“I forgot to bring my fan. I’m sorry, but could you fetch it for me?”

“Ah, yes.”

When Alicia stood up, Jena sitting next to her was surprised.

It seemed too much to ask Alicia to run an errand that should be done by a maid, not even a lady-in-waiting.

But Alicia rose from her seat without any hesitation and entered the empress’s palace.

It was better than sitting uncomfortably outside in the heat.

After entering the reception room earlier and asking a maid for the fan, Alicia idly looked out the window.

“What’s that?”

Something shiny was visible outside.

“Here it is, young lady.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Taking the fan politely handed by the maid, she left the reception room to go outside.

“It should be fine for just a moment, right?”

Curious about what that shiny thing was earlier, Alicia glanced towards the garden and walked in a different direction.

“Wow, it’s amazing.”

The place Alicia arrived at was where the tomb of the first emperor of the empire was located.

It was a tomb built according to the will of the first emperor who founded the Britannia Empire after defeating the corrupt mage 500 years ago.

Not only was it large, but the massive golden eagle statue on top, posed as if soaring to the sky, which was the symbol of the imperial family and the empire, was overwhelming.

While blankly staring up at the golden eagle on the tomb, she suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body, as if she had experienced this sensation before.

“What is this?”

Unknowingly hugging her arms, Alicia looked around as she stepped back.

“Lady Alicia Lancaster?”

Hearing a familiar voice, Alicia turned around.

“Your Highness.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I was attending a gathering hosted by Her Majesty the Empress when this tomb caught my eye. I was planning to just look and go back.”

“Ah. It’s incredibly splendid, isn’t it? I hear it even shines at night.”

Prince William smiled good-naturedly.

“Come to think of it, I heard the Empress was having tea with young ladies from each family in the rose garden.”

“Yes. I came from there. There were so many roses.”

“Her Majesty the Empress likes roses. Because they’re magnificent.”

“Ah.”

“Her tastes are consistent, aren’t they?”

Alicia nodded in understanding at William’s words.

“Let’s go. I’ll escort you back.”

“No, I can go by myself.”

“How about we talk about Eric’s recent situation on the way? And there’s also a reason we should go together.”

“…If you insist that much.”

Secretly wanting to hear about Eric, Alicia placed her hand on William’s offered arm.

William naturally escorted Alicia as they walked.

After taking a few steps, William glanced back and made eye contact with Prince Harry standing on the second floor.

William grinned at Harry, and Harry frowned at William because of it.

[This is the timeline separator]

“I’m sorry for interrupting your enjoyment.”

As William spoke cheerfully with a friendly smile, the young ladies rose from their seats to greet him.

“We greet Your Highness the Prince.”

While William received the ladies’ greetings, Alicia politely extended the fan to the Empress.

“Here is the fan, Your Majesty.”

“Ahem. Thank you, Lady Lancaster.”

The Empress, feeling awkward receiving the fan in front of William, cleared her throat and took it.

“It seems Lady Lancaster personally brought Your Majesty’s fan?”

“That’s, that’s how it happened, Your Highness. There was no one suitable to ask.”

“Ah. I see. It seems all the maids in the empress’s palace are lazy. How dare none of them come out to attend Her Majesty.”

“I dismissed them all to talk with the guests without formality, so that’s how it happened. Lady Lancaster kindly granted my request due to her gentle nature, so there’s no need to concern yourself with it, Your Highness.”

“I see. Indeed, as Count Russell said, Lady Lancaster seems to be kind and considerate.”

“That’s right, Your Highness. The two of you still seem to be on very good terms, Lady Lancaster.”

“Count Russell is currently on a military expedition, so you must be worried in many ways. Isn’t that right, Lady Lancaster?”

Alicia, who had been listening to the entire conversation right beside them, was at a loss for words when the prince and empress simultaneously looked at her.

Moreover, although the empress and prince were smiling with awareness of others’ gazes, their eyes were not smiling at all, making it uncomfortable as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

Just then, as the wind blew, something got in Alicia’s eye and she brought her hand to her eye.

‘It hurts.’

As Alicia blinked a few times at the uncomfortable sensation in her eye, tears fell.

“Oh-”

“Oh my. Use this to wipe them.”

“Ah, thank you…”

Alicia wiped her tears with the handkerchief William offered.

“I was thoughtless. If I had known you were worrying this much, I would have sent news more often.”

“?”

As Alicia raised her head with the handkerchief still to her eye, William was looking at her with a pitying expression.

Only then did she look around to see everyone watching her with worried expressions.

Especially Jena, who approached as soon as their eyes met, wrapped her arm around Alicia’s shoulder and patted her.

“It’s okay, Alicia. It’s natural to be worried.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to pretend to be strong in front of me.”

While Alicia was looking at Jena with a puzzled expression, William spoke to the Empress.

“It seems it would be best to send Lady Lancaster home early.”

“…That would be for the best.”

“I will see her off. Then.”

William greeted the Empress and approached Alicia.

