“You went to Retinga today?”

When Sylvia entered her room, she found an unwelcome guest already inside.

She removed the robe she had been wearing to conceal her identity and regarded the woman sitting on her sofa as though it were her own — her sister, Lorelei.

“Looks like I’ve got a spy in my palace.”

Sylvia spoke dryly as she tossed the robe over the back of the sofa.

Making a mental note to investigate the palace servants soon, she cast Lorelei a brief glance before beginning to undo the pin holding her hair up.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Answer my question first.”

“Why bother answering something you already know?”

Sylvia let out a small laugh and loosened her hair. The moment Lorelei saw the long strands fall over Sylvia’s shoulders, she openly showed her irritation.

“Are you going to keep talking to your older sister like that?”

“Lore, don’t try to pull rank in a place like this. If you have something to say, just say it quickly. I’m tired.”

Lorelei bit her lip hard.

Sylvia glanced at her sister’s expression and sighed inwardly.

From that look, it seemed that Lorelei had come to complain about something. She should have arranged a proper meeting for tomorrow instead of lurking alone in an empty room.

Lorelei was always like that, acting and speaking however she pleased without considering anyone else’s circumstances, and constantly causing trouble.

Sylvia sat before the vanity and reached for her earrings.

“I heard you ran into Ariadne Peyton in Retinga.”

“So now you’re investigating me?”

Sylvia let out a hollow laugh as she took off her earrings. She knew perfectly well that Lorelei harbored resentment towards Ariadne.

This probably meant that Lorelei had visited the newlyweds and bombarded Ariadne with spiteful words.

Sylvia remembered the day Lorelei had gone to the ducal estate, the day Ariadne collapsed, throwing the entire household into turmoil.

She shook her head.

“Is meeting the Duchess of Ambrose a problem? Heidel was with me.”

“You still plan to ask that woman to be your bridesmaid. That’s the problem.”

Ah, of course.

Sylvia snorted softly as she unclasped her necklace.

“And?”

“What?”

“It’s my wedding. What’s the problem?”

She knew exactly why Lorelei was so insistent on being a bridesmaid. Yes, part of it was jealousy towards Ariadne. But more than that, it was Lorelei’s unbearable need to be the center of attention wherever she went.

Lorelei had originally been engaged to the Duke of Ambrose.

When that plan fell through, however, she made Sylvia’s life miserable, especially once Sylvia started getting closer to Heidel.

She switched letters containing their date plans, forged messages to make Heidel think he was meeting her instead of Sylvia and even summoned him to her palace at times when she knew Sylvia would be there.

To Heidel, who brushed off most things without a second thought, it was just another reason to pity Sylvia.

Even at the wedding that Sylvia and Heidel finally reached after enduring many hardships, Lorelei still craved the spotlight.

Unwilling to marry someone she disliked, she decided to be a bridesmaid instead and to walk down the aisle before Sylvia.

If the bridesmaid were to outshine the bride, the order would be overturned, making the bride look like the attendant.

Lorelei had never said as much outright, but Sylvia knew her well enough to understand her intentions.

It was all about her petty pride, her relentless desire to be center stage, to be admired, to be first.

Sylvia slipped the ring from her finger, turned, and looked directly at Lorelei.

“Lore. This is my wedding. I choose who stands as my bridesmaid. I choose who attends.”

“…Are you saying I’m not allowed to come to your wedding?”

“Well… that depends entirely on how you behave.”

Sylvia shrugged as though it were none of her concern.

Then, as if to dismiss her sister outright, she untied the ribbon of her dress.

“I need to change. Are you planning to sit there the whole time? You sent the maids away too, didn’t you?”

“If you’re not here to help, then leave.”

Sylvia said firmly. Lorelei shot her a furious glare, rose sharply to her feet, and stormed out of the room. She was so angry that Sylvia could almost feel a cold breeze sweeping past her as she left.

Sylvia stared at the closed door, folded the ribbon loosely, and set it on the vanity before pulling the bell cord.

Lorelei’s tantrums were nothing new, but they exhausted Sylvia every time. If she wasn’t the center of attention, she would pout, sulk and cause scenes.

What had begun in childhood simply followed her into adulthood, unchanged.

