“Princess.”

Suddenly hearing a woman’s voice, I looked at the entrance to see Madam Irene whom I had met at the dress shop standing there. Her eyes were glistening with tears.

“Princess!”

Madam Irene, charging like a wild boar, grabbed my hand.

At that moment, Liam’s shoulders twitched as if he was about to jump.

“Princess Ormia is truly the best! Please be my muse! I feel so refreshed, Princess, you are amazing!”

I was overwhelmed by Madam Irene’s enthusiasm.

“Every time you said something to Lord Olan, I could barely hold back my laughter. It reminded me of my damn shameless ex-husband. I should have done the same as you, Princess.”

None of what I said to Jeffrey was meant as a joke.

Without giving me a chance to speak, Madam Irene chattered on. Her gaze, looking at me with sparkling eyes, was a bit burdensome.

No one has ever looked at me with such admiring eyes before.

“Actually, Viscount Jeffrey Olan, well, he’s not a viscount anymore. Oh, you divorced him, but is it uncomfortable to talk about your ex-husband?”

“It’s fine.”

“Actually, the rumors about Jeffrey Olan weren’t good. His spending habits and the way he talked, and even before the marriage, there were widespread rumors about him meeting ‘that person’.”

“Madam, that story…”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my… To think Princess Ormia is such a person. Good at design, loyal, and so dignified. I only realized it now.”

In my first life, his affair had spread secretly before I even noticed.

But I didn’t feel any self-blame like I should have been more sociable or lived a different life.

It’s already over.

Madam Irene helped me up.

“Oh my, look at me. Come this way. I’ve prepared dresses in the next room. They’re finished, but I need your opinion, Princess.”

The cheerful Madam Irene talked non-stop. The gloom Jeffrey had left behind disappeared in an instant.

“The design you provided was so beautiful, I’ve never seen such an elegant dress before. If it’s alright with you, may I sell that design?

I’ll give you 6% of the net profit the dress shop takes, excluding material costs and labor!”

“I’ll leave it to you, Madam. I don’t need the money.”

Madam firmly refused.

“Princess, you shouldn’t do that. Money transactions should be clearly documented with a contract.”

“Then please take care of it, Madam.”

“You have a good eye. I am the very symbol of integrity and purity. You can trust and leave it to me.”

The vivacious Madam Irene looked around before opening the door to the next room.

“By the way, is that pepper ship really a scam?”

It’s still in the early stages of investment recruitment. The news article about it being a scam comes out a year later.

“Don’t invest.”

“Oh my, if the Princess says so, it must be true. Everyone was getting excited about it, I wonder what they’ll say when they hear this.”

Entering the next room, there were over ten dresses along with accessories, shoes, and other items spread out. It felt like being in a shop.

In my second life, Duke Haiman had laid out luxurious items outside the cage to gain my favor.

Those were items for Duke Haiman’s self-satisfaction.

Among them, there was nothing truly prepared with me in mind.

“It’s beautiful.”

I couldn’t bring myself to touch the dresses carelessly. Though my touch wouldn’t bring misfortune, it felt like wanting to preserve an untouched snow field.

Madam Irene brought a paper box the size of an old book in front of me.

“Um, this is a bribe to become close friends with you, Princess.”

When she opened the lid, the colors dazzled my eyes.

“I heard you like desserts.”

Beautiful pastel-colored macarons were inside along with flower decorations.

I should thank her, but my throat felt choked.

Liam remembered I liked desserts and took care of me more, and now Madam Irene gave me this as a gift. They remembered what I liked.

It was a more brilliant and precious gift for me than the dozen dresses and beautiful jewelry.

“…Thank you. This is the first time I’ve received such a gift.”

“To say this is your first time for something like this…”

I raised my head to thank Madam Irene. Biting her lip, Madam Irene looked at me quietly for a moment before asking.

“Um, if it’s not uncomfortable, may I hug you, Princess?”

“Is that okay?”

She asked if it was alright to touch me.

Without answering, she pulled me into a tight embrace.

Her warm arms squeezed me almost to the point of breathlessness.

“Be happy in the Empire.”

Hearing her trembling voice, I nodded slightly.

Though it will pass quickly, won’t the rest of my life be my best days?

* * *

After Madam Irene left with Ormia, tension filled the reception room.

Marx coldly stared at Liam.

“Did you tell the Princess about the pepper ship?”

“You underestimate people.”

“Then how did the Princess determine that the pepper ship is a scam?”

“Lord Marx, isn’t it strange that the Princess knows about the pepper ship in the first place? It’s your ‘prank’ that you spread after arriving in Glishia’s capital.

How could the Princess, who has no external interactions and was bedridden for a week, already know about the pepper ship?”

At Benjamin’s explanation, Marx gestured towards Liam with his chin.

“That’s why I suspect him.”

