However, Lysander could feel it. He could sense the changing flow of air each time he swung his sword. The sensation of subtle particles of power bursting from within and momentarily enveloping his sword was gradually becoming perceptible.

The sense of feeling a changed world from the moment he saw ‘her’ had brought small cracks to walls he thought could never be crossed. The small cracks gradually widened their gaps, and the solid walls would soon crumble leaving only piles of stones.

‘Angel of victory, Alix. My Victoire.’

It’s thanks to you. Lysander tightened his grip on his sword.

He thought he would definitely meet her within two years.

***

“Godmother!”

I smiled charmingly while crossing the garden with quick steps. When our eyes met, a slight smile crossed the lips of the empress, who was receiving a teacup from her maid. Armengarde, who was both empress and my godmother, seemed endlessly cold yet showed a somewhat generous side in private settings.

“This child doesn’t even show herself to her mother.”

Mother, sitting beside the empress, scolded in a tone that wasn’t really upset. When I smiled widely at Mother and kissed her cheek, the sharp scent of camphor rose. Since the empress had been virtually secluded in Belleair Palace for recuperation over the past few days, naturally, Mother, who was the empress’s companion, had also been away from the main palace. Though we lived in the same court, it felt like the first time seeing each other in almost two weeks.

If Amethyst Hall in Rauli main palace was where the empress’s official duties were conducted, Belleair annex was where the empress spent leisure time with her closest people.

Located beside a nearby lake about 10 minutes by carriage through the Emperor’s Forest behind Rauli main palace, Belleair annex had been repeatedly remodeled according to the tastes of successive empresses.

There had been those who pursued radical transformations—an empress who decorated the surroundings like countryside and used it as a weekend farm, an empress who invited her favorite actors and used it as a theater, etc.—but the current empress used it only for private rest with people she was personally close to.

It must be quite fortunate from the managers’ perspective. A few generations ago, there was even an empress who brought dozens of dairy cows into Belleair annex because she wanted to drink fresh milk.

Well, even without doing anything particularly special, resting while feeling the tranquil view of stone buildings surrounding the small lake was itself an elegant affair, so I had quite enjoyed being invited to Belleair Palace since childhood. That’s why I readily accepted the empress’s invitation to come to Belleair annex with Princess Elene for about two days.

I was a bit worried about Mélisande, whom I left alone, but I decided to consider it giving her a vacation from having to stick with her sister-in-law 24 hours a day, even sharing rooms. Actually, she seemed to be managing well on her own lately. She had made several ladies close enough to share meals with.

“Alix, Elene. The journey wasn’t difficult, was it?”

Even while thinking of Mélisande, I answered the empress’s question with a bright smile.

“How could it be uncomfortable when it was a carriage personally provided by you, Godmother? It was as comfortable as riding on clouds.”

“I’m glad you came comfortably, Alix. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you at Belleair.”

“It’s the first time in almost two years. The air here is still as beautiful as its name.”

“Time has already passed like this.”

The empress smiled on her pale face.

“Both you and Elene will soon be of marriageable age. As your godmother, I should arrange good matches for you.”

I smiled somewhat awkwardly. In this place where people usually married in their mid-to-late teens at the earliest, or by twenty-five at the latest, I at nineteen wasn’t at a strange age to be preparing for marriage.

Also, though the marriage age was gradually getting later these days, I had already been married before the main story progression in the original work.

But this time, I wanted to postpone it at least until I could be confident that Mélisande would be properly treated as a marchioness, naturally divorce without harboring resentment, become a grand duchess, and not destroy Levizet. So until dinner, I just smiled while cleverly avoiding the empress’s questions about whether I was courting or had any young man in mind.

The dinner at the annex prepared by the empress’s personal chef was luxurious. Since the empress’s seclusion at Belleair was for recuperation, they seemed to have focused on nourishment, with most dishes being rich and heavy with expensive spices and plenty of butter. Though the empress herself seemed to have no appetite and barely ate.

I soothed my churning stomach with bitter wine. Ah, I want to eat dongchimi. Isn’t there similar food here? I walked down the corridor leading to the guest rooms while smacking my lips. To visit Mother’s room.

The main reason I came here was to rest after receiving the empress’s invitation. Of course, that’s correct. But I also had another reason incidentally. I was planning to do some lobbying with Mother.

