If one had to pick the most precious place in the Imperial Capital, it would
undoubtedly be the Imperial Palace. It was where the Emperor resided and
where imperial affairs were conducted.
However, unusually, today, there were two princesses, both highly envied
by the imperial citizens, gathered there, filled with hostility towards each
other.
"Solana. Have you finally lost your mind?"
Hedera said, wiping her eyes with her index finger.
But there was no response.
Hedera had to ask again.
"Answer me, have you lost your mind?"
Ordinary people would have collapsed just facing Hedera's sharp question,
but Solana maintained a benevolent face as if nothing was wrong.
"2nd Princess, I am perfectly sane."
Her tone was extremely calm.
It seemed like she was trying to calm the situation, but Hedera could tell
from the unyielding hostility.
Solana seemed determined to go all the way.
…Like pouring oil on a burning house and fanning the flames.
"After all, I never said anything wrong, did I?"
"…What?"
Hedera asked back unconsciously. It was such an unusual situation that her
thoughts slowed for a moment.
The 2nd Princess was about to ask something more, but Solana continued
speaking very gently.
"I was the one who consistently showed interest in the Teacher, brought him
from the village to the capital, and recommended him for the position of
auditor of the Imperial Tower."
In fact, Solana had been uncomfortable since the contest.
Jaekiel was Solana's respected teacher and beloved man. However, when he
was severely injured, her past fears resurfaced.
─We cannot guarantee a cure.
─It is still too much for the 3rd Princess's holy power…
An uncertain future, her own insufficient abilities, and her teacher, who
seemed precarious… The anxiety she had been suppressing that day surged
back.
Eventually, a psychological defense mechanism similar to a defensive
mindset kicked in.
The Teacher had done nothing wrong.
Yes, the bad ones were the fox-like people who rushed in and created
misfortune around the Teacher. So, let's get rid of them all to ensure safety.
How logical this was, how right… Such things didn't really matter. Solana
found it hard to endure otherwise.
Solana parted her lips again.
"2nd Princess, you're showing great interest in the Teacher now. Why?
Have you finally finished your calculations? Does the trashy Imperial
Tower now look like a pot of honey?"
"Stop saying unnecessary things. It's not just about the Imperial Tower, but
also about repaying the Auditor's kindness towards me…"
Hedera continued, unsure where to start explaining, but then suddenly
realized something significant.
She began to piece together the puzzle in her mind.
Could it be that what Jaekiel truly wanted was Hedera's happiness?
The evidence was abundant—the Auditor's actions and the contents of his
letter all pointed to this truth.
…Although Solana had put in so much effort, Jaekiel was working for
Hedera's happiness. Was this the real reason Solana couldn't help but be
angry?
At least, that was how Hedera understood the situation.
"…"
As soon as she realized this, all her anger vanished, and a sense of ease
emerged. Unlike before, she could now look at Solana with an expression,
as if she were seeing something insignificant.
The superiority of knowing Jaekiel's affection was directed at her?
The sadistic desire to make the arrogant Solana kneel?
Or the desire for revenge for breaking the rules?
Probably all three.
Hedera soon chuckled.
"Okay, Solana. Now I understand your feelings."
But her tone was never that of empathy. Behind Hedera's mask was
ridicule.
"Now you're anxious and nervous. Is that it?"
Solana shook her head.
"Stop with the strange speculations. I just find it bothersome that the 2nd
Princess is acting opportunistically…"
"A woman who only looks for opportunities, changes her attitude according
to the situation, and is obsessed. No matter how you look at it, that's you."
Those words seemed to slightly break Solana's composure.
Solana's expression, which had only looked benevolent, gradually
hardened. She stared at Hedera in that state, but Hedera continued speaking,
undeterred.
"You thought making him an auditor would only bring good things, but
seeing him work only for me makes you impatient? So much so that you're
blinded by jealousy."
"…"
"I'm talking about you."
Hedera's eyes curved into a crescent.
"You want the Auditor to do well, but you don't want him to get hurt, and
you don't want other women approaching him in the meantime… Why are
you so indecisive?"
"Is it bad to have those feelings at the same time? It may not be ideal, but I
think it's normal."
"Yes, those feelings aren't wrong."
The expressions of the two women began to contrast.
Solana's expression continued to harden, while a mocking smile gradually
spread across Hedera's eyes.
"But you know."
Hedera spat out each word as if delivering a sentence.
"The point is that you think you deserve to be rewarded for just waiting.
That's what's wrong with you."
"Waiting is also a virtue. You may not understand that."
