It seemed that although his daughter was a candidate for the heir, he did not want to give up the position of Empress just in case. Or perhaps he thought it would be fine for her to become both Empress and Duchess.
They can always have more than two children.
“Let her in. Since you’re here, Marquis, would you care to have a drink before you go?”
“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs bowed his head. Soon, the door to the office opened.
Aisha Labelyn entered with her personal maid at her side, her appearance as beautiful as a flower. She knelt on one knee.
“I greet the sun of the Empire.”
“Rise, Lady Aisha. Come over here and sit.”
Terrius moved to the head of the sofa and sat down, gesturing to the seat beside him. The seat directly across from him belonged to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“So, I heard you brought some rare fine liquor.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I heard that your workload has increased considerably lately. So I asked my father to find me a liquor that would help relieve fatigue.”
A small amount of alcohol could even be beneficial to one’s health. The Chamberlain quickly brought over some glasses.
Aisha personally approached the Emperor and poured him a drink.
Her deeply lowered eyelashes trembled slightly.
Likewise, the hand holding the bottle was trembling faintly. Terrius smiled silently.
Unlike the sly old fox of a Duke, she was innocent.
Her feelings for him were completely transparent. Along with her beautiful appearance, flawless refinement, and outstanding abilities.
And yet Nathan Valencia had treated the young lady like a stone.
Could it be because of Olsher’s Jewel?
Just as Terrius’s gaze returned to the spot where it had paused a moment ago, the silver cup filled with clear liquor.
It was a fragrant liquor. Perhaps it was the way its rich floral scent seemed to blend with the woman before him.
As expected of the Duke of Labelyn.
At this point, he could probably overlook things out of consideration for the effort they had put into this.
But the timing was not right this time.
More than anything, he needed to warn the Duke, who was being as greedy as he could possibly be.
Fortunately, there was a suitable person for that.
“This is good. I enjoyed it, Lady.”
“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”
“As a return gift, I’ll give you some flowers. Would you like to pick as many flowers as you wish from my garden? I believe you liked the golden roses in my garden before.”
“……!”
Just as Aisha’s cheeks began to flush red, Terrius gave an order to the Chamberlain.
“Go with her and let her take as many flowers as she wants. Pick one flower separately and bring it to me. I need to enclose it with an invitation.”
The Chamberlain bowed respectfully.
“Are you planning to write a handwritten invitation yourself, Your Majesty? Shall I prepare everything?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of sending it to Lady Rachel Ingrave. I think she has shown enough restraint. I’d like her to start going out again.”
“……!”
For a moment, Aisha’s fingertips trembled.
It was a familiar name.
The young lady of the Marquisate who had first discovered the fake young master incident and found the key evidence, becoming the Valencia family’s benefactor as a result and attracting the attention of high society and the Imperial Court.
Considering what had happened, it was certainly understandable that His Majesty would take an interest in her.
But—
“……”
Why should I have to understand that?
Sometimes it seemed as though the Emperor’s attention might turn elsewhere, yet it always came back to her.
At some point, it had become almost like a universal truth.
It was a reality that now seemed strange to change.
The thought of having something taken away from her by some mere daughter of a marquis was not something she was particularly worried about, but—
“Lady, this way.”
“Ah, yes.”
As she followed the Chamberlain, Aisha thought that she should meet Rachel Ingrave at least once.
She had heard that Rachel had recently earned the title of the Valencia family’s benefactor.
Even if she was staying at home after breaking off her engagement, she would surely appear at the succession ceremony of the new Duke of Valencia.
I’ll see for myself what she’s like.
Aisha arrived at the Emperor’s First Garden and picked as many golden roses as she could carry. Golden roses, so similar in color to the Emperor’s hair, filled her arms.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Very well.”
Aisha quietly looked at the flowers the Chamberlain was holding and smiled.
That very night, the Emperor’s handwritten invitation arrived at the Ingrave Marquisate, accompanied by a golden rose.
