Patricia only realized that her sword was missing when she sat on the bed in the White Palace bedroom. The sword was in the Emperor’s hands when she left the Emperor’s office.

Harchen Eint Carl Berk, the Karsic Emperor. She had asked him to bring Patrick to her, and he listened seriously. Patricia bit her lower lip and thought.

Patrick, I think I can do it. I can make you the Emperor.

With the help of the Karsic Emperor and the Valenti family of the Torun Kingdom, it seemed like there was a chance of winning the fight against Pamila.

The Valenti family of the Torun Kingdom was the maternal family of the late Empress, her mother.

Empress Aldisha Calian Evas passed away.

On a rainy and sweltering summer day when Patricia turned fifteen, her mother’s face, neck, chest, and stomach, poisoned by toxins, turned green, and she passed away shortly after.

Around that time, smallpox spread around the capital city of Tane. After the sickly Patrick, Pamila’s eleven-year-old son, Chris, also contracted smallpox.

Emperor Kazan ordered a three-day noble funeral instead of a state funeral for the Empress, and then instructed the coffin to be sent to the Empress’s hometown, the Torun Kingdom.

Patricia went to the Tane Main Palace wearing Patrick’s uniform. The Emperor was not in the Main Palace. Patricia went to the Empress’s Pyrope Palace and had an audience with the Emperor.

“This is Patricia.”

If the Emperor had not known about the existence of Patricia, Patrick’s twin sister, based on the Emperor’s temperament, he would have drawn his sword first.

“What brings you here?”

“I want to go to Torun to bury my mother.”

“I grant you permission.”

The Emperor gave his permission. And immediately turned his back.

Patricia, alone, wearing a black veil and mourning clothes, rode in the funeral carriage carrying her mother’s coffin. Along with the late Empress Aldisha’s royal guards, they headed to Torun through the pouring rain.

The Torun Kingdom was a small coastal kingdom bordering the northwest of Tane and the southern end of the Karsic Empire.

King Hector Valenti of Torun was not greatly saddened by the death of his sister, who had married into the Tane Empire at a young age.

However, seeing Patricia, who was the spitting image of his sister in her childhood, made him feel heartbroken.

His anger surged towards Emperor Kazan, who had sent his young niece alone to escort the funeral procession in the heavy rain.

The King of Torun held the remaining funeral procedures in a simple and modest manner, but with the respect befitting the first princess of the Torun Kingdom and the Empress of the Empire.

As per Aldisha’s will, a grave was made on a hillside overlooking the sea. The heavy rain did not stop until the tombstone was erected.

The night before departing for Tane, the King summoned Patricia to his office.

In the office, there were about ten men. The King of Torun and his younger brother, the Grand Duke Valenti, the King’s cousins, and their respective sons. The Valenti family, Aldisha’s maternal family.

The King of Torun inquired about the situation in Tane. It was the suspicious death of his sister that he had doubts about.

The Lasbur Guild, the maternal family of Empress Pamila, caused many disputes while mining pyrope garnets.

They arbitrarily expanded the mining area, paid low wages to Torun’s labor force, and frequently committed wage arrears. They ruled the workers with whips.

Shortly after, they built stone walls in some parts of the mine. They said they would bring workers from the Tane Empire instead of using Torun’s manpower.

Rumors were rampant that they were forcing slaves and young children into labor, but when they tried to investigate, they were prevented from entering inside the stone walls.

Each time, the King of Torun endured and overcame the crisis of fierce disputes by remembering his sister Aldisha.

After hearing about the current situation in Tane and Pamila’s wickedness, the King said,

“Let the Valenti family and the Torun Kingdom strive to fulfill Aldisha’s first will, to have Crown Prince Patrick ascend to the throne as Emperor.”

At the King’s words, everyone bowed their heads in a silent pledge.

The strength of a solid family. The unity of the Valenti family was as reassuring as stacking bricks to build a tower.

The rain stopped when departing from the Torun Kingdom.

White clouds rapidly pushed away the layers of black clouds. The sun appeared as if cut out. Bathed in that brilliant light, they set off for Tane.

Patricia took comfort in the fact that half of her bloodline flowed with the blood of the Torun Kingdom as she rode in the empty carriage.

The carriage crossed the border and entered Tane.

At the sound of thick raindrops pounding on the carriage canopy, Patricia looked back at where the coffin had been. The floor was soaked with rainwater that had penetrated through the thin cracks of the carriage.

Mother has passed away. Patrick, Mother has…

Patricia looked at the wet floor of the empty carriage and wept aloud.

From the following year, the King of Torun sent the royal descendants to study at the Tane Imperial Academy.

Some returned to the kingdom after graduating from the academy, while others remained in Tane to work in the imperial palace. The previous year, Crown Prince Pamuk Valenti enrolled in the Imperial Academy.

All of that was the foundation for making Patrick the Emperor.

The sound of birds and the wind came in through the window that someone had opened. The summer morning breeze.

It’s different from the wind in Tane.

Patricia opened her eyes and looked up at the sky visible through the open window. Perhaps because it was further north than the sea-bordered Tane, the wind was not humid and was pleasant.

“Princess Risha. Did you cough?”

It was Ani.

“Yes. The wind is nice.”

“Then, would you like to get up?”

“Why?”

“The court ladies are waiting in the drawing room. They want to greet you.”

With Ani’s assistance, Patricia washed up, got dressed, and went to the drawing room.

“Head Court Lady Anna, presenting Princess Risha.”

The head court lady introduced the assigned court ladies.

She said that the bedroom and bath attendance would be entrusted to Eva and Ani, who came from Tane, only until the wedding.

