Chapter 56

Liliana waited for someone in a room prepared in the banquet hall. Her white cheeks were flushed red, and she clearly couldn’t hide her excitement.

Holding a small velvet case that fit in her palm, she paced back and forth in the room, so much so that Sophia, who was watching her, smiled and tried to calm her down.

“Are you that excited?”

“…Yes. It’s the first time I’ve met her since that day.“

Liliana didn’t hide her excitement at all.

Before long, a restrained knock sounded beyond the door. Liliana, who had been sitting for a moment, jumped up and urged Sophia with her eyes.

Sophia, not disappointing Liliana’s expectation, quickly walked to the door.

Sophia slightly opened the door, checked outside, and then opened it thoroughly with a respectful gesture.

The person who entered was none other than Lady Liston. Elegantly adorned, even the wrinkles around her eyes exuded grace and spirit.

“My Lady, you really came!”

Liliana greeted Lady Liston like a puppy meeting its owner. Lady Liston, in turn, gently held Liliana’s hand, unable to hide her own joy.

“Of course, I came. I promised my goddaughter.”

A shy smile spread across Liliana’s face.

“But, Your Highness, why do you call me My Lady? You should call me godmother.“

“Ah…”

“Even if we haven’t seen each other for a while, it makes me sad if you distance yourself.”

When Lady Liston pretended to be hurt, her eyebrows arching downward, Liliana blushed and nodded.

“Yes, godmother.”

Lady Liston smiled, satisfied. Liliana hesitated momentarily before handing Lady Liston the velvet case on the table.

Before opening it, Lady Liston guessed what it was and smiled warmly. Liliana clasped her hands together anxiously.

“You might not like it.”

But even before opening it, Lady Liston looked at Liliana with loving eyes. Whatever was inside the case, she was ready to be delighted.

When Lady Liston carefully opened the case, a pair of thin rings were inside.

Set in silver with a bright emerald, Lady Liston naturally thought of her daughter Caroline at the sight of the green gem.

With a face full of worry, Liliana watched Lady Liston’s reaction.

“I can’t be your daughter, but I want to respect and cherish you as if she were always watching.”

Lady Liston, from the moment she saw the rings, was speechless.

She had expected rings. In the social circles of the Carlo Empire, it was typical for godmothers and goddaughters to exchange rings to show off their bond.

Many noblewomen, even if they took off their wedding rings from their hated husbands, never removed the rings given by their beloved goddaughters. Since Liliana was experiencing having a godmother for the first time, it wasn’t strange for her to want to follow this trend.

But she hadn’t expected an emerald resembling Caroline’s eyes inside the case, nor had Liliana made such a firm declaration.

Lady Liston took out a ring and slid it onto Liliana’s finger.

“I will also cherish and love you as if you were my daughter. How could I not?”

A bright light spread across Liliana’s face. She realized how lonely she had been and how warm it felt to have that loneliness lifted.

After exchanging rings, the two left the room and headed for the main hall of the banquet.

An orchestra was elegantly performing, but the early arrivals still seemed excited from the hunting tournament.

They were busy talking, but whenever someone entered alone, they turned their heads like ghosts to see who it was.

“My goodness, it’s the Marchioness of Liston.“

“I heard she was secluded in her mansion, not seeing anyone.“

“And the one next to her… Could it be Her Highness the Empress Consort?”

As soon as the two entered, people began whispering. They naturally moved into the hall without meeting anyone’s eyes and picked up champagne glasses.

The sharp eyes of the nobles quickly noticed the matching emerald rings on their fingers.

“They’re wearing identical emerald rings. It’s clear to anyone that…“

“The bond between the two seems deep.”

People watched the two with curious eyes but couldn’t easily approach them.

Everyone suspected that the reason for the death of the Marquis Liston’s only daughter was related to the Duke of Gabriel.

No one wanted to risk the displeasure of the Duke of Gabriel by striking up a conversation with the now unmotivated Lady Liston.

As all the nobles expected to attend the banquet entered, the sizeable grand door at the front of the hall opened as if on cue.

The only person who could pass through that door was Helio.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

When the Emperor’s chamberlain shouted loudly, everyone turned to face the Emperor and showed their respect. Helio swaggered, not even glancing at them, and stood before the golden chair prepared for him.

“I’m pleased to see you all celebrating the empire’s prosperity.”

As Helio raised the champagne glass prepared next to the table, the people followed suit and lifted their glasses.

Helio proposed a toast wishing for a bountiful year, and the people elegantly clinked their glasses in the air.

Helio’s sharp eyes scanned the room before landing precisely on the spot. Naturally, everyone’s eyes followed his gaze.

“It’s been a long time, Marchioness Liston.”

Helio spoke as if he had met Lady Liston just yesterday. While the casual tone was not out of place at a banquet, it was enough to instill a sense of unease among the people.

‘Doesn’t it seem like the Marquis Liston is not willing to oppose the Duke of Gabriel and instead chose to raise Empress Liliana?’

The fact that Lady Liston appeared with Liliana only heightened people’s suspicions.

“I apologize for the time I spent in negligence, Your Majesty.”

Lady Liston handed her champagne glass to a nearby maid and raised her dress with both hands.

Lady Liston wore a slim and practical dress, which offset her previously gloomy image.

“Negligent indeed. You have no idea how relieved I am now that you’ve taken over the troublesome eastern lands.“

“I am sorry. I will do my best from now on.”

The conversation between Helio and Lady Liston was audible to everyone at the banquet. In fact, it was more accurate to say that the two ‘made sure‘ everyone could hear.

No one could be oblivious that the lands the Marquis Liston had returned to the imperial family had been returned and that Helio had given the Marquis Liston another chance.

Helio averted his gaze and began speaking with someone else, but people kept their eyes on Lady Liston and Liliana beside her.

“How could Empress Consort Liliana, who came from abroad, know and make Lady Liston her godmother? His Majesty must have intervened.”

Someone whispered behind their fan, and everyone present agreed.

“His Majesty’s affection for the Empress Consort doesn’t seem to wane… Oh.”

A noble lady, who had been excitedly gossiping, turned pale and closed her mouth.

Beatty glared at her with a chilling gaze from a distance away. The noble lady felt a cold sweat trickle down her back and hastily added,

“…No matter how much the two powerless women combine their strength, they can’t possibly oppose the Duke of Gabriel.”

As the noble lady cowered and spoke obsequiously, Beatty snorted as if it was laughable and looked towards the front of the banquet hall.

There, as always, was Helio.

Beatty couldn’t take her eyes off Helio, who was like the sun. In contrast, Helio didn’t spare even a passing glance for Beatty, as if he didn’t know she was attending the banquet.

Beatty clenched the hem of her voluminous dress and looked at Helio with a face full of betrayal.

‘Your Majesty, no matter how much you want to keep the Duke of Gabriel in check, isn’t this too cold? I’m the one who will be your wife!’

Even as she pitifully cried, Helio turned his back on Beatty and walked away.

As Helio walked, people moved aside to make way for him, and at the end of the path stood… her.

Empress Consort Liliana. The vulgar woman who seduced the noble Emperor with her innocent face.

Helio extended his hand to Liliana and asked her for the first dance. It was an honor that should have been bestowed upon the Empress or the Emperor’s fiancée.

But Beatty, being neither, could not use etiquette as an excuse to separate the two.

Her hand trembled as she clutched the hem of her dress so tightly that her fingers turned white. She glared at Liliana until her fingers turned blue, then opened her fan gracefully as if nothing had happened.

She then took the hand of a young nobleman from a distinguished family who asked her for the first dance. All the while, she fervently hoped that Helio would spare her even a single glance.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.