Author's Note

IPPRIME

Episode 9 - Unexpected Victory Yansgar had been fighting an active war of conquest for over 20 years. Ersha, a neighboring country to the east, had only survived for so long because it was a brethren country that came from the same roots. The twin brothers who founded the countries claimed to be Ishtar's children, Hajohar and Habahir, and each called the twin star he bore the country's symbol. Ersha and Yansgar had long been allies and had always been friendly to each other. However, Yansgar eventually invaded Ersha. Lucifella looked out at the Yansgar Palace. She closed her eyes as she saw the building built in a style similar to that of Ersha. Ersha used to be similar. It was simpler than Yansgar, and although it was not as big, its banquets were very lively. Of course, Estelle had always been busy outside rather than attending the banquet. A cool autumn breeze blew gently against Lucifella’s face. Wearing a dress instead of her uniform, she took the Count's hand, carefully climbing the steps and walking into the light of the celestially ornate Imperial Palace. Lucifella liked the fragrant smell and beautiful music playing. Whenever she took a step on the cold marble floor, the clicking sounds of her shoes resonated through the hall. She walked with the Count down the corridor leading to the ballroom. The hall was filled with people, but everyone went quiet as they were looking at her. Lucifella knew that the gaze was full of curiosity and ridicule. Although she was a simple person, she wasn't of a strong, cast-iron mind that would be unhurt by such gazes. However, since ‘Estelle’ was not the one who was receiving such gazes, she did not wither under them despite her terrible mood. Before long, the door to the banquet hall opened. The guests lined up for the attendant to announce each guest and position. As expected, everyone in the room looked at her. She walked slowly, step by step, looking at the faces of the Yansgar nobles. She wondered what kind of expression they were making as everyone avoided her gaze. They stared openly at her when she was still, but looked away when she looked back at them, what kind of behavior was that? That was amusing to her, so she looked at Count Aydin to find him looking at her with a worried look on his face. “Let’s go to the wall over there. Then people will look at you less.” At the Count's words, Lucifella nodded her head. He must have felt uncomfortable and shameful in such a situation, but the Count's expression was calm. How could she ever have thought of jumping into the lake and leaving her affectionate father like this? Lucifella thought it wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be for her to put up with everyone’s stares piling onto her. It must have been because Count Aydin was right next to her. No one said anything to the Count, and she did not need to worry about causing any commotion, either. As if the Count knew that too, he did not leave Lucifella's side even for a moment. She thought the Count was a very ideal and kind father. In a way, Lucifella put her father at a significant disadvantage at the Imperial Palace. However, the Count only showed his unwavering affection for her. The only downside was that he always seemed to be busy. Lucifella looked up at the dais where the royal family would sit. It was still empty. The Emperor hadn’t arrived yet, and it seemed that the princes, including the Crown Prince, had not come either. Even her fiancé and his rotten personality were not there yet. At that moment, she smiled, promising to herself that she would relieve all of the annoyance she felt while learning dancing and etiquette by stepping on the Duke of Heint's feet. But she soon found that she was bored, and as she looked around at the nobles of Yansgar lavishly clothed, her anger grew. She was holding on to the thought that she shouldn't cause any trouble. “Count Aydin!” Someone from afar called him. The Count turned his head. Who was it? When she looked over, a man with blonde hair and overly glamorous clothes was calling him. She looked at the Count in question. “Yes, he’s your uncle,” the Count answered firmly. "Huh?" She wasn't stupid, but Estelle was terrible at remembered things like family trees. ‘Who is blood-related with whom? What is the relation?’ As Lucifella tilted her head, the Count added an explanation. “This is Duke Idris. So, he is the maternal uncle of the Crown Prince.” She nodded her head, startled by a thought that ran through her mind. If so, did that mean that she was related to the Crown Prince, who was her lover? When she thought of it, she knew it was true. She had heard that her father, Count Aydin was a cousin to the deceased first Empress, the mother of the Crown Prince, which naturally made him a part of the Crown Princely line. It wasn't that there were no blood ties in the royal family tree, but it was a bit strange that they dated as first cousins. This was definitely a place she couldn’t understand. ‘So, shouldn't we say hello to him?’ The Duke of Idris' face was blatantly frowning as she stepped forward with a glance at the Count. It wasn't a face that looked happy to see her. The only thing Duke Idris wanted was Count Aydin. ‘What should I do?’ As she unwittingly looked back at the Count again, he also met her eyes. Her mouth opened as she looked at his hardened face. "Please go on." She was startled by the voice that came out of her unconsciously. She didn't mean to say anything like that, so why was her mouth moving? 