“Ugh!”
As Annette struggled to cover her protruding belly, a strange sound reached her ears.
Such an undignified noise seemed impossible to come from the Empress Dowager or the Empress, paragons of graceful nobility.
Neither did it seem like a slip from the maids of the Empress Dowager’s or the Empress’s courts, who stood still as statues.
Rolling her eyes to find the source of the sound, Annette caught sight of something she couldn’t overlook.
It was the Empress Dowager, gripping the handle of her teacup so tightly that her veins stood out.
Puzzled by this sudden change in demeanor, Annette gasped as she realized the reason.
‘Good heavens! I used to share a single dry biscuit on a hunt, and now I’ve eaten all this by myself!’
It seemed her brain had melted like sugar with the sweet desserts. How else could she have mindlessly gobbled everything up…!
She had never thought of herself as greedy, but given the circumstances, she had to admit it.
So far, she had only encountered tasteless food, which never invoked any cravings.
Regretting her actions, Annette picked up a barely intact cookie from the devastated table.
“Your Highness, the Empress Dowager.”
As soon as she spoke, a sharp gaze fell on her.
Annette closed her eyes and reached out.
“This cookie… it’s really delicious. Please try it, Your Highness.”
It might have seemed trivial to others, but for Annette, it was a significant gesture of courage.
She found herself wanting to impress the people of Alcan Royal Family, for some reason.
Until now, she hadn’t cared about others’ opinions. In fact, it was the only way she could survive.
‘But why…’
Confused about whether it was solely for the alliance as a princess or something else, Annette cautiously opened her eyes.
“Uh!”
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager’s face turned red, and she clutched her front before collapsing to the side.
“Your Highness?”
“Your Highness!”
As others rushed in shock, Annette quickly stood up, intending to approach the Empress Dowager, but Charlotte stopped her.
“You should rest now.”
She instructed a maid to escort Annette out, as if preventing her from getting close to the Empress Dowager.
Reminiscent of how people in Heyworth avoided her, calling her a cursed seed of a monster.
Speechless, Annette could only follow the maid out of the Empress Dowager’s court.
“Your Highness?”
When Annette suddenly stopped moving, the leading maid turned back to ask.
“Your Highness, what’s the matter?”
“Well…”
“Yes, please speak.”
“Does the Empress Dowager usually have health issues?”
Annette asked, scrutinizing the maid’s expression. Being a foreigner, she thought the maid might not be candid about the royal family’s intimate matters.
Observing a fleeting look of confusion and discomfort on the maid’s face, Annette instantly realized.
The Empress Dowager didn’t have a chronic illness.
“If it’s difficult, you don’t need to answer.”
Unable to voice her fear that the Empress Dowager might have collapsed because of her, Annette eased the maid’s awkwardness.
And seeing Annette’s understanding expression, the maid, Serena, looked flustered.
Strictly speaking, it was Annette’s fault, but not for the reason she thought that caused the Empress Dowager to collapse.
However, given her position and duties, she couldn’t just speak about her superior’s affairs without permission.
Above all, her primary loyalty was to the Empress, especially concerning matters about the Empress Dowager.
Seeing Annette’s downcast look, Serena inwardly fretted, resolving to clarify this misunderstanding to the Empress.
“Ah…”
Annette was weighed down by the thought that the Empress Dowager had collapsed because of her.
She must have been disfavored from the first meeting.
Misinterpreting the dignified and considerate treatment as a sign of affection was a grave mistake.
Seeing her accept every offering without manners and then belatedly extending a leftover cookie must have been appalling.
Annette felt utterly foolish and despondent at the thought of returning to her room alone.
“Um, Miss Maid.”
“My name is Serena. Please, speak freely, Your Highness.”
“Um, Serena, is there somewhere I could take a light walk?”
Having been confined in a detached palace for so long, Annette disliked enclosed spaces.
She felt more comfortable sleeping in a tent during campaigns, lulled by the noises of her subordinates around her, feeling like a normal person among the crowd.
“If it’s too much trouble, please don’t bother.”
After speaking, she regretted it, remembering how the Empress had ordered the paths cleared.
If seen wandering in this state, it could cause complications.
As expected, Serena hesitated.
“It’s really fine. Let’s go back to the room.”
“But, Your Highness!”
“…?”
“There’s a garden nearby, accessible only to the royal family. It should be fine there.”
“But, as a place for royalty, I might not be allowed…”
“No! The Empress specifically instructed to treat you as one of the royal family. You’ll definitely be allowed.”
Typically, permission would be sought first, but Serena spoke confidently, aware of the Empress’s favor towards Annette.
“Well then… I’d appreciate it.”
Thus, Annette followed Serena to the garden.
Throughout, she pondered the Empress’s order, like the Emperor’s words about considering her part of the royal family.
‘Do they really see me as family, regardless of my condition?’
Both seemed to have unshakable faith in her engagement to Prince Hargent, unnerving Annette.
‘Ah…’
In that moment, Annette realized why she felt this anxiety and why she wanted to impress the Alcan royal family.
She had thought her worry was about not returning to her original form and breaking the alliance, but it was more than that.
In just one day, she had realized – this place was different from the Kingdom of Heyworth.
Here, no one looked at her with disdain or averted their eyes.
The red hair that the King of Heyworth despised as much as her red eyes was praised by the maids in the empire as a rare and special color.
For once, not as the cursed seed of a monster, but as a normal person… she might be able to converse and live normally, giving rise to hope in her heart.
“Maybe here, I won’t be despised anymore.”
Of course, she didn’t harbor the vain hope that everyone would like her.
Just the absence of the familiar hostility was enough.
Throughout her life, the most positive emotion Annette had ever received was pity.
Even if they saw her not as herself but as the future wife of Prince Hargent, it didn’t matter.
“I’ve been through it several times already.”
Why would Sara have taken on such hardship for a newborn baby? It was all out of loyalty to the late queen.
Even the former commander of the royal knights.
“Do you think hunting monsters is a joke? The late queen, who was healthy, died giving birth to you. You don’t deserve happiness, but you also don’t have the right to throw away your life so carelessly. So please return.”
He hated her because he was once the late queen’s guard.
“I was wrong. The late queen would have wanted you to be happy…”
And because of that, he passed on the commander role to her.
Never once was Annette recognized as an individual. So, it didn’t matter to her.
All she hoped for was to quickly become Prince Hargent’s partner and continue staying in the Alcan Empire.
“Even if he hates me…”
“Here we are, Your Highness. No one should be inside, so please feel free to look around.”
Serena, having led Annette to the entrance of the garden, said that the emperor would be attending to his duties and the crown prince would be in class, so no one would disturb her. She would go back to the Empress Dowager in the palace and inform her of the garden visit.
Left alone, Annette quietly entered the garden.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
