William and Lucas were guided to a palace far from Ruby’s. William, disappointed by this, casually asked Ruby’s nanny who was leading them.

“Has Her Majesty been well?”

“…”

The nanny didn’t answer.

“You should think carefully. You know we’re not doing this because Zahar failed to take Kant.”

The nanny simply walked forward with an expression filled with determination not to speak.

“Isn’t it an attractive condition? In exchange for taking us as your empress’s consorts, what you gain is the great nation of Zahar.”

“Do you truly intend to hand Zahar over to Kant?”

The nanny finally spoke and turned to look at them. Her graying hair had become almost completely white. Eyes wise with experience turned toward them.

“It seems crazy, but it’s sincere. If it weren’t sincere, what emperor of any empire would go through the trouble of making such a decision?”

“If I may ask the reason for this, could you answer this humble servant?”

“We want Ruby. Still.”

Just when William was about to move his lips, Lucas cut in. Though it was improper to suddenly interrupt the conversation, he too nodded and moved his lips again.

“We only want Ruby. To the point where nothing else matters anymore.”

William didn’t avoid the nanny’s gaze examining him. It was sincere, and it was a choice that wouldn’t change.

“But Her Majesty Ruby resents you both. She still resents you.”

“Yes. She’s still angry at us. I understand. She’ll never forgive us.”

“Is there a reason you’re doing this now, after three years have passed?”

“It wasn’t easy. Making it so we could give Ruby everything like this.”

The nanny looked between William and Lucas. She could sense that the two men liked Ruby. However, their way of expressing it was far too clumsy and foolish.

“I thought you’d know how to handle women to some degree, given the rumors of your womanizing and enjoying female company. But it doesn’t seem that way. In this old woman’s eyes.”

“Haha, is that so? Then please tell us how we can get closer to your empress.”

“Simply mixing bodies isn’t everything. You must know how to give and receive hearts. Women don’t want much from men. Just understanding their hearts and comforting them is enough to move them and make them fall in love.”

“Hmm. Lucas, do you understand what she’s saying?”

William furrowed his brow, feeling puzzled and confused. Lucas only nodded lightly and said nothing more. 

At times like this, William vividly felt that Lucas was different from him, even though they were twins.

“Women aren’t beings you can obtain through force or coercion. Now, this is the palace where Your Majesties will stay. Her Majesty Ruby ordered that you be given a palace very far from her own. During your stay, you won’t have any chance of encountering Her Majesty, even by accident.”

“That’s troublesome…”

“It can’t be helped. Unless Her Majesty seeks this place out herself, you two won’t have any opportunity to see her.”

“Haha, that’s too much.”

He hadn’t expected her to be this defensive. William was discouraged by the situation where he could only wait for Kant’s ministers to be tempted by his proposal. 

Of course, they would pressure Ruby to proceed with the state marriage.

However, like the nanny said, the more they approached Ruby by force, the harder she would be to grasp. 

The wall was so solid and firm that even if the state marriage might be accomplished, they might never see her at all.

“If Your Majesties wish to show Ruby your sincerity and convey your hearts, and don’t mind not receiving anything in return, follow the path behind this palace. There, you’ll find the space Her Majesty loves most. If you wait and keep waiting, perhaps someday you’ll be able to meet her.”

The nanny spoke to them before leaving, having reached the palace where they would stay. The nanny wanted Ruby to be happy. 

And though she didn’t know if these two men who had come for her could make her happy, it seemed only they could heal her wounds. 

It was an intuition felt through life experience. Though her intuition might be wrong, at least Ruby needed to awaken somehow.

Since not dreaming of a happy life as a woman was tantamount to unhappiness, the nanny hoped that this time, at least, she would be happy.

“Haah.”

Ruby, who had returned to her palace, looked clearly exhausted. She had struggled until now to calm the ministers who were swayed by their sudden visit, their absurd proposal.

Ruby clicked her tongue briefly at their unchanged impulsive attitude. They were the same. And she, who still reacted sharply to them, was also the same.

Ruby lay down on the bed.

Looking at the ceiling with both arms spread, Ruby felt the emptiness of the wide bed. A bed too large to use alone, a bedroom too spacious for one person. 

Everything around her felt empty and hollow. Ruby truly couldn’t understand her own heart—why such thoughts suddenly arose when they appeared.

