Episode 4

Episode 4 – You Knew All Along?

“Oh my.”

I muttered under my breath, shaking my head slightly as I strolled through the garden path. Now that I had time to think it over, it really was suspicious—everything had been far too detailed.

No wonder I’d gotten the feeling something was off. Just from reading the report, I should have suspected something.

Just how many people had Helena mobilized? I remembered the chefs, the designers, the guards… people from all across the palace.

Not just a few here and there, either. She had infiltrated the entire Imperial Palace.

Now that I had the full picture, I had to admit—Helena had been even more frighteningly capable than I’d thought.

This wasn’t some kind of spy novel. She had built a whole intelligence network inside the palace.

It was excessive. No—it was completely overboard.

While my thoughts spiraled in every direction, I glanced to my side at Countess Chloe, who had been walking with me.

“How many are left now?” I asked.

“So far, we’ve identified three hundred and eighteen people,” she replied calmly.

“…Excuse me?” My steps halted as I blinked in disbelief.

Three hundred and eighteen?!

I had spent all of yesterday meeting people back-to-back, and that many were still left?

“You’re telling me that many people were working to assist me?”

It was staggering. I had thought there were just a few helpers—maybe some loyal maids, the odd chef—but not hundreds.

Helena must’ve recruited an entire division just to shadow the Emperor.

Chloe looked as startled as I was.

“I thought it was just a few people too,” she admitted. “But with each name you confirm, the list only grows.”

At this rate, I might end up meeting every single person in the palace—except the Emperor himself.

Was this how far Helena had gone to keep tabs on him? She had been obsessed to the point of planting informants in every corner of the palace.

I pressed a hand to my temple.

I was getting a headache.

It was overwhelming. This was Helena’s legacy—one that I now had to clean up or answer for.

To clear my head, I took a walk through the garden with my ladies-in-waiting.

The air was crisp and fresh, the sun still warm even as it lowered toward the horizon. The ladies commented on the weather with light voices.

“It’s a perfect day for a walk, Your Majesty.”

“The garden is especially beautiful today.”

And they were right.

The flowers were in full bloom, each patch vibrant and lively.

The wisteria, in particular, stood out with its draping purple petals, elegant and graceful beneath the glow of the setting sun. Beneath it, a gentle stream flowed alongside the path, adding a soft murmur to the peaceful atmosphere.

The open view and fragrant air did help. A little.

Just as I was starting to feel better—

“Your Majesty the Empress?”

A soft voice called out from behind me.

I turned automatically toward the sound.

A young woman approached, walking briskly across the garden path.

She was beautiful—stunning to the point of disbelief.

Her hair was a soft, pale pink, cascading over her shoulders in glossy waves. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds beneath long lashes. Her face was small and delicately shaped, with features like those of a porcelain doll.

Even the faintest tilt of her head or shift in her gaze held a gentle charm.

There was no need for anyone to introduce her.

I knew who she was immediately.

“…The Imperial Concubine.”

It was Fay—the heroine of this story.

“Your Majesty,” she said sweetly, bowing with a warm smile. “So this is where you were.”

“I didn’t expect to meet you here, Your Highness.”

I gave her a polite nod in return, my voice calm.

So this was the moment. I had known we’d meet eventually—but the timing was unexpectedly abrupt.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself to tread carefully.

Fay, in the original story, had been bright and warm at first. But Helena’s relentless bullying and the harshness of the court had worn her down until she was fragile and timid, barely able to meet anyone’s gaze.

That timid demeanor, that quiet sorrow, had only drawn the Emperor to her more.

It eventually led to Helena’s downfall.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I wasn’t about to repeat Helena’s mistake.

My dream was simple: a quiet, healthy, peaceful life. Nothing more.

That meant avoiding trouble with the heroine at all costs.

No torment. No jealousy. No idiotic feuds over a man I didn’t even like.

I softened my expression and prepared to greet her kindly, but before I could say anything—

“Your Majesty! It feels like it’s been so long since I saw you!”

Fay beat me to it, speaking brightly.

I blinked.

Wait. What?

Wasn’t she supposed to be shy? Timid? Withdrawn?

The novel made it clear she trembled just from making eye contact with the Empress.

Yet here she was, beaming with open friendliness.

“I heard you’d been ill for a while. Are you feeling better now?”

“…Ah.”

I had no idea how to respond.

This version of Fay was cheerful and confident. Not the least bit afraid.

Was the plot really that far along?

Had Helena… not started her bullying yet?

“Your Majesty?” Fay tilted her head slightly. “Are you still feeling unwell?”

She clasped her hands together, concern written all over her gentle face.

“No, no,” I said quickly, recovering. “I’m fine now.”

“Truly?” she asked, eyes shining.

“Yes,” I said with a smile. “I’ve fully recovered. Thank you for asking.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” she replied, her smile deepening.

