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n“Are you satisfied?”

nAstelle turned around and saw Vellian standing there with a dissatisfied expression on his face.

nAfter Astelle finished her audience, she stayed for a while in the drawing-room of the emperor’s palace.

nShe had said all she had to say and wanted to return to the empress’ palace, but she was ordered to wait here.

nIf she had been alone with Kaizen, she would have said she would be back.

nBut there were many nobles watching, so she couldn’t disobey the emperor’s orders.

nWhile Astelle was just waiting, Kaizen was discussing the matter with the ministers in his office.

nThe maids hurriedly served tea and desserts to the empress.

nAnd now, even Vellian, the emperor’s aide, came to Astelle.

n“What do you mean?”

nVellian glanced at the distant maids for a moment, then lowered his voice and said sarcastically, “I asked if you are satisfied with the fact that the Marchioness and even her family will also be destroyed soon.”

nAstelle stared intently at him.

nThe emperor’s aide, Vellian, doesn’t seem to like the fall of the Croychen family.

nWell, now we have to elect a new minister of state.

nBut this time Astelle had no choice but to do it.

n“Should I just keep quiet when that mother and her daughter tried to kill and spy on me?”

n“That’s why you let her take the fake secret letter?”

n“I didn’t give it to her.”

nIt wasn’t a lie.

nAstelle didn’t know that such a secret letter existed until Florin said it.

nBut Vellian did not believe Astelle.

nHe said, “Even the emperor, who is obsessed with the empress, will not believe that.”

nAstelle raised an eyebrow at his rude attitude.

n“You mean I set a trap and dragged Lady Florin in?”

n“Isn’t that so?”

n“It is not. Why would I do such a thing to Lady Florin?”

n“Did you forget you also set a trap for the Marchioness at the tea party?”

n“It was because the Marchioness tried to kidnap Theor.”

nIf she didn’t hurt Theor, she would let her go no matter how rude she was.

nLikewise for Marianne, if she just checked her box of medicines without doing anything else, she would just let her go.

n“That’s what happened in the past, but……”

nEven though she clearly said no, Vellian still didn’t believe her.

nAstelle didn’t want to keep dealing with Vellian’s complaints.

nShe had no intention of ever putting up with this man’s rudeness.

nAstelle cut off his words with a firm voice, “I don’t understand why you, the emperor’s aide, don’t believe me, the empress.”

nVellian opened his mouth slightly as if in a panic.

nHe himself must have been surprised to realize he had suddenly returned to speaking rudely with her after being so respectful until now.

nAstelle rebuked him in a calm but clear tone, “How can you be so disrespectful in front of me, the empress of the empire, and defend a sinner without a foundation? Did the person serving the emperor not learn imperial etiquette properly?”

n“Oh, it’s not……”

nBewildered, Vellian looked at her with a slightly betrayed look in his eyes.

nHe continued, “You speak without any hesitation. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

nAre you asking because you really don’t know?

nThat’s because I wasn’t an empress back then.

nAt that time, Astelle was a powerless duke’s daughter who was even abandoned by her own family.

n“If I, the empress, tolerate the emperor aide’s groundless nitpicking, won’t that damage His Majesty’s honor?”

n“That, that……”

nWhile Vellian could not find a word to answer back, the door to the drawing-room opened with a knock.

n“Your Majesty.”

nThe nobles who had participated in the political meeting came inside.

nEveryone bowed their heads deeply.

n“Is the meeting over?”

n“Yes, Your Majesty. We apologize for keeping you waiting.”

nUnlike Vellian, who interrogated Astelle in a rude manner, the ministers were extremely polite.

n“I apologize I haven’t been able to formally greet you. If you allow it, I will go to the empress’ palace soon……”

nAs if they had planned it, they apologized for not meeting her and asked for permission to greet her.

nThey had no choice but to do so.

nThe Croychen family collapsed, and Florin, who was the most powerful candidate for the empress, could not be spared from this incident.

nThe young emperor fell in love with the empress and lived almost every day in the empress’ palace. Even the empress has a prince who will become the crown prince.

nFrom the point of view of the officials, they had to try their best to somehow look good to the empress.

nBut before Astelle could say anything, Kaizen entered.

n“Astelle.”

n“I greet you, Your Majesty.”

nUnlike his subordinates, who acted submissively politely and kindly, Kaizen’s expression was cold.

nHe chased the officials away as if they were a nuisance.

n“Get out of here. All of you.”

n‘The atmosphere is unusual.’

nVellian went out with the ministers.

