While Karina’s expression hardened, Aidan’s smile remained relaxed.

“So I judged that we might form a good alliance.”

He said lightly, but it was impressive that he had made this judgment in the brief moment Karina requested a divorce. This man was not Aidan. She was now certain. Aidan had never viewed his reality so coldly.

“To be honest, the excuse about not knowing when the original owner will return is just that—an excuse. I need you, Karina Hewitt.”

Aidan’s brown eyes shone with a strong light as he looked at her. She felt as if she couldn’t move, as if his gaze had her pinned in place.

“This is an opportunity for me. I have no intention of missing it. This time, I plan to survive properly.”

‘This time?’ ‘Survive?’ The strange words made her tilt her head, and Aidan’s face lit up with a confident smile.

“Until I adapt to this world, I need you to be my ally.”

It was a bold, even shameless demand. But considering he was a prince with legitimate claims to the throne, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. The fact that it was someone else inside made it sound shameless.

“Why should I? As I’ve said repeatedly, what I want is a divorce…”

“Isn’t that impossible if I don’t agree?”

She stopped mid-sentence, realizing he had a point. It was a marriage with the imperial family. It couldn’t be broken easily. The simplest process would be if both parties agreed to the divorce.

If one party requested a divorce unilaterally, she would have to prove why the divorce was necessary in front of the Emperor, the Empress, and all the nobles. Aidan cheating on the first night? The Empress would be delighted to know their marriage was a mess from the start. The Emperor, who had long kept a mistress and eventually made her Empress, might not take Aidan’s infidelity seriously. Moreover, the Emperor himself had approved and arranged the marriage, so he wouldn’t easily permit a divorce. The nobles who had turned a blind eye to the Emperor’s mistress would be no different.

“If you could proceed unilaterally, you wouldn’t have come to me asking for a divorce. Right, the bride abandoned on her wedding night?”

His playful tone made her feel like he was deliberately scratching her nerves. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and looked at Aidan. Karina was not someone to be easily defeated in a battle of wills.

Her face became devoid of emotion. She met Aidan’s gaze with a cold, expressionless face.

“I’ll return those words to you. You said you needed my help? The Hewitt Duchy will never support you unless I move.”

Even if the divorce wasn’t easy, if he needed the Hewitt Duchy’s power, Karina couldn’t afford to back down. Three years of supporting him unconditionally had been enough.

“So let’s make a deal.”

Aidan didn’t seem fazed at all.

“I’ll grant you the divorce you want, on one condition.”

A contract with divorce as a condition? What does this mean? I couldn’t readily understand Aidan’s words.

“If you help me, I’ll give you a divorce in half a year. As you wish.”

Half a year? In some ways it was a long time, but for Karina, who had already returned three years in time, it wasn’t that long.

What had happened in the next half year from now? I tried to recall my memories. If my memory was correct, there were small and trivial events, but nothing big enough to harm the Hewitt duchy or myself. It was natural, given that Aidan himself wasn’t the type to actively cause trouble.

Half a year. Half a year….. I endured for 3 years, would it be too much to endure this? If I could just divorce him with minimal fuss and leave this imperial palace, wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with him rather than clash with Aidan here and make the divorce difficult?

Moreover…….

Karina’s gaze turned to Aidan’s face. Clearly, this man was not the Aidan she knew. Could he become a variable in the future that was about to unfold? What was he trying to do with just half a year of time?

Unnecessary curiosity arose. Even knowing that people always die because of curiosity, I became a little, really just a little curious about how this man, who seemed 180 degrees different from Aidan in many ways, would survive in this imperial palace.

“What exactly am I supposed to do?”

I couldn’t blindly join hands with him, so wondering what he was thinking, I asked. Aidan’s eyes curved gently into crescent moons. He was smiling too much with his eyes even though I hadn’t agreed to his words yet, which made me wonder what he was up to.

“Stop trying to bewitch people and tell me what you’re thinking.”

His smile directed at me was too burdensome, making me act even more prickly.

“I haven’t had a proper look in the mirror yet, but it seems my appearance is quite handsome if you think I’m bewitching.”

Aidan muttered while stroking his cheek and chin. Sadly, I couldn’t deny it. Aidan Griffith was excellent in terms of appearance. He inherited clear topaz-colored eyes and sharp facial features from the former Empress, and his straight nose bridge and firm lips resembled the current Emperor. When he was a baby, he was even more angelically beautiful, and people buzzed that he was an emperor candidate sent by heaven.

Sadly, he just grew up to be a good-looking, womanizing idiot.

When facing Karina, he never properly made eye contact and always had a cowed expression. So even when looking at Aidan’s face, I had never felt his charm as a man or felt my heart flutter. However, he became like a different person in front of other young ladies. When there were banquets at the imperial palace, he would show a great smile, maintain manners, and lead young noble ladies. That’s how several young noble ladies who had just debuted in high society fell for Aidan, which later became a problem.

If you’re going to be timid, be timid with all women equally. Despite showing no talent in matters related to imperial succession, he only had a knack for charming women other than Karina.

Even though his soul had changed, this guy still had that face and kept flashing eye smiles at Karina. She couldn’t help but find it burdensome.

“You don’t need to do anything special. Just be diligent in your role as the crown princess, as you were originally going to do.”

Karina frowned at Aidan’s words. Was he telling her to just be there like a crown princess doll?

“You look like you’re thinking about something complicated.”

Perhaps because Karina had made a face, Aidan stared at her for a while before speaking.

“There must have been a reason for the arranged marriage. I’m telling you to do what you were originally going to do.”

At his words, Karina raised one eyebrow. What she was originally going to do?

“Do you mean to be the backing so that Your Highness can be recognized as the official heir to the throne?”

The original reason Karina married him was to make Aidan the Emperor. Was this man, who claimed his soul had changed, asking her to fulfill that purpose that Aidan had found burdensome and tried to run away from? The deep wrinkle between her brows didn’t smooth out as she wondered if she had understood correctly.

Aidan smirked while maintaining eye contact with Karina, as if asking if that question needed an answer. Really? Does that guy really intend to become the Emperor?

“Do you intend to become the Emperor?”

I asked to make sure, just in case.

“You’re asking an incomprehensible question.”

Instead, Aidan seemed to think Karina’s question was foolish.

“I’m the prince, right? The owner of this body. So isn’t the ultimate goal in life to become the Emperor? Plus, this stab wound in my stomach. Hearing someone rambling as soon as I opened my eyes, it might have been a half-brother who did it. It’s probably something like a succession rights fight. If that’s the case, I can only survive by becoming the Emperor, right?”