The next day, Estelle looked for Jerome and saw him sleeping in the couch. She waited for him to wake up and asked him to have breakfast with her.
"Estelle, I need to go back to the dukedom after our breakfast but I will come back before dinner"
The Duke said followed by a heavy sigh that made his fiancee giggle.
"I will be fine. Thanks to you, I am now healthier. Also, I understand that you have a lot of things to fix for the dukedom, so you do not need to come here everyday. I am afraid that you will be the one who will get sick this time"
Estelle replied. Jerome did not answer but he is slightly smiling and is now in a good mood.
After their breakfast, the duke gave her a forehead kiss before he slowly leave.
Then, she went to her study room and continued the paperworks that were not processed. She stopped her work when Camilla visited her.
"Estelle~", Camilla called her sister's name.
"No, Princess Camilla",
She immediately replied as she felt that the female lead will ask something trivial again that might cause harm to her which will eventually might be the cause of her death.
"I did not say anything yet. So stingy~", Camilla replied.
"How are you doing?", she asked.
"I am now fine. Thank you for saving me, Princess Camilla. In return, I will grant one favor from you. You may ask it anytime", Estelle replied.
"Then... can we go to the Blanchett's", she seriously said.
"W-Why?", Estelle nervously asked.
"Ah! No! Just forget what I just said!", Camilla immediately said.
"Please let me think about it. Is it okay if you leave me alone for a moment, Princess Camilla?"
Estelle asked and her sister quietly left the room.
"Let's see if destiny will takes its course", Estelle thought.
The following day, the whole palace is so busy because today is the debut of Camilla. It is so grand that when Camilla saw the output of the efforts of the Emperor and Estelle, it made her awe and made her speechless.
"This is so beautiful!"
She exclaimed and excitedly check and compliment every detail of the venue.
"I am so glad she likes it", Estelle commented.
"Yeah", shortly replied by the Emperor.
"By the way, tomorrow is your birthday. Why is it that I did not received any plans for it?"
The Emperor asked and Estelle was confused on his question because she thought that the birthday of an unwanted child like her should not be celebrated.
"Um...Do I need to? It is just my birthday"
Shhe replied and returned her focus on Camilla who is still innocently strolling and smiling at the grandeur of the venue.
"Just your birthday? You are the Crown--"
"I am not anymore. The moment you commanded your men to threw me in the dungeon, I am no longer the Crown Princess of this Empire"
She said without any care.
"Please excuse me, Your Majesty"
She added after she curtsied and left.
"Hm? Where is Estelle?"
Camilla asked and the Emperor heavily sighed.
"Your sister hates me now to the core", he replied.
"I believe she is not, Dad. She just misunderstood it. How about... let's give her a surprise on her birthday tomorrow?! Dad should be the one to give presents so you can clear all your misunderstandings with her. What do you think?", she excitedly asked and the Emperor was convinced.
The royal ball started at night. All nobles attended to welcome the Princess Camilla as part of the royal family.
With her beautiful white gown that matched her beautiful face, she entered the room with the handsome Duke of the Blanchett family and this made a hot topic for a gossip.
Before Camilla's entourage, the Emperor did not appear as he need to urgently attend a meeting with the Western Emperor who suddenly came to the Empire. This made her worry as she do not have an escort.
"What should I do?!", Camilla panicked.
"Calm down, Princess Camilla"
Estelle said as she tried to come up with a solution.
"What's happening?"
Jerome asked when he saw the commotion.
"Dad is still busy... my debut will be ruined if I do not have an escort!", she said while crying.
"Hey, hey... your make up will be ruined"
Estelle said as she tried to calm her older sister.
"I was requested by the Emperor to be your escort"
He calmly said that made Camilla stopped as she was shocked. She looked at Estelle who became pale but is still smiling.
"G-Go on. We cannot let this special occassion be ruined, right?"
Estelle calmly said as she send her sister and fiancee off in that huge door.
"Sorry I was late! Where is Camilla?"
The Emperor asked while catching his breath since he ran so fast just to make it in time.
