Welcome To The Imperial Palace (13)

The hair that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight gave her a delicate appearance.

Her icy blue eyes, so vividly clear they seemed dreamy, swept lazily across the room.

Despite her fragile and gentle looks, there was a distinct air of ennui lingering on Josephina’s face.

“His Majesty told you to send the invitation?”

Despair spread across Viviana’s tear-swollen face.

“He didn’t command it directly. He said to get along with the Grand Duchess. That’s essentially a royal decree, and you know it.”

“But…”

“Viviana. Be glad you haven’t been expelled from the clan.”

Josephina spoke in a flat, almost dismissive tone.

It was a blunt and straightforward attitude that didn’t match her pure and delicate features.

The table fell into a heavy silence at her unfiltered words.

“Lady Josephina. Even if I made a mistake, I’m still the only aunt of the imperial palace’s first child.”

“Lady Viviana. Are you trying to start a bloodline feud with me?”

Josephina scoffed, her mysterious face naturally contorting into a scornful expression.

The other ladies at the table subtly distanced themselves from the two.

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that…”

Viviana hastily tried to change her tone.

“And watch your words when talking about the first child of the imperial palace. Nobility may be a lofty title, but in the Empire, anyone can rise to the nobility through merit. But royalty is different. Don’t go casually associating yourself with His Majesty’s direct lineage.”

The crooked sneer didn’t leave Josephina’s face.

“I understand…”

Everyone silently observed Viviana’s submissive response.

Since it had been revealed that Lady Maude was pregnant with the Emperor’s child, Viviana had grown increasingly arrogant.

Though everyone smiled along, none of them were pleased.

“You can leave now.”

Josephina said with a scowl.

Her expression clearly showed how bothered she was.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Viviana bowed and turned away.

Her shoulders trembled with sobs as she walked off.

Josephina frowned deeply at the sight.

No one dared to comfort Viviana.

The salon was shrouded in awkward silence until the door closed behind her.

Then hushed murmurs bubbled up across the room.

A few even let out faint, satisfied laughs.

“Viviana seemed truly heartbroken.”

One lady cautiously offered to Josephina.

“She’s acting like she’s some imperial concubine who gave birth to a prince.”

Josephina grumbled with a blank face, clearly unconcerned with Viviana’s heartbreak.

Another lady quietly added.

“But she hasn’t even given birth to a son yet.”

“And she’s not even the one who’s the concubine.”

The mocking tone was unmistakable, and the concerned lady’s expression hardened.

“Don’t be so harsh.”

“Worried the Baroness of Goggins might actually give birth to a prince? Deal with that if it happens.”

“I’m already preparing a gift for the first child of the imperial palace. Have you all prepared something?”

“You’re always so thorough.”

The atmosphere at the table quickly warmed again.

Laughter and chatter filled the room.

Still, everyone kept a careful eye on Josephina.

Her expression remained unreadable in the growing silence.

They could only guess.

Though the invitation to Alicia Rain had been sent under royal decree, no one believed Josephina would welcome the Grand Duchess-to-be so easily.

Among the noblewomen, the hot topic lately was who would come out on top—Josephina, the infamous beauty and troublemaker of the palace, or Alicia Rain, the rising new “fighter” of the imperial court.

The day of reckoning was drawing near.

Alicia had gone to bed early the night before.

As a result, her morning started early too.

She went straight to the bath the moment she woke up and took her time washing more thoroughly than usual.

She put on the dress she had selected in advance and didn’t forget a single accessory she’d laid out.

Her makeup, always subtle enough to look like she wore none, was done a bit more brightly today.

Henrik looked at her with a proud gaze.

It was the look of someone admiring a once-lonely child who was finally making an effort.

Though that wasn’t the case, Alicia didn’t bother correcting him.

The dark blue dress highlighted her violet eyes beautifully.

Her clear skin and delicate features shone brightly.

“It’s a shame His Grace left early. He would have been astonished to see you. You’re always lovely, but today, you’re truly stunning.”

Henrik’s eyes shimmered with emotion as he showered her with compliments.

Touched by his genuine expression, Alicia gave him a soft smile.

“I’ll be back.”

Her face sparkled as she offered her farewell.

Everyone at the Grand Duke’s residence sent her off with pleased expressions.

At the same time, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread.

To send their angelic Grand Duchess to face the palace’s gangster, Princess Josephina…

Making friends sure was tough.

There really was no such thing as an easy task in this world.

They had completely forgotten that Alicia had once committed an unprecedented act of violence in the palace, and now they were sincerely worried.

A luxurious four-wheeled carriage stopped in front of Great West.

“Oh my.”

“Heavens, what is that?”

The cream-colored carriage adorned with golden decorations was so massive it drew everyone’s attention.

As the carriage halted and someone stepped down, those strolling through the garden whispered among themselves.

“That’s incredible.”

“She must be the Grand Duchess.”

Among the crowd watching Alicia disembark from the carriage stood Josephina herself.

The ladies surrounding Josephina kept glancing at her nervously.

“Baron Rens always did have a taste for extravagance.”

