When Roxiana gave permission, the maids rushed into the reception room. At first, she thought they had come to complain about something. But the maids’ cheeks were flushed like Petria’s, and their eyes were sparkling, as if something joyful had happened.

‘What’s going on?’

Among the maids were both familiar and unfamiliar faces. One of the maids she recognized from the laundry area cautiously stepped forward.

“Princess. We’ve prepared something for you…”

Roxiana only then noticed the large bundle the maids had brought. They put down the bundle and took out a dress from inside.

It was a white dress.

They had added lace around the shoulders and wrists, attached small beads to the skirt hem, and extended the originally calf-length skirt with long lace to cover the ankles. A large pink ribbon adorned the waist, small white ribbons were attached near the sleeves, and sparkling beads were densely embedded around the neckline.

As Roxiana examined the dress in bewilderment, she belatedly realized it was the white one-piece dress she had chosen yesterday.

“This is…?”

To Roxiana, who widened her eyes in confusion, Petria explained.

“We thought you should wear something a bit fancier for your outing today. So we modified the dress a little with what we had.”

“Ah…”

She didn’t know what to say.

Pretty lace, quality ribbons, clear beads…

Roxiana knew that while these might be worthless trifles to nobles, they weren’t to the maids.

The maids had freely given their treasures, which they had collected one by one over time, intending to decorate their own dresses for a special day someday, all for Roxiana.

Roxiana felt something incredibly warm and touching swell up in her chest.

She had always lived a life of consideration. But back then, it was merely the consideration she deserved as royalty.

Now, having lost everything and become a slave, this unexpected kindness from strangers was overwhelmingly lovely and dazzlingly brilliant. It was difficult to contain the emotion flowing like spring rain into her barren heart that had only thought of death since losing everything.

Roxiana blinked slowly, trying to suppress the lump rising in her throat.

Perhaps misunderstanding Roxiana’s prolonged silence, the maid she recognized from the laundry area said,

“Of course, it might look shabby to your eyes, Princess, but we decorated it with the best we had…”

“No.”

Roxiana quickly replied.

“No. Shabby? It’s wonderful.”

Roxiana’s fingertips trembled slightly as she received the dress that was once a one-piece.

“This is the first time I’ve received something so precious, I don’t know how to express my joy… Thank you so much. I never expected this, I’m grateful.”

Seeing the lovely princess hugging the dress tightly and expressing her gratitude, the maids smiled brightly.

The maids also roughly knew Roxiana’s circumstances. When they first heard that a princess who had lost everything and become a slave would occupy the Lily Palace, they had harbored complaints like, ‘Not knowing her place, the Lily Palace… Does she still think she’s a princess?’

But as they lived together, they realized the princess was well aware of her situation, was respectful to the employees, and always wanted to die despite being under the Grand Duke’s protection. Yet she had treated the people who collapsed from contaminated water.

Though they didn’t know what power she used, everyone who needed to know was aware that Roxiana had collapsed, looking near death, after treating the patients. Still, Roxiana didn’t show off what she had accomplished and continued to live quietly as usual.

She was a princess they couldn’t help but care about and worry over.

Seeing the princess, who usually maintained a ghostly expressionless face, rejoice to the point of her eyes turning red, the maids also felt happy. They even felt like they could do anything if only the princess, who couldn’t smile even in joyful moments, could someday manage to smile.

Even after the maids left, Roxiana held the dress for a long time. The unexpected warmth transmitted to her felt cozy, as if telling her she wasn’t just a useless burden.

+++

As noon approached, Roxiana sat on the sofa in the reception room, staring at the crackling fireplace.

‘What should I do now?’

She wanted to be useful and tried to do anything, but Floyd got angry whenever she did something, so there was nothing she could do. Yet she couldn’t live the life of a noble lady enjoying parties as he suggested.

‘If I become someone useful to this Torkan, there might not be much resistance when I ask to find my family’s remains. Or… should I ask the Grand Duke to give me commoner status and leave the Grand Duke’s palace?’

She had also considered earning money outside to hire mercenaries and sneak into Kant, but it seemed to take too long. Moreover, it wasn’t easy for a woman alone to hire good mercenaries.

It frequently happened that noblewomen hired the wrong mercenaries for protection and ended up in terrible situations. Each country severely punished crimes against noble ladies, but mercenaries avoided punishment by selling the noble ladies to slave traders.

