Elise had to find a way to survive. It was not the time to be nauseous from fear of the green eyes that kept following her.

‘There must be a way. Surely I can do something somehow. Yes, I’ve done things up until now, so not everyone will turn their backs on me.’

At that moment, a maid entered.

“Um, my lady.”

“What is it?”

“Baron Edic Mihor requests an audience.”

Elise glared at the maid. It felt as if this nameless maid was mocking, laughing at, and condemning her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked why you’re looking at me with those eyes!”

“What, what have I done wrong?”

“Get out! I said get out!”

Elise threw a cushion. The maid, hit on the head by the cushion, gritted her teeth and glared at Elise before fleeing the room.

When the employees lingering outside, who had heard the commotion, looked at her questioningly, the maid rubbed her head and said,

“She’s got quite a temper. I don’t know how she managed to hide such a nasty personality. I’m sure that woman was manipulating the Crown Prince behind the scenes.”

The employees of the Kingteren manor had also heard about the tragedy of the Franche royal family. People cursed Lucas Pelur.

But the manor employees knew that Elise had been a maid to the princess of Canta Kingdom, and had come to Gania with Lucas to become a lord. They weren’t naive enough to believe there was no meaning to that.

“That’s right. Otherwise, there’s no reason our Crown Prince would brutally kill his fiancée’s family. That woman must have had a hand in it.”

“Poor Crown Prince. Being blamed alone because of such a woman.”

Since Lucas was outwardly a handsome and kind Crown Prince, the female employees couldn’t help but be lenient towards him.

Even after the employees had dispersed from the corridor whispering, Elise couldn’t stay still and paced around the room. Then she belatedly realized that the maid had announced Baron Edic Mihor’s visit.

‘Why has Baron Mihor come?’

Edic Mihor was the president of the fourth largest bank in Gania, and he had shown the most passionate interest in Elise. There were times when she was embarrassed trying to dissuade him, as he said he would choose Elise over everything else, despite having a wife and children.

‘Yes, Baron Mihor will take my side. He said he’d abandon his family for me.’

Elise called a passing maid and told her to inform Edic Mihor to wait, then checked her appearance. Her appearance was a mess due to vomiting, screaming, and pulling at her hair.

‘No, this won’t do. I can’t look like this. Nothing has changed yet, and I’ve been acting like a fool. I need to calm down.’

Elise called for her maids. After soothing them with kind words despite their unfriendly glances and gifting each of them a valuable piece of jewelry, she ordered them to dress her up.

The maids, having received jewelry that would be difficult to buy even with several months’ salary, suppressed their complaints and carefully adorned Elise.

Even surrounded by people, Roxiana’s green eyes followed Elise. Elise felt nauseous again but barely swallowed it down and headed to the reception room to meet Edic Mihor.

Edic Mihor, who had been pacing the room instead of sitting on the sofa, strode towards Elise despite her affectionate smile.

“You need to repay the money you borrowed from our bank, my lady.”

Elise’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. She stared blankly at Edic Mihor, unable to even ask what he meant.

Edic Mihor, who used to look like he would melt at the sight of Elise, now had the same cold gaze as when they first met.

“And the money you borrowed from me personally.”

“What… what do you mean, Edic?”

Elise, having barely regained her senses, touched Edic’s arm. Edic irritably brushed off Elise’s hand and said,

“This is not the time for that.”

“What do you mean this isn’t the time… Edic, everything is going well. The road is almost complete, and buildings are going up in the new market street. Once the road opens, we just need to start making money, so what are you saying?”

“Look at this!”

Edic threw the newspaper he was holding. Elise knew what article would be in that newspaper without looking, but she deliberately picked up the newspaper slowly to buy time.

Most of the newspaper only criticized Lucas, but the journalist who wrote this article seemed to have quite a sharp eye, writing an article about Elise Hailis, Lucas’s woman.

That’s how the article ended.

“You don’t believe this article, do you?”

“Regardless of whether I believe it or not, the atmosphere will change.”

As a bank president, Edic could read the flow of funds better than anyone. Now, people who had invested in Elise would move to recover their money. As a bank president, Edic had the responsibility to recover the money faster than anyone else.

“I invested all the borrowed money in the business. What am I supposed to do if you suddenly demand the money now?”

“Close the business. Stop the construction and sell the remaining materials at a low price. I can introduce someone who will buy the materials. Then you can at least repay part of the money borrowed from our bank.”

