The day was bright and sunny. Under normal circumstances, the roads of the common district would have been bustling with people and carriages coming to and fro.

However, today, only one enclosed carriage of pure white color with the symbol of a Dhalia flower drawn in gold on its door can be seen traveling down the street. A great number of guard knights atop their horses are surrounding the carriage as it moves.

On each side of the streets, people are lining up—some bowing, while others are crying in joy while lifting their hands in the heavens.

Visitors who knew nothing about the kingdom of Learia would probably think that the person within the carriage is a powerful general or perhaps the emperor himself. But inside lies the envy of every woman and the dream of every man.

“The common people really love you, my lady,” Lily said while peering through the small opening out the window.

Ingrid did not answer. Her mind has been preoccupied ever since this morning.

Lily looked at her with worry. Her decision to join the hunting festival today really took her by surprise.

After what happened a few years ago, Ingrid had sworn to never join the festival again. She would even get upset upon the mere mention of the hunting festival that the duke banned the mention of it within the Dahlia Palace. However, this morning, she suddenly announced she was going to the festival, catching everyone by surprise.

Ingrid was awakened from her stupor when the carriage stopped. Her heartbeat raced.

They must’ve arrived.

“My lady?” Lily called outside of the opened carriage when Ingrid did not come out.

Ingrid took a series of deep breaths. Once her heart was calm, she began to descend the carriage.

The hunting festival is a seven-day celebration that commemorates the beginning of the hunting season. The festival starts with the emperor hunting the first game.

It is believed that the bigger the game the emperor hunts, the more bountiful the season’s hunt will be. Afterwards, a hunting competition is held, attended by each representative of the noble and military families.

The winner gets a reward chosen by the emperor.

Last year's prize was a vast land in the southern part of the empire, famous for its agricultural advantages. But two years ago, the emperor added a dance with her on the night of the huntsman’s ball as a bonus for whoever wins the competition. Things didn’t end well afterwards.

Before they could head towards the hunting lodge, Duchess Camilla, the lady in waiting for the empress, blocked their path.

“Duchess Camilla,” Ingrid greeted.

Duchess Camilla bowed and said, “Lady Ingrid, my empress wishes to see you.”

“What a coincidence! I was just about to go and greet her." Ingrid started to walk but noticed that the duchess hadn't moved. "Is there something wrong, Duchess?"

"It would be best if her lady wore her veil,” the duchess said, looking at Lily.

Lily looked at Ingrid, unsure of what she should do, but Ingrid just smiled and nodded. The unwelcoming attitude of the duchess was understandable. After she rejected her son, the duchess never had anything good to say about her.

After wearing her veil, Duchess Camilla led them to the tent where the empress is staying.

“Your highness, Lady Ingrid, has arrived,” Duchess Camilla announced.

“Let her in,” a soft voice from inside the tent said.

Ingrid went inside the tent and bowed before the empress. She was about to remove her veil, but the empress stopped her.

“Please keep the veil. Your presence is annoying me enough.”

Ingrid couldn’t help a mocking smile from appearing on her lips. Luckily, she had her veil on.

“As you wish, your grace,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.

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Empress Verandi of the empire of Learia is often mistaken for being kind, thanks to her soft-spoken voice. But to those who truly know her, she is far from kind. She is a jealous empress who likes to ride on her high-horse. Being bested is what she hates the most, especially when it comes to beauty. That is why, in all of the kingdom, she hates Ingrid, whose beauty she can never surpass.

“What did you come here for? Have you forgotten the chaos you caused two years ago?”

Ingrid gritted her teeth. “I have never caused any sort of chaos, your grace,” she denied.

The empress laughed mockingly. “You didn’t? The son of Count Leo lost his life that day. Ten other nobles' sons were severely injured. If not for the knights timely intervention, many would have died in that fight. War could have broken out in this kingdom, and it would have been your fault.”

She couldn’t see the empress’s face clearly through the veil, but she could tell that she's enjoying this. It is the empress source of joy to see her in misery after all.

“You should just stay in your high tower and never come out! That way, you wouldn’t hurt anyone!”

Ingrid clenched her fist. Although she hates to admit it, the empress was right. If she weren’t there that day, those noble men wouldn’t have fought over her.

