Chapter 3 — Celebration Banquet
Within a week, news of the war’s end had spread throughout the Kingdom of Eldoria. As the soldiers returned, the streets were filled with people; some wept tears of joy, while others mourned the loss of loved ones.
Princess Cynthia’s days were consumed with preparations for the celebration banquet. She barely had any time to rest, but finally, the long-awaited day arrived.
Cynthia sat in a chair, looking at herself in the mirror, her lips curling into a pleased smile.
The servants had tied her long silver hair into a bun, adorned with a golden hair clip, while a few locks of her bangs framed her face.
She wore a sleeveless dark green dress—a style considered audacious and improper by the nobles, but Princess Cynthia never paid attention to their harsh remarks.
Despite the criticism, more and more women began to follow her lead, making her a trendsetter in fashion.
"Oh, we nearly forgot the jewelry," one of the maids exclaimed, quickly grabbing an emerald necklace from the dressing table and fastening it around the princess’s neck. "You look... so pretty," she whispered, admiring the princess’s beauty.
Cynthia, who rarely acknowledged such compliments, stood up, startling the dark-haired maid. "I see you often, it seems," Cynthia remarked, slipping a few bracelets onto her wrists.
"Y-Yes. The other maid was assigned to the main palace because of the king’s return," Rin hesitantly replied, keeping her gaze on the floor.
She had heard countless terrible things about the princess from the palace staff and feared offending her, knowing that even the slightest mistake could be fatal for commoners under a royal who knew no limits in their punishments.
"What’s your name?"