'Even if I tell you not to go, you will go.' What? What was the thought that just popped into her head? She was bewildered. The Count smiled at her words and patted her on the shoulder a few times. “I’ll be back soon, so hang out with your friends.” The Count then turned his back on her and turned to the Duke of Idris. Lucifella was preoccupied with what had just happened. Even though she knew she had entered the body of another person, she didn't think deeply about what that meant. Was Lucifella dead? Or was she in this body? Just now, it had clearly been Lucifella’s thought. She tried to focus on the feeling, but her thoughts did not return. Feeling uneasy, she knew it wouldn't do much for her to keep thinking about it, so she looked around her and glared at the people who were whispering about her. The Count would probably not come back. Somehow, her intuition said so. When the Count left, she exposed herself to the sneers, telling herself to listen to them openly. This was not a good situation. She tried to cross her arms, as it was her habit whenever she immersed herself in thought, but she remembered her newly learned Lady's manners and quietly put her hands together instead. But she still could hear their whispers. "Oh my gosh! I didn't know she would still show her face." “Oh my gosh, she is not even shameful.” The giggles of the others followed the loud voices of the women around her, but Lucifella kept her expression calm despite their blatant ridicule. Lucifella lifted her gaze and saw men as well as women staring at her furtively. It seemed that it wasn’t just women who were interested in rumors. “Are you okay now, Lady Aydin?” Lucifella turned her head toward the source of the gentle voice, and a woman in a green dress approached her. She covered her face with a fan, but even the ignorant Lucifella could tell a smirk lurked beneath it. Was she supposed to stay silent even when someone addressed her directly? But she promised not to say anything. What was she to do now? Lucifella was in a predicament. "I heard that a lot of things have happened to you recently. The story was everywhere. I heard you got into a wagon pulled by the serial killer in Greenhill. Didn't you get in big trouble?" People's gazes quickly turned strange because the meaning of the phrase 'big trouble' was somehow taboo. Lucifella stayed silent as if she was calm, even with those insinuating words. "My Lady, we heard that you were strangled. You didn’t lose your voice, did you?" What should she do? In fact, as Lucifella, the words of these people were not threatening in the least. These women fought with their tongues, but Estelle had fought for her life on the battlefield. But the phrase “sometimes words are mightier than a sword” existed for a reason. The woman's comments were clearly offensive. “Do you have nothing to say? I asked because I’m worried about you." Lucifella heard the laughter of the people around them once again. Madame Erene told her to keep her mouth shut, but she decided that she would look more of a fool if she kept her mouth shut here anyway. "The reason I’m not saying anything is…." Lucifella opened her lips. All eyes turned to her. Within their curious gazes, Lucifella looked straight at the woman. “Because I don’t know who the Lady is. Who are you to care so much about me?” This wasn't really a woman's "elegant" and roundabout way of speaking, but rather a sarcastic retort. Of course, if Lucifella did not know the name of the daughter of a powerful family, she could be criticized for being ignorant, too. But Lucifella also had confidence in herself. Lucifella knew intuitively that someone else had sent this woman to do her dirty work like a commander who stands behind a pawn and takes command. If the real culprit behind this rudeness were a woman from a large family such as a Duke or Marquis, it would be better to send a hired pawn to do it for her. As evidence of that, this woman's scruffy dress was a stark contrast to the splendid look of Lucifella’s dress and others. Upon hearing Lucifella's words, the woman's face turned red at once. If the woman said, 'How do you not know me?', she would certainly look ridiculous. "I used to exchange greetings with Your Lady, but I think Your Ladyship doesn't have a good enough memory to remember me," she said. “I think so.” As she calmly accepted the woman's sarcastic remarks, a roar of laughter flowed out from among the people. She admitted that Lucifella had a bad memory, but no matter what she said she would seem to be attacking the other since the woman got fired up first. Lucifella looked around, looking for the 'commander' who made this woman do this. Among the eyes of the spectators, Lucifella met the curious gaze of a Lady with platinum blonde hair. Realizing through her intuition who the ‘commander' was, Lucifella looked straight at the woman. “My Lady! I am the one in front of you right now! Is the Lady ignoring my worries?" Lucifella turned her gaze at the girl's words. It seemed like the woman was angry because Lucifella ignored her. However, upon closer inspection, Lucifella's gaze turning to the blonde-haired Lady was causing the woman to become flustered for being caught red-handed. Suddenly, Lucifella became curious. Was it okay for her to ask this? After a long moment of deliberation, her curiosity finally won. “Can I ask you a question?” “Are you curious about my name?” Lucifella shook her head. "Even though it was a public rumor that I almost got into trouble, how did you know that I was in the criminal's wagon and got strangled?" "What?" The woman was taken aback by the unexpected question. “It’s the knights….” "Oh? The knights?” Now Lucifella was the one who was flustered. “Did the knights tell you?” When Lucifella asked the question again to confirm, the woman seemed uncomfortable. She heard it from the knights? Did that make any sense? “The Emperor himself ordered the Knights of Yansgar to catch the murderer, so the details of the investigation were supposed to be kept secret, weren’t they?” ‘Isn't that how it is here too? Is the investigation method of Yansgar's knights different from Ersha’s? Are they deliberately disclosing all information while conducting an investigation?’ Lucifella was curious. Then, murmurs were heard from the men around her, saying, 'Well, that's right,' and 'It is still being investigated, so how did you find out?' It seemed that Lucifella's doubts were not unfounded. Lucifella let out a dry laugh at this absurdity. “What, so the knights are loose at the mouth?” The phrase 'loose at the mouth' was definitely not a phrase used by ladies. Although Lucifella's tone suddenly became harsh, people murmured that Lucifella was rightfully concerned about the issues that she pointed out to the woman. What could be more severe than information on an investigation being leaked? The Yansgar Knights pretended to be great on the battlefield, but in reality it was not true. Had this happened within her own knighthood, she would send them to swim in cold water on a winter day or run a hundred laps of the yard under the scorching summer sun. ‘How pathetic!' Lucifella clicked her tongue. “Oh no!” The young girl, who had suddenly inadvertently insulted the Knights of Yansgar, was filled with embarrassment. Her appearance was a little pitiful, but Lucifella had no intention of giving up the opportunity to ridicule the knights. “What a disappointment for the Knights of Yansgar,” she said. Clicking her tongue and looking towards the men, some well-built noblemen who looked like knights avoided her gaze. As Lucifella looked at the platinum-haired woman again, her face had turned pale. It seemed that she was also the one who leaked the information from the knight. The Duke of Heint should have seen this. He should be ridiculed for having the knights under his command not managing themselves like this. What kind of expression would that smug face make when he heard these words? But where was that man? With a frown on her face, Lucifella looked for her fiancé, but as the saying went, even dog poop was not available when it was needed as medicine. He was nowhere to be found. "Isn’t the Lady's fiancé also a knight? Your fiancé’s honor...." “It is not me, but you, who has insulted the Duke’s honor.” Lucifella decided that she was going to be free with whatever came to her mind now. The tone was still straightforward, but she was softening it at the end, so it seemed plausible with Lucifella's pretty voice. When she said that, the woman backed away with a look of resentment. 'I… … Did I win?’ When she looked at everyone’s faces, she seemed to have won, even though she didn’t mean to. Lucifella didn't know the Lady’s name, so she had just thrown that fact out there, and she ended up laughing at the knights because she had been curious about the source of information. Then the trumpet sounded three times, and everyone looked at the entrance to the banquet hall. It meant that the Emperor was about to enter. At that moment, Lucifella's mind went on an alert at once. The Emperor. Wouldn’t he be the one who started the war? The man that she wanted to cut the throat of so badly was about to enter. She was getting impatient. Again, a strange occupational habit was creeping up on her. Lucifella unwittingly tensed up and clenched her gloved fists. The Emperor was an old man with a good and robust appearance even from a distance, but she couldn't get close to see what his face looked like. Instead, Lucifella knew that the Emperor was a strong man despite his age from his gait alone. She compared him with the last king of Ersha. He was followed by the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince. Was that blonde prince the Crown Prince? She immediately looked away. At that moment, she made eye contact with the Duke of Heint, who was following the princes. She avoided his gaze too. Her attention was solely on the Emperor. The Emperor was sitting on a chair on the podium and talking to the nobles who greeted him. Her heart was pounding. ‘Should I kill him? Could I kill him?’ In Lucifella's mind, Estelle suddenly spoke loudly. It was impossible. She knew better. First of all, she had no weapons. Even if she did, she had no strength to shoot an arrow, and if she got too close to the Emperor, she would be decapitated by the swords of the knights standing next to him. In addition, one of those who would cut off her head was the Duke of Heint. From the Emperor’s side, he still occasionally sent sneers and curious glances her way, but all she had in her mind was a bloody thought of how to kill the Emperor. After staring at the Emperor for a long time, she struggled to calm her mind and looked around her. All of the eyes that had been on her were now focused on the Emperor as he entered. It would be better to avoid people right now and come back later. Realizing that she was too agitated because of the Emperor, Lucifella avoided people's gazes and cautiously headed to the second floor of the banquet hall. Due to the appearance of the Emperor, there was no one on the second floor. Lucifella walked, letting her footsteps lead her. As in the Kingdom of Ersha, there was a resting room here as well, and without hesitation, Lucifella opened the most ornate door at the end of the hallway before entering. She sighed and sat down on a sofa in the common room. Yansgar's common room was a foreign place to her, but Lucifella felt no discomfort in acting like it was familiar. She sat on the sofa and took off her high-heeled shoes. Due to her lack of aesthetic taste, these shoes were nothing more than uncomfortable shackles to her. As her feet relaxed, she sighed and rested her head on the sofa, taking care not to mess up her hair. She wondered what the hell she was doing. In the end, all she had to do was wear aristocratic clothes and pretend to be Yansgar nobility to adapt as Lucifella. Should she really assassinate the Emperor? Even if she did, Ersha was not coming back. She wanted to know Liam's whereabouts, but if she could find his whereabouts, then he could also be found by the Emperor and would get beheaded by him. In the end, there was nothing she could do. Lost in her melancholy thoughts, she didn't notice that someone was opening and closing the door. She heard footsteps approaching her, and it was only then that she turned her head. “Hey, Lucy. Were you waiting for me?” A man was smiling down at her with his blonde hair tossed stylishly. Standing in front of the door was the Crown Prince.