They could simply say, “We were attacked by bandits and lost the lady.”

‘I guess staying here shamelessly is still the best option.’

While she was racking her brains over this unsolvable problem, Hexten’s wife, Perci, visited. As always, she was carrying a large basket.

Knowing what was in the basket from past experience, Roxiana felt her mouth water even before checking its contents.

‘I guess I’ve become more accustomed to living now.’

Realizing there were things she had to do while alive made her want to live, and wanting to live brought back her appetite.

Perci’s basket contained homemade raspberry jam, kumquat jam, well-baked lemon pie, and fluffy bread. The savory aroma of freshly baked bread and the sweet scent of jam filled the reception room.

“Am I interrupting something important?”

Roxiana shook her head at Perci’s question.

“Not at all. I have nothing to do, so I was just staring at the fireplace like this.”

“The streets are bustling with the festival. Why don’t you go out and take a look?”

“Ah. Actually, His Grace the Grand Duke asked me to go watch the circus together this afternoon.”

Perci’s eyes widened. For some reason, she stared at Roxiana’s lips with a dazed expression and repeatedly exclaimed, “Oh my, oh my goodness, oh my.”

“His Grace asked you to watch the circus together? Really? Just the two of you?”

Perci’s voice was higher than before. Roxiana didn’t understand why she was so excited, but calmly replied.

“Yes.”

“Oh my, oh my. What’s going on? The circus… the two of you… oh my. The circus…”

Seeing Perci mumbling with even her cheeks turning red, Roxiana suddenly wondered if going to the circus together was as taboo as sleeping together in this Torkan.

Did I say something I shouldn’t have?

Just then, Perci leaned forward and asked,

“Have you decided on the dress to wear? If you’re going out in the afternoon, you should start preparing soon. Am I taking up too much of your time? What about the maids to help with your grooming? Oh, do you have any accessories?”

Blinking at the barrage of questions, Roxiana went to the wardrobe in the reception room and took out the dress the maids had made.

“I’m planning to wear this. The employees put a lot of effort into making it for me.”

It was clearly a plain one-piece dress with various additions. Not only was it far from the latest fashion, but up close, one could see the stitching marks where lace was added and the glue marks where beads were attached.

However, reading the affectionate look in Roxiana’s eyes as she gazed down at the one-piece, Perci showed the consideration not to point that out.

“Then I’ll lend you a hat and shoes that go well with that dress. If you wear a hairpin and necklace with blue jewels, it will make the dress shine even more.”

Roxiana didn’t refuse Perci’s invitation to go to the Lenardo Viscount’s mansion. She had been worried about what to do about things like hats, gloves, and accessories anyway. It didn’t matter for herself, but since she was accompanying the ruler of a country, she had to consider her partner’s position.

As Roxiana left the Lily Palace with Perci and headed towards where the carriage was parked, people glanced at her, but no one stopped her. Whether this was because she was accompanying the Viscountess Lenardo or because of Floyd’s instructions not to stop Roxiana wherever she went, she couldn’t tell.

‘So I’m not confined after all.’

Realizing she could leave the Grand Duke’s palace whenever she wanted made her feel a little lighter.

‘Come to think of it, the Grand Duke never told me not to go anywhere.’

But that didn’t mean she intended to wander around recklessly.

‘If someone recognizes me and informs Lucas, it will cause conflict between Torkan and Gania.’

Roxiana slightly lifted the curtain in the swaying carriage and took in the passing scenery.

‘Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ridden in a carriage since then.’

The scene she had seen through the carriage window was vivid.

She never dreamed she would see the last moments of the loyal and strong Sir Robert Chenare with her own eyes. She never imagined she would witness the loyal knight, who was cautious and tight-lipped but occasionally knew how to joke, die so easily it seemed unreal.

As the sorrow she had barely kept at bay suddenly welled up, Roxiana quickly tensed her eyes and pushed back the tears.

No matter how painful it was.

‘Not now.’

Roxiana clenched her fists in her skirt.

It’s not time to cry yet.

‘Someday when I recover my family. That’s when.’

Let’s cry then. Until these lungs burst and this heart is torn out, until the tears turn to blood and no breath comes from the ruptured throat.