“Why don’t you drop by the History Hall?”

　　The maid Mielo made the suggestion as she held a ruby necklace to Brianne’s slender neck.

　　“The History Hall? What’s that?”

　　“It’s a repository located not far from His Majesty the Emperor’s office. Hmm, red really doesn’t suit you after all.”

　　Mielo was in charge of Brianne’s styling. Despite being a maid of humble origin, she possessed exquisite taste.

　　Thanks to her, Brianne’s style grew more sophisticated by the day, and she had even begun to exude an aura of sophistication that dared to rival the Empress’s.

　　“It’s strange how red doesn’t suit you, Miss Paradia! I wonder why? Your skin is so fair, your body so slight, that anything on you looks better than most. And yet red in particular just doesn’t suit you. I just don’t get it.”

　　Frowning as if thoroughly dissatisfied with the ruby she had just held up, Mielo shook her head. Pushing the ruby necklace aside, she selected a sapphire one instead.

　　“I knew it. Blue suits you far better than red, Miss Paradia.”

　　At last, a satisfied smile spread across Mielo’s face.

　　“How can this be? Is my eye really this incredible? Miss Paradia’s beauty is truly shameless. Where is there even left of you that could get prettier? And yet every day you seem to find new beauty…”

　　“Mielo, does that mean there are plenty of books in this place called the History Hall? More than in the Central Library?”

　　Brianne interrupted Mielo’s rambling self-adulation to ask.

　　“Yes. Well, that’s what I heard, but honestly I don’t know, since I’ve never been there.”

　　Mielo replied nonchalantly.

　　“You’ve never been there?”

　　“I heard only a handful of nobles with His Majesty the Emperor’s permission can enter. Apparently, not even Her Majesty the Empress is allowed.”

　　A space that required the Emperor’s authorization.

　　At the maid’s offhand remark, Brianne’s heart rate quickened.

　　“A place even Her Majesty the Empress can’t enter? Would I even be allowed in a place like that?”

　　As Brianne widened her eyes, her pure emerald irises sparkled brightly.

　　“His Majesty dotes on you so much, Miss Paradia, that even if the Empress can’t, his beloved… Oops.”

　　Realizing how careless she had been, Mielo bit her lips together and checked Brianne’s reaction. However, Brianne seemed so deep in thought that she hadn’t registered her flippant babble.

　　“Your dress has a light, sky-blue tone as well, so this is perfect. It’d be best to wear the sapphire earrings and necklace today.”

　　Mielo put the necklace around Brianne’s neck. Indeed, it looked exceptionally lovely on her petite, pale neck.

　　Truthfully, Mielo had intended to dress her in green today to match Brianne’s eyes.

　　“Green diamonds are gems symbolizing Her Majesty the Empress. Showing up dripping in green to a gathering where Her Majesty is present will surely make you a laughingstock.”

　　However, the Empress’s head lady-in-waiting had suddenly appeared, recklessly searching Brianne’s vanity and wardrobe to confiscate every last item that was green. While the woman turned everything upside down, Mielo couldn’t say a word, and Brianne, the mistress of the quarters, had to endure the humiliation in silence.

　　“Aren’t you angry, Miss Paradia? A mere head lady-in-waiting barging recklessly into the residence of His Majesty’s beloved…”

　　Suddenly flushed with anger, Mielo raised her voice.

　　Deep down, Mielo had been upset that the lady she served was pointed at and cursed at by others as a paramour and whore.

　　“What can we do? She’s only doing her best at the duty given to her. Just like you, Mielo.”

　　But Brianne did not get angry. She merely wore a languid smile. That faint, powerless smile vividly betrayed the hollow resignation only seen in those who had given up.

　　“Don’t say that. Once you are officially recognized, Miss Paradia, you’ll be able to knock the pride right out of that woman. Becoming His Majesty the Emperor’s official consort is only a matter of…”

　　Mielo argued point by point, but Brianne merely shook her head with a faint smile.

　　Oh dear, to have so little ambition.

　　Mielo stared briefly at the green eyes gazing blankly into space and let out a short sigh.

　　You must hold power, my lady, so that I, your maid, can catch my breath a little.

　　“Ugh.”

　　Unable to utter those words aloud, Mielo sighed once more.

　　“Mielo. Thank you.”

　　“Pardon me, but why?”