A festival commemorating Founding Week was scheduled to be held around the end of next month. At that time, Rauli Palace would host a celebration for nobles to display the imperial family’s majesty. To inform them that the bloodline of the Lamuah imperial family, descended from the founding festival hundreds of years ago, still remained solid and would continue to rule them from the empire’s most supreme position.

Families with any standing would all gather in Fadesa, the capital, to participate in the celebration. The Silver Room, where the highlight ball would be held, would reach human saturation. Even though the Silver Room was as large as a sports field and only invited guests could enter. Just thinking about it makes me feel short of oxygen, ugh.

Anyway, setting that aside, in the original work, Mélisande, who attended the founding festival in her first year of marriage without knowing better, suffered tremendous humiliation. Men who mistook her for a servant due to her shabby attire harassed her with dirty words, and ‘the original me,’ the problematic sister-in-law, openly embarrassed her in front of others. Well, this part is something the current me can handle.

But the highlight here was Mother appearing confidently beside the empress, wearing Levizet’s family treasures that were tantamount to symbols of the marchioness.

Mother’s coldness toward Mélisande didn’t manifest as blatant harassment like ‘the original me,’ but occurred in a more ruthless and cold form. Precisely, the thorough treatment as an invisible person, not recognizing her as a marchioness, let alone as a family member.

Mother wearing Levizet’s family treasures and standing beside the empress naturally became the center of attention. The topic naturally led to why the newly married marchioness didn’t possess the family treasures. Why was Madame Eleonor, who had passed on the marchioness title, still holding onto the marchioness’s symbols? Thus began the speculation of countless people gathered in the banquet hall.

Turns out she’s a barren woman who can’t bear children, her appearance is beautiful but her personality is ugly so Madame saw through it and doesn’t acknowledge her, she brought other men into the bedroom so Madame was furious, she has three or four illegitimate children born before marriage, etc.

Countless speculations mixed and became distorted, growing into more bizarre forms and spreading throughout the entire Silver Room, and Mélisande, who suffered great humiliation, would continue to skip the founding festivals thereafter.

So I came to see if I could possibly borrow some of the symbolic accessories passed down through Levizet. I hadn’t been able to ask until now because I thought I’d be kicked out if I asked Mother about this in the main palace, but here it was possible. At Belleair Annex, both Mother and I were equally the empress’s guests, so she couldn’t carelessly kick me out.

Elene, who heard my ambitious plan, said ‘Well, try your best’ snootily and left to take a walk with the empress. Help me a little. I thought she had become somewhat close with Mélisande too, tch.

There had been a few nights when Elene insisted and Mélisande, Elene, and I slept together in one bed in the Amaryllis Room. The two of them in nightgowns hugging pillows would chatter away in sync, so I thought they had grown somewhat fond of each other, but was I mistaken? With somewhat disappointed feelings, I pouted my lips and knocked on the door.

“Mother, it’s Alix.”

“Come in.”

At the permission, I opened the door. Mother’s room was filled with the characteristic sharp scent of rosemary and camphor. Mother’s scent that I had felt since childhood that I couldn’t even remember. Mother put down the rose water-soaked cloth she had placed on her face and asked.

“What brings you here?”

“Does a daughter need a reason to visit her mother?”

When I spoke as if hurt, Mother laughed helplessly. Though Mother was called the ‘Iron Lady,’ she would often give in to me, her daughter born after her husband’s death. Thanks to that, I grew up eating, wearing, and seeing only fine and precious things under Mother’s protection even without a father.

That’s why my personality was like that in the original work. My cheeks felt slightly hot as I recalled the original novel’s description of my arrogance reaching the heavens, but I calmly hid it. I chattered to Mother about what had happened recently while looking for an angle to bring up the main topic.

“……So Elene canceled Madame Louise’s order and bought that necklace instead. You should have seen Madame Louise’s expression when Elene’s head maid appeared at the ball wearing the topaz necklace she had coveted!”

Perhaps remembering the former maid who had acted arrogantly relying only on the king’s mistress, Mother also laughed briefly. When I felt the atmosphere had improved somewhat, I slyly threw out the bait.

“But Mother, isn’t the founding anniversary coming next month?”

“That’s right. The preparations will be busy soon.”

“Hmm…… There will be those seeing the new marchioness for almost the first time.”

When I brought up the topic of Mélisande, Mother’s expression darkened. Though she was a cherished daughter, Mother’s visibly negative expression at bringing up the topic of the daughter-in-law she had treated as almost nonexistent made me feel slightly guilty, but I had to continue. Mother, this is all for our family’s sake!