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After returning to my room, I thought about Roan and then tried to recall how the novel would unfold. Actually, I was so focused on Roan’s heart-wrenching love and what would happen to him that I didn’t remember much of the overall plot.
Hmm. Let’s start by thinking about the main characters.
Cameron von Astrid. The male protagonist of *Flowers Bloom in the Imperial Palace.* Crown Prince of the Astrid Empire. Dignified and kind, as befits a crown prince?
Grace de Jallier. The angelic female protagonist. Princess of the small Jallier Kingdom, practically offered to the empire for the sake of her kingdom’s security. Falls in love with the crown prince. Keeps Roan on a string.
…??? Is this all I remember about the main characters?
Is this really coming from a person who claimed to know the story by heart? I lamented my memory and doubted whether my brain was better than a goldfish’s. Ugh.
But now I can’t let Roan be strung along by Grace.
No way am I going to let a divorce happen! But when did Roan and Delis get divorced again?
…Wait a minute.
“What?!”
I just remembered that fact now!
Roan divorces Delis after returning from the war with the barbarians. In that war, Roan is seriously injured and later walks with a slight limp in his left leg.
That war wasn’t only with the “barbarians.”
In the continent, there are two more influential kingdoms besides the Astrid Empire, which occupies more than half of the territory: the Carlin Kingdom and the Medicia Kingdom.
The Astrid Empire had no intention of starting a conquest war, and the two kingdoms were keeping each other in check while bowing to the Astrid Empire, allowing the three nations to coexist.
But within this tense peace, the northern barbarians appeared. They were constantly eyeing the empire’s northern border, leading to a war with the empire.
It should have been an easy victory. However, the empire suffered a crushing defeat in the first battle. The Carlin Kingdom had allied with the barbarians.
Even so, Roan wouldn’t have been injured or lost the battle if it weren’t for one more thing.
“Right!”
The problem was the enemy within.
To eliminate Roan, the central figure of the Emperor’s faction, the noble faction used this war. They leaked military secrets of the empire to the Carlin Kingdom and the barbarians. Traitors!
With knowledge of the empire’s strategies, their allied forces set a trap. Most of the imperial army involved in that battle was annihilated, with only Roan and a few others surviving.
Roan barely made it back, and despite his injuries, was blamed for losing the battle.
His wife, Delis, instead of comforting him, mocked his limp, saying he looked like the bastard child he was.
It’s like being hit by a truck. In the midst of this, Roan asked Delis for a divorce. He probably had enough of her.
Roan and Delis were married because Marquis Caesar’s house and Duke Bannister’s house were both part of the Emperor’s faction. The former Duke Bannister arranged their marriage to solidify the Emperor’s faction’s power.
That’s why most of the Emperor’s faction, including Marquis Caesar, opposed the divorce, but no one could change Roan’s mind. Delis had no reason to refuse the divorce either.
Eventually, Roan, dragging his injured leg, won the second battle and then the war. The territories of the Carlin Kingdom and the barbarians were absorbed into the empire, and Roan uncovered the noble faction’s spies. Although the noble faction cut off its tail, not everyone could be punished.
Roan, having brought victory in the war, became a hero of the empire. The defeat of the previous battle faded from everyone’s memory. And he officially divorced Delis.
“Ha….”
No, I can’t watch Roan get hurt. I must stop it! I have to tell him the truth.
But how? I can’t just go to Roan and say, “Actually, the barbarians and the Carlin Kingdom will ally, and the noble faction will leak information to kill you!” He’d definitely ask where I got that information, and if I say it’s from a novel? I’d probably end up locked in a white house on a hill. Sob.
It’s spring now, and Roan and Delis divorce in early fall.
The war lasts a little over two months, so it starts in summer!
I need to take action before summer. What should I do! As I was stomping my feet, I heard a knock at the door.
“Your Graca. It’s Mary.”
“Oh, yes. Come in.”
“Your Grace. Would you like some tea?”
“I will, thank you.”
I said to Mary with a smile. I need to find peace while drinking tea.
Mary looked puzzled at my words. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke.
“Your Grace, you seem a bit different from before you lost your memory.”
Well, that’s because I’m really a different person. Haha. Besides, Delis didn’t have a puppy-like personality. There’s bound to be a difference.
“So, how was I before?”
“Um, well….”
“It’s okay, just tell me.”
“Um, you used to be more active around the house.”
You were so active that it was normal for you to throw things at the maids or throw the maids at things.
“And you were quite sensitive to the surroundings.”
Whether it was some sort of illness, you would get irritated over the smallest things,
“So we had to be very careful with you.”
Everyone held back their desire to quit, being careful out of fear that your condition might flare up again.
