Although she sometimes visited the Magic Tower to control her magic, she had never actually lost control of it.
Ah, it had appeared once in the <Record>, but that was an exception. It wasn’t something she had experienced herself.
“Y-you…!”
Aisha Labelyn was so furious that she couldn’t even finish her sentences. All she could do was release her magic.
Rachel stared at her for a moment before speaking.
“So please, do your best, Lady Aisha. If you don’t want me to steal His Majesty away from you.”
“What?”
“I mean, this is your chance. His Majesty is temporarily setting aside his personal feelings because of the peace negotiations with the Borza Kingdom.”
Once this opportunity passed, the emperor would begin to take action in earnest.
He would start courting her.
Rachel might be forced to choose between rejecting the emperor and becoming empress against her will.
If that happened, the life she had barely managed to obtain would surely be shaken.
That was why Aisha Labelyn had to act before then. Unlike before, she had to be much more proactive.
“……”
The magic that had seemed ready to run wild at any moment began to subside. Aisha Labelyn, a candidate for empress and a potential heir to the Duke Labelyn family, could hardly fail to understand the hidden meaning behind Rachel’s words.
‘Rachel Ingrave doesn’t want the emperor’s love.’
Of course, even that might annoy Aisha Labelyn.
But the young lady, who had looked only at the emperor since she was very young, would eventually accept it. And the proof was that she had finally calmed down.
Aisha Labelyn, who had been staring at Rachel strangely, slowly nodded.
“……Fine. I’ll gladly accept your advice.”
“I’m glad we understand each other. Then, goodbye, Lady Aisha. I wish you luck.”
“……”
After staring at Rachel for a while, the young lady left the dress shop. Rachel gestured to the Imperial Knights and the rest of her attendants. They, too, wore strange expressions as they stepped back.
“Please continue.”
“……Yes, my lady.”
The signs of a magical outburst.
The emperor’s genuine courtship.
And Rachel Ingrave’s reaction, which suggested she didn’t welcome it.
Madam had learned far too many secrets. Her face had turned so pale that she looked ready to faint. With even greater care, she helped Rachel try on the cloak.
The dress was made of diamonds, platinum, and white satin.
The cloak, woven from white fur, was embroidered with the crest of the new family Rachel had chosen. It was the white marble gate that had reminded her of a round clock when her <Regression> ability had activated.
If an Ingrave with the <Regression> ability were to make a fresh start, there could be no crest more fitting than this one.
“It looks good.”
“It suits you very well. I think we only need to make a few adjustments to fit your figure.”
She marked the places that needed to be altered.
Then she checked the finishing details, shoes, and fabric length once more. By the time Rachel had made all her decisions and left her section of the shop, it was already late afternoon.
“Thank you for visiting, my lady.”
“Good work.”
Leaving Madam, who saw her off more politely than ever, Rachel headed back to the palace. The sun had not yet begun to set, but the unexpected encounter had left her tense, and she was a little tired.
‘Will Aisha Labelyn be able to do it?’
Still, she had to try everything she could. It was no longer the time to be picky.
If things went wrong, she might be forced to become empress and spend the rest of her life by the emperor’s side.
“……Absolutely not.”
All she could do was hope that the young lady, fired up by this provocation, would put the emperor back on the right track. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as difficult as she thought.
After all, they had even married in the <Record>.
They had been in love, too. As long as the right opportunity arose, that meant they could recreate the same relationship in this life.
After returning to the Labelyn ducal residence, Aisha sank into thought as she gazed at the magnificent chandelier.
“……”
She had never expected things to turn out this way. Who would have thought Rachel Ingrave would turn down His Majesty the Emperor?
Come to think of it, that woman had seemed a little strange from the beginning.
The faint sense of rejection she had felt.
The way Rachel had acted as though she were only going along with things because she had no choice.
Now that she thought about it, Rachel might have acted the same way when she first danced with the emperor.
“Sisi, how is the investigation into Rachel Ingrave going?”
“The initial investigation is complete. Would you like me to report the findings?”
“Yes.”
Sisi immediately took out the report and began listing the information they had gathered about Rachel Ingrave.
“Rachel Ingrave is seventeen years old. She is the eldest daughter of the Ingrave Marquisate and is expected to become independent after receiving the title of baroness. She will likely cut ties with her family. The marquis has already caused a scene at the Violet Palace over this matter.”
“Oh, I’ve heard about that.”
For now, the news of the emperor courting Rachel had overshadowed it a little.
However, the conflict between Rachel Ingrave and the Ingrave family was still a hot topic in high society.
“At the moment, we haven’t found any weaknesses other than her conflict with her family. The marriage discussions with Duke Valencia will likely be called off once her independence is settled, so His Majesty doesn’t seem too concerned about them. One unusual thing is that she seems exceptionally skilled at gathering information, but she doesn’t appear to have any investigators working for her.”
“Hm? Why is that? Is it her ability?”
“We don’t know for sure. However, the Shadows seem to suspect that as well.”
An ability related to information.
She was certainly someone His Majesty would want to recruit. It seemed she had used it to uncover not only the fake heir incident but also the assassination attempt by the Borza Kingdom.
Aisha bit her fingernail.
“Even so, I’ve awakened the <Magic> ability, too. I’ll become an Archmage soon, so I’ll be far more useful than someone with a mere information-gathering ability. Anyway, why isn’t Sein here yet?!”
Her sharp shout made the air tremble again. Her magic, which had nearly run wild once already, was slipping out of control under the influence of her emotions.
But right now, controlling her magic wasn’t the most important thing.
She had to rise through the ranks as quickly as possible. Once she became an Archmage, the emperor would have no choice but to turn his attention toward her.
Her personal maid, Sisi, calmly replied.
“Didn’t he say he would be here soon? Shall I send another letter?”
“……That would be best. In any case, keep investigating Rachel Ingrave. Find out what ability she has awakened, too. The more information we have, the better.”
“Yes, my lady.”
In any case, while Rachel Ingrave was refusing the emperor, this was Aisha’s chance.
In the end, she would be the one he returned to.
Of course, she needed to prepare in advance. Rachel Ingrave might change her mind and accept the emperor.
Or perhaps even after the emperor’s relationship with Rachel Ingrave fell apart, he might not return to Aisha.
‘So I have to hurry.’
Aisha sent Sein a mountain of letters before heading to the magic training room. This was the moment when she needed to improve her skills faster than ever.
By the time Rachel’s carriage reached the area near the Imperial Palace, the King of Borza had already arrived and entered the palace.
The area around the palace still bore traces of the grand welcoming ceremony, with scattered flower petals and marks left by the carpets that had been laid out.
She needed to hurry because the ceremony to reward those who had contributed to the kingdom’s affairs would take place in two days. Still, she felt a little disappointed that she had missed the welcoming ceremony.
‘It must have been a magnificent sight.’
It must have been even more splendid than Nathan Valencia’s title succession ceremony, or at least just as grand.
Besides, that scene would surely have been pleasant to watch rather than uncomfortable. Just as Rachel was swallowing her slight disappointment, the carriage suddenly jolted to a stop, and the door immediately swung open.
Bang—
“……!”
The person who appeared right before her was Nathan Valencia.
He couldn’t even hide how rushed he was.
His clothes were disheveled, and his hair was a mess. Without hesitation, he looked her over from head to toe.
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