Chapter 23. Don’t do something you will regret later

Remesis thought she would feel the same way, having already been through it once.

'This is an imperial city...'

No, it didn't feel like it. She definitely felt different. As the girl watched the imperial building approaching, goosebumps involuntarily ran down her back. It was a palace located in the central area, only the highest ranking individuals were allowed to set foot inside.

Remesis entered this luxurious territory that housed a palace that did not yet have a master.

— I bow to the princess of the north.

All the servants who served in this palace came out and bowed their heads. Could it be that they were all assigned to serve her? It really seemed unbelievable.

Remesis also saw many frescoes painted on the high ceiling that she could memorise fluently. The splendour of throwing money around here was really just mind-boggling.

'Who would have thought that I would ever find myself in a place like this?'

The backwater palace where she had lived for a while within the Imperial City as a very young girl. Is there any point in saying that it was impossible to compare the two places? It was truly strange when she entered here again, but already as a new person. Even the number of employees was strikingly different. To be more precise, in the previous palace that Remesis had had the chance to live in, there were none at all.

— This residence is called the Sun Grotto Palace. The princess of the north will stay here. — said the servant who escorted her here.

— Good,'' the girl nodded.

— ...Does the princess have any other errands for me? — The man asked, visibly nervous.

— No, it's all right. You can go now.

— Thank you, Your Highness!

After the emperor's servant left them, Remesis went inside and looked around the front room on the ground floor. It was the most spacious and luxurious room in the palace. She then gradually went round all the rooms that were in here.

The bedroom was very spacious.

There was a separate reception room and sitting room for receiving guests, as well as two bathrooms and a huge terrace for exquisite tea drinking. The view was very good.

'It's beautiful.'

The wide window was open and the curtains swayed, revealing a breathtaking view. The imperial garden was magnificently decorated nearby. There was also a view of the river flowing in the distance.

Since it was one of the tallest buildings, Remesis could see the centre of the imperial city without obstruction.

— Your Highness. — The commander of the fortress, who was beside her at this moment, was mesmerised by the view as much as she was. — Even the best luxury room of a prestigious family can't compare to this place!

— Huh. Really?

— Of course! It's better than the emperor's room.

Although these words of the knight seemed a bit exaggerated to Remesis, but to a certain extent, she could agree that this place was indeed worthy of some sort of admiration. After all, it was not for nothing that this palace was located in the central area, where members of the imperial family resided, among others. Just a few years ago, who would have believed that someone like her would be able to live here?

— Your Highness, after all this time, we are back in the palace, ' Hannes continued, 'Doesn't this bring back special memories for you?

— Memories? What kind of memories are you talking about? — The princess chuckled softly, 'How I was embarrassed at the banquet? Or... how my older brother slapped me on the head in public?

As Remesis listed all these things that had happened to them during the previous trip, Hannes' expression became more and more confused.

— Princess, and why do you only remember the bad things? — He said annoyingly, 'Wouldn't it be better to think of something good instead?

— Good? Hmm... Has anything good ever happened to me here?

— Princess!

The princess of the north laughed quietly again as her knight's tone became annoyed.

— Good. We've travelled a long way. It's a good time to rest.

— Are you going to take a nap? Shall I put guards at the entrance?

— No, not exactly. I'm going to take a little walk first.

— A walk?

— Yes. I got a little carsick on the journey. So it would be good to get some fresh air.

The knight pressed his lips together and nodded at her.

— That's fine. I understand. In that case, I'll take care of your things for now.

— Thank you.

Hannes Wrightly bowed low to her, and Remesis simply nodded back at him. This simple gesture was so elegant that the servants who were watching them at that moment were involuntarily left stunned. Who would have thought that a princess who had lived in the far north since childhood could possess such perfect manners? She was no different from the aristocrats living in the capital.

— Wow... — The maids, who were stiff at first, carelessly opened their mouths in admiration.

Belatedly realising that they had said it out loud, the girls simultaneously bowed their heads, blushing.

— I apologise, Your Highness...

The maids continued to whisper as if mesmerised. They could not contain their emotions. Remesis only smiled briefly.

— Can you help me change my clothes?

— Yes, of course!

— Thank you,' the princess of the north said only one word, but the maids' ears turned red.

Their mistress was so dazzling that it was hard to believe that the rumours surrounding her were true. A cursed woman who had married the devil himself and now held the entire empire in awe. But at a glance, it was hard to believe that the imperial family's daughter-in-law was really the harbinger of chaos itself. Rather, she was more like a beautiful fairy.

The touches of the women dressing Remesis were quick and soft. Soon everything was ready.

A walk was a very useful thing through which to put one's thoughts in order. Having dealt with all the primary tasks associated with their arrival, Remesis decided to take a short walk in the imperial garden, rumours of its splendour spreading far beyond the palace. It was a blessing that the weather was clear today.

It had been a long time since she had last walked amongst flowers and trees rather than the cold landscape of the north. The beautiful flowers swayed in the wind as if their sole purpose was to attract the attention of the princess of the north. However, the uneasy thoughts that dwelled in the girl's mind because of all the things that had happened to her recently, prevented her from fully appreciating the beauty of this garden.

