Just as Marian had burned down a village, Abel had experienced something similar. When Abel awakened his magic at age three, fire broke out in the northern castle. House Drake quietly settled the matter and delivered compensation to the bereaved families. But the memory of that day would never be forgotten.

No one could understand that devastation. Except Marian.

Abel opened and clenched his hand.

‘You came looking for me.’

Having regained what was lost, he would take it.

**

Before midnight, Marian slipped into her room without anyone knowing. In the bedroom, Rosette had apparently waited for Marian until late, as she was sleeping tiredly on the sofa.

Marian slid down against the wall.

“Whew……”

She never thought this desolate place would give her such a sense of security. Marian adjusted her clothes. She had deceived Cesare’s eyes with magic when he looked away and escaped.

“Kuk.”

Marian checked on Rosette and covered her mouth. Rosette seemed deeply asleep with no intention of waking.

Marian laughed while covering her mouth.

‘Stupid bastard.’

Because he was already enchanted, deceiving those eyes was even easier. Cesare, completely enthralled by Marian, bit people in the carriage. She layered hallucinations on him while he was distracted exploring inside her clothes. She ran away from the carriage, leaving him kissing an illusion.

She laughed the whole time while escaping.

You reap what you sow!

Cesare had been garbage since age twenty. From the start, if Cesare had been even slightly more human, less trashy, the plan wouldn’t have worked.

‘I love you, Marian.’

That shameless face whispering lies,

‘Are you afraid of the princess? You don’t need to be at all. That woman is just a worthless puppet. She just needs to bear my child and pass on that bloodline!’

was overlaid with his true face. The loosened Cesare completely revealed his true nature. All day today. How foolishly…… starved for affection Marian had been.

She had her blood boiling because of Cesare, deceived by that thin mask.

“Die, Cesare.”

Marian muttered quietly.

Her stomach churned.

Marian took a deep breath and pressed her chest firmly. Though she hadn’t eaten properly today, she felt full. Marian barely held back her laughter.

She probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. After all, she needed to celebrate the small victory she had achieved today.

**

The next day.

People suddenly rushed in from the main palace. Marian stared at them expressionlessly. The head maid who entered last with an arrogant attitude nodded slightly.

“The Empress sent us. She said you have a schedule today that you must absolutely attend, so prepare yourself and come out.”

A schedule she must absolutely attend?

“The princess of Jains has arrived from Jains. The Empress emphasized that you absolutely, absolutely must not show any lacking behavior.”

The head maid looked Marian up and down as if it was natural. This was rudeness permitted by the Empress. Rather, the Empress wanted to trample and humiliate Marian. Constantly reminding Marian of her position.

The head maid raised her chin high.

Of course, such things weren’t important to the current Marian. Marian slightly bit her lip.

‘Already?’

It seemed she had miscalculated the timing. Marian was someone detached from Imperial events. Some things remained the same even after returning to the past.

‘I should bring Liebe quickly.’

Liebe was quick with information. She had outstanding ability in gathering information from people and extracting useful information. If only Liebe had been here, she wouldn’t have been blindsided like this.

There were several things Marian had to stop, and one of them was the marriage between Benjamin and the princess of Jains.

Princess Jains would bring power to Benjamin and delay the Imperial Family’s downfall. Moreover, the princess of Jains would support Federico’s insufficient military forces and oppose Lorenzo.

‘I missed this while focusing on Abel!’

Marian clicked her tongue.

The head maid shouted at Marian’s reaction.

“Are you ignoring Her Majesty the Empress’s words? Right now, Her Majesty……”

“I understand, I’ll keep it in mind. I will absolutely treat the princess with proper manners. Please hurry with the preparations.”

Marian spoke quickly and smiled brightly. She couldn’t think with the noisy head maid’s voice. There must be a way to stop Princess Jains’s marriage.

The answer must be in Marian’s head!

Marian took a deep breath and sorted through the information in her mind.

‘That woman didn’t have a happy marriage either.’

Benjamin had illegitimate children he had fathered and raised before marriage. Not just one, but two, and he had hidden this fact when getting married. Benjamin, who had quite the history with women, wouldn’t have improved after marriage.

To easily remove Benjamin from the position of crown prince, this marriage needed to be stopped first.

‘…… A marriage between two royal families won’t break just because of illegitimate children.’

The fortunate thing was that Princess Jains’s other sisters were already married. There were no unmarried princesses in other kingdoms either.

Marian’s transparent blue eyes sparkled.

She needed to make Jains’s side give up on this marriage.

What Jains’s kingdom had gained through this marriage was…….

‘My power.’

