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Chapter 2
“Father.”
When Aira entered the office, the Marcelline Count looked at her coldly.
He turned his attention back to the piles of documents on his desk and answered bluntly.
“You left as if you never wanted to appear in front of me again. What brings you here now?”
Aira remembered that she and her father had not been on good terms at this time.
Before her marriage to Xavier, the Count had repeatedly told Aira to work for the benefit of the Marcelline family.
But Aira had been completely focused on her love for Xavier. She cared more about him than about her own family.
Looking back now, Father was right.
As Xavier’s wife, caring about her own family might have seemed selfish. But the strength and influence of her family were directly connected to her own position.
Because Aira had stubbornly followed her own principles, she failed to build a strong foundation for herself.
As a result, she became dependent on her mother-in-law, Julius.
Julius controlled what Aira saw and heard, so Aira never realized what they were secretly planning.
Meanwhile, the Marcelline family continued to decline.
After her father died, the family quickly became so weak that it was almost impossible for them to survive.
“I was wrong.”
The Count’s eyebrow moved slightly when he heard Aira’s words.
He slowly looked up at her.
Aira continued as she walked closer.
“I was wrong, Father.”
Aira stopped in front of him.
Her eyebrows were straight, and her eyes were filled with certainty.
Aira had never been the type of daughter who easily admitted that she was wrong, so the Count was confused.
He stared at her suspiciously.
“Why have you suddenly changed your mind?”
“Because I…”
Aira’s crimson eyes seemed deeper and brighter than before.
“I remembered.”
One of the oldest legends of the Kalanta Empire was the legend of the dragon.
According to the empire’s founding myth, a dragon named Marcelline descended to the human world as an agent of the creation god Ermedia.
The dragon gave the people a holy artifact made from its own heart.
The artifact’s power was said to protect the empire and the imperial family forever.
The Marcelline Count family was founded by this legendary dragon, Marcelline.
Although the dragon’s blood had become weaker after passing through countless generations over a thousand years, Aira had clearly felt a strange power flowing faintly through her blood when she absorbed the holy artifact.
And now, after returning to the past, Aira could still feel the power of the holy artifact moving deep inside her body.
Her mind had also become much clearer and calmer.
Could this sharp and clear mind also be because of the holy artifact?
“I remembered what my mother told me before she died.”
The Count’s eyebrow moved again.
Aira’s mother, the former Countess, had died when Aira was ten years old.
After her death, the Count brought his illegitimate daughter, who had been living in a house outside the capital, into the Count’s residence.
That girl was Luna.
She was only a few months younger than Aira.
Aira had once been very close to Luna. Because Luna was mature and kind-hearted, Aira treated her like a close friend.
“What did she tell you?”
“She told me that I should listen to Father.”
Aira smiled.
“She said that although you are strict, you are also a wise person.”
The Count cleared his throat.
“Hmm.”
He seemed pleased by Aira’s words, and his expression became softer.
To change the fate I have been given, I need Father’s help.
And Father… at least, he was never my enemy.
The Marcelline Count would die from a lung disease two years after Aira’s marriage.
After his death, control of the family would eventually fall into Luna’s hands.
At that time, Aira had been busy handling imperial matters under Julius, so she had not paid attention to what was happening in her own family.
Looking back, Luna’s actions had made no sense.
She had falsified documents and changed her deceased mother into the former Countess, hiding her true background.
She had even placed her own name in the official family records as the heir.
Now Aira understood the reason.
Luna had been preparing everything so that, once her plans were complete, she could become Xavier’s wife without any shame or obstacle.
“Yes. Now you finally understand me.”
The Count moved some of the documents aside and spoke seriously.
“If you are willing to work hard for our family, then as your father, I will do everything I can to support you.”
Aira smiled softly and nodded.
“Yes, Father.”
Repairing her relationship with the Marcelline Count would be very useful for everything she planned to do.
“There is one thing I want to ask before I meet the Imperial Consort today…”
“Tell me.”
“I want to take Luna with me.”
The Count’s eyebrow rose.
“Luna?”
Aira nodded with a bright smile.
