“About ten years ago, when that thing was bleeding, we called a doctor and he said…… her insides were ruptured from excessive impact……”

It happened when Adelia was ten years old. After being compared to the former Countess at a tea party, the Countess visited Adelia late at night. Overcome with anger, while abusing Adelia along with Robelia, she unconsciously delivered a strong kick to Adelia’s lower abdomen.

The next morning, a maid discovered pools of blood while bringing Adelia breakfast. As the Count happened to be away from the mansion, this immediately reached the Countess’s ears, and when she secretly called a doctor for examination, he said the internal rupture had made her unable to bear children.

The Countess kept this matter strictly secret and didn’t tell the Count. Though the Count turned a blind eye to the abuse, she thought she couldn’t escape his anger for creating such a major defect in their merchandise that would lower its value.

Thanks to this, even Adelia didn’t know this fact.

“The doctor said she couldn’t have children…… Only Mother and I know about this……”

Robelia couldn’t continue her words properly. This was not only Adelia’s shame but also the shame of the entire Count’s family.

The scars on Adelia’s back were evidence of abuse in the Count’s household. If they claimed it was the servants’ doing, they would be criticized for failing to manage their subordinates, and if the truth came out, it was obvious the entire family would be condemned as eccentric and cruel people.

If it became known that they had participated in continuous and severe abuse to the point of causing infertility, her marriage prospects could be completely blocked. That’s why they had hidden this evidence that could immediately bring down Adelia.

Robelia dropped her head.

‘If the lady makes me an Imperial Consort, I won’t need any other marriage prospects.’

Robelia ground her teeth behind tightly closed lips.

Once Adelia disappears, everything will return to normal.

She could raise her fallen reputation through Lady Odor, and by becoming a benevolent Imperial Consort and bearing just one prince, she could enjoy power nearly equal to the Empress.

Revealing her own shame through exposing the infertility was secondary to Adelia’s downfall.

Robelia quietly waited for the lady’s reaction. She was certain she would be praised with the usual gentle smile.

However,

“She’s infertile yet acting as the mistress of the Imperial Palace?”

Lady Odor burst into loud laughter. She held her stomach while thoroughly mocking Adelia.

Robelia, who had been hanging her head low, flinched. Hearing the boisterous laugh that sounded like a witch’s cackle, she instinctively sensed a threat.

Somehow it felt like the lady she knew was a lie. Like she had grabbed the wrong thread.

But Robelia could no longer let go of the thread called ‘Lady Odor.’ It was her last hope.

In the end, Robelia handed over to the lady the doctor’s note that the Countess had received ten years ago.

* * *

Adelia and Lucian, who had spent the night outside, returned to the Imperial Palace around sunrise. Their return destination was, naturally, Adelia’s bedroom.

To people’s eyes, it appeared as though Lucian had stayed by Adelia’s side all night nursing her.

— Make sure not to make any noise.

When it was time for the palace servants to start their work, Lucian personally ordered the maid. The maid who heard his command nodded while trembling and quickly disappeared.

Immediately, all doors of the Crown Princess’s palace were firmly closed. People’s access was blocked, and all incoming gifts were returned.

Thanks to this, Adelia could spend a very peaceful day.

Since she rejected all visitors under the pretext of recovery, she didn’t go to the office and stayed only in her bedroom, but nothing was lacking.

Adelia was someone who could spend a normal day with just a desk and a comfortable chair.

“Shall I comfortably do some work?”

Adelia spread out her merchant guild work on the desk in one corner of the bedroom and devoted herself to work as usual. Since entry was blocked using recovery as an excuse and even maids couldn’t enter, there was no need to hide.

It was while Adelia was deeply engrossed in work.

“Your Highness the Crown Princess. The Saintess has arrived.”

Along with a knock, a maid’s voice was heard from outside the door.

Adelia, who had been focusing on the documents, hurriedly raised her head. She moved the documents on the desk to dimensional storage with a wiggle of her fingers. Then she threw herself onto the soft bed.

“Ah, tell her to come in.”

Adelia pulled the thin summer blanket up to her neck and swallowed a hurried breath. Soon the door opened as she answered in a calm tone as if nothing was wrong.

