15 More Than Qualified

"Earl Aetos?" Cassandra looked at the empress before she put her head down. "I have not met such a person. I wonder where the empress heard her such a thing"

[Not heard of him? How is that possible? I was the one who sent him. Did he ignore my command because this girl did not have any power?]

The empress looked at Cassandra to see if the girl was lying, but she could not determine if her fears were true or not.

"Then I must have heard something wrong." The empress moved, ignoring Cassandra as if the girl never existed.

The reason the empress was so eager to get Cassandra out of the castle was that she could not understand the girl. Cassandra was in existence which was never supposed to be born. All the concubines in the palace were the ones approved by the empress, but only Cassandra's mother was the lady she never knew.

Who knows where though the Emperor has gone and from where the child was brought in. The empress would have thought that Cassandra was not the daughter of the Emperor, she was not a royal but golden hair indication that she was one.

[I have to get rid of her. I have to come up with a solution first if Earl Aetos could not do my job and I have to find someone else.]

The empress took a final look towards Cassandra and made her move towards her daughter. The Empress was not happy with the way Duke Salvador was treating Princess Valeria. Right now she only had two missions, the first was to get Cassandra married, and the second was to get Duke Salvador and Valeria engaged.

Cassandra looked at the back of the Empress as she sighed. She could not come up with any reason to avoid the empress.

'I think there is only one solution. I have to get married.'

Cassandra was sure that she could not go out if it was not for this. There was only one thing in her mind: either sell herself or the empress would sell her without blinking her eyes.

Sometimes Cassandra wished that she had some power so that she could stand for her own rights but then again Cassandra knew that it was because she didn't have one that she was still alive.

Knowing that her mother was a powerless person who she had not really known was heartbreaking enough. The only reason the other princesses are alive was that they had a strong background. If they did not have one, Cassandra was sure that they would not have lived to see the sun.

Now that things have happened Cassandra looks forward to what her future may hold.

'I have to marry someone to get me away from this Empire. I don't know what I want anymore.'

Cassandra knew one thing that asking for love in her situation was not a good thing. No matter who she marries she would never be loved, and Cassandra had accepted this reality. All she wanted to do now was to find a man to settle. Someone with less power and influence. Or maybe someone who would take her in as a concubine and let her live her life secluded.

The aid who had finished with Princess Valeria's interview came forward as he started calling a princess at the time.

There was a sudden change in the air as everyone saw the empress take the first princess inside. No one knew what the aid would ask them, but it was much clearer that they had to give a satisfactory answer.

As soon as Cassandra's chance came, the fear of getting exposed baffled her. Cassandra looked at the ground as soon as the aid came towards her.

Making the royals feel like criminals was a crime. The thing that happened in the royal palace could have been ignored if not for the fact of the military observing it.

[I don't understand why Duke Salvador is taking this case so seriously. It is not the first time that maids have been burnt in the palace.]

As soon as Cassandra heard those words, she looked up at the aid in confusion. She had really not thought about it. The maids have always been dying when the royals did not manage their powers.

The stronger the power, it is more likely to be out of control.

[We have personally seen the one of the Prince browning a person as he was not able to control his wind power. Still, we did not investigate.]

The aid looked at Cassandra as he started asking the standard questions.

"You are the princess in the royal palace?"

"Yes." Cassandra nodded her head lightly.

"Which mage are you?"

"I have no powers whatsoever."

The aid looked at Cassandra as his eyes softened. He had known that there was a princess in the palace who was powerless but was not fortunate enough to meet her.

[She looks pretty first but if she doesn't have any power then she might not have been the culprit. Or maybe she is] the aid who looked at Cassandra as his eyes narrowed.

[People usually are surrounded by jealousy. Did the fifth princess do it because she was jealous of Princess Valeria? No, it's not possible. She looks so defenseless, like a little lamb.]

[But I have to come up with a solution. Duke Salvador has given the task to me so I should be giving a satisfactory report to him. I just cannot ignore asking questions to the fifth princess just because she has no affiliation towards any element.]

"Have you been to Princess Valeria's palace?"

"No" Cassandra shook her head as her voice turned low. "I am not allowed to go near the princess."

The aid's eyes turned low as it was scattered with pitifulness. "Why?"

Cassandra looked at him as if she was seeing a person who was not a part of this world. "Princess Valeria does not like to associate with the likes of me. I am not qualified enough."

The aid wanted to say that it was not true but his lips will see. Soon the surrounding temperature increased as a low voice was heard from behind the princess.

"I think the princess is more than qualified."

As soon as Cassandra heard those words her breath hitched. She knew who the person standing behind her was.