At the same time, morning had arrived at the Duke of Xavier’s residence, but the servants there were struggling to wake their young mistress.

“My lady.”

Yelodia’s brow twitched slightly, and her long, thick eyelashes trembled faintly. Yet she showed no signs of waking up.

“My lady, it’s time to get up now, don’t you think?”

Martha persistently tried to wake her mistress. Truly, she was a maid who didn’t know the meaning of giving up.

Yelodia frowned groggily and pulled the blanket over her head.

“I want to sleep more… I’m tired…”

“My lady, a letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace. You’ll need to send a reply soon.”

“What on earth is it about…?”

Yelodia grumbled in a petulant voice, furrowing her brows.

She hadn’t been able to sleep well the previous night, plagued by an inexplicable unease.

She couldn’t easily shake off the memory of Edward’s gaze as he looked at her under the dark blue night sky.

Lost in these thoughts, she had only managed to close her eyes at dawn, and now, morning had come all too quickly.

Yelodia pulled the blanket over her head again.

“My lady! I’m telling you, it’s a letter from the Imperial Palace! From the Empress’s residence!”

The shout rang in her ears.

Martha, determined, yanked the blanket down and promptly grabbed Yelodia by the shoulders, lifting her into a sitting position.

Yelodia blinked groggily and asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

“The Empress’s residence? Are you saying Her Majesty sent me a letter?”

“Yes! She even sent a messenger as soon as morning broke! Please, wake up and take a look!”

Yelodia, still with her eyes closed, stretched out her left hand. Martha immediately placed the wax-sealed letter in her palm.

When Yelodia extended her right hand next, Martha handed her a paper knife.

Yelodia muttered something under her breath and sliced open the letter in one swift motion.

But almost immediately, her brow furrowed.

Martha, alarmed, asked nervously.

“I-Is something wrong?”

“It’s ylang-ylang perfume.”

“Ylang-ylang… what?”

“Someone sprayed ylang-ylang flower perfume on the letter.”

Yelodia grimaced in distaste. Martha blinked slowly before asking.

“…Is the scent of the perfume really such a big deal?”

“Of course it is. I absolutely hate this overpowering floral scent. At first, it seems sweet, but then it stings your nose. I’m sure the Empress knows I dislike it.”

Yelodia held the letter delicately by its edges, as if it were something revolting, and waved it in the air. The ylang-ylang scent grew even stronger.

“Ugh,” she groaned, thrusting the letter toward Martha.

“Martha, you read it instead. I can’t possibly bear to.”

“How could I—how could I read a letter from Her Majesty the Empress before you?”

“She didn’t write it herself. Obviously, one of her attendants wrote it for her.”

“My lady…”

Despite Martha’s whining protest, Yelodia only pinched her nose shut with one hand, as if the scent were glued to her nostrils.

After glancing around nervously, Martha finally let out a long sigh and took the letter from Yelodia’s hand.

With a look of dread in her eyes, the maid began to read the Empress’s letter.

“To the esteemed Miss Yelodia Louise Xavier…”

“Skip the greetings and closing remarks. I’m not remotely interested in them,” Yelodia ordered firmly.

Good grief, some things about her mistress were as incorrigible as ever.

Martha stifled the urge to pinch her mistress’s lips shut and started reading from the middle of the letter.

“With the blessings of Lonel and Zeus…”

“Skip.”

Yelodia’s strictness allowed no room for deviation.

Martha steadied her trembling breath and continued reading from the actual substance of the letter.

“If you are not too busy, would you consider visiting the Empress’s residence before your engagement ceremony? It would bring me even greater joy if you came with your beloved fiancé. You may choose a time that suits your schedule. This aunt of yours eagerly awaits your reply at Rose Palace…”

“Ugh…”

Yelodia collapsed onto the bed with a groan. Martha, unable to console her mistress, anxiously shifted her weight from foot to foot.

“What do we do? The Empress… has invited you…”

Martha trailed off, her lips trembling.

This was an unprecedented event! The Empress had extended a formal invitation!

“What do we do?”

“What else? I’ll have to consult my father. Show the letter to the Duke.”

“Y-Yes, of course! You’ll need the Duke’s advice!”

Martha murmured as though she had just thought of it, then dashed out of the room without waiting for permission.

