Natalie had been busy lately.  Until quite recently, she could do little more than keep her half-sister Frieda company.  Those days when she could do nothing but brood over the restless circumstances now felt like a dream.

The Dragon Flower Crown Festival had her especially busy, keeping her running around in a role akin to the inexperienced Dragon Consort’s assistant.  While keeping the pride of the noble factions in mind, she selected parade dancers and kept a close eye on them.  Most of the dancers were unmarried young women living in the imperial capital, but noble daughters were mixed in as well.  The parade featured a dance called the Dragon Flower.  It was performed by five dancers, and disputes were going to arise over the position of its performers.  Instructors being bribed would be considered cute, however there were also cases of damaged costumes, threats, and even harm direct at the dancers themselves.  Many were eager to eliminate their rivals before the selection even took place.

She had been particularly prepared for things to become terrible this time.  That was because it had been decided that her brother—the true Dragon Emperor—would appear on stage to present a flower crown to the Dragon Maiden.  It was the same for the train bearers.  The more prominent one’s position, the more opportunities there were to catch the emperor’s eye.  In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for a woman noticed by the emperor at the Dragon Flower Crown Festival to enter the inner palace.

Amid everything that demanded her attention, Jill being the Dragon Maiden, the festival’s star, was a blessing.  Had it not been Jill, there would probably have been murders or kidnappings.  Such things could happen even with Jill, but the sense of security was different thanks to her having the kind of fighting ability that made others feel sorry for the culprit.  The Imperial Army even proposed the rather off-the-wall security plan of, “If there is a fool who challenges Her Highness the Dragon Consort, we will immediately evacuate the imperial citizens from the area.”  The person herself responded, “Right, I’ll leave it to you.”  If an incident were to occur, people would probably applaud the culprit’s reckless courage.

In her mind, if there were to be anything that would trouble Jill, it would be dealing with the inner palace.  The women who supported the emperor from behind the scenes fought in ways different from Jill.  Therefore, she believed that she would have to help with that—or so she had thought.

“Your Highness the Imperial Consort Fien, what in the world might you be intending?”
“Na-Natalie-onee-sama… please calm down…!”

Freida wrapped her arms around her from behind, but as far as Natalie was concerned, she hadn’t even raised her voice.  She considered herself perfectly calm.  Although she hadn’t knocked.

Fien, wearing only light clothing with a gown thrown over it, sat leisurely on a chaise lounge as though preparing for bed.  A lady-in-waiting was tending to her toenails.  The distinctive smell of nail polish stung her nose.

“Princess Natalie, whatever brings you here at such a late hour?  Did you not promise me that you wouldn’t enter the inner palace?”
“Yes, I did make that promise.  In exchange for my not barging into the inner palace and giving orders regarding this and that, you promised to cooperate with Her Highness the Dragon Consort.  You were the one who broke the agreement first.”
“Ara, except I am cooperating with Her Highness the Dragon Consort?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Maybe I’m not calm after all.  Her tone was rough.

“I heard from Lutiya.  About the dress.  Wasn’t it by your doing that Sufia-sama, who should have been accompanying Her Highness the Dragon Consort, was delayed?  By finding fault with the bazaar exhibit!  And then the train-bearers withdrew?  Tell me how this is supposed to be cooperation!”

“O-onee-sama… calm down.  okaa-sama is…”
“You’re no better, either, Frieda!  Why did you leave Jill by herself?”

“Then are you saying that Her Highness the Dragon Consort cannot even deal with a single consort of the inner palace unless someone is accompanying her?”

Natalie was left speechless.  Fien, her nails finished, dismissed the lady-in-waiting.  She then brought her feet together, turned toward them, and smiled gently.

“To come storming into the residence of an imperial consort in the middle of the night without any notice, and one who is not even your birth mother.  As can be expected of the daughter of that uncivilized fortune-telling fanatic.”

Natalie’s head cooled in an instant.  Frieda’s eyebrows jumped up.  She was still clinging to her.

“okaa-sama!”

“You are probably working so hard because you do not wish to be called that, but your efforts are only spinning your wheels.  Frieda, you should properly admonish Her Highness Natalie as well.  Her Highness the Dragon Consort would not wish for this either.  That lady is very formidable.”

Frieda took hold of Natalie’s cold hands.  That helped her calm down a bit.

“Take your leave, Your Highness the Imperial Princess— No, you are Her Highness, the splendid Imperial Younger Sister.  Your duty is to win over the Crown Prince of Kratos, not coming here to the inner palace.”
“…Please refrain from saying that so easily.  My opponent is a stubborn man who would gladly martyr himself for the goddess.”
“Ara, how timid of you.  With the impending matter regarding the queen’s accension, there will be no greater opportunity for you.  You merely need to propose that you can make him the King of Kratos.”

