“Are you really okay with this?”

“On the contrary, becoming your husband is an honor.”

“Don’t regret it later.”

“Of course not.”

Smiles adorned the faces of Diana and Edwin as they walked together through the palace corridor. They were currently on their way to meet the Emperor who had summoned them.

The Emperor had called them specifically because he had matters to discuss. He had finally accepted Diana’s argument that noble women should also be allowed to become family heads.

However, Diana felt somewhat apologetic toward Edwin and needed to ask his opinion. Though she trusted him, she worried he might harbor some regrets.

The Emperor seemed to share Diana’s concern, as he posed the same question to Edwin.

“Lord Lauderdale, are you truly comfortable with this?”

“Of course. I have no desire to become a Duke.”

“Very well. I’ll summon the magistrates to add this new precedent. You have no idea how much the Crown Prince and Duke Winchester have been pestering me. Now I can finally sleep peacefully.”

The Emperor chuckled heartily while stroking his long beard.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Diana expressed her gratitude to the Emperor with a respectful gesture. Her face beamed with joy.

It had begun as a way to avoid marriage to Clive. If she could become the family head herself, he would no longer covet the position.

But Clive never abandoned his greed, and ironically, the situation had ultimately worked in Diana’s favor.

‘Look at Young Master Orkney who coveted the title. To prevent such tragedies from recurring, women must be allowed to inherit titles.’

Many who learned of what happened to Diana were outraged. Naturally, Duke Winchester was the most furious of all.

‘The victim is my child. How could I possibly remain silent?’

He blamed himself for not taking Diana’s opinions seriously before. He thought that if he had acted sooner, none of this would have happened.

Young Master Orkney had gone mad when he couldn’t inherit the dukedom. Who could have known he would be such a despicable person?

The Duke felt deeply sorry toward Diana, knowing this tragedy might have been avoided if he hadn’t told Count Orkney that he approved of Clive.

So now he had changed his stance and actively worked to ensure Diana could become the family head. He was determined to do anything she wanted.

With Duke Winchester taking action and the Crown Prince supporting Diana, the Emperor had much to consider. After lengthy discussions with the elder nobles, he finally reached a decision.

“I apologize about the Second Prince. I hope you understand his punishment.”

Since Clive had revealed to Diana that the Second Prince was his backer, the prince couldn’t escape charges of involvement in the kidnapping.

Of course, he wasn’t directly involved, so he avoided imprisonment. His punishment was the revocation of his status as a member of the imperial family, reducing him to an ordinary nobleman.

Compared to Clive’s punishment, it might seem lenient, but the Emperor had negotiated to reduce the prince’s sentence in exchange for accepting Diana’s proposal, so they had to be satisfied with that.

“Thank you for making this difficult decision, Your Majesty. It couldn’t have been easy.”

“I hope you’ll both support the Crown Prince when you become the Duchess of Winchester. Both of you.”

“We will.”

After concluding the weighty conversation with the Emperor, Diana and Edwin found Lady Queensberry waiting for them outside.

Dressed in the Imperial Knights’ uniform with her red hair pulled tightly into a high ponytail, she looked spirited and confident. It was hard to imagine anyone who could wear the uniform more naturally.

“Hello, Lady Queensberry. This is our first proper conversation, isn’t it? Could you spare me a moment?”

Lady Queensberry glanced at Edwin. It was a signal for him to excuse himself from the conversation.

Having played the most crucial role in saving Diana, Lady Queensberry had become the first noble lady to join the Imperial Knights. She seemed eager to discuss this with Diana.

“Of course.”

Diana gladly accepted, having wanted to speak with her beyond just sending thank-you letters.

* * *

Seated across from each other on sofas in the reception room provided by the palace, Diana and Chloe exchanged silent smiles.

The silence continued until a maid poured tea into their cups. Diana was the first to speak.

“Thank you. And congratulations on becoming a knight. I’ve wanted to say this in person, but things have been so hectic that I’m only getting to it now.”

“I only did what I had to do. I also promised Edwin. I should be thanking you. I heard you asked Duke Winchester to help me become a knight.”

Chloe blushed shyly.

“You helped me, so of course I should. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance. I heard you became an Imperial Knight because of your skills.”

“No matter how skilled I am, it wouldn’t have been possible without help from others.”

“Is that so?”

The smile on Chloe’s face remained fixed at Diana’s compliment. Her expression alone revealed how desperately she had wanted this.

“Being a knight must be difficult. Are you managing well?”

“I was prepared for it. It’s a hundred—no, a thousand times better than living with some idiot. Don’t you understand that, Lady Winchester?”

“Absolutely.”

Diana nodded vigorously in response.

They shared the common experience of escaping terrible former husbands. Diana felt a sense of kinship with Lady Queensberry. She even felt sorry for having been jealous of her before.

“I apologize for misunderstanding and doubting your relationship with Edwin. If I had known what a wonderful person you are, I would never have thought that way.”

Diana realized once again that Lady Queensberry was indeed cheerful and generous in spirit, just as Lady Cavan had described.

