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nVellian, accepting Astelle’s apology, pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the damp clothes off.

n“……no, it’s fine.”

nHe said so, but Vellian looked at Astelle with suspicious eyes.

nAstelle avoided his gaze.

n“I have to go back to the main palace and change clothes. Excuse me for a moment,” Vellian said so and went out of the room.

nHannah was busy picking up pieces of broken teapots and wiping away the spilled tea from the chair and floor.

nOutside the window, the sun was still shining warmly.

nAstelle suggested taking a look at the garden.

n“The weather is really nice today. Shall we go out for a while until Sir Vellian comes back? There is an exhibition room in the nearby garden, if it’s okay, I would like to go see it.”

nThe word ‘exhibition room’ seemed to surprise the Marchioness.

nFlorin naively agreed.

n“That’s a good idea. I saw it on the way here.”

nThe two looked back at Kaizen and waited for permission.

nKaizen, who was sitting there with a blank expression, also agreed to go to the exhibition room.

n“Yeah, fine.”

nTo get from the tea room to the exhibition room, you had to walk along the garden path.

nIn the afternoon, the garden was full of warm sunlight.

nA view of the garden was seen in the warm sunlight. Among the colorful flowers, the leaves of grass added a fresh scent of grass.

nThe exhibition room was clean and neatly organized.

n“It’s a wonderful place. I didn’t know this place existed.”

nAstelle came out to the terrace next to the pavilion.

nIt was a small but beautiful terrace.

nWhite marble columns supported the roof and in front was a small staircase leading to the garden.

nAs if waiting, Florin followed Astelle to the terrace.

n“Lady Astelle, uhm……my mother wanted to apologize for the last time.”

nFlorin blinked at her mother.

nThe Marchioness rubbed her mouth and reluctantly apologized, “Well, I was too excited back then.”

nThe Marchioness still did not hide her dislike for Astelle.

n‘She’s a person who can’t hide her feelings,’ Astelle thought.

nOr did she think there was nothing to hide?

nAstelle nodded her head slightly as if she understood everything.

n“Fine. It’s about your daughter, so you can get excited and lose your mind sometimes.”

nThe Marchioness was about to be furious at the ridicule mixed with words.

nBut Florin stopped her mother from moving forward and set her mood right.

n“Thank you for your understanding, Lady Astelle. You are very generous.”

nAstelle glanced towards the exhibition room.

nKaizen, who remained in the exhibition hall, was still listening and ready to immediately follow the conversation.

n‘You can’t do that.’

nIt was a moment that could not be disturbed.

nAstelle quietly closed the glass door on the terrace.

n“Lady Florin did not resemble her mother.”

n“Yes, everyone says I look like my father.”

n“Isn’t Marquis of Croychen is the Minister of State?”

nAt that, the Marchioness who was standing there answered with a confident smile, “My husband is very proud to be the first of the Croychens to step out as a minister. He has repeatedly said that a noble should be forever loyal to His Majesty the Emperor who entrusted him with a heavy-duty.”

nIt was an innocent voice full of pride, but the meaning contained in it was never naive.

nThe Reston family became ministers and prime ministers for generations.

nBut now Astelle’s father, the Duke of Reston, was overthrown while fighting the emperor.

nWith a triumphant countenance, The Marchioness scoffed at the Reston, who was disloyal to the emperor.

nAstelle picked up the teacup as she listened to the Marchioness’s words.

nAnd she accepted her words with a gentle smile. As if she really admired it.

n“The Croychen family is a new family, but I have heard that they are a loyal and noble family. After a long time devoted to territorial affairs, they suddenly took on such an important task, so you should be proud of it.”

nIt sounds like a compliment from beginning to end, but the truth is, the Croychen family is a low-ranking noble who lived only in the countryside.

nIt was sarcasm to say that she suddenly rose to a high position and became arrogant.

n“I beg your pardon?”

nThe Marchioness shouted sharply.

n“Why? I was just praising the Croychen family who is loyal to His Majesty the Emperor.”

