《How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death》 CH 1 ¡®I became a part of a novel story.¡¯ To be more precise, I died and woke up only to become a vicious villain from a novel. ¡®Come to think of it, it¡¯s already been two weeks.¡¯ Two weeks have passed since I woke up in this body. Before entering the banquet hall, I paused for a moment and glanced at the window next to me. My image was reflected on the white frosted glass window. Blue eyes like sapphire. A straight nose and red lips. Red blonde hair tied in a half ponytail. A gorgeous pale green silk dress that stretches into the floor. It is the appearance of ¡®Princess Eve¡¯ who seems to have popped out of a novel. It may be an understatement to say that I came out of a novel. Because I was definitely inside a novel. As I passed by the entrance and walked down the hallway leading to the banquet hall. As soon as the door opened, a bright light poured out. At the same time, someone¡¯s bewildered voice was heard. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s the princess!¡± At that one word, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. I took each step without a care. As soon as I entered the spacious banquet hall, the buzzing sound disappeared at once. Even the softly flowing music disappeared without a trace. Everyone stopped like a still image and looked at me. ¡®So this is what it feels like to be a top star.¡¯ In fact, rather than being a top star, what I received were tensed gaze as If they¡¯re looking at a crazy terrorist or a dangerous explosive. ¡®Well, that¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Because the violent and ruthless ¡®Princess Eve¡¯ has always caused a huge stir in the social circles of the capital. In particular, the past month has been the worst. It was at the level of cuteness that Princess Eve cried and caused a huge disturbance in the presence of the Emperor, saying that she would like to marry her unrequited love, the Grand Duke. After she rebuked the ministers to prepare for marriage, and beat the court ladies who continuously looked and adored the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke still continues to refuse the marriage. Princess Eve would then destroy everything in the room and even threaten a hunger strike. Literally, the owner of her body did things that a normal human being can¡¯t do for a month. ¡®It was kind of funny when I read it in the novel.¡¯ But the problem is that I have become the ruthless Princess Eve. A one-dimensional villain with a stupid and bad personality. Eve was an unfortunate villain who was killed in vain and left alone until she died in the middle of the story plot. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®¡­ ¡­ Even if it¡¯s just a dream, it¡¯s an extraordinary nightmare that will remain in my memory for the rest of my life.¡± Unfortunately this was not a dream. Even if I pinched myself multiple times until my skin swelled up, I¡¯m still inside Eve¡¯s body. No matter how many times I tried to sleep and woke up, I still remained in this strange world. So I accepted the reality. A really horrifying reality. ¡°We greet you, Your Highness¡­¡­¡± The people who came to their senses later faltered and bowed their heads. The sound of the music that had been cut off barely continues. I walked towards the center of the ballroom, ignoring people¡¯s greetings. To be precise, I walked towards the man in the center. Gorgeous chandeliers poured dazzling light on the smooth marble floor. Beneath the bright lights, a tall young man was seen shining brighter than ever. Black hair like the night sky and mysterious purple eyes. A feature that draws straight and beautiful lines like a statue. It¡¯s such a perfect face that even I can¡¯t draw it even if I tried to. I¡¯ve seen that face a few times already, but every time I see him, I¡¯m always amazed. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that someone could have a face like him.¡¯ The most handsome person that I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. This man is Terrence. The Grand Duke of the Albion Empire and the sub-male lead of this novel. And he was also the fiance of Princess Eve, whom I currently possess. ¡®He was Eve¡¯s unrequited love, after she fell for him at first sight.¡¯ But the Grand Duke hated Eve. He looked at me as if he was looking at a very disgusting bug. Just as the rumors said, the Grand Duke did not use any violence because Eve was a woman, but it would be differ if she was a man, she would have been killed by him even if she¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s child. In the sudden silence, the Grand Duke turned to me. ¡°Gasp.¡± I heard people holding their breath. Tension began to creep over the heavy silence. ¡®Well that¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Since in the original story, whenever the Grand Duke and Princess Eve meet, a dramatic scene always takes place. Most of the time, the Grand Duke would get angry and push Eve away, after that she would cry endlessly and cause a disturbance as she destroyed the surroundings. Of course, it made the boring party much more interesting. But today will be a little different. I stopped at the center of the dance floor, as I faced the Grand Duke. ¡°Here you are, I¡¯ve been looking all over for you Grand Duke.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t forget to smile affectionately, as if full of anticipation. There was a heavy silence around him that made it impossible to breathe. Everyone was looking at the Grand Duke with their eyes shining with expectation. I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯re already imagining what would happen. On how desperate Eve will cling to the Grand Duke, and how fiercely he would tear her away from him. ¡°Princess.¡± With everyone¡¯s anticipation, the Grand Duke came closer to me. However, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, instead of him shouting at me, he politely reached out to me. Then he asked me with a pleasant look on his face, like a friendly fiance. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, will you give me the honor of your first dance?¡± The music, which had been flowing softly, was cut off within a strange dissonance. Numerous gasps can be heard among the crowd. There was also the faint sound of glass breaking from somewhere. Even without looking around, I could feel the shock and amazement of the people around me vividly. Either way, the Grand Duke held out his hand to me and gave me a faint smile. It was only a faint smile, but he¡¯s still beautiful face looked a hundred times better. ¡®Wow¡­.. He¡¯s really handsome.¡¯ I looked at his face full of adoration, but then I shook my head lightly and came to my senses. Then I proudly raised the tip of my chin and placed my gloved hand elegantly on his hand. ¡°Of course. I will allow it.¡± Then the Grand Duke led me to the center of the dance floor. The smooth marble floor reflects under my shoes. It¡¯s a scene that I prepared in advance, but when I¡¯m acting in front of a lot of people, I feel like my arms and legs are about to fall off. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Fortunately, no one came out on the dance floor while we were dancing. The nobles who filled the ballroom continued to look at us with faces that seemed to have been struck by lightning. The Grand Duke, who always thought of Eve as a disgusting bug, specifically asked the Princess to dance first. ¡®They even look like a perfect couple as they danced together¡­.!¡¯ It was definitely a shocking view for all the viewers. ¡°Relax, Princess.¡± Perhaps he felt the tension in my hands, the Grand Duke then whispered as he took one step closer to the steps. ¡°You look like you¡¯re being dragged to the execution ground, not the dance floor.¡± ¡°If I step on your feet, I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± I meant it with all my heart, but the Grand Duke only smiled at my words. The purple eyes that were praised for being like amethyst in the book are curved nicely. A cold voice that didn¡¯t match the sweet smile tickled my ear with a small laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± It¡¯s okay to lie like that. ¡®If you think I¡¯m useless, I know that you¡¯re going to kill me mercilessly.¡¯ He pretends to be a perfect man within the public eye, but I know the true face of this man. This man is a vicious man who secretly kills a lot of people and seizes power. ¡®It¡¯s because I remember the original plot of the novel¡¯ Even his friendly smile seemed to give off a dangerous atmosphere. It¡¯s like the eyes of a predator smiling while playing with it¡¯s prey. I swallowed dry saliva as I looked at the Grand Duke beside me. I don¡¯t want to hold hands with this terrifying man, but for now there is nothing I can do about it. Because this is the only way for me to live. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) I entered this world exactly two weeks ago. ¡®At first, I was so shocked that I almost passed out.¡¯ In my previous life, I lived in Korea which is the real world. My previous life was so hard. I lost my family at such a young age and lived through hardships. I barely finished my studies after getting a student loan and earning my living expenses from my part-time job. After graduating from college, I happily returned home saying, ¡®Yes, I can finally look for a decent job and live a comfortable life.¡¯ but then I was hit by a car and died. But it wasn¡¯t the end. When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar world was unfolding in front of me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. The Albion Empire that dominates the continent. A large palace where the Emperor lived. The splendid main palace and the princess¡¯s bedroom. It was the same as the contents of ,which I read several times before I died. In other words, this was a romantic fantasy world where the cold Northern Grand Duke met a beautiful and kind saint. Here, I became a 19-year-old princess with long red blonde hair, a person who always wore gorgeous dresses. ¡°Wait, who am I?¡± I looked into the mirror for a long time with a blank expression on my face, after a while I asked the maid beside me. The young maid, with sand-colored hair, answered with a terrified look on her face. ¡°You are the noble daughter of His Majesty the Emperor, Her Highness Princess Iveness.¡± ¡°Princess Ivenes¡­¡­ Eve? Could it be that I am Eve from the novel that I¡¯m reading before?¡± In fact, even before I heard the name, there was a person who vaguely came to mind when I saw red-blonde hair. Long red blonde hair and blue eyes. Because it was such a boring description in the original novel that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t forget it. But I can¡¯t help to ask that question¡­. ¡°Ha? Yes, of course. You are Princess Eve.¡± The maid immediately gave a confirmation to my question as if I would kill her if she didn¡¯t, but then she carefully asked. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I couldn¡¯t answer her due to shock. ¡°I¡¯m Eve¡­¡± In the novel, Eve was a red-haired princess born from the Emperor and the Empress. Like the Empress, she had a very beautiful appearance and was born with the power that was passed down from being pure blood of the Imperial family. However, Eve has selfish, stupid, and violent personality enough to offset all of her advantages. The most hated villain in the novel . And I became that ¡®Eve¡¯. TO BE CONTINUED¡­ CH 2 ¡°Why Eve of all people?¡± Since I didn¡¯t dream of becoming the female protagonist, I could have just become one of the maids or some people passing by. A beggar outside the palace might have been better than Eve. Because beggars have at least some freedom. However, I¡¯ve become that ¡®Eve¡¯. The female protagonist¡¯s half-sister and the worst villain in the story. It¡¯s rather a common development of some romantic novel, but the problem is¡­. ¡°The female protagonist has already appeared and is already making a name for herself as a blessed saint.¡± Counting the chronological order, it was now more than half past the original plot. In other words, we are now in the part in which Eve is already harassing the female protagonist and is being hated by all of the people around her. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®But why did it have to be this part when I possessed this body?¡¯ If It would have been better, If it was in the beginning of the story, then I would have tried to change my image somehow and get along with the female protagonist. ¡®But what can I do when my relationship with all of the people around me is already ruined?¡¯ Besides, there was a bigger problem. As I was checking the present date I realized something even more shocking. ¡°Eve¡¯s death¡­¡­ That means that I only have a month and a half left, right?¡± Even though Eve was a villain who stands in opposition to the female protagonist, she was killed in vain in the middle of the story. Because she would be murdered before the day of her wedding with the Grand Duke. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) Eve¡¯s fiance, Grand Duke Lenz Terrence, the sub-male lead of this novel. Was a very handsome man that was loved by all noble women. Not only that, he was also a war hero who fought and achieved victory at the age of 15. Thanks to that, now that he has come of age, he now has a powerful force that is enough to threaten the Emperor. And Eve falls in love with the great Grand Duke at first sight and clings to him every time she sees him. ¡®Which was a really a stupid choice.¡¯ The male protagonist, the Vice-Captain of the Imperial Knights, was cold to his enemies but warm and caring towards his own woman, but the sub-male lead the greatest mastermind in the story, the Grand Duke, was equally cruel to everyone, regardless of age or gender. The story focused on the love life of the female and male protagonists, so the situation of the empire or the power structure were not described in detail. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. But even in the midst of this, the battle between the Grand Duke and the Emperor was just passing by in the story. The Grand Duke was fighting fiercely for power behind the scene with the current Emperor. However, the ever so simple Eve did not understand such a political situation. She just fell desperately in love with the handsome Duke, and struggled to marry him. When the Grand Duke refuses to marry, Eve stops eating and even declares a hunger strike just so that she can marry the Grand Duke. ¡®But of course she didn¡¯t really starve herself, it was just all an act.¡¯ She only pretended to act like she was starving, and ordered her maid to secretly bring some bread at night. Still, the hunger strike worked. The ministers started to appease the Grand Duke, saying that they could not let the Princess die due to hunger. At that point, the Grand Duke, who hates Princess Eve, has no choice but to accept the marriage. ¡®But it was all the Emperor¡¯s scheme.¡¯ The Emperor, who was threatened by the young Grand Duke¡¯s influence, plans to use his troublesome daughter, Eve, to trap him. His plan was to assassinate Eve just before the wedding day and accuse the Grand Duke for murder and they planned to spread rumor with the content of: ¡°The ambitious Grand Duke resented his marriage to the ruthless Princess, as he saw it as an insult.¡± ¡®However, unable to refuse the wedding, he then assassinates the bride in anger.¡¯ It was a story the world could fully accept. Since it makes sense that the only person who had full motive to kill Eve was the Grand Duke himself. Eventually, Eve was assassinated according to the Emperor¡¯s plan the day before her wedding. Next to Eve¡¯s body, the dagger used by the knights of the Grand Duke remained as evidence. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was too contrived to be evidence, but people doubted the Grand Duke as if it was natural. Because there was no one who could have a motive to murder the Princess except for the him. ¡®Fortunately, since he was considered to be the final mastermind, the Grand Duke managed to deviate himself from the trap.¡¯ Instead, he had no choice but to join hands with the Male Lead. He also becomes close with the Female Lead, Sorel. And enter her harem as one of the sub-male leads. In the end, everybody was united and all had a happy ending. Eve, who died in vain, is not even mentioned until the end. It was a satisfying ending for the reader, but the problem is that I am now Eve. When I figured out the situation, it was absurd. ¡°Why? Why is my life always like this?¡± In my first life I died in an accident, after I suffered a lot just to survive. And on the second life, I would be murdered soon, just after I possessed this body. ¡®How can my two lives always be a mess?¡¯ ¡®Was I cursed?¡¯ I possessed the body of Eve, exactly 44 days before the wedding day. ¡¯44 days¡­. How come it sounds so ominous from the number of days itself?¡¯ If I¡¯m going to match the number of days, I¡¯d say 444 days or 4,444 days. But I can¡¯t believe that I have about a month and a half left in my new life. ¡®I don¡¯t want to end up like what happened to the original story.¡¯ It has been 4 days since I woke up from this body. On the first day, It passed by while I¡¯m trying to figure out about my current situation, and on the second day It went on in an instant while looking around at my surroundings. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. After that, two whole days have already passed by without any progress, as I contemplate on how I should adjust to the life of being Princess Eve and escape death. ¡®So that means¡­¡­ I only have 40 days left to live.¡¯ My life that had only 44 days left has now become one month and 10 days left to live. ¡®I¡¯ve got a second life, but I can¡¯t die in vain like this.¡¯ ¡®I have to figure out a way to survive somehow.¡¯ As I got out of bed and approached the mirror on the wall. My face was reflected in the golden mirror. The reflection shows, a red-haired beauty who looked about 19 years old was rubbing her face with a stupid expression. ¡°You look too innocent for a villain.¡± Delicate blue eyes that look so gentle. A straight nose, pale pink lips, smooth white skin, and long stretched red-blonde hair. She was beautiful, but somehow she had a gentle and cute impression to be considered as a villain. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that she has done a lot of evil doings with a face like this¡­. Just like what other people say, you cannot judge the true nature of a person just by looking at their appearance.¡¯ As I was staring blankly in the mirror, the door suddenly opened with a click ¡°Oh my, Princess¡­. !¡± The sand-haired maid that I met before when I first woke up to this body, looked at me and bowed her head in shock. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, Princess. I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re already awake¡­.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Even after I said that it¡¯s okay the maid continued to shake her head and said. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll go and prepare the water for you to wash.¡± After a while, warm water filled with flower petals was prepared in the bathroom that was as spacious as the bedroom. With the help of the maids, I took a bath and washed my hair with rose water. I feel much better, after washing my body with fragrant water. While I was taking a bath, the maids moved in unison. ¡®Everybody was completely disciplined.¡¯ It feels like I¡¯m seeing some well-trained soldiers rather than maids. It was rumored that Eve became sick during her hunger strike and has been in bed rest for several days. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. After I woke up from this body, the maid said anxiously. ¡°Everyone was very worried because your fever was so high for several days.¡± ¡°And you suddenly fell into a coma in the middle of the night and were about to call an Imperial physician, when you suddenly woke up.¡± ¡®Perhaps the real Eve was dead then.¡¯ In the book, Eve gets ill for a while, but recovers quickly after only a few days of illness. But this time she died. And that Is when I entered this body. Anyway, since Eve had been lying down for a while, no one thought it was strange even though I was confined to the Imperial Palace for ten days. Rather, everyone looked worried because they thought that I would be more eccentric than usual. When I came out after taking a bath, the maids immediately ordered breakfast. ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± There were so many dishes that there was not enough space on the table. Five kinds of soups and crepes, ravioli that was made in three different meat frittatas, colorful pies and fruits¡­.. It was such a luxurious menu that the word breakfast was overshadowed. As I took a seat at the table and sat down. I was wondering what to eat first, but the cream-colored silk gloves next to the bowl caught my attention first. Eve, who has an extreme mysophobia, wears gloves even when she eats. When I glanced through the closet there were hundreds of gloves piled up. ¡®Come to think of it, this was the main reason as to why Eve became a fake saint in the original plot.¡¯ Fake. It was a modifier used by the people of the Empire whenever they mention Eve. Strictly speaking, Eve was not fake. Because Eve was really born with a ¡®divine power¡¯. A daughter born into an Imperial imperial family lineage is gifted with a divine power. As proof of that fact, princesses have always been born with special abilities since the founding of the country. But of course, the amount of innate divine power was different for each Princess, and the characteristics of those powers were also different. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Among them, Eve¡¯s divine power was foresight, that is, the power to see the future. The problem is that that ¡®foresight¡¯ was really an insignificant ability. In the past, Princesses with the ability to foretell predicted major events in the history of the country, such as victory or defeat in wars and natural disasters. But Eve could not see any important happenings. She could only see some trivial future, such as an accident like when a tea cup would break or tomorrow¡¯s weather. Even then, she hadn¡¯t seen any foresight ever since she was 10 years old. After years of incapacity, people thought Eve had completely lost her powers. ¡®Actually, her ability didn¡¯t disappear.¡¯ The truth is, her ability was still intact, but the way she was supposed to use it was the one that changed slightly. TO BE CONTINUED¡­. CH 3 (Eve¡¯s POV) But Eve didn¡¯t realize it until the day that she died. ¡°Princess¡­. Do you dislike this design? Should I bring another pair of gloves?¡± I was just looking at the gloves without saying a word, but the maid was very nervous as they waited for my response. ¡°Or would you like to have another menu?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± I just put on the gloves and savored each bite, starting with the most delicious one. Being one of the finest foods made by the royal chef, even the simple soup melted in my mouth. After I finished eating, the maids with boxes entered the room one after another. Inside the boxes on the left were jewelry. Countless diamonds, gold, rubies, white pearls, sky blue sapphires, emeralds and amethysts¡­. All kinds of jewels poured out endlessly from the box. On the other hand, the dress was spread out on the right side. Silk, damask, velvet and muslin¡­¡­ They were different colors of Rococo- style dresses that I could only see in the movies before. Even though it has been a daily routine for me for the past 4 days, I¡¯m still ecstatic whenever I see it. When I close and open my eyes, different kinds of foods and overflowing jewels and dresses come in like mountains unfold within my eyes. It was the most luxurious unemployed life that I¡¯ve had. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s a perfect life, however, I¡¯m destined to die in 40 days. I have about 40 days left. Even if the sky falls, there is still a hole through which I can rise. Fortunately I have read numerous times from my first life. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Although I possessed the villain in the story, that was destined to be killed after 40 days. ¡®I still have the edge, since I remembered all the details of what would happen to this world.¡¯ ¡®The only problem is¡­. Despite my knowledge, there¡¯s no way I could escape the Emperor¡¯s scheme.¡¯ As a princess, I can¡¯t leave the Imperial Palace and run away at night. Besides, the person who is trying to kill me is the Emperor himself, the owner of the empire. Even if I break the engagement on my own terms, a single word from the Emperor will restore it to its original state. ¡®Besides, if I declare that I would break off the marriage after I made that fuss, It would only make it clearer on why I¡¯m going to be killed.¡¯ In the social world, breaking an engagement was considered as humiliating as being unilaterally divorced. Especially that it¡¯s not that long when ¡®Eve¡¯ made a fuss about wanting to marry the Grand Duke, and now I just suddenly declare and say: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, But I no longer wanted to get married.¡± It would be the same as ¡°I would like to break off the marriage.¡±. Once I do that, even if there¡¯s no concrete evidence, as soon as I was murdered, everyone would definitely think that it was the Grand Duke¡¯s doing. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. At that point, it may actually be considered as self-defense. ¡®Even if I get out of this crisis, I would never know when or how I might be used and killed as long as I stay in the Imperial Palace.¡¯ The Emperor is a man who would even kill his own daughter for his benefit. Even if I manage to break the marriage, living in the Imperial Palace is still dangerous. I wanted to get out of here and go somewhere safe. After pondering for four days, there was only one answer. ¡®I have to meet the Grand Duke.¡¯ Only the Grand Duke can help me in this kind of situation. Eve had an older brother, the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince hated Eve so much that he didn¡¯t care whether his sister died or not. Since it was too difficult to maintain the position of the crown prince, he couldn¡¯t pay attention to other things. It¡¯s expected that no one would lend me a hand. As well as, for the three other siblings who were now fighting on the battlefield. There was no way for me to ask them for help. ¡®And that leaves no other choice but to ask help from the Grand Duke. And I need to meet him right away.¡¯ Meeting the Grand Duke with her statues should have been easy, however, in reality it was quite a difficult feat. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Because the Grand Duke Terrence never came to see Eve. I heard that he hates Eve so much that he sends back the invitation without even reading it. ¡®He didn¡¯t even come here as a courtesy, while his fiancee was lying in bed because of fever.¡¯ But of course, ¡®Eve¡¯ fell ill while fasting just so that she could marry the Grand Duke. Of course the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t want to see his fiancee or whatsoever. Even if she begged the Grand Duke, it would be impossible for him to come. In order for me to meet the Grand Duke, I had to get out of the Imperial Palace and visit him personally. ¡®But the question is how do I get out of the Imperial Palace?¡¯ Eve¡¯s current reputation was completely undermined because of the fuss that she made about marrying the Grand Duke. The Emperor ordered Eve to calmly reflect on herself, until before her wedding day. ¡®I¡¯m not technically imprisoned in the palace , but I can¡¯t go out as well without a valid purpose.¡¯ Should I ask the maids to deliver a secret letter to the Grand Duke? As I looked carefully at the faces of the maids. ¡®They all looked terrified, but I can definitely tell, they¡¯re inside thoughts.¡¯ It would also be useless to ask for any of the maids, to pass on a secret letter to the Grand Duke, since I don¡¯t who was on my side and who is the spy that was sent by the Emperor. ¡®If I made any mistake, they would only doubt my action.¡¯ I was blankly thinking about it, and the voice of a maid who was next to me brought me back to reality. ¡°Princess. Your Majesty the Empress has sent you an invitation to a tea party.¡± Those words suddenly woke me up. ¡°The Empress?¡± I accepted the invitation handed to me by the maid. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. On a piece of paper decorated with gold linen leaf was a written request, inviting me to attend a tea party in a nice cursive handwriting. As I read the neat looking letter, I recalled some information about the Empress. ¡®Obviously, the reigning Empress was not Eve¡¯s biological mother.¡¯ After Eve¡¯s mother, the former Empress, died of an illness, the Emperor remarried to the current Empress. The truth is, no one in this world liked Eve, but the current Empress had a stronger resentment towards Eve. That is because Eve publicly ignored the new Empress, who was a former countess. ¡®But from Eve¡¯s point of view, her father¡¯s mistress took the place of her mother, that¡¯s why she hated her as much.¡¯ The present empress was the Emperor¡¯s concubine before the death of the former Empress and she gave birth to a son, the second Prince of the empire, Philos. ¡®Fortunately, the crown prince¡¯s position went to Eve¡¯s older brother, First Prince Arentine.¡¯ Even so, the woman who was only a concubine took over the position of the main wife, so it would not be possible for her to get along well with her daughter Eve. As I was quietly looking at the invitation, the maid fell flat on the floor and began to tremble. ¡°Oh, if you are not feeling well, it¡¯s okay not to attend to me for the meantime, you can take a rest first.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®If it¡¯s really hard for her to send me an invitation, she doesn¡¯t need to come here personally.¡¯ (T/N: She was referring to the maid who delivered the letter from the Empress.) Other people would think that Eve, who was just recovering recently, would become this considerate, but of course the Empress did not. If I could say so, Eve, who had a bad relationship with the Empress¡­.. ¡®She didn¡¯t want me to attend, right?¡¯ Eve would usually run away in anger. While the Empress always stimulated Eve¡¯s temper in that way. She hoped that Eve, who had always been a bit violent and simple, would not be able to overcome her anger and would come and make a mess. ¡®Then the people will sympathize with the poor Empress and curse at Eve.¡¯ Of course, I really don¡¯t care what the Empress.does. The moment I heard the word tea party, I thought that maybe it could be a good opportunity. Now that the Emperor has left the island, the only person who can actually get me out of the Imperial palace is the Empress. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°No. I have been invited, so let¡¯s go.¡± I went through the jewels and dresses that the maids brought in and quickly chose what to wear. ¡°This and this.¡± A modest turquoise dress embroidered with white lilies with pearl threads. The other clothes were just too flashy and I didn¡¯t even have to look at them because yellow or beige wouldn¡¯t suit me due to my red-blonde hair. The jewelry was also decided to use a decent pearl necklace with cut sapphires. I also picked a small brooch in the shape of a lily. As I stood in front of the mirror wearing the dress and the jewels. The maids who were looking at Eve with nervous eyes, were also amazed. ¡°Princess, you are so beautiful.¡± ¡°You look really good with the dress and the necklace of your choice.¡± The maids praised me desperately to please me. ¡®It¡¯s pretty good.¡¯ After I finished dressing up, I had one more thing to bring with me. ¡°From here to here.¡± I ordered, half pointing to the jewel box that the maids were holding. ¡°Keep these jewels in one place. Because it is useful.¡± ¡®I should prepare myself as much as possible before I leave the palace.¡¯ ¡®Because I have to meet the Grand Duke today, no matter what.¡¯ After getting ready, I left my palace and walked towards the Empress¡¯s palace. I¡¯ve gotten pretty used to it over the past few days, so I¡¯ve been able to walk gracefully even in a corset and dull dresses that fit my body. Though, it is still a little difficult to wear some high heels. ¡®Come to think of it, this would be the first time that I would be visiting another palace.¡¯ The only places I¡¯ve been to in the past days are the inner room, library, and tea room of the palace where I live. I turned my gaze towards the window that was overlooking the garden. The world can be seen through the glass window made of white silver and green jade. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was snowing outside the window. The garden was covered with pure white fluffy snowflakes that were turning gray. The expansive garden became a winter forest full of crystals and ice. ¡®It¡¯s definitely a picturesque snow scene.¡¯ While I was admiring the scenery of the garden, I carefully inspected the entrance to the palace. In the garden as well as in the hallways, knights in military uniforms were coming and going. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s too risky for me to sneak out.¡¯ Well, it can¡¯t be that easy to run away from the Imperial Palace since she¡¯s not just a simple maid, but an Imperial Princess. Besides, Eve¡¯s presence was quite important now. Since I was a main chess piece that would be used by the Emperor. As a scapegoat at the center of the conspiracy. ¡®Just like what I expected, there¡¯s only one place for me to seek help.¡¯ As I walked down the long hallway, contemplating the situation carefully. CH 4 (Eve¡¯s POV) The Empress¡¯s palace, which I arrived at only by walking for a long time, was much larger than the Princess¡¯s palace. The ornaments that adorned the corridors of the large palace, divided into three buildings were even more splendid than that of the Imperial Palace. ¡®It¡¯s like the palace that I saw in a movie.¡¯ While I was walking I thought: ¡°When I have time, I¡¯ll come here and look around again.¡±, then I found myself in front of the drawing room. ¡°Her Highness, Princess Ivenes has arrived.¡± The door opened with the maid¡¯s gentle voice. The voices coming from behind the door disappeared in an instant. As soon as I entered, I smiled brightly and bent my knees. ¡°Thank you for inviting me, Mother.¡± A heavy silence settled in the bright drawing room. No one answered me. As I raised my head, I could see different faces that had the same baffled expression with their mouth open. They all look like they¡¯ve seen a ghost. Well I could understand why they have that kind of reaction. Most of the encounters between Eve and the Empress in the original story always started with a mess and ended it up with a bigger mess. Naturally, the cause of the problem has always been Eve. Princess Eve, who has always been a short-tempered and stupid could not get along harmoniously with the Empress, even in a pretense. In particular, I remember that Eve never called the Empress her Mother. The bewildered guest as well as the Empress, quickly exchanged glances. Everyone doesn¡¯t seem to understand what was happening. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Same goes for the Empress who was sitting in the middle. The Empress looked at me with a puzzled face and stuttered. ¡°Oh¡­. Yeah.¡± I said with a soft smile. ¡°To repay the invitation that I¡¯ve received, I brought tea leaves from the North. It¡¯s not that much, but please accept it.¡± At my gesture, the maid took out the tea leaves from the colorful box. The Empress, who belatedly came to her senses, gave a compliment as a courtesy. ¡°Those are really good tea leaves. Thank you, Eve.¡± The Empress gave a cautious smile as if observing my actions. She seemed to have no idea on how the situation should be handled. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you like it.¡± Since I don¡¯t have much time, I just picked out random tea leaves from the Imperial Palace. Apparently, the Empress was too surprised to even look at the tea leaves properly. ¡®Well¡­. The Empress was more of a simple and foolish person compared to the Emperor.¡¯ The Emperor liked the Empress, but did not reveal secrets that are related to politics. It was because he doesn¡¯t fully trust the Empress, who sometimes acted thoughtlessly and emotionally. And because of that, the Empress did not even know the truth about Eve¡¯s death. Even now, the Emperor¡¯s plans must not be known at all. I sat down in an empty seat without saying a word. As soon as I sat down, the maids brought in teacups and light desserts. There was a moment of silence inside the drawing room. Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to speak up first. Of course, I had no intention of doing that in the first place. While a heavy silence dominated the surrounding, I grabbed my teacup and drank the tea quietly. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Eventually, the ladies started chatting again, as they observed me secretly. ¡°It seems that this gathering brightens up even more with the presence of Princess Eve, which is a first in a long time.¡± ¡°It would have been nice if Princess Sorel was with you, Your Highness. But of course that would be impossible since she was helping at the war against the Rasken¡­ ¡° I was startled by the name that came out of the woman¡¯s mouth. Sorel. Eve¡¯s half-sister and the heroine of this novel. Sorel, the female protagonist, was also a Princess of this empire. But Sorel did not grow up in the Imperial Palace. Because she was the daughter of an illegitimate child of the Emperor to a commoner woman. According to the original story, Sorel appears one day in the Great Hall with the sign that she is the Emperor¡¯s daughter. ¡®She said that it was like a fairy tale come true.¡¯ Fortunately, most of the people of the Empire welcomed Sorel¡¯s appearance. That is because Sorel had a very strong divine power and possessed an innocent and good-looking appearance. Unlike Eve, who had nothing but useless foresight, Sorel on the other hand had a strong healing power to benefit everyone. Many people liked Sorel because of her kind and pure personality. ¡®¡­¡­ Except for Eve.¡¯ When Sorel appeared, people began to compare her and Eve as if they were rivals. Once the only princess suddenly became two, it was natural for them to be comparable in every way. However, Eve was rated to be inferior to Sorel. First was their personality¡­ followed by their appearance, behavior and of course their divine power. Sorel was much better in everyone¡¯s opinion. It was only natural, since Sorel is the Female Protagonist of this novel. Eventually, Eve, who was pushed to the side, builds up an inferiority complex, to harass Sorel that leads her to commit evil acts. ¡°By the way, did you all hear it? It was said that Princess Sorel healed all of the wounded soldiers at once. To be exact, dozens of people.¡± ¡°The high priest also praised the Princess for getting stronger than before.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. There was only one topic in the conversation. Princess Sorel is active on the battlefield. And then everyone stares at me as they speak. ¡®Well It¡¯s true that Eve hated Sorel.¡¯ ¡®Well, Eve really hated Sorel.¡¯ Eve might not have liked the sudden appearance of her half-sister, but even so, Eve was too mean to Sorel. The first half of the book is full of anecdotes about Eve tormenting Sorel. [On an ordinary day, I hurt Sorel, beat her, put rotten water or glass dust on Sorel¡¯s food, and if she had anything good, I would take it all away¡­] In any case, she continues tormenting her half-sister that it came to a point that she couldn¡¯t understand as well as to why she was doing that. When Sorel first came into the palace she brought a small star-shaped necklace that was made of glass. It was the only thing that she had from her birth mother. However, Eve threw that necklace into the pond, in front of Sorel just because she felt bad seeing Sorel¡¯s face. ¡®¡­.. All those times when I was reading the novel, I wondered if there was something wrong with her mind.¡¯ Eve hated Sorel that much that she would immediately be put in a bad mood when people talked about her in Eve¡¯s presence. ¡®All these people intended for me to get angry.¡¯ After all, most of the ladies who came here are probably on the Empress side. Everyone seemed to be trying to provoke me, just so that I would explode in front of the Empress. Even in the original story, Eve was always angry, and the victim, which was the Empress had always been in tears and sympathized. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It seemed that they wanted to recreate the same scene this time. Of course, I had no intention of making their wishes come true. Because my attention was focused on the Emperor¡¯s actions that were being mentioned during the conversation. ¡®That the Emperor was out on the battlefield with his two sons and Sorel.¡¯ Originally, he was scheduled to return in time for Eve¡¯s wedding day, but his return would be delayed because of some unfavorable conditions on the front line. The Crown Prince would return to the Imperial Palace for a while to run the Emperor¡¯s state affairs but once everything was settled, he would be returning back to the front line again. In the end, all four of them would not be able to attend Eve¡¯s wedding. ¡®The Emperor must have plotted to make an alibi for all of them.¡¯ A Princess with a bad personality was murdered on the day of her wedding. The Emperor had tried to attend the wedding of his beloved daughter, however, the war prevented him from returning back to the Imperial capital. On the other hand, her marriage partner, the Grand Duke, who publicly hated his fiancee, the Princess. It was a situation where doubts were drawn to the Grand Duke, rather than the Emperor. In fact, in the original story no one had ever doubted the Emperor. ¡®That no matter how troublesome Eve is, it was common sense that the Emperor wouldn¡¯t kill his own daughter.¡¯ And the Emperor usually covered all of Eve¡¯s evil doings. And whenever Eve caused an accident, the Emperor would only nag at her and wouldn¡¯t even scold her badly, after that he would allow her to spend as much money as she wanted. That only proves that there is no way that the Emperor, her biological father, could harm his own daughter whom he loved that much. That¡¯s what all the people thought. In the end, they only suspected the Grand Duke. ¡®As I can see, the Emperor is a very meticulous person.¡¯ On the outside, he would pretend to love and care for Eve, but in reality he didn¡¯t really care about her at all. It was proven in the story, when he killed Eve, who was his own daughter, without any hesitation in order to trap the Grand Duke. Nevertheless, he always covered Eve¡¯s evil deeds. ¡®But why did he do that?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it was his intention to raise Eve such as that, so that someday he would be able to take advantage of her.¡¯ In the end, Eve was used to his advantage. But even if he would not be able to use her, It was still in favor for the Emperor that Eve grew up to be stupid and wicked. Because the Emperor wanted to have his second son, Prince Philos, to be the next heir. However, the current Crown Prince, Prince Arentine, son of the former Empress. In other words, he is Eve¡¯s older brother. If Eve grew up smart and wise, she would have worked with the Crown Prince to keep the Second Prince side in check. Or she can also marry a powerful nobleman who can help the Crown Prince and empower him to become the next Emperor. Therefore, Eve¡¯s death was completely satisfactory for the Emperor. With Eve¡¯s death, one of the imperial grandchildren, who was a threat to the second prince, disappeared, and at the same time, the thorn-like Grand Duke has also fallen into a trap. It was meticulous and well planned by the emperor. ¡®But I can¡¯t die according to that person¡¯s plan.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t just throw away the life that I have just regained only for a month.¡¯ I have to find a way to live. CH 5 (Eve¡¯s POV) While I was pondering, a blonde-haired middle aged woman who had been sitting quietly muttered worriedly. ¡°There is nothing to worry about, since His Majesty the Emperor is in charge¡­ However, we can¡¯t help ourselves but be worried, since no one can tell whether we will win or not.¡± As I was quietly drinking my tea, I quickly added a word to that line. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. Because our Albion Empire will win the war.¡± When I suddenly interrupted them, the surroundings became quiet as if I poured cold water onto them. Eve, who has no interest in international affairs, suddenly intervenes in the conversation. In fact, the original Eve doesn¡¯t have the intellectual capacity to understand political issues. Not only that, she even failed the exam for the most basic political science class that was taught personally by a well known tutor, and ended up as a failing student. It was a fact that everyone in the empire knew. The Empress also looked at me with questionable eyes. The blonde lady who spoke about it asked me politely. ¡°It would be great if that happened, but¡­.. Is there any special reason?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Of course.¡± I put down my teacup and explained in my usual manner. ¡°Rasken is quite busy with the succession rights as of now. The person who came out on the battlefield is the youngest prince, right? It is said that the Emperor of Rasken sent out his youngest son to set him aside from all of the succession scheme. In that situation, there¡¯s no way that a home country can provide full support.¡± Not only the guests, but as well as the Empress, looked at me in amazement. Then I continued with the statement. ¡°It would not be that long for them to defeat them, so our Emperor, who was good in tactics, will come back victorious.¡± If the plan goes well, the Emperor will end the war faster than before and return back immediately to the capital. I finished my statement and leisurely drank my tea. Everyone in the room suddenly became silent. Then, after a while the blonde-haired lady smiled and praised me. ¡°Her Highness the Princess, is really smart. You are very knowledgeable about political affairs¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s overrated.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes gaze upon me. They just couldn¡¯t believe that the stupid and foolish Eve, could understand a political issue. They were also surprised, when I didn¡¯t comment over their discussion about Sorel. Some ladies glanced at the Empress and looked into her eyes. Smiles disappeared from the Empress¡¯ so called good-natured face. The Empress looked at me with an expressionless face, then in a second she smiled again. ¡°It might be because Eve has studied a lot. And as a mother, I feel so proud.¡± The Empress praised me with a warm attitude and then added it with a soft smile. ¡°And it would have been nice as well, if the Grand Duke would also recognize our Eve¡¯s effort.¡± The Empress sighed as if she was genuinely sorry, then took the hand of the blonde-haired lady who was sitting next to her and made a request. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°If the Duchess of Rohan has a chance to meet the Grand Duke, please tell him all about our Eve.¡± ¡®Duchess of Rohan?¡¯ I glanced back at the Duchess, who had a neat blonde hair. The Duchess of Rohan was the younger sister of the deceased Grand Duchess and the aunt of the Grand Duke. Although she was not a very important character in the original story, she was still an affectionate aunt who occasionally helped her nephew, the Grand Duke. ¡°Ah, yes¡­.. Your Majesty¡­.¡± The Duchess held the hand of the Empress and looked at me with a troubled face. The Empress continues her words in a gentle voice. ¡°And doesn¡¯t it seem too harsh that he never makes an effort to visit Eve, when the wedding is less than a month away.¡± Far from visiting, the Grand Duke had been purposely avoiding Eve for a long time now. The tone was full of concern, but everyone knew what the Empress meant. Even if she put it that way, it was still a disgrace to be completely ignored by my own fiance, which is the Grand Duke. Although the Empress instigated a quarrel, she still managed to maintain her dignity. To those people who have no idea about our situation, it will appear that she genuinely cares about her stepdaughter. Most of the ladies who were close to the Empress covered their mouth with a fan and exchanged giggles. ¡°I¡¯m fine, mother. There are a lot of couples who are lucky enough to get married even if they don¡¯t get along at first.¡± As I said those words softly with an innocent face. ¡°I heard that the Grand Duke hates having side concubines under his lineage. Does that mean that he values your marriage vows?¡± This world was very unfair towards women, where men of the ruling class were allowed to practice polygamy. The Emperor as well as the nobles had several concubines in addition to the main wife. However, the Grand Duke loathes those men who have side chambers or second wife. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®It was explained in the original plot that his father, the former Grand Duke, was such a horny person, as if his heart had become rotten.¡¯ I smiled at them naturally, then I placed one hand into my chest and continued speaking as if I was vowing. ¡°He will not be looking at anyone else and will only be faithful to me, his only wife, and I also think that our relationship will gradually improve as I work hard for it. And I will do anything to make it happen.¡± The atmosphere inside the drawing room suddenly turned cold as if it was frozen. Everyone knew that the current Empress was the Emperor¡¯s concubine. Although she is now the Empress, her past as a side concubine, would always be attached to her like a dog tag. As expected, the moment I finished words, the Empress¡¯s face turned pale. The smile that she has been using had completely disappeared, as if the temperature around her dropped. As I sip the rest of my tea like an indifferent child, and then put it down slowly. Then went back to the Empress. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have a favor to ask of you mother?¡± ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°Yes, it is not a difficult request, I promise.¡± I smiled and looked at the Empress. ¡®As if I was trying to break the cold atmosphere and then ask for a favor?¡¯ Everyone looked at me with a baffled face, but I just ignored them and continued smiling. That is why, I intentionally scratched the Empress¡¯s feelings so that I say this from the beginning. ¡°Okay, tell me what it is.¡± The Empress, who had managed to control her emotions, asked again with a benevolent smile. I smiled obediently and said. ¡°It will be Feast of Ensha soon.¡± Three days before and after the Feast of Ensha are a time to commemorate the souls of the dead. Ordinary people commemorate the deceased family members and close friends, and the country holds events to commemorate the previous Emperors and heroes of the empire. ¡°Before I become the next Grand Duchess, I would like to go to the temple to pray for my deceased mother and offer up the relics.¡± When the talk of ¡®dead mother¡¯ came out, the atmosphere dropped even more. And then I added it quickly. ¡°And since I am going to the temple for the first time in a long time, I would also like to pray for the safety of His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± A slightly troubled expression showed on the Empress¡¯s face. ¡®It would be a very difficult decision to be made.¡¯ It would be awkward to stop me, her stepdaughter, from going out when I say that I would be praying for my dead mother and my father who went to war. Four days after I possessed this body, the Empress went out of the Imperial Palace twice. Once, to go to the temple to pray, and then the other is to attend the banquet of the countess, the Empress family. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. But on both occasions she didn¡¯t even attempt to invite me to go with her. The Emperor, Crown Prince, Second Prince, and Sorel have left the Imperial Palace, and now there is only the Empress and I in the Imperial Palace. ¡®She should have taken me with her, out of courtesy.¡¯ Usually, the Empress liked to take Eve with her. Because she would get praise for being a considerate stepmother and also to show everyone how wild and selfish Eve is. ¡®But the reason why she didn¡¯t take me with her, maybe because the Emperor must have instructed her not to let me leave the Imperial Palace.¡¯ The Emperor didn¡¯t explain the details of his plan to the Empress, but right before he left, he ordered Eve to just stay in the palace to avoid getting into any accident. That¡¯s probably why she couldn¡¯t take me outside and just kept me inside the Imperial Palace. If everything was just the same, then the Empress would have made an excuse to prevent Eve from going outside to the temple even at this time. Because Eve was a troublemaker who caused commotion everywhere. But today was different. I¡¯ve established myself to be smart in front of the ladies, and implicitly insulted the Empress. The enraged Empress would deliberately want to send me out to humiliate me. Especially, If I go outside and visit the temple, she knows that I will surely embarrass myself. ¡®Because today is the day that the Grand Duke will visit the temple.¡¯ The Grand Duke secretly visits the Great Hall on the eve of Ensha¡¯s feast every year. On the day of the feast, the temple is crowded with visitors. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. In order to avoid the attention from the public, the Grand Duke would visit the temple in the evening, when there¡¯s no other people, before the feast the next day. And that was today. This was a fact that only few people would know, including the Emperor and his wife. The Empress looked into my eyes for a moment without saying a word. She¡¯s trying to check whether I¡¯m doing this on purpose, knowing that the Grand Duke will be coming to the temple today. I purposely gave her an innocent smile. I also didn¡¯t forget to look at her with a gaze full of expectations. It gave off an atmosphere of ¡®I¡¯m pretending to be nice because I really want to go to the Great Hall¡¯. There are no complicated schemes, just pretending to be a good daughter because she wants to meet the Grand Duke at all cost. CH 6 (Eve and the Empress¡¯s POV) After a while, the Empress also regained her smile. ¡°Eve¡¯s heart is so pure. If that¡¯s what you want then go ahead do that, you can go to the temple anytime. And His Majesty would be delighted.¡± The Empress smiled as if she knew nothing. She was smiling like a saint, but her cold green eyes were full of malice to have me meet the Grand Duke at the temple and be humiliated. (T/N: Starting from this part would be the Empress¡¯s POV.) ¡®Since the Grand Duke quietly visits the temple to avoid the public¡¯s attention, what will happen if Eve, who was unaware about it, suddenly appears and makes a fuss?¡¯ ¡®The enraged Grand Duke would have been more angry than usual.¡¯ ¡®And if Eve would ever meet the Grand Duke, she would definitely be humiliated for hanging on to him like a fool.¡¯ ¡®Even if the Emperor rebukes me, I would have the perfect excuse.¡¯ ¡°Eve was very quiet and composed, she even brought a present and begged me dearly. And not to mention there were a lot of people watching at that time, so I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± (T/N: Until here for the Empress¡¯s POV.) Of course, there was no need to pay attention to the Empress¡¯s thoughts. ¡®I¡¯m just thankful that she allowed me to go.¡¯ I got up from my seat, bent my knees and bowed gracefully. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Thanks for the permission, Mother.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) A colorful carriage was traversing the snowy streets. Through the rattling carriage window, I could see the view of the capital that was covered with white snow. The buildings along the road were all medieval-style structures that could only be seen in movies and games. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m in a different world now.¡¯ ¡®I knew, but it still felt strange.¡¯ I smiled while looking at the white frosted window. ¡®But everything went well, it is all according to my plan.¡¯ Now I was leaving the Imperial Palace and headed for the Great Hall. Originally, Princesses would occasionally visit the temple to pray or to refine themselves. And whenever they do, a Princess would have to take a couple of maids as well as knights as escorts, even if it¡¯s just a brief visit. However, I asked the Empress that I would like to visit the temple quietly, without any knights so as not to bother them as well. Thanks to the Empress¡¯s permission, I was able to get on a carriage and go straight to the temple. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®I¡¯m just so glad that we can leave early.¡¯ It may be dangerous to attract people¡¯s attention in this kind of situation. Especially considering the people who will be visiting today. And being on time was also important. If I had prepared for various things, like knights and a larger carriage that was being used for formal visits, there¡¯s a high probability that the time visit of the Grand Duke would not be matched. That is why I only bought one maid to go with me as soon as possible. As I glanced back at the maid who was sitting across from me. She was a young maid who looked around the age of 17 or 18 years old, with her light sand-colored hair that was neatly braided. Wearing the headdress worn by maids made her look quite mature, but her heart-shaped face compliments her hair well. She was the maid that I met when I woke up after I possessed Eve¡¯s body. Her name was Nell. ¡®When I first woke up, I was completely shocked and terrified.¡¯ I thought I was already dead, but when I opened my eyes, it was the world inside a novel. Even the most courageous person would faint and fall if they were in this situation. And Nell was the only person who was with me at that time. She came in to check Eve¡¯s bedroom and expected me to be asleep, then saw me already looking at the mirror. ¡®I grabbed this maid and asked who I was and where I was.¡¯ After I grasped the reality, I said that I seemed to have a temporary memory loss and that I needed her to help me out. ¡°My gosh, amnesia? Shouldn¡¯t we call the doctor?¡± ¡°No!¡± I gave the confused maid an excuse that Eve would have possibly made. ¡°If it were known by other people that I have amnesia, the wedding may be disrupted.¡± For Eve, this marriage was the most important thing in the world. If it is known that I¡¯m sick, then the marriage would be delayed. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®So, I asked Nell to keep it secret until the day of the wedding.¡¯ The maid swore with a determined look as if telling that she knew about Eve¡¯s obsession with this marriage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Princess. I will keep it a secret.¡± ¡®I was actually worried because she might have informed the Empress or other people about it.¡¯ Fortunately, the Empress doesn¡¯t seem to have any idea about the matter. ¡®Then that proves that she¡¯s not a spy, sent by the Empress.¡¯ The Empress passed then. ¡®On the other hand, what about the Emperor?¡¯ ¡®What if this maid already told the Emperor about me having amnesia?¡¯ ¡®Since, the Emperor is out on the battlefield, he may not be able to do anything as of right now, but he must have ordered for me to be watched more closely.¡¯ However, the Empress sent me out to visit the temple without a second thought, just so that she can vent out her anger about what happened at the tea party. It was as if she had not heard anything from the Emperor. If that¡¯s the case, then this maid is not considered to be a spy on the Emperor¡¯s side as well. I don¡¯t know if I can trust her or not, but it¡¯s a good start that she has nothing to do with the most dangerous couple in the empire. And I specifically requested out for her, because I needed to do this with her alone. ¡°I.. Ahm, Princess.¡± Nell stuttered as she tried to call me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, are you okay? Because I noticed that you aren¡¯t wearing your gloves¡­..¡± Nell asked cautiously, while looking at my hand on the carriage¡¯s window sill. Right. Eve always wore gloves because she had mysophobia. Because Eve couldn¡¯t go out without wearing any gloves, so it wasn¡¯t a personality problem, but in a level that needed treatment. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since I¡¯ve been covering my hands too often, I decided to loosen up a bit.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I answered in a nonchalant voice and put my bare hands on my knees. In fact, there was a special reason why I didn¡¯t use any gloves. ¡®It was about Eve¡¯s foresight ability.¡¯ Because her ability was being prevented whenever she used gloves. And Eve barely used her foresight ability in the original novel. Since she hadn¡¯t used her power ever since since she was 10 years old. Eve herself thought that she had completely lost her divine power. But in reality it wasn¡¯t. She still possessed the power of foresight. ¡®I just didn¡¯t know the conditions on how to activate it.¡¯ As it was told in the novel, it was important to be in bare hands for it to be used. I brought up another topic to divert Nell¡¯s attention. ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t remember everything right now.¡± I rekindled the memory loss story that I used as an excuse when I first came into this world. ¡°It¡¯s my first time going outside the Imperial Palace, after what happened to me. I want you, who knows the situation, to help me and be at my side. Because it will be difficult If I do it on my own.¡± Having said that, tears began to well up in Nell¡¯s eyes. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°¡­ Why are you crying?¡± Nell wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and started to sob. Nell said with tears in her eyes. ¡°The princess is asking me for a favor¡­¡­ And I¡¯m so grateful for it.¡± ¡®Wait, does that mean she¡¯s crying due to happiness just because I asked for a favor?¡¯ I ponder if she¡¯s being sarcastic with me, but there¡¯s no sign of her lying on her innocent face. Nell burst into tears as if she was genuinely moved. ¡°You really lost your memory.¡± ¡®I already said it to her, but I guess she was still shocked about it.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Seeing the extreme reaction from Nell, I could guess that Eve must have been mean to her. ¡®It seemed that she treated every maid too harshly.¡¯ Well, it would have been strange if she was being mean to everyone, but treated her maid kindly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Your Highness, I will do my best to help you out.¡± Nell wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and vowed firmly. It was funny and a little cute to see a child who had not yet become an adult to be so moved. I also nodded my head, while hiding the triumphant smile. ¡°That¡¯s great, thank you so much.¡± Street trees covered with snowflakes cast a calm shade over the carriages. The warm afternoon sun poured through the sparkling white snow. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The Great Hall was located on a hill in the center of the island. From a distance, a large, high-rise blue roof could be seen at a glance. The circular roof made of pale blue stone was covered with white snowflakes as if a white veil had been placed on it. ¡°Welcome Your Highness Princess Eve, it is an honor of a lifetime to have the Princess visit us.¡± As soon as I arrived at the Great Hall, the chief priest came out to meet me in person. ¡°I want to donate my mother¡¯s belongings, but where should I go?¡± He answered my question with a calm smile. ¡°Come this way. I was contacted and prepared for it in advance.¡± Speaking of temple rituals, there was nothing special about it. All you need to do is go to the altar, get down on your knees, put your hands together, and pray for a while. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. While I was praying, the priest put an incense in the censer beside the altar. Bitter smoke rose from the petal-shaped incense burner. After a brief prayer, I got up in front of the altar. A sapphire rosary called the Empress¡¯s relic was placed on the altar to offer it to the gods. ¡°Ahm.. Excuse me¡­¡­¡± After the dedication ceremony was completed, the chief priest was summoned. The priest who closed the incense burner approached me. ¡°Yes, Your Highness? How can I help?¡± I called Nell, as she came close to me and gave me the jewelry box that I had prepared beforehand. ¡°I want to meet the high priest. Where is he now?¡± ¡°The High Priest is giving blessings to the believers in the main building.