Etranger

Undoubtedly, everyone looked at the two people in a hostile manner. In their eyes, they were no more than just Rain’s ignorant puppets who caused trouble. They were simply unlucky country bumpkins who would die together with Rain if she got eradicated. 

[It’s really fancy, huh? This place is so huge that I can’t even see the end of it.]

[The mirror lighting effects are impressive. There’s a mixture of unnecessary things as well…]

[It’s the same as the ones I saw at a restaurant in Porato City.]

The two people’s gazes scanned the incredibly high walls and ceilings. 

[The sages or gods must have infiltrated the palace. Well, If you want to be smart, you’ll be in a pickle if you don’t update the information pertaining to the royal family.]

[Are there any blind spots?]

[I don’t think so. It is an octagonal building on the whole. There are three cameras on the ceiling and two impeccably embedded in the corner. They can cover the entire third floor.]

[Well, this sucks. There are surveillance cameras everywhere… I hate this. The sages are really off-putting.

[Don’t tell me...you’re thinking about fighting the dragons?]

[It depends on your physical condition.]

[That’s reckless.]

[In that case, let’s think of a better solution? How long are you going to delay it for? What if they stop providing the medicine?]

[Give me a little more time.]

[You’re annoyed, aren’t you…]

[?]

The grand banquet hall that had eight dazzling chandeliers hanging from the top was filled with people. On top of the red carpet, which symbolized the royal family, there were spaciously arranged soft and low sofas, as well as comfortable chairs, that one could lay down or recline on. In the middle, there was a circular hall that was approximately 30 meters in diameter, which was used for dances and various performances. 

The building had a low cascading structure around the lowest square. Along the spiral stairs, the second and third floors formed complex prominence and depression, allowing one to look down the railing or have an inconspicuous conversation from the inside. 

The third empress was the host of today’s banquet. She sat at an angle in a comfortable position on a platform that was connected to the central square. There were drapes and servants on both sides. Each influential family, as well as the royal family, was chatting with one another at their assigned areas, while they were being attended by their servants. 

The people from the Sa-Myung Clan, the third empress’ clan, were on her left and right. The spot that was assigned to Rain was all the way at the back, far away from the central square. It was cold and quiet. She had to stand on her toes in order to look at the performances. It was a sad sight that revealed the insignificant position of someone who had no backers or a strong background. The fifth empress’ clan, the Yeong-Mu Clan, were crowding in front of her. Some of them wandered into Rain’s space without hesitation, and started talking loudly. Needless to say, they did not apologize to her. If they were to do that to another influential family, the consequences would have been unimaginable. 

The corners of Rain’s lips lifted slightly. She felt a little ridicule, grief and self-mocking. She also felt sorry for mother, who could not even breathe, let alone attend such an event, due to the jealousy and restraint of the sixth empress. 

“This place is huge and nice.” The man’s deep voice snapped Rain out of her thoughts. 

“There are a lot of people in front of us, right?” A clear female voice was heard. 

“What a remarkable fertility rate. Why are there so many children? It’s noisy.”

“Don’t rodents have the highest reproduction rate?” 

“They are experts at reproduction, huh… Maybe they are the cousins of rats?” 

Rain wore a bright smile on her face. Their funny jokes seemed to have cleared her mind. The maid waiting on Rain tilted her head with a quizzical expression on her face. Based on her memories of the past, it was difficult and uncomfortable to serve the young princess. Regardless of her intentions, there was always someone coming to see her and picking a fight, which always ended in bitter tears without fail. 

Furthermore, the maid herself did not have many good memories. Even at this banquet that was supposed to be fun, she was constantly anxious and uneasy. Today would be no different. The old maid took a few small steps back. She had to carry out the uncomfortable mission that was given to her… 

“The busiest second deputy has finally arrived.” A husky voice was heard. 

There was a group of people approaching her. 

“It’s been really noisy lately. Isn't it too unruly?” 

“You’re going to get badly hurt.” 

“It’s really quite a sight to see you kicking up a big fuss after coming back…”

Rain slowly stood up. They were her brothers, the princes of the empire. She did not have any good memories of them at all, but she still had to be polite. 

“It’s been a while.” Rain bowed.

“You must have been really busy, huh? It’s hard to see you.”

A man in his mid 50s shook his head with an unpleasant smile on his face. He was the fourth prince named Chan. He was currently in charge of the finance of the empire, as a high-ranking Taeshin official. His two wives next to him were dressed in flashy robes, looking at Rain and company. 

“It must have been because she has become very high and dignified. Being His Majesty’s one and only favored child, will insignificant beings like us even catch her eye?” said a man in his 40s, who was at the back.

He was a prince named Chung. He was the current prime minister of a powerful principality. He also had two wives with him. Rain scrutinized them. The two princesses, who were older than Rain, were behind them, as well as her nephew Gun, who was standing awkwardly with her other nephews. For some reason, she was glad to see him. They must have intentionally stopped by, as they were making their way to see the third empress. 

“As I was away for a while, I had a lot of work to do. It was bad manners on my part for not saying hello to you earlier,” replied Rain calmly. She looked dignified. 

“Hmm…sure…” Chan scrutinized Rain’s face, and made a brief remark. 

