“What that man said isn’t true. I didn’t say anything. Leonard is trying to drive a wedge between us.”

Once in the carriage, Edith hastily confessed to the prince that she hadn’t revealed anything.

“It’s alright, Edith Köhler. Even if you did confess to him, we could adjust our plans if you tell me the truth, so it wouldn’t affect us at all. So don’t worry and just be honest. What did you tell him?”

But Ludwig showed no signs of believing Edith’s words.

‘The prince is trapped in elitism. No matter how much he favors you, he won’t believe you. He sends you into the field like this because he thinks he can dispose of you at any time.’

Edith recalled Leonard’s words. Though he was clearly trying to use her to drive a wedge, Leonard’s words were nonetheless true.

Edith needed to find her own way to survive. As Edith was lost in thought, Ludwig suddenly asked her an unexpected question.

“Did he take you, Edith?”

**

Upon arriving at the imperial palace, Neil immediately sought out the Crown Prince.

“I heard the Köhler ducal family has even offered a woman to Ludwig to curry favor?”

The Crown Prince shouted with a frown as soon as he saw Neil.

“Your Highness, that was absolutely not my intention. I opposed it to the end, but it was done by my late father. That girl followed His Highness the Prince voluntarily out of vanity.”

Neil begged the Crown Prince desperately. He had been on friendly terms with the Crown Prince from the beginning.

“The Köhler ducal family will be Your Highness’s faithful servants. No, Your Majesty.”

“Show me. Your loyalty. Prove it.”

The Crown Prince, whose mood seemed to improve at being called “Your Majesty,” snapped back at Neil haughtily.

“I will prove my loyalty by staying in the capital for the time being and faithfully carrying out whatever tasks Your Majesty directs. Please trust me.”

After Neil’s persistent pleading, the Crown Prince finally relented.

The Köhler ducal family had some wealth, but more importantly, they had sufficient private soldiers. The duke who had offered the woman to Ludwig was already dead, and Neil, who obeyed his words well, was quite useful from the Crown Prince’s perspective.

After his audience with the Crown Prince, Neil returned to his lodgings and immediately sought out Henrietta.

“Didn’t you say you were going to find Edith? Instead of just eating and playing around.”

Henrietta put down the cookie she was eating and glared at Neil as if he was quite annoying.

“I just arrived. I haven’t even recovered from the journey yet. What’s so good about that girl that you’re so obsessed? Get a grip, brother. That girl is already rolling around with the prince every night…”

Slap!

Henrietta’s head turned to the right as she was speaking. Neil’s hand, hardened from much training, was as rigid as if encased in armor, causing the spot where Henrietta was hit to swell immediately.

“Shut up. I didn’t bring you here to listen to such useless talk. Bring Edith as soon as possible. If you don’t, I’ll sell you as a fourth wife to an old nobleman right away. Understand?”

To Neil, who had become a duke, Henrietta was merely a dependent who took orders from him. When Neil shouted irritably, Henrietta reluctantly agreed with a rebellious shout.

**

From the next day, Edith didn’t set foot outside her door. She spent all day reading books in her room when Lisa, the maid assigned to serve her, informed her of a visitor.

“Um, there’s a visitor. Lady Henrietta Köhler says she would like to meet you.”

“Henrietta Köhler?”

Edith took a moment to compose herself. Though Ludwig didn’t completely trust her, he hadn’t particularly reprimanded her.

It was still a thorny path, but it was better than the past Köhler household where Henrietta had abused her.

“No, tell her I’m not feeling well today and cannot receive visitors.”

Edith had no need to meet Henrietta. She had already refrained from even stepping outside her room after hearing that Neil had come to the capital.

The maid who went to deliver the message soon returned with a troubled face.

“Um, Lady Henrietta insists she must meet you. She says she has something to tell you about your mother, Roxian. She asked me to convey that she is still alive.”

“My mother?”

Edith hesitated for a moment.

[Mom will die soon. So go live with your father, Edith. You might not be treated well in the ducal household, but if you endure quietly, you’ll eventually marry a suitable man and live an ordinary life. It will be better than staying here.]

Edith recalled her mother’s last words. She hadn’t actually confirmed her mother’s death before leaving.

‘Henrietta would lie about such things without hesitation. But what if it’s true?’

At the time, her mother had said she would die soon, but when Edith later researched the symptoms in books, it was tuberculosis. The doctor in the brothel might have been incompetent.

Her mother thought she would die soon because she was coughing up blood, but according to what Edith had read, such symptoms didn’t necessarily mean death if proper care was taken.

So Henrietta’s words could be true. If there was even a grain of possibility, even if it might be a trap, she needed to hear it first.

Edith permitted the meeting with Henrietta.

‘My heart is starting to race again.’

Edith’s heart would pound and sometimes she would even have difficulty breathing before meeting Henrietta or the duchess.

