“What did you say?!”
Duchess Grey shot to her feet in shock, the slices of cucumber she’d placed on her face falling to the floor with a soft thud.
But the maid delivering the news looked just as pale, her face drained of color. She panted, stamping her feet in agitation as she repeated herself to the Duchess.
“Lady Roha has entered the palace—she was summoned by Her Majesty the Empress!”
The Duchess’ slender fingers clenched into a tight fist, her knuckles audibly cracking. Perhaps there was truth to the old saying: don’t flaunt your blessings, hide them deep within.
She had only shared the reason behind her recent good mood when her cousin—who was raising a son around the same age—had asked. Now, biting her lip in regret, she realized it had been a mistake.
The Empress was greedy by nature. She was only satisfied when she possessed the very best the kingdom had to offer.
Just last night, the Duchess had felt like she was floating on air. Armin had finally said the words she’d longed to hear—that he was ready to pursue a serious relationship with Vivian.
After a rare night of restful sleep and a refreshing morning facial massage, her good mood came crashing down the moment she heard the news.
“This isn’t the time to sit around.”
“Madam?”
“Ready the carriage. I’m going to the palace.”
“Right away, madam!”
The capable maid had already sensed something was off. She rushed to begin preparations for the Duchess’ sudden royal visit.
* * *
“Hoho! So, Lady Roha likes cake. Well, I prefer cake over cookies too.”
The desserts were extravagant—stacked three tiers high on the table, not to mention the plates already laid out in front of us.
I forced myself to eat a few bites of cake out of politeness, but it felt like I was a lion in a zoo. Every little movement I made was closely observed by the Empress, who watched me with wide, fascinated eyes.
Since she was said to be the cousin of Duchess Grey, I had expected her to have a similar air. But I was completely wrong.
Unlike the chic and haughty Duchess, the Empress had a bright, slightly goofy personality and—though I couldn’t figure out why—it was clear she’d taken quite a liking to me.
“Um…”
Afraid I might get indigestion if I kept forcing down more cake, I gently set my fork down. The Empress tilted her head in curiosity, as if wondering what was wrong.
“Do you not like the food?”
“Oh, no! The food is delicious… It’s just… I had something I was curious about.”
“Curious? Oh my! About me? What is it? Tell me, tell me!”
She clapped her hands in excitement like a child.
I felt bad dampening the mood, but I’d essentially been dragged here this morning without warning. If I didn’t clear things up, I had a feeling this situation would keep spiraling.
“I was wondering why… you wanted to see me.”
I asked as politely as possible. The last thing I wanted was to be punished for being rude to royalty.
The Empress simply smiled brightly at my question.
“Well, you see—”
“You see…?”
“I heard you’re close with Armin of House Grey.”
Her answer came out of nowhere. What did my relationship with Armin have to do with being summoned to the palace?
I was so stunned, I started hiccupping. Seeing me hiccup, the Empress poured me a cup of tea herself.
“Th-thank… hic!”
“Even your hiccups are adorable. Fufu.”
Fortunately, before I could ask what one thing had to do with the other, the Empress answered on her own.
“I have a son too. You’ve heard of him, haven’t you?”
“You mean… His Highness Zeta?”
“That’s right. He’s just come of age recently…”
She let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“He and Armin have a lot in common.”
“In common…?”
“They’re both lonely boys with hardly any friends.”
Her bluntness left me speechless, and her nanny chimed in to clarify.
“Both of them tend to avoid social events, so His Highness has never really spent time with any noble young ladies.”
“Oh…”
I nodded awkwardly. Now that she mentioned it, I had never once seen the prince at any social gathering. For someone who must’ve drawn just as much attention as Armin, that was rather surprising.
I didn’t attend social events often either, so I couldn’t say I knew much about the inner workings of the social circle.
Before I knew it, the Empress had scooted right beside me. Even before I had time to be surprised, she suddenly grabbed my hand and leaned in close.
“So, Lady Roha.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
This was all too familiar. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over me, and I instinctively looked away from the Empress’s intense gaze. In response, her grip on my hand only tightened.
“Lady Roha, I want you and our Zeta to be—”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I just knew that whatever she said next, I’d regret hearing it. The Empress brought up such burdensome things with the ease of commenting on the weather.
