We got down from the refined stairs, my feet treading upon the dark purple carpet, feeling the weight of the palace's history with each step.

The air below grew cooler, and the light from the upper floors faded into a soft, ambient glow.

A long, sprawling hall stretched before me, almost a mirror of the upper levels, yet here, the luxurious vases stood out more prominently.

Each one a masterpiece of clear glass, intricately shaped, showing off the roots of the lush greenery within.

Some vases gleamed like prisms, reflecting light in strange, mesmerizing ways.

As we passed by, my gaze shifted to the grand frames hanging upon the walls.

Unlike the meadows and landscapes depicted above, this floor displayed portraits of women—stunning, regal, draped in lavish gowns that seemed to tell stories of their own.

Their beauty was captivating, almost ethereal, as though they had been immortalized in the artist’s brushstroke.

Under each frame, tiny letters were inscribed, too small to decipher while walking.

‘I can’t read them; the letters are too small.’ I squinted, attempting to read them but gave up as Ms. Vesta’s voice floated softly over my shoulder.

“This floor is the second floor.

We still have to go down through other stairs.

It houses rooms for various arts—pottery, embroidery, painting, gardening, writing, even tea-making.

All sorts of crafts can be practiced here.”

Ms. Vesta spoke as she glanced briefly at me, who was behind her.

‘That is a lot of rooms.’ I was astounded by the number of things that you can do in the palace.

‘But if this is only one of the palaces of the Imperial Palace, what else could you possibly find in the others?’ I couldn’t envision such thing.

“There is also a library in this floor.

If the lady is interested in reading, you can ask one of the knights to take you there.”

She referred to the two knights following us from behind.

Trying their best not to make a noise with their heavy metal armor.

“A library?

I have never been in one.” A flicker of uncertainty crossed in my mind.

‘Had i ever been to one?’

“I think the lady would love it.

It is a sacred and beloved place here in the Kunzite palace.

Many who have stayed in here all fell from the library’s architecture.

But only one visitor ever spent her days there, reading to her heart’s content.

She would constantly come by the library and read the books that she chose.

She would even read the books everywhere she went.”

Ms. Vesta paused for a moment as she tried to recall something, making her eyes look below her feet.

“She did stay mostly at the greenhouse to read.

I say… she preferred the greenhouse out of all the rooms and places in this palace.”

I listened carefully to Ms. Vesta.

Curious about the woman she was talking about.

“Is she here?

Does she live here?”

Her gaze softened.

“Unfortunately, she doesn’t live here anymore.

Though sometimes she comes by.

Whenever she visits the palace, we become very delighted by her presence.”

“I see.” When Ms. Vesta talked about the woman, I became curious of her seeing how Ms. Vesta talked about her.

There was something wistful in the way she described her, as if the woman had left behind more than just memories.

“We can visit the rooms and explore as much as the lady wishes, but first, breakfast awaits.

A child’s health is important, and you are still growing.

Especially for someone as slender as the lady.”

The sounds of our footsteps echoed in the vast hallway.

“As the palace is enormous, it would seem like that the journey is long and tiring, but the greenhouse is just actually outside the palace, near the entrance.

The lady might get lost in this labyrinth of a palace, but do not worry as the knights will always be by the lady’s side.

Thought the people who work here are to fulfill the lady’s requests, so you do not have to concern yourself in need of help.

If we, lady-in-waiting, are not by your side, the knights and the workers are here for the lady.”

“As long as the knights are by my side, I won’t have to disturb the other people here.” We kept passing through different sophisticated doors, same dark oak wood doors, but with different decorations on them.

And as we progressed through the hallway, the end was getting near as a wall with a door was getting closer and closer ahead of us.

At the left side of the wall ahead of us could be also seen an open space, unknown to what was behind it as the angle was unseen from a distance.

“That door over there is where the library is linked to.

As you enter through that door, you will get enchanted by the library’s structure.

Well, the palace itself is well structured, but the library seemed to be the architecture’s favorite piece.

Of course, we will get to visit it later.

After breakfast, just as planned.” Now I could see what the space on the left side of the wall showed.

The final pair of stairs that led down.

Though after seeing those stairs, I thought of why we had to walk through the hallway just to get to these pair of stairs?

Whoever structured this place, they could have thought of connecting the stairs through one sitting, instead of making us walk through such a distance to get to each stair.

“Ms. Vesta…” I spoke as I thought about it.

“Yes?”

“Why aren’t the stairs connected directly?

Why walk all the way through the halls?” After asking the question, Ms. Vesta answered with a small cough.

“Well, the one who structured this palace was the emperor.

We thought… of the same thing when we were first introduced to this palace.

Eventually we asked out of curiosity, knowing that it was not that… common to compose such thing.” Ms. Vesta paused for a moment as we finally reached the final pair of stairs.

“The emperor wanted for the guests to admire the palace in its entirety.

And for them to not be lazy and to have a bit of… exercise for their body.

He said that if they had built the stairs as one, they wouldn’t have explore the palace’s beauty properly and would have just stayed inside their bedrooms.

