Chapter 17

Liliana lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied slightly. Helio placed his hand on her slender waist as the orchestra began to play.

“Why are you so tense?”

Helio asked, moving slowly and gracefully. Liliana wanted to glare at him, but with so many eyes on them, she couldn’t mention how terrified she was of Beatty’s gaze.

“It’s my first appearance in the social circles of the Carlo Empire today. Even though it’s not a debutante ball, it’s only natural to be nervous dancing the first dance with Your Majesty on such an important day,” Liliana replied with a flattering comment. Helio pursed his lips and said, “Oh,” before chuckling softly. He looked like a picture, genuinely enjoying the dance.

“That’s right. You should know how to speak like that. You will be the mother of the next king,” Helio said, his voice clear enough to resonate through the ballroom.

Liliana blinked in surprise. She wasn’t only shocked; the onlookers also began to murmur in astonishment.

It was well-known that Helio had demanded third in line for the throne of the Nieta Kingdom. However, it was considered more of an honor than a likely reality. Princess Rayleigh was expected to be the next Empress Consort. But Helio’s words suggested otherwise.

‘Your child will become the king of Nieta,’ he seemed to be saying.

And Helio was a man capable of making that happen.

Liliana didn’t know how to respond. She understood that gaining a claim to the throne was political, but she hadn’t expected him to truly desire a child to inherit the throne.

She could only smile awkwardly, unable to ask him anything in front of everyone.

Helio then lifted her by her waist and spun her around. Although startled, his grip was firm, and she wasn’t afraid.

Her dress fluttered like a purple wave as she landed back on the ground. The applause that followed was subdued, not due to the dance’s brilliance but because of the revelation that Liliana might one day be the mother of a king, leaving everyone bewildered.

‘This man must be mad,’ Liliana thought once again.

Liliana hurriedly made her way to a corner of the ballroom as soon as the dance ended. She wasn’t used to wearing high heels, and the dance tired her.

“Empress Consort Liliana.”

Given the significant event that had just occurred, it was unlikely anyone would leave her alone. Someone called out to her, and she lifted her head, trying to hide her fatigue. The voice sounded familiar.

“Ah, Lady Gabriel.”

Liliana really wanted to sigh deeply. The voice belonged to none other than Beatty. Liliana covered her face with her fan, adhering to the etiquette of the ball.

“It’s been a while. You’ve become even more beautiful.”

‘Look how well I’m doing. Please don’t kill me.‘

That’s what she meant, but Beatty’s face was filled with a mocking smile.

Had she been too ingratiating after their last near-confrontation? Liliana wondered as she glanced around, noticing the puzzled expressions of the noblewomen surrounding Beatty.

Beatty shrugged and let out a long sigh.

“Does my presence make you uncomfortable, Empress Consort?”

“Not at all. I’m happy to see you again.“

“Then why…?”

Beatty drew a small circle near her face with her finger, turned her head, and laughed softly.

“Covering your face with a fan while in conversation… It could give people the wrong idea. Hiding such a beautiful face.”

Liliana felt as if a question mark had popped up over her head.

In the Nieta Kingdom, covering one’s face with a fan during close conversation was a sign of etiquette. She had acted accordingly, but what was this ridicule?

“Is it difficult for you to have a candid conversation?”

Liliana slowly replayed the conversation in her mind. And she began to realize.

Unlike in the Nieta Kingdom, in the Carlo Empire, covering one’s face with a fan during conversation was considered rude and a sign of insecurity.

Liliana hadn’t known this difference, having only recently arrived in the empire. And Beatty had noticed and was mocking her for it.

Beatty stepped closer and whispered in her ear.

“You must feel embarrassed. Taking a place that wasn’t meant for you.”

Her voice was low enough for only the nearby people to hear. The noblewoman accompanying Beatty to greet Liliana couldn’t freely mock or defend her.

The nobles were gauging whom to side with between the future empress and the currently favored Empress Consort.

Liliana snapped her fan shut with a loud click, revealing her elegantly made-up face. She was beautiful from afar, but she looked even more charming up close.

Beatty wanted to slap that face again, but she couldn’t. Liliana was no longer the abandoned consort but now a highly favored one.

Liliana, unable to meet Beatty’s eyes, covered her cheek as if she had just been slapped.

“Why…“

“Are you going to reprimand me again?“ Liliana asked, her pretty eyes glistening with tears. One of the noblewomen nearby cautiously inquired, “Reprimand?”

No matter how esteemed the daughter of the Gabriel Duke was, she had no right to scold the consort. The consort was a member of the imperial family, after all.

Beatty was about to retort when Liliana, looking even more pitiful and uncertain, murmured, “I made a mistake last time, and Lady Gabriel gave me guidance. I wondered if I had erred again.”

Liliana reached out and grasped Beatty’s hand tightly as she spoke weakly. She pleaded, “You seem displeased. Did I do something wrong again?”

“Empress Consort Liliana!” Beatty exclaimed, startled. Liliana quickly released her hand and shielded her cheek as if expecting a slap. This fueled the onlookers’ imaginations.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t Lady Gabriel slap Empress Consort Liliana recently?“ someone whispered from a distance.

“Isn’t this disrespectful to the imperial family, even if she is from the Gabriel Duchy?“ another voice, filled with discontent, responded.

“She already acts this way. Imagine how arrogant she’ll be as empress. I feel sorry for Empress Consort Liliana,“ someone else sympathized.

Liliana once again opened her fan to cover her face. If this gesture meant insecurity and timidity in the Carlo Empire, she would use it to her advantage.

Behind her fan, Liliana smirked.

“Liliana?“ someone approached. Only two people could address her at this event without the honorific “Your Highness“: the Emperor Helio and the empress dowager. Since Helio wouldn’t involve himself in women’s conversations, it had to be the empress dowager.

Turning around, Liliana saw the empress dowager smiling kindly.

“Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.“

“Resting immediately after the first dance?“ the empress dowager asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I was taking a short break. I thought spending time with other noble ladies would be pleasant,“ Liliana replied.

“Ah, that’s good,“ the empress dowager agreed, turning her head slowly before smiling as if she had just noticed. “Isn’t that Lady Gabriel? It’s been a while.”

Beatty looked proud but had to lower her pride before the empress dowager, her future mother-in-law. She couldn’t treat her as she did Liliana. Lifting her dress slightly, she greeted respectfully, “Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.“

“Lady Gabriel, did you indeed instruct Empress Consort Liliana?“ the empress dowager asked, cutting off Beatty’s greeting.

Everyone’s eyes widened. The empress dowager maintained a kind expression but had intentionally interrupted Beatty. Struggling to smile, Beatty replied, “Empress Consort Liliana seemed unfamiliar with the empire’s etiquette, so I gave her a hint.“

“Ah, I see,“ the empress dowager nodded as if to drop the matter, but her next question was far from simple. “Then, what etiquette were you hinting at when you slapped Empress Consort Liliana?“

“That was…“

“Teaching the Empress Consort the laws of the imperial family can wait until you hold a higher position,“ the empress dowager stated.

Beatty froze like a stone. This was a clear warning.

The Empress Dowager was the mother of the Emperor, but she was not considered an imposing person. It was merely a matter of respect for one’s elders, and everyone gossiped about her. They said she had never left Empress Dowager’s Palace and abandoned worldly affairs entirely.

However, now the Empress Dowager was clearly protecting Liliana.

With the Empress Dowager following the Emperor’s lead… Beatty clenched her fists tightly, but there were many onlookers here. Beatty smiled as she looked at Liliana.

“Your Highness, the Empress Consort, some distorted rumors are going around. Could you please set them straight?”

To Liliana, it sounded like this:

‘You’re going to be beneath me soon, so why don’t you act like it?’

So Liliana was in quite a dilemma. If she said it was all a misunderstanding, it would undermine the Empress Dowager’s efforts to help her. But if she continued to argue, she feared the consequences.

It was a servant who rescued Liliana from this predicament.

“Forgive me for interrupting this delightful conversation. My master wishes to see Her Highness, the Empress Consort Liliana, for a moment.”

Beatty did not appreciate this unwelcome guest intruding at such a crucial moment.

“Who dares summon Her Highness, the Empress Consort?”

Beatty asked harshly, but the servant replied without losing his composure.

“It is His Excellency, Marquess Wilhelm. He has something urgent to discuss regarding the magic stones of the Kingdom of Nieta, and he wishes to avoid a crowded place. He asks that you do not take offense.”

Liliana knew that name. Usually, it would be an unfamiliar name, but Marquess Wilhelm was quite an essential character in the original work.

Marquess Wilhelm was a figure who had suddenly appeared like a comet and was the first head of his house. It was well-known that Emperor Helio personally conferred the title upon him, but no one knew what Marquess Wilhelm had done before.

‘He was originally a war slave. However, Helio recognized his talents and brought him into high society. Later, he becomes an ally of my daughter, and his son is one of the sub-male leads.’

Because he was such an important character, Liliana couldn’t help but know his name.

‘But why would someone like that want to see me?’