At the Emperorās inquiry, Ellie replied awkwardly.
Sometimes, she brought leftovers, but that was good enough for Siervian. Thatās why she was confused about why she was shrinking in front of the Emperor.
āI tried to make it work with the remaining budget, but it wasnāt easyā¦ā
āā¦If my salary couldnāt cover it, I oftenā¦ get leftovers from another palaceā¦ā
Siervian was surprisedāEllie was suffering more than she expected, and it was all for her. Was that why Ellie disappeared once every evening?
As he heard the maidās words, the Emperor said nothing for a moment. However, Siervian could read what was going on inside his mind.
Thoughts: God of Mana. Whatās the meaning of this? Just what have Iā¦!
The Grand Chamberlain, who was beside the Emperor, was also taken aback. In fact, because he saw the desolate kitchen himself, he reacted more strongly. It was unbelievable that this was an Imperial Princessā Palace.
Occupation: Grand Chamberlain of the Emperorās Palace
Thoughts: Oh my goodness, our poor Princess. This is ridiculous!
Siervian couldnāt understand their reactions. She was much happier now than when she was still eating Sarahās pepper soup.
ā¦Or was it bad that she was eating another palaceās food?
āWhy didnāt you tell me earlier. Why!ā the chamberlain exclaimed.
āI apologize tremendously.ā
Despite Ellieās trembling body and relenting words, her voice was very determined. Then, she glanced up at the Emperor for a very short time, but bowed her head down immediately.
Thoughts: Because I donāt know who to trust. I canāt even see His Majesty in person.
Siervian really couldnāt understand.
The financial problem of the Princessā Palace also seemed to be someoneās doing. Could it be the person who Siervian was thinking?
Thoughts: Perhaps this maid is wary of the Empress.
Whenever Siervian thought about her previous life, this was something she couldnāt wrap her mind around.
The Emperor was in charge of the external affairs of the state, while the Empress was in charge of the internal affairs of the Imperial Palace.
However, if a concubine would give birth to the Emperorās child, while the child was young, the concubine would be able to exercise authority.
āBut in my case, since I donāt have a mother, Iām under the authority of the Empress.ā
It was customary for the Emperor to respect the Empressā authority as much as possible.
This was also delineated in the Empireās supreme law, which was calledĀ Pledge of the Emperor.
āThatās why it couldnāt be helped.ā
It was natural that the Emperor would leave the Empressā duties in her hands. Even if something went wrong in the process, it wasnāt Siervianās fatherās fault.
It was enough for Siervian to know that he believed her.
She comforted herself like this first without knowing why. Then, she watched as her father went down on one knee to be on her eye level.
But the moment she heard his apology, she realized it.
Perhaps she wanted to hear this from her father.
āThis father is sorry, Siervian.ā
Surprisingly, his status window did not appear.
It was strange to be able to see her father so closely for the first time.
āFrom now on, Iāll be sure to take care of everything. And Iāll take care of you.ā
As Siervian stared at him blankly, the Emperorās regretful gaze looked back at her.
āDo you think this makes sense, Empress!ā
After the Emperor visited the Imperial Palace yesterday to see the truth for himself, a blizzard swept through the Imperial Palace. In the Emperorās frosty anger, the ministers had to keep their heads down.
Numerous people came and went into the Princessā Palace.
And countless people were arrested.
Surprisingly enough, Siervian managed to sleep throughout the night while all this happened.
āYour Majesty, I have told no lies. If I had sinned, then it is only for trusting the people under my command!ā
But because Siervian was sensitive to her surroundings, she caught on. If someone was hovering near her room, thereās no way she wouldnāt know.
But when she asked Ellie how it was possible that she could sleep soundly, the maid told her an unexpected fact.
āHis Majesty visited one more time while Your Highness was asleep. But when he saw that you were sleeping, he cast a silencing spell around you.ā
It felt strange to hear that her father went so far as to use magic to block the noise. It was really unexpected.
And what was even more unexpected was that, today, Siervian suddenly sat face-to-face with the Empress at the Emperorās Palace.
āPrincess. Please say something.ā
With tears in her eyes, the Empress implored Siervian.
In fact, if not for the Empressā favorability still being abysmally low, Siervian wouldnāt have doubted her at all.
Even if the state of the Princessā Palace became that way, Siervian would have thought that the Empress wouldnāt do that on purpose.
Thoughts: How did you know that the food waste was there you little brat. It was a good plan, but it failed.
ā¦Until she saw the status window.
āSiervy. Did this mother* truly seem like a mean person whoāll torture the Princess?ā
First of all, she had never heard the nickname āSiervyā in her entire lifeāto the point that she was even confused if the Empress was really talking to her or not.
And apart from that, Siervian relied a lot on the Empress before in her previous life, and when she asked if she could call the Empress āMotherāā¦
āI saw the Empress become expressionless for the first time that day.ā
After that, Siervian never asked again. And the Empress continued to give her smiles after that.