“Edic, please don’t…”

“My lady.”

Edic, who used to call her ‘Elin’ affectionately, took a step back and said coldly.

“I’ll give you a week. If you can’t repay within this time, I’ll have no choice but to proceed legally. Don’t make me sue you, my lady.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

How could you do this to me? Didn’t you say I was the prettiest? That you’d never met a woman as lovable as me? That you could give up your family and your position as bank president for me? That there was nothing you couldn’t do? That you only needed me?

How could you turn your back like this? How could a person change so much over just this level of rumor?

The words she wanted to say just swirled in her mouth, unable to come out as sound. Edic left without waiting for Elise’s response.

Left alone, Elise clutched the sofa and vomited for a long time.

She couldn’t believe it.

‘A lawsuit…’

This can’t happen.

If a lawsuit is filed over a bank debt, not even a personal debt, she would have to face the bank. If it becomes known that she embezzled money invested by the bank and has no ability to repay it, she would be sold to a place like a mine and forced to work without rest until she repays all the money.

‘No… No, no.’

Her head was in chaos. She felt dizzy, nauseous, and tired. While part of her wanted to fall asleep like this and never wake up, she didn’t want to die like this.

Roxiana, who had lost both family and country, was smiling, she looked happy, so why? I will survive too. I will smile too. I will be happy too.

That’s not a sin, is it?

‘Let’s sleep for a bit.’

She hadn’t rested properly during the long journey. On the way back, she had been so tense that she couldn’t relieve any of the accumulated fatigue.

It must be because she’s tired that she’s having such gloomy thoughts. So let’s sleep for a bit and wake up. After a good rest, a different day from today will be waiting.

As Elise thought, after sleeping well, a different day from yesterday was indeed waiting the next day.

“My lady. A royal decree has arrived.”

It was a summons from Joseph V.

+++

As soon as she returned to Torkan, she had to set out for another subjugation.

This time, Roxiana decided to accompany the subjugation army.

Before leaving the capital, she stopped by the café Forget-me-not to check on the drinks. Forget-me-not was busy with many customers, and the employees were moving about busily. Ziloa, who was acting as the manager of the café Forget-me-not, greeted Roxiana warmly.

Ziloa was originally an employee of the Lily Palace, but at Roxiana’s request, she was now playing the role of the shop owner here.

“Ziloa, have you been well? Is the work not too strenuous?”

“Of course not, it’s just fun to try a new job in my later years. I’m glad to see you looking well, Princess.”

Roxiana headed to the storage room connected to the kitchen with Ziloa. There were boxes of fruit that Roxiana had blessed stacked there, but most of them were empty after her long absence.

“I was just wondering what to do as we were running out of fruit.”

“Was I later than expected? I’m sorry.”

Her schedule had been delayed bit by bit as she stayed in Canta for a few more days even after finding her family while searching for Ranian.

“There’s no need to apologize. Even this old woman heard about what happened in Canta. How difficult it must have been for you…”

Ziloa said with a trembling voice.

“It was difficult, but I met my family, and thanks to His Highness the Grand Duke’s consideration, I was able to lay my family to rest in a sunny place. My family, they had never seen the sea…”

Roxiana gazed in the direction of the cliff where her family’s graves were. Although they couldn’t be seen from inside the storage room, she still spoke while looking in that direction.

“I’m glad I could show them like this, at least.”

Hearing Roxiana’s clear voice, Ziloa marveled.

Even if she had found her long-lost family, it wouldn’t be easy for her heart to heal so quickly.

Ziloa was amazed that Roxiana, who looked so young in her eyes, could manage those emotions well and smile to move forward.

‘Our Grand Duke indeed has a discerning eye.’

She had wondered why he rejected every woman, but it seems he had been waiting alone all this time to meet such an extraordinary woman.

Unaware of what Ziloa was thinking, Roxiana watched as workers came in and stacked boxes filled with fresh fruit. After all the workers had left, Roxiana blessed the overflowing fruit.

-Don’t worry, Roxy. This fruit will stay fresh for a long time too.

-It’ll be the most delicious in the world.

-We’ll make sure lots and lots of customers come.

The water and wind spirits chattered.

Ziloa watched in awe as the water that formed at the tips of Roxiana’s fingers swirled around, sweeping over the fruits.