Everyone looked at Prime Minister Whyman with surprised faces.

In truth, if Whyman sent his daughter, it would mean the birth of a perfect empress.

Leila Whyman, the Empire’s finest lady who was called a beauty and talent without any shortcomings.

If Emperor Charte hadn’t met Yasrin in his childhood and fallen in love, Leila would have naturally taken the position of empress.

But while Leila would certainly make a perfect empress, could Charte truly be a perfect husband?

The realization that they had to send a perfect lady to her doom and make her unhappy weighed heavily on the noble officials’ hearts.

When an awkward silence continued where they could neither stop nor approve, Ivester, the eldest son of Duke Pahorder’s family who was following an elite path to become the next Prime Minister of the Rad Empire, hurriedly blocked Nathan.

“This cannot happen.”

Nathan and the officials turned their attention to Ivester.

Everyone looked at Ivester with faces saying, ‘Huh? Why? Who are you to object?’

“Ah, well I…… sending the Prime Minister’s precious daughter, the finest lady from the Rad Empire’s greatest family, into an unhappy marriage……”

Nathan looked at Ivester with warm eyes, smiled, and said,

“Because my daughter is part of the Prime Minister’s family, we cannot ignore the country’s crisis. His Majesty the Emperor’s crisis is the country’s crisis, Minister Pahorder.”

Befitting a family that had produced prime ministers for generations, Nathan’s patriotism and loyalty were admirable.

When the meeting ended, Nathan lightly patted Ivester’s shoulder as encouragement while leaving.

If the Emperor hadn’t experienced misfortune, Nathan had been thinking of marrying Leila to Ivester, who was growing to become the next Prime Minister.

‘I guess it wasn’t meant to be.’

Only Ivester remained in the empty meeting room, frustrated as if he had lost the world.

Leila and Ivester were the same age and had been friends since childhood.

And Ivester, though he couldn’t remember when it started, had naturally come to love Leila like fate.

To be honest, everyone regardless of age or gender completely fell away from the cold Leila’s side, but the fact that only Ivester had endured until now made this an inevitable outcome.

So most people naturally thought Ivester and Leila would marry.

After all, their families, their ages, their relationship—everything was perfect.

Ivester never knew that the Emperor’s misfortune would interfere with his perfectly paved life.

* * *

Thinking negatively will only make my heart heavier. Whatever has happened, let’s try to think positively.

I pondered for a while, but my mind was like a clean slate, as if someone had used an eraser on it.

Ah, nothing’s coming. No. I can’t give up here! Let me try again.

Thinking completely positively, marriage might be better.

While this place is full of people who know Leila better than I do, perhaps nobody will know Leila at the Emperor’s palace?

Everyone will think I’m Leila because of how I look now.

Thinking this way made me feel somewhat better.

I decided to start wedding preparations as the maids and nanny directed, pretending to be Leila.

Ah, fortunately, I don’t have to move actively—they dress me when I extend my arms and apply makeup when I present my face.

I just need to be dragged around like a robot. Just when I was starting to relax and regain composure, there was a commotion outside the door.

“Leila, it’s me.”

Leila’s father entered, dismissed everyone around, and sat in front of me, who was disguised as his daughter.

My heart started beating rapidly again with anxiety about whether I could deceive her real father.

“I’m sorry.”

What? What are you sorry for? Unable to grab a stranger’s father by the collar and demand answers, I decided to respond demurely.

“It’s okay, Dad.”

Seeing my awkward smile due to fear of being caught, her father seemed relieved and held my hand with a bright smile.

“Except when you were very young, you’ve always addressed me formally as Father, but now that you’re getting married and leaving, you call me Dad. My daughter. Our dear Leila.”

Was I not supposed to say Dad?

I seemed to have made a mistake, but Leila’s father appeared to like it, so I felt relieved.

What kind of person is this Leila? She seems younger than me, yet calls him Father. Well, her personality must be quite serious……

“I trust you understand why I’m sending you to the Emperor.”

Huh? Why are you sending me? Please tell me the reason! Despite my frustrating thoughts, I just nodded.

“It will be difficult, but I hope you can restore him to his former self. I’m sorry for placing such a heavy burden on you.”

Restore what? Not knowing what or how to restore, I simply answered with an awkward smile.

They say don’t spit on a smiling face.

“If only it weren’t for Yasrin……”

‘Who is Yasrin?’

“I believe you will perform the role of empress much better than Yasrin.”

Huh? What! So there was an empress? Is this guy remarrying?

Why do I have to meet a divorced man here!

Suddenly feeling hot and upset, I shouted without thinking,

“You’re going to marry this young, innocent me…… to a divorced Emperor? What kind of father marries his daughter to a divorced single¹refers to someone who was married but is now divorced and single again! This is absurd!”

Leila’s father seemed shocked by my sudden outburst and froze like a stone.

“Ah, Leila…… why are you shouting suddenly. But what is this ‘divorced single’ you speak of?”