　　At Brianne’s sudden word of thanks, Mielo widened her eyes.

　　“I’ve never seen anyone with taste as refined and hands as deft as yours. So much so I never wish to entrust myself to anyone else going forward. Only you, Mielo.”

　　“M-Miss Paradia.”

　　Mielo was deeply moved.

　　In the exhausting day-to-day of the imperial palace, many women had passed through her hands. Yet not a single person had ever praised her talent. Except for Brianne.

　　Even if Brianne was a paramour, she was a noble daughter beyond compare to a commoner like herself. That such a noble lady recognized her abilities and personally would voice her thanks… Mielo’s heart felt as though it would burst with joy.

　　“Just as everyone fears, once His Majesty’s affection fades, I will become a nobody. I do not know how long I will remain here. But while I am, I am in your care.”

　　“Then you just need to claim a seat of the highest authority! And after that, live grandly and stay here for a long, long time!”

　　Wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, Mielo burst out with a cry.

　　“How could I… No, such a thing cannot be.”

　　Brianne wore a briefly startled expression before curving her lips into a smile.

　　What do you mean it cannot be? Oh, you foolish woman.

　　Unable to argue back, Mielo beat her own chest in frustration.

　　Even if you cannot become His Majesty the Emperor’s official consort right away, you can become the woman who owns his nights. Because I, Mielo, will groom you so beautifully that His Majesty won’t ever be able to take his eyes off you. Then perhaps one day, you’ll sit in the highest position imaginable.

　　“I look forward to the day I can adorn you in green jewels, Miss Paradia.”

　　Swallowing those words, Mielo merely brushed down Brianne’s golden hair with loving care.

* * *

　　“No one may enter except His Majesty the Emperor.”

　　The guard standing at the door blocked Brianne’s path. It was in front of double doors located across from the Emperor’s office, past the central hall’s reception room and banquet hall.

　　With striking, ornate embossery and brilliant colors, the atmosphere invoked a large-scale ballroom to anyone who saw it, lacking any of the quiet archive atmosphere Brianne had anticipated.

　　She had hovered near the door with doubtful eyes, wondering if this could really be it, but it seemed she had found the right place, seeing how tight the security was and how sensitive they were to outside intrusion.

　　“Turn back.”

　　The imperial guard blocking Brianne barked even more gruffly than before. Yet even while putting on such a solemn front, his eyes seemed entirely engrossed in sweeping over Brianne’s beautiful facial features and the delicate curves of her body.

　　He had once thought the rumors circulating in the capital about her were somewhat exaggerated. He had figured that no matter how pretty she was, she was just an ordinary girl, and that her blonde hair would merely be a muddy mix of murky dishwater and light brown. Pretty women could be found anywhere, even in the countryside outside the capital, and beauty was fundamentally subjective.

　　However, facing Brianne now, the guard found himself in a state of profound shock.

　　Is she really human? It was a beauty so stunning one could easily believe she was an elf from beyond the mortal realm. On top of that, she carried a subtle aura that stirred a man’s protective instincts. Confronted with a flawless beauty the likes of which he had never seen before, the guard was rendered speechless.

　　If the vague, abstract, and subjective definition of “beauty” were made human, it would take the form of her.

　　“I simply wanted to read some books…”

　　“Ah, well, the Central Library is in the opposite direction, my lady.”

　　Snapping back to his senses, the guard feigned indifference once more as he answered, his eyes still stealing glances at her golden hair, lily-white skin, and ample breasts.

　　“I know that, but…”

　　Just as Brianne trailed off with a troubled expression, trying to read his mood…

　　“The Emperor’s woman says she wishes to indulge in noble reading, does she not?”

　　The one who appeared behind the hesitating Brianne was Johannes.

　　“Your Grace.”

　　The moment the guard saw Johannes, he bowed deeply, instantly humbling himself. Johannes’s fame was so immense that even a novice guard who had just joined the imperial knights recognized him in a heartbeat.

　　“Open the door.”

　　“B-But no one except His Majesty the Emperor is permitted entry here…”

　　“This should suffice so that you do not hinder the entrance of Miss Paradia and myself.”

　　What Johannes held out to the flustered guard was an heirloom authorization pass passed down through generations.