“Thank you. I almost got lost, but thanks to you I found my way well.”

“Not at all, Saintess. I will carry this refreshment in.”

The maid who brought the Saintess was Gina. From the bits of conversation she could hear, it seemed Gina had brought the lost Saintess.

Gina entered the room carrying a large tray. On the tray were a basket full of cookies, two teacups, and a pure white teapot sprinkled with fine pearl powder.

Gina arranged them beautifully on the table. The warm sunlight streaming through the wide-open window made the fine pearl powder sparkle, making the teapot shine beautifully.

“Saintess. You’ve come?”

Adelia raised her upper body while pressing her forehead. She squinted her eyes like someone with a headache and dizziness.

The Saintess let out a small sigh while narrowing her eyes at the door. Though Adelia’s acting was plausible, the Saintess knew the truth.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. Would you help me over there?”

Seeing Adelia’s sickly appearance, Gina hurried over.

Adelia smiled faintly, drawing an arc on her face. Her already pale face looked even more transparent in the sunlight.

Gina supported Adelia’s arm with a face full of worry. While Adelia pretended to struggle to reach the table, the Saintess sat with an incredulous expression.

“Thank you. Gina, you may go now.”

“Yes, please call me if you need anything.”

Gina bowed deeply to Adelia, then politely bowed to the Saintess before leaving the room.

The Saintess unconsciously followed Gina with her gaze. Only after the door closed did she turn her head.

“Why? Did Gina make a mistake?”

“No, it just feels like I’ve seen her somewhere. She looks familiar?”

The Saintess said while tilting her head. But no matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t remember where she had seen her or whom she resembled.

The contemplation didn’t last long. The Saintess’s mind was already full of other thoughts to worry about just one maid.

“Must be because she has a common face. By the way, why did you come here?”

“Haha, I received quite a lot of threats.”

“Threats?”

“Something like that. Try some tea, it’s flower tea from the Holy Kingdom. It’s fragrant with chrysanthemum.”

The Saintess laughed awkwardly. Just thinking about what happened this morning still made her shudder.

As soon as the Saintess woke up, three letters arrived at her quarters. On the front of the envelopes were red seals that were similar but slightly different.

The Saintess frowned at the security magic placed on the letters.

Magic for a Saintess who should stay away from magical power. It showed absolutely no manners or consideration.

The Saintess opened the letters one by one.

[Though you’re fake, you have holy power, so heal the Crown Princess.]

[Don’t forget what Adelia has done for you. Heal her on your own.]

[As soon as you wake up, check Sister’s condition and send a record.]

These were letters that had completely eaten up courtesy. However, she couldn’t ignore them because of the clearly stamped imperial family seals. Moreover, receiving these made her head complicated.

Just yesterday she had resolved not to meet Adelia alone, but that resolution had to be shattered and thrown far away.

The Saintess sighed and poured tea from the teapot into the teacups. The yellow tea water trickled into the cups. The fragrant scent of chrysanthemum filled the bedroom.

“It’s a tea rarely seen in the Empire?”

“Yes. Because tea that’s easy to obtain and not flashy has low commercial value.”

Though flower tea was excellent, black tea and green tea were popular in the Empire. Although they sometimes sold very expensive dried flower teas, they didn’t sell as well as black tea.

Adelia picked up the teacup full of warm tea water.

The warm temperature filled her hand.

“Did you thoughtlessly bring hot tea in summer?”

“Just drink it. Warm drinks are best for patients.”

Adelia’s reproaching tone was full of playfulness. The Saintess responded with a similarly sarcastic tone.

Adelia chuckled and swallowed the warm tea. After taking a sip of the fragrant tea, she crunched on the crispy cookie. The subtle butter flavor wasn’t bad.

“This isn’t Imperial Palace food. The taste is different.”

“It’s made by the priests with ingredients brought from the Holy Kingdom. Though it’s not palace food, isn’t it quite tasty?”

“Not bad. It’s nutty and delicious.”

Their conversation was peaceful. They talked about how the refreshments tasted, whether the bed was comfortable, and what happened at the banquet.

Until then, only very ordinary conversations were exchanged.