Elisha kept catching his eye. It shouldn’t have been like that, yet his gaze kept drifting toward her.
The members of the Imperial Family gathered there noticed it.
“It seems Prince Mikael has taken a liking to that maid.”
At that single remark, silence fell over the dining hall.
Consort Isabella’s expression stiffened in an instant. The Emperor stopped eating and stared at Mikael.
“Mikael, is that so?”
Mikael’s face turned pale.
“Th-That is not—”
Suddenly the scent rushed into him, and his eyes flashed.
Mikael suddenly growled like a beast, sprang up from his seat, and lunged toward Elisha.
In an instant, the dining hall descended into chaos.
“Aaah!”
Mikael seized Elisha by the neck and threw her to the floor.
“Oh my!”
“Good heavens…”
“Prince!”
The Imperial Family stared at Mikael in shock, and Consort Isabella hurriedly looked toward the Emperor.
The Emperor’s expression had hardened.
Liliana pretended to be startled and buried her face in Estevan’s arms. Estevan’s shoulders twitched.
Liliana said,
“Stay still.”
Estevan, who had been about to push her away instinctively, instead wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“I am responding because I like the gift you prepared, my Lady.”
Liliana whispered with a smile while burying her face in Estevan’s chest.
“I am glad you liked my gift.”
Liliana’s sharp gaze turned toward Elisha, who was trembling in terror, and toward Mikael, who was glaring at her with murderous eyes.
The situation ended when the Imperial guards, summoned by the Emperor, rushed in and restrained Mikael.
The guards grabbed both of his arms and pulled him away, but he struggled fiercely.
Elisha was trembling all over, her teeth chattering as she cried.
“Take him away.”
At the Emperor’s stern command, the Imperial guards dragged Mikael out of the dining hall.
“Let us end today’s luncheon here.”
The Emperor’s gaze lingered on Liliana.
“At a gathering I invited you to, you had to witness something disgraceful.”
Liliana stepped out of Estevan’s arms and lowered her head with a trembling face.
“No, Your Majesty.”
“Estevan, escort the Young Lady back.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Estevan looked at Liliana.
“Can you walk?”
Liliana shook her head.
“My legs are trembling, so right now…”
Then she whispered quietly.
“Hurry and carry me.”
“What?”
“We need to properly manage the image now. Hurry.”
“…”
She tugged at the front of his clothes and urged him, so Estevan had no choice but to lift her into his arms.
Liliana wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her face against his chest.
Estevan cleared his throat and spoke.
“We will take our leave first.”
After offering his respects, Estevan left the dining hall while carrying Liliana.
The other members of the Imperial Family watched Estevan’s departing figure with intrigued expressions.
“How can he be so composed? I always thought he was still just a child.”
“Indeed, Sister. He has become quite dependable.”
When the two Princesses praised him, Consort Diena looked at them with a strange gaze before pressing her hand to her forehead.
“I have a headache from the shock, so I will take my leave first.”
“Of course. That is understandable.”
“Let us go as well.”
After the two Princesses and Consort Diena also left the dining hall, Isabella, who remained alone, clenched her teeth and looked at Emma, the head maid of the Ruby Palace.
“Bring that one to the Ruby Palace immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Consort Isabella left the dining hall with a cold air about her, Head Maid Emma ordered the maids to drag Elisha away.
***
Carried in Estevan’s arms, Liliana left the Sun Palace and deliberately walked through the Imperial Palace.
Because of that, the palace servants who witnessed the scene began to look favorably upon Estevan.
“Oh my, how affectionate.”
“To think His Highness could be so gentle.”
Everyone who saw them whispered like that.
It wasn’t a bad reaction.
Liliana quietly whispered to Estevan.
“It seems Your Highness’s image might soon change into that of a gentle person.”
“Was that your intention as well?”
“Perhaps.”
When they arrived at the detached Palace, Estevan carefully set her down.
“That was quite an annoying act.”
“Nothing worthwhile is obtained easily.”
At those words, Estevan let out a short laugh.
“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?”
“Not a bad suggestion.”
