***

***

“I miss you...”

She felt sorry for Helen, who cried while only muttering a series of meaningless words.

She missed cookies? Did it mean that she wanted to eat more cookies? Or, did she grow sick and tired of eating cookies? Or was it too little?

Ellie waited for Helen to stop crying with a bewildered face, as she had no idea why her master was crying.

She could hear nothing other than the occasional sob from how much she endured the tears from dripping down her face.

Ellie looked pitiful when she stayed beside Helen, who lowered her head, and waited until her cry stopped.

After that, Ellie baked macadamia cookies, green tea cookies, and almond cookies to be brought to Helen.

“I’m sure she will be happy this time!”

However, it remained a secret between both of them that Helen eventually cried after receiving the cookie.

***

These days, no one in the concubine residence has ever mentioned His Majesty the Emperor, Viester, as well as the medicine, Velly, or Cecillia.

They all referred to those matters as ‘that’ while acting as if those words must not escape from their mouths.

This was because Velly’s death was considered not as a small shock to them.

The maid saved themselves in fear of ending up in the same way, the concubines were also afraid that they would be kicked out.

Divorce and deposal were very different. The deposal meant that they kicked out unilaterally and didn’t have any right to receive the wedding gift they brought when they got married.

Moreover, they didn’t get settlement money, and due to their reputation as the Emperor’s abandoned women, they had to lower themselves in their next marriage in the future.

Because of that, the concubines had no choice but to play safe.

People stopped taking a walk to the concubine’s garden, which was always full of people before.

Helen has been walking to the garden by herself lately. She had always wanted to take a walk, but she didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention since all the concubines here have social status as princesses before.

Elegant paces, arrogant gazes, confident gestures, dignified shoulders.. Helen was envious of everything they had.

Now she only wanted to see him.

He filled Helen’s mind.

Helen’s eyes were barely in focus until she thought it was the backyard because there were no people there, without knowing that she had stepped in the front garden which she wouldn’t normally do.

At that moment, Ellie was seen running from far away searching for Helen.

“Your Highness!”

Impatient filled her face with a hint of joy as she held the letter in her hand.

Ellie was out of breath, perhaps because she just ran in a hurry.

Why was she in such a hurry?

Besides, the entire residence of concubines has become loud ever since just now.

She couldn’t hear the commotion because she was too indulged in her mind.

Ellie, who saw Helen’s incredulous look, exclaimed happily.

“The servant from the Lion Palace just came by to drop some news! His Majesty is inviting all concubines to attend the upcoming hunting festival!”

“Why, why all of a sudden...”

“I don’t know. It must be the whims of His Majesty.”

Ellie smiled happily without knowing Helen’s feelings.

“Perhaps God help us since it’s sunny today?”

No way.

God didn’t help her this way. Clearly, he wanted to test her again with this.

She didn’t want to be seen by His Majesty..!

She never wanted to see him as much as possible, even if just once. She prayed like that, and neither did she go to see a man.

If he found out that she was the one who took medicine to the library..!

Helen seemed to feel a spark in her head for a moment.

“E-Elly! D-did anyone talk to you about medicine? Huh?”

Helen immediately grabbed Ellie’s shoulder and urged her for an answer.

Helen’s eyes burned furiously, which was unusual of her.

“That.. you said you ran into Velly on your way to the medicine tube.. Did you talk about that?”

“To others?”

“No.”

That was a relief. Helen was relieved while caressing her chest.

It meant no one knew that he and Ellie were related to the medicine tube.

He could have questioned the maid of the dispensary, but the Emperor did not do anything conspicuous.

For example, sending palace guards to search through the concubine residence.

Only by looking at the increasing number of palace guards near the library, she realized there was only one thing the Emperor wished for. It was to protect the man inside the library.

“Then promise me. Pretend that you don’t know and you won’t answer when anyone asks you about that.”

“Yes...”

“You promised me. Don’t break it.”

Ellie was puzzled by Helen’s strict promise.

Whenever she talked about the Emperor, her eyes would light up like that.

‘You’re a concubine, but both of you are married regardless.’

Ellie thought this hunting festival was a very good opportunity for her master. Objectively speaking, Edith was a pretty concubine.

She thought His Majesty would fall in love immediately just by looking at her.

He might be a bit cruel.

There was nothing special about the concubine’s life. The concubines were divided into two, whether they were loved by the Emperor or not.

They could only get better treatment and receive individual surnames.

Ellie wanted Helen to be favored by the Emperor for better treatment.

Helen turned around and headed to her abode.

She was nervous. She didn’t have the courage to encounter the terrifying Emperor at the hunting festival.

She wouldn’t expect him to be as kind and sweet as the man..!

Helen felt the Emperor’s intention was very transparent. It was a trick to find out about her.

Helen made a plan so she couldn’t fall for his trick.

‘I should try not to stand out while being under the Emperor’s watch!’

***

“Are you really going to leave like this?”

“Yes.”

Helen smiled as if she liked it.

It was bright on the day of the hunting festival. It was the first time for other concubines to be so busy and loud from such an early morning.

The concubine residence was full of energy. The maids were very busy serving their respective concubines.

However, Helen actually woke up rather late and didn’t bother to wash her face until an hour before they left.

After Helen was urged by Ellie, who hurriedly took out her dress and cosmetics, the clothes she put on was not a pretty dress, but black tunics that most likely be the reason for her to leave the hunting ground immediately. When she appeared confidently in her pants, Ellie stopped Helen because she was tired of contemplating.