Hearing the apology, Lady Queensberry’s expression turned ambiguous. She looked apologetic herself.

“Well, the rumors weren’t completely false. I was rejected by Edwin, after all.”

“Oh, I see.”

Diana wasn’t sure what expression to make. She wasn’t jealous, but she couldn’t help feeling strange.

“You don’t need to worry about it now. It’s all in the past. I don’t know if Edwin told you, but he would never like me. First impressions are important, and I treated Edwin terribly and ordered him around.”

Chloe frowned deeply, seemingly recalling her past actions. But she quickly chuckled again, emphasizing that they were truly just good friends.

“I would kick his backside if he didn’t come running within ten seconds of being called, and I made him run errands like my personal servant. I even challenged him to duels where I used a fine sword while giving him a cheap one.”

While explaining how badly she had treated Edwin, Chloe suddenly remembered something.

“I should be the one apologizing. You suffered because of me. I’m sorry that rumors about you spread even more negatively to suppress the news about me becoming a knight.”

While Clive had started the negative rumors about Diana, the Crown Prince, as expected, had fueled them to draw more attention. 

Diana learned later that it was all for Lady Queensberry’s sake. Many people disapproved of a noble lady becoming an Imperial Knight just as much as they disapproved of Diana becoming a family head.

He had used Diana to shield Lady Queensberry from criticism. Of course, it was also to hide rumors of his courtship of her.

“The Crown Prince is the one who did wrong. Well, false rumors will eventually fade from people’s memories, so I’m trying not to dwell on them.”

Diana answered with a slight smile, but suddenly wondered: what did Lady Queensberry think of the Crown Prince? Judging by how she apologized on his behalf, they must be more than casual acquaintances.

“Do you have a special relationship with the Crown Prince?”

“Of course not. That’s absurd.”

Lady Queensberry denied it vehemently, waving her hands. Diana thought they must indeed be special to each other. Just as she was thinking this, there was a sudden knock at the door.

“Lady Queensberry, so this is where you were. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

The man who politely opened the door and entered the reception room looked familiar. Where had Diana seen him before?

Tilting her head, Diana carefully examined the attendant. Then she recalled the face of the Crown Prince, smiling smugly.

Ah! That man looks like an attendant who was with the Crown Prince!

Surprised, Diana looked at Chloe with wide eyes. Chloe frowned deeply and grumbled.

“Why are you looking for me? This is so annoying. Tell him you couldn’t find me.”

“How could I pretend not to know when you’re in the palace, my lady?”

“Argh! Would it hurt to pretend? Show some flexibility sometimes! And don’t call me ‘my lady’—call me ‘Dame Queensberry.’ I’m an Imperial Knight now!”

“I’ll correct that, Dame Queensberry.”

Despite her irritation, the attendant remained calm. This clearly wasn’t the first time they’d had such an exchange.

Seeing the attendant’s firm resolve not to leave until she agreed to meet the Crown Prince, Chloe let out a deep sigh.

“Fine. We’ll continue our conversation another time. I’ll tell the Crown Prince to apologize to you properly!”

It seemed that even the Crown Prince, who had acted so smugly in front of Diana, couldn’t stand his ground before Lady Queensberry. Just imagining his smug face turning flustered in front of Lady Queensberry made Diana laugh.

“Please do. If he doesn’t apologize, I’ll just tell on him to you.”

When Diana winked, Chloe thumped her chest twice, indicating that she should leave it to her. Looking at Chloe’s bright and cheerful demeanor, Diana realized she would no longer let herself be swayed by others’ words.

* * *

The bells rang, announcing the start of the wedding. The imperial orchestra began to play, and Diana and Edwin’s wedding proceeded magnificently.

Diana stood with Edwin at the end of the virgin road. Typically, a bride would walk down the aisle holding her father’s hand, but Diana held Edwin’s hand instead of her father’s.

Duke Winchester was quite disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped. Walking with her father would have made Diana feel like she was getting married for the second time, and she couldn’t compromise on this.

The couple moved forward together, and as they walked down the aisle, memories of the past flashed quickly through Diana’s mind.

How many things had happened before she could marry him? Recalling past memories brought tears to her eyes, but Diana held them back.

On such a joyous day, why shed tears? She should smile, brightly and radiantly.

The wedding proceeded in a solemn atmosphere, and Diana maintained her smile until the archbishop finished speaking. But when his sermon ended and Edwin lifted her veil, she couldn’t help but tear up.

Could she really be this happy? Could she finally feel at ease? She feared this might all be a dream.

Edwin gently pressed his lips against Diana’s and whispered softly in a sweet voice.

“You’re finally mine. So you don’t need to worry anymore. I’ll protect you always.”

Only after hearing his words could Diana feel at ease. Hadn’t Edwin always protected her? Hadn’t he helped her start a new life? This couldn’t possibly be a dream.

“I trust you.”

Diana stopped her tears and gave Edwin a bright smile.

She planned to live forgetting all memories of her previous life, focusing only on the happiness ahead. With Edwin by her side, she felt confident they could overcome any difficulties that might lie ahead.

His boundless love would always give her courage.

fin.