The Dowager's Gift

Clayton, who had brought Lloyd here despite facing criticism, was surrounded by people in the center of the banquet hall.

Although they had entered together, they might as well have been strangers.

'Damn you, Clayton. Take care of him! I can't be the one looking after the mistress rumored to be yours!'

Dahlia swallowed the words she couldn't say aloud to Clayton.

Ugh, damn it.

First, the male lead tries to drink her blood. Then, she's suddenly pushed into coming to the party by the Dowager.

And the noblewomen who she thought would insult her are suddenly being kind. Nothing was going as planned.

As these unexpected developments kept piling up, Dahlia bit her lip in frustration.

'What do I do now?'

She glanced at the male lead, but his gaze had long since moved elsewhere. She needed something to draw his attention back to her.

As she contemplated her next move, Dahlia noticed a familiar figure not far away.

'That person is…'

It was the Marchioness of Borsen, who had been staying at home since her infamous café incident.

It seemed she had come to the banquet with her husband for the Emperor's birthday celebration.

'Wow. Who would have thought I'd be glad to see her one day?'

For once, Dahlia was genuinely pleased to see her—the one person who could disrupt this unexpectedly favorable atmosphere.

She had no doubt that the Marchioness would mock and belittle her.

'I'll use the café incident to get under her skin.'

Since the current atmosphere might keep her from attacking, Dahlia decided to provoke her first.

With that thought, Dahlia approached the Marchioness.

To an onlooker, it might have looked like she was greeting an old friend. She summoned all her energy to give a bright smile and said,

"It's been a while, Marchioness of Borsen. How have you been?"

The Marchioness flinched at Dahlia's approach but forced a smile in response, avoiding her intense gaze.

"Oh, it has been a while, Duchess of Seyer. I trust you've been well?"

"Well, as you can see, I've been doing well. More importantly, this is the first time we've met since that day at the café, isn't it? Things were so chaotic then that I don't think I properly greeted you…"

"Ah, yes, well…"

But contrary to Dahlia's expectations, the mention of the café incident didn't provoke much of a reaction.

She had expected even the word "café" to make the Marchioness explode.

Instead, the Marchioness looked like a scolded puppy, unable to meet her eyes.

'Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?'

This woman, who usually pounced on her like a vicious Chihuahua, wouldn't miss an opportunity like this.

Not only that, but the Marchioness seemed desperate to escape the conversation, putting on an awkward act.

"Well, I—I should go see my husband… Haha. Excuse me…"

"Wait, Marchioness…!"

In the end, the Marchioness fled as if escaping, leaving Dahlia with no chance to get anything started.

'What is wrong with everyone today?'

As Dahlia stood dumbfounded by the incomprehensible situation, a trumpet sounded, and the hall fell silent.

"The Emperor and Empress have arrived."

The main stars of the banquet had arrived.

At the attendant's announcement, everyone respectfully bowed to the Emperor and Empress, who gracefully descended the staircase.

When the elderly couple gestured for everyone to rise, the guests lifted their heads.

Now, Dahlia could properly see the faces she hadn't been able to while bowing.

'So those are the Emperor and Empress.'

The Emperor's blonde hair, slightly faded with age, and his blue eyes hinted at the splendor he must have had in his youth, embodying the ideal image of an emperor often described in novels.

And the Empress beside him was equally remarkable.

Her blonde hair, like the Emperor's, was paired with green eyes that radiated wisdom and kindness.

Dahlia thought these were people she had never been involved with and likely never would be.

As the Duchess, she might exchange small talk with them, but since the original story didn't involve her much with the imperial family, she simply observed them from a distance, as if admiring celebrities.

As the Empress greeted the prominent figures one by one, she eventually moved away from the Emperor and began looking around, as if searching for someone.

At first, Dahlia assumed the Empress was simply looking for someone. But then…

The Empress's eyes met Dahlia's, and with a radiant smile, she began approaching her.

'What the… Why is she coming this way?'

The Empress reached Dahlia in no time and spoke in a gentle tone.

"You must be the Duchess of Seyer."

"Y-Your Majesty, the Empress."

Dahlia quickly bowed to the Empress.

"Rise. I've heard much about you. I've been wanting to meet you, and now I finally have the chance."

"…Pardon?"

'She's heard much about me?' Dahlia tilted her head, wondering if the Empress had heard some unsavory rumors.

The Empress smiled kindly and continued.

"My sister has spoken so highly of you."

"Your sister…?"

"Yes, Margaret."

The name sounded familiar, and Dahlia quickly searched her memory.

'Wait, Margaret… Could it be…?'

As she pulled a memory from the depths of her mind, Dahlia's face stiffened.

Margaret Magnolia—that was the Dowager's maiden name.

Only then did Dahlia remember a crucial fact, and she sharply inhaled.

In the original story, the reason Margaret got away with poisoning the heroine was her untouchable familial connections.

She was the illegitimate daughter of the former Marquess Magnolia and the half-sister of the Empress standing before her now.

'I should've known when she sent that ridiculously opulent carriage.'

Dahlia briefly recalled the carriage the Dowager had borrowed from her family before snapping back to the Empress's voice.

"She rarely asks favors of me, but this time, she sent me a letter asking me to take good care of you."

At that moment, Dahlia recalled what the Dowager had said while clasping her hand.

'Don't worry about it. No one will ask why you came alone. Remember? I said I had a gift prepared for you. So don't fret—just go.'

Ah.

Now she finally understood why everyone had suddenly been so kind to her.

The Dowager must have foreseen how she might be ostracized in society and requested the Empress's intervention.

Damn it.

Another plan had failed.

As Dahlia stood there, stunned by yet another bitter turn of events…

Seeing the Empress's presence as an opportunity, the noblewomen who had kept their distance began to approach, one by one.

"By the way, Duchess of Seyer, whose work is that dress you're wearing? I've never seen a design like it before…"

"Yes, it's so simple, yet it exudes such a distinctly feminine charm. You look stunning."

It was the first time Dahlia had heard such flattering comments since possessing this body.

As she observed, the noblewomen friendly with the Empress were all polite and sweet to her, while those aligned against the Empress simply glared at her from a distance.

The Borsen family was also closely tied to the Empress, which explained why even that vicious little Chihuahua of a Marchioness had avoided her.

'So what does this mean for me going forward?'

Without lifting a finger, she had somehow become a central figure in the social world, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Her original goal had been to endure the humiliation alone, drawing Clayton's concern and guilt with her tears.

But now that that plan had fallen apart, she had no idea what to do next.

As Dahlia halfheartedly engaged with the noblewomen's chatter, she cast a glance toward where Clayton stood.

He was busy discussing business with the nobles, paying no attention to either his wife or Lloyd, whom he had brought here despite the controversy.

It was as if he had come to the party alone.

'Clayton doesn't even care about me…'

He wasn't even looking her way. No matter what she did here, he wouldn't notice.

Sigh.

It was hopeless.

In the end, Dahlia resigned herself to the fact that she would waste this major imperial banquet event from the original story.

As she gave up on everything and waited for the party to end while mingling with the noblewomen, it happened.

A man approached her.

Golden hair that seemed to capture the brightest rays of the sun and blue eyes reminiscent of a clear lake.

A man with an unforgettable, extraordinary appearance stopped before Dahlia.

'Who is this?'

Who would've thought there was someone this handsome besides Clayton? She found herself mesmerized, staring at his face.

The noblewomen around Dahlia all bowed respectfully to the man.

"Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

Crown Prince Alexion.

The eldest son of the Empress and Emperor, and the future ruler of the Granos Empire.