Cassian could not completely avoid her.

Even if he intentionally avoided her, on days he went to meet Asher, he strangely encountered Veronica.

As if she could see through Cassian’s inner thoughts, she appeared at the meeting place with Asher and interfered. This repeated situation caused the uncomfortable Asher to leave.

Seeing Veronica taking Asher’s empty seat, he said:

“Shouldn’t you give up by now?”

“I’ve become stubborn about it too.”

Not a hint of affection dwelled in the eyes that held each other. Love could never exist between them. Nevertheless, she pretended to be a woman in love.

She wanted to get close to him, babbled about wanting to become friendly, and demanded even more.

‘Why on earth is she acting like this?’

Cassian felt his chest might burst from frustration.

It was the day of the Empress’s reading group. Noble ladies personally invited by the Empress gathered to enjoy reading and share opinions.

On the surface, it was for the purpose of interacting with various families, but in reality, it was a place to carefully select families suitable for forming connections with the princes in the future.

If the Emperor’s birthday banquet was an opportunity for noble men, the Empress’s reading group could be said to be an opportunity for noble women.

The palace garden. The invited guests were gathered under a round pergola placed in a sunny location. As Veronica arrived, a woman raised her hand and greeted her familiarly.

“Veronica!”

Veronica was surprised when she recognized the face. She didn’t expect to see Lady Arin here.

“Lady Arin. What brings you here?”

“I was also invited today.”

It was unexpected, but occasionally married women were invited to attend as well.

After all, it was a reading group. Veronica went over and sat down. The Empress had not yet appeared.

“Veronica. You look so pretty today.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

Responding lightly to the familiar compliment, Veronica looked around. Young ladies from noble families invited sat in chairs arranged around the pergola.

They were so elaborately dressed that flowers in the garden seemed unnecessary. In their hands were books to be read aloud today.

Veronica placed the book she brought on her lap and adjusted her slightly disheveled hat. Then, turning to the lady, she saw that she was simply delighted to meet Veronica.

While waiting for the Empress, Veronica engaged in trivial conversation with Lady Arin. It was mostly praise for her husband, but Veronica listened with familiarity.

“How have you been lately, Veronica? You must be busy being lovey-dovey with Lord Theron, of course.”

“Something like that.”

Suddenly, there was a commotion up front.

Turning her head, she saw a small group had formed in front. They were in the midst of conversation, faces close together. Whatever amusing topic they were discussing, laughter never ceased.

“I hear Miss Magnolia from the Rining family is about to be married.”

“The Rining family?”

Veronica’s gaze turned to the woman sitting at the very center of the group. A woman with pink hair tied in a half-ponytail was receiving congratulations from those around her.

Veronica stared intently at that face. Beside her, the lady smiled contentedly, seeing the lively atmosphere created by the marriage topic.

“It’s certainly cause for congratulations, oh, oh? Veronica!”

Veronica abruptly stood up and walked over there. The women gathered there noticed Veronica and hastily stopped talking. Some familiar faces were visible.

“Oh my. Miss Hardness.”

“Isn’t that Veronica Hardness?”

Those unaware of the situation greeted Veronica cheerfully.

However, Veronica did not respond to anyone’s greetings. She simply stared blankly at the woman sitting before her, Magnolia.

Magnolia, with a slightly perplexed expression, belatedly spoke:

“Mi-Miss Hardness. This is our first time greeting each other.”

“I hear you’re about to be married. Congratulations, Miss Rining.”

“Ah, ah- yes. Thank you, Miss Hardness.”

Magnolia smiled shyly. Her blushing face revealed the excitement of an impending marriage. Watching that fair face, Veronica moved her lips again.

“But you know, Miss Rining.”

“Yes, Miss Hardness.”

“Do you know that your future husband was at an inn yesterday? With a woman other than his fiancée, that is.”

“Pardon?”

Magnolia’s eyes widened.

“Of course, you must also know that man has another woman he’s fond of.”

“Wh-what are you saying.”

“Oh my, you didn’t know? Even though you’re marrying him.”

Veronica asked, feigning surprise. Magnolia wore a bewildered expression. Her words caused an uproar among those around.

The surrounding people whispered about whether Veronica’s words were true or not. The instigator of this commotion calmly continued speaking.

“It’s good to be innocent, but wouldn’t it be better to know reality, Miss Rining?”

“Miss Hardness! That’s going too far!”

A woman on the left shouted at her. The woman on the right chimed in.

Veronica glanced at them. They were people who once ‘claimed’ to be her friends.

“My words? Or Miss Rining’s judgment of men?”

“Miss Hardness!”

“How can you be so rude!”

