Several maids followed behind her, bowing their heads respectfully.

An air of elegance and nobility emanated from her, and the crown on her head shone brightly in the sunlight.

She stood beside the emperor, head bowed, looking at the second prince with a kind smile, and said softly:

"Long time no see."

"My child."

...

The nobles were filled with shock when they saw Claudia.

A sense of authority emanated from Claudia's eyes, completely enveloping all the ministers present.

That aura, there's absolutely no mistake!

After fifteen years, the Empress has actually returned!

The ministers stood there dumbfounded, staring at the Empress, mouths agape, none of them able to utter a single word.

Judging by their ages, Claudia, who was standing in front of him, was already close to sixty years old, just like Aubrey.

But she was still young, looking more like a woman in her thirties.

The most shocked was the second prince.

He sat in the chair, mouth agape, staring blankly at the elegant woman before him.

That was his mother, Claudia.

He still remembers it to this day.

Back then, my father and mother were at odds, and my mother resolutely left the capital and the empire.

He was only fourteen years old that year.

And now, she's back.

She returned with the same noble and elegant demeanor as she had fifteen years ago.

"Mother... Mother?"

The second prince's voice trembled slightly as he uttered an incredulous exclamation.

No one knows why Claudia has only come back now.

Even after Claudia left, Emperor Auberley still reserved the position of Empress for her.

Claudia moved closer to the second prince and circled around him a few times.

His pupils contracted slightly, as if he were confirming something.

The second prince also didn't quite understand her behavior.

To be honest, he didn't have much affection for this woman he hadn't seen in a long time.

My mood was extremely calm.

But as Claudia watched him, the second prince felt a strange unease.

It felt like my body was being pierced by steel spikes; amidst the pain, there was a sense of emptiness.

Claudia finally stopped in front of the second prince, reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Take good care of yourself, child."

"We will continue to get along in the future."

Having said that, Claudia placed her hands in front of her skirt, lowered her eyes slightly, and an air of dignity surrounded her.

He then bowed slowly to Aubrey, turned and left.

The second prince remained on the chair, his eyes fixed on Claudia's retreating figure, watching her slowly depart.

...

Claudia's appearance at the palace caused a huge uproar in the capital.

The news was being discussed everywhere, and countless newspapers ran headlines about "The Return of the Empress."

In just a few moments, the news had spread throughout the entire aristocratic circle.

After all, the empress's ruthless methods left a deep impression on all the nobles.

After all, she had personally put her own family members on the execution rack.

The true culprit who led to the extermination of the entire 'Stoker' family.

After the Queen personally eliminated the Stoke family, she left the Empire and has been gone for fifteen years.

No one knows why she left the empire after 'sacrificing her own family for the greater good'.

But just as the Empress left the Empire, another piece of news arrived.

The emperor's other wife, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Kant, died in childbirth after giving birth to Aurelion.

For a while, all the blame was directed at Aubrey.

Similarly, nobody knows.

Why did the emperor's two wives leave him overnight...?

...

In the morning, Aurelion was taking a walk in the garden.

She would spend her days in the palace gardens to calm herself down, and during these times, she was almost never accompanied by anyone.

But today, things are a little different.

Aurelion, who was picking flowers, sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching from behind her.

This made her raise her head and turn around.

Behind her stood a richly dressed woman, wearing a dazzling crown, smiling at her.

Wearing a crown... Aurelion noticed this very carefully.

However, she did not recognize the person in front of her.

Before she could even ask, Claudia spoke first:

"You are Aurelion, aren't you?"

Hearing the woman's gentle voice, Aurelion felt somewhat at ease and nodded blankly.

"You are..."

"You must have never seen me before."

Claudia walked over to Aurelion, looked at her, and spoke gently, reaching out a hand to stroke her face.

There seemed to be a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"You're so beautiful...you're even more beautiful than your mother."

Aurelion blinked.

Mother?

This word was very distant to her.

Because she was told that from a young age.

Her mother died in childbirth because of complications.

As a result, she never received maternal love growing up, and naturally had no concept of motherhood.

But the woman in front of him was excessively gentle.

Bathed in sunlight, she seemed to radiate maternal glow.

Aurelion was momentarily dazed.

If it were my mother.....

How will they treat her?

So she asked:

Do you know my mother?

Claudia simply smiled, and then said:

“I know not only your mother, but also your father and your two older brothers.”

"And your teacher—Victor Clevina."