The lady standing by Marissa looked at Elena wondrously .
“The wedding dress was the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever seen . ”
“Ah! My husband had diamonds embroidered on the wedding dress . ”
Elena intentionally boasted the value of the dress to the other women, even though it was her nature to be reserved . The noblewoman who had asked the question widened her eyes .
“D-diamonds? So it was all real jewels?”
“Yes, it was . ”
“Oh my goodness!”
Marisa, who was listening from the side, looked at Elena with envious eyes .
“You must truly have the love of the Crown Prince . I had heard rumors that he requested to his father that no bridal dowry be required . ”
Elena could feel their eyes on her at the mention of that rumor, and she tentatively nodded .
“Yes, it’s all true . I am very grateful to him . ”
The nobles’ doubt turned into surprise .
“The Crown Prince really must be a romantic . ”
“I envy you, Your Highness . You two seem like a perfect match . ”
Elena made herself smile as widely as possible, faithful to the role of a bride happy to marry her true love . In fact, she never really like to boast like this, and she wondered what it would be like to show her true self to others . Happiness wasn’t about competing with anyone . She believed that each person defined happiness differently, and that being satisfied with one’s life was the only way to live happily .
However, being the Crown Princess meant playing a different game where she had to hide her true thoughts . Carlisle had to express affection towards her, and show that their financial resources were not lacking . Wealth was power, and with so many dresses and jewelry given to her by Carlisle, Elena now had a considerable amount of personal wealth as well . From now on, she had to think about how to use these assets effectively .
“Marchioness Holland has been of great support to me . In return, I would like to give you the precious fabric I received from the Freegrand kingdom . I hope you will accept it . ”
Wedding gifts given by foreign countries were, in all practicalities, tribute . They were wrapped up as gifts, but it was not the same as one given by close acquaintance . The emperor could give such items to the nobles who helped with the wedding .
“How could I accept something so valuable…!”
Marissa looked shocked as if she never could have imagined this situation . However, this was the true feeling of Elena’s heart . She had grown up in the south, and was thankful for Marissa’s friendliness . At the moment, Elena prioritize revenge over grace, but she wanted to return her good feelings if possible .
“Please come to the palace wearing this fabric next time . ”
“Thank you very much, Your Highness . ”
Marissa looked around with an exuberant and dazed look, proud at the extent of her relationship with Elena . Hopefully it would be of help to the south, and in any case, having a close relationship with the Crown Princess would be beneficial .
After speaking with Marissa sufficiently, Elena took a step back .
“I’ll be going now . ”
“Yes, yes, Your Highness!”
Elena accepted Marissa’s bow, which was more reverent than the first, then walked away to meet the other nobles . Already, there was energetic conversation about the wedding dress she had worn earlier . Elena looked on with a pleased expression, catching intermittent conversation from the crowd, when an unexpected figure came into view .
‘That’s—’
Helen, a beautiful young woman in a green dress . Elena had glimpsed her sitting in the guest row at the wedding, so she was not too surprised to see her at the reception . More importantly, the Selby family was quite powerful as well .
Elena stared at Helen for a moment, before the latter began walking vaguely in her direction, the click of her heels getting louder as she neared . Helen, who looked drunk, widened her eyes as she spotted Elena, and her expression turned sour . Helen’s hostility was obvious, but Elena approached her without a care .
“It’s been a long time, Lady Selby . ”
Perhaps she didn’t want to be criticized, but Helen gave Elena a respectful greeting despite her obvious reluctance .
“H-hail to the Crown Princess . Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire . ”
“I heard that you became the Empress’ lady-in-waiting . ”
“Ah, yes . Right . ”
Helen’s face was triumphant at the mention of “lady-in-waiting . ” Elena spoke in a low voice, a smile on her face .
“You should celebrate . I thought you’d never be able to show your face in society again, but this is like a lifeline . ”
“So I will warn you for the last time, hold on to that lifeline . If you try to hurt me one more time—”
Elena stepped into Helen’s space and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper .
“—I won’t let it pass . ”
Elena was suspicious about Helen’s sudden appointment as a lady-in-waiting . Their relationship was already stormy—Helen had accused Elena of sleeping with different men every night, and Helen was thought to be a villain who had tried to ruin Elena’s face out of jealousy . Of course, the accusations against Elena were false, while the ones against Helen were exaggerated .
But in the end, it was water under the bridge . As Elena had told Carlisle at the time, it wouldn’t help Carlisle take the throne if Marquis Selby was involved . If Helen kept provoking Elena, however, Elena wouldn’t let it continue any longer . Carlisle wanted to pay back his revenge after becoming emperor, but if Helen stopped now, Elena planned to be more generous .
And so, Elena gave her final warning .
“Don’t forget my words . ”
Elena offered a dignified smile, then turned her head and walked away .
A moment later, Sarah, who had been watching breathlessly nearby, came into sight . Sarah had been glued to Helen’s side since the tea party in the south, and Elena recognized her face . Somehow, Sarah seemed even more detestable than Helen . She hurried to bow her head when Elena’s gaze fell on her, and the Crown Princess uttered her own warning against her .
“You should look at the line and see which side is more profitable . ”
Elena brushed past Sarah towards the center of the hall, and Sarah stared at her back, her face stiff .
Chaeng-geulang!
Helen’s face was a furious red, and her glass had slipped from her trembling hands . Broken glass fragments scattered across the floor . People were whispering and widening their distance from her, but she didn’t notice . Helen gritted her teeth angrily .
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