***
***
As Shanil walked through the court, she felt that there was something noisy about today. She stopped to listen to the whispering of the maids.
“Really? Is it true?”
“Of course it is. I heard it from a friend who works in the palace of the Princess, so I am completely certain.”
“So you’re saying that His Majesty and the Imperial Princess have that kind of relationship?”
“Don’t you think so? They were together in the middle of the night, and most importantly, His Majesty held the sleeping Princess in his arms.”
It was natural for Shanil to stop at the unexpected story of the maidservants.
What angered her even more was what she heard afterwards.
“Then, Lady Shanil…..”
“Isn’t that odd? It’s been a long time and nothing has happened. Not even an engagement….”
“Yes, there are rumors, but nothing is certain. It seems like His Majesty has the Princess in mind….”
After listening to the maidservants, Shanil walked past them, suppressing her anger. Then she called for the head maidservant.
“You wanted to see me, Lady?”
“How in the world do you manage the maids? They have been talking about me carelessly.”
The head maid hastily bowed her head at Shanil’s scolding.
“I’m sorry. I will take immediate action.”
“You will need to keep their mouths tightly shut. If this happens again, it’ll be your fault.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After the head maid left, Shanil was alone and recalled the conversation the maids had just had.
‘You two met again. What the hell happened?’
She pretended to be ignorant of the fact that they were secretly watching her, but this time she couldn’t stand it and left her seat.
At that time, Terban was talking with his aide in his office. It was about the nursery school that he had discussed with Ellea yesterday.
He informed the aide of what he was going to do in the future and gave instructions to his aide regarding the work.
The work he was about to do was very meaningful and necessary, but the problem lay elsewhere.
“I don’t know if the nobles will accept it. I’m expecting quite a backlash.”
“We’ll see about that. That’s why we have to prepare carefully.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As soon as the aide left, Bandel came into the office.
Bandel began his report as he handed Terban the papers.
“We are almost at the final stages of preparations for the incoming competition. I don’t think there will be any special problems.”
“Good job.”
As Bandel, who had finished the report, continued to stand without going out, Terban looked at him in doubt.
However, seeing Bandel’s hesitation to speak, Terban spoke first.
“You seem to have something else you want to say.”
“That’s…..about what happened yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
Knowing Bandel wanted to talk about Ellea, Terban looked at him, but Bandel was still hesitant to speak.
Just when Terban thought it was strange, he heard Shanil’s voice from outside.
“Terban, may I come in for a moment?”
“Come in.”
Once Shanil was inside, Bandel decided to leave.
“I should get going now.”
Shanil walked past Bandel and approached Terban.
“Why are you here at this hour?”
“You’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had a chance to see you. So I stopped by.”
Shanil was right, they hadn’t seen each other lately.
Normally he would spend a little time eating or taking a walk with Shanil, but she couldn’t remember her at all until she came to visit.
And it was Ellea who filled that time.
When Terban was silent, Shanil sneaked up and looked through the papers on his desk.
‘Nothing stands out.’
Then, pretending it wasn’t a big deal, she asked about the story that was currently floating around the Imperial Palace.
“Were you with the Princess yesterday?”
“How do you know….”
“I happened to hear that people saw the two of you at night.”
As soon as Terban heard this, he realized that this was what Bandel was trying to talk about earlier.
From Bandel’s reaction, it seemed that yesterday’s appearance with Ellea was widespread. What a racket people might make.
“I was worried that something might happen. Otherwise, people would misunderstand…….”
“No, that story is true. I was with the Princess yesterday.”
“Oh, I see.
Shanil hoped that all of that was a lie and there had been a misunderstanding.
But Terban didn’t even deny it.
At that moment, she hid her hands that rolled strongly into fists behind her to suppress the anger that was building up in her.
“I’m glad to hear that nothing happened. Do you want to take a break and have some tea?”
Terban stood up, pleased with Shanil’s suggestion. She was following him when at that moment an item on one side of the desk fell and caught her eye.
‘What is it?’
Shanil approached it as if possessed by something and picked it up. The object was a white handkerchief.
She tried to put it back to its original position, but she had no choice but to stop her actions.
‘What…?’
Upon closer inspection, it looked like a woman’s handkerchief. There was embroidery and lace.
In a word, it meant that it didn’t belong to Terban, but to someone else. Naturally the person she thought of was Ellea. Why did Terban have this?
“Shanil?”
But before she had time to think of anything else, she heard a voice calling her from outside, and Shanil hid the suspicious handkerchief in her pocket.
“I’m coming.”
As she walked with Terban, they exchanged words, but all she could think about was the handkerchief.
On her way to her palace after their short tea break, Shanil’s expression was somber. There was so much on her mind that she couldn’t remember the conversation she had with Terban at all.
With many thoughts, she returned to the palace, where a person was already waiting for her.
“What’s wrong, father?”
“You heard it too, didn’t you?”
“Well, briefly, yes.”
She noticed that her father had come over after hearing about Terban and Ellea. It seemed that the rumor had already spread to the nobles.
