Aisha Labelyn, who had been standing side by side with the Duke of Valencia, frowned as she looked at her.
—How could you do something so horrible…!
Her face had been filled with shock, bewilderment, and anger.
She had reacted as though she herself had sided with Paris, the Duchess of Valencia, and that knight’s actions.
Rachel knew. From an outsider’s perspective, after being married for five years, she could certainly have looked like an accomplice.
But had that really been the best choice?
There should have been no evidence whatsoever that she had been an accomplice.
Rachel knew that the Aisha Labelyn from back then had merely revealed the truth.
But still.
“…….”
Watching her approach with a smile like this was painful. Rachel quietly lowered her gaze and dipped her head slightly.
“Hello, Lady Labelyn.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Please feel free to call me Aisha, Lady. May I call you Rachel as well?”
“……Of course. Lady Aisha. I heard that you recently returned to the capital. Congratulations on successfully gaining control over your ability.”
“Thank you, Lady. I’m planning to hold a small party to celebrate my return after this imperial ball. Would you be able to attend?”
“…….”
Aisha Labelyn.
As mentioned before, after awakening her ability at the age of fifteen, she had immediately left for the Mage Tower.
After returning to the capital for good at eighteen, she had devoted herself to heir training, and whenever her mana became unstable, she would stay at the Mage Tower. As a result, she had had no connection with Rachel.
She had certainly shown no interest in Rachel before the regression.
‘Could the fake duke incident have caught the young lady’s attention?’
Rachel couldn’t know for sure, but she couldn’t refuse the young lady’s direct invitation in front of everyone.
Even if she came up with an excuse to decline later.
No, considering what might happen today, perhaps it would be better to maintain at least a small connection with her.
Regardless of how uncomfortable she felt around the young lady.
If an assassination attempt against the Emperor really did occur today, she might even end up helping rescue the Emperor alongside her.
“My lady?”
“……Of course I’ll attend. Please send me an invitation.”
Aisha nodded brightly.
“Good. I hope we can get along from now on. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve been in high society, but it’s almost the same as my first time, too, so I thought we could get along well as two people who both need to adjust. Don’t you think so?”
Was she talking about Rachel’s seclusion because of her broken engagement?
Rachel found it a little strange that she would deliberately bring that up.
“I only secluded myself for a month or two. I attended quite a lot of social events for nearly two years, so I don’t think I’ll have much trouble. I’ll probably be able to help you adjust to high society, since it must still be unfamiliar to you.”
She responded appropriately and shifted her gaze toward the place where Lady Aile Torza had been standing moments ago. During her conversation with Aisha Labelyn, Lady Torza and her group had already disappeared.
‘……The timing was unfortunate.’
If Aisha Labelyn hadn’t greeted her, Rachel could have secured a more definite advantage.
“…….”
“…….”
It was then, while Rachel was once again facing Aisha, whose expression had taken on a strange look.
Ba-ba-ba-bam—
A magnificent trumpet fanfare echoed throughout the hall.
“His Imperial Majesty Terrius Rogdan di Olsher, the eternal sun of the Olsher Empire, is entering!”
The Emperor had appeared.
At the entrance stood a man with golden hair.
And those unforgettable violet eyes.
That dazzling, sculpture-like appearance.
He was exactly the same as before the regression.
Rachel stared blankly at the Emperor’s face when Lady Axel, who had been close to her at this time, tugged down on her sleeve.
“What are you doing, my lady? You need to pay your respects.”
“…….”
Rachel dropped to one knee as though collapsing.
Thump, thump—
Her heart pounded.
Unlike the memories she had sometimes been able to dismiss without much thought, at this moment Rachel felt as though the past and the present were overlapping.
Back then, too, the Emperor had entered at the sound of the trumpets.
“Everyone, raise your heads.”
—Everyone, raise your heads.
When she lifted her head, a black-haired man stood beside the blond man who reminded her of the sun.
