“I want to sell this secretly.”

“Yes, master.”

“Can you do it? Without being discovered as yourself.”

Lanian smiled.

“Of course, master. I.”

As Lanian ran a hand through her hair, her white hair turned black.

“I can change my appearance. I can do more things than Retrochika. So please cherish me more than Retrochika, master.”

“Of course I should.”

Retrochika had also said such things about Lanian. That she seemed to have become stronger than himself.

It was natural to become more fond of Lanian than Retrochika, who was always far away.

“Then take this to another city and sell it. For the highest price possible.”

“Yes, master.”

Just as Lanian reverently took the necklace with both hands, the door burst open and Lucas entered. Elise turned around in surprise to look at Lanian, but Lanian had already vanished without a trace.

Elise was angry at Lucas for entering without knocking, but she held it in and smiled.

“Your Highness, why such haste…”

“That bastard is getting engaged?”

“Pardon?”

“Floyd. That idiot. I heard he’s getting engaged to Roxiana. Isn’t it funny? He’s picking up the woman I threw away. He’s not a beggar picking up scraps off the ground.”

Lucas laughed heartily, but Elise couldn’t laugh along.

Floyd and Roxiana getting engaged. That Duke Ratean getting engaged to the princess of a fallen country.

She couldn’t believe it.

It was nonsense.

‘How could Roxiana…’

It was said that the Duke of Ratean disliked women. That’s why, despite having such handsome looks, a sturdy physique, wealth and honor, there had never been any rumors of affairs. Many women had tried and failed, and it was said that even the princess of the Kingdom of Enilta, renowned for her beauty, had failed to capture him.

Yet his fiancée was Roxiana Franche. Roxiana Franche who had nothing and no family.

Elise recalled Floyd and his knight commanders she had seen at the Ider palace. Those elegant and brilliant figures that had captured everyone’s attention vividly came to mind.

“Elin?”

Elise came to her senses at Lucas’s call.

“Why that expression? Are you upset that Roxiana is becoming a duchess?”

“Ah, yes. I was just thinking how Roxiana took everything from me, yet she still lives like a princess…”

“What princess.”

Lucas smiled slyly and embraced Elise.

“Torkan is a dangerous country with cracks spreading everywhere. What good is there in becoming a duchess of such a country? Floyd, that beggar-like guy, probably accepted her because she’s still a princess, even if of a fallen country, since he had no one else to marry.”

That can’t be.

Floyd was a man every woman would dream of. Even though she had only seen him briefly, she couldn’t erase that vivid impression. Even though she had been pushed down by him, even though he had taken Roxiana’s side and cornered Lucas and Elise. A part of Elise’s heart still desired him.

How wonderful it would be if she could be held in the arms of such a man, even if it was false love. How wonderful it would be if she could share a bed with such a man, even for just one night.

That was the kind of man Roxiana had become engaged to.

She felt like she was about to burst into tears from anger and jealousy. She wanted to scream and throw things around, but she couldn’t because Lucas was there.

As she gritted her teeth and held back her sobs, a lady-in-waiting of the queen arrived.

“Her Majesty the Queen is looking for the Crown Princess.”

She couldn’t understand why the queen was looking for her when she hadn’t even recovered from the shock of Roxiana getting engaged to Floyd. Her mind was in such chaos that it was hard to think.

Lucas, oblivious to her feelings, patted Elise’s shoulder and said.

“It seems Mother’s heart has finally softened a bit. You’ve endured well.”

Does this man really think the queen is looking for me because her heart has softened?

Elise was dumbfounded. The face that once seemed so beautiful now looked like a complete fool.

If she had known he was this kind of man, she would have let Roxiana marry such a guy. She would have let them live happily and headed to Torkan. Pretending to be on a trip, pretending to have run away after being harassed by the Franche royal family, she would have approached Duke Ratean.

Then it would have been her, not Roxiana, who could have stayed in that beautiful Lily Palace. It would have been her being held in that broad, firm chest.

Elise hid her true feelings and smiled at Lucas.

“What could I have done? It’s fortunate that Her Majesty the Queen is so generous.”

+++

Christine cast a cold gaze at Elise, who greeted her with a docile attitude.

‘I heard she was with Lucas, but she had the sense not to bring him along.’

