The next few days in the Imperial Palace went quite smoothly. The day before yesterday, Remesis had attended the last, third session of the Small Council. After discussing the state of the empire's economy over the past few years, the heads of families agreed to unite their efforts to enhance the empire's authority on the world stage. Following the meeting, several agreements were signed, which were supposed to come into effect very soon.

  And while the adults were dealing with their affairs, Remesis, who had done almost nothing all these days, dreamed only of returning home as soon as possible. Once upon a time, she had dreamed of being here. But she hadn't expected it all to become so tiresome so quickly. Never in her life had the girl had to bow and scrape as much as she had in the Imperial Palace these two weeks.

  "It seems that only the Emperor, as well as the princes and princesses, live well here..." Although she would argue with that statement too.

  In any case, it would all be over soon. In two days, a banquet would be held at the palace, which would be attended by the council members and other invited guests. In addition to them, the Emperor would also be present at the celebration. Although Alexis Cezar Ashelot had to miss the main proceedings due to illness, he still had to be present at the closing ceremony. For this reason, Remesis couldn't miss the banquet even if she wanted to.

  Nevertheless, spending a couple of hours in high society wasn't that difficult. The girl thought that due to the grandeur of the party, no one would pay attention to her. And tomorrow she would head back.

  "Finally, this will end..." — Remesis sighed, counting the days she had spent here on the calendar. — "Honestly, I'm so tired..."

  Despite this being a very important banquet, the girl hadn't prepared for it at all. From the window of her palace, she could see many wagons passing by with decorations and other utensils for the noble guests. But she saw no need for it herself. "Even if I dress up nicely, the number of contemptuous glances won't diminish."

  That's what she thought until early in the morning, the day before the event, Hannes found a box on the threshold of their palace: "Someone left this this morning."

  It was a beautiful flat box tied with a red ribbon.

  "Your Highness, what is this?" the knight was a bit perplexed as he placed the box on the table. "It looks like a gift for you..."

  "A gift?.."

  Remesis frowned.

  Who in the Imperial Palace would send gifts for her? More likely, someone could have mistaken the door.

  Nevertheless...

  "Let's have a look first."

  Remesis didn't stop him when Hannes pulled the silk ribbon. Lifting the lid, inside was another package. The knight unwrapped it, and Remesis saw what she least expected.

  "Your Highness, it's a dress!" the knight exclaimed in amazement along with her.

  It was a small beige dress. The interweaving of sequins and frills was so beautiful it made one's heart skip a beat at just one glance. The sleeves of the dress were translucent and airy. Even a person not knowledgeable about clothing could tell it was very expensive. Such fabric was only used in elite ateliers and made to order.

  The knight was the first to utter an admiring sigh. He was even afraid to touch this delicate and soft fabric.

  "Your Highness, is this really for you? Who could have given you such a thing?"

  Remesis tensed somewhat. Given the size of the dress, it was clearly intended for her. There weren't many girls her age in the Imperial Palace. However, she couldn't imagine who could have given her such an expensive gift. After all, she had no friends here.

  Thinking this over, Remesis started rummaging in the box, hoping to find at least a note. And indeed, there was one.

  Between the folds of the dress, the girl discovered a thin strip of graphite paper. On it was written: "For the extraordinary Princess Rania."

  When Remesis saw it, everything became clear. No one except one person called her by that name. Remesis pressed her lips together when she realized who the dress was from. She crumpled the note in her hands.

  "Your Highness, someone must have sent you this dress especially for the banquet!" the knight was no longer shy about taking the dress in his hands. "Do you know who it could be?"

  "…"

  Remesis frowned.

  "I don't know."

  "Then perhaps someone is secretly supporting you!"

  The knight was delighted, feeling the magnificent fabric and imagining how lovely the princess would look in it. This dress truly suited her perfectly in every way. He thought that anyone who saw her in this outfit would get an overdose of cuteness.

  But the girl cut off his reverie with one sharp phrase:

  "Send it back."

  "What...?"

  Hannes stared at her in shock.

  "I don't want to accept this gift, so return it." The knight opened and closed his mouth. "But Your Highness, you don't even know who it's from... How can I return it..." Remesis bit her lip.

  Only now did she realize this. The dress really couldn't be returned. And it wasn't because she had lied to Hannes about not knowing its owner. There were too many strangers around the order's residence, and if anyone noticed a knight from the northern princess's palace, it would certainly cause a stormy public reaction. There would be no end of problems after that.

