Having attended the tea party she hosted, Milia was furious to the core. Slamming the door shut behind her, Milia roughly swept her hair back and shouted at the chambermaid.

“Summon Diana immediately!”

“Yes, yes!”

As the bewildered maid quickly disappeared, Milia sat on the sofa and took a sip of water. Even after drinking the cold water, her anger didn’t subside.

[DASH] Your Majesty, did you hear? The child sponsored by Your Majesty has entered the Emperor’s townhouse. Milia suspected that the lady of the manor, with whom she had a strained relationship, was behind this.

Upon receiving the news, Milia was filled with rage.

“Why didn’t she come back alone?”

“Th-that… she’s not in the… room, Your Majesty.”

The chambermaid, her face turning pale, seemed at a loss for what to do. The Empress threw the glass she was holding at her.

“You didn’t even properly monitor her! What have you been doing?”

“I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty. Please forgive me just this once.”

Kneeling on the floor, the chambermaid bit her lip. She, too, felt unfairly treated. When they investigated her absence after the harvest festival, they found out she had entered the Emperor’s townhouse. Since it was impossible to forcibly bring Diana back, she had no choice but to hide it from the Empress to survive.

“So where is she now?”

“At the Emperor’s townhouse…”
Getting angry after seeing the Emperor’s disgusting behavior at the harvest festival and returning first was a mistake. The chambermaid tightly closed her eyes.

“Ahh!”

This time, a ceramic doll decorating the table flew through the air.

“Does Your Majesty have any sense left? You know very well why I brought that child here!”

This was an insult to herself. The lady she sponsored didn’t even marry a decent man, let alone become an official. And the fact that she became the wife of her husband was close to disgrace.

“You turned around because you wanted attention.”

“Empress, please calm your mind first…”

“Do you think you’d be calm if you were in my position?!”

Trembling all over, the Empress bit her lips.

Everything she had endured for the past decade seemed to explode in an instant.

Neither Diana, who had deceived the Emperor, nor Philip, who had crossed the line with full knowledge of their relationship, could be forgiven.

As she thought this way, the anger that had risen to the top of her head dissipated, and her mind cleared.

Seeing the change in the Empress’s expression, the chambermaid flinched.

It was scary to see her transform so easily, like turning the back of her hand.

The Empress sat down, tapping the armrest of the chair with her nails, lost in thought.

Opportunities are not usually abundant for ordinary people. So Diana must have seized what seemed like an unreasonable opportunity and had a fit.

“I won’t accept a woman I’ve known for just a couple of months as my concubine…”
If she had intended to make her a concubine, she would never have let her into the townhouse first. She would have had a wedding following the legal procedures.

As the calculations finished, her head throbbed with thoughts on how to handle Diana.

Borrowing the power of the noble family, as she used to, wasn’t as effective as her father’s influence had waned.

“I’m fed up.”

Milia, who once passionately loved Philip, had disappeared, leaving only an Empress filled with hatred and greed.

She would kill the Emperor, Diana, the detestable Crown Prince couple—everyone.

She ground her teeth, lips curled in a triumphant sneer.

Late at night.

I waited for Nathaniel in the courtyard, wearing a light hunting outfit with a thick hood made of fur.

I held his cloak in my hands for Nathaniel, who had worked until late.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

As soon as the first snow fell, the temperature began to drop, as if it had been waiting for this moment.

A white breath spread into the chilly air as I exhaled.

“Why isn’t he coming?”

Just as I thought I should scold him when he arrived, I heard footsteps from somewhere.

“Nathaniel?”

“Oh, um… I apologize.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the person I had been waiting for, but Matapju. Disappointed, I quickly wiped away my bright expression.

“It’s an honor to meet you in a place like this, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

It was a friendly greeting, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was suspicious.
“This is not a place where envoys can enter freely. Please leave.”

“Oh. Um… It’s just that… I got lost.”

I was puzzled by the sight of him scratching his head. A wizard getting lost.

“If you follow this path, you’ll reach the main gate. Ask the guards there to take you to your lodgings.”

“Haha. Thank you, Lady Vee.”

I sighed briefly at his genuinely delighted expression.

Kilian, whom I thought would leave soon, didn’t easily vacate his seat. Instead, he persistently looked at my face.

Remembering the unpleasant gaze during the last meal, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

“Staring like that—could it be a polite gesture in the Principality of Freiche?”

“Oh, no, Your Highness. It’s not like that…”