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“My, how splendid it is again this year!”

Passing beneath the arch of climbing roses, Empress Magdalena let out an exclamation of admiration at the sight of the rose garden spread out before her.
At present, the Imperial Family and the Jurnova siblings were taking a leisurely stroll through the gardens. As was tradition each year, they would admire the roses first and then share lunch together afterward.

“The management of your estate and your lands both seem to be in fine order. You’ve proven yourself a reliable lord despite your youth.”
“I am most deeply honored, Your Majesty. I still have much to learn,” Aleksei replied.

Having visited the royal palace since childhood as a companion to young Prince Mikhail, Aleksei was well known to the emperor, who held great expectations for him.

“The other day I went to visit Grandfather…the former Emperor, He asked how Sergei’s grandson was doing. He said he missed your grandfather dearly.”

Spoke Mikhail. The former Emperor Valentin, whom Sergei once served, was still alive. In the Jurgrahn Empire, the throne was generally passed down through abdication rather than death.
Valentin was Aleksei’s grandmother Alexandra’s younger brother. Though intelligent, he had always been frail and timid, deeply grateful to Sergei for supporting him. He had never been able to stand up to his strong-willed sister, but after Sergei’s death, he often expressed concern for young Aleksei.
When the day comes for Mikhail to ascend the throne, Aleksei will surely follow in our grandfather’s footsteps—serving as chancellor or minister of state.

When that time comes, I’ll be capable enough to manage the duchy myself and crush Onii-sama’s death-from-overwork flag!
Ekaterina clenched her fist in silent determination.

“Your dress is lovely, Ekaterina. Such a beautiful shade of blue.”

Here it is!
With the Empress spoken to her, Ekaterina’s heart gave a mental cheer and a victorious fist pump.

“It is the greatest honor to receive such praise from Your Majesty. In fact, this fabric was dyed using a new pigment recently discovered in the Jurnova domain. It can produce a color as vivid as lapis lazuli, yet at a much lower cost.”
“My.”

Said the empress, her eyes gleaming with interest.
She seemed intrigued—but it was also clear she’d seen right through my subtle attempt at promotion. Well, that made sense. A ruler as skilled in economic matters as Her Majesty must be approached with all sorts of sales pitches on a daily basis.
Then the empress smiled faintly.

“It’s rare for a young lady such as yourself to value the products of her own lands more than the latest fashions. A commendable mindset indeed.”
“I am humbled, Your Majesty. Yet when I behold your own garments, I cannot help but be captivated by the beauty of silks from beyond the sea. It’s easy to understand why all the ladies who admire Your Majesty wish to wear similar fabrics.”

And that was no mere flattery. The empress’s gown, woven with intricate geometric patterns reminiscent of Islamic designs from my past life, was breathtakingly beautiful—! It perfectly matched her handsome features.
She really did remind me of a Takarazuka top star¹—actually, I can see women having a crush on her. Of course the ladies of the court would want to copy her style. No wonder she set the trends.

“Oh?”

The empress raised an eyebrow sharply. For a moment, Ekaterina feared her compliment had been too transparent—but then, the empress gave her a quick, dazzling wink.

“How sweetly you speak.”

*THE TOP STAR WINKED AT ME AAH SHE SO COOL!!*

“That shade of blue would be well suited for export beyond the Summit of Gods. In those distant lands, blues and greens are especially prized. For desert nations, colors that evoke water and forests are objects of longing.”
“Export! What an intriguing idea, Your Majesty.”

That made perfect sense! Even in my previous life, Middle Eastern countries had favored the color green—it appeared on many of their flags—and there were countless beautiful blue-tiled mosques.

“Hohoho.”

The empress chuckled softly, clearly amused by Ekaterina’s enthusiasm.

“When certain fragile people hear the words *‘desert nation,’* they instantly call them barbarians and turn up their noses. But you, your eyes light up instead.”

Barbarians, seriously? …Just looking at this fabric is enough to show how refined their culture is. Some people really do say the stupidest things.
…Aaaaaahh, crud. I can already think of exactly who would say something like that.
Come to think of it, until last year, the ones hosting the Imperial Family here were Father and *that biatch*… From her point of view, His Majesty the Emperor is her nephew, and Her Majesty the Empress would be her nephew’s wife…
That damn old hag…don’t tell me she even bullied the Empress…?

*(“You must become Empress. If you do, even your grandmother will have to bow her head to you… so…”)*

Her mother’s frail voice resurfaced in her mind, and Ekaterina’s heart grew heavy.

“Ekaterina? Is something the matter?”

The empress’s voice pulled her back to the present.

“M-my apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Think nothing of it. Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I merely… suddenly remembered my mother. Forgive my boldness, but she was of similar age to Your Majesty.”
“Oh, is that so…”

The empress let out a soft sigh.

“Anastasia… yes, I remember her. A little younger than I, beautiful and gentle—a true model of a noble lady. Please accept my condolences once more for her passing. You resemble her greatly. But you seem more mature, more steady than she was.”
“I am deeply honored. Your kind words warm my heart.”

…Come to think of it, this might be the first time anyone has truly spoken words of condolence about Mother.
There must have been plenty of them at her funeral, of course—but I don’t remember a single one. Only the moment she died remains burned vividly into my heart. Everything afterward… the many flowers, the many guests, the grandeur and order of it all—it all just drifted by in a blur.
…You arranged that whole funeral yourself, Onii-sama. I couldn’t do anything to help back then. I’m sorry for leaving you to face everything alone.

Thinking about that, it really was lucky that I got my memories of my former, thirty-something salarywoman life back!
Right now, I’m entertaining Her Majesty—the equivalent of corporate hospitality! I may not have worked in sales before, but as a professional adult, I can at least handle this. Focus, me!

“Your Majesty, about those fragile people you mentioned earlier—after all, isn’t this very silk itself was first brought to us from beyond the Summit of Gods? If they truly consider those people barbarians, then surely they shouldn’t be wearing silk. Being so fragile must be quite troublesome indeed.”
“Oh dear, hohoho!”

For some reason, the empress burst out laughing at those words.

“I actually said something very similar myself at the time.”

Ooooh!
As expected of the Top Star of the ladies’ entertainment!! (She’s not) Not even that rotten hag’s bullying could bring her down!
So cool. She’s like… she’s like an *Anego*².

“I’m glad to see we get along so well. Let’s talk more today.”
“Yes! It would be my greatest pleasure, Your Majesty.”