At that time, in the pond garden of the Star Palace.

“What are you saying right now?”

Dina asked, shaking Rosa’s shoulders as she sat on the ground sobbing.

“Hic, hic, hic, I, I ruined the young lady’s shoes. The shoes she was supposed to wear while dancing with His Majesty today. Waaah.”

“Are you in your right mind? Why would you do such a thing?”

“Don’t do this here, get up quickly. Dina, help Rosa stand up.”

As Rosa’s wailing drew curious glances from the other maids, Vera hurriedly said to the two.

The eyes of Princess Lilibet’s maids twisted menacingly as they watched the three maids hurrying towards the annex.

“By the looks of it, that foolish one seems about to spill everything.”

“What should we do? If she reveals that the princess ordered it…?”

“Do you think the princess would have ordered that thing to do the job without thinking? No matter how much she blabbers, who would believe her? She’s just a powerless servant under a weak master.”

‘Our princess was the one who eliminated over ten young ladies at once during the first competition like this.’ Sneering, the princess’s maids also returned to their quarters.

“How could you do such a thing? Even though we’re looked down upon as maids, we still have loyalty to uphold!”

The hot-tempered and simple-minded Dina shouted at her closest friend. Her hands trembled with the urge to slap her back.

Back at the annex, Rosa confessed everything that had happened to Vera and Dina while crying. She told them everything, including how she had imperceptibly cracked the heel of Arabel’s dance shoes so that the heel would break when worn.

“Then, the young lady must not have been able to dance with His Majesty today.”

As Vera opened her mouth with a dumbfounded expression, Dina spoke while sobbing.

“Forget dancing, she must have been humiliated. Oh, she must be enduring all the insults from those nasty young ladies alone again.”

Unable to hold back, Dina grabbed Rosa, who was sprawled on the floor crying, and shook her while slapping her back hard.

“You, bad girl! How could you do this? You who saw with your own eyes every day how much the young lady has been suffering here! You know too. How much the young lady cared for us!”

“I, hic, hic. I must have lost my mind for a moment. The young lady is bullied by the young ladies every day, and His Majesty the Emperor doesn’t even look for her. I was so anxious. I fell for Princess Lilibet’s promise to employ me as her maid if she becomes the Empress, as she’s said to have the highest chance. Waaah. I was afraid I might be harmed later if I displeased the princess.”

“But to do such a terrible thing because of that?”

“I’m different from you and the head maid. You two are people of the Empire, but I’m from Utekar, so I could be kicked out if I offend the high-ranking people. Waaah, waaah, waaah.”

For a moment, Dina stopped her hitting hand at Rosa’s wailing.

Rosa was from Utekar, a small country located in the southern part of the Helterd continent. Many poor and hungry Utekar people came to the Helterd Empire to do low-class labor and sent their wages back to their homeland.

Rosa, who had left her hometown 20 years ago, was the same. She had endured all sorts of humiliation and received significantly less salary than others just because she was from Utekar.

They were issued work permits, but if they violated the Empire’s laws, they were mercilessly expelled from the Empire. For any noble with even a little influence, framing and expelling a Utekar person on any false charge was as easy as eating cold porridge.

The reason Rosa had to endure the dirty harassment of the Count and his sons all this time was because of the Count who threatened that he could expel her from the Empire at any time.

While Dina was huffing in frustration, Rosa went into the bedroom and came out with a small box.

“And I also received this. I’m sorry, head maid. Hic, hic. I’m sorry, Dina. Waaah, waaah, waaah.”

Vera and Dina’s eyes widened like saucers when they discovered the golden egg in the box Rosa had brought.

“You fool, why did you accept such a thing! After being treated so badly by the nobles, can’t you see? Princess Lilibet is a hundred times more vicious than Lady Lorel and her daughters! And she’s the niece of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager! Oh, you stupid thing.”

This time, Vera couldn’t hold back and lamented while slapping Rosa’s shoulder.

“First, when the young lady returns, kneel down and apologize, then return the golden egg to Princess Lilibet. The princess won’t let this go easily… Oh my.”

As Vera slumped down next to Rosa and Dina, Rosa’s crying grew even louder.

