Chapter – 16
Fortunately, the thing the Duke of Leilaten had been worried about did not happen.
All of the Emperor’s attention was focused on his nephew Cheyten, who had returned alive despite everyone expecting him to die.
‘And now I’ve disappeared too.’
If Cheyten were to start a rebellion right now with the forces supporting him, what would happen to the Emperor?
One of the biggest factions supporting the Emperor was the Leilaten family, where Roshanne belonged. Since Roshanne had no intention of protecting the Emperor, it would probably only be a matter of time before he fell.
‘…Not bad.’
Thinking it might not be such a bad idea if Cheyten rebelled and replaced the ruler of the throne, Roshanne finished getting dressed and stood up.
“Miss, what are you planning to do today?”
“What do you mean what?”
Roshanne tilted her head as if the question itself was strange.
“I need to observe what kind of clouds pass by today and measure how much the sprouts have grown since yesterday.”
“…Again?”
“What do you mean again? There are no two clouds alike under the sky, and no two sprouts grow to the same size. You can only see today’s version today.”
Why don’t they understand how fun that is?
Roshanne couldn’t understand the maid’s tired expression.
“Going to a party or going out perhaps…?”
“I’m under house arrest right now.”
“Ah.”
The maid nodded awkwardly, realizing her mistake.
“Then… then… how about inviting a close friend to the mansion?”
Roshanne frowned at the suggestion. She didn’t even need to search her memory.
“I don’t have any friends.”
Roshanne had no friends.
At her casual remark, the maid once again shut her mouth with an awkward expression.
“Then… then…”
The effect of the three jewels had been tremendous. Since that day, the maid had been extremely devoted to Roshanne.
As if hoping more jewels might fall her way, she seemed eager to be assigned any errand.
“Ah. I’d like to visit the library at least once.”
“The library? That doesn’t really seem to suit you, miss…”
“What?”
“No, nothing. I’ll go get the library key.”
Roshanne didn’t dislike people who were motivated by money. In fact, they were easier to deal with because they showed their desires openly.
If someone tried to bribe this maid, she could simply give her more money to prevent any betrayal.
After all, the Duke of Leilaten would earn more money anyway.
“Alright. I’m counting on you.”
Knock knock.
“Miss, you have a visitor.”
Someone had come to see Roshanne.
“Who is it?”
“Miss Brina Portlen has arrived.”
Portlen? That sounded familiar.
Roshanne searched her memory at the familiar family name.
“Gasp! Miss Brina? Isn’t she the one who has been selected as the ‘Milky Way of the Sky’ for several years now?”
“…Milky Way of the Sky?”
What’s that?
Roshanne frowned at the maid’s words. The maid looked shocked.
“Miss, don’t tell me you don’t know what the ‘Milky Way of the Sky’ is?”
“Who doesn’t know the Milky Way in the sky?”
“No! Not the real one! The social circle’s ‘Milky Way of the Sky’!”
“Who came up with such a cringeworthy name… wait. ‘Milky Way of the Sky?’ That sounds really familiar.”
The Portlen family also sounded familiar, and so did that title…
“Ah.”
Roshanne suddenly inhaled sharply as the memory returned.
Several hundred years ago, a previous Emperor had once asked Roshanne a question.
He said he wanted to match the Crown Prince with a clever noble lady and asked how to identify such a person.
At the time, Roshanne was busy dealing with a civil war and answered casually.
Just host a party, invite the noble ladies, and pick the smartest one. Give her some title like ‘the shining Milky Way in the sky,’ she had said while looking at the stars.
The Emperor had happily agreed.
After finishing the civil war, Roshanne had been sealed again, so she never knew what happened afterward.
‘That was a name I came up with…! And they kept using it?’
Roshanne lowered her head in horror at the thought that such a cringeworthy title had lasted for centuries.
“Miss! That name was personally created by the former Emperor!”
Personally? Please. That guy had zero naming sense. He couldn’t even name villages properly.
Roshanne rubbed her dry face several times while swallowing her frustration. The maids panicked, saying her makeup would be ruined.
“…So anyway, that sky moon or star or whatever came to see me?”
She felt embarrassed even saying it.
“No! The ‘Milky Way of the Sky’! It’s the title given to the most beautiful lady of the year! Everyone tries so hard to become one!”
Don’t try so hard for something like that.