They pointed out Veronica’s rude remarks and condemned her. They raised their voices, saying she shouldn’t carelessly utter words without judging their truth.

These were people excellent at inciting such an atmosphere.

With the one-sided criticism, the situation gradually shifted to Veronica having suddenly picked a fight.

Veronica, without any reaction, just stared at Magnolia. That face was so calm that, on the contrary, it was Magnolia who couldn’t follow the conversation.

“That’s right! There’s no need to listen anymore!”

“Miss Rining! Don’t mind it! There must have been some misunderstanding!”

By now, the people around showed displeasure towards Veronica. The more cunning ones covered their mouths with fans and muttered criticisms as if talking to themselves.

“Why suddenly interrupt the conversation and cause trouble.”

“Does she think she’ll become the Crown Princess or something?”

“Already engaged to Prince Theron and still coming to this gathering. What is she thinking.”

“He’s just a prince who won’t even be eligible for succession. Is she looking for something better, I wonder.”

Snickers mixed with the whispers. Lady Arin, watching the situation from behind, didn’t know what to do. She was conflicted about whether to intervene in the situation even now.

“My, I seem to be the latest arrival.”

And before the situation could become more serious, the Empress appeared.

Everyone rose at once to greet the Empress.

Seated in the center, the Empress, sensing the unusual atmosphere, asked if anything had happened.

There was no need to report unnecessary commotion, so people smiled and eased the atmosphere, saying nothing had happened.

After exchanging brief greetings, the Empress began the reading group. As the heated situation seemed to calm down, Lady Arin whispered quietly to Veronica.

“Veronica, why did you say such things earlier. It’s not like you.”

“Is that so.”

A response came that made it impossible to grasp her intentions. The lady looked at her with concern. Veronica’s gaze, however, was fixed straight ahead, not on the lady. The lady also turned her head to the front.

There, she saw a woman trying to smile despite looking confused. What Veronica was looking at was Magnolia Rining.

“Veronica, did something happen between you and Miss Rining?”

“No. Nothing happened.”

It seems like something must have happened… The lady looked back and forth between the two.

Veronica’s expression, unlike usual, was so blunt that it was impossible to fathom her thoughts.

Lady Arin, who had been glancing at her, had to set aside her thoughts as the Empress spoke to her next. As a result, she didn’t hear what was said afterwards.

“I guess it’s because she looks too similar.”

‘I’m not crazy!’

A voice that had become quite hoarse was painfully uttered. After bursting into a fit of coughing and gasping for breath, the voice that came out again was unpleasant to hear.

But for a body with limbs bound, the only freedom was the mouth. Even that would emit groans when blocked.

No matter how much they don’t listen, and no one comes. Knowing this, the woman kept shouting endlessly.

‘I’m not crazy! Call my husband! If he knows what I’m looking for, my husband will come for me! He’ll surely get me out of here!’

The woman wailed, struggling with all her might. If the resistance became too intense, some unknown drug would be administered to her. Then the woman would be quiet for a while.

The woman’s face, covered in tears and snot, was always swollen. Her bloodshot eyes had lost their original color and were bright red.

‘It can’t be… He wouldn’t leave me like this…’

It didn’t take long for hope to turn into despair. At some point, the voice that had lost its vitality only uttered one word. Help, help.

‘Help me…’

The woman in the bed next to Veronica’s kept calling out endlessly.

That woman, whose identity and name were unknown, was forcibly hospitalized by her husband and treated as insane.

She continuously pleaded that she was sane, but no one believed her. She looked for her husband, but he never came to see her.

Until that moment when the hospital burned down and consumed everything.

Veronica was the only one who knew she was sane. Perhaps everyone knew but pretended not to.

That place was not only for crazy people, but also for many who came to drive others crazy.

Veronica could neither help nor comfort her while listening to her tear-filled screams all day long. Because Veronica’s situation was no different from hers.

Around that time, Veronica told those around her about what she had experienced.

From the maid who had served her since childhood to the kind head maid, the cheerful kitchen maid, the naive manservant, the head servant, and even her father.

Even her trusted father, Harry, regarded Veronica’s experiences as delusions.

He tried to soothe her with words and called in several doctors for consultations, but they all judged it would be difficult to improve. Of course. She wasn’t suffering from delusions.

Veronica insisted that she was sane and that what she experienced was real.

Like the woman in the next bed, she cried and shouted endlessly to believe her. All the doctors recommended hospitalization.

Her symptoms were so severe that she couldn’t distinguish reality, they said.

Harry, who initially refused, eventually sent her to a mental hospital.

It was an unavoidable choice after Veronica caused several suicide attempts, claiming she would show them it was real.

There, Veronica had to wait for her dying day with her limbs bound.