Inside the Star Palace, the second annex. The quarters of Grace from the Le Sang family.

“In a way, it’s fortunate. I was uneasy about the Emperor’s first dance partner being Princess Lilibet. After holding a beauty of the century in his arms and dancing, it would be hard for the other candidates to catch his eye.”

As the Duke of Le Sang blurted out his thoughts, Duchess Caroline and their niece Grace simultaneously looked at him. Especially his wife’s eyes flashed fiercely as she glared at her husband, who changed mistresses almost every month.

“It seems it’s not Maxwell who’s disappointed about not dancing with Princess Lilibet, but you.”

“Am I the only one? All the men in the ballroom must have thought the same? Despite her status as an Empress candidate making her unattainable, the eyes of all men, regardless of age, followed only her.”

Apparently still upset about not being able to dance even once holding the princess’s slender waist, the Duke of Le Sang muttered, licking his lips, shamelessly in front of his wife and niece.

Snap, as the Duchess’s open feather fan closed in her hand, the Duke finally came to his senses, his face turning pale as he watched his wife’s reaction.

There were two things in the world that he, the head of the Le Sang family, one of the Empire’s three great families, feared most. One was the black panther monster he had encountered in the hunting grounds when he was young, and the other was his wife Caroline.

The black panther they encountered after getting lost in the mountains with Crown Prince Luca, Maxwell’s father, Jacob, and Peter when they were young. The moment was unforgettable, still haunting him in nightmares occasionally. Also, his wife Caroline, the only daughter of the previous Emperor, was both his salvation and his shackle.

‘I’ll make you the heir of the Le Sang family.’

That’s what the audacious princess who chose him, the youngest, over his much more capable older brothers, had said on their wedding night.

And exactly five years later, he was chosen as the head of the Le Sang family, surpassing his brothers.

The Duke of Le Sang didn’t try to understand how his eldest brother, who was called a saint, fell in love with a woman from a brothel and caused the most scandalous love affair in the Empire’s history, or how his second brother, the family’s pride and genius, was caught secretly embezzling an enormous fortune behind their father’s back.

He only needed to remember the fact that his wife Caroline was at the center of the background that brought these two down.

Caroline manipulated her weak and incompetent husband to wield power, and in return, she turned a blind eye to his never-ending womanizing.

Honestly, the person he feared most was his nephew Emperor Maxwell, but as long as he hid under the skirt of his tigress wife, he believed he would be safe. He was a coward who only pursued affairs as much as his wife allowed.

“The Emperor is thoroughly rational. He’s not a foolish man swayed by his lower half. Rather, he’s more likely to be attracted to a partner who can discuss politics, economics, and culture with him, like Grace.”

As the Duchess shot a dismissive look at her husband, Grace also pouted and grumbled.

“Today was the perfect opportunity to prove my knowledge to His Majesty the Emperor… I’m so upset.”

Emperor Maxwell descending the stairs in the ballroom shone dazzlingly. There had never been a moment when he didn’t shine. From the day she first met Maxwell at the Imperial Palace when she was eight, she vowed to take the place beside him.

No one can interfere. She will win the competition by any means necessary.

Grace’s green eyes glimmered with a mixture of desire and ambition.

“Still, it wasn’t all bad since we didn’t have to dirty our hands because of Lilibet, and Arabel was put in a difficult situation. The Empress Dowager’s side will continue to use such dirty tactics, so it seems we don’t need to step in ourselves.”

As Caroline spoke, Grace and the Duke of Le Sang nodded in agreement.

“It seems Princess Lilibet’s scheme today has failed.”

As a solemn voice flowed in from the entrance of the reception room, the gazes of the three turned to the owner of the voice.

“What do you mean, Bridget?”

“According to Millie’s report, His Majesty the Emperor called Lady Arabel to his bedroom and they were together for quite a long time even after the banquet ended.”

At the royal head maid Bridget’s answer, Grace, her face drained of color, jumped up and shouted. Her clenched fists trembling.

“What do you mean? I clearly saw her getting into the carriage to return to the annex from the balcony!”

“Grace.”

At Caroline’s chilly voice calling her name, Grace suppressed her anger and sat back down.

