Marquis Clemens and Marchioness Clemens followed the servant down the stairs leading to the basement.

Unlike the upper floor, filled with the sweet scent of sugar and fresh plants, the basement was somehow eerie and damp, like an entirely different world.

The servant passed several doors of unknown purpose and opened the largest door at the end of the corridor.

“Here it is. Please step inside.”

Marchioness Clemens was already trembling with fear.

Clutching her husband’s arm with enough force to break it, she hesitantly stepped inside.

The room was so cluttered it resembled a garbage dump, with stacks of papers precariously piled like towers reaching toward the ceiling.

Something rustled among them, and a woman emerged.

“Oh, sorry! I’m in the middle of work, so the room’s a mess!”

“You, are you the head of the Owl Guild?”

“Head? That’s a bit too grand a word, don’t you think? Hehe… Just call me Bennet. Want some tea? Or coffee?”

She was a woman whose age was impossible to gauge.

She could seem like a middle-aged woman in her forties, or perhaps a young woman just entering marriageable age.

Marquis Clemens and Marchioness Clemens hurriedly waved their hands as Bennet reached for a coffee cup covered in dust from the cupboard.

“No, thank you. We’re here today on the introduction of Isabella Rudo.”

“Oh, Isabella Rudo? Such a refined and mature young lady. I used to be like that in my youth!”

Marquis Clemens and Marchioness Clemens didn’t hide their scornful glances at Bennet’s frivolous laughter.

They felt that breathing the same air as someone who hid in the basement like a worm, compiling gossip rags full of sensational rumors, might taint them with vulgarity.

“Let’s get to the point. You’ve likely heard the rumors. Empress Kasallin’s health is unusual, and they’re trying to conceal it.”

“Of course, I know.”

“Isabella has discovered that this isn’t just a baseless rumor but a truth with solid evidence. Yet Empress Kasallin has dared to use His Majesty the Emperor to threaten us to keep the truth from being exposed.”

Bennet nodded, not particularly surprised.

“I see.”

“We want you to publish an article about it in the next gossip rag. Let me be clear, this is a justified act of exposure. It’s to protect the future of the Renel Empire from Empress Kasallin’s deception.”

“Justice! That’s cool. I love justice too. I’ll gladly take on the request. It’s from none other than Lady Rudo, so of course I’ll comply.”

Marquis Clemens and Marchioness Clemens breathed a sigh of relief.

They had thought this odd woman might not understand reason, but it seemed even she couldn’t resist the influence of the Rudo ducal family.

“By the way, are you two members of Duchess Rudo’s salon?”

The Clemens couple, about to leave after paying the appropriate fee, paused.

Bennet’s eyes sparkled with a hint of admiration, as if she’d met a celebrity.

Marquis Clemens raised his chin slightly and answered, “Indeed.”

Every time someone recognized them as members of Duchess Rudo’s salon, the couple felt an indescribable thrill and pride.

“Wow, that must be amazing. I heard only nobles with noble bloodlines can join that salon?”

“Of course. In fact, we’re practically family with the Rudo ducal house. Thanks to that, we’ve had the honor of meeting His Majesty the Emperor several times.”

“Goodness, His Majesty the Emperor? Most people can’t even see him once in a lifetime, and you mingle with him?”

Well, in truth, they only exchanged brief greetings at large events, hardly what one could call mingling.

But Marquis Clemens nodded as if it were only natural.

Bennet expressed her awe, clearly envious.

Her enthusiastic gaze greatly boosted the Clemens couple’s mood and pride.

“What do you usually do in the salon? I’m so curious.”

“You probably wouldn’t understand even if I told you. We oversee the entire social scene, ensuring order is maintained. And within the salon, there’s a strict hierarchy, with us at the very top.”

“The very top? Really? Who else is there?”

“Viscount Bates is my close friend; he was once in the imperial ministry. There’s also Sir Burden…”

Marquis Clemens eagerly continued boasting.

He spoke of how distinguished and wealthy the salon’s members were.

How vast their estates were, how immense their fortunes.

Boasting to someone who admired high society filled the Clemens couple with vanity.

“Oh, we’ve talked too long. We really must go now.”

“Thanks for the stories. I could never touch such a world, but just hearing about it was fun. I’ll write a good article for you sometime.”

