After letting Flora prattle on to her heart’s content, Carlos slowly opened his mouth. The voice that flowed out was incredibly chilling and sharp.

“This is why I strengthened security.”

He enunciated each word clearly, like a knight deliberately thrusting in his sword slowly.

In an instant, the air froze.

“Just a few days ago, at the banquet, we discussed the security of the imperial family. To think this would flow from the mouth of my empress’ sister.”

Carlos laughed coldly.

“This is why I have no choice but to strengthen security.”

Everyone was so engrossed in the gossip that they forgot, but Carlos’ words were textbook.

No one should carelessly leak what they heard from the imperial family at an invited imperial banquet.

Behind the count and Flora stood the empress dowager… She probably told them to prattle on.

But that has nothing to do with Carlos. If the empress dowager is involved in ordering that, it becomes an even bigger problem.

The nobles’ faces paled a bit. They realized Flora had committed quite a grave sin.

‘This is bad!’

A family that gives a strange sense of discomfort despite reuniting after a long time, a sister who blurts out a slip of the tongue, and the empress dowager approaching from afar to handle the situation as if she overheard the conversation.

People just tensely watched the peaceful pandemonium unfold.

At that moment.

“Your Majesty, I apologize. I think my elder sister was too excited to see me. Please understand. Actually, I really missed my sister too. I guess she’s disappointed things turned out this way.”

Mercedes stepped forward first to shield her sister.

Flora was surprised for a moment, having never been embraced in Mercedes’ arms even once. Mercedes poked Flora’s stiff back, as if telling her to come to her senses.

“Ah, I’m s-sorry. Your Imperial Majesty. As someone from a humble small country, I didn’t know better and ran my mouth too much…!”

Carlos alternated between looking at Flora and Mercedes, who had lowered their heads, sighed, and took Mercedes’ hand.

“It didn’t turn out to be as pleasant as I thought, but since my empress seems happy, I’ll let it slide. Be more careful next time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty…!”

A new side to the emperor, who always upheld the imperial family’s dignity and acted strict. And the empress, who at some point stood by his side to dissuade him and mediate matters to an appropriate degree.

They were truly a perfect imperial couple.

“How magnanimous of him…”

“Last time, the punishment for Count Lucas ended with just light house arrest and being stripped of his knighthood, right? In the past, he would have been… quite severely physically punished. Your Majesty has a bit of a cruel hand.”

“Cruel? Actually, I wished you had given a punishment like in the old days! Count Lucas is someone who forgot a knight’s pride. It’s amazing that even someone like him is shielded by the empress. And it’s amazing that the emperor listened and gained a magnanimous heart.”

“They’re really an amazing couple.”

The nobles whispered amongst themselves.

And Mercedes whispered something in the emperor’s ear, and Carlos laughed.

Everyone assumed she probably expressed her affection, like thanking him or saying he’s the best.

“…I’m glad they’re self-destructing.”

“They’re convenient for you to use.”

“Indeed. To the point where my fear-filled past seems pathetic.”

However, the content of the whispers was completely different from everyone’s expectations.

Anyway, that day, the two of them went around ‘with’ the count and his family in tow, having them greet people.

When the count tried to say something unnecessary, they deliberately left him alone and didn’t rebuke him.

So in the end.

After that day’s banquet, rumors spread that ‘the empress seems to have been a bit negligent towards her father. The count suffered quite a bit in shame because of the empress.’

Just as Mercedes wanted.

* * *

The count returned to the large mansion the emperor prepared for them after the banquet, snorting and drinking precious alcohol.

The emperor lavished them with gold and treated them with the utmost hospitality.

But throughout the banquet, he stuck to them like he was monitoring them and occasionally hurled words bordering on reprimands.

“What did I do wrong? That young greenhorn!”

The count was quite afraid now that he knew the emperor’s prestige well. In reality, standing before him made his body go stiff as if overwhelmed by his force.

They succeeded in spreading rumors today. The empress dowager would praise him for that alone. She would let him meet Flora one more time.

But being dragged around by Mercedes and the emperor didn’t sit well with him at all!

Just let Flora become the empress. He would immediately dethrone that wench and get rid of her to somewhere out of sight.

And Flora also took a very long bath, saying the parts where Mercedes touched her while embracing her were disgusting.

Using an extravagant amount of fragrant oil and rose water that would have been unimaginable if they had stayed in shame.

But since it was an everyday occurrence until they went broke, the count downed alcohol that cost the price of a house without hesitation, and Flora enjoyed her bath without concern.

Meanwhile, the countess looked into the banquet after the welcome ceremony and sought out the best dressmaker here, and their son was so curious about the city’s red-light district that he snuck out as soon as the banquet ended and was scattering gold coins in the back alleys.

