“Katharine, my dear. Offer your greetings. This is His Highness Crown Prince Charlen.”

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the day I first met Katharine at the debutante ball was the best moment of my boyhood.

Until then, I had scoffed at hearing there was a girl called the most beautiful in the Kan Kingdom.

Rumors are always exaggerated, and there were many nobles who would boast to somehow make their daughter the crown princess.

Because of my father who kept several concubines, I had seen my fill of those with exceptional beauty since childhood, so I stepped forward to Katharine without any expectations, just out of courtesy.

Still, as she was the daughter of Marquis Roberfon, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to at least see her face.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince. I am Katharine of House Roberfon. May infinite glory be upon the Kan Kingdom.”

For a girl of just sixteen who had just graduated from the royal school, her eyes overwhelmed me first, as if she thoroughly understood the ways and logic of this world.

The pale pink dress fit her slender body perfectly as if they had been one from the beginning, and her noble black hair fell in curls down to her waist.

As soon as Charlen received her greeting, he made up his mind without a moment’s hesitation.

‘I must marry this girl someday.’

He was certain that those not yet fully matured features would become incomparably beautiful once she passed twenty, and would remain dazzling even after forty.

Wouldn’t this be fitting for the official wife of Charlen Riche, the great Crown Prince of the Kan Kingdom?

Charlen courted Katharine with utmost satisfaction.

For the declining House of Roberfon after the death of Marquis Roberfon, his existence must have been their only hope.

Nevertheless, Katharine never tried to flatter him.

She had strong pride, tended to maintain a certain distance as they grew closer, and was very interested in state affairs.

As her personality became roughly understood, Charlen realized two things.

That apart from her excellent appearance, Katharine had no particular qualities to stir a man’s heart.

And that if left as she was, she would one day overwhelm and stand above her husband.

Afterwards, Charlen went through some wandering.

It was inevitable.

How could a man resist when others with charms different from Katharine’s were deliberately extending tempting hands from all directions?

But that doesn’t mean he neglected Katharine.

‘I am different from other men.’

He knew that other women were just brief relationships for momentary pleasure, and that Katharine was his only true love.

He gave Katharine generous gifts, made time in his busy schedule to please her, and bestowed favors upon her.

However, the result of those long efforts came back as the calamity of a miscarriage.

‘To think that someone who always had to be careful with their behavior couldn’t protect even one child while gallivanting about. And such a precious child that had received royal blood at that.’

Charlen thought that perhaps she had paid the price for that time.

That it wasn’t because he had pushed her, but that it was fated to be like this from the beginning by divine retribution.

He had to rationalize it that way or he couldn’t bear it.

.

.

.

“Your Majesty.”

Rose, who was half-buried in the cozy blanket lying face down, gently shook Charlen’s arm.

Charlen woke up from his half-asleep state.

The plump sparrows perched side by side on the windowsill were constantly chirping as if scolding the two for oversleeping.

“What dream were you having that made you groan?”

“Ah… Did I do that?”

“Are you alright? Shall I bring you some cool water?”

“I’m fine. More importantly, what time is it now?”

Rose picked up the pocket watch and showed it to him.

“There are only a few days left until the funeral. We should hurry and prepare.”

“It’s still fine. The servants will prepare everything well. Let’s lie down with Rose for a little longer.”

“I’d like to do that too, but I’m busy as I need to check the guest list. The queen should get up and hurry as well.”

Charlen received assistance with his clothes from the maids who entered right on time.

Rose’s gaze, with a faint trace of disappointment, fell on his back which was clean without a single common bruise or scar.

While staring at his own image in the well-polished mirror as he neatly put on his attire piece by piece, Charlen spoke in a puzzled tone.

“By the way, it’s about time for some good news to be heard, but why is there no response at all?”

“Hm? About what?”

“About pregnancy symptoms.”

“Ah… I guess luck hasn’t been on our side so far. News will come soon.”

“It’s been months already. Try to put in some effort. I’ll do my best as much as possible too.”

Rose smiled, unnaturally pulling up both corners of her mouth.

“Yes. I will.”

After Charlen left the room, Rose, left alone in the bedroom, languidly entered the bathroom.

Her hair, recently dyed black, messily covered her upper body.

With this, she now had both black curly hair and emerald eyes, but the familiar face reflected in the mirror didn’t resemble her dead sister at all.

“Black hair suits you quite well. How about continuing to dye it from now on?”

“Try practicing speaking more calmly and elegantly. It’s more befitting of a queen.”

Each time she recalled Charlen’s words, Rose’s face turned bright red as if she was about to cry.

