Helena wanted to meet Kuhn while she was at the palace.

She had been lingering in the garden far from the room she was staying in to facilitate a fateful meeting with the emperor.

“If you see a man wearing a mask, just behave.”

“Huh? Why? Who is that man?”

“That man is the emperor of the empire.”

Callis had said that the emperor was the head of the world. There was no one higher or stronger than him.

He was the exact opposite of her, who had no one beneath her. Moreover, he was the person who could help Helena most effectively.

“If I can’t be a duchess because I’m a commoner, if I can’t get along with other nobles……. then I just need to become worthy of that status.”

For Helena, who was merely of commoner origin, a connection with the emperor would certainly elevate her status.

She had no reason to refuse this precious opportunity.

“I want to see more of this place, but this is the first time I’ve been to such a nice place, so I’m clumsy in finding my way. It would be a real honor if Your Majesty could help me…….”

Helena, who had nothing, would not attract any attention if she behaved haughtily like other noble women.

Then she needed to act in a new way to attract his attention, since people are drawn to new things.

Of course, the emperor wouldn’t be associating with a commoner woman, but Helena’s beauty and demeanor were no different from those of a noble.

Having had to survive in deprivation, she knew how to use her advantages.

“Okay.”

As Helena was tensing, her counterpart’s gesture continued. Eventually, she succeeded in attracting the emperor.

“Thank you!”

A smile came naturally with pride. Helena’s bright smile was warmer and prettier than the summer sun, so she deliberately smiled more broadly.

“What were you doing before you came to the garden, Your Majesty?”

After pondering, she asked the most basic question.

“I wonder if you need to know?”

“I’m curious. I’ve always wondered what great people like Your Majesty do!”

Despite the cold answer, Helena did not back down and matched her opponent’s mood.

“I entertained an important guest.”

The answer she finally heard was unbelievably short.

But Helena continued the conversation, putting emphasis on breaking down the wall.

“Really? Who would be the great guest Your Majesty speaks of? Uh, a noble of the empire? A king of another country?”

“The princess of an allied country.”

Helena, who had been chattering incessantly, promptly shut her mouth.

It was a short answer as always, but the content, rather than the length, bothered Helena.

If it’s the princess of an allied country, wasn’t he referring to Chloe!

“Did, did you have fun spending time with the princess?”

“Exceedingly enjoyable.”

“……I, I can make Your Majesty have fun too! Maybe even more than the princess!”

The time spent with the princess was enjoyable! Helena felt overshadowed as if Chloe had become someone more outstanding than herself.

She exaggerated her words because she didn’t want to lose, and then the emperor showed a smile for the first time.

Though the emperor’s expression was hard to observe due to the purple mask covering his eyes, Helena thought it was a smile and took it positively.

“How will you make me have fun?”

“Let me tell you an interesting story! If you wish, shall I tell you about the princess?”

“You act as if you know the princess well.”

“I do know her well! She’s close to me!”

At Helena’s confident answer, the emperor paid attention. It meant a spark of interest.

“Uh, the princess, despite her beautiful appearance, has a very rigid and businesslike personality. If you have to define the word ‘noble’ visually, anyone would point to the princess. She is a specimen of a noble, to the point of excess. Her strict noble manners are sometimes burdensome……. She’s emotionless and dull, like a fragranceless flower.”

Helena’s story was not exactly a good one.
At a glance, it would seem like a rude and outrageous story, but the emperor who had a conversation with Chloe today would also somewhat sympathize with it.

Callis said that Chloe takes the form of a noble to a frustrating degree.

So he said that it is futile to compare her with Helena. Her unadorned attitude makes the other person more comfortable.

Chloe must be tedious to the emperor, who always interacts with nobles. So he wished that the emperor would agree with him.

Eventually, he would naturally compare the Helena in front of him with her.

“A fragranceless flower…….”

Kun, who had silently listened to Helena’s words, repeated the last phrase. In his softened voice, she sensed that her plan had succeeded.

Was it because she was so excited without knowing the other’s intention? Helena couldn’t confirm the gaze behind the mask.

“Someday, Your Majesty will get tired of talking with that person too. Then come find me! I will be your unique, entertaining friend!”

(This is a time separator.)

Whether Helena’s scheme had succeeded or not, Kun escorted her to her room.

Wanting to show their togetherness to others, Helena deliberately lost her way around the palace.