I let out a hollow laugh. Of course, my appearance in this life is (not to brag) quite pretty. But compared to a goddess like Mélisande, I’m just a human. It’s like I was confidently being the most sleek and long-legged beauty squid among a group of squids, then a mermaid princess appeared. They say heroines don’t know they’re pretty—this is exactly that.

And this outfit I’m wearing now isn’t particularly shabby either. Of course, the design itself is considerably simpler compared to my other clothes. The original me would never have touched it, but strangely, after my previous life’s memories returned, perhaps because my previous life’s tastes overlapped a bit, I was drawn to simple styles.

At the hem of the ivory dress that falls without special decoration, the cat emblem of my maternal family, Count Tire, and the lily emblem of the Levizet family are intricately intertwined. It’s a dress inherited from mother’s maiden days and altered. It’s clothing that only someone with rights to both families—that is, my mother and I—can wear. The ribbon tied at my wrist also has the same emblem engraved. It’s not an expensive jeweled bracelet, but it’s a symbol no one can ignore.

Family crests are this important. Wearing a family’s crest means you’re a member of that family and under their protection. In the original work, no matter how much Mélisande was the marchioness, they wouldn’t have given her a single piece of clothing with the crest or even a handkerchief.

But as long as I’m here, the story is different. Even today, Levizet’s lily was embroidered large on the front of the dress Mélisande wore.

“Enough, today’s protagonist is Mélisande. Understood?”

Mélisande frowned.

“But isn’t it just paying respects?”

“It’s not ‘just paying respects,’ which is why we’re doing this. This is no different from a debutante ball in court society.”

“Even if we dress up this glamorously and go, won’t everyone mock me? Saying a country bumpkin landed a good marriage and is playing the nouveau riche.”

Mélisande’s worry pricked my conscience slightly. It was actually a quite valid concern. If I hadn’t become aware of my previous life’s memories, I probably would have done the same. The people at court were masters of finding fault. They were people who could tear anyone down if they decided to target them. Once they targeted Mélisande, they could find fault with whatever she did. But—

“Mélisande, those who will mock you anyway will mock you for being plain if you go plainly, and mock you for being glamorous if you go glamorously.”

I placed my hand on Mélisande’s shoulder. She blinked her big eyes slowly as if not wanting to miss a single word.

“So, if we’re going to do it anyway, let’s do it as glamorously as possible. So no one dares speak against the new marchioness’s dignity.”

“What if someone notices that everything I’m wearing is borrowed from your wardrobe?”

I shrugged.

“Then at least they’ll know that the current Levizet’s only Mademoiselle, Alix, is protecting you.”

“……I don’t know how many times I’m saying this, but I don’t know how to repay all this kindness.”

I smiled at Mélisande’s low murmur and thought to myself. Just don’t take revenge on me after you become the grand duchess later. Of course, I couldn’t say this out loud.

The Amethyst Hall, which functions as the empress’s private reception room, is decorated with amethysts and purple silk befitting its name. Marble floors and platinum-colored furniture with purple accents, tapestries with the imperial crest of lions embroidered lavishly with precious purple thread, and a massive glass chandelier.

Though not as much as the Diamond Hall where one has an audience with the emperor, it’s easy to be intimidated when first entering its splendor and grandeur.

When building this room, the architect intentionally placed the empress’s seat at a higher position so she could look down on visitors. So that the first thing guests see when entering this room is the majestic and noble figure of Her Majesty the empress.

In the novel, when Mélisande first entered this room, she suffered for days after returning to her room from the empress’s and the noble ladies’ intimidating and cold attitude. After Mélisande became the grand duchess, the empress could no longer do anything to her, so she gave hell to all the noble ladies who had mocked her.

In any case, I couldn’t accompany Mélisande to her first audience. Therefore, I could only stand among the noble ladies led by the empress and cheer for her inwardly. Having such thoughts, I glanced around once.

In the Amethyst Hall, the ladies standing in a fan formation facing the door chattered quietly while waiting for today’s guest. If someone were to enter, they would receive all their gazes at once. Unless one had quite a strong heart, one’s heart would drop at least three times in this position.

Today, those present in this place were the empress standing in the center of Amethyst Hall, the ladies-in-waiting serving the empress around her, and the noble ladies and young ladies who could be called the empress’s confidants. The first opponents Mélisande would face at Rauli Palace. They were people who would sometimes be Mélisande’s allies, sometimes enemies, according to their own interests.

“Marchioness Levizet enters.”

Following the announcement from the lady-in-waiting standing guard outside the door, Mélisande, dressed impeccably, stepped gracefully into Amethyst Hall. When Mélisande elegantly knelt, her voluminous skirt spread like a flower. The sound of noble ladies whispering behind their fans could be heard.