The rain seemed to fall more violently, then only began to stop late at night.

The sunken air came coolly over the window. Ruby, who had been lying motionless, got up from her spot and headed to the window.

After staring at the ground pooled with rainwater for a while, unable to bear the loneliness, she left the bedroom. Her attendants and maids followed, and Ruby walked silently, walking and walking.

As always, her feet led her to her pond. There were many reasons she liked this pond. 

The way the carp jumped up eagerly to eat the food she gave them was amusing, and she sometimes enjoyed fishing with her father. 

Of course, since she disliked the carp getting hurt, they only pretended to fish with fishing rods without hooks, but young Ruby had been happy with just that.

Also, she sometimes played with her brothers, floating leaf boats. Most decisively, the reason she loved this pond was because of her father’s words that her mother had loved this pond most.

Saying there was no place untouched by her mother’s hand, this pond was her mother to her father, and became like her mother to Ruby as well.

Though even those memories were slightly tainted because of her mother, Ruby still liked this place. The sky’s reflection on the pond’s surface, the carp occasionally poking their heads out, the surface shaking frantically when hit by a shower—she loved it all.

The pond’s surface late at night resembled the sky, darkening pitch black. She felt like she might fall in.

“Haah.”

It was a night when sighs came naturally. Now that the rain had stopped, she planned to send them back as soon as the sun rose in the morning. 

She hoped there would be no particular disruption to her plans. While wandering around the pond for a while organizing her complicated thoughts, suddenly a stone fell into the calm pond with a plop.

Startled, Ruby and her maids buzzed and guarded her.

“Ahh, I didn’t mean to startle you, Your Majesty.”

“…”

At the familiar voice, Ruby’s expression turned cold again.

“How did you come out? I believe I conveyed that going outside wasn’t permitted.”

“We didn’t come to Kant as criminals, Your Majesty. There’s no reason for us to be confined, and since we came to propose to Your Majesty, you should give us an opportunity.”

“Ha, why should I? How ridiculous. Three years have passed. I think enough time has passed that I, Ruby Lawrence, no longer hold any meaning for you two.”

Now, after three years had passed, Ruby couldn’t understand them at all, appearing again claiming they came to propose.

“To you, three years have passed, but for me and William, we’ve waited three years. It’s not that you don’t hold any meaning—we waited and endured three years to reach Ruby Lawrence, Ruby.”

“…”

William subtly shifted his gaze to Lucas behind him.

“That, that doesn’t make sense. You two always saw me as nothing but a toy. I can’t believe you’re doing this now!”

As her voice grew louder, her throat began to hurt.

Ruby grabbed her throat in pain.

“Haah, haah.”

“Yes. A toy. To us, that’s exactly how much you were worth.”

William nodded and acknowledged it.

Just a fun doll that provided pleasure, our toy. That was all.

“But that toy gradually became precious to me and Lucas. The toy stopped being a toy and became someone we absolutely didn’t want to lose.”

“…”

“That’s why we sent you here. To start over from the beginning, if possible, in this place you love and cherish most.”

“No, I can never trust you two…”

Her voice began to crack severely. Speaking any more was too much. She closed her mouth for a moment in pain.

“We should stop talking now. Ruby’s voice is getting hoarse.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

“…”

Ruby couldn’t hide her surprised eyes at their conversation showing consideration for her. It was pure consideration she had never once received. They greeted her lightly and disappeared.

She simply couldn’t take her eyes off the path where they had disappeared, confused.

The next morning, the rain that had briefly stopped began to fall again. It was a moment when she hated them for coming during the rainy season and disturbing her heart.

Ruby opened her eyes, sighed again, and sat before the mirror. The maids came around her to help with her appearance, and she was busy starting her day as empress.

The ministers, still obsessed with the state marriage, were busy pressuring her. Ruby refused like an iron wall, but William and Lucas’s proposal was so attractive to them that they wouldn’t give up. 

Finally, after forcibly ending the morning assembly, she dismissed all the ministers and sat alone on the imperial throne, agonizing.

The nanny quietly stayed by her side.

“Nanny, I really don’t want to be swayed by those two people ever again. The day I left Zahar, I thought they were people I’d never have to face again. But, but…”

“I know. But Your Majesty, in truth… don’t you have feelings for them both?”

“Nanny!”

The nanny’s direct words startled Ruby.