Stella kept gazing enthusiastically in the mirror and fixed her beauty. Monica just waited quietly for her, biting her long pipe, while chatting with her maid.

No one expected that the Emperor would take his time to visit the Empress Dowager. After hearing the news, Stella was so excited and fussed about her dress all day long.

“The young lady is looking very excited.” Sarah, the Empress’s maid, read Monica’s distress and said.

“It’s better than crying and shouting.” Monica, who puffed out smoke, looked so tired, “I guess, it will be noisy tonight.”

Fabian’s intention to meet her was obvious. He was determined to accept her offer and totally cut off Stella’s hopes.

“But it would be better if this matter sorts out quickly.”

Monica nodded when Sarah said. Stella herself was the only one who had not yet realized, that maybe everyone would wake up tonight because of her crying.

“Your Majesty is coming!”

As the sound of royal palace protocol rang outside the door, Stella’s heart was thumping fast as if it were about to explode and quickly stood beside her aunt. Monica also stood up, gracefully with Sarah’s help.

Soon, Fabian stepped in and greeted the Empress with a gesture of his head.

“Welcome.”

Fabian nodded only to his mother and sat down first, ignoring Stella beside her, as if she didn’t exist.

“Stella Metis is seeing Your Majesty.”

Stella bent her body, giving an example with her flushed cheeks. Her fingertips, which lifted the hem of the dress slightly trembled. But nobody looked at her or answered her greeting.

“I have thought about what you said”, said Fabian in a cold voice.

“Really?”

Stella, who had been completely alienated since the beginning of the conversation only could bite her lips and sat down, waiting for the right moment. Yet Fabian’s cold face stared only at the Empress without even looking at her.

“Your plan isn’t too bad.”

Monica’s red lips smiled faintly. At least it meant that Fabian believed in her as his mother. This new fact was very awkward, but amazingly, she felt a little happy as well.

“We will hold the wedding ceremony and Crown Prince coronation together. You can go back to the Southern Palace after seeing it, so you don’t have to spend the cold winter in this Palace.”

“Yes, I don’t like winter”, Monica said.

Stella’s eyes were shaken at the unknown content of the conversation. Even her aunt gave the Emperor’s wedding plans a good opinion now.

“I’m busy, so I have to go now.” Fabian immediately got up from his seat. He was busy because Adrian had stolen his afternoon time.

“Go ahead.”

Monica didn’t get up, she only watched Fabian go out of the room. Only Stella rolled her eyes back and forth in that absurd situation when Fabian turned his back coldly.

“Your Majesty, wait a minute….!” Stella suddenly ran after him. “I……Please look at me, Stella Metis.”

Stella’s stubbornness was like a mountain that needed to be conquered. And Monica could only sigh at the painful sight. She was sad and frustrated, seeing her foolish niece.

How could she stop Fabian just to say those pitiful words?

“What did you just say to the Empress? That, I mean….”

Stella stuttered at her vocabulary stumbling. At the moment, Monica turned away her face, couldn’t bear to see her niece.

“Your Majesty, I’m also a candidate for the Empress… … .” Stella desperately spanned her hand to Fabian, who didn’t look back.

But Fabian unfeelingly pushed her hand.

Stella faltered, falling to the floor, but no one was helping her to get up.

“Your Majesty…..the Empress…I mean, my father…….”

Fabian finally turned to her. His icy eyes stared at Stella, who had fallen to the floor in disgust.

“Stella Metis. I’ll tell you just once, so if you want to spare your life, listen to me.”

Stella’s hand shook after hearing a voice that was colder than a block of ice.

Fabian was really meant it. Stella, who grew up as the Duke’s daughter, felt an instinctive threat for the first time in her life.

“Never say the word ‘Empress’ with your mouth again. Be it yours or your father, I won’t forgive it.”

Stella’s lips quivered. She couldn’t even dare to look up at Fabian.

The Empress Dowager who didn’t help her was also cold-hearted. That terrifying moment felt like a long eternity. Stella had never experienced such humiliation like this in her life.

“I only have one Empress, Evelyn.”

Fabian kept spitting out his cruel words. This was the first time Stella was so jealous of someone that it felt like she wanted to kill her.

“That’s my will as an Emperor. But if you still don’t want to give up, I will take your life on the charge of treason.”

Stella could no longer feel her tears dropping. She caught a glimpse of the hem of the Empress Dowager’s dress, but it was clear her aunt wasn’t by her side.

“Do you still want to be an Empress?”

Fabian’s icy voice pierced Stella’s ears.

“Decide now. If becoming Empress is your purpose in life, I will kill you here right now.”

Fabian’s cruelty was an intolerable shock. As he stared at her, his disgust and mean eyes made Stella so sad that she wanted to go insane.

But more than that, she instinctively still wanted to live.

“Ah… … No… …Your Majesty.”

“So, do you mean that you no longer want the Empress’ seat? I’ll spare your life, then.”

“Yes… yes…”

Fabian was already thinking about pulling the sword from his waist and slashing her head without hesitation if Stella still persisted.

“Empress, have you heard it?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll consider this matter is over.”

No one looked back at Stella, who had collapsed on the floor.

“See you again next time.” Fabian walked out with a nonchalant face as if nothing had happened.

“Take care, Your Majesty.”

