‘…I’ll tell you the execution date once it’s decided. First, there are things I need to give you, so please come to the Third Prince’s Palace wearing a dress with pockets. There’s a subspace pouch that needs to be hidden inside.’

Chohee recalled Lars’s face when he said those words. He spoke in a calm tone so Chohee wouldn’t be frightened. Thanks to that, Chohee found peace in his words.

‘Anyway… once the Emperor dies, I’ll come back. So it’s not goodbye, just a temporary absence.’

Moreover, she even felt excited. No matter how she responded to Karad’s hurtful words, Karad only cut her with sharp truths. She was happy to be getting away from him.

‘And Karad will watch his words once I become the official Empress. Claes isn’t someone who breaks promises.’

As Lars said, she just needed to trust Claes, escape the palace as Lars instructed, and return later. No, even while in Heritail Kingdom, they might send a delegation to bring her back. So Chohee felt like she was walking on air.

Though under the maid’s surveillance, if she received the magic scroll before the execution date was announced, they would think she had returned to her world like always rather than that Lars had helped her escape. So Chohee walked lightly toward the Third Prince’s Palace.

“I will announce that Elysia has arrived.”

She nodded at the knight’s words and stood quietly. The knight announced her arrival. “Let her in.” When those words came, the knight opened the door.

Lars’s office had a much cozier feel than Claes’s. Like his gentle nature, the furniture colors were warm reddish mahogany. Though she had visited a few times before, the homey feeling always brought a pleasant smile to her lips, and Chohee sat comfortably on the sofa.

After glancing once at the maids accompanying Elysia, Lars casually pulled out a small pouch from his desk drawer. The scroll must be packed full in there. Feeling her heartbeat grow louder, Chohee looked up at him as he approached and handed her the pouch.

Lars wore a gentle smile as he placed the pouch on Chohee’s hand. As planned beforehand, Chohee sent him a steady gaze.

“What I’ve given you contains a bouquet and chocolates you can take out and eat from time to time. Please understand that I’m putting it in a subspace pouch because the quantity is too large to just hand over.”

Chohee smiled brightly like scattering flower petals. Then when she reached out, Lars knelt on one knee and looked at her. Chohee kissed his forehead. Pleasure flowed from where they touched, and Lars touched that spot for a moment.

“I’m pleased that you like it so much. Just in case, I’ve included an introduction to the types of chocolates, so don’t hesitate to open it whenever you need it.”

From those words, Chohee could be certain there were instructions on how to use each scroll. As time flowed smoothly according to their plan, Chohee listened to Lars’s words and stood up.

Lars would tell her when the execution date came. Or perhaps the execution date was written in this introduction. Resolving to open the introduction when alone, Chohee kissed his cheek.

“Haha. Lovely Elysia. Please understand that I’m sending you off here without escorting you because I have much official business.”

Chohee nodded and waved her hand. Lars also smiled warmly and waved back.

Thud.

The door closed. As she returned to the annex, Chohee firmly suppressed her desire to take out the introduction right away.

She was sick of spending time at the annex being treated like a breeding vessel. Though knights who pitied her brought books on various subjects, she never wanted to hear Karad’s tiresome words again. That’s how fed up she was with being treated as a breeding vessel.

‘Now… while outside the empire, I’ll be able to experience even more diverse environments.’

Even though this was the dream world, as long as it didn’t end, it had to be reality. Besides, this dream had originally been for stress relief. It was just that now Karad’s words had become cruel truths that tore her apart, transforming into a tiresome nightmare.

“…Hah…”

When she arrived at her room, Chohee waved her hand to dismiss the maids. Since they only guarded outside the door without surveillance when Claes wasn’t there, they obediently left the room.

Chohee took out various chocolates and the introduction from the subspace pouch and laid them out on the bed. She planned to disguise it as eating chocolates in case a maid entered.

So, opening the introduction with a pounding heart, she found the timetable for the carriage to Saraum Village and the time slots for escaping from the Imperial Palace. It also detailed which scroll to use to get over the iron fence.

‘The time slots for escaping from the Imperial Palace… use the knights’ and maids’ shift change times… The carriage to Saraum Village near the border can be boarded in the outskirts of the capital… and there’s even a map attached.’

And at the end of the introduction were Lars’s true feelings.

