"No, absolutely not!"
The Empress's maid, her face stern and unyielding, flatly refused.
"What…?!"
An angry flush rose in Elsa's cheeks when she heard the maid's words.
"I'm accompanying Miss Juliet to protect her!"
"We cannot permit entry to anyone whose identity is unknown," the maid replied, scrutinizing Elsa from head to toe with frank disdain. "This hall is reserved exclusively for members of the imperial family."
Apparently, the maid had determined from Elsa's manner of speech that she was not of noble birth.
*I think you'd be quite astonished to discover who Elsa truly is,* Juliet thought with inward amusement, imagining the maid's expression should she ever learn the truth.
After a brief argument, the maid finally escorted them both to a guest chamber in the Empress's palace.
"So I'll wait here until you return?"
Elsa, whose face had grown gloomy following the maid's refusal, brightened considerably upon spotting the refreshments arranged in the guest room.
"Yes."
"Well then, be careful, Juliet!" Elsa exclaimed, eyeing the delicate pastries greedily.
"Don't worry about me."
Leaving Elsa to enjoy her repast, Juliet proceeded toward the small reception hall. But the moment the doors opened, she realized the maid's words about it being reserved for the imperial family had been a blatant fabrication.
The modest hall contained not only members of the imperial family, but numerous other nobles as well.
"Wait—what is Miss Montague doing here?"
"Truly, how did *she* end up here?"
"Oh my heavens! Miss Montague actually dared to show her face!"
Whispers erupted from every direction as guests spotted Juliet's entrance. Ladies with glittering, malicious eyes murmured behind their fans, while gentlemen shamelessly eyed the newcomer with brazen grins.
Naturally, it was hardly the most welcoming reception.
Surveying the assembled company carefully, Juliet noted the absence of the influential socialites she had recently invited to the blooming salon—which meant she could no longer count on their support as she had before.
"Why are you here when the Duke of Carlisle hasn't arrived?"
"Wait! Haven't you heard yet? The Duke of Carlisle—"
"Countess Montague."
But just before Juliet could be drawn into their petty games, someone intervened on her behalf.
Turning toward the voice, Juliet discovered the Empress regarding her with a deceptively tender expression.
"Welcome. I've been waiting for your arrival."
"…Your Majesty, thank you for the invitation," Juliet replied graciously, executing an elegant curtsy.
"Perhaps we should sit at a table? I have matters to discuss with you."
When Juliet nodded in agreement, the Empress led her to a secluded table where they might converse privately.
"I also sent an invitation to the Duke of Carlisle, but received no response."
*Hmm. I knew it was no accident she approached me,* Juliet thought wryly, though outwardly she maintained a mask of composed dignity.
As expected, the Empress hadn't intervened out of benevolence.
Every year, the imperial family sent the Duke invitations to the fox hunt—which he unfailingly ignored. It seemed this year had proven no exception.
*Lennox would never accept such a tedious invitation.*
"Is the Duke of Carlisle's condition truly so grave?"
"Thanks to your gracious concern, he will recover soon."
Juliet answered rather evasively, since the Empress could hardly be ignorant of the rumors circulating throughout the capital regarding her separation from the Duke.
The reason Juliet had been summoned to this conversation was precisely because the Empress—while deliberately feigning ignorance—wished to address that very subject.
However, Juliet was utterly indifferent to whatever interests the Empress pursued. Without hesitation, she withdrew the small box from her pocket and placed it on the table.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for my presumption, but I've come to return this to you."
"Oh, that…"
The Empress's countenance darkened as she verified the box's contents, and the atmosphere surrounding her seemed to frost over instantly.
"Countess Montague, I personally selected this gift for you. Did it not please you?"
"No, Your Majesty—that is not the issue at all."
Juliet decided to explain everything plainly.
"It seems you were not informed of the separation between myself and the Duke of Carlisle. Furthermore, I have no plans to marry in the foreseeable future, so please accept your gift in return…"
But the Empress, without permitting Juliet to finish, interjected casually:
"Is that truly necessary?"
"…Pardon?"
"Will your separation from the Duke of Carlisle somehow prevent you from joining our family? You needn't marry him to become my daughter."
The Empress smiled with calculated warmth and clasped Juliet's hand firmly.
"I've always longed for a daughter."
Naturally, Juliet was far too astute to immediately credit the sincerity of these words.
At that moment, she noticed a pair of magnificent sapphire earrings glittering in the Empress's ears—and recalled that the precious stone adorning the mirror's cover had also been sapphire.
"Your Majesty, did you receive a sapphire mine as a gift from the Duke?"
"……"
Juliet's question made the Empress freeze. Judging by the conspicuous absence of response, she had struck precisely the right nerve.
Only then did Juliet finally comprehend the true nature of the situation. She understood all too well how the Duke of Carlisle resolved problems.
His method was straightforward: the more coin he expended, the swifter and more effortlessly the problem dissolved.
The entire situation struck her as utterly absurd.
*Surely the imperial family wouldn't attempt to use a grown woman like some innocent lamb for their own mercenary purposes?*
Yet there could be only one explanation. Apparently, the benefits of accepting her into their family were so substantial that they persisted in this charade.
The reason the Emperor had accepted this nearly coercive proposition was evidently the sapphire mine.
And now he seemed anxious that the Duke might reclaim the mine, given that the matter of the adopted daughter remained unresolved.
Juliet exhaled softly before speaking.
"Even if you decline to adopt me, the Duke of Carlisle will not reclaim the mine he has already bestowed upon you."
"How can you guarantee this?"
