The Guest of the Sapphire Palace

“Lady Evelyn!”

“…….”

The Emperor—Johann’s father—hugged me tightly, then kept his hands on my shoulders, checking me over as if to confirm with his own eyes that I truly was Evelyn of the House of Louis.

“I believe it’s the first time I’ve seen you since you were very small….”

“…….”

“You’ve grown well. Very well indeed.”

……Please tell me this isn’t some plot twist where he’s actually Evelyn’s hidden biological father.

I wasn’t the only one stunned by his behavior; the onlookers surrounding us were visibly shaken as well.

“His Majesty embraced Lady Evelyn……!”

The Emperor continued.

“Lady Evelyn, do you have any further plans for today?”

“Pardon?”

“If not, why don’t we have a cup of tea together?”

“Tea?”

The Emperor nodded and added:

“At the Sapphire Palace.”

the moment the words ‘Sapphire Palace’ left the Emperor’s mouth—

Ding.

◎ People think you are extraordinary! ◎

◎ Reputation increased by 5 points! ◎

‘……They think I’m extraordinary?’

I tilted my head and stole a glance at the crowd.

“I suppose the rumors of her being a neglected lady were false.”

“Indeed! If they were true, His Majesty wouldn’t cherish her so.”

Gazes filled with respect followed me. They were so sparkling that the back of my head practically stung.

At that moment.

◎ Sudden Quest Triggered! ◎

◎ Have tea time with the Emperor. ◎

◎ Reward: Reputation +10 points ◎

A translucent system window floated leisurely before my eyes.

‘Tea time with the Emperor?’

I looked back and forth between the system window and the Emperor’s face.

This man is the father of Johann, the number one male lead I must avoid. However, judging by his current attitude, he seems to like me quite a bit. It appears we were acquainted when I was a child, and we’re meeting now after a long time.

‘Just talking to him raised my Reputation by 5 points, and he’s offering 10 more.’

No matter how I calculated it, this was clearly a low-difficulty quest with nothing to lose.

‘And besides all that, he’s the supreme authority of this Empire…….’

If any loss were to come from this quest, it would probably happen if I refused it.

After ending my short, meaningless deliberation, I accepted the quest.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“……!”

His impression was already on the good side. He looked genial and round—exactly like a friendly middle-aged man from next door.

But when he saw my answer, his face brightened noticeably, making that good impression look ten times better. He seemed genuinely pleased that I had agreed to the tea time.

He let out a couple of dry coughs, pretending to be nonchalant, and led the way toward the Sapphire Palace.

“Ahem, well then, let’s go.”

With a faint smile, I followed behind him.

When the words ‘Sapphire Palace’ were mentioned, the onlookers were clearly excited.

The moment my Reputation rose was when the Emperor invited me to tea at that specific palace.

Back then, I didn’t understand the significance, but now, I was beginning to get the picture.

“Enter, my lady.”

“…….”

“Lady Evelyn?”

The Emperor asked again in front of the massive doors plated in gold.

“It is the first time I have brought someone who is not of the Imperial bloodline here. Hoho.”

“…….”

“My father would be surprised as well.”

The Sapphire Palace was…… not simply a palace for receiving guests. It was the palace used by the former Emperor—Johann’s grandfather.

Perhaps in an effort to fill the void left behind, this place was more brilliant and grand than anywhere else in the Imperial Palace. Everywhere I looked, it was packed with gold and jewels, enough to be blinding.

“Your Majesty, may I dare to enter?”

Even I, who knew nothing of this world, knew that one shouldn’t enter the former Emperor’s palace recklessly.

While I was hesitating, the Emperor ordered the guards to throw the palace doors wide open.

“Now, let’s go in!”

I had no choice but to follow the Emperor as he walked with dignity.

Refreshments were prepared with incredible speed, and before I knew it, I was sitting across from the Emperor, sipping tea.

‘……No matter how much I think about it, I can’t get used to this.’

Drinking tea face-to-face with the father of Johann, the male lead I’m supposed to avoid. It was unbelievable.

While only the clinking of teacups filled the quiet silence, the Emperor spoke up.

