Chapter 5

Adele looked at the head table. There were two people sitting there, one a woman and the other a man. Elizabeth, who had been suppressing her anger at Karl for being late and ruining the meal, slowly got up from her seat at Adele's gaze. Elizabeth was pleased with how Adele had taken the head table and captivated the audience. If Adele had continued to stand at the entrance of the palace, the nobles would have laughed at the situation, which would have affected the dignity of the royal family.

"Your Majesty, I am Elizabeth Ulrich Grand. I have been looking forward to meeting you."

Elizabeth bowed respectfully to Adele, and Adele also got up from her seat and lightly acknowledged her greeting. Soon, the man sitting next to Elizabeth also got up and greeted Adele.

"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you. I am August Ulrich Despoina."

Adele smiled gently and responded in a light tone.

"Your respectful greetings make it difficult for me to introduce myself. I wish I could introduce myself with dignity and announce my name. Ulrich Echmont. Even the pronunciation sounds elegant and formal. I am Adelaide, who wishes to become Ulrich Echmont soon."

Her tone was appropriately light yet weighty, and the two dukes smiled and the nobles laughed carefully, not wanting to offend the future empress.

"You already look like the empress of this empire. You can introduce yourself as Ulrich Echmont with dignity, Your Majesty."

The nobles also voiced their agreement with Duke Despoina's words. Adelaide smiled lightly.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"It's not a compliment."

"Please, both of you, take your seats. We will have to wait a bit longer for His Majesty to arrive."

She turned and sat down before the two of them, reaffirming to everyone who was the highest-ranking person in this gathering of nobles. This was not something that could be learned. Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing as she sat down. She then looked at her uncle, Duke Despoina, with a strange gaze and turned her head away. A moment later, the entrance of the palace became noisy, indicating that the person who had kept everyone waiting had arrived. Adele wanted to run over and glare at him, but she had to maintain her dignity as the empress.

'That blasted dignity.'

What could she do? The royal family lived on that 'dignity.' Adele straightened her back and sat up straight. She saw the attendants bowing respectfully at the entrance of the palace. As a path was made for two or three people, an attendant announced,

"His Majesty the Emperor!"

At his words, everyone in the hall busily got up and turned around. Only one person, Adelaide, remained seated. Elizabeth watched Adele, whose gaze was fixed on one spot. A steady, precise sound of footsteps broke the suffocating silence, and soon a tall man in formal attire appeared. Karl Ulrich Echmont. He was a tall, slender man. His sharp body fit perfectly into his formal attire, and the emperor's shoulder badge that shone on his shoulder made him stand out even more. However, what captured attention more than that was his appearance. His shining blonde hair and deep purple eyes were surprisingly harmonious. His appearance was so handsome that it seemed even a portrait could not capture his true beauty. However, as soon as Adele saw his beautiful face, she frowned. Perhaps it was because of his red eyes and sharp jawline, or his piercing gaze, his beauty gave off a dark and decadent feel. Moreover, his gaze, which seemed to be piercing her, looked very dangerous. When the emperor approached the spot where Adele had been waiting, she slowly got up from her seat. Despite the fact that they were soon to be married, they stood facing each other, not side by side.

"Clear the chairs."

Adele broke the silence with this command. After giving the order, she began to walk slowly, staring at Karl. ＊ ＊ ＊ The princess of Gotrop, who was to become the empress, was waiting at the head table. The moment she entered, even the emperor, Karl, recognized who was the highest-ranking person here. She had made a seat without a chair the head table and dominated everyone present. Karl observed the empress with a sharp gaze. She remained in her seat even after the emperor arrived and then slowly got up.

"Clear the chairs."

The attendants followed her command as if they had been waiting for it. She began to walk slowly. Her jet-black hair contrasted with her bright golden eyes, and the elaborate golden crown suited her. With every step, she exuded perfection. The majestic and noble princess of Gotrop looked like an empress in her very presence. This stirred something in Karl Ulrich. He looked at Adelaide with a cold expression, and her gaze also turned cold. The two people who were about to be married met each other for the first time on this bleak path.

"Hello."

"Hello."

Their tone was icy. Adelaide calmly turned and stood next to him. The coldness seemed to penetrate her clothes, and her right shoulder and ear tingled as if with goosebumps.

'Haa...'

Feeling exhausted even before it began, Adele sighed deeply in her heart. When the high priest, who was to perform the ceremony, took his place, the attendants and maids nearby urged the two to start the procession. A maid offered a lavish bouquet, and an attendant said to the emperor,

"Your Majesty, please take the empress's hand."

However, the emperor, after glancing at Adelaide, pretended not to hear and took a step forward! The palace was once again filled with a chilling silence, as if doused in ice water. The emperor had refused to enter holding the empress's hand. Even Adele, who always maintained her composure, had a crack in her expression like a splitting glacier. Her eyes seemed to be shooting sparks. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"Your Majesty, Empress."

At that moment, the maid, trembling, offered the bouquet again. Adele looked at the flowers with a furious gaze and said firmly,

"It's not necessary. I will walk without holding it."

"Yes, yes?"

"Is it not proper etiquette?"

"It is not."

"Then it's settled."

With that, Adele took a step forward. She began to walk alone, giving up on matching her steps with the emperor. Karl also walked without regard for her steps, and the two simply walked the same path. If it weren't for their formal attire, it would be hard to tell that this was a wedding. Suppressing her rising anger, Adele walked, and Karl, standing nearby, whispered to her,

"Don't expect too much."

"..."

She almost stopped in her tracks but the emperor lightly pushed her back, silently urging her to keep walking. The altar where the high priest stood was quite far away.

