“Who did you say arrived?”

After breakfast, Elliope, who had been reading a book while waiting for Kallian, froze in surprise. Sien looked a little surprised as well.

“Uh… I’m not sure if I heard right, but…”

“Sien.”

“You introduced her as Leanne… Kartan.”

There was only one Leanne Kartan that Elliope knew. It was inconceivable that anyone would dare to impersonate a princess. For a moment, Elliope was speechless and stared at Sien.

“…….”

“She said she met her nearby and came with the young master.”

“She came with Kallian.”

It was shocking enough that Leanne had come to the Duke of Ilmos’ estate, but the fact that she had entered the residence with Kallian made it even harder to believe.

‘Even if she had come, shouldn’t she have gone to the Duke’s residence first?’

She couldn’t even understand why the Imperial Family would send Leanne all the way here.

Could it be that they’re actually planning to marry Theodor and Leanne now?

‘It can’t be. The thought was quickly dismissed.’

If they were willing to send Leanne so easily, they wouldn’t have trained Elliope as her replacement and sent her instead.

If it was impossible for Elliope, she would have found another way, perhaps through negotiations with the Duke’s family.

There were many better options for Leanne, and she didn’t have to go through the Duke of Ilmos. If anything, the Duke of Ilmos would have been one of the last choices.

‘Why?’

The answer didn’t come.

Elliope put a finger to her stiff lips, trying to soften her expression. Since Leanne had come to meet her, she needed to see her face.

Slowly descending the stairs, she saw Kallian standing at the end of the landing. Noticing his sharp gaze, Elliope thought Leanne must be there.

She never expected it to be so painful to see Kallian’s attention focused on someone else, especially Leanne, but her heart tightened. Just then, as if sensing her presence, Kallian turned his head towards her.

Then he smiled.

“Lady.”

Kallian casually held out his hand to Elliope, and as if the coldness in his eyes had never been there, his soft blue eyes made her feel a little less disappointed.

Taking his hand as if she were being escorted, Elliope continued down the stairs. The door to the drawing room directly opposite them was wide open.

“Elliope.”

And there, indeed, was Leanne.

Leanne, with her flowing golden hair that shimmered like rippling waves, had a clean and serene face, a beauty that gave Charlotte a very different impression. Not only her face, but her posture was so perfect that it seemed almost flawless. Indeed, it seemed as if she hadn’t been called the best bride for nothing.

“Lady Leanne.”

Elliope called to Leanne awkwardly. She hadn’t had many opportunities to meet her. The Empress had formally recognised Elliope as a princess to make her her official consort, but she had tried to avoid meeting Leanne as much as possible.

Openly shunned by the Empress, Elliope was not well received by the Empress’s children.

Leanne, in particular, had always been rather indifferent to her. Elliope had often noticed a hint of guilt in Leanne’s eyes. It might have been a little pity for her to be sent to the Duke of Ilmos, almost as if she had been sold in her place.

But now that feeling seemed to have vanished. Unexpectedly, Leanne smiled when she saw Elliope. After a short pause, as if choosing her words carefully, she began to speak.

“I’m glad you’re doing well.”

It was an unexpected comment. Leanne looked at Kallian briefly before continuing.

“Since I’m here, I wanted to see you first.”

“Is that so?”

“I heard about what happened to you.”

It must have been quite a shocking turn of events for Leanne to hear that her half-sister, sent in her place, had lost her virginity to another man.

But rather than discuss the matter, Leanne whispered to Elliope,

“For now, about your actions… I’ve decided not to hold a grudge.”

“……”

“What has already happened can be fixed, right? Isn’t that right?”

Hearing this, Elliope felt a strange sensation.

‘Such a statement…’

It felt like something she should say to Leanne and the Imperial Family. It seemed like the kind of thing you say when you forgive them after they have betrayed you in such a way – to say that you don’t hold a grudge against them, despite what they have done.

Of course, Elliope had resented them. She had died resenting them, returned with that resentment, and would never forgive them again.

Therefore, the most indifferent attitude she could show towards the Imperial family was simply apathy.

While Elliope was lost in these thoughts, Leanne smiled calmly. Eventually, Leanne turned to Kallian and continued.

“You really have found a wonderful husband.”

“……”

“I……”

It was the moment when Leanne hesitated to speak. A knock was heard, followed by the entrance of an Imperial Knight, his face expressionless.

“My apologies, Your Highness. Your time for dinner at the Duke’s mansion has passed.”

“Oh, is it that late?”

