1KWI Ch 2

And so three years passed.

All this time, I’ve lived quietly in the palace, almost as if I were in hiding, meeting only the occasional servant and no one else.

“Hm?”

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That day too, I’d been gathering flowers I’d grown to brighten my mood when I spotted a stranger near the Lily Palace.

Just as I froze in my tracks, the silver-haired man turned at the sound of my voice, and we made eye contact.

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His clear, red eyes looked like red wine, almost like the sun.

“Who are you? Oh, did you bring the vase I asked Head Servant Geppetto for?”

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Wow, he’s good-looking.

The only servants who come here are usually uncles or grandpas.

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The man in plain clothes looked a few years older than me, around twenty, and was so handsome and tall that I couldn’t help but be amazed. His solid build and broad shoulders made it easy to believe that he could be the god of war himself, famous for his ruthless nature but blessed with heavenly looks.

Holding the bouquet wrapped in my white apron, I took small steps toward him to take the vase and arrange the flowers.

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‘Huh…?’

But as I drew closer, I noticed his hands were empty except for a sword scabbard. Plus, the red eyes watching me in silence gave off a slightly unsettling feeling…

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…Wait, could he not be a servant?

A sudden doubt made me pause and as I did, those red eyes, which had been silently watching me, softened in a graceful curve. His charming lips followed, lifting in a slight smile.

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Wow, he’s even more handsome when he smiles.

Smiling back, I asked without hesitation,

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“Who are you…?”

“A servant.”

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“Huh?”

What’s up with this guy? Isn’t he a servant? He’s speaking a bit too casually¹ …

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“So, who are you?”

Oh, that’s it. He didn’t know who I was. And wow, his voice is seriously pleasant and deep.

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“I’m the master of this castle, Lydia Odette. Are you the new servant?”

“Yeah.”

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“Hmm, but how’d you find your way here…?”

“That… did you grow it yourself?”

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“…And?”

Geez, how rude.

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I furrowed my brows a little but decided to think positively.

Maybe he’s just a new servant who got lost and wandered all the way out to this quiet corner of the palace. His red eyes, which had been looking around the Lily Palace with interest, settled back on me.

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“How?”

“Just… you know…”

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I furrowed my brow further, letting my words trail off. He’s definitely a servant, yet he’s so unnecessarily confident in his rudeness that I’m the one feeling awkward.

‘Why’s he suddenly asking about growing flowers?’

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He slowly alternated his gaze between my face and the bouquet in my hand, so it seemed he liked the flowers.

Well, they might not have a name, but these flowers were pretty enough to impress anyone who saw them. A few months back, I had stumbled upon a sprout, nurtured it carefully, and eventually grew this lovely cluster of flowers I’d come to feel proud of.

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Sigh. I’ll just let it go. If I cause a fuss and it somehow gets around, it would completely ruin the value of my past three years of quietly laying low!

With a small sigh, I, being generous-hearted, thought—what if this untamed new servant goes to other concubines and acts rudely to them too? He might cause trouble. So, as if I’d just remembered, I quickly added.

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“Look, I’m His Majesty the Emperor’s thirtieth concubine, so you shouldn’t talk to me informally.”

“Hm….”

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But he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so; he just looked at me with a smile on his face. I felt a bit off, thinking he might be ignoring me, but I decided to act as generously as my beautiful appearance.

It’s definitely not because I’m scared of causing a commotion and having it reach the Emperor’s ears.

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“Okay. Then let me ask just one thing. I need a vase for these flowers; could you sneak one from the storage? I broke the last one last week. It’ll take another month to get new supplies, and it’s a bit awkward to make an official request right now. I’m sure the head servant, Geppetto, would be lenient about that.”

“…..”

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“Huh?”

Could he be deaf or something? Why isn’t he answering?

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I waved my hand. His bright red eyes fixated on the bouquet in my hand, then he smiled again and met my gaze.

“Sure.”

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His sculpted lips parted as he answered. I watched in excitement as he strode out of the lily palace with his long legs. While I waited for the new vase, I rushed into my room to trim the flower stems with scissors.

“Lady Lydia Odette, here is the invitation for tonight’s ball at the palace. Please prepare immediately and make sure to arrive on time.”

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Instead of a new vase, what I received was a large invitation with a golden seal, handed to me by none other than Head Servant Geppetto, who bowed respectfully.

‘…………W-What is this?!’

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While I stood there in shock, dozens of maidens poured into the palace, bringing dresses, accessories, and cosmetics.

Suddenly, the quiet Lily Palace became noisy. I had successfully lived unnoticed, holding my breath all this time, so what on earth is happening?

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I stood there in confusion until I suddenly realized.

It was the ball where the heroine first meets the Emperor.

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It was a party for the emperor to welcome the princess of this newly conquered country as his thirty-first concubine! Today, the Emperor would fall in love at first sight with the kind-hearted princess from the neighboring country, who is the heroine.

Hmm, since this is the first new concubine in three years, are all the other concubines invited too? Was Lydia Odette also there in the story?

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Dumbfounded, but meekly accepting the grooming of the bustling maids, my jaw dropped at the sudden realization.

“Oh my, Lady Odette. If you do that, your makeup will get ruined!”

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“I-I’m sorry!”

I was secretly horrified while the maidens carefully painted my lips a peach color.

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Oh my god, that’s right! In the story, Lydia Odette dies tonight!

This is serious. Perhaps because my body has changed, my previous memories are becoming increasingly hazy.

