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nWhile I was chatting with them, the protocol officer announced the next to see the emperor. The next was our family’s turn, who was the third most powerful family in the empire.

nWhen I was about to leave the waiting room with my father, I suddenly felt someone was staring at me in a disapproving manner. They were none other than a gray-haired old man and a purple-haired middle-aged man.

n“What’s wrong, Tia?”

n“… ”

n“Don’t look at them. Let’s go.”

nMy father, who looked at them, spoke with a displeased voice. His voice was even threatening.

nI opened my eyes wide and looked at my father. Our family, the center of the pro-emperor faction, and the Duke Jena family, the leader of the anti-emperor faction, couldn’t mingle together, but I didn’t think my father showed such a hostile reaction to them.

n“Welcome, Marquis Monique and Lady Monique.”

n“I’m honored to see Your Majesty, the Sun of the empire.”

n“I, Aristia La Monique, am honored to greet Your Majesty, the Sun of the empire.”

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nAs if he was in a good mood on the occasion of the New Year, the emperor welcomed us cheerfully.

n“You don’t have to offer such formal greetings to me, given our relationship, Marquis Monique. Let’s have a chat.”

n“Your Majesty!”

n“It’s my order as the emperor. I hope you understand me. You can leave after you see me, but I have to see all the guests outside.”

n“… Sure, Your Majesty.”

nThe emperor laughed heartily at my father’s reply, then told me, “It’s been a long time, Lady Monique. How is your new job as the captain’s aide?”

n“Well, I’m still learning, so I’m causing lots of trouble.”

n“Really? I’ve just heard from Duke Lars that you’re doing a good job. You know, too much humility is pride.”

n“I’m honored if you say so, Your Majesty.”

n“I think your father deserves the credit. No matter how smart she is, I hear she has had only a few months of apprenticeship. Still, you have trained her so well that even Duke Lars is praising her competence so much. Awesome! ”

n“I’m flattered, Your Majesty.”

nWhile he was chatting with my father for a while, the emperor said as if he recalled something,

n“Oh, I recently heard an interesting rumor. Well, they say that you and Duke Lars’ son are lovers.”

nI flinched at the emperor’s unexpected remarks. When I looked into it, I found out that it was just ungrounded gossip, and most of our faction didn’t believe it. Actually, I also gave it a pass, but I didn’t think the emperor seemed to be interested in it.

n“It was really interesting. According to the rumor, he eloped with her, so the crown prince stopped by the Monique estate as he couldn’t stand it anymore.”

n“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. As I neglected my duty, I was foolish enough not to check my daughter’s behavior and disgraced the honor of the imperial family…”

nBut the emperor stopped my father in a hurry and said, “Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to blame you or your daughter. I came to know the whole story. I was just afraid that some stupid guys were spreading such ridiculous rumors.”

n“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

n“Well, don’t you know who spread the rumors? As your daughter joined the knights division, they must have felt something strange. I think they tried to test the relationship between the Monique family and the emperor by spreading such strange rumors,” said the emperor, clicking his tongue.

n“Lady Monique, as you are smart, you must have understood what I said, right? Why do you think I tacitly agreed to let you join the knights division?”

n“I’m not sure, Your Majesty.”

nI was curious about it. I just guessed that my father must have done something to make it work.

nLooking at me, the emperor said with a smile, “It’s because I owe a great deal to your father, but I’ve not yet given up. I feel sorry for you and your daughter, but I still think your daughter is the most ideal empress candidate.”

nI tightened my grip on the hem of my skirt, but I struggled not to express my feelings.

nI silently looked down.

n“A few years ago, I was worried that I would clash with Rube about this matter, but he seems to be a little different now. I’m sorry, Marquis Monique. That’s why I don’t want to let go of your daughter. Forgive my selfishness.”

nAfter being silent for a moment, the emperor said with a little sigh, “Can I ask you a favor, Lady Monique?”

n“Yes, please.”

n“If you succeed the Monique family in two years later as you wish, will you be my lonely son’s friend just as your father was my friend?”

nSurprised by his unexpected request, I gazed up at the emperor. I could see his overflowing affection for his son in his pensive blue eyes. I was surprised. I didn’t know how much the emperor, who was allegedly always displeased with his inferior son, loved him so much.

n“…Sure, I will.”

n“Thank you. Then, I’ll talk to you later as I have other people waiting to see me. Oh, I haven’t talked with you much because I focused on your daughter. Sorry, Marquis. When you come to the palace next time, come and see me. We can talk a lot then.”

n“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m leaving now.”

nWhen we left, led by the protocol officer, I saw the old man and the middle-aged man with purple hair, who had been in the waiting room, approaching us. Duke Jena, the stubborn old man walked and stopped in front of me and my father, said, raising his eyes, “Long time, no see, Marquis Monique.”

n“… It’s been a long time, Duke Jena. ”

n“Where are your manners? You are a marquise, but I am a duke.”

n“Yeah, but you are lower in terms of protocol rank here. I would feel shameful in this situation, but it seems that you are proud of your title.”

n“Are you kidding me?”

nAs if he was conscious of people around him, Duke Jenna responded in a low tone instead of shouting at my father in a fit of anger.

n“She looks like your daughter.”

n“Yes, that’s right.”

n“These days there are wild rumors about her. You know, the apple never falls far from the tree. I think it’s because she has inherited vulgar blood from you.”

n“What did you say, Duke Jena?”

nSuddenly, my father stared at him with a murderous intent. I stiffened unconsciously. I even shuddered at my father’s offensive stance as if he was about to hit him.

n“I asked, what the heck did you say, Duke Jena?”

n“Did I say something wrong?”

nMy father gnashed his teeth and stepped closer to him. At that moment, the protocol officer standing a little way from them was restless, calling Duke Jena. As he was the next to meet the emperor, his quarrelling with my father delayed the order of the other nobles waiting their turn.

nDuke Jena smiled sarcastically at my father and passed by him roughly. Watching him leave, I was lost in thought.

n‘Vulgar blood? What does that mean?’

nAlthough I couldn’t understand what it was, my father was obviously hiding something from me, given that he was so upset with Duke Jena.

n“Tia, let’s go.”

nHow much time passed? As my father was staring in the direction Duke Jena walked for a long time, I opened my mouth after hesitating a bit, “Well, Daddy?”

n“Yes, honey. What’s wrong? ”

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n“I mean what the duke said a little while ago.”

n“It’s just bull**. Never mind. ”

n“I see…”

nAs he cut me off resolutely, I quietly shut my mouth, but I was still perplexed by Duke Jenna’s words. He was clearly referring to me when he mentioned ‘vulgar blood.’

nEven though he was in confrontation with my father, the duke was not in a position to say that the blood of the Monique family, one of the empire’s founding fathers, was vulgar. If that’s the case, his mention of ‘vulgar blood’ referred to my mother.

nI was puzzled. Although I was involved in the social circles in the past, I had never heard of anything about my family’s pedigree. Even if my mother was from a vulgar family, they would have mentioned her name at least once.

n‘Is Duke Jena lying?’

nHowever, the duke’s convincing attitude and my father’s violent anger bothered me. If he was lying, there was no reason for my father to be so angry.

nThen, what is the truth? I thought I needed to look into my mother a little further.

n‘Oh, I think I have to ask him.’

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