“Go on. Hit me.”

Seraphina stepped forward without hesitation. Her calm response made Leoban falter.

“W-what are you doing?”

“What’s wrong, Leoban?”

Seraphina smiled faintly. At the fragile-looking woman’s smile, the man—twice her size—flinched.

“Did you want to find out what happens when someone assaults a member of the imperial family inside the palace, on top of showing them disrespect?”

At Seraphina’s even question, Leoban ground his teeth. He clicked his tongue and dropped back into his seat with a thud.

Looking down at him with open contempt, Seraphina spoke again.

“You didn’t come all the way to the palace just to check on my health. So why are you here?”

“Oh my. Leoban, honestly. Now that you’re all grown up, you should really graduate from fighting with your little sister.”

Marianne joined in with a beaming smile and patted her son on the back. The timing was laughable — she had stood by silently when he was about to hit the Crown Princess, yet she had chosen to intervene only now.

Her attitude was beyond shameless.

She spoke as though this were nothing more than a trivial disagreement between siblings.

“If you’ve finally seen your sister after so long, you should get along. That won’t do at all.”

“You haven’t changed at all, Mother.”

Seraphina let out a dry laugh. Her stepmother’s behavior was exactly the same as it had always been at the Lindenrosen estate, and her consistency was almost impressive.

She twisted situations to suit herself. She ignored Seraphina to her face as though she did not exist.

The fact that she behaved the same way even now, when Seraphina was royalty, was remarkable in itself.

But the most remarkable thing of all was that Leoban had dared to raise his hand against the crown princess in the first place.

“Enough. Say what you came to say, then leave.”

Exhausted, Seraphina sat down on the sofa. If she didn’t hear them out now, they would undoubtedly keep coming back until she did. It was better to get it over with.

“A mother doesn’t need a reason to visit her daughter. When I heard that you had been bedridden for such a long time and had only just recovered, I was so worried…”

Marianne trailed off with a theatrical sniffle, dabbing at eyes that produced not a single tear.

Used to these performances, Seraphina watched with a bored expression. When the Crown Princess showed no reaction, Marianne raised her voice, her grief suddenly swelling.

“I lost my husband the moment I married him, and I raised the child he left behind all on my own. Do you know how much hardship I endured? And now I might lose you, too, Your Highness, to some unforeseen accident – my heart nearly stopped!”

“I see.”

Listening to the tired refrain, Seraphina blinked slowly. Marianne used this same act every time she wanted money, loudly parading her sacrifices for all to hear.

When Seraphina was younger, she panicked and gave her all her money. But that tactic had long since lost its power.

Besides, this was the Crown Prince’s palace.

The maids in the receiving room were thoroughly trained imperial attendants. That was why they had remained silent earlier, even when Leoban almost hit the Crown Princess.

They did not dare interfere in the private affairs of the imperial family.

Perhaps they might quietly report what they had seen to the Empress or the Crown Prince later, but they would never reveal anything here and now. Doing so would result in immediate punishment and expulsion.

No matter how much Marianne appealed to the Crown Princess’ supposed heartlessness, there was no one here who would sympathize with her.

Unfortunately, Marianne seemed unaware of this fact.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be acting like this.

“When I heard that Your Highness had suddenly manifested as an omega and become the Crown Princess, this mother—”

“How much this time?”

Seraphina cut her off abruptly. The end of her endless speeches was always the same: she needed money.

Seraphina had no intention of listening to another tedious monologue that could drag on indefinitely.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Prompted so bluntly, Marianne cleared her throat and finally got to the point, looking slightly awkward.

“Now that my younger daughter has married, shouldn’t Leoban find a wife too? After all, the Lindenrosen family line must continue.”

As she listened, Seraphina looked at Leoban. Marriage, was it? Whoever ended up marrying that scoundrel would have her sympathies.

“Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, Brother.”

At her dry remark, Marianne frowned, clearly dissatisfied. Lowering her handkerchief, she tapped the table sharply with her fingers.

“My goodness, Your Highness. A wedding requires betrothal gifts! Who would marry a man who doesn’t have a coin to his name?”

“And the betrothal gifts the imperial family gave when I married?”

Seraphina asked, unable to hide her disbelief.

In the Empire, it was customary for the groom’s family to give betrothal gifts to the bride’s family when nobles married. As the Crown Prince, he would certainly have given the Lindenrosen family a generous sum.

So why was she being asked to provide money for Leoban’s betrothal now?

“My betrothal gifts exist, don’t they?”

“Your Highness’s betrothal gifts? When are you talking about? Your Highness married last year already.”

“…Don’t tell me.”

Seraphina’s mouth fell slightly open.

Had they really squandered it all?

No — ‘squandered’ wasn’t quite the right word.

They must have spent it all.

Closing her mouth, Seraphina studied the two of them more carefully. Marianne and Leoban were dressed far too extravagantly to be members of a mere viscount’s household. It was clear that they had lived without a care for money, treating themselves to whatever they wanted over the past year.

So that’s why they flew into a rage earlier when she mentioned annulment.

If the marriage is annulled, they’ll have to return the betrothal gifts.

They came here expecting to receive more money, only to be told that they would have to return it. No wonder he lost control and tried to hit me.

“Wow.”

Seraphina let out a genuinely impressed murmur. Although she had always known they were beyond redemption, she hadn’t anticipated this outcome.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

Marianne tilted her head at Seraphina’s reaction. Puffing out her cheeks slightly, Seraphina shrugged.

“No, nothing. Anyway—so?”

“My goodness, where was my head? We were hoping you might provide the gifts for Leoban’s betrothal. Now that the Lindenrosen family is tied to the imperial family, the gifts should reflect our newfound status.”

“Pfft—.”

Seraphina finally let out the laugh that she had been holding back for so long. Everything that had happened since she woke up had been utterly absurd.

By nature, Seraphina was easygoing and accepting of things as they came. It was this attitude that had enabled her to survive Marianne’s and Leoban’s oppression without breaking, to grow up straight despite it all.

But this?

Wasn’t this taking things too far?

Waking up after falling down the stairs and being treated like the Crown Princess was bewildering enough. And now, after the Crown Prince, Lady Mireille and the Empress, even the people of the Lindenrosen household had appeared before her.

It was as though they had all conspired to see just how much she could endure, closing in on her from every direction.

It was so ridiculous that it almost became laughable.

‘I should send them away for now.’

Seeing the two of them stiffen in response, Seraphina decided not to pursue the matter. Every moment spent on them would be a waste of time. She waved her hand dismissively.

“I understand what you’re saying, so you can go now.”

“Then… when might the money—”

“I only just woke up, so I’m still disoriented. And I nearly got hit by my brother earlier, which didn’t help.”

Seraphina spoke gently. At her words, Marianne shot Leoban a sharp look. Deliberately ignoring them, Seraphina continued.

“I understand your position, Mother, so please go back and wait. I’ll contact you once I’ve recovered.”

“Shall we?”

Marianne brightened immediately, clapping her hands. She jabbed Leoban in the side with her elbow, urging him to follow along.

“About earlier… my apologies, Your Highness.”

“It’s fine, Brother. It’s not as though this is the first or second time.”

Seraphina replied with a soft smile.

Using the very tone she had learned from the Empress earlier that day, she watched as both of their expressions soured at once.