"Is waiting that great? Not at all."
Hedera shook her head.
"You can't achieve anything. Because you're not great, you have no choice
but to wait. It's a sign of powerlessness."
Hedera, who was abandoned as a child for waiting.
Solana, who was rewarded as a child for waiting.
The paths drawn by their lives were vastly different, so their beliefs about
waiting were also bound to differ.
Hedera muttered as if chewing and spitting out.
"If you just wait, it's natural to have things taken from you."
"…Thief."
Solana showed strong hostility, but Hedera was no longer displeased.
Rather, the more Solana acted like that, the better Hedera felt.
"Why? Did I explain it too bluntly? And don't just think I'm taking the
Auditor away. This is ultimately for the public good."
Solana let out a hollow laugh, as if finding it absurd.
"Public good? How is this pursuing the public good?"
"The more I take care of the Auditor, the more the Imperial Tower will
develop, and the Ascension Ceremony preparations will proceed steadily. If
this isn't pursuing the public good, then what is?"
"The 2nd Princess is always like that. In the end, it's all about fulfilling
your own selfish desires, but you always wrap it up grandly."
Solana's voice trembled slightly.
It was evidence that the anger she was holding back was not small.
"When the 2nd Princess becomes a dragon, isn't she the one who benefits
the most? It's not for the public good; it's to take even one more thing."
"To take? No, it's to avoid losing."
"Plausible words, rationalization, pretending to be good… I get it now.
You're not a thief. You're a shameless robber."
It was the first time Solana had revealed her emotions so honestly, but
Hedera could remain calm while facing it all.
The fact that Solana was gradually losing her benevolent expression. In
other words, it meant Hedera was gaining the upper hand.
"Solana, don't think of the Auditor as your creation. He was someone who
would shine no matter what."
"So that's why you neglected him all along? Thinking that way, it seems
you can rationalize your past quite well."
"It's much more important what you can do for the Auditor in the future
than how you've treated him so far."
Solana, who had consistently kept her feelings.
Hedera, who was now ready to do a lot.
Their positions were so different, and they confronted each other fiercely.
Solana and Hedera both thought they hadn't made any mistakes. At least,
they believed their respective convictions were absolutely not wrong.
"You, who will stay here, and I, who will soon take a place in the Celestial
Realm, it's obvious who can do better things. So…"
"…Stop rationalizing."
At some point, Solana interrupted Hedera.
At the same time, she dug into the gap.
"2nd Princess, if you're so great, and if you can do good things, why do you
keep receiving help?"
"What?"
For a moment, doubt appeared in Hedera's eyes, but Solana continued
speaking calmly in a low tone.
"You received help with the Royal Treasury spirit's rampage, with
interpreting dragon words… The 2nd Princess, who is supposedly so great
and can do good things, why do you only receive help?"
Hedera was at a loss for words.
"You rationalize that it's okay if you compensate later, but in the end,
you've never given anything. You're just exploiting the Teacher with a good
facade."
Thinking about it, she wasn't wrong.
We live in the present, not in the future.
Even the future, when experienced, becomes the present.
Hedera was caught up in the thought of doing something great in the future.
But at the present moment, hadn't she failed to offer even a kind word or a
single encouragement?
…What have I actually done?
Solana clicked her tongue.
"It means stop clinging. You parasitic bitch."
Solana's final blow.
With that, the tide turned again.
Hedera instantly lost the composure she had been maintaining. She could
only retaliate, eyes wide open.
"You, claiming to be a saint, can't even distinguish what to say and what
not to say?"
"It's natural for a blasphemous person to hear harsh words."
"…You really want to do this, huh?"
Hedera's pupils slit vertically.
The entire space began to shake with her momentum, but Solana did not
back down either. She emitted an unusually sharp golden aura.
Crack! Snap!
Cracks began to form on the dining hall floor.
Clang!
The dishes on the table began to fall one by one.
"Solana, you really…"
"The 2nd Princess is finally revealing her true colors."
At that moment, when they seemed about to clash.
Hedera spat out a clever plan.
"Fine. Then let's ask the person involved."
The gazes of the two women quickly turned towards a man.
"Auditor, you choose."
The question he wanted to avoid so much.
"…Is it me or Solana?"
In the end, that question arrived.
"…"
Had he ever faced such a difficult problem in his life? He prided himself on
having gone through countless extreme missions, but he had never faced a
mission like this.
"…"
Jaekiel quietly chewed his Sun Grass.
'…Why wasn't I in my right mind?'
It was a moment when he truly wondered about himself.