Chapter 13

“Your Majesty? Won’t you head back to rest?” Rosaline asked, walking behind Cahir.

“I’ve changed my mind. It has been a long time since a banquet has been held at the Imperial Palace. Since you can’t make any mistakes, I have to keep watch.”

Rosaline wasn’t offended by his bluntness. She knew very well that he was simply worried for her. Smiling prettily, she continued to follow him.

However, her eyes met with someone else’s. Ella’s. Rosaline stopped in her tracks, causing her purple dress to flare out.

“Why aren’t you following me?” Cahir looked back at Rosaline. He noticed that her gaze was focused somewhere further behind him, and turned to follow it.

Standing there was Ella, the girl Azela had introduced, looking small and pretty and delicate. Something about her triggered people’s protective instincts.

The two women exchanged a look between themselves before glancing at Cahir. Even though they were only looking at his back, they felt a chill sensation.

***

Cahir stepped away from Rosaline. He had responsibilities as the emperor, and Rosaline had said she would make sure that the banquet hall was in perfect order.

“Send someone else to do it, not you.”

As Cahir said this, Rosaline shook her head in response. She couldn’t forget the way Ella had glared at her so resentfully.

‘As if it was my fault that you couldn’t meet with His Majesty.’

She worked tirelessly day and night to set up this elaborate celebration in order to get Ella and Cahir to meet. It was frustrating that the person didn’t know of that fact, and was even blaming her.

Since it was decided that the original couple should be together, Rosaline chose to step aside.

‘Hey, you heroine, please notice my sincere efforts.’

Rosaline grabbed a random glass from the table and downed its contents.

“Ugh.”

It must have been a strong drink. The alcohol settled unpleasantly in her stomach, her chest feeling tight as she was swamped with a sudden heat. In need of fresh air, Rosaline shook her head as if to clear it before leaving the banquet hall.

***

“Are you listening to me, Lady Ella?”

“Yes, Empress?”

Azela and Ella were seated together. The Empress’s seat was to the right of the emperor’s, and since this night’s star was Ella, she was positioned a little more to the center.

Of course, Cahir sat nearby. He scanned the banquet hall with unfocused eyes and a dull expression.

“There he is, in front of me.”

Ella had watched Cahir and Rosaline dance perfectly, squeezing the hem of her pale pink dress tightly as she did her best to maintain her smile.

Azalea had introduced Ella to Cahir and encouraged them to dance together. But Cahir glanced at Ella only for a moment and quickly lost interest.

“No way, how did this develop this way?”

This was way off the mark. Weren’t they destined to fall in love at first sight?

‘What the hell?’

Ella’s eyes turned to Rosaline. She could see her walking out of the banquet hall. Ella clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into her palm.

“Mother, may I leave you for a moment?”

Azela smiled and nodded generously when she saw Ella smiling.

***

Rosaline sat on a bench near the fountain. She was apparently a person who lacked alcohol tolerance. The single cup she drank earlier exceeded her drinking capacity.

When the heat from the banquet cooled in the fresh air, Rosaline leaned back slightly and breathed deeply, calming down little by little.

“How are you?”

A voice interrupted her sweet rest. Rosaline turned her head toward the sound. With both hands clasped in front of her, there stood Ella with a pitiful look on her face.

‘Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to meet with His Highness?’

It was irritating. How hard was it to approach his seat and make a move?

However, Rosaline was a rational adult and smiled refreshingly without showing any of her ire.

“Oh, hello.”

After greeting her, Rosaline had nothing to say. They weren’t exactly close enough to have a conversation. Ella didn’t return the hello, maybe she was surprised by Rosaline’s kind greeting.

There was only a cool breeze between the two.

“Yes. By any chance, did you come to rest? I’ll be leaving you, then.”

Ella still had no answer. Rosaline tried to pass her and head for the banquet hall.

She was stopped by Ella gripping her by the arm. Looking back at Ella’s profile, she could see how beautiful the heroine was. A gently sloping forehead, a delicate nose, plump lips. Her beautiful features made people want to protect her.

“What is it…?”

“Did you do this?” mumbled Ella.

Rosaline, who barely held back her desire to shake off the hand, mulled over her words. She wondered if there would be a problem if she said something unsavory at the end of her sentence.

Ella’s head turned slowly. The look she gave was so fierce that even Rosaline faltered.

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

Rosaline burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing about? Stop pretending. You’re a transmigrator, aren’t you?”

Rosaline gaped, wide-eyed and evidently surprised.

