A few days later, Parma invited Sophia Ariel to a tea party with around ten guests, claiming it would help her adjust to high society.

Leading Sophia toward the guests, Parma introduced her.

“This is Lady Sophia Ariel. I invited her today so she could experience the sharp bite of society firsthand. Feel free to ask her anything you want.”

Although the attendees took note of Parma’s words, none of them approached Sophia. She understood their hesitation.

‘No matter how much Parma encourages them, who would dare ask a mischievous question and risk getting on my bad side?’

Since Sophia made no effort to engage with them and they hesitated as well, Parma took the initiative and asked Sophia a question.

“You received the letters I sent, right? What do you think about the Oberon controversy?”

“Oberon was only recently incorporated into Ariel territory. Someone from Ariel should be there to fill the position. After all, family is the only thing one can truly trust. We can’t just send an administrator to take charge of Oberon, can we?”

One of the ladies listening nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. In the past, lifelong vassals were loyal to their lords as if their lives depended on it, but administrators and secretaries nowadays are different. They have no sense of loyalty. It’s better to keep it in the family.”

The lady who just agreed had three daughters. If there was ever a chance for one of them to inherit a title instead of relying on a son-in-law, she would side with Lady Ariel. The trust in her eyes toward Sophia was already evident.

Sophia nodded as well and cheered inwardly.

‘Madam, it’s fine to let your daughters be ambitious. I’ll be rooting for them!’

Then, she spoke.

“I know very well what’s being said about me, and I also know what will happen once I officially enter high society. My own aunt, the Duchess of Wiscombe, set a precedent. Simply being recognized and forming connections in high society is already an act of ambition on my part. That’s why I have no choice but to spend my time helping my family.”

The young ladies, who had been whispering among themselves, nodded.

The Duchess of Wiscombe had been married to the Duke for twenty years, yet she had neither been accepted by nor found her place in high society.

In that regard, Sophia Ariel, who was entangled in political factions rather than just being shunned for being an eyesore, was in an even more difficult position.

Parma asked,

“Then what will you do after marrying Crown Prince Robert? You can’t stay in Oberon forever. There’s been a lot of talk about that, too. A married couple living apart?”

Sophia waved her hands dismissively.

“That’s a misunderstanding. Once we’re married, I’ll live in the imperial palace. I might visit Oberon if necessary, but won’t I be busy as the crown princess? I’ve spent less than six months in the capital in total, so there’s still so much I need to learn at the palace. Her Majesty the Empress…”

Parma asked with a playful smile.

“It’s no secret that the Empress isn’t particularly fond of you or Crown Prince Robert. Will you be alright in the palace?”

“I’ve heard that Her Majesty won’t offer me any help or guidance, so I decided to hire a tutor. I need to learn court etiquette and the duties of a crown princess. His Majesty the Emperor will be assisting in finding a tutor. He told me that if I felt I was lacking, I should at least make an effort.”

Parma spoke in surprise.

“Won’t you feel suffocated? Always stuck in the palace, barely seen, and not appearing in society like before?”

“If Lady Gareth invites me, I’ll come. And if I invite you, please don’t decline. I have no friends in the capital, after all. As you know, you are the one I’m closest to.”

“Then we’ll just have to befriend you from now on. If we get close to Sophia, we’ll have more chances to visit the palace and even get guided tours.”

Parma looked around at the guests and said,

“There’s no harm in acting friendly with Sophia.”

“Of course. Just acknowledging me will be enough. I doubt I’ll have much time to be a bother anyway.”

“And what about Lady Wiscombe?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll be getting married first, but if Lady Isabelle Wiscombe marries Prince Frederick, wouldn’t she have to move to his territory as well?”

Another young lady asked,

“Oh! Is Lady Wiscombe leaving the capital?”

Parma smiled.

“Would a newlywed couple really live apart, one in the capital and the other in the territory? She has no family in the capital, so why would she stay?”

With this, Isabelle would need a special excuse to remain in the capital—perhaps claiming that the Empress was ill and needed her care.

Sophia smiled.

‘It would be great if she used the Empress’s illness as an excuse. How could a sick woman attend parties? Hehe.’

***

That night, Crown Prince Robert took a stroll through the greenhouse with Sophia and said,

“Parma has been a great help to you.”

“Yes, far more than I expected. Now, I’m just a poor soul trapped in the palace, learning court etiquette and barely able to breathe under the strict guidance of my tutors.”

“Are you really going to do that?”

“Of course not. Now that the trial opening of the greenhouse was a success, it’s time for a full opening. But for that, we need a proper system. We’re not going to open it for free, are we? It’s far too magnificent for that. We should at least charge an entrance fee. That way, we can afford guides, interpreters, and people to sell souvenirs.”

“If you charge admission, people will say it degrades the dignity of the palace.”

“Then we should start by allowing academy students and nobles in first—gracefully. Or we could accept donations, claiming the proceeds will go to a good cause. Either way, I’m getting that money.”

“Hahaha! And what else?”

“I thought all of the imperial library’s books had already been transferred to the academy, but that wasn’t the case. So, I want to visit the remaining collection.”

“Go ahead. It’s an interesting place, though the books there hold more historical value than academic significance.”

“Old documents, then?”

“There won’t be any treasure maps, but you’ll find myths and other topics that might pique your interest.”

“So I can truly live in the palace while doing all the things I want?”

“You’ll have to engage in occasional battles with the Empress and other noblewomen, but aside from that, yes. Even if the Empress wants to trouble you, she won’t have the chance—you’ll be too busy learning. And besides, we will be newlyweds, so we won’t have enough time together as it is.”

Sophia looked at Crown Prince Robert’s flushed face and said teasingly, “I have no idea what you’re thinking to make your face turn so red.”