¡± It seems that a lot of people came because it was before the holiday. He knew that I came, but he didn¡¯t even go out to greet me. After a while I was guided into the large chapel attached to the main building. Inside the chapel were an old man dressed in clerical clothes and a dozen other people who appeared to be visitors. As soon as I entered, everyone recognized me and bowed deeply with a surprise face. After all, if you¡¯re someone who can go to the temple, they would know the face of the Princess. An old man in a splendid clerical suit rushed to me and bowed his head. CH 7 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°I greet you, Your Highness the Princess, may the goddess descend upon you.¡± This old man seems to be the chief priest. ¡°I am sorry, this old man should have gone out to meet the Princess in person. As you can see, believers come to receive their blessings before the holiday.¡± The chief priest broke out in a cold sweat and made excuses. I looked around at about ten visitors who filled the main building. Even with the priests standing at the entrance, the number was less than ten. Now, it seems that the chief priest passed me to the other minister and hid here using the believers as an excuse. The chief priest was still looking at me with fearful eyes as if I was an evil spirit. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Maybe because Eve had done a lot of things to him. And then I said with a friendly smile. ¡°Nice to see you again, chief priest. I came here because I had something to say to you in person.¡± ¡°Then, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Hold on, let me bring it over.¡± When I beckoned, the attendant that I brought from the Imperial Palace brought the jewelry box into the main building. The chief priest widened his eyes as he saw the jewels from the box. I pointed to the box and said in a calm voice. ¡°I want to donate all these jewels here to the temple.¡± ¡°Do you mean all of this?¡± The chief priest reaffirmed my words in a trembling voice. ¡°Are you going to donate this to our temple?¡± ¡°Yes I am.¡± The chief priest looked at me blankly with his wrinkled eyelids raised. He couldn¡¯t seem to understand what he just heard. Not only the minister who came with us, but also the visitors around us looked at us in disbelief. ¡®I could understand why they couldn¡¯t believe it?¡¯ That Eve would donate her own stuff. Originally, Eve was never one to give her things to others. She didn¡¯t hand out any common ornaments to anyone at all. Even though she piled up jewels like mountains, she was always tempted to steal other people¡¯s belongings as well. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Naturally, the victim was mostly the female protagonist, Sorel. I glanced at the jewels inside the box. ¡®Well I think it¡¯s fine since I already took out Sorel¡¯s stuff in advance.¡¯ As soon as I understood the situation just after I possessed this body, I ordered the maids to separate the jewels and trinkets that originally belonged to Sorel, in other words the stolen one. I would have to return those back to Sorel once she gets back. I smiled mercifully, pointing to the jewels in the box. ¡°It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been using for a long time, that¡¯s why I hoped you could accept it.¡± Although the chief priest trembled humbly at the gentle voice, he couldn¡¯t help but have a second look at the jewels that filled the box and were shining brightly. The chief priest looked at me as if he still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Are you really going to donate all of these?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. In fact, these are¡­..¡± I said in a voice filled with deep regret as I stroked the box. ¡°These are the jewels that hold my memories. And I want to use it for the people of the empire, before I get married. And please, help those who are suffering from the cold.¡± Hearing my words, the two ministers at my side were more baffled than before. The person in front of me, the chief priest, seemed to be confused as to whether he was talking to Princess Eve or not. ¡°Is there any problem?¡± ¡°Oh no, Princess¡± The chief priest came to his senses and offered a greeting. ¡°It is a very merciful decision. This old man doesn¡¯t know where to put himself¡­.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, may I ask you for a favor?¡± I cut off the chief priest¡¯s words and asked. He suddenly flinched and raised his head. An expression of ¡®Well then¡¯ passed over his wrinkled face. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Say anything. If there is anything I can do to help, I am willing to do anything.¡± ¡°I want to have a flower from the holy tree.¡± ¡°The flower of the holy tree?¡± The Holy tree is a sacred tree that comes from the divine blessing. The flowers that bloomed from that tree were so precious and treated like treasures that could only be touched with the permission from the High Priest. The chief priest looked a little more perplexed. He seemed confused as to why this infamous Princess asked for the sacred flower. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess. The flower of the holy tree is something that even this old man cannot pluck¡­.¡± The chief priest blurted out the end of his speech as if he was in a difficult position. ¡®Is he saying that he won¡¯t give it to me?¡¯ ¡®My plan won¡¯t work without that flower.¡¯ I asked again with concern. ¡°Is this too much of a request?¡± At those words, the chief priest trembled once again, as if struck by lightning. ¡°Oh, no. Princess. Of course you can.¡± The chief priest hurriedly bowed his head and apologized. A drop of cold sweat ran down his wrinkled forehead. I was wondering if this was a difficult request, that is why I asked. They seem to have accepted it by saying, ¡®How dare you refuse my request?¡¯ ¡®Well he must be thinking that I would say something harsh to him.¡¯ Eve was a child who poured abusive words and even threw teacups to the priests who were like her grandfather. Originally, she was just a stupid and insensitive person, but thanks to the Emperor¡¯s protection, her personality deteriorated as days went by. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®Anyway, this is where Eve¡¯s notoriety helps.¡¯ The chief priest immediately grabbed the shoulder of one of the ministers who was a few steps away from him and instructed him. ¡°The holy tree was located at the center of the garden. You can take as much as you want. The minister will guide you.¡± The chief priest seemed to want to hand me over to the ministers and run away as quickly as possible. Suddenly, the face of the minister who would be assisting me, suddenly turned pale. ¡°Ahhm¡­ This way, Your Highness. I¡¯ll guide you there.¡± I followed him out and walked towards the garden. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The Great Hall has an enormous landscape that is the same size as the headquarters of the Imperial Shrine. As we walked towards the central garden, we passed by three gates and two small shrines. It was when we walked for a while and entered the depths of the temple. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± In the middle of the garden of the Great Hall, I saw a white tree who was standing still and covered with snowflakes. The Holy tree. It was the tree of the gods that was planted in the center of the Great Hall. As soon as I was about to enter the flower bed, the chief priest next to me was startled and stepped forward. ¡°Ah, please wait a moment, Princess. We will call someone and clean it up soon.¡± I looked at what he was talking about, and white snow was piled up one after another into the flower beds that were planted around the holy tree. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I walked past him and stepped into the flower bed without any hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± As I set my feet on the white snow field, a cold snowflake stomped on my shoe. Neither, the cold air that was permeating my body nor the snowflakes didn¡¯t matter at all. The important thing is to meet the person who was expected to be here as of this moment. As I continued my steps, I was finally able to reach the holy tree. ¡°Ahh, wait Your Highness, your gloves¡­¡­.¡± Nell was so surprised as I was about to grab the flower with my bare hands, when she was about to give me my gloves. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Without hesitation, I plucked white flowers blooming among the branches. I heard Nell gasping from behind me. Either way, I shook off the snow on the petals with the back of my hand. The sweet scent of flowers gently lingered through the white snowflakes that was falling from the sky. Three blooming flowers and a small bud made with pure white petals were picked and tied with a thin ribbon. A pretty bouquet of flowers has been completed. ¡®Would this be enough?¡¯ I turned around, holding the little bouquet carefully so as not to break it. Outside the flower bed, Nell and the priest were looking at me with a ghostly face. I asked with a friendly smile. ¡°Can you tell me where the East Chapel is?¡± Now I had to fulfill my real purpose of coming here. To meet the Grand Duke. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The setting sun dyes the cold marble corridor red. It was already evening when we entered the eastern section of the Great Hall. I carefully passed through the hallway, stepping on the crimson flagstone. With every step I took, an anxiously shaking shadow glistened on the wall. ¡®It must have been around here.¡¯ I walked to the end of the hallway, reflecting on what I had read in the book. I thought I didn¡¯t have to look for it because I knew where the Grand Duke was coming from, but it was difficult to find the way because the Great Hall was just too wide. ¡°I¡­ Your Highness, where are you going?¡± Nell, who had no idea about what¡¯s happening, asked carefully. ¡°I have a place to stop by.¡± After a few steps, a large garden appeared. This was the eastern garden of the Great Hall. ¡®It seems that no one is here?¡¯ ¡®I planned to hang around here and wait as it says in the book, but it might be possible that he had already passed here?¡¯ Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. With such worries, I turned around the corner, and I saw a group of people walking from the other side. I was startled by the clothes they were wearing. It was the military uniform worn by the knights of the Grand Duke. It was obvious that it was the Grand Duke and his attendants. Grand Duke Terrence¡¯s party seemed to be walking out of the corridor. I hurriedly called him. ¡°Your Grace, Your Grace the Grand Duke!¡± CH 8 (Eve¡¯s POV) The Grand Duke and his attendees stopped at my call. ¡°Oh, Princess¡­.!¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s men belatedly looked back at me and were terribly surprised. They probably didn¡¯t expect that I would appear in a place like this. But no one looked pleased, even for courtesy. It wasn¡¯t an expression that fitted the scene of seeing their master¡¯s fiancee, but their expression seeing their master¡¯s obsessed stalker. ¡®It¡¯s a natural reaction considering the original Eve¡¯s antics.¡¯ They hesitated a little and eventually bowed their heads to greet me. ¡°We greet you, Your Highness the Princess.¡± And then at the same time, the black-haired man in the lead slowly turned around. My favorite novel, , was a novel without illustrations of its characters. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Only the female lead was seen on the cover page and the appearance of the other characters, including the male lead, would have to be imagined based on the writer¡¯s insufficient description. However, words like ¡®Handsome¡¯, ¡®Really handsome¡¯ and ¡®His face looked like a statue¡¯. It was virtually impossible to imagine an accurate face while reading these kinds of sentences. Still, the Grand Duke was emphasized as a handsome man countless times in the original story. ¡®I already imagine that he must have a great appearance, because he was said to be the most handsome man in the whole world, but¡­..¡¯ Black hair like the night sky and bright purple eyes. It was the most perfect face that couldn¡¯t be described in words. ¡®He¡¯s ten times, no, twenty times more handsome than I could Imagine.¡¯ In the original story, the writer repeatedly emphasized that he was a very handsome man. Now I can say that there¡¯s really a reason why it was emphasized multiple times. ¡®A novel is a novel. But still, how could such a surreal man exist¡­.¡¯ A corridor lined with gray pillars, a snow-covered garden seen through the corridor, and an elegant black-haired handsome man standing against the backdrop of the garden. It was a picturesque scene. Since the original version showed him to be so thrifty and handsome, he really looked like could have a nice pictorial by just standing still. Seeing this up close, I can fully understand why Eve likes this man so much. ¡®Actually, it¡¯s not just the appearance that¡¯s great.¡¯ Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. This man was a competent lord who won numerous wars and ruled the northern part of the empire perfectly. ¡®In fact, he has enough power to threaten the Emperor.¡¯ The Emperor has enough reason to rush in and destroy this man without even covering the fire with water. Even though I am not that familiar with politics, it was clear that this man can never be eliminated, and would bring a great threat to the reigning Emperor. With that thought in mind, as I looked up, I belatedly noticed that the Grand Duke was slowly approaching me. I could see the discomfort passing by the delicate corners of his eyes. He bowed his head lightly, as to show courtesy. ¡°Princess.¡± It was a nice voice with a deep resonance. ¡°What is your business with me?¡± I thought that he would suddenly walk out being irritated, but surprisingly he was very polite. He asked the question very politely, but his purple eyes staring at me contained a cold gaze as if telling me to quit if I had no official business with him. I glanced at his face due to amazement, but then shook my head lightly and came to my senses. ¡°Your grace, The Grand Duke.¡± I stepped forward, clutching the bouquet from the garden with my both hands. ¡°Can I give you the flower of the Holy Tree as a gift?¡± Before handing out the bouquet, I slightly touched the tightly bound white buds. As I carefully put my finger between the delicate petals, I felt the texture of the dry paper inside. It was a small folded note. At this moment, there was only one person I could turn to for help. Because there are only two people who ended up suffering from Eve¡¯s death. Eve herself and the Grand Duke in front of me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. In the current state of affairs, the only person who can stand against the Emperor is none other than the Grand Duke. So, in order for me to survive, I had to explain the situation to the Grand Duke and properly ask for his help. ¡®But I can¡¯t divulge those secrets anywhere.¡¯ There are eyes and ears everywhere in this empire. ¡®If I do anything strange, a report will be immediately sent to the Emperor.¡¯ However, it was not unusual to beg the Grand Duke to receive flowers from Eve. Because Eve always tends to cling to the Grand Duke and try to get his utmost attention. She used to bring all kinds of gifts and beg for his acceptance. ¡®Of course Eve was always rejected¡­¡­.¡¯ Again, the Grand Duke carefully looked at the bouquet of flowers that I was holding with suspicious eyes. It was like an initial reaction towards a salesman who was offering a suspicious drug in front of him. ¡°I have no other intentions.¡± I spoke quickly before he refused. ¡°I want to apologize for what I did in the past.¡± ¡°What do you mean apologize?¡± The Grand Duke asked in a low-pitched voice that was terrifyingly attractive. ¡°Yes, I was very rude towards the Grand Duke last time. I know that it¡¯s late, but still I want to apologize¡­¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, but what are you talking about?¡± The Grand Duke suddenly interrupted me and asked a question. ¡°Are you talking about throwing a glass sculpture to the person next to me at a soiree in the Savilen family mansion? Or are you talking about mistaking my officer for a woman and plucking his hair and assaulting him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What appeared in the original was just the (*)blood of a new foot. (T/N: is a metaphor meaning, a very small amount of information.) Eve¡¯s deeds that were mentioned by the Grand Duke were worse than what was in the original. Even the incidents in the original book seemed serious enough already. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°¡­¡­ Everything.¡± I made the most of my acting skills and looked as apologetic as possible, but the Grand Duke didn¡¯t seem to believe it. The mysterious purple eyes that resembled the dawn sky contained indifferent contempt. I bowed my head again with sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I promise that I won¡¯t bother you anymore in the future.¡± ¡°All right.¡± When I apologized again, an impassive reply came back. ¡°You said that a month ago and you came to my training ground after three days, but I will believe you again this time.¡± I couldn¡¯t trust those words that he spit out, but I would roughly believe it, but I wouldn¡¯t hold back myself as well. I didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity, that¡¯s why I immediately said. ¡°I wanted to give it to His Grace, so I donated something to the temple and received this flower. It is a flower that wishes for good luck and blessings. And after a while¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need these flowers.¡± I was about to give the explanation that I had prepared, but the Grand Duke cut off my words adamantly. ¡°I will accept the apology, but please give these flowers to those who need it more than me.¡± The Grand Duke spoke very politely and courteously, but his gaze contained a cruel refusal that left no room for me to retort. The flower of holy water was a flower to wish for good luck and blessings. It was a gift that deserved to be received pleasantly, even by the Imperial family and the Emperor himself. However, the young Grand Duke in front of me, refused me at once without even hearing my reasons. ¡®Wow, you really hate me that much¡­¡¯ Even though we had only exchanged a few words, there was a clear sense of rejection. It was clear that he hated Eve enough to not even try to hide it. Indeed, it was comprehensible. Since, he was forced to accept the stupid and selfish Princess as his bride. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Even from before, Princess Eve was a selfish person who always chased right after the Grand Duke for a long time and even waged hunger strike so that a marriage would take place. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. In addition to that, from the Grand Duke¡¯s point of view, Eve was the daughter of his nemesis. The Emperor has always been wary of him and puts him in danger in every way possible, so there¡¯s no way that he would allow one of his daughters to be married to him? Even for Eve, who had was stupid and had a bad personality. ¡®It¡¯s a relationship that won¡¯t work.¡¯ At this point, it was really strange that I even liked him. When I was embarrassed and unable to speak, the Grand Duke bowed his head slightly and turned around. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you on the wedding day then.¡± The Grand Duke walked towards the door again, not bothering to be mixed up with me any more. ¡®No!¡¯ I chewed my dry lips nervously and immediately followed the Grand Duke as he left. ¡®I need to give this flower to that man no matter what.¡¯ Without a second thought, my body moved in instinct. I hurriedly passed the Grand Duke and stood right in front of him without hesitation. I saw the Grand Duke¡¯s attendants stopped in bewilderment. The Grand Duke looked at me with a surprised expression as well. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°The conversation isn¡¯t over yet.¡± I thought it was a good thing that Eve was a usual stalker. Because if an innocent Princess did this, rumors would definitely spread that I¡¯d become a bit crazy. ¡°Please wait, and listen to me first, even just for a second.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s patience seemed to have reached the limit due to my absurd behavior. A look of annoyance and absurdity crossed his handsome face. ¡°Ha!¡± The Grand Duke let out a laugh as he walked to where I was. The distance between the two of us has narrowed inevitably. The Grand Duke stopped at such a close distance that he could already hear me breathing. As soon as he approached, the scent of a mature man like musk came over me like a sweet temptation. ¡°Princess.¡± But there was no warmth in the eyes of the Grand Duke who was looking down at me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. The purple eyes with a sharp glare were like those of a beast biting its prey. It felt as if the piercing eyes were piercing me from the front. I instinctively tried to step back, but the Grand Duke immediately grabbed my arm and tilted his head over my shoulder. A voice, that is colder than ice, reached my ears. ¡°I would have said that if you bother me one more time, I will cut off that pretty neck of yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ !¡± Without me realizing it, my hands began to tremble. CH 9 (Eve¡¯s POV) The content of what he said was really cold and brutal, but more than that, it felt as if I was being ripped to pieces. As a person who had lived his life in the battlefield, the pressure was formidable. Even though he spoke quietly, I seemed to have frozen because of his cold voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of trick this is, but once I let you go, please return back to the Imperial Palace.¡± With those words, the Grand Duke turned around and was about to leave. My body stood still and looked at him with my nervous stare. My heart was still frightened, but on the other hand, it was ridiculous. ¡®Because of the way he talk, he was easily accused of being a murderer!¡¯ I initially thought that it was a pity that he was unfairly accused as a criminal, but after what happened, I see that he is not worthy of sympathy. I just didn¡¯t have a choice, but to make this happen. Those eyes from a while ago were definitely more than enough to kill me. As I glanced back at the attendants of the Grand Duke next to me, all of them stood there silently with indifferent faces. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Hearing these conversations seemed very familiar to them. The Grand Duke ignored my helplessness and started to walk away. ¡®Well no matter what happens before, still how can he treat his fiancee like this?¡¯ I didn¡¯t even like this man in the first place, but because of what happened, I started to get angry as well. Since he treated me this way. I would definitely make him take this flower. For a moment, I was crushed by the oppression, but there was no reason for me to fear this man. Eve was the daughter of the Emperor and the fiancee of the Grand Duke. ¡®That no matter what he said or did, the Grand Duke cannot kill or hit me.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­ At least not in a public place like this.¡¯ (T/N: Lmao Eve, haha.) I headed forward again, while holding the bouquet in my other hand. And I spoke in a very harsh voice, as if I¡¯m initiating a fight with him. ¡°Stop, Your Grace. This is an order as a Princess of the empire.¡± For a moment, his attendants stared at me as if I was crazy. I may look like an ordinary stalker, because of the way Eve pursues the Grand Duke without pride and would cause a lot of trouble to everyone around her¡­.. No, more like she looks like an ordinary lady, but they forget the fact that Eve was a daughter of His Majesty the Emperor. Of course, the Grand Duchy was a noble family that is treated equally like a royal, so strictly speaking their status is more similar to each other. ¡®But based on hierarchy, the Royal Princess is probably higher.¡¯ Whoever is higher is not that important, what¡¯s important is that it worked. The Grand Duke who was about to go right ahead, suddenly stopped at my words and turned to me again. ¡°Did you just say that this is an order?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Rather than stopping because of my order, he seemed to have stopped because I was too persistent, but it worked anyway. I responded calmly, as I ignored his bloody stare. ¡°Isn¡¯t it against the etiquette to leave the conversation before the lady even declares it?¡± The Grand Duke looked down at me with astonishing eyes. As if he was gazing at a person who had lost her mind. ¡°Are you teaching me about etiquette now, Princess?¡± He spoke in a low voice, but the tone of ridicule revealed the hidden meaning of whether the word etiquette was fitting to be used by a person who was considered a stalker. I answered politely with a graceful smile. ¡°Since we are going to be married soon. It is also the role of a wife to point out her husband¡¯s shortcomings and give him some advice.¡± As the words ¡®husband¡¯, ¡®shortcomings¡¯ and ¡®advice¡¯ continued, the faces of his attendants who were watching became more and more pale.. The Grand Duke, on the other hand, lifted his eyebrows and stared intently at my face. It¡¯s a surprisingly calm response. ¡®Did he somehow guess that my way of speaking was kind of different from the usual Eve?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you were offended. I didn¡¯t have a choice since you won¡¯t listen to me. So, I beg you, please, give me a little bit of your time.¡± It may have sounded too much, so I carefully asked him and looked directly into his eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± He replied nonchalantly and came a little closer to me. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve said that, I¡¯m now curious on how important it is.¡± The look on his face way very calm but his dark purple eyes gave off some murderous look as if he saying that he would not allow me to leave this place unscathed if the words that would come out of my mouth is useless. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m really going to kill Eve if this isn¡¯t important.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t get out of here anyway. So, I ignored his gaze and continued speaking, while touching the petals of the flowers. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Just like what I said earlier, I requested this flower for His Grace, as an apology, but it has other purposes as well.¡± Even though it was brought out from a snowy garden, the white flowers were fresh without a single scratch. I took my hands off the petals and stared straight into the Grand Duke¡¯s purple eyes. ¡°There are only fifteen days left until the death of the deceased Grand Duchess.¡± The former Grand Duchess, the mother of the current Grand Duke, suddenly died due to an illness at a young age. When the words about the Grand Duchess came out, the Grand Duke¡¯s momentum became even more brutal. ¡°What does that have to do with the Princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, The Grand Duchess was my godmother, and soon I will marry her son as well.¡± Unknowingly, sarcastic remarks came out of The Grand Duke¡¯s lips, full with cold contempt. As I cleared my tone and spoke again. ¡°Other than that, It doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡­. But, still I wanted to take care of you. In return for her nice treatment of me when I was still young.¡± The deceased Grand Duchess was close to Eve¡¯s birth mother, the former Empress, and became the godmother of the young Princess. The book states that she had a pretty close relationship with young Eve. I bowed my head slightly and gave off a longing expression as if I was missing my late godmother. ¡°So, with the permission of the chief priest, I was able to get the flowers from the Holy Tree. I know that the Grand Duchess really loved this flower, whenever she visited the Great Hall, she would always look at these flowers near the flower bed.¡± This was a story that the Grand Duke himself told Sorel in the original story. It was the content that I recalled when I came to this temple and looked for the Holy Tree. It¡¯s probably true, because it was mentioned by her own son himself. The Grand Duke¡¯s brow wrinkled, but he remained silent. As I carefully caress the white petals of the flower. ¡°In fact, this flower was originally known to commemorate the dead.¡± It is said that in ancient times, this flower was used for that sense. Over the course of hundreds of years, it has only turned into a token for love. It was also mentioned that it was a flower of remembrance to pray for the soul to rest. With my last hope, I held out a bouquet of flowers. ¡°So, I beg of you to please accept this. Because I know that you wouldn¡¯t want me to visit her in person, that is why I¡¯m requesting for you to put it in the mansion¡¯s cemetery instead of me.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Based on my calculation, it was said that one cannot reject a flower that was given in remembrance of it¡¯s mother. ¡°¡­..¡± But despite my earnest persuasion, he gave me no answer. The Grand Duke continued to stare at me without making any terrifying expression on his face. Receiving that kind of response was scarier than his angry face ¡®Even after I said those words, it still didn¡¯t work¡­.¡¯ I tried to ease out the momentum, as I added up to my words. ¡°I promise.¡± I begged once again with an anxious heart. ¡°That if you accept this, I won¡¯t be bothering you ever again, this much is true.¡± I showed more desperate eyes than the match-selling girl saying, ¡®Please buy me a match¡¯. In fact, I was now in a more desperate situation than anyone else. Because if this failed, I would lose my life after 40 days. I begged him with earnest eyes, but still, the Grand Duke didn¡¯t respond. There was a heavy tension inside the hallway of the Great Hall that made it difficult to breathe. I¡¯m not even asking him to pay for it, but just to take it. As I stood there while holding my breath, The Grand Duke finally spoke up. ¡°Okay.¡± He reached out with a brief acceptance. ¡°Since the Princess had said those words, I will accept it then.¡± He spoke calmly, but his deep purple eyes showed an annoyance, as if telling me that this would be the last time he would do this. ¡°Thank you!¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he got angry or cursed me, as long as he accepted the flowers. I smiled with relief, I handed the flower to his hand. As I handed over the flowers, The Grand Duke¡¯s fingertips lightly brushed against mine. At that moment, I bowed my head and whispered softly so that the people around us could not hear it. ¡°Please¡­. Please keep this flower by your side and take good care of it.¡± A little doubt lingered in his sharp purple eyes and then disappeared right away. I¡¯m not sure, but the quick-witted Grand Duke seemed to sense that something¡¯s strange in my tone. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. He stared intently at the flower and then me, after that he turned around without saying anything and left the hallway. I prayed earnestly as I watched the Grand Duke¡¯s back as he left the temple. ¡®Please. May that man find the note hidden in the petals.¡¯ If he doesn¡¯t, both of us will be doomed. No, the truth is, I am the only one who will perish, and the Grand Duke will suffer for a while and then recover quickly. ¡®Still, it¡¯s best not to suffer from being framed for a murder and to live comfortably.¡¯ Nell, who had been watching me nervously from a few steps away, ran to me belatedly. ¡°Princess¡­. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± I was completely exhausted, perhaps because of the release of tension. As I tried to turn, my legs began to tremble. Nell quickly noticed it and supported me right away. I grabbed Nell¡¯s shoulder and turned to the other side. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Imperial Palace.¡± I¡¯m done with my work, so I need to rest for a while. CH 10 As I left the hallway and came out of the corridor, a cold wind brushed my nape. Every breath that I take, the cold winter infiltrates my nose. The refreshing scent of snow and frozen snowflakes. It blends with the smell of bitter incense that permeates in. Then, I put the thick coat over my shoulder as I continued walking. Even though I was wearing a thick white sable hair coat, cold wind still penetrates inside my body. ¡°This way, Your Highness.¡± I continued walking towards the entrance with Nell on my side. Whenever I lost my way, Nell would take the lead and guide me. I got a little tired seeing the chapels and gardens connected endlessly. ¡®Just how wide is this temple anyway?¡¯ The temple buildings occupied the entire hill, so it only meant to be this spacious. We passed through the middle gate and went out into a flagstone-strewn garden. There was a white frozen pond beside the pathway. The ice that was covered with snowflakes was dyed red in the evening sunset. The road was still a bit confusing, but I can feel that we were now a little closer from the outside gate. If we keep going straight down this road, we will be able to find the exit. As I was walking along the path, a familiar person appeared at the opposite door. ¡®Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­.¡¯ It was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair, wearing a modest navy blue dress. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Even from a distance, I could already recognize her at a glance. It was the Duchess of Rohan, whom I met at the tea party with the Empress, earlier. ¡°Oh my gosh, Princess.¡± The Duchess found me and approached me in an instant. She seemed to be pleased as if she was looking for me. ¡°Hello. Duchess, it¡¯s pleasant to see you again.¡± This world seemed so narrow, because I bumped into the same person whom I just met earlier at the Imperial Palace. The Duchess approached me and greeted me gracefully. ¡°I thought that you already left for the Imperial Palace, but fortunately you were still here in the temple.¡± ¡®Is she looking for me?¡¯ ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°Oh, about that¡­.¡± Whenever she tried to continue with her words, the Duchess would hesitate for a moment, unable to speak easily. ¡°Earlier at the Empress¡¯s tea party, I may have said words that might have offended you¡­. So, I wanted to apologise in case that happened.¡± ¡®At the tea party?¡¯ ¡®Oh, is she talking about how the Empress tried to hurt my feelings with her statement about the Duke?¡¯ But it was the Empress¡¯s fault, not the Duchess¡¯s. All this lady did was ask me about the war, nothing could have caused me direct harm. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I said it in a way that it would show that it¡¯s not a big deal, but the Duchess was still nervous as she looked me in the eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t pay too much attention to what Her Majesty just said. The Grand Duke is quite busy right now, but it will be different once you get married sooner or later.¡± ¡®Wasn¡¯t our relationship already bad enough to get any worse after marriage?¡¯ I didn¡¯t agree at all with the Duchess¡¯ words, but I chuckled softly and chimed in. ¡°I believe so too. That once we get married, we might definitely get along well.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When I replied with a bright smile, the Duchess stuttered slightly and nodded. In fact, even the Duchess didn¡¯t seem to believe what she said either. Well that¡¯s only natural. ¡®Because the Grand Duke hated Eve that much and the wedding seemed rather like a kind of witchcraft or brainwashing, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ I carefully observed her face which showed signs of embarrassment. Although the Duchess had reached middle age, she still looked beautiful and elegant. The light blonde hair that is neatly pulled up looks like red blonde hair dyed in the setting sun. I quickly searched for information about the Duke of Rohan¡¯s family in my head. The Duke of Rohan was not given much importance in the original story. The Duchess appeared occasionally with the Grand Duke, but the rest of the family was only briefly mentioned in connection with Eve¡¯s wedding. However, since the only daughter of the Duke of Rohan was Eve¡¯s bridesmaid, there was only one explanation that came out in passing words. (P/N:A bridesmaid refers to a woman who attends to the bride on her wedding day.) And bridesmaids are usually the closest friend of the bride, but when there are no friends, sisters or close relatives who could take over. If nobody would take on that role, the sister-in-law or relatives of the groom¡¯s side sometimes take on the role of bridesmaids. Since the Duchess is the Grand Duke¡¯s aunt, the Duchess¡¯s daughter, Diane, would be considered as the Grand Duke¡¯s cousin. Since Eve has no friends and her only sister, Sorel, is out on the battlefield, the Grand Duke¡¯s cousin has been entrusted with the role of the bridesmaid. ¡®It was mentioned in the original story that Diane was very happy to become the bridesmaid because she secretly liked Eve¡¯s older brother, the Crown Prince.¡¯ If it had been another lady, she would have cried and ran away as soon as she heard that she was asked to be Eve¡¯s bridesmaid. However, Diane was not able to attend the wedding because she was not feeling well. ¡®Was it mentioned that Diane was originally a weak child so that¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t get out of the house that often?¡¯ But recently, it was said that she was in good shape, that¡¯s why they decided to have her become the bridesmaid. In all likelihood, before the wedding, her illness suddenly worsened. In the end, Eve¡¯s wedding went on without a bridesmaid. ¡®It would definitely be helpful in some way if Lady Diane would be there on the wedding day.¡¯ The bridesmaid takes care of all the chores next to the bride during the wedding ceremony. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Of course, from the morning of the wedding day until entering the newlyweds¡¯ bedroom, she would never leave the bride¡¯s side. There are maids that would assist, but the maids who were with Eve when she died were of no help. ¡®So, for me, it would be good for Diane to act as my bridesmaid safely.¡¯ But then, it couldn¡¯t be helped because of her poor health. I looked at the Duchess and asked as if I suddenly remembered. ¡°Oh, by the way, how is your daughter doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± The Duchess seemed a little startled by the sudden question. She looked into my eyes with a nervous face. ¡°Yes. Yes. Of course, our Diane¡¯s health has also improved these past few days, and she¡¯s looking forward to attending the Princess¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so thankful that Diane is already preparing for the wedding.¡± ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s been practising in her room on becoming the Princess¡¯s bride¡¯s maid. And it was also a good thing that we had prepared in advance for her dress fitting.¡± The Duchess emphasised once again that Diane was diligently preparing for the wedding. The Duchess may have been worried that I would just change her as my bridesmaid, just because of my fickleness. That¡¯s probably why she came all the way here and apologised in person for the misunderstanding she caused at the tea party. If Diane¡¯s role as a bridesmaid gets cancelled, she would suffer greatly. It seemed that she was trying to do everything just to please me. After all, if it was the original Eve, one day would be enough to cancel the need for a bridesmaid. If she¡¯s still preparing for the role of the bridesmaid, then that means that she¡¯s still in a good shape. ¡®I wonder when exactly, Diane¡¯s illness would worsen since it was not specified in the novel.¡¯ As I was thinking about it, the Duchess belatedly looked at my hand and was startled. ¡°Princess, your hand¡­¡­¡± ¡®My hand?¡¯ I raised my hand reflexively. Thin white fingers were frozen red because of the cold air. I didn¡¯t even realise that my hands were that cold, I was so focused about meeting the Grand Duke and preparing the negotiations. Ever since I picked the snow-covered flowers and carried them with my bare hands, I could feel the cold seeping into my hands. The Duchess looked worriedly at my hand and asked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing any gloves?¡± ¡°Oh, about that¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t really have anything to say. It was basically known in the society that Eve cannot go anywhere without wearing any gloves. ¡®But the truth is, this is the main key to trigger Eve¡¯s divine power.¡¯ But then I can¡¯t honestly tell her about these details. After much consideration, I came up with a valid excuse. ¡°Oh, I just received the flower of the Holy Tree. It¡¯s a precious flower that comes from a sacred tree, so I thought I had to hold it with my bare hands to handle it with care.¡± ¡°A flower from the Holy Tree?¡± The Duchess asked in amazement. The flower of the Holy Tree is not something that can be easily plucked, so it should come as a surprise to her. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°As I was offering my mother¡¯s relics, I also donated the jewels that I usually used to the temple. It wasn¡¯t something I was hoping for in return, but¡­.. I asked if it would be okay if I could have some flowers from the Holy Tree, and the chief priest gladly allowed it. It¡¯s been a while since I went to the garden to pick up those flowers.¡± Of course, I was trying to get flowers in return from the beginning, but I lied casually. ¡°What are you going to do with the flower?¡± ¡°It is the anniversary of the deceased Grand Duchess in 15 days on the night of the full moon. So I thought it would be nice to bring those flowers to the cemetery.¡± The Duchess seemed confused for a moment at my words, but then she bowed her head with a touching smile. She seemed genuinely moved by my actions. ¡°Oh my God, how can you be so kind? Thank you, Princess. She will be very happy.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± In an instant, the Duchess¡¯ gaze came out unconsciously and quickly glanced at Nell. She seems to be wondering where the flowers that I have received are placed, when she saw that both of our hands are empty-handed. I then quickly added to my words. ¡°Oh, I just ran into the Grand Duke earlier. I asked him if he could put the flowers at the cemetery on my behalf.¡± ¡°You met the Grand Duke?¡± The Duchess, who was listening to me, asked with a surprised face. ¡®Why is she so surprised? Is it because of the fact that I met His Grace , but I still looked normal?¡¯ CH 11 (Eve¡¯s POV) Remorse reflected on my face as I speak. ¡°I know that it¡¯s really late, but I sincerely regret all the rude things that I¡¯ve done to the Grand Duke.¡± The Duchess nodded quietly. She still looked shocked and all, but fortunately she didn¡¯t seem to doubt what I was saying. And the way she looked at me changed a bit. ¡®It seems that Eve is trying to get the Grand Duke¡¯s favor, as the wedding is approaching.¡¯ This is what I think that she was thinking. ¡°But, Your Highness, if you remain here like this, you may get frostbite. If you don¡¯t mind ¡­.¡± The Duchess pulled out her handkerchief with worried eyes. It was a handkerchief embroidered with wisteria flowers in an ivory-colored fabric. ¡°It is a handkerchief with thermal insulation magic on it.¡± ¡°Magic?¡± I didn¡¯t need a handkerchief, but it would be amazing if it had magic. Come to think of it, there were several practical magics like this in this world. ¡°If you put this in your hand, it will warm you up quickly.¡± The face of the Duchess, who held out her handkerchief, was full of sincere concern. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Unlike before when she tried to please me just because of her daughter, now I can see that she¡¯s starting to have a genuine interest in me. Perhaps because I sincerely offered to give the hard-earned flowers in memory of her deceased sister, the late Grand Duchess. Still, being so kind to Eve¡­.. This lady seemed to have a kind and gentle personality that suited her generous appearance. It is unbelievable that such a gentle lady is the Grand Duke¡¯s aunt. ¡°Thank you.¡± I reached out to get the handkerchief. The Duchess¡¯s hand lightly brushed the tip of my finger as I received the handkerchief from her. At that moment, the field of my vision suddenly became distorted and a completely different space appeared before my eyes. _____________________________________ ¡®Wait, what is this?¡¯ The icy air had completely disappeared and a warm surroundings pervaded my skin. The garden of the temple where I was standing a while ago suddenly vanished. Now, I was standing in a splendidly designed and elegant hallway. As if I was dreaming, my vision is a bit hazy, but the warm air is vividly felt. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ Then, at the end of the hallway, a maid with a tray appeared. I stepped back unconsciously, startled by the stranger¡¯s appearance. But the maid passed by me and opened the door next to me before going inside. I followed her as if possessed. When I opened the door, there was a small side room that seemed to be a sitting area. After passing there, I opened another door and this time a luxurious room appeared that looked like a reception room. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Inside was another maid who seemed to be a middle-aged woman. ¡°I brought the medicine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The young maid, who brought in a tray, put the bowl down on the table and went outside. ¡®Did she just say medicine?¡¯ The maid who remained in the room took out a small medicine bottle from her sleeve and poured some white powder into the medicine bowl. Then she turned to the other side. There was another door there. ¡°My lady, you need to take your medicine before you go to sleep.¡± Then a brunette-haired girl opened the side door and came out. It was a young girl with a pale face that looked about 16 or 17 years old. She was wearing a white nightgown that wrapped around her skinny body. The girl approached the table and took the medicine bowl. I reached out my hand in surprise. Wait, there was something in there just now¡­.¡¯ This maid put something on it. But my hand passed through the girl¡¯s body. ¡®What, what?¡¯ Without letting me stop her, the girl completely drank her medicine from the bowl in just one go. And then I went back to where I initially appeared. I saw the girl in the hallway, and I unconsciously followed her. The girl entered a cozy and luxurious bedroom. She laid on the bed as if she was about to sleep. At this point, I finally understood what¡¯s happening. ¡®I don¡¯t know exactly what to call this, but it¡¯s clear that this isn¡¯t reality.¡¯ Whenever I touch an object, my hand will always pass through as if I was touching air. As the surroundings became hazy again like a dream, time and space were being distorted little by little. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I could see the clock hanging on the wall moving very quickly. Dozens of minutes passed in an instant. The girl, who had been sleeping on the bed, suddenly grabbed her heart and bent over. A moan of pain erupted from between her parched lips. ¡°Ugh¡­ Cough! Cough!¡± Blood dripped from her mouth after she coughed dryly. Perhaps another person heard her cough, a maid from the outside immediately opened the door and went inside. ¡°My lady!¡± The girl fainted and collapsed, covered in blood that she spilled. ¡°Call the madam now!¡± The girl tossed and turned, frowning as if she was in deep pain. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t get my mind off this horrific scene unfolding right before my eyes. After a while, someone from outside ran into the room screaming. ¡°Diane!¡± The person running was a middle-aged woman in a light blue evening dress. ¡®The Duchess?¡¯ She looks much paler and weaker than before, but it was clearly the Duchess with whom that I was talking a while ago. The Duchess wept and hugged the girl tightly. The skirt of her dress was wrinkled, and the platinum blonde hair that was painstakingly twisted was a mess. ¡°Diane! Why¡­. Why is this happening?!¡± The Duchess wiped the blood from the girl¡¯s face with her trembling hands. ¡®Does that mean that this girl is Lady Diane?¡¯ ¡®Diane, the only daughter of the Duchess and my bridesmaid?¡¯ ¡°Hurry up! Go¡­. Call the doctor right now!¡± The Duchess, who had been continuously crying, looked around and shouted. Only then did I see the people around me. Several people were standing in front of the door, looking worried. They were all dressed up in fancy evening dresses and ball robes. When I saw it, something immediately came to mind. ¡®Is there a ball?¡¯ Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. My thoughts didn¡¯t go any further. At the end of that scene, my vision went dark and everything disappeared in an instant. I was startled and hurriedly removed my hand. The surrounding area was back to the winter garden where the sun was setting again. A cool breeze permeated my skin with the warm glow of the sunset. The illusion that had appeared so suddenly, vanished without a trace. In front of me was the Duchess, dressed in a navy blue dress and neatly tucked in platinum hair. The moment I saw her, a flash of realization hit my mind. ¡®This can¡¯t be¡­.¡¯ Seeing my strange reaction, the Duchess was astonished and asked: ¡°Princess? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I took the handkerchief and smiled as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. As soon as I touched the soft handkerchief, the warmth was felt through my skin. It felt like holding a hot pack with frozen hands. However, unlike the warm feeling that I felt in my hands, my mind started to wander. ¡®Did I just have a precognition right now?¡¯ (T/N:Precognition, also called prescience, future vision or future sight, is a claimed psychic ability to see events in the future.) It was just a brief vision, but the illusion was so vivid that it all felt real. Foresight was Eve¡¯s divine ability. It was clear that it was a fragment of the future that I had glimpsed through that ability. It¡¯s been four days since I woke up here, but this was the first time I¡¯d ever seen the future. I looked at my hand that was holding the handkerchief. Thin, white fingers wrapped around a soft handkerchief. A wisteria flower embroidery was visible between the fingers. ¡®This was the key to the secret.¡¯ Eve¡¯s foresight was triggered through touch. To simply put it, when my hand touches someone else¡¯s body parts, foresight appears. And Eve didn¡¯t know about it until she was killed. Her ability to see the future just appeared anytime when she was still a child. However, around the age of 10, the medium of foresight suddenly changed. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. If she doesn¡¯t touch the other person with her bare hands, her ability wouldn¡¯t be activated. That¡¯s where the problem comes from. ¡®Because Eve¡­¡­ had a severe case of (*)mysophobia.¡¯ (T/N:(*) Extreme or irrational fear of dirt or contamination.) Eve, who hates dirty things, always wore gloves on her hands. Thanks to this, she never had a chance to touch other people with her bare hands. Moreover, since Eve¡¯s divine power was so weak, her foresight wouldn¡¯t come out that easily even if she touched another person with her bare hands. Only when I touch the other person while thinking about the future that I¡¯ve wanted to see in particular, will the foresight come. However, since the appearance of foresight was very rare, that¡¯s why most of them did not appear even after holding the other person¡¯s hand for a long time. So, even if Eve had a chance to touch another person with her bare hands, she would not have known it because her foresight ability would not appear. ¡®But what appeared in the vision is very clear¡­..¡¯ The brown-haired girl in my vision was the Duchess¡¯s daughter, Diane. In fact, I understood why Diane¡¯s future vision came out. Maybe it was because I kept thinking that Diane couldn¡¯t attend the wedding because she was sick. I also thought it would be nice if Diane could attend the wedding. ¡®The maid definitely put something suspicious on her medicine. The one that Lady Diane had drunk obediently, and then woke up from her sleep and vomited blood. It won¡¯t be a poison. Because it was never mentioned that Diane died that way. In the original story, nothing was mentioned about a maid feeding Diane with some suspicious drug. That means that the maid¡¯s actions were not detected and simply had something passed to Diane to worsen her current state. Perhaps the powder is not poison, but it was a kind of drug that aggravates her disease. CH 12 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡®Someone purposely added an unknown drug along Lady Diane¡¯s medicine causing her disease to trigger and worsen.¡¯ Otherwise, Diane would have been the bridesmaid at Eve¡¯s wedding as planned. ¡®The place where the foresight took place must have been the residence of the Duchess.¡¯ Diane in my vision was in the bedroom wearing white pajamas. On the other hand, all the others who appeared with the Duchess were wearing ball dresses. ¡®Is it the day of the ball that was held at the Duke¡¯s mansion?¡¯ After such thoughts, I ganced at the Duchess and asked as if I had suddenly thought of it. ¡°By the way, did you mention before that there¡¯s going to be a ball in the Duchy?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think I heard it from a certain lady the other day. There was gonna be a ball hosted by the Duchess?¡± Of course, I had never heard of such a thing, but I said it calmly to make her believe it. The Duchess, who had a friendly smile on her face, became visibly embarrassed. ¡°Oh, yes, it will be held in the evening, we decided to have it 10 days from now.¡± The Duchess smiled with a slightly flushed face. ¡°This is the first ball to be hosted this year. It may seem illogical to have a ball at a time like this, but it was an annual family event so I couldn¡¯t postpone it.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Since the Emperor and his children went to war, and the Duke, who is the head of the family, has also gone out, it would really seem weird to still continue with the ball at the current situation. However, it seems that she was forced to host it because it was a family event. Each old noble house had its own specific event or tradition. ¡°Then, will The Grand Duke attend as well?¡± He would definitely attend, right? Because the Duchess is the only aunt of the Grand Duke. The Duchess hesitated for a moment before answering. ¡°Yes, the Grand Duke has not been present for several years, but¡­.. This time, I requested for him to attend. Since the Duke isn¡¯t here either¡­¡­¡± Seeing the Duchess blurring the end of her words, I remembered the relationship of both families. The Duke of Rohan wasn¡¯t very important in the original story, but one thing was certain. The Duke was a knowledgeable middle-aged aristocrat who valued honor, so he maintained neutrality without taking sides in the battle between the Emperor and the Grand Duke. That¡¯s why It said that their relationship with the Grand Duke was a little rough. Since they were relatives, it wasn¡¯t an openly hostile relationship. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, can I be invited too? I just want to say thank you in advance towards Lady Diane.¡± When I asked with an earnest expression, the Duchess¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly. ¡°If the Princess will attend¡­.. Then we would definitely appreciate it.¡± I think her words slightly stopped in the middle. The Duchess¡¯ uncertainty was definitely understandable. It is a ball that will be held in tha mansion for the first time in a while now, so she probably did not intend to invite Eve. Eve used to mess around and ruin the atmosphere wherever she went. Especially when the Grand Duke was nearby, the level of inconvenience would increase several dozen times. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be quiet so as not to disturb the other guests. I just wanted to see Lady Diane, to give thanks and then I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± I added those words with a sad look on my face to reassure the Duchess. ¡°But of course, if the Empress doesn¡¯t allow it, I won¡¯t be able to attend in the first place.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. I really hope that Her Majesty the Empress grants you permission.¡± The Duchess was somewhat relieved to hear the sincerity in my words. And it seemed that she was slowly trusting me after what she saw today. On the other hand, the Empress would definitely not allow it anyway. So there¡¯s no need to buy a grudge if she rejects my request. There seemed to be a willingness to accept roughly and just hand over the bad role to the Empress. The Duchess immediately smiled and invited me in. ¡°I would really like you to attend. If the Princess comes, our Diane will also like it.¡± I nodded and handed the handkerchief that I was holding back to the Duchess. ¡°Now my hands are all warmed up. thank you.¡± After separating with the Duchess, I reached out to Nell as I walked down the path. ¡°Can you give me your hand?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nell was surprised, but gently held out her hand, since she was bare-handed like me. Her little hands were also frozen reddish from the cold. ¡®Did the maids say that there is an etiquette to wear gloves? I thought it was harsh, though it can be worn in the middle of winter.¡¯ ¡°Sorry, if your hands were frozen from being here with me for so long.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I am fine, Princess.¡± I wrapped my arms around Nell¡¯s hands and gently rubbed them, giving them warmth. At the same time, I yearned to know about what would happen to Nell once we got back into the Palace. I wanted to test my foresight ability. But until we reached the edge of the garden, even though I held her hands tightly, no foresight appeared before me. ¡®But then, The Duchess had only touched the tip of my fingertips, but my foresight immediately happened.¡¯ The original Eve hasn¡¯t even used this ability since she was 10 years old. Naturally, information about her divine power didn¡¯t appear that much in the novel. ¡®How often does this foresight appear? How closely can I see it? Nothing is certain at this time.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d like to observe a little more.¡¯ As expected, it was a good thing that I walked around with my bare hands even though it¡¯s cold. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Because I was able to use my foresight for the first time. As I was thinking about it, a quiet voice brought me back to reality. ¡°It¡¯s very warm.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Nell said, as she wiggled our hands. ¡°The princess has warm hands.¡± I was still holding Nell¡¯s hand. Thanks to the warmth from my hand, Nell¡¯s hand was warmer than before. ¡°People with warm hands have warm hearts.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I don¡¯t think so. Since Eve is the original owner of this body, and I myself was not a warm-hearted person. ¡°Yes, it is. From my experience, it really is.¡± Nell looked at me and smiled gently. Maybe because she¡¯s still considered young, that¡¯s why her smiling face looks so cute. Come to think of it, Lady Diane seemed to be around Nell¡¯s age. ¡°Nell, is Lady Diane known to have an illness?¡± ¡°Well, she was not able to socialize because she was very weak due to a chronic disease and had a terrible rash on her skin.¡± ¡°Rash?¡± When asked back in surprise, Nell continued with a bewildered look. ¡°Yeah, but the rash is only on the body. So, if she wears a dress with a high neck, no one would be able to see it. That¡¯s why she was chosen as a bridesmaid on the condition that she would wear a dress that covers her whole body.¡± ¡°Did I put such a condition on her?¡± Nell nodded with concern. ¡°I see.¡± It reminded me of the Duchess, who strongly emphasized that Diane was looking forward to the wedding. After all, the Duchess must have invited me to the ball because of Diane. Just so not to go against my will. ¡°Nell, did you think that Lady Diane and I are close?¡­¡­. By any chance, did I visit her even once?¡± ¡°No, I have never seen the Princess meet Lady Diane during my stay at the Princess¡¯s Palace. But I don¡¯t know what it was like before¡­. But then again, maybe you haven¡¯t seen each other, because I heard that she had never been to the Imperial Palace and had not attended any social gatherings either.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That¡¯s a relief, because if she had already met Eve before, instead of liking her, she might have been full of resentment then. As we exchanged conversations like that, we arrived in front of the temple gate. A carriage outside was waiting for us at the door. I got into the carriage with Nell. It was after the sun had completely set when I finally returned to the Imperial Palace after finishing my goal at The Great Hall. Glass lanterns adorned the walls of the Imperial Palace brightly illuminated the dark night sky. As the carriage entered the palace through the main gate, a white snow-covered garden swept past the carriage window. Even on the white snow covering the flower bed, the bright blue moonlight glimmered. When I saw that, reality bit me again. ¡®A precious day has passed again.¡¯ Now, I only have 39 days left. It feels like I¡¯m playing a time-limited survival game. A thrilling game where I would die if I don¡¯t find a way to survive within the time limit. ¡®Anyway, I already achieved my first goal.¡¯ Because I was able to give the flowers to the Grand Duke by force. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. What happens next will depend on how much he will believe me. ¡®If everything goes well, tonight.¡¯ I will be able to meet the Grand Duke again. Of course, considering the distrustful attitude of the Grand Duke when we met earlier, the chances that everything will go smoothly seems to be less than half. While I pondered and took off my dress, the maids approached me as they looked at me. One of the maids asked worriedly. ¡°Princess, are you going to pray again today? Since you went to the temple today, wouldn¡¯t it be better to rest first?¡± After I possessed this body, I used to go to the chapel next to the Imperial Palace with the excuse of praying. ¡°Okay, since I¡¯m tired as well, I won¡¯t go today.¡± I ordered the maid beside me to deliver a message to the Empress¡¯s palace. ¡°Tell Her Majesty, that the Duchess of Rohan has invited me to the ball, and tell her that I¡¯m asking for permission.¡± ¡°Is that all I need to say, Your Highness?¡±¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t say anything else, aside from the one that I told you.¡± The maid bowed her head with a slightly puzzled expression. The maid, who had gone to the Empress¡¯s palace, returned after I had a simple dinner and soaking myself in warm water. While sitting at the dressing table as I dry my hair, the white-skinned maid told me exactly how the Empress reacted. ¡°I told her to stay quiet until the day of the wedding, because she would get a lot of attention once she attended that ball.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± Just like what I expected without 1% of error. CH 13 (Eve¡¯s POV) In fact, I already knew that the Empress would never allow me to attend the Ball. Still, she must have been so disappointed because I didn¡¯t get much embarrassment today, contrary to what she had expected. In addition to that, she must have already heard the story about my donations to the temple, which made her even more angry. It¡¯s not that surprising because I already expected her to at least be in rage, that¡¯s the reason why I sent out the maid at this hour so that I would be rejected right away. ¡°Okay, well done.¡± I dried out my hair without much thought and when I stood up, that¡¯s when I saw the maids with their heads bow down and trembling. All of them are shaking and pale due to fear. They must have thought that I would be angry and smash some things inside my room. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not angry.¡± I walked past the frightened maids and made my way to the bedroom. ¡°I don¡¯t even have the energy to be angry. I¡¯m so tired after coming back from the temple. I just want to rest early today.¡± At my words, the maids all sighed in relief. ¡°Shall I bring you some refreshments then?¡± ¡°No, I should go to bed now.¡±¡± I got to let the maids bite on the pretext of me being tired and that I went to bed earlier today. The maids said that they would stand on watch, but I don¡¯t need it today, so I chased everyone out for me to rest. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. When it was already dark, the surroundings became as quiet as if there was a dead person inside. I sat alone in my bedroom and waited for time to pass by. After a while, I checked the clock, and it was already past 10:30. ¡®It¡¯s time.¡¯ I quietly opened the door and entered the dressing room. Passing through the furniture and clothes boxes hidden in darkness, I opened the wardrobe on the wall. Dozens of dresses hung in this large closet. Among them, I picked up the most plain and simple navy blue dress for my get away. To avoid people¡¯s eyes, a simple attire is required. If possible, dark color is needed since that¡¯s the most inconspicuous. I changed into a plain navy blue dress, wore a robe over it, and a deep hood to hide my hair. Thanks to this, I was able to completely hide my unusual red blonde hair. After preparing everything, I carefully opened the door and went out. The halls of the palace were quiet and dark. I walked towards the nearest chapel. The location and geography of the surroundings were known in advance after I regressed and started living here. In the beginning, I went to the chapel every night so that I could memorize the road. Fortunately, no one was passing by in the hallway. I opened the small iron door leading to the chapel and went inside. The unlit chapel was shrouded in still darkness. The splendid golden torch painted on the ceiling also disappeared into the darkness and was nowhere to be seen. The pure white moonlight shone through the glass window, scattering mysterious silver on the marble floor. The statues under the moonlight stood with their backs producing dark shadows. The chapel was empty. ¡®Is no one here?¡¯ I looked around the dimly lit wall to find the Grand Duke. However, there was no human figure to be seen anywhere. ¡®Is he not here yet?¡¯ I was so nervous that my stomach churned. As I waited inside the dark chapel, my mind was filled with anxious thoughts. ¡®What if he doesn¡¯t come at all?¡¯ He may not believe me and just completely ignore the letter. Since he hated me so much, that may be the reason why it would be hard for him to believe me. ¡®Or¡­. Would it be possible that he didn¡¯t see the note at all and just threw the flowers right away?¡¯ Since the note was placed inside one of the buds, I wrote a request to meet him at this time, along with information that the Grand Duke would find interesting. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I couldn¡¯t write the full details. Because it was too complicated and too long to explain everything in a small note. ¡®Did he see the note?¡¯ When he received the bouquet, I think that he noticed something was strange. ¡®Or maybe he just didn¡¯t believe me?¡¯ From the Grand Duke¡¯s point of view, I¡¯m still the daughter of his archenemy, the Emperor. That¡¯s why it¡¯s risky on his part to meet me, even after seeing the words that were written on such a small note. Maybe he thought it was better to just ignore it. It was a plan that was unlikely to succeed from the start, but there was no other way for me than this. ¡®What if he doesn¡¯t really plan on going?¡¯ ¡®Would it be better for me to attend the Duchess¡¯s ball and try to convince him again?¡¯ As I was pondering over my anxiety, I suddenly heard a low voice from the wall. ¡°Princess.¡± I was startled and turned around. The Grand Duke stood next to the gray pillars that were supporting the ceiling. ¡°You said that you had something urgent to tell me¡­.¡± Then he slowly approached me. Purple eyes flashed coolly in the dark. ¡°I want to hear about what you want to talk about.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The man who was walking out of the darkness gave a terrifyingly dangerous impression. ¡°I would like to thank you for coming, Your Grace.¡± I expressed my gratitude in a very cautious tone. The Grand Duke then replied calmly. ¡°I came here first.¡± ¡°What?¡± When I asked back foolishly, the Grand Duke pointed to the wall clock on one side of the chapel with his chin. ¡°It¡¯s already past 11 o¡¯clock.¡± The minute hand of the clock was tilted to the side by about two centimeters. ¡®Did he mean to say that I was 2 minutes late?¡¯ It was shocking yet embarrassing. I definitely arrived 2 minutes in advance. It¡¯s just that the greeting was delayed because he was standing there without showing his presence. Of course, I could guess why he was quietly hiding from the wall. Maybe he was trying to check if I would be bringing another person with me. ¡°Forgive me for being late. It took me a while for me to avoid people¡¯s attention.¡± The Grand Duke ignored my words and answered calmly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I didn¡¯t wait that long.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He¡¯s definitely a very hard person to please. Still, working with this man is the most important thing as of right now. My life depends on it. ¡°I asked you to meet with me as i bring news that would definitely be beneficial to you¡± I started talking as politely as possible, but no response came from him. I hesitated a little and continued with my words. ¡°You will be very surprised when you hear what I¡¯m about to say.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I came here just right after receiving your note with such tremendous content on it, and I would definitely be angry if this would not be surprising.¡± The Grand Duke pulled out a small note from his pocket. It was the note that I had hidden among the petals. [That sword was kept inside the scabbard of the West Garden Goddess Statue.] The Grand Duke smiled as he recounted the contents of the note. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Princess would have any information about the lost relic.¡± The lost relic. He was referring to the ¡°Sword of Ryuken¡±, which is one of the five sacred objects of the empire. The sword was originally a heirloom to the family of the Grand Duke. But it was stolen and disappeared several decades ago. The Grand Duke was so ashamed of it and had been searching for the relic for decades, but still could not find any clue at all. But I know where the sword is. Because it appeared in the second half of the original story. The blade and the sheath were in different places, but the sheath was hidden inside the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. In the garden of the Duchy, there was a statue of a goddess who was carrying a sword, and the real sword of the Ryuken was hidden in the stone sheath that was worn around the waist of the goddess. It looks like he has already found it and checked it. ¡®Well if he hadn¡¯t confirmed it, then he definitely wouldn¡¯t have come to see me.¡¯ He may be grateful that I helped him find a part of their heirloom, but the Grand Duke did not seem to be grateful or pleased even in the slightest. He crumpled the small piece of paper in his hand and came closer to me. ¡°I am very curious about how the princess knew about this.¡± ¡°You want to know how I knew about this?¡± I said in a slightly surprised tone. ¡°I thought you would be curious about the whereabouts of the sword and the sheath.¡± ¡°Do you know where it is?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The black blade, handle, and the sheath, which are the heirloom of the Grand Duke, have been disassembled and hidden in three different places. The book describes the locations of the three places in great detail. The person who found the sword was the Female Protagonist, Sorel. ¡°I¡¯ll find it for you if you want. It¡¯s a very important matter to His Grace, isn¡¯t it?¡± While saying this, I carefully observed the expression of the person in front of me. Anyone from the Grand Duke¡¯s family must have been shaken after hearing this information from me. However, the Grand Duke maintained a calm complexion without much reaction. There were no changes in his terrifyingly handsome face, but a faint anger was revealed in his purple eyes. ¡°What do you want?¡± The Grand Duke immediately brought up the subject. I took a deep breath and moved one step forward. And stated what I really wanted from the start. ¡°I want you to help me, because you¡¯re the only one who can do that.¡± The Grand Duke just looked at me silently. I continued to talk nervously. ¡°Someone is going to assassinate me on the day of our wedding.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The Grand Duke replied in a calm tone. ¡°It¡¯s not that surprising. I don¡¯t know who it is, but it¡¯s quite a cynical plan¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± ¡°Who in the Empire would try to assassinate the Emperor¡¯s daughter?¡± The Grand Duke laughed a little and added in an arrogant tone. ¡°How dare they do that towards my fiancee?¡± A smile hung over his beautiful face, one with a dangerous glint in it. CH 14 (Eve¡¯s POV) I also felt it when I read the original novel, this man was a very cold and arrogant person. If a man of this status is gentle and kind, then I think that would be weirder. ¡°Thank you for saying that. After all, the reason I¡¯m dying is because i was your fiance.¡± (T/N: Right back at yah, lmao) ¡°You talk as if you know who the culprit is.¡± ¡°Because I do.¡± I looked straight at him and said clearly. ¡°It was his Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°Why would the Emperor kill the Princess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. His Majesty planned to kill me on our wedding day. He would have me killed and accuse the Grand Duke for the murder.¡± When the word ¡®murder¡¯ came out, the Grand Duke, who had been showing nonchalant look as if he was listening to a joke, hardened his complexion in an instant. At a glance, I could already see that wrinkles formed on his well-shaped forehead. ¡°How did you find out about this?¡± This was the most important part. I answered with no hesitation and frankness. ¡°I saw the future through my divine power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was a moment of silence in the dark chapel. Even though all the windows were closed, I could feel a cool breeze passing between the two of us. The Grand Duke blinked a few times, as if he could not believe what he had just heard. It was a look that said, ¡®What the hell is this now?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please say that again. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a problem with my hearing¡­¡­ But what you just said right now sounded completely strange.¡± He asked if I could repeat it once more, it was so polite enough to be cheeky. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear it wrong. I saw it from my foresight. You know that I was born with a divine power, right? The ability that I have is to see what will happen in the future.¡± The Grand Duke refuted my words with a skeptical look. ¡°I heard that you lost your powers when you were still young.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Yeah, I thought so as well. But fortunately I didn¡¯t.¡± I calmly prepared myself, and told the story that I devised. I thought that I lost my ability because I had never seen or used my foresight since I was 10 years old. However, immediately after the engagement, the ability of foresight suddenly returned. And that I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but after checking it a few times, I was able to confirm it. Indeed, my ability was revived. It was good until then, but one day, I saw another foresight. The future of being assassinated by an assassin sent by the Emperor himself on the morning of our wedding day. It was the story that I was able to come up with over the past few days. I can¡¯t tell this man that I¡¯m not the real Eve and that we were inside a novel. Fortunately, there was a way to explain based on the original plot, without divulging it. Because Eve really had the power of foresight. However, as I continued to explain, the Grand Duke¡¯s expression became more absurd. At the end of my made-up story, his handsomeness shows an expression of being ridiculed. The Grand Duke murmured calmly, without raising or lowering his voice. ¡°Until a while ago, I thought that the Princess was making fun of me by making up a story in regards to His Majesty¡¯s order, but now¡­¡­ It¡¯s so absurd that it¡¯s hard not to think of it as a conspiracy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to deceive you, Your Grace.¡± The Grand Duke asked again with a look as if saying that he couldn¡¯t comprehend my words. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, according to your foresight, Her Highness will be murdered on the day of our wedding, and that it was His Majesty¡¯s plan to accuse me of the crime?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s definitely it. From what I have seen, the assassination has certainly succeeded.¡± The Grand Duke did not take his eyes off my face. His eyes were full of distrust. As if he was looking at a crazy person. Well, if I hear something like this all of a sudden, I would be suspicious as well, then I asked him again anxiously. ¡°Did you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°I already knew that my fiancee was violent and ruthless, but it¡¯s hard to understand with certainty that it could be possible that you¡¯re mentally ill as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy. This is not a delusion.¡± Of course, it was only natural that my story could not be considered as the only proof to prove my point. But that¡¯s okay. Since I had evidence to prove my foresight. ¡°Please believe in me. I will be able to prove myself in the coming days. A solar eclipse will occur in the morning, exactly five days from now.¡± Five days from now, 35 days before Eve¡¯s wedding, an unexpected solar eclipse occurs. Originally, it was customary to observe astronomy and predict solar and lunar eclipses at the Great Hall or at the Academy. But the eclipse was something no one had predicted. In the original story, everyone was confused about the sudden change in the astronomical orbit. ¡®Actually, it happened because Sorel, the female lead, accidentally woke up a sealed divine beast after she was left behind in the battlefield.¡¯ Anyway, the circumstances are not revealed until the second half of the story. So I can use a little bit of it. ¡°Did you also see that from your foresight?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± The Grand Duke still looked in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t say that it was it was thanks to your divine power that you managed to find out about the location of the relic.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Yes, I was able to see the relics in one of my visions of the future.¡± I lied naturally. ¡°His Majesty the Emperor is trying to kill me and entrap the Grand Duke. This is not a lie, I can assure you that.¡± The Grand Duke did not seem to believe it at all. He asked me once again, as he examined my face. ¡°Have you overheard His Majesty¡¯s secret conversation?¡± He wanted to check if I accidentally overheard the Emperor¡¯s plans, and due to fear, I lied about my ability and asked for the Grand Duke¡¯s help. Then, I came up with the story that I regained my ability of foresight and learned about the Emperor¡¯s plan. Considering Eve¡¯s personality, it was definitely a possibility. ¡°No, I did not.¡± I shattered his guess with a calm tone. ¡°You may be wondering if I overheard this, but that is impossible. I haven¡¯t seen His Majesty very often, except for recent official occasions. So I would never have had a chance to overhear His Majesty¡¯s secret meetings.¡± The Emperor was always busy with his work to manage the state affairs, and these days, he was currently fighting in war, so he was never seen inside the Imperial Palace. Even if I had been in the Imperial Palace, he would have been busy with government affairs, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to meet his stupid daughter often, who was always involved in trouble. And there¡¯s no way that the Emperor would talk about such a conspiracy where anyone could hear it. Specifically, in a place where it¡¯s possible for Eve to hear it. ¡°If I could have lied that I had overheard His Majesty¡¯s plans rather than seeing through my foresight, I would have said so from the beginning.¡± In fact, I was planning to use that excuse at first. Overhearing the Emperor¡¯s plans. But I soon realized that such a lie was meaningless. No matter how hard I tried, there was no way for Eve in the original story to know about the Emperor¡¯s secret plan. To add, a lot of spies were planted by the Grand Duke. If I say that, ¡®In this place, at this specific date and time that I heard, His Majesty the Emperor was talking to someone.¡¯ The Grand Duke would definitely call his spies and find out the truth. Even if they cannot confirm the content of the conversation itself, they would be able to find out the person whom His Majesty spoke with at that time, or If I was really nearby at that specific moment. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Thinking like that, I had to direct another reason, something believable and factual. ¡°I never had a chance to hear of such a plan. If I lied¡­.. Your Grace must have figured it out right away. Doesn¡¯t this prove that I¡¯m actually telling the truth?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Complex emotions lingered in the Grand Duke¡¯ deep purple eyes. It was understandable that to some extent, he was still skeptical. Then he asked again. ¡°If that¡¯s the truth, why didn¡¯t you tell people that your powers were back?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be advantageous if people didn¡¯t know about my ability? If no one knows, no one will keep watch on me, less danger to my life.¡± ¡°And you think that it¡¯s okay to tell me?¡± I looked up at his terribly handsome face and said. ¡°If I can¡¯t prove that I¡¯m worthwhile, His Grace, won¡¯t help me.¡± One truth that I¡¯ve come to realize based on my previous life; no one will help me If I cannot prove my worth. ¡°If I never told you about my foresight and just stated the assassination on our wedding day, you would rather wait and see if I would really be killed than help me in advance. Am I right?¡± If I didn¡¯t tell him that I have revived my ability, this Grand Duke would neither help nor protect me. At first, I thought I would ask for help by just divulging my plans for the wedding day. ¡®That I could just hide my foresight and ask for help as I found out about the Emperor¡¯s plan?¡¯ And if he asked me in detail where I heard it, I wouldn¡¯t have much to say. The moment the investigation begins, the fact that my claim was correct would prove I wasn¡¯t lying I synthesized that he would be careful about this matter and look into it regardless of the fact that it was Eve who revealed such information. He could take a closer look and if someone shows any suspicious movement, he can take action. By then, he¡¯ll realize I¡¯m actually telling the truth. Then wouldn¡¯t it be possible to avoid the ending of being murdered on the day of the wedding? I thought it was that simple. But then I realized that it was useless. The Grand Duke didn¡¯t need to help me nor keep me alive to simply to avoid being framed for murder. Rather, it would be more effective to investigate the Emperor¡¯s plan in advance, secure the evidence, then bring in the evidence after I was murdered to reveal his innocence. In this way, the Emperor¡¯s vicious scheme to frame the Grand Duke by killing his own daughter can be exposed to the world. And to add, he can naturally get rid of his annoying fiancee. And the Grand Duke will be able to gain the sympathy of the people for losing his fianc¨¦e and nearly being framed for murder. That was probably the best course of action. After I finished explaining, I looked up at him with my arms crossed and asked again. ¡°If we had only talked about the wedding without revealing my foresight, would you actually help me from simply just that?¡± CH 15 ¡°¡­..¡± The Grand Duke remained silent with a calm face. Well I can¡¯t deny that I had less conscience when I said those words. This cold-hearted man in front of me will never help me unless I can prove that I¡¯m useful. No, to be precise, he will pretend to help and lie to me as he watches me die. It¡¯s better to mention my foresight and frankly seek cooperation than to take such a risk. ¡®If it¡¯s like this, I have to stick on the winning side as well.¡¯ The long fight between the Emperor and the Grand Duke ends with the Grand Duke¡¯s victory. The Grand Duke greatly weakens the power of the Imperial family and reigns in the north. The Male and Female protagonists, who suffered due to the difference in status, were also protected by the Grand Duke and ended up marrying safely to establish a happy family. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®I I want to live my life quietly, I have to cooperate with this person in front of me.¡¯ I approached him and offered a deal frankly. ¡°Please help me. Then, I will help you with my abilities.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) Grand Duke Lenz Terrence, looked closely at his fiancee who was right in front of him. Terrence had never liked Eve even for a moment. Because he considered Eve to be dumber than the hound he raised. Hound dogs can at least memorize both the structure and smell of the forest, but Eve doesn¡¯t have the intelligence to memorize the structure of the Imperial palace. But she seemed a little different today. It reminded me of how I was forced to receive flowers from her at the temple during the day. This woman dared to block me and insisted on taking those flowers. Even if I refused, I knew that she wouldn¡¯t listen and would follow me around until I accepted it. It was not bold, but shameless. That alone is amazing, and even a small folded note was hidden inside the flower. ¡®The note hidden in the petals was quite romantic, though.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a strange thing. Since adulthood, there have been countless women who¡¯ve been trying to seduce him. Terrence has been receiving blatant letters from all kinds of ladies over the years asking for secret meetings. More than half of them were from this Princess. And since he has always been busy, those letters went straight to the trash without even reading. Again, he thought it was such a trivial temptation and tried to throw it away without even reading it. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Please¡­ Please keep this flower by your side and take good care of it.¡± It was a fleeting moment, but Terence sensed the fear and anxiety hidden in that small voice. Even the pale fingers that touched lightly when he was handed the flowers were stiffened with tension. No matter how I looked at it, it didn¡¯t feel like she was asking for a secret meeting. I tried to ignore it at first, but the little voice that asked me to look at the flowers kept bothering me. It was too uncomfortable to ignore and move on, he hesitated but unfolded the small piece of paper. However, there was something completely unexpected about it. It contained a description of where to find a part of the lost heirloom of the Duchy, along with the contents and a request to meet at the Imperial temple at this time. As the Princess said, the statue of the goddess actually had a scabbard inside. In the end, he entered the palace at the request of the Princess. I thought I¡¯d try to hear what she wanted to say. Terrence was so assured that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised no matter what she said. Although he was the Grand Duke, he led a difficult life so that he would not be surprised by anything. But the words that came out of his fianc¨¦e¡¯s mouth were far more surprising than expected. ¡®The Emperor would kill his daughter and frame me.¡¯ Terrence patted the tip of his chin, in deep thought. Even if they put aside what the foresight had to say, it was a story that had a lot of potential loopholes on it. The fact that, once the Princess died, the person most likely to be blamed would be Terrence himself. ¡®If I never told you about my foresight and just stated the assassination on our wedding day, you would rather wait and see if I would really be killed than help me in advance. Am I right?¡® Of course, if he had known that the Emperor was thinking like that, he would have neglected the death of the Princess. It was far more beneficial for him to uncover the Emperor¡¯s evil deeds after the Princess died than to save her as he discovered the truth. The Princess in front of him was also aware of that fact. ¡®It seems like she¡¯s having a sense of realization.¡¯ Like telling him that ¡®I¡¯m not that stupid.¡¯ When he realized that the other person was of the opposite sex, the situation felt even more bizarre. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®On the one hand, I wondered if all of this was a ploy from the Emperor.¡¯ But what can the emperor get from such a plan? All the Princess wanted now was just to protect herself. Terrence looked carefully at Eve¡¯s white face. There was no lie showing on her innocent face. Terrence seemed to really believe what she was saying. He thought for a moment, then opened his mouth. ¡°You said that you saw me on the wedding day when you looked into the future.¡± ¡°Yes. But that¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then let me ask you one thing.¡± Terrence cut off Eve¡¯s words and asked clearly. ¡°What was I wearing then?¡± They said that lying is like a sandcastle. Although it looks solid from the outside, it collapses in an instant if you touch the weak part. To check whether the other person¡¯s statement is a lie, it¡¯s good to point out small details out of the blue. No matter how hard she tries to make up a story, if it¡¯s not something that actually happened, but a story made up of lies, there¡¯s bound to be a loophole somewhere. But Eve did not panic. She stared blankly at Terrence for a moment before answering. ¡°You were wearing a black court robe.¡± Terrence¡¯s purple eyes widened a little. It was yesterday morning that the butler said, ¡°I will prepare a new military uniform before the wedding.¡± At that time, he roughly thought of it, but then changed his mind right after he saw his little brother playing in the mansion¡¯s garden around lunchtime. At some point, his younger brother, Lot, was talking about the Crown Prince whom he had seen on the day of the event and said casually. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t my brother wear a court robe? I want to see my brother in a court robe. I¡¯m sure that you would look cooler than the Prince.¡± It had already been several months, and it was a memory that Terrence himself had forgotten until then. Since childhood, Terrence has only worn military uniforms whenever he goes to war. And he also wore it whenever he attended court events. It was supposed to be the same this time, but he changed his mind when the words of his younger brother came to mind. ¡®This time, I¡¯ll be wearing a court robe, In black.¡¯ The last court robe that he wore was probably indigo blue. It¡¯s not a bad idea either, but he thought that a plain color would be better this time. Black would be fitting for a wedding. That¡¯s what he had decided. He hasn¡¯t given his order yet, let alone the deacon, to prepare court robes. It was definitely a coincidence that she got it right. ¡®It could be a coincidence.¡¯ Since Terrence always wore a military uniform for every event. She may have thought that I won¡¯t be giving her an answer for the clothes that I¡¯ll be wearing most of the time, she might have thought that it would be court robes in a moment¡¯s notice. If the color is men¡¯s clothing, it is navy blue, gray, or black. He doesn¡¯t even have much gold or white clothes. Even so, it felt strange that one thing was right. Up until a while ago, he thought that it was completely crazy, but now he was like, ¡®No way¡­¡­.¡¯ In fact, Princess Eve was born with the ability to foresee the future. Although there are only a handful of times she has actually seen a foresight, and it is known that even that has disappeared after the age of 10. ¡®Does that mean that she really revived her ability?¡¯ It¡¯s still unbelievable, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check it anyway. Terrence thought for a moment, then said. ¡°Honestly, what you just said is so nonsensical that it¡¯s hard to believe it.¡± ¡°Of course you would. Still, if you wait a little, the eclipse will definitely be¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to wait five more days just to prove that you¡¯re not crazy.¡± Terrence cut the Princess¡¯s words firmly. ¡°So if you really have regained your foresight¡­.¡± He said, looking intently into the other person¡¯s bright blue eyes. ¡°Predict what will happen to me tonight.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°¡­ What?¡± What the hell is this? For a moment, I thought I heard it wrong. For me to see his future? Would that even work at this moment? Of course, I remember the original story, so I can just tell him the contents of the original¡­.. ¡®But what would happen to the Grand Duke tonight?¡¯ No matter how much I look back at the original story, I couldn¡¯t remember what happened to the Grand Duke tonight. ¡®¡­ Tonight¡¯s event doesn¡¯t seem to have appeared in the original story at all.¡¯ At this moment that focus of the novel was on Sorel, who went to war. The work of the institution passes only with brief explanations in between the chapters. The Grand Duke appears at the center of the story in earnest when Eve was finally murdered. What he was doing until then is not revealed in detail. It was natural. No matter how hard I¡¯ve read the original, I couldn¡¯t know the actions of the characters in it. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Wouldn¡¯t it be boring to write down and describe each and every action of each character day and night? Even the main character is not written in such detail. After a lot of thought, I stammered and explained. CH 16 ¡°About that¡­. Since it was only a few days ago when I last used my foresight. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to see any specific details right now.¡± ¡°How often does it appear?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen that often. It was about once every two or three days.¡± Of course, I wasn¡¯t sure of it. I saw the vision for the first time in 4 days after I possessed this body, so I guessed that it might be that frequent. If I could see everything that I wanted to see, I would have seen and prepared for receiving such a difficult request. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m in trouble right now. Just because you want to see it doesn¡¯t mean I can see it anytime.¡± The Grand Duke seemed to have lost interest when he heard my explanation. ¡°It¡¯s an uncontrollable ability¡­..¡± It sounded as if our conversation was now becoming useless. I quickly added an excuse. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve regained my abilities. The more I practice, the better my skills will be.¡± In fact, I wasn¡¯t even sure about that as well. Even in the original work, Eve¡¯s foresight ability is not described in detail. Eve died in vain before she could show any of her abilities, so I can¡¯t go into details. In any case, what is certain is that the foresight can only be seen by touching the person involved with bare hands. And when I touch someone, I have to think about what I want to see in order for me to see the future related to that person. That¡¯s why when I brushed the Duchess¡¯s hand with the question in mind, ¡®Why is the Duchess¡¯s daughter suddenly ill and unable to attend the wedding?¡®, so the incident of the ball became a foresight. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°I see.¡± But the Grand Duke was still indifferent. It was clear that he didn¡¯t believe anything that I said. ¡®What if he backed out?¡¯ The Grand Duke was a more arrogant and cold-hearted man than I imagined while reading the original novel. Seriously, it was not likely that a person of this size would easily believe that my ability had suddenly returned. ¡®But then why did he suddenly ask about the color of his clothes? I¡¯m glad the original story briefly mentions the clothes the Grand Duke wore on his wedding day. Otherwise, I would have been unable to answer.¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect to be asked such a question. It was a question that completely poked the other person¡¯s loophole. Seriously, even if I really saw that scene using my foresight, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered the color of his clothes. Fortunately, there is a scene in the original story where the Grand Duke talks to Sorel about court robes. ¡®I¡¯ve never worn it before, but it was only that day that I wore a black court robe.¡¯ Maybe it was when he went to the ball with Sorel. When Sorel looked at him and said that he had never seen the Grand Duke in a court robe, this was the man¡¯s answer. Thanks to the original story, the question passed, but the Grand Duke nevertheless remained in doubt. I can¡¯t help it. I decided to try it out of desperation. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try it out if you want. But, I need your cooperation on it.¡± ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s because I¡¯ll be looking at your future.¡± The Grand Duke watched me with an indifferent look on his face, as if saying ¡°If it¡¯s needed then let¡¯s do it.¡± I hesitated and held out my hand. ¡°I¡­.. Then I will need to hold your hand.¡± The Grand Duke frowned in displeasure. Wrinkle shows on that good-looking forehead. I slowly withdrew my hand. Well, Eve was a serious stalker. Since the said stalker asks if she can hold his hand, there¡¯s no way that she would get a good response to it. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± ¡°I have to touch something for me to see it.¡± I stretched out my bare hands and explained carefully. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°My ability would trigger, because my hands are the medium. I can only foresee when I touch that specific person involved.¡± On the other hand, I was also hoping that this man would refuse to hold hands with me. Because there is little chance that my foresight will appear here and now. ¡®It would be better if he gave up on it because he was so disgusted towards Eve.¡¯ But my wish didn¡¯t come true. The Grand Duke, who had been standing silently, took off his gloves and approached me. ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You can hold it if you need to.¡± The Grand Duke still looked unwilling, but surprisingly extended a hand. What, seriously? I just stared blankly and he took a step forward. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, of course¡­.¡± I carefully wrapped my hand around him. It was a big and strong hand, even at first glance. I can feel the calluses firmly embedded in the palms of his hands. My hands were cold due to the chill of a winter night, but the Grand Duke¡¯s hands were warmer than they looked. I feel a strange palpitation of the warmth transmitted through my skin. Suddenly, I remember what Nell said in the temple. It is said that if the person¡¯s hands are warm, that person has a warm heart. The Grand Duke¡¯s hand was warmer than mine. I guess Nell knows the opposite meaning. It may be that the warmer the person¡¯s hands are, the colder their personality is, right? As I was thinking about it, I slowly looked up and saw the Grand Duke¡¯s face looking down at me. The facial features that create a beautiful line while exuding a strong impression like a man. The white moonlight cast dark shadows on his neat nose and jawline. He had a much more beautiful face than the statue standing by the window. Personality aside, looking at his appearance, he was absolutely perfect. ¡®To hold hands with this handsome man in the dark in the middle of the night.¡¯ I feel embarrassed and ashamed, but somehow my heart is tickling. ¡®Let¡¯s focus, focus.¡¯ I closed my eyes to focus on my foresight, avoiding the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze. But even after waiting for a long time, nothing was seen. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. A few minutes passed in silence. A slow voice was heard overhead. ¡°How long do we have to hold hands¡± ¡°Well, please bear with me for a minute.¡± Please. I closed my eyes and prayed earnestly. Anything is fine, so please show me one, please. This may be my first and last chance. If I couldn¡¯t prove my ability in front of him, this man wouldn¡¯t believe me even if he saw the solar eclipse that would happen in a few days from now. How earnestly I had been praying. In an instant, my vision was distorted. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡ª In an instant, the darkened chapel disappeared. The whole area was covered in white as if walking into a fog, and in the blink of an eye it was transformed into a completely different place. It was in a luxuriously decorated room. There were no beds or desks in that large space, only sofas, tables, and decorative cabinets adorning the walls and colorful consoles. It was probably like a rest room or a drawing room in a large mansion. I could see the back of the Grand Duke sitting in the middle of the chair. It was a fleeting moment, but I approached him slowly, as if walking closer to him. I can see those strong shoulders and the nape of his neck wrapped in military uniforms. As I took a step closer and saw him holding something over his shoulder. The moment I checked it, my vision was covered in darkness once again. ¡ª -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Ah¡­..!¡± I opened my eyes in surprise. When I came to my senses, I was back in the darkened chapel. The Grand Duke was looking intently at my pale face. ¡°Did you see something?¡± I recalled the illusion that had passed by for a brief moment. ¡°Yes, I have definitely seen His Grace.¡± For a moment, I felt like I had opened another person¡¯s door and had glimpsed the back of this man sitting in the room. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was a short scene, but the illusion was so vivid and intense. Since I earnestly prayed for him to appear, my foresight appeared. ¡®If I focus with an earnest heart, will I be able to have another foresight?¡¯ When I tried it on Nell while we were still in the temple, it didn¡¯t work, but this time it showed up easily. After all, when I touched the Duchess, I didn¡¯t intend to see the future, but it suddenly appeared. They appear randomly when I focus on seeing them, but sometimes they appear randomly and unexpectedly. I still didn¡¯t know exactly how it would work. Anyway, I¡¯ve seen two predictions so far. Both times, my foresight felt the same. As if I had entered that space myself, I could look around, I could approach them closely and even peeked at whatever they¡¯re doing. I thought it was simply showing a scene like a picture, but a much more specific and vivid illusion appeared. This might be more useful than I think it is. ¡°So¡­ what kind of foresight was it?¡± The Grand Duke asked with a slightly curious gaze. I came to my senses and looked back at my memories. Apparently, the Grand Duke was sitting at the table and looking at what was in his hand. ¡°His Grace was holding a card.¡± What he was holding was two cards. It was a trump card used in a card game. ¡°One was a heart and the other was a clover. There were also numbers. Both were seven.¡± Even in this world, there were games that you could easily enjoy using cards. Card games were a common game enjoyed by male nobles in social circles. In the original plot, there was no mention of the Grand Duke enjoying playing card games, but if he¡¯s going to a social gathering, maybe he will have a chance to participate at least once. Then that means it was not a groundless coincidental scene. CH 17 ¡°A pair of seven.¡± The Grand Duke, who had been quietly listening to my overenthusiastic explanation, smiled lightly. ¡°It was a very interesting story.¡± He let go of my hand with a satisfied look on his face. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we need to hear more.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of work that I do inside the Duchy these days?¡± What kind of work he does inside the mansion? At that moment, it suddenly crossed my mind that the Grand Duke was going to go to war after the wedding. It was to quell the southern regions where the rebellion was about to take place. Of course, the planned expedition was canceled as Eve got murdered and he was identified as the suspect. ¡°War¡­¡­ You are preparing for war, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re urgently organizing a new unit because we¡¯re going to the battlefield right after our wedding. I came here while finishing the paperwork for the newly formed division a while ago.¡± He continued with a cold smile. ¡°I don¡¯t usually gamble much, but I can¡¯t afford to play card games, especially during times like this.¡± As if saying that, he¡¯s not usually wasting his precious time on a day like this. With an indifferent look on his face. ¡°But it¡¯s something that you don¡¯t know yet.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Foresight will not happen in just a minute or two. It would only be proven after some time. ¡°Please wait for a day or even a few hours. I can assure that it will really happen ¡­.¡± I said these words while looking straight into the Grand Duke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please¡­. Believe me then.¡± I was beginning to get worried that the foresight that I received might be wrong, but I already decided to gamble. Because Eve really had the power to predict the future. The Grand Duke focused his attention on me for a moment without answering. Whether my confidence and conviction had been conveyed, or whether he just thought there was no need to continue the conversation,he eventually nodded. ¡°Okay. I promise.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) Our conversation ended like that. I took a step as I went back to the Imperial Palace. I looked around to see if anyone was passing and luckily there was no one. As I cautiously walked down the hallway, I heard footsteps following me. I looked back as I walked, the Grand Duke who was following me stopped the moment I laid my eyes on him. Why is this person following me? ¡°Why are you coming this way?¡± This is the direction to the center of the Imperial Palace. If he continues to walk this path, he will find the Princess¡¯s palace as well as the other residence of the Imperial family. And the way out would be on the other side. The Grand Duke replied indifferently. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to your palace.¡± ¡°If I pass on to this corridor, it¡¯s already the Imperial Palace.¡± Hearing my words, a soft smile showed at the corner of the Grand Duke¡¯s lips. It was a smile that was sweet and beautiful enough to be mesmerized even in the dark. It was so beautiful that it made my heart pound for a moment, but the words that followed did not resonate with me at all. ¡°It is not polite to send a lady alone in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The same person who said that he would break my neck anytime, is now talking politely to a lady. I noticed his intentions and stopped myself from smirking. ¡°Are you thinking that I might go somewhere else? Or are you afraid that I might go out and meet another person?¡± Even after taking out all the cards that I had and showing it to him, it seems that my behavior still seems suspicious. I could understand that it¡¯s that hard to believe right away, because I suddenly said those things to him. ¡°No it¡¯s not like that.¡± However, the Grand Duke silently denied my expectations. ¡°I just wanted to make sure that Her Highness returned back safely. There are a lot of dangerous people inside the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Now that the Emperor is absent, the most dangerous person in the palace would probably the Grand Duke. I wanted to point that out, but I refrained from doing so because I didn¡¯t want to argue for a long time in a place like this. ¡°Do whatever you want then.¡± Resigning to do what he wanted, I continued to walk again, but before I could take three steps ahead I was already caught by the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke who was following me suddenly grabbed my arm and hid behind a pillar by the hallway. Just as I was about to scream reflexively, he immediately placed a finger on my lips. ¡°Shh.¡± I was going to ask what he was doing, when I heard calm footsteps from the end of the hallway. The faint sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet hallway, getting louder and clearer. Obviously someone was coming this way. The Grand Duke wrapped his arms around my waist and went deeper into the pillar. (T/N: Ayieee, I can¡¯t help but hope for this ship to sail, lmao.) (PR: same huhuhuhu TT^TT) The cramped space between the wall and the column made it difficult for even one person to enter and stand. Suddenly, I got into the position of being embraced in the Grand Duke¡¯s arms. But there was no time for panic. The sound of footsteps in the hallway was getting closer and I had to stay still. After a while, someone¡¯s figure was reflected in the window next to the pillar. It was a young man in a well-groomed knightly uniform. The moment I saw the color of his hair, I took a deep breath. Silver like the moonlight. Beautiful silver hair, free from any impurities, shone like the Milky Way in the dark hallway. As soon as I saw that unusual hair color, I recognized the man¡¯s identity. This man is Mikhail Sheldon. He is the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights of the Albion Empire and the original male protagonist of this novel. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ I met the male protagonist at an unexpected moment. After all, Mikhail was the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights, he was always guarding the inside of the Imperial Palace. Even so, how can we be this unlucky. I just can¡¯t believe that I¡¯ll be meeting the male lead in this kind of situation. ¡®I haven¡¯t even met him once in the five days I¡¯ve been in the Imperial Palace.¡¯ I was praying for him to just pass by, but Mikhail, who was walking this way, suddenly stopped. Then he looked at where we were and shouted, perhaps feeling our presence in the dark. ¡°You there, who are you?¡± When no one answered back, Mikhail quickly drew his sword. The dark blue blade of the moonlight left a long shadow on the hallway wall. The shadow was slowly approaching us. ¡®What should we do about this?¡¯ This was in the middle of the hallway. There was nowhere to hide except for the pillars where we were hiding. The Grand Duke pulled me closer, who was also troubled by our situation. As soon as he touched his hard chest, I heard a low voice in my ears. ¡°Princess, please close your eyes for a moment.¡± At first, I couldn¡¯t understand what that meant. It was only when I saw the Grand Duke¡¯s right hand go toward his left sleeve that I understood what he meant. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. After reading the original story, I knew for sure. The fact that a dagger that he had for self-defense has always been hidden in the left sleeve of the Grand Duke. I screamed softly, as I stopped him. ¡°No!¡± He¡¯s going to kill Mikhail! I held the Grand Duke¡¯s wrist tightly with both hands. What if he managed to kill the Male lead? What will happen to the story? Even in the dark shadows, the Grand Duke¡¯s forehead was clearly visible. Then I heard footsteps right next to me. When I turned around, Mikhail, who heard my voice, ran and stood with his sword pointed at us. ¡°Your Grace, what are you doing in a place like this¡­¡­¡± As he approached us while looking at the Grand Duke, he belatedly noticed my presence and opened his eyes wide. ¡°I greet you, Your Highness the Princess.¡± Mikhail hurriedly put the sword in and bent over at me. Before I could answer, I heard a calm voice from behind me. ¡°Sir Sheldon. Since you managed to interfere with our secret meeting, shouldn¡¯t you apologize for that first?¡± ¡®Huh? Interrupting what?¡¯ Mikhail¡¯s green eyes shook slightly at the indifferent rebuke by the Grand Duke. A slight redness was visible on his smooth skin. ¡°I apologize. Your Highness.¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± This isn¡¯t like a secret meeting. I closed my mouth when I almost denied it, it would seem less suspicious to say it¡¯s a secret meeting. ¡°Sir Sheldon.¡± I quickly stepped forward before the Grand Duke made any more strange movements. ¡°I want you to keep it a secret that you saw us here today.¡± I don¡¯t think that this person will go around and gossip about seeing the Princess and the Grand Duke secretly dating, but it¡¯s better to make it clear. I said, as I looked straight at Mikhail¡¯s well-groomed face. ¡°If you keep this a secret, I will keep the secret of the third brick as well.¡± Mikhail looked at me with shocking eyes. The stone wall on the left side of the North Library. The third brick in the middle of the wall. Unlike other stones, the brick can be pulled out with one hand. Mikhail and Sorel secretly exchanged letters through it. It¡¯s not a love letter because they¡¯re not officially dating yet. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was just a letter that wrote down every little thing that happened inside the Imperial palace. ¡®Mikhail used to comfort Sorel when he confided about difficult things while adjusting to life in the Imperial Palace. He told her about the hardships that he had when he first became a knight.¡¯ The two exchange secret letters like this and gradually build a friendship. Still, it wasn¡¯t just everyday chatter. In the meantime, Mikhail helped Sorel by exchanging information in that way whenever an incident occurred. Of course, this is a secret that should have been known to Sorel and Mikhail only. CH 18 ¡°¡­..¡± Mikhail¡¯s green eyes trembled in shock. As he was about to say something, he saw the Grand Duke and immediately shut his mouth. He seemed to realize that I had deliberately not mentioned the exact location because I was conscious of the Grand Duke. I said with a leisurely smile. ¡°If that fact became known, wouldn¡¯t the other person be in trouble?¡± I didn¡¯t mention the name in case that the Grand Duke would understand, since the other person, Sorel, would be in great trouble once this was known. A scandal will spread if it is discovered that the unmarried Princess secretly exchanged letters with the deputy commander of the Knights Templar. And it would be a big scandal, because the Princess¡¯ lover was a former commoner. ¡°¡­..¡± Mikhail¡¯s green eyes were faintly field with anger. I, on the other hand, who he saw as the original Eve, tried to threaten Sorel¡¯s status by mentioning her name. And I¡¯m very sure that he¡¯s really angry at me right now. Eve was a bad sister who always bothered Sorel. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you keep this meeting secret, I will keep it a secret as well.¡± ¡°How can I¡­..¡± ¡°How can you believe my words? Well I¡¯ve been keeping it a secret up until now, right.¡± Mikhail tried to refute my words, but kept his mouth shut. His green eyes showed signs of confusion as he looked at me. As if saying that, it¡¯s really unbelievable. If it was the original Eve, she would have already informed everyone as if she had waited as soon as she found out about the information that would be unfavorable to Sorel. Eve must have already been screaming about it all over the capital. After a brief thought, Mikhail nodded. ¡°All right. In my honor, I will thoroughly hide this matter.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± Mikhail¡¯s gaze wandered anxiously between me and the Grand Duke. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to your palace now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go back alone.¡± Everyone is trying to take me back to my palace, it makes the Imperial Palace seem like a dangerous back alley. Even so, it¡¯s still a short walk from the Imperial Palace. Mikhail looked worried for a moment, but eventually turned around politely. ¡°Then I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± I watched his back slowly move away to the end of the hallway. According to the original story, Mikhail was originally the illegitimate son of a high-ranking nobleman. Abandoned by his father, he lived alone with his poor mother. It is a setting that he trained to become a knight in his spare time while earning a living by doing chores from an early age. He was a hard worker to match such a background setting, and he was also a person who valued faithfulness and honor more than life. In a way, he was considered to be an upright person. ¡°It was amazing that you have the weakness of the deputy general of the Knights Templar, trusted by the Emperor.¡± ¡­¡­It¡¯s the difference between heaven and earth with the arrogant man over here. While looking at the place where Mikhail had disappeared, I heard the Grand Duke¡¯s voice from behind me. There was again a feeling of interest in his gaze. His handsome face overlapped with the appearance of Mikhail whom I just met. Although the atmosphere was completely different, there were parts of the facial features that were somehow similar. ¡®Come to think of it, these two¡­¡­¡¯ The relationship between the original work came to mind belatedly. These two were definitely half-brothers. The secret of his birth is revealed only in the later part of the original story. The main character, Mikhail, and the sub-male lead, Grand Duke Terrence, are actually half-brothers. It is a setting where the former Grand Duke, a playboy, forced Mikhail¡¯s mother, who was a maid, to conceive and abandon her. Until then, the Grand Duke had kept it a secret, and no one knew about it except him. Even Mikhail himself did not know. Mikhail¡¯s mother did not tell anyone who his father was after she was driven out of the Dukedom while being pregnant. I quickly told the Grand Duke. ¡°Sir Sheldon is a man of integrity, so there is no need to worry. He would never reveal what happened today.¡± I was afraid that this man might assassinate Mikhail to keep his mouth shut. Even in the original plot, the Grand Duke was deeply displeased with Mikhail. He couldn¡¯t look at him in a good way, especially after he had known that he was his illegitimate half-brother. ¡®Well, what did Mikhail do wrong?¡¯ Mikhail is only guilty of having the wrong parents. Rather, he was a sincere man who overcame an unfortunate birth and worked hard to become the deputy general of the Knights Templar with his own strength. In addition to that, he is the Male Protagonist of this world and if he would be killed in such a way, the original story would be shattered. As if reading my mind, the Grand Duke asked with a cynical look. ¡°Are you afraid that I will kill him?¡± ¡°Yes, I am worried.¡± It was either the Emperor or this man who conspired and assassinated people here and there. Even in the original story, they make plans for each other while giving and taking. ¡®I think I can see now why the heroine chose Mikhail over this man.¡¯ For a husband, Mikhail, who is faithful and trustworthy, is far better than such an arrogant and insidious man. Work hard and be diligent. Is such a good trait for a man. The Grand Duke approached me with a strange look. ¡°Is that why you stopped me just now?¡± He seems to be talking about the circumstances that we had in the hallway. ¡°I have no choice but to stop it. If you kill someone inside the Imperial Palace, how are you going to handle the aftermath?¡± ¡°Who said that I was going to kill him?¡± The Grand Duke said, while he smirked. ¡°I was just trying to stun him with a dagger dipped in sedative.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the same?¡± Stabbing with a dagger to stun someone? If you make a mistake, he would also die, right? Even if he wakes up alive, they will thoroughly investigate whoever attacked the deputy general of the Knights Templar in the middle of the night. The Grand Duke stared at me for a moment without saying a word. There was a slight discomfort in his numb purple eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. ¡°I will admit that the Princess¡¯s method was way more effective.¡± Surprisingly, he readily admits it. ¡°I should get going now. We might end up meeting someone else again.¡± The Grand Duke followed me without saying whether he agreed with me or not. I walked with him down the corridor. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Fortunately, after that, I was able to get out safely without encountering anyone. In front of the garden road leading to the back gate of the Imperial Palace, I parted with the Grand Duke. ¡°I hope to see you again soon.¡± Instead of answering, the Grand Duke looked at me for a few seconds and then turned around. I watched him go back and went into the palace. ¡®It was a stormy night.¡¯ When I entered the bedroom, I was completely exhausted. I collapsed in bed and fell asleep. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) The Milky Way ran through the pitch-black night sky. After leaving the Imperial Palace, Terence returned to the Duchy in a carriage that had been waiting for him. He let out an annoyed sigh as he got off the carriage. ¡®I wasted my time needlessly.¡¯ The secret meeting with his fiancee left only an uncomfortable feeling. It was common sense that there¡¯s no way that he would be playing cards at a time like this. In the first place, the foresight was somewhat absurd and random. But still, somehow, he felt uneasy. Was it because the Princess that he saw in the dark hall left a strangely deep impression? ¡®Anyways, the Emperor needs to be investigated.¡¯ With that thought in mind, Terrence walked towards his office. ¡°Your Grace, Colonel Camion has been waiting for you for hours.¡± Before entering the office, the old butler followed Terrence and reported. ¡°Camion is here?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s been waiting for you in the break room.¡± Camion has long been a close aide to Terrence as his right hand. Terence opened the door himself and entered the break room. As soon as the door opened, the men who were sitting at the table got up immediately. Two young knights in military uniform. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Meanwhile, a dark-brown-haired man sitting in the middle bowed his head politely towards Terence. ¡°I greet you, Your Grace.¡± Terrence, who went inside without much thought, was startled to see what was on the table. Cards were scattered here and there on the round table in the center of the break room. Terrence, who had paused for a moment looking at the card drawer, quickly regained his senses and went inside. ¡°Camion. What are you doing in my break room?¡± At Terence¡¯s hard tone, Camion let out an embarrassed laugh. Camion was an outstanding soldier and a loyal servant of Terrence. He was a fairly decent handsome man with dark brown hair and dark red eyes, but a scar across his left eye added a dangerous impression to his handsome face. The solid and strong-looking physique also created an intimidating atmosphere. Camion made a hasty excuse. ¡°I have been waiting here for two hours. It¡¯s so boring that I have to endure it. While we were waiting, we chatted for a while to clear our minds.¡± The other officers who were playing with each other politely bowed their heads and went outside. Instead of answering, Terence turned his gaze to the table scattered with cards. ¡®I thought that I would never go near the gambling house, let alone a card game, but as soon as I returned to the Duchy, a card appeared right in front of my eyes.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡¯ It was certainly a coincidence, nothing more than that. (PR: Haha, hilarious our dear Duke, think that way¡­¡­for now.) However, even though he judged it as rationally as possible, he couldn¡¯t hide the strange feeling he was getting. Suspicions began to bloom at the bottom of his heart. No way, Impossible¡­¡­ CH 19 (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) Camion felt embarrassed when he noticed that Terrence glared at the table for a long time. He couldn¡¯t understand why the Grand Duke, who would normally give a brief admonition and take him to his office, suddenly behaved like that. Camion, who was a bit worried, asked cautiously. ¡°Would you like to play a game with me since it¡¯s been a long time?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Card games and alcohol were old habits of military officers. Terrence was not a person who enjoyed gambling, but when the battle entered into a lull, he sometimes enjoyed playing games with his subordinates to take a break. However, outside of the battlefield, he never took part in any gambling game, even if it¡¯s just for fun. It was a question that he was not expecting, but Terrence, who had been standing still, sat down without a word. Camion was even more perplexed. ¡°Are we really going to do it?¡± ¡°Only one round.¡± When doubts arise that seem unclear, it is better to confront them directly and see the results. After seeing the results with his own eyes, he would be able to prove with certainty that what that woman said was all just nonsense, and he will be able to forget it cleanly. Camion, who was sitting across from him, shuffled the cards while observing Terrence. The cards went back and forth and the remaining decks were placed in the middle. They both took their cards and started the game. Camion picked up a new card and looked into Terrence¡¯s eyes. ¡°I heard that you went to the temple during the day¡±.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were watching me.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Camion smiled sadly and said. ¡°And I also heard that Her Highness forced you to accept a bouquet of flowers.¡± ¡°Is that what the rumor said?¡± ¡°Yes. And they also said that His Grace received the flowers with an annoyed look on his face.¡± Camion glanced at Terrence¡¯s calm expression and added. ¡°Everyone is saying that the Grand Duke was not very happy with this marriage.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not wrong.¡± Camion looked into Terrence¡¯s eyes as he tried to comfort him carefully. ¡°However, the Emperor did promise you that he would give back the old territory of the Lenz family in exchange for marrying the Princess, right?¡± Terrence picked up the card and paused slightly. ¡®Yeah. This part was definitely weird.¡¯ The territory was an area that was taken away by the Imperial family when the Lenz family was incorporated into the Empire. It must have been an important area at the time, but now it has been practically a useless land. Still, Terrence has long wanted to reclaim the land of his ancestors. The Emperor, who noticed this, promised to return the old land of the Grand Duchy in return for the marriage. Although it has not yet been officially announced yet, he declared that he would do so in front of the ministers. ¡®Why are they pushing this marriage so hard?¡¯ Others even thought that the Emperor was tossing prey at him and handing over his troublesome daughter. For the Emperor, it would be far better for Terrence to marry a stupid Princess than to marry and form an alliance with the daughter of another powerful family. And once that the Princess becomes the Grand Duchess, they can legally plant spies inside the Grand Duchess¡¯ residence. They can¡¯t expect Eve to act as a spy, but once she gets married, she can bring maids and servants along with her. Among them would be inserted spies to monitor the Grand Duchy. And marrying the Princess will not provide Terrence the power to be involved in the Imperial family. After all, even the Crown Prince hated his younger sister, Eve. If Terrence married Eve, there¡¯s no way that he would be able to join hands with the Crown Prince. In every way, it was a marriage full of gains for the Emperor and losses for the Grand Duke. If the Emperor had not begged in front of the ministers, referring to the old lands of the Grand Duke, he would never have accepted this marriage. ¡®But Princess Eve said all of these were the Emperor¡¯s traps.¡¯ Even if it was real, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. The Emperor was an enemy who had sought his life since he was young. Even so, it¡¯s hard to believe that the Emperor would take advantage of his daughter¡¯s life. It was not a particularly groundless story, but the current Imperial politics was a tight battlefield. It¡¯s better to be careful with anything. ¡°Camion.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°See if there are any suspicious moves on the Emperor¡¯s side. Especially the Imperial Knights Commander Sir Gailen.¡± If the Emperor moves someone, it would be his right hand, the commander of the Knights Templar. Camion obeyed his orders without saying a word. ¡°Yes, I will do a thorough investigation.¡± The game ended after the cards went back and forth a few more times. Camion laid out the five cards that he was holding. ¡°I won.