They had a lot to say but Rain’s vibes were very different compared to before. She used to have sparse sharp thorns, but right now, they felt that they were dealing with a sharpened sword, which was a little uncomfortable to play with. 

“There has been a lot of resentment and complaints about what you’ve been doing these days. It has also caused me quite a headache. Clumsy swordsmanship can hurt your opponents, but bear in mind that you will be the one hurting yourself. I’m saying this because you don’t seem to know your limits. It’s quite a sight to see when lowly people gain power.” Chung frowned and chipped in. 

“There’s a rumor saying that you’ve been fooling around outside?” A princess named Chaein pouted. 

She was Rain’s half sister, who was older. She married a powerful grand duke. The man next to her, who would become the next grand duke, was laughing. Rain stood there silently without giving a response. It was not something that had only happened over the course of one or two days, so she was used to it by now. Since she did not give them much of a response, naturally, their gazes shifted towards the people behind Rain. Chan and Chung had a strange look in their eyes, which was fixated on Biyeon. 

“Oh… This one seems different. Are these the people you traveled all the way to the rural village for?” asked Chung, as he scrutinized Biyeon from head to toe. 

“Yes, that’s right,” replied Rain in a simple manner.

“What is your name?”

“Yeon. I am the second deputy’s chief of staff,” answered Biyeon. Her response was very modest and formal. There were no expressions on her face. 

“I don’t want to know about your position. Where are you from?” 

“I was an escort in Count Essen’s Estate.” 

“No...that was not what I was asking. Which family or clan are you from?” 

“I’m not from a warrior clan. Even if I told you my family name, you would not have heard of it.” 

“Huh… Are you telling me that you brought someone here without knowing their background? To this royal palace? Does that apply to the man too?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Murmurs were heard in the background.

“Aren’t they lowlives!”

“People like them mindlessly treated the imperial agents that way? My god… How did the royal palace become such a mess!”

Biyeon looked at Rain, who was looking at her calmly. It was something she had already anticipated, but as expected, it still felt bad. How would they react? It was under her control, but she wanted to trust them. She was looking forward in vain. What should she show this time? Also…what kind of trouble was she going to cause…  

“Is it...huh?” 

Rain suddenly shook her head. Her stream of thoughts kept going in a strange direction. 

“Do you like the work you’re doing?” Chan asked Biyeon. 

“I like it very much.” 

A slight smile appeared on Biyeon’s lips. She did not avoid Chan’s gaze and looked at him proudly.

“Oh- Is that so? Are you confident, or are you arrogant? Did you let your sudden success get to your head? The royal palace is home to the greatest minds and talents of the empire. If you believe that a little talent is enough to get you by, you will get seriously hurt… Alright…what kind of commendable talents do you have?” 

Chan stroked his chin. She was chosen by Rain the genius. She probably had some talents. Also, as for this fellow… There was some sort of a provocative charm he had never felt before. The way he subconsciously acted up was cute. 

“I think I have enough talent to carry out my missions.” 

“Is that so? I am very curious about it. Hey, Rain.”

Chan turned his head to look at Rain. Rain was facing him.

“If this girl has some talent, why don’t you send her over to me first, since she does not have any practical experience? I assure you that she will certainly become familiarized with her duties. In exchange, I will send a very competent person to you. Wouldn’t that be fair?” 

Instead of responding, Rain looked at Biyeon with a cautious look. It had always been like this. Even though she had the authority over personnel, it was difficult to deal with sly and absurd demands like this. He was a Taeshin official who managed the entire empire’s finances. In other words, he was on par with the secretary general. 

Due to the heavy authority that his position represented, official proposals like this could not be taken lightly. If she were to reject him, it would be akin to losing face. This was already the third time. Instead of sending the person she had chosen, she always ended up receiving trash. However, this time… 

“Why don’t you ask her yourself? I brought them here for a reason.” Rain said calmly.

“Really? You brought them here for a reason. Do you want me to do the same? It makes me want to do this even more… Alright, what do you think? I can’t wait to see how good you are.” 

Chan looked at Biyeon once again. She smiled, revealing her neat teeth. Her appearance had changed once again. This time, she felt more intelligent and sophisticated.

Chan felt light-headed for a moment. Chung and the princesses at the back were stunned for a moment too. Biyeon looked over at san. He was smiling. 

After looking at them for a moment, Biyeon said calmly, “There were three reasons why I did not leave my previous workplace, even when I had the opportunity to. If you tell me these three things, I will follow you right away.”

Chan’s jaw dropped for a moment. How dare she...test the prince? Was it because she was an immature country bumpkin? Chan looked around; everyone was keeping quiet. He smacked his lips. She was asking how he managed people.

If he tried to use force, people would say that he was impatient. If he tried to call her out on her bad attitude, people would say that he was avoiding the issue. Rumors like that were not good. Chan frowned, realizing that he was being caught in a clever trap.

“Firstly, better treatment. Is that right?”

“You got it right for your first answer.”

The woman smiled brightly. Chan shrugged. 

“A great power or authority is granted. Am I right?” 

“You got it half right. However, I must also mention the fact that powerful commanders and leaders often change positions.”