Chapter 119: Chapter 119
Chapter 119 - The Imperial Princess’s Visit
The news of the Imperial Princess’s visit threw Hestia Village into an uproar.
When the day finally arrived, everyone stopped what they were doing and flooded into the streets.
"Isn’t this a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the Flower of the Empire?"
"Do you really think someone like her would show her face to commoners like us? I’ve lived nearby all my life and never seen her once."
"Still, if not now, when else will we ever get the chance?"
Most people praised her beauty, yet very few had ever actually laid eyes on her.
Even among those who lived within the Empire, the majority had never seen Olivia Arken’s face, so they gathered with the belief that this would be both their first and last opportunity.
While the streets buzzed with excitement, Luri was even sharper than usual.
It was because she had meticulously prepared for the arrival of such an honored guest.
’No... that’s not it.’
If she truly wanted to, she could break through the Empire’s defensive barrier and enter whenever she pleased.
There was no way she would be this tense over something like that.
Those piercing eyes were, as expected, directed at Ferda.
Ferda had a rough idea why.
That was why he said to her,
"The only person who has ever captured my heart is Her Highness Grand Duchess Valdrova."
"Who asked you?"
With that, Luri sharply turned her head and walked away, leaving Ferda wondering what that had been about.
A short while later, a pair of vanguard Imperial Guards riding white horses emerged from the forest.
Behind them stretched a long procession, and nearly four minutes later, an enormous carriage finally came into view.
Olivia Arken was undoubtedly riding inside that magnificent carriage.
Just as Ferda was thinking everything would proceed as expected if they simply stayed prepared, something unexpected happened.
The carriage came to a stop before the still-unfinished outer wall.
"Why have they suddenly stopped?"
"I have no idea."
A situation Ferda had never anticipated.
At the same time, soldiers began rolling out a long crimson Red Carpet from the outer gate in a perfectly straight line.
The Imperial Guards also lined both sides of the carpet at regular intervals, keeping the villagers under control.
Seeing the scene, Ferda felt strangely familiar with it.
’Are they planning a parade?’
His guess was correct.
Instead of remaining inside the enclosed carriage that completely concealed her appearance, Olivia Arken intended to transfer into a ceremonial carriage used for victory processions.
Watching this, Ferda frowned.
"What a troublesome thing to do..."
He muttered before turning to Luri.
"Luri. We’ll have to change the plan."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"Can you take me to the outer gate?"
"Are you planning to run straight to the Imperial Princess’s side?"
"I don’t want any trouble happening in Hestia Village."
Luri glared at him with an unhappy expression, but what else could she do?
In the end, she granted Ferda’s request.
From a suitable height, Ferda descended directly with Heaven Stair and landed beside Olivia.
"I greet Her Imperial Highness."
"I greet the Regent of Grand Duchess Valdrova’s Territory. Did you come all this way for my sake?"
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Ignoring Olivia’s atmosphere entirely, Ferda asked bluntly.
Checking her reflection in a mirror, Olivia answered,
"What do you mean? I’m simply trying to help you, Regent."
"And how exactly is this helping?"
"I’m merely trying to spread rumors about Hestia Village."
"What sort of rumors?"
" ’The Flower of the Empire entered Valdrova Castle in all her radiant beauty’... Isn’t that more than enough to get people talking?"
Her sapphire eyes drifted toward him as she smiled.
"If your goal is to destroy Hestia Village, then you’ve certainly chosen an excellent method. I assumed you understood perfectly well why you normally never reveal yourself before crowds."
"I do. If word spread that the Imperial Princess had been struck by a stone or a tomato thrown by a spectator, that noble house would be wiped out."
Such a thing had actually happened once during the First Prince’s visit.
The noble family responsible had vanished without a trace.
Considering how everyone adored Olivia’s beauty, the consequences would undoubtedly be even worse.
"Don’t worry. I’m doing this entirely on my own authority. I’ll simply hold the Imperial Knights responsible for failing to stop it. Wouldn’t that solve everything?"
"If everything in the world worked out that neatly, perhaps."
"You don’t seem convinced."
"No."
"You’re as honest as ever."
Olivia covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"Then let me offer a compromise. Would you ride with me?"
"...What?"
"If someone throws a stone or a tomato, you can stop it for me. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?"
"..."
Olivia lightly touched her glossy lips with the fan in her hand.
" ’The Regent of Valdrova risked his life to protect the Imperial Princess.’ ’A true knight’s chivalry still exists for the Princess.’ Wouldn’t reputations like that be wonderful?"
He wanted to tell her to stop talking nonsense, cancel the parade immediately, and get back inside the enclosed carriage.
