“Don’t worry. Nothing bad will happen.”

“But, His Highness’s expression has been looking so grim since yesterday…,” Betty mumbled worriedly.

Was I really that serious?

I tried to recall my expression after hearing my father’s words yesterday and smiled awkwardly.

“Me? Even now?”

“Yes, a little. You look somewhat uncomfortable.”

Betty answered cautiously.

Looking a bit uncomfortable, somehow awkward, and very worried.

She must be thinking to herself that this is so unlike me.

I gave a bitter smile upon hearing that.

Yes. It’s true that this is unlike me.

Appearing uncomfortable in a situation like this.

Ever since I started living as a regression who knows everything that will happen next, I haven’t heard such words even once.

Except for when Leoprick unexpectedly tries to approach me, it’s an emotion that doesn’t show much.

I recalled what my father came to tell me yesterday.

‘If Your Highness becomes the empress, there will surely be people talking behind your back.’

Me, from the emperor’s faction, becoming the empress.

Then, the nobility faction will naturally insist on welcoming a young lady from a noble family as the crown princess.

It was something I never thought about before the regression.

Father said we should find someone to be the crown princess in advance to prepare for that time.

Saying that if it’s a young lady from a noble family that is not greatly antagonistic to the emperor’s faction and can be reasonably communicated with, she and I could find a suitable harmony.

‘I have a few families in mind, but before mentioning it to His Highness the Crown Prince, I’d like you to take a look first, Your Highness.’

The Crown Prince has little interest in keeping a woman by his side anyway.

Even for our marriage which was politically advantageous, he left it to his aide saying to take care of it.

So Father said there would be no reason for him to strongly oppose bringing in a crown princess.

In that case, wouldn’t it be better to bring in someone who is compatible with me, he asked.

It wasn’t wrong.

In any case, it was a reasonable and rational suggestion that Father, with his political foresight, brought.

It was clearly the right thing, but…

Yesterday, I couldn’t readily agree to Father’s words.

“If you really don’t feel like it at all, I’ll tell them to turn the carriage around even now.”

But Betty seemed to think my expression was because of the party we were heading to.

Certainly, I was worried about this party until Father came, but strangely, I had no thoughts about the party at all right now.

I was just mulling over and over Father’s words without even knowing why.

It’s natural for Leoprick to take a crown princess, and it will be of great political help to him as well.

Whichever family he welcomes as the crown princess, the nobility faction will rally around that family.

Outwardly pretending to be at odds with me while actually joining forces to play the role of merging the emperor’s faction and the nobility faction.

I could find no unreasonableness or inefficiency in Father’s proposal whatsoever.

But why.

Why do I keep hesitating to accept Father’s proposal?

‘I heard you are going to Lady Alois’s tea party tomorrow. If you go there, maybe…’

Before leaving the palace, Father handed me the names of a few families he had in mind.

Telling me to go and take a look in advance as there will be young ladies attending today’s party.

To see if there is a suitable person among them who can harmonize with me and merge the nobility and emperor’s factions.

I never gave an answer in the end, and Father left after repeating his advice.

And unfortunately, my mind remembered those names.

“We have arrived, Your Highness.”

The carriage arrived at the destination while I was telling Betty that it’s alright.

Betty’s face still looked worried as she asked again with her eyes, but I shook my head.

I can’t back out now that we’ve come this far.

I got up and opened the carriage door.

The party was grand.

Unlike the invitation that said it was a light tea party, there were more people than expected and the decorations were splendid.

My eyebrows curved unintentionally at the dazzling sight that looked like I had gone to a ball at some family’s estate.

‘It must not have been easy to prepare a party of this scale with House Alois’s finances.’

They may be called a duke’s family, but in reality, they hold the title of a marquis.

Although the current Duke Alois’s business acumen is good, allowing them to maintain their current scale, if they indulge in such extravagance, they will go completely bankrupt before long.

I was lost in thought as I looked around the party hall adorned with quite expensive chandeliers, jewels, and ornaments.

Wondering if this happened with Duke Alois’s approval, or if it was a disaster brought about by Flora Alois’s stubbornness.

“Oh my, Your Highness!”

And that became clear with the Duchess Alois running up with a delighted face as if greeting a close friend like no other.

She ran up to me, putting on a formal delight, ostentatiously wearing a glittering dress and accessories.

With her chin raised haughtily on top of that.

I smiled faintly as I watched her indulging in excessive desires unrelated to her family’s financial situation just to show off to me.

I don’t know what she wanted to show off so badly that she went this far, but really.

“Welcome. I was worried you might not come.”

“How could that be? Especially since it’s an invitation from the Duchess Alois.”

I smiled back just as hypocritically at her hypocritical smile and lightly grasped the hand she held out.

The tips of her hand I grasped felt cold.

