When he turned his head, a maid with chestnut-colored hair was looking at him.
Leon clenched his fists tightly and forced a smile. The moment he saw the maid’s face, he strongly felt the urge to twist her neck.
His gaze moved to the purple belt she was wearing.
“…You are a maid from the detached Palace, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that is correct. I am Jennifer, a maid serving Lady Liliana. My Lady told me to save you.”
“Save me?”
“Yes. Could we move to a quiet place for a moment? There are too many eyes here.”
Leon nodded and led her to one of the empty rooms inside the Sapphire Palace.
“No one will come here.”
At that moment, the maid embraced Leon.
“Even if it displeases you, please endure it for a moment. It is all for your sake…”
A sharp fragrance seeped into Leon’s nose.
“This scent…”
As soon as the fragrance entered his senses, the thirst that had been filling his entire body disappeared, and he felt refreshed.
A moment later, she stepped away from Leon.
“How do you feel?”
“…I am fine.”
Leon widened his eyes. It was because Estevan came to mind.
“His Highness is in danger as well.”
“His Highness should be alright. My Lady personally went to him.”
Only then did Leon finally feel relieved.
He looked at Jennifer and bowed his head politely.
“Thank you. I almost caused a serious incident, but thanks to you, I was saved.”
“It was nothing. I only did as my Lady instructed. Then I will take my leave.”
Jennifer smiled brightly, turned around, and left the room.
Leon steadied his breathing and left the empty room with refreshed steps.
When he arrived at the office, Estevan was sitting there in perfect condition, drinking tea with Liliana.
“Your Highness!”
Estevan set down his teacup and looked steadily at Leon.
“You have come.”
Leon greeted Liliana.
“So you are here as well, my Lady.”
“Is your body alright?”
“Thanks to you, I am alright. Thank you.”
Leon’s gaze turned toward Estevan.
“How are you, Your Highness?”
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
“That is a relief. Yesterday I thought I was going to die.”
“Did you?”
Leon joked lightly.
“I thought I might end up killing someone. It is all thanks to the Lady.”
Instead of answering, Liliana smiled.
“But how exactly did this happen?”
“Is there really more than one person who would do something like this?”
“Could it be the Second Prince’s doing?”
Estevan didn’t answer.
Leon narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Well, we really took quite a hit.”
“It’s the price of carelessness.”
He had overlooked that the blood of a snake-like woman flowed in Mikael’s veins. It was his own mistake.
“Anyway, should we not return the favor?”
When Leon spoke with a chilling smile, Estevan also nodded.
“We should.”
“Please leave that part to me.”
Both turned their gaze toward Liliana. She was looking at the two of them with a smile.
A strange light appeared in Estevan’s red eyes.
“It seems my fiancée has already prepared a gift.”
Leon widened his eyes and looked at Liliana.
“Is that true?”
Liliana quietly lifted her teacup and savored the tea.
“You may look forward to it.”
“Since you say it like that, my Lady, it would be impossible not to look forward to it.”
She smiled faintly.
“I hope Your Highness will like my way of returning the favor as well.”
“Are you confident you will not disappoint me?”
“Perhaps.”
Liliana still wore a faint smile.
“I do not like half-hearted actions either. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
“For the first time, we share the same thought.”
“I am honored.”
Estevan’s red eyes gazed steadily into Liliana’s amethyst-colored eyes.
He thought she truly was an impressive woman.
***
Daisy quietly entered Elisha’s room.
Elisha had been sent to the marketplace on an errand by Liliana, so it would take several hours before she returned.
She recalled what Liliana had said.
“Daisy, go into Elisha’s room, find the bottle of fiora flower perfume, and spray it.”
Daisy had heard from Jennifer that Elisha had tried to frame Estevan using the scent of the fiora flower.
‘Interfering with Master’s plan is unacceptable.’
Daisy, who had a talent for searching, was able to find the perfume bottle on Elisha’s dressing table.
The bottle had been cleverly mixed in among the cosmetics.
Before spraying the perfume, Daisy took the purification pill she always carried with her.
She had done things like this more than once, so carrying purification and antidote pills was essential.
The scent of the fiora flower only showed its effect when it mixed with a person’s body scent. If used normally, it had no effect.
