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Chapter 119
The Imperial Princess's Visit
Hestia Village was in an uproar upon suddenly receiving news of the Princess's visit.
On that very day, people stopped everything they were doing and flocked to the streets.
"Isn't this a chance to see the Empire's Flower?"
"Would she even show her face to people like us? We live right under her nose but have never seen her once."
"Still, if not for an opportunity like this, when would we ever get the chance?"
Е̌n üm̆ ã
Most people praised her beauty, but those who had actually laid eyes on her in the flesh were exceedingly rare.
Even within the Empire, the majority had never seen Olivia's face, so they rushed over with the mindset that this was their first and last opportunity.
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While the streets buzzed with excitement, Ruri was sharper than usual.
It was because she had prepared thoroughly, befitting a distinguished guest.
'No, that's not it.'
If she set her mind to it, she could pierce the Empire's barrier and enter, so there was no reason to be this tense.
Е̊n u̇ m̌ а .і d
Those keen eyes were, as expected, directed at Ferda.
Ferda roughly knew the reason.
That was why he said this to her:
"The only one who has captured my heart is His Highness Valdrova."
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"Who said anything?"
With those words, Ruri whipped her head away and turned back, leaving Ferda wondering what that was about.
W̃ е b̌ nо̊v̀ е̌l̊ Е nümа
Shortly after, a pair of vanguard knights on white horses emerged from the forest.
Starting from that vanguard, a long procession followed, and it took about four minutes before a large carriage appeared.
Olivia Arken would be aboard that splendid carriage.
While Ferda was thinking he just needed to wait with rough preparations, an unexpected situation occurred.
The carriage stopped at the outer castle wall, which was not yet complete.
"Why on earth did those things suddenly stop and make a fuss?"
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"I wouldn't know."
An unexpected situation for Ferda.
At the same time, soldiers began unfurling a red carpet in a straight line from the outer castle gate.
Simultaneously, the royal guards took positions at set intervals along both sides of the red carpet, controlling the residents.
Ferda felt a sense of familiarity at the sight.
'Are they planning a procession?'
En̈u̇ m̃ã. іḋ
Ferda's guess was correct.
Olivia Arken was trying to switch from that tightly wrapped shell of a carriage to a carriage used for triumphal processions.
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Ferda frowned at the sight.
"What a troublesome stunt......."
Muttering that, Ferda spoke to Ruri.
"Ruri. We need to change the schedule a bit."
W̌ ė b̂n̈ о̌ vе_l _Ӗn ů m̌ а̊
"What do you mean, Lord?"
"Can you take me to the outer castle gate?"
"Are you thinking of rushing to the Imperial Princess's side?"
"I don't want any trouble arising in Hestia Village."
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She glared at him with a sullen expression, but what could be done?
In the end, Ruri granted Ferda's request.
Ẁ ẽb̀ n̄ о̄v̈ е̊l Е́n u ṁа́
From a set height, Ferda descended directly via Heaven Stair and reached Olivia's side.
"I pay my respects to the Imperial Princess."
"I pay my respects to the Regent of the Grand Duchy. Did you come all this way for me?"
"What is the meaning of this?"
He asked point-blank, not getting swept up in Olivia's atmosphere.
Olivia checked her face in a mirror and answered.
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"What do you mean, 'meaning'? Isn't it to help you, Regent?"
"How is this helping?"
"I'm just trying to draw out rumors about Hestia Village."
"What rumors?"
"The Empire's Flower displayed her beautiful figure and entered Valdrova Castle....... Isn't that enough to set tongues wagging?"
She glanced with her sapphire eyes and smiled.
Ẁ еb̀n̈ о̌v̌el̂ Еǹ ú ḿ а̇
"If you're thinking of destroying Hestia Village, it's a truly fine deed. I thought you'd know well enough why she avoids showing her face to the public."
"I know. If the story goes that the Imperial Princess was hit by a stone or tomato thrown by the crowd, that family would be exterminated."
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Such a thing had actually happened during the First Prince's visit, and that noble had vanished without a trace.
Olivia, whom everyone admired for her beauty, would undoubtedly be worse.
"Don't worry. I'm doing this on my own, and I'll hold the knight order accountable for failing to stop me. Then it's fine, isn't it?"
"If everything in the world worked out that well, there'd be no problem."
E num̂ а̄ .і d̄
"You look like you don't believe me."
"Yes."
"You're too honest, as always."
Olivia covered her mouth and laughed, "Hoho."
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"Then let me propose a compromise. Will you ride together?"
"......Excuse me?"
Еň u m ä..i ḋ
"If someone throws a stone or tomato, you block it, Regent. Then it works out, doesn't it?"
"......."
Olivia touched her glossy lips with her folding fan.