I’m different from the ignorant and hot-tempered Lilibet. I won’t let emotions ruin things. I must always maintain calmness and composure.

Chewing on the words she had heard every day from the Duchess of Le Sang, she bit the inside of her cheek hard.

“His Majesty called her as she was in the carriage and even had her treated by the royal physician… After the physician left, they were alone in the bedroom for quite a long time…”

“Instead of a dance that ends after circling the floor two or three times, she monopolized the Emperor all night. And alone in the Emperor’s bedroom at that!”

The Duke of Le Sang cut in before the head maid could finish, as if in disbelief.

The candidate the Emperor had brought to the banquet, as seen by the Duke of Le Sang, was utterly ordinary, just as rumored. From the perspective of a philanderer, she seemed like an innocent woman who knew nothing of men.

“That cunning thing. We thought she was insignificant and believed the Empress Dowager’s side could handle it… But entering the Emperor’s bedroom? We need to teach her a harsh lesson.”

The Duchess twisted her lips and exchanged glances with the head maid.

Biting her inner cheek hard enough to taste the metallic blood in her mouth, Grace inwardly cursed the country bumpkin who had monopolized the Emperor tonight.

‘I will never let this go. I’ll make you bitterly regret coming to the Imperial Palace with the Emperor.’

The morning after the banquet. In the third annex of the Star Palace, Princess Lilibet’s quarters.

“It can’t be helped. Since you’ve changed your mind.”

As Princess Lilibet said with a bright smile, Rosa repeatedly bowed her head and whimpered.

“To think I considered betraying Lady Arabel, I must have lost my mind.”

“I’m disappointed that you won’t help me, but it’s praiseworthy that you want to keep your loyalty to your young lady.”

At Princess Lilibet’s unexpectedly kind praise, Rosa’s tense shoulders relaxed a little.

“Thank you so much for understanding. And our young lady said she won’t make an issue of the broken shoes. She told me to inform you that she would bury this matter.”

Rosa choked up and couldn’t finish her words, hastily wiping away her tears.

Last night, she confessed everything to Lady Arabel when she returned to the annex. She thought she would surely be thrown out, but… she was forgiven.

And she decided to bury this incident for my sake. Although Princess Lilibet ordered it, I was the one who broke the shoe heel. The crime of harming an Empress candidate was enough to be expelled from the Empire.

It was unbelievable. To cover up the scheme of Princess Lilibet, a competitor who had humiliated her in front of everyone at the banquet, for the sake of me, a mere maid.

Even as she relayed the message to Princess Lilibet, tears of gratitude for Arabel kept flowing from Rosa’s eyes.

“So you brought back the golden egg I gave you.”

“Yes.”

“It can’t be helped. If that’s your wish.”

Princess Lilibet said languidly, lying askew on the sofa and yawning.

“Before you go, could you put it in the treasure chest in the closet in my bedroom? As you can see, all my maids are out right now.”

“Of course. I’ll put it in the treasure chest and leave.”

With a brighter expression at Princess Lilibet’s request without making things difficult, Rosa went up to the second floor. Feeling grateful for her good fortune and vowing never to fall for such temptation again.

She had now decided to serve Lady Arabel wholeheartedly for the rest of her life.

Rosa’s steps were light as air as she ran to the princess’s bedroom on the second floor. Rosa entered the princess’s bedroom, fragrant with expensive perfume, and opened the closet and the treasure chest placed on top.

As she carefully placed the box containing the golden egg she had been carrying in her bosom,

“Thief! Catch her!”

“How dare you sneak in here and rummage through our princess’s jewelry box!”

Suddenly, three of Princess Lilibet’s maids burst into the bedroom, grabbing Rosa’s arms and shouting loudly.

“No! It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! The princess asked me to put the golden egg in the jewelry box! Ask the princess!”

As Rosa, her face pale, shouted loudly, a voice filled with mockery was heard from in front of the bedroom.

“Me? When did I? You asked to use the bathroom, so why did you sneak into my bedroom like a thieving cat?”

Princess Lilibet tilted her head and looked at Rosa with an innocent expression. Her beautiful blue eyes gleamed cruelly as they lingered on the box held in Rosa’s hands.