The end of my life was always a mess.

Lifeless skin, dry and disheveled hair, split fingernails, and dirty and torn clothes.

There was no mirror in prison, so I couldn’t see myself, but I could imagine what I looked like overall.

Perhaps because I died in such a physical state, my twenty-year-old self in the mirror looked truly beautiful.

“This is how I used to be.”

My hair was shiny, my skin was glowing, and my lips were as red and shimmering as cherries.

Beautiful just like that, but at this time I had covered my face with heavy makeup to suit Jeffrey’s taste.

As I gazed at myself in the mirror, a small light appeared, and within a step’s radius, white flower petals appeared. Dozens of petals slowly fell onto my pink hair, clothes, and the floor.

One of them landed on my palm.

“Blessing…”

This is my blessing.

In my first life, I didn’t know how to use it properly, so it only brought me pain.

No one knew why flowers appeared differently from other royals, or why the way to use the blessing was different.

“Wow, Princess.”

My eyes met with the maid’s in the mirror.

Even at the royal palace, I had no lady-in-waiting because it was said that just being near me brought misfortune. At the Olan house, the maids took turns serving me.

Lizzy was one of the lower-ranking maids who often attended to me, and she endured well until the day of the invasion.

The frightened Lizzy didn’t approach, holding a shawl.

“I’ll clean it up.”

The royal family and nobles considered my power a curse and an abomination, and they thought the flowers that appeared from the manifestation of the blessing were ominous.

Without knowing how to use it.

I picked up the fallen petals and threw them out the window.

My flowers disappeared, glowing faintly as they fell.

Three months into the marriage.

My husband, Jeffrey, didn’t even leave together with me when attending official banquets.

Jeffrey, a distant relative of Duke Haiman’s family with wind ability, had no title but became Viscount Olan when he married me.

In my first life, I was foolish.

I had hope. I thought I would be loved if I got married.

But life in the Olan house was not much different from when I was in the royal palace. Because I had expectations, it was colder and lonelier.

Jeffrey, who had been kind, changed after marrying me and getting the title he wanted, and we didn’t even consummate our marriage on the first night.

He avoided spending nights with me using various excuses, and in the end, I never shared a bed with him until I died.

Recalling the past, I headed towards the entrance when a sharp voice flew at me.

“You’re always dawdling like that. We only have two carriages, and because you’re using the one that was left, we can’t go out. Really, you don’t have even a speck of consideration for others.”

Madam Olan, Jeffrey Olan’s mother.

“Why do you live so shabbily when you’re a princess? Ask the royal family for another carriage.”

Elena Olan, Jeffrey’s sister.

Even the two carriages they mentioned were brought from the royal family.

They were sent nominally, saying that a princess’s marriage couldn’t be sent off poorly.

Thanks to Jeffrey Olan managing one of Duke Haiman’s minor businesses, the Olan family was able to maintain a level called gentry.

With our marriage, they got a mansion and their life became more affluent.

Yet, as if they had always lived in luxury before, they continued to complain and demand more.

“You should be grateful that our Jeffrey accepted you. You haven’t even come to greet us in the morning for the past few days. Now that you’re married, you’re not royalty anymore, but a member of the Olan family.”

“You’re not still under the delusion that you’re a princess, are you? Get rid of that sense of royal entitlement.”

Legally, even if royalty changes their surname through marriage, their royal position and privileges remain valid.

In the first place, if I wasn’t attending the royal banquet, they were the ones who told me to use a rented carriage while they used the remaining carriage.

That’s what I did in my first life.

There was no respect for me anywhere.

In my first life, I worried about every word they said, fearing I might be kicked out of the Olan house or cause trouble for the royal family with my actions.

I tried to accommodate their words as much as possible, but now I know.

They will never be satisfied no matter how I behave.

“I’ll be going now.”

“My goodness! How rude to leave while we’re talking!”

“If I’m late, I’ll have to explain to His Majesty why I’m late. Should I tell him about the current situation? Including what Mother said?”

Madam Olan’s face turned red and blue.

“Let’s continue this conversation when you return.”

“Really, she’s as gloomy as I’ve heard. This woman has made the mansion even darker since marrying Jeffrey, Mother.”

“Elena, ‘this woman’? She’s still your brother’s wife. You’re a noble, maintain your dignity.”

I got into the carriage alone, without a maid to attend to me. In the past, I felt ashamed and miserable when going out alone, but now it’s comfortable.

The luxurious residential area of Glissia and the people bustling about passed by outside the window.

This capital will burn in the empire’s invasion.

People’s blood would stain the ground, and desperate screams and cries would fill the streets.

The future of Glissia I’ve seen in my three lives has always been the same, so it won’t change this time either.

Fear?

Terror?

Worry about Glissia’s downfall?

“What does it have to do with me?”

My reflection in the window was smiling.

I don’t have the luxury to worry about a country that abandoned me.

Today, I’m meeting an important person.

Liam Wilboyer.

He’s attending the Glissian royal banquet today.

