WMEEM Ch 7

Fork and Knife

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 imperial palace amplified the oppressive mood.

I had assumed all imperial palaces followed a similar grand design, so the sheer, imposing weight of Kellinev caught me off guard.

Perhaps things will improve once morning comes.

As I took in Kellinev's imperial palace for the first time, I quietly observed the scene outside.

Tarega whispered in a barely audible tone.

[Tarega] "Master Terkan seems to be a mage."

[Celeste] "They called him a spacetime mage. Do you know what that means?"

[Tarega] "I have heard of it. They say they excel at instant travel and opening mysterious gateways... Though I know little beyond that."

I watched through a crack in the curtains, no longer able to poke my head out as before.

Judging by the fine attire of those bowing to Batizo, they were clearly nobles.

Terkan appeared entirely unfazed for someone who had just performed an astounding feat.

How could anyone move soldiers, horses, and a carriage across vast distances? Even after witnessing and experiencing it firsthand, my disbelief lingered.

I knew Terkan was no ordinary man, yet I had never imagined him capable of this. He had well earned his position as Batizo's closest confidant.

Terkan's gaze shifted toward me. I tried to look away, but our eyes met briefly before he turned his head.

Uncertain whether to remain inside, I continued observing the scene, though their hushed conversations remained indecipherable.

Batizo's expression as he addressed the nobles looked grim. His face rarely betrayed emotion, but I sensed his irritation and drew the curtains closed.

Waiting inside seemed wiser.

After a brief moment, a gentle knock sounded on the door.

[Terkan] "Your Highness, please step outside."

Finally, I was setting foot on Kellinev soil. A biting chill swept across my face as the door opened.

I took Terkan's outstretched hand to step down, and icy air pierced right through my dress. Summer here carried a temperature akin to late autumn in Calyx. I tried to conceal my discomfort, but goosebumps broke across my skin.

Weakened by fever, every tiny hair on my arms stood on end. Yet tension fueled the chill far more than the weather.

An acute tension, far exceeding that of the banquet night in Calyx, crashed over me. The sharp, scrutinizing eyes fixed upon me felt merciless. While I expected no warm welcome, I had not anticipated such intense vigilance.

[Terkan] "Relax."

His voice sounded from behind me, and a warm shawl draped gently over my shoulders.

[Terkan] "The cold likely amplifies your tension. Let us proceed to His Majesty's side."

The crunch of dried grass beneath my feet sounded unnaturally loud.

Countless eyes anchored upon me as I walked toward Batizo. Gazes dissected me from head to toe, sending a throbbing ache through my temples.

Though Terkan's shawl dispelled the physical chill, it failed to quell my mounting dread. Still, I straightened my spine as much as possible. Dignified, confident, and resolute, just as Terkan instructed.

When I reached Batizo's side, Terkan introduced me to the gathered crowd.

[Terkan] "Allow me to introduce Her Highness, Princess Celeste of Calyx. Times for individual audiences will be announced at a later date."

The nobles offered formal bows, yet distaste bled through their polite facade.

I understood them. They had encountered me through vicious rumors first, so their reaction was entirely natural. Still, a sliver of hope lingered that they would prove better than Calyx nobles.

At least here, I am no mere fake.

The long, austere hallway matched the gloom outside. Though torches burned at distant intervals, their sparse placement offered little light.

Guards stood between the flames, their eyes tracking my passage in silent scrutiny.

Because I had visited the Calyx imperial palace only briefly during early childhood with my parents, I remembered little.

This sprawling palace was a marvel. A strong urge to inspect every detail washed over me. Yet knowing I would see it daily, and fearing Terkan's reprimand, I suppressed my curiosity.

A strange blend of anxiety and anticipation fluttered in my chest.

After a lengthy walk, a maid halted before a pair of tall doors. She pushed them open, and I stepped forward, only to freeze in my tracks.

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped in astonishment. Terkan's advice to keep my lips sealed vanished from my mind entirely.

How could anyone remain calm looking at this?

[Celeste] "Terkan! This place is far too—"

Far too vast! Is this truly my room?

Before I could finish, Terkan offered a subtle shake of his head. He was warning me to maintain decorum before the Kellinev servants, so I swallowed my words immediately. Yet my lips remained parted in disbelief.

This suite spanned an area immeasurably larger than my old annex. Plush carpets covered the floor, accompanied by sprawling sofas, a grand wardrobe occupying an entire wall, and a crackling fireplace. Rich crimson drapes framed the massive windows.

Unbelievable.

The oppressive tension vanished instantly, and my throbbing headache dissipated like mist.

