WTSP - 26

A voice colder than the winter that had just passed.

I blinked my wide eyes, recognizing the owner of the voice. First, I noticed the fiery red hair.

Yuriel?

The woman drawing everyone’s attention was none other than Yuriel Carlot, the First Empress.

Kneeling at her feet was someone who appeared to be trembling and crying in fear.

Lena, standing on tiptoe to get a better view, suddenly gasped. She covered her mouth with both hands and whispered to me:

“Oh my! That girl… it’s Epi, Your Highness. What on earth is going on?”

“Epi?”

“She’s a new maid, recently arrived. From the Solian Dukedom, if I’m not mistaken. She serves Empress Yuriel.”

I turned my gaze toward Epi, studying her face.

She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties, her youthful cheeks dotted with freckles like crimson specks.

Scattered around her were shards of broken glass and scattered petals.

...Looks like she broke a vase.

It wasn’t uncommon for a newly arrived maid to make a mistake like this.

Unless the vase was an unimaginably valuable antique, surely forgiveness was possible?

“I said not to leave a single shard behind. Are you deaf?” Yuriel’s icy tone cut through the air.

“I—I’m sorry, Your Majesty! I’ll never, ever make another mistake, I swear…” Epi stammered through her tears.

“Didn’t I say how much I hate repeating myself?”

Surely she didn’t mean for Epi to clean up the sharp glass shards with her bare hands?

At the thought, I inwardly swallowed hard. Lena, too, wore a shocked expression.

What to do about that poor girl... Lena fidgeted anxiously. Everyone passing by couldn’t help but stare at Yuriel and Epi.

Getting involved in this will only cause trouble...

But it wasn’t just anyone—it was Yuriel. I hesitated for a moment.

The greatest villain I’d created, Yuriel Carlot.

Her vengeful and relentless nature made her a dangerous adversary. Entangling myself with her would bring nothing but complications. And yet…

This is… going too far. Her hands will be ruined if she cleans this up with her bare hands.

Watching Yuriel bully the maid, I let out an involuntary sigh. Poor Epi, trembling and clueless, tugged at my heartstrings.

I’ll intervene, but only to a certain extent. With that resolve, I took a step forward and addressed Yuriel.

“Empress Yuriel.”

Startled by my sudden intervention, Yuriel fixed me with a frigid glare.

No, it wasn’t just a glance—it was a piercing stare.

True to her role as the designated antagonist, her face was as cold as ice.

This is going to be exhausting…

I reached out and gently pulled Epi to her feet, noticing how her hands trembled uncontrollably.

“It seems Her Highness has yet to fully grasp the dignity expected of royalty.”

My tone was polite, but the words carried a subtle barb.

It was clear I meant she shouldn’t meddle in others’ affairs. As Yuriel and I exchanged glances, Epi stood frozen between us, unsure what to do.

“The girl made a mistake, but no harm was done. Perhaps you could let it go?”

“She is my maid. This isn’t something the Fourth Empress should concern herself with. You’d do better to focus on your own servants.”

“Are you really instructing her to clean up glass shards with her bare hands?”

Even as the villain, I should’ve given her a more tempered personality when I created her.

Unfazed by my words, Yuriel flicked a shard of broken glass with the tip of her shoe.

The jagged edges gleamed dangerously, ready to cut anything they touched.

With an irritated flutter of her eyelashes, she turned her head toward Epi.

“You there—tell me. Do you think I should forgive you?”

“N-no, Your Majesty! I… I’ve committed an unforgivable sin!”

“If it’s truly unforgivable, then perhaps you should die. Is that what you want?”

Before Yuriel even finished her sentence, Epi collapsed flat on the floor, trembling violently. It was clear she believed Yuriel might actually kill her.

As I watched Epi clumsily gather the shards, blood already staining her once-pristine hands, anger welled up inside me.

Sharp fragments pierced her skin, drops of blood falling one by one. Yet Yuriel showed no reaction, calmly lowering her gaze as if this were all perfectly normal.

