Chapter 6: The Saint’s Engagement
THE next day, Amelia decided to take the matter up with Luke. If the necklace caused the time loops, she might be able to resolve them somehow by reclaiming it from Prisca.
However, just as Amelia was preparing to leave the Fifth Palace, Prisca and the fourth consort marched up to her door, flanked as always by a large entourage of female attendants. Their frosty gazes converged on her like knives.
Amelia had always hated those gazes, which once terrified her. Fear had made her go along with the fourth consort and Prisca’s demands without much of a struggle, but she was a different woman now.
She knew that they were encircling her in a large crowd to overwhelm her with numbers. Amelia was in an undeniably vulnerable position, and they were flaunting their vast influence in her face to drive that point home and to secure the upper hand in a confrontation.
Helt’s explanation had cleared up some of Amelia’s questions. Prisca and the fourth consort detested her—but it wasn’t a judgment on Amelia as a person. They were foisting their loathing on her one-sidedly because she didn’t pay respect to them; she was an inconvenient obstacle in their way.
These people didn’t even recognize Amelia as an individual. Thus, she didn’t owe it to them to conform to their every whim.
Lifting her chin, Amelia stared squarely into their eyes with her strawberry orbs. There was a slight stir among the group. She slowly said, “Why are you here first thing in the morning? I’m pretty busy with fieldwork and weeding. If you have any business with me, don’t waste my time by standing around.”
For a split second, Prisca’s and the fourth consort’s expressions grew stormy, but they immediately regained their superficial smiles.
The fourth consort declared with pride, “Prisca has been recognized as a Saint.”
So? What about it? Amelia wasn’t impressed. Prisca had earned the title of Saint in a few of the previous time loops, so it wasn’t anything new. Furthermore, according to Helt, the royal family had a higher chance of producing a child with the aptitude of a Saint to begin with. Nothing about this news merited surprise.
“And?” Amelia prompted.
Before anything else, Amelia couldn’t figure out why the pair would go out of their way to announce that to her. Did they want to boast to her? Did they want to demand her reverence? Or did they want her to feel frustrated and bitter?
If that was the only thing they wished to achieve by swarming the Fifth Palace with such a great crowd… It almost led Amelia to believe they actually liked her very much. That said, if it were love, it seemed to be the pesky type steeped in envy, so she’d still rather stay away from them if possible.
But above that, Amelia was more concerned about Prisca’s necklace. Unfortunately, the other girl was wearing a dress with plenty of frills around her collar, and Amelia had trouble seeing whether Prisca was wearing it today.
“It appears you have yet to grasp the severity of the situation,” Prisca scoffed with contempt. Her expression felt more like that of a villainess than a heroine. Even without any love interests in the immediate area, Amelia thought that she could at least keep up appearances a little better.
Lifting her chin, the girl continued, smiling, “The sacred status of a Saint dictates that in most cases, she will become the king’s consort. However, I am a princess. In this situation, I would marry into a household that is only second to the royal family in prestige.”
The fourth consort took over from there with an equally wide smile. “Among the ducal houses, the lineages that are the most noble next to royalty, one household acts as their head—House Klein. Prisca, you see, is going to enter an engagement with the young lord of House Klein, Luke Klein.”
Amelia’s breathing hitched. “You’re lying… I’m the one who’s betrothed to Luke.”
“That’s currently the case, yes.” Prisca inclined her head. “But the Saint is given priority. It’s exactly how your mother secured the seat of the fifth consort, my dear sister.”
True, Amelia had heard the same story from Helt. Amelia’s mother had entered the royal palace as the fifth consort, despite being an orphan, because of her Saint status. It meant that being a Saint was regarded as more important than concepts such as birth or convention.
In a melodious voice, the fourth consort added, “In the near future, the engagement between Prisca and the young Lord Klein will become official. But you may rest assured—I will make sure to look for a suitable marriage candidate for you as well, Amelia. Oh my, perhaps becoming the second wife of a marquis, whose wife has passed away recently, might be a good idea. Now, he might be around the same age as His Majesty, but I must say that a man like him is almost too good for the daughter of the fifth consort.”
How is becoming the second wife of a man around my father’s age too good for me? Amelia retorted internally. However, a more pressing thought was occupying her mind—Luke and Prisca were going to become engaged. Was it just like she’d suspected? Was her bond with Luke going to be torn apart that easily just because Prisca wished for it?
Tears of sorrow threatened to brim over, but she clenched her jaw and held them in.
Luke had said that he’d fight fate with her. And so, she would place her faith in him. It was still too early to cry. I won’t lose. I can’t lose here!
Amelia raised her head and stared straight at the two women with her strawberry eyes. Prisca and the fourth consort faltered just a tad. “More importantly, Prisca. Give me back my necklace—my mother’s memento. If you claim that you are a noble and sacred Saint, then don’t steal other people’s possessions.”
Determined, Amelia held out her hand and made her appeal. The next moment, Prisca creased her brows. “Y-You are such a fussy woman. I shall head back with this!”
Prisca hurriedly turned on her heel. The fourth consort and the female attendants followed suit.
At this rate, she’s going to get away! Amelia’s eyes widened. She had to detain them somehow—the moment she had that thought, something red appeared beneath Prisca’s feet.
“Eeeeek?!” the younger girl yelped.
Before Amelia could register that the mystery substance was strawberry jam, Prisca slipped with a shriek and tumbled. Her bottom slammed onto the ground—no, the jam.
Amelia didn’t know whether it was because one of the female attendants had tried to help Prisca or whether Prisca had grabbed the woman on the spur of the moment, but the attendant also fell to her knees in the jam. The impact caused the necklace to sway out from Prisca’s collar for a split second, and Amelia saw that the stone’s color was a pale pea green. The color really has changed.
Seeing Prisca covered in jam, the fourth consort raised her voice. “Strawberries?! That means you must be responsible, Amelia?!” She furiously swung up her hand, ready to strike.
Without a moment’s delay, a shadowy silhouette appeared before Amelia. “If you have finished your business here, I humbly ask you to take your leave, Fourth Consort.”
Seeing Helt bow deeply to her, the fourth consort’s hand stilled. She glowered at Amelia. “Your betrothal is no more, and you cannot count on the young Lord Klein’s protection anymore. This is the last time you can act so full of yourself, Amelia.”
Like mother, like daughter—even their parting threats were similar. While Amelia was marveling at that fact, the group left the bounds of the Fifth Palace. The only things that remained were the strawberry jam splattered on the ground and a sugary fragrance.
Perhaps Amelia ought to have snatched back the necklace during the confrontation. However, being outnumbered, she’d figured that even if she’d succeeded, they’d only take it away from her again by force. If Prisca knew the necklace was the power source of the time loops, then there was even less chance that the younger girl would willingly part with it.
Besides, Amelia had a higher priority than that necklace right now.
She pressed her lips into a firm line. “I’ll go see Luke. I want to hear his side of the story from his own mouth.”
Even if everything was proceeding according to Luke’s route as dictated by the plot, she wasn’t going to surrender.
Her clenched fists trembled, and Helt, who must have noticed, gently stroked her head. “The front gates are likely locked shut, and the fourth consort will be watching it. I suggest we head from the rear exit.”
With a nod, Amelia marched away with Helt by her side.
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