The lady leaned back on the sofa and smiled at Robelia.

It was such a wide smile that her large, round eyes nearly closed completely.

But Robelia shuddered, feeling chills run down her spine. She instinctively sensed the anger hidden behind that seemingly kind smile.

The calm explanation she had organized in her mind disappeared, and she leaned forward, spouting words that were close to excuses.

“I didn’t know! From the beginning, they said she was the mansion’s troublemaker from birth! They said she was a monster that devoured her mother at birth! How could I have known such a thing would have such a noble mission?”

“Is that really true?”

“Of course. Originally, we planned to sell her to that old Count Calla. If we had known he had such a mission, Father wouldn’t have made such plans. And the thing I saw all this time wasn’t someone who had such a mission.”

“Then what kind of person was she?”

“Always craving love, desperately trying to get the family’s attention. So it would do anything the family wanted without regard for herself. Once when I accidentally fell and was being nursed in bed, she even jumped from the second floor!”

Robelia spoke with an agitated voice, using gestures and expressions.

Lady Odor and Robelia had a clear superior-subordinate relationship. While ignorant people might gossip about how the Vita family had gained power, in reality, they didn’t even receive the slightest attention from Adelia, let alone any power. All the letters the Count diligently sent were rejected, so they didn’t even have a connection to hold onto.

That’s why Robelia clung more desperately to Lady Odor.

“I’ve heard this before. I’m disappointed in you, Robelia. We might become family later, this won’t do.”

“La…… Lady! I’m sorry. Because I had limited information……”

Lady Odor turned her gaze away and shook her head from side to side.

Startled by the words of disappointment, Robelia spoke desperately.

After a long string of apologies, Lady Odor turned her gaze back. She lightly placed her hand on Robelia’s shoulder.

“Miss. I told you. Information is essential to live in the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes……”

“With so little information and knowledge, how can I bring you in as an Imperial Consort when I become Crown Princess and then Empress?”

“I! I will try harder! Please,  my lady……”

Robelia, who had been precariously perched on the edge of the sofa, fell to the floor with a thud. She brought her knees together and clasped her hands in supplication toward Lady Odor.

Their goal was to remove Adelia from the Crown Princess position. After that, they thought the Crown Princess position would naturally fall to the lady.

The lady skillfully manipulated Robelia by dangling the position of Imperial Consort. Thanks to this, their relationship was one of complete dominance and submission.

“Well…… What have you actually done besides just saying such things?”

Lady Odor opened her fan wide and gently fanned her face. After covering her awkward smile, she looked down at Robelia with cold eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Robelia flinched and rolled her eyes around nervously.

The lady caught this small movement and became certain that she was hiding something.

“All the information you gave last time was useless. You made such a fuss about how she would be discarded because of her flaws…… but in the end, they had their wedding and even went on their honeymoon with no changes.”

“That’s…… Maybe it’s because they haven’t had their wedding night yet!”

“Do you really think that makes sense?”

The excuse that came out of Robelia’s mouth after earnestly wracking her small brain was utterly worthless.

Lady Odor pressed her forehead with a deep sigh.

‘Haven’t had their wedding night.’

Lady Odor knew just how long and intense their wedding night had been.

She had secretly seen something in her father’s office, who was the Prime Minister.

[Received orders not to approach the bedroom before being called, servant went up around late lunch time when called by His Highness the Crown Prince. After receiving a warning, the maid went up with clothes and breakfast. His Highness the Crown Prince occasionally came out to swing his sword, but Her Highness the Crown Princess remained in the room. Refused bath attendance. On the last day, both went out. At the market…]

A report about the couple’s honeymoon. Though she couldn’t read the details written on the back pages, just reading the front part was enough to infer about their wedding night.

‘To wake up so late…… and the Crown Prince personally bringing food, and she never left the room after that?’

The more she thought about it, the more her teeth ground together. After hearing about the scars on her back, she had imagined Adelia being rejected and divorced, but far from rejection, Adelia was adapting well to the Imperial Palace.

‘Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince actually loves that thing?’

But the lady soon sneered with a scoff.