I wanted to shout, Actually, Armin and I aren’t just friends—we’re dating! But something told me that would only make things messier.
That’s when it happened. A maid’s urgent voice cut through the tension.
“Your Majesty, a visitor has arrived.”
“A visitor?”
The Empress stopped mid-sentence, her tone shifting to one of irritation as she looked at the maid.
“The only guest I was supposed to see today is Lady Roha. Who else would come here uninvited?”
The maid looked flustered, unsure how to respond—until someone stepped in from behind her.
Bathed in the light from behind, walking confidently into the Empress’s quarters, was a face I knew very well.
Duchess Grey.
Was this what Little Red Riding Hood felt when the hunter finally appeared after being caught by the wolf? I let out a breath of pure relief and shot to my feet. I could only imagine how brightly my eyes must have lit up as I looked at her.
“Oh my.”
With a carefully neutral expression, the Empress greeted her cousin—rival, and friend.
“What a surprise. You don’t even show up when invited, and yet here you are.”
“I know. Maybe I’ve come somewhere I shouldn’t. But then again, we’re close enough, aren’t we?”
The exchange was all smiles and civility, but the glances they exchanged were colder than a midwinter storm.
“Vivi, I didn’t expect to find you here. What brings you to the palace?”
“Vivi? Oh, so Lady Roha’s nickname is Vivi. I had no idea.”
“There wasn’t really a reason for Your Majesty to know. Nicknames are usually reserved for those with a certain closeness.”
The Duchess, lips curled in a slight smirk, said this while glancing at the Empress with a touch of disdain.
“As you know, nicknames are something shared between people with deep ties. Right, Vivi?”
“Ah? Ah… haha.”
Caught between a power struggle I had no part in, I could only laugh awkwardly. Duchess Grey might be the only person who could speak this way to the Empress without consequence.
The Duchess stared silently at the Empress for a long moment. Then she blinked, and the frost in her gaze melted into warmth as she looked at me—like someone who loved me even more than my own mother.
“Vivi.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not meeting with Armin today?”
Ah. Armin must’ve told her. Just from the look in the Duchess’s eyes, I could tell she knew we were more than just friends.
“Haha… I think Armin said he’d be busy today.”
“Is that so?”
The Duchess chuckled softly.
“Then why don’t you have lunch with me and the Duke today instead?”
“Pardon?”
“The Duke’s been waiting for you to visit our home, you know. He always asks when you’ll come by.”
I couldn’t understand why she was saying such things in front of the Empress, and all I could do was roll my eyes in confusion.
“Of course, I feel the same way. It’s like I have a daughter I never gave birth to. Without you, the Duke’s family feels so empty, honestly.”
Her tone made it seem like she was showing off how close we were to others.
“Is your business at the palace finished already?”
It had only been about an hour since I entered the palace. I glanced at the Empress, not knowing whether my visit was over or not since I had been dragged here without any explanation.
Up until now, the Empress had always worn a graceful and serene smile, but now, there was no trace of that relaxed expression. She was staring intently at the Duchess as she spoke.
“No, I’m sorry, but Lady Roha’s business isn’t finished yet.”
“Oh, really? Then I’ll wait. I have nothing to do today, anyway.”
The conversation between the Empress and the Duchess wasn’t exactly formal—it was more like two close friends chatting casually.
The Empress suddenly pulled my hand again, making me sit back down beside her as I had just stood up.
“Lady Roha, this is your first time in the palace, isn’t it?”
“Ah, yes…”
“The Roha family is wealthy, but it’s nothing compared to the grandeur of the palace.”
What was that supposed to mean? Was this another “You don’t have this at your house” moment? I thought. But the Empress smiled playfully, narrowing her eyes as she looked at me.
“Since you’re here, how about a little tour of the palace?”
There was no way I could say no. I couldn’t exactly respond with, “No thanks, I want to go home!” Could I?
Seeing me nod, the Empress called over one of the maids, but her gaze remained fixed on Duchess Grey.
“Bring the Crown Prince here right now.”
“Pardon? The Crown Prince?”
“Yes, our Zeta.”
