IMPERIAL PALACE
YOU TWO ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, PEOPLE WOULD BELIEVE IT IF YOU SAID YOU WERE SISTERS.
THAT'S TRUE. YOU LOOK STRANGELY ALIKE.
THAT MUST BE WHY HER HIGHNESS ADORES LADY HERNANDEZ SO MUCH.
ISN'T IT HUMAN NATURE TO BE DRAWN TO BEAUTIFUL THINGS?
IT'D BE WEIRD NOT TO LIKE SOMEONE AS PRETTY AS VIOLETA.
OH MY, I'M SO JEALOUS! I ENVY YOU, LADY HERNANDEZ.
SINCE HER HIGHNESS FAVORS YOU SO MUCH!
IMPERIAL PALACE GARDENS
HONESTLY, ISN'T LADY HERNANDEZ THE TRUE BEAUTY OF THE EMPIRE?
HER BEAUTY GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT HER CHARACTER IS ALSO EXTRAORDINARY.
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, WHEN THE PRINCESS CUT OFF A MAID'S HAIR BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T LIKE HOW SHE COMBED IT,
THEY SAY IT WAS LADY HERNANDEZ WHO COMFORTED THE MAID AND GAVE HER MONEY FOR A WIG.
THE CONTRAST IS ALMOST EMBARRASSING, CONSIDERING THE EMPEROR AND BARON HERNANDEZ ARE OLD FRIENDS.
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW BETTER, YOU'D THINK LADY HERNANDEZ WAS THE REAL PRINCESS.
HONESTLY, JUDGING BY BOTH LOOKS AND CHARACTER, IT'S TRUE THAT LADY HERNANDEZ IS MORE PRINCESS-LIKE THAN THE PRINCESS HERSELF.
HOW INSOLENT...
HOW DARE THEY... COMPARE ME TO A MERE BARON'S DAUGHTER?!
COMPARED TO THE HUMILIATION I SUFFERED BACK THEN,
STEALING HER MEN IS NOTHING!
YOU'RE REALLY DONE WITH VIOLETA, RIGHT?
UGH!
O-OF COURSE.
SHE'S BEEN SO BUSY TRYING TO PAY OFF HER DEBTS LATELY THAT SHE'S BARELY EVER HOME.
DID YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO HER HOUSE?
AH, NO, JUST... I WENT THERE TO GET MY GIFTS BACK, AND...
SO THAT MEANS SHE ISN'T SEEING ANYONE NEW EITHER, RIGHT?
I... SUPPOSE SO?
HAND OVER INFORMATION ON YOUR COMPANY. I NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING BEFORE I INVEST.
...Y-YES! YOUR HIGHNESS!
EVERY SINGLE THING YOU EVER GAVE YOUR HEART TO WILL END UP CRAWLING BENEATH MY FEET.
COMPARED TO THE HUMILIATION I FELT BACK THEN, THIS IS NOTHING.
ONE WEEK LATER
OH MY! THE SOUP IS GOING TO BURN, LADY VIOLETA!
GOODNESS! IT'S COMPLETELY BOILED DOWN.
WHY HAVE YOU BEEN ZONING OUT SO MUCH LATELY?
TELL ME, MY LADY! IS SOMETHING WRONG?
NO, IT'S NOTHING... I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT LUCAS.
HOW CAN I POSSIBLY TELL HER THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT BECOMING THE DUKE'S MISTRESS?!
OH, I THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING SERIOUS.
TA-DA! YOUNG MASTER FINALLY SENT A LETTER.
AH, REALLY?
to my beloved sister, you must have been very worried since you hadn't heard from me in a while.
an unexpected situation arose, so i couldn't write until it was resolved.
everything has been taken care of now, so you don't need to worry too much.
graduation isn't far off now. i'll become an officer soon so that you don't have to suffer anymore.
please stay healthy and take care. i will drop by bern during this summer break. -sincerely, lucas
THANK GOODNESS!
AN UNEXPECTED SITUATION?
WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED THAT KEPT HIM FROM WRITING?
WHO KNOWS... HE SAID HE'S COMING FOR SUMMER BREAK, SO I'LL ASK HIM THEN.
AH, THERE'S ONE MORE PIECE OF MAIL.
QUITE A LOT OF LETTERS TODAY...
LEOPOLD OTERO VON BERN
IS THIS CRAZY MAN OUT OF HIS MIND...?!
WHY ON EARTH WOULD HE WRITE HIS REAL NAME SO OPENLY IN THE SENDER SECTION!
ARE YOU GOING TO READ THAT LATER?
UH, YEAH. I'M GOING TO FINISH THE REST OF THE HOUSEHOLD CHORES FIRST.
PLEASE USE A PSEUDONYM IF YOU EVER NEED TO CONTACT ME.
SINCE YOU SAID YOU'D HIDE MY IDENTITY, NO ONE MUST FIND OUT ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP.
EVEN AFTER I EXPLICITLY ASKED HIM!
HE REALLY IS A MAN WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF CONSIDERATION.
i've had a carriage prepared, so pack your bags and come to the duke's mansion immediately. make up your own excuse to tell your family.
WHAT IS THIS...
I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE SUMMONED SO SUDDENLY LIKE THIS.
I RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR AN INFIDELITY CONSULTATION,
BUT SINCE THE CLIENT'S HOUSE IS FAR AWAY, I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO STAY THERE FOR A FEW DAYS.
I SEE. HAVE A SAFE TRIP, MY LADY.
MY HEART FEELS SO HEAVY LYING TO REYNA.
BUT WELL, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY A LIE.
I JUST DIDN'T TELL HER WHO THE CLIENT IS.
THINK OF ME AS YOUR CLIENT.
A CLIENT WHO PAYS VERY WELL, AT THAT.
RIGHT. THIS TIME IS NO DIFFERENT.
IT'S JUST THAT THE CLIENT CHANGED FROM NOBLE LADIES TO THE DUKE.
LET'S HELP THE DUKE BREAK OFF HIS ENGAGEMENT AND GET AWAY FROM HIM AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!
OH NO!
TRYING TO LEAVE EVIDENCE OF AN AFFAIR ALREADY?
HOW PASSIONATE, VIOLETA.
While everyone at the imperial palace praises Lady Violeta Hernandez for her beauty and compassion and compares her to the princess, the princess hears this and becomes furious, questioning Violeta's ex-lover to take revenge on her. A week later, Violeta receives a letter from her brother Lucas and a sudden summons from Leopold Otero von Bern. She lies to her maid Reyna under the pretense of a counseling job and goes to the duke's mansion.