Finally coming to my senses, I quickly composed myself and my expression.

“Ah, well…… it’s an abbreviation for a man who is solid like a stone and fresh like a flower²the joke doesn’t translate well. But if you look closely at 돌처럼 단단하고 꽃처럼 싱그러운 남자, the first and last words starts with the characters 돌 and 싱 (which makes up the word divorced single.“

“Abbreviation?”

“Young people have their own language. That’s not what’s important right now, Dad.”

“I see. Humans must continuously learn, and I’ve been neglecting my studies lately. Anyway, let’s get ready and go to the castle.”

As soon as Leila’s father left, I nearly collapsed from frustration.

An Emperor who’s divorced must be a total old geezer!

What a conscienceless Emperor!

Why is this happening to me? What did I do so wrong…… No, who has lived as righteously as I have!

Though I haven’t lived long, I pride myself on having lived quite righteously in that short time.

In middle and high school, I was a just student who helped the weak when someone was being bullied.

Once I was dragged away by a group of bullies, but following the teachings from a movie I saw in childhood, I beat one of them so badly he was hospitalized, and after that, no one bothered me.

Of course, after entering university, my righteousness faded as I became known as a nutcase who conquered the world with alcohol, but I never unfairly harassed others.

However, during my job-seeking period, my temper not only died but disappeared under oppression and hardship, and I quickly became someone who read the room and lay flat even before the wind blew, and went as far as digging a hole to bury myself in.

I’ve lived my whole life without causing trouble to others, and this is what I get in return—a divorced Emperor……

Should I run away now rather than become the wife of some old divorced Emperor?

This was the only chance to escape when no one was around.

Of course, I wanted to run away immediately, but I knew it was impossible to live as a fugitive in a strange world without money or honor.

And since I needed to know about Leila to find clues about how I came here, I ultimately chose the wedding instead of escaping and stepped outside the door.

I never thought I’d have such a sad wedding……

After riding a magnificent flower carriage covered with roses prepared for the bride for about 30 minutes, it stopped.

Leila’s nanny stood up, lowered the veil decorated on my head, and covered my face.

“Remember. You must not lift the veil until the ball.”

“Yes, I……”

The nanny looked at Leila with loving eyes.

I felt I should greet her on behalf of Leila, whom she had raised for a lifetime.

“I…… thank you……”

The nanny spoke with a trembling voice, trying to hold back tears.

“This is as far as I go. My Miss, please be happy.”

I answered by nodding and got off the carriage.

I’m entering this castle not for marriage but to wage a war for my life.

From now on, I’m not Jo Yun-ah but Leila Whyman.

Leila Whyman.

I will definitely win. And I will definitely find my way back to being Jo Yun-ah and reclaim my life.

The look in Leila’s—no, Yun-ah’s eyes, visible through the veil, changed to become firm, unlike before.

* * *

The moment I got off the carriage and saw the castle, I couldn’t help but admire it.

I had to turn my neck about 240 degrees, from the far right to the far left, to take in the entire castle.

Is this really a castle? Amazing!

The appearance of the castle where the Emperor of the Rad Empire lived exceeded all imagination.

Compared to this, the Palace of Versailles, famous for its luxury and hedonistic lifestyle, was beyond modest—it was at the level of a slum.

Even the Whyman family mansion had looked like a luxury resort in a vacation spot I’d never visited.

It was an incredible castle that made one feel intimidated just by looking at it—the grandeur from its overwhelming size, the delicate craftsmanship that must have been done by the best artisans, and the splendor decorated with all kinds of gold, silver, and jewels.

The dimensions are different! Is this the Emperor’s class!

The smell of wealth makes one want to kneel immediately.

This is clearly a wealthy and powerful country. I like it very much!

Will this castle become my castle when I get married? Is there no such thing as joint ownership here?

Enchanted by the splendid castle I was seeing for the first time, I entered with an excited heart, and a middle-aged woman in elegant attire came out to greet me.

“It is an honor, Your Majesty the empress. I am Peggy Otid, the head maid who will serve Your Majesty the empress from now on. I look forward to serving you.”

With my face covered by the veil, I was fortunate not to reveal my awkward expression showing wariness toward strangers and uncertainty about how to receive greetings.

But thinking about it, have I already adapted to receiving greetings rather than giving them?

I must have the qualities of an empress.

“I will escort you to the temple.”

Lost in self-flattering delusions for a moment, I became tense again.

Marrying a man I don’t even know—this must be a true political marriage based solely on conditions.

But having no other options besides marriage, I quietly followed Madam Peggy to the temple.

The temple we arrived at was built cleanly with only light peach-colored marble without any decorations, giving it a sacred feeling.

This place, which felt more holy and solemn in contrast to the splendid appearance of the palace, was where the imperial family members had made their marriage vows for generations, she said.

Madam Peggy stopped walking, moved behind me, and said quietly,

“You may wait for His Majesty the Emperor here.”