“Since this year’s ‘Milky Way’ hasn’t been decided yet, why don’t you try too, miss?”
“I’m not really into using my brain.”
“Huh? Your brain?”
“The smartest noble lady becomes the Milky Way of the year, right?”
“No! The most beautiful lady!”
“…Beautiful?”
“Yes! Since sparkling things are beautiful, they choose the most beautiful lady!”
It seemed the meaning had changed over time.
Feeling dizzy from confronting her past memory, Roshanne shook her head and stood up.
“Then why did she come to see me? Were we friends?”
The maids looked at each other and slowly shook their heads.
“Not at all.”
Then why was she here?
“It’s rude to keep a guest waiting, so I might as well go.”
Annoyed that her day’s plans had been interrupted, Roshanne headed toward the reception room.
She entered the room where the so-called cloud, moon, or whatever was waiting.
A woman sitting on the sofa, gently fanning herself, turned toward her.
Even before greetings were exchanged, Roshanne could tell from the irritation on Brina’s face.
This wasn’t an ally. It was an enemy.
‘So she didn’t come to be friends.’
Then there was no need to impress her either.
Roshanne gave a brief nod and sat across from her.
“Hah!”
Brina let out an incredulous laugh and snapped her fan shut.
“Does the Lady of Leilaten not greet her guest?”
Her sharp voice lashed out. As expected of someone chosen as last year’s star or galaxy or whatever, she was very pretty.
‘Definitely not chosen for intelligence.’
Roshanne shrugged calmly.
“Shouldn’t the one who barged into someone else’s house without an appointment apologize first?”
“B-barged in?!”
“We already know who each other are… and neither of us seems interested in greetings, so let’s skip them.”
“Hah! Unbelievable!”
“So why did you come?”
Roshanne got straight to the point without even offering tea. Brina frowned.
“How rude…”
Brina’s guard behind her muttered coldly while glaring at Roshanne, as if looking at something filthy.
“Leave it, Mark.”
Feeling better that her guard supported her, Brina smiled gently, pretending to be noble.
“The uneducated are like this. They don’t even know when they’re being rude. We should be understanding. Lady Leilaten simply never had the chance to learn.”
Brina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at Roshanne.
Despite being insulted, Roshanne showed no sign of shrinking back.
She didn’t look anything like the girl who used to lower her gaze and shrink away.
It almost seemed like she wasn’t even listening.
“…I came to give you some advice for your own good.”
Brina found Roshanne irritating.
A noble lady who had nothing but her family name—and even that only half.
Irritating whether she was acting confidently now, or shrinking in the past.
“The Crown Prince came to see you, didn’t he?”
“….”
“Just in case, don’t get any foolish ideas. The Crown Prince’s partner will be me.”
The Crown Prince’s partner.
More precisely, the Crown Princess.
That was the position Brina wanted.
She had been born a noble, but she could never become the head of a family. Women could only smile in the shade, shielding the brilliant sun.
Her father had always told her to dream big.
So she decided to aim for the highest position she could reach.
Empress.
The Empress of this Empire.
That was Brina’s dream. It didn’t matter who the Crown Prince was.
“Ah.”
Roshanne blinked.
“I remembered. The Portlen Count family.”
After trying to recall the familiar name, Roshanne suddenly clapped her hands.
“The family that bought a noble genealogy with extra money because they wanted to become nobles.”
Roshanne spoke happily. After all, she had been the one who arranged that genealogy for them back then.
Seeing how that family had now produced someone called the Milky Way made her feel oddly proud.
“W-what did you say?!”
Unlike Roshanne’s delight, Brina’s face flushed with humiliation. That was a secret known only within their family.
How did this woman know?
“I can’t listen to this anymore!”
Seeing Brina’s shame, her guard shouted.
“How dare you insult my lady!”
He suddenly removed his glove and threw it at Roshanne.
The room gasped.
‘Huh? Why is he suddenly throwing this…’
Roshanne tilted her head and picked up the glove from the floor.
“M-miss!!”
A maid cried out in shock behind her.
“Huh?”
Was picking it up that big a deal?
The answer came from the guard.
“Hah. So you accept my duel.”
A duel?
Roshanne’s eyes moved as she read the atmosphere.
‘Did that guard just challenge me to a duel? …Me?’
Really?
Seriously?
Roshanne blinked.
