If Mail were to find out, she would clutch her neck in disbelief, declaring it a scam, and fall over. The truth behind the feat that had so deeply impressed her and made her willingly call herself Rohyden’s junior—the cultivation of Vilet and the harvesting of seeds from its fruit—was not due to his exceptional skill.

Rohyden was the emperor. Naturally, the places where he resided were equipped with every conceivable security measure to ensure his safety, one of which was a magic circle.

To prepare for emergencies such as attacks or assassinations, the palace’s finest magicians were employed without reservation.

They inscribed layers upon layers of various kinds of magic circles on the floors of his chambers and office and installed mana stones. As a result, the inside of the palace was filled with a strange aura that commoners couldn’t detect, and by chance, this aura served as nourishment for the Vilet plant.

The emperor grew the Vilet in his office. It had been brought there to freshen up the space, as he didn’t have time to go out to the garden due to his busy schedule.

The Vilet, a legendary flower known for being extremely difficult to cultivate, thrived in that environment, feeding off the magic circle’s energy.

The flower bloomed magnificently and bore fruit on its own. Inside the fruit, there were five or six seeds, even though finding just one seed was considered a success.

To anyone who saw it, it would have seemed like a self-sufficient legendary weed.

In short, Rohyden had just been lucky. Among the many flowers, he had happened to choose the Vilet as a way to bring some fresh air into his office. Unintentionally, it had become a sort of trick on Mail.

Thus, while she had been deceived, the unwitting victim, Mail, now sat with wide-eyed curiosity in her room.

“No, Princess, not that one. The one on the right.”

“This one?”

“Yes.”

With her eyes half-closed, Mail carefully examined the items and pointed to the one on the right. Riela then ordered her maid to retrieve it. It was an accessory.

Today was the day when all the candidates for the empress selection would gather. The registration deadline set by the empire had just ended as the sun went down. From now on, even if someone arrived in the empire, they would not be able to register as a candidate.

The final number of participants had been determined, and all that remained was for the empress selection process to officially begin. The moment that all the early arrivals had been eagerly awaiting was right around the corner.

Having chosen a hair ornament, Mail was now contemplating the necklaces.

“I’ll choose just one necklace for you. Wear only that one.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the prettiest.”

“Huh?”

Riela, who usually wore three or four necklaces draped around her thin neck, tilted her head in disbelief.

A necklace with jewels was beautiful. Three necklaces meant three times the beauty. So wouldn’t wearing more make her even more beautiful?

Mail, seeing Riela’s simple logic, shook her head. This princess, if left alone, tended to diminish her beauty through her excessive adornments.

Her dresses were always overly ornate. Too many accessories. Too much frill. Anything she could add to her appearance, she did. But instead of making her prettier, she only ended up looking stranger. With a firm expression, Mail spoke.

“Trust me. Wearing just one will make you look prettier.”

If one were to categorize types of beauty into pure and sensual, Riela clearly belonged to the former. If she reduced the number of accessories and wore a simple white dress, she would look like a fairy.

In her heart, Mail wanted to dress Riela in a calm empire-waisted gown, removing all the frills and fuss, but she knew Riela wouldn’t allow that, so she compromised with the accessories. At least she could minimize those.

“But it feels too plain…”

“Oh, Princess! Didn’t you say you’d trust me?”

Mail spoke sternly. Just a few days ago, Mail had been abandoned by Riela, sneaking into the banquet hall in secret, but now she had gained enough influence to even be involved in Riela’s dressing. This was all thanks to Ormil.

On the day Ormil had sent the duel invitation disguised as an invitation card, Mail had silenced her opponent with threats of war, and as a reward for this feat, she had earned Riela’s trust.

Since then, Riela had begun listening to Mail’s words and accepting her opinions.

This, along with the tree-planting praise from that day, had changed Mail’s perception of Riela as well. Riela had become less annoying and less infuriating.

In other words, she had grown fond of her. The complaints she had voiced to the velvet tree in the garden were not out of anger but out of genuine concern.

Mail now worried not only about the future of her homeland but also about Riela’s future. Whereas before she had followed Riela purely to keep an eye on her, now she felt a sense of protection toward her as well.

To sum it up, Riela now saw Mail as “someone trustworthy and likable,” while Mail viewed Riela as “our country’s princess who needs concern” rather than “the cause of the kingdom’s downfall.”

It was, in its own way, a clear change. All thanks to oatmeal, Mail mused, as she selected gloves for Riela one last time.

“There. I picked them for you, and they look perfect. They suit you well.”

“Really? Hehe, it’s all because I’m so beautiful.”

“Of course. Are you ready to go? I’ll hurry and prepare myself.”

After finishing Riela’s attire and checking her over, Mail quickly received a simple makeover from the maids, just enough to maintain decorum.

She dressed in a simple yet formal gown and put on plain gloves without any designs. Her hair was neatly braided and pinned up.

Skipping the jewelry and makeup processes, it didn’t take her long to get ready. Soon, Mail stood by Riela’s side.

“Let’s go, Princess.”

As if it were the natural order of things, Riela left the room with Mail on her right and Rose on her left. Her shoulders puffed up as if she thought she had quite the powerful entourage with her.

Mail briefly found Riela’s confident back cute, but then the thought startled her so much that she tripped over her own feet.

She didn’t fall, thanks to Rose, who quickly stepped in and grabbed her arm. Not only was Rose powerful, but she also had extraordinary reflexes.

By the time Mail had calmed her racing heart, they had arrived at their destination. It was the central banquet hall, which Mail had visited once before. She had overheard that it was the largest hall in the palace, and it certainly seemed to be no lie.

As Mail took in the grandeur of the hall once more, she noticed that everything sparkled just as it had before.

‘So many beauties and still lots of lace, too.’

Mail scrutinized the beauties around her more carefully than before.

‘That woman is dangerous, and so is that one over there.’ She began narrowing down her rivals based solely on their appearances.

It would be great if she could assess their status, intelligence, or other factors, but for now, all she could judge was their faces.

Among the flower-like beauties, Mail kept an eye on a few who stood out and memorized their appearances. Later, she would have to secretly obtain the personal profiles of the candidates.

In the meantime, it seemed the time had come as the wide-open entrance doors closed. The previously calm orchestra’s music transformed into something more majestic, signaling the change.

Mail noticed the subtly shifting atmosphere of the hall and her eyes sparkled. It seemed likely that the emperor would soon make his entrance.

And she was right. A moment later, the orchestra stopped playing, and the drums began to beat.

Boom, boom, boom. The sound of trumpets boldly sliced through the air of the hall. Ta-da! Finally, the chamberlain, as if waiting for this moment, raised his voice and called out grandly:

“His Imperial Majesty, Rohayden van der Helvern, is entering!”

The titles were supposed to include phrases like ‘The Sun of the Empire that Never Sets’ and ‘The Eternal Ruler of Helvern,’ but the chamberlain could not utter them.

That was because Rohayden, embarrassed by them, had forbidden their use. It was a little-known fact, much to the chamberlain’s personal regret.

Nevertheless, the most famous name in the empire echoed through the hall in a powerful voice.

At that moment, the large and ornate doors, which had remained firmly closed, swung open in response. Through the opening, the long-awaited protagonist entered, accompanied by his guard knights.

All attention in the room focused instantly in one direction.

“That person is…”

“His Imperial Majesty of Helvern.”

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories