*

“It would be best to put your hair up since your necklace is fancy, right? Last time I remember, your hair looked prettier pinned up with curls in it.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

With Sienna’s permission, Hain hummed and curled Sienna’s hair. Sienna, who always pretended not to care when Hain always told her that she had to pay attention to buying and decorating dresses, but Hain seemed happy today because Sienna was being cooperative. Sienna smiled because she knew Hain’s mind well.

“I think it was an excellent choice. I’m glad we have a necklace that goes well with the dress.”

Hain, who was finished with Sienna’s hair, hung the necklace on Sienna’s neck and said.

Sienna checked herself over the mirror. A glossy navy dress reminiscent of the night sky. The bottom of the dress was embroidered with silver threads, with pCounts and transparent jewels hanging together, making it look like a galaxy. Moreover, the colorful necklace that matched the base accentuated Sienna’s slender long neck.

She strengthened her will. This time was different from a few months ago when she just watched Bluebell’s wedding. Preparations were needed if she wanted to take over this Imperial City. Sienna was ready to put forward her presence as the empress today.

She took a turn and the hem of her skirt flowed gently to form a wave.

“How wonderful!”

When Hain was clapping her hands, the gatekeeper told them that Carl had come. Sienna, who naturally assumed that he would have gone to Bluebell’s palace as it was her debut banquet, opened her eyes wide.

Soon, Carl entered the guest room. He was wearing a banquet suit of the same material as Sienna. The chest part of the navy jacket was engraved with patterns similar to those embroidered on the underside of Sienna’s dress. At a glance, it was obvious to see that two clothes were made by the same craftsman.

“Beautiful. You are usually beautiful enough to satisfy me, but today you look amazing.”

“You usually look great enough to satisfy me too, but you look even better today.”

Carl burst into a hearty laugh when Sienna returned his compliment.

“But why did you come here? It’s Bluebell’s debut party. I thought you’d definitely go to her.”

When Sienna asked, Carl shrugged and said, “Can’t you tell by the way I’m dressed? Of course, I was going to appear with you. It’s Bluebell’s debut banquet, but there’s no law that you have to appear together. You went in alone last time too.”

“But…”

As Sienna hesitated with concern, Carl asked with a smile.

“Then shall I go to Bluebell like this? If it’s because you feel sorry for her.”

Sienna pulled his hand when he was ready to leave.

“You can’t just come and go like this. It’s not because I feel sorry for her, but because I’m worried about you. I’m afraid if you lose the Ferrer family, it’ll be hard for you to work…”

Carl spoke in a firm tone to her with a worried look.

“Don’t worry. The biggest reason I want to join you in the banquet hall is to give Count Ferrer a statement. I’ve endured his abuse of power, but I’m going to let him know that it’s no good to challenge the emperor’s authority anymore.”

Sienna was well aware that after Count Ferrer made Bluebell the empress, he instigated the nobles as if he was the emperor. Carl seemed determined not to watch him go his own way simply because he wanted to be comfortable.

Sienna didn’t know how Carl’s choice will affect the future, but she decided not to worry too much. Carl was not a weak man.

“Then shall we go before it’s too late?”

Carl reached out his hand to her. The shyly smiling Sienna put her hand rather gently on his palm. The Phoenix Knights in white uniform and the Royal Knights of Carl escorted the two.

The banquet hall was sumptuously decorated. Arya seemed to have worked very hard to win Bluebell’s favor.

Everyone looked surprised as Sienna entered the banquet hall holding Carl’s hand. People thought that the emperor had obtained Bluebell as the second empress, because his heart was directed to Bluebell, not Sienna.

It was Count Ferrer who was more surprised than anyone else to see the two come in together. In the past, he worked with Carl to strengthen the imperial power and neutralize the power of the nobles, but before he knew it, he was standing at the vanguard of the nobles and raising his voice for his own rights and interests.

It’s not that he wasn’t concerned about Carl, but he thought that if only Bluebell had a male heir, his relationship with him would easily be resolved. It was because he strongly believed that the emperor had no feelings for Sienna.

However, when he saw Carl and Sienna entering the banquet hall in a friendly manner, he realized how deeply mistaken he was.

“I think it’s the first time I’ve ever held hands with Carl at a banquet hall like this.”

“You feel more reassured with me, don’t you think?”

“No, I’m more nervous. No one paid attention to me when I went in alone, but now everyone is looking at me in this obvious way. I’m afraid I’ll fall down the stairs and be humiliated in front of so many people.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll hold you tight so you won’t fall.”

Said Carl, laughing at Sienna’s funny remarks.

The music changed as they came down the stairs. When the cheerful waltz came out, people began to dance to it. When Sienna saw people moving in pairs, she remembered her debut banquet.

When Carl appeared in a black tailcoat in front of her, who was in trouble because she had no one to dance with, she felt like she saw a hero.

Of course, Valore asked for the first dance, but she was very nervous because she was anxious about stepping on his foot. She will never forget the time when she danced on the top of Carl’s foot, who appeared just before the song began.

