Chapter 53

“Didn’t you also proceed with the engagement without my consent, Your Highness?”

Even when the Princess, agitated and speaking informally, showed such disrespect, Johann replied without any agitation.

“Is that the same thing? Are an engagement and a b*stard the same?”

Patrizia shouted furiously.

“What’s the difference? From my perspective, they’re the same in that they’re both one-sided.”

He frowned slightly.

“…….”

The Princess was left speechless by Johann’s shameless reply.

Unlike the Interim Empress, who was eloquent, Patrizia was more prone to action than words, so she felt stifled, not knowing what to say next.

Tears welled up in her eyes before she knew it.

“Isn’t that so?”

He looked at the Princess with dry eyes.

She, like the Prince, resembled the Interim Empress and was an extremely beautiful woman by anyone’s standards.

Her hair, a shade darker than the Prince’s, gleamed as if soaked in honey, and her mysterious purple eyes, inherited from the Interim Empress, were truly enchanting.

On top of that, tears welled in those beautiful eyes, creating a sight that would unsettle the hearts of many men, but it didn’t stir Johann in the slightest.

“I have already registered Rafaella in my family registry, and I have no intention of undoing it, so please calm down about what’s already done.”

“…Are you taking revenge on me now?”

Patrizia, unable to stand Johann’s shamelessness, recalled the past.

When her father celebrated the Duke of Blumhart’s return by announcing their engagement.

“I have no intention of marrying or being engaged to you, Your Highness.”

Right after her father’s funeral, Johann, looking weary, spoke to Patrizia.

“Are you saying you’ll refuse a reward personally given by His Majesty the Emperor? How dare you?”

“If you would withdraw, Your Highness….”

“Why should I? The best man in the Empire will soon be my husband.”

Patrizia lifted the corners of her mouth and asked Johann in a lively voice.

“…Ha.”

“I have no intention of letting you go, so stop resisting and accept it.”

Feeling a strange thrill seeing Johann unable to answer, Patrizia took a sip of tea from her cup.

No matter how she thought about it, this was clearly revenge for that time.

“If you want to break off the engagement even now, I don’t mind.”

Johann gave a different answer to her question.

“So it really is revenge. You must think I’ll break off the engagement over a mere b*stard, but unfortunately for you, that won’t happen.”

Patrizia wanted to shout, ‘Fine, I could never marry a man who’s been with another woman! This engagement is void!’

But her mother, Narcissa, would never want her to do that.

‘I can’t go against Mother’s wishes.’

Her mother had given her everything best, but was terrifying when angry.

She didn’t want to incur her mother’s wrath.

“Think whatever you want, Your Highness.”

Gritting her teeth at Johann’s reply, Patrizia took a deep breath and gestured to a maid nearby.

The maid approached and handed Johann an invitation.

“There will soon be a party at the Imperial Palace to celebrate my and Florian’s return. Attend as my fiancé.”

“…I’m so busy that I can’t promise I’ll have the time.”

“Are you refusing now?”

“I’m saying I can’t guarantee it.”

“Ha, then who am I supposed to walk in with!”

Because of this man who remained aloof to the end, Patrizia felt as if she was about to lose her mind.

If she were at the palace, she would have thrown everything around and vented her anger on the maids.

“With His Highness Prince Florian and His Majesty the Emperor present, surely someone will gladly escort you, Your Highness.”

“…….”

Patrizia clamped her mouth shut, not answering.

“And next time, please contact the Ducal Estate in advance before visiting. Even if we are engaged, it’s best not to cross certain lines.”

“What? I heard about the b*stard…!”

“She’s not a b*stard, she’s Rafaella. ‘Rafaella von Blumhart’.”

“Ha, fine. I don’t want to argue with you any longer, so I’ll leave as you wish for today.”

With a hardened face, Patrizia passed Johann and climbed into the carriage with the help of her attendant.

“Your Highness, please have a safe journey.”

“…Next time, I hope you’ll show me the face of that Rafaella you so hurriedly hid.”

“…….”

“When we marry, she’ll be ‘my daughter,’ so I’d like to at least get used to her face.”

After provoking Johann, she closed the carriage door before he could reply.

As soon as the door closed, she took out all her anger on the maids and left the Ducal Estate.

On the way, she realized she needed to take Florian with her, but by the time she received the news, the Prince had already returned to the palace in a guest carriage borrowed from the Blumhart Ducal Estate.

* * *

After sending the Princess away with almost rude coldness, Johann rode his horse to the front of the main mansion and strode to Rafaella’s room.

Lia sat in the parlor with Johann while Rafaella napped.

“Sorry for suddenly telling you to go back earlier.”

“It’s all right. Actually, on the way back, I ran into His Highness the Prince….”

“The Prince? Do you mean Prince Florian?”

Johann asked in surprise at Lia’s answer.

“…Yes, we happened to meet while taking a shortcut.”

“D*mn, did the Prince perhaps….”

Knowing Florian’s rather notorious reputation with women, Johann frowned deeply.

“Nothing happened. In fact, he didn’t show any hostility toward me or Rafaella.”

Florian, who enjoyed any amusing event—even if it concerned his own sister—had no reason to bear a grudge against Lia or Rafaella over what happened to the Princess.

Johann knew this, so he had another concern.

It was about the Prince’s tendency to pursue women, regardless of whether they were married or commoners.

‘If today’s meeting makes him set his sights on this woman…’

It was horrifying.

He covered his forehead with his hand.

“Don’t worry. The Dowager Duchess happened to arrive, so I didn’t have to deal with him for long.”

“It’s a relief Mother was there. From now on, neither the Princess nor the Prince will barge in like today.”

“That’s truly a relief.”

Lia let out a sigh of relief.

One tension-filled, sweaty-palmed situation like this was more than enough.

Dealing with nobles as a commoner was hard enough, but dealing with the Imperial Family…

‘It’s not just twice as hard, it’s ten times more exhausting.’

“…It’s unlikely, but if you ever find yourself alone with the Prince, be careful.”

Johann cautioned Lia.

“The Princess aside, the Prince didn’t seem like a bad or scary person.”

He did seem a bit mischievous, though.

“Don’t be fooled by that guy’s, no, the Prince’s face. He might look innocent, but inside he’s just garbage.”

At those words, Johann made a grave expression and warned Lia in a stern voice.

“…Yes, I understand.”

He looked like an angel from heaven or a legendary elf, but Johann seemed to regard the Prince as some kind of orc or troll.

‘He knows better than I do, so there’s no harm in taking his advice to heart.’

“Um, also.”

“What is it?”

“No, I’ll tell you next time.”

“All right, then get some rest.”

In fact, she had intended to tell Johann today the reason she would leave Rafaella behind.

But with the Princess and Prince suddenly barging in, he seemed sensitive and exhausted, so she decided against it.

‘It’s not something that must be said today, so I’ll tell him next time.’

She was also too mentally drained from facing the Prince to have the energy to tell her husband about her terminal illness.

* * *

A few days later, a carrier pigeon arrived from the Mage Tower sponsored by the Blumhart family.

The sender was ‘Dorothea’ and the recipient was ‘Lia’.

It said things weren’t fully settled yet, but Dorothea wanted to invite her as soon as possible.

Since it said she could come anytime, Lia wrote the earliest date she was available, attached it to the pigeon’s leg, and sent it off.

After sending her reply, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

‘Come to think of it, before the regression, I only got examined by a few healers and one healing mage…’

Maybe Dorothea would know?

Dorothea wasn’t just a mage, but a genius magician said to appear once in a hundred years.

‘She’s called a purification mage, but it can’t hurt to ask when we meet.’

“If by chance Dorothea knows about my illness, then….”

No, she shouldn’t get her hopes up yet.

Lia slapped her face lightly to suppress the rising hope.

She didn’t want to be disappointed after getting her hopes up for nothing.