“So, how have you been? My lady.”

“Yes, thanks to Your Majesty.”

I set my teacup down and curled my lips into a smile. He nodded in satisfaction and continued.

“You’ve grown beautifully. I believe the last time I saw you, you were only about this tall.”

“This…… tall?”

The Emperor’s fingertips pointed to a height about half of my sitting height.

At that height, I would have been five or six years old. Does that mean Evelyn used to frequent the Imperial Palace at that age?

“You and the Crown Prince were inseparable friends. It was so adorable to see you little things running around the palace with such a racket.”

“…….”

The Crown Prince? Him? Is it really the person I’m thinking of?

“Johann was very lonely. He was always a child who felt solitude deeply.”

“His Highness was?”

He didn’t seem like that kind of person. He was so quick to flare up the moment we met.

“Since the Duke and Duchess of Louis became like that……. Ahem, never mind.”

He gauged my reaction, then stopped mid-sentence and cleared his throat. He looked like he had more to say but was holding back. He hurriedly changed the subject.

“By the way, I heard the Duke was injured recently. Is he alright now?”

“Ah, it was a simple fracture, so he is fine. Thank you for your concern.”

“I should pay a visit to the Ducal estate soon. I’ll bring the Crown Prince along as well. You were so close since childhood, but I feel we’ve been too neglectful lately.”

“Pardon?”

No, that’s fine. Please don’t do that.

Whether he knew my heart or not, the Emperor began to chat even more excitedly.

“What kind of food do the Duke and the young lady like? It might be good to bring the Imperial chef along.”

“We……”

“If not, perhaps inviting the both of you to the Sapphire Palace instead……”

Only after a significant amount of time had passed was I finally able to escape. Leaving behind His Majesty, who looked disappointed that I had to go.

“I shall take my leave now.”

“The hour is late, so it would be best to take an Imperial carriage, my lady.”

“No, it’s alright. My servants are waiting for me.”

I curled my lips into a dry smile and offered a bright look to the Emperor. I remember the sun was still up when I entered this palace, but it was already early evening, with the sunset beginning to fade.

“Make sure to visit again next time, my lady.”

Ding.

◎ Quest Success! ◎

◎ Reputation increased by 10 points! ◎

After gently declining the Emperor’s offer to use an Imperial carriage, I walked slowly out of the Sapphire Palace. It was starting to get dark; the sun would set soon.

“I think the carriage I came in is already gone.”

Since I had told them I’d find my own way home quite a while ago.

I had no choice but to head back to the spot where I had run into Regina. I thought there might be a carriage or two left that hadn’t found a passenger yet.

“Let’s see, a carriage……”

I looked around, and my gaze was soon fixed on one spot.

Only one carriage remained—the shabby one that Regina had insulted earlier. The one she asked if he dared to tell her to ride such a thing.

“…….”

The coachman seemed to think he had struck out for the day, sitting dejectedly on a stone. Every other carriage that had been gathered in small groups was gone; he was truly alone.

‘Of course, its appearance is quite out of place for the Imperial Palace.’

While most carriages entering the palace were top-of-the-line modern ones, this one looked aged at a glance. Even the wheels looked quite worn.

Of course, that didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like he was earlier, but it was definitely a low-grade carriage that the original Evelyn wouldn’t have even glanced at.

“No one’s here.”

I turned my head to look around. The onlookers who had filled this place earlier were long gone.

I activated the system window.

◎ Current Reputation score is 16 points. ◎

The scene of Regina mistreating her servant earlier came to mind. The Reputation system had activated right then.

“How ridiculous.”

I can do what I think is right on my own, even without a clumsy system like this. Not just acting righteous when someone is watching.

“Are you still operating?”

“Pardon? Yes! Yes! Of course!”

I walked briskly toward the slumped coachman and spoke to him. He looked quite flustered, not having expected a passenger to approach.

He bolted upright and opened the carriage door for me. The creaking sound of the door opening sounded like a ghost’s wail.

‘……It should be okay to ride this, right?’

And exactly one hour later, I would come to regret that choice.