“Thank you for being so understanding. His Highness the Crown Prince is also such a wonderful person. To be able to be engaged to someone like him… it’s truly an honor.”

“That makes me happy. I’ve heard such words quite often, but they’re still pleasant to hear. Especially from you.”

Had the Crown Prince ever been this affectionate towards her? This was the first time she’d experienced it.

It was also terribly nauseating.

“Let’s get along well from now on. We’ll do many more intimate things too.”

“Yes.”

The Crown Prince, seemingly having said all he wanted to, slowly rose from his seat.

Sesenia also stood up to follow him. She had already quickly prepared another document and finished signing it.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, and by the way. How will you handle the escort for the founding ceremony? Shouldn’t I be the one to do it?”

The Crown Prince, about to leave, stroked his chin as if something had occurred to him.

“That would be correct, but it’s not public yet.”

“When are you thinking of announcing it?”

“Let’s do it at the founding ceremony.”

“Interesting. You won’t accept an escort, but you’ll announce it that day. Alright. Since it’s amusing, I’ll do as you wish.”

Arrogant until the end, he turned and left like that.

As if waiting for him to leave, the Marquis appeared and naturally escorted the Crown Prince away.

The bustling garden suddenly became quiet, and Sesenia sat back down at the tea table.

Her hands were trembling, and her stomach churned.

Her condition was so awful that she thought it remarkable she wasn’t vomiting on the spot.

“My lady, are you alright?”

“I want… to rest. Can you support me? I want to go to my room.”

“Understood. I’ll help you.”

She was so drained she couldn’t even walk alone.

The perpetrator knows nothing. About what he has done. That made it even more disgusting.

The Crown Prince, whose every action was abusive despite not knowing that future.

The man who was her past husband and fiancé. The man who caused her death.

‘I will break your everything, that arrogance of yours.’

Break it again and again until it can’t regenerate. So that only hell remains at the end.

Sesenia pledged over and over with her trembling hands.

**

The next day.

Knock knock.

Just after lunchtime, Sesenia’s door was suddenly knocked on.

“Yes.”

“Sesenia, it’s me.”

Perhaps because of the previous incident, the person knocking on Sesenia’s door politely announced themselves.

“…”

Recognizing the voice immediately, Sesenia’s expression instantly hardened.

“May I come in?”

“…Come in.”

As soon as permission was given, the door flung open. Ian, who for some reason had come with an armful of flowers, approached her side at once.

“A gift for you.”

“…A gift from you?”

“Yes.”

“Flowers, huh. That’s a first. Your gifts were limited to birthdays at most.”

“I feel like I haven’t been attentive enough all this time. I think I took your presence for granted. I’m sorry. I’ve reflected a lot after the recent incident.”

Like a lover, Ian naturally offered reflection and apology.

As always, looking at him smiling warmly like the morning sun, Sesenia accepted the flowers.

“Thank you for this.”

“If you want, I’ll bring them often.”

“But I hate flower gifts the most.”

“Oh… Is that so?”

It wasn’t that she hated flower gifts. What mattered was who was giving them.

“Lizbeth. Put these somewhere out of sight. It’s not the flowers’ fault after all.”

“Yes, my lady.”

She didn’t even properly look at what color the flowers were or what kinds were in the bouquet.

Sesenia casually handed them over to Lizbeth, who naturally took the flowers and left.

“Then what kind of gifts do you like? I’ll focus on bringing those next time.”

“Ian.”

“Yes?”

“Is there any reason I need to receive gifts from you? You don’t have to try so hard.”

Because no matter if it’s a precious jewel or a book I wanted to read, nothing you give will make me happy.

‘Is he trying to win my heart with mere gifts like this?’

Sesenia smirked and shook her head.

“I’m glad to see you smile.”

“Glad? Don’t say things like that. People might greatly misunderstand if they hear. Ian.”

“Can’t you look at me a little, even if it’s a misunderstanding? Because you don’t look at me, because you don’t treat me like before, my heart hurts so much.”

Like a child, Ian looked at Sesenia with a pitiful smile.

“No. I won’t. Even if you strip naked and dance in front of me, I won’t even pay attention to you.”

“You must be very angry.”

She wasn’t angry. She simply didn’t want to pay any attention.

Just as one wouldn’t glance at an insect struggling before them, it was the same, but Ian didn’t understand Sesenia’s feelings at all.

