As soon as the Crown Prince appeared, everyone in the room dropped to their knees in unison. He, however, seemed oblivious to his surroundings. His expression was rigid and his gaze was fixed solely on the bed — on Seraphina.

“So you’re finally awake.”

The Crown Prince strode over to the bedside and took Seraphina’s hand. Still dazed, she blinked and raised her gaze to meet his.

He had brilliant golden hair, radiant as threads spun from molten gold. His features were clear and strikingly handsome. A lavish ceremonial uniform befitting royalty draped his broad shoulders and firm chest.

No matter how many times she looked, there was no mistaking it: the man before her was the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince. The Empire’s most sought-after husband.

Realizing that he had come to see her in person, Seraphina quickly lowered her head, overwhelmed with awe. For the Crown Prince to visit a mere maid while she was ill was an honor beyond measure — a glory that would be spoken of for generations.

Seraphina came from a humble household that could never hope to compare with the imperial bloodline. She was the second daughter of a penniless viscount and had no real future. At best, she might one day marry into a modest household.

She had only applied to become one of the Crown Prince’s maids for the palace’s steady wages and the promise of decent living quarters.

Unlike the others, she had never once dreamed of catching the attention of the Crown Prince. She knew her place.

To him, she was just another maid.

He was cold and unyielding, never wasting words on idle conversation with his inferiors. His expression was always as rigid as an ice statue. In the two years she had served him, he had addressed her only with short, precise commands.

Above all—

— Seraphina was a Beta.

Beyond the ordinary distinctions of male and female, there existed what could be called a second gender. Most people were Betas, but a select few were born Alphas or Omegas. Compared to Betas, Alphas and Omegas possessed far superior physical abilities.

Only when Alphas and Omegas were paired together could they produce offspring with extraordinary traits.

They emitted unique pheromones — scents that could convey emotion and desire, and awaken deep-seated instincts.

But such things had nothing to do with Seraphina.

She was a Beta, unable to sense pheromones at all.

Therefore, none of the talk about Alphas and Omegas being classified as dominant or recessive based on the strength of their pheromones concerned her. Nor did she believe in the idea that deeply resonating pairs formed imprints and spent the rest of their lives dependent on their partner’s pheromones.

Therefore, setting status aside entirely, it was impossible for her to become the partner of an Alpha Crown Prince in the first place.

Betas could not bond with Alphas.

This is why, until the royal physician and the maids began treating her as the Crown Princess Consort, Seraphina believed there must have been a misunderstanding.

But then the Crown Prince himself appeared.

‘Is this a dream?’

Seraphina frowned slightly and tried to slip her hand free.

“……”

“What’s wrong? Why are you acting like a stranger?”

The Crown Prince spoke gently. Although his tone was relaxed, he subtly tightened his grip to prevent her from pulling her hand away.

“If you hadn’t woken up by today, I was going to replace the physician. I’m relieved you came to.”

Still holding her hand, the Crown Prince added quietly. As she listened to his deep, resonant voice murmuring in her ear, Seraphina bit her lower lip.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Not only did the Crown Prince know her, he also knew her name. Moreover, when he opened the door, he addressed her as ‘Sephi’.

That was a nickname used only by family or close friends.

“Does anything hurt? Were you examined properly?”

Unaware of the turmoil raging inside her, the Crown Prince continued to ask about her condition. His gentle, attentive manner only served to deepen her confusion.

She had never seen him behave like this before. In the two years she had served him, she had never seen him openly express his emotions.

Even Seraphina, who was usually easy-going and hard to unsettle, could not help but feel thoroughly flustered now.

“I was wrong, Sephi. I thought you—”

Why was the Crown Prince acting like this?

“Sephi?”

Still holding her hand, the Crown Prince faltered mid-sentence, a look of confusion spreading across his face. Without meeting his gaze or saying a word, she studied her intently.

“Physician. Why is my consort not speaking?”

In contrast to the warmth he had previously shown her, his voice was now icy and almost reproachful. The royal physician bowed deeply in response to the question.

“My apologies, Your Highness. She was clearly speaking normally just moments ago.”

“Are you certain?”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

The physician dropped to his knees quickly, pressing his hands against the floor. In an instant, the room became chilly.

Startled by this sudden change in atmosphere, Seraphina was about to step in when the physician spoke up hastily.

“There was no mistake whatsoever in the treatment, Your Highness. Please believe me.”

“Can you guarantee that there is nothing wrong with my consort?”

“Th-That is—”

The royal physician licked his lips under the Crown Prince’s relentless questioning. He cautiously lifted his gaze and looked at Seraphina. Seeing her sitting there, startled, with her hand still in the Crown Prince’s grasp, he hesitated.

“…The truth is, Your Highness. There appears to be an issue with Her Highness’s memory.”

“Her memory?”

Upon hearing the physician’s confession, the Crown Prince asked, his voice as cold as ice. Swallowing hard, the physician continued.

“It seems that her memories from a certain period have been lost. Most likely, the memories she formed after becoming Crown Princess Consort have disappeared.”

“…What did you say?”

The hand holding Seraphina trembled slightly. The Crown Prince’s gaze, which had been fixed on the physician, slowly shifted towards her.

Faced with the gaze of someone so much higher in the social hierarchy than her, Seraphina did not know what to do, so she lowered her gaze. When she avoided his gaze, he tightened his grip, then loosened it again.

“When can she recover?”

“She appears to have lost her memory temporarily due to a severe shock. Time should resolve it.”

“So you’re saying you don’t know when she’ll recover.”

The Crown Prince replied in a hollow tone. He let out a long sigh and swept his golden hair back.

As he fell into a heavy silence, the air in the room became suffocating.

“Everyone, leave.”

“Y-Your Highness, please—at least spare my life—!”

“If you don’t leave this instant, I will cut off your head.”

A hoarse, rasping command fell from the lips of the Crown Prince. The moment it was issued, the physician scrambled to his feet, nearly stumbling in his haste. At the same time, everyone who had been filling the spacious chamber hurried out in a flurry.

Left alone with the Crown Prince, Seraphina cast a cautious glance in his direction.

He sat with an utterly expressionless face, betraying no hint of emotion. Yet, judging by the tone he had used with the physician, his mood was unmistakably dark.

‘Should I leave too…?’

Seraphina watched his expression carefully as she lifted the blanket slightly. In truth, she felt perfectly fine — hardly like someone who had lost consciousness.

Nothing hurt. Nothing ached. It felt as though she had simply slept deeply.

And that was what made the situation all the more unsettling.

The physician and the Crown Prince spoke as though Seraphina truly were the Crown Princess Consort, but that was their reality, not hers. To her, it all felt impossibly unreal.

Seraphina was a maid.

Maids were not even allowed to meet the Crown Prince’s eyes. Sitting this close to him was unthinkable.

If the head maid were to see her like this, she would drag her out of bed without a second thought.

Yes. Without a doubt.

“Th-Then… Your Highness, I shall take my leave as well.”

“Don’t go.”

As Seraphina tried to rise cautiously, the Crown Prince stopped her. He grasped the hand that had pushed the blanket aside and turned his head towards her.

“…You don’t remember me?”

“…My apologies.”

“You are my consort. You are—the Empire’s Crown Princess Consort.”

The Crown Prince spoke in a strained and almost desperate tone. Yet Seraphina could not accept his words at face value. The reason for this was clearer than matters of status or gender.

“Your Highness is already in negotiations for a marriage with someone else. They are far more accomplished than I could ever hope to be.”

The Crown Prince already had a prospective partner.