“Yulia, I give you an official rank and order you to be responsible for the first princess Beatrice’s education.”

Norma’s eyes widened in shock.

What did the emperor just say?

She was so surprised and confused that Norma asked even though she wasn’t spoken to, “… Pardon?”

It was incredibly rude of her to interrupt the emperor, but she wasn’t thinking straight at this point.

Lucretius frowned in displeasure. “I was talking to Yulia, not you Duchess.”

Norma didn’t even have the sense to apologize.

She shouted anxiously, “Y, your highness! You promised to dance the first dance with…!”

Just then, another sound of trumpet rang throughout the room.

Everyone froze as this could only mean another royal member was about to enter.

The emperor was already in the room and the princess was too young to attend this ball. This meant that there was only one person who could be coming in.

“Her highness the empress has arrived!”

***

All the guests turned to the door in shock.

The door opened wide and a graceful woman walked in confidently. In a rose-red dress, her jet-black hair was adorned with her favorite blue diamond tiara. The woman’s eyes smiled seductively.

She was Lucretius’s only wife, the empress of Cransia, and the only woman who was allowed to use the name le Cransia.

The only woman the emperor will ever love.

Sa Bina le Cransia.

The crowd whispered among themselves in shock.

“It’s really the empress?!”

“Didn’t she move to Maram?”

“How is that she is here?”

“What about the rumor that Duchess Lonensia’s niece will become the emperor’s first wife?”

The empress’ carriage left a few days ago and no one had seen her until now. The castle was filled with many servants and maids and everyone knew what the empress looked like. If someone had spotted her, the news would have spread fast. No one had seen the black-haired lady until now.

The empress walked slowly and the guests moved apart with deep bows. She walked towards her husband smoothly. Lucretius took a few steps towards her as well and offered his hand. Bina’s hand touched his gently.

The empress smiled and sweetly said to her husband, “Haha, I’m a bit late. I’m sorry I made you wait, your highness. It took me longer than expected to get ready.”

The emperor looked his wife lovingly. “No need to worry, my love. Waiting for my empress is my pleasure.”

The loving couple acted as if their recent fight had never happened. They looked like they were more in love with each other than ever. They stared at each other as if there were no one else in the room.

Lucretius turned to Norma as if he suddenly remembered she was there.

He pretended ignorance as he said to her, “So Duchess, you were saying something about my first dance? Were you about to say I am to dance with someone other than my own empress?”

He was an excellent actor.

Lucretius continued, “If I dance the first dance with someone other than Empress Sa Bina, it would mean I plan to take another woman as my wife. I have absolutely no intention of doing that, so it would mean I have to dance only with my empress. Did you really think I should dance with another woman?”

Lucretius stared at Norma. He had never directly and clearly indicated to her that he would dance the first dance with Yulia, or that he would take Yulia as his first wife. They had been dancing around the subject, and it was Norma who lost the game.

Lucretius continued dangerously, “Now, tell me. Who should I dance with?”

“T, that is…”

Norma became speechless. She couldn’t breathe and everyone in the room looked at her with pity and amusement.

When Norma’s husband, Duke Lonensia, stepped forward in an attempt to intervene, the empress took this as her chance.

‘I need to make sure she can never get back up!’

Bina and Lucretius were such a good team. They didn’t have to talk to each other to know what needed to be done.

Bina pulled Yulia’s arm towards her.

“Oh my, you look awful, Yulia. It has only been a few days since I saw you, yet you look like you lost a lot of weight. What happened?”

Yulia, who was very pale, looked at her aunt quietly. If Yulia told the empress the truth, that she was imprisoned by her aunt for her plan, things would worsen.

Yulia had been telling Norma for the past several days that she needed to stop. When Yulia looked at her with unsurprised calm eyes, Norma suddenly realized. Yulia wasn’t shocked at all at the appearance of the empress.

‘Did she…!’

Yulia approached Norma and whispered, “I told you many times aunty. I told you to stop. I told you that you won’t win.”

Yulia was telling the truth because Yulia already knew everything.

Was she acting the whole time?! Norma felt an overwhelming shock and anger at her niece. She had been betrayed by her own family. Her lips trembled.

“Y, Yulia…!”

Yulia shook her head at her aunt slowly and walked towards her lady.

The lady she chose to serve.

The empress.

Yulia said to Bina, “I’m sorry I caused you to worry, your highness.”

The empress smiled at Norma as she took Yulia’s arm and walked towards Lucretius. Bina’s voice sounded excited. Everyone could hear that she was very pleased with this situation.

Bina said to Yulia, “You have nothing to apologize for, Yulia. Everyone in the kingdom knows how much I trust you. This is why I want you to be responsible for our only heir Princess Beatrice. Please accept this duty; you are the only one I can trust to do a good job.”

Bina’s voice was sickeningly sweet, and it was intended to anger one person.

Duchess Lonensia.

Yulia happily accepted the offer. “It would be my honor.”

Lucretius smiled and announced officially. “I give Yulia des Maximillian the name of Dorten and the rank of baroness. From now on, you will become responsible for the princess’ education.”

Yulia des Maximillian, now Yulia des Dorten, bowed deeply.

“Yulia des Dorten is grateful to receive such an honor.”

With this, Yulia now became the head of a brand-new noble family and was legally free from her aunt and her own greedy family.

Lucretius added, “We will arrange an official ceremony for your new rank later.”

Bina finally said to her husband, “Oh your highness, we need to start the ball! The guests have been waiting for too long because I was late.”

“Don’t worry. We will begin right now.” He then bowed and offered her his hand. “Now, will you dance with me this first dance, my love?”

“Of course, your highness.”

Bina took his hand. The music started immediately, and the royal couple walked towards the center of the ballroom and started to dance.

The emperor and the empress performed three dances in a row. They didn’t leave each other’s side to show to everyone that they were united.

Many guests stared at one woman, and it was Duchess Lonensia. Her hands trembled in anger as she glared at those who embarrassed her.

The emperor and the empress who were dancing together.

Her niece Yulia who was watching them quietly.

‘It was all a trap from the beginning… They have planned this to get me! Katleyanira is gone and my father-in-law is dead… So they don’t need the Lonensia family anymore.’

Lucretius knew that having a powerful family like Lonensian close to him was dangerous. He kept Cornelius around because the emperor knew for certain the former chancellor was loyal. He also counted on old Cornelius to pass away within a few years, and he was right.

However, the new Duke of Lonensia Fabio, Norma’s husband, would live for many decades to come. Lucretius didn’t like this, and this whole event was an attempt to get rid of the Lonensian family. Norma was sure of it.

“Mother.”

A warm hand gently covered her shaking hand. When she looked up, Norma found her son smiling.

“Rob.”