Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“Well, Rebecca, then help me notify Granius and Penne.”

They were the ones who made the mistake. Was it not too early for them to be relieved?

“Penne?”

“Someone who’s in charge of handling documents or something along those lines.”

“Do you mean the deputy head?”

“Hm, the deputy head… I think so!”

After biting my lips, I finally raised my head to look at my spectators. I felt refreshed like I just hit a perfect homerun. Right, why did they mess with someone who did nothing to them?

“He’s someone standing next to Granius. So, Rebecca, are you not going to mention this to Granius?”

‘Try holding your breath.’

Smiling, I happily watched as Rebecca glared at them.

“I’m surprised. So this is how you pay back your injustices.”

I was smiling at how she was going after them so widely the corners of my mouth were hurting. To prevent myself from bursting out into laughter, I quickly resolved myself.

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘injustices’?”

“… Just as I expected, you don’t know anything.”

Rebecca sighed softly.

“Huh? You told me that if the atmosphere were to ever turn strange, I should act like Fleon, ack, urp, why are you covering my mouth?”

“No. Sometimes being naive helps as well.’

Turning my head slightly, I looked towards where Fleon was. It did not look like he could push his way past the spectating nobels. Seeing how he would frown from time to time, he seemed to be getting impatient.

‘So he’s been maintaining a good image in society?’

He always complained about how he was sick and tired of these banquets. But I was relieved to see him attend these events without any problems.

I looked away from him and noticed Dane as well as the group of women surrounding him that was rapidly increasing.

‘As I expected, my eyes were never wrong.’

Even amongst strangers, Dane stood out.

“I enjoyed it.”

After turning back, I realised that the empress had gotten a lot closer than before and was watching me.

“Your Majesty?”

As expected of the mother of one of the main characters in the original novel, the empress smiled kindly. After smiling like that, she would coldly douse the female lead in water. Was she going to do the same thing to me?

I snidely smiled at the expression of the mastermind who orchestrated these events and the spectators that let such a shitty situation pass in front of them.

“I don’t know what you enjoyed but I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Was it because of the empress? I felt an increased number of gazes on me.

“I seem to be mistaken.”

“What? What do you mean?”

After a while, her face tilted upwards.

“About the princess.”

She was as tall as any other woman of the Empire.

“What should I do?”

In front of my brother, I could only hesitate before carrying out the unthinkable. It would be better for me to be quiet and to do nothing more than stare.

The air was electrifying. Truly feeling the extent of the empress’ power here, I slowly lowered my eyes.

“… Princess.”

But the empress called out for me without warning. She grabbed my chin and slowly lifted it upwards.

“… So there is some resemblance.”

We made eye contact. A spectacular gust of wind whipped around me. I recognised this feeling.

“You truly are the daughter of Aureisa.”

The golden gust of wind blew past the empress’ bright olive eyes. It felt like everyone else had disappeared, leaving only me and her.

‘Castor?’

No, the powers felt different.

Something that felt like a shadow encroached my head from behind making my head ache.

“I thought you were a young girl who could not do anything which was why she protected you so earnestly and even used the Wheels of Rome. (1) But you showed me something interesting.”

Dozens of invisible needles pierced into me. I could not even scream. Was the empress a templar?

“I’m… not sure what you’re talking about… Ack.”

“Oh my, are you that naive? Or are you a brat who is only pretending to be?”

Just as I thought, she sounded annoyed.

“Either way, those beautiful eyes of yours irk me.”

What was she talking about?

‘It’s the damned way all the nobles speak.’

They used metaphors where they would twist their meanings because they found pleasure in hiding their intentions. They would then change the conversation topic completely. I could feel a terrible pain in my head as I remained ignorant whilst she continued talking about unknown things.

Rebecca rushed forward.

“Your Majesty! The princess shall speak! The princess is…!”

“Aventa. I did not allow you to speak.”

The empress caressed my cheek. She seemed to be muttering something else to Rebecca. I could not hear them because of the pain but after a while, it became more tolerable.

As I endured my head ache, I shifted my gaze before the empress exclaimed.

“You’re not a normal person either, are you?”

From the empress’ reaction, she did not seem to be referring to my strength but my ability to endure pain.

“Did you know? Amadema.”

Her solemn voice hummed in my head.

“Why did the sole daughter of the noble Aventa come to be your lady-in-waiting?”

“Your Majesty! Please wait!”

As if affected by Rebecca’s screams, the empress turned her head.

“If that’s what you want.”

She smiled and whispered. It sounded like she was about to throw me the whole truth. Complete silence befell us.

“I need to see what’s on those cheeks of yours.”

She did not raise her voice but I could feel the chilling anger behind her words. Was her anger directed towards Auresia? I felt wronged.

Why was I suffering such humiliation because of my biological mother whose face I had never seen before?

“Let’s see what you’ve been hiding on your cheeks… shall we?”

