The air was filled with the scents of vanilla and fig.

It was as though a bowl of fig essence had been spilled into pure vanilla extract — a cloying, overpowering fragrance that turned the stomach. In smaller quantities, it might have been pleasant. At this intensity, however, it was enough to make one’s head throb.

Moreover, the scent carried an unmistakable hostility.

Rage and contempt were woven into the aroma, bearing down on Seraphina as though intent on squeezing the breath from her lungs.

“Ugh…!”

Seraphina clapped a hand over her nose and mouth, staggering. Cold sweat beaded across her forehead.

“Your Highness!”

When Seraphina faltered, Rosalynde came rushing forward from behind and caught her. Thanks to Rosalynde, Seraphina just about managed to avoid collapsing, instead gasping for breath.

“T-the window… the window…”

“The window? Why the window?”

Rosalynde asked, utterly confused. In response, Seraphina finally understood the true nature of the relentless scent that had been tormenting her.

Rosalynde, a Beta, could not sense it.

But Seraphina, now an Omega, could.

Pheromones.

Lady Mireille’s pheromones.

“You can barely endure pheromones at this level, and yet you think you can fix anything? There is nothing in this palace that will ever go the way you want, Your Highness.”

Lady Mireille stood with her arms crossed, looking down at Seraphina. A cold smile curved her lips as she continued.

“Stop with the obvious lies. Being stabbed in the back by you once was more than enough.”

“I—hngh—I really—”

“You’re nothing more than a doll meant to produce His Highness’s heir.”

“Hk—!”

As Lady Mireille leaned forward, the concentration of her pheromones intensified. Seraphina gasped and braced herself against the floor. She tried to push back against the overwhelming scent with her own pheromones, but to no avail.

Despite both being Omegas, the difference between dominant and recessive was vast.

This was why those with secondary traits revered dominants.

The helplessness of her position as a recessive Omega sank painfully deep into Seraphina’s bones.

“Her Majesty the Empress is waiting. Go and pay your respects at once.”

Lady Mireille spoke languidly, her eyes glittering with unmistakable delight. Watching Seraphina struggle, she added.

“That concludes my business here. I’ll take my leave for today.”

What an extraordinarily merciful gesture!

Even after Lady Mireille had left, Seraphina continued to gasp for a considerable amount of time. Rosalynde opened the windows to air out the room, but to no avail.

Pheromones were more than just a scent.

“That was far too cruel of her. To release pheromones like that against a recessive…”

Rosalynde said bitterly as she handed her a glass of cold water. Half-reclined on the sofa, Seraphina managed to drink it down.

‘Well… at least it’s clear how much she hates me.’

From Lady Mireille’s perspective, Seraphina was an interloper who had appeared out of nowhere, so she could understand why she was resented. Nevertheless, Seraphina was the Crown Princess, a fact that would never change. Displaying such open hostility meant that Mireille truly despised her.

“Her Majesty the Empress probably doesn’t like me either, does she?”

Having only just regained her composure, Seraphina murmured weakly.

“If Lady Mireille is this overwhelming, then the Empress will surely be far worse.”

Even if the Empress were inclined to favor her, the thought alone was terrifying. In this situation, where it was clear that the Empress would be displeased, Seraphina had no idea how to face her.

Just imagining it made her stomach turn cold.

It was unlikely to end with mere pheromone pressure.

But she could not avoid the Empress either. The fact that Lady Mireille had been sent to press the matter made it clear that Seraphina had no choice but to go.

‘There’s nothing in this palace that will ever go the way you want.’

That was indeed true.

Seraphina let out a bitter smile. At that moment, Rosalynde, who had been checking her condition, hesitated before speaking.

“Still… Her Majesty isn’t as unreasonable as Lady Mireille.”

“I see.”

That’s… comforting.

Seraphina replied flatly. Either way, it still meant the Empress disliked her.

‘If I’m going to be punished anyway, it’s better to get it over with quickly.’

