Duchess Alois.

In other words, the current emperor’s younger sister had quite an overbearing personality.

It was natural, as she grew up being spoiled as the youngest child, still deluding herself that she was the beloved youngest daughter of the royal family.

You couldn’t find a shred of the dignity or magnanimity she should possess as a member of the royal family, even if you looked hard.

Without the surname ‘Reinhart Alois’ attached to her name, she would be nothing more than a frivolous noblewoman.

A frivolous noblewoman with a head full of only flowers.

That’s why, no, for another reason on top of that, I disliked Flora Alois.

“I can’t just sit still when someone new has entered the royal family, can I? I heard she hasn’t even recovered from childbirth yet, so I came to see for myself.”

Did she leave Count Perze’s party early because she was tired?

Flora smiled radiantly.

It was a radiant smile in name only; in reality, it was the smile of an ignorant fool who knew nothing of the ways of the world.

And yet, how much greed was hidden behind it?

Disgusted by her pretending to be a good elder, I answered without meeting her gaze.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Don’t say such harsh words. If she’s my elder brother’s daughter-in-law, she’s no different from my own daughter-in-law.”

Flora set down her teacup and leaned towards me, pretending to be friendly.

Ah. If this were before the regression, I would have been so grateful and happy with such actions.

I would have been truly happy that my beloved’s mother cared for me so.

I signaled to Betty, who was standing behind me.

“I’ll have the kitchen prepare some refreshments you like. Please take them with you when you leave.”

“Oh my. You don’t need to go to such trouble.”

If it were before, I would have tried to give her the best of whatever I had, be it jewelry or dresses, but unfortunately, now there was nothing I wanted to give her.

Just a bit of courtesy was enough.

So I was about to end the greetings there and take my leave.

“You’ve already paid your respects to my elder brother and new sister-in-law, right?”

“Yes. I have, but…”

“Right. It seems you’ve already greeted those you needed to, so as an elder of the royal family, I came to meet the crown princess myself. And to greet you as well, since you’re close with my son Lloyd.”

But as expected.

Flora Alois, who had no interest or affection for anything outside her own world, was busy talking about herself, ignoring my intentions.

On top of that, she even brought up her son in an excessively rude manner.

Did she come to gain the upper hand before the tea party?

I felt my heart gradually calming down.

Probably because I was becoming that much more cold-hearted.

I looked at the Duchess Alois with an emotionless, sunken gaze.

Of course, this flower-brained duchess was busy smiling innocently and rambling on about herself.

“If you need any help, just say so. And since I’ve been in charge of managing the detached palace, ask me about it. Her Majesty the Empress probably doesn’t know much about the detached palace since she became the empress right after getting married.”

“I see.”

Right. Let’s see how far she’ll go with her nonsense.

I raised my teacup, avoiding the gaze of the woman who was busy chattering about herself.

Her Majesty the Empress doesn’t know about managing the detached palace?

Where does such a preposterous story come from?

She’s the one in charge of running an entire nation.

It makes no sense to say that the one who oversees all the major and minor affairs of the empire in step with His Majesty the Emperor doesn’t know about managing a mere detached palace.

I was half-heartedly responding to her stories full of nonsense when…

“Oh, right. Have you met with Lloyd recently? He was talking about the crown princess the other day.”

I was pondering from where to where I should point out and where I should let slide.

Flora Alois brought up the topic of her son once again.

In a secretive tone as if I already knew everything, I deeply contemplated whether I should let this slide.

The audacity, not only to be disrespectful to the crown princess of a nation but also to try to involve her own son now?

I felt an endlessly sinking feeling as I looked at the Duchess Alois with icy eyes.

“What is the reason for asking me about Young Duke Alois?”

It was already a well-known rumor in social circles that Lloyd Alois and I had an intimate relationship before marriage.

But that was only until before marriage.

Now, I was the wife of Leoprick Reinhart and the crown princess of a nation.

Even if I were really meeting Lloyd behind the scenes, it wasn’t something to be publicly interrogated about like this.

Even if she suspected the relationship between me and Lloyd, she had no right to openly question the chastity of the nation’s crown princess.

