When Epherna sat in front of the mirror, Merien began to adorn her with skilled hands.
“Where is Mister?”
“He went to see the Second Prince.”
“Again?”
Epherna grumbled with a face full of discontent.
“Seriously. Who’s Personal Guard is he, anyway?”
Merien thought as she looked at her.
Nothing has changed.
Three years and two months.
Epherna was almost nineteen, on the verge of becoming an adult woman, but to Merien, she was still a child.
There was no point in saying anything.
The relationship between her and Ern was still the same as it was three years ago.
Since the day she managed to call him by his name, Epherna had been elated just to hear Ern call her by her name, not even thinking about what to call him.
Whenever she tried to call Ern by his name, she struggled to even get the ‘E’ out, but consoled herself, thinking it was okay as long as Ern called her by her name.
Merien sighed and shook her head each time this happened.
The princess, famous for her intelligence, was undeniably foolish and naive when it came to romance.
“Ah, Princess. There was a letter from the Second Prince last night. It’s about the New Year’s festival…”
“He wants me to oversee it?”
“Yes. The Second Prince said that from this year, he will officially entrust it to you.”
“Not surprising.”
Epherna had already been handling most of the New Year’s festival preparations for the past two years.
The Second Prince had merely been the face of it.
It’s about time. Muttering this, Epherna finished her adornment and stood up.
“Let’s go. Call Mister.”
“Yes.”
*****
In truth, Epherna knew too.
‘This can’t go on.’
It had been four years since she met Ern, and over three years since she realized her feelings for him.
Yet, her relationship with Ern showed no sign of progress.
‘Why has so much time passed?’
To be honest, she thought something would change after three years.
She believed that as she grew, Ern’s view of her would change as well.
However, his view of her as a child remained unchanged, making it difficult for her to see him as a man.
Epherna thought.
‘It’s all because of my brother.’
She knew it was an excuse, but the main reason for the lack of progress in their relationship was not having enough time to spend with Ern.
The Imperial Palace valued education highly, filling her schedule with educational activities from morning till night.
Additionally, over the past year, the Second Prince had started assigning her tasks, further reducing her time to meet Ern.
Tap. Tap.
Her fingers drummed on the desk.
She was in a meeting about the New Year’s festival, which was just about to conclude.
As she looked at a document before her, her eyes narrowed sharply.
“Here, the name of the noble in charge of the chandelier production seems strange.”
“…Excuse me?”
The Minister of Finance opened the same document she had.
“Not long ago, Count Vichelon proudly claimed he would handle the chandelier production. However, it now lists the name of Count Simor instead of Vichelon.”
“…”
The Minister of Finance checked several documents.
“…It doesn’t appear to be a mistake.”
“Then how did it change from Vichelon to Simor?”
Epherna knew the reason.
The budget for purchasing decorations and items for the New Year’s festival primarily came from the Imperial Palace’s funds.
Occasionally, nobles would offer to help out to show their loyalty, sometimes leading to competition.
“I’ve heard that Counts Vichelon and Simor don’t get along. But the reason is still unknown. They weren’t childhood friends or anything. It might be worth investigating, don’t you think? They are among the only seven counts in the empire.”
Epherna conveyed this to the Minister of Finance.
Investigate.
Sensing an increase in his workload, the Minister of Finance protested.
“It could just be a petty quarrel. Should we really meddle…?”
If it’s a waste of time, you’ll be responsible.
“If it’s petty, that’s even better.”
You’ll pay the price for this?
His face darkened, having no room for rebuttal.
He had many things to say, but in the end, the results of his argument and Epherna’s were similar, only differing in perspective between thinking about the future or the present.
So, whose view prevails?
Naturally, the one with higher authority.
The Minister of Finance’s face was etched with exhaustion.
Another late night was inevitable.
‘Hah…’
The Minister of Finance.
Hailing from a remote barony, the Minister of Finance had risen to his position through a blend of skill and luck, a near miracle. Now, he regretted his ascent, silently shedding tears of blood.
He had been an elite, handling the ministry even before the war began, efficiently managing the empire’s finances until the war ended, significantly contributing to the empire’s growth.
However, this also meant he had been working tirelessly for over ten years.
Suddenly, his expression grew resolute.
The Minister of Finance desperately wanted to retire.
He carried seven resignation letters, ready for submission.
Determined to propose his resignation this time, he spoke up.
“Princess.”
“…?”
“It has been six years since the war ended with the empire’s victory.”
“Yes.”
“I have served the empire for nearly twenty years.”
“I see.”
“Many of the older officials are stepping down. I wish to do the same.”
“Hmm. Let’s discuss it after the New Year’s festival.”
It was a refusal.
*****
In the empire, the New Year’s festival is held annually in the capital on a grand scale.
Until last year, it was hosted under the Second Prince’s supervision. The festival, a symbol of the imperial family’s vitality, inevitably faced issues each year due to its significance and symbolic nature.
“Duke Lemea and Duchess Katia are not coming.”
“Really…? I understand Duke Lemea, but why isn’t Duchess Katia coming?”
“There’s still an unresolved issue on the plains. Duke Lemea just seems to dislike me.”
“Ah….”
“So I’m planning to visit them personally.”
“You’re going to visit the duchies in person?”
“Yes. While there are minor matters that the Minister of Finance can handle, the absence of two dukes at the festival I am hosting for the first time as the First Princess is a significant issue.”
The absence of two of the three pillars of the empire from the First Princess’s inaugural New Year’s festival could be interpreted as a sign of their lack of recognition of her authority.
“It’s surprising, though. I thought Duke Tesran would be the most reluctant to attend.”
“He’s still under my brother’s thumb and hasn’t given up on using me yet.”
“Visiting two duchies will take quite some time.”
“I’ll be back within two months.”
Epherna tidied her long hair and changed into her nightgown.
Planning to sleep early after a busy day, she heard a sound.
Knock. Knock.
There were only two people in the empire who could knock on her bedroom door without an attendant’s introduction.
“He must be here now.”
The first was Merien.
“Why are you so late? I called for you a while ago.”
“Schneider insisted on having a drink with me.”
The second was Ern, who had been guarding her alone for three years.
“Mister, you’re supposed to guard me. Why are you always wandering around?”
Epherna snapped irritably.
She had only seen Ern a handful of times in recent days.
Though she knew he had his reasons, she couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Sorry, Epherna.”
Ern’s low voice.
The sudden thrill that followed shook her body.
Even after three years, hearing her name in that voice made her heart race.
It was quite serious.
“I heard about the festival and the dukes. Where are you going first?”
“…To Duke Lemea’s estate.”
“Then we need to prepare quickly.”
The Lemea Duchy, located in the north, was a place where the cold weather prevailed.
It had once been filled with monsters due to the Demon King of the Winter, and even now, with the north closed off, monsters occasionally appeared.
“You were about to sleep, right? Am I disturbing you?”
Ern turned to leave, having finished his business.
Sensing his departure, Epherna looked at him with sad eyes.
“Princess, the night air is nice. How about a walk?”
At Merien’s suggestion, Ern’s steps halted.
Epherna, sensing his presence, shyly nodded.
“…Yes, that sounds good.”
Following her words, Merien looked at Ern.
“Lord Astra, I have some tasks to finish. Would you accompany the Princess?”
For three years, Merien had honed her perceptiveness, accurately understanding the naive princess’s feelings.
Epherna (~18 years old)
