“May I open it?”

“If Your Highness wishes, you may open it.”

The gift had already found its owner’s hands. Since the owner wanted to open it, Roa had no right to stop her.

Yvel, perhaps thinking the contents might be damaged since it was a book, tore the wrapping paper with her hands instead of calling a servant to bring a knife.

Beneath the light pink wrapping paper was a neatly stacked book with a yellow cover. The book had no title.

Unlike ordinary books, this one with unimaginable contents also had no author listed.

Yvel set the wrapping paper aside and opened the book.

The neat and round handwriting suggested the book was handmade, letter by letter.

The first page revealed the title ⟨The Red Thread,⟩ indicating the book’s genre was fiction. Yvel turned to the next page as if possessed, despite having someone in front of her.

The book, set against a backdrop of fierce snowstorm, captivated Yvel.

<The snowstorm raged fiercely.

The wind, cold enough to freeze everything, made movement sluggish, and the body curled up in search of even a little warmth.

‘Ah, it’s cold.’

Even words wouldn’t come out properly, as if the mouth had frozen from the cold. All that emerged was vapor from breath.

The high-piled snow gripped the feet and wouldn’t let go, making each step heavy.

The man walked and walked, following the red thread that seemed about to break.

Out of mere curiosity, he had abandoned his family and everything he possessed. The man believed the end was not far away.

‘What treasure awaits at the end of this red thread?’

He was cold and hungry, having eaten nothing for two days. Unlike his body growing sluggish from the cold, his expression held excitement.

The red thread was visible only to his eyes. Everyone cursed him for being reckless, following a futile dream and rejecting a life of guaranteed success.

But he had no regrets. Because at the end of the red thread, treasure awaited.

“See. There is a treasure.”

The man muttered. He immediately recognized that the woman before his eyes was the treasure he had been seeking.

Though she looked pale as if about to collapse, the determination in her eyes was incomparable to anyone else’s.

The wound on her abdomen was no hindrance to her. Looking only at her eyes, one wouldn’t know she was in danger.

Even at that moment, she remained vigilant and sharply addressed him. But her voice lacked strength.

“You…… who are you.”

“Well. Who do you think I am?”

The woman frowned at the man’s playful tone, which seemed oblivious to the situation.

Betrayed by her only disciple and facing death, having to listen to a dim-witted man’s jokes at this moment….

She felt utterly pitiful about her life. The woman sighed and, using her sword as a cane, rose on trembling legs.

She thought her inability to stand properly must look ridiculous to the man. Even at the risk of death, she couldn’t appear weak.

She was a knight with strong pride.

“Are you trying to joke with me? Get lost.”

“Hmm. No. You’re the one who called me.”

‘When on earth did I call you!’

Swallowing her retort, the woman turned away without hesitation at the man’s unreasonable claim. She thought he wasn’t worth dealing with.

At that moment, she felt the strength leaving her legs that had been forcibly supporting her. He grabbed her waist to prevent her from falling.

Between the two, a shortened red thread was clearly connected.

“Let go.”

She wanted to shake him off but couldn’t.

Her face, still maintaining the spirit of a knight to the end, burned red with shame at having to rely on someone else in this moment.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t listen to anyone’s words. Even if they’re my destined partner.”

Those hands that held each other became her salvation, and she didn’t yet know that he would seep into her heart.

The red thread was a predetermined fate that would never break.>

“Your Highness?”

Roa carefully called out to Yvel, who was reading the book intently.

Yvel raised her head, realizing she had been focused on the book at Roa’s voice.

The bright eyes looking at her made her aware of where she was.

There were no servants in this space. The fact that she was alone with Roa gave Yvel some sense of security.

There was only one mouth to silence. Yvel swallowed and met Roa’s eyes.

“Ah……”

A sound close to exclamation flowed from Yvel’s mouth, and she immediately cleared her throat to disperse her focus.

It was her weakness that when reading romance stories, her suppressed desires would burst forth, making her unaware of her surroundings.

Yvel covered her face with the book, realizing she was in danger of being caught with her hobby, which she had never been caught with before, in front of someone who knew nothing about her.

She was already forgetting that she needed to maintain a poker face.

Yvel first apologized for being distracted while having someone in front of her.