To write a reply with the Duke’s counsel, they would have to move quickly, as if their feet were on fire.

“…”

Left alone in the room, Yelodia stared blankly at the sunlit curtains. The chirping of birds drifted in through the window.

“Hmph. She probably just wants to mock my fiancé to my face.”

Yelodia absentmindedly tore at her feather pillow and let out a groan.

She was well aware, from past experiences, that the Empress had a surprisingly petty and vindictive nature that belied her composed exterior. The Empress could not tolerate being slighted in any way.

How many times had she seen her cunningly cause trouble for her brothers while pretending it was an accident? Yelodia was certain that many incidents had taken place without her knowledge as well.

Because of this, Kias harbored an almost visceral hatred for the Empress, to the point of grinding his teeth at the mere mention of her. Her other two brothers also loathed the Empress to an equal degree.

“Still, I can’t just refuse Aunt’s request to meet her before the engagement.”

In an ordinary family, this wouldn’t have been something to worry about. In fact, it would have been more common to visit the Empress with her fiancé before being summoned.

But her uncle and aunt were far from what anyone would call “ordinary.” Extremely far.

“I hate this…”

The mere thought of her fiancé being belittled by the Empress made her chest thud unpleasantly. It was an unwelcome feeling.

As expected, the Duke of Xavier advised Yelodia to accept the Empress’s invitation, though he added a condition.

“Write that you’d like to attend a morning tea, as you’re too busy with preparations for the engagement.”

“Will that suffice?”

“Both sides know full well they don’t think highly of each other. There’s no need to be overly formal. Just write as I’ve instructed.”

The Duke, too, was unyielding when it came to matters involving the Empress, owing to the experiences he had endured.

Yelodia nodded in agreement and followed her father’s advice.

“If Aunt would grant me the honor of enjoying fragrant tea while listening to the beautiful songs of the morning birds…”

The mention of morning birdsong was an indirect way of implying that she would visit in the morning. After all, birds usually chirped in the morning.

Yelodia used several other metaphors commonly employed by the nobility to complete the letter.

The only reason the Duke of Xavier could stand his ground against the Empress was entirely thanks to the Emperor.

The Emperor utterly despised the Empress.

Vivian Alexander was the woman who had ousted the Emperor’s beloved fiancée to take her place. After becoming Empress, the atrocities she committed were so cruel and horrific that Yelodia could scarcely imagine them.

“What should we tell the baron?”

“I’ll send a separate letter. Baron Adrian likely has at least some grasp of the current political movements within the palace.”

With that, the Duke added a stern reminder, his expression firm.

“No matter how angry you may get, do not act rashly, Yedi.”

“I know that well, Father.”

“Yelodia Louise Xavier.”

“I promise I’ll keep that in mind.”

Yelodia pouted slightly as she replied. Her father always used her full name in a formal tone whenever he wanted to be strict with her.

The Duke suppressed a sigh as he rose from his seat.

“Zeppelin, send someone to Baron Adrian. We need to finalize the appointment date and time.”

“Understood, Your Grace,” the butler replied respectfully and exited the Duke’s study.

Yelodia was left feeling conflicted, unsure whether to be pleased about seeing Edward later in the week or to be angry about having to meet the Empress.

Even so, she couldn’t suppress the faint thrill of excitement that bubbled within her.

“I must head to the palace now.”

“Already? You haven’t even had breakfast yet.”

“I have a tea appointment at the palace. I’m already running a bit late.”

As the Duke hurriedly prepared to leave, Yelodia idly rubbed the carpet with the heel of her shoe before following him.

Descending the staircase silently, the Duke glanced sideways at her. Yelodia spoke as if offering an excuse.

“I’m just seeing you off.”

“That’s what it looks like.”

A gentle smile tugged at the corners of the Duke’s lips. Yelodia felt a warm, comforting sensation, as though she were lying on a soft bed of feathers.

The Duke asked affectionately, “What are your plans for today?”

“The tutor will arrive at the annex soon. Today, I’ll be studying piano and mathematics.”

“Ah, that’s right. Both are subjects you enjoy, aren’t they?”

Yelodia’s brow furrowed deeply at his words.

Her father seemed completely unaware of her utter disdain for mathematics. Despite all the hints she had dropped, he hadn’t changed his mind in the slightest.