# 35
She asserted her status as Princess Daphne to assert her control over Helen.
Rosanna was very angry when she heard that Aachen was to marry the fourth princess of Betstein.
‘How does he choose someone else?’
Rosanna married a count, preferring a wealthy but elderly man to other influential nobles.
She endured this marriage, hoping to remain close to Aachen, whom she had admired ever since she saw him as crown prince.
Although Aachen was now Grand Duke of Belzeit, Emperor Caliosa still considered him the Crown Prince.
Rosanna dreamed of becoming Aachen's wife and future Empress of Riquewer, but now, another woman holds that title.
“It is surprising to see Her Highness, the Princess of Pitstein, here in Belzeit.”
"Sudden? Why?"
“You recently broke up, didn't you?”
Rosanna pretended to be innocent, and blinked her eyes to hide her arrogance.
Despite her attempts, Helen was able to obtain the position that Rosanna had always desired.
‘So, she is the daughter of an empress, adopted by Empress Isabella after her mother died.’
Rosanna gritted her teeth behind her fan.
‘ As the adopted daughter of Empress Isabella, she is only the daughter of a concubine. How dare she cling to His Highness like this after her difficult divorce?'
Rosanna could not bear to see Helen holding Aachen's arm.
Despite Helen's beauty, Rosanna thought she was superior.
‘I am the only legitimate princess of Daphne. This illegitimate daughter of an emperor is not on my level!’
Her fan shut off loudly.
“Madam Rosanna, what you say is disrespectful.”
Aachen interrupted her conversation, noting Rosanna's lack of politeness towards Helene.
“Your Highness, how can you treat me like this?”
Rosanna felt resentful of Aachen's indifference to her, and his complete preoccupation with Helene.
“Aachen, wait a minute.”
Helen realized Rosanna's one-sided feelings towards Aachen.
“This situation should not end with just a reprimand of Lady Rosanna by the Grand Duke.”
Helen squeezed Aachen's arm gently, preventing him from saying more.
“…Helen?”
Aachen looked puzzled, but Helen smiled and turned to Rosanna.
Rosanna didn't quite realize who Helen was.
Helen was watching, waiting for the right moment to act.
Although she had officially assumed the position of Lady of Hestor Castle and Grand Duchess of Belzeit, Rosanna's treatment of her suggested otherwise.
If Helen had not asserted her authority now, she would have struggled to command respect as Grand Duchess.
It seemed that the followers were testing her, seeing if she was worthy of being their master.
‘Lady Rosanna has unwittingly given me the perfect opportunity to establish myself here.’
Helen finished calculating her next steps.
“Lady Rosanna.”
“…?”
“I am not yet familiar with the customs here.”
Helen smiled softly.
'Why do I feel so upset?'
Of course, she was angry not only at Rosanna's impudence, but at the fact that Aachen had shown her no friendliness at all.
Even though she knew this, it was difficult for Helen to control her emotions.
'It's normal to feel upset when another woman expresses her admiration for your husband right after the wedding.'
Helen felt a mixture of emotions.
‘If I don’t consolidate my authority now, Shivalin will be disrespected in the future.’
This was the root of Hélène's discomfort: the possibility of disrespect for Shevelin.
After I identified the reason, I felt more at ease.
“Please continue to guide me, Madam Rosanna.”
Helen smiled slightly, looking directly at Rosanna.
Rosanna did not understand what Helen meant, so she furrowed her eyebrows.
‘Continue… mentoring?’
Helen maintained her elegant smile as she added:
“I thought it was common to ignore eye contact
With presidents during talks.”
Rosanna frowned at this gentle rebuke.
“I'm just kidding. Even if one is not knowledgeable, there is no need to learn from someone lower in rank.”
Helen continued, making Rosanna's fingers tremble with embarrassment.
“Rather, superiors must correct the inappropriate behavior of their subordinates. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
Helen laughed lightly, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
“And before you criticize my three-month-old divorce, perhaps you should first think about the appropriateness of your clothes.”
"What…?"
Rosanna asked puzzled.
“Is it really appropriate to wear a dress like that on the anniversary of the Count’s death?”
It was indeed surprising that someone would criticize Helen for remarrying so soon after her divorce, especially since Helen's marriage was not a matter of personal feelings, but a union of two nations.
Moreover, Rosanna's tight dress was completely inappropriate for a widow on the anniversary of her husband's death.
While Rosanna bit her lip, struggling to contain her anger, Helen continued.
“Princess, are you making fun of me...!”
Rosanna almost shouted, her eyes burning with anger, but Helen interrupted her with a serious expression.
It was clear to Helen that Rosanna's continued use of the title "princess" was a deliberate form of mockery, and it only made the situation worse.
“Do the rest of you find this situation amusing? Speak up.”
Helen's sharp gaze moved to the servants who were silently observing the conversation.
“Your Highness, with your permission, I will speak.”
The atmosphere was tense, but one of the servants raised his hand. Rosanna shuddered at this movement.
“I am Viscount Eldin.”
“Speak, Viscount Eldin.”
Viscount Eldin, who often criticizes Rosanna, spoke up.
“Since the Duchess has been officially installed, she is now Lady of Hestor Castle. The Countess of Riol must address her as ‘Her Highness,’ the Duchess.”
"Viscount Eldin! Are you interrupting our conversation?"
Rosanna stared at him coldly.
“I have spoken with the Duchess's permission. Is there a problem?”
Viscount Eldin shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
“Viscount Eldin!”
Rosanna was seething with rage, but Helen stood up for Viscount Eldin.
“Countess Riole, raising your voice against Viscount Eldin is tantamount to reproaching me. Restrain yourself.”
Thanks to Helen's defense of Viscount Eldin, the rest of the court is encouraged to speak out as well.
“We are relieved to have someone like His Highness here in Belzeit.”
“Sure, please lead Hestor Castle as a great ruler!”
“We hope that you and Duke Belzeit will manage with kindness and wisdom.”
While the courtiers expressed their support for Helen, Rosanna, trembling with anger, tried to find another angle.
“The climate of Belzeit and Beitstein is completely different. Can Her Highness really cope with these conditions...?”
“Adaptation? I’m not experiencing winter for the first time.”
“But soon the snow of Parthenos will fall. If you don’t think about it too much...”
Helen interrupted with a gentle smile.
“You don't have to worry about me freezing to death in Hestor Castle. My house where I stay is very warm.”
"What?"
“Perhaps because the Duke, out of concern for my comfort, ordered the installation of a heating system.”
Rosanna, who knows Aachen's character, is shocked by this revelation.
“He was very considerate of me in many ways.”
Rosanna had endured the news of Aachen's second marriage, believing it to be merely a political alliance.
Now she felt as if the ground had opened beneath her feet.
“Even if Parthenos snows, I won’t care. I did not accept the Duke’s offer lightly.”
“...”
“Then there is no need for the Countess of Reul to concern herself with such trivial matters.”