“…Alright, let’s do that.”

It was only for a brief moment, but I still noticed. Daisy was worried that I might bump into those young ladies.

Ever since I opened my eyes in this body, people had been pointing fingers at me, calling me ‘the woman obsessed with marriage’, so this was nothing new.

I also wanted to avoid unnecessary emotional exhaustion, so I quietly followed her.

We found a suitable spot to settle down. It was tucked away slightly, but still offered a lovely view of the sapphire-blue lake.

With practised ease, Daisy quickly arranged our seating area.

Picnics like this were rare in my life.

After turning ten, I was hardly ever allowed outside. Ever since I was forced into the secluded palace, I had not been allowed to step beyond its walls.

All of this was at the Empress’s request, as she disliked the sight of me.

“Be grateful that I didn’t have you killed.”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”

“Live as if you’re dead. It’d be better if you actually died.”

Even after I got married and moved into the Duke’s residence, where I was no longer restricted from going out, I still rarely left the house.

Though there were a few times when I did. Most of those times were…

“Diana, the sun is quite strong today. Allow me to walk on this side.”

Suddenly, I remembered the sound of Claude’s voice, and the days when he was kind to me and we enjoyed cheerful dates together.

“…”

“Goodness, milady! You must try this cookie. It’s absolutely delicious!”

Just as I was about to sink into gloomy thoughts, Daisy waved a cookie in front of me. I lifted the corners of my lips once more.

“Daisy, eat as much as you want.”

She smiled gratefully at my words, savoring the dessert with a crunch.

Simply watching her enjoy her food was enough to fill my own stomach.

Having a picnic with fragrant tea and sweet cakes in the company of someone who genuinely cared for me was happiness itself.

“Even after coming all the way here, you still don’t remember anything?”

Daisy asked, having filled her stomach somewhat.

I gently shook my head.

‘I’m sorry, Daisy. As long as I’m in this body, I won’t be able to remember the past. But what if Brianna, the person you care for so deeply, disappeared because of me?’

Perhaps my expression had darkened slightly because Daisy suddenly pushed all the pretty biscuits in front of her towards me.

“Oh, come on! If your memory just came back overnight, it wouldn’t be amnesia, would it? Here, have this one! And this one, and this one too!”

Unable to resist her playful gesture, I let out a small laugh.

We were having such a pleasant time together — until it happened.

“Well, look who it is. It’s Lady Elwin, the one obsessed with marriage.”

A mocking voice rang out from behind.

Daisy, who had seen them before I turned around, instantly became afraid.

I carefully looked over my shoulder.

It was the group of young ladies who had been enjoying afternoon tea earlier.

“Brianna, you said you were feeling unwell, yet here you are, walking around just fine.”

I didn’t recognise most of them, but I knew the blonde girl at the front — Iris Mahen, Sir Taren’s younger sister.

She used to cling to her brother’s arm and take great delight in watching me get bullied when I was still Diana.

Even Brianna, whose circumstances weren’t much better than mine, had apparently been one of her targets as well.

Iris, who had once seemed so childish, had lost much of her youthful appearance over the past three years and now carried herself like a proper lady. The passage of time was undeniable.

“They say you’ve been selling hand-embroidered handkerchiefs just to borrow a dress. How pitiful.”

As Iris sneered, the two girls behind her burst into giggles.

Daisy looked even more flustered, squirming with unease to the point where I almost felt guilty for making her feel that way.

“…”

“They say the Elwin barony has really fallen on hard times. Just look at those sad little desserts.”

Iris sneered and pointed at the biscuits that Daisy and I had been eating. But honestly, I felt nothing.

Being hated had always been normal for me, so moments like this no longer affected me — they were just another ordinary part of my life.

Iris had always tormented me like this, even when I lived in the Imperial Palace. Her cruelty was so predictable and repetitive that it was almost dull.

In fact, I found it laughable that she hadn’t changed at all in all these years.

When I didn’t react, she raised her voice, clearly irritated that I wasn’t playing along with her script.

“Isn’t it a waste to eat something like that? It doesn’t even taste good, and all it does is make you gain weight.”

“They taste better than they look. Would you like to try one, sister?”

At my response, Daisy’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of her head.
Seeing her like this made me realize once again—this wasn’t how Brianna would usually behave.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

But this was the method I had learned to survive in the Imperial Palace: the simplest and most effective way to endure. If I pretended that nothing affected me, they would eventually grow bored and leave me alone.

Besides, showing weakness would only invite more scorn. I had learnt that the hard way after years of enduring quiet cruelty.

I didn’t know what kind of person the real Brianna had been.

But for her sake, I had to hold my head high and do my best.

With that thought in mind, I calmly picked up a biscuit from the table and held it out to them.

“Here, try one. They’re homemade blueberry cookies.”

“Who would eat something like this…!”

Smack.

Iris pushed my hand away.

The three biscuits that had been sitting on my palm flew through the air and landed on the grass.

“…”

As Iris and I looked down at the fallen biscuits, a pair of smart men’s shoes came into view.

The man stepped across the lawn and stopped in front of them. With gloved hands, he picked up the pieces lying pitifully on the ground.

It was my brother, Prince Louis.

“Your Highness!”

Iris shrieked, her voice sharp. The other young ladies beside her also turned pale.

“Iris! What do you think you’re doing?”

Louis asked in a low, cold voice, his eyes fixed on her with a furious glare.

Iris hurried over to him, but he remained expressionless.

Seeing my brother, who had always been kind to me, wearing such a harsh expression made him seem intimidating.

“Did you come out for a walk because the weather’s nice today, Your Highness?”

Though they were never close, Iris always seized any opportunity to strike up a conversation with him.

Normally, Louis would respond gently, but today his face was devoid of warmth.

“I asked you what you were doing.”

“It’s nothing, really. Lady Elwin has been struggling with some relationship issues lately, so I was just trying to offer her some advice.”

“You were trying to offer her advice?”

He raised the biscuit crumbs in his hand as he spoke, his tone chilling.

“Actually… Brianna spoke harshly to me first.”

Iris suddenly began sobbing.

The other young ladies rushed to comfort her as if on cue.

Daisy and I stared at them in disbelief, while Prince Louis watched with growing impatience.

With a quiet sigh, he stepped forward and came to stand in front of me.

“Lady Elwin.”

He completely ignored Iris.

Surprised, I blinked up at him. Iris and the two young ladies beside her, also caught off guard, stopped pretending to cry and turned to look at me.

“I greet Your Highness.”

“I offer my sincerest apologies on their behalf.”

To my astonishment, he lowered himself onto one knee in front of me.

I had never received an apology like this after being bullied before and was flustered by the unfamiliar situation.

“Please rise, Your Highness.”

Unable to refuse my request, Louis stood up.

I could feel Iris glaring daggers at me from behind, but I kept my focus solely on Prince Louis.

“As a token of my apology, I would like to offer you my assistance.”

I hadn’t expected any form of compensation, nor did I think an apology was warranted.

But before I could decline, Louis continued.

“I heard you’ve been unwell and bedridden quite often lately.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

“In that case, you must be lacking in information about social circles.”

I nodded.

At that, Prince Louis leaned in close to my ear and whispered just loud enough for me to hear:

“You’ll find plenty of information on high society in the Imperial Library.”