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Chapter 102 - Ghost Maids
Silence descended throughout the venue—it wasn’t just a result of the empress’ unexpected appearance, but also due to her overwhelming beauty. ‘No wonder they say the emperor’s smitten with her,’ was the thought running through their heads. Everyone was left speechless; whether it was their first meeting or they had seen the empress before, everyone was captivated in her presence.
“I have long wished to attend, but His Majesty has been reluctant to permit it, especially after that large incident, as I’m sure everyone understands,” Cecile said. The tone of her message was apparent: look how beloved I am to the emperor! “Still, I pleaded over and over that I must attend this seminar; it is my understanding that a topic I hold great interest in will be covered today.”
“It
 it is a great honor, Your Majesty,” the seminar’s chairman answered with a deep curtsy. “We are lacking in our reception. We weren’t aware of your attendance, and were unable to greet you in a befitting manner. I humbly ask for your grace.”
“Of course. Pay no heed to this matter,” Cecile responded with a gracious smile.
Yuliana bit her lips as she watched the scene unfolding before her. Everyone was bowing to the empress. She had been pushed aside; it was like the banquet all over again. All the focus and attention that had been directed at her minutes before had vanished the instant the empress appeared. While the empress dominated the spotlight, Yuliana became a forgotten existence.
‘It’s the same as last time. There’s definitely something about her. And
 there’s something weird about that woman too!’ Yuliana glanced sideways to where Irene stood. The woman who had been glaring at Yuliana moments before now had her gaze fixed on the empress, with an expression that screamed ‘So you’re the empress!’ Yuliana felt deeply troubled; it wasn’t just the empress, Irene had somehow noticed her power too. The nervousness of the situation made Yuliana’s mouth run dry.
“If I may ask, Your Majesty, which of the seminar topics is it that interests you?” The chairman’s tone was unable to mask her surprise. An invitation had been sent to the empress’ palace, but the chairman had harbored no expectations of the empress’ attendance. An academic seminar didn’t appeal to most, and could hardly be considered a fun event. To think that the empress had bothered to read the enclosed brochure, and had found interest in one of the topics? As the first official event Her Majesty attended, it meant that she placed great importance on whatever had sparked her interest!
The chairman was acutely aware of her heart racing with anticipation. The future funding of their seminars would hinge on the empress’ satisfaction with today’s event. She was already making plans to request the presenter of the topic of the empress’ interest to provide a detailed explanation by the empress’ side.
“We are also curious. What topic is it that Your Majesty holds interest in?” Yuliana interrupted, taking a step forward out of the crowd. While the question appeared innocuous, a few attendees froze, recognizing that the seemingly polite question also carried an implied suggestion of ‘What do you even understand to attend such an event?’
Even the chairman did a double take, wondering whether Princess Yuliana was aware that her question could be misconstrued. She doubted the princess had asked the question maliciously. This same woman had been trembling and crying with fear just moments before, had she not?
Many attendees were now glancing at the princess with uncertainty, and a sense of incongruity soon set in. ‘Did the princess always look like that?’ Mere seconds ago, the princess had appeared in their eyes as the most beautiful and delicate woman in the world. Her story had touched their hearts and filled them with empathy and compassion for her plight, but now
 she looked nothing more than a ‘bystander’.
“Princess Yuliana seems very curious about the topic that holds my interest,” Cecile remarked in a relaxed manner. Contrary to what others had expected, she was full of composure and showed no signs of hesitation. “I hold great interest in Professor Dewin’s presentation. It is a subject very much to my liking.”
Everyone quickly turned to the printed brochures listing the seminar presentations. Their eyes scanned far down the list, until they finally spotted Professor Dewin’s name, where it was written: Professor Lumia Dewin — Can coal really be transformed into diamond?
* * *
‘I did well to read it in advance!’ Cecile inwardly felt quite smug, pleased that she’d done her homework before entering the seminar. Thanks to her preparation, she was able to provide her answer without hesitation.
Professor Lumia Dewin — Regarding the changes in plant growth due to climate change, and the dissemination of new fruit species to imperial farms. That was the topic she had her eye on. Cecile cared little nor had understanding of the other topics on the agenda, but she had the confidence to listen with rapt attention when it came to the subject of fruits. She was so excited to learn more about the fruits in the empire, she was practically humming in anticipation.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the empress’ palace, an attendant grew pale as her eyes scanned the contents of an envelope found under the drawer. Having noticed it when retrieving a dropped pen, and recognizing the sender’s name as the event the empress was attending today, the attendant had quickly opened it.
“There has been a mismatch in the name and presentation topic in the previously sent brochure, and therefore we have sent a new one?” The confused expression on the attendant’s face quickly morphed into one of panic.
“What’s the matter?” A nearby colleague asked.
“What should we do? Her Majesty is attending an event today, but the brochure she has was a misprint!”
“Hey now, why fret? There will be plenty of people in attendance. Besides, let’s be honest. Would Her Majesty need to bother reading that? Even if she has the wrong brochure, what would be the problem? She won’t need it. Don’t be such a worrywart.” Her colleague giggled.
“Is
 is that so?” Relief flooded the attendant’s face after hearing her colleague’s reassurance. She was probably right. After all, why would the empress bother to read this anyway?