Chapter 40

They arrived at Lady Lize’s palace safely.

Look at this. She’s pretty sure that Luna was worried for nothing. Sezh was really having a whale of time. The weather is nice, her mouth is fine, a full stomach, and the most unexpecting thing is Raytan allowed her to follow him today.

Today’s occasion would not stop to give her happiness. Raytan surprisingly didn’t say some familiar words like ‘’Shut up’ or ‘Close your mouth.’ He instead didn’t even pull out any single word. Raytan was just staring at her when she spoke of her idea to follow him today. However, this is still quite a surprising development.

After some time, those two people landed at Lady Lize’s palace by the shortcut path.

“Brother, I will be just waiting here.”

Sezh uttered while looking up at Raytan. She could follow him but she didn’t really have any wish to enter the palace. The reason is clear. It’s because of Eton. She just underwent that weird illness yesterday, so today she wanted to avoid any unnecessary gathering with him.

Beside that, she already told him yesterday that she couldn’t visit him for a few days. It still felt like Eton was waiting for her but … She really didn’t want to be entangled up with that person.

“If that’s what you want.”

Raytan nodded signaling that he understood. Then he entered the palace.

Sezh, who is left alone, decided to take a stroll around Lady Lize’s palace. She is at the front part of the palace now. Having nothing to do, Sezh enjoyed the superb view of the medleys of blossoms and trees there. Come to think of it, it seems like The Emperor planted these flowers exclusively for Lady Lize only.

Isn’t it amusing. While hating on Raytan, The Emperor adored Lady Lize so much. Sezh walked slowly while thinking about that.

She paused her step, the scent of the sweet blooming flowers softly filled up her nose. Sezh crouched down in front of the flowers and continued her admiration by non-stop muttering ‘Waa.’

Let alone a flower garden. Even just one stack did not exist in her palace. Does Lady Lize enjoy this scenery everyday? Sezh slowly turned up her head and glimpsed at the palace. Soon after that, she took her sight back to the flowers.

Put all of her focus on the garden of flowers. Sezh, who was busy touching it, was not aware of Lilian who roamed towards her.

“This annoying bitch!”

“Aak!”

Sezh stumbled to the ground. Lillian next kicked her from the side, staggered Sezh looked up at her.

“You know where you are right now?”

Where are you what. Of course at Lady Lize’s palace. This was absurd. Ah, No. Lillian just kicked her out of nowhere is not something that she should find new.  She was used to this. Things that made her surprised now is Lillian who just appeared in a trice.

“Trying to catch The Emperor’s attention, huh? You really have no idea.”

No … Is it you who are being the one with no idea? Sezh in no time blinked her blue eyes blankly. Finally she realized why suddenly Lillian brought The Emperor up.

Lady Lize’s palace is located in the center of The Imperial Palace. This area was near to The Emperor’s territory and workplace.

People rarely choose to walk in and out here. Lilian is also the same. However, it turned out that the hawk eyes Lillian could see the poor Sezh who was crouching down alone.

Perhaps Lillian seems to have a great misunderstanding now. Since they are in the place near to the place where the Emperor was staying, she believed that Sezh was wishing to do something to stand out in front of The Emperor’s eyes.

“Sister, I didn’t intend to catch The Empe-”

Sezh’s head was helplessly spinned to the side by force. Lillian slapped her and put up a disgusted face.

“Who told you to talk?”

You asked me first …You evil bitch …. If this was twelve years old Sezh, she would bow her head down very low while keep asking for forgiveness, but seventeen years old Sezh who just came back was different.

Useless bitch. Sezh mocked her in the heart. Of course she didn’t say it outside her mouth. It will be better if she just gets over this scene immediately. There was just one thing in her mind right now.

Why on earth that the girl who is always waking up late everyday be here?

“You don’t have anything desirable. Even if you go on a rampage to fishing any of The Emperor’s attention or favor, you would never get one. Or do you want to take off your clothes? Maybe you can attract a little notice.”

“Catching any attention or favor. It’s not my in-”

“Alright. Let’s just do whatever you want, but The Emperor wouldn’t even care about you at all. Am I right? Even The Emperor sometimes forgets about your existence.”

“…”

“He said that while taking breakfast together with me this morning. ‘My youngest daughter, Lillian.’”

So it’s like that. The Emperor usually rested here and sometimes would have meals or tea time with Bern and Lillian. Amongst his concubine, The Emperor cherished Lady Lize the most. The child that was born from their nights was Raytan. In spite of that, The Emperor’s favourite kids were Bern and Lillian.

So what? Honestly Sezh couldn’t even care less for something like that. She is familiar with The Emperor’s indifference. It was also the same situation with Yerena’s violence. Therefore, she didn’t get bothered by Lillian’s provoking speech at all. Sure, Lillian didn’t get satisfied with that kind of reaction. She kept continuing her groans.

“Or do you wanna be a pimp like your mother? Throwing people to others so you get some benefits.”

Pimp. That’s what The Imperial Children who didn’t like Yerena called her behind her back.

Yerena’s family wasn’t particularly strong. It was just one of those noble families.The one that responsible for Yerena’s position now is her father, Sezh’s grandfather.

Before Sezh was born, it was not long after Rowain III became emperor. At that time, scores of noble families tried to make their daughters an empress or concubine by undertaking various works under water. The same affair was done by Yerena’s father.

He was a madly ambitious man, he used all the money that he had to bribe so he could made Yerena fill the position. In the end, he made his wish. Because Yerena has become one of many concubines in the empire now. Well, it didn’t matter whether she didn’t receive The Emperor’s favors or not.

