Who is the Villain?

Chapter-39

Three and a half months were already gone. However, in the Scarlet palace, things weren't as peaceful as it was especially for Lucien who seem to be encountering new things one after the other.

And today, she received an audience with an emperor at the Platinum Palace. Rosetta and the other maid instantly got her ready with the most decent elegant dress they could find.

Even if Lucien wanted to protest that it was too much, Maria would condemn her by saying, "meeting the emperor is no joke. Anything could happen. As a lady, your appearance matters a lot."

Unable to say anything in return, Lucien just let it be and made her way to the Platinum Palace. To her surprised, there weren't any other consorts except her.

Efthalia was seated at his throne gazing her down with unpleasant emotions. When the emperor asked her a question, she was taken aback.

"Pardon, Your Majesty?"

She had to asked again when she was confused and Efthalia as well repeated without missing a beat.

"Why did you not appear for dinner for the last weeks?"

Lucien only stood straight with a confused look. 'What? Dinner? He invited me? When?'

"I delivered three messages however, you never wrote back to why you had to dismiss the invitation as though it was nothing for you." He continued. Benjamin was standing beside him, his gaze was on the back of the wall of Lucien. "All the consorts were present except you."

'Three messages? Delivered to me? Then why have I not received a single one?'

Lucien was still quiet which annoyed the emperor. "Is your resentment towards me that subtle, that you had to intentionally disregard your name?"

"Pardon Your Majesty, however, this has to be a misunderstanding," Lucien responded before the emperor start blaming her. "For the last month, I have never received an unattached message nor my maids have notified me about this."

'Is this one of his resentment acts for me? To caged me in the corner?'

"Do explain your statement with a clear reason?"

'What the hell?'

Lucien's eyes twitch at the emperor's command. 'I just explained I didn't receive the letter.'

"Your Majesty," Lucien held her tone from increasing. "As I have said, I have not acquired any letter. I do not have any intention as to why I should defy the Emperor's invitation." As much as she could, she kept her calm manner under control. "This might have been a misunderstanding or the message might have not been delivered at my chamber."

'Though I have declined some of the dinner invitations months back but that was different. I gave them a full reason for my absence. He wasn't even bothered about it but why now.'

Efthalia was quiet with narrow eyes. He laid back and crossed his leg while both fingers interlocked together resting at the top of his thigh. "That's unusual," he spoke after a moment of silence. "Did the person who was supposed to deliver it to you never reach out to you?"

At this moment Lucien was unable to speak anything. She was as confused as the others.

All her mind spoke was, 'why did I never received the letter? Is someone trying to push me or is he doing it everything intentionally?'

Efthalia ordered to send those attendants who delivered those letters. In a second, three male attendants appeared.

"Did any of you disobey my command?" His voice was cold making every person in the hall shudder in fright. "When you were asked to deliver all the letters to the consorts?"

The three attendants kneel on the ground as one spoke, "forgive us, Your Majesty. We are nothing but your lowly servant who works for commitment. We would never go before your words and we would never defy your injunction." They were shaken to the ground.  "And we have never disobeyed your order."

Lucien stared with a wide eyes unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Lady Valentius," Efthalia called glancing at her. "What do you have to confess?"

Lucien stared back at him when he called. "Your Majesty, I am not at false here. I will stand for my right." Both of her hands clench tight, anger riling up over her body. She was unwilling to be put in the position of someone who lies and disobeys.

"Hmm..."

Benjamin who stood still glanced at Lucien and back at Efthalia. He was confused. He was sure the messages were delivered but Lucien refused to accept that she received them. If she wasn't lying, all the misunderstanding falls under the servants. However.

"Is the lady speaking the truth or there is something else?"

"Y-Your Majesty!!!"

The three of them had their head pressed against the floor. They were still young though they weren't teens anymore.

"We have never lied to you. If our words turn into lies, you may behead us."

'What?'

Lucien was startled by the sudden confession. 'What are you people saying?'

"T-that day when we delivered the letter," one of them spoke in a little stammering tone. "The maid slam the door even to the point of burning it."

'What? That's not true.'

"The maid warned saying her lady did not wish to attend the dinner," the other attendant spoke.

'It's a lie.'

"The maid was harsh pushing me to the ground and saying that I do not deserve to stand at the door."

'They are all lying. They are all lying.'

As soon as they were done confessing, the hall became silent. Lucien was speechless. One thing she knew was that everything was fabricated. For she knew, the flowers informed her with every information.

"Lady Valentius," Efthalia called flinching her body, head lying low unable to make any eye contact. "Is there anything I require to know? If you still believe they are fibbing then I presume that it was none other than your maids who was lying."

"No, they were not."

Lucien raised her head and spoke in defense. "They cannot do that. They weren't. It's a lie. Somebody is fabricating here."

"Who?"

Efthalia questioned with one eyebrow raised.

"It's..its..."

No words came out to continue her sentence. The grip on her gown loosen as her head laid low again with a little whisper, "I don't know."

Lucien was utterly confused. Her maid couldn't lie for she was keeping an eye on them with her ability. And those little spirits couldn't lie. She could neither blame those servants since they were willing to die if they were caught lying. Nothing could come out of her head. 'What is going on then?'

"In that case, I'll presume it's the fault of your maid who seems to have forgotten where they stood." Efthalia continue when Lucien stayed silent.

"Benjamin," Efthalia called.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He stood before him with an obedient response.

"Let those maids be here for an audience," Efthalia continued. "Somebody needs to learn where they stand and what it means to defy an emperor's order." His voice was low but sharp and distant. A tone so dominant anyone would be on their knees unwilling to lift their head but it lay low.

"Right away, your–"

"WAIT..."

Lucien raises her voice interrupting Benjamin. Everyone had their attention on her.

"My maids have nothing to do with this." She walks a little forward with a little yet pale face. "What have they done to receive such a verdict?" Her voice came out in a slightly outraged manner as well as her gaze. It shoots only hate and detests.

When Benjamin was about to respond to Lucien, Efthalia continued, "someone who is nothing more than a mere servant should know its place and they should be wary of when they don't heed the order of the one they are serving."

Lucien grits under her teeth, there was nothing she could do in this situation. Her ability was kept a secret for a reason and if she let it out, everything will crumble into the ground. She wasn't ready to revealed it yet.

"If that's the circumstance, then penalize me rather than my maids," Lucien boldly spoke out. Her gaze never left the emperor. Her hand trembled but held tight against her gown. "It should be I who should be penalized for I did not watch over them carefully."

The three servants whose heads were laid low, raised. They were stunned to hear an aggressive confession of who was willing to face the emperor. Benjamin was about to react but was interrupted again by the emperor.

"That isn't how it works, for–"

"It should be," Lucien intruded again with a cold gaze. "For it was I who ordered them."

The hall went silent. "I was the one who made them act in that way for I never wished to be seated with those lowly statuses who are nothing but rummage." It was a lie. She had to lie. If any of her maids were to happen something, things might go wrong from what she had planned. To make the emperor believe it was her. She switches her character to an antagonist in the novel who never likes to be around other ladies.