TRETTHD 66

#66. One Mountain After Another

After returning to the Second Prince’s palace, Velia immediately went to find Erzé.

She had received the letter Erzé had sent earlier, saying she would be departing soon. So she knew Erzé would arrive, and had already had the maids prepare a room for her in advance.

Velia slowly walked up the interior staircase. She stopped in front of the door to the room where Erzé was staying and knocked twice.

“Are you in there?”

The room felt a little chaotic from inside.

“Yes, yes!”

The door slowly opened, and Erzé peeked her head out. Once she confirmed it was Velia, she hesitated for a moment, then fully opened the door and smiled awkwardly.

“Please come in, Princess.”

“Excuse me.”

Velia stepped inside and slowly looked around the room. The maids had prepared everything with care. Erzé would likely be very comfortable here.

“Do you like the room?”

“Oh, yes! I love it so much!”

“I prepared it in a hurry, so there might be something missing. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“No! Honestly, it’s far more than I could ever expect….”

Erzé clasped her hands together in admiration. Considering her experience, this must have been the first time she had encountered such a room, so it was understandable.

Velia stopped by the window and gazed at the scenery outside.

The view was beautiful. Though the garden of the Second Prince’s palace wasn’t visible from here, the central garden could be seen from afar, making it a perfect room for Erzé, who wanted to see the palace.

“To be honest, I never thought you would actually grant my request. It was something I said on impulse, and I knew it was an unreasonable request.”

Erzé stepped closer to Velia and continued.

“I know you humored my rudeness, and thanks to that, I didn’t have to feel embarrassed. I really appreciate it!”

Her expression showed no malice at all. She genuinely just wanted to see the palace.

Velia scrutinized Erzé, wondering if there might be hidden motives. Then Erzé bit her lip and spoke as if revealing a secret.

“Actually, a clinic has been built near our farm too. Many people are grateful to you, Princess. I thought anyone who cares so much, even for the outskirts, must be wonderful.”

Erzé’s cheeks flushed bright red.

With her dark, lustrous hair, fair skin, and large sparkling eyes, she was objectively a lovely young woman.

“When I heard that our flowers would be supplied for the Princess’s charity bazaar, I couldn’t sleep for joy. So when Baron Shafin fell ill, I thought it was my chance. I just wanted to meet you, even from a distance.”

“Baroness Kinetra…”

“Please, just call me by my name. We’re not that prestigious a family. Even though we’re barons, we don’t have any land. We’re just a noble family with a flower farm.”

Erzé smiled brightly, and Velia found her utterly charming. She was nothing like the Erzé Velia had known in her previous life. Back then, Erzé had been desperate to take whatever she could, often scheming and spreading slander, especially in front of Raoul. Yet her current innocent and lovely appearance made it hard to believe she had ever acted deceitfully.

“Yes, Erzé,” Velia said calmly, calling her by name. Erzé’s face lit up with joy.

“If you want to tour the palace, just tell your assigned maid. She will accompany you everywhere. There are places in the palace you cannot go alone, so you must always be accompanied.”

Erzé nodded.

“I apologize for being too busy to properly host you. But soon, we can at least have tea together. I’ll arrange the time and place through my maid.”

Just that promise made Erzé smile brightly.

“Wow! That sounds wonderful!”

“Do you have any other questions?”

The explanation was finished. Velia didn’t intend to treat Erzé as a particularly important guest. During the roughly week she would spend at the palace, meeting once or twice for tea was enough.

At that moment, Erzé glanced at Velia, then lowered her head, as if she had something to say. Velia tilted her head curiously.

“Do you want to tell me something?”

“Well, not exactly…”

“That’s fine. If you’re curious about anything, you can ask.”

With Velia’s permission, Erzé moved her lips a few times, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke.

“Well… I wanted to thank His Highness the First Prince earlier… but I can’t go see him myself…”

Velia’s eyes flickered with interest. Seeing Erzé curious about Raoul, she wondered if fate had its hand in it—but at the same time, a twinge of irritation rose within her.

“I felt bad for leaving without saying thanks because of the earlier situation.”

“I see. Can I assume that you’re asking me to convey your gratitude to him?”

Erzé blinked nervously, smiling faintly.

“Well… it’s just… Princess, you seem so close to the First Prince…”

Perhaps out of habit, Erzé trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers.

