27.

“Her identity was also unclear. No one knew where that woman came from. At first, rumors spread that she might be some woman involved in shady affairs. But she clearly carried herself like someone well-educated, and since the Crown Prince held her in such high regard… people only whispered about it behind closed doors.”

“……”

“Later, it was announced she was the daughter of a fallen noble family from a foreign land—but the way it was handled… you know what I mean?”

Roe gave a vague nod. It was the same trick nobles often used when publicly elevating their beloved mistresses. Anna glanced cautiously at Rosetta’s face before speaking carefully.

“And… the annulment letter arrived.”

“When?”

“The night before the Lady attempted ‘that incident.’ Then, the very next morning, the Lady went straight to the Imperial Palace.”

“Did she show any signs before leaving?”

“Signs?”

“You know… the kind of look people get when they’re about to do something like that.”

“Oh.”

Anna let out a short exclamation and tilted her head, as if trying to recall.

“Well… the Lady was always kind and gentle.”

As she said this, Anna glanced again at Rosetta’s face.

“But she never really opened up to us.”

“And she attempted suicide right after that?”

“Yes. She drank poison right in front of the Crown Prince—poison she had brought with her deliberately.”

“Were there witnesses?”

“I heard all the servants, attendants, and maids in the palace gave testimony.”

“……”

Something felt deeply suspicious. Even though she’d only heard it secondhand, it reeked of foul play. But the truth was, there simply wasn’t enough evidence to claim this was someone’s scheme or a fabrication.

If the Crown Prince had wanted the Lady dead, he would have chosen a more discreet location. The Imperial Palace was always under public scrutiny. Any attempt at concealment would itself become gossip. Let alone a scandal like the suicide attempt of Lady Valdemore. If there had been even one suspicious detail, things wouldn’t have settled down this quietly.

Anyway, one thing was now certain: whether Lea had taken her own life or been murdered, there was now no way left to confirm the truth.

Rosetta tapped the edge of the bathtub lightly with her fingertips, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

“One last question.”

“Please ask.”

“In your eyes, before I lost my memories—did I seem to love the Crown Prince?”

At the unsettling question, Anna’s cheeks instantly turned pale. Yet she replied firmly, with determined expression.

“In my eyes, you did not.”

* * *

After her bath, Rosetta sprawled lazily on the sofa, feeling fragrant and refreshed. She had eaten the chef’s special soup for hangovers and drunk two more cups of honeyed tea, which made her body feel considerably lighter.

Thanks to that, by lunchtime—when the Duchess arrived with a mountain of invitation cards—Rosetta managed to regain a perfectly normal complexion, as if she hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol the night before.

Roe pretended to carefully examine each invitation the Duchess poured out, while yawning widely behind her back.

“This one is completely unusable.”

As the Duchess tossed one invitation aside in disgust, Rosetta nodded gravely, showing full agreement.

“Look here. They didn’t even follow the basic format for an invitation. Attending such an event would only damage your reputation.”

“I agree.”

“Lady Reté? She’s from a family that bought their title two generations ago. Not worth associating with.”

“Exactly.”

Rosetta had realized at some point that nodding along with the Duchess’s opinions made things easier. Most of the time, the Duchess only sought agreement on negative judgments, so Rosetta didn’t have to endure unnecessary trouble. But still…

“Still, this one might not be bad to attend. The boat party along the Ende River will have the heirs of all the major families present.”

“Very true.”

Habitual agreement sometimes led to undesirable outcomes. Before the Duchess even finished speaking, Rosetta reflexively nodded—and immediately rolled her eyes. But it was too late. The Duchess gracefully smiled and handed the selected invitations to the butler.

“In that case, we’ll need to order a new dress. Since it’s a daytime event, a light sky-blue fabric would be suitable. Now, what jewels would match…”

She was ruined, but since she was already ruined day after day, one more ruin didn’t feel particularly significant. While the Duchess pondered combinations of new dresses and jewels, Roe lowered her head and yawned deeply. Whatever happened, she’d just be dressed up like a doll and dragged around again.

