The Princess Imprint A Traitor - Chapter 33. A Toast to Sisterhood in the Belladonna's Poisoned Cup (9)

“I’m glad I can finally talk to you, sister.”

“You’re the one who’s been avoiding me.”

“That’s because of this and that.”

“What reasons?”

“I needed to prepare my heart… and more than anything, I was preparing your birthday present.”

Eve had a hunch that it wasn’t an ordinary gift.

“I’ll give it to you later. More than that…”

Rosenitte, who had drawn out her words meaningfully, met her with a bold gaze.

“I’m sorry in advance.”

“What?”

“Today’s party is for you, sister, but I think I’m going to have to share some of the attention.”

Something suddenly occurred to Eve. She had used Rosenitte’s eighteenth birthday party as a stepping stone to re-enter society. She wondered if she was trying to get petty revenge for taking away her share of the attention back then. At that time, a situation occurred that distracted Eve’s concentration.

“Oh, dear. I’ve kept the main character away from the banquet hall for too long. Shall we go back now?”

“……!”

Eve was startled by the warmth she felt on one arm. Suddenly, Rosenitte had casually linked arms with her.

‘Huh?’

Eve froze at the unexpected action. Born into royalty, she had hardly had the opportunity to experience such affectionate behavior. Especially not from Rosenitte, whom she was wary of.

“Wh-What are you doing?”

“Why? We’re sisters.”

The response she got was brazen. At this point, Eve gave up trying to guess Rosenitte’s intentions based on fragmentary information alone. She decided to elicit a definite reaction at once. Eve looked straight at Rosenitte.

“Rosenitte Nadia Hadelamid.”

“Yes, sister.”

She deliberately spoke coldly.

“Don’t be ambiguous.”

“……”

Eve pulled her arm out of Rosenitte’s grasp. In that instant, Rosenitte’s eyes shook greatly, as if wounded.

‘Wh-What is it?’

Eve was slightly flustered by the unexpected reaction. Rosenitte composed herself. She fiddled with the arm she had been holding and replied.

“So this is ambiguous.”

“……”

“I don’t know what would make it certain… but I understand. I must have been clumsy.”

“……”

It was the first time she had seen Rosenitte act so docile.

‘I can’t stand this frustration.’

She felt like she had to drag Rosenitte to the pearl oyster room and have a heart-to-heart conversation between sisters. However, coincidentally, a problem arose, and Eve had no choice but to withdraw her plan. A loud voice echoed from the banquet hall.

“His Imperial Majesty is entering!”

Of all times, it was Desmond II’s surprise visit. Eve was startled and prepared to return.

“I’ll go first, so you can come later…”

“No. We should go together.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what Father would want to see, isn’t it?”

“……”

Just as Eve hesitated, Rosenitte gently grabbed her.

“Holding fingertips is okay, right, instead of linking arms?”

“…Oh, yes.”

She answered without thinking.

“Let’s go, Sister.”

As if escorting her, Rosenitte pulled Eve along. Eve returned to the banquet hall with Rosenitte.

“Blessings and glory to the Sun of Hadelamid!”

They managed to arrive on time after hurrying. Pushing through the nobles who were bowing, Eve and Rosenitte stepped forward to Desmond II.

“Blessings and glory to the Sun of Hadelamid. I greet you, Father.”

“Haha, Eve. I was wondering where you were, and you were with Rosie.”

Rosenitte quickly replied.

“Yes. We were getting some fresh air outside, and when we heard that Father was coming, I hurriedly brought Sister along.”

“Yes, yes.”

Desmond II’s gaze was fixed on the tips of his daughters’ touching fingers. In a family known for its discord, the half-sisters seemed to have a deep affection for each other, which made him feel proud as a father. Feeling uncomfortable with the atmosphere, Eve quickly changed the subject.

“I am overwhelmed that you have taken the time to show your face despite your busy schedule.”

“Be more welcoming. I didn’t come empty-handed.”

No sooner had Desmond II finished speaking than two attendants carried something in. It was a lavishly decorated chest.

‘Judging by the fact that only two people are needed to carry it despite its size, it’s likely to be an over-the-top presentation.’

Eve finished her assessment. Usually, the best gifts from the Emperor were those that were not immediately visible. Like the garden given to Rosenitte or the title and territory given to Eve.

Therefore, the nobles who confirmed that the gift was an object carried by manpower did not have high expectations. However, Desmond II flaunted it with a more proud face than ever.

“Ahem! This is a birthday gift from me. It’s precious, so open it carefully.”

“Yes, Father.”

As Eve approached the chest, the attendants opened the lid.

“Ah!”

A gasp involuntarily escaped her lips. The nobles’ curiosity reached its peak at the sight of the ever-composed Seventh Princess being amazed. Eve lifted the gift so that everyone could see it clearly.

