"What's going on, Mother? Why is Lady Runa apologizing to you?" Henrie asked, his curiosity piqued.
Caught off guard and struggling to find the right words, the queen was momentarily speechless. Yohana seized the opportunity to respond,
"I apologize for involving you in such trivial matters, Your Highness. Her Majesty has imparted a valuable lesson to me about the importance of not keeping her waiting as she is the queen of Reichwein, and she is to be treated with the utmost respect. I didn't want her to perceive any disrespect from you by arriving late. Have I overstepped, Your Highness?"
Yohana's bold action was driven by her observation of the strained relationship between the queen and Henrie. She knew that in this situation, Henrie would support her rather than defend his own mother.
"No, not at all, Lady Runa. As my beloved fiancee, you have every right to point out my mistakes," Henrie reassured her, taking his seat beside her.
The scene amused Princess Elke, who burst into laughter. She couldn't contain herself, wiping tears from her eyes and clutching her stomach. Even Yohana was surprised by the uncharacteristic behavior of a princess.
Princess Eleanor chuckled along with her, while the youngest princess struggled to stifle her own laughter.
"By the Saints! I adore your fiancee, brother. Please don't ever break up. This unexpected humor is a breath of fresh air," Princess Elke exclaimed, leaning back in her chair to catch her breath.
While the princesses enjoyed Yohana's response, Queen Emma trembled in fury. She kept her head low, but Yohana could see how tightly the queen clenched the fork. She let out a deep breath, wondering if her counterattack was too harsh.
The appetizers arrived, and Yohana savored her first royal meal, noting the stark contrast to her previous experiences. As she finished the soup, she delicately wiped her mouth with the napkin, maintaining proper decorum to avoid drawing undue attention from the queen.
However, Yohana knew that no matter how flawlessly she conducted herself, the queen had the power to find fault in anything, including her fashion choices.
"Lady Runa, why are you wearing yellow? Please forgive me for pointing it out, but it doesn't complement the room's interior," the queen remarked.
Fortunately, Yohana had anticipated an attack on her attire. "Do you believe so, Your Majesty? I recall that on my first day in the palace, you were wearing yellow. We crossed paths in the corridor as you were making your way to the dining room. Do you remember, Your Majesty? It was the moment you chose to ignore my greeting."
Yohana swiftly turned to Henrie, who was visibly angered but suppressed his emotions. "Your Highness, let us be understanding. I'm certain Her Majesty didn't intend any harm."
She then returned her gaze to the queen and continued, "I thought the color looked exquisite on you, which inspired me to wear yellow tonight. However, I now see that it was a misjudgment on my part."
Queen Emma refused to back down, holding her fork aloft as she criticized Yohana's fashion sense. "Yellow does not suit that style. Your sense of fashion is dreadful, unable to discern which colors complement different dress styles. Look at the lace and the cut! They are ill-fitting. You resemble a commoner trying too hard."
Yohana had anticipated this attack as well. Although saddened by the situation, she was grateful to possess the trump card that would put the queen in her place. She gently touched the soft fabric of her dress and calmly stated, "Your Majesty, His Highness personally selected this dress for me."
With a touch of sadness in her eyes, Yohana turned to Henrie once more. "I apologize, Your Highness. It appears that your taste in women's fashion is questionable. Therefore, I kindly request to be allowed to choose my own dress designs from now on."
The second princess burst into another fit of laughter, her mouth wide open, exposing everything for everyone to see.
"Mother, please..." Princess Elke playfully tapped her mother's forearm. "You won't win against her. You simply won't. That was fantastic! Lady Runa, I give you my seal of approval."
While Yohana didn't need validation from anyone, it was gratifying to know that there was another person within the palace who supported her.
"It's…" Queen Emma bit her lower lip and finished the main course in silence. Yohana wondered if the queen could enjoy her meal in that state of heart.
Yohana stole glimpses at Henrie, not wanting to hurt his feelings. She deliberately wore the dress that Henrie chose in a color that the queen had worn before to divert the attack in case it came. She had hoped that the queen wouldn't attack the style, but she did.
Judging from the way Queen Emma studied her, Yohana imagined that she was thinking of condemning her for not wearing any makeup or accessories. But this time, the queen was more careful as the second princess also didn't wear any makeup or accessories.
Reprimanding it would only be a boomerang to herself, just like before. Perhaps that's why Queen Emma didn't speak again until dinner was over. It went unexpectedly smoothly.
Princess Elke seemed genuinely interested in Yohana, throwing questions here and there, mostly about her hobbies and skills. She was the most chatty among all princesses, and she used most of the time to talk about her principles and view of life.
***
After dinner, Henrie kindly offered to escort Yohana to her new chamber.