“……She’s prettier than I thought. The rumors weren’t exaggerated.”

“……I thought she’d been abandoned, but apparently not. That crest on the dress is definitely Levizet’s……”

“……We’ve only seen her greeting so far, but her etiquette seems fine too. What a surprise.”

Though I didn’t show it, I internally cheered with satisfaction at the scattered whispers. The special training throughout the journey was worth it. I was the one who made Mélisande practice Spartan-style how to walk in court, how to sit so her skirt would spread elegantly.

Even though she had learned basic etiquette, she wouldn’t have learned the complexly modified court mannerisms, yet perhaps due to heroine buffs, Mélisande picked them up quickly. I think it took me several weeks to learn this, but life is truly unfair.

Was Mélisande, kneeling, hearing these whispers? Since she couldn’t rise until the empress commanded her first, there was no way to read Mélisande’s expression with her head bowed.

When will she tell her to rise? I glanced sideways at the empress. The neckline revealed beneath her pinned-up black hair was elegant. Though she wasn’t young, having grown children, what reflected on her still sculpture-like beautiful face was an unreadable expressionless look. Cold black eyes emotionlessly scanned Mélisande.

“Rise.”

The empress finally spoke, and Mélisande stood up. Disappointment flashed across several faces, perhaps hoping the empress would make her kneel longer as punishment. It was a standard repertoire of imperial empresses tormenting women they didn’t like.

Of course, the empress had no reason to favor Mélisande. A daughter-in-law her friend hated, and a girl of unknown origins who had snatched Antoine, whom she had somewhat considered as a match for a noble daughter—that was roughly the image the empress held of Mélisande. However, the current empress, Armengarde, wasn’t reckless enough to torment Mélisande, a legitimate marchioness, to the point of causing physical harm.

“Levizet has been one of the imperial family’s most faithful friends since the founding of the nation. I belatedly congratulate you on becoming the new Marchioness of Levizet.”

Behind the empress, who recited the ceremonial welcome greeting in a stiff tone that sounded like reading a textbook, Duchess Katrin Vandom, the head lady-in-waiting, took up the words. According to tradition, after three or four of the empress’s confidants offered kind words to the new member, the empress would assign a room.

“Congratulations on your marriage. That necklace is quite beautiful.”

Duchess Vandom’s reluctant compliment showed a determination to absolutely never praise the person herself, making me almost let out a hollow laugh. Knowing the empress already found Mélisande distasteful, she had no intention of getting close at all. What a thoroughly calculating woman.

In the original novel too, Duchess Vandom subtly ignored Mélisande but immediately switched sides and fawned over her as soon as Mélisande became the grand duchess. Indeed, she didn’t gain her position of the empress’s head lady-in-waiting for nothing.

Anyway, after that, Viscountess Balzac, the deputy head lady-in-waiting, was about to speak when her flow was suddenly interrupted by an unexpected commotion.

“Oh my, now that Katrin mentions it, isn’t that necklace the one Lady Levizet wore to His Majesty the emperor’s birthday banquet last time?”

It was Countess Fontaine, one of the empress’s ladies-in-waiting.

A low murmur spread through Amethyst Hall.

Even if she had recognized it, to be so imprudent as to blurt it out in this setting. Displeasure was visible to everyone, but no one showed it outwardly.

Countess Dangelose Fontaine.

Though she was light-mouthed and arrogant, failing to gain trust, the reason the empress couldn’t carelessly expel Countess Fontaine from the group of ladies-in-waiting was that she was currently openly serving as the emperor’s mistress.

Though she hadn’t yet received the position of official mistress, the news that the emperor had removed Countess Fontaine from the empress’s side room mainly used by ladies-in-waiting a few months ago and granted her the ‘Fir Room’ with a beautiful garden view was already widespread in court.

Though Baroness Shandon, the current official mistress, still held her position, rumors circulated that she would soon be pushed out and Countess Fontaine would take her place.

And it would really happen that way. In the novel, she becomes the emperor’s official mistress through his favor, but she wasn’t very wise for her position. I remember her because she was manipulated by Caleb, who approached her intentionally, greatly contributing to tormenting Mélisande before becoming the first to receive the grand duke’s iron hammer. A somewhat monumental first retirement.

Mother clicked her tongue very quietly. That displeasure wouldn’t be directed only at Countess Fontaine. The gaze toward me contained reproach saying, ‘You did something unnecessary.’ I deliberately pretended not to notice and avoided mother’s piercing stare.

“Isn’t that right? Lady Levizet’s necklace at that time was beautiful, as Anne said!”