One Day My Sister Died - chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Selling Yourself to the Monster**

Yuan had nothing to worry about.

This was because, in light of the sudden visit from the Emperor, the palace attendants from the capital, Cielo, were bustling about preparing for the event.

The area they were decorating was the eastern annex hall, a couple of floors lower than the main building on the right side of the mansion.

Yuan glanced from a distance at the people gathered in the hall and instructed them to clear the snow piled up in the garden.

Watching the ornate space and the elegantly dressed attendants, she thought she should ask Michelle to create beautiful and warm uniforms.

Suddenly, Yuan looked up at the second floor, where Claude’s bedroom was located.

It was daytime, and she couldn’t tell if the lights were on or off.

It was frustrating that she couldn’t even comfort him after being told not to meddle.

If she could show that she was keeping watch like before, she would at least have something to do.

Meanwhile, the letters from Felice had been increasing.

As she checked the sentences filled with threats and intimidation, Yuan now burned the letters in the fireplace without even opening them upon receiving them.

The tall iron fence and the large guards that had blocked her path when she first arrived at this mansion now seemed so reassuring.

Yuan thought it would be good to have someone there to block her uncle if he were to come to confront her, even with Frederick at the forefront.

If things got urgent, she could escape to Claude’s bedroom. No one would dare to intrude into the “monster” ex-prince’s quarters.

However, that same reassuring iron fence and guards, not to mention Claude, were rendered useless when someone appeared exactly two days later, right in front of Yuan.

The morning after spending two nights with a markedly less talkative Claude.

His uncle, who had abandoned Claude, and the Emperor of the Yufrees Empire.

Igor Yufrees entered with a grand demeanor, crossing over the iron fence of this dark mansion.

—

Claude, usually dressed in a nightgown, had entrusted himself to butler Gustav and dressed up for the first time in ten years.

In a hurry, Yuan too had altered the brightest and most elaborately adorned dress left by one of Claude’s ex-wives.

It didn’t quite match his youthful face, but Henna praised Yuan, saying she looked like a princess from some kingdom.

As the well-dressed couple stepped out together to the mansion’s entrance, the Emperor, Igor Yufrees, made his appearance alongside a procession of at least 200 people.

True to his past as a warrior in his youth, the Emperor rode in on a magnificent steed instead of in a carriage.

Yuan felt a bit hunched, as if she were about to greet a colossal predator in the remaining jungle.

Naturally, she moved closer to Claude, and as she dismounted and strode over, the towering Emperor flashed a slightly yellowed smile.

“May the great Yufrees have boundless glory. It is an honor to meet Your Majesty.”

Following the hasty lessons from the butler, Yuan bowed both her knee and head simultaneously, and the Emperor’s face came close to Yuan’s.

The Emperor, once a well-known handsome man in his youth, had prominent and distinct facial features.

However, horrific scars from sword wounds intermittently peeked out from his bushy golden beard, making him appear extremely threatening to Yuan.

The Emperor’s eyes sparkled, but it was more akin to the madness just before boiling rather than intelligence.

As the piercing blue eyes assessed Yuan thoroughly, a thick hand extended towards her.

Yuan instinctively checked Claude’s expression before responding to the Emperor, aware it might be rude.

Claude’s mask-covered face revealed a sunken gaze that remained fixed forward without movement.

Yuan hesitantly placed her trembling hand over Emperor Igor’s.

Without hesitation, Igor grabbed her impossibly small hand, removing his long white silk gloves, and brought it to his lips.

Yuan, pulling her shoulder in and offering her hand, had to suppress a scream at the Emperor’s sudden actions.

Staring directly into Yuan’s wide-open eyes, Emperor Igor pretended to bite her hand like a piece of roasted meat and then, with a grin, stuffed his entire finger into his mouth and bit down.

Yuan felt it instinctively.

Emperor Igor Yufrees was not just a tyrant.

He was a reckless scoundrel!

***

As Yuan greeted the Marquis of Reve, whose face had turned an ashen hue, and the Marquis of Companni, who had furrowed his thin, bushy eyebrows and remained silent, she struggled to steady her trembling legs.

Using the excuse of adjusting her attire, she sent them ahead into the annex party hall.

Barely managing to prop herself against the hallway wall, Yuan stood there for a moment, still holding the gloves she hadn’t yet managed to put back on.

“Hey.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Yuan turned around, tense like a rabbit facing a predator.

Claude was standing nearby, though she hadn’t noticed him until then.

His face showed no hint of emotion, yet as soon as she met his gaze, Yuan felt the urge to burst into tears for some reason.

