The day tea party I’m anticipating has arrived.

Ten daughters of the Counts from Herzoyona Eskal have been invited to enjoy the tea party in the palace’s garden.

As expected, everyone arrived adorned in stunning dresses that complemented the occasion.

However, amongst them, one lady stood out effortlessly – the one donning the renowned 'sunset dress.' With its captivating hues of yellow, white, and brown, it enraptured the attention of all who beheld it.

The lady wearing the sunset dress exudes elegance and style. The dress is adorned with hints of emerald gems that complemented her short, brown lace gloves.

Her golden hair and silver eyes perfectly match the overall aesthetic, creating a captivating and harmonious appearance.

Wait. Golden hair and silver eyes.

I felt the side of my lips rising. This lady sure is someone special.

“I, Louvienne Halvekia, offer my greetings to the supreme ruler and brightest sun of the empire. It’s an honor to be invited and meet you in person, Your Imperial Majesty,” She curtsied while wearing an elegant smile. I nodded to recognize the gesture and led my hand to the direction of the seat where I wanted her to be.

“I’d like to thank you all for joining me in the tea party I prepared. As you all have noticed, the ladies invited here are all from Herzoyona Eskal. I have my reasons, but I know that the former empress gave Herzoyona Eskal little importance. Which is why I want to meet you all in person.”

‘That’s strange, why would an empress bother to meet us? She must have lots of time to spare.’

‘Should we trust her or she’s plotting something? I hope my family won’t get affected in any way.’

‘I wonder how she became an empress. I haven’t even heard of her.’

Those are some of the inner voices I’ve been hearing from some of these ladies. I don’t know everyone yet, so I can’t identify who are having those thoughts.

Their doubts are understandable, given that I never had a coming-of-age ceremony or public introduction by Heloise.

"I extended this invitation to you all with the sincere desire to get to know each of you better. I am curious about your family background and any connections you may have with the grand duke," I explained, studying each of their reactions intently, hoping to discern any variations. "It has come to my attention that the grand duke remains unmarried. Is it not customary for him to seek a grand duchess who would offer support and companionship?"

One of the ladies immediately reacted. "Now that you mentioned that, His Grace received countless proposals from different nobles. But he rejected everyone without giving them a chance to meet at least.”

“That is indeed true. I believe most of us here became candidates because our fathers wanted us to be involved in high society. I haven’t met the grand duke in person, but I heard that he’s ill-tempered.”

“Really? The one he’ll marry might be in a difficult position. Who knows what a hothead can do to his wife, right?”

“I hold great admiration for His Grace, despite his lack of involvement with women. His leadership in the region has been exceptional, earning him the respect of all. He generously utilizes his own wealth to assist the less fortunate, ensuring that nobody in Herzoyona Eskal suffers from hunger. His noble actions have brought stability and prosperity to the entire dukedom.”

“That’s true. Commoners are there but they all have businesses or jobs. I heard he also gets rid of any unfair treatment and punishes those who dare to abuse their employees."

“That’s why His Grace is someone to look up to. His bad temper can be changed by one woman, who knows?”

Through their conversation, it becomes apparent how Raleigh is effectively governing Herzoyona Eskal. His natural leadership abilities are not surprising, as he seems destined for this role. He carries out his responsibilities with great competence, earning the respect of the ladies present, despite their varying opinions about him. Raleigh's effective leadership is widely acknowledged and appreciated.

Almost all the ladies spoke their minds about Raleigh except for Louvienne who only lifted her cup of tea to her lips. When everyone went silent, as if noticing that she was not speaking her mind, I heard an inner monologue of someone with a different language.

One of my powers is to hear people’s thoughts. But one of these ladies speaks a different language in her head, making my power useless. Could it be from Louvienne?

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The silence made everyone's eyes fall on Louvienne. She put down her cup and placed it on the saucer, and spoke with her hands on her lap.

“I’m quite acquainted with His Grace, for my father used to be friends with the late king – His Grace’s father,” she began, and most of the ladies looked at each other, and some covered their mouths with their fans that match the color of their outfit to whisper their thoughts about Louvienne’s words.

“… He is not a patient person. I’ve seen people he shot out of the blue when they provoke him. When such cases happen, he rewards people with a one-way ticket to the afterlife. It’s one of the reasons why I fear him just like everyone else. But I respect him for being a functional leader who cares for his people instead of being materialistic while others are poor. Herzoyona Eskal has significantly prospered under his leadership.”

The ladies didn’t bother to ask further, but something felt off in Louvienne’s words.

She said she fears him, yet she managed to maintain a smile while discussing him. This paradoxical display gives the impression that her smiles may be concealing a façade, masking her true feelings or intentions.

