“Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Glory to the highest moon of the Empire.”

Mercedes knelt gracefully in front of the Empress Dowager and greeted her. Today, she wore a corset and dressed neatly.

It was a navy blue dress close to a suit, with no decoration except for a jeweled string around the waist. To compensate for the plainness, she wore pearl accessories.

It was a bright and neat attire that wouldn’t give the Empress Dowager any reason to nitpick.

Indeed, the Empress Dowager looked her up and down, then hid her expression by lifting her teacup as if there was nothing to criticize.

Mercedes maintained a gentle smile and waited until the Empress Dowager offered her a seat.

After swallowing the tea, the Empress Dowager invited her to sit.

“You’re here. Have a seat.”

Her voice was surprisingly warm.

Even to Mercedes, who was insensitive to her own emotions but sensitive to others’ negative emotions, there wasn’t a hint of irritation.

‘Is she not trying to fight?’

“Yes! Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Thank you for your consideration.”

It would be less scary if she were trying to fight, but her warmth made Mercedes more nervous.

Mercedes deliberately smiled even more brightly and sat across from the Empress Dowager.

Luxurious refreshments were prepared on the table. As she sat down, tea was poured for her.

She didn’t think she would be given anything strange to drink. If the woman who was about to become the Empress lived normally and then suddenly changed after visiting the Empress Dowager’s palace just once, it would be the Empress Dowager’s fault.

The Empress Dowager wouldn’t be that foolish.

“I have decided to officiate your coronation.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It is truly an honor. If you officiate, the coronation will be perfect. And I really want to learn how you work. I will become the Empress, and I won’t be given much work, but I am so lacking in refinement… I need advice from someone with great discernment like Your Majesty.”

Mercedes lied without even wetting her lips. She had worked even as the Crown Princess, and the emergency lessons on inner assistance were still ingrained in her body.

Of course, she was lacking in many ways compared to the Empress Dowager, but who would dislike someone who lowered themselves and elevated others?

“…You are quite honest.”

The Empress Dowager replied a beat late. Her warm smile remained. But it was clear. That woman disliked Mercedes.

It seemed Carlos’ description of her being “irritable and fiery” was not false.

Right now, she was forcibly acting.

Having been in a high position and dominating the social world while living as she pleased, she didn’t need to act as desperately as Mercedes, so her awkwardness showed.

Of course, if it were someone other than Mercedes, they might have only seen the endlessly gentle Empress Dowager.

“Hehe. Thank you! Being honest is a good thing, right? I really admire you, Your Majesty!”

Mercedes decided to push the innocent and honest image even more. As she laughed, the Empress Dowager turned her head and drank tea again.

‘She’s really bad at hiding her expressions.’

She had heard that the only difficult thing in her life was her son not becoming the Emperor. So maybe she wasn’t desperate to act. Mercedes smiled bitterly to herself as she compared the Empress Dowager’s life to her own.

“Well then. Admiration… Yes, thank you. Let’s talk about the coronation first.”

“Yes!”

As if talking to Mercedes was burdensome, the Empress Dowager immediately brought up work.

Mercedes quickly followed the Empress Dowager’s change in attitude. She even deliberately took notes in the notebook she brought.

“Not too flashy?”

“Yes. It’s the position of the Empress, not the Queen. Showing dignity is the priority. If it were the Queen, she could be adorned with splendor, but if the Empress does that, it will give the image of a luxurious concubine who receives too much favor from the Emperor. Even though she has become the Empress.”

“Ah…”

“And on that day, who will escort you on the path for the coronation?”

“Ah. His Majesty said he would escort me-”

“Oh my. The Emperor cannot escort you on that day.”

“What?”

What was this about? Carlos had told her that he would personally escort her to the coronation seat.

“Isn’t it the Emperor who bestows the status upon you? That child must sit on the throne. So, I’m asking. Is there a nobleman who will volunteer to escort you?”

This seemed to have some ulterior motive.

Mercedes shook her head with a troubled expression.

“Probably because of my… background. I don’t think there will be anyone. If it’s the Emperor’s order, they will do it, but… Ah! Right. The Captain of the Guard will be able to do it.”

Mercedes clapped her hands while mentioning the Emperor’s person. Then she smiled brightly.

The Empress Dowager shook her head with a serious expression.

