Regina knew well what kind of person her older sister was.

To Liliana, she was endlessly affectionate like a mother. But to Regina, who had grown up with her, Alice had always been a rational and quick-thinking individual from a young age, someone impossible to outsmart.

This remained true when they entered society as well.

Alice always excelled in school, and in her career, she climbed the ladder based solely on her abilities and not her family background.

So when Regina read of Alice’s marriage in the newspaper, her heart sank.

“Sister, let’s be honest. This looks like a strategic marriage, right? What have they offered in exchange?”

Regina and Emilia bombarded Alice with questions, to which Alice replied calmly.

“This is the best choice for my career.”

Regina and Emilia, who knew just how ambitious their sister was, immediately sensed that Alice’s claim was false.

Alice was a maritime officer, and being an Empress in the Empire could not be considered a career.

“It’s one thing to take on a new job, but can you really adapt to life in the Empire?”

Regina hit the nail on the head.

Trovanza was a small island nation with no rigid social hierarchy, whereas the Empire was a nation with nobility and commoners.

The cultural differences were stark, from social systems to norms and even ways of thinking.

Furthermore, the man Alice was to marry was the Emperor himself.

Even though the Emperor held absolute power, rumors were sure to circulate both inside and outside about a statusless woman from a small island becoming Empress.

“We’ll make it work,” Alice replied, turning her head slightly to check Liliana’s room at the end of the corridor.

Regina’s sharp eyes noticed the change.

“I’ll make it work, so don’t worry too much.”

Their conversation ended there, but Regina’s worries began at that moment.

Could her sister really thrive in the Empire alone? Could she take care of Liliana on her own? Could Regina herself survive in Trovanza while being separated from them?

“There’s definitely some sort of deal with the Emperor, and she doesn’t seem willing to disclose what it is…”

It was already nerve-wracking enough to send her sister to the Empire, but the thought of having her care for their ailing youngest sister in a foreign country made Regina even more anxious.

‘I can’t let them go alone. I can’t bear to see my sister struggle in the Empire alone, and I can’t bear to be separated from Liliana.’

So, Regina decided to follow Alice to the Empire.

She wanted to know how to adapt to life in the Empire, but the only Imperial person she knew was Leopold.

Since he had come to visit with the intention of dating her, she decided to ask him directly.

“I’ve decided to follow my sister and live in the Empire. Is there a job I can do while I’m there?”

Leopold’s green eyes shook uncontrollably. Regina found his reaction somewhat strange.

“I understand that you’d be surprised. I would be surprised, too. Even I find it hard to believe that I’m going to live in the Empire… but…”

“Wait, just wait a moment, Miss Regina. Um… It might be better to change our location first.”

Leopold sensed that Liliana was eavesdropping on their conversation. However, Regina was unaware of this.

Having just met Marius and being in a state of confusion, dealing with the added complication of a child overhearing their conversation would undoubtedly make things more complicated.

“Ah… sure. Shall we go to my room?”

Regina led him to her room.

Her room was immaculate, dominated by white decor.

Leopold didn’t know where to look in Regina’s room, which was clearly decorated to her taste, so he kept his eyes on the floor.

Regina’s sudden request had taken him aback.

He wondered if something went wrong. Of course, he would welcome her if she wanted to come to the Empire, especially since he had been agonizing about not being able to see her once he returned.

“If you don’t mind me asking, is it because of Alice?”

“Yes, I can’t just leave my sister alone in the Empire. I may not have the abilities of my sister or Emilia, but I believe I can find something I can do.”

“You don’t have to work in the Empire if you don’t want to. You can stay in the Empire whenever you like as the sister of the future Empress.”

“If I stay in the Empire with my family for an extended period, it will undoubtedly be a burden on my sister, who has no foundation in the Empire. Besides, I should be able to support myself to some extent.”

“…”

Leopold couldn’t decide where to start, so he carefully selected his words in his mind.

In Leopold’s experience, noblewomen did not work. They devoted themselves to charitable works with the income from their estates and looked after the people rather than engaging in labor.

However, she was from Trovanza.

Trovanza valued labor, and it was common for people, even those with substantial wealth, to have occupations.

As a result, all of Verchio’s sisters, despite their immense inherited wealth as part of a prestigious political family, were employed.

Regina apologized quickly, thinking she may have said something that made Leopold uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry. I think I may have said something that made you uncomfortable, Leo. It would be better for me to look into this a bit more. Please forget what I said today.”

“No… I think it would be a good idea for you to take about a year to adjust once you go to the Empire, and then consider it step by step. As you know, it’s a different country in many ways, so isn’t it alright not to decide right away? What do you think, Regina?”

“That makes sense, too. Thank you for giving me your time, Mr. Leo.”

It was only then that Leopold finally looked at Regina directly after entering her room.