“But why are you standing still? Are you going to let all your efforts go to waste? The nobles are already making a fuss. If you don’t become empress, they’re going to support the Princess……….”
As Raymir went on about this, his words striking a nerve, Shanil interrupted him at once, grabbing her throbbing head.
“Father!”
At her shout, Raymir immediately stopped speaking and looked at Shanil. Trying to calm down, she smiled confidently.
“What are you so worried about, father? Never in a million years,
From the moment I fell that day. I still remember what father said to me. Terban will never be able to abandon me.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Shanil spoke so calmly that Raymir felt a chill for a moment. For Raymir, it was also a day when he realized for sure what his daughter was like.
“So don’t worry and do what father has to do. Fortunately, Terban still doesn’t know. You have to hurry up and move so that there’s no future trouble.”
“All right.”
“Can you leave now? I’m very tired.”
At her words, Raymir left his seat without saying much. As she was left alone, she leaned on the sofa with a sigh.
‘This has never happened before.’
No one had ever come to threaten her position by Terban’s side.
Not once since that day, which she still couldn’t forget.
“Yes, I’ll stay here forever. Terban, you can’t just turn your back on me. Isn’t that right?”
***
Fifteen years ago, Rubain Imperial Palace.
Glossy black hair and blue eyes with a hint of heartlessness. The young Terban was small and didn’t look much different than he did now.
It was Terban the Crown Prince, before he became emperor.
His mother, the Empress, was weak and passed away shortly after his birth. Terban had done his duty, as had all those who had become emperors before him. But perhaps it was the pressure of his high position, or perhaps it was his personality, he did not have a childlike look in his eyes.
The bright smile and curious look of a child was nowhere to be seen. He just struggled to do what he was given to do.
Now that he was the future emperor, it was only natural that many nobles would try their best to let their children play with the young Terban.
Young ladies who will become empress one day.
However, Terban had already grasped the impure intentions of those children who approached him. So he didn’t care and didn’t even give them a glance. Like he had built a solid wall around him.
The problem arose when he became isolated.
That day, young Terban went to the emperor’s office and saw Raymir with him.
By Raymir’s side was a little girl younger than him. Even just from the way she greeted him, he could tell that she was the Duke’s daughter.
But that was as far as it went. Young Terban did not show any interest in the girl.
“Well then, I’ll be leaving now. Your Majesty.”
“Play with Young Lady Raymir while the grown ups talk.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Young Terban didn’t want to play with the girl, but he couldn’t refuse the Emperor’s order.
As usual, he did not respond to any of young Shanil’s words.
Young Shanil did not show it on her face, but she became more and more impatient at the sight of Terban, who was with her but did not even look at her.
‘Then I can’t do what my father said.’
In fact, before coming to the palace, Raymir had urged the young Shanil to do something.
“We must somehow become close to the Crown Prince. That is the only way we can enjoy prosperity. So no one can look down on us.”
At Raymir’s words, young Shanil tried to imagine herself standing at the top. It was exciting and delightful to think about.
She was a child, but from that time on she knew well the power that power gives. And she wanted to make everyone bow to her who will shine at the highest place.
But youngTerban was colder than she thought and did not pay attention to her. Others could easily show an open-minded smirk.
Unaware that she was so anxious, Terban felt bored so he left his seat and headed for the terrace.
Young Shanil soon followed Terban who was sitting on the terrace railing as if he wasn’t afraid at all. He looked very comfortable, even in a position where he could fall down if he wasn’t careful.
Terban didn’t hide his laughter when he saw Shanil’s panic.
“Don’t try to get close to me. I know everything. Why? Did your father tell you to get close to me somehow?”
Terban’s piercing gaze made her wince, but she couldn’t back down now. She had been prepared for this much from the beginning, so she deliberately gave him a pure smile.
“What? How did you know?”
“I knew it.”
“Actually, I wanted to get to know Your Highness.”
Young Terban’s expression changed for the first time when young Shanil smiled brightly and even spread her hands as she spoke, as if she had no bad intentions.
Child’s innocence was also Terban’s weakest point. Shanil noticed right away and asked with a curious expression on her face.
“But what about your father?”
“It’s okay. It’s nothing.”
Young Shanil approached in front of Terban, looked up at the parapet, which was taller than she was, and said,
“But isn’t it scary?” (Young Shanil)
“Not really. By the way, do you really want to get to know me?” (Young Terban)
“Yes. I don’t have any brothers or sisters, so I was jealous of people who have siblings. Will you be my friend?” (Young Shanil)
Terban intended to make Shanil give up her wavering heart after a while. Just as he had done so far. So, without any expectation, he said.
“I’ll think about it when you come up to where I am and sit.” (YT)
“What? There?” (YS)
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“I don’t like cowardly people. If you can’t do it, please leave now. I don’t care.” (YT)
Shanil now realized that this moment was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She had to seize this opportunity somehow.
The other children would have run away in fear, but not her.