Behind the maid who came running, breathless, another maid appeared.
The emblem of the Empress's palace was embroidered on the young maid's clothes.
"I've already made a prior arrangement with His Highness the Crown Prince, so please tell Her Majesty that I will visit her later."
I said it quietly.
There was dignity in my voice.
The flinching maid added urgently:
"W-well, that... Her Majesty the Empress said she had also secured His Highness the Crown Prince's understanding in advance."
I smiled brightly.
This wasn't the first time the Empress had treated me like this.
There had been times when she'd had me running around her palace all day, no matter where Leopold was.
"Let me verify that."
I responded briefly and called for Baroness Sophron.
A titled lady would know clearly—unlike a young maid who could be deceived.
It took a while, but I waited patiently.
The Grand Duke stood beside me and said nothing.
But the answer the Baroness brought was that Leopold had left the palace early in the morning.
"I was told to have dinner prepared in advance, as he may return late."
Baroness Sophron looked at me as she translated Leopold's words.
My head went cold at the assumption—embedded in her tone—that I would wait as expected.
A frigid smile lingered on my lips.
After sending a letter telling me to come urgently... Leopold breaks his promise to me again.
And the Empress, who'd made no promises at all, summoned me regardless of my schedule.
Unfortunately, all of this was revealed in front of the Grand Duke, who'd come with me today.
The excitement I'd felt moments ago was crushed beneath feelings of shame and humiliation.
I could feel the Grand Duke's eyes on me from the side.
I proudly lifted the tip of my chin.
I smiled brightly, as if it were no big deal.
Wearing the mask is something I'm good at.
"I suppose I'll have to leave for a while. Please feel free to look around."
"My lady."
I, who had been about to walk away, looked back at the Grand Duke.
He walked toward me with elegant gestures.
When he stood and faced me directly, I was surprised all over again by how tall he was.
The man naturally extended his hand to me.
"Could you at least allow me to escort you to the carriage?"
I laughed quietly.
The Grand Duke, holding my gaze, took my hand and slowly kissed the back of it.
My eyes widened as I felt soft lips brush across my skin.
Someone let out a small exclamation—"Oh my"—but even that sound didn't register.
The Grand Duke held my gaze persistently.
His deep red eyes shone so brightly they seemed to mesmerize anyone who looked.
"You see, I've always wanted to win."
The Grand Duke's voice was low.
His eyes—strange and enigmatic—sparkled provocatively for a moment before turning fully toward me.
"So it will be the same for my lady."
A languid voice tickled my ears.
And when the Grand Duke released my hand, I turned and began walking away.
The moment he watched my back—walking more gracefully than anyone else—the Grand Duke had a hunch.
His hopeful words had a very effective result on the young lady.
---
---
The reception room of the Empress's palace.
The Empress sat in her seat and gave orders to her maids with a falsely calm expression.
"I have a private conversation to discuss with the Princess. Everyone, please step outside."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Even the head nanny, Baroness Rujas, who'd been studying the Empress's face until the very end, left the parlor.
Only then did the Empress glare at me with poisonous eyes.
"Look here. I kept a lowly woman in silence as my son's fiancée—and then you repay my favor like this? I don't know what the Grand Duke has been whispering to you, but even now—kneel down, hit your head on the floor, and beg for my mercy. How dare you speak of things for which there is no evidence!"
Right. There will be no evidence.
The Empress felt a flicker of relief.
She'd repeatedly emphasized to me, from the time she'd first entrusted me with work, the importance of discretion.
"Lowly, foolish things try to leave evidence. Princess, always be careful not to let your tail be caught. Or use a tail you don't mind cutting off."
She'd always followed her mother's advice.
The maids who'd assisted me had been sent away to the outskirts of the country every few years.
Reports had always been delivered personally—so there was no way anyone else would have seen them.
In any case, she could make the excuse that Olivia had been brought in as a maid to help with work.
Though she came from a humble background, she did her work neatly without leaving traces.
Even a three-year-old would know whose word was more trustworthy—the Empress's, or the illegitimate Princess's.
The Empress lifted the tip of her chin proudly.
Thinking that her confident, smiling face somehow resembles Leopold's...
I pulled a piece of paper from my sleeve.
"This is a record of the use of my personal assets."
As expected, the Empress didn't even look up.
"What is that?"
"This is the story of how I used my personal wealth to restore the Retail estate that had fallen into crisis—while Your Majesty was scouring underground auctions looking for Lecalle's Necklace."
"What?!"
The Empress hurriedly snatched the paper.
On one page of the well-organized ledger, the use of the funds was clearly written.
"Do not lie! You disobeyed my orders and created double ledgers without permission?! The maids who were watching didn't say anything?!"
"It's not a double ledger—but a copy of my private ledger. When Your Majesty nearly destroyed the Miner territory, you told me to handle it with my own funds first. This is the record of me doing exactly that."
"Something like this can be forged as much as you want!"
The Empress shouted sharply.
But I simply smiled and pointed to one side of the ledger copy.
Even the seal and stamp from the president of the Empire's bank were identical to those from that time.
The Empress glared harshly at me, as if she'd decided to abandon her usual elegant, composed appearance.
Her bright blue eyes wavered aimlessly.
She seems to suit this look better than the one that stubbornly hides her true feelings.
I quietly looked at the Empress and spoke.
"I have no intention of revealing this separately. I came here simply to ask Your Majesty for a favor."
Ask?! You acted like you were threatening me—and now you say 'ask'?!
"Why is this happening all of a sudden?"
The Empress glared at me.
I looked down at the back of my hand for a moment—the place his lips had touched.
Then I smiled.