaceful night, Your Majesty.”
Countess Chloe and the maids left.
Now, I could finally spend some quality time with my bed.
I collapsed onto the mattress.
“Ah, at least the preparations are done.”
Tomorrow was the banquet.
It was my first major event, and I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Standing in front of so many people for the first time…
Would I do well?
I’d be fine.
After all, I am the Empress.
But first, I had to memorize this list.
I lifted the list with weary eyes.
Then suddenly.
Thud!
A loud noise echoed through the room.
I shot up and turned toward the source of the sound.
Near the wide-open window.
Something rustled behind the long curtain.
What was that?
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
Could it be one of the intruders who had previously snuck into the palace?
Or was it a new one?
Stay calm. Call for help first.
If I shouted, the nearby knights would come running immediately.
I had just opened my mouth to scream when—
“There’s an intru—”
My words were cut off as a hand clamped over my mouth.
A deep, unfamiliar voice murmured in my ear.
“Shh. Stay quiet for a moment.”
—
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