Her words felt heavy. The empress had the ability to physically bind me with her words.

Fortunately, it did not feel like she was digging into my mind and manipulating me like Castor.

‘… But I can’t move!’

Her finger grazed my cheek. As soon as the edge of my bandage came loose, the rest slowly but surely ripped off.

The sounds of the nightmare passing by this hall rang softly.

“H-his Highness, the Crown Prince Castor Dje Kaltanias!”

At that moment, I was released from the strange powers that were binding me in place. And as soon as I regained my senses, I shook her hand off me.

The empress faltered in her steps helplessly. When I hurriedly brought my hand to my cheek, I found the bandage peeling off. The empress looked dismayed as she raised her head. As the predator appeared, it seemed like the empress forgot what she had wanted to say.

As she stood there stuttering, I could hear heavy footsteps approach me from afar.

People retreated from us like waves escaping the shore during low tide. In the meantime, the footsteps halted near me.

“It’s been a while. Your Majesty…”

His light, playful yet captivating voice echoed clearly through the hall.

“I mean, mother.”

As I stood anxiously in the silence, the man who emerged before me looked bigger and stronger than the last time I saw him two years ago.

“Ashley.”

He found me.

“It’s been a long time.”

His alluring voice tickled the nape of my neck and sounded surprisingly deep.

“Ah… G-g-greetings.”

Like a deer in front of predators, I felt like tensing and curling into a ball. I let out a long breath inwardly before smiling slowly and brightly.

“It really has been a long time. Have you been well?”

“I haven’t been until a little while ago?”

For a moment, goosebumps arose on my skin from his cringeworthy smile.

Some of his black hair was tied loosely in a ponytail while the rest of his hair settled like a net on his skin. The way he opened his eyes as sensually as ever and his actions that still contained his inherent madness still suited him perfectly.

In the last two years, Castor had ripened like the most coveted wine.

“How have you been doing? I haven’t seen you in two years but you look healthy.”

The expression that slowly snatched me from my feet was horrifyingly beautiful. I was flustered by how he looked more masculine than before. It looked like there was not much time left till the original novel starts.

“Thanks to your concern, I’m having a wonderful day.”

Trying to hide how embarrassed and flustered my entire body was, I calmed myself down.

“You’ve gotten taller, brother!”

Castor smiled brightly.

“You’ve changed too.”

The 1st and 2nd Princes were officially rivals. Their forces were also closely related with each other. They had a relationship that could only exist until one side overturned the other completely. It was only natural since they were both fighting over the throne.

Above all, Castor was an independent man. He did not accept any invitations to banquets and neither did he need them. He only attended the Founding Ceremonial Banquet, coming-of-age ceremonies and other banquets at the behest of the emperor.

However, the emperor had no reason to send him to the empress’ banquet.

‘Then why did he show up here?’

Maybe it was because we had not seen each other in two years but I could find some time to think rationally.

I faintly believed that he would not stab me in front of all the high-ranking aristocrats present.

“What’s going on here?”

The empress asked as her lips trembled.

“For what reason did you come here?”

Castor smiled languidly.

If he had been black ink at first, he was now like indigo ink. But my wits were preventing me from raising my head. He was someone whom I did not know when would explode.

“As I was passing by, I smelled something interesting and deletable and came to see what it was. Imagine my surprise to find out it was in your palace, mother?”

Castor spoke slowly.

“If you have any complaints, you can raise it to me now. I’ll listen to them for you.”

“Will that be possible? I was just a little flustered.”

The empress seemed to be very afraid of Castor but her eloquence showed that she still retained her confidence. She seemed to have something she trusted to back her up. I observed her carefully.

“But I’ve heard something funny. Do you want to hear it too? It’s really, extremely interesting.”

“Something interesting? “

In the next moment, Castor shortened his words.

“If I’m not wrong, no banquet will send out invitations only two hours before it starts, am I right?”

“…..”

Everyone in the banquet hall could not breathe. When I slowly shifted my gaze, I made eye contact with Castor. Everyone’s gazes were on Castor. But there were also some on me, including Dane’s and Fleon’s.

‘It’s fine.’

Fleon made eye contact with me before biting his lips. Biting his lips seemed to be one of his habits when he was angry. He looked like he wanted to run over right away but Dane was blocking him so he was struggling to endure the urge.

Well done, Dane, this was something beyond both of your capabilities to handle.

“May I know why you have brought this up in such an enjoyable symposium such as this?”

“Ah, I don’t really like to meddle. I rather enjoy spectating.

Just when I thought I saw him smiling languidly, I felt something tingle on the tip of my head. When I sneakily raised my head, I saw his head tilt to the left. With the smallest of his movements, his black hair rustled like the fabric of the night sky. As his hair swayed, he smiled faintly.

“But it’s a different story if the jester in this case is my dear sister. Don’t you think so? Hernandez.”

T/N:

Damn~~~