When it mixed with a person’s body scent, the scent of the fiora flower released a strange pheromone that dominated the target’s sense of smell.
Once the sense of smell was dominated, it caused the person to be consumed by madness, and if the addiction deepened, they became a raving madman.
If Liliana hadn’t taken action in time, Estevan might have become addicted to that scent and harmed her.
That was why Daisy couldn’t forgive it.
‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’
Daisy opened the cap of the perfume bottle and spread the scent throughout Elisha’s room, letting all of Elisha’s belongings absorb the fragrance.
She sprayed so much that even the purification pill would be useless.
Then she also sprayed the scent of the fiora flower in the shower room attached to Elisha’s room.
After completing the task, Daisy quietly returned to her room.
When she returned, Jennifer was waiting.
“The job?”
“Completed.”
“So now we just wait?”
“Probably.”
Jennifer smiled fiercely.
“To dare try to put our Lady in danger.”
“Unforgivable.”
“At moments like this, I really think we work well together.”
“I agree.”
Daisy looked at Jennifer and gave a cold smile.
A short while later, the carriage carrying Elisha arrived at the detached Palace.
The two of them watched Elisha getting out of the carriage through the window.
Elisha, who had brought back earrings from the marketplace on Liliana’s errand, placed them in the dressing room.
“To make me run errands like this…”
The earrings were an accessory Liliana would wear when attending the Imperial Family luncheon.
After her engagement with Estevan was officially confirmed, Liliana had received an invitation from the Emperor to attend the luncheon.
The luncheon was a gathering held once every half month, where all members of the Imperial Family gathered to eat together. Since it was an important occasion where the elders of the Imperial Family gathered, special care had to be taken.
Liliana carefully selected the dress, shoes, and accessories she would wear that day.
Choosing something that wouldn’t diminish the dignity of the Imperial Family, while not being excessively luxurious and still maintaining proper elegance, was truly difficult.
Elisha looked around Liliana’s dressing room.
The dress that the Imperial designer had specially crafted for Liliana was elegant and full of dignity.
‘How wonderful it would be if all of this were mine.’
Elisha ran her fingertips along the dress and looked at the accessories.
Some of them had been gifts from the Emperor, and others had been brought from the Ducal House.
They were expensive items that the Baron’s House Elisha belonged to could never afford.
Liliana enjoyed all of this as if it were nothing.
‘Why can’t I have it?’
With a mesmerized expression, she reached out toward Liliana’s jewelry, then suddenly flinched.
Elisha quickly regained her senses.
‘Snap out of it. It’s not the time yet. Soon, all of this will be mine.’
Mikael had promised that he would make it so.
‘Prince Mikael loves me.’
When Mikael ascended the throne, she would become the Empress.
‘When that time comes, everything will become mine.’
Having steeled her resolve, Elisha left the dressing room and headed toward her own shabby room.
When she opened the door and entered, a strangely pleasant scent filled the room.
“This smells familiar somehow. Could it be… the fiora flower perfume?”
She quickly checked the dressing table. Fortunately, the perfume bottle was still safely placed among the cosmetics.
Elisha frowned.
“Was I being too sensitive?”
Because of the task Mikael had given her, she had been tense, and it seemed her nerves had been on edge.
“Ha…”
Letting out a sigh, Elisha carefully hid the perfume bottle among the cosmetics again and walked to the bed before lying down.
“It will be fine if I rest a little.”
Thinking nothing of it, Elisha closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
Unaware that the faint fragrance filling the room was seeping into her nose.
***
While the engagement ceremony preparations were underway, Liliana let Elisha rest.
She only assigned busy tasks through Daisy and Jennifer, giving Elisha only simple work.
Because of that, Elisha gained a lot of free time. As a result, she was able to meet Mikael often.
Today as well, Elisha only prepared Liliana’s meal before leaving the detached Palace.
Heading toward the garden of the Emerald Palace, she met one of Mikael’s maids under a tree tied with a yellow ribbon.
The maid had come to receive Elisha on Mikael’s orders.
Following the maid’s guidance, Elisha headed toward a room in the Emerald Palace.
It was the secret room where her private meetings with Mikael took place.