The Kingdom of Jains had no notable mages. Through this union, the Kingdom of Jains wanted to gain Marian’s blessing. And also, they wanted the child born from Princess Jains to become Federico’s heir.

While Marian was thinking, the maids did their work. They rubbed fragrant oil on Marian’s skin and combed her hair. They applied makeup to her white face and sprayed perfume.

An expensive dress unfamiliar to Marian’s body was draped on her. Marian blinked.

“Your Highness has gotten thinner. You must eat well to maintain a womanly voluptuous figure! No man will love a body like this!”

A man’s love!

“Right. A man’s love, that’s really important.”

Marian smiled broadly. It was such a bright smile that even the head maid, who had been chattering with the intention to hurt Marian, flinched.

She had found a way!

Once, there had been a scandal about Princess Jains before her marriage that had spread secretly in Federico. Though it had been buried quietly. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Moreover, after that incident, Princess Jains and Benjamin grew distant, with Princess Jains leaving alone for the south.

And Marian knew who that man was.

“Thank you for the advice.”

The head maid nodded with a sour face.

**

While Marian was preparing for the banquet after a long time, Cesare also woke up.

“Ugh.”

Cesare let out a short groan and rolled to get up. All his muscles screamed in protest. Must be traces of the passionate and pleasurable night. The smell filling the room must be evidence of that too. Cesare opened his eyes pleasantly.

Cesare felt around the space beside him.

At the coldness with no trace of warmth, Cesare turned his head.

“What.”

No one? Cesare’s eyebrows twitched. He sat up. In the room with not a trace of presence, there wasn’t even a single strand of woman’s hair.

‘Did she leave early in the morning.’

Though he thought it was good she knew her place and left. Cesare clicked his tongue briefly. It would have been nice if he could have enjoyed her more.

Anyway, he had to enter the palace today for an important welcoming banquet. There was no time to dawdle. Cesare’s lips moved.

“Still, should I look for her?”

Cesare shrugged and called the head butler.

“When did the woman who came with me yesterday leave?”

“…… Did you bring a woman, Your Grace?”

“What do you mean, ah. You might not have seen her.”

Cesare scratched between his brows. He hadn’t found her brother at the fighting arena yesterday either.

‘Will she come looking again.’

Cesare gulped down water and gave orders.

“She’s a maid named Ellie. Silver hair with green eyes. If you find such a maid, bring her.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The head butler bowed his head while trying to hide his puzzlement. Yesterday, Cesare had come in alone. Though he had acted strangely as if drunk. But the room was full of traces of having enjoyed time with a woman.

‘Did a woman sneak in?’

The head butler glanced at Cesare who seemed to be in a good mood. Whatever it was, if Cesare was in a good mood, that was enough. Cesare put on a bathrobe.

“Ah, Lady Yulian came to visit yesterday.”

“Tsk. Vanessa is all good except for that obsession. Send lots of roses and tell her to meet tonight.”

Vanessa was Lady Yulian’s name. Still, it would be a shame to lose a woman like Yulian who matched Cesare’s mood so well. How convenient that she could be placated with just bouquets.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“No, no.”

Cesare stroked his chin with his finger and said.

“I might meet another woman tonight, so tell her tomorrow.”

Come to think of it, there was a possibility of meeting Ellie at the palace today. Ellie had said she was a maid who hadn’t been assigned to a palace yet. Cesare hummed a happy tune.

Life was truly a bed of roses.

**

The table was full of lavish dishes. Marian frowned at the sudden pungent smell assaulting her nose. The greasy smell made her stomach churn. Marian gritted her teeth with a pale face.

It was a greasy smell hard to encounter in the detached palace.

Her starved stomach couldn’t accept anything.

“You’re late. What are you doing just standing there after coming? Sit down. Ah, before that, quickly greet our guest. Princess Helena Jains. Greet her, this is my daughter.”

The Emperor gestured. The Emperor and Empress sat side by side at the head seat, with Princess Jains and Crown Prince Benjamin sitting across from each other. The sight of them sitting pretending to be a happy family is really……

‘Disgusting.’

Marian barely swallowed her derisive laugh.

Anyway, since they weren’t married yet, Marian outranked Princess Jains. So Marian had to greet first.

“Yes, Father. I apologize for my late greeting, Princess Helena. I am Marian. Please feel free to address me comfortably.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Princess Jains smiled gently at Marian.

It had been a long time since she had seen Princess Jains. She hadn’t seen her once since Marian left for the battlefield. No, even before that, they hadn’t been close enough to meet often. Princess Jains simply valued her own life more and had no particular interest in Marian.

But she was the only family member who didn’t insult Marian.

“It’s nice to meet you.”