Dorae stared at Caliph with eyes that showed a determination more than ever. It somewhat eased Caliph’s mind, who had many stories to convey.

Caliph took a deep breath again and slowly began to speak.

“I am considering expelling Duke Dwayne from the palace.”

Then, he uttered words that were almost like the prologue to a long story.

“[Your foolish thoughts could hinder the future of Lurian. If that happens, you will eventually be recorded in history as the stupidest empress who has never been acknowledged for anything.]”

Dwayne’s attitude, which had completely changed towards Lurian, consistently irritated her. His words, expressions, and attitude were all excessively high-minded towards Lurian. On the other hand, he completely ignored her.

It was as if he considered himself and Lurian separately. Of course, unlike me, it didn’t matter if he held Lurian in high regard. If he thought well of my son, there was no reason for me to dislike it.

However, the reason her heart had always been uneasy was that Dwayne’s attitude felt like he was trying to snatch her son away from her.

“It’s absurd. After treating me like a worthless pebble until now, what? You think my thoughts could hinder Lurian’s future?”

It was a nonsensical statement. She wished more than anyone for Lurian to do well. Yet, daring to utter such words in front of her.

Yustia couldn’t contain her anger. However, what made her unable to find calmness wasn’t just anger.

“Why is my heart pounding so much….”

She muttered with a heavy sigh, clutching her forehead. Terrifyingly, sweat broke out on her palms.

Yustia stared at her trembling hands in disbelief. Her condition seemed much more unsettled than she had thought.

Moreover, the empty seat across from her felt even more significant. Just when her gaze was about to turn towards Teroth again, unexpectedly, Teroth’s voice addressed Yustia first.

“Your Majesty, Lady Rellia has just entered the empress’s palace.”

It was the news she had been waiting for. Yustia, forgetting the emotions that had surged through her that day, grabbed Teroth’s arm.

“Hurry and escort Lady Rellia to the dining table.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Teroth politely bowed his head to Yustia and promptly left the dining table.

It didn’t take long for her to return with Rellia. However, even in that short time, Yustia found it difficult to endure.
Yustia hurriedly approached her with a gentle smile. It was a complete contrast to how she had hysterically treated Teroth just a while ago.

Nevertheless, Teroth, as if accustomed to it, hesitated in his steps and instructed the maid below to prepare the meal. It was a task that Yustia had ordered in advance.

In the meantime, holding Rellia’s hand tightly, Yustia headed towards the table. Despite Rellia’s bewildered expression at Yustia’s overly enthusiastic attitude, she couldn’t hide her surprise.

Once Rellia sat opposite Yustia, she explained the reason for her delayed arrival.

“I’m truly sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t expect you to contact me again so soon… During my lengthy conversation with my father, I received your message, so I hurried to leave as quickly as possible.”

“I did think you might be late, but you were having a conversation with the duke. Even though he’s already a duke who dotes on his daughter, witnessing his daughter being so coddled must have been quite unbearable for him.”

Yustia looked at Rellia with a wistful gaze and shamelessly uttered words that weren’t truly in her heart. Due to her own position, she couldn’t poke Rellia too much.

If Dwayne had changed his stance to this extent, she, too, had to somehow persuade Rellia and quickly turn Lurian’s heart back.

However, unlike her, Rellia consistently couldn’t shake off her uncomfortable expression.

“I should be grateful for your understanding. And…”

“…”

“I have been worried that my early departure might have disturbed Your Majesty’s feelings during the conversation. If my actions have made you uncomfortable…”

“No, Rellia. I know you had no choice but to be cautious, considering how the duke was paying attention. So don’t blame yourself too much.”

Yustia tightened her lips, pulling herself together with a comforting smile. At that moment, maids, following Teroth’s orders to prepare the meal, began entering the dining room one by one.

Naturally, the conversation was cut off, and the table between the two was filled with plates of delicious food.

Only after the maids had finished preparing the meal did Yustia recommend food to Rellia.

“I told them to prepare something light since it seemed almost dinner time. But I’m not sure if you’ve already had your meal.”

“No! I haven’t had dinner yet… I wonder if Your Majesty’s dinner was delayed because of me.”

“I always have dinner around this time, so don’t worry too much. Now, let’s eat.”

Following Yustia’s continued urging, Rellia reluctantly scooped a small amount of food onto her plate. This was also at a point where she hadn’t finished eating.

Suddenly, Yustia brought up an unexpected topic.
“By the way, I wonder how Duke is doing. It’s been quite a while since I last saw him.”

“…My father is doing well.”

“But your expression doesn’t seem too bright. Could there be something wrong with the Duke? Maybe something happened to his health due to concern for you.”

“No, my father is in good health. However…”

Rellia’s complexion darkened in an instant. Somehow, even without hearing the reason, Yustia seemed to know.

“I may not know what’s happening with the Duke, but if you’re okay, you can comfortably talk to me, Rellia.”

Yustia, with a darkened complexion mirroring Rellia’s, asked her gently. Only then did Rellia respond with a deep sigh.

“Recently, it seems Duke Garnet’s attitude towards me has changed a lot. Although my father hasn’t made any mistakes, one day, he suddenly became like that. I can’t help but think it’s because of me…”

Rellia couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, which had fallen miserably. Everything seemed to be her fault. So, she only wished to regain everything with her own strength. However, every time, Duke Dwayne hindered her movements.

Even today, it seemed no different. Although she reluctantly got up in response to Dwayne’s momentum, she couldn’t stay at ease for even a moment throughout the day.

In the midst of that, a sudden scorpion arrived at the Imperial Palace. Rellia thought she would hear Yustia’s anger, so she tried to delay Yustia’s confrontation by lingering unnecessarily.

However, instead of anger, Yustia showed such a affectionate appearance. Moreover, the warmth in her eyes towards Rellia right now was overflowing.

“Rellia, why worry when I’m here? I might not know what the Duke is thinking, but my thoughts remain unchanged, no matter what the Duke thinks.”

“Your Majesty…”

“To me, you are still the lovely daughter of the Netz Duke, and you are the real match for Lurian. No one else but you.”

At the unexpected words, Rellia felt her heart beating hotly. Until now, she had thought of Yustia only as a pawn for Duke Dwayne, but today she seemed truly worthy of being evaluated as the strongest Empress in the current Empire.

Come to think of it, it was true. Despite Dwayne’s formidable presence in the Empire, Yustia was undeniably the Empress of the Empire. She held a higher status than Dwayne.

For her to consider Rellia as her son’s match… if that were the case, wasn’t it time to gather the courage? Wasn’t it time to aspire once again to be by Lurian’s side?

Rellia’s heart swelled with dreams. As if sensing her inner thoughts, Yustia twisted her lips and continued, breaking the silence.
“In that sense, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you at length… Can you listen?”

It was a perfect trap set for Rellia.