Hazel hated Lorette so much that she couldn’t stand it, she couldn’t forgive Lorette for taking everything away from her.

What would she do if she had to face these eyes again? It was a thought she had while she was locked up in her room for so long.

It was something she didn’t have.

An angelic smile and the ability to move people to tears at the right time.

While Hazel was a girl with good nature, who wanted to help everyone and trusted others easily.

“But I can see the signs of effort.”

“…….”

Lorette opened her eyes wide and looked at Hazel. It was an unexpected praise. She looked quite perplexed.

It was understandable why Lorette looked like that. Purposely, she was here to be rejected by Hazel. Of course she thought Hazel would say no angrily.

However, it didn’t make sense that Lorette would come here under the pretext of seeking to learn while trembling with such horror.

Naturally, the poor look on Lorette’s face was bound to make Hazel resentful, and eventually Lorette was going to leave the room in tears. That was the script that was set.

It was made up by Lady Pais, Lorette’s mother.

Lorette must have just followed her mother’s advice to come here. And when Hazel declined to help, the rumors would spread and Hazel would face the king’s wrath.

Lorette was nothing more than a stringed puppet used in puppet shows. There was another person who controlled the puppet, so no matter how much Hazel took it out on Lorette, nothing would change. Furthermore, the situation would bring disadvantage for Hazel.

So Hazel decided to make a different choice this time.

“You’ll stand there as the princess representing the kingdom, there’s no shame in reading this kind of childish welcome speech.”

She clucked her tongue and smiled wistfully.

“I can’t help it. Can you help with this?”

“Well…”

Hazel asked, looking bland for a moment.

“Do you really have to do this?”

“…….”

“Yes…”

When Hazel asked back, Lorette sat down on the floor.

“I don’t want to disappoint father. I want to be the perfect princess. Just like Princess Hazel…”

Lorette grabbed Hazel’s pajamas.

“Teach me, teach me everything.”

Hazel chuckled as she stared at Lorette’s tearful eyes.

“Of course I’ll help.”

Lorette was surprised by the easy answer.

“I have to help you properly, as your sister, don’t I?”

“What…no, um…Princess Hazel, I…”

Hazel grabbed Lorette’s hand and pulled her up. Her eyes, which had grown wide in confusion, were still filled with fear. Hazel read the emotion and smiled inwardly.

‘Lady Pais’s puppet is about to change its owner.’

“Princess Hazel.”

“…….”

“Call me sister.”

Hazel said with a smile.

“What?”

Lorett sucked in a gulp of air between her flattened, open teeth. She was so surprised that her tears stopped immediately.

“Don’t be surprised. It’s only natural for a big sister to help her little sister.”

Hazel chuckled as she spoke in a gentle voice. Startled by the laughter, Lorette lost her strength and sat down on the floor with a thump. She then looked at Hazel’s hand, which was holding hers, with a shocked look on her face.

“Sister?”

“Why do you sound like you didn’t know the word? Are you hurt? Mary, help her up.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Mary came closer and hurriedly helped Lorette up.

“Are you okay, Princess?”

Mary glanced towards Hazel as she was helping Lorette to get up. Hazel nodded lightly.

“If someone sees my sister sitting on the ground, they might think I bullied her.”

As Hazel nodded, Mary tried hard again to raise Lorette up. But as shocked as she was, Lorette didn’t get up easily.

“Is it true? Really? Are you serious?”

Lorette asked again and again with a look of disbelief.

“Of course I’m serious. There’s no reason for me to lie, is there?”

Hazel took Lorette’s hand in hers and she tried to pull her up.

“We’re sisters.”

She said in a gentle voice, and Lorette, at a loss, said with her wide eyes.

“Thank you.”

Hazel tugged on her hand, and Lorette slowly stood up. But the look in her half sister’s eyes as she observed was one of full vigilance.

“No need to say thank you. It’s only natural.”

“…….”

“What’s wrong?”

Hazel asked, her eyes staring at Lorette carefully.

“It’s strange.”

Lorette spat out exactly what she expected. It was too much innocence.

“What’s so strange about it? Why, don’t you want to be my sister?”

Lorette shook her head in panic at Hazel’s question.

“No, that can’t be. Thank you.”

“Then call me once.”

Hazel asked again with a bright smile.

