Darkness had fully settled on the street.

The Duke waved his hand towards the just-departed carriage.

Filled with regret, Lady Cler waved back from the carriage, leaning her face out to respond with a hand kiss to the Duke’s greeting.

The Duke’s face was full of warm, affectionate smiles, only until the carriage rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

As the street, shrouded in a thick mist, and the increasingly faint sound of the carriage wheels remained, the Duke’s expression turned cold.

He stared into the darkness where the carriage had disappeared with piercing eyes.

The words of the woman who had vanished with the carriage still lingered in his ears.

‘Empress? Me… Empress?’

‘…’

‘I thought being a Duchess was already more than enough, but Empress? I can’t believe it. Can I… do well? No, I must. I’ll try my hardest to not let His Majesty down.’

People who look me in the eye and lie are few, especially women.

Liz Berium.

Was she really just a foolish woman?

Had I, Damien Montaner, refused so many women only to propose to such a fool?

Right. Cler, I should have recognized it when they said she was that woman’s daughter.

A woman filled with vanity and an empty head from a young age.

Her husband too, aimlessly wandering and ultimately meeting his end. What could one expect from their offspring?

“Ha ha!”

The Duke let out a laugh tinged with self-mockery.

Clearly, my intuition is not what it used to be.

To think that such a foolish woman could be Her Majesty.

If so, Her Majesty isn’t even worth killing.

As he shook his head in self-mockery, he spoke softly into the void.

“Aron.”

Then, from the darkness, his retainer cautiously approached.

“How has Lady Berium been these past few days?”

“She hasn’t left the house, my lord. Most of the visitors have been suitors for her younger sister.”

“I see.”

The Duke seemed to think for a moment before his retainer cautiously asked,

“Shall we plant a spy inside the house?”

“No need, maintain the current status.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Also, assign a few more men to Earl Asphelid and Viscount Florent. ”

While I don’t have much confidence in that direction, I should no longer rely solely on intuition.

I have more than just intuition.

As the situation becomes increasingly complex, I act with all possibilities in mind. Not even a 1% chance is overlooked.
That was Duke Montaner’s way.

So he couldn’t yet lift the surveillance on Liz.

Because the possibility that his niece had lost her gun and fallen to corruption was still there.

As if the thought delighted him, his hardened brows smoothed out.

“Earlier you were with the Duke for quite a while, what did you talk about?”

The intoxication seemed to have worn off; Mother was once again interested in her daughter’s marriage. Lilia’s eyes sparkled as well.

“Just, saw some portraits.”

“Portraits?”

“Portraits of past Emperors.”

The reactions of Mother and Lilia were not at all different from what Liz had thought at that time.

“Ah, looks like they’re firmly setting you up as the next mistress of the royal household. You’re already getting lessons to be the Empress.”

“Sis, congratulations. That’s really great.”

Liz did not argue. She was too tired for that.

Too much energy had been sapped by Duke Montaner. She just wanted to rest without any thoughts, at least while she was going home.

But Mother and Lilia did not leave Liz alone.

“So, all that’s left is to send out the invitations. Who should we invite?”

“You must invite Lady Esmond at least. She’s the one who would be most upset to see Mother become a royal relative.”

“Ah…right? You’re really cute, Lilia.”

Mother pinched Lilia’s cheek, looking at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Lilia burst into laughter. If one were to describe her laughter, it would be written in books as,

「A clear and refreshing laughter, like rolling beads」

But whether the book was wrong, or Liz’s ears were rotten, it was the first time she found that laughter so unpleasant.

“What do you think, Liz? Who should I invite? Hmm?”

“Anyone.”

Liz responded sullenly.

Lady Berium narrowed her eyes and said something, but it was drowned out by the sudden sound of carriage wheels.

Liz turned her head toward the window.

If it weren’t for the lanterns on the carriage, the darkness outside would be nearly indistinguishable.

It was a level of darkness unthinkable in her past life, where the roads were well-maintained, and street lights brightly lit the way. But that had its own advantages too.

Stars were scattered across the sky like grains of sand. No lighting made by any engineer could be more beautiful than that.

Liz silently gazed at the flickering stars, recalling her private conversation with the Duke.
Crushed by his imposing presence, she had almost blurted out the truth when she opened her mouth.

Telling a lie in that situation was nothing short of miraculous.

“Do you think I can do well…? It’s unbelievable that I’m the Empress. I thought becoming the duchess was more than enough.”