"Mmm..." I yawned, my eyes fluttering shut.
Even though I’d slept in late today, I felt a bone-deep exhaustion. I’d read somewhere that oversleeping actually makes the body more tired. Or maybe Charlize just had a weak constitution?
No, that couldn't be right. From what I remembered of her "achievements," she had the stamina of a horse, especially when it came to drinking. She could out-drink a squad of knights and still have the energy to start a brawl.
'So I’m basically an alcoholic with high stamina? Great. Just what I needed.'
I muttered a curse under my breath and looked up. I was currently sitting in a small, solitary chair near the Imperial carriage. Loxdian had told me to wait inside, but it was too beautiful a day to be cooped up in a stuffy box.
Standing a few paces away, silent as a statue, was Jette.
"Jette."
"Yes, Princess."
"Why are you the only one who followed me?"
"...I am your escort knight, Princess."
"I know that. But all the other 'escort' knights are currently guarding my bedroom door back at the mansion. Why are you here?"
Jette didn't answer right away. He just looked at me with those deep, dark-green eyes of his.
"If you keep following me around like this, my grandfather might decide you're more trouble than you're worth," I warned. "He might have you 'dealt with'."
"My only master is the Princess," he said, his voice firm.
I studied him for a moment. He really was quite handsome in a rugged, wolf-like way. If I’d met him before Askin or Loxdian, I might have actually been impressed. He had the air of a powerful beast, barely restrained by his uniform.
"You were a gift from my grandfather, weren't you?" I asked.
Jette’s expression shifted, a flicker of something that looked like hurt passing through his eyes before he masked it with a sullen look.
"In case you’ve forgotten—"
"What are you doing out here?"
I turned my head. Loxdian was strolling toward us, looking thoroughly satisfied with himself. I guessed he’d won whatever verbal sparring match he’d been having with my grandfather.
I’d been trying to think of ways to salvage my engagement while he was gone, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how impossible it was. My fiancé hated me, my grandfather was using me, and the Emperor thought I was his personal slave.
"Why are you sitting on the ground like a commoner?" Loxdian asked, scowling at my chair.
"It’s not the ground. Jette cleaned it for me."
"It’s still dirty. Everything in this place is dirty."
"I thought you only hated it because it belongs to the Altsbeits," I muttered, pushing myself up.
Loxdian surprised me by reaching out and taking my hand to help me into the carriage. As soon as I was inside, he let go and made a show of wiping his palm on his trousers, as if he’d touched something repulsive.
"Don't get used to it," he said. "Next time, you can climb in yourself."
'He really is just like Yoon Ji-hoon,' I thought. 'The same arrogant, childish behavior.'
"Don't worry, Brother. I have no intention of clinging to you. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of other women to hold hands with at the banquet."
Loxdian’s expression turned sour. We spent the rest of the ride back to the palace arguing. He seemed to take a perverse pleasure in annoying me, and I was too tired to do anything but ignore him.
'Is he the male protagonist or a primary school student?' I wondered.
* * *
We arrived at the dressing room I’d visited before. This time, the designers, assistants, and ladies-in-waiting were all lined up, looking like they were awaiting execution. They were clearly terrified of what might happen if they made another mistake.
"Is the dress ready?" Loxdian asked, his voice returning to its Imperial tone.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We are ready for the final fitting."
I looked at the heavy curtains and the partition. "Can't I just take it home? I’m sure it fits."
"As Emperor, it is my duty to ensure my sister doesn't embarrass me at the Goddess Festival," Loxdian said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now, get in there."
"...Nonsense."
"Is it?" Loxdian smiled, making a coin shape with his fingers.
I cursed under my breath and marched behind the partition. The designers and maids followed me, their hands shaking as they helped me into the gown.
"If anything is uncomfortable, please tell us immediately, Princess!"
I stayed silent as they nipped, tucked, and pinned. When I finally stepped out, I was wearing a dress that seemed to have been made from solidified moonlight and blood.
Loxdian was sitting in a chair, pretending to read a document. Noah was standing nearby, also holding a stack of papers. Both of them looked up when I emerged.
"Well," Loxdian said, his eyes tracing the lines of the dress. "I see you’ve managed to turn a pumpkin into a watermelon."
"You should watch your words, Brother. I was a watermelon from the start."
I could say that with confidence. Charlize was stunning. The red dress they’d made revealed all her strengths—her sharp, porcelain shoulders, her long neck, and her fierce, predatory grace.
But it was the jewel around my neck that truly caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a massive sapphire, but Charlize’s memories corrected me instantly.
It was a blue diamond.
A legendary stone found only in the northernmost reaches of the Empire, a gem that the Imperial Family held exclusive rights over. I remembered that Charlize had wanted one for years, but even she hadn't been able to acquire a stone of this size and clarity.
I smiled to myself. 'Are they really giving me this just to make sure I play my part?'
* * *
The room was silent.
I was too busy admiring the diamond in the mirror to notice, but everyone else was staring at me in absolute awe. Surprised, envious, and intimidated—their expressions were a mix of every emotion possible.
Even the maid who had stolen my hairpin—the one who had believed every terrible rumor about me—couldn't look away. My appearance was enough to silence even my harshest critics.
"Princess...!"
The lead designer, a woman named Lorna who had been serving the Imperial Family for twenty years, suddenly fell to her knees.
I looked at her, bewildered. 'What's wrong with her?'
Lorna was a professional. She’d designed for Loxdian and his mother, and she’d been reluctant to work for someone with such a scandalous reputation. But the second I’d stepped out in the dress she’d poured her soul into, her perception had shattered.
She wasn't just looking at a Princess anymore. She was looking at a masterpiece.