As if unconcerned with the maid’s feelings, Veronica, who had been laughing cheerfully, suddenly hardened her expression.

The maid flinched at the sudden gaze directed at her.

“I want to drink tea.”

“I-I’ll prepare it right away.”

The maid hurriedly bowed and left the room.

Instead of the bed, Veronica sat on the long sofa in front of the window frame. After sitting still for a moment, she relaxed her body comfortably.

Unlike the usually anxious and uneasy days, this one was different. It felt leisurely and peaceful.

If she changed her mindset, even the dreaded start of the past didn’t seem so bad.

Yes, for the first time in a very long while, she was in a really good mood.

Veronica smiled crookedly as she lay down on the sofa.

Soon after, the maid returned with a teapot and teacup. Veronica leisurely sipped the tea poured by the maid.

“Veronica.”

Harry, who had seen off the two princes, came looking for Veronica.

He looked curiously at his daughter, who was enjoying teatime with a somewhat peaceful face.

Until this morning, the child had been bedridden with a high fever, but now she was half-lying on the long sofa, leisurely sipping tea. It was surprising.

Noticing her father who had come to see her, Veronica greeted him, saying, “Ah, Father. Have you been well?” after a long time.

“Someone might think we haven’t seen each other in ages.”

“That’s right. For some reason, it feels like I’m seeing your face after a long time.”

Up until her previous life, Veronica hadn’t even properly faced her father.

That was because she had been desperate to die.

“How silly.”

Fortunately, he dismissed his daughter’s greeting as nonsense.

Veronica raised her lounging body to sit up. Harry took a seat in the empty space.

His gaze carefully examined various parts of Veronica’s face. His wrinkled hand gently touched her forehead.

“How are you feeling?”

“My body?”

“You’ve been quite ill lately.”

Ah, come to think of it. Veronica recalled the memory she had forgotten out of sheer boredom. According to the original timeline, she had been ill with a fever until this morning.

She hadn’t noticed when she first woke up, but now she could feel a heavy fatigue.

For her, who had experienced the pain of countless deaths, this was merely a trivial condition.

“I’m fine. The fever has completely gone down.”

“That’s a relief.”

Harry let out a sigh of relief.

“But Veronica…”

“Yes, Father.”

“When… did you develop feelings for Prince Theron?”

“So that’s what you came to talk about.”

Veronica smiled brightly. Harry added anxiously.

“Until yesterday, didn’t you have feelings for Prince Roel?”

It was even an intense one-sided love.

It was surprising that his daughter, who had high pride and standards, was in love, but he never imagined it would be with the fourth prince, who had a weak position in the imperial family and even had a disability.

He wanted to persuade her to give up immediately, but his daughter’s love was quite serious.

She had been actively courting for a year to the point of falling ill with a fever.

It was just the other day that she was crying, saying she wanted to marry Prince Asher.

Having lost his wife early on, and fearing he might have to hold a funeral for his only remaining daughter, he hurriedly sought an audience with the Emperor.

Then, he pleaded with His Majesty to arrange an engagement between his daughter and the fourth prince.

But now his daughter was demanding a proposal to a different prince.

“Didn’t you desperately want to marry Prince Roel all this time? You wouldn’t eat and just kept crying. May I ask why you suddenly changed your mind?”

“Well, maybe I came to my senses after being bedridden with a fever. How can a person’s heart always remain the same? I suppose I didn’t love him enough to cling to an unrequited love.”

“What nonsense is this? Until yesterday…”

“Father.”

Veronica cut off his words.

“Are you not happy that I’ve given up on Prince Roel?”

“It’s not that, but…”

“Then that’s fine. What more needs to be said?”

Veronica smiled brightly as she finished her remaining tea. Harry looked at her strangely.

Was it because he was having a proper conversation with his daughter who had come to her senses after a long time?

Although the young face was certainly that of his daughter, what was inside seemed like an old person who had endured fierce storms over many years and reached enlightenment.

“You seem… a bit different.”

“I’m the same as always, Father.”

Whether she knew his thoughts or not, Veronica just kept smiling.

“Are you really alright? You’re not forcing yourself to give up, are you?”

“Of course not, Father. I’m in a very good mood right now.”

“…If you say so, I have nothing more to say.”

Harry was overcome with a very uneasy feeling, but seeing Veronica in a good mood, he couldn’t say anything.