“Jeffrey. That pepper ship is a scam. There is no such pepper ship.”

When those words came out of Ormia’s mouth, the three men were surprised.

The pepper ship scam was Marx’s light prank. A prank to pass time in boring Glishia. To scrape up some blind money from Glishia too.

A drop of ink to shake and confuse Glishia’s interior before invasion.

“It’s still a secret investment item, so investors are being quietly recruited through word of mouth. While investment introductions are cautious, how does Princess Ormia know?”

“I never mentioned it. There’s no reason to talk about such things.”

“Then where did Princess Ormia hear the information?”

“Perhaps… Could it be something she said to tease that Lord Olan? To make him uncomfortable?”

“She was too calm for that. Her tone was certain.”

“That’s not her personality.”

“Then how…”

Leaving the two men analyzing Ormia, Liam left the reception room and headed to the next room.

‘Does she have foresight?’

Sometimes she said things that made him suspect so. But it’s not a particularly important matter to Liam.

Whether Ormia has foresight or not.

“These shoes, and this lace here, isn’t it too wonderful?”

“It’s too much. Remove this part and attach only one side.”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my! Princess, you have such great sense! That’s right. It doesn’t have to be symmetrical.”

Ormia and Madam Irene were talking while looking at the hanging dress, seemingly lacking the energy to change into it.

Liam leaned against the door, watching the two.

Ormia took a small bite of a gold coin-sized dessert, savoring the taste.

‘I should prepare desserts when we return to the Empire.’

Ormia looked much more lively now than when dealing with her ex-husband, Jeffrey Olan.

“You won’t die from that much.”

“Human life is tougher than you think, you don’t die from that level of hardship. You adapt to everything. You learn to sleep well even on hard floors where mice run, and when you’re hungry, even rough bread like stones becomes delicious.”

Words have weight. Words born from experience resonate differently from those that are not.

Even if the listener doesn’t know about the person’s experience, the weight that touches the heart is different.

Ormia’s words were like that.

She dealt with Jeffrey calmly, but her words were heavy.

As if she had experienced it firsthand.

‘She’s truly an unpredictable woman.’

One moment she looks like an enlightened old person, the next she turns into an innocent girl when eating desserts.

Marx entered the room.

“Is this all? We should buy more lavish and expensive items. What will the people of Glishia think of the Empire?”

“No matter how much we spend, there’s plenty with the ceremonial budget provided by the royal family.”

“Madam, come with skilled craftsmen you know well tomorrow. We’ll show the Empire’s wealth at this banquet.”

“This is enough.”

Ormia tried to dissuade Marx and Benjamin.

“What are you saying! You’re now a guest of the Empire, Princess. The Empire has its pride! We must make everything the Princess wears and holds lead the fashion in this country.”

“Princess, you’re already more than capable of leading the social scene’s fashion as you are now. If we just raise the amount a little here, it will be perfect.”

“The Madam knows well.”

“The star of this banquet is Princess Ormia. Let’s make it unforgettable.”

Watching Marx grin mischievously like a villain, Ormia shook her head. It was the expression of giving up on a disobedient younger brother.

The quiet Liam pointed to the water-colored dress.

“Attach small diamonds scattered on the bottom. Like stars in the night sky.”

“Oh, good!”

“Oh my! How wonderful! You really know your stuff!”

“It’s too much.”

“How much should we set the budget?”

“The completion is the budget.”

“Ah, you’re really the best!”

Ormia’s opinion was buried and ignored in the commotion.

* * *

“They say the Empire’s knights have arrived.”

“The Black Lizard Knights or something. Even the name is gloomy and sinister. I hear the knights didn’t enter inside the capital’s walls.”

“Well, of course. It would be a big problem if they changed their minds and invaded the royal palace. They say they’re so cruel. Not a single blade of grass remains where they pass.”

“They must be eyeing Princess Ormia to take her away.”

“She’s not that valuable though.”

“Shh. They might hear inside.”

Even the servants at the guest palace where the Empire’s delegation was staying were buzzing with talk of the Black Lizard Knights.

The Black Lizard Knights.

The people of Glishia will see their might in 2 years.

From the confined tower, I saw Liam leading the Black Lizard Knights as they invaded. Everything burned where they passed, people fell like weeds, and blood formed rivers.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

Though it was made not to be flashy, Liam had ordered additional diamonds to be poured on. The diamonds attached to the dress hem sparkled, reflecting light as I moved.

It felt like walking on water.

With a light wave of my hand, white flowers settled on my head.

All preparations were complete.

As I grabbed the doorknob, it opened from outside.

Marx and Benjamin, dressed in the Empire’s formal attire, looked at me with wide eyes.

“Are you ready… Huh!”

“Princess Ormia, you’re… Ah, ah?”

Liam gazed steadily before extending his hand to me.

“Let’s go, Princess Ormia.”