  Iliana Alseid had clearly foreseen this, confident that the girl would never dare to show up at her palace in broad daylight. Therefore, she would have no choice but to keep the dress. Appreciating the girl's calculating nature, Remesis grew more and more indignant. "You have no choice but to accept my gift." — as if those were the exact words that should have been in the note.

  Meanwhile, noticing the tense expression on Remesis's face, the knight uncertainly addressed her:

  "Your Highness, why do you want to return it? This dress is so beautiful, why wouldn't you..."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  But the little lady's next words shocked the man even more:

  "If we can't return it, then just throw it away."

  The commander's mouth fell open again.

  "Throw it away?!" he protested. "Your Highness, how can you throw away such a thing...!"

  He tried to object, but Remesis was adamant. For Hannes, as a person of lower class, such a gesture wasn't something reprehensible. Common people exchanged gifts without much ulterior motive, simply to please each other. So he thought that some kind person wanted to make a little girl happy. But the knight was mistaken in thinking that everything happened the same way in high society.

  Aristocrats were very complex people. One gesture or word could mean much more than it seemed at first glance. Especially when it came to a gift. Aristocrats never gave each other gifts without pursuing some motive. And in this case, the motive was quite obvious. She sighed. The girl herself was annoyed by this, but she was forced to follow the rules. Otherwise, she would be misunderstood.

  "Never mind. Just throw this box away somewhere."

  Remesis didn't even want to look at the box. As if it contained not a dress, but a bomb.

  The knight was surprised by the princess's attitude, but he could hardly influence her decision. When the girl's sapphire eyes took on that expression, all his efforts remained useless. Now Remesis's gaze was colder than metal.

  Hannes Wrightly sighed disappointedly. Casting one last glance at the delightful dress, he closed the lid with obvious chagrin. "Sometimes it's really hard for me to understand what the princess is thinking..."

  When the knight bowed and left, Remesis watched him with an impassive gaze. She felt not the slightest regret. Then she closed her eyes and sighed.

  "Lady Alseid, I hope you interpret my intentions correctly. I really don't want to shorten the distance between us any further."

  After that evening, the girl firmly decided that it would be better for both of them.

  ***

  A reception at the Imperial Palace was always a very significant event. Many nobles prepared for it several months in advance, carefully selecting accessories and outfits. For nobles, every public appearance had special significance. Especially if it concerned a princess.

  This time, the banquet would be graced by the presence of all four pillars of the empire, including His Majesty the Emperor. Everything had to be of the highest standard.

  The dress for Princess Evelyn Nevita Ashelot had been sewn for six months. And today, the day before the event, the final fitting was to take place. Empress Julia was present during this process. She personally watched as four maids bustled around her daughter, carefully adjusting every fold and ruffle.

  Since the dress was made especially for the Crown Princess, it was truly magnificent. Only...

  "What is this?"

  Julia's attentive gaze narrowed as she saw the girl in the dress.

  "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" the maids were a bit worried.

  "It seems to me, or are the sides bulging out a bit?" the woman approached and touched that area.

  The dress fit the princess very tightly. It could be said that it was indeed too small for her. Julia didn't like this sight and twisted her lips.

  Many people were watching them, so the Empress took her daughter's hands and addressed her affectionately:

  "Darling, why does the dress fit you like that? Wasn't it too big two months ago?"

  The woman squeezed her palm very hard. Evelyn's freckled face paled.

  "M-mother..."

  One of the senior maids hastened to intervene.

  "Your Imperial Majesty, allow me to say. Children grow very quickly at this age. So it's not surprising if it might have become too small for the princess..."

  "Really?" the Empress continued to smile. "Then why does she keep growing in width and not in height?"

  "…"

  The maid had nothing to say to that.

  For some time, silence reigned in the princess's dressing room. She patiently exhaled, and an angelic smile appeared on the woman's face.

  "It's alright. No need to be upset over such a trifle, right, Evelyn? We'll just tighten your corset a bit more."

  The princess's chambermaid, standing nearby, became agitated.

  "B-but, Your Majesty... Because of this, it might be hard for the princess to breathe. Why not choose another dress?.."

  The maid fell silent when the woman looked at her. The smile of the most beautiful woman in the imperial palace was as lovely as a flower. But for some reason, the maid felt uneasy.

