Liliana still hadn’t received the special invitation.
“Why on earth isn’t it coming?”
The banquet for the Empress Selection would begin soon. If this continued, she wouldn’t become a candidate.
“Am I really the only one not invited?”
Rumors already circulated that the Emperor’s close aides were approaching the influential noble ladies to convey messages.
If even Liliana, whose friends had disappeared, heard of this, it meant everything was already decided.
“There’s no choice but to break the engagement.”
Come to think of it, Duke Davilar was never a suitable fiancé for Liliana.
A frail and weak man who now required recuperation and couldn’t even attend her coming-of-age ceremony.
“Now is the time to show my resolve.”
But what if he clings to her?
Liliana’s weak heart would never sever ties properly.
So she called her friend Dolinee and sought out Duke Davilar.
“Welcome, Miss Liliana.”
Davilar’s face was pale, truly showing the need for his recovery.
Adjusting his monocle, he asked,
“How was your coming-of-age ceremony? I’m sorry I couldn’t attend—”
“I won’t waste words.”
Liliana cut him off.
“We’re breaking off the engagement.”
“What?”
Davilar’s violet eyes trembled.
“He still has feelings for me.”
But if she were tied by his lingering affection, she could never become Empress.
Her eyes reddened as tears welled up, thinking she had to be the ‘villain.’
“I’m saying we’re breaking off. I don’t think I can maintain our engagement any longer.”
Liliana threw the prepared letter of dissolution at her fiancé’s face.
Davilar blinked at the letter, stunned.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Swallowing nervously, he asked,
“W-why?”
“It’s all because of you!”
“You mean me?”
“It’s because of you that Liliana can’t become Empress!”
Liliana cried out, tears streaming.
Naturally, Davilar couldn’t understand the situation.
“What is this woman even saying?”
The words didn’t logically connect—breaking the engagement, then the Empress?
Still, Davilar tried to soothe the visibly hurt Liliana.
“Liliana, this is a matter between our families. You can’t just dissolve the engagement on a whim—”
“Don’t be pathetic. No matter how much you love me, I’m destined to be Empress.”
Among the high nobles, there were few eligible noble ladies of marriageable age.
Thus, the number of strong Empress candidates was naturally limited.
“If I qualify, the Empress seat will be mine.”
Perhaps Davilar held on because Liliana was precious to him.
“There are procedures, however.”
Liliana glared at him with reddened eyes.
“Procedures? I am Lady Valentine! You think I can’t bypass that?”
Davilar sighed with a troubled expression.
“I always thought you were reckless and disliked it.”
He didn’t maintain this engagement out of affection for Liliana.
He did it only by the Emperor’s order.
If the other side chose to break it off, it would be good for him.
“I will speak with Count Valentine.”
Unaware of Davilar’s inner thoughts, Liliana said coldly,
“In that case, I will proceed with the engagement dissolution immediately.”
“We are done here. Make sure to inform the palace clearly. Understood?”
Leaving Davilar behind, Liliana hurried away with Dolinee but paused for a moment.
Hesitating, she finally asked the question she’d wanted to ask.
“So now, I can enter the Empress Selection, right?”
Davilar felt his head spin.
“Is she sane?”
Regardless of qualifications, could someone who just rudely threw a dissolution letter say such a thing?
She was truly mad.
“Good thing we can dissolve this engagement.”
Unaware of Davilar’s relief, Liliana brightened immediately.
“Let’s go, Dolinee. Today, we need a mood lift at the café.”
Unconsciously curling the corners of her mouth, Liliana lightly struck Dolinee’s shoulder and led the way.
“The Empress seat is mine now.”
The thought of forging a destiny with the magnificent Emperor made her heart race.
“Alright.”
Dolinee followed quietly, watching Liliana’s departing back with a chilling gaze.
“Do you really think someone like you can become Empress?”
Had Dolinee not been born the daughter of a poor junior marquis, she would have been far better suited than Liliana.
Doline was neither reckless nor foolish like Liliana.
“Just wait and see. For now, I’m humoring her by staying by her side…”
Doline gently caressed the emperor’s robe tucked carefully within her grasp.
“The Empress will be mine.”
She had also heard that His Majesty the Emperor was desperately searching for the woman who bore this token—scrutinizing even the lowborn noble daughters.
What could that mean?
And why was the Empress Selection being held at this very moment?
“Isn’t it obvious? They’re searching for the one who holds the token—me.”
At the thought of soon meeting His Majesty, a faint, confident smile crept across Doline’s lips.
If she became Empress, she would repay all who had looked down on her—Liliana included.
Iris did not forget the purpose that brought her to the capital.
Securing a merchant guild capable of producing medicine before the plague began, and finding the alchemist who had created the perfect cure.
Even within the original timeline, locating the guild housing that alchemist was a challenge.
Finding the baron who led that guild was near impossible.
There was no name mentioned, and recklessly disturbing the future could cause more trouble.
