And finally, having chosen a satisfactory dress, Emma approached with a bright smile. 

Embroidery carved with painstaking care stitch by stitch, along with small jewels studded here and there for accent. The dress sparkled entirely with light reflected from the gems. 

Even from a distance, you could see it was made from fabric so luxurious you could feel its softness. Which meant it was expensive and flashy.

“I chose it according to Miss’s favorite taste. I barely managed to find it. You like it, don’t you?”

Celine appeared from the side.

“Lady Rosana. Flashy things are nice, but isn’t this too excessive for everyday life? The cold is coming soon. How about this dress? The design covers up to the neck, and the hem of the skirt…”

“A cardigan is enough to block the cold. Covering up to the neck—how suffocating would that be? Dresses must be beautiful above all!”

Emma, who had been glancing at the dress Celine chose, snorted loudly. Though not up to Emma’s standards, the dress Celine brought also had elegant embroidery. 

It looked highly practical too. With fabric covering up to the neck and a shawl separately prepared in the design, when the shawl was placed on the shoulders, the pattern stood out even more.

“You’re someone I can’t reason with. Could you please not hand over such low-quality dresses? This level is what befits a lady of the Arcadi ducal family.”

Celine’s face, which had been silently listening to Emma’s words, crumpled. Even trying to suppress her rising anger didn’t work well, and she grew increasingly heated. Emma’s dismissive tone scattered her composure.

You could clearly see them antagonizing each other, seemingly having accumulated bad feelings all this time. Rosana, who had been watching calmly, opened her mouth.

“Don’t try to determine my standards. When did I…”

In the middle of Rosana’s words, Celine scrunched up her face and cut off her words before they finished.

“I understand. My standards were too low.”

She bowed politely, turned sharply, and took the dress away.

“…”

“There are people who only understand when you tell them to their face. Isn’t that right?”

Rosana glanced at Emma. Then she continued watching Celine’s retreating back. This was what Rosana had meant to say. 

‘Don’t try to determine my standards.’

When did she say she disliked the dress Celine brought?

But what words could she say to someone who had already left?

Rosana closed her mouth. She let Emma’s chattering voice go in one ear and out the other. 

She had briefly held hope, but this was her original daily life. Rosana’s finger twitched slightly. If she called, she could call her, and she would come immediately.

Should she speak? 

That it wasn’t like that, that she had misunderstood. Celine was the one who had misunderstood on her own and turned away in the first place. Even if she said that wasn’t her intention, would she believe her?

Too many experiences told Rosana. Looking back at the situations she had experienced until now, there was a high possibility she wouldn’t be believed. 

Her body wouldn’t move. Her mouth wouldn’t budge either. She only followed with her eyes, and as time passed, she looked away.

“Pathetic…”

“Pardon?”

Emma tilted her head.

‘No, it’s a misunderstanding.’

She didn’t know why it was so difficult to spit out those words. Having been rejected every single time, she instinctively defended herself. 

Other people easily put that word in their mouths, but it was difficult for Rosana. More difficult than any other challenge. Reaching a level where words wouldn’t come out even when encouraged to speak had been since long ago.

Memories of the past still grabbed Rosana’s legs and wouldn’t let go. She was scared from jumping to conclusions and couldn’t open her mouth. She was always afraid of being denied when she said no. Because it felt like her very existence was being denied.

Then, Jane approached Rosana’s side. It was to check if there was progress in choosing dresses. When Emma saw Jane, she spoke like she had come at the right time. Similar to what she had said to Celine.

“What is this level of dresses? I thought if they were called to the imperial palace, they’d be an outstanding designer… but not at all.”

Emma primly turned her head sharply. The designer standing next to Jane maintained a chuckling smile, but her trembling lips showed she was displeased.

“Miss doesn’t like any of the dresses either, right?”

Rosana, who had been thinking about Celine, answered a beat late.

“Ah, I…”

“Miss says she doesn’t like any of the dresses.”

“…”

Rosana let out a small sigh. It was before her words even finished. Emma sharply cut off Rosana’s words. Neither Jane nor the designer even knew Rosana had spoken. 

No one heard Rosana’s words, cut off by Emma’s words that rushed in like she had been waiting for her mouth to open. Rosana’s small voice was enough to be buried.

When conversation is continuously cut off, one naturally thinks there’s no more strength, value, or point in speaking. Rosana leaned back against the sofa.

“If she walks around the palace in such thin dresses…”

She left behind Jane’s voice persuading Emma. Though it was happening right in front of her, she watched with numb eyes like looking at a picture book. 

Even Jane, who had seemed to listen to Rosana’s words, was busy dealing with Emma.

Indignant, Emma said she didn’t like the dresses, and Jane and Celine protested that the current dresses were sufficiently luxurious and flashy.

“There’s no choice. These are the only dresses available right now…”

In a situation where no one was listening to Rosana’s words, it was natural in a way that Rosana closed her mouth. When conversation doesn’t work, who would try to converse? 

Whether cutting off words or not listening, it was the same that words weren’t conveyed.

Rosana watched the busy people with a detached attitude, then felt her throat getting dry. She reached for the teacup on the table. Then she carefully took a sip. 

But the moment she took a sip, she frowned. Rosana stuck out her tongue. The tea that had been fine until yesterday had become terribly sweet tea again.

