She lay on her side, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. Then she folded her hands and placed them under her right cheek.

‘I should meet Liese first….’

Liese Willington, the female protagonist of the original work, 『Capturing the Outstanding Emperor.』

In the original content, she was born as the pitiful daughter of a desperately poor viscount.

In order to receive a large sum of dowry, her father tried to marry Liese off to a widowed marquis.

On a cold day in winter, Liese woke up from sleep to go to the bathroom.

By chance, she overheard the maidservant and father talking outside the room, happily discussing such a scheme.

Shocked, Liese trembled in fear all night, and as soon as it dawned, she escaped from home as if running away.

But during that harsh winter, she had nowhere to stay, no food, and no money.

The seventeen-year-old girl had no immediate way to earn money.

Only with a desperate yearning to fill her hungry stomach….

She led her tired body towards the temple.

The one who welcomed her was Count Brown’s second son, Baker.

Baker, who had become a high priest over the objections of his parents, took pity on Liese and accepted her as a lower-ranked priest.

Since then, Liese had been assigned to various tasks until her magical powers manifest as a lower-ranked priest of the Holy See.

‘She should be a lower-ranked priest of the temple by now.’

She was probably still in a state where her magical powers had not yet manifested. For now, I should rest for a few days and go meet her.

As far as Ariel remembered, in the original work, Liese took on difficult tasks like Cinderella, every day. Perhaps tomorrow, as usual, she would be engaged in the duties of a lower-ranked priest of the temple.

Ariel blinked her eyes and made a plan. After helping her with her work and getting closer to her, she would execute her hidden plan to connect her to Leopold.

***

A few days later, just around dawn.

Ariel rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, yawning.

The pressure of having to meet Liese as soon as she woke up made Ariel wake up earlier than usual.

‘I need to leave a little earlier.’

In the original work, Liese mainly delivered relief supplies. The scene of Liese crying as the carriage she relied on left early came vividly to Ariel’s mind.

If the carriage left before Ariel arrived, she might not be able to meet Liese today.

“Let’s go.”

To prepare quickly, Ariel moved the white blanket aside and got out of bed, drawing the curtains.

As the dew-kissed the window, the air, filled with the smell of autumn, rushed in.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the slightly humid yet dry air.

She then closed the window and sat in front of the dressing table.

Since it would be difficult to wake May up too early, Ariel decided to prepare for her outing alone.

When she thought about it, before possessing this body, doing her own makeup and changing clothes by herself was a completely natural thing to do.

But now, preparing alone felt awkward.

‘This place has become everything.’

Ariel gathered her hair above her forehead, holding it in one hand. After tidying her hair with the other hand, she tied it with a black hairband.

She pulled a strand of hair to slightly cover her forehead and give herself a cute look.

Ariel was pleased with her hair and turned her head in various directions, looking in the mirror.

At that moment, a knock was heard from outside.

“Miss.”

“Come in.”

Opening the door cautiously, May entered, holding a cup of warm water in her hand.

“Why did you wake up so early?”

May handed the cup to Ariel and asked.

“I’m going to the Holy See.”

“You can go after the sun fully rises.”

Unable to refute her accurate remark, Ariel just stirred the tea in the cup.

The fragrant smell of honey and the warm sensation of the liquid were pleasant.

“It’s honey tea.”

“Yes, miss. The weather has gotten quite chilly… What kind of clothes would you like to wear?”

Ariel turned her head in response to May’s question.

May had already gone into the dressing room and was rummaging through the wardrobe.

“I want clothes that are not too conspicuous and easy to move around in.”

“Then… what about this?”

As May emerged from the dressing room, there was a black set-up two-piece in her hands.

“Hmm. Not bad. I’ll wear that.”

After getting permission from her master, May came out with the outfit she coordinated.

With May’s help, Ariel slipped off the nightgown to reveal a skin-colored chemise.

She then put on a white high-neck blouse and a long skirt that reached the ankles, topped with a pelvic-length tailored jacket.

Thanks to the jacket that accentuated her waistline, Ariel’s slender waist stood out.

Finally, she put on the black flat shoes that May placed on the floor.

“Now, let’s go. We might miss it if we don’t.”

“You were like this yesterday too… May, are you trying to do everything you couldn’t do in Kolnman?”

Ariel teased May while adjusting her own attire, wrinkling her nose.

“What do you mean by missing out? And you haven’t even had breakfast yet.”

“Well… then let’s bring something to eat quickly on the carriage.”

“Yes, miss.”

May hurriedly went downstairs to the first floor, where the kitchen was located. Ariel followed suit, sliding down the stairs.

But she came to a halt abruptly.

At the end of the stairs, her mother, Rose, stood watching her daughter coming down.

“Ariel, where are you going so early in the morning?”

“I’m going to the Holy See to pray to Lumiere.”

Yesterday, Rose had attended a gathering of the ladies, and she had only heard later through her husband that the emperor had visited in their absence.

Now, her daughter, who had finally settled her life in the capital, had to become an empress. She shed tears in the face of the brutal fate that awaited her.

Due to her worries and troubles, her eyes were swollen from staying up all night.

After tightly hugging her daughter, Rose let go slightly to examine Ariel’s face.

“Alright. You must also need to clear your mind.”

Rose said, using her hand to adjust Ariel’s bangs, who was pressed against her in an embrace.

“I’ll be back.”

When her daughter returned from Kolnman, Ariel looked like an empty shell, devoid of a soul.

She didn’t smile or cry. She didn’t seem to enjoy anything.

So, she had been even more worried about the days her daughter would have to spend in the palace. But now that she saw her face, she appeared much more at ease than before, relieving her concerns instead.

“Alright. Be careful.”

“Yes, Mother.”

As they opened the door and stepped outside, the carriage was ready.

When Ariel got on the carriage with her escort, May appeared carrying a picnic bag.

“Charles! Let’s go.”

She shouted to Charles, the coachman, as she got on the carriage.

“Miss, please have this.”

May handed her a sandwich piled high on parchment paper.

“Mike’s famous sandwich? So good!”

Mike, who was in charge of House Clark’s kitchen, had excellent skills not only in cooking but also in baking and pastries.

One of the things she was most pleased with after transmigrating was the food. The food Mike made.

The bread was especially delicious among them.

Ariel peeled off the wrapping of the sandwich and took a big bite.

“Mmm! As expected!”

Ariel’s eyes turned into crescents as she laughed satisfactorily.

‘It’s going so smoothly. All I have to do now is meet with Liese at the Holy See.’

Building friendship was the first priority.

They had to become friends, friends who would remain friends even after she became Empress.

That way, it would be possible to create opportunities for Leopold and Liese to meet.

If the two fell in love in less than two years, it might be possible for her to have a faster divorce.

‘Would they really kill when I’ve become Liese’s close friend?’

Ariel shrugged as if there was no chance of that happening.

After satisfying her hunger, she had the leisure to look out the window.

At the end of the street, lined with yellowish gingko trees, she could see the building of the Holy See.

She had occasionally visited the cathedral for worship, but it was her first time visiting the Holy See.

***