Chapter 7
It looks like Sylvanna was the most unlucky woman in the world.
"Milady!"
The two of them turned as one to see a maid running hurriedly in their direction. As soon as she stopped in front of them, she clutched her chest, chasing her breath. Sylvanna didn't know this woman at all, but it looked otherwise to Lady Adele.
"M-milady! Forgive me," the maid with dark chocolate hair and round glasses blurted. "I-I beg your pardon for the intrusion, but this is urgent. It's about Her Majesty, the Empress."
It didn't even take a second for Lady Adele to think twice.
"Good grie-" Lady Adele sighed, pressing her temple as if she could already assume what was happening. She lifted her gaze to Sylvanna. "Lady Sylvanna… it seems I must cancel our refreshment. This was not at all how I imagined today would go, but—" she paused, "If it's not too much to ask, would you mind coming with us?"
Lady Adele pleaded with a look that Sylvanna didn't have the strength to refuse. So she agreed.
...
"What's happened?" Lady Adele demanded as the two women moved swiftly into the marble hallway, their steps matching the maid's hurried pace. They passed through massive doors and people, but it didn't stop them from advancing forward.
All Sylvanna had to do was follow the two women. She didn't really understand what was going on, only that it clearly had something to do with the Empress.
The way Lady Adele carried herself made it seem like this was not unusual—something that happened often. All of this commotion made Sylvanna nervous all of a sudden. She felt like something bad was going to happen.
The maid clutched her apron, breathless but still took to answer Lady Adele. "This is very bad, my lady. We couldn't grasp what the problem was, but after the Empress's audience with the Emperor, the Empress burst out of the chamber displeased and angry. Now the Empress is locking herself away from everybody."
"Goodness…" Sylvanna didn't even realize she'd said it.
The two women stared at her.
All Sylvanna did was bite her lip in embarrassment. She looked wildly to the side, hoping somehow they didn't notice she was blushing. What a way to introduce yourself.
"Forgive me…" Sylvanna apologized.
Lady Adele didn't seem to mind. "Anna, now isn't really the time. But—this is Countess Abel."
Sylvanna was confused when the maid suddenly made a realization before her face brightened.
"Good afternoon, my lady!" Anna said, practically glowing. "I've heard so much about you from Lady Adele. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you—wow…"
The maid stared at her with sparkles in her eyes, and Sylvanna somehow began to feel afraid for her life. She was doing anything she could to avoid her eyes. Talk about bad timing. They were treating her like some kind of big deal, almost like a star.
Sylvanna plastered a smile to the maid. "To you as well… Anna?"
"Yes, my lady," Anna beamed, adjusting her glasses.
Well… she seemed friendly enough.
If Sylvanna was correct, Anna was a commoner. It was surprising that someone like her had been given the honor of serving the Empress. In this world, aristocrats could be dramatic, sometimes unbearably so, especially when it came to the presence of commoners. To them, such people were pests—lowborn, mouths meant only to pay taxes.
But it wasn't surprising to Sylvanna to see how Lady Adele treated them as if they were her own children. She was a good person despite her high standing—humble and not arrogant like most nobles Sylvanna had met.
That's why she had taken a liking to her. Nobles and their mannerisms never sat well with her, and it was one of the reasons she often chose to keep her distance.
Sylvanna tried to memorize her path, but the palace was far too big. It felt like some kind of maze. She soon discovered that the Empress's chambers occupied almost the entire left wing of the second floor, and along the way they passed more servants whose pale faces looked as though they had just seen a ghost.
Was it that terrible?
She had never met the Empress before, nor did she know what she looked like. The hallway didn't even have a portrait of her—only expensive paintings.
All she knew was that the Empress was somewhere in her forties and wielded enormous influence over the kingdom.
Born a daughter of the former Grand Duke and sister to the current Grand Duke of the Caspian household, she came from a lineage second only to the royal family. A family name not easily taken lightly.
Meeting her made Sylvanna feel jittery and uneasy.. She was certain she shouldn't care at all.
Powerful people were nothing new—dealing with them had been part of her everyday life. She had met senators, CEOs, even presidents. By all logic, this should have been a piece of cake.
But this time Sylvanna thought it was going to be different.
As soon as they reached the massive double doors, the group halted in their tracks. This had to be the Empress's chambers,
Sylvanna thought as she glanced at the beautiful massive hallway.
There were servants standing outside, their faces tense as if they were waiting for something. The moment they caught sight of Lady Adele, it was like they could finally breathe.