Josephina closed her fan.

Her calm, confident smile suggested she had anticipated this moment all along.

Today, Josephina wore ruby and pearl jewelry.

Her red dress and ruby accents made a striking contrast with her dazzling platinum hair.

“Shall we go?”

She spoke to the hushed group and began striding forward.

‘She stood up as she got off the carriage.’

‘That’s a carriage you can stand up in without bending your back.’

‘Did you all see that?’

The ladies trailing Josephina exchanged silent expressions and lip movements.

The presence of the Grand Duchess-to-be exceeded their expectations.

Alicia stepped into the garden.

Contrary to rumors calling her angelic, she seemed cold, sensitive, and aloof.

Her ash-black hair, violet eyes, pale skin, and sharply defined features heightened her chill aura.

Dressed in a deep blue gown, she gave the illusion of a northern wind blowing through.

In contrast, despite her glamorous outfit, Josephina—with her naturally pure features—looked less like fire and more like a well-crafted doll.

She seemed more fitting for metaphors like “fairy” or “angel.”

Even though she had a flawless, doll-like beauty, her presence strangely felt lesser in comparison.

Still, the Zephyr Clan members weren’t disappointed.

Many had underestimated Josephina’s gentle appearance and been harshly corrected for it.

It was unwise to judge by first impressions.

In the center of the garden, in front of the Poseidon Fountain, Alicia and Josephina met.

What would happen now?

A crooked anticipation bloomed in the eyes of the onlookers.

Alicia was the Grand Duchess-to-be, and Josephina the Emperor’s first niece.

Alicia Rain was the first lady born into the Northern Marquisate in two hundred years, while Josephina Lirin was born of a duke and a princess, unrivaled in imperial bloodline.

No one could predict how this clash would unfold.

Would the first to speak gain the upper hand—or would initiating the conversation be the power move?

No one could guess what behavior would be seen as superior.

Their statuses and influence were evenly matched, making the outcome even harder to anticipate.

Perhaps they would both avoid provoking each other, politely ignore one another, and end this in a dull stalemate.

Many predicted a disappointing outcome over one-sided domination.

Peace would be ideal, but pride rarely bent easily.

The higher the nobility, the more childish a pride-fueled battle could become.

“I greet Lady Josephina.”

Alicia bowed to Josephina and her entourage with royal courtesy.

The cold, aloof expression she’d worn earlier was now softened with a faint smile.

Her sharply refined features, which had made her seem severe, were transformed by her warm voice, dispelling the chill in an instant.

Her polite demeanor gained an added touch of gentleness.

“Lady Alicia, Count of Echeveria. This is our first meeting since your engagement to His Grace, the Grand Duke of Tessen.”

Josephina, almost reflexively, returned the greeting in proper etiquette.

At the same time, her followers also bowed in return to the Grand Duchess-to-be.

“Thank you for inviting me to the clan.”

A warm smile spread across Alicia’s face as she spoke.

“Think nothing of it.”

After the exchange, Josephina and her companions straightened, their expressions slightly dazed.

Though the rumors of arrogance were baseless, Alicia had certainly clashed fiercely with Viviana Manners.

“…….”

“…….”

To incite a violent incident in the imperial palace wasn’t something one could do without serious nerve and temperament.

That the woman who had held such unquestionable dominance in a case the Emperor himself had ruled on could now be so polite and well-mannered was unexpected.

It made one wonder if all the rumors had been fabricated by Viviana and the Manners household.

But Josephina wasn’t one to be swayed by a single greeting.

“Lady Alicia.”

“Yes?”

Alicia responded with a harmless expression, as if unaware of the undercurrents of noble intrigue.

“Who designed your dress?”

“It’s a gown by Augusta Téville Valette.”

Some among the onlookers smiled subtly to themselves at Alicia’s answer.

“Don’t wear it again.”

Josephina threw out the remark casually.

The stark contrast between her ethereal beauty and such a blunt statement left most people dumbfounded.

“Ah.”

Surprise flickered across Alicia’s face.

Banning a noble lady from wearing a specific designer’s work was a common occurrence in high society.

Usually, it began with a gentle suggestion, but ended with the implication: “Someone like you shouldn’t wear that.”

It wasn’t common for nobles to quietly accept being told what they could or couldn’t wear, especially when they’d placed a legitimate custom order.

The ladies around Josephina now looked at Alicia with intrigued faces.

Some opened their fans to conceal their amused smiles.

They waited gleefully to see how long Alicia would remain stunned or how she would push back.

“All right.”

Alicia responded with a gentle smile.

The fluttering fans froze in midair.

Josephina’s ice-blue eyes stared in a daze at Alicia’s polite expression.

“…….”

It was strange to see someone so readily comply with such a blatant provocation.

And it didn’t stop there.

“If I had known the dress was from your designated designer, I wouldn’t have worn it. I wore it today out of ignorance—please forgive me.”

Alicia spoke softly, almost submissively.

When someone lowered themselves this much, pressing them further only made the aggressor look bad.

“Be more careful from now on.”

Josephina replied with a sour expression.

“Yes, I will.”