The maid stepped beside my dazed figure.

[Maid] "This is the reception room. Allow me to guide you to the bedroom."

I nearly asked how a bedroom could possibly be separate. I stole a glance at Terkan and quickly followed the maid.

The bedroom adjoined the reception hall. Though slightly smaller than the outer room, it was vast enough to run across.

A bed large enough to accommodate five or six people stood beside a smaller sofa and table, accompanied by yet another fireplace.

And that was not all. A separate dressing room and private bath adjoined the bedroom.

[Maid] "What shall we prepare first, Your Highness?"

I hesitated, unsure how to respond, but Terkan stepped forward.

[Terkan] "First, prepare a warm bath. Have the imperial tailors ready by the time Her Highness finishes her bath. Before that, fetch garments suitable for her."

[Maid] "Understood."

Once the maid departed and the doors clicked shut, my voice finally found its footing.

[Celeste] "Is this my room?"

[Terkan] "You shall reside here until the wedding. Upon becoming Empress, you will relocate to the main quarters."

[Celeste] "Even this place is magnificent!"

I could hardly imagine a grander sanctuary.

[Terkan] "A married couple can hardly reside on separate floors, can they?"

The word couple grounded my floating thoughts instantly.

[Celeste] "What about Tarega? Where will she stay?"

[Terkan] "The servants' quarters are located separately from this wing."

Aside from my nights in Raff's dungeon, I had never slept apart from Tarega. Nightmares inevitably plagued me whenever I slept alone. I considered asking Terkan to let her stay with me, but I abandoned the thought.

I had to adapt to living with Batizo after marriage anyway, so starting early was wise. Still, knowing our shared nights were ending made me wish for her company until the wedding.

Terkan read my silent anxiety and offered quiet reassurance as he walked toward the reception room.

[Terkan] "You shall sleep in separate quarters. Moving forward, you will spend nearly the entire day alongside Tarega."

[Celeste] "Ah, I see."

[Terkan] "However, as Tarega must undergo formal instruction for the time being, spending whole days together will be difficult initially."

[Celeste] "Can I not see her while she receives instruction?"

[Terkan] "You may join her starting from afternoon tea."

I had not considered formal training, which filled me with worry for Tarega. Following me to a foreign empire was burden enough without subjecting her gentle frame to rigorous lessons at her age.

I looked at her with a sigh, but Tarega offered a warm smile, assuring me she would manage easily.

Soon, maids filed in and filled the massive bath with steaming water. Terkan departed to grant me rest, while Tarega accompanied a maid to inspect her lodging.

I was left entirely alone in the vast room. Had it not been for the bustling maids, the silence would have been deafening.

The excitement from moments ago ebbed away, leaving a quiet emptiness.

Surely every day will not feel this lonely.

I trusted Terkan's word that Tarega would join me after her lessons, so I decided to wait patiently.

The maid announced that the bath was ready.

---

Audible gasps echoed from the maids as my dress fell, revealing scars crisscrossing my body alongside raw, unhealed wounds on my back.

Lacking the words to explain, I remained motionless. I pretended composure while heat flushed my cheeks. Though the scars were born of no fault of my own, shame proved unavoidable.

The maids recognized my quiet embarrassment and tended to my bath in respectful silence. Though water touching the unhealed skin on my back stung fiercely, they exercised extreme care.

Grateful for their meticulous efforts, I contemplated thanking them, but I remembered Terkan's warning and held my tongue.

As they dressed me, their gentle care remained evident.

[Maid] "There is no dedicated female physician within the imperial court yet, so I obtained this ointment in advance. May I apply it for you, Your Highness?"

I nodded.

The maid sought my permission before every action. She apologized profusely for bringing a pre-made dress of approximate size, blaming herself for the lack of custom tailoring, though it was hardly her fault.

What would Calyx have been like?

I recalled the disdainful attendant who announced me at Raff's banquet; such treatment would have been unthinkable there. In Calyx, I was merely a nuisance, a fake princess dirtying Raff's court.

Here, before the wedding had even taken place, I was treated as true royalty.

The maid applied the salve gently, matching Tarega's delicate touch.

[Maid] "His Majesty has sent word requesting your presence for dinner. The timing should align once the tailors take your measurements."

[Celeste] "Um... could we take the measurements tomorrow? I wish to rest. I prefer to be alone until dinner."

[Maid] "Understood. Also, Your Highness appears flushed. Shall I prepare a fever reducer?"

[Celeste] "I took medication before arriving, so I am fine."

[Maid] "Then I shall wait outside. Pulling the golden cord in any room will summon me immediately. Please call whenever you require assistance."

