“Everyone seems to be having an enjoyable time. Marian, are you well?”

“Yes, Mother.”

Marian reflexively smiled brightly. The Empress patted Marian’s shoulder, pretending to be loving. People naturally cleared the seats next to Marian and Helena.

The Empress sat down and extended her snake-like hand, resting it on Marian’s thigh. Suddenly, she tightened her grip.

“Ugh.”

Marian swallowed her groan. A needle hidden in the Empress’s ring sprang out, piercing through the fabric and tearing into Marian’s flesh. Marian’s face turned pale.

“Oh my, Marian. You must have overdone it lately. You don’t look well.”

The Empress spoke worriedly.

“I-I’m fine…… ugh.”

The Empress applied more pressure with her hand. Marian trembled. What an incredible woman. She committed such acts without hesitation in front of people. A cruel smile bloomed on the Empress’s lips.

“You should rest a while with your mother. Stand up, Princess.”

Marian stared at the Empress with transparent eyes.

“Quickly.”

“……Yes.”

Marian rose. No longer scared, no longer afraid. She composed herself. Helena stared at her with worried eyes.

Marian smiled faintly.

“I’ll rest for a moment. You must tell me how the results turned out.”

Click.

The powder room door closed.

The Empress’s maids stood guard at the door. She sighed and flicked her finger.

“Sit, Marian.”

Marian stared at the Empress, her face pale as her body trembled reflexively. She slowly lowered herself onto the sofa. The Empress’s eyebrow twitched.

“I seem to have given you too much freedom.”

The Empress spoke coldly.

“Seeing as you’ve forgotten your place.”

The Empress reached out. Grabbing Marian’s well-groomed hair and  dragged her to the floor.

Thud!

Marian gasped for breath while lying face down on the floor.

“Cough, cough!”

“How many times do I have to tell you where your place is? Or are you ignoring my words?”

“Your…… Majesty……”

Marian gritted her teeth.

Her chin trembled.

Magic doesn’t work on the Empress. She knew there were such special constitutions, but of all people, it had to be the Empress. Only physical attacks work on the Empress. The Empress kicked Marian’s stomach with her pointed shoes.

“Ugh!”

Marian’s face flushed red as she curled into a ball, clutching her stomach. Tears slipped down her cheeks, while venom glazed over her transparent eyes.

The Empress’s merciless violence poured down.

“Hah.”

The Empress swept back her hair.

“You should have behaved properly. I don’t know how you sweet-talked Princess Helena, but do you think you match her status?”

The Empress tapped Marian with her shoe. Marian suppressed her groans tightly. This was a moment her body remembered. She must not do anything that could provoke the Empress. Marian closed her eyes.

‘This will pass.’

Marian mumbled.

‘Everything will be fine once it passes.’

Marian repeated to herself again. And she recalled things that warmed her heart. Things that could help her endure this current pain.

The warm potato stew and potato bread she ate this morning, Rosette who welcomed her, the bath full of aromatics that Liebe had obtained, and Abel, Liebe, Rosette who were waiting for her.

‘I’ll wait.’

Abel, Abel.

Marian swallowed blood and tears. The Empress’s harsh words poured over her body.

“Behave properly, Marian.”

This was just the Empress venting her anger. Like an annual event.

“Visit Duke Cesare the day after tomorrow. Tsk, has a money-spending ghost possessed the palace.”

The Empress turned her gaze to Marian, filled with disgust as if she were looking at an insect. With a slight gesture, she signaled her maids, who immediately stepped forward to straighten her clothes.

“Stand up.”

Marian rose unsteadily, lifting her swollen face. The Empress frowned.

“Are you going out looking like that?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Marian shook her head. Marian snapped her fingers. Marian became pristine again. A strange light flickered in the Empress’s eyes. What an enviable ability. If only there was a way to take it. The Empress turned her head. Marian raised her transparent eyes to stare at the Empress’s back.

She wiped her eyes with her hands.

Though the Empress might have broken Marian’s body, she couldn’t damage Marian’s pride and spirit at all. In the end, Marian would be the victor.

**

Helena smiled awkwardly at Benjamin. Having to smile like this outwardly while thinking different thoughts inside was torturous.

“How about going out with me next time, Helena?”

Benjamin asked in a friendly tone. Actually, Benjamin wasn’t too pleased about speaking to Helena like this either. But what could he do? The Empress stood firm behind him. The Empress’s warning words remained deep in his heart.

