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Inside another carriage on the way back from the imperial villa.
Lydia Seleznyov, the Marquis’ daughter, sat with her head bowed, lost in thought.

How should she tell her father about today’s events? She had to think that through. Yet, her thoughts immediately became jumbled and chaotic.

Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager.
Olga Flurse.

And… Ekaterina Jurnova.

.

I had been aware of her ever since the entrance ceremony at the Magic Academy. The daughter of one of the Three Great Ducal Houses, rival of the Seleznyov Marquisate. The granddaughter of Duke Sergei Jurnova, who had seized the power and influence that the Seleznyov family—as the Empress’s maternal relatives—should have held.
My parents would ask her about her at every opportunity, urging me not to lose to her under any circumstances.
When I first saw her at the entrance ceremony, she was beautiful and dignified, and yet… she possessed a figure that seemed sure to captivate men, which made me feel a sudden surge of irritation.

But Lord Mikhail is not the sort to be swayed by such things. He is wise and capable of choosing a partner who has the future of the Empire in mind.
When the day comes that I am invited into the Garden of the God of Music and receive His blessing, Lord Mikhail will recognize my worth and take my hand. Therefore, I need only remain aloof and devote myself to my lessons as I have always done.

I was trying to reassure myself with that thought, but the two of them became close all too easily.

That said, Ekaterina has never set foot in the imperial capital’s social circles. She lacks the experience to serve as a prince’s partner. So, surely she’ll try to make up for lost time by hosting a grand party to flaunt her presence and keep the other young ladies in check. With that in mind, my mother was preparing to counter her move.
But there was absolutely no sign of that. Even her friendships at the academy were unremarkable; she was close with that commoner who was merely a baron’s daughter in nothing but name, and showed no inclination to approach young men and women from families of suitable standing.

Perhaps her upbringing was flawed, preventing her from engaging in proper social interaction. It seemed she had received almost no education and lacked refinement.
Such rumors were whispered behind fans, and the ladies of high society cast curious, mocking glances at the as-yet-unseen Duchess Jurnova.

And yet.

In the first exam, Ekaterina Jurnova took a commanding first place.
The fact that she had outperformed Prince Mikhail made quite a stir in high society, given the prevailing views of her up to that point.

The next topic of conversation among the noblewomen of the imperial capital was that, following her visit to the Jurnova residence, Empress Magdalena had incorporated the new “Celestial Azure”—developed in Jurnova—into her attire.
The Empress is the fashion leader of high society. Her outfits, in which she wears novel silk fabrics from beyond the Summit of Gods with exceptional taste, are always the center of attention. Fashion trends are heavily influenced by the Empress’s attire. Naturally, the Empress is well aware of this, and no matter how enthusiastically something is pitched to her, she will not accept anything that does not suit her taste.
Given that it had met the Empress’s exacting standards, the dress worn by the Duke’s daughter must have been truly magnificent. The ladies of high society speculated endlessly about what kind of dress it could have been.
And thanks to its inherent beauty, “Celestial Azure” spread like wildfire among the noblewomen of the imperial capital.

Ekaterina’s popularity at the academy continued to soar.
It all began when she became one of the four students who fought and drove back a magic beast that had appeared on the school grounds—a major incident. The other students, who had initially kept their distance from her, began to interact with her after that.
She was described as seemingly haughty at first glance, but actually approachable and cheerful. She didn’t change the way she treated people based on their status, making her very easy to get along with. Such comments earned her particular favor among the lower nobility.

It was here that Ekaterina held her first social event. She invited students of all social ranks to the rose garden at the duke’s mansion—a place once graced by the imperial family—and hosted a garden party.

I thought I understood. Ekaterina was turning her late start in social circles to her advantage, employing a strategy to garner support from the lower nobility.
Due to the very structure of the social hierarchy, the number of high-ranking nobles is necessarily small. Consequently, the student body at the academy is overwhelmingly composed of the sons and daughters of lower-ranking nobles. She must be attempting to use sheer numbers to turn the tables on her disadvantage.
True to Duke Sergei’s bloodline, she has inherited a dangerous ideology that disregards social hierarchy. Lydia’s parents agreed with her thinking, and the Seleznyov family was left trembling.

Furthermore, Ekaterina’s offensive continued. Namely the Glass Pen that was presented to His Imperial Majesty. A story spread that when His Majesty used it to sign a treaty with a neighboring country, the neighboring nation’s foreign minister was so captivated by the pen’s beauty. Consequently, influential nobles and wealthy merchants all rushed to acquire that glass pen.

Amidst this, news arrived that Prince Mikhail would be spending his summer vacation at Jurnova.
This was meant as a show of support from His Imperial Majesty for Aleksei, who had inherited the title of duke at the young age of seventeen. However, people also saw it as a sign of the expectations placed on Aleksei as a figure who would support the next emperor. Furthermore, many began to suspect that he was being groomed to wield power as a member of the imperial in-laws in the future. Just as his grandfather, Duke Sergei, had done.
Many began to take such a cynical view of the situation.

