“But in that attire…”

“What’s wrong with my attire?”

Guinevere looked over her own appearance. Wearing the latest fashionable bustle dress with a lace parasol, Guinevere exuded a perfectly aristocratic air.

“It must be uncomfortable…”

Guinevere smirked.

“Me?”

Then, lifting Larisa whom she was holding in one arm, she said,

“Mere clothes can’t stop me.”

A gentle breeze enveloped Guinevere and Larisa. And soon Larisa noticed the ground getting farther away.

“Eek!”

Larisa wrapped her arms around Guinevere’s neck. Guinevere, holding her parasol, rose high into the air with Larisa in one arm.

“Let’s see. Where might our prey be?”

“Mother, I’m scared!”

“It’s alright. I won’t drop you. Now, let’s see…”

Guinevere rose high into the sky. And she watched where the hunting dogs were running.

“There they are.”

Guinevere said leisurely, twirling the parasol resting on her shoulder. And lightning began to strike from the clear sky.

Boom!

Crash!

“Kyaa!”

“It’s alright. It’s magic.”

“M-magic?”

“Yes. We’re hunting.”

Larisa gathered her courage to look down. Amidst the flashing light, she thought she glimpsed animals struck dead by lightning.

It wasn’t just the animals that were startled by the sudden lightning. The sound of panicked people screaming could be heard. Guinevere, looking sheepish, said,

“Hmm, shall we stop here?”

“Y-yes!”

The quick-witted Larisa realized that Guinevere had completely ruined the hunting competition. But strangely, she wasn’t as scared as before.

“It would be troublesome if I’m not first.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to be first to give you the flower crown.”

“Flower crown?”

“Yes.”

The person who comes first in the hunting competition can offer a flower crown to a lady. From this year on, without fail, that flower crown would belong to Larisa.

Of course, later William would do it, but until William graduated, she intended to do it on his behalf.

“I’m fine without it…”

“This should be enough. Let’s go down.”

Guinevere descended to the ground and gently set Larisa down. Larisa held Guinevere’s hand tightly while trying to calm her trembling legs.

“Hedel, go collect them.”

“Yes, Master.”

Instead of grumbling as usual, Hedel answered with discipline and disappeared impressively through teleportation. Exclamations of admiration erupted from people here and there.

“Lady Rodante, have you finished hunting?”

The Empress approached with a smile amidst the murmuring crowd. She appeared relaxed, as if she had anticipated Guinevere’s actions.

Watching this, the noble ladies whispered among themselves.

“As expected, it seems the Imperial family invited her to show off their connection with the Great Witch.”

“It’s quite bold for the debut stage of a newly adopted daughter.”

However, Larisa noticed. The Empress was trying her best to appear composed, while Guinevere simply didn’t care.

Guinevere asked in a confident voice.

“Yes. Where is my seat?”

“This way, please.”

Guinevere sat down majestically, guided by the Empress.

People who had been living in peace had never seen such widespread magic before. The nobles felt fear at Guinevere Rodante’s overwhelming magic.

Moreover, seeing the Empress and Princess attentively caring for her beside her, they once again realized how much Guinevere Rodante, the Great Witch protecting Arendia, was a being that transcended humanity.

“Now, Lady Larisa. I hope you’ll enjoy the Imperial desserts.”

Larisa politely received the dessert plate that the Empress personally handed her with both hands. Her worry about not being able to follow proper etiquette had disappeared after seeing the casual Guinevere.

“Come on, stretch out your legs and sit comfortably, comfortably.”

Seeing Guinevere sprawled on the chaise lounge as if it were her own home, Larisa also stretched out her legs. As Larisa’s short legs dangled, the Empress’s ladies-in-waiting fussed over how cute she was.

“That was amazing magic. Surely you must need rest after using such magic?”

Guinevere, perceiving the Empress’s hidden meaning, smirked.

“This level of magic is nothing special. Even Hedel could maintain it for three days and nights.”

“I see.”

Though she smiled pretending to be magnanimous, the Empress’s eyelashes trembled finely. If that lightning were to strike the center of the Imperial Palace, could the palace magicians defend against it?

Probably not.

Yet Guinevere was saying even Hedel could do this. The magicians who followed Guinevere formed a massive force.

Even among the palace magicians, the majority admired Guinevere. The Imperial side needed to avoid antagonizing Guinevere at all costs.

“By the way, Lady Larisa is truly adorable. May I ask how you came to have such a daughter?”

Guinevere’s expression stiffened slightly. Larisa froze, unable to swallow the dessert in her mouth. She was tense, wondering how Guinevere would answer.