“…So, shall we ask Master Montrosa to be your partner?”

Rosetta, who had been drifting along passively, startled and nearly jumped up.

“No! No! How could you even suggest something so dreadful?”

“Why, he seems quite taken with you.”

The Duchess narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled knowingly, as if Rosetta’s jumpiness were proof of something.

“Be honest with your mother. Do you like Master Montrosa?”

…Wow. This was truly uncomfortable. Discussing a boy she liked with her biological mother, as if she were a teenage girl—well, considering Lea’s age, she had just barely passed adolescence. But still, this was something real Rosetta had never done even when she was ten. Of course, back then, she hadn’t even known who her mother was.

Anyway, it was embarrassingly awkward. The Duchess, interpreting Rosetta’s flushed face in her own way, laughed out loud—a rare, bright laughter.

“Fine, do as you please. Your father keeps insisting we arrange an engagement quickly… but what harm is there in letting you enjoy yourself a little longer? Especially since so many suitors are still chasing after you.”

“……”

“Besides, now that you’ve caught Master Montrosa’s attention, you’ve already succeeded. People naturally admire women chosen by men above them. Excluding the Crown Prince, there isn’t a single unmarried man of higher status in the entire Empire.”

She had absolutely no desire to enjoy this any further. Not even a little.

Now, the situation had changed significantly. She had more than enough funds for escape—so much that it could fill a small jewelry box. As long as she had the strength to climb over the wall, her poor physical condition was no longer an issue—she could buy her way out of it. Hire a discreet mercenary, purchase a carriage and driver.

If she got engaged, she could avoid social events under the pretext of ‘bridal training,’ and under the guise of ‘building stamina,’ she could start learning horseback riding or light exercise. With the Duchess busy preparing for the engagement and wedding, the period of laxer supervision would be her only chance.

So this time, she absolutely had to succeed in getting engaged. Last time, no eligible men could approach her because of Cardier and the Crown Prince… but this time, she was determined to actively search for a suitable rake—someone eager for an engagement but not marriage.

Rosetta clenched her fist firmly. Seeing her daughter’s resolute expression, the Duchess opened her mouth, unable to hide her satisfaction.

“What a determined look you have.”

“……”

“Lately, I’ve felt we’ve been getting along better than ever before.”

…Well, of course. That’s because she wasn’t expressing any opinions at all. The Duchess, interpreting Rosetta’s silence as approval, showed no effort to conceal her delight.

The Duchess took one last sip of her cooled tea and rose from her seat. Rosetta struggled to keep her face neutral, hiding how relieved she felt, and asked,

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

The Duchess stepped back and smiled at Rosetta.

“Sometimes, you seem happier than before. I even find myself thinking it was fortunate the Crown Prince rejected you. In fact, you’re…”

The Duchess trailed off, then reached out and gently patted her shoulder.

“……”

“Rest well.”

Soon after, the Duchess left the room, accompanied by the butler. As the door closed softly behind them, Rosetta slumped onto the sofa, releasing her tense shoulders. She blinked up at the ceiling. The Duchess’s words—calling it fortunate that the Crown Prince had rejected her—lingered in her ears.

Rosetta recalled the Crown Prince’s gaze from a few days ago, the way he had looked down at her like prey. Regardless of whether he found her interesting, her instincts kept sending warnings: stay away, don’t get curious. Until now, her biggest threat had been being sent to a convent, but the Crown Prince could truly have shattered Lea’s life.

Of course, it was possible all of this was just Rosetta’s imagination. Perhaps the Crown Prince was merely angry at the Lady who had attempted suicide before him. Maybe he really had nothing in his mind and acted on impulse. Whatever the case, the evidence wasn’t clear, and poking at it recklessly would be like disturbing a massive, vicious hornet’s nest.

“My Lady!”

Lost in thought, Rosetta was startled as Anna burst through the door.