“As expected, an imperial palace is an imperial palace.”
 
Lily whispered softly as she took in her surroundings. She was right; the palace was gorgeous.
 
The ceiling paintings were so intricate and grand that one would wonder if they were drawn by hand, and the golden tiles have geometric patterns. The ornate frames filled the marble walls, and the various sculptures lined up at regular intervals. It was really as magnificent as described in novels, but honestly, it was a bit…
 
‘Isn’t it a bit tacky?’
 
The aesthetics of emptiness or spaciousness were filled to the brim with luxurious decorations, making it difficult to even find anything properly eye-catching. It was excessive to the point of being overwhelming, just as the saying goes.
 
I seriously pondered.
 
‘Is this the aesthetic sense of the capital?’
 
“But I think the Duke’s mansion is even more beautiful.”
 
Lily whispered as she glanced at the maids who were guiding us. I nodded my head in agreement with her. I thought so too, Lily.
 
I also thought that the Duke’s mansion, which emphasized restraint, was much more luxurious.
 
“From here on, entry is restricted to servants. Only Duchess Wheaton may follow me.”
 
“What about this one?”
 
“She will be waiting in a designated location, so there is no need to worry.”
 
At the maid’s words, I looked back at Lily. She looked rather anxious to be separated from me. She leaned close to me and whispered.
  
“Will you be okay by yourself?”
 
I thought she was afraid of being alone in an unfamiliar place, it seems that she was worried about me instead, as I had lost my memory. How kind of her.
 
I smiled at Lily, who was whining like a worried puppy.
 
“Don’t worry about me and just rest.”
 
After reassuring Lily, I left her behind and followed the maid. After walking for a while, we finally arrived at a large mahogany door with a small bird pattern carved on it.
 
‘If I can hold out for a moment, I’ll be able to see my favorite person!’
 
Taking a deep breath, the maid who had been watching me slowly opened the door.
 
The first thing I felt was the dazzling sunlight. And the chirping of birds and the pleasant fragrance of freesias tickled my nose. The cozy air and the clear laughter sounded like a flirtatious gesture.
 
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
 
Someone stood up among the six glamorous women and greeted me. Then the women next to her also stood up one by one.
 
‘That person must be Princess Leticia.’
 
Unlike the others, who were all strutting around like peacocks with their tails puffed up, the woman, even in a simple dress, looked more noble and elegant than anyone in this place.
 
“I present to you Her Highness Leticia, the little star of the Empire.”
 
I slightly bent my knees and held the sides of my dress as I greeted.
 
For the past few days, I have been diligently practicing the etiquette of the Empire for this day. Fortunately, my body quickly absorbed the experiences accumulated by the previous owner, Roeni.
 
Although everyone boasted that it was perfect etiquette, when I glanced up, I saw Princess Leticia with a slightly surprised expression. The women standing behind her also had wide eyes.
 
‘Oh damn.’
 
Wasn’t this supposed to be Princess Leticia? But there was no one else among them who looked like a princess. Moreover, in the original work, it was described that the royal family members had blonde hair and blue eyes.
 
Damn it. I tightly closed my eyes. How am I going to get through this crisis? If I say it was a prank and shout ‘Surprise!’, they would probably look at me like I’m crazy.
 
While my mind was spinning, even my eyes were swirling, the person I presumed to be Princess Leticia slowly opened her mouth.
 
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was a little surprised… Please come and sit here.”
 
As I straightened my body and lifted my head, the woman smiled brightly and invited me to sit next to her. I moved my steps with a slightly bewildered feeling.
 
Judging from the fact that she didn’t say anything, it seems that she is Princess Leticia, but what was with those reactions earlier? She surprised me for no reason… I inwardly sighed and sat in my designated seat.
 
Soon, a maid approached and placed a teacup in front of me, pouring hot tea. The fragrant floral scent penetrated my nostrils, along with the warm steam rising from the teacup.
 
“Thank you for accepting the invitation, Duchess Wheaton.”
 
“Thank you for inviting me, Your Highness. I apologize for being late.”
 
“You’re not late. We just gathered a little early.”
 
Princess Leticia smiled and spoke. In the original work, it was clearly described that they didn’t get along and avoided each other’s gaze, but what’s with this kind of hospitality? I felt a little uneasy.
 
