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nWhen I was hesitating to greet her first because it was a delicate situation, she stopped first and shouted to us arrogantly. I couldn’t ignore her because she spoke to us first, so I glanced at Duke Lars first and said, “What’s the matter?”

n“What perfect timing! I’m not used to this place. Can you show me around here?”

n‘What?’ When I instinctively looked back at the duke, I saw his red eyebrows wriggling.

nAfter he remained silent for a moment, he ignored her coldly and moved on.

n“Are you ignoring me now?”

n“… Which kingdom are you from?”

nThere was no change in the pitch of his voice, but I knew he was in a very good mood because he was my teacher in the past and now my supervisor. He usually follows the emperor’s order, but if he feels his order is not right, he rejects it. He was ruthless in punishing anybody if his actions went against principles even if he was in the same faction, so even nobles regarded him as the most difficult person to deal with. As such, there was no chance that Duke Lars could pass over the current situation.

n“Do you want me to introduce myself first? It looks like you guys are treating a foreign dignitary poorly like this.”

n“Okay. Let me introduce myself to you out of courtesy to a foregin dignitary. My name is Arkint de Lars, head of the Lars family.”

nI noticed that the knights standing behind the princess flinched. He was the head of the Duke Lars family, the No. 1 imperial family. The status of the duke in the empire was treated as the same as the royal family, and the head of the Lars family was as powerful as the emperor. Accordingly, this unknown princess was not in a position to treat him poorly or order him to show her around. But unlike the knights who looked at us with anxiety, the princess said confidently, “Oh, you are the head of the Duke Lars family, called the “Sword of the Empire.” My name is Moira de Date, the first princess of Eet Kingdom. I’m sorry I haven’t recognized you. I am sorry, duke, I have committed a breach of etiquette.”

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n“You didn’t recognize me? As a candidate of the crown prince’s wife, you came here without even understanding the major figures of this empire…. Well, let me give it a pass. Sir Monique, let’s go.”

nAs if he was dumbfounded, the duke said goodbye to her and walked away, but Princess Moira stopped him and said, “Wait!”

n“What else do you need, Princess Moira?”

n“I admit that I was rude to you, but what about the knight next to you who was disrespectful to me?”

n“… What are you talking about? ”

nShe was staring at me coldly. Suddenly, something flashed my mind. She planned this! She knew our identities. She deliberately stopped us, pretending not to know us, and she wanted to make me bow to her with some excuses.

n“If she is Sir Monique, isn’t she a member of the Monique family? No matter how highly the Monique is regarded by the emperor, they are not a duke’s family. As long as she uses the middle name ‘ la’, she is lower in rank than me as I use the middle name ‘de.’ But why aren’t you greeting me first? ”

n“… ”

n“I know that you are the crown prince’s fiancée. And I know I’m here as a candidate for his future fiancee, too. However, my status at the moment is the first princess of the Eet Kingdom while you are Sir Monique. As I didn’t introduce myself as the crown prince’s candidate, isn’t it the right manners for you to greet me first, Sir Monique?”

nDuke Lars was silent. Strictly speaking, the princess was right. Unless she was officially introduced as a candidate for the crown prince’s wife, her status was the first princess of the Eet Kingdom. Of course, the moment she was introduced as a candidate for the crown prince’s wife, she would be lower than me as his fiancee. At this moment, she was higher than me.

nAlthough I was treated like a princess, my official status was still the daughter of the Marquis Monique family.

nI felt bad for some reason. ‘Hey, what’s the matter, Aristia? Anyway, if you become the successor of your family, you might have to serve this woman. Thanks to these queen candidates, you are one step closer to your goal of getting freed from the destiny of being the queen, which is good for you. Good for you! Wake up!’

nI took a deep breath. I stepped forward to show due manners to her, but I heard someone calling coldly from behind.

n“It’s been a long time, Duke Lars.”

n“I’m honored to see you, the Little Sun of the Empire!”

nAs if he came out for a break, he was accompanied by numerous aides.

nThe princess, who was staring at me coldly, greeted the crown prince with a graceful smile.

n“I saw you when I first arrived, and today, I was fortunate to meet you again, Your Majesty! My name is Moira de Eet, the first princess of the Eet Kingdom. Please call me Mona.”

n“Nice to see you, Princess Moira.”

nAlthough he ignored her request to call her by her pet name, the princess said kindly without losing her smile, “I came here as your bride candidate, but as it was too difficult to see you, I was on my way to your place to meet you, though I knew it was discourteous. As I have run into you like this, I think we are destined to have a good relationship.”

n“Really? I’m sorry.”

n“If I’m not so rude, could you take out time for me?”

nAs she asked kindly, he turned and looked at me, saying, “I’m very busy right now.”

n“I won’t disturb you. Just allow me to walk by your side. ”

n“Well, do whatever you like. Duke Lars, see you next time.”

nI breathed out freely only after he and the princess disappeared. When I looked down at my sleeves, I noticed some dust. I was bothered by my untidy uniform, so I adjusted it. As I did it several times because I didn’t like it, Duke Lars, who was watching me silently, said with a sigh, “That’s enough. Your uniform is clean and nice, Sir Monique.”

n“… Thanks, Duke Lars.”

n“You know what? She is the woman that the noble factions are supporting as the crown prince’s wife. Little did I expect to meet her here. As expected, she is tough.”

nStaring at the direction where the two disappeared, he said with regret, “Given the way she was behaving to you and me, it looks like she is clearly aiming at the next empress. I don’t understand what the emperor is thinking. I’m sorry to say this to you and your father, but I think you becoming the next empress is more for the benefit of the empire than you succeeding the family.”

n“… ”

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n“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Forget it. Let’s go!”

nI walked after the duke who turned. It was time for me to work again.

nA few days later when I met Carsein and headed for the wagon storage together, I saw a woman passing by us, who I seemed to have seen somewhere. I felt something strange.

nWas there a woman I knew in the Imperial Palace? She was familiar to me.

n“That woman over there, she isn’t dressed like others working here in the inner palace. If she is not working here, how come she is going around without any escort?”

nOnly then did I remember her. She was the woman I saw with the crown prince on the day when I was returning home, exhausted from overtime work, with Allendis.

nIf that’s the case, she was one of the princesses here as one of the crown prince’s bride candidates. Why did she appear alone in this place without an accompanying knight? As a noble woman in this empire, not as a knight, I couldn’t let a royal family from another country wander alone in the imperial palace, so I was about to go to the place hurriedly where she was.

nI would certainly have met her without the red-haired knight who was hurriedly approaching her.

n“Uh, is that my brother?”

nLike Carsein said, the knight with red hair was none other than Sir Lars. Given that he was putting on the 2nd Knight’s uniform and its red insignia, he was certainly Sir Lars. After approaching her, he talked with her for a long time.

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