When Roselia couldn’t continue speaking readily, Nadia bowed her head with a self-deprecating smile.

“With a subject who can’t even afford medicine for a day… It’s a meager pride.”

Roselia looked at her bowed head and slowly shook her head.

Then, looking at the painting depicting a dazzling sky that couldn’t exist in reality, she muttered.

“It was your last self-esteem. The only thing that kept you going, Ms. Nadia…”

At that moment, Nadia’s blurry eyes turned to Roselia in surprise.

Roselia looked at Nadia and forced a smile.

Then, like a child who found an ally for the first time in her life, Nadia’s face filled with sorrow.

And tears began to fall from her lifeless gray eyes.

Roselia silently watched over her thin shoulders as she buried her face in her knees and burst into tears.

Holding the neatly wrapped painting, Roselia carefully walked out of the imperial corridor.

It was a painting Nadia had given her as a token of gratitude for saving her.

Although Roselia had hesitated to accept the painting after learning of her circumstances, she ended up receiving it inadvertently when Nadia insisted that she would feel lighter if Roselia accepted it.

Moreover, Roselia’s heart only grew heavier when Nadia seriously insisted on not taking a single penny.

In fact, even in the original work, Nadia had given a painting as a gift to Ivellionne, who had saved her, without accepting any money.

For her, it must have been unacceptable to buy and sell paintings like objects.

After that, the Crown Princess tried to support Nadia, but Nadia lost her life suffering from a chronic illness and beatings.

But now it was different. Although the incident had been brought forward, she had saved Nadia before she was beaten, and there were still two months left before she would die from her illness.

Even now, if she received the Crown Princess’s support and medical treatment, there might be improvement.

As she walked with a stern expression following the servant while thinking about this, she had already arrived at the reception room for an audience with the Crown Princess.

“Your Highness, the servant from the Balthasar duchy has arrived.”

“Let them in.”

Along with Ivellionne’s elegant voice, the door to the reception room opened.

Ivellionne, sitting with graceful poise, was smiling elegantly towards her.

As Roselia looked at her, she suddenly remembered the Crown Princess’s gaze at Closet’s debutante ball, looking at the Crown Prince and herself, and felt a rush of guilt.

She had completely forgotten about it due to the matters with Klaus and Nadia.

That she had become the Crown Prince’s mistress while he had a legal wife.

“It’s been a while, Antonio.”

“Ah, ah…! Yes! Have you been well…”

Looking at Roselia, who seemed very nervous, the Crown Princess smiled kindly as if she had an idea of what was going on.

“Roselia, was it? Antonio’s younger sister, I mean.”

“Pardon?”

“That beautiful lady from Closet’s debutante ball. I heard from Closet.”

At the Crown Princess’s words, bringing up a topic she had wanted to avoid with a calm face, Roselia wore a bewildered expression.

“There’s no need to be nervous. To think she’s Antonio’s younger sister, it rather puts my mind at ease.”

“Pardon?”

“If she grew up with an elder brother like Antonio, she must be an excellent and upright young lady.”

Unable to understand the intent of the conversation, Roselia’s eyes darted around.

Looking at her, Ivellionne smiled gently and continued calmly.

“I’d like Antonio’s younger sister… that is, Miss Roselia, to become Esteban’s mistress.”

“Pardon…???”

What kind of bolt from the blue was this?

As Roselia stared blankly at the Crown Princess, the Crown Princess smiled calmly.

“Of course, Miss Roselia’s opinion as the person concerned would be important.”

“I refuse! No… she will probably refuse!”

At Roselia’s firm answer, the Crown Princess lowered her gaze as if disappointed.

“Is that so? I don’t think it’s such a bad proposal… Of course, it’s not the position of the legal wife, but it would come with wealth and honor no less than that.”

Is this something to hear from the legal wife?

Roselia wore a stunned expression before shaking her head as if trying to come to her senses.

“Um… my sister hasn’t received the education to become an imperial lady… Moreover, she’s no different from a commoner, just with the name of a baronial family…”

“Education can be received at the imperial palace, it’s not too late. Birth and status don’t matter. It’s not like there haven’t been precedents of emperors taking commoners as mistresses in the past.”

Having said that, the Crown Princess continued with a calm smile.

“I’m not saying she should come in as a mistress right away. By imperial law, concubines can only be taken after ascending to the throne as emperor. The proposal I mentioned is for after Esteban becomes emperor.”

How can she say such things without batting an eye?

Roselia looked at the Crown Princess with an expression of incomprehension.

“If that happens… what benefit would there be for Your Highness the Crown Princess?”

As if she hadn’t expected Roselia to ask such a question, the Crown Princess looked at her curiously before carefully opening her mouth.

“Esteban will continue to be wayward in the future.”

You know that very well. Should I say as expected of the female protagonist?