"The Regent of Valdrova threw his body for the Imperial Princess. Chivalry for the Princess remains—wouldn't that be a wonderful reputation?"
I want to say: Cut the crap, pull the carriage back, and return to your shell this instant.
But she showed no sign of backing down.
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Her unyielding attitude displeased him, but Ferda couldn't insist either.
As he'd said, he was in a situation where he had to chew even a peach that only looks good.
"Understood."
"Hehe. Then come up beside me."
And so Ferda boarded the Princess's carriage.
The royal guards and knights looked unable to hide their surprise at the situation, but not a single one said anything.
Е́nüm̀а
And so the carriage procession began.
They crossed the long empty lot with only a road and entered the inner part of Hestia Village.
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"Gasp!"
"It's the Princess!"
"The Empire's Flower!"
The residents, who never imagined there would be a public procession, were astonished.
Еǹüm̄ а̌. і̂d̀
Making choking sounds, the residents let out exclamations of admiration.
Not just men, but even women looked at her with eyes of longing.
"Hand."
"Yes?"
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"Wave your hand. Even if you can't smile, you have to do at least that much, right?"
Olivia waved her hand skillfully toward them.
W ĕ b n̊ оvĕ l Е̂n ŭm̀а̌_
Especially to the children with sparkling eyes, she greeted them with an even brighter smile.
'Impressive.'
Watching that from the side, Olivia truly seemed to shine.
Blonde hair, blue eyes.
She wore a dress revealing a splendid and voluptuous figure that could easily incite lust, but the smile on her face created an atmosphere, and that atmosphere overwhelmed everything.
She was a beautiful rose placed in a glass case; the Goddess of Beauty.
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Everyone loved her, worshipped her, and poured out praise without reserve.
It hit him all at once that she was loved by all.
While immersed in such thoughts, his eyes met Olivia's.
She smiled.
Whether it was his imagination or not, that fake light somehow felt even brighter.
To the point where he even got the delusion that she loved him.
Е nǔm̌а
'So this is how much you have to smile.'
It was a sight Ferda could perhaps never manage.
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He looked away again, checking if any pests would swarm.
And as if it were only natural, there was no one showing her hatred, and the procession safely ended at the inner fortress.
"Mind your manners!"
Inside the inner fortress, the knights of Count Consillus's territory, dispatched for the ceremony, knelt before the Princess and paid their respects.
Е̌ ṅúm̈â . і̂ d̈
Ferda got off the carriage first.
He reached out his hand toward Olivia to escort her.
"I will escort you."
"I apologize, Regent. The Princess does not hold hands with unrelated men—."
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The words cut off.
Because, making the explanation pointless, Olivia took Ferda's hand.
Еn̄ ům̀а̌
She was a woman who had always avoided the hands of men escorting her under the pretext of keeping her chastity, so he thought it would be the same this time.
She naturally took his hand and spoke familiarly.
"Can you introduce me to the people in the castle?"
"Of course."
Ferda introduced not only the knights but also his closest confidants.
Among them was Burnell.
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Even Burnell, who holes up in his lab, had abandoned everything and rushed out.
True to a researcher who had never held a woman's hand, his face turned beet red at the sight of Olivia.
Olivia sent him a look of admiration and acknowledged him.
"Marquis Burnell. I know of you. I hear you've accumulated tremendous merit in Halim?"
"Y-Yes! Th-That's right!"
"The Empire has its eyes on you. We'd like to request close cooperation on security...... but I suppose the Far East's safety comes first?"
Еnu m ä .і d_
"Of course, but when the time comes, I'll be of great help to the Empire too!"
"Hehe, I'll look forward to it."
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This woman and her dirty tricks.
Burnell's soul flew away at the Princess's smiling face.
It wasn't just Burnell.
The Empire's Golden Rose that every man would want to see in the flesh at least once.
W̄ еb n ō v̌ е̂l Еn̆ u má
The moment of meeting her—which man wouldn't have his heart race?
Perhaps that's why, a certain 'existence' crazy about women suddenly came to mind, and Ferda whispered to Jed.
"Where's Penelope?"
"Tied up tight and locked away."
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"Why?"
"She kept saying 'Just one bite' the moment she saw the Princess. What could I do?"
Е̇ṅ ǔm̂a
Paying a small tribute to Jed's lightning-fast judgment, Ferda stood beside Olivia.
And so, making an image, they entered smoothly.
Ruri's gaze was more piercing than ever.
She made a face saying she disliked this even more than usual, venting hostility.
An ordinary person would have been crushed by that energy, but Olivia spoke without a hint of tension.
"Ruri...... You're Silverwind, correct?"
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"That is correct."
"One sometimes gets confused. When one hears that the attendant so loyal to Lady Valdrova is of Silverwind's bloodline."