“What a surprise. I am a transmigrator as well. So, don’t you think we need to talk?” Ella loosened her grip on Rosaline. Her handprints stood out on the white of Rosaline’s forearm.

Was there a setting that made her strong? Rosaline tilted her head down.

“…You too?”

“Yes. It’s a little different from you, but are you curious?” Ella knew a lot of things and had a suspicion that Rosaline was a transmigrator from the first glance.

Rosaline was indeed curious, but she felt pretty sick. She licked her lips and raised one eyebrow.

“Yes, we will need to have a conversation sooner or later. By the way, are you speaking informally? Isn’t this our first time meeting?”

“Are you angry? Just talk informally to me too.”

Rosaline’s face flushed with embarrassment, while Ella smiled widely. That smile made her beautiful appearance shine even more.

She was so pretty because she was the female lead, for sure.

However, Ella’s personality was different from the original heroine. This made Rosaline feel uncomfortable. She was rooting for the original couple to get together, but she was seriously worried.

In the original work, Ella was a girl who was so considerate of others that she lost money. She was a bit jealous, but overall a good-natured and vulnerable person.

Then she met Cahir and began to assert her rights. She became a brave woman for love, one able to give her life for Cahir. The story of a woman who learned to grow in love. She was a heroine that readers had no choice but to love.

She even had her own fan club.

Rosaline was also one of her supporters, but the current Ella is not the one she knew.

“I’ll visit you tomorrow during the day. Does His Majesty still drink tea at 2 p.m.? Tomorrow is Tuesday, so you can drink peppermint tea.”

Ella was a transmigrator as well. She had also read the original novel. Rosaline had no choice but to take her word for it. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to know the kind of tea Cahir drinks on the different days of the week. It was a secret known only to Rosaline, Derek, and some members of the Imperial Palace, who were famous for being tight-lipped.

“I’ll go to the palace and meet with you. Let’s have a good tea time.”

Ella took a step back from Rosaline. This Ella was dangerous. Nowhere in sight was the noble lady with a gentle and virtuous spirit. Rosaline’s mouth twitched.

Rosaline wanted to make a retort against her, but she endured. Ella is the main character in the novel and Cahir’s favorite woman. What if Rosaline offends her and loses her own life? She tried so hard to survive.

For now, as Ella had said, a conversation was necessary. Rosaline needed to decide later on where to stand.

Rosaline looked at Ella for a long time.

‘She really looks like a heroine…’

***

“You’re doing a magic fireworks show?”

“Wow, after all, we are dealing with an imperial banquet.”

The people’s cheeks were red from the alcohol, the delicious food, and the exertion of dancing to the music. Everyone excitedly went and sat down in the large garden.

The wizards of the Empire formed a circle. They had to gather together because there were no longer any immensely powerful sorcerers remaining.

The magic of life was dependent on mana stones. It was not common for people to use magic because mana stones were expensive.

Wizards can now only use magic to process magic stones or set off fireworks. That’s why the value of wizards who can make beautiful magical fireworks has skyrocketed through the ceiling.

Of course, only the imperial family of Aetheus could employ a large number of such wizards, which was why the people were so excited.

The trumpets rang. Knights lined up on both sides to create a path. Between them, Cahir and Azela walked side by side. Normally, they would never walk together, but he couldn’t help it since Rosaline wanted to see the “happy atmosphere in the Imperial family.”

Rosaline explained her reason. Will the number of aristocrats supporting Azela decrease?

“You just have to wipe it all out…. .”

“What, Your Majesty?” Azela gave him a benevolent smile.

Cahir wanted to leave her alone and go back even now. No, to be honest, he wanted to wring her neck.

‘No! No way!’

If she heard Cahir’s thoughts, Rosaline would have gone pale and shuddered in front of him.

That’s no fun.

After restraining himself, he began walking again.

Derrek was relieved, thinking that Cahir had finally matured. A part of his heart felt proud.

***

The fireworks burst.

People cheered as the red, blue, and yellow flames embroidered the night sky.

Azela glanced at Cahir.

‘Do as you please. There’s only a few days left until ‘that’ happens’

Cahir looked for Rosaline.

‘Where are you and what are you doing? Why do you keep leaving? We should never hold a banquet again.’

Rosaline saw Ella. Ella stood out of sight, staring at Cahir, as though drawn to him.

‘What is Ella thinking?’

Rosaline couldn’t take her eyes off Ella, who gazed passionately at Cahir, as if saying that the novel would go on as the original did, and that he should wait for her, his true love.

Their gaze was tangled into a single space. Rosaline was confused.

‘Which way is this novel going?’