The day of the tea party hosted by Barbara had dawned. Yet April was still lazing around in bed. She had rolled about so much that her slip had ridden up to her thighs, but she paid no mind—she was the only one in the bedroom.

She hadn’t even noticed Calsion leaving early in the morning. Because of what had happened the night before, when she had stirred the man’s long-suppressed desire, she hadn’t been able to sleep properly. If she hadn’t taken a nap during the day, she probably wouldn’t have been able to open her eyes now. Muttering to herself, April decided she couldn’t possibly wear a low-cut dress with all the marks still left on her body.

“Your Majesty the Empress.”

At that moment, Miloa softly opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. Seeing April still sprawled on the bed, she narrowed her eyes with a smile.

“It’s time to get ready.”

“Can’t I do it a little later? It’s in the afternoon anyway.”

“You must be tired, but it has to be now. That way, Your Majesty will shine more beautifully than anyone else at the tea party.”

April pursed her lips at the firmness in Miloa’s gaze. She knew she could never win when Miloa took that tone. For the sake of raising April’s prestige, Miloa never yielded an inch.

Though Miloa was usually all smiles, delighted with anything April did, she was unbending when it came to matters like this. With no choice, April slipped off the bed. As she did, Miloa’s calm voice followed.

“A low-cut dress won’t do. I thought it would be nice for you to wear the one that arrived recently—it’s quite beautiful—but I suppose not.”

Her eyes brimmed with regret as she bit her lip.

“But it’s fine. Her Majesty the Empress is beautiful in anything.”

‘I don’t think that’s true…’

Thankfully, April kept that thought to herself. If she voiced it, she would only invite another flood of Miloa’s endless praise. She quietly bit her tongue.

“Since it must be hard for you to move, I’ll bring the dress here.”

“No, it’s not that hard to—”

“His Majesty gave strict instructions.”

April closed her mouth at once. She had been about to insist she wasn’t struggling, but now she was far too curious about what exactly Calsion had said. Yet asking Miloa would be no different from admitting she’d heard the rumors circulating in the palace, so she merely shifted her gaze away.

Even now, because of Calsion’s openly affectionate attitude toward her, she bore both the envy of the palace staff and the jealousy of the noblewomen. In an aristocratic society where marriages were almost always political arrangements, a couple who genuinely seemed close was a rare sight.

And there are even those who say outright it’s all just an act…

He hadn’t said it to her directly, but April still remembered the whispers she’d overheard behind her back.

After a moment’s hesitation, Miloa handed her the guest list of the ladies attending today’s tea party. April slowly scanned the names. Since many noble families had been purged for treason, there were surnames she had never seen before.

“Count Fernante?”

“A noble family from the Hvel region. I remember because their specialty products are quite famous.”

“What do they produce?”

“Strawberries.”

At Miloa’s answer, April’s mouth watered. As she surrendered herself to Miloa and the maids, who bustled about preparing her dress and styling her hair, her thoughts lingered on strawberries.

Barbara was still residing in the Princess’s Palace. When April noticed the tuberose roses decorating the drawing room, her eyes widened. It was a season when roses were hard to come by.

She really does have a knack for these things.

Once again, April praised Barbara inwardly, unable to suppress a smile. As she entered the drawing room, Barbara and the other noble ladies and young aristocratic women rose to their feet. Judging by the gathering, nearly every noble family that had entered the capital seemed to have been invited.

“We greet the Moon of the Empire.”

Barbara bowed low toward her. April waved a hand.

“Oh my, there’s no need for such formality. Princess Barbara is an elder of the Imperial Family, after all.”

When the Empress herself elevated Barbara, the other ladies exchanged uneasy glances. More than a few nobles had submitted petitions to drive Barbara—the daughter of the late Empress Dowager—out of the palace.

April’s gaze slowly swept over the women from those very families as she walked past.

The oppressive force of her presence silenced the drawing room. When Barbara yielded the seat of honor, April took it, and a maid placed another chair at her side. Barbara sat there and was the first to speak.

“I cannot express how happy I am that Your Majesty the Empress has joined us for this tea party.”

“You flatter me. Between us, there’s no need for such words.”

April looked at Barbara with a faint smile. The noblewomen, seeing the closeness between the two, immediately changed their attitudes. Until April had arrived, they hadn’t even bothered to speak properly to Barbara, but now they made a fuss about how beautiful the roses in the drawing room were or how exquisite the teacups looked.

Barbara’s eyes toward them were filled with coldness. Yet, as someone born into royalty, she hid that emotion deep within her gaze. Only April, who had been paying close attention to Barbara at her side, noticed the chill in her eyes.

Looks like quite a few families will be ruined before long.

April lifted the teacup before her. It was a handy tool when she wanted to conceal her thoughts. By covering her lips and lowering her eyes, no one could guess what she was thinking. It was one of the techniques she had picked up from Barbara, who had taught her the ways of high society.

“Oh, come to think of it, didn’t the Countess of Fernante recently come to the capital?”

One of the noblewomen spoke up. April, even as she sipped the lukewarm tea down her throat, kept her ears open. Thinking of the count’s family, famous for strawberries, made her mouth water again.

“Yes. Recently, the Count was summoned by His Majesty.”

She tried to sound calm, but she couldn’t quite hide the delight in her voice. A few noblewomen who had shown interest in the Countess of Fernante’s careless demeanor gave awkward smiles and raised their teacups.

The lively atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Unaware of the discomfort, the Countess of Fernante introduced the young lady seated beside her.

“This is my daughter. Cecilia, greet Her Majesty.”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Cecilia dipped her head lightly. At her attitude, the noblewomen sneered. Some even snapped open their fans to cover their faces, hiding their sour expressions.

In truth, Calsion had summoned the Count of Fernante to the capital at the recommendation of other nobles in suitable positions. But the Countess’s sly attempt to make it seem as though it was the Emperor’s personal will displeased everyone. On top of that, Cecilia, making her debut in society, behaved arrogantly—hardly a way to win favor.

That family won’t last long either.

April thought calmly to herself. It was Calsion’s will to erase such families, though she still wanted their strawberries. But with the Countess flaunting herself so brazenly, she had no desire to ask about them.

Even the hostess, Barbara, could not conceal her discomfort as she finally spoke.

“It must be your first time in the capital. I suppose you’re not yet familiar with society.”

Though her tone was composed, everyone understood who the remark was aimed at. The noblewomen smirked discreetly, while the young ladies giggled openly.

The Countess’s face flushed crimson as she pressed her lips together tightly. Beside her, Cecilia raised her eyes defiantly.

“And what exactly do you mean by that? I haven’t made any mistake.”

Her sharp, challenging tone made the other ladies avert their gazes. Everyone here knew Barbara’s temperament better than anyone. They all looked on eagerly, waiting to see how Barbara would scold Cecilia and her mother.

But Barbara remained silent. Normally, by now, she would have gestured for a maid to drag Cecilia out, but she did nothing. Just as the guests were beginning to wonder—

“This is the first time I’ve seen such an insolent noble.”

April’s cold voice rang throughout the drawing room.