Hannah’s warning resurfaced in my mind.
“Whether the rumors are true or not, please be careful, Evelyn. You know what people blinded by jealousy are capable of.”
She was right. If just a baseless rumor was enough to provoke this kind of behavior…
‘How foolish.’
Why stir up trouble with someone who had no interest in being a partner in the first place?
“If we’re done talking, I’ll be going now.”
I brushed past Vivian and left the room.
She wasn’t wrong about one thing—I didn’t want unnecessary attention. My family was meant to live a quiet, peaceful life, far from the power struggles of the imperial palace.
But—
“Your family has become much more… useful than before.”
Vivian’s cheerful voice echoed in my mind.
Even so, I couldn’t just overlook such an obvious challenge.
Turning on my heel, I headed back toward Caesar’s room.
****
Before long, my twentieth birthday arrived. It also meant that my debutante ball was just over a month away.
“Your father has been fussing about your arrival for days now.”
“Really?”
Having finished my work for the day, I had returned home to have dinner with my family in celebration of my birthday.
“He even went to the kitchen himself to make sure dinner would be perfect. Honestly, your father is such a handful. Oh, by the way, how’s your debutante dress?”
“Huh?”
“They said it’s finished. Tialen told me.”
My mother’s voice was filled with excitement. The dress had only arrived yesterday, yet she already knew about it. It seemed my father wasn’t the only one making a big deal out of things.
“I haven’t tried it on yet.”
“Really? They were boasting about how this one is extra special. Apparently, His Majesty personally made a request for it. I want to see it too—why didn’t you bring it home?”
“I’ll bring it back after the debutante ball. It’s not far off now.”
“That’s true. Oh, by the way, have you chosen a partner yet?”
“Ah…”
Before I could answer, my mother continued speaking.
“Honestly, we’ve been getting so many letters about it that it’s becoming a hassle. Of course, I’ll respect your decision first and foremost, but… if you haven’t chosen yet, maybe you could at least look through some of the letters—”
“I already chose.”
“Oh my, really? Who is it? How do you know them?”
Just as I was about to respond, a timely knock interrupted us.
“Madam, my lady. A delivery has arrived from the imperial palace.”
“Hmm? From the palace? Come in.”
At my mother’s response, the door opened, revealing a familiar maid holding an elegant-looking box.
“This is from His Majesty.”
“Ah, it must be a birthday gift.”
I accepted the box from the maid, untied the ribbon, and lifted the lid. Inside was an extravagant ruby necklace.
Dozens of rubies were encrusted into the piece, each one gleaming as if radiating its own light. It was a style I would never have dared to wear under normal circumstances.
A laugh escaped me before I even realized it. I had told him to give me just one gift, so he had deliberately chosen something outrageously expensive.
“Oh, Evelyn… this…”
My mother looked at me with concern. The sheer luxury of the necklace was enough to leave her visibly flustered.
“It’s fine.”
I admired the ruby necklace with a satisfied expression.
Normally, I would have found such a gift overwhelming and would have considered refusing it—but this time, things were different.
‘Yes, something like this should make it clear to everyone.’
Caesar likely hadn’t intended it, but his choice of gift was absolutely perfect.
****
Vivian Sancia, the youngest daughter of Baron Sancia, was born to be loved.
At least, she firmly believed so.
With her small frame and naturally charming looks, she gradually realized something as she grew up—just having a pretty face was enough to get her whatever she wanted.
She dyed her plain black hair pink with a potion, practiced speaking in a sweet, playful voice, and perfected the art of acting cute.
Foolish men fell for her instantly. They gave her whatever she asked for, bought her whatever she wanted.
Her ambitions grew. She climbed her way into the capital, then into the imperial palace.
But things didn’t go as planned.
The only people she met were other maids.
Getting past the strict security to speak with the emperor was impossible. And since she wasn’t assigned as one of his personal maids, it was even worse.
“I have to meet the emperor somehow.”
Vivian was confident—if she could just talk to him, she could make him hers.
Then, one day, she heard an interesting rumor:
The emperor was going to attend the debutante ball.
