10. Preparing for Entry into the Palace (1)

“Since Lady Hedway has agreed to return to the Count’s residence and prepare for her entry into the palace, I will personally set the date and oversee the procedures. With no Empress in place, this is something I should have taken care of earlier. But because Herwen was involved, I left it alone, and now such absurd things have happened…”

Even as the Empress Dowager spoke, Edward’s gaze remained fixed on Larael. He wanted her to look at him even once, but she kept her head down.

“However, it cannot proceed while ignoring the lady’s opinion.”

“The lady has already agreed.”

Edward frowned slightly as he looked at the Empress Dowager. She nodded at him with a composed expression, as if everything was already settled.

“Since I’ve conveyed my business, we will take our leave.”

The Empress Dowager had no intention of keeping the busy Emperor any longer. Besides, nothing good would come from the two of them spending more time together. Who knew what kind of conversation they might have?

“Lady Hedway, may I have a word with you?”

Only then did Larael lift her head to look at Edward. Her crimson eyes met his briefly before she quickly averted her gaze.

The Empress Dowager shook her head at Larael, signaling her to refuse, but after a moment of thought, Larael opened her mouth.

“Yes, I understand.”

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes and glared at Larael before letting out a sigh.

“Lady Hedway, it seems we will soon welcome you as part of the imperial family. I will set the entry date as soon as possible and send what you need for your preparations to the Count’s residence. Then, I will take my leave.”

After gracefully exiting the reception room, the Empress Dowager left Edward and Larael sitting together. Once she was gone, they both sat back down.

“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“Neither did I.”

“What my mother said…”

Edward trailed off. Larael had lost someone she loved because of him. Becoming the consort of such a person must have been unbearable for her. And yet, he had foolishly tried to win her over with romantic gestures like gifting her a jewelry set. He felt ashamed of his own stupidity.

“Larael.”

‘If you become the Empress Consort, I may not be able to make you as happy as Herwen could, but I’ll do my best.’

Edward wanted to say those words, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice them.

“Larael. Do you truly want to become the Empress Consort?”

“…”

Larael clenched her teeth. Both Herwen and the Empress Dowager were people who would do anything to achieve their goals. She knew better than anyone that the Empress Dowager’s talk of treason wasn’t an empty threat.

When she thought about it again, there was no guarantee that Edward wouldn’t be poisoned just because she wasn’t by his side. If she wasn’t there, someone else might harm him.

‘Perhaps staying by Edward’s side, as they wish, is the only way to protect him.’

“I will become the Empress Consort.”

A long silence followed. Larael raised her head to look at Edward. Their eyes met—his deep teal eyes quietly gazing into her crimson ones—but she didn’t look away.

“Larael. Thank you for giving me the chance to seek your forgiveness and repay you. I mean it.”

Larael’s chest tightened and began to pound. Without realizing it, she clenched the front of her dress. Her heart was racing as if it might burst.

‘I won’t become the wicked consort I was before. If things have come to this, I want to be someone who helps you. If you can use me, go ahead. The only person who can use me is you, Edward.’

The Hedway estate became the busiest place in the Empire this week, with more visitors than ever before.

Carriages from the imperial palace came and went constantly, delivering goods, while the most renowned designers in the capital visited to take the measurements and note the preferences of the future consort. Nobles, merchants, and even commoners hoping to establish connections with the Hedway family wore down the doorstep by their frequent visits.

The Count and Countess of Hedway were extremely cautious in their behavior, worried that any misstep on their part might tarnish Larael’s reputation. They declined meetings and gifts from visitors, as everything being offered was beyond what they could handle. Their plan was to retreat to their territory and remain there quietly for some time after Larael safely entered the palace.

“What is the status of my request to bring Sasha and Joanna with me?”

Larael asked Madam Cararella, the Empress Dowager’s maid, who had been visiting her daily.

Before her return to the past, Larael had entered the palace alone, unable to bring even one maid from the Count’s residence. Surrounded only by the maids assigned to her by the Empress Dowager and Herwen, she had found herself completely isolated.

“Since the palace maids are rigorously trained before being assigned, it’s quite difficult. However, we are doing our best to ensure that Her Highness the Empress Consort will not be inconvenienced. Please wait a little longer.”

Madam Cararella addressed her as “Her Highness the Empress Consort” without fail. It was clear that the Empress Dowager had instructed her to do so.

Madam Cararella also acted as a tutor, teaching Larael the imperial family’s genealogy, the hierarchy within the palace, the consort’s role, and etiquette toward the Empress. She was essentially a crash-course instructor sent to prepare Larael for her sudden entry into the palace.

After Madam Cararella finished the day’s lessons and left, Larael began preparing for an outing.

It was a secret outing at dusk. Sasha and Joanna looked worried and restless.

Larael donned a robe she had procured in advance through her maids. She also tucked an expensive teleportation scroll into her pocket, just in case she needed to return to the estate immediately.

“My lady, please let me accompany you. It’s dangerous to go alone, especially at night…”

“That’s why I’m carrying the magic scroll.”

Ignoring the worried gazes of Sasha and Joanna, Larael quickly left the Count’s residence.

She had already sent Sasha ahead to confirm the location, fearing she might have difficulty finding it. Thanks to that, she was able to reach her destination without wandering. Darkness was falling, but the streets were still bustling with people.

Among the many buildings, one stood out as oddly isolated, with no foot traffic near it. Larael stopped in front of it and looked at its sign.

– Four Seasons –

The name alone gave no clue as to what the place was, but Larael knew very well. This was the largest intelligence agency in the Empire, operating solely for money.

While Larael herself had never used their services, she knew that much of the information that had reached her in the past had come through this place. She also knew that Herwen, desiring the agency’s power, had eventually eliminated its master and turned it into his personal organization.

Taking a deep breath, Larael knocked on the building’s door. The door creaked open slightly, as if inviting anyone who wished to enter. Larael took another deep breath before stepping inside.

A dark, narrow hallway stretched out before her. Larael walked toward the faint light at the end of the corridor. Her mouth felt dry. Though the hallway was shrouded in darkness, she could sense the killing intent of those hiding within it.

The murderous aura was strong enough for an ordinary person like her to feel it. If she made even the slightest wrong move, they would eliminate her in an instant.

As she neared the light at the end of the hallway, she realized it came from a lamp placed on a desk in a room with no door.

Larael stepped into the room and stood before the empty desk, waiting. Suddenly, a cheerful voice spoke behind her. The voice was casual, but the speaker’s approach had been so silent that she hadn’t noticed.

“You’re the first person to enter this doorless room without hesitation, despite sensing the killing intent. If you had hesitated or turned back…”

Startled, Larael turned around to see a tall man wearing a robe that concealed his face. He made a slicing motion across his neck with his thumb and laughed.