¡± Terrence also put down his hand. There was one 7, though. It¡¯s not a heart or a clover, it¡¯s a spade. Even that was only one. But it was still useless, since it didn¡¯t match the Princess¡¯s foresight. Terrence got up from his seat. In any case, he would continue to investigate the marriage. And to find out how severe the mental state of his fiancee is. It was when he stood up after thinking like that. Suddenly the door opened and a little boy ran inside. ¡°Brother Terrence!¡± ¡°Lot?¡± It was his younger brother, Robert. Who just turned 9 years old this year. Lot rushed over and put himself inside Terence¡¯s arms. Terrence stroked his younger brother¡¯s soft blonde hair. ¡°Lot. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came because I missed you!¡± ¡°Without a servant?¡± ¡°Yes ¡­¡­ I came alone.¡± Lot¡¯s bedroom is a little further away from here. Seeing him come all the way here alone in the middle of the night, he must have sneaked out. Terrence smiled as if he had no choice but to see his younger brother acting cute in his arms. ¡°Big brother, are you playing card games?¡± Lot smiled broadly as he looked at the table belatedly. ¡°Let¡¯s do Mau Mau!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to play, mau mau! Mau Mau says I can do it too.¡± Mau Mau is a game played by three or four players holding five or six cards. The rest of the cards are placed face down on the table and each player turns them over one by one. If a card with the same shape or number as the one you are holding appears, discard it along with the card you were holding, and if there is no card that matches, take the reversed card as it is. In that way, it was a very simple game, in which the first person to shake off all the cards in his hand wins. It wasn¡¯t like that in the original game, but when Terrence was young, he changed the rules to be simpler while playing with Lot. Lot grabbed the hem of his robe with both hands and hung at him. ¡°Can we play, brother? Can you play mau mau with me?¡± ¡°Well¡­..¡±. Terrence put on a slightly perplexed expression on his face, but couldn¡¯t help but say yes to his brother¡¯s twinkling eyes with anticipation. For Terrence, young Lot was his only family. Sadly, Terrence spent more than half of the year on the battlefield, he didn¡¯t have much time to spend with Lot. Camion smiled as he looked at the two brothers. ¡°Then should the three of us do it together?¡±¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lot quickly took a seat in an empty chair and sat down. Terrence had no choice but to return back to his seat. Camion skillfully shuffled the cards and dealt several cards to the three of them. Then, in turn, one card is turned over from the remaining decks. Terrence had a matching card, but deliberately pretended not to match and took another card on the deck. He was making sure that his younger brother had as much fun, since this is the first time that they had played together for a long time. Camion, who was with them, noticed Terrence¡¯s intention. So when it was his turn, he smiled and picked up a card on the deck as well. Young Lot was the only one to throw away the paired cards. Violet eyes sparkling like amethysts gems looked intently at the card case. Terrence smiled bitterly at his younger brother, who looked quite serious. When his mother, the Grand Duchess, died, Lot was only an infant around three months old. Because of such a past, for Terrence, Lot has always been a dear younger brother. Terrence roughly discarded a few cards and took a few more until Lot finally won. Without paying close attention to which cards there were, he just roughly kept the number of cards. After a few more turns, Lot puts down the last remaining card. ¡°I won!¡± ¡°Haha. You did a good job, young master.¡± A brief knock broke the friendly atmosphere in the room. The door opened and an old butler entered. He was holding a small coat in his hand. ¡°Master Lot, you were here. You suddenly disappeared and I searched all over the mansion to find you.¡± As soon as Lot saw the butler, he grabbed Terrence¡¯s arm and hung into him. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy¡­¡­ I wanted to play with you more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very late, you should go to sleep now.¡± After hearing the butler¡¯s words, Lot lowered his head as if he had lost his spirit. Lot, who was touching the edge of the table with a sullen face, looked up at Terrence and asked. ¡°Brother, will the Princess visit the Duchy before the day of the wedding?¡± ¡°Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡± Lot, who was not old enough to go out in social circles, had never met the Princess in person, as he only lived inside the Duchy. Thanks to this, Lot became very curious about Princess Eve who was going to marry his older brother. However, Terrence didn¡¯t talk about Eve with his brother in detail. The servants are also banned from telling Lot anything related to the Princess. Lot will find out anyway once he gets married, but he doesn¡¯t need to know in advance that his brother is going to marry such a strange woman. Even if the Princess came to live with them at the Duchy, he was planning to strictly monitor her so that she would never touch the young Lot. CH 20 (3rd Person POV) ¡°Why would the Princess come here before marriage?¡± Lot looked up at Terrence with a slightly disappointed look. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making a model as a wedding present and I don¡¯t know if Her Highness the Princess will like it. I wanted to show it to her once she visited the mansion.¡± The word ¡®gift¡¯ suddenly reminded him of the holy flower that he had received during the day. The flower was still lying on the desk in the office. After checking the note, it became useless, but for some reason he didn¡¯t want to throw it away. ¡°It¡¯s a gift you put a lot of effort into, even the Princess will definitely love it.¡± Whether she liked it or not, I could just tell Lot that the Princess liked it. ¡°Yes, I wish the Princess would come here soon.¡± Lot smiled bashfully, but Terrence had a hard time maintaining his smile. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s play the game again later. It¡¯s already late, so you should go to sleep.¡± Terrence patted his younger brother on the back and tenderly comforted him. ¡°We¡¯re gonna play again later!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Terrence followed his younger brother¡¯s back with his eyes, as he turned around. Camion looked at him and smiled low. ¡°His Grace becomes a completely different person when he is with the young master.¡± Camion spit out a playful joke, then threw down his card, and got up. The break is over, it¡¯s time to go back to work. When he got up from his seat to return back to the office, he didn¡¯t receive a response from Terrence, making him pause.. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. When he turns around with a puzzled look on his face, Terrence remains seated, looking intently at the two remaining cards in his hand. ¡°Your Grace? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Terrence looked into the card case and set it down on the table. ¡°¡­.. No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Two cards were placed side by side in front of him. Heart and a clover. It was a card of red and black seven. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (3rd Person POV) The scenery of the city that was covered with snow could be seen through a window framed by white ice. Terrence looked out the window at the white landscape. The snow that had fallen for a few days had colored the vast islands pure white. From the plaza of the capital to the roof of the Great Hall on the top of the hill, it is covered with white snow as if a white veil was draped over it. ¡®She said that it would be today.¡¯ It was five days ago, when his fiancee, Her Highness the Princess asked him to confirm her foresight. According to her, there will be a solar eclipse this morning. Terrence was waiting for it. This is the moment when that woman¡¯s ability is proven right before his eyes. The door opened with a short knock. It was Camion. ¡°Your Grace.¡± Came into the office, walked over to the desk and bowed his head. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± ¡°Yes. As you said, I went to the Great Hall, the Academy, and the astronomical observatory to find clues.¡± At Terrence¡¯s order to learn about astronomical changes, Camion went to the Academy and the Great Hall early this morning to meet the astronomer and the priest. ¡°Everyone was convinced that there would be no change in astronomy in the near future. They even said that there would be no solar or lunar eclipses.¡± All three were convinced that there would be no special changes in astronomy. Even an astronomical professor at the academy gave a lengthy explanation of why a solar eclipse could not occur for a while, bringing in unknown data depicting the constellations and orbits. Camion barely escaped while listening to the endless lecture. Camion didn¡¯t understand why Terrence suddenly ordered this. ¡®Does the Grand Duke become interested in astronomy?¡¯ After hearing his report, Terrence suddenly changed the direction of his question. ¡°What about the Emperor?¡± ¡°The Imperial Knights Commander, Sir Gailen, is not showing any suspicious movements.¡± Camion cleared his voice and answered in a confident tone. ¡°It seems that they are rather quiet. The Emperor was out on the battlefield, and the Knight Commander seemed very comfortable. But nothing was suspicious.¡± Terrence did not take his eyes off the window as he listened to the report. It was quiet and serene in the office. The white morning light was seeping into the office. Camion, who had been waiting for a while, asked Terrence. ¡°¡­.. Your Grace, what are you looking at?¡± But no matter how long he waited, no answer came back. Camion, who couldn¡¯t wait, came to the window to see what the hell he was looking at. Carefully approaching Terrence¡¯s side, he could see the snow-covered scenery of the capital city through the window. However, there was nothing special. ¡°Is there anything worth seeing¡­..¡± Camion couldn¡¯t finish the question. As soon as he spoke, a shadow began to slowly fall over the stone wall of the mansion. As he raised his head in surprise, a black shadow appeared in the sky. The white sun was slowly disappearing through the clouds. A pitch black shadow swallowed up the sun¡¯s light very slowly. The round glow slowly disappeared beyond the shadows. It was a solar eclipse. ¡°Solar eclipse¡­..¡± Camion was startled, he muttered intensely while taking a deep breath. In an instant, more than half of the sunlight disappeared. The blue sky had become as dark as the night sky. Camion looked up in the sky curiously, as he muttered while watching. ¡°After seeing this, I wonder why they are giving such huge amounts of money to the Academy or the Great Hall. They can¡¯t even guess what will happen in a few hours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Terrence stared at the sky without saying a word. The sun completely disappeared behind the shadows. The clear winter sky was immersed in darkness similar to the midnight sky. Terrence, who was still looking up the sky, suddenly turned without hesitation. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Your Grace?¡± ¡°Prepare to go out quietly and unnoticed.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Terrence, who had a perplexed look on his face, hurriedly went out of the office without looking back at Camion who was following him. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Great Hall right now.¡± The sun, which had begun to emerge from the shadows again, quietly cast sunlight in the empty office room. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) After the eclipse passed by, the clear sky lost its light and began to turn gray. I looked up at the sky through the window. The eclipse was already over, but there was still no news from the Grand Duke¡¯s side. Now there are 35 days left. In front of me was an embroidery frame on which a thin white silk was fixed. A pure white cloth that is thin and light enough to see through. The delicately embroidered silver petals gleamed softly in the morning sun. It is the design of the bridal veil used at the wedding. It was customary here for the new bride to embroider her own veil, but Eve¡¯s embroidery skills were poor, so the maids embroidered it instead. She was very fortunate to have them because she really didn¡¯t know how to do embroidery at all. Looking at the half-finished white veil, I had a realization once again. That my precious time is passing again. There was nothing that I could do as long as the Grand Duke had yet to reach out to me. I might get a call today. *Knock, knock. I sighed, while I was fiddling with the frame when I heard a knock outside. ¡°Come on in.¡± A maid who looked about the same age as Nell came into the room with a trolley. A three-tier tray of desserts and a tea set with hot tea were placed on the trolley. ¡°Princess, I brought you some refreshments.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± The maid set the teacups and bowls on the table in front of me. ¡°Thank you.¡± As I tried to smile as sweetly and tenderly as possible, I picked up a pink dacquoise from the plate and held it in the maid¡¯s hand. ¡°This is delicious, try one. Oh, this too.¡± I held the maid¡¯s hand and held two more dacquoises in different flavors. ¡°Oh my, thank you. Princess.¡± The maid wrapped her three dacquoise with an emotional look on her face, bowed her head and went outside. I followed her back with my eyes and let out a small sigh. ¡®I still can¡¯t see anything.¡¯ ¡®How many times did it fail?¡¯ For the past three days after visiting the temple, I have held the hands of everyone around me, but I have only seen one that seemed to be a foresight. It was a scene in which a maid was chatting with another maid and dropped the bowl that she was holding in the hallway. ¡®Just like what my foresight shows, it happened the next day.¡¯ But that was the only foresight that I received. I wanted to try holding something other than the hand, so I straightened the maid¡¯s hair when it was messed up, and even patted the maid¡¯s shoulder, who was cleaning, saying it was dusty. I¡¯ve tried that about 30 to 40 times over the past 5 days, but foresight has only appeared on three occasions: once for the Duchess, another one from the Grand Duke, and lastly about the broken bowl. 3 wins and 27 losses. Even if I take a multiple choice test with my eyes closed, I will get a higher percentage of correct answers than this. ¡®With this, the probability is lower than I thought.¡¯ As I drank bitter black tea and sighed, a knock was heard once again. The maid, who opened the door, came in, as she bowed her head politely and said. ¡°The chief priest has sent an invitation to Her Highness the Princess.¡± CH 21 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°The Chief Priest?¡± I remembered the timid old man that I had met at the temple. I read the letter the maid handed me. The writing in the letter said that jewels that I had donated were sold and raised a lot of money, and that the priests and ministers would want to show their gratitude. So they wanted to show how grateful they are and tell me how the money would be used. It was written that I should visit the temple for a while today. ¡°I need to get permission from Her Majesty the Empress.¡± I put down the letter and sent a maid to the Empress to convey the chief priest¡¯s request. I changed my clothes as I waited for the response of the Empress. Fortunately, the Empress allowed me to go out. There must be no justification for directly refusing the high minister¡¯s request. Just like the last time, I got on the carriage heading to the temple with Nell. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The Great Hall, which I had visited again after five days, felt quieter than before. Upon arrival, one of the priests guided me into the temple. I walked down the hallway, leaving Nell alone. The priest continued to take me somewhere along a maze-like convoluted hallway. After walking for a long time, we finally arrived at a small chapel at the far end of the temple. As I opened the door and entered, a familiar man was waiting for me. Grand Duke Terrence in a black military uniform. ¡°Your Grace.¡± I was surprised by the appearance of the Grand Duke, but it was not very unexpected. The Chief Priest, who was so afraid of Eve, had no reason to call me here out of nowhere and to just thank me for donations. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. And even in the original story, the chief priest always followed the Grand Duke¡¯s orders well. Of course, not because he liked the Grand Duke, but because he had some of his weaknesses. ¡°Come this way.¡± The Grand Duke took the lead and walked past the chapel and into the hallway. At the end of the hallway, narrow enough for one person to fit in, a small door appeared. As he opened the door on the wall, a bright light flooded in. It was a large balcony. There was a white balustrade carved out of marble and four pillars which supported the roof. As I followed the Grand Duke and walked to the railing, I was astonished to see the scene unfolding before my eyes. Under the steeply falling cliff, a wide view of the island could be seen. This was the end of the hill. It seems that the entrance side of the hill has a gentle slope, and the other end has a steep terrain like a cliff. There was a small waterfall next to the balcony. The water flowing from the center of the temple passed through a canal and fell down the hill. Half of the waterfall was covered with white ice, but the clear water was flowing endlessly under the translucent ice. I realized now why the Grand Duke had come here. In a place like this, no one will be able to overhear our secret conversation. The Grand Duke, who had been standing for a moment watching the flowing water, turned to my side and asked. ¡°Was there any lie in what you said to me at the chapel that night?¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) Terrence asked a question and carefully observed the fiancee in front of him. Eve quietly shook her head. ¡°No, everything that I said is true.¡± Terrence looked back at the waterfall and lost in thought. One or two times may be a coincidence. However, if the same thing is repeated three times, it is difficult to dismiss it as a mere coincidence. Let¡¯s say it was an easy feat that the Princess was able to guess and matched Terrence¡¯s wedding garments with just a sudden thought in her mind. And even the astronomy genius who surpassed the Academy¡¯s astronomers, were not able to determine the solar eclipse that the Princess had foretold. However, it was hard to say that it was a coincidence or a planned out set about the game that I played unexpectedly with my younger brother. Moreover, those two cards were the last two cards that Terrence himself left at random, without even thinking about it because he already dismissed the thoughts about the foretold future. ¡®Just in case, I went as far as checking all the other cards after the game, but there was nothing strange about it.¡¯ The people who he had played together with were two of the most reliable people in the world, his right hand Camion and his younger brother Lot. Those two would never allow themselves to be fooled either. ¡®And how would she be able to manipulate the cards that we randomly picked?¡¯ Terence asked Eve once again. ¡°To put things together, the Princess suddenly regained her ability right after the engagement ceremony, and now, you¡¯re saying that I¡¯m the only one who knew about this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And according to the foresight the Princess saw, that His Majesty the Emperor killed the Princess¡ª¡± ¡°The plan was to kill me and entrap the Grand Duke as the murderer. From what I have seen, it definitely worked.¡± Terrence nodded as she listened to Eve¡¯s explanation. ¡®I almost got into trouble.¡¯ If that really happened, it would have been difficult for him to get out. Surely few would think that the Emperor would frame him even by sacrificing his own daughter. Terrence himself could not have imagined that the Emperor would use such a vicious technique. While he was feeling a mixture of admiration and disgust towards the Emperor, Eve, who was watching him, asked carefully. ¡°Do you believe everything that I say now?¡±¡± Terrence smiled low as he watched the clear water run down the hill. It was amazing, but now there is no way to deny it. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that I can¡¯t help but believe it.¡± ¡®Now all I have to do is accept it as true.¡¯ Terrence was quick to judge and quick to act. As soon as he accepted that it wasn¡¯t a lie, he had already decided to keep this woman by my side and use her ability. ¡°If the Princess helps me with her foresight, I will also help the Princess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying¡­.¡± ¡°It means that I will protect the safety of the Princess.¡± It¡¯s funny, but the Princess¡¯s safety has now become an important task for him as well. If the Princess suddenly died, he would be considered as a murderer. Eve expressed her gratitude with a small smile as if she was relieved after hearing those words. ¡°Thank you for accepting the conditions.¡± Terrence didn¡¯t take his eyes off Eve. Under the bright sunlight, Princess Eve looked more confident and elegant than before. ¡®Is this the real her?¡¯ With elegant and sophisticated features, white skin, and blue eyes, she was certainly the Eve that he had known for a long time, but somehow she seemed to be a completely different person altogether. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not only her charisma that has changed.¡¯ Until five days ago, Terrence thought that Eve had no intelligence enough to think of a plan to prove herself worthy. However, after appearing at the temple with a bouquet of flowers, Eve began to show a completely different side from before. He even investigated to see if she was the same person or might be someone else, but there was nothing suspicious about her. ¡®Was she just acting all this time?¡¯ ¡®Or did she gain knowledge as well after her foresight was revived?¡¯ In fact, he didn¡¯t know much about Eve. Because he had never taken Eve seriously. Previously, she was nothing more than an annoying and troubled Princess. He thought that she was a woman who was not worth taking seriously. But now it¡¯s completely different. Terrence seemed a little embarrassed and looked away. ¡°You have nothing to be thankful for. It¡¯s just a partnership.¡± He continued speaking calmly, without much emotion. ¡°The top priority right now is to safely hold the wedding and bring Her Highness back to my mansion. If you stay there, it would be difficult for the Emperor to use you.¡± Eve regretted saying those words. Because she thought those words were kind of harsh. Although it was considered a partnership, it was still too cold-hearted to say to a lady who is considered to be his fiancee. However, Eve didn¡¯t seem to be hurt in the slightest, but rather smiled and was assured. ¡°Okay, that was good. Oh, don¡¯t worry about marriage. I will divorce you as soon as my safety is secured.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Terrence looked at Eve in disbelief. ¡®What did she just say? Divorce?¡¯ -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) I thought that if I talked about divorce first, that the Grand Duke would certainly welcome it. After getting out of danger, he would want to marry the woman that he likes. But the Grand Duke frowned and repeated what I just said. ¡°You¡¯re planning to divorce me?¡± I looked up at the Grand Duke calmly and said, ¡°Yes, I want to get divorced and live in a quiet place. But you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Because I¡¯ll continue to use my ability to help His Grace for the rest of my life.¡± All I wanted was to get out of the Imperial palace and get a chance to be safe and self-reliant. Married life to this terrifyingly handsome man for a short time could be tolerated if given the opportunity to live a safe and free life. Even after the divorce, if I continued to use my foresight for this man, he would protect me as he promised. This man will continue to protect me as long as I am useful. ¡®However, once I become useless, he would definitely kill me mercilessly.¡¯ The only hope for me was that Eve¡¯s foresight ability would not disappear for the rest of my life. CH 22 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I asked for marriage first and then brought up the topic of divorce. But I think this is also a good thing for His Grace.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just a little surprised.¡± The Grand Duke replied indifferently. ¡°I was just surprised to hear the word ¡®Divorce¡¯ from the woman who was raging until a few days ago that she would die if I didn¡¯t marry her.¡± The tone was indifferent and sarcastic in a way like saying, ¡®You initiated this marriage first, now you¡¯re talking about divorce?¡¯ I bowed my head with an apologetic look as sincere as possible. ¡°I really apologize about everything that I¡¯ve done in the past. But now I have completely given up on my feelings for His Grace.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already given up?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have the same feelings anymore. I completely gave up.¡± The Grand Duke stared at me without saying a word. There was a confused look on those purple eyes who were looking right at me. ¡®Why do you look confused?¡¯ ¡°Why¡­¡­¡± The Great Duke closed his mouth while trying to say something. ¡®Are you trying to ask why I don¡¯t like you anymore?¡¯ Well I kind of understand his bewilderment, because it¡¯s really strange if the person who was chasing him endlessly, suddenly changed and drew the line saying, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t like you anymore¡¯. You must be wondering why the sudden change of heart occurred. But you can¡¯t ask for it yourself. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Please stop chasing me! I hate it!¡± and then the other person started to walk away, and he said, ¡°Why?¡­¡­. Why don¡¯t you like me anymore?¡± If he asked me those questions, he would seem as strange as the stalker. Of course, I also needed some plausible reason to answer the question, ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± It is only when this issue is clearly addressed at this point that we will be able to keep the line and get along well even after we get married. ¡°You may think it was a slap on your part, I sincerely fell in love with His Grace. But in fact, I actually wanted to marry His Grace¡­¡­ For some other reasons as well.¡± I looked straight at the Grand Duke and brought up the lie that I had prepared in advance. ¡°I thought that if I married the Grand Duke, the Imperial Family and the Grand Duke would be able to live peacefully together, holding hands. It drove me to get married.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve thought about that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about politics, but I¡¯m not blind either. I know that His Grace the Grand Duke and my father, His Majesty the Emperor, are far worse off than they seem.¡± The Emperor and the Grand Duke were no different than the (*)Cheolcheon supporters, but on the surface, the relationship seemed a little difficult. (T/N: Cheolcheon was used as an expression referring to a relationship that is not just between enemies, but where there is an intense resentment to each other. Ref: based on the SBS drama ¡®Saimdang Light¡¯s Diary¡¯.) So, Eve may have been acting up to marry the Great Prince without knowing that fact. ¡°I thought it would help both the Imperial Family and the Grand Duke relationship, if I and His Grace got married. But¡­ It was all my misunderstanding.¡± I looked away as if to hide my bitter disappointment. I wanted him to think that I tried to mediate between the two in my own way, but in the end I was used and abandoned by my own father. Of course, Eve couldn¡¯t have thought of it that way, since I planned all of it myself¡­. I remained silent while playing the daughter in sorrow. After a while, the Grand Duke spoke quietly, as if trying to comfort me. ¡°It¡¯s not a stupid idea, to be honest. If His Majesty the Emperor was not outside of common sense, it would be reasonable for the Princess to go with it as expected.¡± I bowed my head deeply, after I received those words. ¡°I am very sorry for causing all those troubles to you. I realized how selfish it can be to force your emotions on other people at will. I will never do that again in the future.¡± Then, with a look of great regret, I made a promise to him. ¡°After we get married, I will be quietly living in the Duchy. If His Grace wishes for it, I can also live alone in the estate.¡± If he asks me to go to the estate and stay there, it would be fine to stay there alone. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Just like what the Grand Duke said, the territory will be much safer than the capital. Even if I lived in the mansion on the island, I already expected that I would be locked up and only come out of the mansion once it was set up by the Grand Duke. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you wherever you are.¡± But even after hearing all of my earnest determination, the Grand Duke remained silent. After a few minutes, he asked me a question. ¡°Is that your condition? To divorce after a few years?¡± ¡°What?¡­. Yes.¡± The Grand Duke looked at me still, then turned back over the balcony. ¡°All right.¡± Then he changed the topic with a dull tone. ¡°Do you know how the Emperor intends to kill the Princess on the day of the wedding?¡± At that question, a stiff tension flowed through my body again. ¡°No.¡± And this was another problem with my survival plan. ¡°I don¡¯t know their methods of killing. I just knew that I was going to die on the day of my wedding. It was not thoroughly explained in the original novel, on how exactly Eve was killed. ¡°But you said that you saw it with your foresight, right?¡± I explained in detail as I pointed it out at the Grand Duke¡¯s suspicious gaze. ¡°My foresight appears in short scenes. It¡¯s a glimpse of that moment when something important happens.¡± That was the description of Eve¡¯s ability in the novel. As a result of using the abilities myself, the foresight was quite specific, although short. It feels like stepping in and out of a scene in a movie or drama. ¡°What I saw was my dead body on the day of the wedding and the Emperor telling everyone that this incident was a conspiracy. That was all that I was able to see.¡± But in fact, that was all that I knew, based on the original novel. In the story, Eve was killed right before the wedding started, and there was a dagger used by the knights of the Grand Duke lying next to the body. Because of that, the Grand Duke was accused of being the culprit, but of course, the real murdered is His Majesty the Emperor. There is only this brief explanation. The scene of Eve¡¯s death was never depicted. Whether it was a knight, a soldier, a priest, or one of Eve¡¯s maids who stabbed Eve¡¯s body with the sword. It doesn¡¯t exactly explain who killed Eve at the Emperor¡¯s order, and at what time and where she died is not fully explained. Well, I can¡¯t do anything about it. Because Eve¡¯s death wasn¡¯t a very important episode in the original story. ¡®Eve died on the wedding day.¡¯ It was said simply like that. But that¡¯s okay. I just really need to be careful on the day of the wedding. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°And that¡¯s not all.¡± The bigger problem is that the Emperor tried to kill Eve several times before the wedding. In the original novel, the Emperor¡¯s recollection of Eve¡¯s death appears briefly. According to his retrospective, he originally planned to assassinate Eve around the time the wedding was imminent. It was said that it had failed a few times because of Eve¡¯s fickleness. That was all the explanation was given in the novel. It was not known when, how, or in what manner she was attempted to be assassinated. There were several assassination plans, but they all failed due to Eve¡¯s whim, and the last success was on the day of the wedding. ¡®What kind of whim did Eve have for her to escape death?¡¯ I¡¯ve been thinking about it, but I really can¡¯t figure it out at all. Due to the lack of information, only vague guesses were possible. Eve is currently on probation, but a few days before the wedding, she must have gone out and met other people. Perhaps Eve escaped the crisis of death by canceling or changing the appointment out of the blue. But I¡¯m not the original Eve. Perhaps unlike Eve, attempts to assassinate may not be avoided. I also informed the Grand Duke that there would be several more assassination attempts. It can¡¯t be said that I read this inside a book, so I mixed a bit of lies, saying, ¡°I heard the Emperor talking in my vision.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Grand Duke¡¯s expression changed seriously when he heard my full explanation. There are risks not only on the day of the wedding, but also before that. However, I didn¡¯t know how the danger would come, so I was also at a loss to come up with a way to prevent it. The Grand Duke slowly knocked on the railing of the terrace with one hand. I said, while looking at his side, who lost in thought. ¡°But since the wedding is just around the corner, wouldn¡¯t it be better to be careful on those few days?¡±¡± That¡¯s what I said, but I wasn¡¯t even sure about that. Because I don¡¯t know exactly when the assassination attempts will begin. Besides, I¡¯m acting differently from the original Eve for me to survive. Wouldn¡¯t that make the situation more dangerous than the original story? The Grand Duke had a similar opinion as me. ¡°Well, plans always have variables in it. If there¡¯s anything suspicious, the Emperor may advance or change his plan.¡± Then Eve, no, I will die before the wedding day. As long as I¡¯m inside his territory, the Emperor will be able to kill me and arrange as if it was done by the Grand Duke. ¡°And you also mention that you have to touch the person itself, with your own hands for you to see the foresight?¡± I nodded. ¡°Then, we always need to be together for you to see the future related to me¡±. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± It is not enough to just simply depend on my foreknowledge of the Grand Duke. As of right now, I only have very little information about what goes on in the institution until the day of my wedding. If I want to know ahead of time what will happen before the wedding, then I have no choice but to rely on foresight. In particular, to see the future related to politics, it was necessary to go out into the social world and make contact with important people. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Maybe then I¡¯ll get a hint of any plan to kill me. However, if I go outside the palace, there is a high probability that I will be exposed to danger. Of course, it wasn¡¯t safe to be in the Imperial Palace either. ¡®This is very difficult.¡¯ While I was in deep thought, the Grand Duke, who had been silent for a while, spoke first. ¡°How about you stay close to me wherever I am, so that I can protect the Princess on my side?¡± ¡°What do you mean to stay close?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re officially engaged, there¡¯s nothing strange about being together all the time.¡± CH 23 Well, that is true. A fiance/fiancee is considered a partner everywhere, just like a real couple. When attending social events or public appearances, it¡¯s a must that they should always go together as a partner. However, the Grand Duke and Eve had never been friendly with each other. The Grand Duke terribly hated Eve, that¡¯s why he never considered bringing her over to any gatherings. ¡°So, are you saying that we should act like real lovers?¡± The Grand Duke looked at me with an incredulous look and asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t the biggest reason why I¡¯m going to be labelled as murderer is because I hate the Princess?¡± ¡°Well, it is.¡± That¡¯s true. That¡¯s the main reason why the Emperor came up with this plan in the first place, it¡¯s because the Grand Duke hated me so much. The Grand Duke looked at me and said in a firm tone. ¡°If we become real lovers, there will be no reason for me to kill the Princess, right?¡± Now, I finally understood what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re talking about acting as if we were lovers in front of other people?¡± ¨C Pretend lovers. The idea itself was not unusual. In fact, I¡¯ve thought about that as well. It was the most plausible reason to go when we face other people to change their opinion between me and the Grand Duke, so as to avoid the present danger. If they have the impression that the Grand Duke falls in love with me, the Emperor¡¯s plan to ¡°kill Eve and make the Grand Duke a murderer¡± will also collapse from the root. Even in the original plot, the Grand Duke acted as if he were in a fake relationship with Sorel. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. When it was discovered that Sorel was dating in the second half, of course, her partner was Mikhail, the male lead. However, the two had to hide that they were in a relationship. It would be a big scandal if it became known that the Princess was dating a former commoner, and to add it up that she was an illegitimate child as well. Mikhail could have been kicked out of his position as the deputy general of the Knights Templar if he made a mistake. So, inevitably, the Grand Duke pretends to be Sorel¡¯s lover and act together. But the problem lies here. ¡®This man¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t know how to act.¡¯ The performance of the Grand Duke, who will be playing the role of a lover, was beyond imagination. The Grand Duke was good at deceiving his opponents for political reasons, hiding his secrets, and maintaining a poker face in the social world. However, he didn¡¯t know how to play the role of ¡°Man in love¡± seriously. Still, no one doubted the two based on the original novel. It was natural. Because his partner was Sorel. It was a story that anyone could believe that the Grand Duke fell in love with the lovely and kind Princess Sorel. Thanks to this, the Grand Duke¡¯s squeaky acting skills was also glorified to the extent that ¡®it¡¯s normal to be awkward because it was his first relationship¡¯. But then the Grand Duke suddenly fell in love with Eve? Even if we showed a great performance, I know for a fact that they won¡¯t believe it, So how would we be able to deceive other people? No matter how positively I think of it, I was not very confident with it. ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± Seeing my sullen face, the Grand Duke frowned. I answered in a way that didn¡¯t offend him as much as possible. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. But wouldn¡¯t it be so sudden that the people would suspect it?¡± ¡°You have to make sure you don¡¯t doubt it first.¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be strange that we just suddenly got along and became close. Since we haven¡¯t had any reason to¡­..¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it known to the society that the Princess apologized to me, and that she started to change her personality and was kind to the people around her. And I fell in love with the Princess after seeing that side of her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No, that¡¯s too far-fetched. ¡°People believe in what they see anyway. Even if they doubt it, they won¡¯t think that I¡¯m acting. At this point, is there no reason for me to pretend that I am in love with the Princess?¡± Oh, so that would be the context. Due to the nature of the Grand Duke, there was no way he would act to kill Eve. And that if he really wanted to kill me, wouldn¡¯t it be better to poison me a little after marriage or kill her under the guise of an accidental death. And why would he pretend to be nice to me when the wedding is about a month away? I¡¯m sure people¡¯s eyes will be on us. I agreed with him. ¡°That¡¯s right. If we¡¯re lovers, it would be a valid reason to always be together.¡± Once it was known that I¡¯m together now with the Grand Duke, I would be safe then. Since we are now lovers, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to attend social gatherings and to spend time together at the Imperial Palace. It would also be possible for me to go to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion and stay there for a day or two. As a prospective hostess, I can tell them that I came to Duchy for me to start on planning the new decoration of the mansion, but due to some circumstances, I could say that It¡¯s a must for me to stay for a while. In the meantime, since I¡¯ll be visiting the Duchy more often, I would be able to meet the Grand Duke and as well as the people around him, and through them you will be able to see a new foresight. ¡°And we have less than a month left until the wedding. Until then, we just need to get through it safely.¡± Just like what he said, I just have to be safe until the wedding. I nodded in agreement with his thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s definitely a perfect plan.¡± Anyway, there are still 35 days left until the wedding anyway. We just have to act until then. In this situation, it might have been better to get the people¡¯s attention in that way. Because if everyone was watching us with curious eyes, there would be less chance of something dangerous happening. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. If necessary, we can create a marriage contract that would benefit the two of us. ¡°We have the perfect opportunity to bring out this plan. The Duchess¡¯s Ball.¡± It was a social gathering where the two of us could go out together. ¡°Will you be able to attend?¡± The Grand Duke asked anxiously. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t go out without the Empress¡¯s permission. ¡°I think that there¡¯s a way.¡± I don¡¯t know if it will turn out well, but I had devised a plan to attend the ball in my own way. ¡°I will send you a maid tomorrow, so if you need anything from me, you can send it to her.¡± ¡°A maid?¡± ¡°She¡¯s someone who can protect the Princess nearby until the wedding.¡± Is she a maid who acts as an escort? I nodded my head without saying a word. Having a maid sent by the Grand Duke would be useful in many ways. It would be easier than now to communicate with the Grand Duke. ¡°Okay.¡± I agreed to his proposal and added one more thing. ¡°By the way, I have something to ask of you on the day of the Ball.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The conversation with the grand Duke ended quickly, but after that, I stayed in the Great Hall for a while. It took quite a long time to hear about the whereabouts of the jewels that I donated while eating tea and refreshments prepared by the chief priest, and received thanks to the other ministers. Unlike the chief priest who was still embarrassed in front of me, the lower priests and priestesses seemed to really appreciate me. After all, the people who donate alms directly to the poor and go out to serve those people must have been low-ranking priests and priestesses. That they really appreciate the donation for the poor. I stayed in the temple throughout the afternoon, and only got into the carriage at sunset. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. By the time I left the Great Hall and returned to the Imperial Palace, the sun had already set. ¡®Well, I¡¯m glad the conversation ended well¡­¡­¡¯ But there¡¯s another problem. Since I¡¯ll be attending the ball, the problem is that I don¡¯t know how to dance at all. I asked Nell, who was sitting across from me. ¡°Nell, do you know how to dance?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness. I learned all the basic dances.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It¡¯s a world where even the maid can perform all the basic dances, but what if the Princess can¡¯t dance? ¡°Can you teach me the easiest one? Like a waltz or something.¡± Does the ball start with Quadrille? Or Minuet? Learning difficult dance even if I practiced everyday in such a short period of time, is something that I couldn¡¯t even dream of. However, the waltz seemed to be the most comfortable at the very least. Nell nodded immediately, as if she had expected me to ask for this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The princess was really good at dancing. You will learn it again soon.¡± ¡°¡­.. Okay.¡± Then that¡¯s a bigger problem, ¡­. I can¡¯t believe that Eve can dance well. If I awkwardly dance in the ballroom, everyone will suspect me. ¡®I¡¯ll have to practice hard for the rest of the remaining days.¡¯ That way, I can dance at least one song with the Grand Duke. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The next day after meeting with the Grand Duke, the maid of the Imperial Palace knocked on my door. ¡°Princess, a new maid has arrived today.¡± The skinny, black-haired maid who was standing behind the other maid stepped forward and bowed her back. ¡°My name is Chloe, I will start working here today.¡± Since she was a maid who would act as my escort, I thought that she would be around mid-30¡¯s or 40¡¯s. But the new maid was a young woman with her black hair neatly braided. She had a quiet and calm look on her face, and her skin was white like snow. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Did she come from the north side because her skin was so white? However, other than that she was a little tall, she didn¡¯t look much different from the other maids. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Your Highness the Princess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too, I¡¯ll be on your care from now on Then Chloe went downstairs and I didn¡¯t see her after that. I thought it would seem strange to call her first, so I just pretended not to notice it. It wasn¡¯t until evening that I was able to meet Chloe again. CH 24 (Eve¡¯s POV) Chloe came in to tidy up the room after dinner. One of the maids who was cleaning the room went out with a tray, and then Chloe came from the window and approached me. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll be staying here in the palace, so if there is anything you want me to do, please do so at any time.¡± Unlike when she first came to greet me a while ago, her tone had a slightly unique accent on it. Maybe it¡¯s a northern accent. ¡°Okay.¡± I told Chloe anything that needs to be done, but nothing happened for the next three days. I spent all day sitting in my room while reading books. Knock. Knock.. As I was turning the pages, I heard a knock outside. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. The maid, who opened the door and came in, bowed her head politely and said. ¡°Princess, it was said that the Crown Prince has returned to the capital.¡± After hearing the news I have something to do again. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The next afternoon. I stood in front of a large door and waited. The door in front of me was engraved with intricate patterns. Even without a watch, I feel like more than 30 minutes have passed since I began standing in front of the door. I¡¯ve counted the leaves of the Holy Tree that were engraved in the door more than twenty times now, but only then did the door open. ¡°Your Highness the Princess.¡± A man in official robes bowed to me. ¡°The Crown Prince is looking for you.¡± I passed the official and entered the office. I sent a formal request to have a meeting with the Crown Prince yesterday afternoon, but I only received a response this morning. It was a brief reply saying he would meet me in the office at noon. It was similar to an attitude towards a lower-ranking nobleman who had requested an audience, not to someone whom he considered as his real sister, but I was satisfied with that alone. Because I know how much the Crown prince hated the original Eve. It makes him so angry that his one and only sister is chasing after the Grand Duke every day, and causing a lot of trouble to everyone around her. The room was equipped with a luxurious appearance that would indicate that it was a Prince¡¯s office, but there was nothing else except essential furniture such as a desk, bookshelf, and chair. Decorations and luxury items such as paintings, sculptures, and flowerpots are nowhere to be found even after looking around multiple times. The office space was filled only with practical furniture that seemed to reveal the cold personality of the owner. ¡®The Crown Prince was like an elite bureaucrat with an addiction to work.¡¯ He was sincere, competent, and calm, but he was inflexible, savvy, and hated being around people. And because of that, even though he was the Crown Prince, he had built a wall within the social circle. On the other hand the Second Prince, Philos, is building his own power by hanging out with the young aristocrats. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. That¡¯s why Arentine is even more dissatisfied with Eve, who was reckless. She was the complete opposite of him in every way. Entering the inner room through the middle door, a young man with the same hair color as Eve was sitting at the desk. That man seems to be the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, Arentine, did not take his eyes off the document even as I approached him. I held the hem of my dress with both hands and politely bent my knees. ¡°Long time no see, brother. I am so happy to see that you have returned safely¡­.¡± ¡°How are the wedding preparations going?¡± Arentine cut me off with a cold tone and immediately asked a question. ¡°I¡¯m still preparing for everything.¡± Actually, I have no idea. After entering this world, I haven¡¯t paid much attention to the wedding preparations. ¡®Well, wouldn¡¯t the maids be preparing it on their own?¡¯ Because right now, I¡¯m at a crossroad between life and death, so what¡¯s the big deal about our wedding? Arentine still didn¡¯t look at me and just continued reading over at the documents in front of him. ¡°So, why did you ask to meet me?¡± ¡°I want to receive a wedding present.¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment, Arentine took his eyes off the documents and raised his eyes on me. Red blonde hair that was neatly swept over, and smooth white skin. Dark blue eyes like the deep sea. He was a handsome man with a calm and intelligent atmosphere. He¡¯s the heroine¡¯s older brother. Even though it was said that he was handsome in the original story, those descriptions didn¡¯t heed no justice, where even the passing extras have a perfect and beautiful face structure. Since I finally met him in person, he was a handsome man no less than the main character. ¡°I¡¯m your younger sister, so shouldn¡¯t you be giving me a wedding present. Because I really wanted to receive a wedding present from you.¡± In the Albion Empire, there is a custom to give wedding gifts to their siblings once they get married. Most of them gave gifts such as jewelry or household items to help save some expenses for the newlyweds. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Arentine asked with a tired expression on his face as if he didn¡¯t need to listen any further. ¡°What do you want then?¡± ¡°I want to attend the Duchess¡¯s Grand Ball.¡± ¡°The Ball?¡± Arentine raised his eyebrows in an arched way as if he was surprised by my words. After all, if it¡¯s the original Eve, she would have asked for jewelry, dresses, or something like that. ¡°On Dachen¡¯s Day they would be hosting a Winter Ball at the residence of the Duke of Rohan. I¡¯ve been invited by the Duchess herself, and I really wanted to attend it. But, unfortunately I¡¯m on probation, I can¡¯t leave the palace without permission.¡± Arentine looked at me for a moment, then asked again in an understandable tone. ¡°Would the Grand Duke attend the ball?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arentine put on a look that said, ¡®Of course, of course¡¯. ¡°But I am not going because of His Grace the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Then why are you going there?¡± He said that as if I had no reason to attend the ball unless it was for the Grand Duke. Of course, 90% of Eve¡¯s actions in the original story were caused by the Grand Duke. The remaining 10% was mostly for harassing Sorel. ¡°Because the Duchess invited me. And before the wedding, I wanted to meet Miss Diane and thank her. Even if she¡¯s not feeling well, she would still continue to take the role of a bridesmaid for me.¡± ¡°Diane?¡± Arentine seemed to ponder the name for a moment. ¡°She was the Princess of the Duke of Rohan.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. So that¡¯s her name.¡± She¡¯s the only daughter of the Duke, but he can¡¯t remember her name? It¡¯s natural to feel unfamiliar to Diane because she doesn¡¯t appear in social circles, but it was still a bit harsh. It seems that it is not a lie to say that even though he is the Crown Prince, he never associates himself with the social circle. Obviously, he had no idea that Lady Diane liked him. ¡®I don¡¯t think that he would care even if he knew about it.¡¯ ¡°I heard that my brother was invited too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I received an invitation, but I¡¯m not sure if I will be attending it.¡± His voice was calm, but there was a hint of exhaustion at the end of his words. All of a sudden, my eyes shifted to the documents that were piled up on his desk. Arentine followed the Emperor to the battlefield and was sent back to the capital to take over the Emperor¡¯s duties. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Sooner or later, he would be called back to the battlefield. Seeing them running around like this, I thought that even the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t handle these tasks as well. ¡®What happened to the Crown Prince in the original novel?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t remember at all. The Emperor in the original story fell ill and left as he stepped back from the throne. As the Grand Duke rules over the entire northern part of the empire, and stops paying attention to affairs of the Imperial family. Sorel and Mikhail also leave the capital in search of their own happiness. After that, the empire and the Imperial Family no longer appear in the story. In the end, it wasn¡¯t clear who had inherited the Emperor¡¯s throne and ruled the kingdom. Arentine asked again, as he continued to concentrate on the documents, without paying attention to me. ¡°Do you really want to receive it as a wedding present?¡± ¡°Yes, I definitely want to participate at the Ball.¡± I looked as desperate as I could. ¡°The Duchess came to me and invited me, and I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her as well. Diane also said she wanted to meet me¡­..¡± ¡°The Duchess personally invited you?¡± ¡°Probably because of the words that were said by Her Majesty the Empress.¡± The finger holding the pen stopped slightly at the word ¡°Empress¡± coming out of my mouth. I continued speaking with a slightly sad expression on my face. ¡°A few days ago, I attended a tea party that was being hosted by Her Majesty, and that¡¯s what Her Majesty said that day. She said that I study a lot and work hard in my own way, but still the Grand Duke didn¡¯t come to see me even once.¡± ¡°The Empress said that?¡± Arentine asked still in a blunt voice, but there was a faint hint of displeasure in his tone. Considering the relationship between Eve and the Empress, it¡¯s not meant to be good. ¡°Yes, and then she held the Duchess¡¯s hand and asked if she could speak to the Grand Duke as well. Maybe that¡¯s why the Duchess invited me. She¡¯s probably trying to make room for me to meet the Grand Duke.¡± I sighed exaggeratedly. ¡°So I asked the Empress if I could attend the ball¡­¡­ But she didn¡¯t allow it, and asked to just quietly stay in my room since I¡¯m going to get married soon.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t she give you permission even after she said that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± I continued to speak weakly, stroking my long red blonde hair with my hands. ¡°I think the Empress was angry because I said something silly at the tea party.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°That¡­.. Because the Empress said that she was worried because the Grand Duke hates me.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I explained what happened at the tea party with a genuinely troubled expression. ¡°At that point, I said that since there isn¡¯t any concubine that would be entering the Grand Duke¡¯s line, that maybe someday our relationship could get better if I try. But thinking about it, I think I made a mistake. Because the Empress didn¡¯t look good after I said that.¡± ¡®It wasn¡¯t a lie anyway.¡¯ Because it was exactly what I said at the tea party. CH 25 (Eve¡¯s POV) I revised it a bit as I spoke with a slightly different tone, making it as if my post-war relationship with the Empress made her offended by me acting on a whim. Arentine pondered on my words as he closed his mouth. He looked offended as well. It was obvious that he also didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Empress. Seeming as if it is not enough that the woman who was once a concubine succeeded the position of Empress after the death of our mother. Her son, the Second Prince, is aiming for the position of Crown Prince as well and causing Arentine problems. Therefore, Arentine has more reason to loathe the Empress than the emotional Eve. He had been silent for a while before changing the topic to a random question. ¡°What did you study?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been studying to become a Grand Duchess? What did you study?¡± ¡°I studied the history of the Albion Empire, as well as the history of the Duchy. I thought that I should learn a lot to become a Grand Duchess.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. While sitting in the Imperial palace with nothing to do, whenever I had spare time, I studied the books in the library of the Imperial Palace. Although some information came from the original story, I think that I should gather more information about the Empire that was not detailed in the novel. Fortunately, I can read and write the letters here perfectly, which allows me to read books that were created in this world. I don¡¯t know how I can do that. But I, who was suddenly transmigrated to this world, can understand the language here. I wondered if it was some sort of instinct that remained in Eve¡¯s body. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you. The estate of the Grand Duke Lenz was bordered in the northern part of Mount Cleven¡­..¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°They have a territory at the northern part of Mount Cleven up to the Fulbian border. In the past, it was owned by the Grand Duke of Lenz. After a war with the Albion Empire three hundred years ago, a peace treaty was signed and it became part of the Empire.¡± As I continued to answer without hesitation, Arentine¡¯s gaze at me changed slightly. He was looking at me like, ¡®I didn¡¯t know that you had this much knowledge about the Empire.¡¯. Of course, the original Eve wouldn¡¯t have known. Arentine nodded and looked back to the filing cabinet. ¡°I heard that you donated jewelry to the temple a few days ago. You¡¯ve matured quite a bit because you¡¯re getting married now.¡± Even if he talks like this¡­.. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to attend the Duke¡¯s Ball as my partner. And you don¡¯t have to worry about the Empress, I¡¯ll tell her about it later.¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother!¡± All you just have to do is to allow me to attend for whatever reason. You don¡¯t have to come with me. ¡°Is that all that you need?¡± ¡°Yes, and I know that you¡¯re quite busy right now, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± I bowed to him and turned around as I was about to leave. ¡°Eve.¡± I was about to go out when Arentine called me back. When I turned around, he looked at me for a second and then looked back at the documents on his table. ¡°If you need anything to prepare for the wedding, feel free to contact me.¡± He wasn¡¯t originally interested in Eve¡¯s wedding. So what¡¯s going on now? ¡°Yes, Brother.¡± This time, I didn¡¯t receive any response. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) This is the fifth day after the second meeting with the Grand Duke at the Grand Hall. I took a bath in the afternoon, with the help of my maids. I soaked my body in warm water containing perfumed oil and washed my hair with water brewed with petals. Today was the day of the promised Ball. After returning from the Great Hall, four days passed in an instant. Of course, I wasn¡¯t idlingly waiting for this day. I¡¯ve been practicing hard for the ball. After the talk with my brother, I locked myself inside my room informing everyone that I¡¯m sick and need some rest. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was rumored that the reason I caught a cold was because of the time that I was going outside the Imperial Palace. I¡¯ve given them instructions not to allow the maids to enter the room with the excuse that I need to rest to recuperate. During the day, I practiced dancing with Nell in the bedroom, and after Nell went to sleep, I walked around the room by myself and practiced until dawn. I practiced all day and rested when it¡¯s time to eat. Like a fighter before a dance competition, I need to put in a lot of effort. But it worked. After four days of running around the room enough to hurt my feet, I have now managed to reach a similar level to the original Eve. It was a phenomenal achievement for me, who had never experienced dancing at whatever rhythm let alone a waltz. ¡®Even so, there¡¯s still a big difference from the usual Eve.¡¯ And since I only practiced the waltz, I could never do another song. It¡¯ll be fine because I only have to dance to one song anyway. For the next one, I¡¯ll need to exit the banquet right away. ¡°Princess, I¡¯ll help you now with your makeup.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After taking a bath, I put on a dressing gown and sat down in front of the vanity table. There¡¯s still time left before the Ball begins, but after a while, I¡¯ll be leaving the Duke¡¯s residence once I¡¯ve finished my purpose. I wanted to go to the Duke¡¯s mansion in advance and meet the Duchess and Lady Diane. I also informed the Duchess that I would visit a little early today. ¡°Is the present for Lady Diane ready?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. Here it is.¡± The maid brought a small box wrapped in gold paper. It contains gems that I have prepared in advance. After Nell and the other maids finished my makeup, another maid brought in the dress. ¡°Princess, I bought your dress for tonight.¡± ¡°Okay. Good job everyone.¡± Eve had a lot of dresses, but the dress for tonight should be special. Well, being a Princess required me to attend a lot of social events, that¡¯s why it was mandatory to have a lot of dresses prepared. A light green evening dress was selected in advance from hundreds of dresses in line. It was a beautiful and bright dress with a combination of white and light green. I picked this one because I thought it would go well with my hair color. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Fortunately, it fits me perfectly.¡± Thanks to those sleepless nights of practicing all night, Eve¡¯s slim body, lost more weight and became much thinner. I wondered what would happen if the dress was a little too big, but luckily they fit me well. I checked myself in the mirror while wearing the dress. In the mirror, a beautiful woman was wearing a light green dress and long red blonde hair in a ponytail. The clothes fit perfectly, but maybe because I lost some weight, my body looks skinnier than before. Others would think it was the aftermath of the hunger strike that the original Eve planned for. After putting on the dress, I put on my gloves for the first time and my prom shoes. After I came to this world, I was obligated to wear a dress every day, but this was the first time I had dressed up with such care. Well, it¡¯s my first time going to an official social gathering. There was a lot more to prepare for the Ball than I thought. After putting on the dress, I wore a sleeveless white cape that covered my shoulder and even put on a cover on my prom heels to prevent it from ruining once I walked on a snowy road. As I walked downstairs in the hallway, cold air brushed against my skin even before I came out of the door. Even though the sun was still shining, it was very chilly. Carriages and guards were already waiting at the entrance to the palace. The maids who lined up at the entrance bowed their heads to see me off. The carriage passed through the main gate of the Imperial Palace following a familiar road. And immediately entered the street lined with colorful mansions. ¡°Is that the Duke¡¯s mansion?