Chapter 11
Diane gave a gentle smile and nodded with a mild expression.
“I’ll be sure to mention it to His Majesty.”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you, Lady Palace Lord.”
At that moment, Lennox, who had been standing beside Diane, swaggered in smugly.
“Our palace lord is far too modest. His Majesty the Emperor still has all authority regarding palace administration delegated to her. Well, at this point, wouldn’t you say she practically holds more authority than the Empress herself…?”
“That’s a dangerous thing to say so carelessly.”
Lennox, who had been boasting, trailed off at the low voice that suddenly cut in and turned his head. The noblewomen who had been praising Diane also turned—and gasped in surprise.
A breathtakingly handsome man was staring coldly at Lennox. It was Lionel Valdir, attending as the representative of House Valdir in place of Theseus, who was absent due to other business. Several influential mid-ranking nobles stood around Lionel.
The noblewomen glanced at Lionel’s face and hurriedly stepped back, but Lennox, though visibly displeased, deliberately puffed out his chest. Duke Despone cleared his throat softly and looked away, while Diane frowned and tried to restrain her brother. There was nothing to be gained by foolishly picking a fight with Lionel Valdir in a place like this. Of course, Lennox’s mouth was faster.
“I didn’t say anything untrue, did I?”
At Lennox’s ostentatious display of arrogance, Lionel snapped coldly,
“Do you even understand why this banquet is being held?”
Momentarily speechless, Lennox glared sharply at Lionel’s back as he passed by without another glance. Ignoring Diane’s attempt to stop him, Lennox drew in a deep breath, about to vent his anger at Lionel.
That was when it happened.
The lively banquet hall rippled with commotion, like a wave surging through it. Lennox, about to explode, turned his gaze toward the entrance where the disturbance had begun. Diane did the same.
As their eyes fixed on the entrance, an unseen wave swept through the hall once more, as if it would swallow everyone whole. When the white foam subsided, only a heavy silence remained.
“……”
A chill ran down Diane’s spine, cold sweat trickling down her back. Even Lennox, who had been flushed with anger, stared blankly at the Empress.
“Th-the Empress has arrived!!”
A trembling attendant announced her entrance.
Instead of a dress that didn’t fit her small frame, the Empress appeared wearing a wedding gown. The golden crown on her head sparkled in the crystal light, and her golden eyes—shining the same color as the crown—glimmered eerily. Unlike on her wedding day, her long black hair hung loose, fluttering softly with each step she took, making her seem entirely different from before.
The Empress was small and slender. Yet no one felt she was small. Upon seeing Adelaide Ulrich Echmont, the nobles were all reminded of a deep, intense darkness. Her bright golden eyes were like stars shining in a pitch-black night sky, and her pale face resembled cold moonlight. Overwhelmed by her chilling yet captivating aura, the nobles surrounding the entrance unconsciously stepped back one by one, and Adele slowly walked toward the high seat along the path they cleared.
The musicians lowered their bows and watched her entrance, and even Lionel stood dazed as the Empress passed by him. A cold silence settled over the hall. Only the sound of her footsteps and the rustle of her gown echoed throughout the vast space.
Adelaide gazed at the empty imperial throne and let out a quiet scoff. She had hoped the Emperor wouldn’t be there, so the ownerless throne suited her just fine. As if it were only natural, she stepped onto the dais that no one else dared to ascend.
When she reached the throne, she slowly turned to face the crowd. From left to right, she moved her gaze calmly and deliberately, as if determined to look over everyone gathered there.
The fact that she was wearing a wedding dress was of no importance at all. Even the most distinguished nobles were captivated by the strange aura she exuded.
A witch.
Someone had truly chosen that nickname well.
As the sound of someone swallowing nervously echoed unusually loudly, the Empress’s red lips slowly curved upward. When even her golden eyes narrowed into gentle crescents, breaths were released all around. Having held everyone’s hearts in her hand and then let them go, Adele smiled and spoke in a soft, graceful tone.
“I seem to be a bit late.”
Diane steadied her breathing and stared at the Empress.
The woman who had climbed the Emperor’s steps—steps no one else could ever ascend—without the slightest hesitation now looked down upon everyone as if it were only natural. The nobles who had been chattering in different voices swallowed their breaths and looked up at her.
I shouldn’t be looking at her like this.
Biting her lip hard, Diane clenched her fists.
Even though the Empress had come wearing her wedding dress, it didn’t look out of place at all. The assumption that she wouldn’t come had been wrong.
Meanwhile, as Adele slowly surveyed the hall, her gaze paused in one spot.
“Duke Despone. How is it? Are you enjoying the banquet?”
Standing just one step away from him—perhaps by coincidence—was Diane Poitiers.
“Your Majesty the Empress. You’ve arrived? We were just wondering when you would come.”
“Were you?”
The Empress slowly took her seat. As the once-empty throne gained its rightful owner, the orchestra began to play a grand, majestic piece. Resting her arm leisurely on the armrest, the Empress looked down at the people.
Though she wore a light smile, the nobles all watched her carefully. When such an uncomfortable gathering formed, nobles inevitably split into two groups: those who cautiously stepped back, and those who eyed the newly appeared Empress warily, trying to read the political tides. The difference between the two was evident even in their gazes. That was the advantage of the high seat—you could see everyone’s attitude at a glance.
The first to step forward was someone relatively familiar from Echmont. Lionel led the nobles of the vassal houses of Valdir forward and offered their greetings. As they did, Lionel looked at the Empress seated on the throne. Whether lightly riding her horse with a carefree expression or commanding the entire hall with authority like this—both suited her as if they were naturally hers.
As Adele turned her head with ease, her eyes briefly met Lionel’s. Black eyes that looked darker and deeper than they ever had under sunlight.
‘Lionel Valdir.’
Adele murmured his name inwardly.
As prominent nobles followed Lionel one after another to greet the Empress, competition flared among them. Those who had been chatting amicably moments ago quickly turned into people lining up just to greet her—a remarkable sight. Had the Empress appeared in her wedding dress simply because she lacked another gown and then gone around greeting people with a friendly face, this would never have happened.
Diane watched the scene in a daze. The Empress did not look at her—not even once. Their gazes may have brushed past each other, but that was no different from how she looked past passing attendants. It was as if she were saying, I have no interest in you whatsoever. An inexplicable sense of humiliation surged within Diane, and she clenched her fists tightly.
‘Fine. If you refuse to truly look at me, then I’ll make you look.’
Ignoring the long line, Diane headed straight for the dais. Duke Despone frowned at her actions but did not stop her. As Diane pushed through the crowd and stood before the Empress, the nobles’ gazes grew strange. Some covered their mouths with fans and whispered among themselves.
“Just look at her, relying on the Emperor’s favor.”
“Indeed. She has no idea how fragile that favor is—like a sandcastle.”
“Do you think beauty and love last forever? How laughable.”
“How will Her Majesty the Empress react?”
“Well, she already had her first night taken by a concubine the moment she arrived—she must be furious.”
“True… Though the Empress is beautiful, she does seem rather frightening.”
“As a beautiful woman, Diane Poitiers is better, wouldn’t you say?”
The nobles weren’t on anyone’s side. They simply found the scene unbearably entertaining. Watching Diane try to provide them with a spectacle, Adele clicked her tongue inwardly.
As the Empress and the Emperor’s mistress faced each other with only a single step between them, the nobles’ eyes sparkled. Even the musicians subtly lowered their bows, watching the two in silence.
Diane stepped one pace closer to the Empress. Then she slowly bent her knee and offered her greeting.
“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. My name is Diane Poitiers.”
