The head chamberlain, Count Henrique, left Ines to sort out the messy documents and hurried down to the first floor of the Imperial Palace to greet the guests.
Among those documents, the first thing that had to be done was the election of the new Empress. Ines, who first grabbed the documents containing detailed information about the candidates for the Empress, returned to her seat and began to carefully examine them one by one.
The documents of the most likely candidate were naturally at the top.
Angelina Manisut of the Manisut Duchy.
Anyone in the Keynes Empire would have heard the name Manisut at least once.
Judging by her year of birth, Angelina was an eighteen-year-old woman.
Considering that most of the high-ranking nobles of Keynes married for political reasons before they turned sixteen, it was quite late for her.
Angelina Manisut was a beauty with deep blue eyes and brown hair that was almost black. Ines couldn’t tell the exact feeling just by looking at the portrait, but she was a woman with a rather elegant impression.
When Ines imagined her next to Carson, it seemed like they were one from the beginning. Suddenly, her heart started to make an unpleasant sound and started to hurt.
Ines ignored the emotions that were rushing in and carefully examined the remaining candidates. They were all young ladies of a Count or higher family, but most of them were from families with quiet voices. Except for Princess Manisut, the rest were likely just hanging around. And then there was Ines.
Then, she took a deep breath and started organizing the documents as instructed by the chamberlain.
The chamberlain returned to the office.
“Lady Swenden.”
The chamberlain’s breathing was a bit ragged as if he had come in a hurry. He also seemed a bit hesitant about how to bring up the subject.
“Go ahead.”
“Princess Manisut wants to see you.”
Ines was surprised for a moment, but she wasn’t too flustered.
Since the news had reached her, there would be no noble who didn’t know that the Emperor had decided to establish Viscount Swenden as the Lord of Landhill.
Ines was currently living in the imperial palace. There was no need to confirm the rumor that Carson favored her the most and kept her by his side.
Furthermore, she must have already known the rumor that the two had a long and deep relationship.
If Princess Manisut really wanted to become the Empress, it was only natural that she would first try to meet Ines.
“Where should I go?”
At that moment, the door to the chamberlain’s office opened and a woman came in.
“Benjamin.”
The woman who came in, calling the chamberlain by his name in a friendly manner, was Angelina, the daughter of the Manisut family whom she had just seen in the portrait.
“Are you here?”
Chamberlain Benjamin was the head of the Henrique Count family. The fact that he was bowing to the young lady and paying respect meant that his family was a vassal of Manisut. Ines, who was under his command, naturally bowed her head and took a step back.
“I came because I was tired of waiting. I wonder if it’s rude.”
“Good job.”
He guided Angelina to the sofa in his office. Ines stood there, not having been greeted or told to sit down.
Soon, Benjamin moved to leave.
“I don’t need tea. It won’t take long.”
Angelina’s elegant voice cut through the awkward atmosphere. Soon, the maid who had been following her left, and the two stood facing each other in the room, where only the cool air remained.
“Come this way.”
“Please sit down first.”
Upon hearing Ines’ voice, she gave a meaningless glance for a moment and nodded.
Then she slowly took off her gloves. Her long and delicate fingers came out of the delicate gloves made of thin lace one by one.
Ines felt a strange sense of deja vu and furrowed her brow slightly as she watched the action.
The movement of removing her fingers was breathtakingly elegant, so Ines could not help but stare blankly at the scene for a moment. Before sitting down, Angelina glanced at the spot where Ines was standing.
And there she saw her own portrait.
“You’re an interesting person.”
She snickered and sat down. Then she lifted her chin slightly to indicate that she should sit down.
“You are as beautiful as I heard.”
There was a strange sense of intimidation in her uniquely affectionate tone. Her actions were not intentionally artificial, but rather a natural, ingrained attitude. Ines had definitely seen someone speak like that before.
“Thank you.”
“Is it unexpected that I asked to meet you?”
“...No.”
“I just came because I was curious. What kind of person are you?”
Ines was also curious about the woman standing before her. Her movements were cool and concise. Her speech was warm, but there was no warmth.
But that wasn’t all. Her eyes, which at first glance seemed to be kind, gave anyone who looked at them the impression that they were at her feet. She was like... a wolf standing on a cliff with her back to the moon, yes, a wolf.
Ines felt a sudden nagging feeling that her neck was about to be bitten, but she didn’t flinch.
Angelina, who had been studying Ines as if searching, smiled bitterly again.
“You’re a careful person. You.”
“...”
“I can’t tell what you’re thinking just by looking at your expression. Are your eyes envious of me right now? Or are you looking at me with hostility?”