nAstelle’s gentle smile distorted the face of the Marchioness.

n“Don’t pretend to be interested in His Majesty. How much do you think that interest will go to his ex-wife, whom he has divorced? If you gossip about the fact that you are in a favorable situation now, you will be seriously injured.”

n“Mother!”

n“That’s a good thing. I will engrave those words in my heart. I think the Marchioness will always have such a humble attitude.”

nIsn’t it the same for you that you’re proud of your family now?

nIt was such a sarcastic joke.

n“This……!”

n“……”

nAstelle observed Florin quietly.

nShe really looked like a doll made of sugar candy.

nShe was a girl who looked sweet, fragile, and soft from her head to toes.

nBut Astelle was feeling that this little girl wasn’t as cute and naive as she seemed.

n“If it’s all right, shall we all go back to the room now?”

nRight. That’s the point.

nThis cute little girl smiles softly even though her mother has just been insulted and left out in anger, and now she asked to go back to the tea room as if nothing happened.

nEven though Astelle just insulted her family outright.

nShe could tell just by looking at her.

nThat this lady was by no means an ordinary girl.

n“Lady Florin, are you okay?”

n“Sorry?”

nFlorin blinked.

nBlack eyelashes fluttered over the pale purple shimmering purple eyes.

nThey are like marbled eyes embedded in a ceramic doll.

n‘I had a doll like her when I was young.’

nIt was a pretty doll wearing a pink dress with layers of lace.

nThe eyes of the beaded dolls were large and moving. Each time the doll moved, the long eyelashes attached to her eyelids fluttered.

nAstelle recalled the doll and said, “Because of me, Lady Florin’s older sister, Lady Marianne is in prison.”

n“That was my sister’s own fault,” Florin answered with a gentle smile like a cute porcelain doll.

n“It seemed that my older sister didn’t like the fact that His Majesty showed his concern for you. It was because she had always liked His Majesty, so please understand, Lady Astelle.”

n‘I thought it was Florin rather than Marianne who should feel uncomfortable with Kaizen’s favor to me.’

nShe’s not yet officially engaged to Kaizen, but she’s the most likely candidate for the empress.

nFlorin rolled her eyes.

n“Do you think that you will become the empress again, Lady Astelle?”

n“I don’t think so.”

nIt was so ridiculous that it made Astelle bewildered.

n“I don’t want to be the empress. Neither can I.”

nIt has already been 6 years since she divorced.

nNow the Restons were not as powerful as they used to be.

nYou never know when your power will be destroyed, let alone disappear.

nIt was impossible for Astelle to become the empress again.

n“I see.”

nFlorin smiled and agreed.

n“If Lady Astelle has no intention of becoming the empress, and you cannot become the Empress, then there is absolutely no need for you to be hostile to me. Isn’t it?”

nFlorin innocently continued, “I rather like it that way. Unlike other young girls who could become my rivals, Lady Astelle was different.”

n“In short, you are saying that you are comfortable because I have no chance of becoming the empress.”

n“Of course. There is no other person I am more comfortable with than you. Lady Astelle has also experienced it, so you will understand, right?”

nAstelle said with a slight smile, “Certainly, you are different from your older sister, Lady Florin. Somehow, Sir Vellian praised you a lot. You are a really nice lady.”

n“Thank you!”

n“Lady Florin doesn’t have to be this vigilant anymore if you were really thankful.”

nAs Astelle pointed it out quietly, the smile disappeared from her doll-like face for a moment.

n‘This must be what this girl is like.’

nAstelle guessed that this girl’s original personality would be very cold and cruel.

nFlorin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

n“Lady Astelle doesn’t want to be the Empress, and you can’t be, but……there are always unforeseen circumstances in the world.”

nFlorin spoke to her in a low voice, “If it was six years ago, who would have guessed that I could become the future empress? It was something I couldn’t even imagine.”

n‘I can see why every time I see this lady, I always think of a pretty doll.’

nThere was no emotion in Florin’s pretty purple eyes. She has doll eyes that show no emotion or sincerity.

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