T/N: Hi hi! I have decided to change Patricia’s title to Imperial Consort. Her previous title did not convince me at all since it said nothing about her position in the Imperial Family. Sorry for the confusion.
Using the excuse of touring the gardens, Edith was able to take a full tour of the Imperial Palace and gather quite a bit of information.
The most impressive information she obtained today was how Patricia was treated within the Palace.
『 I heard that she doesn’t reside in the Empress’s Palace but in a separate palace.』
With the position of the Emperor’s Wife still vacant, if the Imperial Consort Dowager had the power to rival the Emperor, she would have resided in the Empress’s palace or in a nearby palace.
However, Patricia’s residence was located some distance from the main buildings of the Imperial Palace.
『 If she didn’t have the child of the previous emperor, she wouldn’t receive this kind of treatment.』
From a distance, Edith couldn’t see the interior decorations, but there weren’t any particularly extravagant decorations near the Imperial Consort Dowager’s palace.
The only things she saw were carefully preserved roses that had been treated with magic to prevent them from withering and some small sculptures.
“Thank you for the tour.”
After finishing the sightseeing, Edith thanked the Emperor’s attendant who had guided her, and got out of the carriage.
She planned to wait near the building where Helen was attending to her official duties, with Walter and Cassius serving as her escorts.
Walter made a remark, recalling how the Emperor had been gazing at Edith for a significant amount of time.
“Anyway, the Emperor is much taller and more handsome than I expected.”
However, Edith didn’t know that this was a leading question from Walter and agreed with it.
“That’s right. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. Even from another man’s perspective, does His Majesty seem that way?”
“…”
Cassius, who was walking one step behind them, had to bite the inside of his mouth to suppress his laughter.
Walter’s eyes began to burn.
“It seems like you planned to work in the Palace, earning the Emperor’s favor.”
It was only then that Edith detected his jealousy and casually nodded.
“I guess that’s somewhat true. It’s always nice to have one more benefit, you know.”
“…”
Cassius suppressed a laugh once again.
He thought that being sarcastic and sly was something only Walter could do, but now it seemed like Edith was becoming more like him.
It seemed that the saying ‘People who like each other resemble each other’ was true.
“It’s a bit of a shame. If His Majesty had a Prince or a Crown Prince who inherited his blood, he would have been an incredibly handsome man.”
Walter responded as if he wanted to challenge the hypothetical Prince or Crown Prince to a duel.
“You must be disappointed that there is no prince, very disappointing.”
While they were chatting about trivial matters, they made their way towards Helen, who was almost done with her work.
However, at that moment, someone appeared in front of them.
『 Who is this?』
Mrs. Gray had provided small portraits along with the names and faces of key figures, emphasizing the importance of courtesy to those of higher status.
The woman in front of her wasn’t in the provided material, which meant that she was not of higher status.
“Lady Fortrion seems to lack etiquette.”
But the woman in front of her was acting as if not being polite was rude.
Edith briefly considered bowing her head, but she chose not to in the end.
She couldn’t bring herself to bow to someone who seemed to be looking down on her.
When the woman realized Edith wasn’t going to yield, she spoke first.
“I guess you don’t know who I am. I am Viscountess Carter.”
“Ah…”
Upon hearing the name, Edith remembered reading articles about her in the newspaper. She was a noblelady who became a widow due to her husband’s sudden death.
She had no children, and her husband’s death seemed similar to Edith’s situation. However, seeing her in person, she appeared to be a completely different person.
『 Furthermore, the newspaper stated that this woman was Patricia’s closest associate and that she was aspiring to rely on Patricia’s power.』
Edith didn’t know whether this person was a lady-in-waiting or simply a close friend Patricia kept by her side, but one thing was clear.
“I’m Edith Fortrion. Nice to meet you.”
Edith had no intention of bowing to Viscountess Carter, who had a similar status to her. It was because showing respect to someone who didn’t require it was also a mistake made by those who didn’t understand etiquette.
Viscountess Carter was annoyed by her upright attitude.
She wondered why the Imperial Consort Dowager was giving the position she had long coveted as a lady-in-waiting to a clueless country girl like her.
“It seems like you don’t know much about the capital’s social circles.”
“I’m simply not overdoing the courtesies, as we share the same status.”
“What did you just say? Are you saying the countryside Fortrions and the Carters are the same?”
“It’s the title granted by His Majesty, not based on the size of one’s lineage.”
For prestigious noble families with established traditions and great honors, one would show more respect and politeness, but this did not apply to the woman before her.