Then, as if a thought suddenly struck her, she continued, “Were you out for a walk as well, Your Majesty? I was strolling with His Majesty just now—looks like we had the same idea!”

She clapped her hands together with delight.

“His Majesty?” I asked, already feeling a headache return.

“Yes. He was just with me, but the knights had an urgent report, so he stepped away for a moment.”

I see. So he wasn’t here right now.

“…That’s unfortunate,” I said lightly.

Fay’s face visibly fell at that.

“Isn’t it? I even wore my favorite dress just for our walk.”

“Dress?” I echoed, heart skipping.

Flinch.

The guilt came rushing back instantly.

She smiled and held up the hem of her dress just a little.

“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?”

“It is,” I said sincerely.

The soft yellow fabric fluttered with each movement. It suited her well—light, fresh, radiant.

“Actually, His Majesty gave it to me as a gift,” she added with a pleased smile.

“Did he, now?”

That figured. The Emperor in the novel was endlessly affectionate with her.

“Then it must have made you happy,” I said.

“Yes. Very much so,” Fay replied with a nod, her eyes twinkling.

Then, as if confiding something secret, she leaned in slightly.

“My previous dress was ruined recently.”

Stab. Right in the conscience.

“That’s terrible,” I said quickly. “Whoever did that must be an awful person.”

“I know, right?” Fay agreed.

“It’s okay,” she added cheerfully. “We never found out who did it, but thanks to that, His Majesty gifted me this beautiful one! I almost want to thank them.”

“I see.”

She hadn’t heard the rumors yet.

The ones that said I was the one who tore her dress.

My guilt made me mutter to myself without thinking, “Wasn’t it the head maid of the concubine’s quarters…? Jasmine?”

“Pardon? What about my head maid?” Fay asked innocently.

“Ah—no, nothing,” I said quickly.

Maybe she was pretending not to know. Sparing my dignity.

Either way, I went along with it.

“It’s really nothing,” I said again.

“Are you sure? Is it something I shouldn’t know?”

“No, you’ll probably hear about it soon,” I told her, then changed the subject. “Your dress really does suit you.”

“Thank you! Hearing that from the Empress makes me love it even more!”

She gave a twirl in place, smiling like a child.

That was when—

“There you are.” A deep, low voice called out.

I turned my head and saw Jerome approaching.

He was flanked by knights, his usual grim expression in place.

That overwhelming presence still made me tense reflexively—but this time, his gaze wasn’t on me.

“You disappeared. I was worried,” he said to Fay.

“Ah, I must have wandered too far,” she replied lightly.

“But Your Majesty,” she added, peering up at him, “you look troubled. Did something happen?”

“There was a report of an intruder,” he said gravely.

“An intruder?”

“Yes. We should head back,” he said, extending a hand toward her.

He wasn’t even looking at me.

He didn’t acknowledge me until he was practically brushing past my skirts.

“You were here too, Empress,” he said with flat indifference.

It was almost insulting how emotionless his voice was.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of something.

This blatant favoritism—it was absurd.

No wonder Helena was always so wound up.

“With the palace on alert, you should return to your chambers,” he added coolly.

He didn’t even try to sound polite.

Then, as he turned away with Fay in tow, I saw her stumble.

“Oh!”

She cried out softly, wobbling as her heel snapped.

“Are you alright?” I asked, startled.

“I’m sorry… my heel just gave out,” she said, shifting her weight.

Jerome frowned and muttered that the servant responsible would be punished.

“No! It wasn’t intentional,” Fay insisted. “Please, don’t punish anyone. It was just an accident.”

“…You’re too kind,” Jerome murmured, blatantly affectionate. “Very well. I promise no one will be punished.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully.

“You still can’t walk in that condition,” he added, then bent down without hesitation.

“I-it’s alright! I can walk,” Fay protested.

“No. I’m not alright with that,” he insisted.

He picked her up easily and turned to leave.

I watched them go, holding back a sigh.

This, too, had happened in the novel.

It was romantic from the heroine’s perspective.

From mine, though—it was just surreal.

“Oh.”

And then I remembered.

Those shoes were our doing.

I turned to look at my maids. They looked utterly crushed.

“We’re sorry, Your Majesty,” they whispered.

“We didn’t mean for her to show off the dress in front of you…”

“It’s fine,” I said softly. “I already told you—I don’t care.”

I turned away and began walking back.

Then I heard voices behind me.

“You showed off your dress in front of the Empress? Why would you do that?”

Jerome.

“I told you the Empress tore all your dresses.”

“I’m really okay! You bought me this lovely one, after all!” That was Fay’s voice.

“I’m just worried she’ll do it again.”

“No way. Her Majesty the Empress would never do something like that.”

I froze. My eyes slowly drifted back to where they stood to look at them as best I could in my peripheral.

You knew all along…?!

Fay. You knew I did it—and you still smiled at me like that?