Rosana’s expression crumpled like someone who had drunk poison. But with calm breathing, her face relaxed. Rosana muttered.

It’s a familiar thing. Yesterday was just strange.

Thinking that way, it didn’t matter. Only a bitter taste rose strongly from deep in her heart. She was going back. Body and mind, to that place in Astrot.

* * *

The tiring dress selection ended. Ultimately, the dress Rosana ended up wearing was the dress Emma felt was somewhat better, the flashiest dress among the dresses. It was an unchanging, immutable law.

Rosana, wearing the cumbersome dress, gestured for everyone to leave due to the overwhelming fatigue. The maids who had been attending also left, and Celine left the room at Rosana’s words that she was tired, but only Emma held her position.

“Emma.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Rosana looked at Emma, who answered obediently. How truly strange. When called, she answers meekly, yet she never listens to her opinion. Like there’s some kind of restriction on her eardrums.

“Can’t you hear me telling you to leave because I’m tired?”

Emma ignored Rosana’s words and stuck out her lips with a face pondering something. 

Dissatisfaction was smeared all over her face. She stared intently at Rosana like she would devour her. Though it was a gaze carefully examining the dress, Rosana felt suffocated.

“Miss. I really should protest. Since Miss won’t speak up, that head maid person is getting cocky and doing whatever she wants! To think she believes Miss would be satisfied with this dress…!”

“Emma, leave.”

“I’ll speak well for you. The dresses are all gloomy without exception. Miss likes red…”

“…”

Rosana lost the will to speak. Emma became tearful and muttered endlessly. Rosana’s voice calling Emma was utterly firm, but it didn’t reach Emma’s ears. Her eyes weren’t reflecting Rosana.

“Don’t worry. I’m by Miss’s side. Fortunately, His Majesty seems to like Miss. Of course he would. Rather, Miss is too good for him.”

“…”

“He said to buy dresses as much as you want, so let’s buy more. It’s far less than the number of dresses we brought. Ah, we’ll procure them directly from Astrot. How about it?”

“…”

“I thought Miss would like it too.”

Emma smiled brightly and firmly grasped Rosana’s hand. She repeated not to worry, that she was here. In the end, Rosana, who had been calling Emma’s name, didn’t receive an answer. 

At her chilling appearance, even when she tried to shake off her hand, the firmly grasped hand wouldn’t let go.

“Emma… can you even hear me?”

“Yes? Miss? What’s wrong?”

She only answers after her own words are finished and tilts her head with an innocent expression like asking what’s the matter. Rosana’s words don’t reach Emma.

She gritted her teeth. A daily life that hadn’t changed even once in 10 years. Like this was fate, like a predetermined answer, Emma spoke in succession. Her chest was hot like she had swallowed hot lava.

Rosana smiled bitterly. She clasped Emma’s hand. Rosana’s voice, muttering self-deprecatingly, was pitiful and hollow.

“Right. You’re completely right. Do as you please. However you want to do it.”

Emma was delighted at Rosana’s words finally agreeing with her and patted her chest, telling her to trust only her. Rosana sneered at such Emma.

“Even if I tell you not to do it, you’ll do it anyway, won’t you?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“If I say I like this dress? Won’t you do what you’re thinking?”

“…”

Emma tilted her head, saying she didn’t understand. Her eyes were empty. With an innocent expression saying she couldn’t understand, her head kept tilting repeatedly. Rosana revealed the truth with a calm face.

“What if I say I don’t like this dress?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. You meant you don’t like it, right? I misheard for a moment.”

A foolish question, a foolish answer. In the end, she hears what she wants to hear. If she says she likes it, she’ll say she knew it, and if she says she doesn’t, she’ll say not to lie. It meant she would act according to her own thoughts.

Emma calmly apologized. Soon saying she would handle it well, she opened the door and left. Rosana squeezed her eyes shut. She hid her trembling hands.

She recalled Celine turning her head with a frown and the maids who had glanced at her with unpleasant looks when changing her dress. Rosana, who let out a deflating laugh, lay down on the bed.

A mind that didn’t care about anything and a mind that hoped. Her mind only wavered like a reed and couldn’t give a definite answer. Rosana raised her arm and covered her eyes.

“No one listened to me.”

She only muttered that sentence bitterly.

* * *

Emma went around doing as she pleased, empowered by Rosana’s words. The servants believed Emma’s claims, who constantly said it was Rosana’s order.

They didn’t think she had the guts to do things no one ordered, and since Rosana showed no signs of stopping her, the servants had no choice but to accept it.

Celine occasionally scolded Emma from the side, telling her to restrain herself, but she only caused even more trouble defiantly. So Emma’s notoriety rose exponentially, and simultaneously, Rosana’s notoriety also rose exponentially.

They chattered that she was indeed that ‘Rosana.’

Merchants who suffered damage from her also began to appear. This series of incidents was conveyed to Jade in full.

It was a huge shock to Jade, who had thought she might become a decent partner. It was like being stabbed in the foot by an axe he trusted.

He got a headache every day when bills stamped with the imperial seal arrived. Additionally, petitions from merchants who had written extensively about her also arrived. 

But what made him even more angry than that was the realization that he had been deceived. The fact that he had been fooled once more by words rolled smoothly like a snake’s tongue.

He roughly ran his fingers through his bangs. The hair that had been neatly arranged by the attendants’ hands became disheveled. He even boldly propped his legs up on the desk.