Chapter 28
The weather was bright and clear, and the atmosphere of the imperial palace was cheerful.
Everyone was visibly excited at the news that Blake’s confinement had been lifted.
But I alone sat quietly, gazing at my reflection in the mirror.
A violet dress—not too dark, not too bright—draped gracefully around me.
From the hat atop my smoothly combed hair, a long lace veil cascaded down, naturally covering half my face.
The small diamonds I wore as ornaments caught the light as I moved, glimmering with every turn, making me look like a woman of noble birth.
Who would guess that this was the appearance of the crown princess, once a vulgar commoner who had married into royalty?
“Are you really going out without even seeing His Highness the Crown Prince’s face?”
“I’ll see him tonight.”
“Oh my, oh my, that’s true, isn’t it?”
I answered Lily’s question indifferently, but it left me unsettled.
Blake’s eyes—those eyes that had once looked at me as though I was a wife he would never love—kept lingering in my mind.
Even if it was all for the sake of his perfect body…
Was he really okay with it?
Hadn’t I once been the woman he loathed to even touch?
Yet he had kissed me willingly, acted as if it didn’t matter what else happened, and smiled that roguish smile afterwards… aggressive, unrestrained.
So then… is it really fine to touch a woman you supposedly hate?
While I’m left feeling conflicted—troubled about whether it’s right to share such intimacy with a man who will one day be with another woman—he wears such a carefree face.
Well, I suppose… it makes sense. He doesn’t know what his future holds yet.
“But really, where are you going today? You haven’t told me either…”
I only gave Lily a faint smile.
That was one of the survival tricks I’d picked up from my dear, wretched husband—
When in doubt, answer with a smile.
Lily looked sulky at being brushed off, but I couldn’t afford to speak aloud about meeting with Empress Temia, who had all but lost her power, and her family, the House of Espero.
Who knew who might be listening?
My attendants, at least, had mouths far too loose for comfort.
Clutching the invitation to the secret salon, I stepped outside where the carriage Lily had prepared was already waiting.
“Let’s go to Renilla Street first.”
I said lightly as I climbed aboard.
When we reached the bustling Renilla Street, the coachman made a smooth circuit before steering us toward the Espero estate.
Only then did Lily finally realize our destination.
Though Empress Temia had lost much of her authority, the Espero family’s wealth had always been vast. Their mansion remained as grand and magnificent as ever.
Stepping out of the carriage, Lily muttered in surprise.
“…I never thought you’d actually visit the empress’s family.”
“Wait for me in the carriage.”
“What? No! What if something happens? And what if that man who impersonated the Crown Prince last time shows up again…”
“Mm… Even if he does, I doubt he’ll try to hurt me.”
Not only from the man’s behavior, but hadn’t Blake himself told me?
That man would never harm me.
And truly, those odd eyes of his had looked at me like I was the love of his life.
Even if he appeared, as long as I didn’t provoke him, nothing major would happen… probably.
Well, unless he tried to kidnap me—that might be a problem.
But even then, would Lily really be able to stop it?
That man came and went from the imperial palace as if it were his own home. Would the Espero estate be any different?
It wasn’t something that could be prevented.
From the start, his ability to perfectly mimic Blake’s appearance was already a problem.
His real form, from what I gathered, was white-haired and red-eyed. But whether by magic or something else, he could change his colors freely.
To ordinary eyes, he was indistinguishable from Blake.
No amount of caution on my part could stop him.
“I’ll be back soon. If I take too long, go to the palace and report it, all right?”
“…Yes. Please don’t stay too long!”
Reluctantly leaving behind Lily’s anxious gaze, I entered the mansion.
A masked man, who looked like a butler, was waiting. He took my invitation, checked it, and politely ushered me inside.
Here, in this secret salon, it was an unspoken rule not to pry into other guests’ business.
So, despite the sudden appearance of the commoner-born crown princess—such a hot topic in the empire—no one raised a fuss.
Instead, most of the guests marveled at the mansion’s lavish gardens, filled with layer upon layer of magnificent flowers.
