“I can’t help it. If going to the imperial palace alone is such a burden for you, I’ll go with you……” 

 She jumped up from her seat at his words.

The imperial palace would surely discuss the fire incident from before, and Father didn’t even know she was involved in that incident.

Also, Father’s plan was too obvious.

Her fear of first visiting the imperial palace was just an excuse — Father’s mind was probably full of thoughts about how to expand business within the Empire by meeting His Majesty the Emperor or His Highness the Crown Prince. 

 “No, I can go alone.” 

 At her firm voice, Father seemed slightly flustered before trying to persuade her again. 

 This was because the current Emperor was conservative, or rather strict, blocking access to the imperial palace. Therefore, from Father’s perspective, he wanted to somehow get a chance to have another audience with His Majesty the Emperor by going to the imperial palace with her.

“Since it’s your first visit to the imperial palace, it would be better if I went with you……”

“No, thank you for the offer but I’m fine. And…… the invitation from the imperial palace specifically requested that I visit alone.” 

Even Father frowned at those words.

 “Then I should take a look at that invitation. I’m worried you might have been summoned to the imperial palace for committing some offense against His Majesty the Emperor or His Highness the Crown Prince……”

“No, the invitation also stated not to show it to anyone.” 

 Having finally been blocked, Father wore a frustrated expression and deeply furrowed his brow.

She smiled at such a Father and said. 

 “I’m sorry, but since you’re so worried about me, I’ll make sure to report everything that happened after I return from the imperial palace.” 

 Father let out a hollow laugh “huh—” while looking at her.

She gave him a bright smile in return, bowed, and left the office. 

 How is that the face of a father worried about his daughter?

It’s the face of someone frustrated at not being able to satisfy their greed. 

 She took out the invitation hidden in a corner of her room and began writing a response on another paper inside it.

She wrote politely and sincerely that she would enter the palace tomorrow or the day after, or if the schedule didn’t work, the date might need to be pushed back to next week.

After she finished writing the reply, Mylene left the room saying she would tell the coachman to deliver it now after sealing the invitation with wax. 

 And that evening, a reply came from the imperial palace. Mylene said it was the first time she had seen such a quick reply from the imperial palace as she handed over the envelope. 

 Hurriedly opening the envelope, there was the Crown Prince’s reply stating he would like to meet tomorrow if possible for her.

It was a sensible letter including that no reply was needed if tomorrow worked, and if tomorrow’s schedule didn’t work, to reply with another preferred date. 

 In the end, she told Mylene to prepare what was needed as she would be going to the imperial palace tomorrow.

Then she went down to the dining room for dinner. 

 “Father, I’ll be entering the imperial palace tomorrow.” 

 Hearing her words, everyone in the dining room looked at her with round eyes.

Father seemed to be giving her a look meaning ‘this quickly?’, while others seemed to be giving looks of ‘why are you going to the imperial palace?’ 

 “Ahem, then I’ll tell the butler to prepare the carriage I use tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Father.” 

 Hearing Father’s words, Bershua’s face crumpled. 

 “Ah, and I’m thinking of taking Rubert and Rowenloa to Count’s party being held in three days.” 

 Hearing those words, Bershua slammed the table with a bang and stood up.

Everyone’s attention focused on him. 

 “Father! That party is only for firstborn sons to attend with the head of the family……” 

 Bershua started shouting but sat back down unable to withstand Father’s sharp gaze.

Father said nothing to him, and dinner ended in silence. 

 And the next day came. 

 When she woke up in the morning, she saw Mylene busily preparing something near the vanity.

Getting up from bed and approaching Mylene, she saw a dress with accessories that Mylene was looking at with sparkling eyes. 

 “This is……” 

 Perhaps startled by her voice suddenly coming from right behind, Mylene let out an “eek!” as she looked toward her, then soon smiled faintly seeing her expression. 

 “This is the dress the Marchioness always wore when entering the imperial palace. After the Marchioness passed away, it was kept in the closet without ever being taken out, but since it’s Miss’s first visit to the imperial palace, I thought you might want to wear this dress.” 

 Hearing her answer, she stared at the dress for a while before hurriedly wiping away tears that suddenly fell.

Mylene looked at her with surprised eyes before gently wiping her tears with a soft handkerchief. 

 She quietly closed her eyes with her help and recalled the past. 