"Believe me, Your Majesty. I know him exceptionally well."
*Rather than reclaiming the mine, he'll simply use it as leverage to extract another concession.*
But Juliet refrained from sharing this observation with the Empress.
The Empress, meanwhile, studied Juliet sidelong—as though weighing whether to trust her assertion.
*If the sapphire mine remains in your possession, you'll likely conclude soon enough that you've made a disadvantageous bargain,* Juliet mused silently.
"Very well."
After a moment's consideration, the Empress released Juliet's hand—her expression now utterly devoid of the tenderness and benevolence she'd displayed moments earlier.
"However, you will need to inform His Majesty of this personally, Countess Montague."
---
And so Juliet found herself obliged to participate in the fox hunt.
"It seems she cannot wait to capture His Majesty's attention!"
"Well, now that the Duke has finally discarded her, she has little choice but to ingratiate herself with His Majesty."
The nobility would naturally arrive at precisely this conclusion—but Juliet hadn't joined the fox hunt because she was eager to attract the Emperor's notice. The prize for winning held absolutely no interest for her either.
It was solely because of the Empress's quarrelsome temperament that she'd been unable to depart the palace immediately and return home—having been commanded to approach the Emperor personally and decline the offer.
However, accomplishing this proved considerably more challenging than anticipated.
It was unclear how the Emperor had learned the state of affairs from the Empress—but every time he met Juliet's gaze, he immediately averted his eyes.
His desperate attempts to avoid direct eye contact did not escape Juliet's keen observation.
"He will grant you an audience following today's hunt," the Emperor's secretary whispered furtively after some time. "His Majesty has ordered you to participate."
Juliet sighed heavily.
It appeared her rejection of adopted status and elevation to princess was perceived by the imperial family as a grave insult. Coming from a supposedly fallen aristocrat made it doubly humiliating.
The imperial hunting grounds were quite extensive. By the time the hunt concluded, evening would have fallen regardless of how swiftly one traversed them. But no matter how Juliet considered it, departing before definitively resolving this matter seemed inadvisable.
Fortunately, she had brought riding attire just in case—so she wasted no time proceeding to her assigned guest chamber to change.
Removing her gown without a maid's assistance proved somewhat awkward, but Juliet was well accustomed to managing independently. The change didn't require long. Soon she emerged from the dressing room clad in a stylish, well-tailored jacket, fitted trousers, and boots of supple leather.
Earlier, when shopping with Helen, her friend had purchased this riding ensemble for her—insisting she would certainly need it eventually.
*Who would have imagined I'd require it so soon?* Juliet thought, examining herself critically in the mirror.
When she raised her arm to verify her range of motion, Elsa—who had been sleeping—suddenly opened her eyes and called out drowsily.
"Juliet?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"How peculiar. I smell something extraordinarily familiar," Elsa mumbled, sprawled across her bed after consuming four bottles of sherry and three boxes of liqueur-filled chocolates. "What *is* that scent…?"
Still muttering, Elsa's eyes drifted shut once more. She seemed to be talking in her sleep.
Juliet smiled and drew a blanket over her.
"Sleep. I'll return as soon as I've finished."
---
However, wandering the hunting grounds unarmed—with the butterflies gone—wasn't remotely safe. So Juliet requested that a servant bring her a crossbow.
"Are you certain you wish to carry a crossbow?"
Naturally, the servant appeared shocked by such an unconventional choice.
Where had anyone witnessed a lady wielding a crossbow on a hunt?
But he couldn't voice his disapproval openly, so he ultimately brought several crossbows for her selection.
Juliet chose the lightest model, most suitable for her hands, thanked him briefly, and proceeded toward the hunting grounds.
The snow-blanketed landscape was breathtaking—but it was bitterly, bone-achingly cold.
*Brrr! How desperately I want to go home!*
Not even ten minutes had elapsed since leaving the palace, and already she longed to return to a warm, comfortable chamber and drink steaming tea.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a mocking voice called from behind.
"Oh my heavens, what a delightful encounter! Miss Juliet, I never expected to see you here."
Turning toward the voice, she discovered Second Prince Cliff accompanied by several of his companions.
"Don't you think you've selected a weapon far too complex for your… delicate capabilities?"
"……"
The Second Prince was so insufferably arrogant that while affecting the manner of a concerned acquaintance, he delivered his condescension with practiced ease.
"In your eyes, a crossbow likely resembles a beautiful, exotic toy—but it's far more dangerous than you imagine."
"Precisely correct, my lady. You could find yourself in considerable peril if you handle it carelessly."
"Oh! Perhaps a weapon more suited to your elegant hands? Embroidery needles, perhaps!"
The men chuckled at this remark with barely suppressed amusement.
Juliet regarded them in frigid silence, mentally wishing they would freeze to death in some distant snowdrift—and not be discovered until spring thaw.
"Perhaps you should abandon this notion and simply sit somewhere warm to cheer for me? But if you genuinely wish to carry it, I could instruct you in its proper use…"
*Rustle…*
Juliet, who had been holding the crossbow lowered, raised it without hesitation and released the bolt.
***Whoosh!***
In the blink of an eye, the projectile pierced the air with a short, predatory whistle and flew deep into the forest—passing directly over the Second Prince's head by mere inches.
"Ah…?!"
The Second Prince and his companions collapsed into the snow with ashen faces, as though their legs had given way beneath them.
Juliet smiled radiantly at the cowering figures and inquired in a deliberately bored tone:
"I'm terribly sorry—I didn't quite catch what you were saying?"
---