When he saw her, he realized that people could fall in love at first sight.

He couldn’t quite figure out why his heart had raced when he saw her knitting, but he was sure of one thing: he remembered every detail of that moment.

The warm spring breeze, her honey-blond hair swaying gently, the long eyelashes, and the focused expression she had while knitting. And the emotions of that moment deepened as he talked with her.

He had been in turmoil, wondering if he shouldn’t indulge in this feeling as it had a deadline.

However, Regina’s decision made him think otherwise.

Even though the situation wasn’t ideal, just the thought of being able to see Regina in the Empire brought him joy.

A thrilling sensation spread through his entire body, and he smiled vaguely, looking at Regina, who was lost in thought.

* * *

“Heuk! Heuk!”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t stop hiccuping.

My shocked heart wouldn’t calm down even when I pressed my cheeks against the round, plump belly of Cookie and buried my face in the cotton.

‘Is older sister going to the Empire with them? Does that mean she might date and marry Leopold there?’

It’s great that my older sister and brother Leopold are continuing their love story, but I wasn’t entirely thrilled because Eldest Sister was already engaged to Marius.

If Older Sister marries in the Empire, she might never return to Trovanza.

It would also be tough to move everything once they settle there.

“Huh? What about Youngest Sister? Will she be left alone?”

I may be just seven years old, so I didn’t fully understand the situation, but at least I could be sure that there’s a possibility that Youngest Sister might be left all alone.

“No… I don’t want them to part…”

I just wish my sisters wouldn’t get married, and we could all live together as a family like now.

I didn’t want to be separated from my family anymore.

Being separated from brother Andrea was more than enough.

But going to the Empire means I won’t be able to climb olive or lemon trees anymore, and I’ll have to say goodbye to my friends. Plus…

“If I go to the Empire, I’ll be separated from Big Brother forever. I don’t want that.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt my nose starting to fill.

“Hey, little one! You should have said something before you left!”

Tears filled my eyes as I heard Youngest Sister’s angry voice from outside, accompanied by a loud bang.

“Uh-oh!”

I trembled as I tightly clutched Cookie.

“Cookie, please save me. I’m definitely going to get a spanking from Youngest Sister.”

For a brief moment, I thought that going with Eldest Sister to the Empire wouldn’t be such a bad idea compared to facing Youngest Sister’s wrath.

* * *

Marius observed his long-time friend.

In the Empire, Leopold had always been a stoic and reserved man.

However, he had been acting like a complete fool for several days now and constantly smiled.

He was even humming songs so loudly that Max, Marius’ aide, was about to go mad from the racket.

“Are you that excited that Regina is going with you?”

Had Leopold fallen head over heels in love already even though they haven’t gone on a date yet?

Marius shook his head, thinking that people could become fools in the face of love.

He himself didn’t believe in the emotion called love.

His reason for marrying Alice was not because he loved her.

Putting love or romance into marriage in their world seemed absurd.

Of course, Alice Verchio was a beautiful and elegant woman, but she was also the eldest daughter of the Verchio family.

Marius valued the benefits that a strategic marriage with her would bring.

“Get along well with Regina Verchio. If the two of you marry, you’ll become the only noble in the Empire who can influence Trovanza. You and I would be connected by blood once again.”

And the mixed blood of the gifted, a unique ability holder only found in Trovanza, would flow into the Von Waltrachen Duchy. If they were lucky, their children might even be born with those abilities.

However, Marius had not mentioned this aspect.

Such a statement might be uncomfortable for a man blinded by love to hear.

“Well, you’ve always been the guy who couldn’t see anything once you fell in love,” Marius muttered.

Leopold glanced at him as he heard Marius’ muttering.

“Leopold, you and I have sworn a soul oath. If a war breaks out between the Empire and Trovanza, the Empire will lose both its Emperor and the Chief Commander simultaneously.”

They had sworn a soul oath, but Marius had no intention of announcing it to the Empire.

It could become their weakness to the enemies aiming for the throne.

So, they had signed a peace treaty with Trovanza, a country that seemed suitable for a formal peace agreement.

“If we die and a war breaks out, the Empire will suffer severe damage. As you know, Trovanza may be small, but it’s a strong nation.”

Being a country where one out of three people was gifted,Trovanza had a power gap that the Empire’s magic and holy forces couldn’t touch, no matter how strong they appeared.

Bitterness flashed in Marius’ eyes.

It wasn’t because of his position and duty that led him to form a strategic marriage.

The reason dated further back to the distant past.

“So, I hope you and Lady Regina get along well.”

I’m rooting for your love.

Marius murmured quietly enough to be heard only by himself, lightly patted Leopold’s shoulder and prepared to leave.

It was time to visit Alice and hand over the engagement ring.