“……I apologize.”

Her face turned bright red from embarrassment. Pretending to be calm, she placed the book on the table.

However, Yvel’s gaze didn’t leave the novel written by Roa. While she could calm her body, her mind couldn’t.

She was dying to know the rest of the story.

‘I’ve lost. I’ve lost.’

Yvel thought, looking at Roa’s confident expression. She sensed that she was the loser in this trade.

Meanwhile, Roa wore a satisfied winner’s smile, seeing the princess’s gestures and expressions that showed she liked it.

Though she had expected it, seeing her enjoy it to this extent was gratifying. Roa’s book had captured her heart.

“I’m glad you seem to like it.”

Yvel, not wanting to reveal her taste, neither denied nor affirmed but looked at Roa and nodded slightly.

Seeing her speak with such certainty about her preferences, she knew it was impossible to hide even if she tried.

She wondered how this stranger knew a secret that neither her nanny who had cared for her since childhood nor her parents who gave birth to her knew.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Yvel asked Roa directly.

“How did you know?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking how you knew I like this genre of fiction.”

Yvel was certain Roa hadn’t brought the book by chance. Roa scratched her head at Yvel’s question.

‘Did I act like I knew too much about a secret no one knows?’

Though regret washed over her, she couldn’t honestly say she had seen her story in a book because she was someone who crossed from another dimension.

After thinking for a moment about how to convince the female protagonist without making her suspicious, Roa opened her mouth.

“I just wanted to give you something I like.”

There was nothing else she could do but deny knowing.

While Yvel was certain, she had no evidence and couldn’t press Roa further.

Yvel had no choice but to believe Roa’s words.

“You’re quite an enigma, my lady.”

Roa noticed that Yvel was willing to let it go and smiled silently.

Yvel acknowledged that Yvaine had introduced her to a genuinely good person this time.

Usually useless humans could be useful sometimes. That’s why Yvel found Yvaine irritating.

He occasionally did something nice like this, making it impossible to hate him.

“I never imagined this.”

The irritation she had felt when first meeting Roa had completely disappeared. Yvel took a strong liking to Roa.

Born as a princess, she had thought she could never make friends, but the adults were right when they said life was unpredictable.

The existence of a friend, something she had never experienced, suddenly appeared.

“Let me introduce myself formally. I am Levia Khan Yvel.”

“……?”

Was there anyone who didn’t know the princess’s name? Roa tilted her head slightly at the sudden self-introduction.

Yvel covered her mouth to suppress a laugh and extended her hand to Roa. Roa hesitated momentarily before grabbing it.

It was a reflexive response to the conventional greeting of a handshake.

“I never imagined I could find a friend to share my lifelong hobby with.”

“Am I… Your Highness’s friend?”

Roa’s face brightened. Seeing her face filled with expectation, Yvel threw her head back and laughed loudly.

Her immediate reactions were adorably cute. One layer of her pretense had been peeled away.

“Of course. From now on, call me Yvel. That’s a friend’s privilege.”

Her stiff tone became more natural. Roa nodded vigorously.

She never thought she would be granted the title of friend by the female protagonist from their first meeting. It felt like receiving an unexpected gift.

Roa, finally relaxed, picked up a cookie placed in front of her.

“Your Highness……”

“Yvel.”

Yvel interrupted Roa and softly said her name. Roa quickly understood her intention.

Roa was moved again by Yvel, who was letting her know that this was a name permitted only to her.

“I thought Yvel wanted to be introduced to me first.”

Initially, Roan had said the crown prince wanted to introduce the princess.

But Roa muttered, wanting to believe that Yvel had been introduced because she had spoken up first.

Yvel read the expectation in Roa’s unexpected words but didn’t tell her what she wanted to hear.

She didn’t want to lie to a friend from their first meeting.

The perceptive Roa already knew it was a meeting with some coercion involved. Yvel shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t want to lie to a friend. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I could tell from your reaction from the beginning.”

Roa sighed. Though she acted nonchalant so the princess wouldn’t feel sorry, she couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Yvel rested her chin on one palm and extended her other hand to lightly pinch the bridge of Roa’s nose.