　　“…grants the House of Heisack authority equal to that of the Imperial Family. Possesses equal authority as the Emperor regarding passage…”

　　The pass, personally written by the previous Emperor, Johannes’s maternal uncle, bore the bright red seal symbolizing the House of Helius.

　　“Th-Then…”

　　After reading the pass several times over, the guard finally opened the door.

　　Brianne felt angry. The person who helped her had to be Heisack, of all people.

　　Brianne still hated him. Given the chance, she wanted to kill him right now.

　　Yet it was thanks to him that she had gained entry. Had Johannes not appeared, far from entering the History Hall, she would have had to step back pitifully under the guard’s contemptuous gaze.

　　In truth, Brianne was angry not at Johannes Heisack, but at herself. At her helpless self, unable to do anything on her own, forced to accept help even from a murderous beast like him.

　　“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming in?”

　　Startled by Johannes’s indifferent voice, Brianne hurried into the open door.

　　“…!”

　　Brianne gasped in awe as she gazed upon a collection of books incomparably vast compared to the Central Library, neatly arranged across the entire wall.

　　“Shouldn’t you at least say thank you? Who do you think you have to thank for getting in here?”

　　Johannes quietly reproached Brianne, who could not hide her joy upon seeing the interior of the History Hall.

　　“D-Did anyone ask you for help?”

　　Putting away her excitement, Brianne shot back sharply.

　　“I assure you I had no intention of helping you either, so do not misunderstand. I was merely annoyed by the sight of you squabbling with an innocent guard.”

　　Johannes snapped back, refusing to back down. He was truly sick of her inability to appreciate a courtesy.

　　“I should have expected as much. The Emperor’s beloved concubine would never bow her head to a mere Grand Duke. You could have easily opened the door by running to the Emperor and flirting with him. It seems my assistance was unnecessary.”

　　“Th-That’s…”

　　Listening quietly to his words, Brianne’s translucent skin began to flush red.

　　A beautifully ripe summer peach, a dew-kissed red apple, a strawberry blushing alone in a field of white snow.

　　Her flushed face evoked all those fragrant little fruits at once. It was an intense beauty that felt like the original temptation itself, ready to consume anyone who let down their guard even for a moment.

　　Ha. What on earth am I thinking about this impudent woman?

　　Astonished by his own frivolity, Johannes clicked his tongue quietly as he coldly turned away from Brianne.

　　“Excuse me.”

　　However, Brianne stopped him as he turned away.

　　“Your Grace’s book… I’ll return it to you. I’ll have someone send it to Heisack Manor…”

　　“Just throw it away.”

　　Paradia, anything touched by your hand is already ruined.

　　Johannes replied, concealing his true feelings.

　　“If you are going to throw it away…”

　　Brianne swallowed dryly.

　　“May I keep it? There are so many parts I want to re-read and ponder. It’s too much of a waste to throw away, and it’s the first time in my life I’ve seen an astronomy book written so thoroughly…”

　　Her words, whispered quietly as if to herself, finally caused Johannes to look back.

　　Brianne Paradia reads books written in the common language? A woman who was reading a vulgar erotic novel about training a crown princess?

　　“Do you even know the common language of the Allied Nations?”

　　Slowly cocking an eyebrow, Johannes asked dryly.

　　“Then I will take it that Your Grace is discarding the book.”

　　Brianne cleverly evaded Johannes’s question.

　　“Do as you wish.”

　　Johannes furrowed his other eyebrow as well, then swiftly turned his back.

　　He believed she was ignorant of the common language. Brianne Paradia was simply too beautiful to be fluent in such a difficult tongue.

　　Why put on such an ill-fitting bluff? Is she trying to engage in a contest of wits with me?

　　Johannes slyly cast a glance toward where she was standing.

　　The area where she had taken a position was categorized under “History.” Most of the books were written in the encrypted common language of the Allied Nations, books that were difficult to decipher even for Johannes, who was fluent.

　　Brianne’s side profile as she read one of the thick books filled Johannes’s field of vision. The sight of her concentrating on the book with an absorbed expression, looking for all the world like someone who could actually read and write the common language, twisted Johannes’s mood.

　　It must have been that contrived appearance that caught Emperor Kavil’s eye. No, not just Kavil. Any man with eyes…

　　“You really are something else.”

　　Johannes clicked his tongue once more, condemning her intellectual vanity. Then he started walking toward the bookshelves on the opposite side.