After what happened, the noble families whose sons were involved in the fight began fighting as well, and the other nobles started taking sides. Count Leo, who lost his son, went mad and commanded his entire household to slaughter every person related to the nobles who had hands on the death of his son.

If it wasn’t for her father, a civil war would have started in the kingdom, all thanks to her.

She’s still carrying the guilt of that day in her heart. Yet, here she is, back in the place she promised she would never step foot again.

“Grand Duke Rasmus, you cannot go in there! ” yelled a distressed voice from outside, followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

An eerie silence broke out in the camp.

Only the dancing of the tree leaves as the winds blow and the heavy footsteps of a person walking towards the tent could be heard.

“Papa!” Ingrid exclaimed as relief filled her heart when she saw the person entering the tent with a drawn sword in his hand.

The grand duke had a grim look on his face, but it instantly turned soft when he looked at his daughter. He quickly scanned her child for any wounds and sighed when he found her unscathed.

“Grand Duke Rasmus, how dare you march inside my tent without permission! ”

“Have you forgotten my warning, your highness? ” The duke said, glaring at the empress.

“How impertinent! Don’t forget your place, grand duke. I am still the empress!" The empress shrieked, her voice sounding like that of an old witch, as she lost her composure.

“It seems that you are the one who has forgotten your highness.” The duke's tone was grim. “I am willing to start a war for the sake of my child. Is the emperor willing to do the same for your sake?”

Fear struck the empress’s face. If she earned the ire of the grand duke, her husband would surely not hesitate to discard her. The emperor is a shameless and greedy coward who would not hesitate to lick the booths of the strong if it meant keeping his throne.

“Hold your peace, grand duke. I was merely talking to your daughter,” the empress said, her voice returning to its usual calm tone. If it weren’t for Ingrid’s sudden arrival, she wouldn’t have lost her composure in the first place. “You know what happened two years ago. If your daughter suddenly barges on the hunt unannounced, who knows what kind of chaos will ensue?"

The grand duke scoffed as he placed his sword back on its scabbard. “What happened two years ago was never my daughter’s fault. She never incited them into fighting.”

“But that bewitching face has made them go mad!”

“Then I guess your highness should stop maintaining your beauty as well.”

The empress glared at Ingrid. “What did you say?”

“I mean, if your highness becomes too beautiful, wouldn’t you cause war to happen in this country?”

A famous merchant once said that gold makes any woman shine. Ever since then, the empress has never been seen without adorning herself in gold. Fortunately, gold suited her complexion, or she would have been a laughingstock. However, no matter how much gold she wore, she could never match Ingrid's beauty, which no one seemed capable of surpassing.

“Let’s go,” the duke said, walking out of the tent.

Ingrid bowed in a slow, mocking gesture and left the empress trembling with rage. No matter how right the empress may have been with her accusations, Ingrid would never allow herself to be bullied without retaliating.

“Did the empress hurt you?” Ingrid flinched when she heard the coldness of her father’s voice. He’s definitely angry.

“No.”

“You did not mention to me that you were coming today.”

Ingrid bit her lower lips before answering, “You already left when I woke up.”

The grand duke paused as he looked at his daughter. "You could have sent a messenger," he said. "And take off your veil. I've told you countless times that you don't need to hide your face. Your beauty is not a sin. Those people and their disgusting minds are the sinful ones."

He gently removed the veil, revealing Ingrid's face. In that moment, the trees swayed and the breeze made a whistling sound as though it was displaying it's joy of seeing her beautiful countenance.

"Is my father no longer angry?” Ingrid teased.

"I was never angry. I was worried. The Shadows recently caught a spy with an oak symbol on his back lurking at the empire's border."

Ingrid stiffened at the mention of the familiar symbol as memories she buried deep in her mind began to reemerge.

Grand Duke looked at her daughter's pale face worriedly. He didn't really want to tell Ingrid about it, afraid of worrying her, but he feared even more that she would act recklessly without understanding the danger.

There was one man who had succeeded in abducting Ingrid. Furthermore, the grand duke never managed to rescue her from that man. Instead, that ugly man returned her home saying, she was still too young and that he would come back for her once she’s old enough.

Fear crept into her heart, and her hands began to tremble as her terrible memories resurfaced. She was twelve when he took her then, and now she’s eighteen. Is he finally coming for her?