# 27 -
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Seret's face showed a little tension as she walked towards the Emperor.
Today was the day of celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Emperor's enthronement. As planned, Siret and Yuan were to receive the Emperor's personal letter and medal.
Even though she intended to divorce, there was no harm in getting them together. Since the Emperor would most likely be dead by the time she divorced Yuan, she wouldn't have to worry about appearances.
Seret's white dress flowed like waves as she advanced toward the Emperor.
She deliberately chose the dress to be unflashy. She thought that an eye-catching dress would not be appropriate, as the hero of the day was the Emperor.
It seemed that everyone shared her opinion, as everyone present was dressed modestly, except for Lydia.
Lydia attended wearing the same red dress as the Emperor, in an apparent attempt to show off the love she receives from him.
'Oh, you poor Lydia. This love will end soon.'
Seret raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
She must not know that the Emperor's life is coming to an end.
Her life will not be smooth when the Emperor's seemingly eternal love disappears. Seret sneered, thinking that she should have as much fun as possible as long as the Emperor lived. I stood before the emperor.
“Duke Frecktwister and his fiancée, Miss Enohater.”
The Chief Secretary announced to the Emperor.
“We salute the light of the empire, Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Seret bowed submissively as Yuan, standing next to her, offered his greeting.
The Emperor slowly got up from his seat and descended the stairs. A hint of dissatisfaction appeared on the emperor's majestic face for a moment.
For some reason, the Emperor seemed dissatisfied with this situation.
“I, as the Emperor, have the pleasure of bestowing my blessings on Yuan Freaktwister and Seret Enohater. The Freaktwister family has been loyal to the empire for a long time, and has great credit for helping the imperial family.”
The Emperor's voice echoed in the quiet large hall. The old emperor's weak voice cracked.
“So, I wish you both...”
The Emperor paused for a moment.
Seret glanced at the Emperor. The Emperor stared at Yuan with fierce eyes.
Yuan stood calmly, seemingly unaffected by the emperor's sharp gaze. Seret was impressed by Yuan's calmness, whose breathing did not change at all.
If the Emperor stared at me like that, my legs would shake. A man who knows no fear. Maybe that's why he poisoned his wife too.
“I wish you both happiness.”
The Emperor, who had been staring at Yuan for a while, continued speaking. When the chief secretary presented the personal letter and medal, Emperor Liuan directly handed them over.
While presenting the personal letter and medal, the Emperor tilted his head and whispered something in Yuan's ear. It was a very low sound, and Seret, who was standing right next to him, barely heard it.
Yuan's expression remained unchanged at the emperor's whisper. His face was completely indifferent.
So much so that Seret thought that the words the Emperor whispered must be trivial.
“We will be happy according to your words, Your Majesty.”
Yuan said to the Emperor, holding Siret's hand.
Seret was surprised by Yuan's sudden action of holding her hand, but she hid it with a smile.
It was a smile that she had to pull to avoid a frown, but the Emperor's face hardened. The Emperor frowned and looked at the clasped hands. The more he did this, the tighter Yuan's grip on her hand tightened.
Seret felt strangely tense and looked between the two men. The Emperor quickly turned his back on them. With clearly angry steps, the Emperor climbed the stairs and sat on his chair.
After the emperor sat down, Yuan and Siret returned to their places and stood up straight.
“What did he say?”
Seret Yuan asked in a low voice as they returned to their place.
“He told us to live happily. And that he would watch over us.”
Yuan replied in an indifferent voice.
"truly?"
Seret tilted her head. The weather didn't look like that. Well, it doesn't matter. Seret decided not to pay any further attention to the matter.
Throughout the thirtieth anniversary celebration, the Emperor maintained a dissatisfied expression, and his face softened only slightly when it was time to move on to the chariot procession.
“Lidya, ride with me.”
Before getting into the carriage, the Emperor called out to Lydia. A sudden silence fell in the air at the Emperor's words.
The original plan was for the emperor to ride alone in the chariot. But suddenly, the Emperor involved Lydia. Lydia, that wasn't in the plan.
“Your Majesty! What are you saying? Why will Lydia ride with you!”
Crown Prince Henderson spoke with a face that suggested this was an impossible situation.
“Lydia is my daughter! No one can deny that. Who dares to insult the Emperor’s daughter!”
The Emperor shouted angrily at Henderson.
But his words were not directed at Henderson alone, as he scanned the audience with sharp eyes. Then the emperor's gaze fell on Yuan.
Seret, standing next to Yuan, trembled involuntarily at the emperor's clearly angry look.
“Lidya, get in. No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter.”
The Emperor spoke, looking directly at Yuan. As if he wanted Yuan to hear him.
Seret glanced at Yuan's face. Yuan was receiving the emperor's gaze with a deadpan expression.
A look that suggested he didn't care if Lydia was an emperor's daughter or a beggar's daughter. Yuan's face looked somewhat cold.
