Although Becky, Annie, and other maids were taken aback by Letia’s attitude, which differed from what they expected, they straightened their backs with expressions indicating they had done nothing wrong.

Letia observed their appearance and opened her mouth.

“Continue what you were going to say.”

Her gaze turned to Becky, and Becky spoke with a deliberately confident expression.

“We are truly sorry that the Grand Duchess was injured, but we clearly told her to be careful.”

As soon as Becky finished speaking, Annie chimed in.

“Yes, we also suggested that it would be better to return to the mansion if possible.”

In response to their pressed, sullen voices, Letia nodded with a constant smile.

“Yes, that’s what you said. But with the ball coming up soon, as the lady of the house, I couldn’t help but inspect the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“As the lady of the house, you could do that, but yesterday the Grand Duchess seemed a bit excessive. Of course, since the Grand Duke’s residence is so vast, the Grand Duchess must have been momentarily fascinated.”

It was a subtly mocking remark about Nebline Letia being confined to the Marquis’s residence for five years, but Letia continued without showing any reaction.

“That’s right. I overdid it a bit because I was fascinated by the Grand Duke’s residence.”

Seeing Letia agreeing with everything, Becky and Annie suppressed their laughter that kept trying to burst out.

‘Is her head made of stone because she’s a stone? Doesn’t she realize we’re mocking her?’

‘See? I told you it was nothing.’

Their expressions became even more triumphant, and Letia calmly added a remark.

“But this time I realized something very well. The Grand Duke’s residence is so vast and there’s so much to organize, but the number of maids is woefully insufficient in comparison.”

“Pardon?”

“So I think we need to bring in new maids.”

At Letia’s words, most of the maids merely hesitated, but Becky and Annie raised their voices with stiffened expressions.

“Ah, no, Grand Duchess. We have been sufficient until now.”

“Yes, that’s right. There’s no need to recruit more staff······.”

“But you were too busy to properly attend to me.”

Letia’s voice, which had been agreeing with the maids’ words until now, became firm, and her expression cooled.

“If word gets out that I was injured because of that, it would be troublesome for you. The Grand Duke wouldn’t sit idle either.”

The atmosphere became ominous due to Letia’s sudden change in attitude.

“But, but!”

“I want to protect you. So that you can work within manageable responsibilities.”

Becky and Annie tried to argue, but Letia drove home a point to prevent them from easily opening their mouths.

“If I get hurt again like this, you might end up more hurt than me. That would break my heart.”

It seemed like words of concern for the maids, but the thorn embedded within was undoubtedly a warning.

And because they realized it was a warning, the maids, especially Becky and Annie, couldn’t open their mouths as easily as before.

Becky finally realized Letia’s hidden true intentions.

‘Could it be that she got hurt on purpose?’

As her thoughts reached that point, her expression turned pale and her mouth clamped shut.

Letia was not just a mere stone that they thought they could manipulate at will.

Letia’s smile no longer looked stupid.

“Therefore, I will bring in new maids, so keep that in mind and go about your work.”

Becky, who had been watching, stepped forward once again.

She couldn’t let Letia have her way like this.

‘Suddenly new maids? This will complicate things going forward!’

“In that case, I will notify the other noble houses.”

As Becky glanced at Annie, Annie immediately opened her mouth.

“Yes, Grand Duchess. We will bring in new maids.”

“There’s no need for you to worry about such matters, Grand Duchess.”

Usually, when bringing in new maids in noble houses, the most common method was through the connections of nobles.

It was the most reliable method, but in the current situation, it was tantamount to bringing in the Empress’s people again.

‘We need to recruit completely anew.’

There were no nobles in Elmorte who weren’t connected to the Empress.

That’s why this was the only method, albeit somewhat unconventional.

“No. I have some people in mind already.”

“People you have in mind······.”

“I’m going to bring in Neblines.”

At these unexpected words, the maids were shocked and momentarily lost for words. Then Becky regained her senses first and raised her voice.

“That cannot be, Grand Duchess.”

“How can you intend to use Neblines as people of the Grand Duke’s household?”

Annie also raised her voice in shock.

“Yes. Such a thing is impossible!”

Letia continued speaking while observing the maids who were strongly objecting.

“Is it prohibited by Imperial law in Elmorte?”

“It’s not, but!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Neblines don’t suit the Grand Duke’s household!”

In the end, Becky made a statement crossing the line, and the corners of Letia’s mouth turned up coldly.

“I’m a Nebline too, and I’m the Grand Duchess. Does that mean I don’t suit this place either?”

“That, that’s not what I meant!”

“Managing the Grand Duke’s household is entirely my authority as the Grand Duchess and lady of the house. I hope you ensure that I don’t misunderstand your concerns.”

The maids could no longer object, and Letia clapped her hands lightly in the heavy atmosphere.

“Well then, let’s wrap this up and everyone return to their positions. I’m very much looking forward to the dinner you’ve all worked hard to prepare.”

Letia carefully observed the maids as they hurriedly disappeared.

‘Now, shall we really begin?’

