Killing the Possessor - Chapter 108

The empress’ words came slowly, and I realized their meaning.

Have we met before? I had never heard of it—surely Yuli hadn’t been friends with Camilli either. Then I recalled that Yuli had also attended the Royal Academy with Camilli. I composed myself and answered calmly.

“Ah, yes. At the academy…”

Yuli Langa raised no objection, confirming my guess. I felt a small relief and kept my head slightly bowed, as the Empress sipped her tea.

“As you may know, Princess Aveline will soon be my daughter-in-law. I hope you can help her adapt to Harent.”

In short: Princess Aveline was here to spend a season in Harent to adjust before her imperial marriage. Yuli accompanied her to assist, but they still needed another noblewoman to serve as the princess’s attendant.

“Miss Camilli knows Miss Yuli, and since you were born and raised in Harent and know the palace well, you’re the most suitable person to assist her.”

“…I’m honored by your words.”

By now, I understood the Empress’s intention: she wanted to warn me not to get involved with her son.

“Your counterpart is Princess Aveline of Navea. His Majesty’s expectations for maritime trade are high, and without Navea’s help, it’s difficult to trade with the New World.”

So the Navea princess Wyner had mentioned was indeed Aveline. Presumably, she knew I’d been receiving letters from Wyner and arranged today’s visit for that reason. Why not just supervise her son?

Even after the Midas incident, I received several daily letters asking if I was injured. It was annoying, though I appreciated not being called out in person.

Seeing the princess visit, I realized she had caught on.

If I could get the residence permit, I could accept all this, but he’s disqualified as a male lead.

Having to serve someone I wasn’t familiar with and didn’t know palace geography made my head spin, but it was the Empress’s command—I couldn’t refuse.

“I’ll do my best, though it may not be enough. It’s an honor to serve you, Princess Aveline.”

The princess only glanced at me and lowered her head; she didn’t even respond verbally.

Just seeing that, I sighed at the rough road ahead.

* * *

The audience with the Empress concluded. Perhaps to instill a sense of humiliation, I was the first to be dismissed.

The palace attendant who had been kind to me suggested I enjoy the garden while my carriage was prepared, smiling warmly. Clearly, Camilli had grown acquainted with this attendant during her visits.

“Well, at least I can keep an eye on Yuli.”

Following the attendant’s advice, I moved slowly toward the garden, muttering under my breath. Though the situation was tangled and exhausting, I was content simply to stay close to Yuli Langa.

Not long after, a sharp female voice caught my ear.

“Hey, I told you not to walk like that.”

I turned toward the sharp voice and saw Aveline and Yuli standing in the corridor. It seemed they had left the audience chamber shortly after me.

“Even fools have limits. How many times must I tell you?”

“S-sorry.”

But the situation seemed odd. In the audience chamber, I hardly heard their voices, so I naturally assumed the scolding came from Princess Aveline. After all, they had a vertical hierarchy.

But…

“Hah, enough. This is annoying.”

It was not the princess but Yuli speaking sharply, looking frustrated.

Could a young noblewoman serving as the princess’s attendant really behave so boldly?

“It’s very strange.”

I clicked my tongue, watching Aveline trail behind Yuli, looking discouraged. It seemed clear that this summer would be challenging not only for me but for the princess as well.