CHAPTER 037
The white smoke rising like a mirage from the shattered golden egg in the emperor's hand dissipated into the air.
"The Red Chaos bird's golden egg has broken! An egg that can't even be broken with a stone—what is going on?"
One of the candidates couldn't hide her astonishment and exclaimed, causing the other candidates to start whispering among themselves.
"Then, this egg must be a fake... Hiccup."
The princess from the Shatel Kingdom voiced what everyone was thinking, and when she met the Empress Dowager's venomous gaze, she started hiccuping.
"Oh my, the Red Chaos bird's golden egg has broken so easily. Arabelle, can you explain this?"
The emperor's red eyes flickered with amusement as he looked at Arabelle, who was staring at the powdery gold and red fragments.
"Princess Lilibet's golden egg wasn't made from a Red Chaos bird's egg, but from a red-tailed finch's egg."
Uncomfortable with the intense gazes on her, Arabelle's cheeks were flushed as she answered the emperor's question.
The red-tailed finch's egg was notorious for being used to create fake versions of Red Chaos bird eggs. The red-tailed finch's egg had a similar color and size to the Red Chaos bird's egg, making it a popular choice for counterfeit gem eggs.
Especially recently, as the technique of gold plating (coating) with impurities like copper had advanced, crimes involving fake eggs had surged dramatically.
These crimes involved trading fake eggs for prices equivalent to that of an ordinary house, and the authorities were struggling to find ways to distinguish them.
"How did you know that this egg was made from a red-tailed finch's egg?"
"The Red Chaos bird abandons its nest after laying its eggs, so the top of the egg is slightly more pointed than usual because it doesn't have the pressure marks from the mother's weight. And unlike other bird eggs, when placed on a flat surface, it can't stand upright and falls over."
Arabelle explained slowly, looking at the shattered egg in the emperor's hand.
"On the other hand, the red-tailed finch stays with its eggs until they hatch, and since it takes about three times longer for the red-tailed finch eggs to hatch, the eggs develop a stable base from the mother's weight, allowing them to stand upright on flat surfaces."
Arabelle briefly glanced at the emperor's red eyes before continuing.
"Just like when Your Majesty placed the egg on your palm, and it stood upright without losing its balance."
"Did you know the difference...?"
The emperor's eyebrows raised in surprise, mirroring the astonishment of everyone gathered. Arabelle's eyes reddened as she nodded slightly.
In the continent, the process of making gem eggs from bird eggs began just before they were about to hatch. Unlike the cold-hearted Red Chaos bird, the red-tailed finch and similar birds were subjected to this cruel act.
Arabelle approached the emperor and formed a hollow with her two hands under his. It was a gesture asking for the remaining powder fragments. The emperor tilted his hand, letting the fragments fall into Arabelle's cupped hands.
"A red-tailed finch with strong maternal instincts covers its eggs with red tears when they are taken away. No matter how the egg changes, the mother doesn't lose hope of finding it. The egg develops red spots in the sunlight. Just like the faint red dots seen in the golden waves when Your Majesty held the egg in the sunlight. The mother would have stayed near the egg for a while."
How heartbreaking it must have been for the mother bird, thinking of the chick inside that couldn't hatch and died. Arabelle's voice choked with emotion as she knelt by the pond and scattered the fragments into the water.
Her actions seemed almost sacred, silencing those who had ridiculed and attacked her. The soft sounds of sniffling from some maids and guards could be heard quietly.
"Fly freely and go to your mother now," Arabelle whispered tenderly. The pond seemed to understand her words, creating a gentle ripple that carried the fragments away.
The emperor's voice was gentle as he asked, "Did you know the egg would break if you poured pond water on it?"
"Yes... The red-tailed finch's egg is vulnerable to fire and water, especially acidic water like pond water. If it were made of pure gold, it wouldn't have broken so easily. But an egg coated with fake gold mixed with impurities breaks immediately when exposed to acidic water."
Arabelle turned to face Princess Lilibet, who was glaring at her with venom.
