16. Flashback (9)
The year-end party organized at the Ludwig mansion was like never before.
Crystal chandeliers, the finest champagne, expensive gifts, and food with rare ingredients......
The budget was enough for three previous year-end parties.
Cliff and the Duchess had tried to talk her out of it time and time again, but Lizé had found them frustrating.
"The Duke of Ludwig has become one of the Emperor's closest confidants, and we need to make sure everyone knows it, so that no other family is as frivolous as the Riegelhoff ever again."
It was an excuse she'd added in hopes of belittling Edith, but despite her intentions, the Duchess sighed as she remembered the thrifty, no-nonsense Edith.
In any case, the year-end party was dazzling and extravagant, just as Lizé had planned.
Lizé successfully threw a big party in her first year of marriage, and even Princess Catherine attended, elevating her stature.
'Yeah, this is it!'
Lizé felt like she was finally breathing for the first time in a long time, surrounded by admiration and envy.
'I don't think a single person thought of Edith.'
She was even able to get closer to the man who was the purpose of the year-end party, Young Lord Liebermann.
"Would you like to dance a song with me, my lady?"
Lizé rejoiced inwardly at his somewhat nervous offer of a dance.
The thought of dancing with him and sharing a glass of champagne made her heart flutter for the first time in a long time.
Cliff's expression hardened by the second, but Lizé ignored him completely.
'It's a fish I caught anyway, so what?'
On that day, Lizé believed that her life would bloom as brightly as in the original story.
Because the heir to Young Lord Liebermann brought up the subject of the Crown Prince to her, just like in the original story.
"Did I mention that I was a classmate of His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Yes? With His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Yes. In fact, my father was His Highness the Crown Prince's history teacher, haha!"
Even the slight arrogance in his tone was pleasant.
"That's wonderful! I've only ever met His Highness from a distance."
"Well, then why don't you come with me to the Crown Prince's palace sometime? I'm sure His Highness would be delighted to have you visit."
"Are you sure...... I can come?"
"Of course, I'll make arrangements for you, hahaha!"
Seeing the smiling face that seemed to be smitten with her, Lizé was relieved.
'Indeed, even though my power is gone, the major episodes still happen!'
Now, if she could meet the Crown Prince and solve his problems, and then find the Emperor's lost nephew, she would be able to win the Emperor's favor.
A few days later, while she was happily anticipating a future that would continue as in the original story, something annoyed her.
"There's a New Year's greeting from Lady Edith, no, I mean Countess Ryzen!"
Butler Philip beamed, handing out letters from Edith to the Duke and Duchess, Cliff, and even Renon. Not only Philip, but the head maid, the gardener, and the yacht's manager seemed to have received a letter as well.
The atmosphere in the mansion, which had been somber lately, was suddenly lightened by the letters.
Even Cliff smiled brightly and handed a letter to Lizé.
"Sister-in-law also sent one for you, Lizé."
Lizé nervously accepted the letter, which was full of details about her busy and challenging life in Ryzen and how they were doing.
– ......how are you doing, Lizé? After marrying Cliff, I'm sure you've been helping the Duchess more, but I'm worried that you're putting too much strain on your slender body.
I used to be confident in my physical strength, but being a Countess here has really put a strain on my body.
You won't gain weight no matter how much you eat, so I hope you eat better and take more care of your health......
She sounded as if she was worried about her best friend.
However, Lizé could not take those words literally.
'Is she being sarcastic?'
She gritted her teeth.
She had lost her power because Edith had met all the conditions, and she was having a great time in Ryzen.
Even the people of the Duchy, who had been on her side in the original story, seemed to miss her.
"Where are you going, Renon?"
Lizé asked lightly as a hello, rarely seeing Renon out, but the answer that came out of his mouth pissed her off.
"I'm going to the post office to mail some letters."
Judging by the different types of envelopes, they couldn't have been written by one person, and if he was sending letters from multiple people to one place, it was obvious that their destination was Ryzen.
"......I see. Take care."
Lizé didn't have time to pay attention to what her expression looked like or what her voice sounded like.
'I heard Renon also helped save Edith's life. I won't leave him alone.'
The burning hatred extended to Renon.
