1KWI Ch 3
by mikkhaa“Lady Odette, we’ve arrived.”
The palace coachman announced with a polite but firm tone as he opened the door. Swallowing nervously, I took his arm with a stiff expression as I stepped out.
Now that I’m here, all I can do is be extra cautious.
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I’ll avoid any men, steer clear of Yurisina, and stick to the shadows until the ball ends so I can slip away!
From the brightly lit ballroom, elegant music filled the air.
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Standing at the end of the long hallway, I swallowed again as I glimpsed the grand outfits through the open doors. I felt like I was walking into a slaughterhouse.
No, I need to calm down a bit before I go in, or I might actually faint.
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“Would it be alright if I got some fresh air outside first?”
“Pardon? Oh, of course. There’s a terrace over there, but please make sure to enter soon.”
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Thankfully, it seemed the Emperor and Yurisina hadn’t arrived yet. Nodding, I made a quick escape toward the terrace. I could feel the coachman’s confused gaze behind me, but who cares? The very thought of going in there makes me feel like I’ll suffocate!
As the dazzling light of the chandelier faded, a quiet hallway emerged. Finally able to relax a bit, I grabbed the hem of my lavish dress and carefully turned around the corner only to run smack into something soft.
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“Oh!”
Trying to change direction hastily in my high heels, I stumbled without a chance to catch myself, crashing into something soft and plush before sprawling on the carpeted entrance to the terrace.
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“Kyaa!”
Hearing a high-pitched scream, I instantly felt like I’d messed up, and I was about to apologize with a distressed expression when I forgot to breathe entirely.
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My eyes wide and my mouth hanging open, I watched as the woman, rubbing her rear, blinked and spoke first.
“Are you alright?”
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Oh no, it’s her—Yurisina.
The heroine of this novel!
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Her voice was like sweet candy, her hair like pale pink cotton candy, and her eyes like a glittery lake of blue.
She’d decorated her hair with the very same flower I grew in my garden, glowing with beauty.
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That flower—since it has no name here, it must be from Yurisina’s country. As expected, nothing about the heroine is ordinary!
But honestly, how can she be even more beautiful than the flower…?
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At that moment, I understood instantly how a captive princess from a weak kingdom could manage to win the Emperor’s heart at first sight.
I was so dazed watching Yurisina adjust her elegant yet simple sky-blue dress that I only snapped out of it at the last second.
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“Oh, oh my! Forgive me! I didn’t realize you were the Princess…!”
Oh no, I sounded exactly like a flustered maid.
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But what choice did I have? Survival first. Oh no, wait! What if the Emperor saw this whole thing?!
I quickly peeked around, thankfully spotting no one. Everyone was heading to the ballroom, so it seemed the terrace was empty before the party started.
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“And who might you be to recognize me?”
Yurisina asked, covering her mouth in surprise, though her gem-like blue eyes were narrowing slightly with suspicion. Of course, I knew she was the princess, the soon-to-be empress, because I’d read the novel.
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But I couldn’t say that, so I hid my awkwardness and replied,
“Oh, I’m Lydia Odette, the 30th concubine of our great Emperor. I was invited to today’s party, so I heard a bit about you, Princess. It’s lovely to meet you…!”
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Just as I flashed my most charming survival smile, Yurisina’s gentle face briefly turned coy, and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“…Huh?” But when I blinked again, as if nothing had happened, she smiled and nodded.
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“I see. It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Yurisina Feriland, the thirty-first concubine.”
With a graceful posture that truly resembled a princess, she extended her hand. I tilted my head and cautiously shook her hand.
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Maybe I was mistaken. A cultured heroine like her wouldn’t frown at an insignificant extra concubine like me. Besides, I remembered that the heroine was very kind-hearted, right?
“Yes! I look forward to working with you, Princess.”
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“Oh my, we are both now concubines, aren’t we?”
“Ah yes, but still.”
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Hehe. I quickly shook my head to wipe away the doubtful expression on my face.
I can’t let Yurisina feel upset because of me! Even if it seems a bit servile, I need to survive first! I tried to smile as innocently as possible.
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“Um, but could you please get up? I think I need to head in now…”
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
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Realizing that I was sitting on the hem of her dress, I hurriedly apologized and got up.
Fortunately, her dress wasn’t wide and flowing like mine but fitted her body shape, so it hardly showed any wrinkles. I guess it’s the style from another country.
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“Then, I’ll go in first. See you later.”
Yurisina said goodbye to me while arranging her long, cotton-candy-colored pink hair.
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“Ah, okay!”
I fiddled with the wrinkled frills, smiled broadly, and waved. Yurisina gave me a cheerful smile and gracefully walked into the ballroom.
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‘Phew, I’m alive.’
I don’t know if such a first meeting exists in the original story, but at least it ended well, so it was a blessing.
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Yurisina was surely as kind-hearted as she was beautiful. Watching her retreating figure, I sighed in relief and started walking toward the terrace.
Now that Yurisina has arrived, the Emperor should be coming soon, right? I need to be in the ballroom before then. Ugh, what do I do? I’m really not ready to jump into that deadly battlefield.
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But it’s already spilled water; what can I do? I’ve met Yurishina already. Just as I was about to step inside the terrace after taking a deep breath of fresh air.
Clang—
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“What is that sound… Huh?”