She was still self-centered and hungry for attention, and still willing to do anything to get what she wanted — now armed with refined social manners and elegant lies polished enough to win favor with others.

One of the reasons Sylvia had first approached Heidel was because he was the strongest force against Lorelei.

Admittedly, the other half had been curiosity — he was a Peyton, after all, and handsome besides.

With the benefit of hindsight, he would have been the perfect person to pit against her sister. However, thinking back on all the needless trouble he had endured because of her made Sylvia feel a sharp pang of guilt.

If he had dated someone from a normal family, he would never have had to endure harassment from a sister who behaved like a spiteful stepmother.

“How on earth does Father plan to make someone like her emperor?”

While waiting for a maid, Sylvia sat at her dressing table and murmured softly to herself. Although her sister’s status had not yet been formally announced, for all intents and purposes, Lorelei was the next crown princess.

However, there was one condition: it would only last until their younger brother came of age. But this was Lorelei they were talking about.

There was no way she would willingly let a younger sibling surpass her.

She often complained about the emperor’s decision, vowing that the first people she would expel once she became sovereign would be the empress and the prince.

Every attendant in Lorelei’s palace knew this.

Despite this, the emperor — their father — still intended to appoint Lorelei as crown princess, citing her stronger social presence and broader support among the aristocracy.

Sylvia couldn’t say exactly when it would happen, but it would probably be soon. The Emperor rarely changed his mind once he had made a decision.

However, if he ever found out that Lorelei intended to kill his beloved youngest son…

“I’d love to see Lore’s face when that day comes.”

Sylvia covered her curling smile with her hand. If that day came, their father would almost certainly reject Lorelei and put Eustace in the care of the person he trusted most.

That person would most likely be Sylvia.

Unlike Lorelei, who had never accepted their father’s second marriage or the birth of her half-brother, Sylvia had never resented her stepmother or the little boy.

They both understood their circumstances better than anyone else did, and they knew exactly who they needed to stand beside in order to survive.

The only reason they never spoke openly about it was because the Emperor was intent on naming Lorelei as Crown Princess.

In private, however, they clearly preferred Sylvia. They visited her more often and seemed reassured by the calm steadiness she offered rather than Lorelei’s suffocating neediness.

Sylvia herself had no complaints about the new Empress, who was young, warm, and considerate. Eustace, who had only recently begun to speak, felt more like a nephew or even a son than a sibling to her.

The three of them met often, even without the Emperor present. Because of this, rumors began to spread that Sylvia was a benevolent princess.

Whether because of these rumors or for other reasons, several noble families soon voiced their support for her. Sylvia even received oaths of loyalty before Eustace did — all conducted in secret, of course.

Following this, her influence within the palace increased significantly, with even those who had previously sought out Lorelei now turning to Sylvia instead.

Opinion shaped power, and those whispers eventually reached the public, influencing the views of ordinary people.

Sylvia therefore quietly began building a faction of her own. She had Heidel at her side, and the formidable Peyton Marquisate supported her too.

She had first approached Heidel not out of romantic interest, but to use him as leverage against Lorelei — a move that only served to fuel Lorelei’s jealousy.

But none of that mattered.

What mattered was earning the trust of the Empress and little Eustace, and carrying that trust all the way up to the Emperor himself.

She could never allow someone like Lorelei to ascend the throne.

Even if Lorelei’s reign were to be only temporary, until Eustace came of age, Sylvia wasn’t lacking in ambition herself.

The difference between her and Lorelei was simple.

When the time came, Sylvia intended to hand the throne to Eustace and spend the rest of her life quietly with Heidel and their future children.

Lorelei, on the other hand, would cling to power until her dying breath.

It would be interesting to see who their father would choose in the end.

Sylvia considered this as she offered a warm smile to the maids entering the room.

Ultimately, she would be the last one laughing.

“I’ve already taken off the accessories. Just help me change?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Your bathwater will be ready soon.”

“All right. Thank you.”

Yes, she would ultimately be the one to win. No matter how much Lorelei kicked, screamed or fought, Sylvia would end up on the throne. She would make sure of it.

With the maids’ help, Sylvia undressed, silently praying that the plan being prepared by Heidel and Jade would succeed.

It seemed she would sleep comfortably tonight.