Published at 30th of October 2020 08:38:20 PM
Chapter 5
“I’ve been summoned by the great king . As your majesty’s 31st concubine, I will do my best not to embarrass Ferilland . ”
‘Wow, she’s so cool!’
Yuri Sina comes as a prisoner but is not daunted by that fact at all . Although her kingdom has already been defeated and incorporated into the empire, she’s not embarrassed by it, and instead shows her resilience spirit when she says its name .
‘Should I at least get an autograph before she becomes the Empress?’
Perhaps the emperor has already fallen in love with that graceful, imposing figure at first sight!
“I heard that this is a celebratory party for the triumph of the empire, as well as welcoming the princess into the palace . Is it possible that your majesty has any particular interest in her?”
“Oh, is that so?”
I look forward with curiosity and a bit of envy like the others around me .
‘All right, I’m sure the emperor will choose Yuri Sina at this point!’
Nearly 500 people are glued to the emperor in stifling anticipation . Yuri Sina approaches the emperor’s right shoulder and gives him a kiss in a manner that only concubines could do . Even though it is customary to do so, it’s also an act of trust that she is showing him . Her action says that her heart is close to the emperor, a husband, and a soldier, and at the same time she vows her loyalty to him .
In addition, usually the empress will kiss the emperor’s forehead in a more intimate position, so soon enough, Yuri Sina will kiss the emperor’s forehead, and not his shoulders .
After she finishes, Yuri Sina steps back and stands elegantly in place .
The emperor slowly raises one hand after receiving the attention of the audience, which is filled with envy, anticipation, and prying eyes . They are all wondering what his reaction will be . Yuri Sina, who’s also curious and nervous about the emperor’s actions, looks at the podium with unsure eyes .
At the emperor’s command, Geppetto, the Imperial Chief, quickly goes up the steps . He comes closer to the emperor and bows down . After the emperor ordered something from behind the veil, Geppetto then approaches Yuri Sina and says something .
‘Oooh, does that mean he wants her to come closer? What did Geppetto say to Yuri Sina?’
‘Ah, I wonder!’
“Thank you for your grace, your majesty . ”
‘Huh?’
Surprisingly however, Yuri Sina, who heard Geppetto’s whisper, bows her head politely, still wearing a calm, beautiful smile . Then she grabs her dress and walks down the high platform with graceful steps .
‘It’s not possible! There was nothing eventful at all! What is this?’
‘I need to see that the emperor has a heart for Yuri Sina here . Aren’t you supposed to be a candidate for the Empress instead of being the 31st concubine because he fell in love at first sight? Is it the next day, and not today? Did I get confused for a second?’
All the people’s eyes are on Yuri Sina’s graceful figure, which has left me confused . The official greetings with the emperor ends and the dance begins as the orchestra starts playing .
Then suddenly, it stops .
The dissonance of playing the wrong instrument rings out— and the people who were moving in pairs look at Geppetto, wondering what’s going on . He then straightens his back and utters loudly . “There’s still someone who hasn’t said hello yet!”
The crowd roars . Already all famous aristocrats have stood before the emperor, and today’s hero Yuri Sina gave her greetings as the last person .
Everyone’s eyes seem to be asking who was left .
I also look around with a curious face .
‘Who are you? Come out!’
As if Geppetto could not find the last person, he looks around several times before quickly instructing the drivers . Several drivers begin to run across the hall, as if a servant in charge of entry and exit had informed them of the description of the missing person .
As I focus my attention at the busy scene in front of me, I’m shocked by the fact that things did not go away as the novel says .
Then suddenly, a realization dawns on me .
“Let’s go . ”
‘…What?’
A couple of knights stop in front of me, and at the same time, the loud voice of Geppetto, like that of a train, echoes throughout the hall . “Thirtieth concubine, Lydia Odette! Come on and say hello to his majesty!”
The people who filled the vast hall look at me like a bunch of surprised meerkats .
My mouth drops opened as my eyes widen with surprise to the situation at hand . It’s also seen that the red-haired concubine, who tried to sit down, hardens like ice on the spot .
But the most surprised out of all them is definitely me .
‘What, me?!’
I feel like my soul has left my body as I shudder and raise my index finger to point at myself . I wonder if my ears heard wrong . Despite my earnest question, the knights nod with a blank expression . Only then do I wake up like cold water has splashed my face .
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I am now being sought out by the emperor .
If I don’t follow orders right now, I might die by trying to deceive the emperor! I jump up from my seat in a flustered manner and tense from all the glares coming my way .
Climbing a high platform across the hall feels like climbing a golden path . There’s a silence so still that if a needle falls, I will hear it . Countless people stare at every move I made, and it’s suffocating .
‘Let’s calm down . Even if I’m bitten by a tiger, I can still live if I have my head on straight!’
I desperately hide my trembling legs . Then I slip once on the stairs and almost again, but fortunately I arrive safely to the top, breathing a sigh of relief . Carefully I raise my head .
