Terkan held a handkerchief against my nose and applied firm pressure to stem the bleeding. He called a maid immediately and ordered a basin of water along with additional handkerchiefs. Meanwhile, Aranad observed me, his eyes filled with worry. [Celeste] "I am fine..." Muffled by the cloth, my voice sounded nasal. When the maid returned with fresh linens, Terkan dropped the blood-soaked cloth into the basin and replaced it with a clean one. [Terkan] "Pay closer attention to y

[Celeste] "Pleased to meet you, Princess Herodia." Unlike Herodia, who curtsied deeply, Celeste offered merely a subtle nod. The moonlight illuminated Celeste from behind, making her look far more breathtaking than Herodia had envisioned. In her mind, Celeste had been hideous. Herodia had been shocked upon receiving Emperor Batizo's invitation. Though he had ignored her marriage proposals, she had never imagined another woman existed. She gathered intelligence on Batizo const

Four days remained until the ball. Dignitaries carrying invitations from distant realms arrived in Kellinev in a steady stream. I had assumed I ought to greet the dignitaries personally, but Terkan informed me that greeting every guest was unnecessary. Instead, he allowed me to observe the arrivals from my reception room window. The pathway below served as the main thoroughfare for arriving guests, offering an excellent view. Focusing on my lessons, however, proved difficult.

Elizaveta arrived right on schedule for afternoon tea the following day. She doesn't need to forced herself to attend if she was struggling. It made me feel guilty that she came solely out of commitment to her promise. Elizaveta entered with her usual bright demeanor and immediately began chattering away. I avoided bringing up yesterday's incident entirely, unwilling to dredge up painful memories. Unless she raised the topic first, I intended never to mention it. I presented

An array of rings and necklaces was laid out on the table. Each piece was so lovely that selecting just one felt impossible. I deliberated at length before choosing a necklace for Tarega and a hairpin for Elizaveta. [Celeste] "This one and this one." I pointed at my selections. The owner praised my choice and scurried off to wrap them. Even though the gifts were for others rather than myself, a swell of fulfillment warmed my chest. [Celeste] "Will the recipients like them?" [

Batizo tilted his glass, letting the liquor flow past his lips. He stood by the office window and looked out into the courtyard garden. Though shrouded in darkness, he instantly recognized the two figures dancing in the vast space. Celeste and Terkan. The woman he was to marry and his loyal subordinate. To anyone else, the pairing would have raised questions, yet Batizo merely observed them without a thought. When Celeste stumbled and fell into his arms, Batizo's features rem

As I pondered his question for a long moment, a circular blot of ink bled into the parchment. Slide. He gently drew the ruined parchment away and set down a fresh sheet. [Terkan] "Judging by your flustered reaction, it seems so." [Celeste] "No, that is not it." [Terkan] "Then what is it?" [Celeste] "I was reflecting on what it means to like someone." Scratch, scratch. I resumed writing the words I had been penning moments ago. [Celeste] "I do like Aranad. That much is true."

He introduced a young woman to me. [Terkan] "Your Highness, this is Lady Elizaveta of the Guido Countship." [Eliza] "Greetings, Your Highness. I am Elizaveta Guido. Please allow me to offer my deepest apologies once more. I intended to arrive punctually for our first meeting, but an urgent matter came up... I'm so sorry." Deep anxiety was etched across her face. An actual emergency had clearly delayed her, so her tardiness didn't offend me in the slightest. If anything, I app

No way. I shook my head in disbelief, but Terkan remained silent, sipping his tea. Though I had no pressing need to know his age, his tight-lipped silence piqued my curiosity all the more. [Celeste] "How old are you?" [Terkan] "Is my age important, Your Highness?" [Celeste] "Not particularly, but I am curious." [Terkan] "Inheriting fairy bloodlines causes me to appear younger than my true age. That is all I shall disclose. Your life in the imperial court will grow dull moving

[Terkan] "That Raff... what a complete bastard." He spoke in a flat, emotionless voice. I thought I misheard the last word. Though I had not known him long, he seemed polite and refined. Despite his strange aura and gaze, he appeared far above vulgarity, making his profanity unexpected. And this was not mere profanity. Calling a foreign emperor a complete bastard... As I blinked in astonishment, Terkan offered his characteristic smile. [Terkan] "Does my language offend you?"

The setting sun bathed Kellinev's imperial palace in an aura vastly different from that of Calyx. In Calyx, vibrant greenery and lush blossoms met the eye at every turn. They cast a warm, bright atmosphere that made my isolated annex seem all the more wretched. Kellinev, in contrast, exuded a bleak, solemn quiet. A heavy silence reigned despite the many people present, partly due to the biting cold. Even hushed whispers felt precarious. The dark, somber architecture of the im

Except for brief meal breaks and minimal sleep, we rode day and night. Occasionally, we halted to rest the horses, but those reprieves were fleeting. At first, excitement blinded me to the physical toll. As the days dragged on, however, motion sickness set in alongside a rising fever. Days of severe sleep deprivation and malnutrition had already eroded my body before the journey even began. Worse still, traveling farther north brought a biting cold. A full week had passed sin