Chapter 70 – Changes (2)
Translator: Lunarise
Editor: Larkspur
“Duke Ivan— ”
That meant he was the empress’s second son. Since the two sons worked together like this, that was how they had tricked her. He might say that he had been “used”, but to Viola, the entire imperial family was the same enemy.
“If you don’t feel like eating anymore, should we get up instead of forcing it? We have a few things to talk about.” He was eyeing the brutality with which her fingers held the knife and fork.
“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She wanted nothing to do with this man or his talks.
“Weren’t you looking for Guinev?” He eyed her with a hint of mischief.
Viola froze, she looked at him. “How did you know that…?”
“Anne. I heard it from her.”
Anne talked to him about me? Viola remembered that when she had met Anne, the whole palace was turned upside down. That had not been her first time sneaking out of the palace, but the fact that she had been caught on that particular day…
“It was you. You reported me for sneaking out of the palace.”
Viola suddenly felt an urge to attack this man with the knife she had placed back down on the table.
“Actually, I saved you, you know. If I hadn’t quickly reported you, then that would have certainly reached the ears of the emperor and empress. While the two of you were playing your little truth-or-dare games, I was the one that was busy working. One of the servants in the palace had become suspicious and reported to the empress. I needed to tell my brother about it immediately, but first I had to find him. Since he was disguised and sneaking around everywhere, the only way I could possibly hope to find him in this huge palace was to get the guards moving.”
He had found Lustian before the empress started moving. Now that she thought about it, Lune’s office at the time had actually been the office of the crown prince since he was the one who had commanded the knights to secretly find her.
Ivan smiled easily, staring at Viola’s face. His obvious staring made her uncomfortable. And on top of that the fact that, to this man, the hostages of the enemy countries became their s*x slaves, made her blood boil.
“How curious. How could you be disguised so perfectly as a simple, ugly woman?”
“!!!”
Viola openly displayed her hostility. He was a man full of tricks. Even though he seemed to wear a beguiling smile, it was as if a hundred worms lay within him.
“Oh, I almost forgot! Even for my brother, it will be difficult to keep you in the palace. I came to tell you this.”
“Look, you… No, Duke… Your Imperial Highness… .”
The words would not come out of her mouth. She felt psychological reluctance in addressing him by his name and position. In order to find the traces of Guinev, she would have to try to find even the smallest of clues, but she was disinclined because this was a man of the imperial family she did not want to be close to.
Ivan glanced at Viola and smiled.
“I allow you to call me by name only when no one else is around. Then, I’ll see you at the Concubines’ Palace next time. Oh, one other thing. Keep your real face hidden.”
He waved and disappeared. See you at the Concubines’ Palace? Yes, after the training period, of course, the order of things was to go to the Concubines’ Palace, but there were still five months to go.
It was just at that moment, as soon as Ivan left, a large group of maids came in. At the end of the entourage was the Empress herself, someone she had not expected to see.
Viola immediately politely folded her dress and greeted the empress.
“So, you’ve already completed the ‘final step’? Hah… This is very embarrassing, I don’t know how I can even show my face anywhere. I don’t know what in the world he saw in you— ”
The empress seemed to be ashamed of the fact that this incredibly ugly woman was made love to by the prince before she had even finished her education. A laugh of ridicule drifted from between her lips.
“Sure you’ve only been trained for one month, but I expect you know all the basics at least? Why don’t you say it yourself? Where will you end up?”
“The Concubines’ Palace.”
“That’s right, your place is the Concubines’ Palace. Don’t even think about trying to get into the crown princess palace.”
“Yes.”
Lustian had told her to move her luggage to the imperial palace, but the empress had made her move first. Her head was bowed, so the empress couldn’t see, but a small smile was also spreading across Viola’s lips.
To begin with, she had no desire to become Crown Princess, and she had absolutely no intention of becoming Empress in the future. She only wished to be expelled from this terrible empire as soon as possible.
As the empress left the imperial villa, Viola raised her head upright. Rosha seemed beside herself with worry.
“Rosha, pack my luggage. I’m leaving all the stuff Crown Prince gave me and bringing only my own things.”
♛
Since many servants moved the luggage at once, it took much less effort than having to move the things multiple times. The place where their wagon arrived was the Concubines’ Palace. She hadn’t noticed before because she had come at night, but this place in the daytime was not much different from the other palace. It was so rich and beautiful that the princesses could easily become drunk with its splendor and corrupt themselves to no end.
As Viola entered, many princesses flocked out all at once. It seemed that they had already been waiting for her. Their facial expressions were no different from those of others. It’s probably because of this ugly face that they’re very surprised.
The fact that, with this face, she completed the final step of training within one month….
Every eye was wide with surprise. However, unlike everyone else, they did not openly criticize her. The concubines from the empire had a relationship of always trying to steal the prince away from each other, but the concubines here at the palace seemed to place more weight upon their status as hostages rather than the competition. Viola saw a familiar face among them. It was Anne.
“It’s nice to see you like this. Viola… Welcome to prison.”