After bidding farewell to her mother one last time, Roo boarded the carriage. After all, today was the day when her father commuted to the palace. Her mother mentioned that she would go to work the day after tomorrow.

Ever since Hayden appeared abruptly in Roo’s monotonous daily life, her thoughts had expanded beyond her own simple schedule to include the schedules of her family members and even Hayden.

When her parents had to go to the palace or Flache, Roo had to take care of her siblings, occasionally peeking at what her siblings were studying.

It was enjoyable. Life, which had been solitary and only involved occasionally caring for animals in the forest or playing with children in the village, became bustling once again.

Without thinking about what to do today, Roo’s mundane and boring routine unexpectedly turned into a chaotic mess with unexpected incidents, accidents, and people appearing out of the blue.

The habit of wondering when she would die had disappeared long ago.

“The weather is nice.”

Lady Freya, who was sitting in the carriage with Roo, spoke quietly with a smile. Indeed, the weather was good. It had cleared up today after drizzling rain until yesterday.

“It’s fortunate.”

“Miss.”

Beyond the window, the peaceful streets of Shaléa stretched out as usual. Green trees, streetlights, and clean white streets spread refreshingly.

“Until a moment ago, I couldn’t mention it because the Countess was present, but do you know? The noble young ladies gathering today are all aiming for the position of the Empress.”

“I’m aware.”

I knew because I had heard it inside. Roo nodded vaguely to Lady Freya.

“And, dare I say, His Majesty has already made up his mind.”

Only now did Roo look straight at Lady Freya. It was a statement that never came out in front of Milene.

“The ones invited today probably have some idea as well.”

“Come on in.”

Ophelia greeted the young ladies who came to say hello one by one.

The atmosphere was quite different from the ladies’ usual gathering. The loose curtains, piled cushions, and a spacious area that could be comfortably extended were characteristic of the dry Western style.

“Sit comfortably as you like. Let’s enjoy some interesting stories and have some tea. I don’t know about these days, but there used to be many ladies in the palace.”
Ophelia was the person who suited this place the best. She was quite tall, and she sat on the high seat, effortlessly laying her long body.

“Of course, by ‘before,’ I mean about four hundred years ago. I know it’s a boring old story for all of you. Please forgive me. I’m getting old, you know.”

Is it a joke, or is it okay to laugh? Ladies accustomed to Eastern etiquette subtly glanced at Roo. Since Ophelia and Roo seemed to have a good relationship, she should understand!

In fact, Roo was already smiling. The ladies caught on immediately. Oh, she must be joking.

“Matapju doesn’t look old at all. When she says ‘before,’ it feels like she’s talking about just five years ago.”

The one who first spoke had the talent to say flattering things without making it sound like flattery. Looking at her blonde hair, she seemed to be from the East. Roo just quietly sipped on the rose tea, a special product of Flache.

“Thank you for the words. In fact, this kind of gathering might be unfamiliar to all of you. Originally, the palace put a lot of effort into educating women. We studied the Persepta Empire together, encouraged culture and the arts…”

After a suitable courtesy, it was suggested to gradually become familiar with Eastern banquets rather than focusing on the Western and Northern regions. Roo listened to Ophelia’s moderately spoken words while pondering.

‘There’s a Northern Sage?’

She didn’t attend the Sage meeting, right? But there is one? Is she someone with a quirky personality for not attending the Sage meeting Roo, even as a young Sage, didn’t attend? Finding her before the event ends? There was no time for that.

‘Is she in Shalea, or somewhere else? How does she know, and is she asking to find out that method?’

While Roo thought about other things, she had the skill to smoothly move and adjust in the direction the event was going. It was all thanks to her knight days when she only had to think about how to overcome the obstacles while Carlos kept blabbering about how his authority would increase the more he spoke.

“…But there might be someone meeting for the first time here.”

Ophelia looked around and said, “Now that the Emperor is in this palace, the empire is gradually expanding. I hope this place becomes a space for harmony and new exchanges regardless of regions and backgrounds.”

It was a more meaningful remark as it was from the Western Sage. Ultimately, it also aimed at the Eastern nobles who proclaimed themselves as ‘great’ nobles.

Roo didn’t look at the Eastern noble ladies who were smiling. Here, too, the tiresome bickering that Hayden would continue to endure was only continuing.