1KWI Ch 5

“May I introduce… Lady Odette?”

The servant at the door, who had been preparing to greet the Emperor, recognized me and looked startled.

Breathless, I made a frantic gesture, and he noticed the urgency as the fanfare grew louder behind me.

Quick, quick! He seemed to understand the situation and quickly opened the door, helping me slip into the ballroom.

The grand doors swung open, and I dashed in, with no time to fix my disheveled hair or dress.

The ballroom spread out in front of me, dazzling and bright as if it were under a spotlight.

Fortunately, since the Emperor hadn’t arrived and no announcement had been made, no one in the ballroom was paying attention to the entrance.

Nearby knights and servants glanced at me in surprise, but seeing me out of breath and fixing myself, they politely looked away, probably thinking I was just a noblewoman who had arrived late.

Panting heavily, I felt like I might collapse.

After quickly tidying up, I took a deep breath and hurried to the far corner of the ballroom to stay out of the Emperor’s sight.

But, where is Yurisina?

I need to keep my distance from the heroine! I really don’t want to risk getting too close and ending up with my head cut off like in the original story.

Looking around, I spotted groups of nobles gathered in cliques, chatting with each other.

Where’s Yurisina… ah, there she is.

Her sweet, pink hair made her stand out anywhere she went.

With her special heroine’s aura and stunning beauty, she seemed to almost sparkle. Even though she was set to become only the thirty-first concubine, she was already surrounded by high-ranking nobles.

Yurisina was smiling gracefully as she conversed with them.

‘Hmm…’

Let’s think.

The story I’m in—the fantasy novel <Towards the Stars>, which I read three years ago—starts with the flawless heroine Yurisina being captured by a tyrant emperor.

After her kingdom is defeated by the emperor, who has waged countless wars across the continent, she is sent to his empire as a prisoner.

As her father’s only daughter, she had dreamed of becoming his successor, but then she finds herself a captive, devastated by the turn of events. Still, she refuses to lose hope and courageously endures.

Some jealous concubines and nobles torment her, but her unwavering confidence captures the emperor’s heart. Eventually, they fall in love and after overcoming many hardships, they get married.

Thanks to their union, her kingdom, almost reduced to a defeated province, is preserved with its culture and traditions. Her cousin becomes king, allowing her beloved homeland to live on forever.

My poor memory is such a problem; I can’t keep all the little details straight.

And with the stories of other novels I read around the same time all jumbled together, I can barely remember which is which.

After accepting a glass from a servant who was holding a grand tray with a champagne bottle on it, I quickly tiptoed over to a quiet corner table where there were almost no people.

Ah, whatever.

In any case, as long as I don’t interfere with the original storyline, I just plan to live a long, quiet life. If I avoid bothering Yurisina, I can continue to enjoy myself in a quiet corner of the Imperial Palace like I am now.

It’s a shame I can’t live more freely, but it’s already fortunate that, as a pretty but otherwise unremarkable noble lady, I didn’t get sold off as some old rich man’s mistress.

‘They probably only invited me for appearances, so I don’t need to put myself out there, right?’

Even though I received an invitation from the Emperor, it seemed like no one was looking for me. I’d rushed over to avoid being late, but it felt unnecessary now.

It didn’t seem like anyone in this ballroom even knew I’d been invited.

Then again, I’ve been living like an invisible person for three years, so it’s no wonder no one knows I exist.

Just as I expected, it seems that the Emperor’s thirty concubines are invited to the ballroom in turns, and this time just happened to be mine.

This is good. It seems like Yurisina has completely forgotten about me, so I’ll just stay hidden and slip away quietly.

In the original story, Lydia, the thirtieth concubine, appears to torment the heroine Yurisina, but I have no intention of doing that!

I sat on a small chair set up in the resting area, casually glancing around.

Yurisina, being the main focus today, would naturally be in the spotlight, and as for the other concubine invited with me…

Ah, there she is.

The red-haired woman next to Yurisina was basking in attention, constantly engaging with Yurisina and the surrounding nobles.

Her dress was far more ornate than mine, likely reflecting her prestigious family, and she wore so many dazzling jewels it was almost blinding. She was quite pretty too, and seemed sociable, with a steady stream of people around her.

Good, that means no one will come looking for me! I thought with relief, lifting my champagne glass to my lips. The sweet, fruity aroma pleasantly filled my senses.

“His Majesty, the Emperor is here!”

Then it happened.

From the entrance came a booming fanfare, followed by a loud announcement from a servant.

The nobles, who had been gracefully conversing in tune with the gentle music, immediately turned to the entrance and bowed. The servants even knelt on the floor.

Oh no!

…Being unaccustomed to this, I was a beat late, scrambling to my feet and bowing awkwardly.

The Emperor’s heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor, and as I listened, a sudden curiosity about the novel’s male lead stirred within me.

Since I’d already seen the female lead, I figured I might as well sneak a peek at the male lead. After all, who knows if I’ll ever see him again if I’m planning to live quietly after today!

I subtly lifted my head and glanced around.

I saw the Emperor stepping through the rows of knights and the booming fanfare, climbing the high platform at the front of the hall.

