Chapter 32
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32
The White Ivory Tower.
A dream for countless scholars and a treasure trove of the world’s knowledge.
However…
‘I don’t even have time to appreciate it.’
There were simply too many people milling about.
‘And the atmosphere is surprisingly tense.’
The number of scholars, students, and their attendants residing in the White Ivory Tower was already substantial, but now the Empress, the Crown Prince, and even the Second Imperial Prince were visiting.
Add to that the Imperial knights, soldiers, maids, and servants…
‘And why are there so many Frezier knights?’
When the Grand Duke said he would provide an escort, I had imagined five or six men. That would have been more than enough for a lady’s protection.
It wasn’t as if I were heading to the wilderness or the borderlands; I was visiting the White Ivory Tower, a place where refined scholars dedicated themselves to research and learning.
‘This is practically a whole platoon.’
I glanced back at the knights following me. It looked as though Grand Duke Asis Frezier had sliced off half the order he’d brought to the capital and handed them to me.
‘Well, there are plenty of nobles around. This works out.’
Strictly speaking, I was only fifteen and hadn't had my debutante ball yet. However, I was the granddaughter of Grand Duke Frezier—someone who didn't need to stand at stiff attention just because the Imperial family was present.
Of course, I was also the "wild horse" of the Grand Ducal House, with various rumors trailing behind me like a tail. Even if my treatment within the Grand Duke’s castle was changing, no one in the capital’s social circle knew that yet.
But by bringing such a large contingent of knights, I was indirectly demonstrating that my standing within the family was far better than before.
I shared a brief greeting with the Dean of the White Ivory Tower, who had rushed out to meet us. He seemed more flustered by my presence than by Schuls Schmidt, who was returning after a long absence.
‘Though he seems more taken aback by Luc Kelposher, who followed me here, than by me.’
Thanks to Luc’s efficiency, the complicated greetings were concluded swiftly.
The Dean presented me with a temporary pass to the "Sky Library," the pride of the White Ivory Tower, which was said to be capable of holding a hundred thousand people.
Schuls Schmidt gave me a slight smile, excused himself, and headed inside with the Vice-Dean. Luc also looked busy, likely having much to discuss with the Chancellor.
“Luc. I want to go see the library.”
“Ah, then I shall attend to you immediately—”
“No. Finish your conversation. I think one or two knights will be plenty. This is the noble White Ivory Tower, after all.”
When I said that while looking at the Dean, he seemed secretly proud. Luc signaled to the knights and saw me off.
‘Now then.’
Male Lead Candidate 1.
Time to go meet the Crown Prince.
But before that.
“…Could you follow me from a bit further back?”
“We have a duty to provide close protection, My Lady.”
When I spoke to the two knights sticking to me like glue, a disciplined answer immediately flew back.
“Then could you stay at a distance from which you could reach me in an instant if something happened?”
They moved back one meter.
“Is that the furthest you can run in an instant?”
Two meters.
“Are you sure you’re knights and not just common soldiers?”
Fifty meters.
“Good.”
Deciding to compromise at that distance, I pretended to walk toward the library before slipping down a side path.
Where would the Crown Prince be?
Of course, I had memorized his locations long ago while playing The Milk Bread.
* * *
‘Nothing beats a shortcut.’
Passing through a path lined with white flowers that looked like fallen snow, I quickly arrived at the very back of the Sky Library.
‘This is a place only accessible to the Dean, the elders of the Pneuma, and direct members of the Imperial family.’
It was also a place the "former" Empress was said to have loved.
Olivia, the first Empress of the current Emperor Alexander. It was said she frequently visited the White Ivory Tower during her lifetime due to her deep interest in academia and the arts.
‘Thanks to that, a small garden was created here exclusively for the Imperial family.’
Through the game, I knew that Ferdinand—the current Crown Prince and one of the male leads of The Milk Bread—always visited this garden whenever he came to the White Ivory Tower.
‘This is actually better.’
I could meet the Crown Prince here more reliably than at the Imperial Palace.
‘If I don’t catch him now, he’ll be heading off to a brutal battlefield, and I won’t see him again until he’s a full adult.’
To see the Crown Prince’s ending in The Milk Bread, you absolutely had to make an impression on him during his childhood. In my case, since I had to reach A-Rank, I needed to follow the routes of all the male leads right up until the point of their endings.
I hid in a suitable spot, looking at the beautiful marble fountain carved with mermaids, a swing elegantly entwined with wisteria vines, and the wide stone steps.
Ferdinand.
I was busy rehearsing the right greeting, the proper etiquette, and my most likable, harmless smile.
Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps descending the marble stairs.
I turned my head toward the sound and involuntarily caught my breath.
The shock I felt when I first transmigrated into this game… a similar wave of astonishment struck me now.
‘It really is the Crown Prince.’
A boy was walking toward me, dressed in a sky-blue ceremonial robe that contrasted sharply with his intense red eyes. He wore an outfit that only Crown Prince Ferdinand could pull off—a garment that combined the style of a priest’s robes with the solemn luxury of the Imperial family, embroidered in gold thread.
Having seen so many characters from the game, including Tulia, I thought I wouldn't be surprised by anyone anymore. Yet, seeing the Crown Prince’s face in person, I felt a strange mix of tension, wonder, and a slight sense of exhilaration.
It was likely because he was a male lead.
Just as I was about to make a bit of noise to avoid startling him and step out—
“Crown Prince.”
A noble yet seductive female voice rang out.
I immediately held my breath, as if stopping my own heart.
Click, click.
A woman whose very footsteps on the yellow marble floor sounded elegant was approaching the Crown Prince.
‘That person is…’
I had seen her quite often in the illustrations.
‘It’s the Empress.’
Empress Carmi. The woman the Emperor took as his new Empress after the first one died.
Empress Carmi held a villainous position similar to Tulia’s, but unlike Tulia, who almost always died, Carmi was a villainess who sometimes survived depending on the route.
The cases where Empress Carmi didn't die were usually because one specific condition wasn't met.
Namely, failing to save the Crown Prince.
‘The relationship between the Crown Prince and Empress Carmi is supposed to be the absolute worst.’
Of course, as with most palace intrigues, it was kept beneath the surface. To the public, Empress Carmi was portrayed as more angelic than anyone else.
“I sent a suit in advance for today’s outing to the White Ivory Tower, did I not? Why are you not wearing it?”
“A suit tailored to the Second Prince’s measurements does not fit me.”
“Ah. It seems the servants have made another mistake. Then again…”
Empress Carmi pulled her red lips into a smile.
“Dave is only fifteen now, yet he is shooting up like a young man.”
“Indeed.”
“It is a pity, Crown Prince. If only Empress Olivia… that is, the former Empress, had not forcibly shoved all that divine power into her womb, you would not look like this.”
Her voice was filled with pity and sympathy.
It was strangely convincing. If I hadn't seen the look in her eyes, I might have actually believed she truly cared for the Crown Prince as her own son.
However…
“If she hadn't, you would not still look like a young boy, but would have grown into a young man befitting your actual age. His Majesty the Emperor would have no reason to avoid you, claiming it is uncomfortable to look at you.”
Every word she spoke was an insult directed at Ferdinand.
“The former Empress’s impatience left a great scar upon her son. How tragic.”
Crown Prince Ferdinand raised his red eyes and stared silently at Empress Carmi.
“…”
In that moment, the smile of the Empress—the pinnacle of the Empire’s noblewomen, who should have had nothing to fear—faltered, just slightly, but unmistakably.