Cold enough to instantly feel how much this woman dislikes me.

I let go after shaking hands a couple times and bowed my head slightly.

“I heard rumors that the Duchess Alois’s banquets are quite enjoyable. Although this time it’s a tea party, I hope you invite me to a banquet next time as well.”

“Of course! Who would come if Your Highness doesn’t attend?”

Flora Alois smiled an exaggeratedly fabricated smile, and I could see her putting strength into her shoulders.

She’ll probably use my name to advertise her next party.

That’s what I was thinking when-

“Oh my! Young Lady Gilroyd!”

Flora threw a glance behind me and brightly abandoned me.

And when I turned my head following her gesture.

“Thank you for the invitation, Duchess Alois.”

“You’re welcome. How could there be such words between us? You’re beautiful as always, Young Lady Gilroyd.”

“You flatter me. The Duchess is beautiful as well.”

There stood Adela Gilroyd, kind but not excessive, smiling but clearly drawing a line.

The candidate for Leoprick’s empress that Father told me to meet.

Adela Gilroyd.

She was originally the daughter of the Gilroyd Viscount family which had been centrist before turning to the nobility faction.

Bright and intelligent, even more favored by her father than her younger brother who was designated as the successor.

Not only beautiful in appearance, but those who conversed with her were said to be drawn more to that intelligence than her looks.

Father called her ‘a person suitable to be a bridge between the nobility faction and the emperor’s faction.’

That must mean she is proficient in national affairs and well-versed in the characteristics of each family and faction.

And of course, she has sufficient ability to politically utilize that information.

But I had never talked with her at length before.

There were no particular rumors about her either.

Whether it’s because she has such a quiet personality, or because she is skilled at managing rumors and building her image, that needs to be checked.

“Betty. Could you find out about Young Lady Gilroyd for me?”

I asked Betty who was standing behind me in a small voice.

She replied that she understood in a soft voice.

After exchanging brief greetings with Flora, I deliberately met eyes with Adela Gilroyd who turned her gaze toward me.

“Greetings to the empire’s little moon.”

“It’s good to see you, Young Lady Gilroyd.”

Normally, the party’s host Flora Alois should have introduced me to Adela Gilroyd, but fortunately, she seemed to know what I knew as well.

That Flora Alois had no intention whatsoever of introducing her to me.

“This is the first time you two are meeting, right? If I recall correctly, you two are around the same age?”

She was rather acting as if she was our senior.

The nerve to show such a rude attitude in front of the crown prince’s wife-to-be.

I raised my chin slightly and looked at Young Lady Gilroyd.

“I don’t know Young Lady Gilroyd well as we haven’t encountered each other much in social circles.”

“Oh my. Is that so? Since Young Lady Gilroyd is around the same age as our Crown Prince, I thought she would be similar in age to Your Highness as well. The young lady might be a bit younger though.”

Ah. That’s right, Young Lady Gilroyd was also among the candidates for crown princess because of her age.

Flora mumbled as if innocent and smiled to herself.

…There’s no way Adela Gilroyd was a candidate for crown princess simply because of her age.

I barely suppressed a sneer that tried to burst out at Flora’s clearly provocative words.

It’s also impolite to make a guest with higher status, whom you invited yourself, stand like this.

And then she even commits the rudeness of provoking me like that.

I turned my gaze to Adela who had a slightly disgusted expression.

“The Duchess Alois seems to wish that Young Lady Gilroyd is still a candidate for crown princess. What does the young lady think?”

“…How could that be, Your Highness? I dare not covet a position beyond my means. It is enough if I can simply serve as Your Highness’s subject.”

And fortunately, Adela was a wise person as rumored.

She took a step back at my words, expressing that she does not agree with the Duchess Alois’s statement.

And she even complimented me humbly.

I gazed at her quietly and then smiled brightly.

“I think the young lady and I will get along quite well.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, I truly mean it. Duchess. If it’s alright, could you have Young Lady Gilroyd sit next to me today? Since we’re also close in age, I want to keep her beside me and converse all the more.”

I turned the arrow of conversation back to Flora who tried to provoke me but instead got provoked herself.

Flora, who had been making a resentful expression while looking at me and Young Lady Gilroyd alone, opened the fan she was holding to cover her mouth.

Then, smiling with just her eyes, she answered in a slightly trembling voice.

“I will tell the servants to change the seating arrangement.”

“Thank you. Shall we go together, Young Lady Gilroyd?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I nodded lightly to Flora who was holding an open fan and left with Young Lady Gilroyd.

Unlike my initial plan to avoid provoking the party’s host as much as possible, I unintentionally ended up provoking Flora Alois.

But well, in the end, this is something Flora brought upon herself.

Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, I walked away with Young Lady Gilroyd.

Leaving behind the Duchess Alois who was glaring at me from behind.