As if my words were challenging fate, I can't have my deserved rest.

The day after the meal with the Emperor, one of my uncle's spies delivers a missive from him.

I let the servant pass and pretended to be hosting him in secret. Then, I took the message and sent a generic reply.

Alexander will know about this, and it's fine. But there's no need to advertise the level of trust among us two. It's better to pretend I'm hiding from him. My uncle doesn't need to know just everything.

On the message, a few words only. Someone tried to kill Lorene.

Well, it was not me. Even if I don't like my cousin, I would never try killing her because of it.

Alexander doesn't know that I don't like my cousin. He hardly knows she exists, regardless of their pleasant chat during the hunt.

The one behind the attempt, if there was one, isn't from this wing of the Palace. It's not the Emperor either: he's too interested in the girl.

At most, he would have found another way... Ah, I should trust his judgement. If his majesty chooses Lorene just because she's pretty and witty, then the Empire has many more problems than forecasted.

The most obvious option is that it's someone of the Grahms. They do have something against the girl. She's the front runner for the selection, the only one that can beat Caroline Grahm on even ground.

But it would be too simple, and the Duke wouldn't allow something this stupid. Attacking a foreign noble lady? No, too risky.

Who's so confident in this Palace? Who is used to getting away with any kind of crime facing little to no punishments?

Of course, the Dowager Empress. For what motive?

She wants Caroline Grahm as Empress, doesn't she? It would bring her Duke Grahm as an ally.

That harpy managed to let him think she has some power on the selection. How?

If only I had a spy in the Empress's delegation, I would stand a chance to figure out this riddle. But like this... Ah, I can just guess.

«I'm going out,» I say to Alexander. He's reading a booklet, lying on the sofa.

He's waiting for his daughter to get up so he can play with her.

I won't need to worry about Lavinia for a while. She won't remember to cry hungry if her daddy is there to cheer her up. It's only my love that isn't edible, it seems.

«Somewhere fun, my love?» he murmurs without moving his eyes away from the letters.

Is it one of his forbidden books? Mhm, I'll find out tonight.

«No fun at all,» I sigh. «If you hear gossip about some huge scandal, it's probably my deed.»

«All right,» he says, nodding.

«Come and save me, in that case,» I add, just to be sure.

He nods again, and I walk out to the gardens.

I reach the place where the Emperor usually has tea parties, in a corner of the imperial gardens where not everyone can go in and out. It's already crowded, even more than I thought. Not that it surprises me.

«Good afternoon, your majesty,» I greet him. I curtsey and glance at the chairs, looking for the best place for me. «I hope I'm not intruding.»

«Not at all, Archduchess,» he comments. «Please, have a seat.»

A new armchair is brought and put next to the Emperor. I sit at his left side. Next to me, a woman I haven't seen before.

On his majesty's right side, there's the Dowager Empress. She's here to accompany Caroline Grahm, I suppose. The girl is a few seats from her, but there's no way she came here alone or on her own idea.

Among the Empress's delegation, I start recognising some faces.

On this side of the table, there is the delegation from Asteria. Lorene is not far from me, still closer to the Emperor than Caroline.

If only these people knew how their power game is fruitless and without any use. The next Empress won't be declared after these two birds fight till death.

I hope it's already decided. But I have to check a couple of things while I'm here.

First of all, how come Lorene is so lively and healthy? Didn't she escape from the brink of death only this morning?

What kind of attempt on her life are we talking about?

«What a beautiful day,» I say when I notice the silence.

The tension doesn't make it easy to communicate. And my uncle isn't here for some reason.

«Indeed,» his majesty replies, as uneasy as me. «The perfect day for having tea in the garden.»

«I've heard that the foreign delegations will soon be off, so I came uninvited to greet our guests from Asteria,» I say out loud.

«Uninvited? Oh, you're so fast at forgetting, Archduchess. I invited you myself yesterday. And I'm glad you changed your idea about attending.»

«My daughter fell asleep and let me have some free time,» I explain.

«How is the little Princess doing?»

«She's growing up a little every day.»

«I'm glad.»

«Why are you so attached to the baby?» the Empress inquires. «It's not healthy to be there for them at all times. Children grow up spoiled and thinking they're the centre of the universe. You should teach her to stay without you from now...»

«My daughter is too little to remember anything I teach her now,» I chuckle. «And I'm the one being spoiled by her proximity. She's adorable, so much that it's difficult to part from her...»

«It's time to train your will, Archduchess. I'm not sure someone that can't hold their ground against a child should be in your position.»

«Your majesty, you wouldn't say this if you knew how children can be stubborn,» I say with a light, unbothered tone.

The Empress's face turns white. She grits her teeth, and the rest of the table falls in silence.

It's not an everyday occurrence. People don't just remind an Empress that she didn't have children. It's impolite, dangerous, and a bit cruel.

But she showed me her weakness in a single moment when she lost control over her expression.

One of her ladies in waiting reacts first, defending her mistress with fierce words.

«It's actually surprising how an Archduchess can be so loving with a daughter. We all thought Kyre would finally have an heir, yet... Fate is unpredictable,» she says.

«Indeed,» I murmur. «Fate is unpredictable.»

Talking back this fast? She must be a witty one.

The Empress smiles at her, a sign that they're quite close.

«I'm sure we won't need to wait long to see an heir for Kyre,» I chuckle. «It's just a matter of hard work.»

As the two young misses at the table blush and look down to hide their embarrassment, oddly coordinated with the Emperor, the ladies in front of me don't even move a muscle.

They're used to shamelessness. Not as much as I am, by any means.

But saying things is a bit different than hearing them.

Alexander must be some kind of hero. How can he not even blush? I'm already burning.

But it's not the right time to show it.

«Am I wrong?» I add, hinting that the Empress doesn't have the chance to work on an heir since her husband is gone.

Mine is alive and healthy. And firmly settled on having Elias.

His determination isn't easy to beat.

I had a child; I'll have more in a few years.

«No, you're not wrong,» the Empress says. «Let's see where all your hard work brings you...»

Is it a threat? In front of the Emperor? Oh, it wouldn't be the first time.

«I will retire for the day,» the Empress comments, then. «But don't waste this chance to converse. I'll go alone...»

Is she leaving her delegation here? It will stay a crowded party, in fact.

«Bertha, you come with me, dear. Will you?»

«Of course, your majesty!» the lady exclaims. She gets up, greets the Emperor, glares at me. Then, she follows her mistress wherever they're going.

As I look at her getting lost, I realise that her name is highly familiar.

Bertha... Like Alexander's cousin and childhood friend. Is it a coincidence? Or the same person?

I shouldn't overthink it. After all, it's just a person that dared to talk back to me. To defend her own lady boss, but still...

«Summer is such an interesting period,» I continue. «Many things happen. People show their true selves while the flowers bloom in full beauty. What is your favourite flower, lady Caroline?»

Called out to answer such a stupid question, the lady smiles and tells us about her tastes. Will this be enough to make her realise I am the one pushing her farther in the selection and not that harpy? I asked her before talking to Lorene, my dear cousin!

Now that I think about it, cousins are a pain... I mean, bring trouble.

Oh, but I still am not sure if that woman is Alexander's cousin.

But if it were the case, then their strolls as relatives might have felt like that only to my husband. What if she's yet another woman that was charmed by Alexander without him noticing?

It wouldn't be the first time, that's for sure.

Even Bertha's parents weren't too polite to me. They seemed to hint that something was going on...

«Am I right?» Lorene says, once finished talking about... Flowers, I guess?

«Sure,» I sigh. Too much thinking isn't good for my health.