Velia felt a sudden urge to correct her words but responded casually.

“You’ll be family soon, so I’m sure you get along well.”

“Ah…”

Erzé’s expression was subtle and complex. Velia, sensing the nuance, quietly added:

“The First Prince is already engaged to Princess Kanterif. So I hope your current interest is merely curiosity about someone you’re meeting for the first time, Erzé.”

“Oh, no! That’s not it…”

Erzé quickly waved her hands, denying it. She seemed to have understood the hidden meaning behind Velia’s words.

“It’s really a misunderstanding. I have no feelings for him at all!”

“Then that’s a relief. I only said it just in case, so don’t take it too seriously.”

“Yes…”

Perhaps feeling misunderstood, Erzé’s expression drooped slightly, but Velia had finished her words and turned away.

“I hope you make many happy memories during your stay here.”

Today, Velia felt as heavy and weary as a water-soaked cotton.

The Emperor, Raoul, and Erzé—dealing with three such difficult people in succession drained all her energy. She still had to continue preparing for the wedding but couldn’t even lift a finger.

Velia leaned one arm on the back of the sofa to support herself. Thoughts kept tangling in her mind.

“What on earth is Raoul planning?”

Was he plotting some harm against Khalid? His cryptic words kept nagging at her.

“…Ria.”

Something seemed off.

“Velia.”

“Huh…? When did you get here?”

Khalid was already beside her, watching her with concern.

“What are you thinking about that you didn’t hear me calling?”

“Ah…”

Velia turned to look out the window. The night had already fallen. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Slowly, she sat up on the sofa.

“Did something happen?”

Khalid gently brushed her hair back as he asked. Velia hesitated—should she tell him about meeting Raoul? He would likely be upset. But hearing it from someone else later would be worse, so she decided to tell him directly.

“Actually, I spoke with Raoul today.”

“I see.”

But Khalid’s reaction was unusual. Even though she mentioned Raoul, he didn’t look very surprised.

“Did you know?” Velia asked, eyes widening.

“With so many people at the central palace, do you think anything could stay secret? Rumors naturally spread everywhere.”

“Then why pretend you didn’t know!” Velia snapped.

Khalid brushed her cheek and asked,

“Did Raoul say something hurtful?”

Not exactly. It was just…

He seemed different from before, almost as if he was concerned about causing her harm.

“…No.” Velia shook her head.

“Then why that expression?”

“Just… I’m a little concerned.”

“…What did you talk about?” Khalid asked. His voice, though gentle in touch, carried a cold undertone of anger.

Sensing his emotions, Velia wondered if it was a mistake to bring it up. Khalid quietly met her eyes.

“It’s okay.”

Okay for what? His gaze had already turned cold.

Had she confessed she wanted him no matter what? Or that she wouldn’t give up? Whatever way she phrased it, he would be angry.

“Just… he still doesn’t seem to understand being rejected by me.”

“What exactly did he say?” His voice lowered. Khalid was unusually persistent today. Velia rolled her eyes inwardly.

“Velia.”

Khalid called her name. Something felt off.

Velia quickly changed the topic.

“I met the Emperor today. Aren’t you curious about that?”

Smiling playfully, she asked. Khalid sighed, finally relaxing slightly.

“What did he say?”

Velia exhaled quietly and began recounting everything.

“He said he’d grant me anything I wanted, so I asked for the position of Commander of the Guard.”

“Commander of the Guard?” Khalid looked puzzled.

It was sudden and unexpected.

“Yes. Then he said he’d give me authority over the guards.”

“The old man has some generosity after all,” Khalid said with a small chuckle.

“Did you ask for that position to prepare for the future?”

Velia nodded. If she had authority over the outskirts of the capital, she could control strategic points in the worst-case scenario. The Emperor, unaware of his impending demise, would not anticipate such a move.

Thus, the Emperor’s willingness to grant anything was a rare opportunity for Velia.

“The old man wouldn’t have said that randomly. Did he want something from you?”

“Something similar. On the surface, it seemed like a reward for my charitable works, but…”

Khalid frowned at her words. The Emperor never gave without reason.

“Finally, he brought up opening Shanetane Boulevard.”

And that reflected the Emperor’s desire to pursue a conquest war.