“Punish me, Siara.”

One day, Owen, the king of Estain, came to the Magic Tower carrying a whip. With an excited face, he took off his shirt, revealing a back without a single scar.

“Go ahead.”

“…Are you insane?”

Siara threw the whip to the floor. Seeing this, Owen’s eyes filled with disappointment. He picked up the whip and glared at Siara.

“Then shall I punish you instead?”

Owen’s eyes were serious.

Siara pointed at Owen and shouted.

“Why are you suddenly asking me to punish you?”

“…Because I might break the taboo.”

“What taboo?”

“The taboo of not marrying you. I intend to break it.”

“…Marriage? Are you crazy?”

Even though their blood relation had become distant, this was going too far. However, Owen firmly gripped Siara’s wrists and pressed his nose against hers.

“Open your mouth, Siara. I’m going to kiss you…”

“Let go. Before an ice spike pierces your forehead!”

Sharp ice formed above Siara’s head. The ice aimed directly at Owen’s forehead in a threatening manner. Owen still didn’t loosen his grip.

“If I can’t live with you, I’d rather die.”

Owen’s lips came closer. Siara shook her head, trying to avoid his lips. But he was faster.

The moment their lips touched—

“Ahhh!”

Siara woke up with a scream. A soft bed, blanket, and unfamiliar room greeted her.

“Where am I…?”

It was Diego’s room. She had fallen asleep in Diego’s arms due to accumulated fatigue, and he must have put her here. Diego’s scent was fragrant and comforting.

“Haah…”

It was still dark outside.

Feeling unsettled and unable to sleep, she opened the door and went outside. The guard standing by the door addressed her.

“Is there anything you need? If there’s anything…”

“No, I’m fine. Just going for a walk in the garden.”

“Yes, understood.”

The imperial palace felt bright even at night, with servants standing around with lit lamps.

As she walked through the garden, a maid followed her. The maid probably accompanied her so she wouldn’t look like an intruder walking alone.

‘At least I won’t get lost.’

She walked through the flower-filled garden, inhaling the fragrance.

Hearing a rustling sound, she turned to see a man standing there. A red-haired man in a loose shirt who seemed to belong here without any sense of discomfort.

“Who are you?”

At his words, the maid behind Siara stepped forward and spoke.

“She’s a friend of His Highness the Crown Prince.”

The man approached the maid and slapped her cheek. The sound echoed loudly in the quiet space.

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“I-I’ve committed a grave offense, Your Highness the Prince!”

After the maid knelt on the ground, the man stood in front of Siara. He looked noticeably older than Diego.

‘He’s older but still called a prince? He must have been born from a concubine, so he couldn’t become the Crown Prince.’

Siara didn’t like the prince’s demeanor, so she deliberately acted overly excited to put him off. She wanted to prevent any unnecessary trouble.

“Oh my! You’re His Highness the Prince! I’m Annie Light, the first daughter of Duke Light’s family! So pleased to meet you!”

Seeing Siara’s excessive enthusiasm, the corner of the man’s mouth turned down slightly.

“…You’re Diego’s friend?”

“Yes! We’re not that close, but I was honored to be invited! I’m so happy! To even meet His Highness the Prince! Kyah, I must tell my friends about this!”

Watching Siara jump up and down with excitement, the man made a disgusted expression. Finding her noisy, he blocked his ear with his index finger.

“…Still young. Go back quickly.”

As he waved his hand dismissively, Siara bowed deeply.

“I look forward to seeing you again, Your Highness the Prince!”

“…”

The prince frowned, looking like he had no desire to see her again.

Siara continued acting like someone thrilled to have met the prince until she reached the Crown Prince’s palace, where she leaned against the wall and sighed with relief.

‘Wow, geez. That kid… What an intimidating atmosphere. Would I be executed immediately for being disrespectful to royalty here too? Probably. How frightening.’

Still only 17 years old. Fortunately, acting like an immature child had worked. While she was comforting herself with this thought, she entered her room to find someone inside. Diego was sitting on the bed in comfortable clothes.