But she showed no sign of backing down.
He disliked her stubborn attitude, yet Ferda could not insist on his own way either.
As he himself had said, he was in no position to reject something that merely looked good on the surface.
"...Very well."
"Hehe. Then please, come aboard."
Thus, Ferda climbed into the Imperial Princess’s carriage.
The Imperial Guards and knights were visibly astonished by the sight, but none of them dared voice an objection.
The procession then began.
Crossing the long open road, it entered the heart of Hestia Village.
"Gasp!"
"It’s Her Imperial Highness!"
"The Flower of the Empire!"
The villagers, who had never imagined there would be a public procession, were left speechless.
Gasps escaped their lips, followed by cries of amazement.
Not only the men, but even the women gazed upon her with admiration.
"Your hand."
"...Pardon?"
"Please wave to them. Even if you can’t smile all the time, you should at least do that."
Olivia gracefully waved to the gathered crowd.
Whenever she saw children staring at her with sparkling eyes, she greeted them with an even brighter smile.
’Remarkable.’
Watching her from beside the carriage, Ferda felt as though Olivia truly radiated light.
Golden hair.
Blue eyes.
Her elegant dress emphasized her voluptuous figure so beautifully that it could easily stir desire in anyone who looked upon her.
Yet the smile on her face created an atmosphere that completely overwhelmed such thoughts.
She was a beautiful rose displayed within a crystal case.
She was the Goddess of Beauty herself.
Everyone loved her, worshiped her, and showered her with endless praise.
At that moment, Ferda could truly feel that she was loved by all.
As he was lost in thought, his eyes met Olivia’s.
She smiled.
Perhaps it was only his imagination, but the artificial brilliance of that smile somehow seemed even brighter than before.
For a fleeting instant, it almost felt as though she truly loved him.
’So that’s how brightly you’re supposed to smile.’
It was probably something Ferda himself could never accomplish.
He turned his gaze away once more, watching carefully in case any pests appeared.
Yet, just as expected, not a single person showed Olivia even the slightest hint of hatred.
The procession reached the inner castle without incident.
"Show your respect!"
Inside the inner castle, the knights dispatched from Count Consilus’s territory knelt before the Imperial Princess in formal greeting.
Ferda stepped down from the carriage first.
He then extended his hand toward Olivia in a courteous gesture.
"Allow me to escort you."
"My apologies, Regent. Her Imperial Highness does not take the hand of unrelated men—"
The sentence was cut short.
The explanation had become meaningless because Olivia had already taken Ferda’s hand.
She had always avoided the hands of men offering to escort her under the pretext of preserving her chastity.
Everyone had naturally assumed she would do the same this time.
Holding his hand as though it were perfectly natural, she spoke warmly.
"Could you introduce me to everyone in the castle?"
"Of course."
Ferda introduced not only the knights but also the people closest to him.
Vernel was among them.
Even Vernel, who normally shut himself away inside his laboratory, had abandoned everything and rushed over.
True to a researcher who had probably never even held a woman’s hand, his face turned bright red the moment he saw Olivia.
Olivia recognized him with admiring eyes.
"Vernel Marquis. I’ve heard of you. They say you rendered extraordinary service in Halim."
"Y-Yes! Th-That’s correct!"
"The Empire has been paying close attention to you. I’d like to request close cooperation regarding national security... though, of course, restoring peace to the Far East comes first, doesn’t it?"
"Naturally! But when the time comes, I’ll certainly be of great help to the Empire as well!"
"Hehe. I’ll be looking forward to it."
What a scheming woman.
Vernel was completely captivated by the smile of the Imperial Princess.
Nor was he the only one.
Every man had dreamed at least once of seeing the Empire’s Golden Rose in person.
Now that they were standing before her, who wouldn’t feel excited?
Perhaps because of that, Ferda suddenly remembered one certain existence who was hopelessly obsessed with women and quietly whispered to Zed.
"Where’s Penelope?"
"We’ve tied her up and locked her away."
"Why?"
"The moment she saw the Imperial Princess, she said, ’Just one bite.’ What else could we do?"
Silently praising Zed’s lightning-fast judgment, Ferda stood once again beside Olivia.
Thus, while carefully shaping public opinion, they entered the castle smoothly.
Luri’s gaze was colder than ever.
Her expression clearly declared, I dislike this more than usual, radiating open hostility.
An ordinary person would have been crushed beneath that pressure.
Yet Olivia showed no sign of nervousness as she spoke.
"Luri... You are Lady Silverwind, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Sometimes I find it difficult to believe. They say the attendant who serves Lady Valdrova with such unwavering loyalty carries the bloodline of Silverwind."
