‘So that’s why she kept saying she liked them all.’

Ariana, Lucian, Lawrence, and even the emperor all had the same realization.

Whichever dress she chose, it would all look exquisite on her.

The madam had been moved to tears long ago. The dresses sparkled as if they had found their rightful owner, worth every sleepless night spent creating them.

After trying on all the dresses, Adelia changed back into the comfortable one she had come in.

“Exclude this one and that one. They seem too heavy, and it would be tiring to wear them for long.”

Adelia pointed to a few dresses with her hand.

After trying them on, she had a practical sense of what was comfortable.

Regardless of their beauty, she had to firmly exclude the dresses that would be difficult to wear for an extended period.

Eliminating a few more, only two remained.

“It’s hard to choose between these two, they’re so different in style…”

One was a lovely design with layers of airy lace that would flutter with every movement.

The other had a sleek, elegant silhouette, with intricate embroidery and delicate jewels studding the fabric, making it both glamorous and refined.

The contrasting charms of the two made it challenging to decide.

“I like the second dress! The embroidery is so pretty, and the jewels make it sparkle!”

Ariana raised her hand enthusiastically.

“But the first dress suits you so well too? The lace draws the eye more.”

The prince also tilted his head, offering his opinion.

With each dress receiving one vote, Adelia was left pondering.

“Your Highness and Your Majesty, what do you think is better?”

“Both are fine.”

“…That’s not a very helpful answer.”

Adelia narrowed her eyes slightly.

What did she expect from someone whose mind was filled with thoughts of his daughter?

“I think the second dress is the better choice.”

Lucian, who was seated beside her, spoke up.

Delighted by his response, Adelia quickly turned to face him.

Her wide, blue eyes blinked rapidly.

“Really?”

“Yes. The elegant design suits you well.”

“Hmm… Then I’ll go with the second dress.”

Adelia closed her eyes briefly and graced them with a bright smile.

Having decided on the dress, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

At that moment, the seated Ariana suddenly sprang up from her seat.

With light, quick steps, she rushed over and threw herself into Adelia’s arms.

Her fluffy, pink hair scattered like cherry blossoms.

“I feel like you’re too good for my brother to marry, sister.”

Ariana nuzzled her face, speaking in a slightly petulant tone.

While she was happy about the marriage, seeing Adelia in the wedding dress made her feel that she was too precious.

No matter how many times she thought about it, it seemed like the best choice her brother had made was to accept this contract marriage.

Because it meant he could briefly have the perfect Adelia as his bride.

Her words were muffled as she buried her face in Adelia’s skirts.

Even so, Adelia understood her meaning, and her red eyes crinkled prettily.

“Then shall we not do it? If our princess says not to, I’ll reconsider. I can at least pay alimony.”

“Mmm… No, it’s good that I get to be your family.”

Even if it’s only for a limited time.

Ariana swallowed the rest of her words and snuggled deeper into Adelia’s embrace.

A selfish wish was growing in her heart, wanting Adelia to be by her side forever.

Adelia gently cupped Ariana’s cheek and slightly tilted her head back.

The cute face peeked out from between the folds of the dress.

Leaning down, she placed a light kiss on the soft, smooth forehead.

“Then, princess, will you marry me? I’ll buy you treats from the Eileen Patisserie every day.”

“Ah… That’s the most romantic proposal I’ve ever heard.”

Ariana shyly turned her head, her cheeks flushing.

She timidly took the hand that had been resting on her cheek.

The warmth of her small hand brought a broad smile to Adelia’s face.

“As much as I’d love to have such a darling princess as my wife, I think we’d better elope if we’re going to get married, so that won’t work.”

Adelia glanced back at the fervent gazes directed at them.

While Ariana, with her back turned, didn’t notice, the looks she received were downright murderous.

Especially the emperor’s gaze, which was filled with bloodlust unlike ever before.

Cold sweat trickled down Adelia’s back.

‘Our male lead is in trouble.’

The fact that there were already three people, including herself, who got riled up by her playful confession made Adelia’s face pale as she briefly recalled the scenes from the original work.