"Knowing that Princess Lilibet's gem egg was fake, do you think I would have instructed Rosa to steal it? An egg that could be bought at the market?"
Though still polite, Arabelle's voice was firm.
Arabelle's words made sense. Princess Lilibet's claim now appeared to be a baseless accusation against Arabelle. The Empress Dowager's lips twitched as if to retort, but she could not find the words and clenched her fists until they turned white.
"In that case..."
The Grand Duchess of Lusson stepped forward with a twisted smile. If she couldn't attack Arabelle, she could still target another competitor.
"Are you saying that Princess Lilibet falsely accused Arabelle? How could such a thing happen...!"
The Grand Duchess raised her voice in feigned shock, and Lady Grace quickly understood her aunt's intention and chimed in.
"Arabelle is right. Why would she steal a cheap egg knowing it was fake? The whole story never made sense."
Lady Grace nudged the daughter of Baron Hawthorne, who then exclaimed in exaggerated disbelief,
"Honestly, it was suspicious. How could Arabelle's maid enter Princess Lilibet's bedroom without permission? Where were Princess Lilibet's maids?"
The tide turned swiftly. Led by Lady Grace, her supporters began to voice their anger, denouncing Princess Lilibet for trying to frame Arabelle and her maid.
They now denied ever supporting Princess Lilibet, just moments ago standing silently behind her.
"Even though she is the Empress Dowager's niece, such false accusations cannot be tolerated. A thorough investigation must be conducted."
The Grand Duchess of Lusson spoke with a sinister smile behind her fan.
Smack, the sound of a sharp slap echoed around the pond.
"Ah...!"
Princess Lilibet's personal maid fell to the ground, her cheek struck by the Empress Dowager.
"You wretched girl! I knew you would betray the princess! You did this, didn't you? You planned this to put both the princess and Arabelle in trouble!"
"E-Empress Dowager..."
The maid, too shocked to stand, stammered. The Empress Dowager's voice rang out in furious indignation.
“How dare you try to speak with that filthy mouth? Shut up before I tear your lips apart! You stole the real golden egg and tried to pin the blame on Lady Arabelle’s maid! You misled Princess Lilibet, telling her that Arabelle ordered it!”
It was indeed the Empress Dowager. She was skilled in shifting the blame from her niece onto her maid.
The Emperor watched the performance of the Empress Dowager and her maids with amusement, a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.
“Y-yes, Aunt. Now that I think about it, Annie came to see Lady Arabelle’s maid and… yes, Annie brought Rosa to my chamber and plotted all this! Yes, it was Annie who framed Rosa and tried to sow discord between me and Lady Arabelle!”
Though not very bright, Lilibet was quick to catch on to the Empress Dowager's intentions. She pointed at her maid, Annie, without any guilt, despite Annie having served her faithfully since birth.
The Empress Dowager quickly signaled the other two maids, who knelt and cried out.
“We are sorry. We suspected Annie and were watching her closely, but we failed to protect Princess Lilibet. Please punish us for our negligence. It was Annie who brought Rosa to the princess’s chamber and framed her.”
“Yes, now that I recall, I saw Annie taking something out of the princess’s wardrobe a few days ago. I should have inspected her pocket then… it was my fault.”
Then, Annie slowly rose to her feet and spoke in a voice resigned to her fate.
“Please kill me. I was blinded by the precious golden egg… and committed an unforgivable sin against the princess. I stole the golden egg, replaced it with a fake one, and framed Rosa. It was I who made Princess Lilibet suspicious of Lady Arabelle.”
Closing her eyes, Annie added,
“Princess Lilibet knew nothing. She, like Lady Arabelle, is a victim.”
No one believed the words of the Empress Dowager, Princess Lilibet, and her maids, but they could not voice their doubts. With Annie’s confession, the matter was seemingly resolved.
However, the eyes of the other young ladies and maids gleamed with hostility as they looked at Princess Lilibet. The ladies confirmed that the princess could falsely accuse anyone she disliked and that the Empress Dowager would go to any lengths to protect her.
