“Are you going to get me right now?”


  I muttered while looking at the colonized Imperial Carriage in front of me.

  I hate it, but it arrived in front of the Lombardy mansion just in time for the Empress’s dinner, which I decided to attend.

  It’s a very high-end carriage that everyone else would like, but my carriage is better.

  "Hello, Lady Lombardy. I’m here to pick you up to the Empress’s Palace."

  It was a proper treatment that ran all the way to the Empress’s Palace.

  "No, are you forcing me?"

  Don’t even think about not attending?

  Either way, I was in a bad mood.

  "……Yes?"

  "No, nothing."

  When I smiled broadly, the servant’s face turned a little red.

  "I think I need a footstool."

  When I pointed in front of the carriage where nothing had been laid, the Empress Palace servant replied in surprise.

  "Oh, I’m sorry! I’ll get you a footstool in a minute!"

  In a hurry, while the servant took out the footstool, I turned to the side of the main building.

  It was the side where I felt a strong gaze a little while ago.

  "Why do you look so fierce?"

  It was Seral who was staring at me to death.

  I usually didn’t know, but her staring face looks just like Empress Rabini.

  They must really be cousins.

  She must have felt that I was looking at her.

  Seral didn’t hide from my gaze.

  Rather, there was more fire in her eyes.

  It was obvious even if I didn’t ask why.

  She must be jealous because she feels like I’m going to the Empress’s dinner when she’s pushed out of the house.

  Seral know.

  It’s all against my will, after all, it was the Empress’s will.

  She just chose me because it was easier to hate me than to hate the Empress.

  But regardless of Seral’s feelings, if she keeps staring at me like that.

  "I want to tease you more."

  Then, the servant laid down the footstool in front of me.

  "Thank you."

  When I said thank you, the servant smiled shyly.

  I stepped on the footstool and got on the carriage.

  And I opened the window.

  I could still see Seral staring at me.

  Under these circumstances, ordinary nobles would stare at Seral, snort, and close the window.

  That is the general response.

  But I looked at Seral and raised my hand.

  And, gently.

  I shook my hand and smiled softly.2

  Then Seral was seen shaking her hands holding the hem of the dress with her eyes wide open.

  Seeing her mouth move, I think she’s been swearing at me.

  It’s just her mouth that was seen.

  I smiled and waved until the carriage started and Seral was no longer seen out of the window.1

  While leaving Lombardy and entering the Palace, the sun completely set.

  However, while looking blankly at the bright-lit Palace, a familiar path suddenly came in.

  "Uh, this is the first place I saw Perez."

  The place where my father was suddenly checked by knights who were ordered by the Empress.

  The carriage that picked me up was stopped.

  Perez’s back of his black hair passed through the woods, though it was too dark to see.

  Then I sneaked out of the carriage and met Perez.

  Skinny little Perez, grazing to survive.

  "Time flies."

  The one who was ridiculously small for his age because he couldn’t eat.

  I don’t know anything else, but I was amazed by him when I help Larane escape.

  The physical ability to hold me in one arm and run up to the terrace with bare hands.

  I also felt a little proud.

  Caitlyn and Kylus had a hard time raising children.

  Even if he wasn’t raised by me directly, it seemed like I raised him.

  Especially the arm that held me tightly so that I wouldn’t be afraid.

  Thumb-thumb!.

  My heart skipped a beat when I remembered that night.

  At the same time, a part of my mind became a little uncomfortable.

  "Mhmm."

  I took my eyes off the black forest and coughing.

  Fortunately, the carriage was already approaching the Empress Palace.

  "Huu haa."

  I took a deep breath to calm down.

  For now, Perez’s thoughts should be put aside.

  Because.

  Click.

  The carriage stopped and the door opened.

  And as soon as I got off, the Empress in her fancy dress approached.

  "Good job coming here, Lady Lombardy."

  The Empress came to meet me in front of the Empress’s Palace. (you want to pleased Tia, don’t even try to dream it)

  It was an unusual treat.

  And the Empress’s face, with her mouth, slightly curled up, seemed to be willing to treat me like that.

  "Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Empress."

  But I just said a simple greeting.

  "I don’t know where to put myself because you send me a carriage. Thanks to you, I’ve come so comfortably……"

  In general, no accompanying tribute was added.

  The Empress’s eyes were chilling.

  But I don’t give in to that extent.

  What do I do when you stare at me coldly?

  I stood face to face with my smiling face, without avoiding the Empress.

  The Empress was so beautifully decorated that it could make a loud sound.

  It was obvious that she cared more than usual.

  She wore more expensive dresses and more expensive jewelry all over her body.

  Every time the Empress moved, I could hear the sound of the jewels bumping into each other.1

  And I could feel the blue eyes of the Empress sweeping me from top to bottom.

  She’s trying to nitpick one of my clothes or accessories.

  I already knew that it was a method that the Empress often used to dominate the social circle.

  But the Empress’s silence was unintentionally prolonged.

  There’s nothing to pick on.

  Now I looked perfect from head to toe.2

  Of course, I wasn’t as conspicuously jeweled as the Empress.

  I wore a dress with a splendid but dignified theme of gold and red that was made using only the finest products.1

  The Empress must have noticed right away because she has a good eye.

  These shiny things in my dress are not just shiny pigments, but small jewels that the craftsman put in every detail.

  Probably more expensive than the dress the Empress is wearing.

  Not to mention the design is more beautiful and prettier.

  The simple earrings were made exclusively for me by Crowley from Diamond Workshop of Pellet Corporation.

