Flags announcing that Princess Rellen had officially ascended the throne, succeeding Shallen Riche, were hung throughout the capital.

She was now called Her Majesty King Rellen Riche, and following the coronation, she swiftly held a marriage ceremony. As everyone expected, the person destined to spend their life with her, for better or worse, was Aster.

Aster became the royal consort, enjoying the highest level of treatment and privileges in the royal court. Naturally, he was also granted a title and estate.

The men of the Kan Kingdom envied him. Everyone called him the fortunate hero.

“Fortunate hero? I can’t relate to that. You’ll soon realize that the seat beside a monarch isn’t always a happy one.”

Rose spoke in a tone that could be advice or a warning. Aster, sitting across from her, flashed a subtle smirk while sipping his coffee.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t take this seat for happiness. Still, thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Rose let out a small sigh, packing her personal belongings, which cluttered the desk, into her bag. Though she could have left it to a maid, she had insisted on doing this final task herself.

Looking back, she realized how much she had accumulated since entering the palace.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t congratulate you with courtesy for rising to the position of royal consort. So, unless you have more important matters, I’d like you to leave.”

“I do have important matters. Your birth father was arrested near the border with the Ram Kingdom. It was by order of Her Majesty King Rellen.”

Rose’s hands, organizing her belongings, slowly came to a halt.

“…That man?”

“Regardless of the complicated circumstances, it’s true he tried to exploit you, a member of the royal family, for his own gain. Moreover, investigations revealed he’s committed quite a few misdeeds. Once the investigation is complete, he’ll likely face life imprisonment.”

Aster paused, setting his coffee cup on the table, and glanced at Rose, who stood motionless.

“Of course, if you wish, a more extreme form of punishment could be arranged. Her Majesty is someone who keeps her promises, after all.”

“…A more extreme form of punishment?”

“It means an execution could be carried out privately, with only a few witnesses.”

Rose’s tightly closed lips parted slightly. Her eyes wavered unsteadily, like someone facing an unbalanced scale.

As her silence stretched on, Aster raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. After a moment, Rose spoke cautiously.

“That kind of resolution doesn’t sit right with me. I’ll leave his punishment to the royal court.”

“Are you serious?”

Aster looked at her skeptically, tilting his head.

“Think about what that man has done to you. To put it bluntly, isn’t he someone you’d want to tear apart?”

“Of course. But it’s over now. He’ll rot in a dungeon for life, and I’ll return to my ordinary world, living quietly. I don’t see the need to spill blood now.”

“In other words, you want to act virtuous at the last moment?”

A faint vein pulsed on Rose’s forehead. She bit her lip and turned to face him.

“When my sister was in mortal danger, you didn’t even flinch. Now you say you don’t want to see blood? That’s amusing.”

“I’ve already said I regret and reflect on that time.”

“Regret? Reflect? Fine, let me ask you this. If you could go back and start over, can you confidently say you wouldn’t make the same choices?”

“I don’t want to think or answer meaningless questions like that. What’s done can’t be undone, and that’s why people live on, carrying shame and self-reproach.”

“…Hm, that’s a boring answer.”

Aster, sipping his coffee sweetly, stood with an enigmatic smile. He said he had nothing more to say and would leave.

Rose, her eyes glinting with distrust, watched his back as he walked toward the door and spoke.

“May I ask one last thing?”

Aster paused, hand on the doorknob, and shrugged without turning to face her.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’ve always wondered. What exactly do you hope to achieve by becoming Princess Rellen’s consort?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I plan to live out my days in a high position, enjoying respect without heavy responsibilities. What else could it be?”

“Well, whether you have other motives… I suppose we’ll find out by watching how the Kan Kingdom declines in the future.”

Rose murmured in a meaningful tone. Aster responded carelessly, saying her joke was amusing, and left the room without looking back.

Rose, after her unpleasant conversation with Aster, gathered her remaining belongings and left the palace. Her first destination was the Robepon Marquis’s estate.

The house, visited after a long time, felt lifeless, as if shrouded in perpetual shade, steeped in quiet stagnation. The number of servants seemed noticeably reduced since her last visit.

When she asked if her mother was home, an unfamiliar maid quietly shook her head.

“She’s gone for a walk. Shall I send someone to fetch her?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll wait until she returns.”

Rose walked down the corridor to a nearby study. After rummaging through the desk drawers, she found paper suitable for letter-writing, along with a pen and ink.

Hunched over, she wrote for a long time. Folding the letter neatly and sealing it, she took a pigeon from a round cage.

“Your final mission. Do it well.”

As she tied the letter to the pigeon’s neck, it tilted its head as if understanding. Then, it flapped its wings and flew out the open window.

Rose sat dazed, watching the pigeon become a tiny speck in the sky. Eventually, the maid announced her mother’s return. Rose went straight to the parlor to meet her.

The Marchioness Robepon, seeing her daughter return to her family home stripped of all glory, remained silent for a long time. Rose, too, didn’t know what to say.

After a heavy silence, the Marchioness Robepon spoke first.

“What will you do now?”

Her voice was surprisingly detached. Rose could only shake her head, unable to offer a proper response.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s your life, so do as you please, but don’t plan on staying in this house. Rumors about you have spread widely. You won’t be able to hold your head up here.”

“Then what should I do?”

Rose spoke pleadingly. Her voice trembled as if on the verge of tears, but her face was colder than ever.

“No one anywhere doesn’t know my face. Where am I supposed to go, and what am I supposed to rely on to live?”

“I told you, it’s your life, so it’s up to your will. I won’t stop you, no matter what you choose. I won’t hold you back or call you back. Live as an adult, as you wish.”

Rose’s face subtly contorted. It held a mix of slight disappointment, lingering resentment, and a bitter smile.

“Mother, you seem so irresponsible.”

“…”

“I wish I could have hated you freely. But I can’t even do that.”

The Marchioness Robepon opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Rose stood, her face now calm, as if nothing had happened.

“When I asked what to do, it was just something I said. I only stopped by to see your face before leaving. Now that I know you’re well, I’ll go.”

“Wait, child.”

The Marchioness Robepon’s hesitant words briefly held Rose back. She spoke cautiously.

“Just in case, about your sister…”

“I’m now a person with no ties to the Empress of the Renel Empire. You know that.”

“Still, Kasallin is more compassionate than she seems. If you sent a heartfelt apology, wouldn’t she at least accept your sincerity?”

“Mother, whether she… no, whether that person accepts my apology is her choice. It’s not something for us to worry about.”

With that, Rose left the Robepon Marquis’s estate without lingering. A servant hurriedly offered a carriage, but she declined.

Carrying her bag by hand, she walked slowly toward the city center. From there, she would take a stagecoach to a gateway leading to the Ram Kingdom.

‘What should I do in the Ram Kingdom?’

Rumors would likely spread there too, in time. She would probably live a life of wandering, avoiding subtle glances and gossip.

Unable to settle in one place, unable to give her heart to anyone, like a fugitive with no pursuer.

A faint, peculiar smile crossed Rose’s lips. She didn’t feel like laughing, but she wasn’t quite in the mood to cry either.

“…”

Then, Rose’s steady steps gradually slowed and stopped.

She turned around sharply, her face tense. All she saw were trees beginning to show bare branches and bushes swaying in the breeze.

“…Did I hear wrong?”

It felt like she’d heard someone’s footsteps.

Tilting her head, Rose continued forward. Only the god of fate knew where her final destination would be.