Introducing to them the other rooms by voice was not enough, so making them walk around and get curious about the doors they encounter was ideal.” Ms. Vesta started getting down the stairs, I followed her briefly listening to each word she said.

“And it was a success.

Not only did they get curious about the rooms by taking a look, they even used it.

They enjoyed the time they have spent in here, but they did say that it was tiring to have to go back to their rooms.

I find it amusing, honestly.

Such ideas came from our beloved emperor.

I did not know he had so much time preparing for matters like this, as it is not that important as their principal duties.”

Another massive window that exposed the sun’s light, illuminating upon us.

I felt the warmth of the sun.

And through every step that we took, I listened to Ms. Vesta as she described and answered the questions that I asked her.

“It seems like the emperor cares about this place.”

“Not only this place, but the other palaces too.

He refurnished some.

Exterior parts and interior parts as well.

He actually took the time to do all of this, while being busy finishing his important duties.” We finished taking the last stairs and were finally at the ground floor.

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More greenery was shown on the hallway, but more importantly a massive circular structure was at the center.

It seems to be the main lobby of the palace.

As we reached the ground floor, sunlight streamed in through massive windows, illuminating the golden pillars and marble floors beneath them.

At the center of the room stood a grand circular lobby, to which I looked at it carefully in amusement.

The ceiling had four circles, and at the center of it a strange, yet dazzling, chandelier hanged.

The chandelier spiraled like a staircase, adorned with candles and long purple crystals that glittered like stars.

“What are those things attached to the candles?” I asked Ms. Vesta as I kept looking at the chandelier.

“Oh, those are kunzite crystals.

The symbol of Kunzite Palace.

The kunzite crystal symbolizes unconditional love, self-acceptance, but also brings protection and purification.

Every palace in the imperial palace has its own valuable object that describes them.”

We walked through the floral beige floor pattern, approaching the massive door at the center.

Two people in black suits were near the door opening them gracefully as the we approached.

I bowed to the two men who kindly opened the door for us.

“Thank you.” Looking briefly at them, before staring ahead, following Ms. Vesta.

The slightly heat of the sun was felt as we took our first steps outside, over the white stone paths below our feet.

Both sides were covered with some bushes that were tall as me, covered with flowers.

The breeze brushed off some petals from the ground.

“Not too far from here, only a 5-minute walk or so, we will reach the greenhouse.

This is the open garden of the Kunzite palace.

The garden is wide and vast, and this is only a small part of it.

Gardeners come by every day, taking care of the plants here and looking out for the over grown bushes or grass.

Of course, every personnel who works for the palace have their own very rooms, as they live far away from their homes.

They take a break to visit their families, which is a right thing to do for their emotional stability.

You know it can get disheartening not seeing the people you care for a very long time, so they need that break, that comes twice a year, in order to be happy and motivated again.

The break comes from a minimum of one week to a maximum of three weeks.

Obviously if there are emergencies, then they can take a break as long as they need.” We continued to walk through the straight path, encountering different paths to which we passed by while Ms. Vesta talked.

“Where are there rooms located in the Kunzite Palace?”

“In the main floor.

The main floor is the only place where it can be crowded by how many workers passes by the entrance and rooms.

The second floor is where the creative workplaces take place, and the third floor is where the guests’ rooms are placed.” Ms. Vesta finished talking, though I thought of how enormous the palace was.

‘Is that all?

Three floors?’ Ironic, isn’t it?

I’ve judge of how the palace was exaggeratingly massive, but from how Ms. Vesta described it to me, I felt that something was missing.

Walking through the path of stones for a while, in a straight line, from a distance, not too far from us, we could see a tall and large house made from glass.

And through the glass I could see some greenery inside.

“There it is the greenhouse.” Ms. Vesta claimed as we got closer and closer.

Near the entrance, there were two women dressed in black.

And as we were finally in front of the entrance, Ms. Vesta stopped to talk to the two ladies.

“Please bring in the breakfast, thank you.” She said as she started moving forward again, entering the greenhouse.

I followed her inside, and the path of stones were not surrounded by the dirt anymore.

Instead it was surrounded by the green grass.

Inside the sun illuminated an entire world of overgrown plants that climbed up the walls and ceiling

The ceiling was filled with branches, plants and flowers.

But it was also filled with Kunzite crystals of various sizes.

The sun, passing through the Kunzite crystals, made such beautiful colors around the greenhouse.

The surroundings were filled with flowers, bushes and trees.

Butterflies and birds were also inside, flying around and making distant noises.

It was a marvelous sight.

In some areas there were benches and small tables, even swings attached to the trees.

But at the center, a circular white structure was placed.

It seemed like a balcony, but it had a long white table with many white fancy chairs.

The pillars on that circular structure all entwined with plants that seemed to belong there naturally.

“Is that… where I will be eating?” I guessed.

“Yes, the lady may take a seat and wait for the food to come.

And when the lady finishes her breakfast, she can explore the greenhouse thoroughly.”

“I have seen the greenhouse for a brief moment, and it is quite a charm.

I love the details and the surroundings.

Maybe now I know why the lady, who lived here, preferred the greenhouse.” Still looking attentively at the little things that I found captivating.

“I see that it is to your liking.