No, he didn’t even try to understand.

He was just generalizing her thoughts and actions, thinking she was angry, that she liked him.

“I understand. Then I’ll try hard. So that you’ll look at me like before, so that you can express your feelings for me.”

Was it love? Regarding Ian. No, it was just affection.

Affection for someone who had simply been together for a very long time.

If there had been even a little bit of love, if there had been even a little bit of liking, Sesenia would not have been able to get engaged or married to the Crown Prince.

She was that kind of person.

It was only after experiencing death and betrayal that she changed, Sesenia was someone who absolutely would not do anything morally wrong.

That’s why her husband’s affair felt even more nauseating.

Sesenia, who thought that moral conscience was the foundation of a person regardless of reason.

That’s why her feelings for Ian were not love.

So when the matter with the Crown Prince happened, she only felt sorry.

Because she naturally thought she would get engaged and marry Ian. That kind of apology to someone she had been with for a long time.

‘To think you believe I love you. How… interesting.’

Sesenia realized only now. How her actions might look in others’ eyes.

Ian had already misunderstood that Sesenia loved him deeply in her heart.

‘I should be grateful to my past self.’

“Okay.”

There was no reason to refuse when he expressed it like that, when he was willing to swim as a fish in her pond biting such a huge bait.

Click, click.

Sesenia, who had been looking at Ian, moved towards the window.

The weather had suddenly turned chilly and winter was approaching. The founding ceremony would be the beginning and end of revenge.

The scene was already vivid.

“But Sesenia. You seem a bit strange lately.”

“Me? Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“It’s not a fight. I heard the news. That you’re attending parties and events you never went to before.”

“Ah. That.”

“It’s really strange, isn’t it?”

“I’m just trying to fulfill my duties as an adult. Although my sister is there, I’m also a member of the Marquis family. So I need to show the family’s strength by attending parties.”

Sesenia continued speaking with an expression that seemed to have no particular meaning, but Ian didn’t seem to fully accept her words.

“Still. Why bother with such things?”

“Are you telling me not to go to the founding ceremony?”

“Yes. There’s nothing good about going anyway…”

Ian watched Sesenia’s gaze. An expression cold enough to be frightening. As if struck by something, Ian hurriedly changed his words.

“If you really want to go… Then, then I’ll escort you.”

“You?”

“Yes. That’s right. Wouldn’t that work?”

As if the first plan had gone wrong and he was hastily offering a second plan.

“Escort. It’s fine.”

“Why. Do you dislike me?”

‘Yes. I dislike you. I’d rather hold hands with a passing dog than go with you.’

Swallowing the words that had risen to her throat, Sesenia shook her head.

“No. I just want to go alone.”

“Going alone to your first ceremony? Absolutely not. Come with me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Sesenia.”

“I said I don’t want to.”

A very deep, irritated sigh escaped Ian’s lips.

“…Alright.”

“It’s not because I dislike you, Ian.”

Like giving a carrot after thoroughly whipping, Sesenia turned her head towards Ian and smiled.

Only then did Ian’s face begin to soften a bit.

“It’s not because you dislike me?”

“No. It’s just… You’re someone I like, so if I embarrass myself at my first ceremony… It would be shameful in front of you who I like. That’s why.”

“Ah, ah. No, it’s okay. Even if you make mistakes. Shouldn’t I be there to protect you especially in such situations?”

“Still, I don’t want to show you that side of me. Understand?”

Fearing that Ian might think differently because of the words she had uttered, Sesenia slowly moved her lips as if feeding him a carrot covered in honey.

It was natural for Ian’s expression to change.

He thought Sesenia was showing hostility towards him, but now Sesenia seemed like someone trying to look good to him in any way. Instead, he smiled.

“You understand my feelings, right Ian?”

“Yes. Sesenia. You still like me after all. I almost misunderstood and said something without knowing your true feelings.”

“Say? What?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

The surprising point for Sesenia when she was betrayed by Ian in the past was this.

Ian was not meticulous. He was a person who made frequent mistakes.

How could such a person keep his mouth shut for so long while protecting her sister, while that sister went to have a child and came back?

Looking at it now, he wasn’t a person who made frequent mistakes. He was testing Sesenia like this.

As if experimenting to see if she knew or not. It was the same now.

He slightly narrowed his eyes like someone trying to confirm whether Sesenia was asking him something else or not.

‘A habit of yours that you’re unaware of.’