“Lady Lancaster. Shall we go?”

“But is it really alright for me to leave, Your Highness?”

“Of course. Her Majesty the Empress has given permission.”

Of course, Alicia wanted to leave this place quickly too, but the sudden dismissal felt strange.

However, William nodded reassuringly to the worried-looking Alicia and began walking while escorting her.

Beside them, Jena walked along supporting Alicia as if helping her.

William asked Jena with a puzzled expression.

“And who might you be?”

“I am Jena Hailey, Your Highness. Alicia’s friend.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I will safely take Alicia home, so don’t worry.”

“Jena. You don’t need to go that far.”

“It’s fine. What are friends for? Just relax.”

What on earth is going on?

Alicia finally closed her mouth.

Something is terribly wrong right now.

[This is the timeline separator]

“You’ve come?”

“Yes, I have.”

As soon as she saw Alicia who came out to greet her, the Duchess who visited Count Russell’s residence took her into the reception room.

“Um, Mother?”

Alicia cautiously asked, tensing at the seemingly angry expression.

“You should have told me if something like that happened.”

“Pardon? What are you referring to?”

“I’m talking about Her Majesty the Empress’s tea party.”

“Ah, yes. I attended it well. The empress’s palace and the rose garden were quite magnificent.”

“Not that. Did nothing happen?”

“Nothing happened though?”

Not knowing what she meant, Alicia looked at the Duchess with wide eyes.

Seeing that expression, the Duchess sighed as if frustrated. And became even angrier.

‘How lightly must they view House Gloucester to dare treat my daughter-in-law in such a manner.’

Considering the Empress’s nature and current position, she didn’t expect her to treat Alicia well.

Moreover, didn’t Alicia even shed tears that day?

How upset must she have been to cry there?

Poor thing.

“Oh my, you’re too kind-hearted.”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t need to be like that with me too. I know the Empress’s nature well.”

“Um.”

Not knowing how to respond, Alicia just closed her mouth.

Seeing that, the Duchess felt heartache again and held Alicia’s hands tightly with both of hers.

“?”

“Anyway, don’t you worry. From now on, if something like this happens, tell me.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good. Then I must be going as I have an important matter to attend to.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“I’d like to leisurely have tea and chat, but I have something I must do today.”

As she turned to leave, the Duchess looked at Alicia with pity.

“Stay strong.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

As Alicia answered in bewilderment, the Duchess hurriedly left the count’s residence.

‘Why did she come? I thought she’d ask me to go somewhere together since she was all dressed up. But what do I have to stay strong for?’

Unable to think of anything, Alicia watched the Duchess’s carriage quickly disappearing with a puzzled look.

[This is the timeline separator]

“The Duchess of Gloucester came?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Empress irritably put down the fan she had been shaking on the table with a thud.

She felt more annoyed because she could guess why she had come.

But the Duchess of Gloucester was a collateral branch of the imperial family and had great influence, so she couldn’t be ignored.

Seeing how she barged in without notice, she must already know all of today’s schedule and there was no proper excuse to give.

“Show her to the reception room.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shortly after, the two women sitting face to face in the reception room outwardly smiled brightly as they lifted their teacups.

“Is this green tea from Arande?”

“It is, Duchess.”

“I see. Our Alicia likes this tea too.”

“It seemed so. I served this tea at the tea party as well.”

At those words, the Duchess of Gloucester put down her teacup with a slight smile.

Though she was clearly smiling, it didn’t seem like she was smiling, making the Empress flinch unknowingly before quickly covering her face with her teacup as if nothing had happened.

“How did you find our new daughter, Your Majesty?”

‘They haven’t even had the engagement ceremony yet, what new daughter? When did you see her to call her your new daughter? Anyway, I don’t like anything about this family.’

The Empress grumbled inwardly.

The Duchess who immediately rushed over just because her prospective daughter-in-law was slightly touched, that Russell Count who was close to William and couldn’t be ignored, and Alicia Lancaster who was that woman’s daughter.

“She was a very beautiful and well-mannered young lady. And um. Kind.”

The Empress reluctantly added the last word.

‘Kind my foot. How can the mother and daughter be so alike? Right, that woman was always good at pretending to be kind and innocent while actually drowning people, and her daughter is exactly the same. Even their looks are as if they were stamped from the same mold.’

Remembering the past made her blood boil even more, but the Empress tried her best to maintain a smiling face.

“You think so too, Your Majesty? How can she be so perfect for me? I wonder what kind of fortune I was born with to have such a child as my daughter-in-law. This is why life is worth living.”

“Is, is that so?”

“As Your Majesty said, if there’s one worry, it’s that the child is too kind. But what can we do? It’s her innate nature.”

‘So she’s not kind at all. If she takes after that woman, she’s definitely not like that.’

The Empress inwardly scoffed that the Duchess really didn’t know how to judge people.

“So, Your Majesty. Aren’t you curious? How far our ducal family can go for Alicia.”