Worrying endlessly wouldn’t solve anything. The longer she delayed visiting the Empress, the more resentment she would invite.

It was better to go sooner.

“I should go see Her Majesty the Empress.”

Seraphina let out a small groan as she pushed herself up. With Rosalynde supporting her, she headed toward the rear palace.

***

“I’m glad to see you looking well, Crown Princess.”

The Empress spoke with a benevolent smile. Contrary to Seraphina’s expectations, she greeted her warmly.

After Lady Mireille had been sent to request a visit, Seraphina had half-expected to be reprimanded for arriving late. Instead, however, the Empress expressed concern, asking why she had exerted herself so soon.

“I’ve already received a report from the court physician. They say you’ve lost your memory—how unfortunate.”

The Empress lowered her brows and rested her chin lightly on her hand. Seraphina said nothing, merely nodding faintly in response.

The gaze fixed upon her felt like pity — the kind one might cast towards a beggar by the side of the road.

She couldn’t quite put it into words, but the Empress’s dislike was expressed entirely differently from Lady Mireille’s.

It was gentle.

Yet beneath the softness of her tone and the casual nature of her remarks lay an unmistakable air of condescension.

For instance—

“Perhaps because you’re recessive. Even a minor accident leaves you with such pronounced aftereffects.”

Remarks like that.

The Empress had a way of making her listeners shrink inward, burdened by an inexplicable sense of guilt. It was as though the accident — and the memory loss — were somehow her fault.

“Still, it’s a relief to hear that your ut*rus is functioning normally. There seems to be no issue with producing an heir.”

“…Pardon?”

Seraphina, who had been quietly sipping her tea, froze and opened her mouth in shock. For a moment, she wondered if she had misheard.

How else could the Empress have said something like that?

There were maids present in the drawing room. Matters of wombs and bearing heirs were not topics to be spoken of openly, let alone in front of others.

Yet the Empress trampled over such concerns without the slightest hesitation. She spoke of intimate, deeply personal matters as though they were of no consequence at all.

“Your ut*rus.”

She repeated, smiling softly and curving her eyes gently.

“I’ve heard that although you’ve lost your memories, your reproductive functions remain intact. You should therefore devote yourself to producing an heir as soon as possible. That is the duty of a Crown Princess.”

Seraphina was left utterly speechless, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. The maids standing nearby showed no reaction whatsoever, as though such words from the Empress were an everyday occurrence.

‘Good heavens.’

Seraphina pressed her lips into a thin line and put down her teacup.

To be honest, before coming here, she had been troubled by the mystery of how she had lost her memories. It was all so unknown, and it had been suffocating her.

However, after speaking with the Empress, she found herself thinking that losing her memories might actually have been a blessing.

If this was how she had been treated, she would rather forget such memories altogether.

‘What a remarkable imperial family.’

Seraphina clenched her teeth. When she was a maid, she had never known them to be like this. Now that she had become part of the imperial family, she saw their true, utterly repulsive nature.

‘This won’t do.’

Seraphina lifted her gaze and smiled sweetly at the Empress.

“Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty.”

“Very well. Be sure to keep it in mind.”

After a brief exchange, Seraphina left the Empress’s palace at once. She heard the Empress say something as she left, but did not turn around.

It was obvious enough — undoubtedly more vulgar slander.

So Lady Mireille was indeed the Empress’s distant relative. The two of them were perfectly in step.

“Your Highness, are you all right?”

Rosalynde hurried after her, her eyes wide with concern, as Seraphina strode ahead with long, purposeful steps. But the moment they reached the Crown Prince’s palace, Seraphina stopped abruptly and turned around.

Facing Rosalynde, she spoke with quiet, resolute calm.

“I’m fine. I’ve made up my mind.”

“…Pardon?”

When Rosalynde asked her a question, a striking glint appeared in Seraphina’s lilac eyes. Smiling, she replied in a firm, unwavering tone.

“I’m going to divorce the Crown Prince.”