High nobles or those with a certain level of power don’t stay only in their territories or mansions. Unless they’re exceptionally modest, once humans gain power, it’s human instinct to crave more power.

Here, in the Lamuah Empire, the pinnacle and source of power is the emperor, and the emperor resides in Fadesa, the imperial capital. Therefore, power holders and ambitious people gather in the capital like ants seeking sweet sap. And at the center of it all is the emperor’s residence, Rauli Palace.

Rauli is not simply the emperor’s family home. Rauli Palace is a small yet vast society for a select few chosen ones.

In the past, Emperor Basilios the Great built a massive palace called Rauli to display the emperor’s wealth and majesty, and arranged for not only the imperial family but also selected nobles to reside within it. Soon, high nobles, imperial confidants, and rising power holders came to live at court, and Rauli quickly became an object of envy.

Nobles who desired the glory of residing in the splendid court competed to catch the emperor’s eye while monitoring each other. Meanwhile, Emperor Basilios the Great slyly began strengthening imperial power. Gathering the power holders who should be kept in check at court had the bonus function of being able to monitor them.

As high nobles came to live in the capital, their control over their territories, which had been the foundation of their power, gradually weakened.

Before long, the nobles realized that Rauli Palace had clipped their wings, but they could no longer escape the deeply established court social circle. Too many people were already entangled in those complex interdependent relationships.

The court was a giant cage that imprisoned nobles, but the bait of social advancement and power made no one dare think of leaving the court. Should I call it a small jungle where they bite and tear at each other inside the cage?

We were now heading to that very palace.

“Are you alright?”

Mélisande nodded with a bloodless face. Since we held the wedding in the territory, we had to travel quite far up to the capital. Thanks to riding in a carriage embedded with precious magic stones for about two days, we came comfortably, but the remaining two days required taking a boat along the Sirelir River that crosses the empire.

The first day was fine, but today, the second day, Mélisande’s face was pale as a sheet of paper, apparently having suffered from seasickness in the cabin all night. With her silver hair and now drained of color, she looked like a person with no pigment at all. Fortunately, we’d arrive in just a few more hours.

“By the way, it’s quite a distance, so once we go up this time, it’ll be difficult to come back down. I wonder if it’s alright to go up this quickly.”

Mélisande muttered in a drained voice. Actually, to make people recognize that they had welcomed a new mistress, it would be better long-term for the new marchioness to stay in the territory for at least two months, managing various matters. However, we ended up going to the capital a week after the wedding, like roasting beans in lightning.

Madame Eleonor, my mother, who had openly shown her displeasure with Mélisande, went straight up to the capital using the empress’s summons as an excuse as soon as the wedding ended.

The problem was that in the process, that bastard Antoine spouted nonsense about not being able to commit the impiety of letting mother go alone, and followed up to the capital as a set with Caleb. You married this side, so why are you two going on the honeymoon? Ridiculous.

Anyway, I decided to stay for Mélisande, who would have become a sitting duck, and Mélisande learned only the very basics about the territory before heading to the capital with me.

If I hadn’t become aware of my previous life’s memories, I would have followed mother up first too, and Mélisande would have been carried up alone, treated like baggage. Dear family members, let’s use our hearts more kindly! I cried out inwardly.

“It can’t be helped. We’ll be able to go back down later.”

Actually, if things flow according to the storyline of the ⟨Mélisande’s Grand Duke⟩ novel, there won’t be a reason to go back. Mélisande will divorce Antoine and become the grand duchess anyway, so she won’t need to worry about the marquis family’s territory.

As I comforted the seemingly uncomfortable Mélisande, Fadesa began to come into view. The Lamuah’s lifeline, the Sirelir River, sparkling in the sunset light, and the white marble walls shining golden above it.

Poets often compared this city to the empire’s pearl. Though it was Mélisande’s first time seeing the capital, she gasped in admiration, but I straightened my back stiffly with tension. I already knew this city, beautiful as jewelry, was a battlefield without swords.

A splendid battlefield where malicious whispers replaced swords and bribes replaced cannonballs. A place where one small action could instantly swell enormously and mercilessly bite your neck.

“Mélisande, stay sharp.”

Mélisande nodded with a determined face. The capital Fadesa was where she would spend the next three years until she met the grand duke.