***

Marquis Fredick Crystallos sat in the audience chamber of the Empress’s palace with an anxious expression.

A moment later, Terisia greeted Fredick with a smile.

“Marquis Crystallos, I should have arranged the appointment first.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Fredick kissed Terisia’s hand before taking his seat.

“I prepared some good tea for the Marquis.”

“I’d rather discuss the engagement first.”

Fredick continued with a completely stiffened expression.

“Although our first engagement was ruined because of the Nebline, Serina is different. She has perfectly inherited the power of Crystallos and is more than suitable as the Crown Prince’s fiancée. Yet for the engagement to fall apart like this······.”

“But it’s not entirely our fault. After all, Letia ended up marrying Grand Duke Harencloud.”

“We didn’t know about that. Moreover, wasn’t that wedding ultimately orchestrated by His Majesty the Emperor and Marquis Crescent?”

“So you want me to bow my head and apologize to the Marquis?”

As Terisia’s eyes took on a chilling light, Fredick flinched and shook his head.

“That, that’s not it. But the engagement can’t just be broken like this. You haven’t forgotten elder brother Rogard’s sacrifice, have you?”

As the name of the former head of the family came from his lips, Terisia’s expression sank peculiarly.

“How could I dare forget that?”

‘Who drove that person to his death.’

Swallowing the words she couldn’t quite spit out to the end, her hand stroked the ice fragment drawn on her wrist.

The reason why Fredick inherited the position of family head when Marquis Rogard Crystallos didn’t die was because Rogard was trapped in the magic circle in the Winter Spire.

Rain had disappeared from this land, and all that remained was seawater.

But seawater was completely unusable for daily life, and even though this seawater became usable as river water when it flowed into Adamas, the amount was woefully insufficient for all empires to share.

Because of this, wars to claim more of Adamas never ceased.

But the situation was different for Elmorte.

Rogard risked his life and used all his power to melt Crystallos, the jewel of ice, to create water, and although it wasn’t real rain falling, it was called ‘Elmorte’s Rain’ because it was like the blessing of rain falling.

This water solved the water shortage by filling Tefnet, the giant waterway connected to the Winter Spire and called the Mother of Life.

Because of this weighty mission, Rogard had to live in the Winter Spire for his entire life.

If he failed to manage the magic circle even a little, Crystallos would return to ice and Tefnet would reveal its bottom.

“The sacrifice of the Crystallos family will never be forgotten as long as Elmorte exists. So don’t worry. The engagement ceremony will surely be held again, properly and more grandly.”

Fredick said he would believe Terisia’s words, and once again engraved the covenant between the imperial family and the Crystallos family.

***

Not long after Fredick left, Asiz sought out Terisia.

He knew the Marquis had visited, and he also knew why she had called for him.

“I seek an audience with Your Majesty the Empress·····.”

“There will absolutely be no breaking of the engagement, so don’t even dream of it.”

Terisia’s voice rang out sharply before Asiz could say anything.

But somehow Asiz didn’t immediately refute and remained in his place.

Terisia continued speaking while looking suspiciously at Asiz.

“You know how great a sacrifice the Crystallos family is making for the imperial family right now, don’t you? This engagement is not just your personal matter. It’s about whether the Elmorte Empire loses its water or not.”

Terisia approached Asiz and cornered him with a fierce gaze.

“You don’t intend to break this peace of abundant water flowing in the empire now with your petty desires, do you, Crown Prince?”

But Asiz suppressed a bitter laugh at the gloomy desire visible in Terisia’s eyes.

‘It’s just individual greed, yet. They’re just wielding disgusting honor while claiming that greed is for the empire.’

However, he had no intention of engaging in tedious arguments here.

‘I can delay the marriage until I find a way to break off the engagement.’

“I have no intention of breaking the promise arbitrarily either. But if we proceed with the engagement ceremony that’s already been broken off once, it will be on the lips of the nobles. You don’t want the imperial family to become mere gossip, do you? For now, educate Lady Serina as the prospective Crown Princess. You’re good at that kind of thing, aren’t you? Letia was educated in the imperial family for over 10 years too.”

At that moment, Terisia began to laugh out loud.

Faced with that somewhat bizarre laughter, Asiz gripped his fist tightly.

In an instant, Terisia reached out her hand to cup Asiz’s cheek and met his gaze fiercely.

“Don’t think you’ve bought time with this. This is absolutely not moving according to your will.”

Terisia, having completely seen through Asiz’s mind, gradually applied more force to her fingertips touching him.

Terisia’s nails dug in deeply like shackles, and cold sweat began to form all over Asiz’s body.

“The imperial family can’t be made a laughingstock, as you said. So don’t forget. You are the Crown Prince. Don’t be tainted by mere dust.”

Even without saying it explicitly, it was clear who the dust referred to.

“Others may be able to get dirty, but not you. What’s mine cannot. Asiz, you must be perfect. Flawless.”

Before Terisia’s gaze, Asiz was no longer just one person, but another her, herself.

“You must be perfect.”