Angelina Arinasta returned quietly.
The emperor felt relieved that she had finally come when he heard that she had entered the palace.
Angelina smiled brightly as soon as she saw the emperor.
That’s all.
“I’m here.”
“…. Welcome.”
The emperor greeted her with a subtle expression.
She looked at him like that and smiled.
“It’s been a long time, you’ve aged a lot.”
“….”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who aged.”
She said with a bitter smile.
Then she looked at the emperor and said,
“I’m planning to hold a reception to announce my return.”
“A reception?”
The emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
“Yes, a very grand one.”
“Isn’t it too soon for a reception?”
“Not at all. It’s my welcome reception. It should be held as soon as possible.”
“Angelina.”
The emperor called her name.
“I am very happy to have returned.”
Angelina spoke firmly, as if she knew what the emperor was going to say.
“So we must commemorate this moment.”
The emperor’s opposition meant that he would not listen.
The emperor, who understood her intentions, did not say anything more.
She had forgotten momentarily after seeing him for a long time.
It was a moment when Princess Angelina Arinasta was determined and resolute in her decisions.
It was then that the emperor’s eyes darkened.
“Come to think of it, there was one thing.”
“…?”
“Something you couldn’t do as you wished and eventually gave up on.”
At that moment, a subtle twitch appeared on Angelina’s face.
“Yes, that’s right.”
She muttered despondently under her breath.
“That did happen.”
Angelina murmured dryly.
“So from now on, I will not give up on anything.”
She spoke firmly as if declaring to the emperor.
It was not to seek the emperor’s permission.
It was to inform him of her intentions.
***
Prince Frederick approached quickly. And with a bright smile, he opened his mouth.
“It’s been a while, Aunt.”
Frederick warmly greeted her.
“You’ve grown so much.”
Angelina looked at Frederick with a hint of sarcasm and said, “The empress has aged a lot.”
“Is that so? I only know your face from the portrait.”
“It’s rare to see you smile like this.”
And the emperor really liked that look, Angelina looked at Frederick with a longing smile.
“Enough with the greetings, please take a seat.”
After the emperor spoke, the three of them sat in the seats arranged in the audience room.
They drank tea and exchanged brief stories and asked about each other’s well-being.
The emperor brought up the topic of where she would stay now that she had returned.
“I’ve instructed to renovate the princess palace where you used to live before marriage.”
In his own way, the emperor had been concerned about the things she would need when she returned.
“I suppose living there would be better.”
And the decision was made with consideration for her. But Angelina firmly opened her mouth while looking at the emperor.
“I will not live in the palace.”
“What?”
The emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at Angelina. She calmly continued, “I already have a mansion in mind.”
Before coming to the palace, she had already looked for and finalized a contract through her nanny.
“You don’t have to live outside.”
The emperor said. But Angelina didn’t waver. “I was born and raised in the palace, and this was my home until I got married.”
Angelina continued to talk about what the palace meant to her.
“Because my hometown and home is the palace, I ended up marrying someone I didn’t want to.”
Angelina smiled sadly as she remembered that time. Her voice had softened slightly.
“So when I come back, I want to live outside the palace.”
Angelina expressed her resolute intention, looking the emperor straight in the eye.
She meant that she no longer wanted to be swayed by the affairs of the palace. The emperor’s expression hardened.
He seemed to frown as if displeased, then slowly returned to an impassive face.
And he calmly spoke.
“Alright. Let it be so.”
The emperor, already aware of her firm resolve, said.
“Angelina.” The emperor called her.
“Are you resentful towards me?”
“……No,” she said calmly, with a faint smile.
Her face was gentle, but her gaze was determined.
“I just have a lot of enthusiasm. I’ve decided to live properly.”
When she spoke, it was clear that she had made a decision.
“Alright. Anyway, if it’s going to end in divorce, I should live well.”
“I will. No matter what happens.” Angelina said with a firm smile.
“Auntie. I hope you can do whatever you want as much as you want.”