Liliana led him to a reception room.
She told Jennifer to check on Elisha’s situation, then instructed Daisy to prepare refreshments.
Liliana deliberately prepared sweet desserts.
“Please try this dessert. It is called cannoli, and it is delicious.”
Cannoli was a dessert made of tube-shaped fried pastry filled with sweet cream.
“It’s sweet.”
“Try this one as well.”
Next she offered a lamington cake. It was a dessert made of sponge cake cut into cubes, dipped in melted chocolate, and coated with coconut flakes.
“Why do you keep offering sweets?”
“Because you might not know them.”
“Should I know?”
“These are desserts you will have to buy for me, so it would be good if you knew.”
Estevan frowned.
“Please buy me desserts once a week.”
“The reason?”
“Image management. Your Highness needs to soften a little.”
Estevan set down his fork and pressed his hand to his forehead.
“Just thinking about it makes me tired.”
“Nothing is easy. If you do not want to do it, then do not. I will not force you.”
When Liliana gave up so easily, Estevan narrowed his eyes.
“Are you not giving up too easily?”
“I cannot tell someone to do something they dislike.”
She looked at him with a strange gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Liliana pointed to herself with her index finger.
“Me?”
Estevan leaned his face closer. Liliana thought the citrus scent coming from him was very refreshing.
“Sometimes your gaze looks as if you know everything.”
“Is that so?”
At Estevan’s sharp perception, Liliana smiled faintly.
“Who knows.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means I cannot answer you.”
Estevan furrowed his brow.
She truly was an incomprehensible woman. Especially when she looked at him, the expression she made somehow seemed bitter. Was that just his imagination?
Estevan stood up from his seat.
“I should be going now.”
“Take care.”
After leaving the detached Palace, Estevan looked at Liliana, who was seeing him off, and felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Why did he feel a sense of longing? It was strange.
***
Smack!
Elisha, who had been dragged to the Ruby Palace, was slapped across the face by Consort Isabella.
The slap was so strong that she lost her balance and collapsed onto the floor.
“How dare someone like you try to seduce a Prince!”
With tears welling in her eyes, Elisha covered the cheek that had been struck with one hand and sobbed.
“I have been wronged, Your Highness.”
“Wronged?”
“Yes. I have never tried to seduce His Highness. Rather, I nearly died because of him.”
Elisha shuddered as she recalled Mikael’s murderous gaze.
‘That was the first time I had ever seen such a frightening look.’
“Then why did the Prince rush at you? Was it not you who used the fiora flower perfume on him?”
“How did you—”
Isabella curled the corner of her lips.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know what the Prince was doing? Originally, he said it was meant to be used on Estevan. Then why did my son end up like that?”
“Could it be…”
“The prince said he had made a maid from the detached Palace his ally and told her to seduce Estevan. And to think that maid was you.”
Elisha clenched the hem of her skirt tightly.
“It seems you grew greedy for the seat beside my Prince.”
Mikael and she were already deeply involved. It wasn’t a matter of greed. That place beside him had always been hers.
But that was a secret no one knew. Not even his mother, the Imperial Consort.
If she revealed her relationship with Prince Mikael here and asked to be acknowledged, would the Consort truly allow it?
She thought about it but concluded that she would not.
‘If Her Highness the Imperial Consort learns about my relationship with Prince Mikael through my own mouth, His Highness might distance himself from me.’
Elisha quickly thought through her options.
“I do not know why things turned out this way, but in my opinion, this matter seems like a trap set by Prince Estevan.”
At those words, Isabella frowned.
“As His Highness the Second Prince instructed, I applied the fiora flower perfume to my body and made contact with Prince Estevan every morning.”
As if telling her to continue, Isabella turned and sat on the sofa.
“But for some reason, today in the dining hall Prince Estevan showed no reaction to me at all. Instead, the one who reacted was Prince Mikael.”
“So you are saying that Estevan saw through the plan beforehand and set a trap in return?”
“It is only a guess, but that is what I believe.”
Isabella looked at Elisha and let out a mocking laugh.
