“Father.”
Count Marcellin’s expression was cold as he looked up at Aira, who had just entered the study. He returned his attention to the pile of documents in front of him and responded gruffly.
“You left as if you’d never show your face again. What brings you here now?”
Aira remembered that, during this time, her relationship with the Count wasn’t good. Before she married Xavier, the Count had tried to push the idea that she should act for the family’s benefit, but Aira was only focused on her love for Xavier, not on what was good for her family.
‘Thinking back on it now, Father was right.’
As Crown Princess, Aira came to understand that it was selfish to overlook her family’s status, especially since her own power was tied to it. By not adhering to the right principles, she failed to establish a solid foundation, which made her dependent on her mother-in-law, Julius. Julius had kept her in the dark, and she never caught on to the schemes happening around her. Meanwhile, her family fell into ruin, and after her father’s death, their house quickly fell apart to the point where it was tough to keep their legacy alive.
“I was wrong.”
At her words, Count Marcellin’s eyebrows twitched. He slowly lifted his gaze to look at Aira, who was approaching him.
“I was wrong, Father.”
Her confident, steady gaze and the straightness of her brows made the Count curious. As Aira had never been the type to give up so easily, so he looked at her with suspicion.
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“That’s because I…”
Aira’s crimson eyes gleamed more deeply than before.
“I’ve remembered.”
One of the oldest legends of the Calanta Empire was about a dragon, a crucial part of the Empire’s founding stories. The dragon, named Marcelin, was said to have come down as a messenger of the creation god, Ermedia, and given a relic made from its heart. This relic was believed to protect the Empire and the royal family forever. The House of Count Marcellin was a family said to have been founded by the dragon Marcellin from this ancient legend. Even though over a thousand years have passed and the dragon’s blood has thinned out, Aira had definitely felt an unusual power stirring faintly in her blood when she absorbed the relic.
Now, in this life, Aira felt that energy from the relic bursting from deep within her, much stronger than before.
“…my late mother’s words.”
At this, Count Marcellin’s eyebrows twitched again. Aira’s mother, the former Countess, had died when Aira was ten years old. As soon as she had passed, the Count had brought his illegitimate daughter from the countryside to live in the main estate. This girl, born just a few months after Aira, was named Luna, and Aira had grown up close to her, treating her like a dear friend.
“Her words?”
“Yes. She told me to always listen to you, Father. She said that while you may be strict, you’re also a wise man.”
Hearing this, the Count cleared his throat, looking somewhat pleased with Aira’s flattery. His expression softened, as though he liked what she was saying.
‘To fix the fate I’ve been given a second chance so I need Father’s help. After all, you were never my enemy.’
Count Marcellin would die of tuberculosis two years after Aira got married. Once he was gone, all the household duties would land on her half-sister Luna. In the meantime, Aira had been caught up with royal duties under Julius’s watch, and looking back, Luna’s way of handling things was completely off.
She had faked her documents to pretend her deceased mother was the former Countess, trying to clean up her history. She even added her own name to the official family registry as the legitimate heir to the Count’s title. Now Aira could see that this was all part of a plan to make Luna a suitable wife for someone like Xavier.
“I see. It looks like you’ve finally come to your senses. If you’re willing to help the family now…”
The Count pushed the stack of papers aside and looked at her seriously.
“As your father, I will do everything I can to support you.”
Aira smiled and nodded.
“Yes, Father.”
Repairing her relationship with her father would help her in the future.
“Before I see the Empress today, I have a favor to ask…”
“Go ahead.”
“I want to bring Luna with me.”
At this, Count Marcellin raised an eyebrow.
“Luna?”
Aira nodded, smiling brightly.
“Luna is both my sister and my closest friend. But because she was born to a commoner, it’s hard for her to find a suitable marriage match.”
The Count’s expression darkened slightly as he nodded. The Calanta Empire was a strictly class-based society. Aira and Luna were half-sisters, and though they had both lost their mothers but their positions were different depending on their mothers’ status. Aira was born as a noblewoman and could marry into royalty or high-ranking noble families, while Luna, the daughter of a commoner, would be lucky to marry into a lower-tier noble family.
“If the Empress takes notice of her, who knows what could happen? Luna is sweet and has a lovely personality, so I’m sure the Empress will take a liking to her.”
The Count seemed intrigued by this idea, nodding thoughtfully. To Aira, who had returned from such a dreadful fate, Luna was someone she needed to exact her revenge on. But to Count Marcellin, who knew nothing, Luna was simply a pitiable daughter of low birth, so this suggestion seemed like a good one to him.
“Alright, that sounds like a fine idea. Go ahead.”
“Yes, Father.”
With Count Marcelin’s permission in hand, Aira gave him a bright smile, bowed politely, and left the study.
When Aira had first realized she had returned to the past, and especially when she remembered that today was the day of her first meeting with Empress Julius, she had felt a surge of satisfaction.
“Miss, I’ve informed Miss Luna to get ready as you asked,” said Gemma, Aira’s maid, with a slightly sulky expression as she met Aira outside the study.
“You really do go out of your way for her… I don’t see what’s so great about Miss Luna.”
Aira chuckled at Gemma’s comment. There had been a time when she hadn’t known her enemies and had genuinely cared for Luna with all her heart.
“Gemma, not all gifts are good, you know.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll only know what’s inside after you open it. You can’t judge a gift just by how pretty the box is.”
Gemma felt a chill run down her spine at Aira’s expression. Had her lady always been capable of making such a cold and chilling expression?
**
“Miss Luna, the maids have brought the dresses.”
Luna, with her short, cute dark brown hair, was happily humming to herself as she watered the flowers in her garden. Hearing the maid, Amy, call her, Luna flashed a bright smile as if she had been waiting for this moment.
Luna, who had inherited her mother’s fair, flawless skin and a sweet, lovely smile, had a charm that could make even other women’s hearts flutter.
“I’m so excited. I can’t believe this opportunity has come to me…”
Luna hurried out of the garden and walked down the corridor.
“Nobody knows how long I’ve waited for this day.”
Unlike Aira, who used the southern chamber, Luna resided in the northern quarters. Farther away from the garden. Still, it was far better than the gloomy house where she’d lived until she was ten, so she had no complaints.
“Lady Aira will be wearing a lavender dress. How about pink for you, Miss Luna?” Amy suggested, thinking the lovely color would suit Luna perfectly.
But Luna shook her head.
“If I wear that, I’ll look more like the main character than Aira. Today’s her day, after all. I’ve heard the Empress is kind, but very strict.”
“Really?” Amy asked in surprise.
“Aira went through all this trouble to give me this opportunity, so I need to do my best. I think I’ll go for a simple gray dress with a black corsage. Black shoes, too.”
Amy nodded in agreement, impressed by Luna’s thoughtfulness.
“And as for accessories, I think an emerald necklace would be perfect. Even if the outfit is plain, a bold accessory keeps things elegant.”
“The one you received from… him?” Amy shouted excitedly but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Luna’s secret affair with a mysterious lover was something that couldn’t be shared with anyone.
Even though noble families usually set up marriages through formal talks, there were still some who fell in love secretly, away from their families’ watchful eyes. The curly-haired noble, Luna, sometimes sneaked out to meet him on moonlit nights; he once gave her a gorgeous emerald necklace, hinting that he came from a rich family.
“I’m sorry,” Amy quickly apologized.
“It’s fine… But how do I look? Am I beautiful again today?”
Luna’s beauty was so pure and striking, like a solitary white lily standing out in a field. The maid, enchanted, just nodded absentmindedly.
