Chapter 39
“Thank you for your concern for even my maid, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Alesia bowed politely in gratitude to the Empress. Sara, kneeling beside her, also paid her respects with a deep bow.
The Empress smiled benevolently at the gestures of the Crown Princess and her maid.
“I told you, we are family. There’s no need to be so formal. And if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Alesia slowly lifted her head. She furrowed her brows slightly as if feeling troubled, then hesitated before speaking.
“Actually… not long ago, Her Highness the First Crown Princess advised me to study court etiquette. I’m worried that my inadequacy might bring shame upon the royal palace.”
“Didn’t I tell you before?”
The Empress opened her fan and spoke warmly.
“Your etiquette is perfect, Second Crown Princess. There’s no need for a tutor.”
“But Her Highness the First Crown Princess…”
“Glenna, you mean?”
As Alesia trailed off, the Empress gently fanned herself and tilted her head.
“Who knows why she said that? Maybe it’s because of the upcoming birthday ball for Crayton. She’s a perfectionist, after all—especially when it involves Crayton. She tends to be extra strict.”
Understand?
The Empress winked playfully at Alesia. Her light-hearted expression put Alesia at ease, and she smiled back.
‘Come to think of it, the First Prince’s birthday ball is coming soon.’
Alesia quietly calculated the date.
Niris appears at next year’s birthday ball. So there’s nothing to worry about this year.
Glenna mentioning Niris during the royal dinner still lingered in her mind, but the time hadn’t come yet.
Niris Roshanak isn’t in Caldeps yet.
She would spend this winter in the Roshanak territory and only come to Caldeps in the spring of next year.
‘That means this will be my first and last ball that I can properly attend as Franz’s wife.’
By next year, even if Alesia attends the ball, she’ll be treated as if she doesn’t exist.
Franz won’t dance even a single song with her once he sees Niris.
He’ll even leave her to return to the villa alone without an escort.
And from that day forward, her misfortune truly begins.
‘It’s okay. That time hasn’t come yet.’
Alesia smiled deeply, steadying her wavering heart.
She already knew it all. She had already lived through it. But it still hurt.
Maybe it was because she had experienced it before that her heart reacted. She knew that misery all too well.
“Second Crown Princess? What’s the matter? Please wait a moment, the iced tea will be out shortly.”
“Yes…”
Alesia’s vague response trailed off awkwardly. She lifted her head to look at the Empress and pressed her lips into a line.
As Alesia hesitated with the hot teacup in her hands, the Empress folded her fan and asked,
“What were you thinking about? Were you perhaps thinking of your family?”
“No, I…”
Alesia instinctively began to deny it, blinking at the sudden thought that flashed through her mind. Her eyes lit up.
“Your Majesty, may I send out an invitation for the First Prince’s birthday ball?”
“Of course. Your guests are always welcome. Who would you like to invite?”
Alesia beamed at the Empress’s generous approval. She set down her teacup and spoke shyly.
“I’d like to invite my brother.”
Alesia was writing an invitation to send to Ambrose, her face glowing with excitement.
The Empress had readily allowed her to invite Caleb. Alesia hadn’t expected her to refuse, but actually receiving permission made her so happy.
In her past life, after her marriage, she had never been able to see Caleb even once. Franz found it troublesome.
And since she couldn’t report it to the Empress, Alesia had no choice but to miss Ambrose and Caleb from afar.
Isolated from her family, she became more and more alone. That loneliness ate away at her.
She didn’t mind that the meals served to her were dry bread or soup with barely any ingredients.
She was the Second Crown Princess.
Franz’s only wife.
That pride was what helped her endure.
But pride alone wasn’t enough to bear misfortune.
In the end, Alesia was only human. She wasn’t used to enduring all of her suffering alone.
She needed someone she could rely on when things got hard, someone she could confide in.
Whenever she was in pain, she thought of her family who used to comfort the crybaby Lesa.