¡± I asked, looking outside the carriage window. In the distance, a huge mansion with gray-white walls and an indigo blue roof was looming. You could be sure of it just by looking at its unique color. The mansion that I saw with foresight was clear. ¡°Yes, Princess. This is the mansion of the Duke of Rohan.¡± Listening to Nell¡¯s answer, I naturally tilted my head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural that you don¡¯t remember. Because the Princess rarely visited the Duke¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Really?¡± After all, Eve only pursued the Grand Duke. Although the Duchess is the Grand Duke¡¯s aunt, the Grand Duke had an odd relationship with his Uncle, that¡¯s why he never visits that often. Moments later, the carriage passed the sidewalk and through the mansion¡¯s main gate. It was not as big as the Imperial Palace, but the Duke¡¯s mansion was also huge. Even after passing through the main gate, the carriage entered the mansion along the driveway for a long time. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. There was a large front garden on either side of the driveway to the mansion. The entire garden, including the large fountain, was covered in snow, creating a picturesque snow scene. When I saw the white snow piled up, I remembered the foresight that I had ten days ago. ¡®Maybe Lady Diane will faint at the Ball today.¡¯ The vision of the brown-haired girl who had collapsed, bleeding came to mind vividly. I believe that it was going to happen tonight. I wanted to rescue Lady Diane, who was my bridesmaid, if possible. It would help me a lot if I have Lady Diane with me throughout the wedding day as a safety measure. Even if that¡¯s not the case, it would be better to avoid accidents at the Ball that I attended if possible. Upon arriving in front of the Duke¡¯s mansion, the Duchess came to meet me in person. ¡°Welcome, Princess. We¡¯ve been waiting.¡± ¡°Thanks for the invitation, Duchess.¡± The Duchess greeted me with a bright smile. Of course, there was no sign of dislike for my visit. Rather, it felt like she was struggling to match up to my mood. Maybe because if I was in a good mood, I would have no reason to ruin the banquet. Even the Grand Duke will be arriving later. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m disturbing the preparations by coming too early.¡± ¡°Of course not. We are almost done, and Diane was also very happy when she heard that the Princess would be visiting early?¡± I don¡¯t know if the Duchess¡¯ words are true or if it¡¯s just a lie to adjust to the mood, but now I want to meet Diane as soon as possible. ¡°Where is Lady Diane?¡± CH 26 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Diane was not feeling well and had been resting in her bedroom for a while. I¡¯ve already told her that the Princess has arrived, so she¡¯ll be coming down here soon.¡± ¡°About that¡­ Is it really that bad?¡± ¡°She¡¯s feeling a little better now. She even went downstairs to see the ballroom earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief then.¡± Does that mean that she usually has difficulties walking around the mansion? What a pity. ¡°I cannot ask a person who¡¯s currently sick to come down for me. I¡¯ll just go up to Lady Diane¡¯s drawing-room.¡± ¡°I will guide you. Diane will be very happy.¡± I followed the Duchess upstairs. The Duke¡¯s mansion was just as gorgeous on the inside as it looked from the outside. The hallways were full of luxurious decorations. But where is the maid who put that mysterious powder on Diane¡¯s medicine? A mansion of this size would have dozens of maids. The question is who was the maid that I saw in my foresight. ¡®Is it possible for me to call all of the maids in this mansion and look at each of their faces?¡¯ Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Of course, that¡¯s not possible. It would also be difficult to find out who that person is just by looking at their faces. ¡®That maid is going to put some strange powder on Diane¡¯s medicine! I need to search around her room.¡¯ ¡­.. But if I do that, I would be considered a crazy person. ¡®Besides, I don¡¯t even know what the powder is or where it is.¡¯ And also I can¡¯t stay with Diane all night long, since this will be considered as our first acquaintance. ¡®If I¡¯m by her side, the maid may not put the powder onto her medicine.¡¯ Then, even if I¡¯m sure about the culprit, I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch her red-handed. Because there will be no evidence at all. And the powder that she was holding doesn¡¯t seem to be poisonous at all. After much deliberation, I asked the Duchess. ¡°The mansion is so beautiful. Can I take a look around later?¡± ¡°Of course. I will guide you.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s okay, you must be busy, I didn¡¯t want to bother you that much. But you can send a maid for me, I will look around by myself.¡± In the meantime, we passed by the hallway and went up to the 4th floor. As soon as I entered the hallway on the 4th floor, I was startled by the familiar scenery. It was the hallway that I saw in my vision. The decorations were all the same, in every detail. It¡¯s like having a D¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Diane¡¯s inner room was in the center of the fourth floor. The inner room where the nobles lived was a structure in which the living room, drawing room, bedroom, bathroom, and restroom were connected as one. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. The Duchess opened the door with a short knock. A small room came out, just like the one that I saw. Then, when I opened the door and went inside, the drawing-room that I saw on my foresight appeared. From the location of the furniture to the color of the curtains on the windows, everything was the same. At this point, I was convinced. The day when my foresight will take place would be tonight. ¡°Diane, Her Highness the Princess has come to meet you in person.¡± As I entered the drawing-room, a girl in a white dress came out. ¡°Oh my, Princess.¡± It was the brown-haired girl that I saw in my vision. I wasn¡¯t able to have a closer look at her face when I saw her in my vision. Diane, who I met now in person, was a beautiful brown-haired girl with sparkling blue eyes. Smooth white skin and clean features that draw fine lines. Her small body looked thin and weak even though she wore wide-brimmed clothes. ¡°Hello, Lady Diane.¡± She had a delicate and cute face, but it certainly gave off a pale and sickly impression. The stuffy white dress that covered up to her chin made her white skin like a blank sheet of paper that stood out even more. She might be wearing something like this because she was sick. As I approached her closely, I saw a faint bright red spot under her chin. ¡°Your Highness the Princess, it is an honor for me to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pleasant to meet you as well, Lady Diane.¡± I sat down at the table by the window, with the mother and daughter following suit. The maid in the parlor served warm tea and light desserts. I wondered if she was the maid who put something on the medicine, but she seemed to be a completely different person. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°You said that you would be my bridesmaid at my wedding, but I haven¡¯t been able to say thank you until now.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m¡­¡± Diane glanced at the Duchess, with her face tinted red. It doesn¡¯t seem like she was scared or disliked me, but it shows that she can¡¯t speak mainly because she was shy. It was said that she only stayed inside the mansion, and that might be the reason why she was a very quiet and timid lady. Diane hesitated for a while, then managed to speak up. ¡°There is something that I wanted to show you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the bridesmaid dress that I will be wearing at your wedding¡­ But, I¡¯m worried that you may not like it.¡± Oh, the bridesmaid dress. The Duchess said that it was made in advance. ¡°Really? I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯d be glad to see it now.¡± Diane looked at the Duchess who was sitting next to her. The Duchess also urged her with a smile. ¡°Go ahead and show it to the Princess¡± Diane, who was encouraged by those words, went into her bedroom with the maid. As the door closed, the Duchess, who was smiling sweetly, suddenly had a worried look on her face. ¡°Even if my child seems lacking, please accept her, Your Highness. Diane only lived in the mansion, so she had never met any high-ranking people.¡± Due to her weak body, she wasn¡¯t able to debut in the social world, so that¡¯s why she only stayed at home and had no experience of interacting with other people. Still, her personality doesn¡¯t look crooked or depressed. Most people would fall into depression with such a situation, but it must be because their nature is so bright and good-natured. It must also be the Duchess¡¯s virtue to make sure that she took special care of her one and only daughter. ¡°She¡¯s been wanting to see Her Highness the Princess for a very long time, but now that she¡¯s standing right in front of the Princess, it seems that she can¡¯t speak properly because she¡¯s shy.¡± Hearing those words, it comes to my mind that Diane lived in a mansion alone away from social circles. Because if she had gone out into the social world, she wouldn¡¯t have wanted to meet Eve. And she may not have any close friends as well¡­. Perhaps the only close relative that she had would be the Grand Duke. The same goes for the Grand Duke; he had no close relatives as well except for the Duchess and her daughter Diane. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± I set down my teacup and comforted the Duchess. ¡°I am rather ashamed of myself because the Duchess and Diane were so kind to me. I should have visited the both of you much earlier, but I was too indifferent.¡± Then Diane, who had changed her clothes, came out. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. When I first came in, Diane wore a white indoor dress, but now she was wearing a pale pink dress. ¡°Do you like it, Princess? This is my bridesmaid dress.¡± ¡°Oh. It was your bridesmaid dress. Somehow it¡¯s¡­.¡± I pondered for a moment about what to say. Simple? Plain? Ahm the decoration¡­.. Well, there¡¯s no decoration at all. It was such a monotonous dress that there was no other way to express it. It¡¯s as if inside the dressing room, there is a mannequin that holds something that looks like a paper dress. It was like paper shaped into a skirt and a top without any decorations at all, but Diane¡¯s dress was just simply just to cover up her body shape. There were no patterns, no laces, no decorations to any extent. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s pretty. It¡¯s a cute dress.¡± I managed to squeeze out a decent compliment. ¡°Oh, I tried to make it not too flashy¡­¡­¡± Diane blushed, as she smoothed her unpatterned bodice. ¡°The Princess is the main character, so I cannot stand out.¡± Oh, so that¡¯s why she made it so simple. Well, in reality, it is said that the bridesmaid¡¯s dresses are made roughly on purpose to make the bride stand out. Still, that seemed kind of way too much. I think the Duchess persuaded her to do this, given Eve¡¯s harsh personality. So that the people¡¯s attention will be more focused on Eve, if she wore a plain and eccentric dress. ¡°Well¡­¡­ It¡¯s really pretty. How about adding some lace or ruffle embellishments?¡± ¡°¡­.. Really?¡± Diane couldn¡¯t hide her joy at my words. Well, it seems that she wanted to make it prettier as well than this. ¡°Of course, but I am not forcing you to do it, I just thought that it would look pretty with decorations. And I¡¯m very fine with it, so don¡¯t worry and just do what you want. And you still have a lot of time before the wedding day.¡± Diane was very delighted, and the Duchess seemed relieved as well. Both of them intentionally made the dress look like this because they were trying to assess the original Eve¡¯s countenance. ¡°Oh before I forgot, I also brought a present for Lady Diane.¡± I called Nell to bring the gift box that I had prepared in advance. Inside the box was a necklace made of pink jewels. ¡°I chose this one because the color is pretty, but now that I see it, it goes well with the dress.¡± Diane opened her eyes wide and stared blankly into the box. The Duchess, who saw what was in the box next to her, took a deep breath in surprise. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°This precious jewel¡­.¡± As Nell said, this necklace was a very expensive jewel, but seeing the reactions of the two, it must have been a bigger deal than I thought. Eve had so many jewels that most of them remained even after donating most of them to the temple. And I picked out the most expensive ones. This necklace was one of them. Since it would be a gift to be given to the Duchess¡¯s one and only daughter, I need to choose the most appropriate one, that¡¯s why I bought this. ¡°It¡¯s the reward for being my bridesmaid. Don¡¯t feel pressure and just accept it.¡± Diane¡¯s pale white cheeks turned red as if she was moved by the necklace. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­.. Thank you, Your Highness.¡± Aww. She¡¯s so cute She¡¯s like an innocent and cute little sister. CH 27 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°I will wear this necklace on your wedding day.¡± Diane¡¯s face was full of anticipation as she said those words. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to it as well. I just can¡¯t believe you won¡¯t be able to attend it and just lie down because of some suspicious drug deteriorating your body.¡¯ It was unfortunate. And I think that I should somehow prevent this from happening today. I was immersed in such thoughts when a maid suddenly knocked on the door. ¡°Madam, the butler said that the preparations for the ballroom were finished.¡± Upon hearing this, the Duchess apologized to me and got up from her seat. ¡°Oh, excuse me for a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can go ahead.¡± After all, the hostess is the busiest person on days when events are held in their residence. She looked at me more kindly than before and then turned to look at Diane. ¡°Diane, will you guide the Princess to look around the mansion?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine with me¡­.. But will it be okay with you? I mean, I don¡¯t want Lady Diane to overdo things and made you tire.¡± I just thought that she should rest since she wasn¡¯t feeling well, but Diane seemed very happy when she was asked to guide me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°It¡¯s okay to just walk around the mansion.¡± ¡°Then please do.¡± After the Duchess left, I toured the Duchy together with Diane. It was also the first time for me to look closely at the mansion of a noble family. The Duke¡¯s mansion was wider than the Palace I lived in, and the location of the rooms was also slightly different from the Imperial Palace. Come to think of it, the mansion of the Grand Duke must have a similar structure. Diane continued to explain diligently indicating just how proud she is about their mansion. ¡°There is a tea room over here¡­. Below that is a greenhouse. Oh, you can also see the garden from here.¡± The tea room was across from Diane¡¯s bedroom. It was a beautiful place decorated with cute furnishings similar to fairy tale descriptions. ¡°Where is this place?¡± I asked as I entered the room next to the tea room. ¡°This is the music room.¡± ¡°A music room?¡± I wondered what the music room was for, and when I entered, there was an instrument that resembled a piano in the center of the room. It was a harpsichord. Next to it was a case containing a flute. Oh, it¡¯s a place to practice music. So there was a dedicated music room in this mansion. ¡®Do I have a room like this in the Palace?¡¯ I don¡¯t think that I had one. Because it doesn¡¯t seem like Eve plays an instrument. This room wasn¡¯t just for musical instruments, there¡¯s a space dedicated for those who listened as well. A sofa and a tea table on the side, with a decorative cabinet on the wall. Still, I paid more attention to the location of this room than the purpose of it. If I open the door a little from here, I can see that it leads to Diane¡¯s inner room in a diagonal direction. This means that if I¡¯m here, I will be able to see those people who would be walking in and out of Diane¡¯s residence without being noticed. Although the tea room is closer in terms of location, the tea room faces the door to the inner room with a hallway in between, so there is a high possibility that people passing by will be able to find it. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Does Lady Diane often practice playing in this music room?¡± ¡°Oh yes. I am learning the harpsichord.¡± Diane looked at the harpsichord for a moment, then spoke in a hesitant voice. ¡°The Crown Prince came here before.¡± ¡°Wait¡­. Are you talking about my brother?¡± ¡°Yes, he came to see my father, at that time I left the door open because it was summer¡­. That¡¯s when he heard me playing and came inside this room.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s what happened.¡± It¡¯s not like Arentine to go inside while listening to the sound of a play. It must have been a very leisurely day. Diane¡¯s cheek turned deep red as she recalled the event of that day. ¡°Yeah, he just said hello and left right away.¡± That is so Arentine. This lady is very fond of the Crown Prince. I thought it was just a young girlish crush, but surprisingly, it seemed to me that she had fallen for him. What¡¯s so good about that poker face of a Crown Prince? Is it because there aren¡¯t many young men around? I thought it might be a possibility. Lady Diane, who lives only in the mansion, probably hasn¡¯t met any other men yet. Arentine was the only one who paid attention to lady Diane while coming in and out of the mansion, so this feeling could have sprouted because of the lack of choices. When I think about it that way, I feel a little sad for her. ¡°If it captured the attention of my brother, then that means that lady Diane¡¯s skills were at a high level. I hope that I can hear it as well.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not that good.¡± Diane blushed and waved her hand in a hurry. ¡°He just said he likes to listen to music.¡± Does the Crown Prince like to listen to music? That is something that I¡¯m not sure about. And it¡¯s a hobby that doesn¡¯t go well with me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Perhaps Arentine was only trying to hang out with this poor girl even for a while? Otherwise, there is no way that a hard-headed person would dare to come up here and enjoy this kind of music. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a surprisingly friendly side as well on that human being. ¡°I heard that you are not feeling well. Are you still taking medicine every day?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I take them three times a day.¡± Diane lowered her head with helpless eyes. ¡°What time do you usually take your medicine?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Oh, what I mean to say is that maybe it¡¯s time to take your medicine, and I was just interrupting you.¡± Diane was puzzled at my sudden question, but as soon as she heard the explanation, she answered meekly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I already took my lunch pills¡­.. My next intake will be before I go to sleep.¡± ¡°Then it must be around the end of the ball, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe around 10 o¡¯clock.¡± Diane replied helplessly as she touched her lace-up sleeves. She seemed to have suddenly lost her energy after hearing about the Ball. Well, Diane won¡¯t be able to attend the Ball. The evening dresses that the ladies wore to the Ball were a style that only slightly covered the shoulders. Although wearing a shawl, the nape of the neck and arms are visible. Diane won¡¯t be able to wear an evening dress because of the rashes that she had. It¡¯s a pity that the only daughter of the family can¡¯t attend the Ball at the mansion. We had such a conversation and left the music room and went downstairs. As we went downstairs and walked to the opposite hallway, I heard people¡¯s voices from the corner. ¡°It¡¯s really cold today.¡± ¡°I know, right. The road was frozen and I almost got late.¡± They seem to be guests invited to the Ball. Diane whispered behind me. ¡°They are distant relatives.¡± Ah, the Duke¡¯s relatives. In fact, in a family-like this, there will be different clans connected to the main family. A voice came from the end of the hallway. ¡°Have you seen the ballroom? The Duchess worked hard on the preparations.¡± ¡°The Duke wasn¡¯t even here, but she put a lot of effort into it.¡± It seemed like a normal conversation, but there was a strange thorn in the way that person spoke. At the end of those words, someone lowered their voice and whispered. ¡°Unfortunately, their only daughter can¡¯t even attend the Ball¡­.¡± It was a tone full of worries, but the voice seemed to be vaguely mocking. I glanced back at Diane, and there was a look of embarrassment. I see, since Lady Diane hasn¡¯t debuted in the social world yet, that is why she won¡¯t be able to go to the Ball. Here in the Albion Empire, etiquette was strict in that aspect. A person who has not officially debuted in the social world through a debutant team, cannot attend any official social events, even if they are aristocrats. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. As soon as Sorel was recognized as the Emperor¡¯s daughter, he held a separate debut dedicated to her. Still, it¡¯s a Ball that would be held at the mansion, and it¡¯s a pity that the host¡¯s daughter cannot attend it. And another thing, their relatives are unpleasant people. I wanted to argue with them, but I was only a guest here. I couldn¡¯t do things at will. ¡®The content was delivered meticulously to the point that I couldn¡¯t even point out the problem. However, it was a little upsetting to pretend that I didn¡¯t hear anything. I took a step towards the sound of the voice. Because that¡¯s the way I was going anyway. Around the corner, about five or six men and women were gathered in front of the drawing-room door. ¡°Oh, the guests have already arrived.¡± ¡°Your Highness the Princess¡­!¡± Most of them were new to me, but there were one or two familiar faces. They were the ladies I saw at the Empress¡¯s tea party. ¡°We greet you, Your Highness, the Princess.¡± I looked at their faces carefully and tilted my head. ¡°What¡¯s your family name? I¡¯m sorry, because I¡¯ve only read the third chapter of the ¡®Sentence Book¡¯, so I¡¯m not familiar with the other nobles.¡± The Sentence Book is a book that introduces the genealogy of ruling families and nobles that exist throughout the continent. The first chapter contains the Imperial and Royal families of each country, and the second contains the families that ruled independent countries in the past. And in the third chapter, there were the Dukes and Marquis of each country. For example, I do not know them because I don¡¯t know anyone less than the Marquis. That¡¯s what I meant No one could not understand the open slander remarks that I¡¯ve made. The faces of those who had gathered hardened instantly. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Among them, the oldest-looking man answered with an awkward smile. ¡°We are a branch of the Rohan family. I guess we didn¡¯t have a chance to introduce ourselves because we didn¡¯t often see the Princess. We can¡¯t help but apologize.¡± ¡°Relatives? Really?¡± I raised my eyebrows as if I was surprised. CH 28 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Yes, we all came from the same family, that¡¯s why we arrived early.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m quite surprised that you are all relatives of the Duke.¡± I looked back at them and said in a calm voice. ¡°Seeing that all of you are gathered here in the hallway, it seems that none of you have learned proper manners for an aristocrat¡­¡­¡± Everyone shut their mouths with a frightened look on their faces at such a careless rebuke. I walked towards the drawing-room, ignoring them. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait in this drawing-room, will you guys join us?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Princess. How can we¡­..¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting downstairs.¡± Everyone jumped and waved their hands. By this time, they would have realized that the words they had exchanged offended the Princess. It wasn¡¯t the friendly Princess Sorel, but Eve, who was known for her cruel antics. No one would ever want to be in the same room as her. ¡°Okay then, you can all go downstairs. And there¡¯s a drawing room downstairs as well.¡± However, they were not able to hear the rest of my words, because they all went downstairs right away, so footsteps could not be heard anymore. I stopped in front of the drawing-room and looked back to see Diane staring at me with her eyes wide open. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. She looked very surprised, but there was a hint of joy on her gentle face. ¡°Lady Diane. Thanks for guiding me through the mansion. You must be very tired now, so please go back and rest.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Your Highness.¡± Diane bowed and showed courtesy. ¡°I¡­¡­ Then I¡¯ll see you at the wedding.¡± Diane, who was about to turn around, stopped and looked back at me for a moment. She hesitated a bit but then whispered. ¡°And¡­ Thank you, for what happened earlier.¡± As expected, she must have felt so happy, based on how I treated and chased her relatives away. That honest confession made me laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your mother. I said that if she invites me, I will be on my best behavior today.¡± Diane nodded her head with a playful smile. ¡°I won¡¯t tell her.¡± With those words, Diane turned and walked to the other side of the hallway. I stared at Diane¡¯s back while remembering the question that ran through my mind. How come those people who were her so-called relatives had a bad outlook towards the Duchess and Lady Diane? The Duchess was the daughter of a noble family and had been the hostess of the family for a long time, but it was strange that she had a bad relationship with her relatives. ¡®Is it because Lady Diane was the only daughter of the Duke of Rohan?¡¯ Diane is the only child of the Duke. That is, she is the future heiress of this family. However, due to illness, she could not go to social circles and had not yet decided on marriage. Maybe that¡¯s why those people gossiped in a malicious tone. They were all dissatisfied with the Duchess for not giving birth to a proper heir. And without the sickly Diane, the title of Duke would be transferred to their relatives. As I have observed earlier, they¡¯re all disgruntled people. I needed to do my best to protect Diane from those people.¡¯ I grabbed the passing maid and gave an order. ¡°Call the maid who came with me earlier.¡± Nell was downstairs where the maids were waiting. After a while, Nell found me and went up the hallway on the second floor. ¡°Nell, I need you to do me a favor?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Anything, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be out of the ball as soon as the third dance is over.¡± Usually, the third dance at a Ball is a waltz. The usual order will be Minuet first, followed by Quadrille. Both were difficult dances that I wouldn¡¯t even dare to try. I couldn¡¯t dance at all except for the waltz, so I thought that I should enter the ballroom at the time the waltz started and run away as soon as the dance was over. Diane said the last time she took her pills was around the end of the Ball. I will monitor in the music room until the maid with the drugs shows up. ¡°While I¡¯m in the ballroom, please talk quietly to the Duchess and get the keys to the music room.¡± ¡°The key to the music room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Normally, it might not be locked, but today, many people came to the mansion. On days like this, all unused rooms will be locked. ¡°Say that I will be stopping by the music room in the evening, because I lost an important belonging and we will be looking for it once I¡¯m done at the ballroom. Because it¡¯s a personal thing and I don¡¯t want other people to know about it. And tell her that I¡¯ll go there secretly.¡± The mistress of the mansion will always have an emergency key with her. ¡°Just tell her that I¡¯ll just lend it for a while and will return it right after.¡± The Duchess will take out the key right away, thinking that I will make a fuss over it. ¡°Once you have it, open the door to the music room and wait for me inside.¡± Nell nodded with a serious look as if there was tension in my voice. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) Before I went out after finishing the afternoon work, the sun was already setting. The sky, which had been a clear blue color just a moment ago, had turned gray. A light purple evening mist drifted over the stone wall of the mansion where the shadows fell. Terence took out his pocket watch as he got into the waiting carriage. He tried to time it well before the Ball started, but it seemed like it would take a little bit of time to get to the Duke¡¯s mansion. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The carriage passed through the main gate of the mansion and went down the hill along the sidewalk. Unlike other noble families, the mansion of the Grand Duke was located on the Eastern Hill. It was a place overlooking Eastern Street, where the residences of noble families were gathered. It¡¯s already night, and a shadow is cast on the street seen below the hill. On the horizon visible in the distance, the red sunset crossed the gray sky and sprinkled brilliant gold. Looking at the gold that blended with the red, he unintentionally thought of a familiar red blonde. His fiancee, Princess Eve. ¡®I haven¡¯t heard anything about her since the last time we¡¯ve seen each other.¡¯ When he secretly met Eve in the Great Hall, he gave her the name of the maid who would contact the Duke to the mansion. The maid was a spy among the maids working in the Imperial Palace. However, five days after that, the Princess did not intend to contact him at all. When he asked the maid to find out what the Princess was doing, it was said that she had a severe cold and that she was resting inside her room. He wondered if she was faking it, while she was plotting something, but seeing that she had not contacted him, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. He remembered that day when they secretly met in the Great Hall, Terrence took the Princess to the balcony next to the waterfall. ¡®Was I too inconsiderate?¡¯ Terrence herself was well aware of his lack of consideration for women. Before that, he had never had a serious conversation with his fiancee, Eve. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Camion.¡± Camion, who was sitting across from him, had been watching him for a long time. Terrence asked without taking his eyes off the window. ¡°If the Princess is murdered now, who do you think people will suspect?¡± Camion¡¯s face slowly turned white as to how he had accepted those words. ¡°Your Grace, about the Princess¡­. -are you going to kill her? No matter how unacceptable the situation is¡­.¡± Terrence looked at him with an absurd look. ¡°Who said that I¡¯ll be killing the Princess? I¡¯m just simply asking.¡± Camion looked at him for a moment before answering. ¡°If the Princess is murdered, of course, Your Grace will be suspected.¡± ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡± Eve and his relationship were the worst, as anyone would believe. To the extent that even Camion in front of him was worried about whether he was trying to kill the Princess in response to his simple question. It wasn¡¯t just his fault. Because Eve has been selfish and stupid all this time. She chased after him whenever she had the chance, for her to be considered as a stalker. ¡°But why did you suddenly ask that¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Camion asked the question carefully, but Terrence asked another question instead of answering him. ¡°Have those sent to the South already come back?¡± According to the original plan, Terrence was to go south immediately after the wedding. This was because there were signs of a large-scale rebellion in the southern border region. At first, he had happily accepted the idea that he could leave the capital as soon as he got married. At that time, Terrence wanted to leave for a while, even if he had to create a reason for not staying. ¡°It was as you expected. The situation seems to be far more exaggerated than it is. There was a commotion around, but there was no danger of rebellion.¡± ¡°Right. It must have been the work of the Emperor.¡± Just like what he had expected after Eve explained the Emperor¡¯s plan. ¡°Why did the Emperor want to send His Grace to the South?¡± Camion raised his doubts again, but Terrence just stared at the window without saying a word. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®It must have been to divert my attention elsewhere.¡¯ So that he would not notice what¡¯s happening around Eve, as he was busy preparing for the play that the Emperor had plotted. As expected of the Emperor, Terrence himself had focused only on preparing the army to avoid thinking about the upcoming wedding. If Eve hadn¡¯t told him directly, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything suspicious. When he thinks about Eve, the conversation at the temple last time comes to mind. When was the time when she eagerly chased after him asking about their marriage, but now Eve herself put the condition of divorce on their arrangement? Divorce¡­. He hadn¡¯t thought of it at all. It only came to his mind once, after the engagement had been finalized. ¡®If the emperor dies now or steps down, I would be able to divorce Eve, right?¡¯ He quickly gave up thinking that he couldn¡¯t do such an irresponsible thing to his married wife. ¡®I¡¯d never imagined that she would want a divorce.¡¯ CH 29 (Terrence¡¯s POV) The sudden change was so unexpected that I couldn¡¯t adapt, but I kind of understood why it happened. As everybody knows, Princess Eve grew up in a peaceful environment, protected like a flower in a greenhouse. Still, no matter how strong a person is, they will be shocked to know that their biological father was planning on killing them by using another person as a cover. ¡®Knowing such fact, might have woken her senses.¡¯ ¡®And having a divorce would profit me more than her.¡¯ And if she¡¯s no longer my wife, there¡¯s no reason for me to be accountable for her safety and share my property. In return of monopolizing the Princess¡¯s abilities, all that I had to do was protect her. So, I should be grateful for Eve¡¯s proposal for a divorce, right? But strangely, the moment I heard that she wanted a divorce, I felt unpleasant rather than relieved. Why? When I thought that far ahead, the carriage finally stopped in front of the main gate of the Duke¡¯s house. ¡°Ahm¡­ Your Grace.¡± Camion, who had been waiting for his answer all the way here, asked again. ¡°Then why are you taking so many knights?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I turned around to look at the Duchy¡¯s knights outside of the carriage. This time an answer came back. ¡°¡­.I have been asked to.¡± -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) I looked around the mansion, checked, and prepared everything that was needed. Thinking that I had nothing else to do before the Ball, but then again, I was wrong. ¡°Your Highness the Princess. The drawing room is now ready.¡± ¡°A drawing-room?¡± It turns out that some of the guests who¡¯ve arrived early spend their time in the drawing-room on the first floor before the Ball begins. ¡°Yes, Your Highness, this way please.¡± The maid in charge of guiding me, opened the door of the drawing-room, trembling to the point of pity, for fear that she might upset me in some manner. Am I the only one who¡¯ll be using this room? Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. Five or six young ladies were staying in the drawing-room. Seeing that they are all in gorgeous evening dresses, it seems that they are ladies that are personally invited to the Ball. Ladies with different hair colors and eye colors focused their attention to me at once. And all of them were equally shocked. ¡°Oh my, Your Highness, the Princess.¡± These are the eyes as if they¡¯re looking at the monster that suddenly popped out of the closet. ¡°Everyone was here.¡± As I entered, the women belatedly got up from their seats and prepared their elegant manners. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°We greet you, Your Highness, the Princess.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve all seen each other.¡± I have no idea who they are. Fortunately, it¡¯s okay to not know the name now. Because Eve originally hated socializing, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t meet them personally or even attempted to memorize their names properly. The servants from the Princess¡¯s palace used to gossip that Eve could not memorize the names and backgrounds of the other nobles. I sat at the table after receiving their greetings. There were teacups and snacks on the table. I guess this means that we should eat some snacks while killing some time. As I tasted the tea, I picked up the sweet cookies from the bowl and ate them. Meanwhile, the ladies who stood up steadily from their seats continued to look at me. The ladies poked each other at the speed of light while I was digging away at the refreshments. They seemed to push each other to talk to me. The platinum blonde lady, who had been pushed by others, approached me and spoke carefully. ¡°It is an infinite honor to meet and talk to Her Highness the Princess here at the Ball. Oh, please forgive me for not being able to go out and meet the Princess because I didn¡¯t hear that you were coming¡­.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t plan to attend originally.¡± I cut off her words right away since I felt pitiful. ¡°I had no plans at all to attend this social gathering because I was getting married. But I had no choice since it was the Grand Duke who asked me to come.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke?¡± ¡°It was from the last time that we saw each other at the Grand Hall, that he asked me to attend the Ball.¡± It was not a lie. When we met for the second time in the Grand Hall, we decided to meet at the Ball. ¡°Did His Grace ask you to come to the ball?¡± One of the ladies was so surprised and couldn¡¯t help but ask, so I answered back leisurely while holding the teacup with both hands. ¡°Yeah, he asked me to attend because he wanted to dance with me today. It¡¯s a request from my fianc¨¦, so I couldn¡¯t refuse it.¡± ¡°His Grace, as in Grand Duke Lenz Terrence.¡± The platinum blonde looked confused as to whether we were talking about the same person now. ¡°Were there any other Grand Dukes in our empire that I didn¡¯t know of?¡± When I showed a few unpleasantries, the platinum blonde woman hurriedly came to her senses and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Your Highness. There is, of course, only one Grand Duke of the Empire, His Grace, Grand Duke Lenz Terrence.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± While the platinum blonde shook her head due to shock and fear, confusion rose from the eyes of the other ladies. Eve has finally gone insane. After chasing the Grand Duke like that, she had finally lost it. I couldn¡¯t help but think that they thought of me that way. No matter how much I think about it, that was the only common-sense answer. Eve is crazy and delusional. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Even though Eve was sane and did all sorts of things, how scary would it be if she finally lost her mind? I sipped a warm tea while watching those troubled-looking ladies. The reaction is a bit harsh, but not that bad. ¡®Well, they¡¯ll know it when they see it for themselves.¡¯ Since the Ball is less than an hour away. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Terrence¡¯s POV) The Ball was originally set in a format from beginning to end. There was a framework set by etiquette, including the method of inviting guests, how to organize a Ball, as well as the type and order of dance. However, even in the same way, the atmosphere was very different depending on the personality of the organizer. From the hard and boring court ball to the light and debauchery masked ball. The beauty of the Ball was that it changed in a variety of ways even in the same form. The Ball that was organized by the Duchess of Rohan was carried out in a noble and modest atmosphere, according to the taste of his aunt, the Duchess. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last saw you. Your Grace.¡± As soon as I entered the ballroom, several nobles greeted me first. Come to think of it, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve attended a Ball. Since I didn¡¯t like social gatherings like this from the beginning. The other nobles knew it well, so they did not dare approach me easily. All I had to do was look into their eyes and barely say hello. A few nobles, who could be said to be on the same side, greeted me and exchanged a few words. ¡°I heard that you will be dispatched soon. How are your preparations going?¡± ¡°I heard that His Majesty the Emperor, who is on the front lines, is in a state of a lull in the battle and is only confronting¡­ ¡± ¡°The supplies are leaving to transport for military needs¡­..¡± As if promised, there is no talk about the wedding. Due to the timeline, marriage will come first before my departure, but they were all talking about war. Come to think of it, whenever the topic of marriage came out, unpleasantries would flow out of me. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Even in the middle of a conversation, when someone brought up about the upcoming wedding or anything related to Eve, I would immediately turn around and leave. ¡®No wonder no one would talk about marriage in front of me.¡¯ Then I heard someone¡¯s voice next to me. ¡°What? The Princess is coming? Princess Eve?¡± People were whispering a few steps away. ¡°The Grand Duke has come, but why did the Duchess think of inviting the Princess as well?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t the type of person who wouldn¡¯t come just because the Princess didn¡¯t receive an invitation?¡± That was it. ¡°Isn¡¯t Her Highness on probation?¡± By the time the conversation reached that point, I immediately turned around and looked at them. Those who were whispering hurriedly shut their mouths and looked at me. ¡°Terrence.¡± A soft voice called me from the other side. It was none other than my Aunt, the Duchess of Rohan. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Terrence.¡± ¡°Auntie.¡± I bowed slightly to greet my Aunt. I¡¯ve always had a rough relationship with the Duke of Rohan, but I always maintained a good relationship with my aunt, the Duchess. The smiling Duchess lowered her voice and whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you heard it, but the Princess is here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± At my blunt reply, a look of uneasiness suddenly showed on my Aunt¡¯s neat face. The Duchess clasped both of my hands nervously and approached me closely. ¡°Can¡¯t you hold it in for me today?¡± The Duchess looked at me with an almost pleading expression. I suddenly felt embarrassed at my Aunt¡¯s earnest gaze. I was aware that they thought that I¡¯m not happy whenever Eve was present but did it have come to a point that she had to ask me for something like this? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. The Duchess sighed in relief when she heard those words. ¡°Thank you.¡± However, at the request of the Duchess, Eve did not appear even until the first and second dance passed. I heard that the Princess had arrived earlier, but I don¡¯t know where she is or what she is doing. ¡®When is she planning to come?¡¯ CH 30 (Terrence¡¯s 3rd Person POV) It was time for the third dance to start, but Eve still didn¡¯t show up, making Terrence feel nervous. ¡®Should I send someone to find the Princess?¡¯ When that thought occurred, the noisy chatter disappeared as if washed away in an instant. In the sudden silence, someone¡¯s voice echoed through the ballroom. ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s Her Highness the Princess!¡± At that word, Terrence turned his gaze towards the entrance. Eve was standing in front of the entrance door to the ballroom. Instead of the luxurious dress she usually wore, she wore a light green silk dress that went well with her hair color, and her long red blonde hair was naturally loose. (T/N: Ooh.. this may be the dress from the Novel Cover.) It was a little different from the past when she used to dress up splendidly. But this time, she looked rather elegant and refined. Eve looked around and slowly stepped into the large banquet hall. A still-silence echoed inside the ballroom. Everyone stopped chatting and focused their eyes on Eve. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. People were surprised and worried about Eve¡¯s sudden appearance, but on the other hand, they looked at her with eyes filled with anticipation. Perhaps they hoped that she would get angry at some point, like those actors in a third-rate play. There¡¯s nothing more entertaining than seeing a noble Princess and a young Grand Duke turning a formal ball into a spectacle. Terrence looked at her for a moment, then he started moving. He met Eve in the middle of the ballroom. It was a tense moment where even breathing could not be heard. ¡°Princess.¡± Terrence smiled faintly as he greeted Eve with politeness. Then he reached out a hand to her and gently asked. ¡°If it¡¯s all right, will you give me the honor of having your first dance?¡± In an instant, a wave of shock spread among the surrounding nobles. The sound of someone gasping in surprise was heard. The soft melody that resonated sweetly was also cut off for a moment. Even without looking, Terrence could feel the shock of people vividly. A smile spread across Eve¡¯s lips amidst the shock and astonishment that erupted silently. Eve proudly raised the tip of her chin and took his hand. ¡°Of course. I will allow it.¡± With everyone¡¯s eyes wide open, Terrence took Eve¡¯s hand and walked to the dance floor. Before heading out to the center of the floor, Terrence realized that Eve¡¯s mood was a little different from the last time they met. Eve had an arrogant expression on the outside, but her body was stiff. He could feel the tension in the hand who was holding her breath. ¡°Relax, Princess.¡± Even though they only spoke quietly, Eve seemed surprised. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Now that he can see her up-close, her face is paler than usual. She seemed unwell, is she sick by any chance? ¡°You look like you¡¯re being dragged to the execution ground, not the dance floor.¡± ¡°If I step on your feet, I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± Eve responded to his words with a calm voice, even though she was hardened with tension. Terence laughed a little. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± The sweet melody of the waltz began to resound in the quiet ballroom. Terence, who came to the floor, took the first step and led Eve. Her body wrapped in a gorgeous dress looked a little thinner than he had seen a few days ago. ¡®It was said that she became sick after going to the temple that day, was it the aftermath of that?¡¯ ¡®Or is it because of worry?¡¯ No one can live in peace knowing that her biological father is plotting to kill her. That¡¯s probably why she was very nervous and tense while dancing. As he knew, Eve loved to dance and always showed off her skill. But now Eve didn¡¯t look happy at all. She was smiling, but her body was stiff and she could barely follow the steps. Suddenly, Eve from the past who had been begging him to dance with her every time they saw each other at a banquet, came to mind. Looking back, this was the first time we danced together. It must have been what she had always wanted to do, but Eve was not even happy, let alone concentrating at this moment. ¡°¡­.¡± She¡¯s the woman I¡¯ve been bothered with so much until recently. Terrence suddenly felt pity for no reason, maybe because he had talked to her a few times. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Even her pale slender body and pearly white skin somehow stimulated a feeling of pity. ¡®What useless thoughts.¡¯ Terrence spun around the floor, holding Eve¡¯s body firmly, driving away his thoughts. Usually, he didn¡¯t feel much interest in the slender women who seemed to fall with the touch of a hand. Maybe the reason why he was enjoying this moment with the Princess, probably because of her special abilities. (T/N: Ayiee the ship is starting to sail!) [ PR/N: help, i¡¯m kicking the air-!!] -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) I slowly followed the steps that were led by the Grand Duke. The people inside the ballroom were still looking at the two of us with astonishment. Originally, as soon as the music started, everyone should have gathered at the dance floor with their partner, but nobody followed nor joined us at the center. It was very fortunate. If there are other people around, I will be distracted and I will not be able to concentrate more. Well It seemed that our plan of letting everyone see that Terrence and I are now in a good relationship, has definitely succeeded. In fact, I didn¡¯t even have time to think about it. Now, just dancing in the Grand Duke¡¯s arms was enough to lose my strength. Still, it was worthwhile to practice desperately with Nell. Thanks to that, I was at least following the steps without stomping on the Grand Duke¡¯s shoes. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I seem to be doing well despite the short preparation. Considering that I practiced for about four days, it was a phenomenal result. ¡®Perhaps because of the experience that this body had, from the original Eve.¡¯ Just like when I first came here, I was able to speak the language and read the characters naturally. Eve¡¯s body instinctively had the remaining skills, so it seems that I was able to learn it easily. I followed the Grand Duke¡¯s lead and took careful steps. It¡¯s the first time the Grand Duke danced with Eve, so there¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s a little strange. After getting used to the repeated steps to some extent, I unintentionally looked up at the Grand Duke and stopped at the end of the song. Under the soft lights of the ballroom, the beautiful face of the Grand Duke was seen in front. Being used to seeing this man¡¯s enchanting beauty from afar and now up-close, nearly gave me a heart attack. ¡®Because this man is really needlessly handsome.¡¯ As my heart pounded a little faster, the last step came to an end with the gentle music. It ended without any event. I even sighed with relief. I stopped and belatedly looked around. But for some reason, people¡¯s eyes were focused on other places instead of on our side. I inadvertently followed people¡¯s gaze and stopped. A familiar red-blonde man was standing at the entrance of the ballroom. It was my older brother, Crown Prince Arentine. Arentine, dressed in robes, stood at the door and looked directly at the Grand Duke. Why did my brother come here? He said that he couldn¡¯t come because he had a lot of work to do. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Your Highness, The Crown Prince.¡± The Duchess ran in haste and bowed down to him. ¡°Forgive the rudeness. I couldn¡¯t go out to meet you, knowing that you wouldn¡¯t be able to come.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t mind me.¡± Although Arentine was the Crown Prince, he treated the Duchess with courtesy. The Duchess¡¯ eyes made the two seem quite friendly. Seriously, how many times has he been to this mansion before? ¡°I was invited, but I came late because it seemed disrespectful to the Duchess to send only my sister and not attend at all.¡± Arentine¡¯s eyes lit up and returned to the Grand Duke¡¯s side. However, it was a gaze that felt a little uncomfortable rather than curiosity or wonder. Is he annoyed or something? But why? ¡°I greet you, Your Highness The Crown Prince.¡± The Grand Duke showed politeness with a dignified manner. Arentine looked at him for a moment, then turned to me and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the two of them getting closer.¡± A whisper could be heard from among the nobles around. ¡°Is it because of The Crown Prince¡¯s request?¡± ¡°That might be it. Unless¡­.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense at all.¡± I can hear everything. Even so, it seems to me that they want to find a suitable reason. In which I couldn¡¯t understand. When people see a phenomenon that cannot be understood with their common sense, they try to find a convincing answer somehow. I even thought it was a strange phenomenon that the head of a normal person could not comprehend for the Grand Duke and Eve to dance as tenderly as lovers and suddenly fall in love. For a moment, I felt a hand wrapped around my shoulder. The Grand Duke who was standing next to me wrapped one arm around me and smiled sweetly. ¡°We are engaged, of course.¡± Silent screams and astonishment passed like waves again among the masses. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. No matter how the people around me reacted, the Grand Duke did not take his eyes off me. His eyes, looking at me, overflowed with affection, as if he were dealing with a lover he had loved for decades. It was a natural look that seemed to treat a truly precious fianc¨¦e. It was so perfect that I even got goosebumps watching his action right in front of me. CH 31 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°I wanted to see you more often, but my heart aches to know that you can¡¯t come out of the palace without permission.¡± The Grand Duke held my hand, then turned his gaze towards Arentine and said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, will you allow the Princess to go outside the Palace? Because I would like to discuss the matter about our wedding and also show her around the Duchy.¡± At that moment, a look of surprise and bewilderment began to seep through Arentine¡¯s indifferent face. He didn¡¯t seem to understand where this was going. ¡°That¡­.. If that¡¯s what both of you wanted, then I can¡¯t help to give her permission then. I think that Eve had already reflected enough, then I¡¯ll allow her if it¡¯s going to be a wedding-related matter.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Your Highness.¡± The Grand Duke looked back at me, with a look of deep relief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that great, Princess.¡± I belatedly came to my senses and immediately responded to the Grand Duke¡¯s words. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good news. And I¡¯ve been wanting to visit the Duchy as well to see the garden that you mentioned before.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°You would like it. You can see it if you open the window inside the Princess bedroom.¡± The two of us exchanged friendly conversations like a happy bride and groom before their wedding. Arentine¡¯s eyes looking at us became more and more confused. The expression of the Duchess next to him was no different. ¡°I¡¯m¡­.. I¡¯m really happy that the two of you are so close now.¡± The Duchess said with a forced smile, but the corner of her eyes is noticeably trembling. She must have been so surprised that she couldn¡¯t control her facial expression. The Grand Duke stared at me with eyes full of emotion enough to drip honey. ¡°I¡¯ve been so rude to the Princess all this time. I feel so ashamed that I misunderstood such a beautiful and good-natured person.¡± Just how can he describe Eve¡¯s personality as a ¡°good person¡± to the extent that it is impossible to say that what he was saying is just empty words. If it had been someone other than the Grand Duke, it could have been misunderstood as true love. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good.¡± The Duchess¡¯ voice was now trembling. Either way, the Grand Duke took my hand and gently kissed the back of it. I was stunned, but shocked will be an understatement to compare to those who watched us. Everyone around us was staring blankly at us with their mouths open. Some of the ladies were so startled that they even dropped the fans they were holding. Even the attendants, who were waiting for the guests, stood idly, lost into the moment. Nevertheless, the Grand Duke in the middle of the storm was not in the slightest affected. He looked at my face with a worried expression. ¡°Princess, are you okay? You¡¯re still not that fully recovered from your sickness, maybe you¡¯re overdoing it because of me¡­. If you are tired, shall we go up to the drawing-room to rest for a while?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I just looked at him without answering. We responded together a while ago, but I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t speak for a while. ¡®It seemed that our plan to make an impression of ¡®We¡¯re getting along and willing to protect each other¡¯ was successful, but¡­. Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?¡¯ ¡®I was only thinking of dancing to one song, but all of a sudden we went into lover mode.¡¯ This is more than enough to achieve the goal of creating a rumor that would give an impact on the audience. From tonight on, this will become a huge topic in society. The subject of the rumor is that ¡°A miracle happened and Princess Eve succeeded in seducing the Grand Duke¡±, Or maybe it¡¯s simply saying, ¡®The Grand Duke is crazy¡¯. Maybe it¡¯s both. When I couldn¡¯t answer, his affectionate purple eyes fluttered for a moment, then the cool light hidden within them was revealed. I suddenly came to my senses and spoke in an arrogant voice like the usual Eve. ¡°Ahm yes, I don¡¯t feel well right now. And I feel thirsty after that dance, so can we skip the next song and take a break.¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go to the drawing-room.¡± ¡°Okay¡­. We¡¯ll be excusing ourselves, brother.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± As soon as I heard Arentine¡¯s awkward reply, I turned around while holding the Grand Duke¡¯s arm. The Grand Duke then grabbed me with one arm as if supporting me and led me out of the ballroom. The onlookers split right away, providing a path for the two of us. The people in the ballroom were all looking at us with stupefied faces, from the guests to the servants and as well as the band who was playing the music. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It is the first time in my life that I have received this kind of attention in front of so many people. When I came out of the ballroom, I let out a sigh. However, as I moved away from people¡¯s eyes, the tension was relieved to some extent. As I was walking towards the stairs without energy, I heard a calm voice next to me. ¡°I think this will be enough for today.¡± The moment I turned my head, the eyes of the Grand Duke who was looking at me met. He had a cold and indifferent expression as usual as if he had pretended to be a sweet lover. And it changed as soon as we left the ballroom. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡®I kind of wanted to say, ¡®Wow, your acting was so amazing that you can change your personality so quickly¡¯ but I knew that he¡¯d be angry if I said that honestly.¡¯ It would be foolish to buy this man¡¯s wrath. When he¡¯s doing his best to protect me. ¡°Certainly, this seems to have imprinted on everyone.¡± I think it was too much, but it worked out anyway. When conducting a public opinion in this way, nothing is more effective than shock therapy. I cleared my voice and immediately changed the topic. First of all, there are many more urgent matters. It was about Diane¡¯s medicine. ¡°Did you bring enough knights?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got enough on standby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The last time we met at the Great Hall, I asked him to bring the knights of the Grand Duke to the Ball. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. There will be no troops left in the Duke¡¯s house now. Since the Duke had bought most of them when he went to the war. ¡®Even if there are people left behind, I am not in a position to ask the Duke¡¯s vassals at will.¡¯ However, the situation is different in the case of the Grand Duke. If I explain the situation to him and ask for a favor, he will do whatever that I want. So that¡¯s why I asked him to bring the knights with him. I also explained what I saw in my foresight. As soon as I turned around at the end of the hallway, the Grand Duke asked a question as if he was waiting. ¡°Are you sure about what¡¯s going to happen today?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± The decoration of the hallways and rooms, the location of the furniture, and the dress the Duchess wore. The vision that I saw was sure to happen tonight. ¡°Tonight, Lady Diane is going to faint after taking her medicine that contains a suspicious powder.¡± If I¡¯d told the others about this, they would be puzzled at how strange this sound was. But the Grand Duke, who already knew about my abilities, never doubted me. ¡°Did you find out who the culprit is?¡± ¡°No, I looked around the mansion and saw several maids as well, but none of them was her.¡± Will the maid, the culprit, be with Lady Diane by now? It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s time to take her medicine yet, if the maid is vigilantly guarding Diane¡¯s room, then she may be already inside the bedroom. Suddenly, I understood why the culprit chose the day of the Ball. Now the mansion is full of guests and their attendants are all busy. The Duke¡¯s servants were running around nonstop to serve the guests. On such a day, everyone will be so busy, so it¡¯s perfect to commit a crime. It would be easy for them to hide the medicine bowl and the powder vial after feeding it to Diane. And no one would notice the maid¡¯s actions. ¡°Did anyone ever have a grudge against Lady Diane?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± It seems that the Duke doesn¡¯t know either. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Since he doesn¡¯t visit that often. After a moment of thought, he spoke in a calm voice. ¡°If we catch the culprit and ask them, we will find out then.¡± The two of us passed through the hallway and went downstairs. Unlike the ballroom full of people, the lower floor was quiet. Servants moving under orders and people guarding the inside of the mansion were occasionally seen. The Grand Duke then summoned his men and gave them instructions. ¡°Place the knights on the third floor.¡± ¡°How many people should we arrange?¡± ¡°Five or six would be ??enough.¡± The Grand Duke gave detailed orders to his subordinates. ¡°Before the Ball is over, I¡¯ll ring the bell in Diane¡¯s bedroom, so wait quietly and out of sight.¡± It was a tall, young man with a scar on his face who ran after hearing the Grand Duke¡¯s orders. I realized then who he was. It was Camion, the henchman of the Grand Duke. In the original story, he was a person who executed all kinds of conspiracies as the right arm of the Grand Duke. ¡°I understood, Your Grace.¡± After giving the order, the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze came back to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be staying inside the music room with the Princess.¡± A questionable gaze touched me for a moment, but he did not delay and went outside to pick up the knights. Fortunately, he seemed to have not heard about what happened inside the ballroom, because he was waiting outside the ballroom. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. After he left, I asked the Grand Duke with a bit of apprehension. ¡°Are we going to catch the maid right before she takes the drug?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The Grand Duke said as if he was saying something natural. ¡°We have to catch them exactly at the scene so that we can hear everything properly. Didn¡¯t you want that as well?¡± CH 32 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Oh, right.¡± If we catch the culprit right before taking the drugs and ask her about what she¡¯s trying to do, the culprit would get rid of the scheme. ¡®If only I could tell the Duchess or Diane beforehand, but if they ask me how I knew about it, I would have no way of explaining it.¡¯ So, it would be best to hit the scene right before the incident occurs. A beautifully crafted wall clock was hanging on the hallway wall. Diane said that the time she takes her medicine was around 10 o¡¯clock. There was still plenty of time. We had nothing to worry about since the Grand Duke¡¯s knights were just waiting downstairs in case we needed them. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the music room.