A few of them rushed forward, their eyes wide with relief. It was clear they had been counting on her to fix whatever was going on inside.
"My Lady!" a voice called out. A young man stepped forward, clearly a servant, and gave a quick bow, his midnight-black hair falling into his amber eyes.
"Cedric, what happened?" Lady Adele asked, her breath catching for a moment.
Sylvanna just stood quietly on the side, witnessing this with her own eyes.
The man named Cedric shook his head. "We do not know, my lady. Her Majesty has not spoken to anyone. As soon as she stepped out after her audience with the Emperor, she stormed off in anger. She dismissed everyone—kicked us all out. She even fired five servants who kept on persisting."
Lady Adele's face tightened. She, too, seemed at a loss.
"What should we do? Should we call for His Highness? Or even the Emperor?" Cedric suggested, hoping to help resolve the matter.
Lady Adele shook her head. "No. We must not disturb them. The Empress would not be pleased if we involved them once again."
"Is there something we can do?" Anna asked. Her voice trembled.
Lady Adele straightened her back before taking her time. "I will have a word with Her Majesty first. Stay here, do not make a scene, and keep this from spreading outside."
The servants bowed in agreement.
With a small nod, she steadied herself before taking a step forward. "Your Majesty, it is I, Lady Adele. May I come in?"
The hallway fell silent. For a long moment, there was no reply. Then, at last, a voice came from inside.
"…Enter."
The servants all looked relieved when Lady Adele stepped through the door. Meanwhile, the man named Cedric snapped out of his thoughts, turned to the gathered servants, and quickly dismissed them. The show was over, and the Empress needed her privacy. He easily took the matter into his hands.
Impressive…
The maids bowed their heads and went back to their way. That was when Cedric's eyes landed on Sylvanna, who was standing in the corner like a fool. What was she supposed to do anyway?
"My lady… do you need anything?" he asked. He must not have noticed her until now. He must have thought she was lost.
Sylvanna opened her mouth to reply, but Anna came rushing in.
"Cedric, my lady is with Lady Bernice. She's the guest the lady was talking about," Anna said brightly.
Cedric's face shifted in realization. He immediately bowed. "Please forgive me, my lady! Something unexpected has happened.
We must apologize on behalf of the palace."
Sylvanna gave a small smile. It wasn't really a big deal. "Please, be at ease. I'm only a guest."
Looking at them more closely, she noticed they seemed to be around twenty years of age, maybe even younger.
Before Cedric could answer, Anna suddenly stepped forward, startling Sylvanna enough to make her take a step back. Anna almost shoved her face close to the Countess, as if she had just said something wrong.
"Of course not, my lady!" Anna cut in quickly. "You're not just a guest—you're someone Her Majesty personally invited. The least we can do is welcome you properly and make sure you're comfortable until the audience continues. That's what Lady Bernice told us!"
Sylvanna was caught off guard into silence, and before she could even respond, a light fist hit Anna's top head enough for her to yelp. The maid stepped back and rubbed the sore spot while whining about the pain.
"Anna!" Cedric scolded sharply. He turned to Sylvanna with an apologetic look, even seeming afraid. "Please forgive this servant, milady. She only arrived last week and is still under my personal training. She still has much to learn."
"I'm not new—" Anna started to protest, but Cedric quickly cut her off.
All Sylvanna could do was shake her head with a small chuckle. They really were just kids. Sylvanna guessed Cedric was around twenty and Anna maybe fifteen.
They must still be learning their way around the palace. Somehow their bright atmosphere made her ease up.
Sylvanna lifted her hand. "Be at ease," she said. "It isn't such a big deal. Besides, I think Lady Bernice should be here any second now." She nodded toward the door.
Cedric and Anna blinked at her, confused. Before either of them could respond, the door swung open and Lady Adele appeared.
"Eh? How did you know, my lady?" Anna asked.
Sylvanna only gave her a playful wink, which made Anna frown in confusion.
Lady Adele glanced at them briefly before her eyes settled on Sylvanna. She walked straight toward her. "L-Lady Sylvanna, thank goodness. I thought you had already left."
"I couldn't do that, my lady," Sylvanna replied. "How are things? Is something wrong?"
Lady Adele drew a long breath. "The Empress would like to meet you."
Sylvanna froze. Of course she hadn't forgotten about that…
Well, maybe it had drifted from her mind for a moment. Still, she hadn't imagined it would happen like this. Who knew what mood the Empress was in now? They said she was furious and Sylvanna had a feeling of déjà vu.