Chapter 40

【Chapter 8】

Princess Emilia received the beautiful necklace just last night.

(I have to ask Mother... I want to attend the night party...)

In her heart, she pictured the very handsome face of the boy named Noah.

(Claudia will return to the tower after the night party the day after tomorrow. Noah will be with her. So, I have to meet Noah again before tomorrow’s night party.)

Just thinking of his appearance made Emilia’s heart race.

(If I can meet him, I’ll say, ‘Be my servant!’ It would be much better than being with someone like Claudia. Noah will be happy, fall in love with me, and stay by my side as my proud lord...)

To achieve such a future, she had to attend the night party.

(But will Mother allow it?)

Thinking about it made Emilia feel scared. Her mother always said, "Night party? No, it’s improper for children to make noise late into the night, even if it’s a custom of this country."

Emilia had never attended the night party, which was held twice a year. She had only watched her two brothers prepare for it, muttering, "I don’t want to go at all," from a distance.

(But tomorrow...)

With this thought, she paced nervously in front of the guest room door.

Her mother, who had scolded her earlier, was still in the room, negotiating with a magician from her homeland. Emilia wanted to talk to her but couldn’t interrupt the negotiation, so she waited for the guest to leave.

At that moment, the door opened.

‘!’

Thinking the merchant was finally leaving, Emilia looked up. However, it was her mother who came out.

(I’ll be scolded...!!)

She thought this instantly, but her mother smiled when she saw Emilia.

"Well, this is perfect, Emilia. I was just about to look for you."

"Me...?"

At that moment, Emilia had a slight bad feeling. Thinking such a thing about her mother was very naughty. Reflecting on this, Emilia’s mother spoke in a gentle voice.

"Mother has a favor to ask of you, Emilia. Will you listen?"

"Mother...?"

"Suddenly, but I need you to attend tomorrow’s night party."

"!!"

Emilia’s eyes widened as if her thoughts had been read. Of course, it was something she had wished for. However, she was afraid that showing joy about attending the night party might get her scolded. Trying to hide her excitement, Emilia asked her mother:

"Mother, why? Attending a night party is an improper thing for children to do..."

"Yes, it really is. So, I’m asking you to do something very improper, and I’m sorry... But it’s for Mother, right? I will attend the night party."

Her mother smiled happily.

"What a good girl, thinking of Mother... I believe you will fulfill Mother’s request."

"Mother, what about this necklace?"

Her mother had hung a silver rose necklace around her neck. It was very beautiful, almost mesmerizing, but it felt heavy on Emilia’s neck. Her mother’s amethyst eyes turned to her.

"It’s a magical tool to punish naughty children."

"...What...?"

The smile on her mother’s face was one she had never seen before.

"The only people at the night party are children who make noise until late at night. Emilia, you, a good girl, need to go there and punish them."

"Mother?"

"Princess Claudia is the naughtiest of all. She has a lowborn mother, and it’s shameful for her to claim the royal blood, yet she has the audacity to live in this castle as a princess..."

Emilia swallowed hard.

"All you need to do is infuse this necklace with your magic. It reacts to the person with the weakest magic in the room."

"But, Mother, what kind of punishment?"

"As the legitimate first princess, I’m asking you, Emilia. Prince Wilhelm and Prince Erenfried are unaware of their roles, so you need to be strong."

"Me...?"

"Please go and punish the naughty Princess Claudia on Mother’s behalf."

"..."

Emilia noticed that her mother was acting strangely. It wasn’t just today; it had been going on for months. She seemed fearful and anxious, and rarely smiled.

(Is it because of Claudia?)

Today, Emilia attended the night party with the necklace her mother had given her.

"You’re finally here, Emilia!"

The first night party was sparkling everywhere.

"You finally got to join us. My brother and I always talked about how nice it would be if Emilia could come too."

"...Brother..."

Her brothers and the other children were happy to see her. Emilia was surprised by the joy of playing with other children without any adults around.

After a while, Noah arrived. Dressed in a different outfit, he looked even more handsome. Just being in the same space made her heart flutter.

At first, she watched him from a distance, gathering the courage to speak to him. She was about to approach him when:

"Princess!"

(…!)

Noah ran to Claudia without hesitation, knelt before her, held her hand, and focused only on her.

There was no chance for Emilia to speak to him. She felt so sad that she stood there, dazed, for a while.

(Where are those two?)

She lost sight of them and wandered around the hall. Her brothers were also looking for Claudia, saying they had heard her voice from somewhere.

Emilia eventually noticed that a glass door leading to the courtyard was open and approached it.

(The courtyard is dark and scary...)

She lacked the courage to go closer and stopped at the door.

(There’s no way a small child like Claudia would be in such a dark place. There are no adults around, and it’s dangerous.)

But then she realized:

(But Noah is with her.)

Emilia imagined herself in her place. It was very scary to approach a dark courtyard alone, but if Noah was there to hold her hand, she felt she could go anywhere.

(Why is Claudia with someone like Noah?)

Just thinking about it made her feel unbearable.

(Noah’s master should be me, not Claudia. A beautiful servant doesn’t suit a child with lowborn blood...)

Until that moment, Emilia had no intention of breaking her mother’s orders.

She didn’t want to punish other children. She disliked Claudia, but remembering the moment when she threw mud at her father, she didn’t want to do something that might get her in trouble.

But when she saw Claudia and Noah holding hands and returning, she gripped the rose pendant around her neck.

(I have to punish her.)

Her mother had said yesterday:

"Infuse this necklace with your magic. It will punish the child with the weakest magic in the room—Claudia, who has no magic."

(Mother...)

"It’s safe for you, with your strong magic."

Emilia pursed her lips, gathered her courage, and infused the necklace with her magic.

In that instant, everything went dark.