The next day…


    Aries wanted to apologize to Suzanne, Sybil, and Veronika right after they reached the Imperial Pce. However, she postponed it for the following day to give thedies, especially give Sybil more time, as she was very terrified about it.


    The candidates were only granted a day''s rest, but for emergency reasons, they postponed their lessons for today. They heard it had something to do with the current state of affairs and the emperor''s mood. For Aries, it sounded too suspicious of a coincidence, but she didn''t have the leisure to dwell on that. It worked to her advantage, anyway.


    "Thank you for epting my invitation for tea." Aries smiled at thedies sitting around the round table. She had prepared all night for this afternoon tea and even asked permission to use the pavilion, lest another candidate pick on them.


    Her eyes glossed over their faces and sighed. Suzanne seemed to be fine with a slight trace ofck of sleep. Meanwhile, Veronika was overall fine, but her eyes swirled with intrigue. Sybil, on the other hand, was paler than usual and the dark bags under her eyes were enough for everyone to know she didn''t get a wink of sleepst night.


    "Allow me to start this off with an apology." Aries raised her chin and looked back at them apologetically. "Please forgive my rudeness. I know we had our ns and getting involved in an ident wasn''t on the list. However, I…"


    "Lady Danie, you do not have to apologize for your valorous deed." Veronika cut Aries off with a deep exhale. "We are surprised and confused, and I wouldn''t deny that. However, how can we me you when all you did was help a powerless child? I cannot call myself human if I saw it myself and did nothing."


    "I agree with her." Suzanne nodded in agreement.


    Sybil bit her inner lip. "I was scared, Lady Danie. I thought you were going to die and there was so much blood. But I''m not angry about what you did. I think it was a sort of admiring," came out a tiny voice; although her countenance seemed to contradict her ims.


    "I appreciate your understanding." Aries smiled subtly at them. "I truly mean it."


    "Since that is already resolved, we''re curious, Lady Danie." Veronika voiced out after a moment while Suzanne nodded, and Sybil perked up. "Who are those people yesterday?"


    Aries didn''t answer immediately as she gazed at their faces. Curiosity dominated in their eyes, which was understandable and something Aries had expected.


    ? ''I didn''t want to lie to them…'' she thought, shing a polite smile. ''But it''s not like I will liepletely. I''ll just leave some detail out.''


    "They''re from my brother''s knighthood brigade," Aries answered, watching them nod as if they had guessed it right. "As you know, our House and the Emperor weren''t particrly in a close rtionship. Although we conform to the empire''sw, we don''t fully support the emperor and his tyranny."


    Aries let out a deep exhale as she kept sinking in this ''web of lies'' they had already made up for the empire''s sake.


    "It''s no secret that before my betrothal with the crown prince of the Maganti Empire was a plot devised by the Imperialist." Aries squashed down her guilt for lying in their faces after all the goodness they had shown her. "The Maganti Empire was on a brink of rebellion when I stepped foot in theirnd. In other words, the emperor sent me to my grave just so the Marquess, my brother, who was also the leader of the aristocratic faction, wouldn''t gain more power since the royal court had been pressuring the emperor to take an empress."


    "The emperor was afraid that if the royal court schemed and seeded, I''d get crowned the Empress. Meaning, our House Vandran will be just as influential and powerful as the Emperor," she continued. "I was lucky that my brother treasured me as his only family, and came to my rescue when the uprising broke out."


    "But even after all that and I returned to the empire, my brother was seeking justice for all the trauma I went through. But we didn''t expect the emperor woulde up with a selection and invite me as one of the candidates," Aries added, pinching her leg to keep going with this lie. "My brother had been restless since the news was made public. I didn''t know he nted people to look after me, and only found out about it yesterday. I cannot me him, though. His sister was now living inside the imperial pce and knowing the emperor, he was afraid of what could happen while I was here."


    Aries paused and took a deep breath, gulping to soothe the dryness in her throat. "I''m really sorry that they surprised you, but I know they didn''t mean harm."


    "I see…" Veronika rocked her head as Aries''s exnation was… faultless. She was acquainted with Ismael and had heard snippets of the story, and Aries''s help in this uprising. But now that Aries was back in the Haimirich Empire, no one could me her and the Marquess. After all, Ismael had the same worry.


    "Lady Danie…" Suzanne raised her hand and reached for Aries''s hand. "Do not say sorry. We should be the ones who should sympathize with you. You''ve been through a lot, and even after all that, you still have to experience this just because you are born in a powerhouse."


    "We cannot me the Marquess for taking extreme measures." Sybil let out a deep exhale. "He reminds me of my brother. My brother is also overprotective and had made a fuss when our kingdom received the invitation from the empire."


    Sybil forced an understanding smile as if she? was relieved after hearing Aries''s exnation. "But I have to go since I don''t want to put our kingdom in a tight situation."


    "Lady Danie, do not worry. We understand you very well, and we will always have your back." Veronika also shed Aries a smile, making thetter almost die in guilt.


    "Thank you for understanding me and my dilemma." Aries''s eyes softened, biting her tongue as punishment. "Shall we take a stroll in the inner pce after this?"


    The three looked at each other and smiled. When they faced Aries, they nodded in unison.


    "I don''t think there''ll be an ident here!" Sybil cheered.


    Little did they know, the imperial pce had more "idents" daily than outside.