“…….”
What is this? Mary’s words were automatically translated in my head.
“I see. Haha.”
I took a sip of tea to wet my dry throat and forced a smile that even I could tell was awkward.
“You seem to have become kinder.”
Compared to the original Delis, that seems to be true.
“Oh, by the way. You should go to bed early since you have to attend the first princess’s birthday banquet tomorrow.”
“A banquet?”
“Yes, you’ve been concerned about the banquet for days.”
Delis must still be clinging to the vain dream of becoming the empress.
“If it’s the first princess’s birthday banquet… The crown prince will be there too, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ugh, as expected.
“And this time, the princess from the recently allied kingdom of Jallier will be attending for the first time.”
“Huh?”
Could it be that this is when Grace and Cameron first meet? No way.
I get to witness the dramatic first meeting of the male and female leads in real time. This is great.
Oh, and this is when she meets Roan for the first time too, right? Though in the original story, he wasn’t interested in her until later.
“Is Roan going too?”
“Yes, since it’s a royal birthday banquet, the duke will attend as well.”
Alright, I’ll see their first meeting and make sure Grace understands that Roan can’t be one of her options.
I need to make it clear to the crown prince too that I’m no longer interested in him. I’ll cheer you both on to live happily ever after! I resolved myself deeply.
***
The next day, it was torture from the morning.
“Ugh… Wait, wait….”
The corset was so tight that I felt like I might throw up despite having eaten nothing.
The maids tightened my waist and dressed me in a splendid silver gown. It looked quite expensive with all its sparkle.
Soon, the maids carefully started applying makeup. With a face like this, it must be satisfying to put on makeup.
A few minutes later.
“Wow.”
A gasp escaped my lips unconsciously. What did they do to my face? The maids’ hands suddenly seemed like gold.
Delis was certainly pretty by nature, but being dressed up made her look like a different person. She looked so beautiful that it seemed difficult to approach her.
If only it wasn’t for that personality. Her bad personality overshadowed even this beautiful face.
When I praised the maids for their work, they were flustered, but seeing the changed me who had lost her memory, they didn’t react violently as they had before.
Though embarrassed, their faces lit up, and they didn’t seem to dislike it. I finished getting ready and fell into my thoughts.
Did Roan think about me? Even if he did, it probably wasn’t anything good.
“Your Grace, the carriage is ready.”
The duke’s butler, Victor, spoke from outside the room.
“Got it.”
I went downstairs to get into the carriage. Then I saw Roan coming down from the second floor.
Wow…! Dressed in a well-fitted black tailcoat, he looked stunning enough to make my heart race. Heart, calm down. Take it easy.
Roan and I made eye contact.
“G-good morning.”
My heart kept racing, making my words come out stammered. Then the now familiar surprised looks of the servants turned towards me.
“…Good morning.”
Roan replied bluntly and immediately looked away from me.
“Roan, did you sleep well last night?”
But I’m not one to give up so easily. I put on a thick skin and kept talking to him. His indifferent blue eyes turned back to me.
“…I didn’t sleep well.”
“Why? Why didn’t you sleep well?”
“I have chronic insomnia.”
That’s right, he has suffered from insomnia since childhood and never slept well at night.
“Aren’t you tired then? Are you okay?”
“It’s something I’ve always dealt with. It’s not something you need to worry about.”
Roan replied coldly. Still, I decided to take it as a good sign that he answered at all.
I tried to get into the carriage. However, the threshold was high, and it looked a bit difficult to get in alone while wearing a dress.
“Ro-Roan, can you help me up? It’s a bit hard to get in by myself.”
“…….”
I guess it was too much to expect him to hold my hand. Feeling disappointed, I tried to get in the carriage alone.
– Sway.
I lost my balance as I put one foot on the carriage.
– Thud.
A gloved hand grabbed mine, feeling heavy yet soft, and a fresh, comforting scent wafted over me.
“Huh?”
He held my hand. Unbelievable.
“Roan, thank you!”
“I didn’t do it for your thanks.”
He said without even looking at me, his face cold as ice.
“Still, I’m really grateful.”
A smile naturally spread across my face, and my heart pounded. Roan is definitely kind at heart.
Even though Roan still dislikes me, I can’t give up on him. I will win you over, no matter what.
The feeling of his hand from earlier still seemed to linger. I couldn’t feel much through the gloves, but I had a hunch that his hand would be warm.
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Usurpadora
Ela fez o que muitas protagonistas deixam de fazer, pedir desculpas. Mesmo que não seja ela que fez o mal, todo mundo pensa que foi, afinal ela está no corpo de quem fez o mal. Já acho isso um bom começo.