Olivia smiling brightly, Ruri answering bluntly.
"I appreciate the words, but I already know how the Empire thinks of my Lord. There are listening ears."
"Yes, a troublesome matter. As the representative of the Arken Family, I promise to improve that."
A promise from an Imperial Princess's status.
Ẅ е̊b̈ nо v̂ еľ E n̄ ū m̃ ӑ
Ruri scoffed inwardly.
"I've wanted to give this for a while. It's a small gift I brought."
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Olivia gestured behind her,
And an attending knight presented a box he was carrying.
It was hwagwaja.
Hwagwaja made by the Empire's finest patissier.
Е̂ n um а .ǐ d̄.
Sweet, but not cheap-looking, with a suitably mature appearance.
"Oh."
Ruri's eyes sparkled, completely unlike the wariness she'd shown just moments ago.
"I thought bringing just one box would be discourteous, so I prepared three."
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"Hmm, I'll gratefully accept the favor. Since I can't eat it all alone, I'll bring it out when entertaining guests."
"A consideration befitting Lady Valdrova's loyal attendant."
W_е̊b n̈ о̄v́ е̇l Е́ ñ ǔ mа
Ruri responding adeptly, and Olivia's wrapping skills nothing ordinary.
Ferda's thoughts, knowing Ruri well, differed.
'She's dying to taste it right now.'
It wasn't that she wanted to eat it after work; she probably wanted to eat it right there while preparing it.
There were two more boxes prepared anyway, so she could just eat more after.
'She really is an amazing woman.'
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To think she'd seduce a child with food.
Ferda inwardly admired her as he escorted her to the reception room.
* * *
"The name is Hestia Village, correct?"
In the quiet atmosphere, after downing one hwagwaja and a cup of tea, Olivia brought up a topic.
"Hestia Village. Was it the name of the woman who guards the hearth?"
W е̂ b̌n̊о̃ v èl Е ñum a
"Yes. It must have been a hard name to find, yet you know it."
"I heard it from others. I'm just amazed at your extensive knowledge of how you know such things."
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"I wouldn't have known either if I hadn't heard it by chance."
"Most people can't even remember things they heard by chance. Thanks to that, I got a taste for books on ancient mythology. What kind of books have you been reading lately, Regent?"
"I......."
Under Olivia's lead, the conversation continued endlessly.
W_еb̈ n.о́v̀ е̊ l Ё n u m ȧ
Ferda felt something strange watching her.
'The feel is different from usual.'
Until now, talking with Olivia gave a strong sense that she was wearing a mask.
But right now, that mask didn't feel proper.
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'Has her acting improved that much in the meantime?'
After exchanging only trivial talk, Olivia turned to a more constructive topic.
Ê n um̂а̊_
"I'd like to talk about Marquis Burnell."
There it is.
Olivia revealed her true colors.
"Please speak."
"To put it bluntly, I want to recruit him as the Empire's technician. I'll certainly provide proper compensation, so would it be possible?"
Is this woman joking right now?
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Ferda felt his temper rise and glanced at the knight.
Since there were listening ears, Ferda politely refused.
"That man is a precious asset of the Grand Duchy."
"I figured you'd say that......."
Olivia maintained her smile, nodded, and turned her head.
"Guard Captain."
Еn u m å
"Yes, Princess."
"Could you step out for a moment? The two of us need to talk."
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"......Understood."
It foretold that an unusual conversation would take place, and the knight commander left.
He had left, but Olivia only sipped her tea, not starting any serious talk.
Ferda had no choice but to ask her.
E n umа̃
"What do you want to talk about?"
"What talk?"
Olivia fluttered her eyebrows innocently.
"Ah, you mean that atmosphere? I just needed an excuse to chase the knight commander out."
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"What?"
"He keeps trying to monitor my every move. If I say we're having a high-level discussion, he'll understand and withdraw."
W ěb̆nо v é ĺ E ṅŭ.m̃ а
"Then what you said earlier was......."
"Acting. Of course."
She said, savoring the tea aroma.
"The Imperial Capital is currently discussing how to suppress the Grand Duchy's growth."
"I've heard the general situation."
"In that situation, wouldn't the flow of the Princess moving to poach the main technician look bad?"
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It would look good, certainly, but Ferda didn't trust Olivia absolutely.
"Are you certain you have no selfish motives toward the Empire?"
"Of course. What reason would I have to do things those bastards would like?"
Olivia's eyes burned with ambition.
She was not the Empire's Flower, nor the auction house's jewel, nor a free butterfly.
She wore the face of a politician.
Ẇ ê b́ n о v̀е̌ l̀ Ĕ_n̈ūm̃.ä.
"You decided to make Hestia Village a massive capital that could replace the Empire, didn't you?"
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