Chapter 04…
Count Winston spoke in a weary voice.
“I did make such promises once. To David, the youngest son of Duke Coban. That was until you told him he looked like a little piglet in that pink shirt.”
“…And the suitor you secretly had your eye on…?”
“Sir Tarlow. I even considered taking him as a son-in-law—until you said he had bad breath.”
“You really did notice such a smell? Ah! Could it have been some secret, prized match you were keeping to yourself…?”
“You said you didn’t want to marry His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Rufus?”
“….”
Their meaningless verbal sparring was interrupted by the Countess.
“That’s why Her Majesty the Empress made this proposal.”
The Countess read aloud the last part of the Empress’s letter.
“If there is no suitable match you have already chosen, Her Majesty the Empress will personally select your spouse.”
Helena swallowed dryly.
“There’s a suspicious smell to this…”
Count Winston pressed his hand to his eyes and spoke.
“Helena, the Crown Prince’s marriage is a state matter. As long as His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress wish for the marriage between His Imperial Highness and Lady Byard to happen, it is already decided.”
“I have no objections to the Crown Prince’s marriage!”
“I know. But Her Majesty the Empress herself has seen you with His Imperial Highness. The Crown Prince insists he wants to marry you, and the Byard family’s reputation has been seriously tarnished. There’s no way to back out. If you insist on refusing him without cause, claiming you don’t want to marry him, it will be nothing less than tarnishing the royal family’s prestige.”
Count Winston shook his head.
“There is nothing more important than the royal family’s prestige. It is a blessing that His Majesty the Emperor is currently away from the capital for the hunting festival. If he finds out about this situation…!”
At the mention of the Emperor, Helena could only shut her mouth like a clam.
The Emperor of the empire, Terkal Arpen, was generally unpredictable, but one thing was certain: he was merciless to anyone who stood in his way.
If he learned of this, the punishment would not be a joke. He had the power to enforce it.
Helena, who had only been swallowing dryly, finally spoke.
“Then… what should I do?”
The Countess placed her hand on Helena’s and said,
“Fortunately, it seems Her Majesty the Empress is willing to hear your side of the story. Go see her, explain the situation, and ask for her guidance.”
“Of course, that’s the way to go.”
As Helena rose as if to leave the house immediately, the Countess gripped her hand tightly.
“And do not mention silly things like picking your nose in front of the Empress. No matter how fond she is of you, she is still the mother of the Crown Prince!”
Count Winston also held Helena’s other hand, speaking in a desperate tone.
“Don’t say you didn’t sleep with him or anything like that. The Empress enjoys your chatter, but if it’s about her son, she will naturally find it appalling.”
Helena yanked her hands free from her father and stepmother and shouted,
“Who do you take me for?”
Helena spoke calmly.
“So, there was nothing for the Empress to worry about.”
The Empress’s Garden.
Helena and Empress Clarissa sat across from each other at a marble table.
It was a spot where the Empress often held tea, overlooking the garden’s aged trees with their beautiful leaves hanging like curtains and flowers that bloomed year-round.
Among all the noble ladies, the Empress especially favored Helena, often inviting her to tea.
Through Helena, the Empress would learn the latest news from society, ask her to recite poetry, or sing.
Whenever she looked at Helena, there was a tenderness in her eyes, leading some to whisper that perhaps, with three sons and no daughters, the Empress treated Helena like her own daughter.
To Helena, the Empress was indeed a special presence.
Having lost her mother in early childhood, Helena felt a sense of maternal warmth from the Empress.
She feared disappointing Clarissa as much as incurring the Emperor’s wrath. She did not want to hurt the Empress.
Fortunately, the Empress’s gaze was as serene as ever, her tea-drinking unperturbed.
Taking a sip, the Empress spoke.
“Very well. If that’s how it is, then so be it.”
Just as Helena began to relax, the Empress continued.
“But, Helena, there are matters in this world we cannot control.”
Clarissa placed her teacup down with a soft clink.
“Rufus, because of his feelings for you, intends to break off his engagement with Lady Byard. Poor Adela is so distraught she barely eats, and the Byard family is furious. I’ve been holding it back, but it’s only a matter of time before His Majesty the Emperor finds out.”
Helena squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.
Looking at Empress Clarissa with earnest eyes, she asked,
“Your Majesty, please lend me your wisdom. What should I do?”
The Empress gave a subtle glance to her ladies-in-waiting, who immediately bowed and stepped back.
Once the area was clear, the Empress spoke again.
“Helena, you’ve always said you wanted to be happy on your own, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“There is a way to resolve this situation and still achieve what you desire.”
Clarissa continued with a gentle smile.
“Time is a remedy for all things. Young men are like hungry beasts; the prey before them is always the most important. If you leave the capital for a while, the Crown Prince’s feelings will cool quickly.”
The Empress added,
“And so will the anger of the Byard family and the Emperor.”
Helena pouted.
“Your Majesty, do you intend to send me to a convent to rot for a few years?”
The Empress chuckled.
“You’re far too interesting a girl to waste in a convent for years.”
The Empress’s laughter faded as she fixed her striking blue eyes on Helena.
“There is a young and handsome count in the south. Recently, I heard rumors that he is connected to a dangerous group threatening the empire.”
At the sudden intriguing story, Helena pricked up her ears.
“That group is one I’ve been tracking for a long time. They are extremely secretive, and I could never catch them. But I managed to discover a connection between them and this count.”
Helena’s eyes widened as she looked at the Empress.
She had come seeking advice for her own situation—not to hear about the Empress’s secret war against a threat to the empire.
But Helena realized the Empress was offering her an opportunity.
Helena spoke.
“You wish for me to obtain information on this count, then.”
The Empress replied gently,
“He is a man as wary as a small bird and as fierce as a beast. He trusts no one and keeps everyone at a distance.”
Helena understood why the Empress had summoned her.
“If he trusts no one, then to uncover his secrets, I would need to earn his trust.”
In other words, the Empress expected Helena to marry the southern count and discover his secrets.
Helena pressed her lips together, deep in thought.
‘Do I really have to go that far?’
Even the Emperor, reckless as he was, would not impose the harshest punishment on a young noblewoman simply for being seen with the Crown Prince. The worst that would happen would probably be confinement in a convent.
In contrast, the Empress’s proposal carried a dangerous edge.
She was asking Helena to marry a fierce man and act like a spy for the Empress. No matter how much Helena cared for her, she could not risk marriage for such a mission.
‘I must refuse.’
With that decision, Helena spoke.
“Your Majesty, I wish to help, but I am not qualified…”
At that moment, the Empress smiled.
“I will grant you a title and land.”
“…!”
“When the truth is revealed and the dangerous group threatening the empire is eradicated, all the citizens will know of your achievements. You will be hailed as a brave woman, accomplishing feats that no knight or noble could.”
Helena’s heart began to race.
The Empress whispered softly.
“Helena, this is your chance to live as yourself.