“My movements must not arouse suspicion.”
Still, there was one fortunate thing—she knew where the medicine had first started to be distributed among the many sudden remedies that had appeared.
To get closer to her goal, today Iris intended to seek out the merchant guild that had first begun distributing the medicine.
“That was the plan, at least.”
How had things turned out this way?
“Child, are preparations for the Selection War banquet going well?”
“The banquet preparations?”
Iris flinched, having paid little attention before due to other priorities.
“I only planned to attend the banquet on the first day.”
No doubt, to Silvia and Cedric’s eyes, this must seem odd.
Iris’s arrival would appear solely to attend the Empress Selection banquet.
Silvia smiled kindly at Iris.
“Since this will be the first banquet we attend together, I thought it best to pay close attention.”
“…That makes sense.”
“Yes, indeed. There are many people I want you to meet at this banquet.”
Silvia looked at Iris with a pleased expression, her voice tinged with excitement.
“Come to think of it, attending the banquet isn’t entirely bad.”
The Empress Selection banquet was a grand gathering—not only for noble families with eligible young ladies but also for those who sought to connect with the prospective Empress.
“Even the baron who headed that merchant guild.”
Any rational noble would want to attend such an event.
Especially one who was a guild master.
A flicker of concern crossed Iris’s sharp gaze.
“I won’t be able to pay as much attention as I did at the previous Saint Festival banquet.”
For the sake of Dowager Silvia’s dignity, she could not prepare carelessly.
Iris’s flaws would soon reflect on Silvia.
Silvia handed Iris several catalogs with an eager smile.
“Is there a dress here you like?”
“From these?”
“If nothing pleases you, we can discard all of these and commission new dresses.”
Recalling Silvia’s wealth, Iris seriously browsed the catalogs.
“Hmm… I…”
“Now that I think about it, it was a mistake asking you to choose an important dress from just these. Of course, you need to see the actual dresses.”
Silvia clicked her tongue and gently patted the back of Iris’s hand.
“I’ll summon all the designers at once. It’s best to see and choose in person.”
“Why is it that you, Aunt, are buying Iris’s dress?”
Cedric, sitting on the nearby sofa, interrupted with a displeased tone.
“My wife’s dresses are my responsibility.”
Cedric looked at Iris with warmth.
“Wife, if you find a designer you like, tell me. I will bring them here.”
Then Silvia spoke coldly.
“Sorry, but I have already reserved all the famous designers in the capital. Borrowing their time won’t be possible.”
“You can’t exactly steal them if you’ve reserved them all.”
Cedric gave a sly smile. Silvia only raised the corner of her lips in response.
“I’m curious to see if you can.”
Caught between them, Iris opened her mouth in surprise.
“Is this really necessary?”
But the two of them were already locked in a warlike resolve.
“Probably if you enter wearing the same dress code as me, it will greatly boost your reputation.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I have to enter with my husband, though?”
“You don’t have to stay with him the whole time you’re there. I have many people to introduce to you, so you’ll have to spend some time alone.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Cedric frowned. “The husband cannot be left out wherever the lady goes. If Auntie wants to take the lady, then I must definitely come along.”
“If the husband stays by the lady’s side all the time, people will gossip. You probably don’t know much about the social circle.”
“There’s already a strong rumor that I’m a doting husband, so no one has much more to say.”
Cedric and Sylvia’s gazes grew increasingly fierce.
Iris couldn’t understand why these two were fighting.
‘Are they fighting over who gets to tailor my cultivation robe and accompany me?’
But this hardly seemed like something to fight over.
‘What’s so important about my robe anyway?’
Sylvia curled a sharp smile at the corner of her mouth.
“Then let’s leave the judgment to the young mistress.”
“I will unconditionally follow the lady’s decision. No objections.”
Cedric and Sylvia both looked at Iris competitively, confident she would choose them.
‘If I don’t settle this properly now—’
This issue would drag on through acquiring the robe and throughout the entire banquet.
After a moment’s thought, Iris sized up their personalities and found the right response.
‘But is it okay for me to do this?’
She hesitated; she’d never spoken like this before.
Cedric immediately sensed her hesitation and challenged Sylvia.
“Isn’t the lady struggling now because of you?”
“Because of me?”
Sylvia shook her head.
“Don’t you realize it’s because of you?”
“Do I really have to say it? Of course, I’m troubled because it’s difficult to refuse Auntie.”
“Before the young mistress speaks, you should keep your mouth shut. Learn to stay silent.”
Their eyes exchanged a fierce battle, as if they were about to draw blades.
‘No, I can’t think of any other way.’
Clenching her fists, Iris mustered her courage and spoke up.
“If you two keep this up—”
Cedric and Sylvia’s eyes turned to Iris once again.
In as firm a voice as she could manage, Iris said,
“I will attend the banquet alone.”
The two were struck as if struck by a calamity of the heavens.
Chapter 101