A debutante ball. The heart of high society, where all marriage discussions took place.
No matter how high his status, at the debutante, the emperor was just another man. And at an event like that, even his ever-present guards would have to keep their distance.
It was perfect.
Even better, Vivian was exactly eighteen. Everything lined up flawlessly.
“I just need to become the emperor’s partner!”
Since Caesar was still young and had only recently ascended the throne, he had no official marriage proposals yet.
If he brought a partner to the debutante, it would send a strong political message.
But Vivian assumed he would arrive alone. If that happened, she could approach him at the banquet and secure the position of his dance partner on the spot.
Then, a strange rumor began circulating in the palace.
Apparently, Evelyn Chester, the deputy head maid of the emperor’s palace, was going to be his partner.
Vivian didn’t believe it.
Sure, Evelyn had a cute face, but she wasn’t a breathtaking beauty who could completely captivate a man.
And even if the emperor did like her, a marriage with a mere baron’s daughter was unthinkable.
Curious, Vivian observed Evelyn up close, wondering if she had some kind of hidden charm. But there was nothing special about her.
In fact, Evelyn was even duller than Vivian had expected.
No matter how much Vivian subtly mocked her or provoked her, Evelyn never even frowned.
“Still, just in case, I should give her a warning.”
Vivian had indirectly told Evelyn not to even think about being the emperor’s partner. And fortunately, Evelyn had backed down almost immediately—or at least, that’s how it seemed to Vivian.
It was obvious now. The rumors about Evelyn catching the emperor’s eye were just meaningless gossip.
Humming cheerfully, Vivian stood in front of her mirror and began her preparations.
The dress she had prepared for today fit her perfectly. Her hair, after hours of careful styling, gleamed under the light.
Looking this flawless, there was no way the emperor wouldn’t notice her.
Brimming with excitement, she hurried to the banquet hall.
She couldn’t help but imagine herself as the future empress, her footsteps growing lighter at the thought.
“How should I introduce myself?”
As she adjusted her voice and practiced greetings in her head, she soon arrived at the hall.
Because the emperor was attending, the venue was even more extravagant than usual—so dazzling it almost hurt to look at.
“When I become empress, all of this will belong to me.”
Vivian took in the grand sight with satisfaction.
It didn’t take long for her to spot Caesar.
The moment she saw him up close, she involuntarily held her breath.
He was dressed in a white ceremonial uniform accented with red. Holding a wine glass in one hand, he stood alone, yet he stood out unmistakably among all the other men.
Even if he weren’t an emperor or immensely wealthy, Vivian wouldn’t have considered marriage unless he was good-looking.
But he was flawless.
A triumphant smile crept onto her lips.
She was especially pleased that no one was standing near him.
Clearly, he didn’t have a partner.
The few women hovering nearby didn’t even dare to approach.
Vivian straightened her posture and confidently walked toward him.
She planned to start with a brief conversation, then smoothly transition into asking for the first dance.
At the debutante ball, even without a set partner, one had to dance at least once.
Even the emperor had to choose someone.
And among all the women lingering near him, Vivian was certain she was the most beautiful.
She reached Caesar and gracefully bowed.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”
Then, with a perfectly calculated sweet smile, she lifted her head.
But Caesar wasn’t even looking at her.
‘What? Did he not hear me?’
Vivian didn’t panic.
The hall was crowded—he must not have seen her properly.
‘If he had looked at my face, he wouldn’t have ignored me.’
“My name is Vivian Sancia. I work at the imperial palace.”
She raised her voice slightly.
This time, Caesar’s cold gaze finally turned toward her.
The moment their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat.
‘He’s even more handsome up close. He’s perfect for my future husband!’
“…I see.”
His response was curt, and his gaze quickly shifted away.
But Vivian wasn’t discouraged.
Of course, an emperor had to be somewhat aloof. It only made him more attractive.
‘Later, he’ll be apologizing over and over for treating me coldly at first.’
“Your uniform suits you very well, Your Majesty.”
Vivian flipped her pink hair over her shoulder and added,
“The red accents almost look like they match my hair color.”
Comments (0)