Her heart was still pounding so hard that it was difficult to maintain her composure. Even though she knew it wasn’t the right place to show weakness, the words “I’m scared” were on the verge of slipping out.

“Don’t wander around alone without permission.”

Whether he knew how she was feeling or not, that was all Claude said as he looked down at her tear-filled eyes.

It was the same phrase she’d heard over and over again for the past three days.

Where was she supposed to go, with all the guests from the capital swarming around?

For a brief moment, Claude’s gaze fell on Yuan’s left hand, the one still not gloved, but it was only for a fleeting second.

She had hoped he might offer some words of comfort, but his emotionless violet eyes quickly turned toward the party hall instead.

Swallowing her shallow shame, Yuan finally managed to slip on her gloves and followed Claude into the party hall.

***

A long, horizontally stretched table was set up in front of a large wall covered with a magnificent painting.

The seats were reserved exclusively for the Emperor, the First Prince Bolonico, and the ex-prince couple.

The event was allegedly a wedding celebration, and the people Emperor Igor had brought seemed to be his closest confidants.

Whenever the Emperor, in his drunken state, uttered even a single word, they would rush in to add their own remarks, leaving no room for awkwardness in the party.

Thanks to the Emperor, who happily tore into the lavishly prepared food with his hands, the nobles also felt less compelled to act prim and proper and began eating at their leisure.

Most of the Emperor’s inner circle were former soldiers, so the casual atmosphere seemed more comfortable for them.

Yuan, feeling a lingering sense of discomfort, glanced over at Claude, who sat next to her.

Claude hadn’t touched any of the food, sitting quietly and still.

Gone was his usual lazy posture, and now he sat straighter than anyone else in the room. Dressed in formal attire and wearing his half-mask, he appeared far more princely than the short-haired Bolonico, who sat by his father’s side, grinning obsequiously.

Yuan suddenly realized once again that, had she been her old self, she would have never dared to even look up at someone of Claude’s status. She straightened her own posture, trying to appear more dignified.

As the host of the party, she thought it was her duty to observe the guests more closely, so she glanced around the room.

It was then that she locked eyes with her cousin, Regina Felice, sitting at the far end, her sharp gaze fixed directly on her.

As Bolonico had confidently predicted, claiming that he would soon meet Yuan, the Felice family was invited to the party as Yuan’s family, in the capacity of the bride’s relatives.

Regina Felice couldn’t contain her excitement as she eagerly scanned the banquet hall. She was filled with anticipation at the thought of meeting Drakeup Trelawney there.

The mere idea of seeing Drakeup—who had no clue that the exiled prince’s new bride was the very woman he had once proposed to—had been thrilling for her!

Despite her parents’ complaints about being seated far from the Emperor, Regina’s attention was elsewhere. She scanned the long table opposite her, carefully observing each guest.

That’s when she spotted Yuan Felice, sitting with a tense expression on her face.

Though Yuan was trying to look dignified, a crow was still a crow.

A poor soul, married to a monstrous husband who wore a mask to hide his face, living in a burned, blackened castle.

In contrast, Regina was preparing to make her debut as the most dazzling butterfly of all, having sparked rumors of a scandalous affair with Drakeup Trelawney.

With her courtly aristocrat companion, Sophia Meln, following close behind, Regina strutted toward Yuan’s seat.

Regina’s walk was light and rhythmic, reflecting the easy, relaxed atmosphere of the banquet, while Sophia, on the other hand, tried to shrink behind her as they approached the rumored monstrous ex-prince.

“Where is ‘His Ex-Prince Highness’? Why are you sitting here all by yourself?”

Even though Claude was nearby, surrounded by the Emperor’s close associates and engaged in formal greetings, Regina feigned innocence and asked the question calmly, a smug smile on her face.

Her poise was in stark contrast to Yuan, who sat stiffly, as rigid as a sack of barley.

“Greetings to the ex-princess consort,” Sophia stammered, awkwardly bowing as she watched for social cues.

“Pfft.”

Regina stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand as Sophia hesitantly tugged at her sleeve in embarrassment. But her meek gesture was no match for Regina, who had come here with clear intent.

“Yuan, do you mind if I introduce you? It’s not like you’ll have much reason to meet again, but it’s always good to know at least one face from your peer group, don’t you think? This is Miss Sophia Meln, from the Meln Viscount family. She’s a friend of mine and will be making her debut alongside me at the Imperial Palace this year. Say hello, Miss Sophia. This is Yuan Felice.”

Regina was practically glowing with anticipation, eager to crush Yuan right in front of her.

“She’s my ungrateful cousin, you know. She ran off to get married without so much as a word and never contacted us again. My parents have done so much for this poor cousin of mine.”