The maids withdrew, leaving absolute quiet behind. A different manner of silence settled over the suite. Though the solitude felt heavy, my exhausted frame demanded rest after the warm bath.

I longed to collapse onto the bed, but I refused to ruin the intricate hairstyle the maid had crafted. Instead, I settled onto the long sofa in the reception room.

I leaned my head against my arm and closed my eyes. The fever reducer Terkan provided had failed to break the heat entirely.

My eyes burned, and my throat felt parched. Perhaps I should have accepted the maid's offer of medication. Though not unbearable, a heavy lethargy weighed down my limbs. Postponing the dress fitting until tomorrow had proven a wise choice.

Hoping to sleep, I closed my eyes.

Aranad's face flickered in my mind, my distant relative and lifelong friend. Events had unfolded so rapidly that I departed Calyx without leaving word.

Will he resent my sudden disappearance? Will he question if our friendship meant so little?

Yet I knew Aranad; worry would overcome anger in his heart.

I would write him a letter tomorrow. Though my spelling remained atrocious, Aranad would decipher my scribbles with ease.

Resolving to write to him tomorrow, I drifted off to sleep.

---

Having envied royal gowns when Terkan sent one for the banquet, I found the reality far less romantic. Layered heavily in thick fabric, the dress felt suffocatingly heavy and restrictive.

Wearing this daily will be an ordeal.

My appetite was entirely gone, yet refusing an imperial invitation was impossible.

As dusk settled, the temperature plummeted far below daytime levels. Though fires burned in the hearths of the grand dining hall, the vast space remained as chilly as the outer hallways.

Batizo had not yet arrived.

I sat shivering at the far end of a massive dining table, desperate for warm food to raise my body temperature.

Just as my patience reached its limit, Terkan entered the hall.

[Terkan] "My apologies. His Majesty was called away by an urgent matter and couldn't attend. He instructed Your Highness to dine first."

[Celeste] "All right."

Though irritated by the late notice, relief followed the promise of food.

Instead of departing, Terkan pulled out a chair diagonally across from me and sat down.

[Celeste] "Why are you sitting? Are you dining as well?"

[Terkan] "I could hardly allow Your Highness to consume your first meal in Kellinev in solitude."

[Celeste] "Right. It is better than eating alone."

Servants presented steaming dishes before Terkan and me: savory, glistening meats, crisp vegetables, and fresh fruits.

How long had it been since I saw such luxurious food? Appetite surged back instantly, shattering my earlier lethargy.

I reached for the fork and knife, only to freeze mid-motion.

I have no idea how to use these.

I had used them briefly in early childhood, but I had relied solely on wooden spoons since Mother's death. Though I had practiced with carved stick imitations after reading about them with Tarega, handling genuine silver utensils proved daunting.

Embarrassment flushed through me as Terkan observed my hesitation quizzically.

What do I do? Should I admit the truth?

Recalling his promise to mold me into a perfect Empress, I gathered my courage to ask.

[Celeste] "I... don't know how to use these."

[Terkan] "Use what, Your Highness?"

[Celeste] "These."

I lifted the fork and knife with a strained, awkward smile.

What if he laughs? What if he looks down on me in disbelief?

Anxiety gnawed at my mind while heat scorched my cheeks. Yet contrary to my fears, his expression remained entirely impassive as he demonstrated the grip.

[Terkan] "It is not difficult. Hold them like this."

[Celeste] "Like this?"

[Terkan] "Yes. Pierce the meat with the fork, and the knife..."

He paused mid-sentence, stood up, and stepped behind my chair. He reached his arms around me from behind, his hands gently wrapping over mine.

[Terkan] "Relax your grip."

Startled by his proximity, my hands had stiffened instinctively.

I relaxed my fingers and yielded control to his guidance. My hands moved smoothly under his direction before taking over the motion comfortably.

[Terkan] "You possess a natural talent. A few attempts will yield complete mastery. By the way..."

[Celeste] "Mm... yes?"

Focused entirely on carving the meat, I offered a distracted response.

[Terkan] "Have you never used a fork and knife before?"

[Celeste] "No. I was permitted only a spoon."

Comforted by his calm, non-judgmental tone, the truth slipped out effortlessly.

[Terkan] "What about meat?"

[Celeste] "I ate it very rarely, but it was always served pre-cut into tiny scraps. So small I could barely chew them."

[Terkan] "Were you always served such meals?"

My hands halted mid-slice.

[Celeste] "...Yes."

[Terkan] "That Raff... what a complete bastard."

---

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