“Don’t be cute. You’ve already captured my heart enough. Forget the past.”

‘Don’t cry, my little baby bird.’

Hearing Yvel’s words, that sentence came to Roa’s mind. But even embarrassing words sounded cool when Yvel said them.

Yvel clearly knew that her face was a weapon that could make anyone fall for her.

She used her greatest weapon and acted coquettishly. The disappointed feelings melted away like snow.

Roa smiled with her eyes. Yvel sighed with unreadable intent at her smile and said.

“I’m really worried.”

“About what?”

“Roa, try to avoid meeting our house’s eldest son as much as possible.”

Yvel knew that Yvaine had taken an interest in Roa. At first, she hadn’t thought much of Yvaine’s interest.

To Yvel, Roa had been just a lamb. Of course, now that they were friends, she withdrew that thought.

Though his true nature was hidden and many people didn’t know it, he had intense obsession and possessiveness.

‘Once Roa gets involved with my brother, she won’t be able to escape.’

Yvel firmly held Roa’s hand.

“From what I can see, my brother is interested in you.”

“What? His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Roa frowned as if she’s hearing something absurd at the mention that Yvaine was interested in her.

Someone who enjoyed tormenting her couldn’t possibly be interested in her. Roa didn’t want to believe it.

Yvel seriously advised Roa, who wasn’t even pretending to listen with a smile.

“It’s true. I heard it!”

“No way, that can’t be. And even if His Highness likes me, I hate the crown prince.”

Roa answered without hesitation that she hated Yvaine. Yvel opened her eyes wide at Roa’s unexpectedly firm attitude.

Despite her soft appearance, she had clear likes and dislikes. Yvel asked such a Roa.

“Why? He’s handsome, honestly.”

“What good is being handsome? His personality is strange.”

Roa, who had initially been attracted to Yvaine’s appearance, was a person who realized the importance of personality by observing him.

His appearance was no longer an important charm to her.

“……”

“I like people with good personalities.”

Yvel, unable to say anything, unconsciously let out a snicker at Roa’s ideal type, which was far removed from Yvaine.

Yvel’s lips twitched.

“And someone who’s interested in me would torment me like that?”

Roa bit her lip with her fist clenched. Even without Yvel’s advice, she had no desire to encounter Yvaine.

“Then he must truly be possessed by a demon.”

“Pff…… pfft, ahahahaha! Oh, I can’t stand it.”

Yvel lowered her head with uproarious laughter at Roa’s words. It was obvious how much Roa hated Yvaine.

After only seeing noble ladies who would do anything to marry Yvaine, seeing Roa reject the crown prince made her unable to stop laughing.

“Nothing suits my brother better than a demon!”

Emboldened by Yvel’s affirmation, Roa lowered her voice as if confessing something important.

“That’s why I gave salt as a gift to Brother Roan, just in case.”

“Salt?”

“Yes. They say demons fear salt. Brother Roan works with His Highness the Crown Prince, after all.”

‘A demon.’

Yvel looked at her incredulously at this mythical talk.

Yet Roa who brought it up was very serious. Yvel realized Roa was sincere.

She had wondered why there was salt on Roan’s office desk that seemed out of place. Yvel shook her head upon discovering the salt’s true purpose.

“You must be the only one who gives salt as a gift to sprinkle on the crown prince.”

“That’s how sincere I am about His Highness the Crown Prince. I really hate him.”

Roa’s body trembled. It was easy to see how much she hated the crown prince in her everyday life.

Yvel leaned her head against the armrest of the chair and chuckled.

She never knew that having someone hate her brother could feel this good.

“You pass, Roa.”

“Pardon? What do I pass?”

“You pass as a comrade who hates the crown prince.”

Just hating the crown prince was more than enough qualification for Roa to be her friend.

Unlike those lumps of desire who approached wanting to form connections with the crown prince, she captured Yvel’s heart more as time passed.

“Oh, I laughed so much my stomach hurts.”

“Oh no! Does it hurt a lot?”

“It’s fine. It’s worth it because it’s enjoyable.”

How long had it been since she laughed enough to make her stomach hurt?

Though not much time had passed, it felt like she had laughed more than in all her years combined.

Yvel looked at Roa’s restless expression with loving eyes.

