Thirty minutes before Beatrice joined the family dining room for breakfast. She had just woken up, yawning, an honest sign that she had slept soundly. The first thing she did after rising from bed was walk to the mirror and comb her hair.
"This hair is precious," Beatrice murmured as she continued brushing her smooth silver strands.
After that, she skillfully applied powder to her face while saying, "This powder is precious for my precious face."
Once she had finished dressing herself, the maids knocked on her door, exactly as she had expected.
"Perfect," she said, allowing the maids to carry out their duties.
She then unlocked the balcony door of her bedroom and sat down on the chair prepared there.
"Um… Young lady, your two eldest brothers are calling for you," one of the maids said.
"Where?"
"To the dining room."
"Oh… Is 'he' also coming?"
"Yes, he was called as well."
"In that case, I won't be having breakfast today."
"Y-Young lady… but—"
"That's enough. You may leave. I'll say that you've delivered the message."
"Very well, young lady."
The maids followed Beatrice's orders.
However, soon after, another maid knocked on the door.
"Come in. It must be you again, isn't it?"
As Beatrice expected, the one who entered was Charlotte, the maid who had grown closest to Gamma lately.
"I have arrived, my lady," Charlotte said, pushing in a trolley filled with food.
Without any small talk, Charlotte walked straight to the balcony and handed Beatrice a letter bearing an emblem and a sealed mark, an artifact of magic.
Beatrice was startled at the sight of it, yet she accepted the letter and asked, "From Father?"
"Yes, my lady."
Beatrice immediately closed her eyes and held the letter in one hand. Mana flowed from her heart, through her nerves, along the bones of her arm, and out through the pores of her skin, entering the seal on the letter to activate it.
In an instant, the space around them became empty. No wind could pass through the territory established by the artifact.
It was as if this place had been separated from the world beyond its boundary.
Charlotte, amazed, could only smile and say, "I never get tired of seeing an artifact being activated."
"Well, even if it's only a soundproof artifact, it's still impressive. No need to understand ancient languages or chant special spells. Who wouldn't want something this convenient?"
"Very well," Charlotte said. "I will begin my report, my lady."
"Please do."
Beatrice began reading the contents of the letter from her father while Charlotte delivered her report.
"At present, the capital is as chaotic as ever, due to the issue of the emperor's beloved daughter, his only daughter, who was murdered. And with the death of his son a year ago, the emperor now has no heir to inherit the throne. Therefore, as planned by the southern noble faction, the emperor has no choice but to honor the Twenty-Eighth Accord, ratified by the imperial high council."
Beatrice continued, "Each faction—the North, West, South, and East—will send their best candidate to undergo a selection to become emperor, correct? The only way for that to happen is for the emperor to have another child. But he is far too old for that."
"Yes, my lady. As you already know, the emperor has also declared that he agrees with this plan."
"That would never happen if that princess were to return to life, would it?"
"But… my lady—"
"I know. This is Father's wish," Beatrice's expression darkened, blending sadness with restrained anger, "Even if I wanted to, I don't have the courage. And the people around me would surely suffer the consequences as well."
Seeing her expression, Charlotte smiled gently and said, "Three years. That is the time we have left."
"And why are you telling me that?"
"Before the emperor, or your father, steps down from the throne, we must quietly gather support and shock everyone with the revival of the princess."
"You think that's easy?" Beatrice snapped.
"And if I make one wrong move, I'll die. I can't trust people so easily when there's a blade pressed against my neck, ready to tear into my flesh."
Charlotte fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply, before proposing, "As I expected… it seems we truly must seek help from this family. They are one of the four great families that have remained neutral in the conflict among the nobles for decades."
"They're not neutral," Beatrice scoffed.
"They're just indifferent. Besides, the Hall family is famous for producing talented generations—except for that bastard Gamma!"
Charlotte smiled and replied sarcastically,
"You really do hate him, don't you?"
"Of course I hate him! He refused to establish an orphanage in this territory, you know!? Do you really think he isn't evil?"
Charlotte thought for a moment before answering,
"Yes, he is indeed evil. The worst noble I've ever dealt with. He doesn't hesitate to harm innocent people or destroy others' lives."
"See? Even you think that way too!" Beatrice snapped, "I'm sick of the servants constantly trying to persuade me to see him,saying that he's supposedly changed. As if anyone could change without a reason."
"What if he never changed?" Charlotte asked, a smile on her face.
The question made Beatrice fall silent, curiosity flickering in her eyes, "Explain."
"First of all, I'll tell you why I investigated this in the first place."
Indeed, nothing happens without a cause.
Charlotte did not make such a statement simply because she observed something.
It all began three months ago, on the day Ray first arrived in this world as Gamma.
No one realized it at the time, but that seemingly peaceful day was, in truth, an extraordinarily busy one.
because that day is the day everything begins