The emperor, positioned on the huge, glittering golden left, sit in an unwavering, delegated position .
‘Let’s be clear . I haven’t done anything wrong yet . I won’t do anything wrong so nothing’s going to happen!’
I convince myself to move my legs mechanically and position myself in front of him, even though I wanted to turn around and run away instead .
‘Right, the emperor sent me an invitation, so he must be wondering who I am . ’
Even the last concubine is still a wife! Yuri Sina and the red hair concubine have already done their greeting . What can I not do again?
As I stand before the emperor, I quickly recall how the red-haired concubine and Yuri Sina greeted earlier .
A silver-haired man with an opaque veil gaze at me .
‘Ugh, my heart’s about to pop out!’
“Lady Odette, please be respectful to the emperor . ” The Imperial Chief, Geppetto, secretly urges me sternly .
‘Alright, I got it . You’re making me nervous for no reason!’
I shiver inwardly, pretending to be indifferent, and move forward with faltering steps . “Greetings to the Great Emperor . I am the 30th concubine, Lydia Odette, your majesty . ”
Though I stuttered a little, I finish my greeting properly . Then I grab the hem of my dress and bend forward . I tell myself to stay calm, but the fact that I am in such close contact with the war-mad emperor keeps coming to my mind .
A cold sweat run down my back .
‘I’m going crazy! Just standing here feels like my life is going to end! The emperor’s wearing a veil, but I could feel that he’s staring at me . ’
I could not put my eyes on the emperor’s face because I could feel his hot gaze touching my face . With my eyes closed tightly, I turn my head in a hurry to kiss the emperor’s right shoulder, bringing up a slender trembling hand on his left shoulder .
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‘Well, let’s get this over with and leave!’
But why is it like this?! My hands get mixed up when I go to kiss him . The hand that I thought was on a hard shoulder brushes against the soft veil instead . I immediately press my lips to his right shoulder and release, accidentally getting the veil tangled in my hand and manage to lower it .
“…!”
A silent shock breaks out .
‘You, you, you are crazy!’
“Lady Odette?”
Geppetto, who’s behind me, calls me in a wonderfully low voice, but in my head, I hear, “I’m dead now! Dead!” ringing like a chorus .
The rumors of the emperor’s character are beyond words . They spread far and wide that even though I live in the corner of the Imperial Palace, I can still hear them .
Some are about how the emperor is young, but he is cruel and eccentric because he spent his entire life rolling on the battlefield . Even a ridiculously small mistake by a servant can get his head cut off right away .
Therefore, the emperor’s care is provided exclusively by one servant who has been with him since childhood .
But I took off the veil of such a cruel emperor••••
I’ve been struggling by myself for three years to ensure that I wouldn’t bother the heroine, and now, I’ve walked into the guillotine with my own feet!
‘God is so indifferent!’
Quickly, let’s throw myself on the floor and say, “I have committed a deathly sin!” to prolong my life a little bit, but I couldn’t . I have turned stiffed and nervous .
In the meantime, the veil, which has been gently swept down, lowers down to the bottom of his eyebrows, and catches on his nose . I then make eye contact with the emperor .
Jade, green eyes stare at me .
The emperor’s eyes, which I thought would be as fierce as blood dripping, are clean and cool, and surprisingly even gentle . I don’t think there are any murderous intent behind them .
Though if I have seen him outside because he looks so ordinary, I would probably mistake him as a fellow servant who brought me daily necessities once a month .
Is this person, really, the protagonist of those terrible rumors?
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I unintentionally stand there staring at him .
Those green eyes silently look at me then raise their hand to push me slightly .
“Ah!”
‘Hyuk, I must be crazy! What have I done?’
Only then did I return to reality and quickly step back .
At the same time, I begin to think of the terrible future where my neck is hanging on the guillotine, and it trembles like a cedar .
The emperor wears the veil again in a blink of an eye .
“Your majesty, I have sinned to death!”
Geppetto, who’s been behind me the entire time, is puzzled as if he has not noticed anything .
I quickly try to kneel on the floor and plead with a voice of a nervous, rattling goat .
Just then, the emperor touches me slightly and stops my action .
As if a red light comes on, I immediately stop moving . It’s because I instinctively realize that I can survive by obeying the emperor’s words without knowing what he meant .
Thanks to that, I stand there in a ridiculous position with my knees and waist half bent .
‘What’s going on? Does he want a sword to be brought to him right now?’
Geppetto, who is so astute that I don’t doubt how he got to the position in the Imperial Palace, approaches, and whispers to me in a stern voice . “Lady Odette, let’s go down now . ”
‘No, this old man! Can’t you see that I’m about to be sentenced? How can you tell me to go down…?’
However, even though I smile at the emperor like crazy with trembling lips, he asks with a curious look, “What’s wrong with you?”
Then he whispers, as if he’s scolding a child who knows nothing, “It’s rude to keep doing this . ”
Note: This chapter was translated by chll51, who thankfully gave me permission to use the chapters they already translated .
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