Chapter 2

Swift as a cat, Melody scurried back to her residence on the palace grounds. Once there, she peeled off her sweat-soaked pants and blouse and sank into the warm bath that had been prepared for her.

“How did it go? Another success?” Her maid Claire entered the bathroom holding a large towel. Submerged in the hot water with her eyes closed, Melody purred like a lazy cat and gave the maid a radiant smile.

Claire smiled back. “It seems it was another good day for Your Highness.”

“I ought to get Deimos a gift, Claire. I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. No one else would have dared to call me crazy in front of my father, but Deimos shouted it out for all to hear,” Melody laughed. “Seriously, I waited a year for that moment. A whole year!” She continued laughing, clearly in high spirits.

Claire sat on the edge of the tub, checking the bath’s temperature with her hand. She added a bit more fragranced bath powder to the water.

Melody’s eyes suddenly narrowed. Her laughter stopped and her face transformed as if she had become someone else entirely. “I will not be sold to some other country like a piece of property,” she declared firmly. Just as quickly she began to giggle once more, like she had recalled a funny memory.

She looked up at Claire. “Now they can never marry me off, not unless my father loses his mind. But his advisors would revolt if he ever so much as tried.”

“Your Highness! Just how much of a scene did you cause?”

The two women burst into fits of laughter.

Melody stepped out of her bath and climbed into her bed, indulging in a deep nap. She finally woke as the sun was beginning to set.

Claire began to tidy the bed. “If you do plan on going out tonight, Your Highness, please try to make it back earlier. These irregular sleep habits are bad for your health.”

Melody firmly pressed her puffy eyelids. “You don’t know what it’s like, Claire. If I’m running late, it’s because I’m trying to get back into the palace without being caught. The captain of the guard must have noticed something. There are more guards on the outer wall than ever, and he even had steel bars installed to block the sewer channels under the palace. The man takes his job much too seriously.”

Claire’s deep green eyes narrowed as she busily rifled through Melody’s wardrobe. She pulled out a tunic and a pair of trousers, clothes typically reserved for knights, and looked to Melody for approval. The princess gave her a nod. She was sitting in front of her dressing table, haphazardly smearing some cream onto her face.

Claire approached from behind and began to fuss with Melody’s hair. Her curly, golden-brown locks were cut so short that they barely reached her shoulders. There wasn’t much styling to be done, but Claire still diligently pressed, dampened, and arranged her short curls. Such beautiful hair... What a pity, she thought to herself.

Melody quickly changed clothes and slipped into a pair of boots that fit her perfectly. “These gatherings are getting on my nerves. How chummy does my father expect us to get?”

“I thought these dinners were helping move your plan along.”

“They were, initially. But everyone is so tense that I can’t even recall what we ate. And all for what, family unity? I shouldn’t complain so much since they aren’t a regular occurrence, but they’re uncomfortable, to say the least.” She shook her head. “Deimos and I were at each other’s throats this morning, but now I’m supposed to sit down to dine with everyone? I bet he’ll start berating me again.”

Melody made her way out of the building grumbling, dressed in the simple outfit without a single maid in tow. “I’ll see you soon, Claire!” she shouted.

“Have a good time, Your Highness!”

The best part about Melody’s transformation into the “crazy flower” of the Imperial Palace was the freedom she had gained in exchange for her damaged reputation. People regarded Melody Corbella as a wild filly wearing the guise of a princess. Whether she was giggling at flowers without reason, bolting away without warning, or striding around brandishing a wooden sword, people now just shrugged it off as the princess being in one of her moods. If Rose or Daisy Corbella had done the same, everyone from the palace’s north to south gates would have been up in arms, worried sick over the mental condition of the princesses.

More than anything else, Melody loved wearing trousers. Who said women couldn’t wear them? When she had decided to embrace her role as the crazy flower, the first things she did were to cut her hair short and begin donning trousers. It was liberating to stride through the halls without the encumbrance of a heavy skirt or a tightly cinched waist.

Melody was in exceptionally high spirits, regardless of what anyone said about her. Actually, she was thrilled that people considered her to be out of her mind. Before Deimos’ public admonishment, she had been wondering what more she needed to do to solidify her reputation.

She whistled cheerfully, making her way to the Corbella family’s primary residence at the heart of the palace grounds. She spotted a group of men in the distance approaching with a disciplined stride—the Imperial Guard. Melody stopped in her tracks as their leader became visible. She had been planning on making her grand introduction to the guardsmen soon anyway, so running into them now was a convenient coincidence.

Melody’s blue eyes sparkled with vitality as she fixed her gaze on one man in particular. He was the leader of the group, noticeably taller than the others and busy conversing with the knight beside him as they approached. His short blond hair gleamed red in the evening sun, and even from afar she could see that his features were striking. It was no wonder that he was reputed to be the empire’s most handsome man. His movements were graceful, too, his stride as elegant as it was precise.

The palace was abuzz with rumors that Melody’s sister Daisy had fallen head over heels for the man. Melody felt sorry for her lovesick sister and carried guilt about what she was planning to do, but given the current situation, there was no other choice. He was her top pick, her greatest chance at salvation.

She stood in place, waiting for them to come closer.