Edith, having been toughened through Sophia’s numerous torments, now met such situations with a calm expression.
Viscountess Carter was left speechless by Edith’s unwavering demeanor.
『 How can someone’s mental strength be this strong?』
Usually, when one pressured someone like this, they would lower their head due to the pressure. However, Edith remained firm, as if she had been through a lot of hardships and struggles.
“Viscountess Carter, do you have some business with me?”
Edith’s question made Viscountess Carter very displeased, but she couldn’t simply abandon the errand given to her by Patricia.
“Her Highness Patricia wishes to have you as her lady-in-waiting.”
“…!”
Edith’s eyes trembled at her unexpected suggestion.
She could easily deal with Viscountess Carter, but the Imperial Consort Dowager was recognized as a member of the Imperial Family.
She was aware that Claude, the ten-year-old son of Patricia and the previous Emperor, was now first in line to the Imperial Throne.
『 I should be careful. My response might lead to trouble for Helen or the Fortrion territory.』
She thought that it would have been easier if she started a physical fight since two sturdy men were standing behind her who could have resolved the issue. However, with Patricia’s authority involved, she found it difficult to answer.
Viscountess Carter chuckled at her inability to respond.
“Don’t you know what an honor it is to be Her Highness’ lady-in-waiting?”
“…”
“If that’s not possible… perhaps there’s a reason you can’t serve as a lady-in-waiting?”
The Viscountess came closer to pressure Edith.
“Viscountess, you might fall.”
When it looked like Walter was going to step in, Cassius quickly cut off the conversation, pretending to check on Viscountess Carter’s safety.
Just when Viscountess Carter was once again trying to corner Edith, the Duke of Lexion, dressed in full uniform, approached from a distance.
“Viscountess Carter.”
His fierce predatory eyes revealed his authority more than the fluttering cloak he wore.
The Duke of Lexion had been at the pinnacle of power since birth and had not wavered at all. He was the type of person that Viscountess Carter feared most.
The two ladies showed their courtesy at the same time, but Viscountess Carter’s shoulders were particularly trembling.
“I was thinking of just passing by, but I was curious as to why this lady was so harsh on someone who was summoned to the Imperial Palace under the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…”
Under the pressure to explain, Viscountess Carter managed to squeeze out her voice.
“Her Highness Patricia wishes to have Lady Fortrion as her lady-in-waiting.”
Franz was very annoyed by her answer. Naturally, he frowned slightly.
“It seems that Lady Fortrion doesn’t have time to have an audience with Her Highness.”
Although he addressed Patricia as ‘Her Highness,’ the faint trace of sarcasm in Franz’s tone revealed that he did not respect Patricia in the slightest.
In reality, he had already seen through Patricia’s intentions in approaching Edith.
“Go and tell Her Highness. Now that Gerturk’s assassins have been discovered in my manor, it wouldn’t be wise to touch her just to restrain House Lexion.”
“…”
“If she’s curious about how Lexion will handle this, she can crawl further.”
『 Why did he suddenly appear and take her side?』
Viscountess Carter’s face was filled with doubt, but her fear of the Duke was even stronger.
“… Excuse me.”
After she left, the Duke looked at Edith as if he had become a different person.
“M’lady, how about joining me for a cup of tea at my manor after you finish your audience?”
“… Tea?”
When Edith flinched at the mention of tea, Franz realized his mistake. He had stopped drinking tea when his wife died and his daughters got married.
“I heard that some good rosemary tea arrived.”
The rosemary herbal tea did not fit Lexion’s standards at all, but Franz decided to take the safe route rather than cause an accident like the last time he tried to serve expensive tea.
“If it’s alright, I would like your escort knight to accompany us.”
His request carried a sense of urgency.
Both Walter and Edith were able to guess the reason for the Duke’s sudden change of heart.
After exchanging glances for a moment, Edith answered with a polite smile.
“I was in a difficult situation, so I appreciate Your Grace for helping me.”
“…”
“However, I’m afraid it might be challenging to join Your Grace for some tea. If you want to return the necklace, you can send it to someone else.”
Despite his sensitivity when it came to his daughter, Edith remembered well when he threatened her using his magic power.
The fear from that time still lingered, and as a result, she wasn’t eager to engage in private conversations with the Duke.
Walter, too, had no desire to spend time with the Duke since he had treated Edith poorly.
Franz’s facial muscles stiffened as he was taken aback by the rejection, which was more resolute than expected.
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