If the Duchess of Dürenburg becomes close, it becomes a cold shoulder to the Duchess of Venderfeldt.

Reneb was waiting for the invitation from the Duchess of Venderfeldt.

In the current social circles of Basker, the breath of the Duchess of Dürenburg was influential.

But if the same trend continues, her family will fall out of favor soon. Because Icar will soon make an issue of years of tax evasion.

And when someone falls out of favor, there was always someone to take their place.

The person who will take control of the social circles of the Basker Empire in the future was expected to be the Duchess of Venderfeldt.

Reneb sealed the envelope with a letter to be sent to the Duchess of Dürenburg with sealing wax.

Then Amber came to talk to her.

“Miss. A letter has arrived from Paradium.”

A faint perfume smell emanated from the envelope handed over by Amber. Reneb opened the envelope without hesitation.

True to her plain nature, the Empress’s letter began with a brief greeting.

“……Thank you for worrying about the health of the First Prince. Your Grace, the Duchess of Siren.”

As a reply to the letter Reneb had previously sent, it contained that the First Prince’s condition was improving.

Reneb had adopted a form of sending regards in that letter, saying that she was doing well for a moment, but subtly hinting at the condition of the First Prince.

She had mentioned the dangers of Opium.

Fortunately, the Empress did not seem to have simply ignored Reneb’s unexpected letter of greeting.

With this, the Empress owed Reneb twice.

After a 3year study abroad period, when Reneb returns to Paradium, she would be able to get the Empress’s help by any means.

But the problem erupted elsewhere.

(This is a time separator.)

As she wrote a reply to the invitation, the sun had already risen to its zenith.

‘It’s already this late.’

Focusing on the work and forgetting her hunger, Reneb headed to the dining room to have a somewhat late lunch.

When she had taken a seat at an empty table, she heard a voice from the corridor.

‘Is that Rachel?’

She had been hard to see around the garden lately as she was touring places where she had been invited since the Imperial Palace ball.

It would be nice to have a leisurely lunch and chat with her after a long time.

As the cheerful sound of shoes got closer, Reneb’s face brightened up.

And the moment she confirmed the face of the woman who came in through the entrance, Reneb’s expression stiffened.

“……!”

Esika was also staying in the garden and using the same dining room.

She had forgotten about it because she had not met her since the Imperial Palace ball.

“Good afternoon. Your Grace.”

Having spotted Reneb, Esika came walking over with a thin smile. Reneb took a deep breath and returned the greeting.

“Good afternoon.”

Slowly, Esika approached Reneb’s table and stopped, looking down at her.

Reneb met her gaze as she sat there.

“Hmm…… Is it a bit different in Paradium?”

Esika touched one cheek and glanced back at the maid standing behind her.

“What are you talking about?”

“About manners.”

The maid standing behind Esika made a slightly awkward expression and opened her mouth.

“……It is not much different from Basker, Your Highness.”

“So they say, Your Grace.”

Esika finally turned to Reneb with a lively look.

Reneb sighed inwardly.

She understood what Esika meant.

Although the cultural differences between countries were distinct, manners did not show much difference.

Though now treated as an independent country, the roots of the neighboring countries were ultimately from a single country called Anhel.

In other words, Esika was telling Reneb, who was sitting, why she was sitting when she, a person of higher rank, was standing.

“…….”

Reneb looked at Esika with indifferent eyes, saying nothing.

Esika, who had been quietly staring at Reneb, seemed to realize something and exclaimed.

“Ah…….”
Esika nodded as if she now understood and spat out.

“The grace of Paradium doesn’t seem to know that I am the princess of Solty.”

As if folding a trick, Reneb was taken aback by the bending glance.

Reneb straightened her waist and responded in a straight posture.

“Paradium is an empire boasting vast lands.”

Esika’s brows slightly furrowed. It seemed that she did not immediately understand what Reneb meant to say.

It was as if saying Esika didn’t know much about Solty.

Solty was a small kingdom.

Geographically stuck between two empires, Solty’s king always had to worry between Paradium and Bashuker.

In the midst of this, Solty’s previous king declared Solty a neutral country.

His choice could be seen as wise. It made it so neither empire could take possession of Solty.

For a while, it seemed wellbalanced, not leaning to one side.

But then Icar demanded a hostage from Solty, breaking that implicit rule.

Of course, because of this, Paradium’s emperor also demanded a hostage from Solty.

The king of Solty had to give his children to both empires, neither leaning to Bashuker’s side nor Paradium’s.