She could have clung to Lucas and come together, but her attitude of coming alone was pleasing. But that was all. No matter how smartly Elise behaved, Christine couldn’t accept her bloodline as a criminal from a fallen country.

“I heard you held a tea party recently, but no one came? Ah, only Countess Bakiri attended, didn’t she? I hope she didn’t hurt your feelings?”

“Your Majesty, please speak comfortably.”

Christine raised her lips askew.

“Well then, Elise. Was there no problem with Countess Bakiri?”

“No, she treated me kindly and I had a good time.”

“Countess Bakiri… She’s a smart and capable woman. Stay close to her. She’ll be useful.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Elise answered obediently but was puzzled.

‘Why is she pretending to be so kind?’

Had the queen’s heart really softened as Lucas said?

The brief hope she had felt was shattered by the words that followed.

“But you’re cooped up in the palace too much. Considering the rumors surrounding you, shouldn’t you do something?”

‘It’s because of you that I can’t do anything!’

Elise suppressed the urge to scream and calmly replied.

“I’m worried because I lack experience and don’t know what to do. It’s difficult to come up with good ideas, especially since I have no one to help me.”

It was a roundabout way of saying that she couldn’t do anything because she had no allies due to the queen. But Christine spoke calmly, showing neither regret nor displeasure.

“Yes, I suppose so. Then I should give you guidance.”

‘What is she trying to make me do.’

Elise was anxious but bowed her head.

“I would be so grateful if Your Majesty would give me guidance.”

A cold smile appeared on Christine’s lips.

“I hear there’s a shortage of hands at the relief center outside the capital. It would be a great help to them if the Crown Princess went to help in person. It would be good for you too.”

Elise’s face turned pale.

The relief center outside the capital was notorious for being the worst among various relief centers. A relief center that gathered only poor people with incurable diseases. It was natural that there was a shortage of workers since no one wanted to work there even for a lot of money.

To go there in person and work. This was tantamount to telling her to work until she died.

“Your Majesty, it’s truly a good idea, but… I’m not alone, so I’m worried that there might be a problem for the royal child.”

“Elise, I volunteered at relief centers even when I was pregnant with the Crown Prince.”

‘That must have been at well-managed relief centers in the capital! The maids and servants you brought along must have done the work for you without you lifting a finger!’

“If you spare yourself because you’re carrying a royal child, how do you think the people of Gania will see you? There are already many stories following you, and if you just hide in the palace like this, what will happen to your image?”

When Elise bowed her head and didn’t answer, Christine’s voice became stern.

“It seems the Crown Princess doesn’t care about the honor of our Pelur royal family at all!”

“Th-That’s not true, Your Majesty! No, it’s not. There’s no one who thinks about the Pelur royal family, this Gania, as much as I do. You know what I’ve done.”

“I know. But because of that incident, we’ve become ostracized! If the Crown Princess truly cares about our Pelur royal family, you shouldn’t spare yourself, but take responsibility!”

There was no way out. Christine’s eyes showed no sympathy or the slightest hint of regret. Elise realized that no matter how pitifully she cried, the queen would not look upon her favorably.

Elise clenched her fists tight, then relaxed them and looked straight at Christine.

“I’ll do it. I’ll follow Your Majesty’s orders. However, if any problem arises with the royal child because of this, it won’t be my fault.”

Christine laughed coldly.

“Very well, do so. I’ll send a carriage at dawn tomorrow.”

As soon as Elise left the queen’s room, she went to find Lucas, but the queen had already taken care of that.

Lucas had suddenly gone hunting with the son of Count Rudontl. He was planning to return in a week. And Count Rudontl was the queen’s man.

Elise gritted her teeth as she spent the night sleepless.

And the next day, Elise got up at dawn and headed to the relief center outside the castle with only one maid and one guard knight named Hunter. The maid was also sent by the queen and didn’t help Elise at all, and because of the maid, Hunter couldn’t help Elise either.

Elise still had to wash bandages overflowing with ice-cold water, scrub mold off the walls, and sweep up the thick dust on the floor.

After doing maid’s work all day and returning to the palace late in the evening, Elise lay on her bed and burst into tears.

A week until Lucas returns.

It was hell.