  "It's alright," she repeated in a more confident tone. "Only this dress is perfect for the imperial banquet. His Majesty will be very happy to see you in this, won't he, my daughter?"

  Evelyn froze and nodded weakly. The girl didn't resist when the Empress ordered the maids to tighten the corset.

  Her breath caught, and her ribs felt clamped in a vice, about to break. It was hard for Evelyn to continue standing, but she remained silent and showed not the slightest discomfort. Because she knew what would happen otherwise.

  "Well, my daughter, how is it?"

  "I... it's all fine..."

  Julia looked at her intently again and was more or less satisfied. If such a word could even be applied to her daughter.

  "Well, then we'll leave it like this."

  She turned to the maids, who lined up before her. The woman said: "Tomorrow is an important day. You must do everything possible to make the princess look excellent. Understood?"

  And without further explanation, everyone understood what the Empress meant. The princess's diet for today was strictly limited. Swelling, bloating, rashes, and other external consequences of eating poor-quality food were unacceptable.

  "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!"

  Julia Ravellia Ashelot smiled.

  "In that case, I'll go. I still have matters to attend to regarding the banquet organization."

  "H-have a good day, mother!" Evelyn uttered this, feeling her head begin to spin from lack of air. But she continued to hold on until the last moment.

  Only when the Empress left did the Crown Princess finally give in and fall on unsteady legs. The maids immediately rushed to her aid.

  "Your Highness!"

  They removed the dress with the corset from the girl and helped her put on another one. After that, she felt a little better.

  "Your Highness, perhaps you need a physician?" the chambermaid was genuinely concerned about her condition.

  "Zoe, I'm fine..." Evelyn sighed.

  "That dress... Are you sure you can stay in it all evening?"

  The princess was silent for a moment.

  "If mother said so, then that's how it should be. Don't say anything more..."

  "But..." the maid hesitated.

  "I want to rest, so you may go."

  The chambermaid was still worried, but she nodded nonetheless. She slowly stepped back and left the room. Evelyn remained alone in her palace.

  The girl approached the mirror.

  "Why am I so ugly?" Evelyn had been asking herself this question since she turned six. "Because I'm so terrible, mother suffers so much..."

  Julia always said that the cause of all her troubles was her. Even if she obtained the title of Empress as a result of her birth, what good was it if in all other respects this child was completely useless? When she grew up, people would realize that there was nothing special about the Crown Princess and would stop looking up to her as they did now. Julia's greatest fear was that one day their position would be threatened.

  This hadn't happened yet because of the princess's fortunate birth. But how long would this safety net continue to work? Would it last until the end of her days?

  "Even a dung worm is more useful than you." Julia had said these words to her when the little one turned five. She had remembered them ever since.

  "Maybe it would be better if I really were just a worm..." Evelyn hoped that in the next life she would lead a more humble existence. Even a worm had more freedom than the Crown Princess. Besides, then her beautiful mother wouldn't have to worry about her.

  In the afternoon, after the not-so-pleasant dress fitting, the princess and her maid went for a walk in the greenhouse. The garden adjoining the Crown Princess's palace was simply enormous. It would take several hours to walk around it completely.

  Usually, Evelyn tired quickly and could walk for no more than half an hour. But she forced herself, because, according to the physician, physical activity would help her lose weight.

  Therefore, the girl tried to load herself with long walks every day.

  Evelyn and her maid wandered through the garden maze for two hours. The princess was tired and very thirsty. Just then, Zoe excused herself to bring the princess a refreshing drink.

  "Your Highness, please sit here for a while!"

  The maid quickly ran off. The girl sat down on a bench and waited for her.

  Ten minutes passed. The princess heard a rustle in the bushes and someone's footsteps.

  "Hello, Your Highness."

  Evelyn saw an adult man before her. His figure blocked the sun from her. It was a groom who worked in the palace stables. His clothes were stained with dirt and grass, and his tanned face was covered with red stubble. He, like her mother, was red-haired and also had many freckles on his face. His eyes were brown and warmly glowed.

  "H-hello..." the girl was a bit shy around strange adults.

  "Are you waiting for someone?"

  "Y-yes, for my maid..."

  The groom smiled.

  "It seems she's taking a while. Aren't you tired sitting here?"

  The princess nodded uncertainly.

  "Then let me take you back."

  A large hand reached out to her, and Evelyn, after some hesitation, took hold of it. The groom led her back to the palace. Just then, holding onto his calloused palm, the girl experienced an unusual warmth.