The Princess Imprint A Traitor - Chapter 33. A Toast to Sisterhood in the Belladonna's Poisoned Cup (5)

Unintentionally, the atmosphere became somber. It was a glimpse into the life of the unwanted princess, who had spent her birthdays alone in the most secluded room of the detached palace until last year.

Everyone knew that Eve had lived alone with her only maid, Sedella, ever since the Sixth Consort Isabel had passed away. Their former residence, now barely fit to be used as a warehouse, had been neglected by the palace staff, and they did not have enough to live on due to the lack of proper budget allocation. She had long been ostracized from society, so naturally, she had no one to interact with.

Eve was accustomed to birthdays spent sharing desserts with Sedella. It was a truly humble birthday for an imperial princess of the Empire. Even if Eve herself was indifferent, Mikael and Alvin could not help but feel uneasy. It was then that Alvin declared resolutely.

“Your Highness!”

“Goodness, why so sudden?”

“Please tell me the location of the first building you said you wanted to blow up last time! I will take care of it as a birthday gift!”

Eve’s eyes widened in surprise, but she soon smiled and said,

“That’s impossible for now. I’ll save it as a gift for about five years from now.”

“Gasp! Are you saying my skills are still lacking! I will strive to improve myself further!”

In any case, Alvin had a knack for lightening the mood. Eve burst out laughing. Coincidentally, Eve was reminded of something when she thought of gifts.

“Today, I have a gift for you. Before you worry about my birthday present, receive this first.”

“Yes? A gift?”

Suddenly, Eve erased her smile and adopted the dignified demeanor of an imperial princess.

“Alvin Redmon, heir.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“Rise from your seat and show proper respect.”

It felt like a serious occasion. Alvin, feeling bewildered, knelt on one knee on the floor and lowered his head. Eve also stood up and stood before him. Soon, a clear and dignified voice flowed from her lips.

“I convey the Emperor’s command. For uncovering the illegal coal storage warehouse that nearly caused a larger fire in District 13, and for dismantling the human trafficking cartel in the Second Special Task Force. In recognition of these two merits, I bestow upon Alvin Redmon the territory of Linus and the title of Baron.”

“……!”

The reward for serving a good lord was great. Alvin, the second son of an Earl’s family, had been granted a title.

“What are you doing, Baron Linus? Why don’t you offer your thanks?”

“Y-Your Highness! I am deeply moved. I will devote myself to serving Your Highness!”

“You should be offering that to Father, not me.”

“Thank you for giving birth to Your Highness! Long live His Imperial Majesty!”

Alvin bowed three times in the direction of the main palace. Even then, his overflowing emotions did not subside, and he looked back at Mikael with teary eyes.

“Sir Agnito, it seems we no longer need to engage in childish rank disputes. I will be ascending first.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. It seems like a premature judgment, Baron.”

“Gasp? Please call me that again.”

“Baron.”

“Kuh-euh-euh!”

Alvin squirmed with the overwhelming emotion. He was surprisingly considerate, so he took care of Mikael.

“Sir Agnito and I have always worked together in the Special Task Force, so it feels a bit strange that only I am being rewarded for our accomplishments.”

Mikael accepted those words.

“I am a homunculus subordinate to the Imperial Family, so it cannot be helped.”

“Keu-eung.”

“And personally, I am fine without honors. It is enough for me to have been of help to Your Highness.”

“Keuh-heuk, that loyalty! Truly befitting of the third-ranked aide.”

Eve, who had been watching the two of them exchange pleasantries, opened her mouth.

“It’s nothing much, but I have bestowed a gift upon Mikael that is worthy of granting him honor. Something big and beautiful to show off.”

“Ooh, I’m curious. What kind of gift did you receive, Sir Agnito?”

Mikael smiled faintly and replied.

“Do you remember the private residence in the pioneering district that I was recently granted?”

“Of course. I chose that house for you, didn’t I? The one with the best location and view.”

It was Alvin who had helped him exercise his priority selection as the champion of the martial arts tournament in an appropriate place. Truly, he was a talented individual who was beneficial to have by one’s side.

Currently, Mikael, like the other Imperial Knights, had a space where he could go to rest once a week on his day off. Of course, he sometimes went there with Eve as well. As the saying goes, when you get a house, you need a housewarming gift.

“She has planted a large olive tree in the yard.”

“Hoo! Such a meaningful gift!”

The admiration was not an exaggeration. It was the same as the Emperor bestowing a garden to show his favor. Since a garden was impossible in terms of area, a large tree was given as a lower-level substitute.

The large tree that people would see whenever they passed by the fence would enhance Mikael’s honor. Alvin thought it was a truly good gift, but there was one thing that bothered him slightly.

“Ahem… Are you talking about the olive tree, which is a symbol of abundance and fertility?”

Eve flinched at the sharp remark. She rolled her eyes around, cleared her throat, and began to smooth things over.

“Ah, eu-heum, heum, isn’t it a good meaning? What’s wrong with it?”

“Y-yes, it is good.”

It couldn’t be helped that the answer was hesitant. It was common knowledge in the Empire that homunculi were infertile.

‘No, more than that, why would Her Highness give a symbol of fertility to Sir Agnito?’

If he didn’t know that he was a direct knight whom she cherished like her own body, he would have thought it was a gift sent by political rivals with the intention of ridicule. And so, as Alvin felt a slight confusion and looked at Mikael, the recipient of the gift, Mikael said in a calm voice.

“It is a grateful gift. I will take care of it with all my heart whenever I go to the private residence.”