Everything would be so much easier if he were the sort of person who could be controlled like that.  Natalie pushed her irritation down into the pit of her stomach and spoke calmly.

“I have no intention of arguing with you.  —As for the matter of Her Highness the Dragon Consort, I may trust you on that, correct?”
“Of course.  Ah, but I cannot make any promises regarding Sufia-sama.  As Listeard’s mother, I believe that is only natural?”

Is she testing Sufia through mother-in-law bullying?  No, she might just be making it appear that way.  The inner palace was that sort of place.  Everyone had too many hidden motives.

“The inner palace is a where one is tested on what one is willing to devote herself unto death for.”

Fien spoke as though she had seen through Natalie’s hesitation.

“Her Highness the Dragon Consort is extremely strong in that regard.  There is no need to worry—or at least, that is what I would like to believe.  What about you, Your Highness the Imperial Younger Sister?”

A note of admonishment was mixed into the playful way Fien spoke.  She was the consort who had always looked after Natalie after she had been left behind by her birth mother and her brother.  While there certainly was calculated intent in wanting to draw Natalie, an imperial princess, to her side, that did not mean she lacked genuine affection.

Compared to the Sixth Imperial Consort, whose deep emotions and impulsiveness only worsened situations, and the other consorts, who cared only for appearances and had no interest in politics, both her conduct and the way she expressed her feelings were trustworthy.  One just simply couldn’t let their guard down around her.

“…To begin with, there was never any way someone like me could be a match for the foxes of Leilsatz.”

The territory of Leilsatz was well renowned for its foxes.  Fien smiled softly at the clichéd phrase that was loaded with irony toward the Leilsatz family’s generations of cunning.

“I am honored that you understand.  Now then, it is already quite late.  Please return.”

“…Then… return it.”

Natalie wasn’t the only one to tilt her head at Frieda’s sudden interruption.  Fien did as well.

“okaa-sama… you took the letter addressed… to Jill-onee-sama.  I saw it… in your room… If you intend… to bully Natalie-onee-sama and Jill-onee-sama… then return it.”

Natalie’s complexion changed.  Fien, on the contrary, let all expression disappear from her face before her smile deepened.

“Don’t you believe I would dispose of such a dangerous letter for your friend, Frieda?  Do you not trust me?  Mother is saddened.”

Frieda vigorously shook her head from side to side.

“okaa-sama… won’t do anything that will… worse onii-sama’s position.  Never.  But if something dangerous is—”
“Frieda.”

Frieda froze at hearing her name spoken sharply.  It was a firm rebuke that swept away the gentle atmosphere that had existed until now.  Heavy footsteps resounded from behind all of them. 

The guards of the inner palace pushed into the room and surrounded them.

“What could be the matter at such an hour?”

Fien slowly rose to her feet. She showed no sign of panic. Instead, she gave the impression of having known this would happen.

“—you already know, Fien.”

Slowly entering after the guards was a woman.  Natalie drew Frieda close, stepped back, and lightly bowed her head, almost as if from habit.  She had been conditioned to do this for her.

She was the First Imperial Consort, the mistress of the inner palace, and the mother of the Rave Imperial family members who had lost their birth mothers.

If there was anyone within the imperial palace who could stand on equal footing with her, then it could only be the Dragon Consort.

Even Fien respectfully bowed to her.

“For one as exalted as Her Highness the First Imperial Consort Cassandra, this is a rather ill-mannered visit at such an hour of the night.”

The First Imperial Consort, not having even the slightest flaw in her appearance, glanced at Natalie and Frieda before returning her attention to Fien.

“We need to talk, Fien.”
“Maa, then should we not do so tomorrow?”
“How shameless.”
“I believe you are the shameless one.  —What are the charges?”

—Her charges.  The punishments for the consorts of the inner palace was decided by the consort who managed the inner palace.  At present, that was Cassandra.

“You are attempting to bring disorder into the inner palace.”
“In what way, specifically?”
“You invited the Dragon Consort into the inner palace without my permission.”
“Maa, Her Highness the Dragon Consort?  I specifically told her to make sure she wasn’t discovered.  Although, isn’t that argument a little weak for someone such as Lady CassandraThe Dragon Consort has the natural right to enter the Dragon Consort Palace.”
“Furthermore, I have heard that you acted disrespectfully toward Her Highness the Dragon Consort.”
“Ara, isn’t that accusation rather strained as well?  If that’s the case, then you would have to arrest everyone else too.”
“You are the one responsible.  Hence why even Her Highness Natalie is causing a commotion at such a late hour of the night.”

Frieda clung to the startled Natalie and held her back.  Looking at her, Natalie saw that Frieda was trembling as she repeatedly shook her head.  The First Imperial Consort seemed intent on using Natalie’s displeasure as her justification, and that premonition proved correct.

“We will hear your excuses later.  You will be confined for now.”

The guards surrounded Fien and seized her by the arms.

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