¡± We passed the hall on the second floor with the Grand Duke and went up to the music room. On the day of the event, all the workers are mobilized to attend and provide assistance inside the mansion. Even now, the lower floors of the basement, where the servants work, must be hectic. In the hallway, where the rooms that will not be used during the party are located, only glass lights were hung, and not a single soul can be seen. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Still, the light in the tea room that was next to the music room was brightly lit and the maids were busy moving inside. At the end of the Ball, the lady guests would come up here to drink tea and chat. It seemed to have been prepared in advance. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± I opened the door to the music room. The door, which had been tightly closed, opened easily. Nell who had come in advance must have left it open. It was dark inside the music room with the lights turned off. The pastel-toned furniture and the harpsichord engraved with colorful patterns are quietly immersed in the darkness. The only light was a yellow light from the little lamp that Nell was holding. Nell was sitting on the sofa as she waited for me. ¡°Princess¡­¡­ Oh my¡­ I greet you, Your Grace, The Grand Duke.¡± Nell, who was glad to see me, found the Grand Duke and bowed her head in haste. ¡°No one has come yet, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. No one came.¡± ¡°Good job, Nell. Please go down now, return the key to the Duchess, and rest.¡± When Nell closed the door and left, it was only the two of us who were left in the music room. ¡°We can wait here.¡± We had no choice but to wait for the maid to bring in Lady Diane¡¯s medicine. We sat down on the sofa in the music room. There was a chill seeping in, inside the darkroom. Only the small lamp that Nell had left was emitting a warm yellow light in the dark blue darkness. Outside the window was a small garden covered with white snow. The snow that was piled lightly shone in dazzled blue under the moonlight. The cold moon hung in the night sky and drew white rays on the windows and decorations. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s okay for us to do this?¡± After a while, I broke the silence first. The Grand Duke turned to look at me. In the quiet darkness, his eyes were also dyed black-purple like the night sky. ¡°Do you want to go back to the ballroom?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± I didn¡¯t want to go back to a place where I was getting everyone¡¯s attention again. I felt like a rare animal to be seen at a zoo. ¡°I just thought that people will look at us strangely if we don¡¯t go back until the party is over.¡± Hearing this, the Grand Duke looked at me carefully for a moment. ¡°There is nothing strange about it. Isn¡¯t it natural to have a secret meeting with your fianc¨¦ on a day like this?¡± That part is what I meant to be weird. We went out saying that we will rest for a while and didn¡¯t come back for a long time. And then they would notice that we are not in either the drawing-room that was beside the ballroom or in the waiting room. It was a situation that could be misunderstood by anyone. Well, we indeed planned to have it as if we are in love anyway, so It seems that things are going according to our plan¡­.. As I was thinking up to that point, I felt the Grand Duke¡¯s gaze and lifted my head again. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°The Crown Prince, did he know that the Princess was in danger?¡± Oh, was that what you were curious about? ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t know.¡± After listening to my reply, the Grand Duke spoke quietly after a short pause. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did you leave your real brother unaware about what¡¯s happening, and ask me for help instead?¡± That¡¯s because you¡¯re the final winner in the original story. But of course, I couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°Do you think that my older brother can protect me? Against His Majesty the Emperor?¡± As the Grand Duke, he can fight the Emperor and protect me. However, for Arentine, he has no power yet to stop the Emperor¡¯s evil plan. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think he has the heart to protect me.¡± Even if we have that special connection, he could have just pretended to be sad once Eve died. In the original story, Arentine did not show any form of sadness at Eve¡¯s death. Rather, there was a scene where the nobles murmured that the Crown Prince seemed to be delighted with the death of his younger sister. It¡¯s not surprising considering Eve¡¯s deeds, but he¡¯s still a very cold-hearted older brother. And he is my one and only brother. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®Come to think of it, I have never been blessed with my family here either.¡¯ Before I came inside this novel, even when I was living in the real world, I always had no family. My parents died when I was very young, and I went back and forth between relatives¡¯ houses and later went to an orphanage to live. Considering those days, I think it¡¯s a little better to live here as a Princess and enjoy the luxury of living. Still, if I had to come inside a book, I would have preferred to live in a normal household, not as a noble or Imperial family, as long as I could live happily in an ordinary family. And I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve caused any particular harm to others.¡­. To become a villain who is hated by her family and is about to die is just a little too much. While I was immersed in my thoughts, suddenly something was wrapped around me. As I turned around due to surprise, I saw the black robe that the Grand Duke was wearing, now hanging on my shoulder. The Grand Duke, who took off his robe and put it on my shoulder, spoke in an indifferent tone when our eyes met. ¡°If you wear such thin clothes in the middle of winter, you will get sick.¡± What I¡¯m wearing now was an evening dress that is normally worn during a Ball. It was a dress that exposed both arms, but I did not feel the cold when I was in the ballroom. However, inside this music room, the air was a little bit chilly. And wearing his outer coat made me feel much warmer. ¡°It¡¯s warm. Thank you so much, Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Terrence.¡± I looked back to see what he meant, and the Grand Duke added in a calm voice. ¡°Call me Terrence. How long are you going to call your fianc¨¦ by his title?¡± Oh, so that was his name. I always kept thinking that he was the Grand Duke, so I forgot his real name. Yeah, since he was my fianc¨¦, I¡¯d better call him by his name. ¡°Thank you, Terrence.¡± The Grand Duke, no, Terrence turned his gaze back to the window. I couldn¡¯t see it in detail, but at first glance, it looked like there was a wrinkle on his forehead. Did I do something wrong? But Terrence remained silent, staring only at the window. This guy is hard to please. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I¡¯m just glad that it¡¯s a contract marriage. How hard is it for a woman to become this man¡¯s wife? It was when I was complaining like that. Tap. Tap. At that moment, faint footsteps were heard outside the door. The source of the sound was coming from the hallway. Someone was approaching this way as they passed through the quiet hallway. We approached the door without time to discuss our plan. Terrence gently opened the door silently. Through the gap in the slightly opened door, I could see the back of the maid walking down the hallway. A maid walked to Diane¡¯s room with a tray of medicine bowls on it. It was the same scene that I¡¯ve seen on the foresight. As soon as I saw it, tension spread through my back. Scenes I had seen as illusions were repeated in my head. After the maid who brought the medicine bowl goes out, the criminal inside gets a suspicious powder on the medicine. Then Diane, who was in the bedroom, comes out and drinks the medicine. The first thing was for us to break in just before Diane took her medicine to catch the culprit and gather the evidence. The maid with the medicine bowl opened the door leading to Diane¡¯s inner room and went inside. While I and Terrence peered into the hallway through the crack in the door and waited, holding our breath. After a while, the maid who entered the room came out with an empty tray. The maid turned around the hallway and disappeared. And a few seconds passed in tension. ¡°Now.¡± At this point, the criminal must have called Lady Diane. I glanced at Terrence, thinking the same thing, and immediately opened the door and went inside. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Passing through the small living room, I opened the drawing-room door immediately. As expected, as soon as the door opened, the criminal maid and Diane were together inside her room. ¡°Lady Diane.¡± Diane, who was holding the medicine bowl, heard Terrence¡¯s voice and raised her head in shock. ¡°Brother Terrence?¡± ¡°Lady Diane, you can¡¯t drink that!¡± ¡°What¡­.?¡± While Diane sat idly, unaware of the situation, Terrence quickly approached and took the bowl from her hand. A moment of despair passed by in a blink of an eye. Looking back, it was a life-changing thing, but it passed in an instant and only figured out once the situation was over¡­. That was the case with Diane. It wasn¡¯t until Diane came to her senses that she realized that her cousin, Terrence, had grabbed her wrist and stole the bowl of medicine. CH 33 (Eve¡¯s POV) Behind her, a familiar voice called out urgently. ¡°Lady Diane, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­ Princess?¡± Diane looked at the two of us with a puzzled look on her face. Terrence put the medicine bowl down on the table and pulled the bell used to summon a servant or maid. Then, he explained the situation in a calm voice. ¡°This maid put something in your medicine.¡± ¡°¡­.. What?¡± The maid who stood back to one side and watched the situation turned pale. ¡°No, I did not!¡± The vision feels like a hazy dream, so I didn¡¯t have time to take a closer look at her appearance. Now that I¡¯m seeing her in person, she was a middle-aged maid with a mean look. The maid complained of injustice with a pale face. ¡°It¡¯s nonsense, why would I do that?¡± ¡°I just saw it myself.¡± I brought out the explanation I had prepared in advance. ¡°We were about to come in here, but then I saw through the crack of the door. That this woman put something into Lady Diane¡¯s medicine bowl. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, I opened the door a bit and this woman didn¡¯t even notice it because she was so busy putting an unusual powder into the bowl.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. It was a made up excuse of course, but the maid could not refute it. When she was adding powder to the medicine, she must have been so nervous and didn¡¯t have time to look around. Even if she was sure the door didn¡¯t open, there¡¯s no way to prove it. It didn¡¯t really matter if the door was open or not anyway. Right now, there must be a vial of the suspicious powder in that woman¡¯s sleeve. At that moment, the sound of mending footsteps was heard outside the door, and the young men opened the door and entered. ¡°Your Grace, have you called?¡± They were Knights in uniforms that the Grand Duke¡¯s symbol had been engraved at. It looked like they were his Knights, Terrence had them waiting downstairs. As soon as they entered, I pointed to the maid and ordered. ¡°I saw her put a vial of powder inside her sleeve. Check out this maid¡¯s sleeve.¡± The knights turned to the Grand Duke at my sudden command. ¡°Do what the Princess tells you.¡± When Terrence¡¯s order was given, the Knights immediately grabbed the maid¡¯s arm. Then they searched the maid¡¯s sleeve and pulled out a small glass bottle from it. ¡°We found it.¡± It was a small vial the size of two fingers. There was about half of the white powder inside. ¡®I was very curious about what that was.¡¯ Terrence opened the vial and sniffed it. There was a slight wrinkle on his forehead. ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Just as I was about to ask what it was, a young woman who appeared to be a maid came in from outside the door. ¡°What is happening, My Lady?¡± The maid was surprised to see the situation in the room and stuttered. Before Diane could answer, Terrence gave the order first. ¡°Go out now and quietly tell my aunt that Diane almost had an accident and bring her here.¡± When the word ¡®accident¡¯ was heard, the maid immediately turned around and went outside, whether she recognized the seriousness of the situation or not. Moments later, the Duchess arrived with an old man who appeared to be the butler. It was not time for the ball to end yet, so it seemed that she had heard the news in the middle and left. ¡°My Diane almost got into an accident?¡± The Duchess looked confused. It seemed that she was terrified after hearing that there was an accident. ¡°Is Diane okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Diane wasn¡¯t hurt.¡± The Duchess, who heard me, immediately looked towards Terrence and I, and the Knights and maids on the other side. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Princess, what happened?¡± ¡°About that¡­. We were about to say hello to Lady Diane.¡± I repeated the explanation I gave earlier. That came to see Diane and saw the maid in the closet putting something into the medicine bowl. Terrence took my words and briefly explained what happened after that. ¡°At first, I thought it was a drug Diane was taking. But the maid¡¯s behavior was so strange that I became suspicious.¡± ¡°Did she put something in Diane¡¯s medicine?¡± The Duchess was astonished to learn that the maid had something at Diane¡¯s medicine bowl. ¡°Here it is.¡± Terrence handed the Duchess a vial of powder. The Duchess quickly opened the vial and sniffed it. Her eyes fluttered in shock. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± ¡°Of course I know what it is.¡± The Duchess¡¯s face, clutching the glass bottle, became as cold as ice. ¡°This powder¡­¡­ Is a medicine used as a fever reducer.¡± What? Confused at the unexpected identity, the Duchess continued to explain. ¡°It¡¯s just a cure for the normal people, but it¡¯s a poison for Diane. Diane is sensitive to these herbs, so eating even a little bit will make her sick. That¡¯s why I never brought it into the mansion.¡± Oh, I see. Even if it is a good drug, side effects may appear depending on the person¡¯s constitution. This is especially true for patients with long-standing medical conditions. If the condition worsens without causing other symptoms, no one will suspect it. It¡¯s because they think that the condition of the disease just got worse naturally. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that she deliberately mixes it with the medicine for that purpose.¡¯ It was such a grave thing. The Duchess grabbed the vial and turned to the maid. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have thought of doing this on your own. Who ordered you to do it?¡± The Duchess had always seemed kind and docile, but at that moment, the dignity of the hostess of a large family was revealed. The maid, who had been trembling, fell flat on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam! I was wrong!¡± The maid soon confessed in tears. ¡°Baron Mosel said that if I don¡¯t do what he tells me, he¡¯ll kill me¡­ I couldn¡¯t help it either!¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®Baron wha-? Who was that?¡¯ As I made a puzzled expression, Diane, who was next to me, whispered in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s my relative.¡± ¡°Is it one of the people we met earlier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Diane added in a quiet voice that seemed to permeate inside of me. ¡°If I die, he will be the one to take over the Duchy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± So he ordered for this to happen so Diane wouldn¡¯t get better. These days, Diane¡¯s health has improved a lot, that might be why she can roam around the mansion and attend weddings. It seems he was desperate and was trying to make the symptoms worse. ¡°Madam.¡± Before the Duchess¡¯s orders were issued, the butler already went out and called in the Duchess¡¯ servants. The Duchess, who was staring at the maid, gave them an order. ¡°Tie her up so that she can¡¯t harm herself and lock her up in the basement.¡± ¡°Madam! Please¡­.!¡± The servants who received the order dragged the maid outside the room. The Duchess gave the butler a second order. ¡°Tell the relatives who came with the Baron that I have something to discuss with them. Take the Baron to the prayer room and keep him quiet.¡± ¡°We understand, Madam.¡± Because the Ball is still ongoing downstairs, It seems that she was trying to keep things secret so that the guests wouldn¡¯t know. After sending out the butler, the Duchess sat down in the chair next to the table. ¡°I can feel their unfavorable gaze, but I didn¡¯t expect for this to happen¡­.¡± Painful emotions were evident in her tone of voice. Anyone would be upset about this. She must have already been upset knowing that her daughter is sick and can only stay inside their house. Now, there are even people who threaten her life¡­.. The Duchess, who had been clutching the vial, raised her head again. ¡°Your Highness and Terrence. Thanks to the both of you, I was able to avoid this disaster. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°I just happened to see it. I¡¯m glad we could be of help.¡± I said those words and nodded, but Terrence gazed at the Duchess with concern. ¡°I knew that this kind of question is a bit strange, but¡­.. Are you by any chance testing Diane¡¯s food before intake?¡± Hearing those words, the Duchess¡¯s complexion hardened. That¡¯s true. Because there¡¯s no law that this can only be put on medicine. It¡¯s possible that they can apply this drug into Diane¡¯s food as well. ¡°It was just a test to check whether there¡¯s any poison or not. So far, nothing like this has happened, so I haven¡¯t paid much attention to it.¡± Terrence pulled out a small brooch from his coat. It was a monotonous men¡¯s accessory with white crystals on a white silver base. ¡°This is a crystal of Arcania. It¡¯s a rare metal that¡¯s rarely found in the Martel mines at the northern end.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. He handed it to the Duchess. ¡°The magic stone on the market can only distinguish poison, but this one is more sensitive than that, it can detect almost any drug. You may need it, so keep it.¡± It¡¯s amazing that something like that exists. Such a rare gem did not appear in the original story. You can¡¯t tell the difference if you take a drug and another drug like now, but if the food is mixed with the drug, it can definitely tell the difference. ¡°I can tell that this is hard to find, are you really giving it to us?¡± ¡°I have a lot of that, so it¡¯s okay. Think of it as a return gift for your invitation today.¡± It seemed to be a gift to warn the Duchess to be careful because they knew that there were people who were after Diane. ¡°Thank you so much. Diane, please say thank you to Terrence¡­¡­ Diane?¡± The Duchess looked at Diane and widened her eyes in surprise. Diane was shivering thinly and she was pale. Those beautiful blue eyes were full of tears. CH 34 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°(Sobbing)¡­. Huhu¡­¡± Diane bowed her head and sobbed quietly. The Duchess stood up and took Diane into her arms. ¡°Diane, it¡¯s okay. Please don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of me¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°Why are you saying that¡­¡­ It¡¯s not your fault.¡± The fact that the maid who¡¯ve been taking care of her was the same person who attempted to harm her, must have been a big shock to Diane. That¡¯s when I noticed Diane¡¯s clothes, she was still in her night dress. Since it was winter, her indoor clothes are a long dress that covers her whole body, but red spots can still be seen on the nape of her dress and wrist. Perhaps her whole body was in this state. Seeing that makes me feel sad. ¡®Is this an incurable disease?¡¯ Diane¡¯s illness is not detailed in the original novel. It didn¡¯t say anything whether she got better someday or if she would be in this state forever. ¡°Lady Diane. Don¡¯t cry.¡± I gently placed my hand on Diane¡¯s shoulder as if to comfort her. And then it suddenly hit me. Is it possible for me to see a vision that would be related to her current disease? I tried focusing my mind on whether it would really be possible for me to see anything, but then nothing shows. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡®This skill is really not that useful.¡¯ Having this kind of ability would be very helpful if I can use it easily whenever I need to, like the situation right now. But of course, we wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent this accident if I had not seen that vision at The Great Hall¡­.. At that moment, my vision suddenly became blurry and a completely different space appeared. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The bedroom, which had an uncomfortable atmosphere, has changed into a room with a refreshing breeze. It seems like a drawing room of an aristocratic mansion. Two people were sitting with a tea table in between. The person in was a pale-looking middle-aged woman in a black dress. ¡®Duchess?¡¯ I can now clearly see that the Duchess was sitting on a sofa, however she looked more tired than she ever was. She was shaking her head helplessly. And her platinum-blonde hair that has always been arranged splendidly, was scattered. ¡°It seems that something bad has happened?¡± The Duchess wept and clasped the handkerchief with her trembling hands. ¡°I finally found a cure, but I didn¡¯t expect for this to happen¡­.¡± She found a cure? The cure that the Duchess is talking about must be related to Diane¡¯s illness. Eventually, she found a way to cure it. ¡®But then why is she crying? What happened to Diane?¡¯ The man on the other side comforted the Duchess. ¡°Please don¡¯t blame yourself Madam. No one knows that the Princess would die so suddenly.¡± What? What did I just hear? Diane is dead? The Duchess¡¯ devastated voice continued. ¡°My Diane¡­..¡± As the Duchess couldn¡¯t continue her words, put the handkerchief on her face and began to sob. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Please don¡¯t cry, because I need to hear what the cure was? However, the Duchess shed tears endlessly. Then I realized something. The Duchess was not much different from what she is now. However, the clothes that she was wearing were very thin. The man sitting across from her was also wearing a thin cloth. ¡®Is it summer at this moment?¡¯ It must be summer, late spring or early fall¡­. -but it wasn¡¯t clear whether it was next year, the year after, or three years from now. Because it was the foresight that I saw while thinking of ¡®the future related to Diane¡¯s disease¡¯. I concentrated my mind and listened to their conversation. I wanted to hear something more to find out when or a hint about the treatment. But I couldn¡¯t hear anymore about the rest of the conversation. At the end of that, my vision suddenly became blurry again. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Princess?¡± I blinked and saw Diane staring blankly at me. Her pale cheeks were full of tears, but now she was looking at me with a puzzled face. I must have been sitting blankly without saying anything at all. Then I naturally continued my words to comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. It¡¯s not Diane¡¯s fault.¡± Terrence, who was watching us from behind, agreed with me. ¡°That¡¯s right, those people who did this to you are at fault. You did nothing wrong.¡± Diane wiped the tears with the back of her hand and thanked me and Terrence. ¡°Thank you, Terrence. Thank you, Your Highness.¡± I immediately responded before another person said something. ¡°Perhaps¡­ If you feel better later, would you like to visit the Princess Palace?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Diane was shocked by my sudden offer. ¡°Really, but I¡­..¡± It would be hard for her to visit the Palace since she hadn¡¯t been introduced to the society yet. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. But that doesn¡¯t mean that she can¡¯t come. ¡°If you visit me with the reason of helping me with the upcoming wedding, no one will say anything.¡± And if she wore a dress that would cover her whole body and a veil, then no one would be able to see her face. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t decided about my dress yet. That¡¯s why I would like to have the opinion of my bridesmaid, before I finalize anything. So, Lady Diane, can you help me?¡± There was no particular reason for me to keep seeing Diane, but I was still worried about the poor girl. According to the vision that I saw, Diane wouldn¡¯t be able to hold that long and eventually dies. This was the first time that I met her, but I felt so bad for her since she was so young. According to the foresight, there seems to be a way to cure her¡­. But of all things that they have said it was the cure that I hadn¡¯t heard. So I had to see Diane as often as possible in order to have another vision, so I need to convince her to meet more. Fortunately, Diane was also very happy to hear it from me. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to.¡± Yeah, it would be better for her to come out. Because if she only stays at home, her illness will get worse¡­.. It wouldn¡¯t be mentally good for her either. Recommending depressed patients to take a walk isn¡¯t a baseless fact. A person can be mentally healthy, if they occasionally went out to breathe some fresh air. ¡°I¡¯ll bring a dress book.¡± ¡°Yes, I would be expecting you to come.¡± A shy smile appeared on Diane¡¯s pale lips. Even the Duchess next to her looked relieved. ¡°Then, I think it¡¯s time for me to go home. My maid has been waiting for me downstairs.¡± And it seemed that the ball had come to an end. I said goodbye to Diane and went out with Terrence. When I came out, the Duchess followed me. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± The Duchess blurred the end of her words with an apologetic expression. ¡°Thank you so much for today.¡± She licked her lips for a moment, then added quietly. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve misunderstood the Princess so much, I have no excuses.¡± No. Actually, you didn¡¯t misunderstand me¡­. I can¡¯t say exactly how bad it is, but the original Eve was far worse than what the Duchess thought. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± The Duchess bowed her head in front of me with a friendly smile. ¡°I will go to thank you properly later.¡± Terence, who was watching us, suddenly said. ¡°Auntie, please keep it a secret that we were involved in today¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The Duchess promised to keep everything that happened a secret. It would really be best for the Duke¡¯s family to keep this a secret, especially since an Imperial Princess and the Grand Duke were involved in private matters. We finally bid goodbye and went downstairs. In the meantime, as we walked on the stairs, we can tell that the Ball has already come to an end. ¡°It was a long night.¡± As I walked down the hallway, I let out a sigh without me realizing it. After finishing my purpose, I feel so exhausted, maybe because the tension has been relieved. Then I suddenly heard Terrence¡¯s voice next to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I wanted to say thank you for saving my cousin.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Terrence was walking straight ahead, not looking at me. ¡°Honestly, I was amazed. Being able to see other people¡¯s future in such detail, the Princess¡¯s ability was more useful than I expected it to be.¡± ¡°Thank you for recognizing it as useful.¡± No further answers came back. ¡®Should I mention to him what I saw a while ago?¡¯ About the vision that I saw, that Diane would die. But I don¡¯t know when it will be. But I guess I don¡¯t have to worry yet. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay and get things done here.¡± We parted on the stairs on the second floor. Before leaving, he looked down at me and smiled. ¡°I hope to see you again soon. Princess.¡± Even if you don¡¯t want to see me, we really can¡¯t help it. I swallowed back my words and went down the stairs. I went straight back to the break room and looked for Nell. Nell was with the other maids and then came out when I called. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Nell, will be going back to the Imperial Palace now. Get ready.¡± Nell brought my outerwear and hurriedly called the carriage. As we headed towards the entrance of the mansion, the nobles who were preparing to return, found us and stopped moving all at once. CH 35 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°Your Highness, the Princess.¡± The way the people look at me now is a bit different from before. Earlier, when I first entered the ballroom, everyone avoided me as if I was a plague, a crazy person that would explode anytime. However, after what happened earlier, they¡¯re now looking at me with deep curiosity. They¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve witnessed our little act and wanted to know how it came to be. I picked up my pace so I could avoid those who were prying and were about to get on to the carriage. Ugh, I was about to get inside¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for the charming low-pitched voice that called me from behind. ¡°Eve.¡± It was Arentine. I could see him approaching this way. The nobles who gathered were split on both sides for him. I can sense Arentine¡¯s forbidding aura as he slowly approaches me. ¡°Are you going back to the Imperial Palace?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m quite exhausted for today and I intend to rest once I¡¯m back.¡± He held out a hand to me as I stood in front of the carriage. ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, would you like to go back with me.¡± ¡®Of course, I¡¯m not okay with that.¡¯ It would be more exhausting for me to lock myself in a carriage with older brother. The purpose of isolating me must be related to what had happened between me and Terrence. ¡°Older brother, I sincerely apologize, but¡­¡­.¡± I was about to reject his offer when suddenly, the butler of the Duke¡¯s family came out of the mansion, running towards us. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince!¡± The butler bowed to Arentine before speaking;. ¡°The Duchess requested for an audience.¡± ¡°The Duchess?¡± Arentine had a puzzled look on his face, not knowing the reason for this request. However, I could guess what¡¯s going on. For a punishment with any of the nobles, a direct permission from the Emperor¡¯s side was required. Since the Emperor himself is not present, the person with the highest authority is none other than my brother, Crown Prince Arentine who is attending on behalf of the royal family. Arentine had no choice but to let me go. ¡°Go back for now. Will talk again later.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I gave off a sigh of relief as I climbed into the carriage. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The carriage passed through the main gate of the Imperial Palace and entered the dark backyard. ¡®It has really been a long day.¡¯ Our carriage followed the front line guards on our way back, it took quite a while before we finally stopped in front of the Imperial Palace. As soon as I entered my bedroom, I took a bath and went to bed without even drying my hair due to exhaustion. I was knocked out as soon as I closed my eyes and when I reopened them, it was already the next day. The palace maid greeted me warmly the moment they opened my bedroom, and chatted as they prepared my morning bath. ¡°Your Highness, I have prepared your bath water.¡± ¡°Would you like me to prepare some herbal tea and snacks afterwards, Princess?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± After the sudden change, the palace maids slowly became comfortable around me. At first, the atmosphere was very disciplined and tense. But ever since I treated them differently from the original ¡®Eve,¡¯ which of course they¡¯re not aware of, they have started to change as well. The palace maids will always smile whenever they see me and assist me in everything I do, even without me telling them to do so But that wasn¡¯t the case when I first transmigrated here. After I woke up, everybody around me was always nervous and visibly trembling like a new soldier meeting his general for the first time. But unlike the real ¡®Eve,¡¯ I don¡¯t get annoyed or angry that easily, and maybe that¡¯s why everyone feels at ease now. Still, they are a bit over enthusiastic today. ¡°What¡¯s going on, everyone?¡± The maids suddenly stopped moving, but their eyes were glistening at my sudden question as they exchanged glances. Then one of them was pushed by her colleagues, and she came forward. ¡°Your Highness, we heard that you met the Grand Duke last night?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± So, that¡¯s why they¡¯re like this. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± After confirming that the rumor was right, the maid suddenly poured out questions like a waterfall. ¡°Is it true that the Grand Duke asked for a dance first?¡± ¡°And that he finally confessed his love for Her Highness the Princess?¡± ¡­¡­ Wait. What did they say? ¡°We also heard that his grace, the Grand Duke, asked you to forgive him from his past action, and knelt in front of the Princess to swear an oath of love?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Just how did the rumor become like this? In just a day? I was so shocked about the news, as if rumors were spread like wildfire, it was passed from one person to another. Now I¡¯m starting to get a headache from the series of questions pouring in from here and there. ¡°Ladies, this is not a big deal. Don¡¯t make a fuss out of it, you can go out for now.¡± In the meantime, it was only Chloe who was sent secretly by the Grand Duke, who had silently been doing her job properly. After I shooed the maids out of my room, I was able to sit down to eat a late breakfast. Nell, who was currently serving the meal, told me what happened. ¡°Everyone in the Imperial Palace has been talking about the ball since morning.¡± ¡°Really?¡± That¡¯s good news then, since that¡¯s the main purpose of our little act. ¡°What did they say about it?¡± ¡°Everyone was surprised and happy that Her Highness, has finally won the heart of the Grand Duke.¡± Nell told me about the stories that spread inside the Imperial Palace in full detail. The rumor contains about the turn of events that happened last night, it was a romantic love story that no one could ever have imagined. We¡¯ve only danced once, but the truth was exaggerated overnight. This might be the reason why I don¡¯t believe in rumors that easily. ¡°Since I¡¯ve witnessed the dance between the Princess and the Grand Duke, everyone envied me.¡± Nell smiled bashfully and placed the bowl in front of me. Then suddenly explained as if she remembered something. ¡°Oh, I also heard that there was some sort of commotion at the residence of the Duke of Rohan this morning.¡± ¡°Commotion?¡± ¡°I heard that one of the maids was caught trying to add some drug into Lady Diane¡¯s medicine last night while the party was ongoing. Good thing is that the culprit was caught and known to be one of the servants of the Duke¡¯s relative.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I see.¡± ¡°They also said that it was the Duchess herself who caught the maid red handed, and sent the criminal over to the police for thorough investigation¡­¡­ But it doesn¡¯t seem to be a big deal now.¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. Since I requested to keep everything a secret, the Duke¡¯s case was not receiving that much attention. Still, I¡¯m glad that everything worked out fine. ¡°It was fortunate that the culprit was caught.¡± However it would have been best if this was handled quietly without attracting public attention. ¡°Princess.¡± A maid hastily knocked on the door. ¡°Her Majesty, the Empress is looking for you.¡± With those words, I was forced to quickly wash up and get dressed, regardless of whether it was morning or not. -?¨A ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ?? ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ ¨@?- (Eve¡¯s POV) The last time I went to the Empress¡¯s Palace was the tea party that I attended without notice. And since there¡¯s no reason for her to call me, I haven¡¯t visited since then. Attending the Ball was approved by my brother Arentine, while the visit to the temple was conveyed through our personal maids. When I went back to the temple to meet the Grand Duke in secret, the Empress didn¡¯t specifically call for me. Seeing the Empress¡¯s palace again, it seems that nothing changed from the last time I came here. Being called quite early in the morning, I was brought to the waiting room beside Her Majesty¡¯s bedroom, and once I came in, she greeted me wearing her indoor dress. ¡°Did you attend the ball yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Annoyance reflected on the Empress¡¯s well-shaped eyebrows at the word ¡®Mother¡¯ that came out of my lips. She definitely expressed her disgust outright. No one is watching so no need to put use of her facade. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop it because His Highness the Crown Prince said that he will be taking you as his partner, but¡­¡­¡± The Empress let out a sigh and said as if reprimanding me. ¡°It heard that you begged the Grand Duke to be your partner at the Duke¡¯s Ball last night. Have you had any dignity left? Rumors would definitely spread for those people who have witnessed it. And not only that, it¡¯s also a matter of face that would be related to the Imperial Family.¡± ¡°Oh my. Where did you hear that story?¡± I showed bewilderment on my face, so as for me to correct the story that the Empress had heard of. ¡°The Grand Duke asked to dance with me first. Of course I couldn¡¯t refuse my fiance¡¯s request, so I accepted it. Everyone in the ballroom saw what happened.¡± Everyone in the room looked at me in confusion. Someone must have delivered that information to the Empress¡¯s ears last night. ¡°Whoever told you such a false story. Must have a problem with his eyesight or comprehension.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­ -you mean to tell me that, the Grand Duke asked you to dance first?¡± Looking at the Empress¡¯s expression of bewilderment was quite satisfying. I know for a fact that the story she received was the correct one, but calling me just to confirm it was so surprising. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Why are you so surprised? It¡¯s only natural to dance with my fianc¨¦ at the Ball.¡± The Empress carefully observed my face without answering. It is quite been hard to believe. She must be wondering when the Grand Duke began to have finally noticed me. Then, the Empress suddenly turned the topic as if something came to mind. ¡°By the way, the last time you went to the temple, I heard that you met the Grand Duke there?¡± Why is she suddenly mentioning this? It wasn¡¯t about the second time, in which we met secretly, but the first time that I went to the temple where I met the Grand Duke and the Duchess openly, and had a conversation. Of course, I already expected that rumors would spread like wildfire. But what¡¯s strange is that, after the encounter; she never even called me to confirm the rumor. ¡°I know that you wanted to have the Grand Duke¡¯s heart, but you should consider etiquette as well.¡± ¡°I only wanted to deliver a bouquet of flowers to the late Grand Duchess. And even the Grand Duke accepted it, he even thanked me for it.¡± ¡°Of course he would accept it, since you mentioned his mother¡¯s name, he was just being polite about it.¡± The Empress then clicked her tongue as if she was irritated. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why the Grand Duke was polite to you.¡± So she thinks that the Grand Duke¡¯s unexplained behavior was just to return the courtesy that I first offered? That¡¯s where she¡¯s wrong cause it¡¯s a mutual agreement¡­. ¡°I think so, maybe that¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°It was mentioned last night by the Crown Prince that he allowed you to visit the Grand Duke¡¯s residence .¡± The Empress changed the subject again. ¡°Even if it is for the wedding, it would be better to refrain from going out of the Imperial Palace. Since you¡¯re still on probation.¡± So this was the gist. ¡®I guess she intends to keep me locked up in the Imperial Palace.¡¯ It must be the Emperor¡¯s order, to make sure that I would be kept here in the palace, but I¡¯ve already managed to go outside three times already. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be reprimanded once the Emperor returns. He must be worried now, especially since the Grand Duke suddenly began to show his attention to me. CH 36 (Eve¡¯s POV) ¡°My older brother, the Crown Prince has already approved of it. And this was personally requested by the Grand Duke himself. He wanted us to discuss the wedding as well as my opinion regarding the decoration of my room in the Duchy.¡± ¡°Eve, you¡¯ve been to the temple twice already, you even went to the Duke¡¯s ball. Busily roaming is not the behavior of a bride-to-be.¡± The Empress sighed then immediately glared at me as if she was dealing with an immature child. ¡°The best thing for you to do is just to stay quiet in the Palace and leave the wedding planning to the maids of the Imperial Palace, let the design of your room be handled by people in the Duchy. Perhaps, the Grand Duke may be pleased with that.¡± The Empress persistently persuaded me adding a friendly voice to it. Since it was difficult to forcibly block what the Crown Prince had already permitted, that¡¯s why she was convincing me this way. It¡¯s okay though. I already expected this kind of reaction, so I prepared a better way to confront this in advance. ¡°After listening to it, I think mother was right.¡± ¡°Perfect! As expected¡­.¡± ¡°So, I decided to go to the monastery and stay there.¡± ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that?¡± The teacup in the Empress¡¯s hand shook greatly at the sudden decision. ¡°I realized after listening to my mother¡¯s words. That my father, His Majesty the Emperor will be delighted if I repent of my wrongdoing while praying in the monastery until the wedding day. And I know that the Grand Duke would be delighted with the gentle and pious appearance of his bride-to-be. Won¡¯t he?¡± Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°But isn¡¯t it too harsh to go to a monastery?¡± ¡°Why would it? Didn¡¯t my great aunt, Princess Latesia do the same thing? She prayed at the monastery and cleansed her soul right before her wedding. Same thing happened with the previous princesses.¡± ¡°Yes, but that is¡­.¡± The Empress seemed bewildered as she blurred the end of her speech. My great aunt, Princess Latesia, has been living in a monastery since she was young just because her mother was executed as a criminal. Most of the princesses who were in such a difficult situation would stay in the monastery until they were sold through marriage. Of course, it was broadcasted as a way to cleanse and pray, but the truth is, they used the monastery to imprison the princesses. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that much! And besides, you still have a lot of things to prepare for the wedding.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that preparations would be handled by my handmaidens? As well as the people from the Grand Duke?¡± Of course, if the Princess was suddenly sent to the monastery and appeared at the wedding in a modified dress, it would become a huge topic. And all sorts of speculation would be created based on what had happened between me and the Grand Duke at the ball last night. The Empress wouldn¡¯t be able to keep me locked up inside the Imperial Palace, per the Emperor¡¯s order. It was because the monastery is outside the jurisdiction of the capital. ¡®Originally, I thought of running to the monastery just like what I¡¯m doing now.¡¯ It¡¯s the easiest way to get out of the Imperial Palace. However, after much deliberation, I gave up on that thought, because even if I¡¯m imprisoned in the monastery until marriage, I would eventually die there. Once I¡¯m inside the monastery, I won¡¯t be able to communicate with the people from outside that easily, and the Grand Duke will not be able to protect me. There would be no way for me to escape alone from the monastery. The Empress looked at me with a baffled expression. ¡°How are you going to survive a monastic life?¡± In the monastery, everyone leads a frugal and modest life. As they would only be eating simple vegetarian food, wear frugal clothes with no luxurious items, and pray all day long. Even if I¡¯m the princess, I would have to lead a similar life while I¡¯m there. ¡°I think it would be perfect for me to live a frugal life even once right before marriage. The people would feel my sincerity to change, and if I tell them that I¡¯m just following my mother¡¯s advice, I don¡¯t think that everyone would look at me badly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was dark displeasure in the Empress¡¯s eyes. And everyone would think that it was too much for the Empress to send her step-daughter to the monastery while the Emperor is at war. The way this is going, some people may even sympathize with me. The Empress wouldn¡¯t be happy about it. Because this woman didn¡¯t want Eve to have a good impression from other people. And of course, she didn¡¯t want her image to be tainted as well. The Empress agonized over the situation, as she looked at me with a puzzled face, then she regained herself right away. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this a little more. I¡¯ll ask the Emperor¡¯s opinion as well.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I put down the cooled tea and smiled at the Empress. ¡°Then, is it okay if I meet with the Grand Duke tomorrow?¡± At that moment, a strong gaze fell on my face. She seemed to have realized that I threatened her if she didn¡¯t approve of me seeing the Grand Duke. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. I pretended not to know anything and smiled sweetly. The Empress started to show remorse and said. ¡°How dare you¡­.¡± Tok, tok. A sudden knock stopped the Empress to continue her words. She immediately calmed herself, then answered in a cold voice. ¡°Come on in.¡± The maid, who opened the door, bowed her head and said. ¡°A person from the Grand Duke¡¯s residence came and gave this letter ¡°What?¡± The Empress, who was lying at an angle, immediately sat down. The palace maid handed over the envelope to the Empress. It had the seal of the Grand Duke stamped on it. The Empress gently tore the envelope and took out the letter inside. As she reads the content of the letter, she looked back at me and said, ¡°The Grand Duke sent you a gift.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was surprised by what the Empress said. ¡°What did the Grand Duke send?¡± Of course, it has been a long-standing custom in this world for the groom to send a gift to the bride before marriage. It¡¯s just that the Grand Duke considered this marriage as the most terrible decision that he¡¯d had, that¡¯s why he never sent any gifts until now. ¡°The Grand Duke sent you a wedding present. It will be arriving soon.¡± The Empress was still confused and shocked as to what had happened. She knew the story about how much the Grand Duke hated Eve, but then all of a sudden he would send gifts and even a formal letter just right after the ball. ¡°As in now?¡± As I gazed outside the window. It shows that it¡¯s still morning. Did he just send the gifts at this hour? I think it¡¯s been like 12 hours since the time we separated from the stairs at the Duchess¡¯ mansion. It seems that they had prepared in advance, knowing that the wedding is just a month away. Still, it was delivered too quickly. ¡®Why is he behaving like this? We haven¡¯t talked about these things yet? ¡°Did he send a letter just to let us know about the gifts?¡± The Empress put down the Grand Duke¡¯s letter with an addled look on her face, as she pondered about the letter¡¯s content. ¡°He wanted to discuss the wedding with you, that¡¯s why he was asking permission to bring you out of the palace today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I rejoiced with sincerity, like the immature Eve. ¡°Does that mean, I can go out to meet the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± No answer came back. I don¡¯t want to add anymore since the Grand Duke had already requested it. It would be difficult for her to refuse since the Crown Prince has already granted permission and the Grand Duke himself has asked for it. The Empress, who was very troubled about the situation, immediately composed herself as if she had finally made up her mind. ¡°Since the Grand Duke requested it, you should go.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, mother.¡± The Empress looked anxious about agreeing on letting me go out today. ¡®The Empress will immediately inform the Emperor of today¡¯s events.¡¯ Even if the Emperor notices something strange is happening, considering that he is currently on the battlefield, nothing will happen within a day or two. He¡¯ll need to figure out about the changes that happened while he was away. And because of that, we can have at least five days up to a week to think of a plan and of course to ease up the tension. With that thought in mind, I returned to the Princess¡¯s Palace. While walking, I can see the bright morning sun that¡¯s shining brightly on the hallway. It was early in the morning, but a loud sound could be heard. It was before I entered the main gate of the Princess¡¯s palace, A loud chatter and noise coming from the inside, was heard. Please do not repost our translation. Read only at Pink Muffin Translations. ¡°Princess! Please come here and take a look at this.¡± As soon as I arrived at the door, the maid surrounded me and made a commotion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you need to go upstairs, right away!¡± I was pushed by a group of palace maids and brought me to my bedroom upstairs. As soon as I entered the bedroom, I saw another group of maids surrounding the window. ¡°Princess, come please, come over here! Look outside the window!¡± The maids led me directly to the window. As I approached, I became curious as well. Just what is it that makes everyone chaotic? At that moment when I looked outside the window, I stopped in daze. Every morning, when I open the window of my bedroom. I¡¯m used to seeing the snow-covered garden. I became so familiar with it that I got used to seeing it everyday. A pine tree that still retains its green leaves even in the snow. A flower bed planted with flowers that bloom like fluffy flowers even in the middle of winter. It hasn¡¯t snowed in the past few days, but the cold weather still leaves remnants of white snow everywhere in the garden. But now, that refreshing white color was nowhere to be found. Because the whole garden was now filled with red hues. Red flowers of unknown names filled the overlooking garden, giving off such a refreshing and calm feeling. As I looked around, those red flowers covered not only the stone path in the garden, but also the small courtyard, flower beds and even the rest of the flowers planted were covered as well. At a glance, I can already tell that there were tens of thousands of them. ¡°What is all this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift from the Grand Duke. The servants brought them in several carriages.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± I was reminded of the custom here that appeared in the original work belatedly. Here in the Albion Empire, gifts from the groom to the bride were traditionally flowers and jewelry. ¡®Even so, why is it so¡­¡­¡¯ This level is no joke. I don¡¯t know what came to the Duke¡¯s mind to send this much. But the most common way of sending flowers is usually a bouquet or in a basket. As I ponder, the maids next to me continue to watch the flowers, no, rather the waves of flowers full of admiration. ¡°Wow, all of them are Rastana flowers.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you don¡¯t know? This flower symbolizes true love.¡± Oh¡­. -really? It must be a unique flower that only exists in this world. It is a flower that symbolizes love. It certainly is attractive and beautiful. But it kind of looks like a peony. CH 37 ¡°It is so beautiful. Right, princess?¡± ¡°¡­That, yes.¡± She also stared at the flowers spread in the garden, mesmerized. She didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s spring or midsummer, but now it¡¯s midwinter when ice freezes under the eaves. How much money would it cost to get so many flowers just for this cold winter? It would obviously require a huge amount of money. She recognized his effort on the day of the prom, but he was very determined to let the system know that they became close lovers. Surely, at this level, it would be a topic of conversation even if they were just close friends. The Grand Duke, who had hated Eve so much, became a passionate lover overnight to the point of covering the garden with flowers. ¡®Perhaps the rumors will spread to other countries.¡¯ Of course, the more these stories spread, the better for them. ¡°I¡­ But where do we keep all this?¡± Belatedly, one of the maids raised a realistic question. Yeah, she was worried about that too. If they left it in the garden like this, it would freeze. Another maid suggested a method. ¡°Why don¡¯t we decorate the inside of the palace and make the remaining potpourri (air freshener mixed with dried flowers and leaves) or use it as tea leaves?¡± She was glad. It was a flower that was useful in its own way. Everyone nodded their heads saying that this would be a good idea. ¡°All right. You know what to do.¡± She nodded helplessly and went inside. ¡°Princess, there are many jewels here.¡± The drawing room and resting room were filled with gift boxes sent as gifts. The ladies-in-waiting were taking out the items that came as gifts. From the boxes that filled the drawing room, dazzling jewels poured out endlessly. The gifts sent to the bride were originally jewelry, but there were a lot of them. There were all kinds of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and hairpins, and there was about a box of unworked gemstones. ¡®Can I have all of these?¡¯ Should gifts be returned after a divorce? She didn¡¯t know how far he went. Wouldn¡¯t he say something about her taking a few? Even if she only takes a few, it would be an outrageous price. She suppressed her growing desire and told the ladies-in-waiting who were moving the box. ¡°Take out a few that you can use right away and pack the rest.¡± Upon closer inspection, the classification was clear. Jewels of similar level were put in the same box by type, and jewels that seemed important were put in separate small boxes and stacked one on top of the other. She opened the individually wrapped small boxes and looked at the jewels one by one. Individually wrapped items were all large jewels that looked fancy and expensive. She opened a few boxes to watch, but she opened the black box and hesitated. Inside was an amethyst choker. It had a small amethyst in the shape of a lozenge. ¡®This¡­¡¯ There was nothing strange about the choker itself, but the amethyst in the middle emitted a strangely mysterious light. There were a lot of amethysts in slightly different colors in another box, but the purple jewels shone much more clearly and shiny than any other amethyst. And the pattern that appeared faintly in it. The moment she saw the pattern, the description in the original work came to mind. ¡®This shape is exactly the same as the holy relic in the original work.¡¯ A large crystal that Sorel accidentally found after falling out of the battlefield. A holy relic of the legendary divine beast that was said to be sealed. The pattern engraved on the stone had exactly this shape. Sorel awakened the divine beast that was sealed there, and in the aftermath, a solar eclipse occurred on the continent. However, the relic Sorel found was a huge crystal towering like a rock. Not such a small necklace. However, only this unique pattern was similar to the pattern of the divine beast in the original work. What was this? It wouldn¡¯t be a holy relic with a sealed holy water like Sorel discovered. She examined the necklace carefully and ordered a maid. ¡°Call the knight of the grand ducal family who brought the gift.¡± After a while, the person who came inside was a brown-haired young knight who appeared to be in his late twenties. He politely bowed in front of her. ¡°Did you call, your Highness the Princess?¡± ¡°Yes, it was a lot of work. Express my gratitude to His Highness.¡± After exchanging formal greetings, she inquired about the source of the purple jewel she had taken out of the box. ¡°By the way, I want to ask you about this necklace. May I know where he bought it?¡± The answer came back immediately, as if he knew the source of the jewel. ¡°This jewel is an heirloom handed down from the grand duchy.¡± ¡°Handed down?¡± He sent her an heirloom as a gift? Come to think of it, it didn¡¯t seem that strange. After all, she was going to become a Grand Duchess. The gift she received would again become the property of the Grand Duke¡¯s family. ¡®If I get divorced later, I¡¯ll have to give it back.¡¯ There were too many¡­ Excluding heirlooms and such important jewels, she wondered if it was okay to take a few ordinary jewels. With just a few of these, she thought she could play and eat for the rest of her life. She thought about it, and asked the knight again. ¡°Is there anything else unusual about it?¡± The young knight looked at her for a moment before replying. ¡°What do you mean when you say unusual?¡± ¡°There is a legend or something about it?¡± Whatever it was, she asked if there was any information related to the jewel, but the knight only put on a puzzled expression. ¡°Well. I have never heard of such a story.¡± The knight didn¡¯t seem to understand what she meant. Was it just a jewel with nothing special? After all, there¡¯s no way there wouldn¡¯t be a similar gem. ¡°No, nothing. stop going away.¡± She put the necklace back in the box. After the knight went outside, she took another look at the jewels in the box before closing the lid. There was no change to the dark purple gem. ¡®First¡­ I¡¯ll just keep it until I meet Sorel.¡¯ Now, Sorel probably didn¡¯t even know that she had awakened Shinso, that only appeared in the second half of the original work. Come to think of it, when would Sorel return to the island? If things here became known, the Emperor would most likely return to the islands before his wedding. He was deliberately wasting time on the battlefield to avoid attending Eve¡¯s wedding day in the first place. When the Emperor returns, Sorel would return with him. ¡®And the Empress¡¯ son, the second Prince Vilos.¡¯ It would be good for them all to come back and formalize their relationship with the Grand Duke and see as much foreknowledge as possible before the chaos unfolds. That way, no matter what happens, she would be able to avoid danger. * * * ¡°Nell? Where?¡± The lady-in-waiting she worked with called Nell. She stopped to go up her steps, and the lady-in-waiting stopped too. ¡°Ah, to bring this saffron balm to the princess¡¯ bedroom. I might need it when I go out today.¡± ¡°The princess is still resting in the break room.¡± Her fellow maid said to take a break and go. She grabbed Nel¡¯s hand and dragged her along. ¡°Come here. Annie baked cookies, let¡¯s eat them together.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Nell accompanied her down to the bottom floor of the palace. The downstairs was the space for servants, including ladies-in-waiting and attendants. The maids¡¯ dining room and lounge were also located here. Although the bedroom was on the top floor to separate it from the attendants. Upon entering the break room, the ladies-in-waiting gathered at the table greeted Nell. It seemed that the ladies-in-waiting were gathering here during break time and chatting. There was an almond cookie on the table with a savory aroma. One of the maids who was eating cookies brought up the story of the princess. ¡°Where is the princess now?¡± ¡°Is she resting in the break room? The princess is going out this afternoon.¡± When the word ¡°princess¡± came out, another lady-in-waiting smiled and said, ¡°I was a little afraid at first, but¡­ These days, the princess has changed and I really like her. In the past, she was always angry, so I was very scared.¡± Nell nodded her head as she listened to their conversation. The current maids of the princess¡¯s palace were all newcomers to the imperial palace. There was a rumor that this princess¡¯s palace was a place where maids-in-waiting changed so often, that when new maids arrived, they would be placed here first. ¡®After experiencing that place, I¡¯ll be able to adapt to wherever I go.¡¯ There was a rumor that said that, but she didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s true. Even when Nell first came to the princess¡¯s palace, all of her colleagues were newbies. None of the ladies-in-waiting who worked in the past were moved to other palaces or kicked out. Fortunately, life here was not as difficult as she thought. It was because the princess rarely stayed in the palace after Nell came here. The princess would go out every morning to meet the Grand Duke, and she would return in the middle of the night, throw her things, get angry and fall asleep. ¡°Well, she is marrying His Highness the Grand Duke as she wished. She has to feel good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone will be happy if they become the bride of His Highness the Grand Duke.¡± Everyone nodded and agreed. In the meantime, the reason why the princess was so violent and harsh was because she couldn¡¯t fulfill her wish to marry the Grand Duke. She went on a hunger strike and finally got permission to marry him, but after that, she changed into a completely different person. CH 38 ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Nell chewed on the cookie and hid the secret she kept in his heart. Of these, only Nell knew the truth. She said that the reason the princess became like everyone else was not because she was happy because of her marriage, but because she lost her memories. ¡®At first I was really scared¡­¡¯ The princess lost her memory due to the aftereffects of her fasting. When she woke up again, she didn¡¯t even remember who she was. After she came to her senses, she behaved somewhat similar to before, but there were times when she acted completely differently. She also displayed erratic behavior, such as laughing softly instead of getting angry, and walking around with her bare hands and not wearing her gloves, which she thought were part of her body. However, after losing her memory, she became strangely kind. She always smiled at her ladies-in-waiting and gave them delicious snacks or small gifts. Even when her ladies-in-waiting made mistakes, she didn¡¯t get angry. Thanks to her changes, her relationship with the Grand Duke improved rapidly. While Nell was thinking about that, the other lady-in-waiting next to her spoke in a voice full of interest. ¡°Doesn¡¯t His Highness seem to have gotten along well with the Princess? Look at those huge flowers and luxurious jewels.¡± Ten days ago, the princess met the Grand Duke at the temple, gave him a bouquet of flowers she made herself, and had a conversation. And he was there as her partner at the Duke¡¯s ball. After that, he sent a luxurious and splendid gift to the princess¡¯s palace. They said that there were so many flowers to cover an entire circle, and hundreds of boxes filled with jewels. Hundreds of thousands of flowers filling the garden were so spectacular that other palaces came to see them. How gorgeous the jewelry was, Nell looked at it for a while while organizing it. It was the first time His Highness the Grand Duke had sent a gift to the Princess, but she did not expect to send a gift of this magnitude. It was said that these days, stories about the princess and the Grand Duke were spreading all over the palace. After that day, even in the imperial palace, the ladies-in-waiting were talking about it every day. Looking back, she thought it was a good thing that the princess lost her memory. But Nell felt guilty every time he thought about it. ¡®The princess is sick right now, so should she like her?¡¯ However, the princess who lost her memory was really kind and friendly, so she really liked her. As she was, she never regained her memories, she did, and she made her wish deep down. ¡°I used to want to go to another palace, but these days, the princess is so good to me that I¡¯m afraid of being kicked out of here.¡± ¡°But the princess will get married soon, so she will eventually go to another palace.