It was an imperial palace without an emperor.
For over a decade, everything in the palace belonged to the Hetbig family, and the mausoleum keepers could not disobey her orders.
Eventually, they brought a lever to open the heavy sarcophagus lid and opened the coffin of the deceased Crown Prince.
A chill wafted out from inside the coffin.
"get out."
After dismissing the tomb keepers, Hetbiga approached the small coffin.
The interior was filled with luxurious objects.
From the imperial ceremonial robes and crown he would one day wear, and the ceremonial sword, to gold bars placed there to be used as travel money.
But what's the use of all that?
Hetbiga opened the lid of the urn wrapped in red carpet.
Then, without hesitation, he reached in and squeezed out a handful of remains.
As he spread his palm before his eyes, something rougher than flour but softer than grains of sand flowed through his fingers.
Hetby breathed a sigh of relief.
He is definitely dead.
My heart, which had not subsided ever since the moment the Duke and Lady of Richmond entered the hall, seemed to finally calm down.
She was definitely dead.
Mouthing those words several times, she poured the remains remaining in her palm into the urn.
Whether the Duke of Richmond resembles Emperor Venus or not, or whether they harbor any ill will, nothing changes.
The throne belongs to Jake.
However, that alone is not enough now.
The time has come to make things clear.
“Your Majesty the Empress!”
Ivanka, having heard the news, rushed over.
Hetbiga straightened her bent back and whispered softly to Ivanka.
Summon Count Chernin tomorrow.
"all right."
Make sure to close the coffin lid properly.
I was wondering if he was okay, and he was.
Hetbiga wiped the remains off his hands with a towel and turned around.
Grace.
The gloomy tone captured the same word over and over again.
That name was turning Jack Sachsen's brain into a pulp.
He felt as if his brain was being heated up and then melting.
The incident at Taylor's chapel came to mind.
I have someone else I adore.
Jack stared at the apparition-like figure of Grace, forgetting even to breathe.
I cannot love a single hair of Jack Sachsen.
As she took off the engagement necklace and ring, placed them at her feet, and straightened her back, the golden sunlight that had swept across the statue enveloped her.
When their eyes met, Jack had read the deep contempt residing within those transparent pupils.
The extremely elegant and noble attitude was merely a mask; the true feelings behind it were nothing more and nothing less than contempt.
Because that was all he had ever seen of Grace, she appeared that way even when he occasionally thought of her.
An attitude straight out of a book of etiquette, an emotionless expression as if she had transcended the world.
However, the Grace he met at the Tiger Hall today was not the woman he had imagined.
Everything had changed.
A fair and elegant face, upright posture, glamorous blonde hair.
I am not talking about those things.
I didn't feel the slightest trace of that cold contempt when looking at me.
The Duke of Richmond… I can't forget the look on his face as he gazed at that bastard.
That face, smiling silently, felt like it was melting my stomach.
Jack's breathing gradually became ragged.
I felt like I was going crazy because I didn't know what to do.
How on earth could I draw Grace out from beyond the fences of Madame Richmond and the Duke?
If only I could bring her out, I felt I would gladly give up the whole world.
“Grace……!”
A voice tinged with obsession seeped into the darkness.
Grace tossed and turned all night and finally managed to fall asleep only when the deep, dark night was drawing to a close.
How long had she slept?
She woke up to a faint sound.
It was an early hour, when only the dim outlines of objects were visible.
I was tired and thought about lying down longer, but today was a day with a lot of work.
As I pulled the rope, the door designed for servants to pass through opened, and Jessie appeared.
"Did you wake up?"
I was worried because it was too early, but thankfully it looks like you were awake.
As Grace got out of bed, Jesse quickly brought a robe and draped it over her shoulders, whispering softly.
Actually, everyone in the mansion is awake right now.
every?
Grace tilted her head as she glanced at the dark window.
Are you saying that Your Excellency and the Grand Madam are also awake?
“Yes.
So one person is very upset.
So the other person is upset as well.”
The sentence structure was a mess, but I felt like I knew who 'one person' and 'the other person' were.
But why is everyone here at this hour?
Jessie merely gave an awkward smile.
But her eyes were saying this.
Why do you think…?
The butler, a longtime vassal of Richmond and the head of the capital mansion's management, sensed that the greatest crisis of his life was approaching.
True to his lineage, which had managed the Duke's castle and the capital mansion for generations, he had made thorough preparations before the master's arrival.
