The source of my unease was the conversation with Sienna.
“How about serving cookies that I made myself for dessert?”
“...What do you mean, my lady?”
Sienna, who was pouring tea into a teacup, stopped in her tracks and displayed a shocked expression.
Why is she making such a serious face? It’s embarrassing.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I’m serious. Everyone says they enjoy the desserts I make.”
“That may be true, but... considering you are the lady of the house, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to serve cookies you made yourself to guests? It’s a matter of face and all that.”
“Is that so? I thought it would be unique and nice.”
“Please be honest, my lady. Are you trying to properly host the guests, or are you trying to... no, please clarify if you're trying to trick them. We need to know what kind of tune we should dance to.”
Did she just say "trick" twice?
If that’s the case, why bother stuttering?
Anyway, her overly serious question felt like strong opposition, making me feel wronged, but I could only respond with, “Then I won’t make them.”
No, I genuinely thought it was a good idea.
It felt like everyone was just opposing my thoughts without consideration. At this point, I seriously wondered if they were just calling me "my lady" while treating me like a fool.
As expected, royalty isn't great.
They come over and make people feel miserable for no reason.
* * *
The golden clock tower standing tall next to the royal palace was one of the pride of the royal family throughout generations.
Dong. Dong. Dong.
The well-maintained clock tower chimed every hour with a clear bell sound.
12 PM.
The time when the chime resonates the longest.
As the sound continued without signs of stopping, a man walking across the royal garden came to an abrupt halt.
His bright hazelnut hair fluttered in the wind.
His amber eyes quietly gazed at the shining golden tower.
“What are you doing standing there blankly, Joshua? You’re going to be late. Come here quickly.”
The one calling him was a woman walking ahead.
She had bright hazelnut hair and amber eyes just like him.
It was obvious they were siblings.
Princess Chelsea and Prince Joshua.
At Chelsea's urging, Joshua finally moved his halted steps.
“You just stand there staring whenever the clock tower chimes? Do you really like it that much?”
“No. Quite the opposite. After hearing it chime every hour for over 20 years, it’s become tiresome. Can’t you break down that clock tower once you become Empress?”
“Break it down? Why would I do that? That noisy thing raises the royal family’s value significantly. Stop talking nonsense and walk briskly. Just thinking about being later than that bastard is annoying.”
Chelsea elegantly narrowed her eyes and walked ahead haughtily.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Joshua glanced at the still chiming clock tower before following Chelsea.
It was going to be another tiring day.
As expected, his prediction was spot on.
“Chelsea. You haven’t forgotten about our visit to Duke Richter this time, have you?”
“Of course not, Your Majesty. I’ve already prepared some decent gifts in advance. I’ll take a good look around when we get there and observe their atmosphere as well.”
“Haha, good. There’s no one more reliable than you. You act wisely without needing constant orders.”
“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to what I inherited from Father. Isn’t it natural for children to resemble their parents?”
“Haha! That’s right! Children inevitably resemble their parents! You take after me perfectly!”
Hahaha!
Indeed, they even shared similar laughter—father and daughter alike.
Joshua clicked his tongue at his sister's pretentiousness; he believed her true calling wasn’t as a princess but as an actress.
If she quit being a princess now and joined a theater troupe, she would become a top-tier actress in no time.
“But I’m worried about this, Your Majesty.”
Soon after, a gruff voice interrupted from across them.
The owner of that voice was Isaac, the first prince and half-brother of Joshua and Chelsea.
“What do you mean by worried?”
Isaac's sudden interjection made the Emperor uncomfortable as he questioned back sharply.
However, oblivious Isaac didn’t pick up on his father’s irritation; instead, he was filled with anger towards Chelsea who was busy appeasing their father with nauseating flattery.
“Chelsea is not a weak woman. The North is quite far from the capital and the journey will be perilous... Isn’t it difficult for Chelsea to go represent royalty while monitoring Duke Richter?”
“Oh my! Thank you for your concern, brother. But it’s alright. I’m much sturdier than I look; plus, I’ll have reliable royal knights accompanying me and my younger brother Joshua will be with me too. Right, Joshua?”
Chelsea smoothly countered Isaac's pointed words with an air of calmness that couldn’t be hidden.