Stella lifted her wobbly head and looked around after Fabian’s figure vanished behind the door. Even the maids didn’t dare to approach Stella because they now had a feeling of superiority.

As the fear passed, she was overwhelmed with shame and sorrow.

“How….” Stella’s voice trembled.

Her gaze turned to Monica, who sat comfortably on the long sofa. Stella was very disappointed. Fabian could have been rude. But the Empress should have sided with her.

“Your Majesty, Empress…… are you throwing me away like this?”

Stella rose and stood in front of her when Monica didn’t respond.

“You’re my aunt! What about my father? Why did you bring me here in the first place?”

Stella’s mouth that had been frozen when she faced Fabian was finally able to move again.

“You can’t humiliate me like this, I’m Metis……!”

SLAP!

Monica slapped her cheek with an expressionless face before she could finish speaking.

Stella turned her head, realizing late what was going on.

“W-what….”

SLAP!

Another slap flew in as soon as Stella opened her mouth. Soon, her cheeks turned red, and the tingling pain awakened the reality.

“Raise your head and look at me.”

She felt a different kind of fear from Fabian.

“If you haven’t come to your senses yet, do you want me to slap you again?”

Stella quickly shook her head. Monica’s fiery gaze now looked like the Emperor.

“I have a lot to teach you, but I don’t think you can understand just by speaking.”

She wanted to awaken the naive Stella, who still didn’t know how terrifying the Imperial family was.

“You’re not destined to be an Empress. You can’t, not because of Princess Evelyn, but for the safety of you and your family.”

Monica, who once became an Empress, saw it clearly. And it frustrated her that Stella didn’t notice it.

If a woman with a temperament like Stella entered the Imperial palace, she would definitely incite the Emperor’s wrath.

But sadly, Duke Metis was already blinded by his ambition.

“If I were an impatient and immature person like you, I would definitely have died more than ten times after becoming the Empress!”

Fabian’s father, the former Emperor, was also a cold-hearted person. It was no different from Fabian’s treatment to Stella now.

“Stella, you don’t know because you’re still young. Being an Empress isn’t the only happiness in this world. Rather, living in the Imperial family itself could be a misfortune for a child like you. Don’t be swayed by your father’s ambition, you have to live your own life.”

Monica only thought about the safety of her little niece. Because both of them were fellow women, and she had a better perspective than her biological parents, who showed no good intentions.

“Stella.” Monica, who was looking at Stella’s swollen face, said in a voice of comfort.

“I know you will resent His Majesty and me. No matter what I say, you won’t understand.”

It was true, even now, Stella was shedding bitter tears.

“But later, if you look back..… you’ll certainly be grateful for my decision now.”

Still, Stella shut her mouth and said no word at all.

“Neither your father nor you know that this is the best way … But you will find out sooner or later. So listen to me now, even if you feel like you are being mistreated and don’t understand. Only then can you live a happy life.”

Monica heaved a deep sigh. Duke Metis should have been satisfied after she became Empress, but his brother was too greedy.

Everything had ended here. As Fabian refrained from punishing Stella just to save the Empress Dowager’s face.

While Monica despised her a bit, Stella committed no crime at all. Her unpleasant conduct was her dad’s fault.

“Your marriage partner has been decided.”

“…Pardon?”

“Tomorrow I will meet your dad in person and tell him about it. So, until then, you just have to remain calm and take a bridal lesson.”

“But, I don’t know who I’m getting married to…….”

“That’s a matter for adults to take care of it. Just don’t forget what happened today and never talk about the Emperor’s family again. And as time goes by, you will realize everything and will be grateful.”

Monica said calmly and called the maid with a gesture, “Take and calm her down. And get ready to go out tomorrow.”

“Yes”, Sarah answered faithfully.

“Wait, wait…….” Stella still mumbled in confusion, but Monica left without looking back.

“Let’s go, Lady.”

“Hey! Let me go!” Stella’s face immediately burned from the anger that was overflowing like a storm, and she sprang into a rage when Sarah violently took her hand.

“My father…Does my father know this?”

Her useless rage splashed on Sarah.

“You’re originally the maid of the Duke Metis! Does my father know about this too?”

“There’s nothing I can tell you”, Sarah said. “You don’t need to worry, tomorrow Her Majesty will meet your father in person. And then the Lady can ask whatever you want to know.”

“Ha, are you giving me advice? Are you making fun of me being treated this way?”

“I’m not…….”

Stella kicked Sarah in the leg when she couldn’t hold back her anger anymore. Sarah endured the pain silently, remaining calm in the manner of the Empress’s maid.

“Lady, you have to control your emotions now. This is the Imperial Palace, and the Empress is the honourable woman of the Empire recognized by His Majesty.”

Sarah’s words were difficult to understand, sounding like advice and threat.

What was irritating was that Stella could not refute those words.

Only a little while ago, the Empress easily slapped her. A smooth cheek that her father never even slapped.

“If only my father were here…….” Stella clenched her teeth.

“Yes, I’ll go to my father tomorrow.”

As Stella turned around, Sarah looked at the immature lady’s back with her cold eyes.

“My father will tell me which one is right. I will tell him everything that happened today. You’ve seen it, so if you need to testify, you must be honest!”

“I will.”

As Sarah responded in a calm voice, Stella left the room with a thudding, loud step.

Sarah then quietly prepared a headache medicine for the Empress Dowager as crying sounds began to come out from Stella’s locked room.