Chapter 2 – Part 2

At the end of the party, they were escorted by the Lequizet family to the royal carriage.

“I’ll take my own carriage.”

Eliana’s words implied that she didn’t need anyone to accompany her. Cedric welcomed her decision to leave first.

“I have no reason to refuse.”

Noah suggested that she ride with them, but Eliana shook her head.

“Then, at least let me escort you to your family’s carriage.”

Noah accompanied Eliana to the Leiberte family’s carriage. After seeing her off, he returned to the royal carriage. Cedric, who had been waiting only a few minutes, was visibly irritated.

“Are you unwell, Your Highness?”

Noah quickly asked. Whenever Cedric suddenly made a face like that, despite being fine moments earlier, Noah knew it was time to be on edge.

“I’m not sick, just annoyed! Because of that woman!“

“Oh… so that’s what it is, Your Highness.”

Noah nodded, knowing this wasn’t Cedric’s first use of Eliana to express his frustration.

“Eliana’s changed. She was strange before, but now it’s even worse!”

Cedric scowled.

“She doesn’t back down anymore; she snaps back at me with every word and drinks while staring me straight in the eye.”

“Lady Leiberte, you say?”

Noah found it hard to believe.

“What, do you think I’m lying?“

“A-ah, no, Your Highness. Of course not… Everything you say is the truth.“

“Do you think she picked up some strange medicine somewhere?”

Cedric grumbled seriously.

“The idea that Lady Leiberte would take medicine… that’s impossible.“

“Isn’t she the type to consult with every doctor she can find, supposedly to help me? Who knows what nonsense she might get into while meeting with them.“

“But Lady Leiberte visits those doctors solely for your recovery, Your Highness.”

This was undoubtedly true. Eliana had visited every possible place in her efforts to cure Cedric’s illness…

‘If even her sincere concern is being criticized, then Lady Leiberte is truly pitiable. There’s no other reason she would meet with physicians. She always asked me how His Highness was doing and whether he was in pain at night…’

Noah thought that was precisely why the imperial palace and the council had chosen her as the Crown Prince’s fiancée.

“She’s not the kind of person who would act carelessly.“

“Whose side are you on, anyway?“

Cedric’s eyes narrowed into slits.

“Of course… I’m on your side, Your Highness.”

Noah bowed his head.

“Anyway, her behavior today was a thousand times more irritating than her usual lurking. She was brazen as if her soul had been replaced.”

Cedric couldn’t wait to get back to Rachel.

‘To think she chased after us like that, ruining even my brief time with Rachel. And that excuse about her legs hurting—just another lie. She’s annoyingly healthy.‘

“I’ll make her pay for her insolence today. D*mn it.”

Cedric cursed under his breath.

***

The three children of the Leiberte family arrived home.

“How was the party? Did you have fun?”

Matilda bombarded them with questions. She wanted her children to connect with prestigious families more than anyone.

‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of regarding the Leiberte family.’

Therefore, she couldn’t afford to miss any opportunities for advantageous marriages. Even though Sylvia was still young, she knew Paul would have to find a match soon after Eliana married.

‘Even if it’s not royalty, I must ensure that Paul and Sylvia marry into powerful families.’

But Paul seemed to have no intention of following his mother’s wishes. Eliana’s engagement to the Crown Prince, a stroke of luck in Matilda’s eyes, was stressful.

She couldn’t stand the thought of her children making inferior marriages compared to Eliana, whom she disliked so much.

“Mother, Eliana tripped badly while dancing today.”

Matilda turned her head.

“Why did she fall?”

Sylvia explained the situation. After hearing the whole story, Matilda felt pleased.

‘Eliana fell because of the Crown Prince’s mistake, and he didn’t seem too concerned about it.’

It was now more evident than ever that Eliana was not receiving the Crown Prince’s favor, nor was she getting any proper attention.

“Is that true, Eliana?“

“It is. Lord Lucie even treated her.“

“His Highness wasn’t injured, was he?“

“No, he wasn’t.”

“If she fell on stage, it must have been a big embarrassment. Oh dear.”

Eliana clearly saw Matilda pretending to be concerned while enjoying the situation.

“People were a bit startled.“

“I’m sure they heard about how clumsy you were. You need to be more careful.“

“The fall was because of His Highness’s mistake, so anyone who says such things is unreasonable.“

“What?“

“Surely you don’t think that way, Mother?“

When Eliana pointed this out, Matilda frowned.