While Sienna was thinking of that time, Carl asked, leading her hand.

“Let’s see how much your dancing skills have improved?”

“How could I have improved if I never dance? It was a mess when I danced with you last time, but now it’s going to be a terrible mess. I feel like I’m going to be humiliated.”

“I guess there is no other way. If I don’t want my wife to be humiliated, I’ll have to give her my feet like last time.”

Sienna smiled and climbed onto his feet.

Bluebell looked at herself in front of the mirror, checking various angles. A lively yellow dress spread out like flower petals.

“Should I have worn a purple dress rather than a yellow one? No, would that sky blue dress be better?”

She had already changed her dress five times. The nanny chimed in.

“I think you look the best in what you’re wearing now. It looks as fresh as a morning flower full of dew.”

“Really? Does this suit me best?”

She asked, raising her skirt as if she was in a good mood at the nanny’s praise.

“Yes, it suits you very well. And you need to get your hair done. If we take too long, we might keep the emperor waiting.”

Bluebell swooped down on the chair for the nanny. The waiting maids combed her hair. Bluebell said with an annoyed face.

“I can’t keep Carl waiting. How long has it been since we’ve met? How busy is he with his work that he can’t even see me until my debut feast?”

“…Your Majesty has just been crowned Emperor, so you must have a lot of work to do.”

The nanny has been keeping the maids’ mouths shut. She knew that Carl stayed in the First Empress’ residence every night, but she couldn’t tell Bluebell, who was already depressed. She just comforted Bluebell by saying that Carl was busy and didn’t have time to stop by here. Bluebell, who couldn’t get out of her place until her debut banquet, couldn’t confirm the truth.

“Other than those earrings… right, the earrings that Baron Cotair sent me as a gift would look better. And bring the bracelet sent by the merchant named Peter. It was exotic because it was imported from beyond the sea. I’m not sure if the jade color matches this yellow dress.”

The maids brought in the accessories. Bluebell had received so many gifts that it took them a long time to just find them and bring them. She wouldn’t be able to use all those ornaments, dresses, and spices, but just the piling those things made her feel good.

But Bluebell’s ecstatic state did not last too long when she finished grooming. The maid who was told to get an update on Carl’s situation came back.

“His Majesty entered the banquet hall first with the First Empress.”

“What does that mean? Today’s the Second Empress’ debut banquet. Why…”

When the nanny asked back with a disconcerted face, the maid stuttered with a frightened look.

“Well, I was just passing on the servant’s word…”

The nanny looked at Bluebell with an embarrassed face. She was hiding the truth to protect Bluebell, and although she knew that she wouldn’t be able to conceal the truth forever, she didn’t think it would be revealed today at Bluebell’s debut banquet. She shrank back at the feeling of bad luck.

Bluebell’s steps toward the banquet hall were heavy. To walk into the banquet hall alone, where she was supposed to be the main character of the night, then to see Carl, who was supposed to be with herself, rather with Sienna, it all made Bluebell’s blood boil.

She bit her lower lip.

It’s not that she didn’t think it was strange. When Empress Arya warned her about what Sienna was like, and when she said that she didn’t smell of love in her face, she tried hard to ignore it, but she thought it was strange.

No, actually it was before that. Ever since then, Carl wasn’t happy to marry her… Every time she told a bad story about Sienna, he hardened his face. Moreover, she thought he would like to hear that she could marry him, but he was rather angry.

But Bluebell just couldn’t admit it. Carl had to be hers. And she had to be the empress. Not Sienna, who came down from some northern village.

Everyone looked at Bluebell as she entered the banquet hall. In their eyes, she could read pity, contempt, and ridicule… She wanted to run away from here at any moment. But then it was clear that they would laugh at her if she did.

She came down the stairs slowly, smiling as if she was okay. The tip of her mouth was twitching, but she couldn’t control it.

Bluebell saw Sienna and Carl dancing affectionately inside the banquet hall. Then her forced smile distorted.

She turned her eyes deliberately. Just in time, there was her father, Kenyon Ferrer. He looked at Bluebell with a disapproving look. On his reproachful face, she had no choice but to lower her head.

“Empress Bluebell, are you here?”

There was someone who welcomed her. It was Empress Arya.

“Empress Arya…”

Arya smiled graciously at Bluebell. Bluebell wanted to cry with her face buried in Arya’s shoulder at any moment at her smile of consolation. Arya looked at Carl and Sienna dancing together and said, “It’s a feast I’ve been working hard to prepare for Empress Bluebell, but I think someone else has taken it away. Didn’t I tell you before? You have to watch out for Empress Sienna…”

“I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t even go out of my place before the debut banquet…”

When Bluebell bit her lower lip in an unfair manner, Arya gently swept down her shoulder.

“It’s okay. It’s not too late. The Emperor’s love isn’t everything. It’s more important who gets the male heir first.”

Bluebell looked at her with a vacant look because Arya’s words were not quite understandable to her. Arya gave a warm smile to Bluebell.