I stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, still processing Elena's words.
The Empress ordered her own daughter to threaten me?
Elena looked back and saw my horrified expression. Panic flashed across her face.
"Oh! Uh, wait! No, please don't misunderstand my words!" She waved her hands frantically. "Wait—uh, let's first get in my room!"
I nodded slowly, my steps feeling heavier than before.
We finally reached a set of double doors. As we stepped inside, the maids in the room froze, then bowed deeply in perfect unison.
"Glory to Her Highness, the Imperial Consort," they said first.
A heartbeat later—
"Glory to Her Highness, Princess Elena."
Ah. So I really am above her in rank, huh?
I felt a weird shiver go down my spine. I feel like a Final Boss walking into a starter zone.
"At ease," Elena commanded.
The maids raised their heads. Two of them immediately moved to Elena, wiping the sweat from her arms and neck with warm towels. Two others glided toward me, guiding me to a plush, velvet sofa.
Kaelen took his position instantly, standing like a statue just behind my shoulder.
On the tea table in front of me, another maid began the delicate process of brewing tea. I watched the steam rise, my stomach giving a traitorous rumble.
Honestly, since yesterday, I haven't eaten a single crumb! At this point, even tea sounds like a gourmet meal.
I waited until the maids were done fussing over us. Elena, now freshened up, sat in the armchair across from me.
"Leave us," Elena ordered.
The maids bowed and silently filed out of the room.
As the door clicked shut, I reached for the delicate porcelain cup. But before my fingers could even touch the saucer, Kaelen leaned down.
His hand intercepted mine in mid-air. He hovered over the cup, sniffing the steam delicately.
"It's safe," he murmured, straightening up and releasing my hand.
Wow.
I stared at him, then at the tea.
Talk about a professional. He knows if it's poisonous just by the smell?
I didn't just sip the tea. I literally gulped down the entire cup in one go, ignoring the heat just to get something into my empty stomach.
Elena watched me, amused, then let out a soft chuckle.
"Master Kaelen," she teased, looking up at the stoic knight. "It seems like you are only keeping my Big Sister alive externally. At this rate, she might pass out from starvation before an assassin even gets close."
Eh? Master?
I paused, the empty cup hovering near my lips.
So Kael teaches her swordsmanship?
That made sense. That's why he didn't hesitate to draw his blade on her in the arena, and why she didn't flinch. They weren't just Knight and Princess; they were Master and Student. They knew each other's limits.
I looked up at Kael. The usually unshakeable assassin looked genuinely frustrated with himself. His jaw tightened.
"My apologies, My Lady," he said, his voice stiff with self-reproach. "I failed to consider your needs."
I shook my head quickly. "It's fine, really. It's not your duty to feed me."
Though, that reminds me... where is Elin?
Elena reached for the plate of cookies on the tea table and offered them to me.
Instinctively, Kaelen's hand darted out to intercept the plate before I could touch it.
Swish.
Elena was faster. She snatched a cookie right out from under his nose and took a loud, crunchy bite.
"It's safe, Master!" she said, chewing happily while looking at him with a mischievous grin. "I promise I won't kill my Big Sister."
I grabbed a cookie and crunched into it.
Oh, sweet force.
It was a blessing for my stomach. I had been genuinely worried about the food situation in this fantasy world, but if the snacks were this decent, I might actually survive.
Focus, Celine. No time for a mukbang.
I quickly swallowed and grabbed another one, looking at Elena seriously.
"So," I asked, getting back to the topic, "what did you mean earlier when you said you were 'told to' by Her Imperial Majesty?"
Elena sipped her tea, looking completely innocent.
"Oh! Mother told me not to open my mouth in front of you," she explained lightly. "And she specifically ordered me not to approach you."
"But why?" I asked, confused.
"Because I apparently 'talk like a commoner,'" she said, pouting at her reflection in the tea. "I get easily carried away when I speak. Mother thinks it will leave a bad impression on the Empire."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault! I spend most of my time with the knights in the arena. I grew up listening to them talk. It just suits my taste better than all that flowery noble nonsense."
She shoved another cookie into her mouth and continued chewing aggressively.
"So Mother said, 'Do not act like a spoiled child and ruin our image in front of the Elf Princess!'"
"I see," I said slowly.
"Also," Elena added thoughtfully, swallowing the cookie, "Mother mentioned that I have absolutely no idea how to phrase sentences correctly and that I tend to cause unnecessary tension."
I stared at her.
You told me 'I was told to' right after holding a sword to my throat, implying you were ordered to kill me.
Yeah. I can definitely see what Her Majesty meant.
"And why did you raise your sword at me?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around her logic.
"Oh! Mother said, 'Be like your brother. Learn from Lucian,'" she explained, nodding solemnly. "So, since yesterday, I've been practicing his 'Death Glare.'"
She scrunched up her face in a ridiculous attempt to mimic Lucian's icy expression. It looked more like she had indigestion.
"And about the sword..." She scratched her cheek sheepishly. "I didn't mean to threaten you! It's just that Big Brother always points his finger at me when he lectures me. I tried to do the same for dramatic effect... but I kind of forgot I was holding a sword."
I stared at her.
She almost took my head off because she was trying to roleplay her brother.
Yeah. Never mind.
I leaned back in the soft chair, watching her happily munch on another cookie.
If that interaction had gone wrong, I'd be dead right now.
I looked at her critically. What I'm going to gain by making friends with Elena. She's barely nineteen. She's just a kid.
Sure, she gave up the Empress's instructions easily, but that just proves she's a loose cannon. I hardly believe Her Majesty—or anyone with half a brain—would trust her with actual top-class information. What use is she going to be to me?
Suddenly, the blue screen flickered into existence right in front of my face, cutting off my train of thought.
The text wasn't snarky this time. It was sharp.
[ Say, Celine... since when did you start seeing everyone as a tool for your use? ]
I froze.