Lunido followed Ermedillin into the bedroom, leaving only Pellio, Bellest, and Liena in the living room.

“Really? So it wasn’t a lie?”

Liena nodded her head, looking towards the direction where Ermedillin had disappeared.

“What?”

Pellio furrowed his brow, and a mischievous smile spread across Liena’s face.

Pellio had known Liena, the younger sister of his only close friend Roberto, since childhood.

“Didn’t you tell Roberto that you think the Empress isn’t as bad as you thought?”

“When did I”

Pellio’s face flushed as he yelled.

Pellio often visited his close friend who lived near the capital after marrying the daughter of a noble family.

Their newlywed home was modest but filled with happiness.

Though Pellio couldn’t fully open up about his feelings for Ermedillin even to his closest friend, he would secretly overlay images of himself and Ermedillin onto them.

He thought he had hidden his secret wishes well, but as they say, colds and love are hard to hide. It seemed he couldn’t completely avoid mentioning Ermedillin.

“What’s the fuss? You said your thoughts changed a bit as you’ve been working together recently!”

“Ah… Right. That’s true.”

He worried that his feelings had been discovered, but Liena’s words didn’t seem to have that intent.

“Actually seeing her, she doesn’t seem malicious. I was more…”

Aware that she was in the Empress’s living room, Liena lowered her voice.

This wasn’t a good place to audibly say that she had thought of her as a dark demon casting deadly curses around.

“Anyway, let’s go. I have a lot to prepare for tomorrow’s founding ceremony.”

Deciding that nothing good would come from Liena talking more, Pellio forced them to leave, trying to calm his pounding heart.

After a hectic afternoon preparing for the founding ceremony, Ermedillin finally lay her tired body in bed late in the evening.

In her past life, where the goal was merely to survive, she had never traveled.

Although she had contemplated taking short trips when she could withdraw her meager savings, she had always deferred to the future.

As a result, she could even move to a better rental place after seven years.

A college student she had worked parttime with had described the carnival in Europe in detail, as if it were right before their eyes.

Thanks to him, although Hyeyoung had never seen the carnival, she had imagined it and found joy.

Now, she would actually attend such an exotic festival tomorrow.

Dressed in gorgeous clothes, she would wander among people who had come out just to enjoy themselves.

Though concerned about the pandemic, Ermedillin couldn’t help but feel excited.

She couldn’t stop her giggling, even though she found her anticipation contradictory.

“May tomorrow be a joyful day. And may a pandemic not break out again.”

After an afternoon busy with each person’s event preparations, the day of the founding ceremony finally came.

The event would begin with a procession through the city by the Emperor and the nobles.

Henri and Ermedillin stood in front of a lavishly decorated carriage.

Usually, Henri would naturally ride with Balliere, but this year, they decided to have Balliere follow in a separate carriage.

“Masks are being distributed at every entrance to the capital.”

“Yes. I heard the soldiers have had quite a hard time for several days. Thank you sincerely for your cooperation.”

“What’s there to thank for? Those you are trying to protect from the epidemic are my people too. It’s only natural.”
Ermedillin, subtly adorned in ash and purple hues, and Angri draped in a golden cloak over his dazzling white uniform, were the very embodiment of imperial dignity and prosperity of the Tribian Empire at a glance.

Following reluctantly behind in another carriage, Vallier felt his blood boil in reverse as he watched them.

Despite her best efforts to look stunning, Ermedillin had already claimed the seat next to Angri.

And she didn’t even seem to care much about her attire, wearing a remarkably plain dress.

‘You said you rode the same carriage every year! Why are you riding with that wretched woman this year!’

If it weren’t for the upcoming coronation ceremony following the parade, Vallier would have insisted on riding in the same carriage with Angri to the very end.

‘Soon, very soon! That seat will be mine. Neither the position of Empress nor Angri will be taken away from you!’

As they waited in front of the palace gates for the parade to start, Pellio was seen climbing into his own carriage.

Ermedillin glanced sideways at his shoulders almost unconsciously.

‘Ah, he’s wearing it!’

Finally seeing the deep and rich blue hanging from his shoulders, Ermedillin grinned so widely that she nearly forgot her decorum, showing her front teeth.

How fortunate that she was wearing a mask.

But the mask couldn’t hide her eyes.

As a result, Ermedillin found herself inadvertently giving away sly smiles with her eyes.

“What’s making you so joyful?”

Angri, who had been silently watching, finally asked.

“Nothing. I’m just a bit excited.”