It was the time Evelyn was supposed to be receiving etiquette training from Baroness Hermann.

Knock knock. 

At the sound of knocking on the door, Evelyn flinched and turned her head to gaze at the door.

“Your Majesty the Empress, Lady Greta Emmett requests an audience.”

Laura’s voice came from beyond the bed.

At last, the inevitable had come.

After a brief hesitation, Evelyn parted her lips a beat late.

“Show her to the parlor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She instructed another maid to escort Greta to the parlor.

After confirming the arrangement, Evelyn rose from her seat. But this time, she couldn’t bring herself to move her feet easily, leaving her flustered.

This was different from when she had met the Hesta envoy.

She couldn’t afford to let Greta find out her true identity—nor could she appear sloppy enough to arouse suspicion.

But how long could she deceive the eyes of someone like Greta, who had been born and raised as a noble all her life, with etiquette she had only recently learned?

Even when she reached the door to the parlor, she hesitated for quite some time, lacking the courage to enter.

At that moment, the door to the parlor suddenly opened.

It was none other than Greta Emmett who opened the door.

Startled, Evelyn’s eyes widened as she looked at Greta.

Greta glanced at Evelyn, then looked around briefly before returning her gaze to her.

“Are you not coming in, Your Majesty the Empress?”

At the composed sound of Greta’s voice, Evelyn couldn’t hide her confusion and nodded.

“I’ll come in.”

“Very well.”

Greta once again stepped into the parlor.

Only after confirming that Greta had taken position in front of the sofa did Evelyn finally follow her inside.

At last, Evelyn reached the seat opposite Greta and sat down.

Greta, who had remained standing until then, also sat down a beat later.

Soon, refreshments were prepared before the two of them.

Even after a long while had passed, not a single word had been exchanged between them.

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two.

Evelyn swallowed dryly, pondering how to break this awkward and uneasy atmosphere.

Then, suddenly, a teacup came into Evelyn’s view.

“Is the tea not to your taste?”

As her question suggested, Greta hadn’t shown the slightest intent to drink the tea.

“No. It’s fine.”

“If it doesn’t suit your palate, I can have something else brought. Just say the word.”

Evelyn forced a smile and suggested, as if ready to call a maid immediately.

Greta, seeming to consider it for a moment as she looked down at the teacup, shook her head again and replied.

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, but this is sufficient.”

At her firm rejection, Evelyn blinked.

At last, Greta opened her mouth after a moment of hesitation.

“I’m not particularly fond of tea.”

“Then I’ll have something else prepared for you…”

“No, once again, that won’t be necessary.”

With that, Greta picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea.

Evelyn felt a pang of guilt, wondering if she had forced her to drink something she disliked. But since she couldn’t offer her a different tea again, she chose to remain silent.

Once more, silence fell between them.

Evelyn began to feel a bit unsettled.

She knew full well that Greta hadn’t come simply to make conversation.

As far as Evelyn knew, the Emmett Duchy was the last bastion capable of keeping Reynard’s power in check—so it was clear Greta had approached her with the intent of scrutiny.

What’s more, had it not been for Evelyn, Greta would have become the Empress of Bait.

How resentful must she be, having lost the position of Empress because of Evelyn?

Considering all this, Greta shouldn’t have remained so silent.

If things had gone according to Evelyn’s expectations, Greta would have interrogated her or at least evaluated her behavior.

Yet she did neither.

She merely sat on the sofa, passing time.

The longer the silence dragged on, the more Evelyn’s unease grew.

She wished Greta would say something—anything—but Greta remained as quiet as a stone.

“I’m sorry.”

Just when Evelyn could no longer endure the silence, Greta suddenly apologized.

“…Pardon?”

Startled, Evelyn turned to look at her.

Greta stared blankly at the table.

More precisely, her gaze was fixed on the teacup.

Evelyn was momentarily thrown into confusion by Greta’s sudden apology.

In Bait, where there were no women in the royal family, Greta was practically the highest-ranking noblewoman.

Why was she apologizing?

Was something wrong?

Blinking, Evelyn finally managed to speak.

“Why are you apologizing to me? May I ask the reason?”

Evelyn asked Greta as carefully as she could.

“Because of today’s meeting.”

Greta’s voice was nothing but calm. As if she had rehearsed the words in advance.

Evelyn, who had briefly paused, looked into Greta’s eyes. Just like her voice, her eyes were serene and still.

At that moment, Greta spoke again.

“I heard that my father recommended me to be Your Majesty’s companion in conversation. I know this meeting was not what Your Majesty wanted, and I apologize for the situation where we were forced to meet like this.”

At her words, Evelyn closed her slightly parted lips.

“I didn’t intend for this to happen, so I hope there won’t be any misunderstanding about it.”

Greta deliberately distanced herself from Duke Emmett in her speech. Though she followed his orders in action, she did not necessarily support his intentions.

This situation was no different. Greta had never once desired to marry someone she did not choose. Though she was not madly in love with anyone, she did not want a life where she existed solely as a means to an end.

Greta hoped Evelyn would understand her. After all, Ophelia Flourette Fabian—just like Greta Emmett—had been forced to marry someone she didn’t want due to her father’s command.

She felt a sense of solidarity, wondering if they might understand each other’s puppet-like lives, at least to some extent.

Evelyn quietly looked at Greta. She knew nothing of the masks worn in high society, but Greta’s apology didn’t feel like a simple ploy to win favor.

That was why Evelyn couldn’t quite grasp Greta’s true intentions, and simply blinked as she looked at her.

‘Could there be another motive I don’t know about?’

Evelyn narrowed her brows in an attempt to discern Greta’s true thoughts. But Greta didn’t avoid Evelyn’s gaze; she looked straight into her eyes. The unwavering clarity of her gaze seemed to speak for her sincerity.

“Are you truly apologizing to me?”

“Yes.”

Even now, there wasn’t the slightest tremble in Greta’s voice.

“Why?”

At Evelyn’s question, Greta took a deep breath. Then, as she exhaled slowly, she began to speak.

“Because we’ll keep seeing each other, and I don’t like awkwardness. I don’t want things to get uncomfortable from being misunderstood for something that wasn’t even my intention.”

Greta’s demeanor remained unchanged. Still, that didn’t mean Evelyn had any reason to accept her words at face value.

It was Evelyn whose life would be in danger if she let her guard down. She had to be as cautious as possible.

“I’ll accept your apology for now. But I must admit I’m a little taken aback.”

When Evelyn spoke with an awkward smile, Greta nodded.

“I expected you might feel that way. But still, I just wanted to convey my thoughts. I hope Your Majesty will accept them as they are.”