“Right now, I just want to lock you away and not let you do anything—not court affairs, not socializing. I just want us to spend all our time together.”

“Pfft, me too.”

Sophia happily listened to Robert’s heartfelt confession. Then, in a resigned tone, he sighed and said, “Even though you say that, I know you’ll be too busy working on all your projects.”

Sophia leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Depends on how well you behave, Your Highness.”

Robert’s face grew even redder, and as if unable to take it anymore, he changed the subject.

“Prince Frederick will also realize how much easier life is once he leaves the capital and gets away from the Empress.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Frederick always tries hard, but I don’t think he enjoys it. And Isabelle Wiscombe—no matter how much she wants to do something for Wiscombe, she won’t be able to. The Wiscombe territory is too busy.”

“Ah!”

Sophia had a feeling her suspicions were correct.

Robert continued, “His relatives are trying to carve up the territory, saying they can’t trust the Duke of Wiscombe anymore. The once-powerful and respected Duke is now in the same position as them. If they play their cards right, they might be able to snatch away parts of his land and influence. And this time, they won’t have to fear any major retaliation.”

Sophia smirked mischievously. “So, the real battle won’t be in the capital, but in the territory.”

“Isabelle Wiscombe will have to figure out how to handle both Prince Frederick and the Empress.”

Sophia thought about Isabelle’s future.

‘Will she endure with sheer patience, pinning all her hopes on her children? Can a twenty-year-old girl do that? Can she hold out for a lifetime?’

As she pondered, she couldn’t help but ask Robert, “What exactly did you like about me? And don’t say it’s because I’m competent.”

Robert smiled briefly as he looked at her. Then he answered,

“You were the first person I could truly talk to. The first person I felt wouldn’t mock or judge me for what I said. You think of yourself as cunning and self-serving, but… you’re not. You’re the most rational person I’ve ever met.”

Sophia’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “And?”

Robert’s face turned red again as he declared,

“Sophia Ariel! I can’t even begin to say what I like about you because I love everything about you.”

Satisfied, Sophia grabbed his arm and said playfully, “Your Highness, you really are a model student. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Well, if you insist, I suppose we’ll have to spend more time alone together.”

Blushing even more, Robert shyly replied, “Then I suppose I’ll have to work hard to earn even more rewards.”

***

Sophia Ariel was now Sophia Uranos. Yet, people still called her Ariel.

‘The lucky Ariel.’

But beneath that phrase lay an undercurrent of criticism—that she had taken a position beyond her station.

As time passed, the glory of victory faded, and Sophia’s rapid rise was increasingly attributed to nothing more than Crown Prince Robert’s affection for her.

It had been a year since she became the Crown Princess.

Her status had changed, and so had the way people looked at her.

But what frustrated her the most was how Ariel’s hard work and achievements were being overshadowed by Robert.

Sophia muttered irritably, “What do they mean, ‘Ariel became wealthy thanks to the Crown Prince’s protection’? They know full well it was the salt mine that brought us prosperity!”

As Sophia tossed the newspaper aside, Crown Prince Robert spoke leisurely beside her.

“Isn’t it at least half true that I was the one who gave you the salt mine?”

Sophia lifted her head and looked at him. The two of them, sipping tea in the sunny afternoon garden, made for an elegant and composed scene. Robert’s expression was teasing as he added,

“The old map I gave you!”

Sophia waved her hand dismissively.

“That’s not true at all. It was my immense effort, patience, and obsession with treasure that made it happen. My father knows that very well. Your Highness’s contribution? No more than a fingernail’s worth. Just that much.”

Still full of mischief, Robert grinned.

“But wouldn’t it be better if it seemed like I had given away everything, blinded by love?”

Sophia’s expression turned serious.

“That wouldn’t be good for either of us. You would look like a foolish prince who can’t distinguish between public and private matters, and I’d be seen as a greedy woman who took advantage of your love. We can’t just sugarcoat things anymore—not now that we are the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.”

“You already know their intentions, yet you’re still getting upset. So, what is it that you want, Crown Princess?”

Sophia shook the newspaper again.

“If they insist on calling Ariel’s own achievements a result of your benevolence, then I might as well take full advantage of that protection.”

“Denied!”

“Why not?”

“Because if you were serious about that, you wouldn’t be making a fuss with a newspaper—you’d be making moves at the administrative office.”

“I’ve thought about that too. You’re the lord of Umbriel, and I’m the lady of Oberon. Naturally, a trade alliance between Umbriel and Oberon makes perfect sense.”

“Then won’t they start demanding that you hand over Oberon?”

“Hand over my land? Even the traditionalists would oppose that. The idea of the administration seizing noble territories is far too dangerous. No matter how much the traditionalists dislike me, they’d hate that precedent even more.”

“So that’s why you deliberately brought the newspaper to this tea session and put on a show of being upset. You want me to hand over Oberon’s trade rights? Because even the traditionalists wouldn’t be able to complain about that?”

“They’ve already painted you as someone who can’t separate personal and official matters, so I might as well use it to my advantage.”

Robert smiled.

“Look at you. I told you just how much a Crown Princess can enjoy. Isn’t it far more than you expected?”

“Yes. I really think I made the right choice in becoming Crown Princess.”

Robert chuckled.

“Hearing you say that so earnestly makes me wonder if I really might end up bankrupting the empire.”

Sophia replied confidently,

“Don’t worry. I’ll help the Uranus Empire thrive—just as long as you help me a little more.”

And just as she had promised, prosperity followed. With the export of herbal-infused salt products, medicinal ingredients, and greenhouse plants, Ariel, Umbriel, and Oberon amassed unprecedented wealth.