Her strong older brother who filled the empty space left by their father—Caleb.
Alesia would cry into her pillow, missing Caleb. The large villa, too big for one person, filled with longing.
But over time, her longing swelled to the point where even the vast villa couldn’t contain it.
Even changing the wet pillowcase became meaningless. It would just get soaked again tomorrow.
Alesia learned to cry quietly alone, swallowing her loneliness and sorrow.
That’s what she learned during her two years in the palace.
Of course, she wasn’t completely alone. If she had been, her love for Franz would have withered and died long ago.
Thankfully, she had Sara.
Sara was a devoted maid. That’s why she served Alesia with sincerity, even when everyone else in the palace turned their backs on her.
It was thanks to Sara’s efforts that Alesia was able to have three proper meals a day.
But that was all.
No matter how kind Sara was, she was still a maid—not family. Alesia couldn’t cry in her arms or ask for advice.
She needed someone who could fill the hole in her heart, someone who had cared for her since childhood.
Someone like Caleb.
‘Thank goodness Caleb was Crayton’s academy classmate.’
Alesia sealed the envelope with a soft smile.
If Caleb hadn’t had that connection with Crayton, Glenna would’ve opposed inviting him.
Glenna was arrogant enough to ignore the Empress’s orders if she didn’t like something.
And since she was hosting the ball, the Empress’s words would have carried little weight.
It was truly a blessing that Caleb had maintained close ties with his academy peers.
“Please take care of this, Sara.”
Alesia handed the invitation to Sara. Sara nodded with a bright smile.
“I’ll make sure it’s sent on the fastest courier.”
She spoke quickly and exited the room. Alesia stood in the room, now bathed in crimson sunset light, smiling like sunlight itself.
Clatter!
Alesia, fast asleep, jumped up at the sudden noise. She sat up in bed and looked around.
But only the dim moonlight illuminated the room, and she couldn’t see clearly.
‘What was that?’
She reached for the pull cord to call Sara and check what was going on.
But just before pulling it, something shattered again with a loud crash.
Alesia shot out of bed and lit a candle. Warm amber light filled her vision.
She looked around the room tensely.
Nothing seemed out of place. The sound had come from outside the room.
‘Could it be… an assassin?’
Recalling what happened at the Second Prince’s palace, a chill ran down her spine.
She hurried to the table and grabbed the dagger she had recently asked Sara to get her.
Alesia gripped it with trembling hands, unsheathed it, and leaned by the door.
She steeled herself to strike down whoever entered.
But contrary to her expectations, no one opened the door.
Instead, the noise continued from the room next door.
“No! Stop!”
“Your Highness the Second Prince!”
Franz’s sharp cry and Lucius’s desperate voice rang loudly.
Alesia, confused, walked toward the door connecting their rooms.
She carefully pressed her ear to the door and heard the chaos erupting from Franz’s bedroom.
The room was more disorderly than she expected. People were rushing about, and Lucius was trying to restrain Franz.
Amid the confusion, Franz howled like a wounded beast.
“Don’t call her! Never!”
“But Your Highness! We must neutralize the mana! We must summon Her Highness!”
At Lucius’s distressed plea, Alesia inhaled sharply.
Franz was having another seizure.
He must’ve been breaking everything in his room, unable to withstand the pain of the mana.
“Don’t… ever… call Lesa…”
Alesia’s face contorted. The candleholder in her hand trembled. She looked at her flickering shadow with a confused expression.
‘Why does he not want me to be called?’
She heard Lucius trying to get Franz back onto the bed as she clutched the candle.
‘Could it be…?’
She recalled the conversation between Crayton and Franz from a few days ago.
Franz had said Alesia was nothing. And the reason he said that was—
‘Why? Is it because my neutralizing ability fell short of expectations?’
Because her mana-neutralizing ability wasn’t good enough.
Recalling Crayton’s voice, Alesia felt a heat rise in her throat. Her grip on the candle tightened.
