‘What should I do going forward?’

Hesion barely came home, always off doing who knows what, and the marquis was in no state to hold a conversation.

The only one she could rely on and trust was her only daughter, Verit.

In this hopelessly bleak situation, the marchioness swallowed her sigh.

If she let it out, Verit might tremble with even more anxiety.

“I get so upset when Mother gets hurt.”

Seeing a drop of blood on her palm, apparently cut by a shard of broken porcelain, Verit said tearfully.

“…I’m sorry.”

She couldn’t even make excuses. The marchioness apologized with a twisted expression.

Her heart ached thinking her anger was affecting Verit.

“I won’t do it again. So please, spend more time with me.”

“I will, Mother.”

When Verit obediently agreed, the marchioness wore a gentle smile.

But that only lasted a moment—seeing Haina standing behind her, her eyes turned cold.

“…Don’t you want to change maids?”

“Are you talking about Haina?”

“There are many maids with better skills. I can replace her anytime you want.”

Pfft—

A small snort was heard.

Even under the marchioness’s icy gaze, Haina remained unfazed.

How dare Verit refuse her?

She’d never accomplished a single thing in her life entirely on her own.

“I like Haina. She understands and accommodates everything I want. She’s especially good at picking out clothes and teaching me how to deal with my peers. She’s really helpful.”

“…Is that so?”

It seemed she’d properly stamped her mark on Verit.

Cunning wench. She didn’t like how she was using her innocent daughter to monitor the marquis’s household.

When in the end, she herself was nothing but a dog licking the empress’s toes.

“Oh, I have something I want to give you, Mother. I made it at the reading club hosted by the Marquisate of Borzenia a few days ago. I’ll go get it now.”

“You can give it to me later.”

“I want to give it to you now. Wait just a moment!”

When Verit left the room, silence descended.

The marchioness and Haina. Two people in a truly mismatched combination remained.

“How long are you staying?”

“Who knows. Her Majesty didn’t say anything specific, so I’m not sure.”

Haina answered with a shrug.

That confident attitude was infuriating.

She should fall to the bottom like herself—why was she still holding on?

“I can tolerate you messing with me, but I won’t tolerate you messing with my daughter.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

Haina covered her mouth with a mocking laugh.

The marchioness’s eyebrows twitched.

“Such tearful maternal love. Her Majesty should have seen this herself.”

At her still sneering attitude, the marchioness warned her.

“Haina, do you think you’ll be able to work at the empress’s side forever?”

Among the empress’s hands and feet, only two people were safe.

Her nanny and head maid, Mael.

Her terribly cherished younger sister, Diana Ren Arpi.

Anyone else could disappear without a trace at any time.

So she and Haina weren’t in such different positions.

However, the marchioness’s warning didn’t work at all—Haina stared at her with an expression that said she didn’t care about any of that.

“At least I’ll work longer than you.”

“Don’t regret it later.”

“If you end up going to hell, I have enough friendship to gladly shed tears for you.”

Who was talking about friendship with whom?

No matter how much she knew about her birth, a noble was still a noble.

Moreover, she was the only mistress of the Marquisate of La Voletta.

A commoner wasn’t in a position to lecture her.

Just as she was about to say more, Haina struck first.

“Oh, Her Majesty is very interested in Lady La Voletta.”

“…What?”

What did that mean? The empress was interested in Verit?

“She seems curious.”

It’s too interesting a piece of news to keep to myself.

Haina smiled slyly.

“…Don’t lie. You think I’ll believe you?”

It could just be random words thrown out to provoke her.

Even if Haina was spouting nonsense, she currently had the empress’s trust, and no matter how much she insisted, the empress wouldn’t accept it.

“If you won’t believe me, who will you believe?”

“There’s no one to believe. People can’t be trusted.”

It’s a lie. A lie. It’s false.

She shook her head and muttered. At her unfocused, hazy pupils, Haina sighed.

“See, I told you to control the dosage.”

You’re just creating more trouble.

Expertly covering her nose and mouth with a white cloth, she took out perfume and sprayed it around the marchioness.

Shortly after, the marchioness slowly blinked and slumped to the floor.

“See you tomorrow, my lady.”

Swoosh—

The marchioness’s eyes closed, the last thing she saw being Haina’s blurry silhouette.