“That’s good to hear. Then, we’ll leave the matter in your hands.”

Marquis Clemens and Marchioness Clemens left the room with a completely different, majestic air compared to when they first entered the basement.

Then, a subordinate emerged from an inner room hidden by a curtain.

“Did we really pull it off, boss?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, I’ll have plenty to report to His Majesty.”

Bennet wiped the smile off her face, as if she’d never been flattering.

Muttering meaningfully, she took out a pen and paper from a drawer.

“To think that His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress have grown distant—what does that mean?”

The reddish tea wavered in the cup, unable to reach Duchess Rudo’s lips.

Isabella, usually calm but now visibly excited, answered with a flushed expression.

“Haven’t you heard the rumors? The noble ministers who attended the imperial meeting this morning were buzzing. His Majesty and Her Majesty didn’t exchange a single word, and as soon as the meeting ended, they stormed off to their respective offices.”

Duchess Rudo tilted her head slightly.

“Mother, could it be that Her Majesty the Empress has done something to arouse His Majesty’s suspicions? Otherwise, how could two people so harmonious turn cold overnight?”

“My dear, don’t get too excited. The more worked up you get, the narrower your perspective becomes.”

“No, I’m certain today. His Majesty has finally started to suspect Her Majesty the Empress. Everything is falling into place.”

Duchess Rudo sipped her tea, lost in thought for a moment, then looked at her daughter.

A face so beautiful that any man would turn to look at least once.

Cheeks flushed with rosy hope and eyes sparkling with vitality.

Duchess Rudo, believing this was her finest creation, spoke.

“My dear, go to His Majesty right now and request an audience. Let’s see, the time… it’s perfect. He’ll likely be resting with coffee.”

“What should I do when I see him?”

“Say comforting words by his side. He must be so confused and troubled right now. In times like these, you need to be his solace. What have I taught you?”

“Be proactive but not overstepping. Smile gracefully, act cheerfully but with dignity.”

“That’s my girl. Now go. And remember, from now on, there can be no mistakes. I’m counting on you.”

As Isabella left the room, Duchess Rudo rose and stood by the window.

If everything went smoothly, her long-cherished dream would soon come true.

Isabella, my other self.

Imagining herself wearing the empress’s crown and sitting beside the emperor, Duchess Rudo sipped not tea but a satisfied smile.

She barely remembered anything before the age of five.

Only faint memories remained of shivering in hunger like a beast on the cold, dark monastery floor.

Then one day, a woman in an exquisite dress came and gave her the name Isabella.

“From now on, you are my daughter, Isabella.”

Overnight, she went from an orphan to a wealthy young lady.

A grand mansion and a warm bedroom.

Sumptuous feasts served at every meal, shopping for dresses and accessories, a life filled with playing instruments or learning social dances.

The heads of the servants who put on her shoes were always bowed, and the tenants lowered their heads flat when their eyes met.

It was a perfect life.

“You don’t need to strive for anything. Just do as I teach you, as I tell you.”

Reading and writing. Art lessons and refinement.

How to speak elegantly and dine gracefully.

She lived every day meticulously planned by her mother, with no need for her own judgment.

She was eternally grateful to the mother who had saved her life.

She wanted to live her whole life as the obedient daughter of a noble house, following her mother’s instructions.

“That is His Highness Prince Parnes, the one who will one day be your husband. You must make a good impression.”

It was her first moment of confusion.

Isabella felt no thrill or special affection for Parnes.

She understood he was handsome and impressive, but she had no desire to love him or marry him.

She was bewildered. For the first time, she wanted to defy her mother’s wishes.

But the response was short and sharp.

“You don’t have to become empress. But if so, leave my house. You’ll no longer be my daughter.”

She cried for a week, begging forgiveness.

Not long after, her gracious mother forgave her generously.

And the next day, Isabella fell in love with Parnes.

She wanted to see his perfect face up close, to be held in his arms, to become his empress.

If she achieved this goal, her mother would praise her proudly.

No matter what anyone said, she’d call her her true daughter and embrace her tightly.

From the day she met Duchess Rudo, Isabella never once wore a frown, and she made her face even prettier and more composed.

“I’ve come to pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Could you please convey my request?”