Chapter 124

I’m sure my father gave a great speech after my prayer. Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately), I will never know because I left the premises as soon as I could after giving a politician’s farewell to the significantly happier nobles.

We’re all users at the end of the day. They don’t want their precious, cocky offspring to die just for the chance to gain a prestigious position in the army and I want to solidify my stance within a social class that prioritizes one’s birth and rank above all else.

But it doesn’t feel great honestly. The reason why I had wanted to pursue politics in my past life was to make a difference for the little guy in a modern world more than happy to exploit them. However, these past few years I’ve been using my skills for personal gain rather than for others.

I’m not unaware of the many problems this world suffers. There are slavery contracts forced onto the poor and recently conquered territories, there are those who go hungry in the slums, and there are countless displaced people from the past war. As we celebrated in silk and lavish gowns during the Celebration Ball, many had found themselves without a home or hot meal. Many still haven’t found those, yet.

“A penny for your thoughts, your highness?” Sage asks, playfully using one of the phrases I’ve taught her.

“They will cost you much more than that,” I tell her, successfully distracted from the constant push and pull that my conscience wages within me. For now, my conscience loses as Sage’s presence reminds me that above personal gain there is something else I’ve been trying to protect – my life and the lives of those I care about.

Sage pouts. “But my salary would be too small to afford the thoughts of a princess,” she whines.

.....

I chuckle to myself, the unpleasant nostalgia of my tiny stipend when I’d first arrived coming to mind.

“Oh, you’d be surprised, Sage.”

My thoughts unconsciously drift to Emma, the person I’d much prefer to be by my side. She is here, somewhere. I told her to find a way to get Nina to bring her along with the rest of my staff, leaving me feeling assured to know that on these spacious grounds a little beyond the city gates, I have a real ally.

There is a comfortable lull in the conversation that I’d be happy to have carried on until we reach the location where my real opponents reside. Those opponents are the empress and a few other highly ranked noblewomen who have either never given me the time of day or completely hate me. But Sage is very fond of chattering on about nonsense.

“You look very beautiful today, your highness!” she chirps as we pass by servants setting up shortened archery stands for the minor competition to take place for the noble boys too young to participate in the actual competition.

The few boys who have arrived early aren’t far from my age, but they already blush and bow as we pass them by.

“Do I?” I reply without turning to look at her.

I nod politely to a few nobles who I know firmly stand with the crown prince, and with my known allegiance to my brother they are quick to show their respect back.

I look down at the stunning forest green hunting ensemble that Lady Arabella put together for me, apparel that will never be put into its intended use. I could practically blend in with the tall trees and lively evergreen that surround us.

I can practically see a loading icon float above Sage’s head as she considers her next move.

“Are you... are you mad at me?” she asks quietly, deflating like a punctured balloon.

“Mad? I could never be,” I scoff in surprise, delighting at how she twists her face in a semblance of sadness. “I suppose that I’m a bit nervous. Mother doesn’t seem to care for me very much.”

Two can play the game and I pout my bottom lip slightly as if I actually care what Empress Katya thinks of me. And I don’t. Mostly.

But Sage was trained well and knows better than to speak kindly of the empress to my face. It seems that she was sent to me for the sole purpose of surveillance. I’ve never seen her try to push me towards a certain decision or convince me that Empress Katya cares for me.

“Hmph! The empress doesn’t care about you as much as I do. You didn’t even like her birthday gift as much as you liked mine, your highness. That’s why I’m your favorite, right?” she coos, leaning in close like a dog begging to be patted on the head.

I want to swat her face away, but I manage to give her a thin smile. It’s a little harder than usual playing along with Sage today, with the impending brunch before me. If it were just the empress today, I’d be able to white-knuckle it as usual, but there are a few more players in today’s game.

Duchess Taylor. All the ladies-in-waiting, including Countess Janice, whose suspicious kindness to me over the years has left me more than a little perturbed. And any other outlier who decides to play around with the bastard princess.

“The empress’ gift?” I mutter absentmindedly as I wonder how deep Duchess Taylor’s scowl will carve into her face once I arrive.

The duchy of Mulworth has historically always been the smallest of the once four, now three duchies in the Erudian Empire. But no matter how small it is, the duke and his son are in prominent positions within the imperial army, which is what gives the small territory a majority of its power. She most certainly has her allies whose stances mirror hers.

Sage nods so hard I fear her head might bounce off. “The pocket watch! You said it was far gaudier than your tastes.”

“Oh, the watch.” I pat a pocket on my hunting jacket where said watch, a bejeweled golden piece that matches my eyes, rests out of sight. “It was very over the top. The little cake you made for me is much more valuable to me than even 10 of those ostentatious watches.”

My empty words send Sage’s mood surging back to normal. “You are so kind to me, your highness,” she says with a bright grin.

My birthday has recently passed in a rather subdued fashion. I received gifts from my family and many prominent families in the capital, an upgrade I suppose from my sixth birthday that I spent locked up in the Tower. But there was no celebration, no fanfare. In the evening, I’d been sent one final gift from Empress Katya, this very watch I carry with me every day. Is it to tell me that my good days shall run out soon? Or is it to remind me that my days are numbered once she finds a way to be rid of me?

It is just one of the many things that sends me shooting up out of my slumber in the dead of night. And yet I still carry it around every day.

“Oh, we’re here! Don’t worry, your highness, I am by your side,” she adds with a whisper.

Her cheesy words are meant to be encouraging, but I have to suppress an eye roll as we arrive before the grand, half-open tent where this eventful brunch shall take place. Underneath lavish purple drapery that looks out over the very forest where the hunting competition will soon commence, sit several well dressed women, most of which have never lifted a finger in their entire lives aside from putting on a few rings worth more than a block of houses.

A cup suddenly flies to my feet before I can approach the long horizontal table. It lacks the dramatic effect of a proper floor, the delicate thing doesn’t even break on the grass. I take a short step back to prevent the leftover tea from spoiling my dress but Sage practically jumps over my head in fright. So much for her being by my side. I’d give an arm and a leg to have Emma next to me right now.

“Julia! Such a pleasure to see you! You must be very excited to see me as well, considering how your cup slipped from your fingers just now,” I say cheerfully, smiling at the culprit who’d flung her tea cup at me and jabbing at her beneath my kind words.

Her actions were most unbecoming of her considering the current setting, but Julia’s seated beside her mother, Empress Katya, who watches this all take place with a bland look. It keeps the disapproval emanating from the other women to a minimum as they don’t dare to challenge the empress when even she has not found fault with her daughter.

“Hey, you-” Julia shoots up from her seat, startling Lady Bryce who was sneering at me with a snide expression. Her skirts flutter up around her, part of a gorgeous silvery dress that is entirely unsuitable for hunting.

“Greeting, Mother,” I interrupt, dropping into a smooth curtsey and cutting my golden-haired half-sister off right in her tracks.

I look out over the rest of the table and nod, the rest of the cast is here. Countess Janice bares her teeth in a semblance of a smile, still as uncannily beautiful as ever. Lady Bryce smooths her hair and does a poor job at hiding her disdain for Princess Julia. Duchess Taylor does not look up from the cup of tea she stirs methodically. I still have no clue why she hates me so much. And as for the rest of the noblewomen, they wait with bated breath, their eyes glittering in anticipation of the show they will no doubt witness.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The stage has been set and all the characters are in place. This is going to be so much fun... not.