“Yes. Please take good care of it, thinking of it as a child.”

“I see. It is my child given by Your Highness. I feel a heavy responsibility.”

“I won’t leave it all to Mikael. I’ll visit often whenever I have time. It’s impossible this week, but let’s definitely go together next week.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Eve and Mikael forgot for a moment that Alvin was in front of them and exchanged affectionate promises. Around that time, the atmosphere became serious again. Eve had something to consult with Alvin while she had the chance.

“By the way, things aren’t looking good with Nia.”

“The Sixth Princess?”

“It seems she’s being incited by Brigitte to implicate me in Derek’s death. She might do something foolish soon.”

“No, that… The Sixth Prince’s death was due to the Third Princess’s scheme. The one who is inciting her is the real culprit, but it’s a frustrating situation.”

Alvin paused for a moment and asked.

“Have you tried to win her over?”

“Of course.”

“Was it a failure?”

“She refused to even have a brief conversation, let alone a visit.”

Their relationship had been strained since the incident when bird droppings fell into Derek’s eyes that day, and now, due to Derek’s death, she was treating her as a complete enemy. No matter what you said to someone who wasn’t ready to listen, they wouldn’t hear it. The effort was meaningless.

“My sister is in a state of emotional turmoil right now, so if I step in directly, it will only backfire. It’s a bit of a shame that there’s no one to play the role of mediator in this situation.”

She briefly thought of Rubio, but she wasn’t very pleased with the idea. Alvin didn’t take it too seriously.

“In that case, it might be best to just leave her alone. Any attempt to harm Your Highness will backfire on them.”

Alvin judged that the scheme would have more disadvantages than advantages. Eve thought the same, so she agreed.

“If the best way to prevent damage to my side is to prevent it in advance, then the next best thing is to inflict even greater damage on the other side to compensate for the damage to my side.”

“Yes. Please just take it this time.”

“Hmph, I’m not used to being taken advantage of. I wonder if it’ll be alright.”

“Let’s trust in His Imperial Majesty’s favor that you have built up over time. After all, isn’t His Majesty so fond of Your Highness that he suddenly held a birthday banquet for you?”

“Ah, right, about that, I forgot to tell you something.”

Eve pointed out the part that Alvin was misunderstanding.

“My birthday banquet was held thanks to Rosie’s request. And Rosie has been with Nia since the morning greeting.”

“Gasp?! The Eighth Princess?!”

Stephania wasn’t the only one refusing contact with Eve. Rosenitte was also clearly avoiding Eve. And whenever she was seen, she was always with Stephania. From Eve’s point of view, it was an action that could never be seen as positive. A very troubling possibility surfaced in her mind.

‘If she became a regressor without the imprinting being successful…’

Eve would no longer be able to leave Rosenitte, a threat, unattended. As if driving a nail into the coffin, Alvin offered a cold assessment of the situation.

“In that case, it would be best to assume that the Eighth Princess’s political intentions have leaned towards the Third Princess. Still, our situation will not change. Whatever it is, if it’s a scheme, it will be carried out through the Sixth Princess. We can then look at the results and take care of the Sixth Princess and the Eighth Princess all at once.”

“…Take care of, is it.”

Eve, repeating one word, lowered her eyes deeply. The air in the drawing room grew heavy.

Knock, knock, knock. At that moment, the sound of knocking broke the silence. A young page, who had come in during his vacation, smartly announced.

“Your Highness, Heir Kalis Limitielo requests an audience.”

“Heir Limitielo?”

It was an unscheduled visit. Eve was slightly puzzled, but she let him in anyway.

“I greet Your Highness. I came to pay my respects as I had business at the Imperial Palace.”

“Please, have a seat.”

The tea for his portion was immediately prepared. Eve waited until Kalis took a sip before calmly asking, “I understand the academy has exams in a week. Is it alright for you to be in the Imperial City?”

“Yes. As you said, there’s still a week left, and more importantly, the political situation in the Imperial Palace is unsettling, making it difficult to focus solely on academics. My father urgently summoned me.”

“I suppose you entered the palace with Marquis Limitielo. What’s the purpose?”

“I’ve been granted permission to observe the Privy Council meeting, along with my brother.”

“Ah.”

A small exclamation escaped Eve’s lips. In a family where the head has traditionally served as a Privy Council member, observing the meeting was akin to heir education. It seemed the conservative Marquis Limitielo had finally relented on his insistence on the eldest son’s succession and was beginning to weigh both his eldest son, Phellioz, and his second son, Kalis.

“I want to congratulate you in advance, but I’ll refrain from doing so, advising you to remain cautious until the end.”

“I will never disappoint you, Your Highness.”

As Eve grew, so did those around her. It was incredibly pleasing and rewarding to see her allies become even more reliable. Eve, having met Kalis, an academy student, had something she wanted to ask.

“How is Yuka doing?”

Euclid, the Eighth Prince, whom she intended to raise as the commander of the Imperial City Guard, had been enrolled in the Gnosis Academy. Now that they were alumni, there was no one better than Kalis to ask about her younger brother.

“Yes. Unexpectedly, or rather, as expected, he’s adapting well and is dedicated to his studies.”

“Hmm, as someone who’s seen his past report card, I find that hard to believe.”

“Effort and results aren’t always proportional.”

Indeed, he showed the makings of a loyal subject. At this point, Eve adopted a more serious expression.

“Young Lord, I want you to answer this question truthfully.”

“Please, ask away.”