Chapter 5 Unexpected Visit

"Your face looks radiant. Are you happy that you are taking Kaelus place? Well, you are very greedy indeed, Elodie."

The silver-golden-haired woman smiled wryly. She knew the purpose of the first concubine visiting her residence. "That is obvious, Evelyn. You should not have wasted your time in coming here, just to question that."

"You still have no manners. You should have called me Her Majesty the Empress."

Elodie laughed. "It turns out that my father's concubine is honor-crazy. Honestly, you want the vacant position of empress, don't you? Unfortunately, my father has no intention of elevating a concubine to an empress in the Arandel empire. Your efforts will be very futile. My father will look for an empress with more potential than you."

"Don't talk nonsense! Your father loves me the most."

Elodie's laughter intensified. "Yes, yes. Just say it like it is. You were the first concubine my father ever took." She paused for a moment, her brow furrowed, then shook her head. "Ah, no. My father did not want the appointment of a concubine, but the nobles kept pushing and pushing. If you weren't a noble child, you wouldn't be here either."

"I have the daughter of the emperor."

"Yes, all concubines have children. Does the emperor still visit you? No, does he?" She smiled mockingly. "My father only visits before you have children. After the concubines became pregnant, he never came to your room again." Elodie saw the concubine Evelyn's pupils round, and it made her even more excited.

No secret. The emperor was very fond of the empress. It was only because of the pressure from the nobles that he appointed a concubine. This is the reason the emperor only had one child from each concubine. Because the emperor's primary goal was only to please the nobles so that they would not gossip and create riots. After the concubine became pregnant, the emperor no longer visited.

"How did you know? Are you keeping a spy in my residence? You are indeed a cunning woman."

Elodie clapped her hands. "You're right. That's why you should be wary of every servant in your residence. The one you trust so much could be the one to stab you in the back." She was lying. Elodie only wanted to frighten Evelyn. Undermining Evelyn's trust in the servants in her residence might be useful for the future.

"Princess Elodie! Why are you so cruel to me? Just for being the emperor's legitimate daughter, you're always trampling on my pride."

"Ah, pride? You still have self-respect, apparently. I did not expect that."

Concubine Evelyn instantly stood up. Her jaw hardened, and her irritation peaked. "You may have the upper hand now, but just watch. You will fall to the bottom of the cliff."

"Are you cursing me?" Elodie's voice was icy cold. Cursing a descendant of the emperor was a very vile thing.

"No! This is not a curse, but a warning. One who is greedy and cunning will reap what he reaps." She left Elodie, who was still hiding her anger.

After the door to her room closed, Elodie grinned. "Isn't she more cunning and ruthless? Just wait. I will reveal your involvement in my mother's murder."

It had not been a year since Elodie's mother's passing, and it still caused her great pain. Her mother's unnatural death made her wonder, why didn't any doctor know about her mother's illness? Her mother, who was healthy, suddenly died. Doesn't that make sense? Her mother's death was indeed very unnatural.

However, one doctor told Elodie something that made no sense. He said that the empress was most likely affected by black magic. How could that be? Isn't black magic banned in Arandel? Who would dare to disobey the emperor's order?

Elodie remained wary of several people, including her father's concubines. Weren't they the prime candidates to be suspected? One of the four concubines could become the next empress. However, the emperor was determined not to appoint a new empress, and it caused an uproar among the nobles.

Since her mother's death, Elodie had always paid attention to the people in the empire. Although many people looked kind and saddened by the empress's death, she didn't dispel her suspicions. Many people who look like friends are actually opponents.

***

"Good afternoon, Your Highness Princess."

Elodie nodded, then invited to sit down. "What is the need, Princess Elina? It is unusual for you to visit my residence." Although they were sisters still, Elina and Elodie were not that close. Since childhood, they had often quarreled.

"I just wanted to ask how you were doing. It's been a while since you've seen anywhere. Usually, you would visit the chapel, or take a walk in the park. But these past few days I haven't seen you. I was afraid that something had happened to you. Especially the news about you being Arandel's envoy to attend the Higala emperor's wedding made me even more upset. Are you alright?"

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

"You don't need to pretend. Anyone would feel hurt if betrayed by a lover. I really feel sorry for you. You loved Emperor Rhydian so much, but he betrayed you. I am sorry to hear the news."

'Isn't it the other way around?'

Now Elodie knew what Elina came to visit her for. Elina wanted to see and laugh at her sadness. Although Elina's maid kept her mouth shut tight, Elodie knew that her sister also liked Rhydian. She had seen firsthand when Elina approached Rhydian and was always looking for ways to be with the man. Elina always wanted everything Elodie had, including the man she liked.

"Well, thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine." Elodie followed the young girl's game. "You are indeed a very caring sister."

Elina laughed awkwardly. "You can count on me. I'll help you forget Rhydian."

"Thank you, Princess Elina. You're the only one who worries about me. I'm quite touched."

"No problem, Your Highness Princess. This is my duty. As a wonderful sister, I will help heal your broken heart." She turned to her servant. "Please bring me that parcel you are holding, Rena." The servant approached and handed her a pink cloth-wrapped box. "I brought some snacks for you. You'll really like it."

Elodie put on a cheerful face. "Well, you didn't have to go to all this trouble, Princess Elina."

'Is one ingredient in the snacks you brought poison?'

"I am very grateful. I will enjoy these snacks when I relax later."

'No! I'll throw this food away when you leave.'

Princess Elina stood up, still smiling brightly. "In that case, I will leave, Your Highness Princess."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I still have other business. I wish you a long life and health."

'What is a sincere prayer? I'm sure in your heart you're praying for a sentence that contradicts what you said just now.'

Elodie's blossoming smile vanished as Elina completely left her room. She opened the box Elina had given her, then smiled wryly. "Elen!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Please give this to the rats."

Since her mother's death, Elodie had always been wary of everyone. She deliberately kept rats for her experiments. When people gave her food, she didn't taste it right away. The food was first given to Elodie's pet rat. The mice acted as food testers.

Life as the emperor's legitimate daughter made her always alert. Her life was always threatened, because many people were hostile to her. Especially now, the news about the appointment of the crown princess has spread. And it might backfire on her life. It is possible that there are many people who don't like this reality. One day, she would take her father's place as the emperor of Arandel. For the concubine's supporters, that was not good news. If the empress's daughter could become emperor, then what about the concubine's daughter? Their positions are almost equal, right?

If Elodie was absent, then the position of crown princess would be vacant. Isn't that an opportunity for the concubine princesses? Who would benefit the most? That's obvious. Princess Elina will take the throne as the next successor, considering that the other three princesses are still very young.