The girl’s face went pale. I leaned in, trying to understand why she looked so terrified again.
"Princess... please... I'm so sorry," she whispered.
"What are you sorry for now?"
"Pyrene... she's my sister," she said, her voice hitching. "She lost the hairpin you gave her. She was so upset she stayed out all night looking for it... and now she has a terrible cold."
I remembered the smallest girl from the village. I’d given her a jeweled pin from my own hair. To me, it was just one of hundreds of trinkets Charlize owned, but to these children, it must have been a treasure worth risking their lives for.
"I don't care about the pin," I said firmly. "I was going to throw it away anyway."
"But—"
"No 'buts'. Look, she’s crying again." I walked over to my dresser, grabbed a new pin decorated with a delicate gold butterfly, and pressed it into the boy’s hand. "Give her this. Tell her to stop being sick and that I’m not angry."
The boy stared at me in shock, then bowed deeply, clutching the pin.
Just then, Anna entered the room, looking nervous. "Princess, the Duke is asking for you."
'Grandfather? What now?'
I looked back at the children. "Anna, take them to the kitchen. Fill their arms with snacks and toys, and make sure those magic ornaments are wrapped safely so they don't break. I don't need them anymore."
The children looked at each other, and the boy bowed with newfound dignity. "Thank you, Princess!"
I nodded and left the drawing room, telling Anna to make sure the knights didn't harass them on their way out.
* * *
Piace and Pina, the two cousins who had dared to give raspberries to the "Vicious Princess," were escorted to a waiting carriage. They were loaded down with more treats and toys than they’d ever seen in their lives.
"The Princess is so pretty... and so kind!" Piace whispered, staring at his box of treasures.
The maids watching them, however, had a very different interpretation.
'She’s silencing them,' they whispered among themselves. Charlize had always used money and gifts to cover up her scandals. They assumed these poor village children were just the latest victims of some disaster she’d caused.
'They’re so young,' one maid thought with a sigh. 'They have no idea how lucky they are to still have their lives.'
* * *
I stopped by my room to grab something before heading to my grandfather’s office. He was sitting on the sofa, a newspaper in his hand.
"You're here," he said, not looking up.
I didn't come alone. I signaled to the servants behind me, and they began placing several heavy boxes on the table. Grandfather finally looked up, his eyes narrowing.
"What is this?"
I gave him my most brilliant, winning smile. "What does it look like, Grandfather? It’s the interest payment from the Duke of Lemut."
I gestured for the servants to open the boxes, revealing piles of glittering gold coins.
"I went to the estate personally and collected everything he owed us for the month. Since the interest has quadrupled, I thought it was best to get it while he still had the funds. Don't you agree?"
Surprise, followed by a look of deep satisfaction, spread across Grandfather’s face.
"...I always worried you were too immature, Charlize," he said, his voice unusually warm. "But it seems I was wrong. You truly are an Altsbeit. This is exactly how my granddaughter should behave."
The amount was a combination of what Askin had given me and a chunk of the loan I’d secured from my brother. Askin’s payment alone wouldn't have covered the insane interest Grandfather had imposed, but I wasn't about to tell him that.
"Leave Altsbeit and join the Imperial Family."
Loxdian’s words echoed in my head for a split second before I pushed them away.
"There will be a festival soon in honor of the goddess," Grandfather continued. "A great banquet at the Imperial Palace. I want you to attend, but stay quiet. No scenes, no accidents. Do you understand?"
"When have I ever caused an accident?" I asked with a shrug.
Grandfather’s expression turned stern. "There are rumors that your 'trip' was just an excuse to hide a scandal. Prove to them that you’ve changed. Show them you're a proper lady."
I let his words go in one ear and out the other. 'Sorry, Grandfather, but I’ve already promised to be *more* scandalous in exchange for my brother’s gold.'
Still, seeing him so satisfied was a relief. At least I wasn't being shipped off to the Child family today. He actually seemed to care about me—or at least, about the version of me that brought him boxes of gold.
"I’ll try my best," I said.
Grandfather was already busy counting the coins himself. Even in the book, he was described as a man who loved money above all else.
"And at this banquet, we will be announcing the date of your wedding to the Duke of Lemut," he added casually.
"...Wedding?"
I was frozen. 'How does this man manage to make things worse the second I solve a problem?'
"Has Askin agreed to this?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Does he need to? He’s in no position to refuse. He’ll never be able to pay back that debt." Grandfather gave me a confident, almost predatory smile. "As long as you keep 'handling' that sickly sister of his, he’ll do whatever we say."
My blood ran cold. He was talking about Aria. I hid my trembling hands behind my back and managed a stiff smile.
"Just keep winning his heart, Charlize. Use that beauty of yours. Honestly, why you spend so much time chasing after him like a lost puppy is beyond me, but if it gets us the Lemut lands, so be it."
I nodded insincerely and made my escape.
* * *
'A wedding? I was only planning on staying engaged for a year!'
I was fuming as I returned to my room. Grandfather thought he had everything under control, but he was playing a dangerous game. If Askin heard about a wedding date being announced without his consent, he’d blow a fuse—and I’d be the one caught in the blast.
'I have to get him to sign that one-year contract. It’s the only way.'
I was just about to throw myself onto my bed in frustration when a maid entered.
"Princess, a messenger from the Imperial Palace is here to see you."
'The Palace? Now?'
I was even more surprised when the "messenger" took off his cloak to reveal Noah, my brother’s lieutenant. I quickly dismissed the maids.
"...Sir Noah? What are you doing here in disguise?"
"My apologies, Princess," he said with a respectful bow. "His Majesty requested I bring you to him without the Duke’s knowledge."
"Is my brother having another episode?" I asked, my irritation rising.
"His Majesty is... concerned. He wishes to speak with you."
"If I go, is he going to try and stab me again?" I was in no mood for Loxdian’s drama.
Noah looked genuinely pained. "I would never let anything happen to you, Princess."
I sighed and stood up. I needed to get out of this house anyway. "Fine. Lead the way."
Noah approached and held out his hand, as if he were preparing to carry me again.
"Is it an emergency?" I asked.
"No, Princess. We have time."
"Then I’ll walk this time. No need for the dramatic entrance."
Noah looked a bit disappointed, but he nodded and lowered his hand. "As you wish. Let's go."