Ines was careful with her words. Ines, too, couldn’t tell how she was looking at her right now.
“I know how you’ve been. And how long Carson has been waiting by your side.”
A dull pain shot through her at the friendly name Carson. Since she realized her feelings for him, there hasn’t been a day that didn’t hurt.
She added as if she had noticed Ines’s feelings.
“We’ve been together since we were young. When we were very young, there was nothing between us, so I easily agreed to give him a name.”
“...”
“It would be a lie if I said I’ve never had feelings for such a handsome and beautiful man in that long time.”
Even to such a perfect woman, was Carson that handsome and beautiful?
“Is it true that Carson himself made you a maid and brought you to the palace?”
Ines didn’t have anything to deny, so she didn’t answer. Angelina shook her head and smiled faintly.
“It was quite shocking that that man could do that.”
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Soon, a familiar maid working at the palace came in.
Imperial maids do not serve anyone in the palace except the royal family. However, both the one serving and the one receiving the service felt no discomfort as if it were normal.
“Benjamin, I said I didn’t need tea.”
The movement of removing her fingers was breathtakingly elegant, so Ines could not help but stare blankly at the scene for a moment. Before sitting down, Angelina glanced at the spot where Ines was standing.
And there she saw her own portrait.
“You’re an interesting person.”
She snickered and sat down. Then she lifted her chin slightly to indicate that she should sit down.
“You are as beautiful as I heard.”
There was a strange sense of intimidation in her uniquely affectionate tone. Her actions were not intentionally artificial, but rather a natural, ingrained attitude. Ines had definitely seen someone speak like that before.
“Thank you.”
“Is it unexpected that I asked to meet you?”
“...No.”
“I just came because I was curious. What kind of person are you?”
Ines was also curious about the woman standing before her. Her movements were cool and concise. Her speech was warm, but there was no warmth.
But that wasn’t all. Her eyes, which at first glance seemed to be kind, gave anyone who looked at them the impression that they were at her feet. She was like... a wolf standing on a cliff with her back to the moon, yes, a wolf.
Ines felt a sudden nagging feeling that her neck was about to be bitten, but she didn’t flinch.
Angelina, who had been studying Ines as if searching, smiled bitterly again.
“You’re a careful person. You.”
“...”
“I can’t tell what you’re thinking just by looking at your expression. Are your eyes envious of me right now? Or are you looking at me with hostility?”
Ines was careful with her words. Ines, too, couldn’t tell how she was looking at her right now.
“I know how you’ve been. And how long Carson has been waiting by your side.”
A dull pain shot through her at the friendly name Carson. Since she realized her feelings for him, there hasn’t been a day that didn’t hurt.
She added as if she had noticed Ines’s feelings.
“We’ve been together since we were young. When we were very young, there was nothing between us, so I easily agreed to give him a name.”
“...”
“It would be a lie if I said I’ve never had feelings for such a handsome and beautiful man in that long time.”
Even to such a perfect woman, was Carson that handsome and beautiful?
“Is it true that Carson himself made you a maid and brought you to the palace?”
Ines didn’t have anything to deny, so she didn’t answer. Angelina shook her head and smiled faintly.
“It was quite shocking that that man could do that.”
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Soon, a familiar maid working at the palace came in.
Imperial maids do not serve anyone in the palace except the royal family. However, both the one serving and the one receiving the service felt no discomfort as if it were normal.
“Benjamin, I said I didn’t need tea.”
When she smiled, the maid smiled slightly and blushed.
When the maid left and the two were left alone again, Angelina slowly rubbed the handle of the teacup with her fingertips. At that moment, Ines’s eyes overlapped with the afterimage of the long, white fingers that had lifted Carson’s chin.
Following that afterimage, Ines came face to face with a creepy face. When their eyes met, Angelina tilted her head slightly with a puzzled look.
Huh, Ines took a deep breath. And then she realized the identity of the sense of deja vu she had felt.
The owner of that finger was none other than the former Empress. Angelina looked unbelievably like the former Empress.
Ines’s eyes flashed for a moment.
“Ines, I originally couldn’t touch things that weren’t my own without gloves. Don’t you think it’s something that’s been touched by someone?”
“...”
“But I want Carson so badly. Even though it’s already dirty from your hands.”
She didn’t hesitate at all to tell the Emperor that it was dirty.
“Because he is the Emperor who will make me perfect. And he is also a perfect man.”
She took her hand off the teacup and put it back into her gloves. Once the afterimage of the former Empress overlapped, Ines could no longer see her as she was.