According to the novel, the teardrops she shed during those three years here were as numerous as stars in the night sky. Since I, who had been the major shareholder of the humiliation she suffered, decided to change, it might be a little less, but Fadesa, and Rauli Palace, would still not be easy for Mélisande.

“Mélisande, what did I tell you? Mélisande is the Marchioness of Levizet, and—”

“Attitudes toward me are attitudes toward Levizet, so I shouldn’t easily overlook even light insults. Is that right?”

Though I had hammered this into her ears throughout the journey until she might be sick of it, Mélisande answered diligently. Oh, how cute. Like a kindergartener following the teacher. When I smiled fondly, Mélisande smiled back without knowing why. She probably has no idea I’m finding her cute inwardly, right? Sorry, sister.

***

Countless people come and go through Rauli Palace, where countless social gatherings are held daily like stars in the sky. However, only a few receive quarters to stay within it. No matter how many empty rooms there are, only direct imperial family members have the authority to assign rooms, and unless they’re insane, would they let just anyone in?

They distributed rooms little by little according to their own standards and political and social situations, and the public became even more enthusiastic about the title that not just anyone could enter. Rooms located closer to the center of Rauli Palace were better rooms, and could be calculated as being that much closer to power.

Since the Levizet family, as founding contributors, had a hereditary seat in the Privy Council, Antoine, who held the position of councilor, was naturally given quite a good room. My mother, who was the empress’s friend and former head lady-in-waiting, also received a room near the empress’s bedroom, and I, as the imperial couple’s goddaughter and the princess’s companion, also had a room fairly close to the center.

Mélisande, the new Marchioness of Levizet, was scheduled to receive a room within Rauli Palace after greeting the empress. The audience with the empress was no different from her first debut in court. I woke Mélisande from dawn and drove the maids hard so she wouldn’t be criticized by others. Thanks to that, the result was quite satisfactory.

The clothes Mélisande brought from her poor family home didn’t match the required standard, and even if we called a seamstress immediately, there was a limit to how many clothes could be made. Eventually, Mélisande had to wear my clothes with alterations.

Though Mélisande was too sorry to even touch the clothes, I firmly held clothes up to her body. Mélisande mumbled that she didn’t know how to repay this kindness, and I just smiled ambiguously. This is a kind of investment, sister.

I gave Mélisande a sky-blue silk dress that went quite well with her large, moist blue eyes. Actually, since it was a dress I’d just had made a few weeks ago, I felt a bit sorry to give it away, but the moment I saw Mélisande wearing it, that slight regret melted away like snow.

“Wow, Mélisande! You’re so pretty!”

“Alix, may I really wear this dress?”

Mélisande asked repeatedly with a serious face. She had said several times that she could just wear the clothes she had, but I was firm.

In the original novel, Mélisande, who first entered the palace without proper clothes, let alone accessories, was openly mocked by the empress’s ladies-in-waiting for looking like a widow rather than a new bride. Of course, the empress, who was her mother-in-law’s friend, heard it all but pretended not to know on purpose. That was the beginning of Mélisande’s brutal and bleak court outcast life. So I was trying to dress Mélisande as flawlessly as possible so they couldn’t find fault. After almost forcing Mélisande into the dress, I alternately held up pearl and sapphire earrings.

“The sapphire is more glamorous, but the pearl looks a bit more dignified.”

“The sapphire seems to make Madam’s precious silver hair stand out.”

Hearing the maid’s input, I nodded and put the sapphire earrings decorated with small diamonds on Mélisande. Mélisande flinched, perhaps unaccustomed to heavy jeweled earrings. When I ordered them to bring out the matching necklace, Mélisande spoke in a deflated voice.

“It’s too much, Alix……”

“We’ve only done the necklace so far. We haven’t even started on the ring and bracelet.”

Saying this, I reached out to fasten the necklace hook myself, and Mélisande blushed slightly.

“But this would suit you better than me, Alix. Your enchanting reddish-gold hair and mysterious eyes would stand out more! Compared to that, my white hair is like an old person’s……”

I languidly waved my hand to stop Mélisande, who was starting to dig herself into a hole. It’s useless to say such things with that destructively beautiful face befitting the original heroine, sister. Don’t deceive me. The maids’ expressions also soured hearing this nonsense. Mélisande pouted.

“But you seem to be paying attention only to me. You haven’t worn much jewelry since last time. Of course, that can’t hide your beauty though, Alix!”