I Transmigrated into the Nameverse, and My Name Came with a Time Limit - Chapter 31

Everyone in the audience chamber answered loudly. Karl then turned his gaze to the members of the Wittgen family and continued.

“I understand that this situation may be extremely unpleasant for all of you. However, this is merely an unavoidable measure. For the sake of the Crown Prince’s safety, please consider it simply as treatment and cooperate with a generous heart.”

In other words, without the Crown Prince there would be no Crown Princess. Once the Crown Prince’s safety was secured, his daughter would naturally rise to the position of Crown Princess.

It was essentially an order to stop arguing and comply.

Duke Wittgen immediately grasped Karl’s hidden meaning and felt displeased. However, he soon bowed skillfully, concealing the snake like intentions behind a polite smile.

“Your words are most reasonable, Your Majesty. We can only be grateful for Your Majesty’s profound consideration.”

Rose followed the Duke and Duchess in bowing, grinding her teeth.

‘This is completely ridiculous!’

Because of some worthless extra, the male lead Leopold now had to be dragged into talk of physical contact. What kind of novel treats the female lead like this?

‘At this rate I look like the extra instead!’

Furious, Rose felt like she might explode from frustration.

At that moment Tilda spoke to Mina.

“Lady Wittgen, it pains my heart to hear that a Name has manifested on you. As someone with experience, I was thinking perhaps we could have tea together and I might offer you some useful advice.”

“…Pardon?”

Mina was startled by Tilda’s sudden suggestion. Advice? And from the Empress herself, while drinking tea alone together? Warning bells immediately began ringing loudly in her mind.

What is she planning? This feels ominous. She was deeply suspicious of the intention hidden behind that sudden kindness. As memories of Tilda’s attitude toward Mina resurfaced in her mind, she quickly became certain.

‘There’s no way this is coming from good intentions.’

But Mina had no authority to refuse the Empress’s gracious offer. She forced the trembling corners of her lips upward and barely managed to create a grateful smile.

“Ah…! T-To receive advice, especially Your Majesty the Empress’s personal experience… I am deeply honored…!”

Mina bowed politely. It was like swallowing mustard while crying. She had no choice but to stand and follow Tilda as the Empress gestured for her to come along.

As she walked, Mina grumbled inwardly.

‘Advice, my a*s. The strongest villain in this novel isn’t suddenly going to show me kindness. There’s definitely some other motive! She isn’t going to take me to her palace and quietly eliminate me, right?’

All kinds of terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind like scenes from a movie.

While nervously following behind the Empress, Mina kept darting her eyes around the surroundings. The unreal scenery she occasionally noticed was enough to make her lose track of her thoughts.

‘But when are we going to get there? The imperial palace is really huge. When I read scenes like this in the novel I just thought, oh okay…!’

After walking mechanically through several corridors of the palace that felt like a maze, they finally arrived at the Empress’s palace.

“Come this way, Ducal Lady.”

Following the Empress’s instruction, Mina barely perched on the edge of a chair in the reception room. She searched anxiously for Gisella, who was this palace’s head lady-in-waiting, but she was nowhere to be seen. It seemed she had stayed behind in the audience chamber because of Rose.

The ladies-in-waiting preparing the tea table moved in perfect coordination even without being told, like a swarm of ants. Fragrant tea was placed on the table, and once the queen ant sat down, the ant ladies-in-waiting quietly withdrew.

“Now, please don’t hesitate. It is a precious tea imported from the Eastern Continent.”

Tilda said gracefully as she lifted her teacup and gestured for Mina to drink.

“Y-Yes… thank you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Even as Mina bowed her head in thanks, she couldn’t bring herself to pick up the cup. She remembered the tea gathering from a few days ago. Her hands had been getting worse day by day, and in her current condition she might spill the tea just like before.

“Ah, your hands are still stiff, I see?”

Seeing Mina hesitate, Tilda immediately understood the situation and gave a small laugh. She must have already heard about what happened through Lady Achstein.

“Yes…”

When Mina answered hesitantly, Tilda smiled as if amused.

“That would make sense. That is what a Name is like… if treatment is not received, terrible pain and paralysis follow, and eventually one becomes less than human. You become a beast instead, forever bound as a slave to the owner of the name engraved upon your body…”