The leader of the group was Caisar Bethel, captain of the guard, and the knight at his side was his aide, Robel Luci. Caisar looked up as they encountered the unfamiliar figure standing in their path, a woman bathed in the red light of the setting sun as it filtered through the palace’s outer corridor. Her presence seemed to overwhelm the grandeur of the palace—not so much outshining it, but rather casting a dark shadow.

“What do we do?” Robel muttered under his breath. He’d heard that today’s meeting with the advisors had been particularly chaotic. The shouting match between Prince Deimos and Princess Melody was said to have been loud enough to penetrate the palace’s thick walls. The emperor had become so enraged that he had even loosened his cravat, and more than a few servants had their own accounts of the prince’s angry tirade.

And it was Melody, the figure standing before them, who had been at the center of all these events. The sight of the smiling princess sent shivers down Robel’s spine. Her shocking blue eyes were brimming with mischief. Robel’s own eyes darted around nervously, wondering if it was too late for them to change course. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was nowhere left to run.

Melody made the first move. She approached them with wide steps, as assured as any knight. Her beauty was captivating, but her wild behavior led many to wonder about what really lay beneath her doll-like appearance. The guardsmen watched her come closer, holding their breath.

She paid no mind to their wariness. She was focused on one person—Caisar. His expression remained unchanged. He was the spitting image of his father, Duke Heinbeste Bethel.

“How do you do?” she asked cheerfully.

“Greetings, Your Highness.” His low voice seemed to resonate from deep within his chest.

“I’m Melody Corbella.” It was the first time she had formally introduced herself to Caisar. She knew of him, and he of her, but they had never formally met.

Melody smiled brightly, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. Her smile might have been breathtakingly beautiful to anyone unfamiliar with her, but like the rest of the palace’s residents, the imperial guard was woefully informed.

Robel’s eyes twitched slightly as he observed her, while Caisar raised an eyebrow.

The captain politely returned the greeting. “I’m Caisar Bethel.”

“A pleasure to meet you. Well, I’ll see you around.” She wanted to offer him a handshake but decided against it. There were too many inquisitive eyes surrounding them. She strode past them, feeling Caisar’s gaze on her back, but continued on as if she hadn’t noticed.

Given the princess’s reputation, the knights had expected a more dramatic encounter. She had actually seemed surprisingly tame—although her attire was anything but ordinary, of course. They tilted their heads in confusion. “She has a most peculiar condition,” Robel muttered as he watched her walk away.

“I heard that!” Melody shouted.

“P-pardon?!”

“I heard what you said!” He had only whispered, but the princess, now some distance away, spun around to face them. “You said I have a condition! How dare you, Sir Robel! How rude of you to speculate.”

“How do you know my name?!” Robel’s eyes widened in shock. How could she have heard that? And where did she learn my name? Her words left the normally composed vice-captain of the guard flustered.

Melody burst into laughter at his bewildered expression. Her laugh was clear and musical, making the knights question how she had come to such infamy.

“I’ll let it slide for today!” Melody shouted, striding further into the distance.

Caisar quietly waited until she was out of sight, then motioned with his hand. “Let’s go.”

“Y-yes, sir!” The group began to march forward.

Robel was the only one left wringing his hands. “Do you think Her Highness is going to plan some kind of revenge? She will, right?” How on earth did she hear me whispering from that distance?

“She said she’d let it go,” a fellow knight hissed at him.

* * *

Corbella Hall was often called the Golden Palace, nicknamed for its lavish gold interiors. The walls and ceilings were gilded, and even the statues lining the corridors were covered in the precious metal. In addition to the golden decor, the palace was filled with wall frescoes, ceiling murals, and even crystal chandeliers. The palace was like an extravagant museum full of breathtaking sights.

Distinguished guests who visited the palace for the first time were often overwhelmed by its splendor, marveling at the intricacy of the building and often losing track of time as they explored. But for its residents, the novelty had worn off long ago.

“Things have changed around here. I’ve never seen that before.” As she walked through the halls, Melody made needless comments about every little thing that caught her eye. “Huh, is this new?”

“Your Highness, everyone is waiting for you.” The elderly servant accompanying her gave her a gentle reminder.

“I could swear this used to be different... How odd.” Melody tilted her head and moved along. The servant remained patient, even though enduring her antics felt like embroidering delicate stitches on his own thigh. She continued to leisurely examine the decorations as if it were her first time seeing them.

“His Majesty is waiting.” The servant’s voice took on a tone of frustration.

Melody glanced back at the elderly man. His patient tolerance of her behavior likely owed to his years of experience in the royal house. A younger servant would have been impatiently shuffling their feet and urging her along by now. She was genuinely very sorry for the routine trouble caused them.

Melody snuck a quick glance at her watch and gave a sly smile, deciding it was really time to get going. “Shall we pick up the pace, then?”

The servant nodded and let out a deep sigh. I’m sure this wild princess will start sprinting, and at a pace faster than anyone’s ever seen... As soon as he concluded the thought, Melody took off running. It was a mystery where she had learned to move so quickly, bounding up the steps three to four at a time before finally disappearing from view.

The servant sighed heavily and plodded along, knowing he couldn’t possibly keep up. He wondered how much more her father would have to endure. Thinking of the pitiful emperor, his eyes welled up with tears.