Yerena took after her father. She as well had great ambition. Becoming a concubine,Yerena quickly realized that her family door was really insignificant compared to others. She understood that at the moment she goes this way, she can be both rice and porridge.

She wasn’t certain whether she would get The Emperor’s grace or not, but one thing that she was very determined about is she didn’t want to be a pathetic person.So the first thing Yerena did was to embrace the people of the Imperial Palace as much as possible.That was why Lillian and others nicknamed her as a pimp.

It was significantly strenuous for Yerena, the daughter of a petty family, to survive between them. Had it been a different person, there would have been no possibility at all. However, Yerena is still The Emperor’s concubine. The status has become her only weapon.

At first, it was quite hard for her. Still and all, Yerena eventually succeeded in establishing her acquaintanceship with the nobles. She made friends with a great number of high-rankings in the field. As time passed, her presence in the social world grew more. After mingling with many nobles, Yerena began to match up them to one another.

Family after family collided and intertwined. It was the best way for the nobles to build and strengthen their power, and Yerena was in the middle.

When the marriage was fulfilled, the nobles would often hand jewels and art objects with an unfamiliar name were given to her as a sign of gratitude.

Yerna carefully befriended with them to build wealth and network. She was greatly resourceful. It was even said that by striking Yerena’s one leg, you would know all the people of the Imperial Palace.

In addition, The couples, whom Yerena matched up, rarely faced a catastrophe unlike many other noble families. Therefore, her fame grew day by day.

The hard-earned connection with the nobles was an excellent safety net to Yerena. They with pleasure will help her and because of that she would easily cover up mistakes that she made at The Imperial Palace.

Anyway Yerena was also smarter than she looks. With such a case, Yerena could act so clandestinely that it never got into The Emperor’s ears. In conclusion, she was a considerable person. But then again, that’s why Lillian and other kids like her called Yerena a vulgar pimp.

“Really. You’re like your mother. Resembles each other very~ much. You vulgar things both can’t get The Emperor’s favor.”

“… “

“Well. Where do you get that blood from? Of course you’re that pimp’s only daughter.”

Without her own consciousness, Sezh rebutted forgetting about her life.

“Then, Sister Lillian, please talk about your concern to my mother.”

“What?”

“Sister just recognized her ability. You should consult about your future husband to my mother too.”

“You think I’m the same as you two?!”

Hah, of course you don’t have the same pride as me. While Sezh muttered that in the heart, Lillian snatched her hair brutally.

“Akh!”

“This damned bitch just lives with her mouth!”

“Let go of me!”

“You suit that Raytan kid. It looks like you couldn’t even see with your eyes again?”

Why suddenly brought Raytan here. Lillian seems to still have any grudges with the dogfight that happened at the library a few days ago.

“These bug-like things in the end are all the same!”

Sezh couldn’t make heads or tails of why Lillian kept dragging him to the conversation while constantly beating her.

“Things like you two wandering around the imperial palace are unfairly just hurting us!”

“Ah, No, When did I hurt you … “

“You keep showing up in front of my eyes like this are really irritating!”

Lillian hit Sezh in the head.

“Die! Just kill yourself together with that cursed kid!”

Everyday it’s always like this. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t do anything wrong. The only thing she did was breathing and opened her eyes, it’s just all of that. Come rain or shine, she is still treated like a bug. Just with the reason she came into their view, they will beat and insult her like this.

Sudden anger rose up. Biting her lips tightly, Sezh pushed Lillian with all of her strength.

“Keukh!”

This time it was Lillian who fell to the soil ground.

“Why should we die? We did nothing wrong!”

“This wrecked bitch!”

Similar to a coiled spring, Lillian got up from the floor and grabbed Sezh’s collar. Lost her control of gravity, Sezh tumbled over. Before she knew it, Lillian climbed over her small body. She then slapped Sezh’s cheeks mercilessly. Goodness. If Yerena is a pimp then Lillian is a literal bully. Sezh was really dumbfstrucked. She who had no strength left couldn’t attack Lillian back. Whether it’s seventeen or even twenty years old inside Sezh’s body, in reality the position who held the bigger and more power in physically is Lillian now.

“So you have pride now since you started to reach out with that annoying and dirty kid. This vulgar bitch.”

“Release me! Don’t.”

“Anyway you and that Raytan will end up the same. When Brother finally becomes emperor, he would definitely kill both of you first!”

“Annoying and dirty you said?”

Sezh went ballistic and shouted loudly. She was completely in her wit’s end right now.  Lillian didn’t stop snapping her insult and kept pouring out her swearing words. But the thing Sezh really couldn’t understand is why does she need to keep bringing Raytan here? Sezh got angrier because of that rather than when Lilian insulted her mother.

Of course Raytan … is a little bit harsh. However, he at least never tormented her like this. These past days he even took care of her. Yesterday he did that, and today is also …….

“You sister and Brother Bern are people that annoyed me the most!”

Sezh kept shouting all of her thoughts.

“Brother Raytan is way better than you! The only thing that you can win over him is just your blonde hair and blue eyes.”

“What?-”

Lillian’s temper has already hit the roof now. She didn’t even use her palm again but her fist, she aimed it to punch Sezh’s face. Crap, Sezh thought she had to listen to Luna before, but she also didn’t want to apologize for making it wrong. ‘Just do it’. ‘A day or two.’

Why does it have to be her? While it’s just because Lillian wants that.

Suddenly, there was a large hand grabbed Lillian’s collar strongly.