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Chapter 32
Baekah Tower.
The dream of countless scholars, and a treasure trove of the world’s knowledge.
But…
‘No time to admire anything.’
There were just too many people moving around.
‘And the atmosphere is unexpectedly intense.’
Even counting only the scholars, students, and their attendants, there were already plenty of people, and now the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince were coming.
Then add the palace knights and soldiers, as well as maids and attendants…
‘Why are the Frezier knights so many again?’
When the Duke of Asis Frezier said he would assign knights to me, I had expected maybe five or six.
That would have been enough for the Lady’s personal guard.
Moreover, this wasn’t a visit to some dangerous frontier; it was a visit to Baekah Tower, where refined scholars gather to dedicate themselves to research and learning.
‘Isn’t this basically a whole squad of the knight order?’
I glanced at the knights following behind me.
It seemed that Duke Asis Frezier had detached half of the knights who had come with him to the capital just for this.
‘Well, more nobles too. That’s good.’
Strictly speaking, I was only fifteen, and had not yet gone through my debutante ceremony.
But I was the Duke’s granddaughter, who the imperial family recognized, so I didn’t have to stand perfectly stiff.
Of course, I was still the “Duke family’s wild filly,” with plenty of rumors trailing me.
Even if the treatment I received at the Duke’s estate had improved, I had no connections in the capital’s social circles yet.
But with this many knights accompanying me, I could indirectly show that my status in the Duke family had improved considerably.
I hurriedly exchanged a brief greeting with the dean of Baekah Tower. He looked even more flustered than Schuls Schmidt, who had returned after a long absence.
‘Though he seems more surprised at Luke Kelfosher following me than at me myself.’
Thanks to Luke’s skill, the complicated formalities were quickly wrapped up.
The dean gave me a temporary pass to a special section of the “Sky Library,” Baekah Tower’s pride, capable of holding up to 100,000 people.
Schuls Schmidt smiled briefly at me, excused himself, and entered the building with the vice dean.
Luke seemed busy, probably with matters to discuss with the ceremonial officers.
“Luke, I want to look around the library.”
“Oh, then I’ll… attend to you immediately—”
“No. Finish your conversation first. I think just one or two knights will be enough. This is the sacred Baekah Tower, after all.”
When I said that to the dean, he looked secretly proud.
Luke signaled the knights, and they saw me off, saying to enjoy myself.
‘Alright then.’
Candidate number one for the male lead.
Time to meet the Crown Prince.
But first…
“…Can you follow me from a bit farther away?”
“We have the duty to protect the lady closely.”
When I spoke to the two knights trailing right behind me, they immediately responded in disciplined tones.
“Then can you stay at a distance where you could suddenly jump forward if necessary?”
They stepped one meter back.
“Is that all you can jump if you attack suddenly?”
Two meters.
“Are you knights or soldiers?”
Fifty meters.
“Good.”
We agreed on this compromise, and I pretended to walk toward the library while quietly slipping off to a side path.
Where would the Crown Prince be?
Of course, I had memorized it while playing <Gmil Bread>.
‘This is the taste of a shortcut.’
I passed along a path lined with pure white flowers like snowflakes and quickly reached the very back of the Sky Library.
‘Only the dean, senior Pneuma, and direct imperial family members can enter here.’
And it was the place that the former Empress had liked.
Olivia, the first Empress of Emperor Alessandro.
She had a strong interest in scholarship and the arts and often visited Baekah Tower in her lifetime.
‘Thanks to that, a small garden for royalty alone was created here.’
I knew from the game that the current Crown Prince, one of the male leads in <Gmil Bread>, “Ferdinand,” always visits this garden when he comes to Baekah Tower.
‘Perfect.’
This would allow me to meet the Crown Prince more reliably than at the palace.
‘If not now, the Crown Prince will be off to dangerous battlefields, and I’d only see him again as an adult.’
In <Gmil Bread>, to reach the Crown Prince ending, you had to leave a mark during his childhood.
For someone like me aiming for an A-rank, that meant completing routes with all male leads up to the end.
I hid in a suitable spot while looking at the beautiful marble fountain carved with mermaids, a swing entwined with wisteria vines, and the spacious steps.
Ferdinand.
At that time, endlessly practicing proper greetings, etiquette, and harmlessly charming smiles.
I heard the sound of footsteps on marble stairs and turned my head, quietly inhaling.
The shock reminded me of when I first entered this game.
‘The real Crown Prince.’
The boy approached in sky-blue ceremonial clothes that contrasted with his striking red eyes.
Clothing threaded with gold, embodying the solemn luxury unique to royalty, like garments worn by high priests—something only Crown Prince Ferdinand could wear.
I had seen many characters in the game, including Tullia, so I thought nothing could surprise me.
Yet seeing the Crown Prince in person brought a subtle tension, surprise, and slight thrill.
Because he was the male lead, of course.
Just as I tried to quietly slip out so as not to startle him…
“Crown Prince.”
A noble, enchanting female voice rang out.
I froze my breath, as if stopping my heart.
Clack-clack.
Even the sound of heels on the yellow marble floor and stairs sounded elegant as a woman approached the Crown Prince.
‘That person…’
I had seen her enough in illustrations.
‘The Empress.’
Empress Karmi.
The new Empress after the death of the first.
Like Tullia, she occupied a villainous role, but unlike Tullia who almost always dies, Karmi might or might not die.
The cases where Karmi didn’t die were mostly because one condition was not fulfilled—failing to protect the Crown Prince.
‘The relationship between the Crown Prince and Empress Karmi is portrayed as terrible.’
Mostly behind the scenes, of course.
Outwardly, Empress Karmi appeared more angelic than anyone.
“I sent your clothes in advance for today’s Baekah Tower outing. Why are you not wearing them?”
“The clothes made for the Second Prince do not fit me.”
“Ah. The servants must have made a mistake again. I see…”
Karmi Empress smiled, pulling her red lips.
“Dave is now fifteen, but he grows like a young man in height.”
“Yes.”
“It’s unfortunate, Crown Prince. If Empress Olivia—the former Empress—had not forcibly infused her sacred power into her womb, you would not appear like this.”
Her voice was pitying, compassionate even.
It was genuinely strange.
If I hadn’t seen her smile, I might have thought she sincerely regarded the Crown Prince—born not from her womb—as her son.
But…
“Then you would have grown into a young man matching your real age, and His Majesty the Emperor would not have reasons to feel uncomfortable seeing you as he does now.”
Every word she spoke was an insult toward Ferdinand.
“The former Empress’s impatience caused great wounds to her son, unfortunately.”
Crown Prince Ferdinand raised his red eyes and silently stared at Empress Karmi.
“….”
At that moment, the slight, imperceptible crack appeared in the smile of the Empress, the pinnacle of imperial nobility.