It was decided after discussing with the head of the court ladies that they would return to Tane after the wedding was over. Eva and Ani took comfort in being able to stay together at least until then.

Jenny, the court lady in charge of attire and managing the rest room, and Lena, the court lady in charge of meals and managing the dining room, were introduced. The maids assisting each court lady were also introduced.

“I will inform you of today’s schedule.”

After breakfast, a meeting with Madam Tera, the imperial designer, in the rest room.

After lunch, change into an afternoon dress and have a tea appointment on the drawing room terrace. Etiquette lessons from Countess Schmidt. A tour of the White Palace.

“The last item on the schedule is changing into an evening dress and having dinner with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and the three princesses in the Main Palace’s Diamond Room.”

“Will there be a brief moment to see His Majesty?”

She had to find the sword.

“As far as I know, His Majesty’s schedule for today is that he left the palace at dawn. He will return to the palace late tomorrow night. Is there an urgent matter?”

“No, not really.”

Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember getting a definite answer about Patrick yesterday. Could it be that he didn’t take her request to bring Patrick seriously? He must be very busy.

Patricia grew impatient.

She asked Lena, who brought the meal, about the possibility of delivering a letter to the Emperor.

“Actually, I’m not an exclusive court lady of the imperial palace and I’m new here, so I’m not sure. I’ll ask the head court lady. Is the food alright? Do you have any dishes you’d like or any precautions?”

“The food is delicious. Prepare warm milk and sugar cubes to go with the black tea.”

“Yes, Princess.”

After the meal, Jenny, the court lady in charge of the rest room, entered. Jenny recommended that Eva and Ani also come along, saying that they would choose the fabric and design for the wedding dress to be worn on the day of the royal wedding.

In the rest room, Head Court Lady Anna and about ten court ladies and maids were waiting.

Madam Tera sat Patricia on a purple velvet single-person sofa and measured her head circumference, neck circumference, shoulder length, wrist, middle and ring finger thickness, and ankle circumference.

After having Patricia stand up, she measured her height, bust, and waist circumference.

Madam’s assistant drew a circular curtain in the air with a long rod. Madam Tera personally undressed Patricia and put an unfinished dress with only the shape formed on her.

After pulling the waist of the dress from behind and fixing it with a pin, the assistant drew the curtain.

“Wow!”

Every woman in the rest room exclaimed in admiration.

“This is chiffon fabric with silver thread embroidery. It’s a type that fits tightly like this up to the waist and hips and flares out at the bottom. Please just look at the fabric and design.”

Patricia tried on more than ten white wedding dresses. Although she only sat down and stood up from the chair, putting on and taking off the dresses was more exhausting than wielding a sword because it was not as familiar to her.

All the dresses seemed similar, so she wanted to choose any of them.

The head court lady and maids couldn’t agree on whether it should be a chiffon dress or a cotton lace dress, their faces turning red.

The opinion was that the cotton lace dress was not as fancy as chiffon. The opinion was that compared to tulle lace, the directly woven lace exposed real skin, making it too revealing for a fresh new bride.

The divided opinions narrowed down to the cotton lace dress. After choosing the wedding dress, she had to undress and dress again to select the evening dress.

Eva was proud that the court ladies of the Karsic Empire were enthusiastically sharing their opinions on choosing the fabric and design of Patricia’s wedding dress.

No matter what she wore, Patricia looked elegant and pretty, and it wasn’t just her eyes, but the imperial court ladies also saw her that way, making her shoulders rise with pride.

She carefully observed the court ladies and maids, but no one had a sharp gaze. It was reassuring even if she returned to Tane.

If she could, she wanted to stay close to His Majesty the Emperor for a little while before leaving, but it couldn’t be helped. It was urgent to obtain the antidote in Oro Alley and detoxify Prince Patrick’s poison.

Still, the thought of leaving the princess alone in a foreign country made the future seem bleak.

With a slender height, elegant jawline, small face, fair skin, and strong features, she was born with dignity, but looked coy when not smiling.

When she slightly raised the corners of her lips, her eyes curved, making the hearts of those who saw her flutter. If captivated by that alluring smile, one would make every effort to make her laugh.

The flat waist and muscular arms and legs that had been tempered by the sword for a long time without an ounce of flesh. Ah, those arm muscles are a bit…

Eva pulled her skirt and wiped the tears that had gathered in her eyes, laughing.

It was time for afternoon tea.

Countess Milva Schmidt ordered the court ladies and maids to leave.

“Call me Milva.”

The Countess asked Patricia if she had ever had a lover. When she answered no, the Countess asked if she had ever received virginity education in Tane. Again, the answer was no, and the Countess took out a large, thick book.

She turned the pages of the book.

The pictures of a man and woman engaged in the act of love were intricately drawn and colored vividly. The Countess spread the pages, pointing to the pictures with her hand, and explained in detail.

As she turned the pages, Patricia’s face and neck reddened.

The Countess was providing bedroom etiquette, or virginity education, rather than royal etiquette.

“As for His Majesty, I understand that my husband has already done this three times after the royal wedding was decided.”

Patricia showed a disturbed expression at the mention that the Emperor was also taught virginity etiquette.

“I heard His Majesty approached the education with a very serious attitude.”

“……”

Why are you telling me that? I’m not really curious. Patricia tried to remain calm, but repeatedly pressed her feverish forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand.

She had vaguely considered the royal wedding as a bond between the two empires. The content of the royal wedding that Patricia had in mind didn’t include virginity education at all.

For her, the determination to restore Patrick’s health and enthrone him as the Emperor of Tane was strong. It was her mother’s last wish.

Patricia picked up the teacup with an anxious heart. At that moment, a deep baritone voice was heard from inside the terrace.

“Is it time for virginity education?”