Chapter 41
“Stop giving me the medicine.”
At my scolding, Lily’s eyes widened.
Seriously—what kind of medicine does she think she needs to give a perfectly healthy person?
I stared at her with a hollow expression before turning my head away.
“Ever since you fainted, Your Highness, you’ve had no energy.”
“That’s because…”
That’s because I fought with Blake…
But of course, I couldn’t say that.
If I were Lily, I wouldn’t know what to say either—to a mistress who was sulking after arguing with her husband.
Right. Blake and I were currently in a cold war.
Thankfully, Blake had kept his promise—not to avoid me.
But he didn’t talk to me either.
“Sigh.”
“There! You’re sighing again! Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?”
“I said I’m fine. Just leave me alone. Like you said, I’ll rest.”
Lily looked at me with half worry, half frustration.
But when I stubbornly lay down on the bed and closed my eyes, she eventually grew quiet. I heard a soft click as she left the room.
Ever since that fight with Blake, two new maids had shown up to serve me.
I liked having only Lily around—she was easygoing and comfortable—but it was indeed odd for the crown princess to have just one attendant.
When I accepted them without fuss, Lily was even happier than I was.
She admitted she had been lonely without anyone to gossip with, more than she was overworked.
Luckily, the new maids were polite and kind.
They didn’t look down on me for being a commoner-born princess, which was a relief.
But I was too drained by the silent war with Blake to care much either way.
He didn’t avoid me—but even when we ate together or slept in the same bed, he just watched me. Quietly. Like he was observing something.
I tried to pretend I didn’t notice and started conversations here and there, but he only nodded or gave short answers.
Is he seriously going to keep acting like this?
I couldn’t tell if he was still angry.
He still escorted me with courtesy, noticed immediately when I wasn’t eating much, and told the servants to bring something new.
So, to sum it up—Blake didn’t seem to dislike me or find me unpleasant.
It was more like… he was studying me. Trying to gauge what I’d do next.
But unlike before, he didn’t tease me or joke with me.
There were no lighthearted conversations.
“So annoying…”
That made it worse.
This weird, quiet tension—was it some new form of torture? It was more nerve-wracking!
If I’d known, I should’ve made my condition clearer back then: not just “don’t avoid me,” but “don’t treat me weirdly and don’t avoid me.”
But not long after Lily left, there was a knock at the door.
I answered weakly, “Come in.”
“I’m sorry to disturb your rest, Your Highness.”
It wasn’t Lily—it was one of the new maids, Scarlett.
True to her name, Scarlett had beautiful red hair. She was the daughter of Count Ramirez—a noble loyal to the crown prince’s faction.
Every movement of hers was graceful, a picture of proper nobility.
“Her Majesty the Empress sends a message.”
“…The Empress?”
Lucia, the Empress and mother of Prince Alec, was an ambitious woman.
She would do anything to see her son on the throne.
She was clearly Blake’s enemy—someone who wished for his downfall.
To her, I was nothing more than a pawn used to humiliate him.
So since entering the palace, I had never once spoken with her.
And now she was sending me a message?
I narrowed my eyes, and Scarlett nodded as if understanding my suspicion.
“I understand how you must feel, Your Highness, but she said it was a matter of royal custom.”
“What exactly is it about?”
“She said that although the Harvest Festival Ball was canceled due to unfortunate events, since the festival is meant to bless a prosperous year, a new ball will be held in its place.”
What did a canceled ball have to do with prosperity?
Still, I could guess the Empress’s true motive.
The Harvest Festival Ball had been canceled because of the incident—the murder committed by a man who resembled the crown prince.
Alec had tried to use that to attack Blake politically—but it had backfired, and now he was the one being whispered about.
So of course, the Empress needed a new distraction—to draw attention away from her son.
And publicly, she also needed to prove the imperial family’s dignity was intact, despite the scandal.
That much made sense.
But why send me a personal message about it?
“Balls held in the imperial palace are usually hosted by the Empress, but by tradition, the Crown Princess also assists in the preparations.”
“…So you’re saying…”
“Yes. Her Majesty has requested that Your Highness participate in organizing the ball.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Me? The crown princess who knew nothing about etiquette, who’d spent a year doing basically nothing?
Now they wanted me to help prepare a royal ball?
The Empress was clearly trying to humiliate me—and maybe find some weakness of Blake’s in the process.
How am I supposed to do that?
It’s not like anyone ever taught me how!
But that, of course, would be exactly what the Empress wanted—to make a fool of me.
A proper noble lady would’ve learned hosting and event planning from her mother.
Right. My mom was a gypsy. I had no idea how to organize a ball!
The realization hit twice as hard, and I suddenly felt pitiful.
“Your Highness, please don’t worry. I’ll serve you with all my heart…”
“Scarlett.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Would it be possible for Countess Ramirez to visit the palace tomorrow?”
If Scarlett herself were the crown princess, she could’ve handled the ball easily.
But even if she helped me, the Empress wouldn’t be satisfied with a young, unmarried lady’s touch.
Scarlett blinked, surprised by my sudden request.
Then, as if under a spell, she slowly nodded.
“Really?”
“Ah… I’ll ask my mother. I don’t think she has any plans tomorrow, so it should be possible.”
“Thank you so much, Scarlett!”
Oh, bless her timing. What a lifesaver.
If it had just been Lily, she wouldn’t have been much help—she came from a fallen noble family, after all.
Did Blake have foresight or something?
How did he manage to send such a perfectly timed, kind, and lovely maid my way?
He might be annoying lately, but maybe tonight I should try talking to him again—without losing confidence.
Being cheerful is basically my only strength, after all!
“Your Highness…”
Oh no, was I hugging Scarlett too tightly?
As I tried to let go, Scarlett gently patted my head.
When I looked up, she seemed startled by her own action and quickly apologized.
“I’m so sorry, Your Highness! You were just so adorable… I mean—ah! I have a younger sister, and you reminded me of her! Please forgive me—I deserve to be scolded!”
“It’s fine.”
I smiled at her flustered rambling.
Lily also sometimes treated me more like a friend than a mistress.
And if Scarlett saw me as a little sister from the Count Ramirez family, that was practically a promotion in status.
It was certainly better than being looked down on for my commoner birth.
At least my cute face seemed to work in my favor—even with women.
“Oh, and His Highness also had a message.”
“…W-What is it?”
Why was I suddenly nervous?
Was it going to be something like, ‘You can dine alone tonight,’ or ‘I’ll go to bed early’?
Given how he’d been acting lately, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But if this kept up for a few more days, that “I won’t avoid you” promise would be as good as broken!
However, what came out of Scarlett’s mouth was something entirely different.
“His Highness said he would like to have dinner with you on the terrace tonight.”
“…Huh?”
“Oh! And he said, since the weather’s gotten cold, please dress warmly—so considerate of him…”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Why… why would he…”
Why would he tell you to say that instead of telling me himself?!
