Jieselgrante quickly walked away from the imperial palace garden, which had been the venue for the tea party.

“My lady? Where are you going?”

At the attendant’s question, Jieselgrante realized she had habitually walked towards the bedroom she used when she was Princess Trinity.

“The palace is so vast, I momentarily confused the exit.”

Jieselgrante made this excuse and turned around.

The attendant who was guiding her nodded as if understanding.

“That can happen. I understand. When I first came to the palace, I often got lost and became a lost child…”

Once he started talking, the attendant recited stories that she didn’t particularly want to hear.

Starting with which family he belonged to…

Nodding appropriately to the attendant’s story, Jieselgrante recalled her conversation with Marchioness Ratse before leaving the palace garden.

‘It seems you’re staying in the capital instead of returning to Duke Amaterasu’s domain. If so, you’d better think carefully. It’s up to you to decide who to associate with. The consequences will also be yours.’

It meant to choose wisely whether to side with the Empress or Countess Tarel.

‘It starts as advice at first.’

However, if Jieselgrante didn’t comply, the next step would be coercion.

“…How is it, my lady?”

Jieselgrante finally lifted her gaze, which had been fixed on a distant point, to look at the attendant.

The attendant, who had been recounting his unwanted life story throughout their walk in the palace corridor, seemed to have just asked her a question.

“…”

She had been half-listening to his story. He had also said too much without being asked.

As they were just in front of the palace exit, Jieselgrante smiled slightly at the attendant and said instead of asking again,

“Thank you for guiding me.”

As she was about to turn around after expressing her gratitude, the attendant spoke again.

“…Then shall I take that as your permission?”

Jieselgrante’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

‘Permission? Permission for what?’

As she was thinking this, a familiar deep voice was heard from behind.

“We meet again.”

Jieselgrante’s brow furrowed slightly.

“It’s an honor to see you! Duke Cardia.”

The attendant quickly greeted, and with this, Jieselgrante could clearly tell who was behind her.

As she turned around, her eyes met with Cabelased, who was walking towards her.

Then he came to stand beside her.

“It seems you’ve decided to queue up properly this time.”

Jieselgrante forced a smile while struggling to control her expression that was about to frown involuntarily.

‘Queue up properly…’

And she pondered the meaning of Cabelased’s words.

‘He must already know that there was the Empress’s tea party at the palace today, and that I attended it.’

As Jieselgrante hesitated for a moment on what response to give, Cabelased looked at the attendant and said,

“I was just heading to my carriage, so I’ll take over escorting the lady from here.”

“Ah…”

The attendant, who seemed flustered and blinked for a moment, was about to respond when Cabelased started walking.

Then he gave Jieselgrante a look. As if telling her to follow quickly.

Jieselgrante raised one corner of her mouth askew and started walking.

“I’m absolutely not following you right now, Your Grace.”

And she walked slightly faster than Cabelased, overtaking him.

Soon, she heard a snicker from behind.

“…?”

Jieselgrante turned her head sharply to look at Cabelased.

Sure enough.

Cabelased was looking at her with an expression of disbelief.

“Let’s call it that.”

Then he started walking, overtaking Jieselgrante. Jieselgrante didn’t back down and increased her pace as well.

As the waiting carriage drew near, Jieselgrante’s brief relief at being able to separate from Cabelased was short-lived.

Next to the carriage she had arrived in was another carriage bearing the Cardia ducal crest.

‘Of all places, why park the carriage right next to mine.’

As she inwardly complained while about to board the carriage, Cabelased spoke.

“It seems your ambition was far greater than I expected, my lady.”

“…?”

Jieselgrante, who was about to board the carriage, turned her head towards Cabelased with a slightly furrowed brow.

“Surely you must know the Empress’s next move after the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony?”

Jieselgrante understood the implied meaning of Cabelased’s words.

Even after the Crown Prince’s investiture ceremony, the Emperor wouldn’t easily abdicate the throne to Joshua.

‘Knowing my father, no… the Emperor I know wouldn’t even think of early abdication unless he develops dementia.’

The Emperor was a man with such strong desire for power.

And the Empress would surely try to further solidify her son Joshua’s power base on this occasion.

For instance, by bringing in a lady from a neutral house like the Amaterasu duchy as Joshua’s match.

In fact, Jieselgrante had noticed the Empress’s intention upon seeing the tea party guests today.

That she was conducting daughter-in-law interviews under the guise of a tea party.

Leaning his shoulder obliquely against the carriage wall, Cabelased spoke again.