‘Ah, that’s right, I ran away from the family.’

Her thoughts stopped right there. Trying to envision what came next would be detrimental to her mental health.

The male lead had not appeared yet, so there was no need to worry about that for now.

Ariana nodded in apparent agreement with Adelia’s words.

“It can’t be helped. Our eldest brother may be lacking, but he’s handsome and rich, so please rely on him.”

“Ariana…?”

Lucian startled, looking at his sister in surprise.

His red eyes momentarily widened, and the long lashes above them trembled.

He pressed his lips together, his face seeming hurt.

“Only my daughter would speak of the imperial crown prince that way.”

The emperor chuckled.

But he didn’t outright refute it. It was true that, as the crown prince, he was excellent, but as an individual, he was lacking. It was just like the emperor’s own past.

He rose from his seat and strode out of the room.

“And there is no one in this world worthy of marrying my daughter.”

The emperor scooped up Ariana.

His thick arms provided a secure support.

The startled Ariana clung to the emperor’s neck.

“Dad!”

“Let’s go now, it’s time for a snack.”

The emperor promptly exited the room.

It was a swift motion, not giving Ariana a chance to object.

“Father is really a helicopter parent. Does he have no intention of letting her marry?”

The prince pouted, rising from his seat.

“Oh my, so the prince is fine with the princess getting married?”

“If she wants to, yes. But the man has to be suitable. He has to be good-looking, capable, wealthy, smart, and able to protect Ariana with his life.”

“Well, for our princess, only that level of man would be acceptable.”

It was a doubtful set of conditions, but Adelia smiled mysteriously.

The male lead in the original work fit that description perfectly.

Only Adelia, who knew the future, could have such a meaningful smile.

Seeing her meaningful smile, the prince could only tilt his head, unaware of its significance.

* * *

The wedding preparations proceeded smoothly.

With Ariana’s enthusiastic involvement, even the imperial family pitched in to help with the preparations.

Together, they selected the items to be used, taking turns offering opinions, and soon the wedding preparations reached the final stages.

As summer approached, the date was set, and invitations were sent out to the nobility.

The wedding was drawing near.

“It’s so surreal. That I’ll be the crown princess.”

As the day approached, Adelia was filled with a strange sense of sentiment.

Not only had she stepped into the novel, but she was also marrying one of the protagonists, all while harboring the powers of the villainess within her.

So much had already diverged from the original work.

“I hope the original plot doesn’t get too derailed.”

Adelia’s expression grew slightly troubled.

She was happy to have escaped the time limit and gained power and wealth.

Yet, she felt uneasy that, because of her, the original story was straying too far.

Of course, she had no regrets. It was an unavoidable choice she had to make to survive.

“At least the ending should follow the original… Can I handle that?”

While she had harmed the original work to survive, she did not want the story to be ruined.

If, because of her, the ending became unhappy, she was prepared to sacrifice everything to prevent that.

Adelia feared the destruction of the most precious story that had saved her previous self more than death.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking pulled Adelia out of her thoughts.

A low voice came from the other side.

“It’s me. May I come in?”

“Yes, please come in.”

Lucian, who entered, greeted her with a light nod of his head.

“What brings you here at this time?”

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

He waved the papers in his hand.

Adelia guided him to the tea table.

A simple refreshment was served, and all the maids in the room were dismissed.

“We haven’t decided on the honeymoon destination yet.”

“Ah… We should have a honeymoon. Of course.”

Adelia’s expression was one of surprise, as if she had forgotten.

The honeymoon was part of the contract as well.

“You said you’d get the holy sword then.”

“Ah yes, that’s right.”

Adelia chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

The holy sword was still slumbering in the cave where she had gained the white magic power.

She wanted to retrieve it immediately, but the distance between that cave and the imperial palace was difficult to traverse even with magic.

It was too far for a flying spell, and there were no teleportation circles installed nearby.

In the end, she would have to take a carriage or use a magic circle to get close and then go retrieve the holy sword.