Two-Faced Princess

“Are you ready?”

“What did you prepare?” Apollonia asked in a low voice.

It was ridiculous that there was more food.

The marble table was already full of colorful desserts.

“It’s not food.” replied Uriel calmly.

With a familiar gesture, he poured Apollonia another sip of three champagne.

Eat in turn. But this time, the pink champagne shall be the last one.”

He changed the order of the glasses and placed them in front of Apollonia.

“Why?”

“I hope the last taste will remain sweet.” Uriel tilted his head slightly and smiled.

He was so fascinating to look at that she wondered if he was a god pouring her ambrosia.

“The last taste, huh? I guess you really didn’t prepare more food.” When Apollonia spoke, Uriel nodded.

“I prepared your favorite song, Your Highness.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the rose vine, about ten steps away from the table where they sat, moved slowly towards them.

“What is this?”

The vines opened on both sides as if they were alive, and a small podium was revealed behind them.

On top of it, four musicians were now preparing their own instruments and Apollonia couldn’t help but admire the sight.

Uriel really prepared a lot of things for her.

“You said it’s a song that I like. Is it Loen Edan’s Waltz or Persen’s Rhapsody?”

Apollonia picked out some famous songs that she liked but Uriel merely shook his head.

“Is it the beautiful song we heard in Lishan?”

Apollonia suddenly remembered Tan’s lyre performance.

She even attempted to copy that but she still failed miserably.

“It’s my favorite song. I’m not interested in anyone’s music other than yours, Your Highness.”

Uriel finished and nodded to the musicians.

They started playing at the same time.

“This is—-”

Apollonia’s eyes widened when she heard the first verse.

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

It was so familiar, but she hadn’t heard it in a long time.

“How did you know?”

“I asked Maya a long time ago.”

The four musicians playing their own instruments created a perfect harmony with each other.

Their skillful performance suited the weather, atmosphere, and food but it wasn’t their outstanding abilities that had provoked Apollonia.

“I wasn’t able to find a score.”

“There was a maid who remembered. I asked her to write it down with Maya’s help. It may not be accurate, but——”

Apollonia bit her lips tightly to stop herself from crying.

“What would you have done if no one remembered it?”

“You wouldn’t have forgotten it, Your Highness.”

The song they played was written and presented by Princess Elenia on Apollonia’s eighth birthday.

It didn’t happen at a fancy banquet.

On that day, Apollonia had finished one of the King’s exams and only showed her face at the banquet in a tired state.

Queen Elenia, who quietly came to her as she was about to go back to her room to sleep, stroked Apollonia’s hair.

“It’s something I should have done. My mother always felt sorry for me.”

Apollonia shook her head no.

She even told her that she liked studying so that she would be a good Empress someday.

In the bedroom, where only a few maids were present, Queen Elenia played the lyre she had brought.

It was a bright, beautiful, and refreshing song she composed for her one and only daughter, Apollonia.

Princess Elenia looked incredibly radiant as she played the lyre.

However, she wasn’t interested in politics, letting the Emperor down because she wasn’t fit to lead.

Except for her beautiful hair and a stronger resilience than others, she was told that she had no resemblance to Apollo, but Apollonia could tell.

Her mother was born with her grandfather’s blood.

As Apollo’s descendant, they possessed the blood of the sun god, his mastery of the bow and of music.

This was one of Apollonia’s happiest memories.

She had forgotten it until now.

“It’s wonderful, Uriel.”

The musicians’ performance was very different from that of Princess Elenia.

It was more colorful and rich.

Nevertheless, the nostalgia they had evoked in her was strong.

She turned her head to look at Uriel.

His eyes were directed at the musicians, but Apollonia knew that his entire being was still focused on her.

He was well aware of the fact that Apollonia hated someone staring at her when she was being sad and emotional.

Apollonia drank the champagne Uriel had given her a while ago in the order in which he had taught her.

Bitter first.

Sweet last.

“I hope the last taste will remain sweet.”

She remembered what Uriel said a while ago.

Three sips of alcohol while listening to the music she had missed.

With that, Apollonia thought of her mother with the sweetest taste.

Uriel smiled as she watched the performance.

He sympathized with Apollonia’s longing and he was also heartbroken because of it.

On the other hand, he was excited about his plan’s success.