HTSVD 05

Chapter 5

While I was mulling over my thoughts, a middle-aged lady with blonde hair, who had been quietly sitting, muttered in a worried voice.

“His Majesty is leading the army, so there’s no need to worry… but still, we cannot predict the outcome of the war. It’s unnerving.”

I had been quietly sipping my tea, but at that moment I quickly spoke up.

“Oh, please don’t worry. The war will be won by our Albion Empire.”

My sudden interruption seemed to shock everyone, leaving the room unusually quiet.

After all, Eve—the original Eve—had no interest in international affairs, nor the intelligence to understand them. Even her basic political studies with a tutor had ended in failure. Everyone present knew this.

The Empress looked at me with a questioning gaze.

The blonde lady politely asked me, “That would be wonderful… but is there a particular reason you’re so sure?”

“Of course,” I replied. I set down my teacup and explained calmly.

“Lasken is currently distracted by succession issues. The youngest prince is the one sent to the battlefield, correct? The Emperor of Lasken sent him out precisely to keep him out of the succession game. In such circumstances, they won’t be able to provide proper support from their homeland.”

Everyone—blonde ladies, other nobles, even the Empress—looked at me in surprise.

I continued matter-of-factly.

“They’ll just stall for time, so our Emperor, skilled in tactics, will easily win and return home.”

In the original story, the Emperor won the battle effortlessly and returned to the capital. If my plan went well, he would end the war quickly and come back.

I finished my explanation and calmly sipped my tea again. Silence fell like a cold splash of water. The blonde lady, belatedly, smiled awkwardly and said in admiration,

“Princess, you are truly wise. You understand even the enemy’s movements…”

“That’s too kind of you,” I replied.

All eyes were on me. They couldn’t believe that the foolish Eve could understand such matters. Not reacting to Sorel’s story was surprising, but this was even more shocking.

A few ladies glanced at the Empress, checking her reaction.

The Empress’ gentle smile faded for a moment. She looked at me with a blank expression but then forced a soft smile again.

“Our Eve has studied hard all this time. As a mother, I’m proud,” she said kindly, then added with a gentle laugh, “I hope the Duke recognizes your efforts as well.”

Sighing with genuine regret, the Empress took the blonde lady’s hand and made a request.

“If you ever meet the Duke, please tell him about our Eve,” she asked.

The blonde lady—Duchess Rohan—was the sister of the late Duchess and the Duke’s aunt. In the original, she was a minor character but occasionally helped her nephew kindly.

“Ah, yes, Your Majesty,” the Duchess replied, holding the Empress’ hand while awkwardly glancing at me.

The Empress continued in a soft voice,

“The wedding is just over a month away, yet he hasn’t even come to see Eve. Isn’t that a bit cruel?”

Not only had the Duke not visited, he had long avoided Eve. Everyone understood the implied meaning: the fiancé’s neglect and Eve’s miserable position despite her apparent superiority.

Despite teasing me, the Empress maintained her dignity. Anyone unaware would think she was sincerely worried for her stepdaughter.

Several noblewomen who were close to the Empress covered their mouths with fans and exchanged amused glances.

“I’m fine, Mother. Sometimes couples start off with difficulties but still manage to have a happy marriage,” I said innocently, smiling gently.

“I’ve heard that His Grace dislikes mistresses or concubines. That shows how seriously he takes his marriage vows, doesn’t it?”

In this world, men of the ruling class were allowed multiple wives, but the Duke strongly disliked it, unlike the Emperor or other nobles. The original story said it was because his father, the previous Duke, had been excessively indulgent and troubled the Duchess.

I smiled calmly, one hand on my chest, and continued,

“He will remain faithful only to me, his official wife. If I put in the effort, our relationship will gradually improve. I just have to try my best.”

The reception room fell into a chilling silence. Everyone knew the Empress had been a former concubine, a fact that still lingered like a shadow.

As expected, the moment I finished speaking, the color drained from the Empress’ face. Her beautiful smile vanished, and the room grew icy.

I sipped the rest of my tea, set the cup down, and turned back to her.

“Oh, actually, Mother, there’s a favor I’d like to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes, it’s not difficult,” I said, smiling sweetly at her.

After deliberately breaking the atmosphere with my previous words, I was now asking a favor. Everyone looked stunned, but I remained unfazed. I had planned this from the start—to ruffle the Empress’ feathers.

“Go on, tell me,” the Empress said, regaining her composure and smiling kindly.

I smiled obediently.

“Ensha’s festival is coming soon.”

The three days surrounding Ensha’s festival are dedicated to honoring the spirits of the dead. Ordinary people remember their deceased relatives, and the empire holds ceremonies for former emperors and heroes.

“Before I visit the Duke’s estate, I’d like to go to the temple to pray for my late mother and offer her mementos.”

Mentioning my late mother made the atmosphere even heavier. I quickly added,

“And since it’s a rare visit to the temple, I’d also like to pray for His Majesty’s safe return from the battlefield.”

“Hmm…”

A look of mild discomfort crossed the Empress’ face.

She must have felt conflicted. How could she stop her stepdaughter from praying for her deceased mother and her father at war?

In the four days since I had awakened here, the Empress had left the palace twice: once to pray at the temple, once to attend a family gathering at her parental home. But both times, she hadn’t invited me along.

With the Emperor, Crown Prince, Second Prince, and even Sorel away, the palace now had only the Empress and me.

‘She could at least take me along out of courtesy.’

The Empress usually enjoyed bringing Eve with her. She could appear kind while showing everyone how unruly I was.

‘But she didn’t—so the Emperor must have ordered her to keep Eve in the palace.’

The Emperor hadn’t explained his full plan, but he probably instructed the Empress to make sure I didn’t cause trouble before leaving. That’s why I wasn’t allowed outside.

Normally, the Empress would have tried to prevent me from visiting the temple. I was always a troublemaker wherever I went.

But today was different.

I had acted clever in front of the noblewomen, subtly insulting the Empress while showing knowledge of current affairs. The Empress, angered and wanting to embarrass me, would now want to send me out—especially to the temple, where I was sure to be humiliated.

‘Because today is the day the Duke visits the temple.’

The Duke secretly visits the temple just before Ensha’s festival every year, to avoid the crowds on the festival day itself. Only a very few, including the Emperor and Empress, knew this.

The Empress silently studied my expression, perhaps checking if I knew about the Duke’s visit.

I deliberately wore an innocent, eager smile, glancing at her as if saying, ‘I really want to go to the temple.’

There was no complicated plot—just a simple desire to see the Duke, pretending to be a good daughter.