Strange. It’s strange, I tell you.

“Why isn’t there an answer?”

I clearly left a blank space for Cheston to write his desired conditions. I asked him to sign and send it back, but several days have passed without a response.

‘Were my conditions not to his liking?’

There were no conditions that would be difficult for His Highness to hear. I only wrote that I would break off the engagement once I safely inherited the family head position.

The debutante ball is approaching soon, and I needed to finalize the engagement before then.

“There’s no contact from the dye market either. I even visited the address on the business card I received back then, but there was no particular information.”

I had contacted an informant as well, but only received the answer that they couldn’t find anyone purchasing dyes. Whitney lay down on the bed, her mind complicated.

As her body sank into the fluffy blanket, drowsiness overcame her.

‘Still, it’s fortunate. No one knows about the Queen summoning me secretly.’

If rumors had spread, Melissa would have come looking, and more. She might have even caused a scene, asking why I wasn’t taken away. Though that would be in front of her, not others.

[The Queen’s cousin, Driena Cahin, has passed away due to an assassin who entered the palace. The palace was filled with sorrow, and two days of mourning were held wearing black mourning clothes. Upon hearing this news, King Karulo was greatly angered and strongly protested diplomatically to the kingdom of Reowen.]

Discussions of compensation will likely be exchanged separately.

Whitney recalled the day she secretly went to the Queen’s palace while reading the newspaper. Come to think of it, everyone was wearing black clothes then.

She had expected something had happened, but she didn’t think the Queen’s cousin would have died.

“So that’s why they were wearing mourning clothes at that time.”

The strange point was, why wasn’t the Queen mourning and instead wearing a gorgeous dress like herself when her cousin had died?

‘Could it be….’

Whitney suddenly sat up. Why hadn’t she thought of it before?

What if all of that was fabricated by the Queen?

Back then, she couldn’t understand. Why the King, who cherished Prince Cheston so much, sided with Karl. The reason he had no choice but to kill his own son just because she had witnessed that incident.

The reason he had to kill Cheston without letting it go was probably because the Queen had intervened.

As she thought this, her heart began to race violently. The Queen might be an even more dangerous person than she had known.

As the debutante ball approached, the accident from that day also drew nearer.

‘Things are different now from then. So… there’s no need to be afraid.’

Whitney slapped her cheeks with her hands to regain her composure. She clenched her fists tightly, her hands trembling.

The image of the Queen smiling brightly at her without a care came to mind. Goosebumps covered her entire body, and her head felt cold.

There’s no need to be afraid since she knows everything now.

‘I’ll turn the tables.’

Whitney began writing another letter to the informant. It was, so to speak, a letter urging His Highness the Prince.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Is this even a reasonable situation?”

To think she couldn’t wait and sent a reminder letter. Not content with drafting the contract as she pleased, now she sent a letter implying he should reply quickly.

Cheston let out a hollow laugh.

“She really is a woman who does as she pleases.”

“I don’t understand why you’re hesitating, sir.”

“You’re right, it’s not even something to hesitate about.”

Cheston promptly began signing the documents. His condition was to end the contract once his mother’s illness was cured.

He soon composed himself and sealed the contract in an envelope. He then handed the documents to Aaron and stood up from his seat.

“I should be going now. There will be trouble if I’m late.”

“Please be careful. Wouldn’t it be better to just let it slide this time?”

“…I’ll consider it.”

It had always been this way. He hid his abilities to not surpass Karl and lived without showing his emotions. Having learned to bow down since childhood, nothing was difficult for him.

Leaving the separate palace, he headed towards the main palace’s training hall after a long time. For some reason, the King was said to be observing, which made this time feel even more burdensome to Cheston.

Unable to do this or that, Cheston entered the training hall and soon came face to face with Karl, who was grinning.

“It’s been a while. I’ve missed you so much, little brother, since you’ve been under house arrest that’s not really house arrest.”

In response to Karl’s words, Cheston smiled brightly and replied.

“I’ve missed you terribly as well. Just as I was looking forward to seeing how much your sword skills have improved, Father personally arranged this occasion.”

“While you were holed up in the separate palace, I had an interesting experience.”

He giggled as he drew his sword. Then he whispered softly enough for only Cheston to hear.