"Didn't you requested Duke Blanchett to be her escort?"
Estelle asked but the Emperor just looked at her in confusion.
"No, never mind. Please excuse me, Your Majesty", she said and left after she curtsied.
"What a terrible liar"
Estelle thought as she cried out her pain in the pavillion where she and Jerome met.
"Princess?", she heard a familiar voice.
"You... the young merchant, right?"
She asked as she tried to hold back her tears and wiped it with her bare hands. She asked because the young merchant has a different aura because he is wearing a formal clothes.
"Yes I am!"
He excitedly replied with his usual cocky smile on his face.
"What are you doing here?", she asked.
"Hm... let's say I am here to recruit someone", he replied.
"Recruit? Who?", she asked.
"Let's leave this hellish place and be a part of the reinassance of the Western Empire, will you become our Holy Maiden?"
He asked as he happily reached his hand towards her, waiting for her to take it.
" Who are you?", she asked.
"Henry. That's my name. I am not a nameless young merchant that you think", he replied as he retracted his hand.
"If I take your offer, will you be able to protect me?", she asked.
"Of course. Remember? I calculate everything and anything"
He did not hesitantly replied that made Estelle laughed.
"Yeah! You are one of a hell merchant", she said.
"So, will you take it?"
He asked but before Estelle could answer, a defeaning explosion came from the hall where the royal ball is currently holding.
"Shit!"
Estelle exclaimed as she ran fast despite her knowing that there will be casualties and there is a huge possibility that the important people to her might be one of them. And she is right.
"Hey! Camilla, wake up!"
Jerome shouted as he tried to wake up Camilla who is in his arms and severely injured from the explosion. The Emperor is transferring his divine power to tend her injuries but it's no use.
"W-What happened?"
She nervously asked and just like before, everyone thought she schemed it. She backed off when she felt the cold eyes of the crowd looking at her.
"Do not run away. Face it. Do not be afraid. I am just here at your back, supporting you"
Henry said as he tapped her shoulder from the back. She moved forward and transferred her divine power to Camilla despite the death stare of the emperor at her.
"Your Majesty, the time has come for me to grant your favor"
Estelle said as she stealthily performed the 'Divine Shifting' wherein she will transfer all her divine powers to her sister. This will make her an ordinary human again but she did not know the consequences. One of her eyesights started to get blurry and blood came out from her right eye.
"Stop it!"
Henry exclaimed but he was stopped by the knights.
"If you do not stop her, she'll die!"
Henry added as he worriedly looked at Estelle.
"Estelle! Stop!"
Jerome worriedly said as he hardly pushed her making her fall from the cold ground. Henry immediately assisted her and this made Jerome felt jealous.
"Done..."
As soon as Estelle weakly said it, her right ear bled too much, and she spat a mouthful of blood. In that very instant she lost one of her eyesights and her sense of hearing in her right ear. While Camilla's severe wounds started to heal and she finally opened her eyes.
"So glad..."
She said before her body collapsed in the arms of Henry.
"What are you so happy about?"
Henry worriedly asked as he carried her but he was blocked by Jerome.
"Give her to me", he said.
"I don't want to"
Henry replied and gave him a smirk.
"Give her to me while I am still not yielding my sword", Jerome said.
"Yes, yes", Henry replied and handed over Estelle to him.
"Do not touch her casually", Jerome warned him before he left.
Estelle is awake and just pretended that she collapsed. She waited until everyone left the room before she started packing her medium bag.
"I think this will be enough"
She muttered as she simply dress up like a traveller. Before she left, she saw the untouched chocolate cake that she was supposed to give to Camilla.
"It's already near dawn, I guess I can use this to celebrate Estelle's birthday"
She said before she light up the candle and sing happy birthday to herself. After the lonely happy birthday, she blowed the candle and sliced half of it as this will be useful during her journey. She succesfully left the palace before the sunrise since she used the hidden passage.
The next day, only the sliced chocolate cake was left in the room. The birthday celebrant that day is nowehere to be seen.