#172. Copycat (2)
The day of Grand Duke Volkov’s succession ceremony had arrived. Faces in the crowd, packed like a flock of clouds, were filled with curiosity and anticipation.
It wasn’t just anyone—this was the Grand Duke of the North, Volkov. Though young, he had already demonstrated exceptional skill by successfully concluding a war. No one dared speak disrespectfully about his succession.
Grand Duke Volkov.
Originally, his family had ruled an independent kingdom, but over a hundred years ago, before the Empire fully expanded, they were incorporated and became the northern rulers. Through a series of wars, they secured victories and rose to the position of Grand Duke.
Year after year, he patrolled the frozen borders teeming with monsters, defeating them and stabilizing the region. Despite not being a direct descendant of the Emperor, he was granted the ducal title hereditarily—a rare honor—and treated almost on par with the royal family.
It was a prestigious position, and so the succession ceremony was unlike those of ordinary nobles. Moreover, Pavel, the current Grand Duke, was one of the Empire’s most prominent figures, and people whispered about how impressive the ceremony would be to reflect his status.
Yet, expectations were not met.
As Irina had warned, Empress Natalia had not arranged the ceremony particularly well.
Those with some insight understood that the Empress was wary of the Grand Duke. After all, anyone in power tends to check even their closest kin if they fear losing authority—so someone with influence and military might rivaling the crown would naturally be treated cautiously.
The Grand Duke commanded immense support in the North, possessed a highly trained army, and had recently amassed significant wealth. Being monitored by the Empress was inevitable.
But even so, no one expected such blatant disregard.
The ceremony itself was the largest and most lavish in years, yet it did not match the Grand Duke’s rank.
“Is it really true that the minister is ill? Even so, to be absent on a day like today…”
Ordinarily, during a Grand Duke’s succession, the minister personally performed the coronation, a sacred rite reserved for the Emperor’s own crowning ceremonies.
Today, however, the minister was absent due to illness. The Emperor had to perform the ceremony with the help of ordinary clergy.
Then, what distinguished this from an ordinary noble’s coronation?
Moreover, the ceremony ended early. Several performances, lengthy speeches, and other formalities were removed.
Even those lacking perception could see that the Emperor had deliberately slighted the Grand Duke.
Though she had no part in this, Irina felt embarrassed simply for being a member of the royal family and dared not meet Sasha and Pavel’s gaze.
‘Ah, Your Majesty… how could you slight the Grand Duke like this!’
Feeling uncomfortable as if sitting on a bed of thorns, Irina swallowed her words, unwilling to confront the Empress.
Instead, she subtly observed the Grand Duke and Duchess. Their faces remained calm and unshaken, revealing no emotion, which earned Irina’s admiration.
‘If it were me, I would have shown my displeasure immediately. How can they maintain such composure and remain proper? Truly remarkable.’
Lost in thought, Irina imagined the evening’s celebratory ball.
Since formal attire was required for the solemn ceremony, Sasha’s new dress—so admired by Irina—could not yet be revealed. Impatient, Irina fidgeted, eager to escape the dull proceedings.
The moment the succession ceremony ended, Irina quickly followed the Grand Duke and Duchess, sneaking a glance at the Empress’s expression.
With only a few hours until the ball, preparations had to begin.
“I can’t wait to show everyone this look! They’ll all be stunned by Sasha!”
Yet Irina was more excited than Sasha herself—or even the designer—focused entirely on preparing Sasha rather than herself.
“This dress looks better with this necklace. The design is simple, so the accessories should be bold! It’ll balance everything perfectly.”
Giving orders to the busy maids, Irina’s serious expression was like that of a general preparing for battle.
‘…Maybe it’s a bit much to compare a young girl to a battlefield, though.’
Sasha told herself not to be rude and examined her reflection.
A simple black mini dress.
No corset or other shapewear, allowing her to breathe and move comfortably.
Minimal embellishments and a short skirt revealed her legs—a design so bold it felt revolutionary.
