‘…Damn it. I can’t sleep.’

Thanks to using the divine word, her physical condition had improved, but the doctor who examined Vanessa still advised her to get plenty of rest.

So she tried to rest peacefully, eat well, and sleep well, but…

Damn, that’s easier said than done. Her mind was so troubled that she couldn’t rest at all!

‘That crazy Jurgen Drake…’

Her body still trembled remembering how he had kissed her as if he would devour her.

At that moment, he was truly madness incarnate. The intense emotion he showed was different from both the lust of countless men who had desired Vanessa before, and Leroy’s obsession.

How could one describe that chaotic and destructive emotion that swirled in Jurgen’s golden eyes? It was more than mere possessiveness.

‘I’m troubled…’

The plan was to make Jurgen her ally to get revenge on Declan. For now, she was willing to endure even marrying Jurgen while focusing solely on that goal, but…

‘I didn’t know he’d be this insane…’

Was running away the answer after all? She shuddered at the premonition that she would never be able to escape once thoroughly caught. Just how long had that man been obsessing over her?

‘He says we knew each other in the past.’

Though she didn’t understand why only the memories of ‘RauÐi’ felt strange, given that she was the object of Jurgen’s hatred, those memories seemed to be truly hers.

Then why… did I forget RauÐi?

‘Jurgen claims I abandoned him, betrayed him—’

It’s frustrating since I have no such memories. Vanessa let out a heavy sigh with her face buried in her pillow.

If I go to Roengreen and ask around about the servants who attended to me when I was eleven… Could I get some clues from them?

‘I need to go to Roengreen. It’s difficult right now, but… I also need to check how Mother is doing.’

I’ll have to sweet-talk Jurgen until I get permission… Though it’s overwhelming to think about how to seduce and persuade that madman.

‘…Still, I have no intention of giving up.’

I’ve endured without giving up until now. In any hell, Vanessa had never once let go of life or resigned herself to fate.

✦ ✦ ✦

The day before leaving the Imperial City, the Emperor held a grand banquet for Jurgen.

The problem was that Vanessa also received an invitation. As the Duke Drake’s fiancée, no less.

‘This is absurd… How can I go there?’

Even though she was going to marry Jurgen, they hadn’t even started properly preparing for the wedding yet… Above all, it hadn’t been long since the fall of the Terevron dynasty.

At a time like this, if she, the former Queen of Terevron, appeared before the imperial nobles as Duke Drake’s fiancée… Just imagining the scandalous rumors gave her a headache.

‘What is the Emperor thinking…’

Could it be that he wants to enjoy watching me suffer…?

This time, he might be throwing me among the hyenas of society just to watch the spectacle.

Recalling the Emperor’s reactions when she was toyed with in the audience chamber and when she fell in front of the temple, such suspicions arose.

‘Sigh, what should I do…’

She really, really didn’t want to go. But since she couldn’t dare defy the Emperor’s command, she could only desperately watch as maids bustled about from early morning, attending to her bath and grooming.

“Let’s use that sapphire for the jewelry. It matches Her Highness’s eye color, so it will suit her well.”

“What about the hair? Perhaps it would be better to braid it up neatly?”

“Then for the hairpin…”

Vanessa doesn’t hate being dressed up. Rather, she quite enjoys it. But in situations like this, even enjoyable things cannot be appreciated comfortably.

So she left everything to the maids while remaining in a gloomy mood. Half-listening to their discussions about jewelry, makeup, and hairstyles.

How much time had passed like that?

“Please look in the mirror, Your Highness. Do you like it?”

Finally finished, Renee asked warmly on behalf of the other maids. Vanessa stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror with listless eyes.

And immediately found herself at a loss for words.

‘…This face is a curse…’

Her already too-pretty face looked ten times more beautiful when made up. Even to her own thinking, it was an inhuman beauty that was almost frightening.

If she attended the imperial banquet looking like this… She would stand out tremendously. She was already dejected thinking about perverts like Arno who might approach her with improper intentions because of this cursed face.

“Um… Your Highness? Is something uncomfortable…? Are you not satisfied with the styling?”

Renee’s worried voice pushed away the gloomy thoughts. Vanessa heaved a deep sigh and slowly shook her head.

Regardless of her depression, she couldn’t upset the people who had worked so hard.

“No, I like it very much. You all did excellent work.”