“I met a pretty girl, just like your mother. She had a plain appearance, but strangely, I was drawn to her. I don’t understand why I’m attracted to girls who don’t know men.”

Cheston’s straight eyebrows twitched. His expression hardened more and more at Karl’s ramblings. He seemed to know who Karl was talking about.

Whitney Orlean.

Karl was thinking of her. Pleased just by the thought, Karl grinned and said,

“Whitney Orlean. The only daughter of the Duke’s family. She’s quite famous among women these days. Those innocent eyes that know nothing and that docile attitude. You should have seen her embarrassed face when I asked her out for tea next time.”

Karl looked at the sharp sword with half-closed eyes. Then he caressed the sword as he spoke. His touch seemed as if he was caressing a woman.

“White skin with wheat-colored hair, eyes like vegetation, and red lips. Although she has a delicate body, she was quite worth looking at. She’ll soon come of age, so she probably hasn’t met any men yet…”

No one would misunderstand the meaning of his words. It was disgusting how Karl spoke such filthy words so casually.

“She seems like she’d be fun enough to play with. You might have thought the same if you had seen her. But unlike some, I have noble blood, so I can’t marry such a woman even if I have fun with her.”

“…The Queen wouldn’t allow even that.”

“No, no. Mother doesn’t need to know about such trivial matters. There’s no reason to talk about a relationship with a woman who’s just a toy.”

Karl clicked his tongue and smiled ominously.

“If I approach her first at the debutante, she’ll surely fall for me. Mother will probably play along once for my amusement.”

Reading his filthy thoughts, curses involuntarily spilled from his mouth. His hand gripping the sword tightened, and aura began to fluctuate.

“Relax, little brother. It seems Mother is going to that woman today.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle. I know my place.”

Cheston smiled slyly at Karl. Yes, he should know his place. At the very least, Karl shouldn’t have put Whitney Orlean’s name on his filthy lips.

[This is the timeline separator]

“A letter has arrived.”

Whitney immediately opened the letter and read it. Only after seeing the contract with Prince Cheston’s signature did she let out a sigh of relief.

‘Mother won’t be able to entertain any foolish thoughts now.’

Even Cecilia wouldn’t be able to oppose her with an engagement to the royal family. As she carefully examined the contract again, her head tilted to the side.

“Huh?”

Looking at the part with lines drawn, it seemed to have been modified. What was specified in the contract was the contract date and the point of breaking off the engagement.

“The point of termination shall be determined through mutual cooperation. Unilateral notification from either party is not allowed?”

There was no particular need for that, but does he also need this engagement with her? In fact, Cheston didn’t need to maintain the engagement for long. He had already received the medicinal herb to save his mother from her, so it would be advantageous for him to break off the engagement as soon as possible.

If she, who received support from the Rubeness family, were to become engaged to Cheston, the capital would be in an uproar. Although he was an illegitimate child and not recognized as the legitimate heir, he was a prince favored by the King, so the nobles wouldn’t disregard this situation.

It was obvious that all eyes would be focused on the two of them.

Whitney was well aware of the influence the debutante had on high society. Everyone would be waiting for the ball held at the royal palace during the social season. It was because it was time for Prince Karl to find a bride.

Everyone will attend with faces full of expectation. Not knowing they would become puppets of the Queen.

Whitney carefully caressed her intact arm even in the approaching summer. She felt strange about her smooth arm without scars.

“I wonder why His Highness seemed angry?”

She found it difficult to grasp Cheston’s intentions. Moreover, reading the postscript made her feelings complicated.

[Postscript. You really do as you please. If you can’t agree, it’s not too late even now.]

It was Whitney who would benefit if the engagement period was extended. She carefully sealed the contract with both their signatures in an envelope.

“I should inform Aunt that everything is prepared.”

Whitney frowned at the hot sunlight that seemed to have suddenly approached summer. But it wasn’t bad. Unlike then, she could now fully enjoy a midsummer day without having to wear long sleeves.

She opened the window wide and stretched out her hand, moving her fingers here and there as if caressing the sparkling sunlight, when she spotted a bird flying in the sky and opened her eyes wide.

The bird flew over and dropped something round and shiny into Whitney’s palm.