“Are you jealous that I spent time in the lounge with His Highness, the Crown Prince? Or is it that I might soon become the Crown Princess?”

Adelia crossed her arms and slightly tilted her head.

Her innocent and guileless expression was a given.

To whatever extent it worked, Robelia, who had been shouting, quieted down.

Instead, she crossed her arms in the opposite direction and lifted her head with a smirk on her face.

“Ha. The person who will become His Highness’s official wife is me, not someone like you.”

“What?”

Adelia was speechless. It felt like she had been hit in the head, dizzy.

What kind of nonsensical talk was that?

Robelia, thinking she hit the nail on the head, spoke even more confidently.

“I’m healthier, prettier, younger, and smarter. It must have been hard to see yesterday. Of course, His Highness would choose me when he sees me.”

Adelia looked at her, dumbfounded. Her lips twitched and she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer.

She laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

Robelia, who seemed to have calmed down a bit, flushed red again at that sight.

“This is real! You were just lucky to be chosen by His Highness!”

Her laughing face must have really irked Robelia, who immediately raised her hand in annoyance.

It was her habit. Whether it was a maid or a lady, if they were beneath her, she would look down on them and raise her hand.

Since Adelia knew she wouldn’t be hurt anyway, she was relaxed. She was confident that her hand wouldn’t reach her.

The moment Robelia’s hand swung through the air towards Adelia’s cheek.

“What are you doing now?”

Someone opened the slightly ajar door and entered.

It was a man in a white uniform.

“What… what!”

Robelia withdrew her hand, which was in mid-air.

Behind the door the man opened, several knights stood.

All were dressed in identical white uniforms, with swords at their waists.

The only difference was the blue band on the shoulder of the man who entered first.

Robelia stood there, flustered, mouth agape.

‘It’s strange that Robelia didn’t hear that noise.’

The sound of swords and sheaths clashing had been audible for a while. The sound of several indicated something obvious.

The white uniform with a black panther emblem was the symbol of the imperial knights.

Adelia spoke with a small smile on her face, turning her back to them.

“It was just a quarrel between sisters. Could you please bow your heads for a moment? I’m still in my pajamas.”

“Ah. My apologies. We heard loud noises… We intruded.”

They all bowed their heads at once. The man in front was red up to his ears.

And rightly so, because Adelia had just woken up and was in thin pajamas.

She draped a robe that was hanging nearby.

‘To think they sent even the captain of the knights.’

Captain Deon was a famous character even in the original story.

A handsome face and outstanding abilities had made him the youngest captain of the knights. He was the eldest son of a marquis and would soon inherit his family’s title.

“You may raise your heads now.”

“Really… My apologies.”

“It’s okay.”

Despite Adelia’s reassurance, Deon again sought forgiveness for the rudeness.

Seeing a lady in light clothing was against a knight’s code of ethics.

Eventually, he knelt before her without raising his face, and the knights behind him also knelt down and bowed their heads.

“Captain Deon. By order of His Highness, the Crown Prince, I have come to escort Lady Adelia Vita. From now on, you will be treated as befits the Crown Princess.”

His every word was enough to silence everyone in the mansion.

The sudden arrival of the imperial knights had startled the mansion’s servants and the count’s family, who were loitering around the room.

Adelia covered her mouth with her hand as though she was surprised.

‘Interesting.’

A lazy smile lay beneath her hand.

The startled looks and shaking pupils of those who always looked down on her were quite thrilling.

“I guess I should prepare to enter the palace. Could you wait a bit?”

“Of course. Please take your time.”

“Thank you. Oh, before that…”

Adelia looked at Robelia with a slightly subdued face.

She still stood there, shocked.

‘She’s really becoming the Crown Princess… No! She should always be beneath me. She should quietly listen to me and crawl around. Why!’

Robelia clenched her trembling hands tightly.

It was an instinctive sense of danger.

Adelia placed her hand on Robelia’s shoulder with a relaxed face.

“Robelia. You should be careful from now on. You shouldn’t act so rashly.”

Adelia dusted off her shoulder as she spoke.

Robelia couldn’t say anything.

The always obedient and quiet Adelia was speaking confidently without avoiding her eyes.

Adelia, pretending to hug her younger sibling tenderly, whispered in their ear.

“Start getting your act together. How long are you going to be dragged around by Father? That man only thinks of selling you for profit. Look at me. The count was going to sell me to that old man, but now I will become the crown princess.”

After whispering a small warning in their ear, Adelia tapped her little sister’s frozen cheek.

The satiated beast was personally giving its prey a chance.

She thought of a good excuse like ‘family environment.’ She also thought of ending things moderately if she truly repented.

“And. It’s not that His Highness the Crown Prince chose me. I chose him. You won’t catch his eye.”

After finishing the warning, Adelia straightened her head proudly.

She looked at the people with a slight smile.

“Then, would everyone please leave?”

* * *

After arriving at the imperial palace, the contract was swiftly concluded.

She was guided to the Crown Prince’s office and checked the prepared contract. There were no issues, so they proceeded with the contract immediately.

Holding the contract stamped with a bright red seal, Adelia said,

“Now I am officially your fiancée. Later on, I’ll be your wife.”

“That seems to be the case. Please take care of me, Lady Vita.”

Lucian extended his hand.

Adelia’s pupils shook violently at his suddenly gentle tone.

‘Where did the cold-hearted Crown Prince go? The person who cared about nothing but his own family, where did he go?’

She screamed inside without showing her panic.

The only thing that changed between yesterday and today was writing the contract and receiving the authority of the Crown Princess.

It’s just that, but his changed attitude in the blink of an eye was suspicious.

Adelia’s gaze fell to his hand.

“Is there a poisoned needle in your hand? Or have you prepared something strange…”

Yes. That was highly probable.

Waiting for her to let her guard down to assassinate her was the most likely plan.

Or else, why would he become kind to me?

Sensing her suspicion, Lucian chuckled.

“There’s no need to check; there’s nothing like that.”

“But why… Your way of speaking and attitude have become strangely gentle?”

“Yesterday, you were just a noble, but now you are my fiancée. The imperial family does not respect nobles, but those who will become part of the imperial family are respected, even if it’s through a contract.”

“That… I see.”

Adelia hesitated with a suspicious look on her face.

You weren’t this kind of character…

Certainly, he was a person who only cared about his family for his entire life.

He was also stiff towards the future Crown Princess who was in a similar situation as me.

‘Ah, rather than being stiff, it was that woman who unilaterally avoided him because she was scared. But still…’

This suddenly changed relationship wasn’t bad either.

Adelia took his extended hand.

“Yes, please take care of me too. And if you’re going to call me Lady Vita, you might as well call me by my name.”

“If you wish, I will do so. Let me show you to your room then.”

Lucian stood up, letting go of her hand.

Contrary to her expectation that he would assign a maid or handmaid to her, Lucian personally guided her.

Walking together with him somewhat reluctantly, Adelia kept some distance from him.

And soon she realized why he had insisted on coming with her.

“Brother!”

“Ariana.”

Princess Ariana was waiting in the room Adelia was supposed to stay in.

As soon as the door opened, the princess rushed in front of them.

Her steps, bouncing with joy, stopped abruptly upon seeing Adelia and became still.

Standing in front of the door, they blinked silently at each other.

As if enchanted, they looked at each other, and then, as if by agreement, both spoke at the same time.

“You really… look lovely.”

“Wow… What a pretty sister.”