“You can’t look like this!”

“Why?”

“T-that...”

“Why, do I look ugly?”

She also put on light makeup. She was embarrassed to go with her bare face, so she decided to apply only a little bit on her skin and lips.

Was that not enough?

When Helen tilted her head, Ellie couldn’t bring herself to say that her master looked ugly.

“Of course.. Your Highness is the prettiest, but.. Other concubines will dress up much more gorgeously.”

“I see. Do I look okay now? We’re going to the mountain, so it will be such a hassle if I wear a long dress.”

Actually, it was an excuse. Would someone wear a black tunic to see His Majesty?

But all the dresses I had were out of date and so old-fashioned. No wonder because those dresses were brought from Cordelia.

Would she have attracted the Emperor if she wore that yellow dress with garish decorations?

‘Uh....’

Just thinking about it made her feel cool around her neck.

Helen shook her head stubbornly.

“I’m going to wear this.”

“Your Highness, please? Yeah? Would you like to change your mind?”

“No way, I’m going now. Ellie should be here.”

It was a firm voice which sounded like a mother who appeased her child.

‘I better not get caught by the Emperor’s eye.’

With that in mind, Helen headed to the carriage which would bring them to the forest where the hunting festival was going to be held.

Twenty-six carriages sent by the Emperor have been prepared in the concubine’s garden.

Other concubines, who wore fancy dresses, were also heading to the entrance of the concubine residence to enter the carriage.

Other concubines stared intently at Helen, who appeared in black tunic. If she went while dressed like that, she would have been called rude and had no chance to capture the Emperor’s attention.

But no one stopped Helen. It would also be ridiculous if they helped each other while they were rivals.

Helen felt a light sneer in other concubines’ eyes. But she already expected this.

He slightly straightened her drooping shoulders and climbed the carriage.

This time, it was really the beginning of the hunting festival.

***

The hunting ground was set in the middle of the forest. It was said to block the mountain and gather the prey. She heard that since the mountain was steep, there were also big bears and wolves there.

However, only a minority of people managed to catch bears or wolves. There was an unwritten rule that said they were not supposed to catch bigger prey than their superior, so they usually caught a small fox or rabbit because they just didn’t know what else to catch.

And one sword was too simple to be used to hunt either bears or wolves. It was possible to catch a bear only if one group of palace guards did so.. It was best to avoid bears if someone ever encountered them.

“The weather is so nice today. Ah, should we treat today as a nice day because it’s the day of the hunting festival?”

Her heart was pounding. When she woke up early this morning and had a big fight with Ellie, she didn’t really think of this as a hunting festival.

As she climbed up the carriage that would bring her to the mountain, she felt a gentle spring breeze blow inside her mind.

It also reminded her of the first day when she came to Idelberg for the first time. She also remembered the face of the girl who had a naive smile on her face back then. She had a very cute smile.

“Ellie?”

Ellie, who climbed onto the wagon with her, still had a frantic look on her face.

Ellie must have been shocked seeing her master being ridiculed by the concubines earlier.

“I’m fine. For real. Are you really that upset?”

“Of course! It’s not that you don’t have any clothes or anyone to dress you up...”

“Ellie. There’s something I haven’t said to you yet...”

The girl still seemed upset because she still hasn’t made any eye contact with her yet.

The sight was cute, so she let out a little laugh.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m already relieved.”

“Fine. Aren’t you curious about what I’m going to say?”

“..Yes, I’m curious.”

The carriage rattled and shook when it passed over the small stones. Inside the carriage, Ellie’s hair fluttered along with it.

The light breeze was coming through the window, the mountain’s trees, the voices of knights escorting and walking along with several carriages, and the sound of hooves of the horse which was being ridden by the knights.

She would probably remember this scene the moment before she died.

So she didn’t want to regret this. Even more if she really didn’t have much time left to live.

“I don’t want to be the lover of the Emperor.”

“..What?”

Ellie replied with a voice that indicated slight bewilderment. She opened her eyes wide and looked at her master, as if it was her first time to hear that kind of remark.

“I don’t want to attract the Emperor. I’m sorry to say this to you, but...”

The maids who served the concubines have lower rank than those in the Emperor’s Palace and Empress’ Palace.

They were mainly the children of the fallen nobles or the children of the low-ranking nobles. Even if most of them were nobles, they were unable to enjoy the appropriated luxury of becoming one.

They were considered as successful if they got married well or when the concubine they served was favored by the Emperor.

The concubine of Idelberg had no chance of bumping against each other due to its structure. That was the reason why concubines and maids hang onto the Emperor.

‘If I give up on the Emperor.. It means Ellie can’t succeed in the future either.’

She had thought about it for a long time before coming up with this decision. Should she even say this? Wouldn’t Elly get disappointed afterwards? Wouldn’t she look down on her while saying that she has done something worthless?

“I’m sorry.”

Helen let out a short remark after pondering for a long time.

There was nothing she could do even if the girl cursed at her.

‘Because this is my fault.’

Helen clasped her hands against each other in a circle. She already expected that Ellie might hate her after knowing her decision.

Even if Ellie hated her, Helen liked Ellie the best in the world. She felt so dizzy that she closed her eyes after thinking that a friendly and warm-hearted Ellie would glared coldly at her.