“From Duchess Cardia to Crown Princess. No, the future Empress.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“I’m complimenting you, aren’t I? It seems you’ve queued up in the right place this time.”

“…”

“For now.”

Leaving behind these meaningful words, Cabelased boarded the carriage.

And soon his carriage departed. Jieselgrante stood there glaring at the departing carriage before finally boarding her own.

Cabelased, who had been watching Jieselgrante’s figure grow smaller through the carriage window, soon turned his gaze to the front.

As Cabelased was returning to his carriage after finishing his business at the palace earlier, he had encountered a familiar back view.

And also the attendant who was speaking passionately beside her, even spraying saliva.

Through his voice and gestures, Cabelased quickly noticed.

The attendant was now faithfully courting in front of someone he fancied.

And by the time they reached the palace entrance, Cabelased’s speculation became fact.

‘If given the chance, it would be nice to go flower viewing together, what do you think? …My lady?’

Just as he was a bit curious about what answer Jieselgrante would give to his date request.

‘Thank you for guiding me.’

Cabelased’s lips curved into a smile at her response, which was neither a refusal nor an acceptance, but rather a complete shut-out as if nothing had happened.

‘I can’t tell if she’s a fox or a bear.’

Cabelased was certain that even in the past, Jieselgrante hadn’t made a marriage proposal because she truly loved him.

He thought she had strategically used it well, as the appearance of courting a man she fell for at first sight was less likely to arouse the Emperor’s suspicion than a political marriage.

But regardless, for an unmarried woman to publicly confess love to a man was nothing short of self-harm.

And as a result, fools like the attendant from earlier arose, misunderstanding the Amaterasu duke’s lady, who was far beyond the reach of a third son from a low noble family, as an easy woman.

How other males treated Jieselgrante was of no concern to him whatsoever.

Yet, witnessing such a scene right before his eyes made him feel a bit displeased.

So he approached first. To Jieselgrante.

Of course, accepting her marriage proposal was another matter entirely.

Jieselgrante, having returned from the palace, removed her cumbersome dress and accessories, and headed to the bathroom.

It wasn’t her will that brought Cabelased’s face, whom she had seen at the palace, to mind just as her muscles began to relax in the hot bath water infused with fragrant oils.

‘Don’t think about it.’

Jieselgrante quickly shook her head to rid herself of thoughts of him.

And she pondered over what had happened at the palace today, trying to infer future events.

For instance, about when Countess Minster would be discarded.

The Empress must have known that the Minster count family’s fortunes had begun to decline.

‘She must have been watching to see if they would overcome the difficulties and rise again or crumble.’

And today, since Jieselgrante had pointed out that part specifically, rumors related to the Minster count family would surely spread quickly.

Like the Emperor, the Empress was also very proud and had a strong desire to win.

She wasn’t the type to keep someone she judged as subpar by her side.

So now it was just a matter of waiting to see how much the Empress truly cared for Countess Minster after this incident.

“Haa…”

As she sighed languidly, resting the back of her head on the bathtub, she recalled the face of the Marquis Howard’s lady.

A small laugh escaped her.

‘She was a unique person.’

No noble with normal thinking would have taken Jieselgrante’s side in that situation.

If they knew about Jieselgrante’s past rumors, the normal reaction would have been to laugh or keep their distance.

“My lady. May I come in?”

At that moment, Lindsey’s voice from outside the bathroom ended Jieselgrante’s contemplation.

“Yes. Come in.”

Lindsey, holding a sponge and soap, approached the bathtub.

“How’s the water temperature? Should I add some more hot water?”

Jieselgrante smiled and shook her head at Lindsey’s thoughtful consideration.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Then I’ll start applying the soap, my lady.”

Lindsey began to rub Jieselgrante’s arm with a soft sponge full of soap bubbles.

‘By the way, queuing up properly… While he’s the one who’s going to take the throne from Joshua.’

Recalling her conversation with Cabelased at the palace, her brows furrowed slightly.

Lindsey, who had been diligently working her hands, quickly noticed the change in her mood and asked,

“Was I too rough? Should I rub more gently?”

She seemed to think that her furrowed expression was due to her actions.

Jieselgrante quickly shook her head.

“This is just right.”

So she tried to think of something else quickly.

‘Think happy thoughts. Thoughts that will make me feel good…’

As she was telling herself this, Lindsey said,

“My lady. I saw a flower blooming in the back garden of the duke’s residence. It looks like the flowers will be in full bloom in a few days. Shall I pick a few and put them in the vase in your bedroom?”

At that moment, Jieselgrante remembered what the attendant had asked her before leaving the palace.