Ekaterina Jurnova was the leading candidate to become the next empress.

As the number of people spreading such rumors grew, those around Lydia began to disappear. Although Mikhail was kind to everyone, only a handful of young ladies were permitted to address him by his first name. Those who had viewed Lydia—one of that select few—as the future empress had now left.
Moreover, she even began to be met with mocking glances from behind fans. They whispered that she was the young lady “who had not been chosen.”

.

I can’t go on like this.
My decision to meet Ekaterina under the guise of chance was a manifestation of that very feeling. Watching Mikhail and Ekaterina exchange words right before my eyes, they seemed far more intimate than I had imagined, and I felt a searing pain in my chest.

To think she would cook for herself—she must not have been raised as a duchess’s daughter should be. He has been completely beguiled; it seems Lord Mikhail hasn’t noticed her schemes. This is all wrong. To protect the future of the Empire, the Seleznyov family must support Lord Mikhail and rebuild the nation’s foundations.
My parents were also growing impatient, holding repeated consultations with their aides, insisting that Jurnova must be overthrown at all costs. But Jurnova is far too powerful; we cannot overcome her by force.

—I have no choice but to defeat Lady Jurnova myself.

Having made that resolution and just as I was taking steps to undermine support for her, an unexpected invitation to the Imperial Villa arrived. To compete in song before His Majesty the Former Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.
There could be no better opportunity. I would demonstrate my true ability, and right before her very eyes, I would prove myself worthy of an invitation to the Garden of the God of Music this time.

I approached today with high spirits.

.

Yet it was I who suffered a miserable defeat right before her eyes. She must be laughing at me in her heart. How could I possibly endure such humiliation? There was no choice but to end my life. Collapsing to the ground and weeping, I had made up my mind.
But…

*“Lady Seleznyov!”*

She ran over to me.
She embraced me so tightly it hurt.

*“Your singing was beautiful!”*
*“You have worked so hard all this time.”*
*“Your time will come once you’re able to bloom into an even grander flower. I have no doubt about it.”*

She chose her words with such care. There was no ulterior motive—she was simply trying to comfort me.
And then, I realized.

—This person…is simply kind.

Neither my father nor my mother would ever rush over to embrace a daughter looking this miserable. That is the proper conduct for a marquis.
It is Ekaterina who is not acting properly as the daughter of a duke. And yet
She was just—so warm.

It must be more than just kindness. After all, look at how brilliant she is at cornering me.
But she is kind.
Even while possessing a cunning side, her very core is made of kindness.

—That’s why Lord Mikhail fell in love with her…

What a strange person.
It’s only natural that one would fall in love with someone like this.

That is why, now… Lord Mikhail will no longer take my hand.

.

It’s all right. After all, I have my songs.
How should I sing about how I feel right now? Come to think of it, there was a line in that song Olga sang. It said that losing faith in oneself is sadder than losing a dream.
Perhaps I should try singing that song.

I’ll tell Father that the Seleznyov family incurred Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s displeasure over the piano matter. I’ll mention my great-grandfather and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager as well. And I’ll just come out and say that Prince Mikhail’s heart belongs to Ekaterina, and there’s no turning back now.
That is why, perhaps I should go so far as to suggest that it might be a good idea to side with Jurnova instead.
There are still no high-ranking nobles in Lady Ekaterina’s circle. If we’re going to form an alliance, now is the time. Even though our political orientations differ, it’s quite common for houses like ours to cooperate.

While Jurmagna’s political stance is closer to that of our Seleznyov family, I am well aware of the rumors regarding their financial difficulties. That person from the Jurmagna family often spoke of Lady Ekaterina’s movements and reputation, but I understood that it was merely a ploy to profit by pitting Seleznyov against Jurnova. The initial spread of Lady Ekaterina’s bad reputation was likely the result of information manipulation as well.
Judging calmly, it should be in the Seleznyov family’s best interest to ally with Jurnova, especially now that the scale leans more towards Jurnova than Jurmagna.

If I were to say such things, Father would surely be angry. But if I were to tell him that, despite her displeasure towards the Seleznyov family, the Empress Dowager was pleased with my dedication to singing and even granted me this dress, even Father wouldn’t dare to punish me. He wouldn’t want to incur further disfavor from Her Majesty. And Her Majesty the Empress Dowager surely gave me this dress to ensure my standing within the family remains secure.

From now on, I simply need to live for my singing.
I will live to sing the finest song, one that transcends perfection.
That is why, I am not sad that Prince Mikhail—the man who has always been my prince—will never take my hand again.

After all, I am the proud daughter of the Marquis of Seleznyov. I have been raised properly as a marquis’ daughter.
I am not sad.

That is why… it must be my imagination that a tear is falling onto the hand resting on my lap.