“Sister.”

Lorette uttered the word smoothly, then she said it again, looking at Hazel’s face.

“Sister…”

“Yes, that’s what we call each other from now on.”

With a satisfied smile, Hazel looked at the wall clock.

“It’s almost time for the welcoming ceremony.”

Hazel’s eyebrows contracted as she looked at the welcome speech again, and Lorette bowed her head with a frightened look on her face.

“It’s a mess, isn’t it?”

“I think I just need to fix a few things. Mary, give me my quill and ink.”

Hazel reached out and nodded, and Mary quickly picked up the writing tools and brought it to Hazel.

“These expressions are a little more far-fetched, and this part can be emphasized more.”

Hazel drew the red ink smoothly over the words Lorette had written.

After a moment, Lorette accepted the perfectly completed note.

“It’s perfect!”

Lorette’s eyes widened as she read it over and over.

“You can do a lot better than that if you learn.”

“Can I?”

“You’ve spent a lot of time outside the castle, but we have skilled composition teachers here, and most importantly, I’m here, so you can always ask for help.”

“…….”

Looking at Lorette, who still looked flustered, Hazel continued her words.

“Is this the dress you’re going to wear today? You’re so pretty in green.”

“I’m sorry, but my mother recommended this dress.”

Lorette was surprised again and tried to kneel down.

“Mother…Lady Pais picked it out for you?”

A subtle smile hung on Hazel’s lips.

“Yes, she said this color would look good on me.”

Pais, a single maidservant could not be given the position of Queen, so the king gave her the title of Lady and kept her by his side.

Although she was not given the title of Queen, she officially became the king’s only woman.

The woman who eagerly wanted to become Queen, but she couldn’t do so because the aristocrats, led by the Dukes of Conces, the queen’s, Hazel’s mother’s side, were deadly opposed.

Unlike the Demophos Empire, where the emperor had almost absolute power, the influence of the Senate and many other nobles was quite strong in the Kingdom of Land. So, even if the king wanted to, he often had no choice if the nobles were against him.

Of course, the king had the right to make the highest decisions. However, politics, military affairs, and diplomacy were all dominated by powerful noble families like the Dukes of Conces, so the king could not easily reject their opinions.

Nevertheless, Hazel was the highest-ranking woman in the kingdom of Land, and she directly participated in all official royal events in her capacity as acting Queen.

“Green is Hazel’s….sister’s favorite color, I dare not wear it, but the dress prepared for me…..”

Lorette’s dress was a very deep, dark green. The color was reminiscent of midsummer leaves and matched the color of Hazel’s eyes. It was hard to believe that Lady Pais chose this color just by coincidence.

As it should be, green was also the color that symbolized the former Queen who had eye color like Hazel’s.

Taking into account the Queen’s preference for green, the noble ladies did not choose green accessories or dresses for any official occasions, including royal balls.

Nevertheless, seeing her dressed in green in such a showy manner left Hazel with a good idea of Lady Pais’s true intentions.

‘I can’t believe she wants my mother’s seat.’

Madame Pais was the handmaiden of Hazel’s mother, Queen Martina. She was not the noblewoman who looked after the children closest to her, but a maid of a lower rank than them. She had risen to the position by catching the queen’s eye, a position she could never have dreamed of.

In spite of the Queen’s favor, she was the woman who seduced the king. And the result of her seduction was Lorette.

While Queen Martina was on her sickbed, the king sought out Lady Pais and had an animalistic affair with her. All of this, Hazel remembered clearly.

One day, she went to look for her father to visit her mother, but what she saw with her own eyes was the sight she would never forget.

“Why does it matter what color your dress is?”

Hazel turned to Mary and said,

“Mary, bring me my jewelry box.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Mary hurriedly reappeared with the jewelry box. Hazel opened the lid, and took out a necklace with a large square emerald and a pair of emerald earrings to go with it.

“Come here.”

Lorette gazed enraptured at the emerald in Hazel’s hand, then she quietly approached and sat down beside Hazel.

“What do you think?”

Hazel asked, lifting the necklace and placing it around Lorette’s neck. The large square emerald matched the green silk dress perfectly.

“It’s heavy.”

When Hazel laughed at Lorette’s response, and Lorette hastened to add,

“And beautiful.”

“It was my mother’s.”