Looking down at my toes, I saw the flower that Yurisina had worn fall to the ground next to a small glass vial. It seemed the flower she used as a hair accessory fell when she bumped into something.
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But what is this glass vial?
I think I just kicked it with my foot.
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The small glass vial, about the size of my thumb, contained clear liquid.
“Is it medicine?”
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As I bent down to pick it up, I noticed the tightly sealed opening.
While curiously examining the vial, I soon caught a whiff of a unique scent. It smelled like a cozy floral fragrance, yet it had an alluring aroma that made me want to smell it more. Come to think of it, it seemed like it was subtly present on Yurisina earlier?
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“It must be perfume.”
I should keep this and return it later. I thoughtlessly tried to put the vial into the thin pocket on the inside of my dress, but I frowned slightly.
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I discovered that the vial had a small crack, possibly from the impact of the fall. Liquid was seeping out through the gap.
Unintentionally, the liquid that had leaked onto my fingers and wrist released a strong scent.
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Surprised, I lightly rubbed to wipe off the liquid, but instead, the liquid stuck to my skin. I had no choice but to take out a thin handkerchief and carefully wrap the vial before putting it into my pocket.
Sniff, the scent is nice. Beautiful people must use really good perfume.
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I hadn’t noticed when I was smelling it in the bottle, but when I spread it on my skin, the floral scent felt even more intense. It seemed the fragrance became richer as it mixed with my body temperature.
Well, good things are good, right? It’s already broken; what can I do? I didn’t break it on purpose. Yurisina seemed nice earlier, so she’d probably overlook this much.
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Shrugging it off, I dusted off my dress and turned my body after standing on the terrace for a moment.
It was time to enter the ballroom. The area was eerily quiet, as if no one realized that I hadn’t arrived yet.
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“Sigh, being powerless feels like this.”
I didn’t understand why I was called when I’d just end up as a side character anyway. Were they randomly selecting people to invite to the party? After all, the Emperor couldn’t have summoned me knowing who I was.
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Either way, it wasn’t a pleasant thought. I had lived my life without drawing attention to myself on purpose, but the loneliness wasn’t exactly enjoyable. As I stepped out onto the terrace, I deliberately made a clicking sound.
“Ouch!”
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I bumped my nose into someone’s solid chest and took a step back, nearly in tears. Ah, what kind of bad luck is this?
“I’m sorry… Ah.”
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“What are you doing here?”
I looked up, trying not to touch my aching nose for fear of ruining my makeup. A pair of red eyes glimmering in the moonlight looked down at me.
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His stunning silver hair sparkled under the moonlight, and he wore what seemed like a completely black uniform that exuded elegance.
Oh my, elegance from a servant? I awkwardly held onto the hem of my dress and looked up blankly at him, and he slowly curved his eyes into a smile. At that smile, I regained my senses and frowned.
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But wait, why is he speaking informally again?
“So what are you doing here? Why did a servant come here?”
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I’m definitely not some wicked concubine who wields power. But no matter how handsome he is, a servant is still just a servant! Why does he keep speaking informally?
And now that I think about it, he totally ignored my previous request to bring a vase.
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“I came to serve.”
He seemed taken aback by my sharp comment, pausing for a moment before responding seriously, his smile disappearing.
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That’s right. Being a servant, he must have come to the ballroom to serve. With a face like that, just standing there would raise the empire’s prestige, I can almost see it.
I was at a loss for words, but I felt like accepting it would be losing, so I crossed my arms arrogantly and shot back.
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“What about the vase?”
“What vase?”
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“Oh, come on! The vase! I asked you to bring it when you came to my palace!”
Looking into his bright red eyes, it didn’t seem like he had ignored me on purpose. But it was clear he had completely forgotten.
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What is going on? Is even a servant ignores me because I’m a forgotten concubine?
As soon as I finished speaking, he nodded, “Ah, I see,” and I felt my spirit deflate.
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He seemed oddly clueless for a servant.
Sigh, never mind. I should just go do my own thing.
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With a sulky expression, I waved my arms dismissively. Move aside, move aside. I don’t want to die, so I better hurry to the ballroom.
However, this cheeky servant seemed to have no such thoughts.
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After thinking deeply for a moment, he suddenly stretched out his long arms. Then he ripped off a long cylindrical instrument that was attached to the wall as decoration. Thud!
“…Huh?”
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With a serious expression, he handed me the torn instrument and smiled brightly, saying,
“You said you needed a vase. Use this.”
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What?
“No… I mean, that’s not—”
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That’s not what I was asking for!
While this instrument was cylindrical like a vase, it was made of gold and covered in jewels, making it unsuitable for use as a vase.
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Besides, why did he take a decorative item?! Why is he so unnecessarily strong?! I stared at him in disbelief, alternating my gaze between him and the torn instrument, when I suddenly realized that I might be late for the ballroom. Oh no, not my life! My precious neck!
“Okay. Thanks, thank you! I’ll hold onto it, so could you move aside a bit?”
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With a deep sigh, I reluctantly thanked him, hugging the instrument with one hand, and waving my other hand dismissively.
Ugh, this heavy thing! I might just drop it in the hallway!
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Then, for some reason, he made a sad puppy-like expression and quietly stepped aside.
I shot a sidelong glance at him, who seemed a bit clueless, gave a small nod, and quickly stepped forward. Just then, as I brushed past him with the flowing hem of my dress—
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“Eek!”