When their household was going broke, and even now.

They hadn’t changed at all.

It was fortunate that the servants were all the empress dowager’s people and kept their mouths shut.

The count sent a letter to the empress dowager saying he needed to meet Mercedes alone and pressure her soon. It was one of the mansions where the empress dowager met with her colleagues, not the empress dowager’s palace.

He remembered the stern warning not to send them recklessly this time, but he felt strangely impatient.

He didn’t like that Mercedes looked too relaxed.

* * *

“It’s been a while, Your Imperial Majesty. It’s so hard to see you.”

“Indeed, Nadia.”

Mercedes met Nadia after a very long time. It was enough to write down information about her dresses or accessories in letters and send them, so there were few occasions to meet in person.

Nevertheless, Nadia wanted to meet Mercedes directly. Even though she was much busier than Mercedes.

“I saw your face at the banquet, but…”

Mercedes trailed off, feeling awkward for no reason. Nadia made a hmph sound as if offended by those words.

“How could we have a comfortable conversation at the banquet? I couldn’t even call you Mel much, and then you became the empress, so I’m dying of disappointment.”

“You can still call me that.”

“How could I dare to do that? His Imperial Majesty would try to kill me.”

“Haha. Why would His Imperial Majesty do that?”

“…Looking closely, it seems like Your Majesty is a bit dense.”

Nadia finally sighed, relaxed her offended expression, and continued with her worries.

“Lately, you’ve only been staying in the imperial palace… Your face has deteriorated. Are you really okay? You looked fine during your family’s welcome ceremony.”

“Ah. I lost some weight. Summer isn’t familiar–”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re bothered by the heat?”

Nadia had a straightforward personality and was quick-witted to boot.

This was why she couldn’t call for her.

If she had faced Nadia when she was confused for a while or later when she was in despair, she felt like she would have unknowingly used being found out as an excuse to pour out her true feelings.

Although they only saw each other often at banquets, they had somehow grown close and could be called close friends.

“How much I worried. Of course, I’m still worrying now. You let me earn a ton of money, but I can’t even see your face… This isn’t just a friend but a business partner!”

“Hmm… I have nothing to say.”

Mel was really a bit sorry. Nadia sincerely worried about her and sometimes even sent letters.

Really, she was grateful and… it was a bit bitter.

Mercedes smiled faintly. Putting down her usual lively act.

“And today… you’re different. You’re calm.”

“I’m just being my most comfortable self.”

“The original Mel is… like this.”

Nadia widened her eyes and quietly looked at her, then nodded.

“I like it even better? Be at ease, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“I’m glad to hear it’s better. Keep calling me Mel, Nadia. I like that.”

“Hmm… Then you won’t punish me?”

“How could I dare to do that? Ah. But actually… the reason I called for you today is because I have something to say.”

“Did something happen? If it were a business issue, you would have sent a letter already… Is it a family matter?”

Nadia asked carefully.

“Nadia. Remember how I talked about the murder of my former husband, the former crown prince of Shame, before?”

“Yes.”

“Even if that story gets distorted later… Even if I’m the one distorting that story. Just stay still. As if you know nothing.”

Mercedes looked into Nadia’s copper-colored eyes.

Based on the trust they had built up until now, she wanted to make a ‘request’ for now.

If Nadia said what does that mean and acted strange…

‘It’s a rough method, but I’ll have to restrain her.’

She didn’t want to do that to Nadia. So she sincerely asked Nadia. As if pleading.

Will the silence stretch on for long? What she said would feel strange. Mercedes was suppressing her slightly anxious heart as she looked at Nadia.

Nadia listened to her words, thought it was strange, and opened her mouth.

“Whoever you lie to, whatever you do. I’m on your side, Mel.”

“…What?”

Nadia’s answer was simpler and clearer than expected.

“You didn’t think our friendship was nothing, right? Men may betray each other as they please according to their interests. But we don’t do that.”

Nadia winked and took Mercedes’ hand.

“Don’t worry. Of course I’ll stay silent, and if there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll do as much as you need. You don’t have to tell me what happened. You look troubled.”

“No, I’m not troubled.”

“Mel… I think saying you’re fine is a habit.”

Nadia lowered her eyes and replied with a slightly contorted face.

“You don’t look fine at all. I know it’s difficult, but you can lean on me.”

Nadia’s voice was as gentle as a lullaby sung by a calm sea. And the sincerity placed on top of it was clear.

It was clearly visible in Nadia’s eyes.

The painful past hidden in Mercedes’ eyes. And the desperation to prepare for something that will come in the future.

So Nadia simply said honestly that she would be on her side.

“As a friend, I promise.”

As Nadia’s words ended, Mercedes’ heart swelled with emotion.