  The long circle along my hair was made by the handcrafter and delicately connected platinum and diamond one by one.

  The Empress’s long eyelashes looked at me and trembled.

  She must have felt it herself.

  It’s beautiful, but it’s funny to see herself hanging on something.

  She seems to have been trying to break the bet with colorful jewels and trinkets she collected.

  Don’t try to beat Lombardy with money.

  It’s useless.

  "Empress?"

  I called the Empress with a smile.

  With an innocent face that doesn’t know anything.

  "Yes, did Lady Lombardy ever come to my dinner?"

  Empress, the experienced socialite, quickly managed her facial expression and asked.

  "I followed my father when I was very young, Empress."

  "Oh, yeah. The Young Lady Lombardy grew up like this and became engaged to the Second Prince."

  The Empress said with a very happy face.

  "How happy I was when I heard about the engagement of the Second Prince and the Lady Lombardy."1

  She was so happy that she broke everything in her Palace.4

  To the Empress’s response to the failure of the first-born succession law, I asked Bate to make it a special book and keep it.3

  You don’t know how good it feels to read it every time I’m bored.3

  "Today, we’ve set up a place exclusively for the Lady Lombardy, not for other guests. Aren’t we going to be a family soon, are we?"

  The Empress said with a good smile.

  I knew this would happen.

  It’s annoying to be invited to the Empress’s dinner, but I can’t believe I’m sitting face to face with her for a long course.

  Absolutely no.

  I knew this would happen, so I prepared it.

  I took a look around instead of answering.

  "Oh, there he is."

  On the other side of the Empress’s Palace in the west, I saw a group of people approaching across a large boulevard in the east.

  I thought he might not be able to make it on time just because he’s on the hunting ground.

  I called the man in front of the approaching crowd with a big smile.

  "Sir Perez."

  Perhaps he arrived at the Palace and changed his clothes and came back, Perez walked to me boasting his shining beauty as usual.

  And the first thing he did was.

  "Tia."

  It was to kiss the back of my hand with a soft voice.

  It was an act of ignoring everything about the Empress, a royal adult.

  But Perez only looked at me.

  "Lady Lombardy."

  Until the Empress calls me.

  "Did the Lady call the Second Prince……?"

  "Yes, the Empress invited me to dinner, so I wrote to see if he could join me."

  "That’s rude……"

  "You don’t mind if we have a nice meal together, Empress? We’re going to be a family soon."1

  The Empress kept her mouth shut so that she could no longer speak.

  It was something she said a while ago.

  The Empress forcedly raised the corners of her mouth because if she got angry with me over this problem, I would leave even before the dinner started.

  "Yes, the more guest the better. Let’s sit together, the Second Prince."

  The empress who said so glanced at me at the end of the sentence.

  Why, what. You said we’re a family soon?

  * * *

  It was such a boring occasion.

  The Empress persistently tried to appeal to me to the point where I thought it was a divine move to call Perez.

  And as the conversation continued, the purpose of the Empress who brought me here today became clearer.

  "Apparently, Cheshire is growing into an important commercial city connecting the Central and Southern regions. Where’s the Lord Gallahan Lombardy these days, Lady Lombardy?"

  In this way, all the questions are directed at my father, I can’t help but answer it.

  "Usually, he stays in Cheshire. My father is so affectionate that it is not an exaggeration to say that Cheshire is his second child."

  "Oh, I see. So that’s why Cheshire is growing fast day by day."

  The Empress seems to be more interested in Cheshire than I am.

  I wanted to get rid of this place quickly, so I pretended to be meaningless.

  "It connects the Central and Southern regions, but what makes Cheshire the most prosperous these days is the shipboard trade with the East."

  Tak.

  Sure enough.

  The Empress’s knife, which was quietly slicing the steak, fell off.

  At the same time, the atmosphere at the table cooled slightly.

  All right, this is the end of the dinner!

  But the Empress, who wiped her mouth with a white napkin, attacked me in a completely unexpected way.

  "By the way, the engagement of the Second Prince and the Lady Lombardy is a little surprising."

  Perez, who was drinking wine, also put down his glass, apparently realizing that the flow was strange.

  "I heard that you have such a deep affection for each other that you run together in front of His Majesty. I don’t feel that at all in the way you look right now."

  She wasn’t just saying it.

  The face of the smiling Empress had some strange conviction.

  It was clear that she doubted the relationship between me and Perez.

  Strangely enough, blue eyes that never lost their light came out and looked sharply at Perez.

  "It’s……"

  It was when I tried to fight back.

  Perez, who was sitting on my left, suddenly grabbed my hand.

  It wasn’t light touch, enough to put my hand on his.

  It was a little deep, digging between the fingers and pinching the fingers.

  And before I could stop it, he pulled my left hand slowly.

  "Pe, Perez……"

  Perez’s red eyes looked at me like they were burning.

  And his mouth kissed my finger with an engagement ring heavily.

  It’s so close.

  When I flinched slightly at the hot body temperature felt in my skin, looked dazzled to see the smile radiating around Perez’s eyes.

  "Second prince!"

  The Empress cried out as if it was rude.3

  But Perez was just a laid-back answer.

  "I couldn’t take her hand off once I touched it like this. I guess that’s what it looked like to the Empress."

  Perez’s thumb secretly rubbed the soft flesh between my fingers.1

  And he smiled as if looking at the Empress.

  "Then can I leave my seat and go somewhere undisturbed, Empress?"