Chapter 15
The day of the wedding between the Grand Duke of Lancaster and Dolores Rochester.
The new bride had arrived at the Imperial Palace early.
On this day, the imperial bride had to receive the imperial jewels and then move to Saint Katarina Cathedral.
What she would receive today was a parure—a complete set of jewelry consisting of a tiara, necklace, and earrings.
However, Madam Loire looked down from the window at the carriage carrying Dolores and sneered.
“Hmph. Did she think I would hand it over so easily?”
Dolores had always been beautiful, and on top of that, she was the daughter of a marquis. She had long been a thorn in Madam Loire’s side.
Madam Loire herself came from a viscount family.
Her husband had barely obtained the title of baron thanks to the Emperor’s favor.
“And I have to be scolded by that old Emperor because of some greenhouse flower like her?”
Her teeth ground together.
Even the decadent red-light district, where well-built men fawned over her, was not enough to relieve her anger.
“Then at least I should see her trembling in fear!”
Madam Loire sighed as she looked at the prepared parure.
It was not as grand as the Crown Princess’s set, but it was still an incredibly beautiful collection of jewels.
“To think I have to hand something like this over…”
The sapphire parure once owned by Empress Juliana was truly dazzling.
Large sapphires were surrounded by shining white diamonds in a masterpiece setting.
Madam Loire placed the double tiara on her own head and hummed.
“Hehe, let’s see how prettily she begs.”
The moment Dolores stepped down, holding her dress, everyone waiting at the palace drew in a sharp breath.
Because it had been prepared in a hurry, the golden dress had few decorations.
By the Empire’s standards, which preferred lavish ornamentation without empty space, it was very simple.
“But that makes her look even more elegant.”
All the attendants watching swallowed nervously as they thought so.
However, there was nothing adorning her white neck, her ears, or her glossy hair.
And the attendant who came out to greet her was empty-handed.
Dolores calmly looked at the attendant.
“The parure I am to wear today?”
“Well, that is… um…”
The attendant shifted his eyes nervously. He did not want this role either.
Who would want to be the one to tease a bride on her wedding day?
But because of power, he had no choice.
“She, she said it would be nice if Your Ladyship came to retrieve it personally and offered your greetings.”
“……”
Dolores silently looked up at the palace.
Madam must be watching this disgrace from her room with delight.
“How ridiculous.”
In terms of rank, Dolores was clearly higher, yet Madam was the one pulling all the strings.
“If I had met her as my real mother-in-law, it would have been even worse.”
But now was the time to properly break this relationship.
“Fine. Lead the way.”
“Y-Yes.”
The attendant was inwardly shocked at the bride who did not even blink, and quickly cleared the path.
Behind Dolores followed the guards from the Lancaster estate.
Her heart pounded hard with tension.
When she saw Madam Loire’s door, nausea rose in her throat.
“I once knelt and begged in front of that door…”
Her fiancé had not helped her, and the Emperor had only shown slight irritation.
Dolores had even cried so much that she had to redo her makeup.
Yet in the end, Madam Loire never opened the door.
“…The one who helped me back then.”
The one who resolved that terrible situation was Reslexion, who would now be waiting at the cathedral.
The wedding day of her first life had truly been a disaster.
In front of all the imperial attendants, Dolores had knelt and begged desperately.
“Madam Loire, please open the door now…!”
—Oh my, Lady Rochester. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
“Madam!”
—Why are you asking me for the imperial jewels?
From inside came Madam’s cheerful, cruel voice.
Even Adrian had read the situation and left early for the cathedral, so Madam had become even more proud.
Still innocent at the time, Dolores did not know what to do.
Her vision kept blurring with tears of humiliation.
Why was no one helping her?
At that moment, through her blurred vision, she saw black men’s shoes.
“Is it Prince Adrian?”
Had he finally come to help her?
Dolores quickly lifted her head in hope.
“Adrian—”
But the man standing there was the Grand Duke, dressed in formal attire.
His face looked so fierce that Dolores shrank back instinctively.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’m not my brother.”
“Grand Duke…! Ah!”
And with a powerful kick, the Grand Duke smashed the door open.
Both Madam inside and Dolores kneeling outside were shocked.
Madam regained her senses first and shouted.
“G-Grand Duke! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“There’s something I came to retrieve.”
“What on earth—! By what authority are you being so rude—!”
“Authority? The last thing the Empress used. Her son is taking it back.”
At those words, silence fell.
The Grand Duke smiled, but his golden eyes were filled with killing intent.
Even the Crown Princess’s parure had been a treasure extorted from the Kingdom of Aleister.
Frightened by his gaze, Madam shrank back.
“Do you have a complaint, Madam?”
“Ugh…”
In the end, to preserve what little dignity she had left, Madam handed over the parure.
The Grand Duke approached Dolores with the velvet case containing the jewels.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Grand Duke… truly… thank—”
“Lady Dolly. If no one helps you, do you just cry?”
“……!”
The heart that had been filling with gratitude was crushed into rags.
He practically threw the velvet case at her and sneered.
“That’s why you’re treated like this.”
“……”
“I wish you a blessed marriage, sister-in-law.”
Then he left without looking back.
Thanks to him, Dolores was able to wear the damned jewels.
But all the way to the cathedral, tears kept falling.
What a truly blessed start to her married life.
Dolores sank into old memories, then slowly returned to the present.
As expected, Madam had locked the door again.
“She really hasn’t changed. Petty to the end.”
Dolores spoke gently.
“Madam Loire. Please open the door.”
—Oh my, Lady Rochester.
A sugary laugh came from inside.
—Why are you here at this hour? You must be busy preparing for the ceremony!
“You know very well why I came. I am here to receive what belongs to me.”
—…….
The room fell silent with childish anger.
Everyone watched this calm battle of nerves with heightened senses.
Dolores continued speaking calmly.
At the same time, she gestured to a servant of the Grand Duke’s household who had followed her.
The servant respectfully presented several thick white cards and a fountain pen.
Dolores picked up one card that already had writing on it.
“And I am already the Grand Duchess, Madam. So if you do not hand over my property, that would be theft.”
—Hoho. Is that so, Your Grace? But to accuse me of being a thief?
“……”
—If His Majesty hears this, he will be very saddened. For a new bride to harbor such misguided thoughts already—
“Hasn’t there already been much for His Majesty to be saddened about, caused by you, Madam?”
—Hoho! How could I possibly—
Before Madam could finish,
a small card slipped through the crack of the door.
Dolores had written:
[You must have spent quite a large budget at the Red Light. Are you sure you want His Majesty to hear about it?]
The room fell silent.
Red Light was the oldest and most famous red-light district in the Empire.
—W-What are you saying? How could a young lady speak of such things!
But more cards slid in one after another.
[Bill Rodets]
[Emilio Rondo]
[Peter Ferguson]
Cards with names written on them kept slipping through.
The color gradually drained from Madam’s face as she watched.
The last card contained a longer sentence.
[They are the men especially favored by the masked noblewoman.]
From inside, Madam Loire shouted, trying to sound composed.
—What slander is this…! Dolores Rochester! I will report you to His Majesty at once for this insolence—!
But at that moment, another card slid through the door.
[Madam. If you are going to deny it, you should not have gifted jewels to those men.]
Bang!
There was a dull sound as Madam stumbled backward and hit something.
The color had completely drained from her face.
She remembered how she had generously scattered jewels while intoxicated by the flattery of young men.