Thanks to the designer, the dress itself was undeniably beautiful, though Sasha didn’t know how the Kalita court would react.
“Haah… it’s making me want to make one for myself. But would it suit me?”
Hearing Irina’s honest murmur, Sasha felt reassured.
After finishing Sasha’s styling, Irina, eyes full of admiration and envy, said,
“Absolutely perfect. No matter what anyone says, today the spotlight is on Sasha—you.”
“I don’t need that much, but thanks to your effort, Irina, I hope we achieve what we wanted.”
“Don’t worry about that! That woman won’t even compare!”
Hands on her hips, Irina snorted confidently, then checked the time.
“Ah! I must hurry and prepare myself too. See you later!”
Finally ready to leave, Irina followed quickly, and the door closed quietly behind her.
Alone in the room, Sasha adjusted her hair as the door opened and closed again. In the mirror, Pavel appeared, silently watching her.
“Pavel, why are you just standing there?”
“Seeing my dazzlingly beautiful wife leaves me speechless.”
Only then did Pavel speak with his usual playful tone. Sasha, slightly exasperated, glanced down at her dress.
“How do I look? Is it okay? It’s a bit unfamiliar… some might not like it.”
“Don’t worry. Honestly, it’s so beautiful it’s almost worrisome.”
Watching Pavel frown in seriousness, Sasha chuckled lightly.
“You keep flattering me, Pavel.”
Hearing his wife tease, Pavel swallowed his words. He thought to himself that her praise wasn’t idle flattery—it was genuine. Today, he resolved to stay by her side and watch over her at the ball.
Lyssa Goriki—now known as Naina—recalled the first time she discovered the relic and received divine revelation.
The thrill of that moment was indescribable.
Yet, though the future she was shown should have been smooth, things had shifted dramatically along the way.
Where did it go wrong?
Upon reflection, it started with a broken engagement. She was supposed to be betrothed to Pavel Volkov, yet Alexandra intervened, and everything changed.
Naina’s attempts to restrain Sasha and bring her downfall were all because of this.
But now, it was time to set everything right. If not, Naina would ensure it returned by her own power.
In Kalita, everything seemed to fall into place. Under the Emperor’s protection, she easily dominated society and had her desires fulfilled.
She moved freely through luxurious spaces, spent money as if it were water, and reigned over others. Just as the revelation had foretold.
A life of indulgence and happiness, achievable with a single gesture!
‘This isn’t bad. I’m satisfied.’
Moreover, with no interference, it was easy to accumulate magical energy. Her depleted reserves were replenished, allowing her to use dark magic again.
As soon as she gathered her strength, Naina began spreading unfavorable rumors about the Grand Duchess Volkov, the thorn in her side in Kalita.
The results were immediate.
From the start, Kalita’s perception of the Duchess had been poor. She was a poor country count’s daughter who had become Grand Duchess—naturally, people envied her. Add in her past scandal involving the popular Crown Prince, and jealousy burned even brighter.
People were envious whenever someone with little suddenly gained fortune and status. Naina only added fuel to the fire, and public opinion flared up.
Men and women of all ages gossiped, spreading every scandal about Sasha.
‘That haughty woman must be feeling utterly humiliated.’
Even the maids who adored the Duchess weren’t immune.
Recalling the humiliations in the North, Naina’s face twisted briefly with delight before smoothing into a smile.
Even at the solemn succession ceremony, many whispered behind the Duchess’s back; at the freer ball, they could be openly ignored.
The thought made Naina grin widely. She could hardly wait for them to arrive.
Soon, the moment came.
“The Grand Duke and Duchess Volkov enter!”
Finally, those she had been anticipating arrived.
But…
“What is that?”
Escorted by her husband Pavel, the Grand Duchess entered slowly. Sasha’s appearance was stunning.
“This isn’t a funeral… why a black dress?”
The crowd murmured in shock.
Yet it wasn’t just surprise.
“What… is that dress?”
Curiosity, mixed with awe, instantly focused everyone’s attention on Sasha, the woman in the extraordinary gown.
