Though Lizzy was the eldest daughter of the Charbert family, she didn’t engage in social activities as actively as other nobles. The nobility subtly looked down on her because she was born of common blood, so Lizzy had to work hard until she no longer appeared naive.

She had come to the palace often only because her parents’ family had deep ties with the imperial family.

“Lady Charbert, it’s been a while.”

“It’s an honor that you responded so promptly to my sudden request for an audience, Your Majesty.”

Even so, barging in and saying, “Please, let me meet you,” was highly improper. Lizzy had come prepared for a rejection or harsh rebuke, but Hellebore greeted her kindly.

“I’ve missed seeing you. You must have been busy preparing to inherit the Marchioness title?”

Lizzy was soon to be officially named the Marchioness of Charbert. Because of this, whenever Olivia was resting due to her pregnancy, Lizzy could independently manage the family’s affairs.

“Yes, but it’s always a pleasure. Sometimes it still feels unreal.”

“Even after all this time?”

“Yes, it still feels like a miracle, not because my parents hold high ranks, but because I’ve become family with such wonderful people.”

Hellebore gazed at her thoughtfully, as if savoring her words. Lizzy always found Hellebore’s calm yet piercing gaze intimidating, but she decided to take a chance.

“The reason I came so suddenly is that I have a favor to ask of Your Majesty.”

“I’m curious what favor could have brought you here in such haste.”

“Please allow my father to leave the empire for just one day.”

As soon as Hellebore lifted his teacup, Lizzy made her request. His hand froze mid-motion, stopping before he could take a sip.

“My goodness, Lady Elizabeth. I haven’t even had a sip of tea yet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that thinking about my parents makes me want to resolve this as quickly as possible.”

Lizzy’s face flushed bright red. Hellebore burst into hearty laughter.

“Truly, I don’t know what’s going on, but Lady Elizabeth, you resemble your parents a great deal. You act like you’d kill anyone who crosses you, just like the Marchioness, but you care deeply for others, much like the Duke—gentle, yet willing to go to any lengths.”

“Uh, but…”

“Whenever I say things like this, you always respond as if to say, ‘But I’m not related by blood,’ but people don’t need to share blood to resemble each other. When hearts are connected and love is shared, you start to resemble one another, wouldn’t you agree by now?”

Lizzy had to suppress the rush of emotion swelling within her. Hellebore had always been like this—cold yet warm at the same time.

Acknowledging his words, Lizzy nodded and calmly explained the reason for her sudden visit. Hellebore, listening quietly, smiled as though it all made sense now.

“I thought there must be a significant reason.”

“My mother is still young, but after giving birth to children back-to-back, her body has been strained. My father worries about her traveling alone. But he also opposes the idea of me going with her, as he thinks it’s too dangerous.”

“So, you want me to let them go together? Because if those two fight, the whole empire could be turned upside down?”

Lizzy bit her lip shyly. Hellebore, after pondering briefly, finally spoke.

“Alright, let me make a proposal.”

Hellebore withdrew his smile and leaned slightly toward Lizzy.

“If you, soon to be the Marchioness, can carry out this proposal, I will personally grant your request.”

Lizzy swallowed nervously, trying to hide her reaction.

Her mother, Olivia, had complicated feelings toward Hellebore—sometimes loving him, sometimes hating him—enough to be frighteningly unpredictable.

“He’s still a good person, you know. Even after becoming part of your family, he always sends you gifts. He never misses sending letters and gifts, even when Themis and Iris were born.”

“But listen, Lizzy. Even so, you shouldn’t trust him completely. No matter how friendly he seems, he’s as sly as a snake. Even your mom got fooled. I still get mad thinking about how much your dad suffered because of him!”

If her mother hadn’t lied about her age, she’d be in her late twenties, but the way she spoke made her seem like someone who had seen everything the world had to offer. Olivia often warned her never to let her guard down around Hellebore. She would say that his smile was bait, and the moment you trusted him, he’d take full advantage of it to suit his needs.

“If it’s something I can do, I’ll do my best.”

Lizzy carefully chose her words. Hellebore, though he often seemed to let things slide, would later recall everything said to him without missing a single word. Knowing this, Lizzy reflected on her impulsiveness from earlier and decided to act cautiously.

“My request is…”

Gulp.

“Please cure my son’s lovesickness.”

“What?”

Hellebore, who had been sitting upright, slumped over the sturdy table with a thud.

“My son, now that he’s grown, is seriously lovesick. Lizzy, you know my son has been following Themis around since she was a baby, right? Please, just get Themis to the palace…”

Hellebore, who sometimes treated Lizzy like a niece, would occasionally speak informally with her, though he mostly used honorifics like he would with other nobles. Lizzy considered it part of his unique sense of propriety.

“Has His Highness been asking for Themis a lot?”

But it seemed even he loosened up when it came to matters concerning his son.

A few years ago, Hellebore married a princess from a neighboring country and had a son, Crown Prince Matthias, whom he cherished greatly. While it’s natural for parents to love their children, Hellebore had never shown any signs of emotional vulnerability—except when his son was unwell. If Matthias ever had a fever, Hellebore would delay all his duties for the day.

“I’ve pleaded with dukes and marchioness countless times to bring Themis to the palace, but she keeps refusing to see my son.”

Lizzy was aware of this. For some reason, Themis didn’t particularly like Crown Prince Matthias. This had been the case ever since they first met around three years ago when they were both old enough to talk. For some unknown reason, Themis had disliked Matthias ever since.

“I don’t like youuuu!”

Lizzy still remembered how loud Themis’ voice had been that day, making her ears ring. The odd thing was, Matthias hadn’t made any major mistake at the time. Yet, despite this, Themis had been adamant, and even though Olivia and Marsden tried to get her to see Matthias more often, it was to no avail.

What was even sadder was that as Matthias grew older, he genuinely started to like Themis. Being smart like his parents, Matthias understood the nature of his feelings.

“One time I asked him why he wasn’t eating, and he said it was because he was upset, thinking about Themis. He even went through great trouble to get her favorite foreign snacks last time, but she got mad…”

Lizzy thought deeply, reflecting on the time since Themis was born and analyzing the situation.

Themis, by nature, had a strong sense of possession. She was also fiercely jealous, hating it when attention shifted to her younger sister, Iris.

“Could it be that His Highness triggered something in Themis?”

Lizzy began replaying the scene of Themis and Matthias’ first meeting in her mind.

“Pleased to meet you, Themis… Oh!?”

Now that she thought about it, there was a small variable. Just as Matthias was about to greet Themis, Iris had fallen, and Matthias immediately rushed over to help her.

‘Oh no, Themis…’

It wasn’t hard to figure out, especially since Themis had become more jealous lately. It all made sense now.

Themis had probably fallen for Matthias at that young age, but seeing Matthias care more for Iris had made her angry.

‘This little troublemaker…’

Lizzy let out a small sigh before speaking.

“Your Majesty.”

“Hm? What is it, Lady Elizabeth?”

Hellebore looked at Lizzy as if she were his lifeline.

“I think I can help you with your request more easily than you think.”

“What!? How?”

“All I need to do is talk sweetly to Themis, leave Iris with the nanny, and bring Themis to the palace.”

“Huh? It’s that simple?”

Whenever the family visited the palace, they usually all went together. Naturally, Iris would be there as well when Matthias met Themis.

“Tell His Highness that Themis is coming to see him soon, and it would be good for him to prepare a line like, ‘You’re the one I’m closest to in the world.’ Something along those lines.”

“Is that really all, Lizzy?”

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more chapters of the side story.