Instead of pointing out the knight’s rudeness, Leanne accepted his company and turned around.

“It would be nice if we could have some time to talk later, just the two of us.”

“Yes.”

“I’m staying at the Duke’s mansion for the time being, so there will be opportunities.”

“……”

“Then I’ll say goodbye.”

Leanne quickly said goodbye and left. Only then did Elliope let out a deep sigh. She noticed that the palms of her hands were covered in sweat. For some reason, she felt incredibly tense in front of Leanne, which made her let out a forced laugh.

‘Even now, is she still difficult for me?’

When she was in the palace, she had never felt comfortable with those who called themselves her family. She would rather have worked as a maid in a faraway palace, sleeping in a small, old, almost storeroom-like room, sharing it with others, and passing the days with tasteless meals and work that made her hands blister. It was easier for Elliope than being part of the family.

“Lady.”
Kallian called softly to Elliope. Then his large hand rested on her shoulder. In some inexplicable way, it was a great comfort to her.

As usual, he rubbed his face against her shoulder and Kallian silently kissed the top of her head. For a while, as she felt his warmth, their hands finally met. His right hand took hers and caressed it gently.

The wedding ring she had never taken off felt familiar on her ring finger. Kallian twisted it as if it were a toy, squeezing it repeatedly with gentle pressure. Soon his breath brushed against her ear.

“Shall I comfort you?”
“……”

When Kallian said he would comfort her, Elliope thought of the usual actions that accompanied those words and lowered her head, feeling her cheeks flush. But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“After you take the medicine, I’ll take care of you.”

Kallian picked her up immediately and carried her to their bedroom. Emma and Sien kindly made way for her and hung a “No Entry” sign on the door.

***

“This is the Duke’s mansion…”

Leanne muttered to herself.

The Duke of Ilmos’ mansion stood before her. If things had gone as planned, it should have been Leanne herself standing there in a wedding dress.

A whirlwind of emotions washed over her as she descended the stairs. The thought that Elliope, who had been sent there in her place, might have been the one standing there instead brought a strange feeling.

Even after all this time, she still seemed like such a fragile girl.

‘Of course, my mother didn’t think so.’

Every time the Empress looked at Elliope, she secretly shivered and felt uncomfortable.

“How could she have seduced your father with such a fragile face? Her mother, the maid, did the same thing.”

‘……’ 

“No one knows what is inside her.”

Leanne remembered the Empress’s words. 

‘Maybe my mother was right.’ 

Seeing the kind of trouble Elliope had caused, it seemed so. To avoid marriage, she had seduced a knight from the north, not even a duke. 

‘In many ways… many people were put in a difficult position.’ 

Still, before this incident, Leanne had felt a small sense of guilt towards Elliope. It wasn’t for anything else. The Empress, Elliope’s mother and Elliope herself… 

‘She probably doesn’t know.’

There was a lingering sense of sadness and bitterness, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten the reason for her presence here. As she had mentioned earlier, what had happened needed to be addressed in some way.

For a moment, Elliope’s husband crossed her mind. A man who smelled of wood, solid and cold. It was the first time she had ever felt embraced in his arms.

She thought of the man who had accepted her, and for some reason her heart began to race. The fact that he was already married to her half-sister sent a sharp sensation to the tips of her fingers. Leanne, feeling confused, tried to make sense of the emotions stirring within her.

Just as Leanne was lost in thought, the heavy door of the Duke’s mansion creaked open with a loud noise.

“Your Highness, welcome. I am the Chief Steward, Taleon.”

“It is an honour, Your Highness.”

After the Chief Steward and the Head Maid had finished their greetings, a striking woman with bright red hair appeared.

“Princess!”

The woman, whose presence was stronger than anyone else in the room, was so dazzlingly beautiful that she immediately drew everyone’s attention.

‘So this is her…’

“You must be Miss Charlotte Marte.”

“Oh dear. I can’t believe you recognised me.”

Charlotte smiled brightly.

“The Duke has offered to give a banquet in your honour.”

“A banquet, you say?”

“He plans to gather all the vassals at the Duke’s estate, including Viscount Elsen and his wife.”

“……”

‘The man’s surname was Elsen, wasn’t it?’

Once again, a sharp sensation bit the tips of her fingers. When Leanne flinched, Charlotte smiled again.

“I would like to stay at Your Highness’s side, even for a short time. Would that be all right?”

“Of course.”

“How wonderful.”

Charlotte smiled, her red eyes shining.

“I have a feeling I’ll be able to converse with you much better than with the other princes.”