He swept and scrubbed every corner of the vast mansion to ensure there was no dust, and paid special attention to the room where the Godmother and the Duke and Duchess would be staying.
It was only natural to dispose of all items that had been touched by the hands of the Marquis and Duchess Rinko, and various works of art and sculptures were installed in the corridors where the Godmother and the Duke and Duchess would travel, taking into account their movements.
Time passed and passed, and finally, the day the masters arrived at the mansion.
The butler went to see Mrs.
Isaac and Mrs.
Rexton, who had served the Madam for a long time, and asked politely.
“The Grand Madam and Your Excellency the Duke, is there anything I need to pay special attention to when serving the Duchess?”
Mrs.
Isaac and Mrs.
Rexton looked at each other, tilted their heads, and said this.
“Well, I don’t think there is anything particularly special to pay attention to.”
Does this mean the owners have easygoing personalities?
However, the butler could not easily believe this family.
Leaving the Duchess aside, the impression of the two blood relatives was by no means ordinary, even when viewed only fleetingly with a clouded eye.
“First of all, please do not worry, as we will attend to the Grand Madam, and a lady-in-waiting named Jessie will attend to the Duchess.
As for Your Excellency, although you do not have a separate attendant, Sir Joseph Rexton is serving as your aide, so you do not need to go out of your way to gauge his intentions.”
"okay."
"but……."
This 'however' is always the problem.
As Mrs.
Isaac trailed off as if finding it difficult to speak, Mrs.
Rexton lowered her voice as if to tell a secret.
“Sometimes, it is just the Grand Madam and His Excellency together.”
The butler swallowed hard without realizing it.
Mrs.
Rexton added to him in a slightly lower voice.
“In that case, ask the Duchess for help.
That is the fastest way.”
“To the Duchess…?”
But there are times when even the Duchess cannot come.
Why would the Duchess need help when two blood relatives are together?
Naturally, such a question should have arisen, but the butler did not even harbor it.
He did not even realize that his way of thinking was going in a strange direction.
I was just filled with the thought that the image of two blood relatives sitting side by side wasn't very appealing.
“Th-what should I do in that situation?!”
Mrs.
Rexton let out a small sigh.
“What do you mean, what can I do?”
“…….”
I have to hang in there.
Hang in there, hang in there!
You just have to hang in there.
You just have to hang in there!
"What am I supposed to do if you just say I have to hold out?
Shouldn't you have told me that I have to endure in a tiger's den?"
The butler, shedding tears of blood inwardly, was currently stuck between two tigers.
A tiger full of anger because it was forced to wake up early in the morning.
Tiger 2, even angrier at the attitude of getting angry just because he woke up a little early.
The problem was that neither of them had the slightest intention of losing to the other, and the role of mediator had been pushed onto me.
Rexton and his mother and Mrs.
Isaac bustled about as if they had something urgent to attend to, then disappeared somewhere.
Try it on one more time.
As Eliza gritted her teeth and spoke, Ares said with a look of disgust.
“Why do I need to change clothes?
If I had known it would be like this, you should have told me to try them on last night.”
"If it had arrived yesterday evening, I would have told you to try it on then."
"You have clothes brought from the Duke's castle, don't you?
I changed into three sets as soon as I opened my eyes, and you mean there are still some left?"
I wouldn't even say anything if you had changed into those three outfits nicely.
Grumbling, muttering, and frowning!
Eliza finally got angry with a look on her face as if she were about to explode.
“I know, when getting the wedding attire made!”
She, who had suddenly raised her voice, lowered her voice and continued as if something was bothering her.
“Why didn’t you try on as many clothes as I told you to before having them made?
I had a plan!
I mean, I intended to have clothes made to wear in the capital as well.
The clothes I barely managed to have made back then were only suitable for the climate of Richmond.
They are too seasonal to wear here!”
Eliza, who had pacified and reigned over high society, regarded clothing as a weapon.
“It is my first time attending a Senate meeting today, so is it appropriate to go wearing clothes that are completely out of season?!
Or are you going to wear ceremonial robes like someone going for an audience?!”
On the other hand, Ares considered clothing to be nothing more than clothing.
He retorted nonchalantly as he unbuttoned the button constricting his neck.
“I guarantee that all the nobles of the Senate will look at either my face or my drapery.
I mean that unless I go there naked, no one cares what I am wearing.”
It was only natural that Eliza's anger, which had been barely contained, exploded again.
“Then take it off and go!!”