The Crown Prince and love? That was as ridiculous as saying the Emperor would take a new Empress.

The Crown Prince she had known since very young was someone who only knew love for his family. He hadn’t even blinked at the lady’s aggressive courtship, and when nobles secretly sent women to him, he showed no reaction and simply had them killed.

‘No. Surely it’s a marriage made for some benefit. He must have known about that ridiculous mission.’

That’s the only way it makes sense that he rejected me and chose that thing.

Though the situation had become complicated since Adelia had gained the backing of the Eileen Merchant Guild and the Holy Kingdom, making her difficult to touch her carelessly, once that thing was removed, the Crown Princess position would be hers.

Lady Odor smiled coldly. She leaned toward Robelia, who was kneeling on the floor.

“Miss. Be honest with me. You’re hiding something, aren’t you? For instance, a secret you haven’t told me yet?”

“What……”

“Tell me. Even something small is fine. As long as it’s definite, making it bigger is no trouble at all.”

“No…… nothing.”

Lady Odor stared at Robelia intently while pressing her. The wavering dark blue eyes didn’t hold the truth. It was confirmation that Robelia was hiding something.

Robelia couldn’t meet the lady’s eyes and turned her head away, avoiding her gaze.

When Robelia wouldn’t comply with her wishes, the lady clicked her tongue and straightened her bent body.

The lady gently waved her fan.

“I can’t bring someone into the Imperial family who doesn’t even have this level of information.”

The lady stood up as if to leave the room. She leisurely dusted off her wrinkled clothes.

It was her trump card. What Robelia feared most now was being trampled by Adelia and being abandoned by the lady.

The lady’s trump card struck directly at Robelia’s confused heart.

Robelia’s eyes widened. Her rolling eyes held deep contemplation. Soon, her blue eyes that had made a decision gleamed with determination.

“There is something! A flaw that makes her completely inadequate as Crown Princess…… no, a serious flaw that makes her unable to live as a woman!”

Robelia grabbed the lady’s clothes with both hands. Her trembling touch was filled with desperation.

The lady didn’t move immediately, keeping her neck straight and staring ahead.

A faint smile crept onto her lips behind the fan. A cold and evil smile far from warmth.

The lady turned around, snapping her fan shut.

“Oh my, there is such a thing?”

“Even Father doesn’t know this fact!”

“Good. That’s more like it.”

The lady smiled with satisfaction and crossed her arms. She lifted her chin, waiting for the answer that would come from Robelia’s mouth.

Robelia hesitated several times. After repeatedly opening and closing her mouth like a fish, Robelia spoke with a resolute face.

“Adelia. That thing cannot have children. She’s infertile!”

For a moment, silence filled the lounge. Robelia stared at the lady with determined eyes. It was an unwavering gaze as if she had truly shown everything.

Rather, it was the lady who was taken aback. Her rounded pupils shook violently.

“Infertile?”

The lady asked again as if to confirm. She frowned, knitting her eyebrows.

All nobles had the duty to continue their lineage. Even if not the firstborn, it was common sense that precious bloodlines must not be cut off.

In such noble society, infertility was equivalent to death. Especially infertile women, no matter how high their status, could only live as concubines, let alone being the primary wife of even a low-ranking noble.

To think the Crown Princess, who had the greatest duty to continue the lineage, was infertile… If she had hidden this fact and married, it would be considered deception of the imperial family, punishable by death.

“Is she really infertile?”

“Yes. I’m certain. That thing can never have children.”

There was no lie in Robelia’s eyes. Her clear answer and direct gaze were filled with conviction.

Lady Odor pulled at the corners of her mouth.

If Robelia’s words were true, what she thought was a small jewel turned out to be a massive diamond mine.

Lady Odor opened her eyes sharply.

“Why did you hide this all this time? With such definite information, we could have pulled that thing down immediately.”

“That’s…… because she wasn’t infertile from the beginning…… I’d have to explain the reason and that’s……”

Robelia trailed off, avoiding eye contact.

Until now, the lady hadn’t fully believed Robelia’s words. When the lady pressed her with a sharp gaze, Robelia painfully opened her mouth—