“Don’t worry, brother. I’ll ensure my sister’s safety,” Joshua added with a composed smile just like Chelsea's.
Struck by their consecutive blows, Isaac gritted his teeth in frustration.
Those two were indeed annoying—just like those damned siblings!
Currently, Isaac and Chelsea were engaged in an intense rivalry over who would succeed to the throne next.
Naturally, both were eager to seize any opportunity to gain an advantage over each other even slightly.
However, this time monitoring Duke Richter fell into Chelsea's hands due to her decisiveness and keen insight.
What could such a woman possibly have that was decisive or insightful?
Just as Isaac opened his mouth again to throw another jab...
“Enough! As Chelsea said, Joshua will accompany her along with other knights. And as for princesses; sometimes they must tread difficult paths. There’s no need to whine about making just one trip up north.”
“I think so too, Your Majesty. I will fulfill my duties as expected. Please trust us and wait patiently.”
“Haha! Yes indeed! Now Isaac—are you satisfied now?”
Even someone as oblivious as Isaac could tell this wasn’t merely a question but rather a warning from their father.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I was merely expressing concern for my sister.”
“Good! It’s wonderful for siblings to care for each other!”
The Emperor wrapped up the situation warmly with a smile on his face.
Just then Chelsea struck back with another remark:
“I don’t see Yulia today; brother? Oh right! Yulia can’t attend such gatherings since she isn’t engaged yet.”
Unlike Isaac's blunt attacks which lacked impact—this one landed quite effectively!
“Ahem.”
At their father’s uncomfortable coughs—Isaac rolled his eyes nervously while scanning for clues on how to proceed next.
Similar situations continued thereafter; both siblings desperately tried to appease their father while attacking each other back-and-forth amidst pleasant smiles while occasionally shooting sharp glances at each other—Joshua remained like an island amidst them all with an understated smile on his face.
“I shall take my leave first,” announced the Emperor as he rose from his seat first.
Once he left the dining hall followed by three others—their masks fell away immediately after he exited!
“That was impressive! You really know how to wag your tail in front of Father!”
Isaac mocked Chelsea as soon as laughter faded from her face instantly!
“What can I do if I’m naturally cheerful? But if you want to wag your tail too—you should do it properly instead of looking like some flailing fish out of water! Ah! Was that your audition for talent shows?”
“Hey!”
“Oh dear brother! Keep quiet; don’t act like your only asset is your loud voice!”
Amidst their constant bickering—Joshua casually sipped tea without feeling any need to intervene since this was just another ordinary day for him anyway!
“Hah! Yes indeed; my only boast is my loud voice! But what about it? No matter how much Father praises you endlessly—you’re still being mentioned as more likely candidate than me!”
Ugh! This time he hit hard!
Unfortunately for Isaac—it was true!
Chelsea truly was exceptional; it made perfect sense for her ambition towards the throne!
However—their father—the Emperor—while proud of Chelsea secretly leaned towards giving Isaac preference simply because he was the firstborn prince!
Chelsea found this deeply unfair!
A month earlier birthday...
Being male...
Those two reasons alone made Isaac more worthy candidate than herself!
“Right! Just hold onto those two advantages tightly since they’re all you’ve got! Be careful not to lose them brother!”
“You certainly know how not to lose your words; what an annoying little brat!”
Among those two who kept biting at each other—the first one to leave was Isaac himself!
Bang!
As he closed the door behind him—Chelsea suppressed her anger instead pouring herself tea quietly in order to calm down her fury!
“Lately Isaac has been getting more talkative.”
In previous times—when she got angry—she would storm around like an enraged monkey without stopping!
Could it be because of that woman?
Chelsea thought of Yulia—the woman who always wore veils every day—Isaac's lover!
Since she became Isaac's girlfriend—the frequency at which he threw tantrums had noticeably decreased!
Occasionally when he seemed excited during official events—she had often witnessed him being carefully calmed down by Yulia too!
No matter how much she thought about it—Yulia must be behind this change somehow...
That mysterious aura surrounding Yulia surely compensated for Isaac's lack of intelligence!
What a pity...
If someone so capable had been under her command—it would’ve been much better than having some pathetic loser as her brother’s girlfriend instead!
“The two never let anything slide by easily do they? Don’t they get tired fighting every day?”
3/related/default