¡± The maids gathered at the table sighed. Nell took another cookie from there and stood up from her seat. She treasured the balm and walked towards the stairs to go upstairs again. A brown-haired maid of her age came out of the door opposite her. She was Lana, who worked at the princess¡¯s palace together. ¡°Lana, hello.¡± She passed Lana and she was just when she reached the front of the stairs. Something caught on her right foot and her body leaned forward. Nell lost her balance in an instant and fell in front of her steps. ¡°Ah!¡± She wasn¡¯t seriously hurt as she fell, her hands on the floor, but a dull pain came from her knee. The sweet scent of her flowers stung her nostrils. As she fell, one corner of the ointment bottle hit the stairs and was broken. The fragrant oil that flowed from it soaked the front of the stairs. A nasty voice came from behind. ¡°Oh, couldn¡¯t you be more careful? You broke the princess¡¯ perfume bottle.¡± When she turned around, Lana was letting out a hateful laugh. Hearing Nell¡¯s screams, some of her other maids came out. ¡°Nell? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± The ladies-in-waiting surrounded the two with worried faces. A few tried to get Nell up. ¡°Nell fell alone like an idiot and broke the balm.¡± Hearing Lana¡¯s nasty voice, Nell brushed off her skirt and stood up, and she argued with Lana. ¡°You tripped when you passed by!¡± It was clear that she hadn¡¯t fallen alone just a moment ago. The moment she greeted her and passed by, Lana next to her stepped on her foot and caused her to fall. Lana exclaimed as if she was being ridiculous. ¡°What are you talking about? Do you have any evidence? Don¡¯t accuse an innocent person just because the princess is a little good to you.¡± Of course there was no evidence. Because they were alone in her hallway. Ever since the princess singled out Nell herself and started taking her as her attendant lady-in-waiting, there were a few people who looked at her with a childlike gaze that was oddly jealous. Lana was the worst case among them. It was unfair to her, but she was also forced to because she was suddenly in the spotlight. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nell is hurt.¡± The ladies-in-waiting who came to the hallway belatedly were gathering here and there. ¡°If you want to talk nonsense, go somewhere else and say it. I am going to work.¡± When her other ladies-in-waiting came out into the hallway and all eyes focused on her, Lana tried to run away. Then a cold voice came from the top of the stairs. ¡°I did see it.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes quickly turned to her. The princess, Eve, was standing on the stairs. ¡°Princess.¡± Nell quickly came to her senses and bowed her head to the princess. Even the ladies-in-waiting who had gathered in groups of threes and fives all bowed to her and bowed to the princess. * * * She went down the stairs and the ladies-in-waiting who had gathered hurriedly moved away from her. ¡°Nell, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. I¡¯m fine.¡± Nell looked at her with moved eyes, as if she was her savior. Eve turned her attention from Nell to the brown-haired maid next to her. She was the handmaid who knocked over Nell a little while ago. Did she say her name was Lana? ¡°You tripped your feet when Nell passed. I saw it clearly.¡± ¡°Wow, Princess. That is¡­¡± Lana went pale and stuttered. ¡°Did you see it too?¡± She turned her head and asked the dark-haired lady-in-waiting who had followed her. It was Chloe, the maid Terrence had sent. Chloe replied in a calm voice as usual. ¡°Yes, Princess. I saw it too.¡± All eyes turned to Lana. Lana stood there, stunned and pale. She blatantly clicked her tongue for all to hear. ¡°I was curious about what was downstairs, so I was glad I came here. After witnessing my lady-in-waiting act like this.¡± ¡®It¡¯s definitely worth pursuing here.¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t just come downstairs out of curiosity. She came down to find where these stairs were. After finding this place, she waited for Nell to pass by. She saw Nell fall down the stairs this morning with a bottle of perfume. ¡®I was worried that she might get seriously injured, but I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t have that serious injury.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a problem if she fell, but there were stairs in front of Nell, and there was a glass bottle in her hand. It was possible to fall and injure your head or get hurt by a piece of a bottle. So she went there because she was worried. First of all, she had to find out where the stairs she saw in her vision were, so she called Chloe and asked. Downstairs here was the space for ladies-in-waiting, so it was unfamiliar to her, so she couldn¡¯t help it. Fortunately, they arrived on time. After reaching the stairs with Chloe¡¯s guidance, the incident happened shortly after. Lana got down on her knees and started begging. ¡°Princess, I was wrong. I was wrong.¡± ¡°Apologize to the person concerned.¡± Lana then bowed her head to Nell while on her knees. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nell. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Nell looked at Lana resentfully for a moment, then she let out her sigh and nodded her head. ¡°Where is the head-maid here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s upstairs, Her Highness the Princess. Shall I call her?¡± One of her ladies-in-waiting, who looked older, quickly stepped forward. She glanced at Lana and gave orders. ¡°Take her to the head-maid, tell her what happened here and punish her according to the rules.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Lana rose from her seat with her whitened face. Well, since there was a quarrel between the ladies-in-waiting, the punishment would be a pay cut or a penalty. Still, punishment was punishment, so she would probably have to do dirty work that other ladies-in-waiting avoid for a while. Like wiping dirty things or tidying up a messy warehouse or library. She sent Lana away and Chloe brought her cloth to wipe the balm on her steps. ¡°Thank you.¡± With Chloe¡¯s help, Nell picked up the balm and wiped the spilled ointment off the floor. ¡°I¡¯ll be up first, so come up when it¡¯s tidied up.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess. I¡¯ll go right up.¡± Nell nodded her head happily. She left them both and went upstairs to her living quarters. Today was the day she went out to meet the Grand Duke. Looking at the time, it seemed that it was time to prepare. After a while, Nell and Chloe entered the room together. CH 39 ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Are you done organizing?¡± ¡°Yes, I will help you dress up now.¡± She put on a dressing gown over my dress and sat down in front of the dressing table. She obtained permission from the crown prince and half-forced permission from the Empress, but it took three days before she could go out again. The day after the ball passed by meeting the Empress and receiving presents, but unfortunately it snowed the next day. The Empress insisted that the princess shouldn¡¯t go out on her snowy day. It was snowing too much for her to see, so she couldn¡¯t afford to go out in the wagon. In the meantime, visitors continued to come from the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. The knights sent by the Grand Duke asked her how she was doing and brought her small gifts. There were still a lot of flowers sent as gifts. Thanks to the flowers he sent, her palace smelled like flowers everywhere she went. There were so many flowers that even though the ladies-in-waiting filled one of the warehouses saying they were made from tea leaves or aromatics, there were still a lot of flowers left. In the end, there was no place for them to be placed in the princess¡¯s palace, so she had to distribute it to other palaces as well. With Nell¡¯s help, she put on her makeup and then changed into a dress for going out. This time, instead of a luxurious evening dress, it was a decent light purple silk dress. It was worn as street clothes, so it wasn¡¯t flashy like a prom dress, but it looked sophisticated and noble. She put on her coat and went out to ride the carriage prepared at the entrance of the palace. Today was a simple outing, so she decided to go out alone without taking the lady-in-waiting. As she walked out the door, the cold air permeated her skin. The garden was all white because of the snow that had fallen until morning. She made her way to the carriage past the snow-covered flower beds and the waiting attendant opened the door. She climbed into the carriage by herself with her coat on. Not long after that, the carriage passed through the main gate of the imperial palace and went outside. After a long run, they arrived at a busy street in a square full of people. The carriage stopped in front of a large building in the center of the main street. ¡°Princess, we have arrived.¡± Terrence invited her not to his mansion, but to a garden in the center of the island. Commonly called a tea garden, it was a social space for the upper class, with a restaurant or cafe attached to a large greenhouse garden. The place she arrived at was said to be a newly opened garden. The moment she passed through the entrance and went inside, she couldn¡¯t help but stop at the sight unfolding in front of her eyes. It¡¯s midwinter full of snow and ice outside, but as soon as you enter the entrance, a lush green garden comes out. The greenhouse, illuminated by bright sunlight, was filled with well-kept garden trees and plants. A promenade runs along the artificial pond, and there are even several pavilions in between. Unlike the cold winter wind outside the door, the inside was warm like spring. ¡®Is it magic that controls the temperature?¡¯ A tea garden in this world was a kind of large indoor garden. The entire outer wall was made of glass. Even the ceiling of the building inside was transparent glass. It was as if the garden had been moved into a large glass box. When she heard the word garden, she imagined something like a small outdoor park, but this was really huge. ¡°Wow, that is really beautiful.¡± Even though all of this was provided in the greenhouse, there was not the slightest feeling of stuffiness. She could feel the clear and refreshing air mixed with the smell of fresh grass and the scent of flowers. There seemed to be some sort of purification magic. It was a sophisticated social hall with great care in every way. They entered the pavilion on the garden side. Inside the pavilion, there was a table that could seat two people. Right next to the table was a white railing like a terrace, and underneath the railing was a pond with water lilies. Several colorful carps were swimming leisurely in the clear water between the water lily leaves. As soon as they sat down at the table, an attendant dressed in a neat robe brought fragrant tea and dessert. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Grand Duke Terence, who was sitting across from her, asked in a nonchalant tone. As she took a sip of the sweet-smelling tea, she praised it sincerely. ¡°Yes, it is a very beautiful and wonderful place.¡± ¡°Should I give it to the princess as a gift?¡± ¡°¡­pardon?¡± She looked at him blankly, wondering what this meant, and Terrence calmly explained it to her. ¡°There are four large-scale gardens in the islands. Three of them belong to me.¡± She guessed this was one of those three places. Originally, the aristocratic family here owned several businesses in the city, including the buildings, but it was surprising how many such large-scale social venues they owned. She was surprised by the Grand Duke¡¯s wealth once again, but he made another proposal. ¡°If you like it, I will give it as a wedding gift.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s fine. How can I manage a place like this?¡± ¡°There is a separate person in charge of managing this place, so all you have to do is take profits.¡± Of course, she could learn how to manage it slowly, but the location was a problem. Because this is the center of the city. ¡°After I get married, I want to live somewhere far away from the capital. I don¡¯t want to get involved in imperial affairs as much as possible.¡± To do so, it was impossible to operate a garden in the center of the capital. ¡°And I have received enough gifts.¡± ¡°A gift and a wedding present are two different things, but I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, where did you get all those flowers?¡± ¡°There are several greenhouses around the islands that specialize in growing flowers.¡± It was at the level of clearing out several of those greenhouses¡­ ¡°Come to think of it, this is it.¡± She pointed to the jewelry around her neck. It was the unusual amethyst necklace found among the gifts. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Is it some kind of unique gem?¡± ¡°In what way do you mean unique?¡± ¡°Is it something related to Shinso?¡± But Terrence, who heard her, gave her an absurd look. ¡°In my family, there are dozens of jewels that are handed down only to the hostess from generation to generation. This is one of them, but I have never heard of such a thing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So it wasn¡¯t. Suddenly, her gaze went to her reflection in the pond. The amethyst hanging around her neck was still blurry with a mysterious design. ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke.¡± Their conversation ended there. Three middle-aged nobles passing by the promenade saw them and approached them. ¡°Greeting Her Highness the Princess and the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± She had no idea who it was, but Terrence was greeted casually. Perhaps they were close friends with the Grand Duke. She couldn¡¯t even ask who it was, so she just nodded, but the person in the front bent his back in a very respectful manner and held out a hand. For a moment, she came to her senses while thinking about something. The etiquette here was for an aristocratic man to kiss a woman on the back of her hand. She had seen the original, but she still hadn¡¯t realized it. The only official event she attended was a ball, and she couldn¡¯t formally say hello to anyone there. Reluctantly, she put her hand on top of his. Then, the man put his lips lightly on the back of her hand and the other two repeated the same action. ¡®Eww¡­ I kind of understand why Eve wore her gloves.¡¯ Still, she couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity, so every time her hand touched it, she longed to see an accident involving her or the Grand Duke. However, she did not see any vision until she received all three greetings. She was left with an unpleasant feeling on the back of hr hand and a nasty feeling. ¡°I never expected to see you two here.¡± All three of them looked at her with slightly interested eyes. Terence held her hand on the table with a friendly smile. ¡°I brought you here because I wanted to give the princess a tour of the newly opened garden.¡± Because his appearance was so beautiful, even a simple smile was as cool as a pictorial. Anyway, this guy was too handsome for nothing. She turned her gaze to empty space to hide her beating heart. Meanwhile a black gloved hand lightly gripped the back of her hand. ¡°Yes, that is. It¡¯s better than what I¡¯ve heard. I like it. Ho Ho.¡± She belatedly agreed with his words. All three of them pretended to be calm, but their eyes were shaking with shock. They may have seen the two of them on prom day, but seeing them up close like this was even more shocking. She thought maybe Terrence¡¯s perfect acting and her awkward response could make it look even weirder. They looked at her and Terrence in amazement, then quickly left. ¡°Then, I look forward to seeing you again next time.¡± After they said goodbye to her and left, she moistened a handkerchief with water and wiped the back of her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡± Terrence watched her wash her hands before asking. ¡°Are you sure we need to hold hands?¡± ¡°No. All I have to do is touch someone else. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t touch other people¡¯s bodies at any time.¡± She couldn¡¯t just touch the bodies of middle-aged aristocrats. ¡°Can I see your Highness one more time?¡± She was just saying it, but Terrence really held out his hand. She held his hand and focused for a moment. But the vision did not appear. CH 40 ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I haven¡¯t had anything special for the time being?¡± ¡°It could be.¡± It¡¯s just that her precognition ability was so unlucky that there was a high probability that she wouldn¡¯t see it. ¡°After the last ball, people started paying attention and paying attention, so there will be some reaction from the Emperor soon.¡± ¡°What do people say?¡± ¡°Frivolous people say that I fell for the princess¡¯ temptation.¡± Most of the attendants and maids in the imperial palace felt the same way. ¡°Anyone who has any idea among them suspects that there must be some other reason.¡± Terrence added a short sneer at the end of his words. Well, no one could guess why. ¡°Anyway, the topic-making was successful.¡± Then she bowed her head in surprise when a well-dressed young man and woman walking down the promenade spotted them. ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke¡­ Her Highness the Princess!¡± From the reaction, it seemed that they were not surprised to see the Grand Duke, but rather shocked to see her with him. But the Grand Duke smiled at her, ignoring them. And she forced herself into a happy smile again. After the young couple disappeared, she sighed and raised her teacup. She already felt exhausted, but Terrence, who sat across from her, didn¡¯t look at all strained. After taking a sip of tea, compliments came out without her knowing. ¡°His Highness the Grand Duke is really good at acting.¡± It was a little surprising. She couldn¡¯t act like that in the original. She wondered why it was different from the original. Was he nervous at the time because he was attracted to Sorel? As she was thinking about that, she felt Terrence¡¯s stare staring at her. ¡°Why do you look at me like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassing remark, but the princess¡­¡± Terrence looked at her for a moment, paused, then spoke in a flat, nonchalant voice. ¡°You¡¯re really bad at acting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked at him with a stupid expression while holding the teacup. In an instant, a scene from the original came into my mind. At one point in the original story, Sorel smiled broadly and spoke cautiously to the Grand Duke. [¡°About this¡­ You¡¯re awkward. I thought the Grand Duchess would be good at anything.¡± What did this man say then? The original Terrence replied with a bitter smile like a tragic villain. ¡°I¡¯ve never acted in love with someone before.¡±] It was a line that seemed like something a black man with an unfortunate past would say, but he didn¡¯t have much sympathy for it. Terrence was already in love with Sorel at that time. Was it different because it¡¯s not acting, but sincerity? Whatever it was¡­ He didn¡¯t carefully say, ¡®You¡¯re a little awkward¡¯ like Sorel did, but openly scolded her for saying she couldn¡¯t do it. It¡¯s only their second meeting since they started doing this, but how could a romantic atmosphere come out naturally? Wasn¡¯t it strange that he¡¯s so good at acting? ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not being good at acting.¡± She put down the teacup and pretended to smile as naturally as possible. ¡°I¡¯ve never acted in love with someone before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t mean to say it as a joke, but she didn¡¯t get an answer. She inadvertently raised her head and paused. Terrence, who was sitting across from her, was looking at her with hardened eyes. There was an unknown emotion in the purple eyes looking at her. However, the moment their eyes met, he instantly returned to his normal appearance, as if he had never done that before. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and asked her a question. ¡°This is a black tea blended for sale only here. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, it smells really good.¡± He responded politely, but left a feeling of uneasiness. ¡®What caused such a reaction just now?¡¯ At times like this, she felt that this was where the characters actually changed and felt moved. When she saw it only as a book, the emotions of the characters were described in writing, so it was very simple and clear. ¡°By the way, are we going to stay here today?¡± She had no complaints even after being here all day. The scenery was picturesque and the tea and dessert were great. Terrence continued, leaning back against the back of his chair. ¡°I wanted to go to my mansion with the princess and show her the newly decorated main house, but unfortunately, we had problems bringing in the furniture because of the snow, so the preparations weren¡¯t finished yet.¡± ¡°Then when can I go and see you?¡± She sipped the remaining tea in the cup as she listened to his obvious excuse. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you visit my mansion in three days?¡± She emptied the tea water with the faint scent of flowers and smiled while holding an empty teacup. ¡°Sure. Of course I have to go.¡± She put down the teacup with a leisurely hand and paused for a moment while recalling the information in the original work. As she was thinking about the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion, something came to my mind. ¡°Ah, by the way, did you have a younger brother?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Can we meet at the mansion?¡± Even when I asked, I expected that he would say no. Terence¡¯s younger brother, RLott, was the wealthy son of the previous Grand Duke, and Terence cared for this younger brother, who had a large age difference. To the point of never meeting Eve before marriage. ¡®He even hid him from Eve.¡¯ It was understandable enough. He probably didn¡¯t want to tell his little brother that she had ended up marrying such a strange woman. In fact, because Terrence was so overprotective, Rott rarely came out of the mansion. Except for his close relatives, he rarely met other nobles. Now they had a somewhat cooperative relationship, but of course he would be against her meeting him. However, the answer that came back was completely different from what she expected. ¡°Of course you will meet.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Surprised by the unexpected answer, she asked again. Seeing her bewilderment, Terrence raised one eyebrow in doubt. ¡°Since we will be living together at the mansion, wouldn¡¯t it be natural for you to meet?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°My younger brother, Rott, has long wanted to meet the princess. He will be happy if you visit the mansion.¡± This was an unexpected reaction. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet his brother. ¡®For sure a certain level of trust has been built up.¡¯ He had been scolding her for not being able to act before, but she had already proven herself and helped Diane. Rather than recognizing them as partners in a cooperative relationship. It was a very positive change. They would be living together for at least a few years, but it¡¯s comfortable to have a good trusting relationship with each other. ¡°Then, would you like to go to the store with me?¡± ¡°A shop?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time I meet your younger brother, so of course I have to prepare a present.¡± ¡°Are you planning to prepare a present?¡± ¡°Gifts are the best way to win a child¡¯s heart. Especially toys.¡± It would be better if she got advice from the older brother, Terence, on what kind of toy he liked. Terrence said nothing as he raised his teacup, but a faint smile lingered on his lips. ¡°All right. Then we will go together.¡± * * * The snow, which had fallen for two days, stopped before dawn, but the Empress¡¯s palace felt desolate as if it had been buried in snow all day long. The Empress, the owner of the palace, stayed only inside the palace on the pretext that he was ill. Around midnight, a man opened the door leading to the garden and quietly entered the palace to visit the Empress. She lingered by the moonlit window, reading the note she had handed to her with her uneasy hand. Beyond the window, the bright full moon illuminated the cool winter night white. The Empress asked again in a sharp voice, clutching the small note in her hand. ¡°Is this really from His Majesty?¡± The man who brought the note, Sir Kairen, the commander of the Imperial Knights, answered calmly. ¡°Yes, Her Majesty. This is a personal letter that just arrived urgently.¡± She wondered if this small piece of memo could be described as a personal letter, but the Empress returned her gaze to the piece of paper without any objection. There was only one sentence written on the small piece of paper. [Delay the princess¡¯s wedding.] The Empress asked the knight commander a question again. ¡°But, why?¡± It was incomprehensible to suddenly delay the princess¡¯s marriage. The wedding was now less than a month away. And to be honest, the Empress wanted to get rid of Eve quickly. If she married the Grand Duke, Eve would live in the Grand Duke¡¯s estate, so she could get rid of her within the moral rules. She had other reasons, too, because she wanted to see Eve marry soon. The Grand Duke hated Eve so much that once they got married Eve would be miserable. Since she was the princess, he would treat her as if she were by her side, but deep inside, she would be quietly ignored and scolded, and it was almost certain that she would end up being a child of depravity. ¡®No matter how high-ranking a woman is, if she gets married the wrong way, she¡¯ll be unhappy.¡¯ The Empress always thought so. CH 41 Wasn¡¯t it like that just by looking at the former Empress who died? The former Empress was a princess from a foreign country and grew up receiving a lot of love from her people, but after she got married to the empire, she lived a lonely and unhappy life. The former Empress had suffered greatly to see the actual Empress, monopolizing the love of the Emperor. After suffering for a long time, she fell ill and died early. She was now the Empress, and she firmly believed that Eve would be like that too. She wished to see Eve as soon as possible fall into the same misfortune as her mother. However, a few days ago, things began to take a strange turn. The starting point of the problem was the ball of the Duke of Rohan. The Grand Duke at the ball asked Eve to dance as if he were a sweet lover. When she first heard it, she couldn¡¯t believe it and thought it must be wrong. Or, she thought, Eve had pushed him so hard that she had no choice but to accept it. However, the very next day, the Grand Duke sent a huge amount of gifts to the princess¡¯s palace, putting a wedge in the rumor. ¡®Thinking about it, it was strange from the moment the two met at the temple.¡¯ Even when Eve went to the temple to offer her mother¡¯s relics, it was said that the Grand Duke took the flowers Eve gave him. She didn¡¯t think it was a big deal at the time, but after that day, the relationship between the two took an incredibly drastic turn. ¡®What the hell did Eve do to him that day?¡¯ What kind of tactic did the foolish Eve play so that the Grand Duke was suddenly nice to Eve? It was the biggest question that all the nobles in the current capital had. The Empress was likewise very curious about the moment when the Grand Duke changed his mind. ¡®But what is this¡­¡¯ It was incomprehensible that the Grand Duke suddenly showed a crush on Eve, but it was even more incomprehensible that the Emperor delayed Eve¡¯s marriage. The Emperor was worried that the power of the Grand Duke¡¯s family would grow if the Grand Duke married the daughter of another noble nobleman. In that case, he said, it would be better to marry foolish Eve and the Grand Duke. She thought the Emperor would rather enjoy it if he heard that the Grand Duke was blinded by Eve¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t even know why he gave this order?¡± ¡°How dare you guess the deep intentions of His Majesty the Emperor?¡± The knight commander¡¯s attitude was very polite, but the Empress felt bad for some reason, as if he knew everything but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°How are you telling me to delay her wedding?¡± The princess¡¯s wedding was a date set after checking the heavenly gates at the Great Hall. There was no way she could postpone the date for no apparent reason. The Grand Duke, who was sending people to the princess¡¯s palace every day, was also a problem. Even if he wanted to take Eve to her mansion right away, it was obvious that she would strongly protest if they delayed the wedding. Even now the crown prince was in the imperial palace. Officially, his own rank was higher, but the Empress nevertheless did not allow her stepson, the Crown Prince, to do anything to her. She had no idea how to postpone the wedding. ¡°This is a bit of a stretch, but the princess¡­¡± Guy Ren looked at the confused Empress and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°I heard that the princess was ill until recently¡­ I don¡¯t know if she has fully recovered her body now.¡± The Empress, who had been pacing by the window, stopped after hearing his words. If you look at the contents, there was nothing strange about it. Eve had been sick with the aftereffects of her fasting some time ago. However, the Empress recognized the subtle hints in his words. ¡°Is it so? She will be a bride, but if she is not feeling well, it will be difficult.¡± She left the easy way and was looking for the hard way. Come to think of it, there was the easiest way. After all, there was no better reason to postpone a wedding than when the bride suddenly falls ill. The Empress smiled gracefully and said satisfactorily. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything, so don¡¯t worry and leave.¡± After a while, the Empress, left alone, threw the note she was holding into the fireplace. Then she ordered the lady-in-waiting who came to her side. ¡°Call the lady-in-waiting sent to the princess¡¯s palace.¡± * * * Three days later, at Terrence¡¯s request, she visited the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. When they heard that they were going to visit the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion, the ladies-in-waiting decorated it more elaborately than before. Fortunately, it was decorated in a noble and dignified atmosphere rather than flashy, probably because she thought that she would be visiting as a prospective Grand Duchess. Her reddish blonde hair was elegantly curled up at the back of her head, and the decoration was simple. She also chose a Prussian blue damask dress. Dressed up like that, she looked like a lady in a mansion. ¡°Does it look okay?¡± It was very different from Eve¡¯s usual image, but it was quite nice to decorate like this. ¡°Yes, you are very beautiful and elegant.¡± She left the palace receiving the compliments of the ladies-in-waiting. The carriage headed for the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion along the bright sunny road. According to Nell¡¯s explanation, she¡¯s been here before, but it¡¯s the first time she¡¯s been inside. In the meantime, even if she went to see him, she was rejected at the door. The Grand Duke¡¯s mansion was on a hill, and when viewed from below it appeared to be of the same size as the Duke¡¯s mansion. But when they arrived at the front door, they could see how large it was. Like her palace, the entire hill was the residence of the Grand Duke. When they arrived at the main gate, the Grand Duke¡¯s servants stood in a row and bowed to her. Terrence, who was waiting at the entrance, took her hand and kissed it on the back of her hand, as was the etiquette. ¡°Princess.¡± Come to think of it, she thought this was the first time she had received such a polite greeting from this man. Terrence held her hand and looked at the people beside him. Standing next to him was a blond boy of about 8 or 9 years old. ¡°This is my younger brother, Rot.¡± The child clung to his side as if trying to hide behind Terrence. He was a cute little boy with a pale face and bright purple eyes. His softly curly hair was also bright gold. Although he was his biological brother, he did not look very much like Terrence. From his gentle appearance, he probably resembled their mother¡¯s side. ¡°Hello, Rot.¡± ¡°Oh, hello. Princess.¡± ¡°I finally got to meet Rot. I wanted to meet you.¡± She slightly bent her knees and made eye level with the child, showing a friendly smile. ¡°I brought a present for Rot. Don¡¯t you want to see it?¡± At the word of a gift, Rot, who was sitting close to Terrence, poked his face out. ¡°¡­A gift?¡± Gifts were important when it came to winning a kid¡¯s heart. Even witches in fairy tales give cookies to lure kids. ¡°Here it is.¡± She handed the gift box she had prepared in advance to Rot. It was a small box that could be hugged by a child¡¯s arms. Rot looked at her, then took the box and untied the ribbon. Then he took out the gift from the box and opened his eyes wide. The present she had prepared was a warship made just like the real thing. ¡°Rot said he wanted to be an admiral. So I asked for one made exactly like a real military ship.¡± ¡°Did my brother tell you?¡± She glanced back at Terrence and replied. ¡°Sure.¡± Terrence just stared at her, but he said nothing. Rot, who was fiddling with the mast of a warship, looked up at her with curious eyes. ¡°I¡­ Princess, would you like to look at the wedding present I am making?¡± ¡°A wedding present?¡± ¡°Is there anything that the princess doesn¡¯t like¡­ I wanted to show you if there was anything to fix.¡± Rot lowered his gaze, blushing as if embarrassed. His milky white cheeks were dyed pink. ¡®So cute.¡¯ He was so cute that it was hard to believe that he was Terrence¡¯s younger brother. ¡°I wonder what kind of gift it is. I really want to see it.¡± Rot looked back at his brother, delighted with her words. Terrence nodded his head gravely. ¡°Yes, show her.¡± Rot held the sailboat in his arms and pulled her by the hand. ¡°Princess, please come this way.¡± She glanced at Terrence and followed Rot. Rot¡¯s room was on the second floor. It was a cozy and warm room with good lighting. A shelf that occupied one wall was filled with toys and books. Rot shyly led her to a table by the window. ¡°Here you are.¡± On the small table was a wooden board the size of a thin book, and on it were small dolls and decorations the size of a little finger. Two round and cute figures of people were in the center, and the sides were full of flowers, ribbons, and cake-like decorations. Looking closely, the one in the middle was a red-haired woman in a white dress and a dark-haired man in a formal dress. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s me and Terrence.¡¯ Both the bride and groom were smiling happily. Even though it was made by a child, it was very detailed and sophisticated. The dress was elaborately made with pleats and ribbons, and a bouquet of pink roses was in her hand. Even the white veil and necklace worn on the head were expressed in detail. It¡¯s a cute gift full of sincerity. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really well done. What is it made of?¡± ¡°With this.¡± He showed her the box under the table. Inside were things like clay with a soft-looking texture. Was it clay? It¡¯s like rubber clay, but it¡¯s softer and pliable than that. There were over twenty different colors. ¡°What is this?¡± CH 42 There were several human figures rolling around in the box. One was a blonde woman in an all white dress. Others had the hair pouty and her eyes were raised in triangles. Some had her hair twisted up strangely and had an angry expression on her face.The strangest thing was her hair that was twisted like a snake, with angry eyes and a huge mouth. It was more like a monster than a human. Rott hesitated and explained. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wanted to make a princess, so I asked the knights what they would look like.¡± Was this all her? ¡°Yeah, but everyone speaks a little differently. I kept making it again¡­¡± Oh, so it looks like there were several versions like this. Anything else aside, what was this snake hair? Not a monster¡­ Was this the appearance of Eve as seen by the knights of the Grand Duchy? All of a sudden, she realized how bad the perception of her, or Eve, was. ¡°I¡¯m looking at the monster Eve,¡± she added, puffing out her cheeks as if in pain. ¡°I guess everyone was playing a joke on me. The princess didn¡¯t look like this.¡± No, the knights probably sincerely explained the appearance of Eve they had seen. However, the finished model was different. It looked like a normal person and smiled kindly. She was looking at it quietly, and Rott explained it next to her. ¡°Not too long ago, Terrence told me what the princess looked like. So I was able to get it right this time.¡± ¡°Terrence did?¡± At that, she turned her gaze back to the model Rott had made. That Eve was still wearing a white dress and holding a bouquet of pink roses, smiling brightly. Was this what Terrence told him about? It looked so fine. She thought he would have described her in the strangest way. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Hearing the frightened voice, she turned around and saw Rott¡¯s purple eyes quivering with tension. ¡°No, I really like it. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had a gift with such sincerity. I will treasure it for the rest of my life.¡± At those words, a bright smile bloomed on Roth¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to finish it before the wedding!¡± ¡°Yes, I will look forward to it.¡± The lady-in-waiting who was watching them from the side suggested to her. ¡°Would you like to look around the princess¡¯s room now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder how it will be.¡± As she left the room, she waved her hand at Rott. ¡°See you later, Rott.¡± Rott hesitated, then waved at her. ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± She followed the maid upstairs. The room she was shown to was in the middle of the 3rd floor of the main building. ¡°This is the inner room for the princess to stay.¡± When she opened the door with beautiful wooden patterns, bright light poured in. Like the imperial palace, it was a large drawing room, resting room, and bedroom connected together. A large arched window occupied most of one wall. A bright light coming through the window illuminated the room. All the newly prepared furniture was of the highest quality. Beautiful and stylish furniture and sumptuous decorations. Bright sunshine and fresh air. A delicate floral scent. It was a dazzlingly colorful and pleasant space. The lady-in-waiting who guided her to her room spoke politely to her. ¡°If there is anything you don¡¯t like, feel free to tell me.¡± There wasn¡¯t a single part she didn¡¯t like. She thought her room in the princess¡¯s palace was very luxurious, befitting a princess¡¯ residence, but this place was more luxurious than the imperial palace. And the princess¡¯s palace felt a little stuffy, but the structure of this place was spacious and comfortable. She approached the window in the bedroom. A large central garden was visible through the windows with beautiful light green damask curtains. It was winter, so the white snow was piled up, but I could see the well-kept garden trees, flower beds, and even the pond in the middle. The room was nice and the view from the window was great. She really liked it. ¡°Where is the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°He is in the northern garden.¡± A maid led her to the entrance to the garden. * * * Terence was at the north end of the mansion. Bright afternoon sunlight lit up the snowy garden. The warm sun fell on the marble tombstone erected over the grave. Terrence thought he was not a sentimental or affectionate person, but he always felt bitter when he saw his parents¡¯ graves. Suddenly, memories of the past come to mind. It was a cold winter when the windows were covered with white ice. It was the day before Terrence¡¯s own 14th birthday. He had been unable to sleep at night and had gone down the hallway of the mansion to get a book. And he had seen his father leave the mansion in the middle of the night on the second floor stairwell. Surprisingly, that was the last thing he saw of his father. That night, while visiting his lover¡¯s house, Terrence¡¯s father lost his life in a carriage accident. Officially it was an accident, but in reality it was an assassination by those who held a grudge against the Grand Duchy. It was a very futile and absurd death. The image of his mother looking down at his father¡¯s grave on the day of the funeral was unforgettable. The sadness and disillusionment in those eyes. His mother, standing quietly by the grave in a black mourning dress, looked like a cold tombstone. But even his mother was buried a year later under this cold tombstone. The sound of cautious footsteps came from behind. He could tell who it was without even looking back. Terrence turned to his fianc¨¦e. ¡°Do you like where you are staying?¡± * * * She approached Terrence, who was standing near the graveyard. ¡°Yeah, it was really cool. I like it.¡± The room seemed to have been redecorated right after the marriage was decided. But it was only a few days ago that they met at the Temple. There¡¯s no way it could have been redecorated in such a short amount of time, so he must have started decorating the new Grand Duchess¡¯ residence right after his marriage to Eve was decided. Even though he hated Eve, he decorated his new residence with unexpected care. Still, did he think that since she was the hostess of the Grand Duke¡¯s family, he should treat her well? ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± The tombstone in front of Terrence caught her eye. A white bouquet of flowers was placed in front of the tombstone. Flower of the sacred tree. It was the bouquet she handed him. ¡°¡­You really brought it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to put it here?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± She didn¡¯t know he would do it for real. She thought he¡¯d just check the note and throw away the bouquet because it felt bad. The white petals bloom fresh even in the snow. The flowers of the sacred tree did not wither for a long time even if they were plucked. This was the reason why this flower and the tree in which it bloomed were regarded as a blessing from God. ¡°Yesterday was the anniversary of Her Highness the Grand Duchess.¡± It seemed like yesterday that she handed him this bouquet at the temple, but the date had already passed. She understood why Terrence had invited her to his mansion today. Yesterday, which was the anniversary of the Grand Duchess, probably did not want to invite guests to the mansion. Terrence was silent for a moment before changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯m looking into things in the South.¡± ¡°Oh, did you say there were signs of rebellion?¡± Terrence was to go south immediately after his wedding. ¡°As I looked closer, I didn¡¯t even have to go there myself. It seems that the Emperor exaggerated the situation. It must have been an attempt to divert my attention.¡± She guessed it was to distract him from the wedding. Since this man was disapproving of the marriage with Eve, he must have accepted it quickly because he wanted to leave the capital. ¡°I plan to cancel the plan after properly reporting the situation there.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± It¡¯s better to stay here than to leave the capital for nothing. As she was thinking about it, Terrence¡¯s voice brought her back to reality. ¡°I have more news than that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± His voice lowered slightly at her question. ¡°Sir Gairen met the Empress. She seems to have been contacted by the Emperor.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°The knight commander has a means of urgent contact with the Emperor. It will take three or three days, though.¡± Knight Commander Gairen was the closest aide to the Emperor. As the Emperor treated them like limbs, it seemed that the two had a means to urgently contact them. Terrence looked at her for a moment, then looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Rumors about the princess and me are already spreading in the islands. He won¡¯t be able to kill the princess right away in this noisy yard.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± If he assassinated her now, the Grand Duke wouldn¡¯t be accused of being the culprit alone like in the original story. She answered quietly, but in her heart she was a little nervous. Even if he couldn¡¯t aim for her life right away, if the Emperor found out, a new danger might come. CH 43 It was late at night when she left the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion and returned to the imperial palace. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she dismissed Nell, who accompanied her. ¡°Nell, go in first and rest. You must be tired too.¡± ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± After sending Nell away, she took a bath with the help of the other maids and sat down at the dressing table. While she was sitting in front of her dressing table, a familiar brown-haired lady combed her hair. Shiny red-blond hair flowed through the comb. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ She blankly leaned against the back of her chair. She was tired because she had been through so much in the past. She just wanted to close her eyes and rest for a while. But as soon as she closed her eyes, she remembered the story she had heard from the Grand Duke during the day. If the Emperor had sent a message to the Empress, would he be returning soon? The Emperor was the most hated person. She hoped he wouldn¡¯t come back until after the wedding if possible. Now that this has already happened, it would be impossible to marry without the Emperor. She sighed and slowly closed her eyes. However, the moment her eyelids closed and her vision went dark, she felt a tingling pain in her head. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess!¡± It looked like the hair was tangled in a comb. The lady-in-waiting with the comb apologized in a trembling voice. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Unknowingly, her hand went to the hair caught in the comb. The lady-in-waiting who was holding the comb also hurriedly reached out her hand to unravel her hair. At that time, the tips of her fingers lightly touched the hand of her maid. At that moment, my vision went dark, and a bright light burst out of the darkness. * * * The cozy bedroom disappeared and an unfamiliar landscape unfolded before her eyes. ¡®Is it another vision?¡¯ She knew from several experiences that this was a prediction of the future, but she still couldn¡¯t get used to it. She looked around in the illusion. It was like a dark warehouse. The ceiling was covered with spider webs, and junk was piled up around it. A dirty window in one wall caught her eye. White snow was piled up on the dusty window sill. A woman¡¯s voice whispered low in the darkness. ¡°I guess I put it in little by little so it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable?¡± Following her voice, Eve went inside and saw two people standing opposite each other among the boxes stacked high. The person standing with his back to her was a young woman in a maid¡¯s uniform. Only her back was visible, so her face was unrecognizable. The person across from her was obscured by the shadows, so she couldn¡¯t tell what he was like or who he was. The woman in a maid¡¯s uniform answered in an anxious voice. ¡°I did as I was told. But what is it?¡± It was an unfamiliar voice. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ The maid added nervously in a familiar voice. ¡°They said that as soon as the princess ate it, she suddenly made a fuss about her headache, so she was scared and thought she was going to die.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ The answer mixed with laughter came from the other side. ¡°It¡¯s a concentrated medicine from the leaves of the coran.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t the princess die like this?¡± The moment she heard that, she was stunned. Because she realized who the voice was rather than the content. It was the brown-haired maid who had been brushing her hair a while ago. ¡°Don¡¯t die. She will have a severe headache for a few days, but rest assured that it will not be life threatening.¡± The woman across from her handed something to the maid. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the money in advance, so leave after the wedding as promised.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The maid turned her body. The face hidden in the shadows was clearly visible. As expected, she was the maid who was with her in her room. What was her name? As she recalled the name of her handmaid, her vision was covered with darkness again. * * * She was startled and opened her eyes. There was a familiar mirror in front of her. The light from the candlestick reflected around the mirror and shimmered in gold. In the mirror, she could see herself with her long, red-blond hair undone against the softly lit room. Her already white face was hardened like wax. ¡°Princess, are you very uncomfortable?¡± The lady-in-waiting who was untangling her tangled hair looked at her and asked anxiously. ¡°No, I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± She picked out the hairpins on the dressing table with a nonchalant expression. ¡°I guess it was because I went out one after another. I just need to rest tomorrow.¡± She sighed as she placed a hand on her forehead. ¡°Oh, thanks for combing my hair. But what did you say your name was?¡± ¡°This is Lana. Princess.¡± It¡¯s Lana. She remembered the name well. At the same time, she remembered who this lady-in-waiting was. She was the handmaid who had a fight with Nell on the stairs before. Lana broke into a cold sweat as Eve stared at her and bowed her head. ¡°Well, before I was rude¡­¡± ¡°I thought you were being punished?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I got a pay cut and did menial jobs for a while.¡± Lana quietly raised her head and looked at Eve. ¡°Now the maid of honor has forgiven me, so I have been punished and returned again.¡± When was the last time Nell fell down near the stairs because of this lady-in-waiting? She has been there for about three days. But she¡¯s already done with her punishment? If she hadn¡¯t seen the vision, she might have passed it by thinking that this was the original rule here, even if it was a little strange. It was only a trivial incident within the imperial palace, such as when her maids tripped over each other. However, having just seen the scene, she was able to notice something suspicious. ¡®Someone deliberately released the bee and sent it back to me.¡¯ She hid her inner feelings and pretended to be calm. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You said you got all the punishment. That¡¯s it. Go away now.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Lana, the lady-in-waiting, brushed her hair and went outside. Eve looked into the vanity mirror and was lost in thought. ¡®Someone ordered her to put medicine in my food.¡¯ There was a high possibility that someone was from the side of the Empress or the Emperor. But it wasn¡¯t poison, it was a medicine that caused headaches. It¡¯s too risky to kill her without the Emperor returning. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to find evidence yet to pinpoint the Grand Duke as the culprit. And there was also the dishwashing problem. The tableware used by the royal family, from bowls to spoons, were all made of silver with special magic. It was a magic that reacted immediately to the presence of poison. For such various reasons, poison could not have been used. However, if it is a non-toxic drug that simply causes headaches, it could be mixed into food without being detected. ¡®It¡¯s not about killing me, it¡¯s about making me sick.¡¯ She could understand why they were trying to make her sick. They were trying to postpone the wedding until they figured out the situation. Because if the bride-to-be princess gets sick, the wedding has no choice but to be postponed. If it¡¯s not poison, but simply sick, no one would doubt it. It¡¯s common to get sick while going out repeatedly in the cold winter. ¡®He must have come up with this plan with that in mind.¡¯ It is similar to what the Duke¡¯s relatives did to Diane. Maybe he heard about Diane¡¯s case and was inspired by it. Anyway, the lady-in-waiting who received the order, Lana, sooner or later puts medicine in the food Eve would eat. As a result, she would complain of a headache and said she was going to lie down. ¡®If I chase Lana to another palace, I will be able to avoid immediate danger¡­¡¯ But even if she got rid of Lana, there was a high possibility that another danger would arise. And the new danger may not be seen with foreknowledge. ¡®Then I¡¯d rather¡­¡¯ She looked in the mirror and organized her thoughts. And as soon as the next day dawned, she called Nell. ¡°Go to Sir Mikhail Sheldon and tell him I want to meet him tomorrow at noon.¡± ¡°Sheldon?¡± ¡°Yes. If you tell him it¡¯s a problem related to the past, he¡¯ll know.¡± She thought about it for a while and then ordered. ¡°And His Highness the Grand Duke. If you don¡¯t mind, tell him I want to have tea with him in the afternoon.¡± * * * Around noon the next day, she headed for the large garden on the west side of the princess¡¯s palace. The moment she entered the garden, she saw a wide spread snow-covered flower bed. The entire garden, the size of a small park, was made up of checkerboard-shaped lavender fields. And in the center was a small pavilion made of white marble. Eight marble columns supported the light gray roof, and in the middle was a small tea table. Half of the wall was open, and the other half was surrounded by a lattice pattern, so that even from the inside, the outside could be seen clearly. That¡¯s why she chose this place. This is the center of the lavender field, which was open on all sides. Someone couldn¡¯t sneak up on her, and couldn¡¯t hide somewhere and overhear her words. Just as the Grand Duke took her to the terrace by the waterfall. ¡°Princess, did you call me?¡± Shortly before noon, Mikhail arrived at the pavilion. CH 44 ¡°Okay. Sit over here.¡± She had felt it before, but if she looked closely, she could see a resemblance to Terrence in some way with neat features. ¡®This man must still be waiting for Sorel to return, right?¡¯ Mikhail looked at her with emotionless eyes and asked. ¡°What were you looking for me for?¡± She took out a thin string necklace from her pocket. ¡°I will tell you directly. I¡¯ll give you this, so please do me a favor.¡± In order to move the Imperial Knights inside the palace, she had to ask Mikhail for help. The way to move Mikhail was to mention Sorel as before. Because Mikhail was blind to things related to Sorel. So she decided to use this. Because this necklace was Sorel¡¯s most precious treasure. And, as expected, upon seeing the necklace, Mikhail¡¯s complexion changed. ¡°This¡­ Did the princess have it?¡± It was a polite tone in its own way, but it was a question of ¡®How did you have it?¡¯ ¡°I found it.¡± Eve threw Sorel¡¯s necklace into the pond and had her attendants sneak it out. The reason for being so diligent was obvious. She must have jumped ahead, fearing that Sorrel would ask someone else later to find the necklace that had fallen into the pond. According to Eve¡¯s calculations, after a while, Sorel would ask the chamberlain to find the necklace that fell into the pond. But they couldn¡¯t find it in the end. Eve had already retrieved it, so of course they couldn¡¯t find it. ¡®Eve is useless, but her head works well.¡¯ But thanks to that, she was able to have this. Eve even tucked it roughly into a locker with jewels. Perhaps this was to annoy Sorel one more time later. She looked at the necklace she had taken out on the table. It was a simple necklace made of small green glass. Mikhail¡¯s gaze was also fixed on the necklace. ¡°If you bring it to her, Sorel will be very impressed.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Mikhail looked at her with a resentful look and asked coldly. ¡°Help me.¡± Mikhail was like that. With a smile on his face, he furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Some of my maids have suspicious drugs.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Hearing her words, Mikhail opened his eyes wide. It¡¯s a reaction that said he didn¡¯t expect to hear these words at all. ¡°It is not a lie. Someone witnessed the lady-in-waiting meeting a suspicious person. And maybe he¡¯s trying to give me that medicine.¡± ¡°Then arrest¡­¡± ¡°But there is no evidence yet.¡± She cut him off and continued the explanation. ¡°I know who the lady-in-waiting is and where she meets the same side.¡± Fortunately, she was able to quickly find the warehouse that appeared in her vision. She explained to Nell what was in the warehouse and how it was built, and she said she knew where it was right away. It was an old fixture warehouse not far from the princess¡¯s palace. Maybe it was a rare place, so it seemed like they met there. ¡°But there is no proof.¡± Unconditionally, this lady-in-waiting was suspicious. But even if she found the vial in the maid¡¯s room, since it was not poisonous, it was difficult to question her if she said she had it for other reasons. ¡°So, can you bring in some Templar soldiers to help me when I need it?¡± After hearing her explanation, Mikhail frowned in a different way. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no price. It is, of course, my duty.¡± Well, it was the role of the Imperial Knights to prevent unsavory things from happening inside the imperial palace. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s like giving back the necklace and asking for it.¡± Having said that, Mikhail looked confused. ¡°I am asking you to keep this a secret until I call. Even a public investigation would be in vain.¡± Mikhail seemed to think for a moment, but he readily agreed with her. ¡°All right. I will do as the princess commands.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a moment of relief after hearing Mikhail¡¯s promise. She saw a familiar man over the snow-covered lavender fields in the distance. It was Terrence. Terrence came slowly towards Mikhail and her. She asked him to come in the afternoon, but why did he come already? Come to think of it, this man always seemed to come earlier than the scheduled time. Mikhail got up from his seat and bowed before he even got close. But Terence entered the pavilion, ignoring Mikhail. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°The ladies-in-waiting said you were here.¡± Still, she wondered if waiting in the drawing room wasn¡¯t the rule. ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not polite to keep my fianc¨¦e waiting.¡± Terrence, as always, gave her an affectionate look. He reminded her of the first time she met him at the Temple. She remembered following him with a bouquet of flowers begging him to listen to her for a moment. At that time, he didn¡¯t listen to a word¡­ How could a person change 180 degrees like this? Of course, she knew it¡¯s acting, but it was so natural that it gave her goosebumps. Mikhail looked back at the two of them, and he noticeably moved away. ¡°Then I will go away.¡± Okay.¡± Terrence didn¡¯t say anything until Mikhail left. ¡°I heard that you called me, but you had a prior promise.¡± ¡°I have something to tell Sir Sheldon in advance.¡± She put the necklace she had taken out back into her pocket and said. ¡°Actually, I asked to see you because I have something to ask of the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°That Arcania crystal. Do you have anything other than what you gave to the Duchess?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Terence dubiously avoided an immediate answer. Or there is or there is not. Well, what was it? She guessed that¡¯s what it meant in the end. ¡°Could you lend me one?¡± ¡°Is this something you need urgently?¡± ¡°Yes it is. I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry.¡± It seemed like a shameless idea, but she figured Terrence would lend her crystals easily. A person who said he would rob a flower garden as a gift, send flowers, and give a garden as a gift. It¡¯s not just asking for it, it¡¯s asking for a loan, so he would listen. She had such a relaxed and optimistic mind. But Terrence just watched her in silence for a while. The dark purple eyes stare into her eyes as if trying to look into her heart. ¡°¡­Are you having trouble lending it?¡± She couldn¡¯t wait and asked cautiously. Could it be that it¡¯s so valuable that he couldn¡¯t lend it to her? Terrence took a step closer to her and asked softly. ¡°Would you like to do business with me if you need a fix?¡± ¡°I am Your Highness¡¯ fianc¨¦e, can¡¯t you lend me one? I¡¯ll give it back.¡± ¡°I already lent one to the ducal family, so there are only a few left.¡± He was saying there were several more besides the one he gave to the Duchess. ¡°I want to make a deal, but I have nothing to offer.¡± All she had was jewelry and dresses. They were all expensive items, but they would be no more than rolling stones to this man. Terrence looked at her and gave her a meaningful smile. ¡°If you tell me simple information, I will give you a crystal as a gift.¡± There was a languid smile on his face, which was more handsome than the statues decorating the temple. It looked like a messenger of God in a sacred painting, but its expression was like a devil tempting people. If a demon that looked like that smiled and asked her to sell her soul, she would nod her head unconsciously. The answer came out as if she was bewitched without knowing it. ¡°¡­What do you want to know?¡± She didn¡¯t know all the information, but if it¡¯s from the original story, she remembered every little thing. Among them, there was a lot of information that could be useful to the Grand Duke. A smile grew on the Duke¡¯s face. ¡°Sir Mikhail Sheldon¡¯s weakness.¡± She was blown away by those words. Mikhail¡¯s weakness. It was clear what he was talking about. The day they met at the Imperial Palace Chapel. He must have been curious about the secret she used to blackmail Mikhail, the male lead. ¡®But I can¡¯t tell you that.¡¯ Because that was also Sorel¡¯s weakness. She couldn¡¯t be an older sister and gossip about her younger sister¡¯s romance. It was a problem morally and also a problem with the flow of the original work. Right now, the female lead and the male lead were exchanging secret letters and sweetly developing romantic feelings. But what if she told this to a dangerous man like this and the original contents were out of line? ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It would be convenient if there is a fix, but if there is not, I can just find another way.¡± She knew for sure who was taking her medicine anyway, so she just had to keep the food the maid brought. Upon hearing her answer, the Grand Duke, who had been smiling sweetly, hardened his face in an instant. The corners of his mouth, which had been brimming with a subtle smile, hardened coldly, and his purple eyes, which had been curved finely, also cooled coldly. His complexion suddenly changed so much that his laughter did not disappear, and a bloody expression lingered on him. CH 45 ¡­She just said she didn¡¯t want to trade, but was it something to be so serious about it? Did he want to know Mikhail¡¯s weakness so much? In the original story, Terrence only despised and distanced himself from Mikhail, but did not seek to defeat him by catching his weakness. Although he was offended, he did not regard him as an enemy. She was slowly checking his eyes, but the Grand Duke asked again in a low-pitched voice. ¡°I think it is important.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± ¡°Lord Sheldon.¡± A cold sneer crept into his well-shaped lips. ¡°Seeing you keep this secret, it must be really important, isn¡¯t it?¡± The purple eyes staring at her curled up with a smile. But there was still a deep displeasure in his eyes. A chill ran down her spine from those cold eyes. She guessed she forgot for a while that this person was evil in the drama because he had been in a lot of trouble. When she was no longer needed, he would kill her more ruthlessly than the Emperor. Without realizing it, she answered with a hesitant look. ¡°Not really¡­ It¡¯s not important. It¡¯s not even information that would be helpful to Your Highness.¡± The Grand Duke later learned of Sorel¡¯s relationship with Mikhail, but he did not use the information. Far from using it, this man also became Sorel¡¯s fake lover to keep the secret. Not because of Mikhail, of course, but because of Sorel. By then he had a real crush on Sorel, so it was natural for him. ¡°And don¡¯t get me wrong. I especially like Mikhail¡­ No, I¡¯m not hiding a secret because I have a crush on Sir Sheldon. It¡¯s because it¡¯s something I shouldn¡¯t say for personal reasons.