Bawin was certain that Aria would seek him out soon.

According to the frequent news about Aria, an urgent matter had fallen on her feet.

Admund chose Clea over her in front of everyone.

It was the worst possible situation. The person who needed to move first to salvage the situation was her.

After passing through the massive entrance and the beautiful garden, Bawin stepped out of the carriage and showed an awkward smile.

‘It’s utterly desolate.’

The atmosphere inside the mansion was gloomy.

The eyes of the servants who came out to greet him were cold or stiff.

Given the circumstances, Bawin didn’t expect a warm reception either.

Still, the person at the forefront greeted Bawin with at least a smile.

“I greet you, Viscount Rokin.”

“Is the princess well?”

“She is. She’s been waiting for you, so let’s go quickly.”

The greeter promptly guided him to Aria’s presence.

Before reaching Aria, the two conversed.

“Is the princess in a good mood?”

“Not particularly. She hasn’t left the mansion since returning from the temple.”

How could she be?

She was cruelly rejected in front of everyone.

Though such questions might be considered a bit sensitive, thanks to his position as someone who had helped Aria, he could hear about what had happened in the meantime.

“This is in front of the princess’s room.”

“Aren’t you coming in together?”

“I’m sorry, but she requested to speak with the guest alone.”

This was news to Bawin.

Common sense dictated that it wasn’t proper for an unmarried man and woman to be in the same room.

Typically, even a servant would be present to prevent any incidents, yet they deliberately didn’t.

Reading the situation, Bawin thought.

From the moment she sought him out, he had slightly anticipated it, but she wanted to share something so secretly that it had to be just the two of them.

‘I’ll find out the rest once I go inside.’

The guide carefully knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

The voice he heard after a long time showed no signs of sadness.

“My lady, Viscount Rokin has arrived.”

“Come in.”

A voice that showed no particular aversion to someone entering was heard, and the door opened.

Bawin slowly walked in.

“It’s been a long time. Have you been well?”

Aria welcomed him with a smile as if nothing had happened.

Bawin almost laughed at how warmly she greeted him, despite this being only their second meeting.

He greeted her and said,

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“Yes, I wanted to thank you. And I have something to ask as well.”

To summon a mere viscount all the way here just for thanks.

As he marveled at such lavish treatment, Aria continued.

“Would you be interested in making a deal with me?”

“A deal, you say?”

“Yes, a deal.”

From that point on, she began to explain the main point.

Why she had called Bawin all the way here, the reason for it.

* * *

A week isn’t such a long time, but it’s not terribly short either, so Elaina felt bored waiting.

The crown prince’s palace had become completely empty, and with all the matters Admund had to deal with being directed to Odin, the time to meet him had also decreased.

Instead, she was facing people she didn’t particularly want to meet.

“So what is it that you’re curious about?”

In contrast to Elaina’s relaxed attitude, the noble ladies facing her were tense.

People who were prominent enough in the empire to be able to face Elaina had gathered.

Considering how their families had once treated Elaina, one couldn’t help but feel the changes of time.

To that extent, they were now completely mindful of her and tried to be careful with their words.

But on the other hand, since they had come all this way in person, they wanted to gain something.

They wanted to confirm whether the situation they had set up would be overturned as it was.

For Elaina, who knew well what they wanted to confirm, it was laughable.

“Your Majesty, do you really intend to make that woman the crown princess?”

“That woman being?”

“The one who was once the princess of the Odoi family.”

The one who was once the princess of the Odoi family.

They too had already realized it.

How what was merely a rumor had actually unfolded.

Towards those who asked directly, Elaina answered.

“Don’t you ladies have eyes and ears?”

Meaning, if you have eyes and ears, there are things you can see and hear.

But the noble ladies’ expressions were still not good.

For them, the sudden appearance of this woman was not very welcome.

It was like a bolt from the blue that the situation they had carefully arranged was being completely overturned.

“Do you approve, Your Majesty?”

“Is my opinion important?”

“Your Majesty has the authority to decide on the crown princess.”

However, they were still careful in their behavior.

Elaina was currently the empress of the empire, and in the end, everything could be overturned with just one word from her.

The decision was in her hands.

Suddenly, seeing their attitude, Elaina was reminded of the past.

