Chapter 10

It seemed like Tori had a hard time understanding what I meant. When I stopped and really thought about it, she and Rupert look so much alike... It's strange.

When looking at them - at face value - they don't have the same hair. Tori has dull blonde hair, and Rupert has his golden threads. But their shiny green eyes looked so much alike.

Blonde hair and green eyes aren't very rare, but they're also not very common.

"Come to think about it, Her Highness and Tori have the same eye color."

"Oh... that just happened—"

She became flustered. I decided not to pry further because it seemed like I had stepped on a landmine.

It just happened?

How can their eyes 'just happen' to have the same color?

"How can you say that? Her Highness is much prettier than me."

"Tori is also pretty."

Tori's humbleness made me shake my head. She was visibly startled and immediately looked down with a red-hot face. She bent down and crouched, covering her face, but her ears also turned red, so she couldn't hide it. I laughed out loud because it felt like I was playing with a younger sister I never had.

"I'll help you serve Her Highness, so please look after me as well."

"That... I'm not qualified to—"

"Hmm? Not qualified? But Her Highness said that we're both maids."

"But you're Bellua's Young Lady."

Right now, Rapherette seemed to trust and care more about Tori than she did for me, so here in the Imperial Palace, she would be of higher rank than me. After a while, I opened my mouth as I looked at Tori's face, which was bright red that looked as if it would burst from being so red.

I think I can get an answer now.

"You came to my birthday party instead of Her Highness, right?"

"Oh yes."

"I don't remember sending Her Highness an invitation, so how were you able to come?"

"It was an invitation for Princess Nigelle, but I secretly got it and gave it to Her Highness."

She stole someone else's invitation.

I was a little surprised, but I didn't ask her why because she hesitated and didn't say anything yet.

"I'm sorry."

"No... anyone can go to my birthday party... but can you tell me why?"

"It seemed like Her Highness needed to tell Count Bellua something."

"My father?"

"She went to the last meeting of the nobility, but the Count wasn't there, so she couldn't meet him."

What does he want from my father?

It wasn't known by everyone that he was a man yet, but what could Princess Rapherette want from my father?

I wasn't thrilled at the feeling of being thrown into a maze again and again. I wanted to ask Tori more about it, but I changed the subject because I figured that her actions were purely just to help Rapherette, and she didn't really know anything.

"Alright. But do you know why she sent you instead?"

"She was sick that day."

"Is Her Highness that weak?"

"No... it's just that... she gets sick often."

It doesn't make sense to say that he often gets sick even though his body isn't weak. After hearing Tori's vague answers, my blood pressure rose up again, and I spoke,

"Then what was the reason Tori went to my party? Did you really want to help me celebrate?"

"There was someone there who piqued her curiosity, and she wanted to see what they looked like."

"Who?"

"Sorry, I can't say that."

Her eyes watered after she said that. If I kept prying, she might give me an answer, but I decided to wait and be patient for now. She seems to like me, but she doesn't trust me yet.

"It's alright... let's go."

Tori and I went out into the hallway, but Rapherette wasn't there anymore. Lord Baden went out today, so he won't be back until later.

Tori took me to my room. She was nice and wanted to help me and tried to enter the room with me, but I shooed her away, saying she did not need to do so.

First, Rapherette and Tori seem to get along better than I thought they would.

She was very shy, but it was hard to think the reason was because of Rapherette's verbal abuse. She didn't look like she was afraid of her. She wasn't old enough to be swept up in a strange and sweet-flowing current of love, but he might adore her and have some sort of affection between them.

Father never mentioned Princess Rapherette's existence to me.

What kind of conversation would they have?

Did my father somehow meet Rapherette at some point?

Maybe his most recent attempt was the last one.

I was biting my nails as a form of fidgeting because I was so nervous. I thought meeting her would help me figure out how to act in the future, but it didn't.

It was the first day I entered the Palace, I'm not used to this.

I'm a light sleeper, so, I barely even slept.