Everyone witnessing the scene gasped, their tongues clicking in disbelief.

“What on earth… Stop this, Epi! Isn’t this enough, Empress Yuriel?!”

Unable to bear it any longer, I raised my voice, grabbing Epi’s wrist.

Her palms were now a mess of crimson roses—a punishment far too harsh for a young adult barely into her twenties.

Biting down on my lower lip, I observed Epi’s condition, when a deep, middle-aged voice suddenly interrupted.

“What is this commotion?”

“…!”

“Ah, Empress Yuriel—and over here, the Lady of the Meredith family, I see.”

Though his face was unfamiliar, I immediately recognized him upon seeing his fiery red hair—a rare trait in this empire.

Releasing my grip on Epi’s wrist, I met his gaze.

“…Duke Solian, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’ve seen you before, but hearing you call this our first meeting disappoints me.”

“My mind was elsewhere during the ball. Was that rude of me?”

“You captivated everyone’s attention that night. Even an old man like me understands if you didn’t notice.”

This was Peeran Solian, a man who wielded both the lion’s roar and the serpent’s tongue.

He inherited his title in his mid-twenties and had maintained his position firmly for forty years.

He was also Serdel’s uncle.

Rumors swirled that he used every trick in the book to place his younger sister on the throne, though few dared to confront him about it.

Looking at Yuriel, I realized how much she resembled her father, Duke Solian.

Not just their fiery red hair, but their personalities as well.

Standing beside the duke was a younger man, unmistakably from the Solian household given his matching red hair.

“Ah, this is my son. Introduce yourself, Kiran.”

Was he Yuriel’s younger brother? Kiran gave me a curt bow.

“Kiran Solian. A pleasure to meet you, Empress.”

His composed demeanor suggested rationality and detachment, yet something about him felt deliberately concealed.

His gaze reminded me of an eagle hiding its talons, waiting patiently for its prey to move.

I noticed Yuriel’s expression momentarily stiffen as she glanced at Kiran.

Just as my curiosity about this secretive pair began to grow, Duke Solian turned his attention to his daughter.

“Empress Yuriel, we have matters to discuss. Let’s leave this girl be and move elsewhere. Too many eyes are watching.”

Though phrased as a suggestion, the duke’s voice carried an undeniable weight—an unspoken command wrapped in soft pressure.

Yuriel bit her lower lip lightly as she stared at her father, unblinking.

The silent standoff felt palpable. Finally, she broke eye contact.

“...Very well.”

“Until next time, Ophelia.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Duke Solian. Have a peaceful day.”

I offered a polite smile and bid them farewell formally.

Only after the Solian family disappeared did the crowd disperse, each person hurrying off to their own destination.

I looked down at Epi, who was still sobbing and wiping away tears.

How would this girl fare serving Yuriel in the future? What could I possibly do for her?

“Lena, I’m heading back to my chambers. Don’t worry about me—take Epi to the physician, alright?”

“Will you be okay alone? Oh dear, Epi… Lean on me.”

“This is just up ahead. She looks so shaken; please comfort her well.”

After some hesitation, Lena nodded reluctantly and helped Epi to her feet.

Once the tear-streaked face disappeared from sight, I resumed walking down the familiar path.

So much had happened in such a short span of time today.

Upon reaching my quarters, I informed the maids that I wished to rest alone.

Perhaps sensing my exhaustion, they all gazed at me with worried expressions.

I responded with a gentle smile, then entered my chamber and closed the door behind me.

I need to rest…

Collapsing onto the bed, I closed my eyes, feeling the softness of the pillow against my cheek.

If I hadn’t written The Path to Peace, how might the future have changed?

Had becoming a novelist been an inevitable destiny thrust upon “Yeon-hee Seo”?

Slowly blinking my lashes, I recalled my final days in Korea.

That moment when I had taken one step closer to fulfilling my lifelong dream of publishing a novel.