“You can’t fill the coronation with only the Emperor’s people. You are becoming the first Empress under Carlos’ reign. The Emperor said he has no intention of taking a Queen yet, so people will approach you, the only Empress, with political purposes.”

Is that a self-introduction?

Mercedes swallowed the words that came to mind and replied pitifully.

“…Oh my. I’m… not good at that kind of thing.”

“From now on, you’ll have to do well even if you have to study. Being the only Empress is a dangerous position. So, at this coronation, you must bring a nobleman, not the Emperor’s person, to show that your base will expand. That you will embrace even those who dislike you.”

The Empress Dowager spoke as if she were really concerned for her, even leaning forward.

If it were a truly naive woman who didn’t know her true intentions, she would think the Empress Dowager was worried for her sake.

‘Why is she doing this?’

“…But Your Majesty. I have only recently made a few close noble friends, and I don’t think they will step up for me.”

Anyway, she had to play along to find out anything. Mercedes replied gloomily with a dejected face.

The Empress Dowager sighed and smiled warmly.

“Yes, Mercedes. This time, let me prepare it for you. I know your circumstances too.”

“Prepare?”

“It means I will find a suitable nobleman to escort you. Someone of a noble status, qualified to attend an imperial event.”

“Ah…!”

Mercedes covered her mouth as if she were moved and touched. She wanted to shed tears if she could, but she hadn’t cried since she was a child.

No matter how much she practiced acting, shedding tears was difficult.

“For me, such kindness…”

Mercedes lowered her head and replied in a trembling voice.

“You are now part of the imperial family, aren’t you? As the person who manages the inner palace, I must take care of you. That is right.”

The Empress Dowager spoke in a kind voice.

Mercedes nodded her head vigorously.

“Thank you, thank you so much. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager… To someone like me who is nothing… I’m really grateful.”

“No, no. And tell the Emperor that he doesn’t need to pay much attention to your coronation. I will take care of everything. Ah, and when I find a nobleman to escort you, I will call for you, so come and meet him. Your etiquette is not bad, but we should practice just in case. The coronation is an important occasion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty…! I will do my best!”

“Good. For now, let’s use the Grand Banquet Hall for the coronation. As I said earlier, let’s hang a neat tapestry on the front wall and decorate the wall only with the Emperor’s insignia. We will bring out the dignity of the Grand Banquet Hall itself. The throne will be placed at the highest point.”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Then, the training of the attendants or anything I need to prepare separately…”

“The training will be handled by Countess Valliere, the head of my maids. You don’t need to prepare anything. Neither decorations nor music. This is a solemn ceremony, not a banquet.”

“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, Your Majesty, I would have been in trouble. I really don’t know much.”

Mercedes pretended to wipe away tears for no reason. Anyway, there was some distance, so they wouldn’t know if tears were flowing.

The Empress Dowager smiled with satisfaction and gave her a very kind dismissal. Mercedes rose from her seat, gave a perfect greeting, and left the Empress Dowager’s palace.

And she headed straight to Carlos’ office.

“The work was handled very neatly. She said to keep it not too flashy. She paid attention to the overall coronation so that I wouldn’t look like a concubine and maintained dignity. She made appropriate decisions.”

Mercedes’ tone had returned to normal when she faced Carlos.

Carlos looked into her eyes as she sat across from him.

“Were there no other ulterior motives?”

“It seems like she’s trying to attach a scandal to me. Or maybe she’s thinking of calling her own son.”

“A scandal?”

“She said she would find a male nobleman to escort me. Since it doesn’t make sense for the Emperor to escort me on that day, she said she would find a suitable person.”

“…Haha!”

Carlos, who had been listening to her words blankly, laughed.

“Yes. Actually, it’s a difficult position for me to escort. Nevertheless, if I want to do it, I can.”

“Yes. When I told her that you would escort me, she said it couldn’t be done. It’s a story that fits the etiquette.”

“Pretending to be etiquette while having different intentions.”

“If she brings a handsome man, it’s a scandal; if she brings her son, it’s a good stage to invite to the social world… Is that right?”

“That’s right. On that day, the attention will be on the Empress Dowager’s son, not you. But you know what? It’s a huge blow to the pride for the Empress Dowager’s son to escort my Empress.”

“Hmm. Actually, I thought the same thing on my way here. So…”

The eyes of the two people who had the same thought met and shone in the air.

Carlos twisted his lips and grinned.

“My Mercedes might get a lover who will create an unsavory scandal for her.”