At Frederick’s words, a gentle smile spread across Angelina’s face.
“Frederick. One of the things that makes me happy to return to the empire is that I can see my nephew more often.”
Angelina expressed her affection towards him.
After meeting the emperor, the news of Angelina Arinasta’s return spread quickly among a few prominent households within half a day.
***
As Madam was listening to the report in the boutique, she thought as expected, Princess Angelina had returned.
“It’s true that she has returned.”
She was living in a mansion instead of the palace, just as in the original story.
Erin was looking forward to the day she would meet her.
Erin got up from her seat and walked briskly out of the room.
She was heading towards Aiden’s study.
Meanwhile, Aiden was listening to reports about various businesses from Felix.
Especially, he was closely monitoring the businesses that the elders had been in charge of recently.
“The situation around the mine has been chaotic for a while now.”
Felix said as he handed over a related report.
“It would be good to inspect it personally, but…”
Felix trailed off as he looked at Aiden over his glasses.
“That would be difficult.”
Aiden muttered softly as if he understood what he was trying to say.
“Yes.”
Aiden furrowed his brow.
Fundamentally, it’s Lienster’s business, but there have been long-standing rules.
Unless there is a major flaw in the elders’ business operation, we will trust and leave it to them.
So this was an area that should not be violated between Lienster and the elders.
Aiden’s face darkened and hardened in an instant. But at that moment, footsteps were heard outside the door.
Aiden and Felix turned their heads at the same time.
The door opened, and Erin’s face appeared.
“Aiden. I heard that Lady Quiness, no, Her Highness the Princess, has returned.”
Erin immediately brought up the main topic with Aiden. While Erin and Aiden were conversing, Felix lightly bowed to Erin and stepped back. As Erin spoke, Aiden pushed a teacup in front of her.
“The Princess probably plans to conduct business in the empire from now on.”
“That’s probably the case.” Aiden nodded in agreement.
She hadn’t done anything for the family as the Duchess of Quiness during the past few hours.
Of course, even if she had tried, the Duke of Quiness would not have trusted her and handed over the business to her.
But during her time living as the Duchess of Quiness, she did not sit idle.
In fact, she used a pseudonym to conduct various businesses there.
The Duke of Quiness suffered losses with every business he touched, and if it weren’t for the longstanding family business, he would have ruined the family long ago.
On the other hand, she had a natural talent for business and produced amazing results. But when she returned after her divorce, she wrapped up all those businesses without any regret.
Aiden knew this fact. So even after returning to the empire, he expected her to start another business.
“She’s already recognized the café ‘Angela,'” it was Angelina who found out who the true owner of Angela was.
Elin told Aiden everything except for the part about Brody.
“If the princess wants, I am willing to help. What do you think?”
“That business is under Elin’s jurisdiction already. If she wants, she can do it.”
Aiden answered without hesitation,
“In fact, I also proposed a business direction in the matter of the division of assets in Your Highness’s divorce.”
“…Yes.”
Aiden already knew Erin’s thoughts.
And he trusted her.
Erin looked at Aiden, who didn’t give her time to hesitate, with preciousness.
At that moment, Erin recalled what she had been hiding from Aiden.
She glanced downward, hesitating with her lips pressed together.
During this, she sensed Aiden’s keen gaze.
Erin turned her head to look at Aiden with a forced smile, and cautiously opened her mouth.
“Aiden. There’s something else I need to tell you.”
Erin adopted a serious expression and needed to talk to Aiden about Gael Zahard and the elder Siron.
Knowing that he wouldn’t be pleased if he found out she had met Gael separately, she knew this was not something to keep from Aiden.
Erin carefully and slowly began to speak.
“In fact, I met with Lord Zahard not long ago.”
“Yeah.”
Aiden responded calmly in a low voice to Erin’s confession. He was not surprised at all, nor did he seem uncomfortable with the fact that Erin had deceived him.
“Did you… know?”
