Chapter 46

"your highness, the sweets are returned." Luan reported sadly, although her eyes sparkled and her mouth drooled at the fresh cookies, most likely picturing if she split the cookie in half, how the chocolate would drip and melt on her tongue, leaving a sweet aftertaste." it seems his majesty is busy at the moment."

"busy? He can eat and work at the same time, right?"

"um, it's...his majesty is in a closed meeting at the moment."

"oh. But it would be cold soon..." Amourora pretend to think about what to do, not missing the hard-to-ignore glimmer of hope in Luan's face. That girl is an open book, which had been an obstacle for Amourora's secret plots against Victoria in the last life. She's just too innocent for the schemes and lies of the world of high society. "then, you eat that, I will give father from the second batch."

Of course, she will take it to the emperor by herself to 'express her sincere apologies' and maybe eavesdrop on the secret information that could be of use in the future. She prepared another plate of the freshly baked cookies, softer than the first batch, with creamier chocolate and a warm aroma, and let Luan enjoy the first plate.

"your highness, I'm afraid you can't enter." the guards stopped her at the imperial study's entrance with an apologetic smile. As one of the emperor's special guards, they were fully aware of how much the emperor favors his daughter, and even if they weren't, they would figure it out from the four elite knights, two ranks above them, reserved especially for the emperor himself, standing behind her.

"why not? I made these cookies myself with Avyanna and Edmund. They taste good. Here, try them yourself." she tried to prove her point by shoving a piece in his face.

"I am quite sure they are tasty, but we still cannot allow you in." the other guard refused politely, prepared for any oncoming tantrum.

"ugh.fine! He won't take it, then I won't apologize!" she stomped on the note and almost smashed the plate if Luna didn't take it on time. She huffed and puffed clenching her hands before she turned on her heels and left.

"your highness, a—"

"go away!" she scared her maids who were cleaning her room, and they instantly stopped whatever they were doing and left. 'That should keep them away for a while.'Only the triplets stayed, thinking the princess didn't notice them.

"Luan, switch your clothes with me."

"huh?" she flinched, confused and nervous. Their clothes were quite similar, except Amourora's fancier with frills and ribbons.

"quick."

After she compelled the Luan to take her place, she wore high pointy shoes to reach the height of the other two and snuck out the room disguised as Luan, keeping her head down as she passed by the guards. As soon as they were out of the guards' sight, Lena whispered nervously, "your highness, what are you going to do?"

"give daddy the cookies." she took the plate from her hands. "keep it a secret."

Both were too shocked to say or do anything. The princess seemed in a rush, so they didn't know if they should ask, but her answer was too confusing. Well, the words made sense, but not in the current situation. By the time the two of them finally digested the information, the princess had already been long gone. Their hearts dropped in with a foreboding feeling.

"your highness! Wait! "

*****

It was hard to sneak around your own home, not that you are unfamiliar with the maze-like corridors and paths, but everyone is familiar with your face. She dumped the plate at a random table and walked the opposite direction.

She kept her head low and pace fast, trying to blend with the shadows as much as possible. In her last life, she often went for walks alone to clear her head after a series of her family members died. She walked to ease the loneliness, and would often get wrapped up in her gloomy thoughts and end up at a place she had never seen before.

During that time, she discovered many shortcuts and secrets with the palace's structure. For example, a path in the Spring Blossoms garden led to a shortcut to the hall of tranquility, passing the imperial study. If she squeezed between the bushes, and through a narrow space through walls, she will find herself in an empty space behind the specific office where close meetings are held.

All she has to do now is fit between the thick vines of English ivy and she would be under a shelf in the study. She could hear the voices clearly to a certain extent, but not lucid enough to get a full grasp of every word said.

"your majesty, since there are floods in the east and droughts in the south, the trade routes would be effected. Not to mention an upheaval that could rise if the situation isn't mended in time."

"don't stress the situation, the droughts and floods didn't happen yet, it's only a speculation of what could happen if the rains continued in the east." a deep voice replied. "I could station a few troops in the cities where rebellions could start, they could distribute food and keep everyone safe while preventing upheavals."

"the national treasury is short of money, how could it be sufficient enough to provide for hundreds of people? I already told you, trade isn't as prosperous as before. We should cut from military funds."

"no way! Enough had been cut from military funds. How should my soldiers survive the harsh winter without enough food and clothing to keep them warm?"

"then raise taxes."

"commoners barely have enough to feed themselves, taxes should be raised from aristocrats and wealthy merchants."

"how many times do I have to repeat, 'trade isn't as prosperous'? Our economy is, and has been for the past few years, constantly deteriorating. "

"still, wealthy people are purchasing expensive and extravagant museum pieces. I don't see how they are lacking in money."

"... We share a close alliance with the Cloud kingdo—"

"the Cloud kingdom is in an even worse situation, their stocks for winter aren't full, and had already asked for our help. They are known to be proud people, they would rather go near death than ask for something if not absolutely necessary. "

"why not establish business relationships with flourishing countries?" a third voice joined the first two. "the kingdom of Sumpriva is a good choice."

"their king is a machiavellian, isn't the easiest to deal with." a fourth voice, similar to her father's finally commented.

Her heart sank when it finally downed on her how dangerous what she's doing is. What if her father found out? She can't back out now, if she made a noise, she would be discovered. One of them seems to be a general, he would definitely hear the slightest rustling with his acute sense of hearing.

Now what should she do?

"it shouldn't be that difficult...?"