Arriving at the palace and heading alone towards the hall, the corridor was crowded. Nobles were gathered in small groups, whispering, instead of entering the main hall.

“What did the empire send an envoy for?”

“It’s too early to offer tributes to God Lagras.”

“That’s in winter, isn’t it? They won’t say anything strange, right? They’ve been threatening to invite the royal family for years now.”

“They probably want to show off the empire’s power by inviting them, but we absolutely can’t send them. How dare they summon the messengers of God? If they want to meet so badly, the Emperor himself should come.”

“It’s just an empty threat. What can they do to a country loved and protected by God?”

Although Glissia was the size of a small to medium-sized city in the empire, people’s pride was stronger than any other country.

When the new year came, other countries offered considerable tributes to Glissia’s Magnus Church Grand Temple, so perhaps it was a natural pride.

“Ah, there!”

“The Dukes are coming together!”

“Oh my, it’s good we stayed out here!”

People retreated to both sides of the corridor. They all made the sign of the cross and bowed their heads. I too pressed myself against the corridor wall, seeing them give greetings fitting for a king.

The noble standing there frowned and moved as far away from me as possible.

Duke Haiman of Wind, Duke Bersi of Water, Duke Balman of Earth, and Duke Windsor of Light were coming with their vassals, wearing cloaks with their family colors and emblems.

The Dukes were young, having gone through a generational change before the king’s succession.

I alone did not bow my head.

Their gazes brushed past me.

Our eyes met, but expressions of ignoring, contempt, and annoyance appeared and disappeared on their faces.

Even though I had been demoted to a viscount’s wife, there was no respectful greeting towards me, a princess. It wasn’t just them, but everyone.

The nobles in the corridor followed the group of dukes towards the hall. Those passing by me avoided touching me and ignored me.

That’s the reality of me, Ormia Beltoa, or now Ormia Olan since I’m married.

I was used to it.

In the past, I would have become dejected and lowered my head to avoid people’s gazes, but that was long ago.

As I headed towards the main hall, Jeffrey Olan was waiting for me in front of the door.

He enjoyed the time of being noticed. When there was attention, he always wanted the couple to enter together.

Once, I mistook that for affection.

“Why are you here only now? How long are you going to make me wait?”

“Let’s go in.”

“What’s with that appearance? Coming without even putting on proper makeup. Are you planning to give up on being a woman now?”

Jeffrey said this while glancing at me again.

When I remained quiet instead of apologizing and looking at his mood as I should have done, he found it strange.

He nodded to the attendant, who announced our entrance to the hall.

“Viscount Jeffrey Olan and Viscountess Ormia Olan.”

As the dukes had entered earlier, people’s attention was on them, so there were no gazes on us.

As soon as we entered, Jeffrey threw away my hand he had been escorting and ran to the side of the head of the family, Duke Haiman.

Cold gazes brushing past me.

People ignored me while being wary that God’s negativity might transfer no matter what I did or where I went. At the same time, they watched me.

The most avoided existence yet a good topic of conversation, that was me.

Even if I drank punch and put food on a dessert plate, they cursed me. While they did the same things themselves, when I did it, it became a sin and an inappropriate, ill-mannered action.

Whether they watched me or not, I looked around.

Liam was nowhere to be seen.

“The guardians of Glissia are entering.”

The king and queen entered first, followed by three princes and a woman with brilliant blonde hair.

The people who were once my family and Leticia Beltoa, who was adopted as an illegitimate child.

When God’s blessing first manifested in a commoner, they adopted her, packaging her as an illegitimate child for the sake of royal authority.

Leticia, surrounded by people and smiling brightly, had an expression of happiness without a single shade of gloom.

It was my role to go to their side, greet them, and keep my place. Even if I didn’t, they wouldn’t mind, but today I needed that place.

“May the holy light of Glissia always be with you.”

Only the king briefly nodded at my greeting.

The queen, my mother, didn’t even look at me, not acknowledging my existence, and my brothers, the princes, frowned and clicked their tongues.

“You’ve come.”

Leticia welcomed me kindly.

I stood not too far from them, but not close enough to draw people’s attention.

An alien group approached the king. Even the dukes outwardly welcomed them but were wary.

“This is the envoy from the Ethersia Empire.”

“It’s an honor to see the incarnation of Lagras. Urgent business came up for Viscount Illin, so I came in his place. I’m Marx Benum.”

“Ah, from the Benum Duke family. A precious person has come. Rest well during your stay.”

When the young representative of the envoy greeted him, the king frowned.

Although envoys from other countries often came to Glissia, they were all in positions befitting an audience with the king, who was said to be God’s representative. It was not a position for an eldest son who had not yet inherited a title.

The king did not hide his discomfort.

For someone who came as a representative of the empire, the king’s arrogance pierced the sky.

“If it’s Marx Benum, he’s the eldest son, but not Duke Benum, and they send their heir as an envoy.”

“How they must view Glissia.”

“So impudent.”

While listening to the princes’ whispers, I spotted him among the imperial envoy.

Liam Wilboyer with black hair.

Our eyes met.