Contrary to Jenny’s expectations, Shasha hadn’t slept at all during the night. Her rough face clearly showed deep fatigue.

After Jenny left the room, Shasha remained lost in thought before sitting at the desk. She picked up a quill pen and scribbled something on paper.

It was neither the Imperial language used throughout the continent nor the sacred language used in temples, yet she wrote fluently.

「Sharnia White」

She had doubted and questioned all night. Had she gone mad from shock? Or was it just a delusion?

But the memories of her past life that had poured out like a broken dam were too vivid. Just looking at how skillfully she could read and write Korean confirmed it.

That Park Hayan from her dreams was indeed Sharnia White.

“Ha…… Haha……”

Finally, a sound escaped that was half-laugh, half-sigh.

“I was really stupid.”

She had known it before, but with her past life’s memories added, she clearly understood how pathetically she had been living until now.

Recalling the countless moments when she couldn’t protect herself, she bit her lip.

“Now…… I won’t live like that anymore.”

“Ahem! Ahem!”

At that moment, a low clearing of throat came from outside the door.

When she opened the door, Shasha’s father, Count White, stood there with a displeased expression.

“You’re up late.”

Under his cold gaze looking down at her, Shasha’s shoulders hunched despite her determination to live differently. The experiences of her current life dominated her more strongly than the suddenly recovered memories of her past life.

“……I overslept a bit because yesterday’s party was tiring.”

Shasha had to struggle considerably just to get those words out. Her fingernails dug into her palms so hard they nearly drew blood. Yet she was surprised at herself for talking back to the Count.

Count White also raised his eyebrows in surprise when Shasha, who would normally not even open her mouth and just watch his reactions, actually responded.

“We need to go to the Imperial Palace, so get ready.”

Glancing at the grandfather clock, Count White decided to postpone his scolding. With limited time before the council meeting, they needed to depart soon.

Having said what he needed to, he went down the stairs before Shasha could respond. She closed the door with a deep sigh.

The sudden notice of going out was unwelcome, especially when she was still confused by her past life memories. Even more so when the destination was the Imperial Palace, where one could hardly breathe properly.

But fearing immediate consequences if she refused her father’s orders, Shasha had no choice but to prepare for the palace visit. She changed into an outdoor dress and had a maid help with her makeup.

Count White, waiting downstairs, frowned when he saw Shasha after she finished dressing.

She looked quite unsightly with her haggard appearance from not sleeping properly. They might encounter Pedro at the palace, and he couldn’t take her looking like this.

“Apply more powder.”

At Count White’s urging, the maid applied more makeup to Shasha’s face. Only when the heavy makeup concealed her sickly complexion did Count White nod with satisfaction.

“Hiya—!”

With the coachman’s whip, the horses galloped and the carriage moved. The father and daughter, sitting across from each other in the narrow carriage, turned their heads in different directions without meeting each other’s eyes.

“There’s no better match.”

Count White was the first to break the silence.

“That much flirtation is hardly a flaw for a man.”

Though he hadn’t attended yesterday’s party, his tone suggested he knew everything that had happened. This was thanks to the coachman who had briefed him on the situation.

In truth, as he said, Pedro was quite an excellent marriage prospect if one only considered the conditions.

First, he was born with noble imperial blood. Although he was the Third Imperial Prince and far from the succession line, his full brother, the Second Imperial Prince Edric, had become the Crown Prince, which was enough to raise his value.

Moreover, his mother, Imperial Consort Marilyn, was acting as the head of the inner court in place of the vacant Empress position. With the Emperor’s favor and her family’s backing, she also wielded tremendous political influence.

Looking at Pedro himself, he had quite a handsome appearance. With his excellent conversational skills that allowed him to get along with anyone, he had a good reputation in social circles, if not for his woman problems.

Was that the issue? Women attracted to Pedro flocked to him like moths to a flame. Of course, he had a fiancée, but the fact that it was Shasha, “Lady Drum,” meant she hardly counted as an obstacle. Add to that Pedro’s liberal views on romance that welcomed all women, and he boasted an impressively colorful history with women.

Even Count White couldn’t bring himself to say, even as empty words, that Pedro would settle down after marriage.

“Once you marry and bear a son to continue the lineage, that’s all that matters. Those other women are just bedmates, nothing more and nothing less.”

“Those bedmates can also bear sons, can’t they?”

Shasha was surprised at her own inadvertent retort, her eyes widening in shock.

Her inner thoughts had escaped her mouth on their own. It was a stark contrast to how she had previously only suffered in silence, unable to express her opinions.

It was significant progress, but the problem was that she had thoroughly upset Count White.

“How dare you, girl!”

Count White roared and raised his hand with a thunderous voice.

‘I’m going to get hit……!’

Recognizing the familiar sign of physical punishment, Shasha tightly closed her eyes. Fortunately, Count White’s hand stopped just before reaching her face.

“……It seems Imperial Consort Marilyn needs help with the charity bazaar she’s preparing. Visit her and ask if there’s anything you can assist with.”

Count White took deep, rough breaths to suppress his anger. An impudent girl should be disciplined with a whip, but he couldn’t send her to the palace with visible marks.

Meanwhile, Shasha thought she’d rather offer her cheek than meet Imperial Consort Marilyn. Dealing with the fastidious Imperial Consort was no easy task, and she still had lingering negative feelings toward Pedro.

“Tsk tsk, stupid girl. You should be making your presence known every day……”

Seeing Shasha’s darkening expression, Count White clicked his tongue in displeasure.

Although two years had passed since their engagement, there was still no talk of marriage. Imperial Consort Marilyn used the excuse that Crown Prince Edric hadn’t married yet and wouldn’t give any assurance about the wedding.

As the engagement period lengthened, rumors circulated that Imperial Consort Marilyn was delaying the marriage because she wasn’t satisfied with the match.

Shasha being known as “Lady Drum” in social circles wasn’t the only issue. The current Count White, who had joined the family as a son-in-law, was originally from lower nobility, and the current Countess was a second wife taken after the first wife died—these were also considered flaws.

As a result, Count White was increasingly anxious. Despite knowing that Shasha lacked the sociability to ingratiate herself with superiors, he kept sending her to the palace.

“Remember this. Your usefulness lies in marrying the Imperial Prince.”

Count White, threatening Shasha, failed to realize that his oppressive attitude was what created “Lady Drum” who was intimidated by everything.

Instead, he was trying to win Imperial Consort Marilyn’s favor in other ways.

“I plan to spend generously at this bazaar. That should bring progress to the marriage.”

The annual charity bazaar hosted by Imperial Consort Marilyn was actually just a money laundering channel. The sales proceeds, supposedly for the poor, all flowed into Imperial Consort Marilyn’s pockets.

Well aware of this, Count White intended to pour money into it to win her favor. Judging by his boast that he would definitely set a wedding date this year, he seemed to have a considerable sum in mind.

‘But Father, the more you do that, the more Imperial Consort Marilyn will delay the marriage.’

This transaction called marriage had already tipped completely to one side. Count White, having lost control, was being helplessly dragged along by Imperial Consort Marilyn.

Imperial Consort Marilyn would continue to squeeze Count White using the marriage as leverage. And when she had extracted everything to the last drop and he was no longer useful……

‘We’ll be discarded. Miserably.’

Her already dizzy mind became even more complicated. Shasha closed her eyes and sank into thought.

“Whoa, whoa!”

Sometime later, as the coachman’s voice calmed the horses and the carriage slowly stopped, her closed eyelids gradually opened.

Though her bloodshot eyes showed clear fatigue, her green irises sparkled with intelligence.