The Emperor could no longer suppress his annoyance. He said in a stern and grave voice, "Princess Snigdha! What uncivilized behavior is this? Go, pick up your shoe, put it on, and head to the dining hall to finish your meal! Elders far senior to you in age and stature are present here. Just because you are being accorded royal respect as a member of a royal family does not mean you can behave in any wild, disrespectful manner you please! Remember, you are much younger than even me in age!"
Staring at the Emperor with unblinking eyes, Snigdha tossed her head in arrogance and snapped, "So what if I am younger in age? I must be given special honor in this palace! Because my beauty is boundless, far above all the women in this world! There is no second person as beautiful as me in this entire universe! I am the supreme beauty! Therefore, whether I am young or old, everyone should bow their heads and honor my beauty!"
Saying this, she picked up the flare of her gown with one hand, stomped over to retrieve her thrown shoe, slipped it on, and walked off toward the dining hall with extreme insolence.
Holding his forehead in dismay, the Emperor witnessed Snigdha's boundless arrogance and shamelessness. He muttered to himself, 'Shame! Never in my entire life have I seen such a shameless, ill-mannered, and senseless girl! Her parents couldn't even teach her the bare minimum of how to speak or behave around elders!' Letting out a heavy sigh, the Emperor returned to his royal duties.
Meanwhile, a lavish royal feast had been laid out in the dining hall. Rows of gold plates and utensils were arranged across a long table.
Prafulla, Prabhasa, and Snigdha sat facing each other to eat. Right at that moment, Snigdha's eyes caught sight of an exceptionally handsome, tall, and commanding young guest sitting in a far corner of the dining hall. The young man was dressed in fine silk, bearing a grave and noble aura on his face.
The moment she spotted the young man, Snigdha's eyes sparkled with delight! She thought to herself in grand excitement, 'Ah! So this is the new Prime Minister? The one everyone is making such a drama about and planning to reveal as a surprise this evening! Ha! Is it that easy to fool my jeweler's eye? I spotted him even before the ceremony began! Truly, God doesn't bless everyone with such sharp, perceptive eyes! The Almighty gave only me such beauty and brain! I am truly so fortunate! Anyway, this Prime Minister is quite handsome! I must somehow trap this guy in the web of my beauty! He must fall blindly in love with me and marry me! And once he marries me, I will become the wife of the Prime Minister of this vast Kingdom of Rupnagar! After that... after that, given the opportunity, I will poison this old King or use some other scheme to remove him, and become the Queen of this realm myself! This palace is a thousand times larger than our Junagarh—I simply must become the Queen here! I have to ensnare this guy at all costs!'
Snigdha began plotting such terrible and filthy schemes in her mind, and even after the royal dishes were served on her plate, she remained glued to that young guest with an unblinking gaze. In reality, Snigdha didn't have the faintest clue that the young man was not Rupanjan, the Prime Minister of Rupnagar, at all—rather, he was merely a handsome guest from another kingdom!
Prafulla noticed that Snigdha wasn't touching the food on her plate and was instead staring wide-eyed at an unfamiliar guy like a madwoman! Deeply annoyed, Prafulla whispered to Prabhasa, "Look, Prabha! Look at Snigdha fixing her gaze on that unfamiliar guy like a shameless girl! Even after coming to such a grand royal dining hall, her foolishness doesn't stop! Honestly, I feel like slapping both her cheeks red! She dragged our honor through the dirt in court, and now she has started a new drama! I am staying quiet now, but let us return home first... I will give her a fitting answer for this uncivilized behavior!"
Prabhasa comforted her brother very calmly and said, "Let it go, brother! She is ruining her own respect; don't ruin your mood looking at her. Eat peacefully, as will I. Whatever actions one performs, one shall reap the exact same results."
Calming himself at Prabhasa's gentle words, Prafulla said, "Alright sister, I am letting it go for now. But once we return home, I won't spare her!" After that, Prafulla and Prabhasa began enjoying their delicious royal afternoon meal with peaceful minds.
The moment she finished eating, Snigdha stood up from her seat in a flash. Silently like a shadow, she began tailing the handsome young guest.
Having finished his meal, the young man was walking toward a quiet and beautiful guest room in the palace to rest. The moment he entered the room, Snigdha swiftly slipped in right behind him! And as soon as she stepped inside, Snigdha clicked the door latch shut behind her!
Surprised by the sudden noise behind him, the young man turned around. He saw an unfamiliar princess who had entered his room and locked the door!
Flashing all the alluring expressions in her eyes, Snigdha stepped forward, smiled coyly, and said, "Who are you, oh handsome man? The moment I laid eyes on you, my heart was enchanted by your looks! Are you to be my future Emperor? Are you the new Prime Minister of Rupnagar?"
Extremely annoyed and angered by Snigdha's absurd behavior and uninvited intrusion, the handsome young noble roared in a grave voice, "Are you mad, Princess? Get out of here right now! I have traveled a long way and am exhausted; I came here to take a bit of rest! How dare you barge into a stranger's private chamber without permission and lock the door? This is my private resting room! What are you here for? Go, get out of here this instant!"