“My goodness, are those Abelua blossoms? How stunning… truly worthy of the salon.”
“Incredible! How do they get them to bloom so perfectly?”
Judging from their reactions, those flowers must have been quite rare.
Once enough people had gathered, the butler began leading us deeper inside.
“Beyond the Abelua blossoms, you will see clusters of Sedias nestled among the Terrion flowers.”
He explained like a curator at a botanical garden as he guided us.
“These Sedias bloom only in deep caves. They are especially beloved by blue-spotted butterflies.”
The salon guests followed wide-eyed.
Scattered throughout the lush garden were small tables and chairs, where one could sit and enjoy tea amidst the blooms.
It really did feel like stepping into a conservatory.
“To see Sedias this close—how beautiful.”
“Oh! Look, a blue-spotted butterfly!”
As we went deeper, an enclosed greenhouse came into view. It was covered in dark glass, giving the air a cool, cave-like chill.
No doubt this was to mimic the environment Sedias needed.
Resembling blue-tinted lily-of-the-valley, the glowing Sedias shimmered faintly, their petals dusted with the fluorescent powder shed by the wings of nearby butterflies.
This was what I had come here for.
I stopped walking, letting the others continue on. Thankfully, other guests were also wandering at their own pace, so no one seemed to mind.
“They said we’d be able to buy some after the tour…”
There was no need for me to see more.
I’d just wait until a servant came by, then request to purchase the butterflies.
With that thought, I headed toward a nearby empty table.
There, lying upon the surface, was the body of a blue-spotted butterfly—lifeless, its time spent.
A woman was standing before it, staring down at the corpse.
Her platinum hair spilled to her waist, and a white mask concealed everything but her eyes.
Had there been someone so striking among the guests before?
Her voluminous white gown, embroidered here and there with golden thread, looked divine rather than plain.
When I approached, she slowly lifted her head and met my gaze.
“Mm…”
Her revealed eyes sparkled with the same sky-blue color as mine.
Did any noblewoman look like this?
I tried to recall, but none came to mind.
Perhaps she was the daughter of some lesser noble I’d never heard of.
But even with just part of her face visible—she was dazzlingly beautiful.
Beautiful enough that gossip would surely spread if such a person truly existed.
Yet her face bore no expression, no hint of life. She seemed less like a person than a doll.
Awkwardly, I tried to smile as I addressed her.
“Are you here to see the butterflies too?”
“……”
She said nothing.
Instead, she lowered her gaze back to the dead butterfly, extending a pale, delicate hand.
Then, from her palm, golden light began to ripple and glow.
It looked warm, holy.
Wait… wasn’t that power familiar?
Could it be… divine power?
“…Ah.”
As I stared, the soft golden mist enveloped the butterfly, gently lifting it.
Moments later, the butterfly stirred to life, wings fluttering brightly.
Its wings shimmered with vivid blue fluorescence as it danced in the air, finally coming to rest on her fingertip.
I watched, stunned, as the woman finally spoke.
“They told me to change my eye color. So I chose yours.”
“…What?”
Her eyes met mine again—and I froze.
They were no longer sky-blue.
They now gleamed with the same brilliant gold as her divine power.
Realization hit me at once.
Wait… she had been missing, hadn’t she?
So why was she here?
“That day.”
She—no, Seira—continued speaking in her flat, lifeless tone, entirely unaffected by my shock.
There was nothing to read in her expression or her voice.
Was Seira always this doll-like, this devoid of life?
My mind raced, trying to recall what kind of personality she had in the original story.
“The day His Highness the Crown Prince died.”
“…”
The sudden words left me blinking in confusion.
But she went on, unbothered.
And then, for the first time, I could sense it.
There was something cold about Seira.
Then came another question, impossible to interpret.
“What about the other Dominic? I wonder how he fared.”
“…What do you mean—”
“Was he all right?”
Seira turned her gaze back to the butterfly on her fingertip.
It fluttered away into the air, vibrant and alive, as if it had never tasted death at all.
