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Chapter : 03
The moment I saw Luciano, I knew for certain.
No matter who looked at him, he was clearly the male lead.
Even standing still, he seemed to sparkle, and if he were beside Rebecca—the female lead—they would look incredibly well matched.
They were the couple the author tried to bring together even at the cost of sacrificing others.
In the novel, it was mentioned countless times how perfectly suited they were.
“It’s not like the protagonist’s story needs someone like me anyway. I die before the original story even begins.”
In other novels, people know what will happen in advance and prepare for it—but I couldn’t even do that. It made me feel bitter and resentful toward God.
What on earth did I do wrong…?!
Sure, when I was young I was immature, thought money could solve everything, and believed everyone had to love me—but I reflected on that and tried to live properly!
I had no idea what I was supposed to do, and I was angry at myself—and at the fact that I had possessed someone else’s body.
I vented my frustration by splashing the bathwater violently.
“Damn it….”
“Madam, I’ll light the incense.”
While I was trying to calm myself down, I heard a maid’s voice from outside.
“Alright. Just do that and then go rest.”
“Yes, madam.”
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I cleared my throat and sent the maid away.
When I entered the room in my slip, the scent of lavender soothed my nerves.
“They say humans are creatures of adaptation… I can’t believe this already feels normal.”
Sighing at how accustomed I’d become to being attended by maids, I opened the letter Lysianthus had sent.
What? There’s nothing important here.
Despite being nervous because it was my first letter from him, there was nothing of substance inside.
He must have cherished Estelline a lot…
The letter contained only simple greetings—how much he missed me, whether I was feeling well.
I placed the letter back on the bedside table and collapsed onto the bed.
Hoping that tomorrow I might finally be able to have a proper conversation with Luciano.
The next morning, I opened my eyes.
“Madam? Were you coughing?”
“Yes, come in.”
Cassia approached my bed carrying a basin of water.
“Do you have anywhere you plan to go today?”
“I should go to the imperial palace to see my sister.”
“Her Majesty the Empress?”
“She said she was lonely and asked me to visit. How could I refuse?”
“I’ll prepare the carriage.”
“Alright.”
“Will you be returning with the Duke today?”
“Well… if Luciano comes home, then maybe.”
“I understand.”
I was momentarily flustered by Cassia asking about Luciano, but I answered naturally without showing it.
As if Luciano would be crazy enough to come back with me.
After a light breakfast, I prepared to go to the palace.
Since the imperial palace was the center of the empire, even the highest-ranking nobles had to observe countless formalities.
In particular, to enter the palace, one had to wear a button engraved with their family crest—no exceptions.
“Ah! I—I’m so sorry!! Madam…!”
But something happened.
A young-looking maid stepped on my dress, staining it.
Tch….
I frowned slightly, and seeing that, the maid prostrated herself even more deeply, begging for forgiveness.
“Get up first.”
“Please spare me…! If I’m expelled from here, my younger siblings will die!!”
Perhaps she had heard my notorious reputation, because she sobbed uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down her face.
“I told you to get up.”
Though irritated, I spoke as gently as I could.
“Sniff….”
“I have no intention of killing you or throwing you out. So stop crying first.”
I handed her a handkerchief from the vanity.
“Thank you so much….”
“It’s just a dress. I can buy another one.”
“But this is formal wear with the family crest button….”
“Then I simply won’t wear formal attire today.”
“Madam! That won’t do.”
Dahlia exclaimed in alarm.
“Violating imperial etiquette is an affront to the dignity of the imperial family.”
“Then do I have any other formal outfits?”
“There is one made three months ago, but you said it was tacky and told us to put it away.”
“Then bring that one. It’ll be less tacky than the older ones.”
“Yes, madam.”
The formal dress the maid brought was not tacky at all.
Seriously… what part of this is tacky?
The combination of blue and silver was exquisite.
The skirt flared elegantly downward, and delicate embroidery adorned the hem.
The button bearing the family crest was fastened at the wrist.
“Are you sure this is alright, madam…?”
“I like it, so don’t worry.”
I said this while looking at the still-gloomy maid.
“Let’s go now. At this rate, my sister will grow tired of waiting.”
“Yes, madam.”
With a blue parasol that matched my dress, I boarded the carriage.
“Where shall I take you, madam?”
“To the imperial palace.”
“Yes, madam.”
The palace was very close.
As a powerful ducal family with immense influence, our estate was located near the imperial grounds.
“Madam, we’ve arrived.”
“I might be late, so rest comfortably.”
“Yes, madam.”
I stepped down from the carriage and followed an attendant.
“Her Majesty the Empress has been waiting eagerly for Your Grace.”
“My sister?”
“Yes. Ever since she had a major argument with His Majesty the Emperor yesterday morning, she’s been asking for you.”
“She had a big fight with the Emperor?”
Well, their relationship was terrible in the original story.