[…Lovely Elysia. It pains my heart that you suffer and face discrimination in this empire. But Brother Claes and I will keep our promise. We will welcome you as our only consort so that no one will call Elysia a breeding vessel. Because I never want to see tears fall from your face again…]

Gentle Lars…

Chohee hugged the introduction tightly and shed tears. His kind heart and consideration for her moved her heart. Tears fell down her cheeks. Chohee wiped her eyes with one hand and continued reading.

[So I’ve prepared this escape route. The date that matches this timetable is the 18th, three days from today. After that, it applies according to the timetable on the 21st and 25th. But I hope you leave the annex as soon as possible. Because the timetable can change at any time, deciding on the earliest time will ensure you can safely reach Saraum Village.]

After that… it said he had arranged a house for living in Heritail Kingdom.

‘I’m looking forward to it…’

Chohee couldn’t contain her excitement and giggled. But soon she heard a knock on the door.

“Prince Karad has arrived.”

Chohee quickly put the introduction in the subspace pouch and ate one of the chocolates spread on the bed.

It was truly sweet with an anticipation of what might be inside. As she carefully melted and ate the chocolate, the door opened and a red-haired young man appeared.

“Have you been well? Elysia?”

He closed the door and stood before Chohee with an arrogant gait. Just standing before her made his genitals harden. Having walked to the annex thinking about how to ravage her, he faced her with a cruel smile.

“Well, we see each other every day, so there’s no need for such words. You should be grateful to me just for coming to hold you when you’ll be abandoned by both Claes and Lars.”

Chohee gathered the scattered chocolates on the bed with her arms. Seeing her like that, Karad openly sneered.

“Hah… What’s so great and precious about chocolates given by someone planning to abandon you? Do you still believe those who only lie to you?”

Chohee resolutely poured the chocolates into the subspace pouch. If you don’t know what’s in a subspace pouch, you can’t take anything out. So she didn’t need to worry about Karad discovering the contents. 

If you knew the release code for the subspace pouch, you could see all the items inside, but if you didn’t know it, the items wouldn’t come out.

“Hah… Well, what words are needed? A woman born to seduce men like you suits the fate of a breeding vessel. How is it? You must have been excited to receive an oracle treating us like studs, but now a different oracle has come down… You must be really depressed.”

Chohee wanted to cover her ears. That’s how cruel Karad was. But he reached out and lifted Chohee’s chin.

“How appetizing it would be to *jaculate on this pretty face… I don’t know about the other guys. But once you conceive, give birth, and get expelled outside the empire, everyone will be desperate to covet your holes.”

He laughed lowly.

“It’ll be too late if you try to get on my good side then. If you’re obedient from now on, who knows? I might make you my concubine. Isn’t that about right for Elysia’s fate anyway? No, actually being made a concubine would be better. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about food and shelter.”

Chohee closed her eyes. Even that appearance was so cute and pretty that Karad let out a small m*an and released her chin.

“Don’t think about spreading your legs for other guys and focus hard on s*x with me. Know that if you conceive the wrong bastard’s child, both you and the one who got you pregnant will be kicked out. Got it?”

Karad said this and pushed Chohee down onto the bed. Chohee glared up at Karad, but he snorted and grabbed both sides of her dress and ripped it apart.

“…Ngh!”

“What an appetizing body. And you. You can speak, can’t you? Why do you keep pretending to be mute? Ah, you don’t want to talk unless it’s to Claes? Hahaha. Claes has already abandoned you. He told me your name, Chohee, and has already made plans to keep you in the palace as a simple breeding vessel rather than accepting you as the official Crown Princess Consort.”

Then moisture gathered in Chohee’s eyes. With watery eyes, Chohee glared at Karad. If he told her name, it was safe to assume he wasn’t lying to Karad.

So even though Chohee would escape soon, she kept wavering between resentment toward Claes and wanting to believe in him.

‘Claes wouldn’t do that. If Lars is helping me escape, he must have gotten Claes’s consent beforehand. So…’

But what if Claes really welcomed an Empress while she was gone?

‘…Then I… would just be abandoned in a foreign country…’

Seeing her jet-black eyes waver and shed tears, Karad felt a sinister satisfaction. He skillfully removed the dress that had become rags.

‘…No, Chohee. Whatever Karad says, Lars told you not to believe him.’