The thought of wanting to talk with Roa all day settled in her heart.

But she was the princess of this empire. Her days were so busy that 24 hours weren’t enough.

She could tell by the maid who had quietly entered and was standing by the door.

Yvel immediately recognized that the maid had come to inform her of her next schedule. She expressed regret at the unavoidable appointment.

“If I had known I would make such a compatible friend, I would have postponed everything.”

“If I’ve been a small pleasure in Your Highness’s busy time, then I’m satisfied.”

While Yvaine took up much of the successor training, Yvel, who pursued perfection, also devoted as much time to education as Yvaine.

Additionally, it was partly his fault for suddenly asking to set up an appointment. The situation became awkward after adjusting her busy schedule.

She was so sorry to Roa that she didn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Time doesn’t exist only today.”

“Next time, stay overnight. I’ll clear a whole day for you.”

For Yvel to set aside a whole day meant that Roa had become that important to her…..

Knowing this well, Roa answered without hesitation as soon as Yvel finished speaking. She also wanted to stay up all night with a female friend.

Although the imperial palace with Yvaine wasn’t a place Roa particularly liked, Yvel’s invitation was always welcome.

“Yes! I’d love to.”

Roa nodded so vigorously her head might fall off.

And fearing that Yvel might feel sorry if she saw her hesitate, Roa gathered her belongings.

Yvel handed Roa a gift she had prepared in advance.

“What should I do, I can’t escort you.”

“It’s fine. A knight escort will be waiting outside, so please don’t worry.”

Roa preciously hugged a box as big as her face. Yvel quickly rose from her chair and opened the door so Roa could leave.

Despite the protests of the maids around her, she ignored them and opened the door herself since she couldn’t escort Roa outside.

“I’ll be looking forward to our next meeting.”

“Yes. Take care on your way.”

Yvel waved her hand. With both hands full of items, Roa had no free hand and bowed her head.

Roa, who had kept her head bowed until the door closed, raised it once she was alone. The quiet corridor brought a cold chill.

As Roa, who had been standing alone in the middle of the corridor, was about to take a step to go home, someone blocked her path.

Black hair and golden-yellow eyes were rare in the imperial palace. Roa could tell his identity without being told.

She frowned at the uninvited guest.

“Leaving already, I see.”

“I pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

‘Brother, you said you’d make sure he wouldn’t appear.’

Roa looked at the crown prince standing before her, making Roan’s confidence look foolish, and tried to force a smile.

‘At least it’s fortunate that I have the princess’s gift.’

It seems there won’t be any accidental hitting of the crown prince. Roa felt grateful for Yvel’s prediction.

Yvaine, unable to guess what Roa was thinking inside, noticed her trembling lips and pretended not to see as he extended his hand.

“I’ll carry it for you.”

“No, thank you. I cannot be rude to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I cannot just watch my dear aide’s sister struggle.”

‘My dear? Are you two dating?’

Roa’s pupils trembled at the phrase “my dear” from Yvaine’s mouth. It was a word he hadn’t used even for the crown princess in the original work.

Moreover, he had never used the term “my dear aide” when introducing Roan to others.

Yvaine had never used the word “my dear” even for his own people.

The phrase “my dear” gave a strong shock to Roa’s heart.

Coming to the imperial palace and learning this unexpected shocking fact, Roa couldn’t bring herself to ask the truth and kept her mouth shut.

‘Was there a part in the original work where the crown prince had a secret love with Roan?’

Roa tried hard to search her memory for content that didn’t exist.

Yvaine could tell what she was imagining just by looking at her expression. Roa examined him with trembling pupils.

It was obvious she was checking if his clothes were disheveled. Yvaine felt a different kind of fun from teasing her.

He unconsciously smiled and patted Roa’s head.

Unable to avoid it because her hands were full with gifts, Roa looked at him with a sour expression.

“……What are you doing.”

“Ah, I apologize. It’s a habit.”

At Yvaine’s excuse, Roa’s expression turned cold.

It was unimaginable how many women’s heads he must have touched for it to become a habit to casually touch them.

Yvaine immediately denied it seeing her expression.

“It’s not like that. I often touched Yvel’s head since we were young.”

“I see.”