“Oh, Diego?”

“…Where did you go?”

But again, the maid behind her stepped forward and spoke.

“She went for a walk in the garden, Your Highness.”

The maid’s cheek showed the mark from where the prince had slapped her.

“Nothing else happened?”

“…Nothing except meeting His Highness the Prince.”

“Isaac?”

“Yes.”

Diego looked at Siara again. For a moment, his black eyes gleamed like a snake’s.

“How was my brother?”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“Your fiancé.”

“What?”

But the words from Diego’s mouth were not something to be taken lightly. Diego brushed up his bangs and said:

“Isn’t it really funny? My mother has sent a marriage proposal to Duke Light’s family. To match you with my brother.”

“…What are you talking about?”

She couldn’t understand. Was such a thing possible in that short amount of time? No, more than that, she wondered if the prince already knew about this fact.

Diego stared at her intently, trying to gauge her thoughts.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“About illegitimate children marrying each other. Isaac’s mother was a palace maid. Isn’t that similar to you?”

How could a mere noble’s illegitimate child be compared to a prince? Siara didn’t understand.

“Even so, does that make sense? He’s royalty, mixing with commoner blood?”

“…He has no right to succession anyway, so he can’t become emperor.”

“Oh, really?”

‘Isn’t that actually sweet? He won’t get entangled in politics, so he won’t risk death, and he can just live his whole life on the nation’s stipend, right?’

Thinking about it, it wasn’t bad. No, it was quite a good marriage proposal. Under these conditions, it would also benefit Annie who would later inhabit this body.

“Well… I saw him earlier, and he’s young and handsome. Since my bloodline isn’t that great either, I might be a good match for him…”

But red flames rose around Diego’s body. His red hair seemed to blaze so intensely that Siara changed her words.

“Ah, but he’s not for me. No. We’re not compatible! The Empress will soon realize her mistake. Haha…”

‘This kid is giving me such dirty looks. You and Annie can never be together anyway! Do you think a legitimate heir and an illegitimate daughter, with commoner blood mixed in, could ever be together? Seriously.’

At just 17, he might not understand reality yet. At that age, one’s blood runs hot, making everything seem possible.

Looking out the window, she could see the day beginning to dawn. Diego abruptly stood up and went out.

“Get some rest. …I’ll take you to the imperial library later.”

“Huh? Oh, sure!”

The imperial library. Might there be something written about dimensional transfer magic there?

Siara yawned and crawled back into the soft bed. As Diego suggested, it would be good to get some sleep to be active during the day.

* * *

Her body was being shaken vigorously. Wiping away drool, she opened her eyes to find the Empress standing right in front of her, looking at her with disapproving eyes. The one shaking her was the elderly lady-in-waiting attending the Empress.

“Huh?”

“…Waking up so late! You’re quite lazy.”

Not understanding why the Empress was before her, she looked around. Diego was drinking tea on the sofa, and their eyes met. Diego was frowning deeply, looking uncomfortable about something.

“To become my daughter-in-law, this won’t do.”

The Empress’s words snapped her fully awake.

“Pardon…?”

Hearing Siara’s voice, still groggy from sleep, the Empress opened her fan and covered her mouth as she spoke.

“I’ve requested a marriage proposal to Duke Light. For you to marry Prince Isaac.”

“…Yes.”

It was exactly as Diego had told her yesterday.

The Empress’s eyebrow raised slightly.

“…Aren’t you happy to become a member of the royal family?”

“Ah…”

What should she say? This was certainly good for Annie, but would it be good for the prince too? The prince seemed to have strong pride, and he might be displeased when he learned of this.

‘You’re just trying to spite the prince, Empress. It’s also convenient to get rid of me, who’s a thorn in your side.’

However, even knowing all the facts, Siara was powerless. What good would come from defying royalty except death? So she had to pretend to be happy this time too.

“Yes. I’m so happy!”