From that day on, Lizé began to criticize Renon for every little thing. Of course, not once did Renon shrink back or give in.
But Lizé didn't let up either. Soon, she would have the Crown Prince on her side.
***
Maybe I shouldn't have assumed success so early.
'Nothing works.'
In the carriage ride home from the Crown Prince's palace, Lizé nervously bit her lip.
The introduction to the Crown Prince by the heir to Count Liebermann had gone as smoothly as in the original story.
The Crown Prince she met today should have blushed a little in front of Lizé, then warmed to her character and wisdom.
But his demeanor was a little different from the original.
"I have heard about you from Isaac. Actually, even if not from Isaac, I could have heard about you, the most beautiful woman in society, anywhere."
The Crown Prince's smiling face was a subtle departure from the one in the original story.
'What do you mean, what stories have you heard about me?'
He said it was about her being 'the most beautiful woman', but there was a hint of mockery in his slightly smirking smile.
'Am I being overly sensitive?'
She tried to dismiss it as such, but the crown prince didn't say much as he rose to his feet.
"I'll see you next time."
That was it.
In the original story, he invited me to his private social gathering with a hopeful look in his eyes......
'At this rate, I won't be able to get along with the Crown Prince's confidants!'
In the original story, Lizé interacts with the Crown Prince and his confidants to show off her wisdom.
This is how the nobles, who were still resentful of the fact that she was an illegitimate child, were able to change their attitudes towards her.
'No, let's not get too anxious. There are other ways to change their attitudes.'
It's been a few days since Lizé's episode didn't go as planned, and she's been pondering other options.
But the restlessness that had been plaguing her all along made itself known one day at noon.
"Call Lizé!"
Duke Ludwig, who had just returned from a visit to the Imperial Palace, barked the order, his face red with anger.
It was the first time he had ever called for Lizé in such a state of anger.
And when the bewildered Lizé entered his office, the Duke asked her without looking at her, "Have you ever been to see His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The day Lizé went to see the Crown Prince, she kept it a secret.
That way, later, when she received the Crown Prince's support, the Ludwigs would be more surprised by her hidden capabilities.
But the Duke seemed to already know everything.
"Yes. Not long ago, with the introduction of the heir to Count Liebermann......"
"And you didn't even say a word to me or Cliff that you were going to see the imperial family?"
Lizé's brow wrinkled slightly at that. "The meeting was arranged through the generosity of the Young Lord of Liebermann. It was merely a casual cup of tea. Do I really need to brief you on my going to tea?"
"It would not be a problem if it was a tea with other ladies, but it was with the Crown Prince! Have you no idea how that would look in the eyes of the Emperor?"
Lizé grew even more confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"The daughter-in-law of House Ludwig came out of the Crown Prince's palace flirting. It would be easy for someone to think that the Duke of Ludwig is siding with the Crown Prince."
"Isn't that a bit of a leap? It's not like His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't meet with people in private."
At Lizé's protest, the Duke let out a long sigh as if to melt away his boiling anger.
"The problem is that you are a Ludwig, not someone else. Because you threw last year's year-end party so lavishly that the whole empire knew about it, everyone thought our family had finally entered the political arena!"
"What......?"
Duke Ludwig continued that the Emperor himself summoned him and asked him, "What are you up to that you stepped over me and met the Crown Prince in private?"
The Emperor began to worry that the sword that Duke Ludwig had wielded to protect him would now be pointed at him.
"I did it for the Ludwigs, I didn't expect the Emperor to take it in such a bad way!"
Lizé shouted angrily, but inwardly she was perplexed.
'It wasn't like this in the original story......'
Her mind went blank.
From then on, Lizé lost her cool for a while.
Even though she knew that the original story had already been destroyed, the reality of the situation was different from her expectations, and a fear she had never felt before engulfed her entire body.
Lizé's nerves sharpened, as if she were standing on sharp thorns.
She'd slapped a certain young lady at the party who seemed to be ignoring her, and she'd gotten into a big fight with Cliff because she resented him for letting her be put on probation.
Everything was a mess.
In the meantime, Renon, who was an eyesore, had quit his job and left for Ryzen.
Lizé felt like she was going crazy because everything seemed to revolve around Edith.