I am happy that the lady is charmed by the greenhouse.” She said as she waited patiently for me to sit on the chair, and as I realized where she was, I quickly went in the circular structure and sat on the chair.

She stood beside me, and we waited for the food to arrive.

“Sorry, I got a bit distracted by the countless of… aspects inside here.

I wanted to take another look.”

“Oh, it was sweet looking at the lady observing the greenhouse.

I too would get lost by its beauty.

In fact I still am.”

“Did the… Emperor built this too?”

“Yes.

Not that surprising now, is it?”

As we waited for a bit, an unseen continuous vibratory sound was heard getting closer and closer to where we were.

It got louder each time.

Tables with wheels at the bottom where seen, getting pushed by the people in black suits.

Tables loaded with trays of food were being rolled in, each dish more elaborate than the last.

There were five tables and each of them had a large amount of food.

Food that I had never seen or tasted before.

I was astounded by the amount of it.

“Isn’t this too much…?” I whispered to Ms. Vesta, leaning slightly my head to her direction.

“This is the normal breakfast, my lady.

You have requested a normal breakfast, so here it is.

We have other categories, such as

Standard, what you have now.

Elite is where you are given ten tables and a chef that cooks in person.

And at last, Deluxe gives you more than twenty tables, chefs and personnel at your service and an entertainer to entertain the lady while she eats.

Well the Deluxe is mainly used for a table that has more than one person, so it is rarely chosen for an individual.” As she described me calmly the strange categories, the personnels placed the plates on the table in front of me, filling every gap of it.

And as they finished placing every plate that was left, the cover of the last table was taken off, showing different kinds of drinks.

Glass barrels that held inside different vibrant colors and had various kinds of fruits that flowed in the shiny, juicy liquid.

A barrel showed a yellow liquid that had sliced mangoes, oranges and strawberries, with giant ice cubes inside.

Another one showed a dark red liquid, with some transparency, that had blueberries, blackberries, red berries and apples inside.

“Would you like to taste the drinks first?

I see you are quite intrigued looking at the barrels.”

“I-I mean they are all delicious looking.

Maybe the “normal” breakfast that I had requested and thought of was milk… eggs or even pancakes… not a banquet.

Regardless, the chefs and the people here must have worked hard to prepare all of this.

Thank you for a-all of this, but what happens if I can’t… finish everything?” I stared at every plate on the table, with my mouth slightly open.

“Oh, you do not have to worry about that, my lady.

The royals usually do not eat that much, so we discard everything that is left.”

My eyebrows twitched by her answer.

My head gradually turned at her, having a hard time understanding what she said.

“Why would you discard… food?”

“The leftovers must be disposed.

That is what we have always done.

Otherwise it will decay as time passes, and it would be trouble to clean it all up.”

“But haven’t you thought of maybe giving them to those in need?

Families who can’t afford food?”

As I stayed with sir Exios, the Tavern was mostly surrounded by shops and houses.

But as we went out to buy things for the tavern we went to places where little children had dirty clothes on.

I even saw one eating a bread that was on the ground for too long.

Thinking about the people that stomped it while walking by.

A kid slept on a cardboard, in corners that were quite dark.

I couldn’t imagine how they can sleep at night with the gelid air.

I asked sir Exios if we could have helped them in some way, but he told me that he already

had tried helping them, and it wasn’t enough.

He explained to me that the system of the village and the Empire was the problem.

But so was the people.

Maybe they lived in a poor family.

Or maybe they were abandoned by their family.

Some may have escaped from their abusive family.

Or some had their family killed.

So, these little children might grow a bit problematic, but it is their way for surviving in the society.

But some survive in a different way, such as not wanting to be a part of society anymore.

That is how sir Exios explained it to me.

Ms. Vesta stared at me and let out a little smile for the first time.

“Oh, my lady.

By discarding I meant giving it away to the village.

Of course, not all comes by to get the food, and we do not know why though, but we do offer them to those who need it.

Do not worry.”

I sigh of relief was shown in my face.

After that my head came back to the food that was covering my whole vision.

I picked up the spoon and fork and hesitated to pick a plate.

The tip of the spoon touched a juicy white ball.

After slicing it, it went directly into my mouth.

The soft, tenderness texture and the milky flavor was melting.

“That is called mozzarella, my lady.”

“This is good.” I said in amusement, while I closed my eyes.

I gradually started tasting different plates, and my stomach seemed to like it so much that it didn’t matter If I stuffed it with different foods in a matter of seconds.

My cheeks were full and were shaped as an ‘o’.

All I could do was hum in amusement by each spoonful I get.

And as another hum was completely heard by everyone in the room, I opened my eyes and noticed that the people in suites that were smiling to my reaction, started to bow down.

I looked at Ms. Vesta and she was also bowing down.

I couldn’t see anyone in particular other than the people that were already inside the greenhouse, but after a few seconds a man in a green tuxedo and green hair appeared walking towards where I was.

My mouth stopped chewing, but it was full.

He was finally near the table and greeted me with a smile.

“Good afternoon, child.” he greeted me, his voice warm and teasing, the kind that could ease a storm.

"I see that you must be very hungry."