In the novel, the relationship between the Emperor and the Empress was disastrous.
The Emperor doted on Luciano, while the Empress adored her younger sister, Estelline.
But when Luciano treated Estelline coldly—and Estelline died at the young age of twenty-one—the Empress grew even more hostile toward him.
Then, as if that weren’t enough, Rebecca, a princess from the Kingdom of Etoile whom the Empress loathed, came to the empire and became Luciano’s lover. That made her hate them even more, and her relationship with the Emperor—who trusted them—deteriorated further.
Come to think of it, there was a major incident before the novel even started! How did I forget that?
The attempted assassination of the Empress.
Because of that incident, the Empress came to deeply despise the Kingdom of Etoile.
Since an assassin from Etoile nearly killed her.
As I walked behind the attendant, I thought,
I have to stop this too.
I wouldn’t be able to stop the assassin from coming—but at least I could prevent the Empress from being harmed.
Because she’s seriously injured in that incident, and her life is in danger.
Fortunately, there was still plenty of time before that happened.
The incident occurred in the spring of Estelline’s twenty-first year—before her death.
“We’ve arrived at the Empress’s palace.”
“I see.”
As I stood before the doors, the attendant announced my arrival.
“Your Majesty the Empress! Her Grace the Grand Duchess of Winfoste is here to see you.”
“Let her in.”
At the voice from inside, the doors opened.
Inside, seated indifferently on the highest throne, was the Empress—Lysianthus la Prizenne.
The moment she saw me, she broke into a bright, delighted smile.
“Welcome! My beloved sister!”
“It’s been a while, Sister.”
Thinking of my sister from my previous life, I smiled softly.
Remembering her made me feel more at ease, but I was still tense.
If she ever realized I wasn’t the real Estelline, I wouldn’t be able to face Lysianthus.
So I imitated the refined speech patterns of noble ladies from the novel.
Thanks to the etiquette I’d learned as a child, it wasn’t too difficult.
“Do you know how depressed I’ve been?”
“I’ve been busy too. But more importantly, I heard you had a big fight with His Majesty.”
At my words, Lysianthus’s face twisted into a deep frown.
“Don’t speak of Khalid.”
“Why did you fight? If rumors are spreading, it must be serious.”
“It is serious… it concerns the future of the empire.”
I could guess what the argument had been about.
Succession, obviously.
“Tell me properly from the beginning.”
“Well, what happened is….”
It wasn’t exactly a small matter.
Lysianthus and Khalid, both twenty-three, had been married for eight years, yet had no heir. Because of this, the Dowager Empress and the aristocratic faction pressured the Emperor to consummate with the imperial consort.
“That’s it?”
“It’s not ‘just that’! If this continues, Khalid will consummate with her, and she’ll eventually become pregnant. That greedy woman will use it as a pretext to steal my position!”
Lysianthus cried out in frustration.
“I didn’t become Empress for this!”
“Sister….”
“You know why I chose Khalid. He promised me eternal love….”
“E-eternal love…??”
It was a phrase that suited neither Khalid nor Lysianthus—the worst couple imaginable.
“I could accept taking in an imperial consort! But I can’t accept her sleeping with Khalid and bearing his child! And yet Khalid is only hesitating when I say that!! He keeps postponing intimacy with me, claiming my health is weak!”
“Your health is weak?”
Right—Lysianthus had suffered a miscarriage.
In the novel, the dead child was always mentioned whenever they fought.
“Yes. Ever since I nearly died back then, Khalid barely sleeps with me. How could an heir be born if we don’t even consummate?”
Her voice grew louder with agitation.
“Sister! Others will hear you.”
“That’s why we fought yesterday….”
So before the original story began, were they actually on good terms?
I was deeply confused.
It was hard to believe that such a hostile couple had once been one of the rare love matches in aristocratic society.
“Your Majesty. His Majesty the Emperor has arrived. What shall we do?”
“Tell him I can’t see him right now. I’m with the Grand Duchess.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
There was some commotion outside, but Lysianthus ignored it and grabbed my arm.
“Forget Khalid. We’ve finally met after so long—let’s just talk.”
We sat at a table and drank tea together.
“How are things with the Duke?”
“The same as always.”
“I’ve noticed he’s practically living at the palace these days.”
“He’s the empire’s only Grand Duke. He must be busy.”
“As far as I know… the work he was handling at the palace ended four days ago.”
Lysianthus glanced at me as she spoke.
“Ended…?”
I was dumbfounded.
That meant Luciano had been deliberately avoiding me.
“Ha…!”
“Are you alright?? I didn’t say something unnecessary, did I??”
“Of course not. You always say exactly what I need to hear.”
I forced a smile, lifting lips that refused to rise.
It feels like I see flames burning in my younger sister’s eyes.
Thinking that, Lysianthus took a sip of her tea.
