Surviving as a Terminally Ill Heiress - Chapter 82

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 82

That strange power.
I found myself recalling Olivia’s form, the way her body had melted like candle wax.
What if she had exploded back then?
A chill crawled up my spine, arriving far too late.
In any case, this thing’s roots run deeper than I thought.
“……And what are the Temple and Manor saying?”
“Well, given the emergency, they are cooperating with joined hands at the moment… but as you know, both organizations take such pride in themselves that it doesn’t look like it will be easy.”
Right. It’s not easy.
Usually they growl at each other as if ready to kill, but when the moment truly matters, they have no choice but to fight on the same side.
Just look at Sky and Forest—they’re proof of that.
Orka organized the documents and rose from his seat.
“Then keep investigating steadily.”
“Yes, sir.”
After he bowed and left, the room fell quiet again.
It was a strange world indeed.
On one side, a pseudo-religious group venerating a Demon King was detonating human bombs.
On the other side, a coming-of-age ceremony was being prepared in all its splendor…
“Miss! A letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace!”
And here I was, caught in the middle of it all, my back ready to split.
I’d half expected it never to come, but the moment I received that purple envelope in my hands, a sigh escaped me.
Not content with sending an invitation, the Empress herself had sent a handwritten letter.
[I look forward to your attendance with sincerity.]
Which really meant: come, no arguments.
Well, what choice did I have? If she says come, I come.
The neighbor woman who likes me happens to be the most powerful woman in this country, after all.
I muttered dejectedly.
“I suppose I’ll have to prepare another dress with Johanna.”
“Heh heh heh. Actually, Miss…!”
Just then Tru, utterly beside herself with excitement, pulled out a large box she’d been hiding behind her back.
“A gift came with it!”
A gift? What kind of gift?
Unable to resist Tru’s urging, I opened the box.
In an instant, black spilled out everywhere.
“……A dress?”
“Yes! Goodness, a dress from the Imperial Palace itself!”
Tru bounced with delight.
It wasn’t often that the Imperial Palace sent clothing directly to a Young Lady.
So why suddenly was the Empress sending it? Practically demanding I attend?
There wasn’t even a simple card in the box.
Somewhat dampened, I lifted and unfolded the dress hem.
The design was modest, with the neckline rising all the way to the throat.
Yet the shoulder seams and cuffs were connected by delicate lace, giving it a rather mature appearance.
I ran my fingertips over the fabric. Even the lace was impossibly soft.
Expensive clothing had the telltale sign of being costly at a glance.
“Oh wow, how striking! It will suit you perfectly, Miss!”
“……I suppose.”
But why black?
It wasn’t a color typically chosen for a young girl’s dress.
As I withdrew the dress completely, curious, I noticed a smaller box beneath it.
“Ah, this must be the mask.”
Tru opened the small box for me.
When she lifted the lid, there was indeed a mask inside.
A half-mask woven of black lace, matching the dress.
It covered from the eyes to the nose, with a short veil attached above that could conceal the hair slightly.
Ah yes. This First Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was, unusually, a masquerade ball.
‘So a prince who hardly appears in public insists on wearing a mask at his own ceremony…’
Does he hate showing his face that much?
Well, it’s common knowledge he has mental issues, and besides, it’s his coming-of-age, so he can do as he pleases.
I looked at the mask for a moment, then set it down neatly beside the dress.

* * *

Early summer. The opening ceremony of a coming-of-age celebration that would span a month.
Tru arrived before dawn again. I was sick of it.
To match the dress that rose to my throat, I’d pinned my hair up completely, and added subtle silver jewelry to complement it.
Finally, mask in hand, I trudged off toward the carriage.
As she chased after me, Tru spoke in rapture.
“Miss, you look truly beautiful——”
“I can tell just by looking in the mirror, so stop.”
“Yes, miss…”
Anyway, black is a color that usually hides a person, isn’t it?
Yet this dress drew attention relentlessly.
When I’d worn white as a debutante not long ago, girls my age typically wore brighter clothes, which made the contrast even more striking.
At any rate, it’s not that I dislike it…
‘Grandfather.’
I met him while descending the stairs.
I expected him to say, as usual and stone-faced, “Don’t stay out late,” and find fault with my appearance, but he said nothing for a moment.
Instead, he slowly examined my outfit from top to bottom.
His brow furrowed in a peculiar way.
“……What? Is something wrong?”
There was nothing amiss with the dress.
He clicked his tongue and muttered softly.
“That fox-like woman.”
“Sir?”
“Don’t stay out late.”
Then he turned sharply and left.
What was that about? He seemed both the same and different from usual.
In any case, I’d be late. I hurried into the carriage.
As the carriage began to move, I toyed with the mask. The soft lace’s grain slid against my fingertips.
Still, since I was going all the way to the Imperial Palace, I did want to see Jeremiah’s face at least once.
On a crowded day like today, I could slip away unnoticed, couldn’t I?
That was really my biggest goal.
As for the First Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony—a prince I’d never met—that wasn’t my concern.
Outside the carriage window, the landscape flowed swiftly from spring toward summer.

* * *

The Imperial Palace’s Grand Ballroom was decorated entirely differently from the debutante ball.
The chandeliers hung much dimmer, and the banners weren’t the gold or purple the Imperial family typically used, but a deep blue.
The music was heavy and subdued. And with everyone wearing masks, it felt…
The other Young Ladies beside me whispered behind their fans.
“Is this really a coming-of-age ceremony?”
“Put charitably, it’s solemn, but…”
“Honestly, it feels rather dreary.”
Right? Is this a coming-of-age or a funeral?
The same thought leaked from my own lips.
Saying it aloud would have been dangerous, but the atmosphere really was like that.
Meanwhile, my attire blended seamlessly into this ballroom without standing out.
‘……So it really was the Empress’s arrangement.’
I glanced at the dais.
The Emperor and Empress sat side by side, as they had today, appearing as affectionate as ever.
And then our eyes met, both pairs at once.
‘Why do they look like that?’
Their expressions were astonished, as if they’d witnessed something unbelievable.
Me? Was I the problem?
I glanced around. But they were definitely looking at me.
As I hesitated, uncertain,
A deep, solemn trumpet sounded.
A low, heavy blast echoed through the hall.
At the same moment, the music stopped abruptly.
“The First Prince enters.”
Every eye in the ballroom snapped toward the doors.
The massive doors opened slowly, and the entire room fell silent in an instant.
And he entered.
First, he was remarkably tall. His frame was perfectly straight.
That’s all I could discern.
Because—
‘I can’t see anything…’
He was wrapped completely from head to toe.
A formal coat that covered his entire body. A collar raised to the throat and gloves.
And finally, a veil that covered his entire face.
It went beyond a masquerade into costume ball territory.
But there was a bigger problem: every color that made up his appearance—
‘Black.’
The people around me turned, recognition dawning on their faces.
Then they found me, and nodded slowly. They’d found their answer.
That was it.
We were a perfect set.
‘What is this…’
Involuntarily, I looked back at the Empress.
But even she, who should have been my target for resentment, only stared in shock.
I didn’t understand the situation, but suddenly the air around us grew unnaturally heavy.
Unease.
Even without Ambrose’s instinct, I simply felt afraid.
When I jerked my head back, a demon stood before my eyes.
That was the only way I could think of it.
Because demons, after all, are beautiful.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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