Killing the Possessor - Chapter 107

Meeting a lover’s mother is an incredibly nerve-wracking affair. Granted, this wasn’t my current partner but the mother of an ex-boyfriend, which made it even less typical.

But just knowing that she occupied one of the highest seats in the Empire was enough to send my tension skyrocketing.

[You missed breakfast. Please make sure to eat your meals!]

Already on edge, I glared at the message box that kept spouting nonsense. Was there some ghost haunting me for missing a meal? Why did it always go on about food?

“Are you trying to annoy me? If you insist on appearing, just give me the D-Day. I can’t keep worrying about what day Chapter 10 falls on!”

[‘9 chapters’ remain until your stay expires.]

“…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

I snapped at the unwanted update, and the message box seemed to respond in kind.

[You need strength from food to endure!]

“Eh?”

Now it was talking about food energy. So typically Korean. I let out a small laugh.

“Seriously, you’re Korean too, aren’t you?”

[–.]

“…My mom used to talk about the strength from food too.”

The memory brought a bittersweet smile. A sudden breeze ruffled my hair as it lifted my hat.

The lukewarm air, warmed by the intense sunlight, smelled of early summer. I removed my hat, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply, letting the faint scent of grass calm the storm inside me.

But my moment of reflection was short-lived. The carriage jolted over cobblestones, yanking me back into reality. I sighed at the disruption and looked outside to find the palace looming ahead.

“…We’re already here.”

It was time to see the woman who could have been my mother-in-law—or, at least, who Camilli considered as such originally.

I exhaled nervously, waiting for the carriage to reach the main gate.

“Follow me.”

A young noblewoman, even younger-looking than me, tilted her chin arrogantly and led the way. Bali had disparaged the palace maids as useless, and now I understood why.

Though these women likely had noble backgrounds, their pride in serving a dignitary gave them an extraordinary presence, even in the strength in their shoulders.

“Long time no see, Camilli.”

After entering the audience chamber, I was surprised to find not just the Empress, but two other women seated there. My expectation of a one-on-one serious conversation was shattered, leaving me confused.

Embarrassed, I took the chair the attendant offered, then quickly realized my mistake and got up to show proper respect.

“Enough, enough. It won’t take long—let’s get straight to the point.”

The table was still set with half-eaten snacks, meaning they had already met before me. It felt as though I’d just slipped into someone else’s scheduled meeting. Perhaps this was exactly what the Empress intended.

Hearing their identities confirmed my suspicions.

“This is Princess Aveline of Navea, and this is Miss Yuli, who will assist her during her stay here.”

I widened my eyes at the name Yuli.

‘Yuli Langa’. She was the daughter of a Harent noble, cardinal Macloy Langa and a royal of Navea, treated as equivalent to a princess in both countries.

But more importantly, she was the other reader Bali had mentioned. I hadn’t expected to meet her so soon.

I studied her closely. She wore a deep navy taffeta silk dress with a sapphire pendant, a black lace choker, and large pearl earrings. Her light purple hair, seemingly unnatural for the region’s genes, was neatly pinned up. Her arms were adorned with multiple platinum bangles.

From head to toe, she was decked in top-tier luxury.

Her attitude was equally striking. Fanning herself with a fan made of ivory and ostrich feathers, she tilted her chin arrogantly—her confidence rivaling even Bali Aidepen’s.

Naturally, someone willing to sacrifice her peers for her romance would have such a temperament.

“I heard you two know each other?”

“…What?”