"What do you mean?"

In response to her low question, Karl said something else.

"I heard you asked Diane Poitiers if she was a maid."

"Considering she entered my chambers without permission, it was natural to ask."

"Since she is not a maid, do not be rude to her again."

'You should not be rude to me.'

Adele wanted to shout this into the emperor's ear. She clenched her jaw with all her might, knowing that if she opened her mouth, those words would come out. Her expression was bound to betray her. Her face felt hot with anger, and she had to breathe slowly to control her ragged breath. She had no memory of how she reached the altar. She just wanted this ridiculous wedding to be over as soon as possible. It was fortunate that in Echmont, there was no custom of kissing or facing each other during the wedding. Adele stood still, almost glaring at the high priest's shoulder. She didn't hear a word of the blessing. However, the emperor seemed to have more to say. While the high priest was reciting the prayer, he added quietly,

"I will not share the bed tonight, so do not wait up."

"..."

"Thus, the two of you should be models of fidelity to each other for all to see,"

Fidelity to each other? Adele couldn't help but smirk. Where was the fidelity in the emperor's attitude, which seemed to declare that she was not his wife from the start? His fidelity lay elsewhere.

"From this moment, Adelaide Gotrop becomes Adelaide Ulrich Echmont, I declare before God."

Damn it. There was no going back. Adele sighed and closed her eyes. ＊ ＊ ＊ After the bewildering wedding, Adelaide headed straight to the empress's palace. She tried to calm her turbulent heart as she walked with the maids. She felt as nauseous as the day her mother told her to give up her position as princess, the day she was told to leave Gotrop.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

When a maid nearby asked cautiously, Adelaide slapped her own cheek hard.

'Snap out of it, Adelaide!'

Adele quickly returned to her usual expression and looked at the maid as if to ask what the problem was. The maids bowed respectfully and began to guide her again. Soon, the empress's palace began to reveal its grandeur. Adele's steps gradually slowed. Looking at the palace shining golden in the sunlight, she thought that life in Echmont might not be easy. After all, when had her life ever been easy and comfortable? Adele closed her eyes and repeated a passage from the scripture she always carried in her heart like a mantra.

'Like a lion that is not startled by loud noises, like the wind that is not caught in a net, like a lotus that is not stained by mud.'

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

'Like the horns of a buffalo crossing the wilderness, walk alone.'

Adele resumed her steps towards the empress's palace. Her appearance was more like a warrior heading to the battlefield with burning determination than a newly married bride. ＊ ＊ ＊ Meanwhile, at that moment. Diane was looking at the empress's palace through the window.

"Is the ceremony over?"

"Yes, it's all over."

Echmont weddings were usually simple, with only a brief ceremony and light greetings. Lavish banquets were avoided as they were believed to take away good energy, so the palace maintained an unusually solemn atmosphere. Diane found the Echmont wedding culture appealing. If the entire capital had been buzzing with the emperor's wedding, it would have been even more painful.

"Can you eat something now? You've skipped several meals already."

At the maid's question, Diane's face contorted. She frowned and turned to the maid, whose shoulders hunched under her sharp gaze as she tried to read Diane's mood.

"How can you be so clueless?"

Loreine, the maid closest to Diane, scolded the other maid on her behalf.

"You're making it sound like she's deliberately not eating when she's just feeling unwell."

"But I didn't mean—"

"She's not eating, understand?"

The scolded maid bowed and apologized to Diane.

"I'm sorry, Miss."

"..."

A deathly silence fell between them. Diane slowly blinked and looked at the maid, whose lips began to tremble. Loreine, glancing at Diane, quickly approached the maid and growled.

"You! Who trained you?!"

"I, I don't know what—"

"Such a fool!"

Diane watched the scene silently and then coldly intervened.

"Enough, step aside."

"Excuse me?"

"Step aside."

As Loreine moved out of the way, the maid, not realizing what mistake she had made, faced Diane. Seeing Diane's expression, as cold as a winter's night, the maid quickly knelt down.

"I'm sorry, really sorry. I didn't know what I was doing, please—"

"Yes, you're right. You didn't know."

Diane approached the kneeling maid and said mockingly. She grabbed the maid's chin with one hand and slowly lifted it. The maid's face, held in her grip, was filled with fear. It sent a chill down her spine.

"Since you don't know, I'll tell you."

"Yes, yes."

"'Miss.'"

"..."

"Does this look like a common noble's house? Do I look like a common person?"

"..."

Diane slowly stroked the maid's hair with her other hand and whispered.

"Here, this is the palace. Understand?"

"Yes, yes."

"I am the mistress of this palace."

"Yes."

"How dare you call me 'Miss'?!"

"Ah!!"

Suddenly, Diane roughly grabbed the maid's hair and pulled it back, making the maid scream in shock. With her neck bent back, the maid began to beg in fear.

"I won't make that mistake again. Please, forgive me."

Diane, watching the maid's pleading, shook her hand and stood up, causing the maid to fall over.

"There must be a distinction between ranks. I am the mistress of this ivory palace. So, you must call me 'Mistress.' Understand? It means the mistress of this palace."

"Yes, yes, Mistress."

"Haa..."

Diane sighed and shook her head.

"Surrounded by such inadequate people."

Loreine quickly followed her as she headed to her bedroom, whispering,

"Shall I have a doctor on standby?"

"Yes, do that. I haven't slept."

"Of course, Mistress."

Diane smiled and lay down on her bed. After a week of barely eating, her body felt heavy and lethargic. But it was worth it. Tomorrow, the empress's honor would be tarnished, and then she would know who the true mistress of this vast palace is.