“Currently, His Grace is said to have received Morigh’s blessing and is even called Morigh’s Avatar.”

“I heard rumors like that, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

“In fact, it’s quite moderate. Moreover, it’s not entirely false. ‘Coming back to life’ would have been difficult without Morigh looking after His Grace.”

Forgetting what they had witnessed just a few hours ago, where he seemed like an unparalleled troublemaker, he was now ‘our grace’ again.

Margaret, smiling proudly, continued speaking.

“Anyway, now he can rest a bit more like a human. We’ll take a day off at the nearest inn today, and it would be perfect to enter the palace tomorrow morning.”
However, instead of dispersing as time passed, the welcoming crowd became even denser.

Around the point where people couldn’t move an inch between the cracks, Margaret, who had descended from the carriage, returned a short while later with a troubled expression.

“Why did they come looking for us?”

“It seems they plan to go directly to the palace without unpacking at the inn. It appears that the Emperor has ordered His Grace to enter the palace as soon as possible.”

From then on, things were quickly organized.

The knights pushed the gathered citizens to the outskirts of the road, ensuring enough space for the carriage to run freely.

Thanks to this, Ansgar’s words could pass through the central square about three times faster than when the road was blocked initially.

After driving for a while along the main street, the high iron gate of the palace soon came into view.

The knights standing in front of the gate checked their flags and raised their spears.

“It’s the seal of Duke Ansgar!”

“Open the gate!”

With a loud noise, the iron gate opened on both sides. The carriage passed through the open gate like an arrow, entering the palace.

Adele looked inside the palace with eyes mixed with tension and curiosity.

A spacious street, elaborately landscaped gardens on either side, beautiful buildings and spires in white and pastel colors…

Hundreds of glass windows reflected the sunlight dazzlingly. This magnificent scene was a first in her life.

“I hope it doesn’t look too shabby.”

Adele anxiously gripped the hem of her dress.

The outfit she was currently wearing was tailored for convenience during a long journey.

There were no eye-catching decorations, and the fabric seemed to emit a sour smell, perhaps due to being soaked in sweat.

Carefully lifting the sleeve to smell it, Margaret noticed and quickly said,

“You’ll probably be given one of the spare court gowns. After washing up, you can change into the dress prepared for the evening reception.”

Adele nodded, but honestly, she was somewhat skeptical.

Looking at the gorgeous palace, she recalled how light and beautiful the dresses in vogue in Bayern and Pragma were.

In contrast, the clothes Adele had tailored were beautiful but focused on practicality.

To withstand the northern cold, the material was thick, and the sleeves extended down to below the wrists.

They couldn’t afford to waste the budget on tailoring a new dress, especially one that could only be worn at the palace.

“If you need one, you can always have a new one made.”

Seeing the ladies strolling through the garden, Margaret muttered uncertainly.

Adele smiled faintly and reassured Margaret.

“But I do have at least one dress made for receptions. The other clothes won’t look too extravagant, and besides, it’s still close to winter.”
“If that’s the case, it’s fortunate……”

Eventually, the carriage stopped in front of the long stairs of the palace.

Adele froze as she saw the Emperor and other nobles gathered below the stairs.

Among them were her stepmother, Countess Leihenau, and Charlotte.

“Adele.”

The carriage door opened at last, and Valentin reached inside with an exaggerated gesture.

She took Valentin’s hand and gracefully descended from the carriage, trying her best to maintain a dignified posture despite the somewhat pitiful appearance.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

Standing next to Valentin, she bowed to the Emperor, receiving the gaze of everyone present.

Valentin displayed surprisingly elegant manners.

“Come, come. Welcome.”

The Emperor personally grabbed Valentin’s hands, lifting her to her feet.

Adele quickly noticed the striking resemblance between the Emperor’s black hair, golden eyes, and features and Valentin.

Of course, even if they used the same materials, Valentin’s side was closer to a perfectly sculpted statue.

Anyway, anyone who saw them without knowing would easily mistake them for close relatives.

The Emperor smiled contentedly and patted Valentin’s back of the hand.

“After making my heart anxious with ominous rumors, seeing something so ordinary makes me quite relieved. So, have you been well?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, I have been unharmed.”

As soon as Valentin spoke, all the nobles’ eyes were focused on him.

The rumor of Valentin’s revival had already spread far and wide in the capital due to the time it took for rumors of Ansgar to reach the capital.

Considering the general time it took for rumors about Ansgar to spread to the capital, the rapid spread of malicious rumors about Valentin was abnormal.

There was no need to think about the background behind it.

‘Crown Prince.’

Beside the Empress, Adele pretended to ignore the penetrating gaze fixed on her.

She focused on the conversation between Valentin and the Emperor.

“Due to excessive hospitality, I am not sure how to respond. It is a great honor for Your Majesty to greet us personally.”

“Excessive?!”

The Emperor’s laughter was so hearty that all his teeth were visible.

“Upon hearing that the Duke was coming during a council, I immediately rushed out. Isn’t the Duke the hero who led us to victory in the Battle of Nordhoven? It’s practically proving his qualifications as a ruler.”

Adele felt the atmosphere among the surrounding nobles cool significantly at his words.