“You always twist things. Be more kind-hearted. People see what they want to see. Not everyone is as wicked as you.”

Matilda replied with a stern tone.

‘The pot calling the kettle black.’

Eliana thought to herself as she headed to her room.

“I’m going to retire now. I’m tired.”

After washing up, the maids helped her change into her nightgown. She lay on her bed, thinking this was one of the most extended parties she had ever attended.

“Don’t be so annoying.”

She recalled Cedric glaring at her, and Eliana laughed at the memory of his bewilderment. His discomfort would eventually lead him to reveal his true feelings and finally say the words she expected:

‘Let’s break off the engagement immediately.’

***

“Hello, Countess.“

“Ah, welcome, teacher.”

Hannah Adrienne, the private tutor of the Count’s family, had arrived at the mansion early in the morning. To Hannah’s eyes, the Count’s mansion was always luxurious, no matter how often she saw it.

When Count Austin first married Matilda, the gossip outside was rampant.

“How long will this marriage last this time?”

The reason for such rumors was the Count’s many women. But contrary to everyone’s expectations, Matilda had managed to hold on to the position of Countess for a long time.

“Please take good care of today’s lesson.”

Matilda guided the tutor to the room.

Eliana and Sylvia were already seated. Hannah began the lesson, keeping pace with the curriculum. Today was a history lesson. Eliana had already read through this history book.

‘How boring, it’s all just information I already know. I even know the parts not written in this book.’

She was thinking about the Moira Empire, which Cedric ruled after becoming Emperor. Cedric was an incompetent ruler who acted solely on his emotions. As a result, the empire faced numerous big and small problems.

“Eliana, you need to focus. It seems like you’re daydreaming.“

“I’m paying attention, teacher.“

“Is that so?”

Hannah tilted her head, still unconvinced.

“Then, can you answer my question?“

“Yes.“

“What was the founding principle that the late Emperor changed to counter the other continents?”

Hannah asked, fully expecting Eliana to fail.

“He changed the entire policy. He completely abandoned the peace-oriented approach and decided to strengthen the military.”

The answer was correct.

“Then, you must also know the outcome?“

“The late Emperor’s decision was spot on. The external view of the Moira Empire being weak was completely eradicated. There were fewer border violations as well. By strengthening external defenses, trade increased, and there was less risk of sudden wars causing losses.”

Hannah, who had been tilting her head, straightened up. This was unexpected.

“You must have studied hard in advance? All your answers are correct.“

“Yes, I did read through the material.”

Of course, not in this life, but in the previous one.

“Then, may I read a different book? I already know today’s content.”

Hannah hesitated for a moment, considering whether to allow it. She didn’t like disrupting the study plan.

“If you insist, you may, but only if you answer another question correctly.”

Hannah decided to test her once more. Eliana had no reason to refuse.

“What prompted the late Emperor to consider relocating the capital?“

“It was because of an oracle. The oracle warned that being too close to the north would bring bad fortune in the future.”

Eliana smoothly recited the book’s contents. Hannah continued asking more questions, and Eliana answered them without hesitation.

‘She was always a good student but never this flawless…‘

Matilda often praised Sylvia and Paul but never gave Eliana any recognition. To Hannah, Eliana was far from a poor student. She had thought so before, but today’s perfect answers were somewhat surprising.

“Since you know today’s content well, I’ll allow you to choose another book to read.“

“Thank you.”

As soon as Hannah gave permission, Eliana picked up several books on the current economic trends, a subject she hadn’t shown much interest in before.

“Can I do something else too? No matter how much I try, I can’t memorize this. It’s too hard.“

“I’ll help you, Sylvia. If you do it this way, it’ll be easier to understand.”

Hannah approached Sylvia to assist her. Eliana turned her back to them and began organizing her thoughts, trying to recall what items were in high demand during this period.

‘Wheat and sugar, aside from those, also a growing demand for luxury goods. The more luxurious, the better they sell.’

Eliana decided to invest in luxury items to grow her wealth. However, even if she chose the right items, her current money wouldn’t be enough to generate a substantial fortune quickly.

‘Yes, I need to gather all the money I can find.’

Eliana thought about the cash her aunt had left her.

‘I’ll need to borrow some more to increase it.’

Her determination surged. By the time she finished planning, the lesson had ended.

“Let’s wrap up today’s lesson here.”

As soon as the lesson ended, Eliana gathered a few more books to read and left the room.