Fortunately, perhaps because she was in the safety of the prince’s palace today, her breathing didn’t become labored. But her heart still pounded.

Edith slowly headed to the reception room where Henrietta was sitting, accompanied by a knight.

“Oh my, Edith. I barely recognize you.”

Henrietta greeted Edith as if pleased to see her. Looking her up and down, she began speaking as if she had seen something amusing.

“You look quite human now?”

Edith didn’t respond to Henrietta’s words. As always, Henrietta seemed intent on thoroughly mocking Edith before getting to the point.

“Does the prince know? That he’s keeping a girl who was called a field mouse in the ducal household. I’m terribly concerned that he might drive you out immediately if he knew. Because I’m such a considerate lady who thinks of others.”

Henrietta giggled as she looked at the maid standing behind Edith. Her clear purpose was to humiliate her in front of the maid and spread rumors throughout the prince’s palace that Edith had been a lowly girl despised in the ducal household.

Had the splendor of the prince’s reception room offended Henrietta? She started picking fights as soon as she saw Edith.

“Yes. The noble lady and the esteemed duchess would receive quite the praise in high society if it became known how much they tormented an illegitimate child. Wouldn’t they?”

Edith calmly talked back. It was something she had always wanted to do but never could for fear of the whip.

But this was the prince’s palace, and even Henrietta’s power couldn’t take her away forcibly. If she were forced to return, then on that day…

‘I’ll just die.’

“You still don’t know your place. Are you threatening me? Do you think you’re something because you’re in the imperial palace, like the prince’s footrag? You’re nothing more than a mistress who will be driven out with nowhere to go once His Highness tires of you. I hear His Highness doesn’t even visit you often these days?”

Henrietta began to giggle, covering her mouth with a fan.

Henrietta had already completed some investigation into Edith.

Edith remained calm as she had already anticipated such words, but Henrietta’s tactless statements wouldn’t be good if widely known. For safety concerns, having the knight and servant wait outside would be sufficient.

Edith gestured for the maid to go outside. The same applied to the knight.

Seeing how easily Henrietta became excited, Edith decided to continue the conversation, knowing that with just a little provocation, she would likely reveal the truth.

Edith surveyed the now-quiet room and slowly continued speaking to Henrietta.

“Henrietta, just tell me what you want. Why bring up my deceased mother? If your next words don’t include information about my mother, I’ll leave immediately.”

Edith slowly issued a warning to Henrietta, regardless of her angry expression. As she spoke, Edith realized she was no longer afraid of her. Her heart was pounding fiercely, but her mind remained clear.

“You mean that pr*stitute mother of yours? The one who sold her body to anyone?”

“……”

“Your mother is alive. It’s true. She’d be delighted to see you following in her footsteps as a mistress.”

When Edith tried to dismiss her, Henrietta began to get to the point.

Splash! Edith threw the water from the cup in front of her into Henrietta’s face.

“You still have the audacity to speak carelessly about parents in front of their children, Henrietta. Watch your words. She was a far better person than anyone in the Köhler family.”

Edith expressed her anger without restraint and stood up.

“You crazy b*tch! Did coming to the imperial palace make you think you’re royalty?”

Henrietta quickly wiped the water from her face with a handkerchief. With half her carefully applied makeup wiped away, Henrietta looked quite ridiculous, like a clown.

“Tuberculosis isn’t necessarily fatal, is it?”

Edith, who had been about to return to her room, quickly turned toward Henrietta. Meeting her returning gaze, Henrietta curled up the corners of her mouth into a smirk.

“Tell me, quickly! What are you trying to say?”

Edith pressed Henrietta, but Henrietta maintained an arrogant attitude and stalled.

“I’m a noble lady of a completely different class from the likes of you. I’ll speak when I want to. A noble lady catering to a pr*stitute? Ridiculous.”

Henrietta fanned her flushed face, putting on aristocratic airs. When Henrietta took this attitude, she wouldn’t give a straightforward answer and would beat around the bush.

“True. I am different from you. But you were also rejected by the Crown Prince and couldn’t find a marriage partner. Since the head of the family position went to brother Neil, we’re both in the same boat with nowhere to go, aren’t we?”

Edith provoked her. Before hearing about her mother, she needed to stimulate the impulsive Henrietta to find out more information.

“How dare you. I can become a ‘legitimate’ wife of a high nobleman at any time. Not a mistress who can be thrown out at any moment.”

Henrietta was still the same. Her rose-like beauty with attractive green eyes and blood-red lips was full of thorns.

“Who would accept you after you’ve already been rejected once? What deficient nobleman?”

Edith retorted. Hoping that the hot-blooded Henrietta would provide the answer she wanted.

“Leonard Sachsen. The only suitable groom for me besides His Highness the Crown Prince. Something you, a mere mistress, couldn’t even dream of.”

Henrietta spoke proudly, putting on airs.