But here, Siervian couldnāt believe how easy it was to get. Then again, she was heartbroken that it was nothing more than a ruse.
Thoughts: Whyā¦ Iām disappointed.
Siervian didnāt dwell on these feelings for a long time. She didnāt need to anymore, especially now that she knew the innermost thoughts of the Empress.
Rather, she cared more about the other person more. Siervian was wondering why the Emperor was talking about that again. She didnāt even hide this time when she saw her father, so why?
Thoughts: Seriously, isnāt this brat just so presumptuous? Why arenāt you answering?!
The Empress called Siervian once more as though urging for an answer. It was a very friendly and soft voice, as if she was a benevolent mother who embraces her stepchildren with all her heart.
However, when Siervian saw the status window, she felt chills run down her back. She was trembling.
āI donāt want to answer.ā
And a childās body was honest in expressing.
When she came to her senses, she was half-hanging onto her fatherās arm. As if she wanted to hide.
āā¦Princess?ā the Empress asked.
āSiervian is very shy,ā the Emperor replied.
The Emperor continued to speak with an expressionless face, as though nothing was going on.
However, he casually shifted his arm that his daughter was holding. Thanks to this, Siervianās small body was able to hide halfway behind her fatherās arm.
āDonāt make it difficult for her. Sheās shy except towards me.ā
What he said was far from the truth, but Siervian remained silent. Anyway, her father was the person she felt closest to in this room.
āAnd thereās only three of us here.ā
The Empress, who was trying to persuade the Princess, soon turned her attention to the Emperor again.
The rings on the Empressā fingers looked so sharp today. Siervian was relieved that the Empress had retracted her outstretched hand.
āAs of today, I will remove your authority over the financial management of the Princessā Palace.ā
āYour Majestyā¦! You canāt do this!ā
The Empress jumped up from her seat and protested against his declaration. Siervian didnāt expect that he was going to do this, so she was also surprised as she stared at her father.
āYour Majesty, itās stated in āThe Emperorās Pledgeā that it is my authority to manage the Imperial Palaceās internal affairs. How could youā¦!ā
āHow dare you go against me while citing theĀ āEmperorāsĀ Pledge.ā
The Emperorās gentleness as he lent his arm to his daughter was now nowhere to be found. The scowl he had now wasnāt even directed at her, but Siervian flinched reflexively.
āThe transgressions that happened in the Princessā Palace had already been uncovered. If the authority to punish stays with you even when it isĀ youĀ who is at fault, are you saying that your authority is higher than the Emperorās?ā
āI-Itās not thatā¦ā
The Empress, who had stood up from her seat, sat down carefully again and spat out an excuse.
The āEmperorās Pledgeā had been written by the First Emperor and was treated as the highest law of the Empire. Apart from that, however, challenging the Emperorās authority was a serious crime.
And Siervian was executed for a crime that she never committed in her previous life.
āIf you know, then calmly give up your authority.ā
At the stern command, the Empress eventually shrank down. This appearance of the Empress, who always admonished Siervian pridefully, was unfamiliar to her.
The words were a suggestion, but his tone said otherwise. So, the Empress immediately got up and curtsied to the Emperor.
But at that moment, something very strange popped up in the Empressā status window.
Thoughts: I knew it. This brat resembles her mother, how unpleasant.
But the Empressā thoughts disappeared as suddenly as they appeared. She had already left the room with her face becoming expressionless.
āJust what did I do?ā
It was unfair. Someone was angry at her again. It was an emotion that Siervian couldnāt escape in her previous life. And she continuously thought that it was all her fault.
Why did the Empress hate her to the extent that she would create the food waste incident?
āItās frustrating.ā
And she felt upset because she couldnāt say what she knew. What would happen to Siervian if the Empressā sins would be buried like this?
She clutched her fatherās sleeve even tighter, which she was still holding worriedly.
However, her father was contemplating, watching as the Empress left.
Thoughts: The Empress is suspiciousā¦ I need to investigate more.
Seeing this, the tension Siervian felt disappeared a little. Because now her father also thought something was wrong.
She didnāt need to step up.
She could trust him for now.
So she let go of his sleeve and carefully got off the armchair. She wanted to leave without disturbing her father.
āWhere are you going now?ā
However, as soon as the Princess stepped on the floor, Alderuanās gaze headed towards her.
Naturally, she recalled the look he gave the Empress while he was pressuring her. But she managed to control her body from flinching unconsciously.
āIām going to the Pwincessā Palace.ā
Maybe he wasnāt pleased that she didnāt ask for permission first. As she was about to ask for it nowā¦
What came out of her fatherās lips was that nickname.
ā¦Did she hear it wrong?
*When the Empress called herself āmotherā, the term used wasnāt the usual one, rather, the term was more of a title (ģ“ėÆø). But when Siervian asked if she could call the empress āmotherā in her previous lifeāthe term used here is the usual word (ģ“ėØøė) used between a mother and child (albeit a little more formal)