The imperial family convoy finally reached the imperial palace, and along the road, Sylphia was always accompanied by the cheers of many people. She felt as if she were in the Barisan continent, where she was accompanied by festive lines of populace when she rode in a carriage on her journey in the past.

It was just like the time she rode a carriage to the main church of the Heavenly Direction Church during the marriage of Aldrian's parents.

At this moment, she could feel and see for herself Aldrian's image in the people's hearts and his influence. Even in a distant continent, his name still resounded and carried a weight that made even her arrival seem like the arrival of Aldrian himself.

The carriage finally stopped at the front gates of the palace, and the door of her carriage was opened. Yet before she could even step down, she was stunned to see a mature elf standing before the doors, elegantly poised as though waiting for someone.

With long golden hair, clear blue eyes, and dressed in green and white imperial robes, she was truly stunning. Her mature beauty reminded Sylphia of her own mother back in the Barisan continent—a motherly beauty with its own unique charm. Even as she looked at the woman, Sylphia felt a gentle, maternal aura.

From the attire she wore and the crown upon her head, Sylphia instantly guessed who the woman was, leaving her astonished.

Princess Vaeril also seemed astonished when she saw the elf and could not help but call out.

"Mother."

The empress had actually come out herself and was even standing in front of the palace doors, which was truly out of the norm. The moment Sylphia and Princess Vaeril stepped out of the carriage, Empress Vilena showed a warm smile, and the princess quickly walked toward her mother.

"Mother," she said as she gave a slight bow before straightening again.

Empress Vilena nodded as she looked at her daughter with a smile.

"You must be tired after such a long journey. You have done well, Vaeril," the empress said.

"Not really, Mother. But why are you here? If the people see you waiting, it would not look good," Princess Vaeril replied.

"We are receiving an important guest, so I thought at the very least I should be here to show my sincerity in building a good relationship," the empress said before turning her gaze to Sylphia beside her daughter.

"It is truly a pleasure for me to finally meet you, Your Majesty, Empress Vilena. To be honest, I am truly surprised to see Your Majesty standing here waiting for my arrival. It makes me feel guilty, yet at the same time, I feel deeply honored. As the representative of the Aster Empire, appointed by Aldrian the Great, I sincerely hope we can build a mutual relationship that will last for a long time," Sylphia said.

Sylphia was actually quite nervous inside. The way she spoke to the empress felt too casual for her, which made her feel bad. In front of her stood the empress of a great empire on another continent.

Her strength and influence were great, and her age was far greater than Sylphia's. In a normal situation, Sylphia should have been the one to lower her head in respect.

Yet as Aldrian's representative and his fiancée, she had to maintain her dignity and her status as the future empress of the Aster Empire. If she showed too much deference to the leader of another power, it would diminish Aldrian's image.

That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. At this moment, she had to act her best not only as Aldrian's representative but also as the future empress, so as not to bring shame to him.

Still, it felt somewhat strange to her. She was much weaker and younger than the empress, yet she had to carry herself and speak as if they were equals in age and status.

"The same goes for me, Your Majesty Sylphia. I am truly honored that His Majesty, Aldrian the Great, has chosen our empire as the place for Your Majesty's first visit among the many powers beyond. This is our greatest honor," Empress Vilena replied.

She glanced at the masked figure standing behind Sylphia for a moment and could not help but frown inwardly. She could not detect any cultivation from him, and she assumed he was Sylphia's personal imperial guardian.

She could sense the cultivation of Sylphia and the others in her group, but not this masked man. It surprised her that there is someone that she could not read.

The avatar, noticing the empress's gaze, only smiled behind his mask. She must be curious about him, yet he did not mind. His attention was focused elsewhere. From earlier, he had sensed someone observing him intently.

There was no ill intent from the observer, and the presence came from only one person. Judging from the direction, it seemed to originate from the World Tree. If he could use the system and his domain sense as his real body could, he would have already known who it was. Unfortunately, he could not. Still, he did not mind. As long as there was no hostility, he would simply let them be.

After glancing at Aldrian's avatar, Empress Vilena then turned to look at the other nobles within Princess Vaeril's group, who stood not far from them.

"You all must also be tired after the long journey, so I have prepared rooms for you to rest in before you return to your family's manor. However, Young Master Luren, I received a message from your father. He asked me to tell you that once you arrive, you should go directly to your manor."

"We are thankful for Your Majesty," the others answered with bows. Luren, slightly stunned, also bowed as he replied.

"Thank you for the information, Your Majesty. Then, I will excuse myself," he said politely, though inwardly he was infuriated. He knew the empress's words were nothing but an excuse. She had essentially told him to "fuck off" in the most polite manner. There was no way his father would have left such a message with the empress.

Yet he could not deny her words or lash out, especially not in front of Aldrian the Great's fiancée. So he simply turned his body and walked away.

He wanted to return to the carriage to ask the coachman to bring him to one of his family's properties in the capital, a manor. But before he could get close—

"My apologies, Young Master Luren, but I think the carriage is off limits for now. It must undergo maintenance, and the horses need to rest. So I'm afraid you will have to walk for a while. I have already informed your family of your arrival, and they said they would send another carriage to pick you up outside the palace grounds," Empress Vilena said.

Luren nearly shouted in rage, his head feeling as if it were about to explode. He knew he was being played. Her intent was only to humiliate him. Because he was the only one here belonging to the opposition faction, she chose to show her dominance and trample his dignity—especially in front of Aldrian the Great's fiancée.

He struggled to calm himself, his face already red as he held back his fury. Inwardly, he cursed the empress countless times, but still he turned toward her. He forced a rigid, awkward smile, which made Sylphia smile in amusement as she found it funny.

"I see. Thank you for the information, Your Majesty. Then excuse me," he said in a polite, steady voice, though everyone could tell he was fuming inside while desperately trying to keep his composure.

Without even looking back at Luren, Empress Vilena turned to Sylphia.

"Your Majesty, let us go inside. It is not good to remain standing outside after such a long journey. You should take a rest, and we can converse further within."

Sylphia nodded, and together they entered the palace. Inside, she noticed little difference from the palaces of humans, grand, luxurious, yet nothing that particularly interested her. She was already accustomed to the unmatched splendor of Aldrian's palace, which had long since numbed her sense of admiration for luxury.

The other nobles were guided by imperial maids to their accommodations, while Sylphia was led to the empress's private chamber for a more relaxed conversation.

Once they arrived, only Sylphia and the avatar entered the room with Empress Vilena and Princess Vaeril. After the imperial maids served them drinks and excused themselves, the empress finally spoke in a more comfortable tone.

"How was Your Majesty's journey? I hope your travel here was without trouble, and that you were able to enjoy it."

"I'm well, Empress Vilena, truly well. In fact, I was very comfortable along the journey and enjoyed every part of it. This is my first time leaving the Barisan continent, so it has been quite a new experience for me," Sylphia answered.

"I'm glad that Your Majesty could enjoy it," Empress Vilena said with a smile before lifting her cup and taking a sip of tea. Afterward, her expression turned slightly solemn.

"By the way, Your Majesty, there is something I truly wish to ask and discuss after I heard about it from Vaeril. Is it true that His Majesty, Aldrian the Great, truly intends to retake the entire Fallen Star Cluster?"