Olivia smiled brightly while Luri answered expressionlessly.
"I appreciate the compliment. However, I already know what the Empire thinks of my Master. My ears are not deaf."
"Yes... it’s quite regrettable. On behalf of House Arken, I promise to improve that situation."
A promise made in the name of the Imperial Princess.
Luri merely scoffed inwardly.
"I’ve wanted to give you this for quite some time. It’s only a modest gift."
As Olivia gestured behind her, one of the accompanying knights presented a box.
Inside were exquisite traditional sweets.
Made by the Empire’s finest pâtissier.
Sweet, yet refined rather than cheap, with an elegant appearance suited for adults.
"Oh."
The wariness Luri had shown only moments ago vanished as her eyes sparkled.
"I thought bringing only one box would be rather discourteous, so I prepared three."
"Hmm. Then I shall gratefully accept your kindness. Naturally, I can’t eat them all myself, so I’ll serve them when entertaining guests."
"A thoughtful decision indeed. Just what I’d expect from Lady Valdrova’s loyal attendant."
Luri handled the exchange skillfully, while Olivia’s talent for winning people over was extraordinary.
However, Ferda, who knew Luri better than anyone, thought differently.
’She’s dying to taste them already.’
Rather than waiting until her work was finished, she simply wanted to open one and eat it immediately.
There were still two unopened boxes besides that one, so she could always enjoy more later.
’She really is incredible.’
Winning over even a child with sweets.
Quietly admiring her, Ferda escorted Olivia to the reception room.
***
"So this place is called Hestia Village, correct?"
In the quiet atmosphere, after taking a bite of a traditional sweet and a sip of tea, Olivia opened the conversation.
"Hestia Village... Wasn’t Hestia the name of the woman who guarded the hearth?"
"Yes. It’s not exactly a common name. I’m surprised you know it."
"I only know it because someone once told me. I’m always impressed by the breadth of your knowledge."
"I only know it because I happened to hear the story myself."
"Most people wouldn’t even remember something they heard by chance. Thanks to you, I’ve developed quite an interest in books about ancient mythology. What sort of books have you been reading lately, Regent?"
"I..."
The conversation flowed naturally under Olivia’s lead.
Watching her, Ferda couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
’She feels different than before.’
Whenever he had spoken with Olivia previously, it always felt as though she were speaking through a mask.
But now...
That mask no longer felt quite so obvious.
’Or has she simply become much better at acting?’
After exchanging small talk for a while, Olivia smoothly shifted to a more meaningful topic.
"I’d like to discuss Vernel Marquis."
There it is.
Olivia had finally revealed her true purpose.
"Please, go ahead."
"To be direct, I’d like to recruit him as an Imperial engineer. Naturally, I’ll make sure he’s generously compensated. Is there any way that could be arranged?"
Is this woman joking?
Ferda nearly exploded in anger, but after glancing toward the nearby knights—who naturally had ears—he politely declined.
"He is one of Grand Duchess Valdrova’s Territory’s greatest assets."
"I expected as much..."
Still smiling, Olivia slowly nodded before turning her head.
"Captain."
"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."
"Would you excuse us for a moment? I’d like to speak with the Regent alone."
"...As you wish."
Her words clearly suggested that an important discussion was about to take place, and the captain quietly withdrew.
Yet even after he left, Olivia merely sipped her tea without beginning any serious conversation.
Unable to bear the silence, Ferda finally asked,
"What did you wish to discuss?"
"What do you mean?"
Olivia blinked innocently.
"Oh, do you mean all that atmosphere just now? I simply needed an excuse to send the captain away."
"...Excuse me?"
"He keeps trying to monitor my every move. If I said we were discussing matters reserved for high-ranking officials, he would naturally understand and step aside."
"Then what you said earlier..."
"An act, of course."
She replied while savoring the fragrance of her tea.
"The Imperial Capital is currently discussing ways to suppress the growth of Grand Duchess Valdrova’s Territory."
"I’ve heard a general outline of the situation."
"Under those circumstances, wouldn’t it be beneficial if it appeared that the Imperial Princess herself had come to recruit your chief engineer?"
It certainly had its advantages.
But Ferda had no intention of trusting Olivia completely.
"Can you truly say you have no selfish motives on behalf of the Empire?"
"Of course. Why would I do something that benefits those people?"
Ambition blazed within Olivia’s eyes.
She was no longer the Flower of the Empire.
Nor the jewel of the auction house.
Nor a free butterfly.
She now wore the face of a politician.
"We agreed, didn’t we?"
"That Hestia Village would one day become a great capital capable of replacing the Empire."
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