“I know His Majesty the Emperor’s intentions, but I have no way of knowing yours.”
“Does my intention matter?”
When Ines, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up, the hand that was putting on the gloves stopped. Then, she laughed as if it was funny. The eyes that looked at Ines again were completely devoid of favor.
“It doesn’t matter, as you say. But it does matter whether you are a realistic person or not.”
“I am not a realistic person.”
“Then are you a person who dreams absurd dreams?”
“No. I...”
Ines took a moment to reflect on the life she had lived. Then the answer came easily. The moment her beliefs and long-standing promises that had been gently crushed in his bedroom last night were broken, the emotion Ines felt was paradoxically joyous.
Ines was not the type of person to retreat because of fear. Since going back in time, she has only held on for one thing.
“I am a blind person.”
Angelina’s brow furrowed as if she had not thought of the words. However, the emotion that resembled a great deal of unpleasantness quickly subsided.
“Are you saying that you have no thought or calculation?”
“That’s right. I...”
Ines took a deep breath, and let it out in several short bursts. The moment she let this out, Angelina and Ines became static. Once again, her life began to prepare for war. Her back straightened naturally.
“I have never acted in a calculated manner. There was always only one way.”
There was only one way to deal with Joseph and Zemern.
Even when it was judged that Carson would be in danger if he did not become the Emperor, there was only one way to go.
And it was only at this moment that she realized it.
There was only one way left for her to go to Carson.
“You said you knew His Majesty’s intentions, but not mine?”
Ines continued with a faint smile.
“As I said before, my intentions are not important. His thoughts are my thoughts. His future is my future, and what he wants is what I want.”
Angelina laughed as if she was amazed.
“You don’t seem so stupid as to not know how dangerous that blindness is...”
When the maid left and the two were left alone again, Angelina slowly rubbed the handle of the teacup with her fingertips. At that moment, Ines’s eyes overlapped with the afterimage of the long, white fingers that had lifted Carson’s chin.
Following that afterimage, Ines came face to face with a creepy face. When their eyes met, Angelina tilted her head slightly with a puzzled look.
Huh, Ines took a deep breath. And then she realized the identity of the sense of deja vu she had felt.
The owner of that finger was none other than the former Empress. Angelina looked unbelievably like the former Empress.
Ines’s eyes flashed for a moment.
“Ines, I originally couldn’t touch things that weren’t my own without gloves. Don’t you think it’s something that’s been touched by someone?”
“...”
“But I want Carson so badly. Even though it’s already dirty from your hands.”
She didn’t hesitate at all to tell the Emperor that it was dirty.
“Because he is the Emperor who will make me perfect. And he is also a perfect man.”
She took her hand off the teacup and put it back into her gloves. Once the afterimage of the former Empress overlapped, Ines could no longer see her as she was.
“I know His Majesty the Emperor’s intentions, but I have no way of knowing yours.”
“Does my intention matter?”
When Ines, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up, the hand that was putting on the gloves stopped. Then, she laughed as if it was funny. The eyes that looked at Ines again were completely devoid of favor.
“It doesn’t matter, as you say. But it does matter whether you are a realistic person or not.”
“I am not a realistic person.”
“Then are you a person who dreams absurd dreams?”
“No. I...”
Ines took a moment to reflect on the life she had lived. Then the answer came easily. The moment her beliefs and long-standing promises that had been gently crushed in his bedroom last night were broken, the emotion Ines felt was paradoxically joyous.
Ines was not the type of person to retreat because of fear. Since going back in time, she has only held on for one thing.
“I am a blind person.”
Angelina’s brow furrowed as if she had not thought of the words. However, the emotion that resembled a great deal of unpleasantness quickly subsided.
“Are you saying that you have no thought or calculation?”
“That’s right. I...”
Ines took a deep breath, and let it out in several short bursts. The moment she let this out, Angelina and Ines became static. Once again, her life began to prepare for war. Her back straightened naturally.
“I have never acted in a calculated manner. There was always only one way.”
There was only one way to deal with Joseph and Zemern.
Even when it was judged that Carson would be in danger if he did not become the Emperor, there was only one way to go.
And it was only at this moment that she realized it.
There was only one way left for her to go to Carson.
“You said you knew His Majesty’s intentions, but not mine?”
Ines continued with a faint smile.
“As I said before, my intentions are not important. His thoughts are my thoughts. His future is my future, and what he wants is what I want.”
Angelina laughed as if she was amazed.
“You don’t seem so stupid as to not know how dangerous that blindness is...”
“...”
“That blindness will definitely get him in trouble.”
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