When the Mad Emperor Suddenly Becomes Sweet - Chapter 115

Freya couldn’t help but sigh as she brushed her bangs out of her face. The memories of the recent past were still fresh in her mind, and the wound on her face served as a constant reminder of the pain that Sophia had gone through. But it was also a reminder for Ruth.

She wondered if she had fallen asleep for a while. The room was shrouded in a thick fog, and she couldn’t see anything ahead of her. Her face felt heavy, and she could smell the burning on her skin.

“Bell, Miriam. What is this on my face?” Freya called out to her maids.

A voice, belonging to an Imperial Palace employee, responded, “Maintain your composure.”

Freya was told that it was a face mask made from a combination of honey, powder, and fat.

“Thank you very much,” Freya said, still feeling out of breath from the thick mask on her face. She couldn’t help but envy the maids for their beautiful skin, but she knew she couldn’t say anything to them as they were trying their best to heal her face.

“I believe your hair will be finished soon. I’m giving it my all,” Bell said as she used heated chopsticks to curl Freya’s hair. The only smell in the room was that of her burning hair, giving Freya’s headache.

“I’m sorry, but could you please open the window a little more?” Freya asked as the smell of the burning hair and mask was making her feel nauseous.

Miriam obligingly opened the window slightly, and the fresh air helped to ease her stomach. Freya couldn’t remember the last time she had seen anything other than the thick fog in the room.

“Wow, this is quite effective,” Freya said as her maid carefully peeled off the thick face mask. She was surprised at how much her face texture had improved.

“Your hair looks great today too,” Freya complimented, admiring her long, curly hair that hung down below her shoulders, framing her face perfectly.

“I didn’t do anything else to you on purpose,” Bell said, as she rearranged Freya’s dress. “I think you just need earrings.”

Freya looked at herself in the mirror, not feeling like it was her own reflection staring back at her. “Isn’t being engaged to the Crown Prince wonderful?” Bell asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s not all good news,” Freya responded, “This is a job.”

“He is said to be frightening, but he is also very attractive,” Miriam chimed in.

“Yes, you must admit that he is attractive,” Bell added, both of them blushing at the thought of the Crown Prince, Lucius.

Freya thought to herself that she had never seen a man with more striking beauty than Lucius, not even in the palace where the entire imperial court was gathered.

“What?” Freya exclaimed, catching herself before she blurted out her thoughts. “I have nothing to do with your majesty,” she coughed, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

“You’ll be the most beautiful girl at today’s banquet,” Bell reassured her.

Freya was grateful for her maid’s words, and for their efforts in making her look good. “I appreciate you, Miriam and Bell,” she said with a broad smile, and the two smiled back at her through the mirror.

In fact, Bell and Miriam were not happy with their assignments as maids at the Crown Prince’s Palace. They knew that working in the Empress Palace would have guaranteed them more success and better compensation.

“You think we’re easy because you’re new,” they grumbled amongst themselves, feeling frustrated that they had been assigned to serve a strange girl from Del Mundo. Freya was worse at etiquette than they were, and she frequently took over their duties.

“Are you attempting to persuade us to leave?” they wondered, feeling as though they might have to stop working as maids if Freya continued to make her own bed and dress.

But it didn’t take long for them to realize that the lady they were serving was not such a bad person after all. “I suppose it’s because you’re from somewhere other than here,” they said to each other, noting that Freya was not like the other aristocratic girls they had worked for. She was kind and frequently gave them small snacks, and she never treated them poorly.

In fact, Freya was so nice to them that they sometimes forgot about the difference in their social status. It was touching to see the girl who had become so close to them, getting ready for her engagement today.

“Have fun with your engagement, lady,” they said with a smile.

“I’ll be right back,” Freya responded, bravely dressing up for the occasion.

When she was finished getting ready, a crowd of employees gathered at the entrance to escort her to the banquet hall, where the wedding would take place. Freya followed them into the hall, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement.

“Freya de Bua has arrived,” the announcer said as she entered the hall. Suddenly, Lucius, dressed in a golden robe, approached her from beneath a white fur cloak. The two of them locked eyes as he held out his hand, dressed in white gloves.

“I appreciate you wearing the dress I sent you, Freya,” Lucius said with a smile, referring to the dresses he had commissioned a seamstress to tailor specifically for her. It made no sense to Freya, but she felt powerless to resist as she was bound by a contract.

“The engagement isn’t significant,” Freya said, her voice trembling.

“I know,” Lucius responded, understanding the true nature of their engagement. It was a political move, and the feelings between them were not real.

In some ways, the thought made Freya’s stomach churn. Pretending to be a nobleman and even holding an engagement ceremony with the Crown Prince could all be for nothing if she was discovered. The thought of losing her head if she got caught made her legs tremble in front of so many nobles. She would have burst into tears if it hadn’t been for the order of the banquet that Francesca had drilled into her head a hundred times.

It was worth writing 100 times. Freya took her time walking in front of the people who were staring at her. As she stepped in front of the Emperor, who had an even more sour expression than the last time she saw him, Lucius made a noise that sounded like a scoff.

“You really did bring your fiance,” the Emperor said, not sounding particularly happy. “I wish you the best of luck in the future,” he added, his words not appearing to be genuine.

Is that all there is? Freya thought to herself, feeling a sense of emptiness after such a lackluster greeting.

The banquet continued, and Freya’s ominous foreboding was confirmed. People only congregated around Hart and Selena, and not around the main character, Prince Lucius. She felt like she was at someone else’s party.

When Hart and Selena told everyone they were getting married, the whole banquet hall erupted in cheers. Freya could even hear people whispering “combination of the largest family in the south and the largest family in the north.”

“It’s oddly irritating,” Freya thought to herself, feeling like an unwelcome guest. Her appearance was tainted by the feeling of not belonging there.