Emperor! Even in the meantime, the eyes of the gathered ladies twinkled. In the end, their goal from the beginning was not just to greet the mage but to meet the Emperor once more and maintain a closer connection. They needed to leave a lasting impression somehow. The Emperor often avoided dancing with unmarried ladies even at the gatherings, and he was always surrounded by courtiers, so it was natural that he had no interest in establishing an Empress, as rumors suggested.

“You must leave now.”

“Got it.”

Lu, who answered, stood up from her seat. The eyes of the ladies naturally followed Lu.

The grand reception room had multiple doors, and the door Lu, who had been sitting inside, would leave from and the door the ladies entered from had different directions. As Lu approached the door on this side, when Ivonne’s voice rang clearly again through the air.

“Miss, it seems there was a misunderstanding……”

The word ‘misunderstanding’ should always be handled carefully. By glossing over it with the phrase ‘it was a misunderstanding’ and smoothly moving on, it could be packaged as if nothing happened.
Mistakes turn into oversights, and thus, it shrinks into such a trivial matter that there’s no need for an apology. In that regard, the words chosen by Ivonne were very skillful. She was already a well-trained and highly skilled hunter and socialite, accustomed to the aristocratic society.

Lu nodded brightly.

“There’s no misunderstanding. We simply have different thoughts and values. I understand very well what the three of you think.”

She made a mistake. Ivonne neither bit her tongue nor clenched her fist. Showing it in such a small way or getting flustered was something a lady could never tolerate.

But she undoubtedly made a mistake. Rustica Gennes, a mysterious presence, instinctively despised by the denizens of the Thieves’ Country and perhaps a courtesan who came to serve in Perseita. Normally, Ivonne would have ordered the underlings to take care of such things, as there were plenty of lower-class individuals to deal with.

However, Rustica Gennes exceeded that by covering it too much in just a few days.

Ivonne was now accepting the dignity of the Southern Mage, a position she had only belatedly acknowledged. Just a few seconds ago, she had placed the Southern Mage far below the Eastern Mage. For her, who had seen many beings decidedly inferior to the East, it was a very natural thing.

“Could that be a misunderstanding? We, more than anything, view the mages as colleagues and, furthermore, as friends. We look at you with friendliness.”

The deed had already been done, and Ivonne had to somehow remedy the mistake she made. Suppressing Lu, who seemed close to the Emperor, was a very delicate task, and she was about to face the reverse effect.

So, she threw prey to Lu. Since the Easterners dominated the social circles, it was better for anyone who appeared in social circles to get along well with the East rather than not appear at all.

So, since she first mentioned the word ‘friend,’ it was a wise move for Lu to shake hands at this point. Anyway, even Viscountess Flaché couldn’t completely ignore the mainstream of the social circle and its culture!

“So, it’s just a difference in opinion, Miss Kaling.”

Lu smiled brightly. With such a smile, anyone would involuntarily acknowledge Viscountess Flaché as a remarkable beauty.

“Skipping greetings in a relationship where we are colleagues and friends is an unheard-of etiquette.”

Lu, who emphasized the etiquette that Eastern nobles often complained about, tried to finish the petty argument. She intended to leave; after all, Lady Freya mentioned that the Empress urgently sought her.

But the moment Ivonne tried to speak again, the door she was about to leave from suddenly opened wide. A dazzling light poured in with an imposing aura.

Lady Freya immediately bowed.

“Rustica.”
Why does he call me like that? Not Yeongae but Rustica. Lu, inwardly puzzled, lightly bowed her head. It was still acceptable. That was her authority allowed by the laws of Perseita.

“Your Majesty.”

Lady Freya and Yeongae had to bow deeply, but Lu didn’t have to.

“I greet the eternal sun of the Empire.”

Anyway, the purpose of the Southern Mages seeing the Emperor was achieved, and the Yeongae spoke first, spreading her dress and taking a dignified tone of voice. Hayden glanced in that direction, then looked back at Lu.

“I heard that a guest came, but isn’t it the expected guest?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Today’s schedule was empty.”

“Did she come without any notice?”

Hayden narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the Yeongae again. Ivonne opened her mouth hastily to cover up.

“I came to express my gratitude for arranging such a good event…”

“Oh, let’s go through the procedures properly later.”

But the Emperor immediately cut her off. Anyway, his gray eyes never properly looked at the Yeongae throughout, concentrating only on Lu.

“I need the wisdom of our mage right now. It’s urgent.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will follow. Excuse me.”