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It’s only been three years since I entered the novel, but I can’t remember the detailed plot well already. Not to mention, the life of the villainous extra, who wasn’t even mentioned in detail!

‘This is really driving me crazy.’

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Am I really going to die tonight?

I bit my lip and secretly tapped my feet while the maidservants were doing my hair.

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The neighboring country’s princess, the heroine Yurisina, captures the emperor’s heart at their first meeting, and I remember that they become lovers. She was brought here almost like a prisoner, destined to become the thirty-first concubine, but she ends up becoming the empress in no time.

However, the problem is that I have no memory of how Lydia Odette made her angry and got the emperor upset! Oh no, my brain is like an eraser! How could I forget something so important?

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Moreover, I didn’t even know Lydia Odette’s original personality.

This is because I was brought to the imperial palace, where I knew no one, right after entering the novel.

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So, in the current situation, I had no way of knowing whether Lydia had a temper tantrum and caused a huge accident by grabbing Yurisina’s hair in a fit of rage or if she just accidentally stepped on the hem of her dress, causing a minor mishap.

‘It can’t be that the emperor went berserk over something trivial, can it? He must be incredibly sensitive because of the war. Besides, how much trouble could a mere thirty-first concubine cause?’

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If she were among the top ten concubines, that would be a different matter. Those women are daughters of influential families, like dukes or marquesses.

However, as the thirtieth. low-ranking concubine, I lack the power even to request daily necessities from the imperial palace. I became a concubine in the first place because I came from an inconsequential rural noble family that had territory near the border. Thanks to that, I can quietly live in a corner.

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I don’t want to go!

I really, really don’t want to go!

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But I couldn’t refuse an invitation sent by the Emperor.

The maidservants styled my sunset-colored blonde hair, letting it flow in soft waves as they chatted away.

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“I heard that only two concubines are invited to today’s party, so you’re really lucky! You’ll get to meet His Majesty the Emperor in person!”

“We’ve worked at the Imperial Palace for a long time, but we’ve never seen His Majesty’s face. He’s always out on the battlefield, and I’ve heard that due to assassination threats, he always wears a mask when he’s at the palace. Apparently, no one knows what he looks like, except for his closest attendants!”

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“Ahhh, I’m so jealous!”

Then you guys should go! I made a sad face and tightly shut my eyes.

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That’s it. That must be the reason.

Since Lydia doesn’t know who the emperor is, she must’ve not realized that the Emperor was watching and tormented Yurisina. Did she maybe throw wine at her, trying to act tough?!

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Oh no, what should I do? Even if I’m careful, what if I suddenly make a mistake?

If that leads to tormenting Yurisina, I’ll be beheaded on the spot. I might not even be able to leave the novel. if I die here, it’ll be a total disaster. Should I fake an illness and say I suddenly feel sick?

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“Ah, um! I think I have a bit of a headache…”

“Oh my, it seems this ruby is heavy. Then let me decorate your head with fresh flowers instead of jewels. Renda, do we have roses?”

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“Yes, here! As expected, Lady Odette only uses high-quality jewels, so you must not be used to such rubies. We didn’t know that…”

“Hohoho. Oh, by the way, we were too late to greet you, weren’t we? From now on, we’ll pay more attention to you.”

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Can’t you just forget about me? I want to disappear! I forced a smile at the maids who were trying to make small talk, looking at my eyes.

Imperial palace maids are supposed to serve all the concubines as a principle. However, unlike the other concubines who lavishly gift the maids to look good in front of the emperor, I, living quietly in a corner of the imperial palace, was treated as an afterthought.

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Aside from the attendants who deliver daily necessities on time, I hadn’t seen the maids who help with grooming or cleaning even once in the three years since I first arrived at the imperial palace.

Thanks to that, I did all the little things myself—cleaning, cooking, gardening. Well, it meant I didn’t get into any trouble or get caught up in the power struggles between the concubines.

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But seeing the maids, who had no interest in me for three years, suddenly trying to impress me because I received an invitation from the emperor felt really awkward. Very much so.

Moreover, it’s said that those who have eaten well will eat well, and wearing an expensive dress instead of my usual clothes, adorned with jewels, made me feel like I had totally overeaten.

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“Alright, it’s all done.”

Feeling like I was sitting on a bed of nails, I cleared my throat and, upon seeing my pretty reflection in the vanity mirror, couldn’t help but admire myself.

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With a flamboyant purple dress that matched the color of my eyes, I gently gathered my golden hair and tucked it behind my left ear, then decorated it with a red rose.

My carefully done face accentuated my already beautiful features, and when I sprinkled shiny makeup on my eyes, it sparkled magnificently every time it reflected the light.

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“Oh my, how lovely! Although we did your makeup, you are truly beautiful!”

The maids, probably thinking that I must have some hidden backing since I was invited to the emperor’s ball, began to make an effort to please me. Watching them marvel and gasp, almost to the point of being tongue-tied, left me feeling extremely unsettled.

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What do I do? If I get on this carriage, I’ll be dragged to the ball with no way out! Faking a stomachache might be the answer after all.

“His Majesty the Emperor will fall in love with you at first sight! Rumor has it he executes anyone who disobeys him, man or woman, but Lady Odette, you’re so beautiful that he might make an exception for you!”

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Just curse me instead! Ugh, you’re all on the Emperor’s side, aren’t you?

In the end, I just got on the carriage without managing to fake an illness, already imagining the Emperor’s cold face as he beheads me. If I skip a ball hosted by the Emperor himself forget the main character—I’ll be executed for treason first!

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