“…! Thank you! I’m so glad you like it.”

Seeing their genuinely happy faces made her taste turn bitter. Vanessa managed her expression and gave a plausible smile. Though her head was full of worries.

Today, even Jurgen was more dressed up than usual.

Well, he couldn’t very well attend an imperial banquet looking like a northern butcher.

Vanessa slowly looked him up and down in his smooth formal wear. Though it was irritating that it was all black, the quality velvet with gold embroidery looked reasonably stylish.

Of course, what completed the outfit was his impressive physique and face. Vanessa approached him while internally sneering ‘At least the madman has decent looks.’

Jurgen, completely unaware of what she was thinking, held out his hand with an indifferent expression, and Vanessa glared at him once with raised eyebrows before taking his hand.

His body heat felt hot through the thin formal gloves. The moment when that large hand had grabbed her throat suddenly came to mind, and Vanessa unconsciously swallowed.

Her heart beat uncontrollably fast. As if the fear of being devoured when touching this man had been imprinted on her.

✦ ✦ ✦

“We have arrived.”

The coachman announced respectfully as he opened the door.

This time, Vanessa sat quietly waiting for Jurgen to exit first, intending to properly accept his escort. She couldn’t act like a ruffian at an imperial banquet after all.

“Take my hand.”

‘…Am I a dog?’

When Vanessa stepped out of the carriage after Jurgen, he held out his hand and commanded. Though Vanessa felt irritated again, she took his hand obediently as she didn’t want to cause a scene.

Jurgen was indeed skilled at escorting. Despite being so clumsy at kissing…

While glaring at his lips lost in thought, their eyes met and she quickly turned her head away. Her heart pounded wildly, worried he might have caught her secretly condemning him.

“His Grace Duke Drake, and his fiancée… Her Highness Princess Vanessa Roengreen!”

When the doorkeeper of the banquet hall announced loudly, people’s gazes immediately turned their way. Curious and shocked gazes. Both those who had heard rumors and those who hadn’t glanced at Vanessa and Jurgen with disbelieving expressions.

“Is that woman really…”

“How long has it been since Leroy Terevron died…”

“Even if His Majesty the Emperor approved…”

Irritating voices reaching her ears. It’s not particularly surprising. She had expected there would be those who disapproved.

‘As if I’m marrying because I want to.’

Vanessa lifted her chin haughtily while imagining flipping over the table with finger foods. No matter what curses people threw at her, she wouldn’t be intimidated.

When she was the Queen of Terevron, she had heard worse from the unfriendly Terevron nobles, so this was nothing new.

It was just a bit annoying.

“But… she really is beautiful. This is my first time seeing her…”

“That famous beauty isn’t just talk. There’s a reason they call her a peerless beauty, a nation-toppling beauty.”

“…Hmph. What good is beauty? She’s an ill-omened woman who brings misfortune…”

Those dismissive attitudes were familiar too. Many imperial nobles looked down on the southern kingdoms.

Especially Roengreen. Though prosperous, it was a small agricultural nation that couldn’t be called a great power, and was often subject to contempt.

Because of this background, no matter that Vanessa was a princess, it was difficult to expect the arrogant imperial nobles to treat her as royalty.

To them, who took great pride in being ‘Imperial citizens’, southern royalty was nothing more or less than people from a vassal state.

But Vanessa had never once felt intimidated.

Why?

“Ahem, but… would Princess Vanessa accept a dance invitation? I wonder if Duke Drake would allow it?”

“My word… We wouldn’t want Princess Vanessa to get the wrong impression that imperial men are stiff, just from Duke Drake.”

“We can at least exchange greetings, right? Hey, how do I look today? Do I look decent?”

After all, nine out of ten men were enchanted by Vanessa just for breathing. Their faces would turn red just from meeting her eyes, and they would become dazed if she gave even a slight smile.

It wasn’t just the men either. Vanessa knew from experience that her beauty worked on everyone regardless of age or gender.

People pursue beauty and are easily captivated by beautiful things. Exploiting such psychology was easier than eating cold rice.

Vanessa gently smiled while sweeping her gaze across the entire banquet hall. The hall fell silent for a moment before noise returned.

Now more than half the people were glancing at Vanessa with a different meaning than before.

Elegantly stroking the white ermine fur draped on her shoulders, Vanessa thought indifferently.

‘Too easy.’