The Emperor, with a dissatisfied face, got into the carriage with Lydia. When Lydia got into the carriage, the crowd began to whisper.
There was chaos as the Emperor rode in the carriage with Lydia, who was not officially recognized as part of the imperial family.
This was no ordinary day; It was the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the Emperor's enthronement. The procession of chariots with Lydia was the recognition of Lydia as a princess.
“His Majesty the Emperor!”
Henderson looked at the Emperor in the carriage.
"Let's go."
ordered the Emperor, without turning to Henderson. At the Emperor's command, the carriage began to move.
Lydia, sitting with her back straight, looked at the people with a smug expression.
Then her eyes met Seret's. Lydia looked at Seret with a triumphant expression.
The look in her eyes, as if she were looking at an insignificant insect, was similar to the look she had given her when she had served her the poisoned tea, and Seret felt suffocated.
The pain she felt at the time seemed to return, and Syrett staggered.
“Seret.”
Yuan grabbed Seret's arm tightly.
"Are you well?"
"Yes."
Her voice, which came out as a sigh, was thin and almost broken. Seret pulled her arm from Yuan's grip and looked at the walking carriage.
She must have a side like that to be able to smile even when someone dies in front of her. Lydia was a more sinister person than Seret thought.
“If you're tired, we can skip the evening dance.”
“No, I'm fine.”
Seret said, straightening her back, in response to Yuan's worried voice.
If she were to marry Yuan and seriously prepare for a divorce, she would have a lot of friction with Lidya in the future. She can't be this fragile every time.
“I will definitely come.”
Just as you used Lydia to kill me, I will use Lydia to divorce you. Seret raised the corner of her mouth.
***
The luxurious chandeliers sparkled, and the scent of flowers adorned the banquet hall.
The dance party on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the inauguration was absolutely magnificent.
Seret was surrounded by women who were neither within Lydia's circle nor the Crown Princess' circle.
When Serret spoke first to Miss DiCamillo, who was so shy as to be almost non-existent, the other ladies began to gather one by one.
Before she knew it, Seret was leading the conversation between the ladies.
Perhaps thanks to her time as a Duchess, Seret led conversations with the ladies smoothly, and the ladies looked at her with admiring eyes.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Syrett, who was talking with the ladies, saw Jeremy, who had attended the party with her, leaving the dance floor with a man.
Fearing that the easily persuaded Jeremy would cause another strange problem, Seret apologized to the ladies and followed Jeremy.
“Where did he go?”
Syrett looked around the corridor, searching for Jeremy. But Jeremy was nowhere in sight.
She sighed and was about to return to the dance floor when a familiar man passed by.
“Jack?”
Seret muttered in a low voice. Seret quickly turned around and studied the man's face.
It was definitely Jack. He was definitely the man she had been badly involved with in her previous life.
Jack was a poet. Although he was not very famous, he wrote unworthy love poems, and was often invited to ladies' tea parties.
In her past life, Lydia had often taken Serret to Mrs. Heuer's salon.
Mrs. Hewer's salon was a place frequented by nobles who enjoyed literature by reciting or writing poetry.
It was at that place that Seret met Jack. Jack was constantly writing love poems to Serret or sending her letters, which made her feel pressured.
It was excessive attention for a woman who had been married for more than half a year.
Then this incident happened.
One day, Lydia and Jack came to the Duke's palace. Seret received the two in the reception room, Lydia excused herself to go to the toilet and left.
When they were left alone in the drawing-room, Jack, as if he had been waiting, began to declare his intense love for Serret.
When Seret, embarrassed, tried to leave the reception room, Jack suddenly pulled her into a hug.
At that moment, with absolutely perfect timing, Yuan and Lidya entered the reception room.
Even as he saw another man embracing his wife, Yuan's face remained impassive. He didn't even get angry.
Yuan's position was painful for Siret. He doesn't really love me, I thought.
Yuan was no different from usual. Tragically.
“Why is this man here?”
While she was wondering, Jack's voice was heard.
“Lydia!”
Jack called to Lydia in a cheerful voice. Syret instinctively hid behind a pillar to spy on Jack.
Jack walked quickly towards Lydia, who was standing some distance away. Lydia and Jack turned the corner and disappeared.
Seret instinctively followed the two as they headed towards an isolated park.
Seret hid behind a bush in the garden and listened to their conversation.
“A woman with blonde hair and a sky blue dress?”
“Yes, Duke Frecktwister’s fiancée.”
“Do you want me to seduce her?”
"You can do it, Jack. Get the heart of a naive woman, or that kind of thing."
Lydia's voice had a slight tone of laughter.
A wry smile appeared on Seret's face as she eavesdropped on their conversation.
So this was your mastermind in the past life as well. And here you are planning the same thing again.
Why don't you change your style, Lydia? How stupid you are.