A woman entered the hall decorated with blue marbles. Behind her were numerous maids and servants following respectfully.

In a deep blue dress, the woman stood out. On her long finger shined a silver seal ring with a symbol of a bird.

Everyone bowed deeply as they saw this entourage passed by. Her golden hair looked beautiful against the sunlight. Her mother used to brush it and braid it lovingly. It was the exact same color as her father’s.

When she finally arrived at the emperor’s personal office, she was met with a familiar face. When the middle-aged woman saw her, she bowed deeply and greeted.

“Your highness, Liselotte.”

Liselotte le Cransia.

Lucretius and Sa Bina’s second daughter and one of two legitimate royal children.

Liselotte smiled broadly. “Yulia.”

Yulia smiled gently and looked at Princess Liselotte with love just like a mother would.

Yulia had never married and had stayed by the empress’ side ever since her youth. When the first princess Beatrice became old enough, Sa Bina ordered Yulia to become her teacher and her principle secretary. When Liselotte became older, she also became Yulia’s student. Beatrice and Liselotte treated Yulia like she was their aunt.

Yulia looked at Liselotte lovingly but also gave her a stern look, making Liselotte quickly realize her mistake.

In private settings, Liselotte always called Yulia by her given mane, but in a public and official setting such as this one, this was considered inappropriate.

Liselotte corrected herself immediately, “Oh, excuse me. Let’s try again, Duchess Holden.”

They were standing in front of the emperor’s office, so they had to address each other with their official titles. Yulia was Duchess Holden and she was the principle secretary.

Yulia smiled approvingly. “Excellent, your highness the Grand Duchess Bilenae. Her highness is waiting for you.”

***

“Her highness, the Grand Duchess Bilenae has arrived.”

The servant at the door announced Liselotte’s arrival. The woman who was sitting on the desk working hard raised her head. Her long black hair was striking as it flew down her shoulders.

Liselotte entered and smiled like a beautiful white rose.

She bowed respectfully and greeted properly, “Greetings to her highness from Grand Duchess Bilenae Liselotte le Cransia.”

The woman joked sadly, “Are you already acting distant because you are getting close to leaving this place?”

The woman walked towards Liselotte, who smiled naughtily and replied, “I apologize, your highness.”

“Lottie…”

When she was called with her pet name, Liselotte finally relaxed and surrendered.

“Hello, sis.”

Beatrice finally smiled brightly.

***

Beatrice the First.

She was the first female ruler in Cransian history. The former emperor Lucretius the First never took in another wife other than the empress, and so he only had two children with Empress Sa Bina.

The first-born Beatrice and the younger sister Liselotte.

At the age of 23, the oldest princess married a nobleman of no significance. As soon as she got married, Lucretius and Sa Bina gave up their titles immediately to enjoy their retirement.

Initially, Lucretius inherited the ruler position to Beatrice’s husband Komodus. At the time, people were still uncomfortable with the idea of a female ruler. Since Beatrice knew this, she accepted her husband as the emperor and decided to step back and become his empress.

A year after the wedding and the coronation, Komodus was deemed an unfit ruler and dethroned. He had made many mistakes, both political and ethical, and it was Beatrice who led the coup d’état against him.

Komodus was such an inept emperor that the uncertainty towards the idea of a female ruler quickly became a non-issue.

Even from the beginning, Komodus showed signs of becoming a cruel and unintelligent dictator. Then one day, his pregnant mistress appeared and proclaimed herself to be the First Wife of the emperor.

Former emperor and empress Lucretius and Sa Bina were greatly respected still and remained at the nearby wing Lonez. The appearance of this mistress was a piece of unwelcoming and embarrassing news for everyone.

A simple calculation revealed that the woman became pregnant with Komodus’ child right before his marriage to Beatrice, making him appear even more of an ungrateful monster.

Komodus might have been the official emperor, but his title came only because of the legitimate royal heir Beatrice. Komodus’ first child needed to be with Beatrice.

The woman, of course, wasn’t given the title, but Komodus also didn’t banish her. This was his biggest mistake.

The uncomfortable days followed until one day, it was revealed that Empress Beatrice’s tea was poisoned. Beatrice had been silent throughout this whole deal, but this was the last straw.

The pregnant woman, who had been residing in the first wife’s wing, was dragged out and her bedroom was searched. The same kind of poison was found, and the woman claimed the emperor knew of this but still let it happen.

Komodus desperately denied this allegation, but no one helped him or believed him. He should have been grateful to his royal wife for everything he gained from their marriage, yet he dishonored the royal family. He was sent to the tower for treason and the pregnant woman who tried to poison the empress was executed.

… Or so that was what was announced to the public two years ago.

What really happened was a bit different. Beatrice orchestrated everything from the beginning. She purposely chose to marry a man who was unreasonably greedy, stupid, and useless. Before Beatrice, Komodus had an unofficial fiancé, but when he saw his chance to become the emperor, he took it. He told his fiancé that once he became the emperor, he would take her as his first wife. Of course, he was lying.

Even the stupidest man knew the precariousness of his position, and when his abandoned ex-fiancé showed up pregnant with his child, he didn’t plan on keeping her around. Komodus tried to assassinate her and it was Beatrice who stopped it.

Beatrice told her husband that killing a pregnant woman and an unborn baby was unreasonable. As she had never interfered in his affairs, he couldn’t ignore her opinion on this matter.

Meanwhile, the woman took up residence at the castle. Beatrice stopped her husband’s murder attempt, but she also ignored the pregnant woman’s existence. She remained silent on this matter and continued to remain as a generous empress.

Komodus made many attempts to get rid of his ex-fiancé, but it didn’t work. Meanwhile, the woman became anxious at not being recognized as the emperor’s wife. She felt it was Beatrice’s fault, and finally one day, she made an ill-advised attempt to poison the empress.

This was what Beatrice had been waiting for. She used this to frame Komodus as well as the woman, and she managed to get rid of both of them.

Those close to her guessed that this was Beatrice’s plan all along, but they had no objections. The alternative was to keep Komodus on the throne and that was not acceptable. Most actually believed that although Beatrice was the one who schemed against him, it was Komodus who was too foolish to keep his position. Of course, Beatrice also made sure not to help him in any way regarding running the kingdom during his reign.

Things worked out in the end for the best.

Six months ago, Komodus died of illness still imprisoned in the tower, and it had been over two years since Beatrice declared herself the ruler of Cransia.

Empress Beatrice was a perfect leader. Educated by Lucretius, who was an excellent emperor, and Sabina, who was a wise empress. Beatrice was born and raised to play this role. Unlike her husband, she ruled with an iron fist with fairness and generosity.

She was her father’s daughter. She coldly used her own marriage to gain what was rightfully hers.