The next day arrived fairly quickly. "Yes, the situation seems to be progressing well. Perhaps we can expand—"

"Deidelia, dear…" Duke Steinbet interrupted, catching his guest's attention. Turning to his guest with a smile, he said, "Duke Hanon, do you remember my precious daughter, Deidelia?"

A warm smile lit up Deidelia's face as she glanced at Listeria with an excited expression. "Watch this!" she whispered to Listeria, but the handmaiden just looked at her mistress in confusion.

"Father!" Deidelia called out lovingly and walked up to the two, giving an elegant curtsy. "Greetings, Duke Hanon, greetings, Father," she greeted with a beautiful smile.

"Lady Deidelia, you seem to grow more beautiful each day! Your father must have his hands full," Duke Hanon remarked with a smile.

"Nonsense! Deidelia has been such a good daughter. I am proud to have her engaged to the crown prince," her father explained. "Isn't that so, dear?" He asked.

"Of course! I live to please, Father! The crown prince is a wonderful gentleman. Anyone in my position would be the happiest person in the world," she explained as she held her father's arm and hugged him affectionately.

"There, there," Duke Steinbet said gently as he patted her head softly.

"You certainly are a very lucky man, Steinbet. My own daughter has nothing but contempt and disrespect for me," Duke Hanon sighed sadly. "When is the wedding date announcement?"

"Three months from now. We will have everything sorted out and ready to be announced," the Duke answered.

"But we share a very special bond," her father commented as he looked back to his friend.

"Think nothing of it. Deidelia had her rebellious side as well," her father spoke, his voice filled with love and care, causing Listeria to lower her head even more in response.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She planned on avoiding any form of eye contact with anyone unless specifically called upon. She felt a tinge of pity for Deidelia in that moment; she looked like the most pitiful person in the world at the moment.

"You just have to remain by her side and remind her that you will always be there for her," Deidelia's heart raced at the words.

'I love it when guests visit; I get to feel Father's love…' She thought to herself as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against her father's chest, feeling the warmth that was impossible to explain.

"Would you care for some tea, Father?" Deidelia asked as she removed her head from his chest and looked up at her father.

He put his arm around her shoulder gently before smiling at Duke Hanon. "I apologize about this, my friend. It seems my daughter wishes to dine with me. I would offer you to join, but…" The Duke didn't finish his sentence as Hanon just smiled.

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"No, no. I would love to stay and chat, but I do have a territory to return to," the man answered. He turned and walked away, giving a short wave and a smile before disappearing from sight.

A hand suddenly pushed her to the side. "I guess you could at least get me out of that awful situation," Duke Steinbet said with a sneer as he walked away.

Rubbing her shoulder, she turned to Listeria with a smirk. "See, I told you, didn't I? Father does love me."

Listeria, not sure how to respond, just bowed. "I will never doubt your words," Listeria finally said.

Deidelia nodded with a grin. "You'd better not," she teased before turning to walk away, leaving Listeria behind, who was too stunned to say anything. The mistress seemed so childlike, yet dangerous.

Three months had passed, and during this time, Listeria had gained a new understanding of her mistress.

**Knock, knock.**

"Mistress?" Listeria questioned.

"Come in."

Upon entering the room with multiple maids, they all bowed. "Is my dress ready?"

In the royal palace. "Ian dear," Melody called out, catching the prince's attention. "What do you need, dear?" He asked as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Which dress do you think will make me the most beautiful woman at the banquet?" She asked, causing the prince to raise an eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked as she tilted her head to the side, puzzled by his response. "Anything you wear will make you outshine all the ladies attending," he said, making her blush.

"But tonight is for you and Lady Deidelia. It's your wedding date announcement! How can I look better than the bride-to-be?" She asked gingerly.

"Deidelia? That crazy woman? No matter what she wears or does, she will never be a lady. This is just a formality my father is forcing me to attend; otherwise, she would have attended this farce on her own," the prince remarked before pulling Melody close.

"In fact, I know many different things we could have done instead," he spoke seductively into her ear.

Melody lowered her gaze at that, her cheeks turning crimson. "We…" She started but didn't continue, prompting the prince to raise her head gently with his finger beneath her chin.

"We?" He asked.

Noticing her unsure expression, he turned and looked at all the servants in the store. "All of you, leave," he ordered as they bowed and exited the chamber.

"Now you can speak your mind," he said with a smile.

"Why can't you and I wed?" She asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

The prince sighed before pulling her close. "For me to do that, I need to be emperor," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Once I have used the Steinbet's influence to solidify my position, I promise you will be empress, and you won't have to deal with Deidelia anymore. In fact, she will suffer as she has made you suffer; that I can promise you," the prince assured as he kissed her on the lips.

After the kiss, they continued dress hunting, but being a prince, he bought the entire catalogue.

Deidelia stood before the mirror, her maids at her side. She wore a stunning purple dress, her royal purple hair adorned with various gems and jewels, with a neatly tied red ornament in her hair.

The maids remained silent, utterly captivated by Deidelia's beauty. They were deathly terrified of her, but even they couldn't deny that she was a beauty like no other. Listeria smiled slightly and spoke.

“You are the most beautiful lady in the empire,” she praised. The other maids simply nodded in agreement.

“Of course I am! You would do well to remember it!” Deidelia boasted as she performed an elegant curtsy with a smirk.

She extended her hand, awaiting her favorite fan. A maid reached out, about to hand her the fan when Listeria swiftly slapped the maid's hand away.

“The lady doesn’t accept anything from anyone other than her personal servant,” she reminded them.

Smirking, Deidelia turned and patted Listeria on the head. “Good girl,” she said as she took the fan from Listeria with a smile.

In a dark room, a man sat with a smirk on his face. "Tonight will surely be interesting."