Veronica put down her teacup. A brief silence fell. Strangely, it was a silence that felt suffocating.

After appearing to be lost in thought for a moment, Veronica continued speaking.

“More importantly, Father. There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“Tell me anything.”

Is it that you haven’t completely given up after all? Do you have other intentions? Harry thought Veronica was going to make a request regarding the fourth prince.

Given that she had been taking other measures when the fourth prince didn’t reciprocate her feelings, he was quite prepared this time.

However, what came out of Veronica’s mouth was an unexpected topic.

“Please allow me to accompany you on your next visit to the palace.”

“Accompany me to the palace?”

“Yes. You go to have an audience with His Majesty around this time, don’t you? I’d like to join you on that occasion.”

Harry’s eyes widened.

“May I ask why?”

“Just because I want to.”

It was an answer he couldn’t understand at all.

Harry wore a puzzled expression, but Veronica just kept smiling pleasantly.

Two weeks passed, and the Hardness father and daughter entered the imperial palace.

When Veronica’s health had recovered to some extent, Harry took her along to the audience with the Emperor as she had wished.

In the large audience hall, Veronica met the Emperor.

The person who would one day order her to behead her own father, calling him a traitor, was now welcoming the two of them with a relaxed pleasure.

Veronica skillfully concealed her twisted inner feelings while looking at the Emperor.

“May the glory of the sun always be with you. It’s an honor to meet you for the first time, Your Majesty. I am Veronica Hardness.”

“Oh, yes. So you’re the rumored young lady of the Hardness ducal family.”

“I’m honored that you already know about me.”

Knowing full well that the rumors about her were certainly not good ones, Veronica smiled as if she were truly pleased.

The Emperor laughed heartily at her attitude.

“Haha! Indeed, you’re the daughter of the Duke. To be so mature at just 16 years old.”

“You flatter me.”

She wasn’t the least bit happy with the Emperor’s praise.

How could she revere someone who was impatient and so licentious that he had fathered a string of children with different mothers?

He was a man who had thrown the country into chaos with his sons’ power struggles and corruption, yet died without much suffering himself.

Like the dregs in a sewage tank. Veronica cursed inwardly while maintaining her outward smile.

“Well then, I hear you have something to say to me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Just as she was about to get straight to the point, not wanting to drag things out, an attendant announced the arrival of other visitors.

The Emperor gestured welcomingly.

“Perfect timing.”

With the Emperor’s permission, two men entered the audience hall. They were familiar faces.

“I called for them since I heard the young lady of the Hardness family was coming.”

The people he had called were Asher and Cassian.

It was understandable why the Emperor had called them. The faces of the two who had come at the sudden summons didn’t look too pleased either.

The same was true for Harry. Although he was managing his expression well, he couldn’t hide his displeasure.

Of course, Veronica wasn’t happy with the Emperor’s unnecessary consideration either, but for now, his arbitrary decision wasn’t entirely bad.

The Emperor clicked his tongue as he looked at his children.

“I only called for the fourth, but the fifth came along too.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The fifth may leave now.”

As Cassian hesitated to answer, Veronica spoke first.

“No, Your Majesty. Prince Theron should hear this as well.”

“The fifth child? …If that’s the case, then stay.”

The Emperor was displeased but had no choice but to allow his presence.

Cassian gave a light bow and moved alongside Asher. Thus, the two came to stand next to the Emperor.

“Now speak. What is it you wish to say to me?”

“Actually, I have an earnest request for Your Majesty.”

“Oh, is that so? Speak freely.”

The Emperor shifted in his seat.

His expectant anticipation, as if he already knew what she was going to say, was palpable.

Veronica smiled brightly. The sunlight piercing through the glass windows seemed to pour down on her.

“I wish to marry Prince Cassian Theron Diastara.”

“Th-the fifth child? Not the fourth?”

The Emperor asked in surprise.

Surely the young lady of the Hardness family must have feelings for the fourth child.

The Duke of Hardness himself had come to request a marriage with the fourth child.

From the Emperor’s perspective, it wasn’t a bad idea to have the Hardness family under him, so he had even ordered the fourth child to go to the Hardness family and propose directly.

He thought things were going well between them, but what was this?

Veronica nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The one I wish to marry is Prince Cassian Theron.”