It appears that this woman lacks awareness of how offensive it can be to mention the term 'materialistic.' As someone who identifies as materialistic, I understand that it is considered offensive.

However, it is worth noting that as an empress, it is natural for her to display wealth. Though I believe her intentions were not malicious, it seems she may not fully grasp the impact and weight of her words.

If anything, it looks like she admires Raleigh more than anyone here.

"I see that's your opinion of the grand duke. That's interesting information, Lady Louvienne. It's my first time hearing that he kills people on the spot though. It must be a traumatizing moment for you.” I said, and she nodded.

“You were right about that. The sound of the gun made my legs grow weak. It's also inconsiderate of him to do such a thing when he had guests. He’s unpredictable on that matter.” Louvienne looked down and tapped her fingers over her other hand.

“Excuse me, Lady Louvienne. But aren’t you speaking ill towards His Grace? Not to mention we’re in front of Her Majesty,” one of the ladies said.

"His Grace wouldn't hate me for saying such a thing. If anything, he'll appreciate it rather than not. Moreover, a lot of people know of it.”

I couldn't help but find amusement in her words. Louvienne may not explicitly state it, but there seems to be more than just a mere acquaintance between her and the grand duke. The depth of her understanding and familiarity with Raleigh suggests a closer relationship than what she lets on. Just … what is Louvienne to Raleigh?

“Since you’re personally acquainted with His Grace, then may I ask if House Halvekia sent him a marriage proposal? Were you like the other ladies who also did?” I asked.

“No, we didn’t send him formal proposals,” Louvienne answered, and she looked at me in the eyes, with eyes filled with disappointment, yet she hid it with a smile. “He already told me to give up the idea.”

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

The deep, dark night seemed like a sea seething with undercurrents and unknown dangers.

Rather than heading directly to the empress' palace, I made the decision to first visit the Eastern palace in order to meet the most intriguing lady among the ten. Although they may be unaware, I have already discerned which individual possesses the qualities to be my lady-in-waiting.

But conducting background checks before extending a formal letter of offer seems like a prudent step to take, ensuring a careful selection process.

I knocked on the door of Louvienne's guest room, even though it is generally considered impolite to visit someone at night. Such social norms did not concern me as I held the authority to bend the rules. Furthermore, I was confident that there’s no way she’ll remember anything after this encounter.

The door opened, revealing Louvienne in her nightgown. At least she’s wearing something decent.

“Y-Your Majesty,” she stuttered and bowed. “I … wasn’t expecting you to be here at this hour.”

“There’s no need to worry about it. I don’t have plans on staying long, but I want you to do me a favor.” I closed my eyes briefly, allowing myself to reconnect with the immense power that courses through me. Louvienne’s facial expression went blank and she bowed. “Your wish is my command, Your Majesty.”

The situation has unfolded smoothly, and she will unknowingly follow along with my plans, completely under my influence.

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

“It’s been a while, Heloise,” I spoke as I leaned on the door’s framing, and I wore a victorious smile to mock her.

Visiting the former empress without respect is a surefire way to worsen her mood. Her reactions, especially her regret in having a daughter like me, never fail to amuse me.

You’re the reason why became like this. It’s something that I wanted to tell her as often as possible.

“I wonder how long you’ll last, considering that nobody in the empire knows how to treat your mercury poisoning?”

As I entered the room, Corianne accompanied me, and I noticed that the former empress purposefully avoided making eye contact with her.

It was evident that despite the passage of two decades since the tragic incident, the weight of guilt was only beginning to sink in as she laid eyes on her long-lost sister whom she had once discarded.

Thankfully, the former empress did not display the expected shamelessness upon seeing Corianne. Given her struggles with hallucinations, depression, fatigue, and insomnia, it must have been challenging for her to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

She killed people to climb up the high society. She stole the throne meant to be Corianne’s, removed her memories, took her power, and got rid of me. Her regrets will never bring back the lives of those she took away.

“You’re avoiding our gaze as usual, especially Corianne’s,” I acknowledged, and I heard Corianne’s thoughts saying, ‘I don’t see the need to be here. I don’t remember anything however hard I try. Eviona’s just using me to make her pitiful mother feel worse and make each day hellish. Heloise raised her daughter to become like this, and my situation isn't any different with my son who despises me.’

“Y-You … little wench. Azriel will return, and he’s the one who’ll make you be on your knees. By then I’m going to wipe out that smile of yours.”

The former empress glared at me, attempting to issue a warning. But her threat lacks logical support, rendering it futile. It is widely known that Azriel is the weakest among us, and his whereabouts remain unknown. In fact, I am the most qualified individual to assure you that he will never have an opportunity to set foot inside this palace again.