‘Well, even if the Empire’s princess doesn’t like me, she wouldn’t be so thoughtless as to show it openly in front of so many people.’
 
That’s something I would do… No, no, it’s something that the original Roeni Wheaton would do. I quietly picked up my teacup, trying to pass the time until I could meet my favorite character.
 
It had been an hour since I attended the tea party.
 
It’s peaceful. Too peaceful.
 
A gathering of noblewomen dressed in sparkling dresses stood in front of the sunny window. In the book, their tea time was described as a place where they aimed knives at each other’s backs with smiling faces… 
 
‘It’s too boring!’
 
They talked about raising a newborn animal, planting rare flowers in a greenhouse, or the excellent skills of a new salon in the capital.
 
I’m glad there weren’t any rough incidents as I had imagined, but I was getting sleepy listening to uninteresting stories. Did they invite me here to have such a nutritionless conversation?
 
The guard I had set up in case of an unexpected situation had been slack for a long time. I was praying for this time to pass quickly while struggling to keep my back straight as a noblewoman.
 
Then, I heard a knock.
 
A maid who had entered the reception room whispered something in Princess Leticia’s ear. The princess put down the teacup she was holding and said,
 
“I have some urgent business to attend to, so I think I should go. I apologize for inviting you and leaving.”
 
“It’s alright, Your Highness.”
 
“Take your time.”
 
The ladies who stood up with her smiled softly. Princess Leticia, who smiled at them and even exchanged eye contact with me, left the reception room with the maid.
 
“Haa–”
 
As soon as Leticia left, the expressions of the ladies relaxed somewhat. The ladies who picked up their teacups with much more relaxed movements glanced at me.
 
“By the way, Duchess Wheaton, why did you attend the reception?”
 
“That’s what I’m saying. And on top of that, it was a gathering hosted by Her Highness the princess, so I was a little surprised when she left.”
 
What’s with this subtle tone? And it seems like even their gaze toward me has changed.
 
“Am I not supposed to be here?”
 
“No, that’s not it, but… it’s unexpected.”
 
“Sure. It’s because you’re someone who usually doesn’t attend these kinds of gatherings, so it’s intriguing.”
 
The ladies faced each other and smiled faintly.
 
‘Aha.’
 
Seemingly polite, but with a hint of mockery in their tone. The exchanged glances between them. I could roughly sense the situation here.
 
‘Roeni, were you being ignored?’
 
When I came to the tea party, I only expected some confrontation with Princess Leticia, but this was something completely unexpected.
 
There was no one here of higher status than me, the current Duchess of Wheaton, who is the daughter of Duke Feischer. In a class-based society, it was unthinkable for me to be treated so rudely. Judging from the atmosphere, Roeni must have done something to offend them for some reason.
 
Lily’s words about not feeling good when she visited the palace were probably for this reason. Even if she was a clueless person, she couldn’t help but notice how it feels to be ignored.
 
Perhaps it was because of this that rumors spread about her causing hysterical disturbances at balls or gatherings.
 
‘What a pushover. I was a pushover.’
 
How could she be so cruel to the duchy’s servants and to Adelia, and then be ignored in a place like this. No, why did she end up being the subject of villainous rumors?
 
But as the current Roeni, whom I possessed, I couldn’t just foolishly be treated like that.
 
It was so boring that I yawned, but it turned out better. The moment when I opened my mouth with the intention of saying something,
 
「Have you heard the rumors?」
 
「What… Ah, you mean the most famous rumor circulating recently? About the Duchess’s rampage at the local bakery?」
 
「Yes, that’s it.」
 
The ladies began to speak in a completely different language from what they had been using until now. I found myself involuntarily frowning at their incomprehensible behavior.
 
Then, the corners of the ladies’ mouths twitched as they glanced at me.
 
「Oh my, look at that face.」
 
「It seems like she’s getting annoyed because she can’t understand what we’re talking about.」
 
「Exactly, can you believe that a high-ranking noble doesn’t know Hivisian? Hoho.」
 
「That’s right. Isn’t it because she didn’t receive a proper education? There’s no one who doesn’t know that Duke Feischer disregards women. Even if she was the daughter of a duke’s family, what good is it? There’s no dignity to speak of, even if we close our eyes and look for it.」
 
「In such matters, they took advantage of the familial ties to secure the Duke of Wheaton’s favor. It’s truly shameless.」