After laying her limp body on the sofa, Haina closed the door and came out.

“Hm? Where’s Mother?”

Verit, just emerging from her room, was holding a box.

It was the pendant necklace she’d said she’d give to the marchioness.

“She said she was tired and went to sleep first. How about giving it to her tomorrow?”

“Can’t be helped, I guess. Oh, Haina, come with me to the garden for a moment. I need to pick flowers that match this pendant.”

“Yes, miss.”

Foolish young lady. Pitiful young lady.

Pretend not to know even if you know. Pretend not to know even if you don’t.

Please grow into a flower surrounded by thorns.

That way I can pity you less.

When Verit talked about flowers, Haina answered with a smile.

On the surface, they were a perfect pair of master and servant.

* * *

A few days later, Astrian brought Evolaine and Cardel to the imperial palace as promised.

“I thought you were just being polite at the time.”

“Unlike you, young master, I don’t make empty promises. How unfortunate.”

“I also don’t enjoy empty promises. I only use them with a few people I dislike.”

“You’re saying you dislike me in the most roundabout way. Don’t you know about the crime of insulting royalty, young master?”

From the moment they met, the two engaged in a sharp war of nerves, like they’d bitten into blades.

Watching them, Evolaine let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze to the window.

“Dame doesn’t seem interested in us.”

“I really hate noisy things.”

“Our good Evolaine has been corrupted by the young master. What if you become a knight’s master and only teach bad things?”

“When did I ever…”

As Cardel tried to argue back and another quarrel was about to start, Evolaine finally exploded.

“Stop! Stop it. Can’t you just listen to each other?”

“I like that you’ve got some fire. A knight should have guts.”

“Lord Cardel, I don’t think that’s a compliment.”

“It is a compliment.”

“……”

At his shameless attitude, she couldn’t think of anything to say back.

When Evolaine pressed her lips shut and looked at the window again, silence flowed through the carriage.

“Dame.”

“……”

“Dame, are you mad?”

“No.”

“I was joking. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

Checking with a sidelong glance, Cardel was looking up at Evolaine with a genuinely apologetic expression.

He was lying prostrate on Evolaine’s legs with his face buried near her knees, and he’d lifted his head in that position.

“…Did you learn how to seduce people somewhere, young master?”

“If you want to commit the crime of insulting royalty, please continue.”

“I’ll pass on that.”

Astrian shook his head like he was fed up and turned his gaze away.

“Is there a special way to seduce people?”

“……”

“…There is, something like that. It’s not good. You don’t need to know.”

At innocent Evolaine’s reaction, Astrian and Cardel reached the same conclusion.

‘Let’s not open our mouths carelessly.’

Though they normally didn’t get along at all, in this moment they shared the same sentiment.

When they arrived at the imperial palace, Astrian put on a robe first and got out.

After looking around and confirming no one was there, he gestured to the two.

“Get out quickly. Both of you.”

“Do we really have to sneak in like this? Even though it’s Your Highness’s palace?”

“The situation isn’t good. I’ll explain once we’re inside, so just get out.”

At the heavy shift in atmosphere, Evolaine and Cardel hurriedly put on robes and got out.

The palace the three arrived at while avoiding people’s eyes was the Emperor’s Palace, the largest and most dignified in the imperial palace.

As it was the palace used by the empire’s master, guards, servants, and high-ranking officials who’d come to have an audience with the emperor about policies and agendas were bustling about noisily.

“This way.”

When he pressed a certain brick behind the castle, a side door appeared that allowed entry inside.

Opening the door revealed stairs—clearly a spiral staircase that went all the way to the top of the Emperor’s Palace.

“What floor are we going to?”

“The eighth.”

“Surely we don’t have to walk up. It’s the Emperor’s Palace, after all.”

“Father does move around using the new transport device he installed. But we’re not the emperor, so we have to walk up.”

“Do we have to commit treason to ride that transport device?”

“Something like that.”

To think the emperor was such a petty person. Would it kill him to let people coming to the palace use it too?

The emperor’s image in Evolaine’s mind instantly transformed into a stingy miser who wouldn’t even let people use the transport device.

Whether they knew Evolaine’s thoughts or not, Cardel and Astrian chatted excitedly together while climbing the stairs.