‘If you, as the empress then, had quickly accepted me, would Odin and I have been less hurt?’

It was too long ago for there to be any wounds left, but the scars remained until the end.

Even though the person involved had completely forgotten and was unbothered, those in front of her tensed up seeing her scars.

Elaina had been thinking constantly since meeting Clea.

Thoughts of what if the previous empress, who refused to acknowledge her as a daughter-in-law in an attempt to not lose power, had just let go of her greed and simply accepted her.

It was all a futile thought. It was too long ago, and above all, that person no longer existed in this world.

Still, the same thoughts kept circling in her head.

“If it’s a child that Admund likes, is there anything I can do?”

“Your Majesty is His Highness’s mother.”

The ladies pretended to respect Elaina’s opinion while blatantly expressing their dislike for Clea.

It probably meant that a vast amount of funds were positioned on Aria Hersher’s side, but Elaina didn’t care about such things.

“The previous empress was also Your Majesty’s birth mother, but in the end, she couldn’t bend her stubbornness. And with only one legitimate heir existing, what power do I have to do anything?”

Elaina expressed metaphorically.

In fact, she was implicitly agreeing to Clea becoming the crown princess.

The noble ladies’ eyes turned sour.

To them, Elaina was like the last hope.

Admund himself appeared at the place of repentance and shielded Clea, not Aria, in front of everyone.

The emperor had shown from before that he didn’t want to get involved in such matters.

Then the only remaining royal was Elaina.

But aren’t they hearing with their own ears?

That Elaina had no particular reason to stop Clea.

“Your Majesty’s power might be shaken.”

“Power?”

“Yes, that’s right. The more unknown one’s roots are, the more they hesitate not to gain power, don’t you think?”

It was the noble ladies’ last struggle.

Considering that Admund was on good terms with Odin and Elaina, it was strange to worry about such things.

But when Elaina showed a slight reaction to the word ‘power’, a small spark of hope was reignited in the fading hopes of the noble ladies.

However, apart from what they thought, the reason Elaina reacted was simply because she found it absurd.

‘That child who seems to have seen it all is interested in power? If so, that would be rather fortunate.’

If one paid a little attention to Clea, they could understand her characteristics.

At a glance, she seemed to have no lingering attachment to the secular world.

Though she didn’t know the details, there were a few times when even her hope for life seemed precarious.

Clea, who was just busy enjoying her time with Admund, coveting power?

For Elaina, it was somewhat welcome news.

From the beginning, Elaina didn’t have much desire for the position she held.

If someone who wanted the position appeared, she could gladly give it up, and especially if that person was Clea, it would be even more welcome.

‘Compared to that, Aria Hersher was blatant.’

Elaina’s memory was clear.

Whenever there was a ball, banquet, or light refreshment gathering, Aria would hover around Elaina, except for Admund.

While doing so, she tried to establish herself in the imperial family in any way possible.

People saw this and assumed they would soon become family, but for Elaina, it was strangely irritating.

It was burdensome that she had a better background than her own family, but it was visible that Aria was the one being greedy first.

At first, she thought it was just greed for Admund.

But as time passed, Aria’s true greed was revealed. It was greed for the position of the empire’s empress.

As a result, the perception of Aria naturally changed.

From a lively and cheerful child to an entirely unwelcome presence.

Originally, the higher the nobility, the more they tend to act for the benefit of their family, so she didn’t view it entirely negatively, but after knowing Clea, the comparison became even more stark.

“Then my choice would be no different.”

“Your Majesty?”

“My intention remains unchanged. So it would be better not to try to sway my heart with unnecessary words.”

Elaina’s warning.

At her warning that she would no longer listen to useless words, some noble ladies still showed displeased expressions.

Still, no one presented any further objections.

They didn’t want to unnecessarily catch her eye by adding more here.

Being marked by Elaina was no different from being marked by the emperor.

Seeing the completely quieted room, Elaina was satisfied.

‘I can clearly see what it would have been like if Aria had really become the crown princess here.’

Today’s cautious appearance would completely disappear.

Elaina smiled bitterly, imagining the sight of slowly trying to push her out, led by Aria.

‘If we think about the future power structure as the ladies say, that child coming to us was a heavenly fortune.’