The next day, Michelle woke up very early and the maids helped her prepare to go to the Imperial Palace. She wore a long dark purple dress which was the same color as her eyes. On her hands were thin silver gloves made out of silk, which perfectly covered up the bandage from the cut Michelle made over the back of her hand when she tested the sweet smell of her blood.
Shortly after dawn, Michelle got into the carriage and set off to have breakfast with the Imperial Family as the Emperor wished. What he didn't know just yet was that he was playing perfectly into Michelle's cards.
After the carriage stopped in front of the Imperial Palace, Michelle felt like rolling her eyes, but she held back the urge and got off with the smile. "Greetings, Your Highness, Crown Prince!" Michelle bowed her head in front of the Crown Prince, who was clearly reluctant to see her, but was obviously forced by the Emperor to come receive her.
"No need for formalities..." the Crown Prince said through gritted teeth. He hated being in Michelle's presence, but after what happened during the banquet, the Emperor forbade him from trying any further to break off the engagement with Michelle, or he would strip him of his title as the Crown Prince and make his younger brother the Crown Prince.
"Let us head into the dining room..." the Crown Prince offered his hand to Michelle as he gestured towards the door.
Michelle was disgusted by the mere thought of touching the Crown Prince, but as it was not the time yet, she hid all her feelings and took the Crown Prince's hand with a polite smile and let him lead her into the dining room.
In the dining room, the Emperor was sitting at a huge table filled with all kinds of delicacies, but in the eyes of a person from the 21st century, it looked like a table full of tasteless food. But Michelle still kept a smile on her face and bowed her head in front of the Emperor. "Greetings, Your Majesty, the Empire's Sun."
When the Emperor saw that Michelle was holding the Crown Prince's hand, he felt happy, thinking that she was still blindly in love with the Crown Prince. "Lady Grace, no need for such trifling formalities! Come eat with us!" he spoke with a satisfied laugh, unaware of the cold chill hiding within Michelle's heart and mind as she sat down at the table.
Her seat was just opposite the Crown Prince, which made her suppress a smirk. Opposite each other usually sat married or engaged couples, but Michelle sat down calmly, letting the Emperor be happy for a while longer.
Seeing that Michelle wasn't reacting to sitting opposite the Crown Prince, the Emperor smiled as Michelle, the Crown Prince and himself started eating, and he started speaking.
"Lady Grace, I hope you forgive our son for the disrespect he had shown you last time. He was blinded by lies and didn't act like his normal self. But deep in his heart, he never once stopped loving you." The Emperor spoke honey words as the Crown Prince could only smile and reluctantly agree with his father.
"Yes, My Lady. I was blind and acted rashly. Please forgive me!" the Crown Prince feigned an apology as he hid his disgust when his father shot a glance at him.
Hearing the two's words, Michelle smiled a bit and looked up from her food. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I have nothing to forgive. Your Highness acted as you've deemed right, and I don't need an apology for that." The smile on Michelle's face was calming and beautiful, letting the Emperor and the Crown Prince think that they had her fooled, but Michelle's next words were like swords which cut apart all their plans.
"Your Highness decided to punish me because your lover was suddenly sick, and since I was close by, it was naturally my fault. Since I'm already at fault, I have no right to expect an apology." Michelle stood up from the table and wiped her mouth gently. Her voice was icy and her eyes piercing as she spoke. The smile was no longer on her face, and she looked deadly calm.
"Since Your Highness hates me so much and loves your lover, I won't get in the way of your love, and will send the letter of termination of our engagement to Your Majesty as soon as I get home." Michelle bowed her head before sitting back down. She knew that her words definitely entered both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, but the real show was only about to begin.
And just as she had guessed, the Emperor was enraged, but needing the Archduke's financial Continue reading more chapters on NovelHub for the best experience. "Lady Grace, don't say it like that. The Crown Prince was blinded by that serpent and hurt you. He won't ever do it again, so give him a second chance." The Emperor spoke gently, but Michelle could clearly see rage hidden in his eyes. He was really working hard to keep smiling.
Listening to the Emperor's words, Michelle briefly glanced at the Crown Prince, and she concealed a smile when she saw that the Crown Prince didn't show any kind of reaction when the Emperor called Leonia Phelerion, the Crown Prince's lover, a serpent. The Crown Prince was indeed a person as cruel as his father, able to cast aside even the "love of his life" if "needed".