“Luna is my sister and my closest friend. But because her mother was a commoner, it will be difficult for her to find a good marriage.”
The Count’s expression became slightly serious, and he nodded.
The Kalanta Empire was a society with a strict class system.
Aira and Luna were half-sisters, and both of their mothers were dead.
However, their positions were completely different because of their mothers’ social status.
Aira was the daughter of a noblewoman, so she could marry a member of the imperial family or a powerful noble family.
Luna, on the other hand, was the daughter of a commoner.
Even marrying a low-ranking nobleman would be considered a very good match for her.
“If Luna gets noticed by the Imperial Consort today, she might receive a good marriage proposal.”
Aira smiled.
“Luna is cute and kind, so I’m sure the Imperial Consort will like her.”
The Count seemed interested in the idea and nodded.
For Aira, who had returned from such a terrible future, Luna was an enemy who deserved terrible revenge.
But to the Count, who knew nothing about the future, Luna was simply his daughter who had been born into an unfortunate situation.
So Aira’s suggestion sounded like a good idea.
“Yes. That’s a very good idea. Do it.”
“Yes, Father.”
After receiving her father’s permission, Aira smiled, bowed to him, and left the office.
When Aira first realized that she had returned to the past, she had been extremely happy.
And when she discovered that today was the day she would first meet Julius, she was even more pleased.
The first stroke is important when creating a perfect painting.
She was going to carefully create the picture of her revenge.
“Miss. Just as you asked, I told Miss Luna to get ready.”
As soon as Aira left the office, her maid Gemma spoke with a slightly unhappy expression.
“Honestly, Miss… I don’t understand why you care so much about Miss Luna. What’s so special about her?”
Aira quietly laughed.
In her previous life, she had been unable to recognize her enemy.
She had cared for Luna with all her heart.
“Gemma, not every gift is a good thing.”
“Huh?”
“You won’t know what’s inside until you open it.”
Aira smiled.
“A beautiful gift box can contain anything.”
Gemma suddenly felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Aira’s expression.
Could my lady always make an expression like that?
✦ ✦ ✦
“Miss Luna, the maids have brought your dresses.”
Luna was watering the flowers in her garden while humming happily.
She had cute, short, dark-brown hair.
When she heard her maid Amy calling her, Luna smiled as if she had been waiting for this moment.
She had beautiful, pale skin like her mother and a lovely smile.
Even another woman would find her charming.
“I’ve been looking forward to this so much. I can’t believe I was given such an opportunity…”
Luna quickly left the garden and walked down the hallway.
“No one knows how long I’ve been waiting for today.”
Unlike Aira, who lived in the southern private rooms, Luna lived in the northern rooms.
Her room was farther away from the garden, but it was still much better than the gloomy house where she had lived until she was ten.
So Luna had no reason to complain.
“I heard Miss Aira is wearing a lavender dress.”
Amy looked at Luna and suggested:
“Wouldn’t pink look nice on you?”
But Luna shook her head.
“Then I would look more like the main character than Aira.”
She smiled.
“Today is supposed to be Aira’s important day. I’ve heard that the Imperial Consort is kind, but also very strict.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Aira prepared this opportunity for me, so I need to do my best.”
Luna thought for a moment.
“I think a simple gray dress with a black corsage would be good. And I’ll wear black shoes.”
Amy nodded.
Miss Luna really is thoughtful.
“And for accessories, I think the emerald necklace would be perfect.”
Luna smiled.
“Even if the dress is simple, a beautiful accessory can add elegance.”
“Oh, the one you received from…”
Amy suddenly raised her eyebrows excitedly.
Then she quickly covered her mouth.
Having a secret lover was something Luna could never tell anyone.
In the empire, most marriages were arranged between families.
However, some people secretly fell in love and met each other away from their families’ eyes.
Luna sometimes secretly met a curly-haired nobleman when the moon was full.
He had given her an extremely expensive emerald necklace, so he seemed to come from a very wealthy family.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
Luna then looked at herself.
“How do I look? Do I look beautiful today too?”
Luna had a pure and eye-catching beauty, like a beautiful lily.
Amy stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding.
“Yes, Miss. You look beautiful.”