But then.

So publicly, to meddle in matters beyond her authority?

“By referring to me as the crown princess and then suddenly asking about Young Duke Alois, does that mean you don’t acknowledge me as the crown princess after all?”

I don’t think I’ve ever spoken in such a chilling voice before.

Even when I met Lloyd after the regression, I don’t think I felt this frozen.

But Flora Alois crossed the line today, and crossed it hard.

Not knowing her place.

“This is unpleasant, Duchess Alois.”

I enunciated each syllable as if chewing on them, looking at the startled face of the other party.

Towards the one who recklessly acted out of line.

Everyone knew about my relationship with Lloyd Alois.

It was because I was the flower of the social world, always at the center of attention, but at the same time, I had also desperately chased after him.

But Lloyd always kept a certain distance from me, and that fact was also known to everyone.

If there was something people didn’t know about me and Lloyd, it was that I could also push him away.

And it was clear that Flora Alois, who was in front of me right now, was unaware of that fact.

“It’s true that I often associated with Young Duke Alois before marriage, but I’m not stupid enough to continue that relationship now that I’m the crown princess.”

“No, Crown Princess. That’s not what I meant…”

At my words, Flora openly displayed a flustered look.

She probably didn’t expect me to speak so sharply.

In her mind, she was a member of the royal family, and I was just a pitiful and foolish girl pining after her son.

She must have thought to use that to somehow claim a corner of the palace again.

She probably never thought I would come at her like this, being the mother of Lloyd.

But I had no intention of playing along with her thoughts.

I looked straight at the flustered Flora Alois and said,

“Also, this is my palace where I reside, and you no longer bear the surname of the royal family, Duchess.”

“What…!”

“I am the crown princess of this nation.”

Who could dare say anything to me for punishing the duchess’s rudeness?

That’s what she’s overlooking.

This is my palace where I stay, and Crown Prince Leoprick is no more fond of her than I am.

Her elder brother, the emperor, neither dotes on her nor cherishes her as much as her father did, and she’s on poor terms with her sister-in-law, the empress.

In such a situation, even if I reprimand her in the name of the crown princess, there’s no one who will unconditionally shield her like when she was a princess.

And the fact that her husband, Duke Alois, won’t cover for her that much either.

I indirectly pointed out the facts she had momentarily forgotten and spoke clearly.

“Please keep it to a level that I can tolerate, Duchess. I won’t overlook any further rudeness.”

“…Is it wrong to ask about Lloyd when I heard you two were close? To call that rudeness, the crown princess sure is narrow-minded!”

Flora yelled with a flushed face.

In that situation, all she could do was accuse me of being narrow-minded.

Realizing it anew, Duke Alois must be living a truly tiring life.

I retorted to her in an even calmer tone.

“Furthermore, since I am clearly of higher status than you, Duchess, put away that grating informal speech. I’m only being polite to you because you are His Highness the Crown Prince’s aunt.”

“Wh-what?”

I am the crown princess of this nation, and she is the duchess.

Even that ducal title was only bestowed as a courtesy to the princess’s husband when the late emperor was alive.

Now, it’s a title that won’t be inherited after the death of Lloyd, who is called Young Duke Alois.

Originally, it wasn’t an inherited title, but it was made to be passed down only to Lloyd by the consideration of the late Emperor, who was fond of Lloyd when he was alive.

And yet, to speak to the crown princess while holding such a title.

I clicked my tongue lightly and looked at Flora Alois, whose face had turned pale white.

“Let’s end the rudeness here. There’s nothing more to say or give even if you stay longer, so it would be better if you leave now.”

It seemed there was no more rudeness she could commit anyway.

I finished my words with a slightly raised chin.

Flora’s face became so pale that it couldn’t turn any whiter.

You shouldn’t be so surprised by just this much.

Just as I haven’t even returned half of what I received to Lloyd, it was the same for her.

I intended to pay back what I received far more cunningly and secretly than she thought.

Not only to Lloyd but also to Flora Alois.

So don’t be surprised already by just this much.