Without saying a word, the Emperor took his place on the throne, and a knight in silver armor, likely the captain of the guard, gave a brief signal. Instantly, everyone straightened and offered their greetings in unison.

“We greet the great Emperor of the Heron Empire.”

“We greet the great Emperor!”

‘Wait, am I even allowed to look at him?’

In old historical dramas, aren’t you supposed to keep your head down until the Emperor grants permission?

But here, it didn’t seem like that rule applied—everyone was looking at him as they greeted.

Ah, I’m excited! The female lead was so sparkling and beautiful; I wonder how handsome the male lead will be? I lifted my head, filled with anticipation.

…But then, what’s this?

The Emperor, with his tall, striking silver-haired figure, was seated regally on the golden throne, accepting the nobles’ greetings.

But the handsome face of the male lead that I’d been expecting was nowhere to be seen.

Because he was wearing an opaque white veil.

How odd? I don’t remember reading anything like that in the novel.

I thought hard, trying to remember. The female lead, Yurisina, was a beautiful woman with light pink hair and blue eyes, and the male lead…

Ah, yes! I nodded to myself.

The male lead of <Towards the Stars> was undoubtedly described as stunningly handsome. but there were no specific details like his hair or eye color.

The author intentionally left these out saying, as a god of war with cool charisma, he needed to remain mysterious. The lack of description was meant to emphasize his unreal, perfect looks—though it did frustrated some readers.

I don’t recall if he was wearing a veil during their first meeting, but anyway, whatever is happening before me now is surely part of the novel, right? With that thought, I stopped worrying about the Emperor’s veil.

As the Emperor entered, elegant, lively music filled the hall. The royal head servant, Geppetto, stood below the high platform, directing people to approach the Emperor in an orderly way.

Those high-ranking nobles seemed to be going up to pay their respects to the Emperor, while others waiting their turn paired up and began dancing gracefully in the open area.

People of lower rank, who didn’t have the privilege of greeting the emperor directly, were spread out, enjoying refreshments or chatting at tables.

“May we sit with you?”

Feeling a bit hungry, I grabbed a silver plate, piled it with cookies and scones, and settled at a small table when two unfamiliar noblewomen approached and began asking questions.

Not seeing them greet the Emperor, I figured they weren’t very high-ranking, which was perfect for me. Being in a group would make me less noticeable, and lower-ranking people made for easier company, so I nodded in agreement.

“Yes, of course!”

“Thank you! Nice to meet you; we’re the eldest and second daughters of the Tarantella family. And may we ask who you are?”

The two adorable young women placed their cream cake on the table and chatted away. They seemed excited to be at a royal ball for the first time.

I took a quick sip of champagne and gave an awkward smile. Ugh, mentioning I’m a concubine would kill the mood here. Better just make something up.

“Nice to meet you. I’m the only daughter of the Odette family.”

“Oh, from the capital, perhaps? Forgive us, we’re new debutantes and haven’t memorized all the capital families yet.”

“Haha, well…”

It was half true. I was from a modest country family but currently living in the capital. My unfamiliar name probably led them to think I was a capital noblewoman.

I trailed off and quickly ate a cookie.

Thankfully, they seemed more fascinated by the lavish royal atmosphere than my actual status and soon got busy chatting with each other. With a sigh of relief, I glanced over at Yurisina and the Emperor.

Nobles were going up one by one to pay their respects to the Emperor. With a veil covering his face, he sat motionless on his throne, not as terrifying as his infamous titles like ‘ruthless tyrant’ and ‘god of war’ might suggest, though his aura was still unmistakably powerful.

Most who went up with hopeful smiles came back down with tense expressions, likely intimidated by the Emperor’s overwhelming presence.

After several turns, a red-haired woman, presumably a concubine, went up and down, and then Yurisina ascended the steps, looking a bit nervous.

The atmosphere was lively, but everyone’s attention turned to her and the Emperor, and for good reason.

This party was held to welcome the princess, captured in a war the Emperor highly valued, as a new concubine.

I overheard whispers about how the Emperor himself led the final battle of this fierce war, which went on for three days and nights without rest.

Hmm, yes. Hearing them reminded me of the novel’s storyline, so I perked up.

Yurisina’s kingdom had been utterly defeated, but the Heron Empire had taken significant damage as well. A princess with such an interesting background becoming the thirty-first concubine would certainly catch the public’s interest. And, of course, this was the first encounter between the novel’s heroine and hero, making the moment all the more monumental.

This is when that cold-hearted emperor falls for Yurisina at first sight—a truly historic moment!

For the first time, I felt genuinely thrilled to be inside this novel. I was bubbling with excitement, and a smile kept sneaking onto my face.

My heart started pounding at the thought that I was the only one who knew of the amazing future ahead, a future hidden from even Yurisina and the Emperor themselves.

Oh, I’m so eager to see it! How will that icy emperor end up falling for Yurisina?

“Yurisina of the Kingdom of Periland pays her respects to His Majesty, the Great Emperor of the Heron Empire,” Yurisina declared with elegance in a clear, poised voice.

As the music softened and the crowd’s chatter faded, her voice, resonant and jewel-like, filled the hall.