nJust before the door closed, Vellian glanced at the emperor and his wife, who were standing together in the drawing-room.

nVellian was aware that their marriage was not as happy as it seemed.

nIn the first place, Vellian knew about their marriage contract.

nHis Majesty the Emperor spent every day in the empress’ palace, but it was clear that they were only a couple on the outside, and in fact, they were just strangers to each other.

nJust by looking at Kaizen’s expression, which was getting darker day by day at a time when he should be immersed in the sweet dream of newlyweds, he could guess what was going on.

n***

nFlorin, who was in the mansion, belatedly heard the news.

n“It was fake?”

nThe nanny looked at Florin’s shocked eyes and nodded her head.

n“Miss, calm down.”

nThe nanny calmed Florin down, worried that she might faint at any moment.

nBut Florin didn’t faint.

nShe was furious at Astelle at this point.

n‘You sly woman……’

nThey purposely sent the fake secret letter and tricked us.

nFlorin believed so.

nShe also heard that the servant she ordered to deliver the secret letter was also arrested.

nThat meant Florin herself would soon be brought to the imperial palace for interrogation.

nShe knew this beforehand because one of the ministers close to her father contacted her first.

nOtherwise, she will be arrested without knowing the reason.

n“Miss, what should we do?”

nFlorin took a deep breath as she heard the nanny’s worried voice.

nIn difficult times, you need to think more calmly.

nIf you think calmly, there will be a way.

nFlorin looked out the window and organized her thoughts.

nShe suddenly remembered the beginning of all this.

nThe work at Dentsu Castle could have ended with a simple incident.

nIf things went well, Astelle might take the prince back to the East and live quietly in the countryside for the rest of her life.

nHowever, after returning to the capital, things went wrong when the prince collapsed after eating fruit or something.

nAnd things went out of control on the day of the charity ball when her mother revealed that Astelle was the child’s biological mother.

nAs soon as she recalled that day, a good idea came to her mind.

nFlorin turned around urgently.

n“I have to see my father.”

n“The Marquis……?”

n“Where is Naen?”

n“The youngest miss?”

nThe nanny looked puzzled when she asked where Naen, the youngest of the three sisters.

n“I’m sure she is in her room.”

nThinking of her quiet and immature sister, Florin ordered the nanny, “Tell Naen to come to father’s study.”

n***

nNaen walked down the hall helplessly.

nAlthough she was born as the youngest daughter of a marquis family, she did not lead a very happy life.

nBecause, unlike her sisters, she is neither beautiful nor smart.

nHowever, she gets along well with her family, including her confident older sister and her nervous mother.

nAlthough her father and second sister did not think she existed.

nEven though her mother and eldest sister Marianne were violent and fickle, they treated Naen as a family if she pleased them.

n‘But now they’re both gone.’

nHer eldest sister, Marianne, was sent to a convent, and her mother was exiled to the North.

nAnd now even her father lost his position and hasn’t come out of the mansion.

nThe marquis’ mansion had a quiet and desolate atmosphere to the point that it felt dreary.

nThere was no one in the hallway where the servants were bustling.

nNaen walked through the quiet hallway and stood at the door of her father’s study.

nShe knocked and carefully opened the door.

n“Father, did you call me?”

nHer father and second sister, Florin, were already in the dark study.

nThe two who were talking about something kept their mouths shut when Naen appeared.

n‘What’s going on?’

nNaen didn’t know why her father suddenly called her to the study.

nI thought it might be something to do with my mother and eldest sister.

nMaybe my father will tell me to comfort them both?

nIt would be better to pack up and leave than to stay in this quiet and uncomfortable mansion.

nAt this point, I can go outside the capital.

nThe marquis said to Naen, “There is something you can do for our family.”

nNaen was still listening. But her father said nothing more.

nAn ominous feeling arose as her father’s silence continued.

nAfter waiting for a while, Naen asked carefully, “W-what is going on, Father?”

nIt was not her father who answered, but her second sister, Florin, who was next to him.

n“Naen.”

nFlorin’s calm voice startled Naen.

nFlorin never once got angry with her.

nHowever, Naen instinctively felt uncomfortable and scared of this calm and beautiful older sister.

nFlorin smiled sweetly and said, “I need your help. Go to the imperial palace right now.”

n“Uh, sister, what do you mean the imperial palace?”

nIt was unexpected.

nFlorin looked at the bewildered Naen and wiped the smile off her face in an instant.

n“You have to go to the imperial palace to admit your guilt.”

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