Chapter 27: Just The Two of Us
That afternoon, twelve knights were stationed at Adeline’s palace, working in shifts of six. Their lack of skill and laziness was obvious to anyone who looked at them. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Are they from Cesare?” Adeline asked Richard Selmore, who had brought them to report.
After a long hesitation, he forced himself to speak. “The head maid of the main palace has temporarily assigned manpower to fill the empty positions…”
“The head maid must have risen to great heights, to be able to pull in outer wall defense personnel as she pleases.”
The previous night’s raid would likely go unreported to Cesare or her father unless Adeline chose to speak up herself. She glanced at Richard’s subtly tense expression. He was Cesare’s man, so it was natural for him to run and report to Cesare. However, it seemed that an obstacle—namely, the head maid—had intervened.
Things were becoming amusing.
Cesare’s mother, the empress, truly despised Adeline. Though she wasn’t interested in directly harming her, she was probably the person who hated Adeline the most in the imperial city. The head maid, who served as the empress’s hand and foot, shared that sentiment. Upon hearing about the assassin’s attack on Adeline’s palace, the head maid must have been delighted. She had intercepted Richard’s efforts by sending a group of idiots—men who couldn’t even catch street criminals, let alone professional assassins. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
So, they’ll all die soon, right? Adeline shrugged. “I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but my palace was attacked. If it weren’t for the Lion King who happened to be passing through the forest, everyone here would be dead. The attackers were all highly trained assassins.”
The twelve knights exchanged anxious glances.
“There were ten assassins’ bodies found on the first day, so it’s highly likely there will be more. I’ve heard they use poisoned swords, can scale walls, and even shoot crossbows from afar. You must be the talented individuals handpicked by the head maid, right? I suppose assassins like that are no big deal for you. Ha ha… I feel so relieved.”
If they don’t run away, they’ll die. Adeline had kindly given them a warning.
After the knights, looking pale and terrified, retreated along with Richard, the maids entered the drawing room. Surprisingly, a letter had arrived from the emperor. A middle-aged maid from his palace presented the letter in a golden box.
‘I didn’t expect to hear from him,’ Adeline thought. The emperor clearly wanted something from her.
[My Beloved Daughter, Adeline.]
The letter began, overflowing with affection. It sounded like the words of a father who truly adored his daughter. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
As the letter continued, it became increasingly disconnected from reality. The emperor lamented that there hadn’t been a day when his heart wasn’t broken by her being sold to an enemy country, and he thanked God for her safe return. Now that she was back in her fertile homeland, he urged her to enjoy life to her heart’s content.
[The King of the Desert is visiting our homeland. It seems like you and he could be good friends.]
This was the main point of the letter. All those words led to a single purpose.
It seemed like a friendly suggestion, but it was actually nothing short of an order. The emperor knew Adeline had been attacked multiple times on her journey home and had received help from the Lion King. He likely also knew that the Lion King had visited her while she was imprisoned in the annex of Cesare’s palace. It was absurd that the emperor had to sugarcoat his words just to order her to seduce the Lion King by any means possible.
For a moment, it seemed as though a harsh curse might escape Adeline’s lips, but instead, she smiled gracefully. She thanked the emperor’s maid, who watched her with sharp, probing eyes.
“Thank you for coming. Tell His Majesty I am overwhelmed by his grace. It seems I’ll have to stay up all night crafting the perfect reply. I’ll send my response in a few days.”
“I understand, Princess.”
Now, it was time to get ready to go out. After all, she was going to be the obedient daughter her father expected. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline smiled mischievously and turned away. Her maids looked at her expectantly, likely assuming she would invite the Lion King to the palace. But they were wrong.
Adeline removed her gown, holding it in her hand. “Send a messenger to the Lion King. Tell him, ‘I’ll be waiting for you at the hotel, so please come quickly.’ And you, bring me a dress and a coat. I won’t be returning to the palace tonight, so pack enough underwear.”
Silent gasps filled the room. The maids dropped their usual composed facades, shocked as Adeline proudly announced she would meet the Lion King at a hotel and spend the night with him.
“Princess, you mean…”
“Call me Your Highness Vita. What’s with the sudden ‘princess’?”
“You can’t mean… at a hotel, you mean…”
“Should I give you a detailed report of what I plan to do with him all night?”
The maids, flustered like broken clockwork, helped her prepare for her outing.
When the news spread, Richard appeared to escort her. Upon hearing she was headed to the most expensive hotel in the capital, he curled his lips and muttered a curse. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
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