“She’s not my daughter yet.”

“Pardon?”

“Even if Lara’s mother has died, I can’t take her place.”

The Empress couldn’t guess Guinevere’s meaning and remained silent. Guinevere smirked as if understanding and said,

“She’s like a daughter to me.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Right now, she’s as precious as my son, no, even more so.”

A daughter-in-law more precious than her son. Because she’s the precious daughter-in-law for whom that son had sacrificed his life three times to revive.

“But why haven’t you officially adopted her yet…”

“You ask too many unnecessary questions, Your Majesty. I’ll take care of such trivial matters like family registry at my own pace.”

“I see.”

She would slowly arrange the marriage as soon as she turns 18. It’s because she’s still too young to marry under Arendian law.

‘When I was young, even child marriages were possible.’

When did the law change like this? Those diligent politicians.

On the other hand, the Empress was thinking something else.

‘As expected, Guinevere Rodante is a cold-hearted witch. I don’t know what aspect of that child she sees to want to adopt her, but she’d abandon her at any time if she disappoints her.’

Although she seems to cherish her now, a witch’s whims are unpredictable. This is a woman who even neglected her only biological son.

‘Perhaps she just wants to play at raising a daughter for now.’

Larisa, dressed in a fine gown, looked as cute as a doll. Perhaps she was just captivated by that cuteness for now.

“Our Princess was so proud telling stories about her visit to the Rodante house. I became quite envious in the end. What do you say, Lady Rodante? Would you come to the palace with Lady Larisa next time?”

“If I’m not busy.”

She probably would be busy. But Guinevere was a person who knew how to make polite small talk. With all the nobles watching from the corner of their eyes, she wasn’t so ill-mannered as to openly refuse the Empress’s request.

“I look forward to it.”

During the brief silence that followed, Guinevere thought.

‘I was told to brag about the children. Is this the right timing?’

Oh well. Guinevere abruptly opened her mouth.

“You know, my son.”

“Yes?”

“William entered the academy with top honors this time.”

“Yes, he did.”

The Empress tensed up, wondering what Guinevere was suddenly talking about. For her part, she had been thinking of matching the Princess with William Rodante, so Guinevere’s sudden mention seemed to have some intent.

However, making her tension seem foolish, Guinevere continued with an anticlimactic boast.

“I heard his test scores were excellent this time too.”

“Is that so?”

“As expected of my son.”

“Indeed, that’s remarkable. I wonder if he might graduate with top honors at this rate.”

As she perfunctorily agreed, Guinevere grinned. And that was all. The Empress tried to discern if there was any hidden intent in Guinevere’s face, but to no avail.

That was because Guinevere’s intent from the beginning was simply to brag about her son. Guinevere had planned to show off how much she cherished her son and daughter-in-law at this hunting competition.

But the more she looked around, the more quickly the ladies she made eye contact with lowered their heads. This made it impossible to strike up a conversation.

‘Should I be satisfied with bragging to the Empress?’

Not long after, Hedel returned with all the prey killed by lightning. People screamed or marveled at the sight of the dead animal carcasses floating gently through the air.

“Today’s victor is! Duchess Guinevere Rodante!”

“Waaah!!!”

Despite Guinevere’s eccentricity, there was no lack of praise for the victor. Guinevere grinned as she received the flower crown.

“I shall offer this flower crown to Larisa Rodante!”

Guinevere shouted loudly. As Larisa was flustered amidst the highly excited atmosphere, someone pushed her back. She turned to see Princess Elizabeth winking at her.

Larisa found herself on the platform in a daze. And the hunting competition winner’s flower crown was placed around Larisa’s neck. Because her head was small, it became a necklace rather than a crown.

“I shall give you all the honor I can bestow.”

“Pardon?”

Larisa, startled by the sudden words, asked back. Guinevere smiled and whispered in her ear.

“So please take good care of our son.”

The Empress, who couldn’t hear Guinevere’s whisper, suddenly had a different thought.

“All the honor…”

The Empress thought of the only prince of this country, too young to be brought to the hunting grounds. What could be meant by the most honorable position a woman could attain?

“We can’t take a girl of unknown origin as a daughter-in-law.”

The Empress decided to put aside her idea of fostering a friendship between the Princess and Larisa for the time being. If Guinevere’s goal was to make Larisa the Empress…

‘That’s impossible. An adopted daughter from the back alleys, not even her own…’

Her face twisted momentarily, but the Empress forced herself to manage her expression again. However, her eyes remained cold as she looked at Larisa’s pink hair.