Chapter 21
In the Egretta Empire, there was a piece of mysterious advice that young ladies often heard when they were introduced to society:
“If you see the Empress standing tall even before the Emperor, avoid her at all costs!”
It was something every noblewoman inevitably heard.
Since there was no reason for anyone to speak ill of the Empress without cause, Romantica had faithfully believed and followed this advice until now.
Romantica liked the kind and gentle Emperor.
Moreover, in society, a lady’s status was determined by her family before marriage and by her husband after marriage.
If the vacant position of Empress were to fall to Romantica, there would be nothing happier than that.
Yet Romantica had long given up hope.
Becoming Empress was something only attainable for high-ranking nobles, especially the cherished heirs of meritorious families.
As someone who had only just formally entered society, it was not a position she could recklessly desire.
Thus, Romantica had never felt jealousy toward Azelina. She never felt satisfaction seeing Azelina disliked by the Emperor.
On the day of the tea party at the Evangelich Marquisate, Romantica couldn’t help but be surprised when she saw Azelina.
Everyone was calling the beautiful and graceful woman who had appeared the Empress. Romantica was taken aback inside.
She had never imagined that the Empress she had only heard of in stories could be so kind.
“Did you see Her Majesty the Empress yesterday?”
“Surprisingly, she’s really kind.”
“Exactly. I don’t understand why people say to avoid her or call her the mad dog of society.”
Azelina, who cared little beyond the Emperor’s attention and affection, rarely appeared in public.
So, for the young debutantes, meeting Azelina at the Evangelich Marquisate tea party was essentially their first encounter.
“Whatever rumors there are, isn’t it good to get along with Her Majesty?”
“I’d like to try being friendly. She’s completely different from the rumors.”
“Besides, the rumor that Miss Bellisive is destined to become Empress is just that—a rumor. It might be better to get along with Her Majesty, who comes from a noble meritorious family.”
Romantica quietly listened to the words of the young ladies, who were gradually forming a pro-Egretta Empress alliance.
Then she made a resolution: she would be the first to take the initiative and try to get close to Azelina.
“Your Majesty, do you like flower arranging?”
“Would you like to go with me to the tea house tomorrow?”
Meanwhile, Azelina wiped off the large beads of sweat while looking at the young ladies with sparkling eyes.
It was overwhelming. Very overwhelming.
“Um… excuse me. I’ll just go to the restroom for a moment.”
She had to get away from this place somehow.
If only Iana were here, it might be a little better. Saying she’d just look around nearby, she hadn’t returned.
Azelina moved to a quiet, secluded spot.
As the prying eyes disappeared, she finally felt like she could breathe.
At that moment, when Azelina was standing there, lost in thought…
Splash!
Startled by a sound, Azelina turned her head.
Soon, someone began shouting loudly.
“Ahhh! Help me!”
The urgent scream cut sharply through her ears.
The back of the Count’s estate where Azelina had escaped was large, making it hard to locate the source of the sound.
She hurriedly looked around and moved in the direction of the commotion.
It wasn’t far.
In a nearby deep lake, someone was flailing in the water—it was Kleita.
What should I do?
Azelina had never learned to swim. If she tried to save her, she could make the situation worse.
As Azelina hesitated, Kleita’s head kept bobbing above and below the water. She grew increasingly anxious.
Then, Azelina noticed movement behind her.
Cindy, the maid who had been keeping close to Kleita, had arrived with many attendants.
“Here! Over here!”
Cindy shouted, pointing at the lake.
The attendants rushed in and pulled Kleita out of the water.
“My goodness, what’s going on…?”
“This is so inconvenient for Miss Lankea…”
Gradually, the ladies gathered around the lakeside.
Azelina, along with the late-arriving Iana, quietly hid within the crowd, worried that trouble might somehow fall on her.
Amid the chaos, Kleita, half-conscious and continuously vomiting water, finally began to cry.
Everyone was at a loss, unsure how to act, when one person pushed through the crowd toward Kleita.
“My goodness! What’s happening here…!”
It was Princess Shulia II.
As expected—they were supposedly close friends.
“You suddenly disappeared, and we were so worried…”
Princess Shulia II looked at Kleita with concern.
Behind her, Levein calmly assessed the situation.
A guest—not the host—had wandered to a secluded spot and suddenly fallen into the lake?
The likelihood that someone would wander off aimlessly and accidentally fall into the lake was very low.
This suggested the incident was deliberate…
Levein’s blue eyes narrowed.
“Calm down and tell me, Kleita. Who did this?”
Princess Shulia II’s question quieted the crowd.
Even those who wouldn’t take action like her seemed curious to know who had pushed Kleita into the lake.
Kleita sobbed and spoke with difficulty.
“It’s… Your Majesty…”
Her trembling voice faltered, unable to continue.
At the mention of Azelina, whispers spread among the people.
Azelina, unsure why, frowned and then shouted:
“I-I didn’t do anything…?!”
She laughed inwardly.
She had guessed that Kleita had a hidden motive to embarrass her.
When Kleita suddenly sought an audience, her intention was likely not to be genuinely kind and peaceful.
Still, Azelina had thought about how to save Kleita from the water…
And now, she was being falsely accused.
If she were innocent, there would be nothing to be ashamed of, so she wanted to quickly explain. Yet, it seemed many had already decided that she was responsible.
No trust, just assumptions.
The people whispered simply because the Empress had been mentioned by Kleita—without a shred of proof. Azelina could only feel incredulous.
Meanwhile, Levein quietly stepped out from the crowd.
With a presence that drew attention, the murmurs ceased.
“Miss Marquis, could you explain what happened in detail?”
Levein asked calmly.
Kleita, who had been sobbing endlessly, swallowed her tears and cautiously spoke.
“I had stepped away for a moment, but it was my first time at the Lankea estate, and I lost my way. As I passed by the lake, Her Majesty the Empress…”
“I see.”
Levein found this situation quite interesting.
It was exactly why he had offered to escort Princess Shulia II. Incidents like this frequently occurred among the highborn.
Nodding slightly, he asked Kleita again:
“Hmm. But Miss Marquis, if your maid ran to the garden to alert others, why did Her Majesty stay in place instead of moving away?”
Kleita’s eyes widened.
“…Excuse me?”
“Isn’t that strange? If I were the Empress, and I had truly pushed you in, I would have left immediately as soon as the maid ran to alert others.”
“Oh… well… that is…”
“Even you must find that odd, right?”
Levein smiled at Kleita.
She wanted to argue but had no words. Hesitant, Kleita suddenly raised her voice:
“…How could I know what Her Majesty was thinking?! And why are you asking only me? My maid, Cindy, was also a witness—why not ask her?”
How could someone say that calmly without changing expression?
Azelina was bewildered.
But why does he seem subtly hostile toward Bellisive?
Azelina assumed he would be favorable toward Kleita, since he was escorting Princess Shulia II.
But in front of her, Levein showed no sign of friendliness toward Kleita, just a polite smile.
Just then, Cindy, who had been hiding in a corner, stepped forward.
“Y-Yes! I saw it too! Her Majesty was clearly upset about what happened at the Evangelich Marquisate before, so she must have acted toward our young lady because of that!”