¡± She had forgotten for a moment that this man had a very hard time with his half-brother Mikhail. Since she knew Mikhail¡¯s secret, she may have seemed intimate with him. Even now, the two of them were meeting in a place like this. She tried her best to make excuses, but Terrence was silent. She didn¡¯t know if he believed her words. This man didn¡¯t show emotion, so she couldn¡¯t fathom his intentions. ¡°Could you tell me why you need the fix?¡± ¡°I will tell you that. It¡¯s because of my maid.¡± She explained to him the foresight she had seen yesterday. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re putting off the wedding until the Emperor returns.¡± After hearing the explanation, Terrence immediately understood the situation. ¡°So you need a fix to avoid drugged food?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± She already had a way of thinking of how to do this. She needed a fix for that. She explained her plan to him. Hearing her words, Terrence gave a low laugh with an amusing look in his eyes. ¡°The simplest way is the most effective way.¡± So, she was going to ask again if he would lend her the crystal, but he answered first as if he had read her thoughts. ¡°I will give the crystal to the maid I sent her before.¡± Their contact had always been through Chloe. ¡°Thank you.¡± Terrence watched her quietly before adding nonchalantly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how you use the handmaiden or the crystal, so take care of yourself. Shouldn¡¯t you keep your promise to use the princess¡¯s abilities for me?¡± Yes, she was trying to get used to it. ¡°Do not worry. It will work out well.¡± * * * Terrence¡¯s promise was immediately realized. A few hours after she returned to the palace, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Princess. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± It was Chloe who came in. Chloe calmly bowed her head, took out a small box from his chest, and offered it with both hands. ¡°His Highness told me to deliver this.¡± Inside the small wooden box was a bracelet connected by a thin gold chain. White jewels of different sizes were hung at each place where the chain was connected. She touched the translucent white crystal in the middle. It was the Arcana Crystal that Terrence had shown her. After taking out the bracelet, she closed the box and put it in the dresser drawer. ¡°Tell him thank you.¡± * * * The imperial palace passed quietly for two days after that. It was snowing again, so she couldn¡¯t go out and there was nothing she could do. She, too, passed her time in her own palace. Even in the midst of heavy snowfall, everything in the princess¡¯s palace still went back to normal. She passed the time by the window, reading or learning from Nell. Of course, she wasn¡¯t doing anything. She ordered Chloe to spy on Lana. It was because she thought Chloe would do a better job as a watcher than Nell. Even from the outside, it looked calm and serene. Since she was a newcomer to the princess¡¯s palace, Lana wouldn¡¯t be wary. Instead, she left Nell with other tasks. Everything was done quietly, as if covered in white snow. Except for Nell, Chloe, and Mikhail, no one noticed that something uneasy was going on. ¡°It¡¯s good that things are going smoothly on the surface, but that¡¯s what I mean.¡± She murmured as she took out the colored thread from the box. Inside the box of embroidery thread, dozens of colors were filled like a color palette. While she was confined in the snow, she learned embroidery from Nell as a way to pass the time. Although it was difficult, it was surprisingly fun. It was late in the afternoon when Diane came, when the snow had subsided a bit. Diane entered the palace under the pretext of discussing how to make her wedding dress. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Miss Diane, are you feeling better?¡± Diane¡¯s plaster-pale cheeks turned faintly red at her question. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I am sorry for causing you concern.¡± Diane was wearing a dress that came up to her chin, gloves on her hands and a veil on her head. She was coming to the imperial palace in her own way, so she was wearing court regalia, but her entire body was covered up except for her face. Dressed like that, she came in with a large bag. ¡°I am delighted to have you visit my palace. Come on, sit over here.¡± Diane found an embroidery frame and embroidery thread on the side of the table. ¡°Ah, princess. You were making a veil.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ No, I was just practicing.¡± It was said that the new bride would have to make her own bridal veil for her wedding day, but with her skills, that¡¯s out of the question. Now she was just learning simple embroidery for handkerchiefs and tablecloths. ¡°I¡¯m doing this part, but it¡¯s harder than I thought, so I¡¯m not doing well.¡± She pointed to the pink petals on the embroidery frame. It was to give shade by mixing threads of slightly different colors on the petals, but it was easy to say and difficult to do it herself. Diane looked at her embroidery frame, she hesitated for a moment, then she said. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can I help you?¡± ¡°Does Miss Diane like embroidery?¡± ¡°Yes, I did a lot at home as a hobby.¡± Diane blushed in embarrassment. Eve wondered if she liked handicrafts like this because she was only at home. ¡°I will be grateful if you teach me.¡± Diane took off her gloves and picked up the needle for her embroidery. ¡°I think we can do more like this here.¡± As she gave some explanations, she began to carefully embroider the petals with pale pink embroidery thread. ¡®Wow, that¡¯s really good.¡¯ The needle went back and forth just a few times, and the petals were much denser and neater than the crappy petals Eve made. ¡°Miss Diane is really good at embroidery.¡± Like the lot before. Both had good dexterity. Did cousins resemble each other? Would Terence do the same? She couldn¡¯t imagine the man making anything with his hands. He might be good at killing people with a dagger. ¡°Do you have a style of wedding dress in mind?¡± After a while, Diane put the embroidery frame aside for a moment and she began discussing her wedding dress in earnest. ¡°Well.¡± She never thought about it. She might die on the wedding day, but she had no time to think about her dress at leisure. As for the wedding dress, she thought for a moment, why not just take a white dress from the closet, tweak it a bit, and put it on? ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for some designs here.¡± Saying that, Diane pulled out three booklets from her bag. All the booklets were full of wedding dresses. It¡¯s a wedding dress textbook. ¡°Hmm¡­ I think it would be nice if it was like this.¡± She picked out a few pictures. Diane pulled out a piece of white paper and held it out to her. ¡°I was asked to do a sketch, even briefly, in the dressing room,¡± she said. ¡°If you draw a picture, they say they can make it based on it.¡± Did she even have to draw a picture? She picked up a pen and started sketching the wedding dress. She drew roughly what came to mind by referring to the dresses in the booklet. ¡°Roughly¡­ How about doing this?¡± CH 46 The finished painting was a dress in the style of the rococo period. The sleeves were wide open from the elbow, and the skirt split in the middle and had an underskirt on the inside. She tried her best to draw it, but no matter how you look at it, it was a drawing that was at the level of a child¡¯s graffiti. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, it is pretty.¡± Diane looked at her painting for a while and desperately squeezed out a compliment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force praise.¡± She put down the pen and sighed helplessly. ¡°I have been imagining how to make a wedding dress for a long time, but as the wedding is approaching, I am so nervous that I cannot make a proper decision. That¡¯s all I came up with.¡± If Eve said she didn¡¯t know much about dresses, no one would believe her, so she had to invent a reason for this. Fortunately, Diane seemed to believe this. i bn ¡°Still, I think a dress of this style would suit the princess well.¡± Diane took up her pen and she drew some embellishments beside the dress in the painting. ¡°How about doing this a little more here? Ah¡­ It¡¯s just my opinion, so don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Diane drew the embroidery on her skirt and bodice, the bodice. That¡¯s how she adds some embellishments, so it looked a lot more plausible. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It is much prettier.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Even though it was a simple decoration, it went well with the dress and looked good. ¡°Well, how about something like this?¡± Diane hesitated, but she added a few decorative designs again. As the drawings increased, the plain dress she drew became more and more beautiful. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s the daughter of a Duke, so she had an excellent eye. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the detailed design up to Miss Diane¡¯s eye, so could you order it roughly like this?¡± Eve said, pushing Diane the picture. Diane accepted the painting and she was determined to be ambitious. ¡°Yes, I will try my best to make it!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± She was worried about what would happen if she overworked herself and got sick. She was leaving the dress to the dressing room, and Diane¡¯s just deciding on the design, so that¡¯s fine. Then, all of a sudden, Nell knocked on the door. ¡°Princess, Her Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.¡± ¡°What?¡± No, why did he come at a time like this? He had never come here before. As expected, Diane stiffened like a stone at the words of being the crown prince. Arentin came inside without even having time to say anything. ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince.¡± She got up from her seat and set my example. ¡°Eve.¡± Arentin had a serious and serious expression as usual. It was a tired complexion with shadows under the eyes. He looked like a person who didn¡¯t even have time to eat because he¡¯s so busy with work. Now that he¡¯s the acting emperor, it seemed like there would be a lot of work in reality. In fact, Eve knew Arentine would come here sooner or call her into his office. However, there was no contact until now, and it was only today that he visited so suddenly. Looking at the accumulated fatigue, it seemed that he had been very busy. Maybe he was keeping an eye on the situation, watching what Terrence and she were doing. Arentin, who was walking into her room, noticed Diane behind her and stopped. Diane gave a greeting in a voice that barely crawled in as she hid her body behind Eve. ¡°¡­Greeting His Highness the Crown Prince.¡± Before Arentine asked why was she there, Eve quickly explained her circumstances. ¡°Miss Diane of the Duchess of Rohan came to help me make my wedding dress.¡± After hearing her explanation, Arentine seemed to remember Diane. She greeted him in a calm tone. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time. I¡¯m glad your health seems to be improving.¡± ¡°Th, thank you, Your Highness.¡± Diane was almost crying. But Arentine didn¡¯t pay much attention and looked at Eve. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you two for a moment.¡± ¡°Miss Diane, could you step aside for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Princess!¡± She was very sorry to ask her to leave in this situation, but Diane ran outside before she could speak¡­ was it true that she like Arentine? Eve didn¡¯t think she liked him, but she seemed extremely scared. When she was left alone in the room, Arentine came closer to her. ¡°Are you learning to embroider?¡± He found the embroidery frame and asked. It was a bit of a surprise because he knew that Eve never embroidered before. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just learning little by little by helping to make the veil.¡± Arentine stopped for a moment and looked at the embroidery frame carefully. ¡°The workmanship¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± That was what he said after looking at her work on the embroidery frame for a while. His words were cut off for a moment, but his expression as he looked at the flowers engraved on the ivory cloth was very serious. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t either.¡± Nell praised her skills saying that she was very good at it, but it seemed to Eve that she had barely mastered the basics. If it¡¯s known that Eve in the original work had no interest in embroidery, it¡¯s to be expected that her skills were poor. Thanks to this, no one doubts even if she couldn¡¯t do this. Arentine murmured as he let out a sigh. ¡°Still, I¡¯m glad you got a new hobby.¡± She guessed it¡¯s a relief that she didn¡¯t run into accidents like she used to and was quietly shutting herself up and embroidering. ¡°I will be back before your wedding.¡± Arentine declared, as if he promised her, that he would return to the battlefield soon after the snow stopped. Well, whether that will work. In the original work, Arentine went to war like this, but he did not return to the island until the day of her wedding. ¡°Hmm. You see.¡± Her answering voice was deliberately a little uneasy. Arentien sensed the anxiety in her tone and asked anxiously. ¡°Is there something troubling you?¡± She stayed silent for a while, as if lost in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Arentine watched her with his anxious blue eyes. ¡°I got along very well with the Grand Duke,¡± she said. ¡°Because I¡¯m getting married soon.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad you got along somehow.¡± He was wondering what the heck was going on. It¡¯s a question that most people in the Islands were most curious about these days, he heard. Thanks to it, he received more than ten invitations while it snowed. The senders were aristocrats who would soon be holding a ball or evening at the mansion. Everyone sent her elaborate invitations asking her to come to a social gathering at the mansion. Had they forgotten that she was on probation? Or maybe they thought she could come out at any time since she had already gone out twice with the Grand Duke. The content of the invitation was almost the same, but what people wanted would be slightly different. He wanted to check the truth of the rumor himself, or if she had already confirmed it and he was curious if it¡¯s still like that. ¡®Perhaps this is the purpose of this older brother¡¯s sudden visit to me.¡¯ To ask directly about her relationship with the Grand Duke. Arentin asked again with a worried face. ¡°Is this a matter related to the Grand Duke?¡± ¡°It is not.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Because this has nothing to do with the Grand Duke. Arentine didn¡¯t seem to believe her. Did Eve think the only thing to worry about was Terrence? Of course, it was like that in the original. Arentine looked at her for a moment and then sighed. ¡°I knew you liked him for a long time.¡± There was no one in the Empire who did not know that fact. ¡°The Grand Duke¡­ he is a dangerous man. Anyhow¡­¡± Arentine spoke up to that point, but his words were blurred. ¡®Anyhow?¡¯ What was the next word? Was he trying to say that he was worried that the Grand Duke had other ulterior motives and that he¡¯s taking advantage of her? He could be thinking so. Because the Grand Duke hated Eve until a few days ago, and then suddenly fell in love with her. It might look like he¡¯s approaching Eve with some other ulterior motive. Except that the Grand Duke had absolutely no reason to use Eve. ¡°I know what you mean. Do you think the Grand Duke has other ulterior motives and is being nice to me?¡± Arentine didn¡¯t answer. She waited for his answer and continued. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, so don¡¯t worry.¡± It¡¯s not a lie. In the first place, they used each other and helped each other. However, Arentine still looked worried. He looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then said. ¡°If anything happens, ask me for help.¡± His tone was calm, but his voice was full of sincere concern. Even the eyes that looked at her reflected a little affection. He hated his sister so much in the original story, so what happened? In some ways, this was the most puzzling part of what she had experienced since coming here. Didn¡¯t he actually hate Eve that much? ¡°Of course it is. Then who am I going to ask for help?¡± This was not a lie either. Maybe soon there would be something to ask Arentine for help. If everything went according to plan, that was. CH 47 Arentine let out a short sigh. ¡°Yeah, if you are, that¡¯s fine.¡± After Arentine went back, Diane, who had been waiting in the room next to her, came back into her room. ¡°Has His Highness the Crown Prince finished his business?¡± ¡°Yes, he was just talking to me.¡± Diane made sure once again that Arentine was gone, then she cringed inside. ¡°Miss Diane, are you afraid of my brother?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Diane lowered her head and grabbed the hem of her skirt. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m ashamed to look like this.¡± Diane said that and pulled out a picture of her dress again. She was in an atmosphere where the person concerned didn¡¯t want to talk anymore, so she didn¡¯t ask too deeply. But at the same time, she felt sad. To think that such a cute young lady liked Arentine. She must be like that because she didn¡¯t have eyes for men. ¡°Then let¡¯s finish the dress like this.¡± The finished sketch became an intricate, unrecognizable painting, with the decorative designs Diane had picked out over the flimsy dress she had drawn. Still, the people who make the dress would recognize it. She put down the paper on which the dress was drawn and proposed to Diane. ¡°Since you helped me a lot, would you like to drink tea and eat dessert together today?¡± Fortunately, Diane replied with a smile as if her energy had been restored. ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± * * * After welcoming the guests and completing one embroidery, it was already evening. She put down the embroidery frame and was arranging the threads that she had taken out into the box again according to color. A familiar voice was heard from behind the door. ¡°Princess, I brought tea.¡± It was Lana, the handmaid in question. Hearing that voice, the hand that had been fiddling with the embroidery thread stopped for a moment. ¡°Yes, bring it.¡± The door opened and Lana, her brown hair in a bun, came carrying a tray of teacups. The ladies-in-waiting had their own timetable. Each lady-in-waiting took turns serving her meals or tea. During that time, Lana has brought her food on more than four occasions. But she had never had drug in her food. She didn¡¯t know if she¡¯s looking for an opportunity or if she hadn¡¯t received the medicine yet. She hadn¡¯t searched Lana¡¯s room yet. Just in case she got scared and abandoned her plans. But today the atmosphere was a little different. Lana was in her usual form, but there was a slight tension in her pale face. Lana put a cup of hot black tea on the table next to her. She pretended to choose the embroidery thread and ignored her gaze. ¡°It is cold. I want to take a dip in warm water. Could you tell them to prepare the bath water?¡± ¡°Yes, Princess.¡± Without question, Lana put down the teacup and went outside. As soon as Lana got out, she rolled up her sleeves and pulled out the slender bracelet on her wrist. It was the crystal bracelet borrowed from Terrence. It was able to test for drugs in food. When she asked how it was possible to react only to medicine when it wasn¡¯t poison, Terrence explained it. When making medicine, they put a few specific ingredients in, and this crystal was said to react to it. She picked a crystal from the bracelet and dipped it into the teacup. The snow-white crystal gradually turned to light green. Knock, knock. A knock was heard again. ¡°Princess, this is Chloe.¡± ¡°Okay, come in.¡± Chloe, the lady-in-waiting sent by the Grand Duke, opened the door and cautiously entered. Chloe had been monitoring Lana¡¯s actions the whole time. Perhaps because she was so quiet in her behavior, she seemed to do a pretty good job as a watcher. Her mouth seems heavy too. Indeed, she¡¯s not an ordinary maid, so it¡¯s natural. She turned to the teacup in front of her and said. ¡°Princess, just before, Lana¡­¡± ¡°Huh. I know.¡± Presumably Chloe watched Lana put her pills in and came along to report. ¡°Go back and act like you normally do. Because I¡¯m going to be sick from now on.¡± * * * Daily life in the princess¡¯s palace was very monotonous. During snowfall, the princess was confined to the palace, which made it even more boring. Lana shouted at the maids who brought cold ice water. ¡°What are you messing around with? Can¡¯t you bring it faster?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The maids watched Lana and gruntedly moved her bucket full of cold water inside. Even if they worked together in the imperial palace, a maid and a personal maid were completely different. Most of the ladies-in-waiting were selected from aristocrats or wealthy commoners with culture, but the maids were all from poor commoners. As much as they came from different backgrounds, the work they did was completely different. Handmaids do simple tasks such as running errands or helping the owner dress up, but maids do all kinds of dirty work, such as cleaning and washing clothes. Lana lingered near her bath in a nervous mood. She took her anger out on her maids out of some uneasiness. She had just taken the medicine in the princess¡¯s cup as ordered by the Empress. Originally, she was going to check if the princess was drinking her tea in her room. This was because the princess suddenly asked to prepare her bath water, so she was kicked out without confirming that she was drinking tea. ¡®Is it okay?¡¯ Since she didn¡¯t know the outcome, she felt uneasy. Lana roughly supervised her maids heating the bath water before she came out. She passed through the corridor again and entered her break room where the princess was. The princess was still sitting in front of her embroidery frame, absentmindedly choosing her thread. ¡°Princess, the bath water is ready.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Lana¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the table. Fortunately, the princess¡¯ teacup was clean and empty. The princess left her embroidery frame and headed for her bath. Lana wiped her quickly empty teacup with a handkerchief. She then put her teacup on a tray and she came out. Before anyone could see, she came downstairs and washed the teacup and rinsed the handkerchief as well. After the princess washed her body in her bathtub, she seemed to be changing into her pajamas with the help of another lady-in-waiting. It was late in the evening and it was time for night. The princess¡¯s palace, where darkness fell, was silent. All the maids who were not on duty were in the mood to finish their work and go to rest, but Lana was anxiously wasting her time running errands downstairs. A few hours after that, another lady-in-waiting was running hurriedly from the end of her hallway. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Yes, the princess must be ill.¡± The lady-in-waiting answered briefly as if it was a nuisance and walked by, but Lana let out a sigh of relief the moment she heard that. Joy and relief filled her heart that had been trembling with her anxiety. Lana went upstairs with her heart pounding. The maids of honor were hanging out near the princess¡¯ bedroom. She heard a voice from inside telling them to call a doctor. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A maid passing by heard the commotion and approached. ¡°The princess is very ill. She suddenly feels dizzy and her head hurts, she collapses.¡± ¡°Suddenly? Was she fine a while ago?¡± After a while, the doctor came running. The sight of the back of the doctor entering her bedroom washed away the joy in her heart and filled her faint uneasiness with it. Wouldn¡¯t he be able to find out that she was drugged? Wouldn¡¯t that be a drug that leaves evidence? However, the doctor said that it seemed to be due to her fatigue and tension, and prescribed medicine to calm her down and went back. After the princess managed to swallow the pills, she lay back on her bed. But she couldn¡¯t sleep until dawn and complained of her headaches. She was good until there. But the problem was then. ¡®Did the effect of the medicine last this long?¡¯ The princess lay on her back, saying that her head hurt the next day and the day after that. But she didn¡¯t call a doctor. The ladies-in-waiting gathered downstairs and whispered quietly. When the princess said she was sick, she seemed worried that the wedding would be postponed. It seemed that she was not calling a doctor even though she was still ill. ¡°She told me to bring something like herbal tea this morning to help her get a headache solution.¡± ¡°Well, if she is still sick like that, how can she get better just by eating something like that? She should call a doctor.¡± Everyone whispered anxiously. By that time, Lana¡¯s insecurities had intensified. ¡®I wonder if something like this will happen?¡¯ The person who gave her the medicine did not tell her what it was. She just said it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. She thought it might be a drug causing some bad effects, but she didn¡¯t know that it would last this long. The problem was that the foolish princess was sick, but she didn¡¯t even call a doctor and was struggling. The person who gave her medicine must have thought that the princess would call her doctor and get cured¡­ ¡®If I don¡¯t call a doctor like this, won¡¯t she die like that?¡¯ It was a completely different matter between the princess being sick and the princess dying suddenly. If it was the former, she would just get sick and move on, but she might do something like an autopsy if the princess died suddenly. Then it would be revealed that she had taken strange drugs, and an investigation would surely be launched. With her anxiety at its peak, Lana waited for the promised time CH 48 Fortunately, the snow stopped around dawn. As soon as Lana stopped her eyes, she ran to the warehouse she was using as a rendezvous. The middle-aged lady-in-waiting, who gave her medicine, came first and was waiting for her. ¡°I guess I put it in little by little so it wouldn¡¯t be noticeable?¡± ¡°I did as I was told. But what is it?¡± Lana asked in a nervous voice. Unbeknownst to her, her voice was rising. ¡°As soon as the princess ate it, she suddenly made a fuss about her head hurting, so I was scared and thought she was going to die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a concentrated medicine from the leaves of the coran.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t the princess die like this? They said that the princess is not even calling a doctor because she fears that her wedding will be disrupted.¡± The other party heard that and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t die. She will have severe headaches for several days, but rest assured that her life will not be affected.¡± She was glad she didn¡¯t die. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the money in advance, so leave after the wedding as promised.¡± Lana accepted the heavy money bag. It seemed to her that the amount was more than promised. With a large sum of money in hand, her anxiety eased a little. She was just about to close the pockets in her arms. Loud footsteps rushed into the warehouse with the sound of her opening the door. In an instant, Imperial Knights soldiers surrounded the two. A young silver-haired knight came in next and gave orders to the soldiers. ¡°Arrest both.¡± ¡°Hey, what is this?¡± The silver-haired knight glanced back at Lana with a cold face. She felt the shock of Lana realizing who he was and getting her head beaten. He was Sir Mikhail Sheldon, vice-captain of the Imperial Knights. Why was this man here? Mikhail commanded the soldiers in a firm voice. ¡°They are criminals who tried to harm the princess. Take care not to do anything stupid.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± Before she could know what was happening, the soldiers rushed in and captured all of the handmaidens including Lana. ¡°Ah!¡± Lana was tied to a rope and dragged outside. * * * ¡°It worked out just as I thought.¡± She drank hot tea to her satisfaction as she listened to Mikhail¡¯s report. Mikhail nodded his head with a serious expression. ¡°Everything was handled as the princess said.¡± All she did was Lana figure out when she put her poison in and she lay there pretending to be sick. The reason was simple. Because she had to make the scene she saw in the vision come out. She knew where to meet, but not exactly when to meet. However, there was one hint in the foreknowledge. Snow piled up on the window sill. And there was no snow outside the window. So at least it meant after the snow had stopped and before the accumulated snow melted. As expected, Lana brought the drugged tea as it snowed heavily. So she drank it and pretended to be sick. Only then would she go to see the person Lana gave her vial to, and she would be able to raid the field on the spot. She gave Nell an order that as soon as Lana slipped out of the princess¡¯s palace, she gave Mikhail the contact. Lana¡¯s role as her new handmaid, Chloe, was to monitor her movements. Mikhail led a few soldiers to the warehouse she pointed out and listened to all the conversations between Lana and the unknown woman. All the soldiers listened together, so there must be enough witnesses. After that, both were said to have been arrested. Shortly after hearing the news, Nell and Chloe, along with the other maids, searched Lana¡¯s room and found her medicine bottle. A small vial was hidden deep in a crack in the wall behind the bed. ¡°Did you find out the woman¡¯s identity?¡± The woman who came out of her vision, gave Lana a bottle of medicine and handed over the money. Who was she? It was the first time she saw that person. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to find out,¡± she says. Mikhail looked at her with a complicated gaze and answered. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°¡­She was Her Majesty¡¯s close aide.¡± That said, she was also a little surprised. She expected her to be the Empress, but did she send her maid herself? Should she say this was stupid? She didn¡¯t know if she should call it bold. It wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t understand. Eve had been such a fool up until now, she must have been very wary of the Empress even when she did things like this to Eve. ¡°Okay. Did you catch both of them?¡± Mikhail looked at her quietly and answered. ¡°Yes, as you said, I locked it in the basement of the princess¡¯s palace.¡± As usual, they would have to be taken to the headquarters of the Imperial Knights and interrogated. But she told them to lock them up in the princess¡¯s palace for now. She didn¡¯t really believe in a place called the Knights Headquarters. Mikhail was only the vice-captain of the Imperial Knights. Sir Guyen, the leader of the knights, was the emperor¡¯s closest aide and right-hand man. It¡¯s okay since Mikhail secretly took care of the matter this time alone, but he didn¡¯t know what the knight commander would do if he sent him there. ¡°For now, keep both of you safe.¡± As he said that, she felt a warm gaze on her face. Mikhail was looking at her with strange eyes. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Did you know that the culprit was Her Majesty¡¯s maid?¡± ¡°No, I had no idea.¡± ¡°Why did Her Majesty the Empress¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to go too deep. If anyone asks, just say you did what I told you to do.¡± She took out Sorel¡¯s necklace that she had been keeping in the drawer and handed it to Mikhail. Mikhail looked at the necklace for a while and said. ¡°If anything like this happens in the future, please let me know. You don¡¯t have to pay anything.¡± At first glance, the voice was calm, but somehow it contained complex emotions. Could it be that he sympathized with her? Well, Mikhail was the type who was sympathetic to the weak. That¡¯s why he became close to Sorel in the first place. Sorel, who had just entered the imperial palace, was a weakling who could not receive help from anyone. She seemed to feel similarly compassionate and protective instincts. ¡®I thought she was a wicked woman, but now I see that she is a pitiful princess who is abused by her stepmother.¡¯ No matter what Mikhail thought, if he was kind to her and helped her, then he didn¡¯t do anything bad for her. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Mikhail calmly bent over him and went outside. After Mikhail left, she put down the teacup and beckoned to Nell. ¡°I must go to His Highness the Crown Prince.¡± She immediately sent her maid to make an appointment with him and left her palace to see the prince. The destination was the prince¡¯s office. It was still before evening, but darkness was already falling over the snow-covered garden. Perhaps because it was late, the prince¡¯s office was very quiet. In front of the entrance stood two ladies-in-waiting who looked like the Empress¡¯ ladies-in-waiting. ¡°Greeting Her Highness, the Princess.¡± ¡°Is the Empress also inside?¡± She also told the Empress and asked her to come here. Normally, the Empress would have asked what was the matter first without listening to her, but now the situation was different. She should have known by now that his maid was gone. She belatedly found out the maid¡¯s name and reported it to the Empress. Although she added a little lie to create some confusion. She said that the prince wanted to see her about something related to that lady-in-waiting. As soon as the Empress heard that, she must have rushed here without even having time to ask. As soon as the door was opened, the voices of the empress and the prince were heard. ¡°How dare you take my handmaid without my permission¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Her Majesty the Empress.¡± The conversation between the two stopped when she entered. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on her. ¡°You came first, mother.¡± The Empress¡¯ beautiful face distorted in an ugly way at the sound of ¡®mother¡¯ she heard again. Arentine, on the other hand, let out a sigh as soon as he saw her. ¡°Did you ask Her Majesty to meet you here?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. I have something to tell you two.¡± She slowly entered the room and took a seat between them. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not different that I asked to see you two¡­¡± She put the two of them in front of her and started talking. ¡°Because yesterday my lady-in-waiting caught her trying to put medicine in my food.¡± ¡°You said she was trying to put drugs?¡± Arentine seemed shocked by her words. The Empress had a similarly shocked expression. The beautiful face of the Empress turned pale as a sheet of paper. ¡°Yeah, as for how that happened¡­¡± She explained the circumstances in detail to both of them. Of course, she couldn¡¯t say that she saw it with her visions, so she mixed a lie in moderation. The suspicion started because of the suspicious behavior of one of her maids, Lana. She said it was because she had accidentally discovered that Lana was hiding a suspicious bottle of pills in her room. The lady-in-waiting immediately informed her of the incident, and she then confirmed her suspicions were true, as she found a suspicious drug in her car that Lana had brought with a crystal she had received as a gift. did. ¡°I knew what the new lady-in-waiting was using. It is like an herb.¡± From that day on, she pretended to be sick and had Lana watch over. Lana watched the princess¡¯s palace with an impatient expression, but she sneaked out of the palace. She saw that and called the Imperial Knights soldiers to come after Lana. Lana met the stranger maid in the shed and after a conversation about her medicine she got the money, circumstantial that he gave her money and told her Lana to take her medicine. It was clear. CH 49 ¡°You can confirm that all the Knights soldiers heard the conversation between the two of them.¡± After searching Lana¡¯s room, as expected, a bottle of pills was found, and a doctor was called to find out what it was. Crucially, the lady-in-waiting who was monitoring Lana personally witnessed her drug my food. She told everything in detail. As her explanation continued, the two men¡¯s expressions diverged sharply. As she listened to the circumstances, the Empress¡¯ face turned whiter and whiter. Arentine, on the other hand, glanced at her with his stern gaze. ¡°Send those two to the Ministry of the Interior. I will order a strict interrogation.¡± ¡°Yes, I will tell you to send it right away.¡± Here, the Imperial Knights guarding the Imperial Palace and the Ministry of Home Affairs in charge of affairs within the Imperial Palace were separate. Now without the Emperor, the Crown Prince was directly managing the Ministry of Home Affairs. ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡± Arentine politely asked the Empress. ¡°Some of the maids in the Empress¡¯ palace may be involved, so please allow me to investigate.¡± Only the tone was polite, but in reality it was no different from coercion. The Empress dug into her trap and sat down alone, and an opportunity like this should not be missed. Arentine was too gentle and weak for a crown prince, but he seemed to have the ability to judge the situation. The Empress stuttered her words with her astonished eyes. ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°Since the person who instigated the princess to give her medicine is a person from the Empress¡¯ palace, shouldn¡¯t we investigate her accomplices?¡± ¡°But¡­ Don¡¯t you have any proof that she did it?¡± ¡°Mother, the royal knights soldiers overheard the fact that the lady-in-waiting of the Empress¡¯ palace directly said that she gave her medicine to my lady-in-waiting.¡± She didn¡¯t tell him that, she didn¡¯t know what he heard. ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± The Empress broke out in a cold sweat with her pale face. She seemed to have no idea how to deal with the situation. ¡°Of course I believe it has nothing to do with mother. Her circumstances will come to light before His Majesty returns, right?¡± She scratched the insides of the Empress in a soft voice. For an instant, the Empress glared at her with menacing eyes. Had she ever seen such an emotional person? So, why did she work so poorly? ¡®Well, in the first place, this work must have been carried out roughly after receiving the Emperor¡¯s order.¡¯ It was a sudden and improvised plan, so there was no way he had prepared properly. Arentine, as if there was nothing more to hear, called the servant and gave an order. ¡°Call the chamberlain.¡± He quickly ordered a few things. Move the two people in the princess¡¯s palace to the Ministry of Home Affairs investigation room. And investigate the ladies-in-waiting in the Empress¡¯ palace. The Empress just sat there blankly listening to his story. After the rough tidying up, she put a handkerchief to her mouth with her head down and sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s so scary inside the imperial palace. It¡¯s really scary that someone is trying to hurt me.¡± The Empress glared at her like that with disgust. Arentine also looked at her with a slightly surprised look. She really couldn¡¯t play like that. She used to scold Terrence for not being good enough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But there were also people who took it seriously. Arentine apologized to her. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to have this happen when the wedding is just around the corner.¡± She thought this older brother hated Eve, but surprisingly, he was kind to her. Was it because he felt guilty that this happened while she was in the imperial palace? ¡°Me, so that¡¯s what I mean.¡± She got what she wanted at this point. ¡°Can I stay at the Great Temple until the wedding day?¡± ¡°What?¡± The Empress, who had kept her mouth shut with a pale face, was startled by her words and questioned her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Actually, after listening to mother before, I thought about what it would be like to pray in a monastery until marriage.¡± She had told the Empress as a counter-threat that she was going to a monastery before. ¡°But the monastery will be too hard in this cold weather. I want to wait for the wedding while praying at the Great Temple. It seems safe there. I hope no one does bad things in the temple.¡± Unlike the Empress, who fiercely protested, Arentine agreed with her words. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea, but are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on probation anyway, so it¡¯s better to stay in the temple and be quiet.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sober anymore. Since such a great thing happened, even His Majesty the Emperor will understand.¡± The Empress only glared at her with a resentful expression, as if there was no more noble family to oppose. She was silent for a moment, then turned around. She then, without saying a word, slammed the door on her and walked out. She seemed to be going back to the Empress¡¯s palace and trying to sort things out there. ¡°Eve.¡± She was looking at the back of the Empress and heard Arentine¡¯s voice. ¡°I will send my knights to the temple.¡± ¡°The knights?¡± The prince also had knights. Well, since he was going to war, he probably had at least a little bit of personal troops. ¡°I will protect you.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re going back to the battlefield soon? Shouldn¡¯t you take the knights with you?¡± ¡°I intend to remain in the island for the time being.¡± Arentine declared firmly in a cold tone. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave the palace empty when an incident like this happened. I will explain the situation to His Majesty the Emperor, and I will remain here.¡± In fact, from his point of view, it is much better to work in the palace without the Emperor than to go to the battlefield where the Emperor was and not play a big role. After all, Arentine¡¯s work would flow differently from his original work. Arentine wasn¡¯t a person who greatly influenced the original work, so she wondered if it¡¯s okay¡­ ¡°If something like this happens in the future, tell me in advance.¡± Arentine sighed as he saw her standing there in silence. He looked very tired. ¡°I may not have taken care of you much, but it¡¯s not to the extent that I can¡¯t help you when you need it.¡± A strange emotion flowed from his blue eyes as he looked at her. He probably felt guilty as his older brother that she had been through this. And he seemed to have realized that she couldn¡¯t rely on herself enough to handle this on her own. Yes, because Eve was treated like a bug in the original work. Of course, she couldn¡¯t think of relying on him even though he was her older brother. Looking back, she thought she was thinking too much of a stranger. ¡®Seeing it in person, unlike the original work, it seems that he has affection as an older brother in his own way.¡¯ She readily nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± * * * As soon as the next day dawned, she packed her things and headed for the Great Hall, leaving behind the chaos in the imperial palace. Before leaving the princess¡¯s palace, he handed out the remaining jewels and gifts to the maids, maids, and the few attendants she stayed with. ¡°Thank you all so far.¡± She was not getting married right away, but she was going to the Great Temple. She probably wouldn¡¯t come back to the princess¡¯s palace, so she was trying to say goodbye in advance. Yesterday evening, people sent by the prince had already taken Lana and the maids of the Empress¡¯ palace. After that, she worried about what the Empress would do and how the Emperor would react if he heard the news. Anyway, it was good to leave the imperial palace and take refuge in the Great Hall. It would be much easier to go out if it was on the front side. It was good to get out of the shadow of the Emperor and Empress, at least for a while. She packed her things, loaded them into the wagon, and headed for the Great Temple. The maids to go with were Nell and Chloe. She was thinking of taking these two with her when she moved to the Grand Duchy. The head lady-in-waiting of the imperial palace said that she could take any of her ladies-in-waiting at the time of marriage, but she would feel comfortable taking care of the maids there if the Grand Duke went to the mansion anyway. The wagon headed for the Grand Temple along a familiar road. Come to think of it, this is already the third time she had been here. It felt like she only came here often. When she arrived at the temple, the head priestess directly guided her to the lodging on the west side of the temple. The hostel was a quiet wooden building on one side of the garden. A light blue roof was put on the white walls, and withered ivy was attached to the outer wall like decoration. Fresh green leaves would have covered the beige stone walls in the summer, but now the entire vine had turned a dark gray as the leaves withered. Shrunken leaves hanging in places from the bony stem seemed to symbolize the traces of summer. After passing through the entrance and entering inside, the priestess smiled calmly and said, ¡°The temple of Rastana is right next to you,¡± she said. ¡°Since the wedding will be held soon, I thought it would be nice to stay here, so I chose this accommodation.¡± At those words, she looked at the white building through the hallway window. In this building where she was staying, a pure white temple stood over a garden. The temple of Rastana, the god of love. This is where Eve¡¯s, no, her wedding would take place. ¡°It¡¯s Rastana¡¯s holiday soon, so a celebration will be held here. On holidays, they bring lanterns near the temple, and they look very beautiful at night.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Rastana¡¯s Feast appeared in the original work as well. It¡¯s a holiday honoring the god of love, so it was said that it was a day for lovers to make lanterns and bring them home. That Lastana¡¯s feast day is 5 days away. She really wanted to come to the temple on this day, but fortunately the date was narrowly matched. The priestess kindly explained and opened the door. CH 50 A small but neat and stylish bedroom came out. It was a neat and elegant room with white wooden walls, smooth tiled floors, and soft wooden furniture. The room assigned to her had a bedroom, a small drawing room, and even a room for the maid to stay. Perhaps it was because it was a room used by the ladies of the royal family or aristocratic families to stay in the temple, but it was decorated in a splendid way. ¡°Thank you for taking great care of me.¡± She thanked her for her kindness and asked quietly. ¡°I¡­ By the way, if I want to go to the fetish god¡¯s chapel, which way should I go?¡± ¡°Yes. If you go around the corridor there is a garden, and if you go north along that road, you will come to a chapel with an indigo blue roof.¡± The Great Temple was the largest temple in the empire. So, in addition to the main building in the center of the temple, there were small chapels and small temples here and there. She remembered the location of the chapel given by the priestess. She had to go to the fetish god¡¯s chapel tonight. Nell and Chloe left their things in order and went outside for a while. There was an open garden in front of the accommodation. Unlike the lodging where she could feel the warmth, there was a refreshing air in the garden. Outside the garden, soldiers from the imperial palace could already be seen. They must have been soldiers sent to protect her while she was here. She walked slowly along the garden path, looking around. At that moment, a sharp spark flew like a flash of light from the purple necklace hanging around her neck. ¡®What, what?¡¯ A tingling pain was felt on the skin where the jewel touched. She pulled the necklace with her hand and freed it. However, there was no change in the brilliant purple jewel. ¡®Was it like static electricity?¡¯ It was possible that it was outside in the middle of winter. As she was thinking about that, she suddenly saw a familiar silver-haired man in the distance. It was Mikhail. He found her and came over here. ¡°Your Highness the Princess.¡± Why was this person still here? ¡°Sir Sheldon, I meet you in places like this.¡± When she asked why he was here, he calmly lowered his head and replied. ¡°I volunteered to serve the princess.¡± ¡°You volunteered?¡± ¡°Yes, we will keep the princess safe while you are here.¡± Arentine said he would send his knights. ¡°I heard that His Highness¡¯s knights are coming.¡± ¡°Yes, but our knights have decided to stay with them.¡± Would both of them be together? Well, since the imperial family was out, it¡¯s correct to send a little bit of the Imperial Knights as a form of formality. ¡°You didn¡¯t hate the captain because of what happened yesterday, did you?¡± Since the knight commander was the closest aide to the Emperor, it must have something to do with what the Empress did. According to the information Terence gave her, the knight commander had gone to meet the Empress with news from the Emperor. Maybe he was actively involved in it. However, since Mikhail took the ladies-in-waiting at her request, she wondered if the headmaster was angry with Mikhail and sent him here. In the original story, the head of the imperial knights, Guyen, was a nobleman and disapproved of Mikhail, who had become a knight from a commoner. That grumpy human. He didn¡¯t like it in the original either. Sir Guyen was an obedient and shady human being who was only faithful to the Emperor¡¯s orders. However, Mikhail shook his head with a calm face. ¡°Not like that. I really volunteered.¡± Seeing you deny it like that, it seemed that he really supported it. She thought so and nodded, but after a while he added again. ¡°Even if it is.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°As a member of the Imperial Knights, it is my duty to keep the princess safe, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Did it mean that it didn¡¯t matter if you were hated because you just did your duty? He was an extremely sincere person. Standing in front of the temple chapel, Mikhail¡¯s distinctive silver hair shone like pure silver in the afternoon sun. Perhaps because he looked like a young priest, he seemed to fit well with the temple. ¡°Ok, thanks.¡± Mikhail looked at her and cautiously brought up a new topic. ¡°Did you hear the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± In case something happened in the imperial palace during that short period of time, Mikhail said something completely unexpected. ¡°Princess Sorel and Prince Vilos are said to be returning.¡± ¡°What?¡± Who¡¯s coming back? Was Sorel back already? ¡°Why suddenly? Didn¡¯t he say he was coming with His Majesty the Emperor?¡± In the original work, neither Sorel nor the second prince return until Eve¡¯s wedding was over. ¡°It is said that His Majesty the Emperor is guarding the front, so he sent the two of you to Jedo first. It should arrive in two or three days, four days at the most.¡± No matter how quickly the Empress delivered the news, yesterday¡¯s affair would not have reached the Emperor¡¯s ears yet. But why were Sorel and the second prince already sent? ¡®Did he hear the news about the Grand Duke and me and send the 2nd Prince to do something?¡¯ The Emperor disapproved of the crown prince Arentine, but kept the second prince Vilos by his side and cherished him dearly. Thanks to that, the second prince knew all about Eve¡¯s death in detail. Rather, he was overjoyed when he saw Eve die. On the outside, Vilos looked like a nice guy, but in reality he was violent and selfish. It was very embarrassing that such a second prince would come to the island first. ¡®I should prepare in advance for what will happen.¡¯ Now that she¡¯s out of the imperial palace, she¡¯s a little relieved. On the other hand, it would be nice to have Sorel on her side. Sorel was the heroine of the original work, and later both Mikhail and Terence loved Sorel. It would be good for her to improve the relationship in advance. ¡®I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s possible¡­¡¯ Because Eve had done so many things. However, Sorel tried to take care of Eve, saying that she was always her older sister even when she suffered so badly. She was a saint type heroine who was just kind enough to be ridiculed by Sorel saying she was stupid. Thanks to that, there were a lot of people who got off the train saying that she was a stuffy¡­ Maybe she could improve her relationship with Sorel at least a little. First of all, if she apologized formally and tried to make up for what happened¡­ It¡¯s unfair that she had to apologize when she didn¡¯t do anything. While she was thinking about that, she asked Mikhail. ¡°While I¡¯m here, I¡¯m completely free to invite people or go out, right?¡± Mikhail replied as if it were natural. ¡°Of course. There was an instruction from His Highness the Crown Prince to let Her Highness do whatever she wants.¡± It¡¯s free and nice too. ¡°Are you going to invite someone else?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± She added, answering Mikhail¡¯s question. ¡°I need to send an invitation.¡± She quickly signed dozens of invitations. The mailing address was different, but the contents written in it were all the same. Because something unpleasant happened at the imperial palace, she had to stay at the temple until her wedding. As long as she was out of the imperial palace, probation was lifted, so she could invite people. It was a short invitation to visit when they had time because she was too lonely by herself. In this way, if she sent an invitation without setting a specific date, the recipient would find time to come whenever it was convenient for them. However, within hours of the invitation being sent out, five noble ladies came to the temple. ¡°I was planning to stop by the temple after a long time, but when I heard that the princess was here¡­¡± She made this excuse and asked her for an interview. It¡¯s been three or four hours since she sent out the invitation¡­ How did she come all the way here wearing a dress in that short amount of time? She expected it, but it was a surprisingly quick response. In the original story, it wasn¡¯t like this when Eve invited the ladies. The ladies didn¡¯t want to meet Eve. Even if they met, they would often be humiliated by Eve¡¯s depravity. They said that if Eve had a tea party, she would attend it with the feeling that everyone was going to die. ¡®Curiosity overcomes fear.¡¯ Well, it wasn¡¯t just curiosity. The fact that the Grand Duke and Eve became lovers was nothing more than an interesting gossip, but this was not a story that could end in a simple scandal. The Empress was caught putting medicine in the princess¡¯s teacup. It was a major incident that could change the power landscape of the imperial palace if it went wrong. If she was the hostess of an aristocratic family living in the island, she couldn¡¯t help but keep an eye on how things were going. ¡®I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t many people who have a proper understanding of the case yet.¡¯ It had just happened yesterday that the crown prince had ordered the investigation of the Empress¡¯s maids of honor. Everyone would have heard the general outline of the incident, but it would not have been known in detail how it happened. ¡°Thank you for coming. I was alone in the temple.¡± She didn¡¯t even know who they were, but she welcomed them like old friends. The wives looked at her and sat down. Come to think of it, she had seen some of them at the Empress¡¯s tea party, so she was familiar with them. Whenever they were watching her from the side of the Empress, they came running to hear news of the imperial palace. She didn¡¯t know their names, but they were like migratory birds. ¡°You must be busy ahead of your wedding, but thank you for inviting me.¡± CH 51 After a while, Nell came out of the car. The first question came with a warm teacup in front of her. ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that His Highness the Grand Duke sent a gift? Everyone was surprised by the huge amount of flowers and jewels.¡± At those words, she turns her gaze back to her. Their eyes were a mixture of doubt and fear. ¡°It was. I said there was no need to make it too grandiose, but why are you not listening to me?¡± She sighed in embarrassment and emphasized that the Grand Duke was so good to her. ¡°No matter how many flowers he sent, I couldn¡¯t handle them all, so I gave them all to my ladies-in-waiting. How much would it cost to get that many flowers this winter. Well, he¡¯s not the kind of person who would care about that.¡± Her fianc¨¦ loved her enough to rob the garden in the middle of winter, and he didn¡¯t even care about the price of flowers because he had so much money to rot. That¡¯s what it sounded like. The table cooled awkwardly at her careless bragging. The noble ladies, who were wearing awkward smiles, gave formal admiration a beat late. ¡°¡­You get along really well. I am so envious.¡± A confused feeling passed in the eyes of the wives. Well, the Grand Duke was suddenly so nice to her, so they wouldn¡¯t believe it no matter how many times they hear it. ¡°But it¡¯s so scary and embarrassing that something like this happens right before the wedding.¡± She grabbed the teacup and changed the topic. As if waiting, someone asked a question. ¡°What happened inside the imperial palace?¡± ¡°Yes, that is¡­¡± She explained in detail what had happened in the imperial palace to everyone. Of course, some adaptations were added in between. Overall, it was similar to what she said to the Empress and Arentine. The noble ladies seemed to have guessed the course of events to some extent, but as they listened to her story, they looked very surprised. ¡°Oh my God, that happened.¡± She sighed while holding the teacup with both hands. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no way the Empress knew about it. Rather, I am worried because she seemed to have been very surprised by this incident. I hope the truth will come out soon.¡± Everyone listened to her and just nodded their heads. She could see their eyes moving quietly across the table. It¡¯s like Eve inviting the ladies first and explaining the situation. Just by pretending to be concerned about the Empress and pretending to be her good daughter, she could tell what was going on. The Empress¡¯s plan to drug Eve was revealed in advance, and Eve dug a trap with her brother, the Crown Prince, to trap the Empress. They wondered how the stupid Eve came up with such a high-level thought, and how Eve and the prince, who had a bad relationship, came to cooperate, but that was a matter for later consideration. ¡°Come to think of it, they said that the 2nd Prince is coming back in a hurry.¡± One of the ladies who had been silent muttered quietly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because of Her Majesty.¡± She said it and exchanged meaningful glances with the other wives. Villos seemed to have started the trip before this happened, but she didn¡¯t bother to correct it. She just picked up a cookie and ate it while watching speculations exchanged among the people gathered. Knock, knock! Then an urgent knock was heard. ¡°Princess, His Highness the Grand Duke¡­¡± Before Nell could finish her words, Terrence appeared behind her. ¡°Princess.¡± She stopped picking up the cookie and froze in a daze. Terence entered the doorway and was looking at her with a guilty expression. Purple eyes filled with sadness shook with shock. She hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time, but she was sure it was the first time she had seen him since meeting him. At that moment, she wondered if something had happened, and her heart sank. Not only her, but all the other wives who were watching were shocked. The wave of shock culminated when he stepped in front of her, took her hand, and placed his lips on her fingertips. A woman unknowingly dropped her spoon. A silver teaspoon crashed into the bowl and landed on the table. At the end of that small dissonance, silence came over the chaotic table. ¡°The news is late because I was away from the island for a while.¡± Whether the people around them were surprised or not, Terrence held her hand and looked at her with wavering eyes. ¡°For the princess to have an accident like this while I was away¡­¡± Only then did she realize that she had an accident. That¡¯s right, she was almost a victim of a strange drug. Terrence apologized to her in a voice full of remorse. ¡°I should have stayed by your side¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°Chi, don¡¯t worry. I am all right.¡± ¡°Are you really okay?¡± ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡± Even while answering, she admired his acting. It was the appearance of a fianc¨¦ who was surprised and blamed himself after hearing that his beloved lover almost suffered something bad. A little awkward, but too natural. He seemed genuinely concerned for her safety and trembling with anxiety. ¡°I¡¯m really fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Hearing her words brings a smile of relief to his lips. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± Then he kissed her politely on the back of her hand. She was surprised, but all the wives watching were shocked. Yeah, it¡¯s just shocking. As a party, she was also shocked. But even in the midst of their surprise, the wives looked at Terrence with envy and admiration in their eyes. Some even faintly blushed. She was sure, just a moment ago, they were trying to open their eyes with suspicion as to what had happened to her relationship with Terrence. Terrence was polite and courteous to women, always drawing the line coldly. To think that such a man could become such a romanticist without warning. He even became a lover with Princess Eve, whom he hated so much? Even a child would be suspicious of it. However, while facing this man directly, such reasonable doubts seem to dissipate. ¡®They probably heard of his appearance.¡¯ Of course, it was also because this man acted too well. He was a bit questionable. Did he act so well in the original? ¡°I brought my knights to protect the princess.¡± Terrence held her hand and asked with a desperate look. ¡°If you permit me, I would like to come here every day to check on the safety of the princess.¡± ¡°Sure. Of course I will give you permission.¡± Only then did Terrence look back at the other wives and apologize. ¡°You came suddenly and disrespected the guests.¡± ¡°Oh, no, majesty.¡± ¡°If you still have business, can I wait for you?¡± It was a very polite attitude, but when he said he would leave the noble ladies, who had been frozen in a daze at the obvious banquet, hurriedly rose from their seats. ¡°Oh, no, I¡¯ve met and greeted the princess, so I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t notice the time. Ho Ho¡­¡± ¡°Please invite me again next time.¡± Everyone went out with a very awkward smile. Even so, they glanced at Terrence and her until just before the door closed. She could assure, what happened here would be passed on to all the aristocrats of society today. As soon as the wives went out and the door closed, Terrence took the seat across from her. He leaned back on his back and started talking again with a calm expression. ¡°I heard that the affairs of the imperial palace have been resolved.¡± Just 3 minutes ago, he held her hand and sincerely asked her regards. As usual, the atmosphere was carefree and relaxed. ¡°¡­¡± Wow, people change in an instant. It¡¯s not some kind of multipersonality. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Terrence looked at the garden through the window with dismay. ¡°Why did you come all this way? I could have gone to the imperial family¡¯s villa.¡± ¡°I think the temple would be safer.¡± It¡¯s better to be in a public place like this than the imperial villa. It¡¯s a temple, so it¡¯s easy to get in and out. ¡°And there is something to be found here.¡± He was almost late, but luckily he made it to the date. It was her intention to go find it tonight. ¡°Why did you bring the Imperial Knights?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring them because I wanted to.¡± Come to think of it, the prince¡¯s knights were also here¡­ Were the people of the Grand Duke¡¯s family together now? She thought it might be too much, but since this was a temple, it wouldn¡¯t matter if the Grand Duke was by her side. ¡°As I said, we are working on Southern affairs. If things work out, you won¡¯t have to show up right after the wedding.¡± ¡°Is that why you went outside the island?¡± ¡°There are people I need to meet in person.¡± With those words, Terrence rose from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll come back tomorrow and let you know what¡¯s going on. Maybe I should be away from the islands for a few more days.¡±