"Henrie, I don't believe I have properly thanked you yet for your thoughtfulness. Thanks to you, I am now residing in this luxurious chamber, although I would have been content with a more modest one," Yohana expressed her gratitude.
Walking alongside Yohana, Henrie shook his head and replied, "There's no need for thanks! It is only fitting that the future queen is treated with utmost respect. Assigning you to that cramped room was a clear display of disrespect."
Yohana sensed a tinge of lingering resentment in his voice, but she chose not to inquire further.
"Lady Runa..." Henrie began, only to hesitate and then ask, "May I call you Runa?"
"Yes," Yohana replied.
Henrie's smile widened, feeling a closer connection. "You must have felt quite offended by the queen's insensitive remarks. I apologize that you had to experience that. Perhaps I was narrow-minded in not preparing you adequately for the dinner."
"You mustn't feel guilty. I understand her sentiments. My family background is far from ideal, and I was involved in a scandal not too long ago. Without your efforts, I would still be labeled a traitor, just like the rest of my family members," Yohana reassured him.
"You've always understood me, just like I remember," Henrie said, his smile filled with warmth and kindness.
Yohana couldn't help but wonder if his brief encounter with Runa during her captivity was enough to evoke such strong feelings in him. There seemed to be a larger underlying reason behind his infatuation, but Yohana didn't want to raise any suspicions by bringing up the topic.
"However, if anything were to happen again, please promise me that you will inform me. There's no need for you to engage in meaningless battles of wills on your own," Henrie insisted, his concern evident.
On the contrary, Yohana held a different perspective. "Henrie, I believe it's essential for me to face these challenges without your direct intervention. If you constantly shield me, others may perceive me as weak and incapable. In order for them to truly accept me, I need to demonstrate my ability to overcome various trials."
Yohana had made up her mind to remain in the palace until she uncovered the truth behind her attempted murder. She knew that the mysterious man with the familiar symbol might return, and by obtaining information from him, she hoped to unravel the secrets surrounding her own demise.
"Very well, I bid you good night and rest well," Henrie said as he bid farewell to Yohana outside her chamber before returning to his own.
Once inside her bedchamber, Thea was already waiting, having prepared the bath. While Yohana preferred not to be assisted with bathing, she allowed Thea to help with preparing the bath and assisting her in dressing and undressing.
Feeling refreshed after her bath, Yohana settled into the sitting room, already dressed in her nightgown. As she looked at Thea, a realization struck her. "Thea, I recognized someone in the dining room as one of your bullies. The red-haired one. She still has the scratch on her cheek," Yohana remarked.
Thea smiled faintly and responded, "Yes, My Lady. Her name is Annelise, and she is Princess Elisa's personal maid. She is a commoner like me, but her father is wealthy, so she tends to act out."
Yohana inquired further, "Who else bullied you? Please feel free to tell me."
Thea hesitated for a moment before answering, "Rika, Mila, and Hanne. Hanne is Princess Eleanor's personal maid. Rika works in the kitchen, while Mila works in the laundry room. They come from noble families, but I've heard that their families are facing financial difficulties. Annelise, being the wealthiest among them, is treated like a leader."
Yohana expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for being honest with me, Thea. Now, it's important for you to get some rest."
Thea nodded, excusing herself to retire for the day. As she opened the door, Yohana unintentionally caught a loud noise from outside.
"Thea! Did you hear it?" Sensing something amiss, she motioned for Thea to remain silent and beckoned her to join in the investigation. Sharpening her hearing, Yohana approached the door, determined to locate the source of the mysterious noise.
"Hear what? I didn't hear anything, My Lady," Thea responded.
Though the noise was faint, Yohana was certain that she had heard something. Her past experiences of being targeted for murder had made her more vigilant about such sounds. However, she couldn't dismiss the possibility that it was just her paranoia stemming from those dreadful encounters.
Since the noise had subsided, Yohana reasoned that it could have been a mere rustle of the wind or a small animal. She decided not to dwell on it too much, reassuring herself that the palace should be safe.
"This was the palace, it should be safe," she muttered, then turned to Thea and said, "Alright, perhaps it's just my imagination. You may leave, Thea."
However, just as Thea had left and Yohana had taken a few steps into her room, the noise resurfaced. This time, it was clearer and almost resembled a scream.
Filled with unease, Yohana couldn't ignore it any longer. She grabbed a candlestick and began walking down the corridor, the echoes of her footsteps adding to the eerie atmosphere.
She followed the direction of the sound, her heart pounding as the screams grew more frequent. The dark path leading to the cellar stood before her, casting an ominous aura.
"What could be down there?" Yohana pondered aloud, her voice barely above a whisper.
Taking a hesitant step forward, she was taken aback when she noticed a figure emerging from the shadows, ascending from the depths of the cellar.
To her surprise, it was Princess Eleanor.