Worry about the situation with Asil, who hadn't responded to her letters lately, the banquet at the imperial palace that was to be held in the very near future. Even now, she couldn't know what awaited her there. Would she be able to find out anything? Remesis took a deep breath.

She had already made her move anyway, so looking back now was a waste of time.

Raising her head, Remesis looked at the clear sky indifferently. The sun was particularly hot today.

As she strolled aimlessly, she didn't notice how she had walked much further than she had originally planned.

— Ah. What's that?

The girl stopped for a moment as she inadvertently caught a strange sight. At first, she thought she had misheard, but there was indeed some kind of rustling coming from behind the bushes. There were no animals in the Emperor's garden, and Remesis also highly doubted that such sounds could be made by birds. So she decided to move closer to make sure.

— ...I beg your pardon?

Yes, her hunch turned out to be correct. It was indeed a person.

The young lady, suddenly feeling someone else's gaze on her, reflexively raised her head. The expression on her face immediately became distorted. She seemed to be as surprised by this encounter as Remesis herself.

At that moment there was silence in the air.

The girl held her breath and looked worried about something. Remesis, however, slowly approached her and knelt down. After a moment's hesitation, the princess of the north spoke cautiously:

— I beg your pardon. Are you not feeling well?

— No, I am not...

— You must be nauseous.

The girl turned sharply pale, as she mentally wondered how Remesis could have known that.

- ...

Remesis meanwhile looked at her intently. Although this girl seemed somewhat clumsy from the outside, but if one assessed her appearance as a whole, she was definitely a noble lady. This girl must have been one of the guests who had arrived at the foundation day banquet.

Her red hair was arranged in a slightly dishevelled style, and her brown eyes seemed worried and scared at this moment. Her build was average, but leaned more towards thin, and her complexion was also an unhealthy earthy shade. Remesis took a fleeting glance at her and realised it almost immediately. She took a deep breath.

— Can I ask you one thing?

The girl in front of her looked defenseless, so Remesis decided not to push her too hard.

— You just induced yourself to vomit, didn't you?

— W-what...? — the girl seemed dumbfounded by the question.

— Just answer me the truth, ' Remesis sighed, 'I'm not going to tell anyone about this.

— ...

But the girl continued to remain silent, as if all words were stuck in her throat at that moment.

— All right, ' after a brief silence the princess's gaze softened, 'I won't insist if you don't want me to. Don't worry about it.

After that, she pulled something out of her pocket.

— Here you go, ' Remesis said softly as she gently held out her handkerchief to her. After hesitating, the girl hesitantly took the handkerchief from her hand.

'.....'

The young lady with red hair continued to remain silent, watching her worriedly.

— Promise me you won't do that again. It won't lead to anything good.

After saying that, the girl opened her mouth to say something for the first time ever.

— But how... How did you know about it? — With a stammering voice, she asked again.

— Just... I know what I'm talking about because I've experienced something like this before, ' Remesis smiled weakly at her.

Remesis had indeed had problems with an eating disorder in her previous life, so she could distinguish at a glance the signs that accompanied such behaviour. The girl had unknowingly continued to do it throughout her years of living in the northern castle. All because it was a way for her to get rid of the stress that constantly accompanied Remesis during her first life. Back then, she hadn't even thought of it as something bad. It was perhaps only in this life that she had been able to make a sensible assessment of how unhealthy her behaviour had been.

As time had passed since she had left that bad habit behind, Remesis really couldn't remain indifferent when she saw someone with similar symptoms. Perhaps it was because at this moment, this girl reminded her of herself from the past.

— I have to leave now. Please take care of yourself from now on.

Remesis stood up and headed towards the exit of the imperial garden. But the girl still remained in the bushes. Then she belatedly stood up, still clutching the handkerchief in her hands. For a while, the girl remained in place, looking after the departing princess of the north. 'I don't know who she is... But she's such a nice person.'

'I guess I should have asked her name,' she muttered quietly.

At that moment someone approached her. It was the maid who had been looking for her mistress all this time.

— Your Highness, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere! — complained the panting maid.

Aveline Nevita Ashelot turned round and smiled guiltily at her.

— Oh, Zoe... I'm sorry I didn't warn you. My head ached a bit, so I decided to take a little walk in the garden to unwind.

— Your headache? It still hurts? — she asked.

— No, it's fine now.

The Crown Princess's personal maid sighed in relief.

— Your Highness, in any case...'' We should be getting back now,'' she said, ''The Emperor has summoned you.

The Crown Princess nodded at her words and was about to follow the maid when she remembered what she was holding in her hand. The handkerchief she was holding belonged to the girl she had just met by chance in the garden.

'What am I going to do with it?' — Aveline was at a loss.

The moment she was contemplating what to do with the item, the princess remembered the kind smile of that stranger. Aveline hesitated for a moment, and then nodded to herself. 'Good... Then I can give it back to her later.'

In the end, she decided to keep the handkerchief for herself.