Helena smiled awkwardly.

“I’ll…… think about it. Just adjusting to Federico is hard enough for now. I’m sorry.”

Helena spoke with a cowed expression. The noble ladies watched Helena and Benjamin carefully. Benjamin frowned then quickly smoothed his expression. The relationship between the two must appear very amicable and good.

That was what the Empress wanted.

“No, Helena. I made a mistake. Tell me whenever you’re comfortable. I’ll wait.”

“……Thank you.”

“Did you receive the flowers I sent today?”

Helena nodded. Helena mumbled with her lips. Benjamin’s heart burned seeing her intimidated appearance. If only there had been another princess in Jains! Benjamin cursed inwardly.

For Benjamin who only dealt with women who knew how to play along, Helena was too difficult and challenging. And Benjamin knew no patience. She and Benjamin were torture for each other.

Finally, as silence fell between the two, Marian returned.

She sat down somewhat roughly beside Helena.

“Marian?”

“Ah.”

Marian smiled faintly. She couldn’t heal her own wounds with magic. Though she might look fine on the outside, her body was a mess.

“How’s the horse racing? You wanted to see it.”

Marian changed the subject. Helena answered innocently.

“……The horse I picked came in last. Maybe my luck was bad. It was the biggest horse, why did that happen?”

Helena’s words and actions were completely different when with Benjamin versus with Marian. And the Empress and noble ladies witnessed this. The Empress’s eyebrow twitched.

In this situation where Helena liked Marian this much, separating the two?

‘Tsk.’

That would be poison in a situation where they needed to encourage Princess Helena to adjust well. The King of Jains was someone who cherished his daughter. They needed to accommodate Helena and move up the wedding date before the king arrived.

It seemed they would have to use Marian for a while. The Empress turned her head coldly.

Helena chattered.

“But the horse you picked came in first. It was the smallest, why is that?”

“The horse you picked had thin legs compared to its body size. But the horse I picked, though small, had strong muscles in its legs. The jockey was small too.”

“Ah.”

Helena opened her eyes wide.

“I didn’t know that.”

“You’ll be able to choose well next time.”

Helena nodded. Marian slowly digested her pain. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she lifted her teacup. Benjamin saw this and let out a scornful laugh.

Marian hid her pain amid the chattering voices of the noble ladies.

The horse racing ended.

**

Marian returned. The palace atmosphere was quite excited.

The palace with only Abel, Liebe, and Rosette was bleak and cold. It was everyday life for Liebe and Rosette to be on one side guarding against Abel. When Marian came, all that wariness softened, and Abel’s killing intent subsided. Rosette and Liebe smiled brightly, feeling their breath ease.

Abel stood before them.

“Welcome back. How was the horse racing?”

“The horse I picked came in first.”

Marian smiled, her expression at ease. Now, she could smile sincerely. She had people who cared for her and a place to belong. Though it was only a small space within the enemy’s precarious stronghold, it was still a sanctuary for her.

Abel narrowed his eyes.

Abel was a perceptive person. Marian’s reactions, tone, and movements—all of them nagged at him. There was something off about her gait, something hesitant in her actions. Even her tone carried a faint tremor. And then, there was the unmistakable relief on her face…

Marian wasn’t someone who showed such big emotional changes.

Abel approached her. He grabbed Marian’s wrist.

“Ah!”

Marian let out a sharp scream as Abel yanked her roughly. He pulled her into his arms, and she trembled, a pained groan escaping her lips. She squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body wracked with intense pain from the sudden movement.

Rosette and Liebe covered their mouths at Marian’s groan.

It was a scream that seemed concentrated with pain. Abel lifted Marian up in his arms. His face was frozen cold.

“I didn’t carefully prepare and feed you breakfast this morning just for you to come back beaten like this.”

Abel gritted out. Marian unknowingly shed tears.

Abel strode forward with large steps. Liebe and Rosette quickly followed behind. Though they couldn’t say anything, pressed down by Abel’s aura, their bewilderment was evident.

Marian sniffled.

Her frozen heart seemed to melt at the hot body temperature enveloping her aching body. She buried her head in Abel’s shoulder.

Abel patted her back as they walked, his magic quietly seeping into her. Carrying her into the room, he gently set her down on the sofa. Marian’s lips trembled.