 ***

 “Is it true our family has been invited to the imperial palace, Father?” 

 She saw Leila running excitedly to Father. 

 “Yes, thanks to your good grades at the academy.” 

 ……I was the one who graduated early from the academy. 

 Father nodded and warmly patted Leila’s head as she nestled in his arms.

The other brothers also approached them with smiles. 

 I was the only one who couldn’t approach that place. 

 After talking for quite a while, they looked toward where I was standing with cold expressions. 

 “Rowenloa, since you’re under suspicion of stealing test papers this time, wouldn’t it be better to rest at home to avoid unnecessary talk?” 

 At her first brother’s words, she looked at Father and Leila, but they too just pressed their lips together and looked at her without anyone defending her.

When the day came for the Marquis’s family to head to the imperial palace, she couldn’t help but be shocked seeing the dress Leila was wearing. 

 “This is the dress your mother always wore when entering the imperial palace. It suits you very well too, Leila.” 

 Father’s words were wrong.

That dress was not Leila’s mother’s but my mother’s, the Marchioness’s favorite dress when she frequented the imperial palace.

Leila’s mother had never worn that dress. 

 But Father pretended not to know that and gave that dress to Leila instead of me, the actual daughter of my mother. 

 The sense of betrayal that came when I found out that fact later was indescribable.

She struggled in the nightmare of the past for a while before finally coming to her senses at the sound of Mylene calling her.

Opening her eyes, she saw Mylene looking at her with a worried expression. 

 She gave a weak “hehe……” laugh toward Mylene out of embarrassment. 

 Mylene smiled at her as if telling her not to worry before holding out a paper. 

 “I thought about what hairstyle would suit this dress best! Today I’ll make Miss into a Rowenloa who is as beautiful and splendid as any noble in the imperial palace!” 

 Mylene showed her enthusiasm by clenching her fist, then took her to wash up and sat her in front of the vanity. 

 ……And so she had to sit in front of the vanity for over an hour receiving the attention of Mylene and other maids.

But their finished work was…… absolutely perfect. 

 While she had never thought herself ugly, with light makeup and pretty hair ornaments added to the face that others praised as quite pretty, even she had to admit…… she looked beautiful today.

The maids who finished their work looked proudly at her reflection in the mirror with very satisfied expressions. 

 So she and Mylene headed to the garden after gathering her identification badge with the mansion’s crest that could prove her identity and the invitation from the imperial palace.

The brothers and Leila who were enjoying tea time early in the garden looked at her. 

 Seeing the dress I was wearing, the brothers ran toward me with shocked expressions. 

 “Why are you wearing this dress……”

“This is our mother’s dress!” 

 Brother Bershua and Brother Rembro confronted me angrily.

Brother Rubert just looked back and forth between the brothers and me. 

 “Yes, it’s your mothers’ dress. It’s also my mother’s dress.” 

 Brother Bershua glared at me with an unchanged displeased expression, but Brother Rembro got angry hearing my words. 

 “How dare you mention mother and wear mother’s dress?” 

 I took a startled step back at his reaction. 

 “You who were born sucking away mother’s life……” 

 At his words, my head felt dizzy as if someone had hit it.

Mylene and Leila who heard his words covered their mouths in shock with horrified expressions. 

 I found it, the reason why Brother Rembro came to love Leila more as family than me who was his actual family.

He seemed to think of me not as family but as the person who took away his mother. 

 “What’s all this commotion!” 

 When no one could easily speak up after Brother Rembro’s statement, Father appeared.

Father seemed angry at us for causing a disturbance early in the morning, perhaps not having properly heard Brother Rembro’s words. 

 Father who approached us also showed a surprised expression seeing the dress I was wearing. 

 “This dress……” 

 I lifted my skirt slightly and greeted Father. 

 “I asked Mylene if mother’s dress from her first imperial palace visit was still around. I thought it would be nice to commemorate my first visit to the imperial palace.” 

 Hearing those words, Mylene showed an anxious expression beside me, and I turned to give her a relaxed smile.

Brother Rembro was breathing heavily while looking at me as if angry to his core, but couldn’t raise his voice with Father present. 

 Father quietly nodded without saying anything particular, and I got into the carriage after giving light greetings to everyone in the garden again. 

 The carriage carrying me began speeding toward the imperial palace.