It was the same now.
Rachel stared blankly at Nathan Valencia, who stood beside the Emperor.
For a moment, their eyes met.
“…….”
“…….”
The man’s eyes twitched slightly. Then, with a somewhat peculiar expression, he examined her from head to toe for a brief moment.
“…….”
Then he stared directly into her eyes.
There was a question in his gaze.
Just as he was about to say something, the Emperor’s cheerful declaration rang out.
“I am pleased. We have driven out the wicked faction and restored peace to the capital. What a wonderful day this is.”
Rachel finally came to her senses.
This was reality.
There might be a few problems occurring, but this was reality—a life where she didn’t have to wash herself in rainwater, shiver in the cold, starve to death, or spend the rest of her life worrying about being confined.
Rachel quietly clasped her fingertips together.
Above her, the Emperor continued with his brief congratulatory speech.
“Above all, the former Duke of Valencia has also recovered his true son. And he has succeeded to the dukedom as well, so how could I not be pleased? Now, once he gets married, there will be nothing left for me to worry about.”
“……Your Majesty.”
Nathan quietly called out to the Emperor.
Never in history had anyone dared interrupt the Emperor in the middle of a speech, yet even amid the astonished gazes of everyone present, the Emperor remained completely calm.
“What is it, Duke? This is unavoidable. Once you get married, I won’t say another word about it. As for the rest, the retainers of the Valencia family will take care of it.”
“……Your Majesty, you haven’t married yet either. Surely the succession of the Imperial family is just as important as mine.”
“…….”
He must certainly find high society unfamiliar.
Yet despite being inexperienced, his way with words was no less impressive than that of any other noble.
After giving a brief cough at the gazes gathering around him, the Emperor stepped down from beneath the throne.
“Ahem. Then, let us begin the ball. I shall open it with the first dance.”
“…….”
Rachel silently turned her head to the side.
By then, Aisha Labelyn’s face had become slightly flushed.
By this point, it was an open secret that Aisha Labelyn was in love with the Emperor.
Even after leaving for the Mage Tower, she had always returned to attend the imperial ball once she became an adult.
And for nearly three years, she had practically monopolized the position of the Emperor’s first dance partner.
According to 「Record」, as Rachel remembered it, that had remained the case almost until Aisha married the Emperor.
This time, too, the Emperor would choose Aisha Labelyn.
Rachel lowered her gaze slightly and waited for the Emperor to pass by her.
Then—
Tap.
The footsteps moving alone came to a stop right in front of her.
Rachel slowly raised her gaze.
Standing before her was none other than the Emperor, Terrius Rogdan di Olsher.
He smiled and extended one hand toward her.
“How would you like to dance the first song with me, Lady Rachel Ingrave?”
“……!”
Rachel stared blankly at the Emperor before slowly turning her head to the side.
Aisha Labelyn had gone pale, unable to hide the expression on her face.
Her glance had lasted only a moment.
But since she was standing right there, the Emperor easily noticed it and curled the corner of his mouth.
“Why? Is there something bothering you, my lady?”
“……Of course not. It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”
She really didn’t want to take it.
But Rachel had no choice and took the hand the Emperor extended.
His palm was slightly firm, an unwelcome reminder that the Emperor was still diligently training his body even now.
Among the nobles whose faces were filled with every emotion imaginable—surprise, shock, curiosity—Rachel could see her parents looking bewildered yet delighted.
And then there was Nathan Valencia, who was staring at her strangely.
“…….”
Something was definitely wrong.
Even in her memories, and in 「Record」, hadn’t the Emperor’s first dance partner almost always been Aisha Labelyn?
‘Then why today?’
Could simply handling the fake duke incident five years earlier really have caused such a drastic change?
The sudden arrival of the Borza Kingdom’s delegation was strange enough as well.
Before she knew it, Rachel was standing on the dance floor, facing the Emperor.
The moment the opening notes of the first song began, the Emperor suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
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