All the maids, including those serving the princess’s allies, realized that Lilibet could discard them as easily as she had discarded her loyal maid of twenty-one years.
The young ladies’ maids who had received fake golden eggs from the princess understood that they could end up like Rosa at any moment.
Meanwhile, the gazes directed at Arabelle by the ladies around the lake were mixed with various emotions. They began to suspect that she had been hiding her abilities all along. They now looked at the previously ostracized and ignored noblewoman with a hint of fear.
In contrast, the maids, unlike their mistresses, were astonished by the small but courageous lady who risked everything to protect her maid. They watched Arabelle with a newfound respect.
Especially the maids of Princess Lilibet, who knew the whole truth, looked enviously at the maids standing behind Arabelle.
The royal maids and soldiers who witnessed the entire commotion were impressed by Arabelle's calm demeanor and deep knowledge, eager to spread the tale of today's events.
The Empress Dowager and the Grand Duchess both thought as they glared at Arabelle. She was no easy opponent.
“Your Majesty, please remove that criminal from the palace. The fact that she was chosen as the princess’s personal maid is an embarrassment to me and the Kingdom of Seville. For my sake, please act swiftly.”
The Empress Dowager bowed her head and pleaded, while the Emperor nodded with a gentle smile.
At the Emperor’s signal, the soldiers hurriedly released Rosa and lifted Annie from the ground.
“Wait.”
A firm, low voice echoed around the lake.
“It seems some are unaware that the consort selection competition began after yesterday’s banquet.”
The Emperor tilted his chin slightly and continued.
“Today’s incident in the palace will also be included in the competition’s scoring, so report the details to the competition committee.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kyle, the aide, bowed and responded.
“W-what do you mean by that?”
The Empress Dowager’s face turned pale as she asked.
The Emperor answered nonchalantly,
“You are well aware, aren’t you? The competition is not only about tests. Everything that happens in the palace during the competition is scored. How will this situation be calculated?”
Kyle responded without hesitation to the Emperor's question.
“The committee will make an official announcement, but according to the competition regulations, Lady Arabelle will receive a special score of 25 points for resolving the incident in the palace. Although it was a misunderstanding, Princess Lilibet will be penalized 25 points for false accusations and slander against a candidate. Lady Margaret, who sided with her, will lose 15 points.”
“This is absurd…! Lilibet is also a victim! This is unfair!”
The Empress Dowager raised her voice to protest over Lilibet’s sobs, but the Emperor shrugged indifferently.
“As you know, the competition is not my jurisdiction. However.”
The Emperor’s red eyes turned cold as he gazed at the Empress Dowager and each young lady, issuing a warning. The previously gentle and kind air around him became chilling, causing goosebumps and instilling a suffocating sense of fear.
“Those present here should be grateful that this incident is not my concern. I trust your clever minds understood my meaning.”
Even the Empress Dowager and the Grand Duchess were silenced, bowing their heads under the Emperor’s overwhelming charisma.
The Emperor’s face resumed its gentle, handsome expression as he said,
“I intended to enjoy a pleasant lunch with the young ladies, but time has flown. I must return to my office to attend to state affairs.”
At the Emperor’s words, the young ladies glared at Princess Lilibet. If only she had not orchestrated this incident, they could have dined with the Emperor and perhaps won his favor. They ground their teeth in frustration at the missed opportunity.
Arabelle looked down in disappointment as the Emperor turned to leave through the main palace gate… then he paused and gave a dry command to Arabelle’s maid, Vera.
“I will be making a private visit to the capital today. Ensure that Lady Arabelle is prepared to accompany me. Her skill in identifying counterfeit jeweled eggs will be useful in apprehending a gang of fraudsters. We may not return tonight, so make the necessary arrangements.”
“Yes, Your Majesty! Do not worry! I will prepare the lady most beautifully, no, I mean, I will prepare her suitably for the outing!”
Vera clenched her fists with determination, vowing to dress her lady even more beautifully than for the banquet. She resolved to bring the bridal nightgown from the boutique in Count Lorel’s village.
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