Unexpectedly, Sesenia was blown quite a distance by the wind.

Passing between the huts, Sesenia looked with surprised eyes at the woman standing before her.

“Ha…… It seems the Tower Master is playing tricks again.”

She looked to be about 40 years old. No, she might have been even older. And as if this happened often, the woman reached out her hand to Sesenia. Sesenia’s hair had already become completely disheveled due to the strong wind.

“Were you very surprised?”

“Ah…… No. It seems this happens often.”

“Not often…… But the Tower Master tends to send necessary items or people this way.”

“I see.”

“So what kind might you be, young lady? A necessary item? A person? Or perhaps the Tower Master is just playing a prank?”

“I’m not sure. He just said there would be something interesting.”

“Then it must be a prank. Whoever you are, you must have had a hard time, young lady.”

The woman slowly stroked Sesenia’s hair. At that moment, as she ran her fingers through Sesenia’s beautiful black hair, the woman’s expression changed. For an instant, everything about her froze.

“What’s wrong……?”

“Ah…… No. Just…… something just came to mind.”

“Ah, I see. Well, thank you anyway.”

Sesenia smiled as she brushed her own hair with her hand. The woman followed with an awkward smile. A woman with somewhat common brown hair and blue eyes. As if her hair and eye color were artificially created, she oddly stood out as she stared intently at Sesenia.

As she was being stared at like that, Sesenia slowly examined her in return.

She seemed to be one of those helping with work at the magic tower, as her attire was not much different from those in the huts here. The only difference was the ink stains on her hands and skirt.

“Oh my, my appearance…… It must look shabby.”

“Not at all. The ink must be difficult to remove…… How did you get so much ink on you?”

It was strange. Sesenia had always found it difficult to make friends. At the Bestel manor, she was treated coldly, and she rarely had the chance to meet anyone. It was the same after she became empress.

So she had rarely had comfortable conversations with strangers, but today was peculiar. This woman she was seeing for the first time. Talking to this woman who seemed familiar yet unknown wasn’t so difficult.

Enough to ask how she was doing, which she never did.

“Ah…… I write. But today the ink seems to be acting up, so I spilled it and ended up like this.”

“Ah, I see. Are you a writer?”

“In a way…… yes.”

“I see……”

That was all. Although Sesenia enjoyed reading books, she didn’t want to know about the authors. What she was curious about were the stories in the books, not the private lives of those who wrote them.

Rather, knowing it would prevent her from fully enjoying the book if it was framed that way, Sesenia didn’t ask any more questions.

Meanwhile, Lizbeth and Teddy came running up to her.

“My lady. Are you alright?”

“Miss……!! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of wind suddenly blew like that! Really…… You don’t know how surprised I was.”

“Indeed. Well then, shall we go back?”

Lizbeth tilted her head and looked at Sesenia.

“Didn’t the Tower…… I mean, didn’t he tell you to visit other huts too? So shouldn’t we go……”

“It seems this place was the destination.”

Only then did Lizbeth look at the woman standing in front of her. It was strange. Lizbeth also found the woman she was looking at oddly familiar. A feeling of comfort yet discomfort. But nothing particular came to mind or surfaced in her memory.

As if something was blocking the things trying to surface. So Lizbeth’s expression hardened as well.

“Ah…… Who is this person?”

“I’m not sure either. I just, just feel that this is the destination. So let’s go back. It doesn’t seem like there’s anything particularly interesting happening, as he said. Well then, excuse us.”

Sesenia bowed her head to the woman in front of her.

“Ah. No. What do you mean, excuse us? Um…… young lady. Before you go, could you tell me your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes.”

“It’s Sesenia Bestel.”

“I see.”

As if she had expected that, the woman smiled awkwardly.

“My name is…… Pieta.”

“May mercy be granted. That’s an unusual name.”

“Yes. It’s my words to God, and also God’s words to me. Words that everyone says to me.”

The woman, full of questions, stepped back with a gentle smile.

“I hope we meet again. Sesenia.”

“Me too.”

That was the end. Sesenia did not linger any longer and returned to the carriage. And Pieta, who remained where Sesenia had left, clutched her skirt with her hand.

“Has your life become…… a little more bearable, my child.”

Her sorrowful voice disappeared quickly, as if scattered by the wind. Tears welled up in her eyes. The weather, which had been pleasant until just moments ago, began to change suddenly. As if it would rain at any moment. As if sad rain, resembling someone’s tears, was about to fall, thick clouds filled the sky.