“The more he does so, the more gossip there will be in the noble assembly. However, the emperor taking a mistress is a very legitimate and natural act recognized even by imperial law. If there is a woman Esteban desires, bringing her into the imperial family through proper procedures would not cause much gossip among the nobles.”

Isn’t that only good for Crown Prince Esteban?

As Roselia looked at her with an expression of not quite understanding, Ivellionne continued with a calm expression.

“The more Esteban strays, the more my home duchy of Herden and other nobles who disapprove of the Crown Prince will try to disparage him. This weakens imperial authority.”

Having said that far, the Crown Princess looked at Roselia with a resolute expression as if making a decision for herself.

“I am a woman of the imperial family who must protect the imperial family and this country as the future empress. I cannot stand by and watch the imperial family shake like this.”

Roselia opened her mouth as if truly amazed and impressed by her thoughts.

But alongside such thoughts, she felt puzzled.

“That… seems to be the thought of the Crown Princess and future Empress… How do you feel, Your Highness?”

“Pardon…?”

As if hearing a truly unexpected question, a look of bewilderment flashed across the Crown Princess’s face.

Roselia stared at her and asked once more.

“I’m asking how you feel as a woman, Lady Ivellionne. Is it really alright? I’m asking if it’s a decision for Ivellionne herself, not for the imperial family and the country.”

For a moment, the Crown Princess seemed at a loss for words.

Seeing her bow her head and sink into thought as if faced with an incredible conundrum, Roselia felt bitter.

She knew well of Ivellionne’s sense of responsibility and dedication to the greater cause through the original novel.

Even while the Crown Prince vexed her in countless ways, she calmly and coolly fulfilled her responsibilities as Crown Princess and the highest authority among the imperial court ladies for the sake of the imperial family and the country.

She even took on tasks that should have been done by imperial ministers or diplomats. Of course, since the results were just as good, there was no one to stop her either.

Whenever that happened, Roselia thought she was so cool but also felt sorry for her.

Perhaps the Crown Prince was being even more defiant because of this thorough side of hers.

While Roselia was lost in these thoughts, Ivellionne’s lips, which seemed unable to answer, parted.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been asked such a question…”

Roselia’s gaze turned curiously towards the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess wore a very bitter smile.

“From a young age, I naturally learned the virtues, education, and etiquette I should keep as Crown Princess and Empress. It seemed to be my reason for existence and everything. I grew up thinking it was so natural that I never thought about myself apart from being Empress.”

The Crown Princess’s gaze, which had been tracing the table distantly as if reminiscing about the past, turned to Roselia.

“Because of that, I think I assumed that my mindset as Crown Princess and Empress was naturally the same as my own feelings.”

Roselia, who had been quietly listening to the Crown Princess, carefully opened her mouth.

“And now?”

At Roselia’s question, the Crown Princess gave a self-deprecating smile and looked wistfully out the window.

“To be honest, I’ve never thought about anything for myself apart from being Crown Princess. But… your question made me realize one thing.”

Having said that, the Crown Princess looked at Roselia and smiled gently.

“I… feel a bit lonely. Enduring in this splendid place called the imperial palace…”

Roselia’s heart grew heavy as loneliness showed in Ivellionne’s expression as she said this.

“But what I want is the same. The well-being and stability of the imperial family. However… sometimes… yes, quite often… I feel hurt by Esteban. If he dislikes me, I wished he would at least consider me a partner rather than a companion, as I do him. Like a collaborator to build the empire and imperial family together.”

Although it was absurd that this was all she wished for, for someone who had been educated and lived as an empress all her life, even thinking this much was an enormous progression.

Roselia, who had been calmly looking at her, opened her mouth with a resolute expression.

“Your Highness, I… Although I work as a servant of the duchy, I am Antonio, no matter what anyone says.”

“Pardon…?”

“Being a servant of the duchy is just a shell expressing my social duty, but my true self inside is Antonio.”

To be precise, it’s Roselia, but…

This affirmation was actually a thought she kept repeating even while pretending to be Antonio.

“Everyone lives wearing shells according to their duties, sense of responsibility, or conditions and situations. Your shell is being Her Highness the Crown Princess. But you mustn’t forget the core inside.”

At that moment, Ivellionne’s eyes wavered.

“Even if others call me a servant of the duke’s household, I must not forget myself.”

As if having received a great shock, Ivellionne stared blankly at Roselia for a while, her violet eyes becoming misty.

Faced with Roselia’s resolute and firm gaze, Ivellionne let out a hollow laugh and eventually bowed her head.

Meeting her upright gaze made her feel naked and ashamed, unable to lift her head.

“Antonio… you are truly a good person.”

Saying that, Ivellionne slowly raised her head to look at Roselia.

Ivellionne’s violet eyes were no longer misty. Her eyes, filled with intelligent light, now held warmth as well.

“A truly wonderful person. So much that I could fall for you.”

Um… that’s a bit dangerous…