As expected, the recipient was Rachel Ingrave.
***
After her conversation with the Marquis and Marchioness of Ingrave, Rachel was confined to the estate.
However, there were things even they could not prevent.
Namely, the succession ceremony and the imperial ball that would be held that night.
In truth, she had no particular desire to attend the succession ceremony.
Yet Rachel had been getting beautifully dressed since morning under the Marchioness’s supervision.
She disliked the reason she was being dressed up, but she liked the reflection she saw in the mirror.
Before her regression, she had once been trapped inside that building, washing herself with rainwater and shivering from the cold. Because of the shock and all the torment she had endured, her hair had lost its luster, and her hands had frozen so badly that she had spent her days desperately trying to keep them warm.
So whenever she looked at herself like this now—
She would suddenly realize just how precious it was to be able to wash herself, have a healthy appearance, and stay in a warm room.
After confirming her daughter’s appearance, which was nothing short of dazzling like a jewel, her mother nodded.
“Good. Don’t forget what you have to do, Rachel. Just look at what’s happening already. His Majesty even sent you a handwritten invitation himself, didn’t he?”
Rachel indifferently looked down at the imperial ball invitation lying on the table.
It bore the Imperial seal and was accompanied by a golden rose said to grow only in the Emperor’s garden.
……In fact, she had burned the golden rose long ago.
I was really surprised when that arrived.
Even when she had been the young mistress of the Valencia family, she had never received a handwritten invitation from the Emperor.
Yet one had arrived now.
She had even wondered if something had gone wrong.
「Lady Rachel Ingrave.
You have restrained yourself enough, so you may stop hiding away and come outside the estate now. I’ll see you at the imperial ball.
Terrius Rogdan di Olsher」
……After reading the contents, she realized her worries had been unnecessary.
Her mother continued, gently stroking the invitation as though it were precious.
“If you want to continue enjoying all this favor and attention, wealth, and power, then simply become the Duchess of Valencia. Do well today. I believe in my daughter.”
“……”
“And forget about those ridiculous viscount and baron families. Do you understand?”
Rachel stood up without answering.
When she went downstairs to the first floor, the Marquis of Ingrave and Illya were waiting.
The Marquis smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. Let’s go.”
“……”
Illya hesitated before quietly following behind Rachel.
Outside the entrance, the family carriage was waiting.
The white clock emblem embedded in the carriage door immediately caught her eye.
It looked very similar to the one she had seen during her regression, and she felt that she now understood why the first Marquis of Ingrave had chosen this as the family symbol.
“Would you take my hand, my lady?”
The butler, who had shown his face for the first time in a while, politely extended one hand.
After staring at it briefly, Rachel accepted the butler’s escort and climbed into the carriage.
Illya sat beside her.
After looking at her younger brother, who was sitting somewhat stiffly, Rachel turned her gaze toward the window.
Once the Marquis and Marchioness of Ingrave had settled into the seats opposite them, the carriage door closed.
“We’re departing.”
“Hmm.”
The captain of the knights, who had reported to the Marquis, led the procession.
Once again, the carriage traveled along the familiar road before joining the long line of carriages stretching along the walls of the Valencia estate.
Carriages belonging to various noble families were dropping their masters off at the main gate before orderly leaving the area again.
I never thought I’d come here again.
Finally, when the Ingrave carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the Valencia estate, the carriage door opened.
Before getting out, the Marquis gave her a cold warning.
“Don’t forget what you have to do, Rachel.”
“……”
Illya anxiously looked back and forth between his sister and the Marquis.
Rachel silently approached the open door and extended her hand.
A knight of the Valencia family escorted her.
“Welcome, Lady Ingrave.”
“……”
When she stepped down from the carriage and raised her head, she saw a completely transformed landscape.
The garden, which had been a complete mess the last time she had come here, had now been redesigned into something entirely different.
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