“It looks like it’s going to rain. The weather was so nice until just now.”

Lizbeth, sitting next to Sesenia, spoke with a slightly sullen tone.

“Indeed, it seems like it’s going to pour.”

Unlike the two worrying about the weather, Teddy was fiddling with his hair with a quite serious expression.

“Teddy. Are you alright?”

“Ah. Yes…… my lady.”

“Why do you look so troubled?”

Only then did Lizbeth shift her gaze to Teddy. As if there was something seriously wrong, Teddy hung his head low.

“My lady.”

“Yes?”

“How did you know that my hair color wasn’t originally this color?”

“Well. Just a feeling, I suppose?”

“Ah……”

Teddy’s expression hardened at the unclear answer.

“That’s not what’s important, Teddy. What’s important is that when that person is caught, Teddy, we’ll be able to learn a lot about you too.”

“Does my lady know as much about me as that person does? The me that even I don’t know?”

“Well. I can only guess.”

“Is it based on those guesses that you came to find me?”

“That’s right.”

“Then could those guesses be wrong? What if it was someone else……”

Although rain hadn’t yet fallen from the sky, Teddy in front of her looked as pitiful as a puppy drenched in rain.

“No. My guesses are not wrong. I hope that serves as a clear answer for you.”

“You did find me, right?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s…… a clearer answer to me than anything else. I won’t be curious about anything. I won’t question anything.”

“Teddy. In my estimation, you’re someone more special than anyone else. And the reason you had to be confined like that is because you’re a very special person.”

When all of that is revealed, when you learn that you lived a life worse than an animal just because of your royal status, will you be able to endure it?

It was arrogant to think that because you endured it in the past, you would endure it this time too.

“Alright. That specialness that made me live in hell is the specialness that allowed me to meet you, my lady. So I’ll wait. Until I hear the truth about myself from your lips.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

There was no reply. Only sorrowful eyes directed at Sesenia.

Meanwhile, a drizzling rain began to fall. Strangely, just seeing that rain made something in her chest feel heavy. Sesenia’s mood became calmer than ever.

As if telling her what she needed to do, as if telling her to come to her senses, Sesenia’s mind became clearer and clearer.

**

Big changes occurred over the course of a few days.

Elzere finally went on a hunger strike. As soon as news spread that Elzere, who had never been on a hunger strike in her life, had started one, the Duke came to see Sesenia.

He asked if she couldn’t tell Elzere about her agreement to get engaged to the Crown Prince. Worried that Elzere, whose health was already poor, might collapse, he alternated between threats and persuasion.

Sesenia, who had hoped Elzere would go on a hunger strike, strongly refused. Instead, she agreed to meet with the Crown Prince.

Although he spoke as if he loved and cared for his eldest daughter Elzere, in the end the Duke was afraid Sesenia might change her mind. All his talk of telling Elzere was quickly forgotten, and the day came for Sesenia to meet the Crown Prince.

“This seems to be our first meeting. Sesenia Bestel.”

“I greet Your Highness, the sun of the Empire.”

Sesenia, who had been waiting at the tea table set up in the garden of the Bestel manor, stood up and greeted the Crown Prince as soon as he appeared, guided by the Duke.

“Yes. Well, I don’t think we need any such formalities, so let’s sit down.”

“Yes.”

The Duke, who had guided the Crown Prince here, naturally tried to sit between the two.

“Is this a place where the Duke needs to be present?”

“Pardon? Ah. But…… wouldn’t it be better if I were here, Your Highness?”

“No. I’d like to speak with my potential fiancée alone. If possible, I’d like to dismiss all the guards as well. Is that not allowed?”

“Ah…… that……”

“Even His Majesty the Emperor, my father, allows me to do everything as I wish…… Yet the Duke is blocking my way. Is this the only place where things don’t go my way?”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed. He looked irritated that things weren’t going his way, fitting perfectly with his reputation as a scoundrel. The Duke finally stood up with an awkward smile.

“Do as you wish, Your Highness.”

“That’s the plan.”

Seeing the arrogant appearance of the Crown Prince, Sesenia couldn’t help but laugh. It was a very small laugh, but enough to catch the Crown Prince’s attention.

“Are you mocking me?”

“Yes.”