“Oh! That is!”

It was a long staff carved from wood. Crafted by a skilled artisan, the magical artifact was impressive for its artistic value alone. It possessed both elegant beauty and the dignity befitting royalty.

Of course, its functional value was beyond question. The wing-shaped head was embedded with magic stones and alchemic stones that shone in green and amber, each of which was a national treasure.

Moreover, it could be detached and used as a short wand, and the material of the main body was very familiar. Desmond II also pointed out that part.

“Are you disappointed that the material is wood?”

“Of course not. That’s not possible, Father.”

Eve sincerely denied it. In terms of rarity, this wood was far more valuable than the three major metals: pure silver, black gold, and gray iron. It was the World Tree branch that Eve had given to Desmond II.

‘Wow, to think he would make a staff out of this.’

Eve looked up at Desmond II with sparkling eyes. The father, who was showered with his child’s respect, felt smug.

“Ahem, I knew you would recognize the material right away. The World Tree branch didn’t seem to be of any use to me. I was just going to borrow it, but I decided it was better to return it to you quickly. I just had it processed a bit.”

“Father…”

The value of this staff was astronomical. As if to prove this, Bridgette was trembling with jealousy and greed in the corner of the banquet hall.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, really… I am deeply grateful, Father.”

Eve bowed deeply. Having completed the gift presentation, Desmond II looked around at the nobles in the hall and said.

“I hope you will celebrate the Seventh Princess’s birthday and the Eighth Princess’s recovery together. Now, continue to enjoy the banquet.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

As wise superiors usually do, Desmond II intended to leave the scene immediately. But just as he stepped out of the banquet hall, a suspicious figure appeared in the hallway. Marquis Limitielo, the Chief of the Privy Council, was rushing over.

The nobles, who had been bowing in escort, sensed something unusual and exchanged glances. Eve also watched the situation. Marquis Limitielo was seen handing something to Desmond II. Eve immediately recognized the object.

‘A newspaper. A gossip rag.’

At that moment, the gossip rag was crumpled messily in Desmond II’s hand. As if the father-daughter bonding from just moments ago had been a lie, his face was distorted hideously with rage. Eve turned her head.

‘Bridgette.’

As expected, her intuition was correct. In one corner of the banquet hall, Bridgette was wearing a triumphant smile. In a short time, Eve had grasped the situation. Right now, the same gossip rag crumpled in Desmond II’s hand would be circulating throughout the capital as an extra edition. The content would be Stephania’s claim that Derek had been killed by Eve.

‘The banquet is over.’

Eve lowered her eyes to the floor. The incredibly sensational gossip of fratricide had been spread not by word of mouth, but in print. Regardless of the truth, it would be difficult to contain and the impact would be significant.

The honor of the imperial family was directly linked to the authority of the emperor. Moreover, this was a situation where a child had disobeyed orders and caused trouble on their own. The reaction of an authoritarian patriarch whose authority had been disgraced was obvious.

“H-His Imperial Majesty is returning…!”

Desmond II, with a face like a demon, pushed aside an attendant and re-entered the banquet hall.

“Stephania!”

The Emperor’s wrath echoed through the banquet hall. The nobles were terrified and prostrated themselves on the floor. Stephania, who had braced herself for everything, remained calm. As if she had expected it, she stepped forward to Desmond II and knelt.

“Yes, Father.”

“What is this! Ha! What on earth have you done! How dare you…! Huh! Come with me at once!”

Desmond II barely managed to gather his reason and tried to move the scene. But the one who couldn’t give up the stage where so many spectators had gathered was Bridgette. She rushed to Stephania’s side and pleaded with Desmond II.

“Father!”

“…What is it, Bridgette?”

“Please reconsider, Father. I don’t know the details, but Nia must have done this because she couldn’t overcome the grief of losing Derek! She’s just momentarily lost her judgment, so please don’t blame Nia too much!”

As the ultimate mastermind, she was pretending to protect Stephania while distancing herself from the incident. It seemed that Eve wasn’t the only one who found that annoying. Desmond II clutched the back of his neck.

“Eee…!”

Desmond II’s face turned red and purple as his anger crossed the threshold. Watching her father suffer from high blood pressure, Bridgette suppressed a wicked smile.

‘The banquet starts now. Doesn’t it, Eve?’

Just when she thought that all that was left was for Desmond II to severely rebuke and humiliate Eve in front of all the nobles, it happened.

“Bridgette! You’re in no position to protect Stephania right now! You have problems of your own!”

“Yes?”

The arrow had hit Bridgette.

‘What is this?’

Eve and Bridgette simultaneously sensed that the flow of the situation was strange. It was then. Rosenitte, who had somehow returned to her side, grabbed Eve’s fingertips and whispered.

“It’s okay. It will end well, Sister.”

“……”