She picked up the powder compact placed next to the washbasin.

No matter how much she patted the white powder onto her face with the sponge, what was reflected in the mirror was Rose, Katharine’s sister, not Katharine.

“Sister.”

Rose, who had sunk down onto the cold floor, buried her face between her knees.

What her sobs meant, even she herself couldn’t know.

“Your Majesty the Queen. It is Aster. I have returned after completing my mission.”

Aster, who had been away for months for investigation, entered the room announcing his safe return with a somewhat excited voice.

Rose, who was sitting in front of the mirror wearing a black veil and a dark-colored dress, quickly stood up.

“Aster! Welcome back. I was just wondering if something had happened since you hadn’t returned for so long.”

“I apologize for being late. The Western Continent is quite vast, you know. It took time to investigate.”

“It’s alright. So how did it go? What was that Nelson fellow up to and where?”

Aster smiled meaningfully, narrowing his eyes.

“I was able to obtain information about him in the Renel Empire with difficulty. It seems he got into trouble in that country before returning to Kan and ended up in a detention camp.”

“He’s been captured by the Renel Empire?”

“Yes. I confirmed it myself. It seems he won’t be able to approach Your Majesty for the time being. Please rest assured that this Aster will continue to watch and monitor him from now on.”

Rose quietly stroked her chest in relief.

No wonder he hadn’t shown himself since returning to the Kan Kingdom.

“You’ve worked hard, Duke Aster. Honestly, I was half in doubt, but now I feel I can trust and entrust you with anything.”

“I am merely glad to be of help to Your Majesty.”

As the cause of the unpleasant feeling that had been lodged in a corner of her mind was cleanly resolved, Rose left the room with a much brighter face.

Today was going to be a busy day without a moment to spare.

Because it was the day of Katharine’s funeral.

“How great your grief must be. I don’t know what words I can possibly offer.”

“I’m not sure if this will be any comfort, but please accept it as a token of my feelings.”

Heavily filled purses kept pouring in endlessly.

Rose pretended to keep wiping her eyes, which were dry enough to crack, with a handkerchief as she greeted the nobles attending the funeral.

“Thank you all for coming. I’m sure Katharine is watching over us from somewhere in heaven.”

Each time she shared the sorrow and grief over Katharine’s death with someone, dazzling gold coins filled the box without any gaps, making a pleasant clinking sound.

Rose crossed the royal cemetery overgrown with old trees and stood before everyone on the platform with Charlen.

“Katharine Roberfon, who was the reliable eldest daughter of the Roberfon Marquis family. Katharine, who was my only sister and most precious best friend, was an excellent person who cared about the Kan Kingdom more than anyone else.”

Rose paused there for a moment and pretended to hold back tears.

Sighs of pity and sniffling sounds could be heard here and there.

In their eyes, the young queen who had lost her sister overnight must have looked very pitiful.

“My sister, who left us due to an unfortunate accident that no one expected, that even the god of fate could not prevent. Why did the gods take her away so early? One thing is certain – it was no one’s fault. Katharine, my dear sister whom I miss and long for! She must have surely gone to a better place…”

“Excuse me for interrupting, but…”

It was then.

A woman with her face covered by a dark veil raised her hand from among the crowd.

The startled gazes of the nobles all turned to one place at once.

They wondered who would dare to interrupt at such an important moment while Her Majesty the Queen was speaking, not valuing their life.

However, the words that followed were enough to make everyone present faint.

“Is Katharine Roberfon’s body really inside that coffin?”

The nobles’ faces turned pale.

To speak in such a way about the deceased, who was both the Queen’s sister and the King’s sister-in-law, was undoubtedly the worst act of disrespect towards the royal family.

In other words, it wouldn’t be strange to execute her immediately.

Charlen, who had been refraining from speaking, suddenly became as hot as burning charcoal and pointed at the mysterious woman.

“How dare you utter such nonsense! Where are the guards! Arrest that woman immediately!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Dozens of guards with gleaming spears surrounded the mysterious woman in a circle.

Charlen and Rose tried to keep calm faces, but in fact, they were extremely flustered inside.

How on earth did she know that the coffin surrounded by white flowers was empty?

They thought that if they removed that veil and confirmed her face, they would immediately silence her and kill her.

It was at that moment.

“I apologize. I was a bit late to my own funeral because I went on a trip abroad.”

The veil covering her face fell to the ground, and red-stained lips drew a beautiful arc.

That person whom no one from the Kan Kingdom could fail to recognize.

It was Katharine.