The Emperor quietly lifted his finger and brushed down that emotionless face, murmuring,

“I must have seen it wrong. After all, how could a mere painting smile?”

The Emperor’s muttering filled and then faded from the bedroom.

Naturally, the painting remained silent.

Just like this beautiful woman who had been brought to the palace to protect Vicander’s territory.

The Emperor looked down at the portrait with eyes full of mocking laughter.

“……That’s why you had to cling to me in the end, Princess. If you had, I would have treated your beloved son generously.”

Regret clung to his soft, gnawing voice, of which even the Emperor himself was not conscious.

The eyes of the Emperor, facing the woman in the painting who gazed at him haughtily, twisted with greed and jealousy.

Vicander’s ancestral Duchess and the Princess of a ruined country.

The woman who never permitted him a shred of affection, though she received love and respect from everyone else.

And who, to make matters worse, never spoke a word to him until her death.

“Because of the Princess, Vicander will disappear. Like the people of the ruined Lowell became ashamed of themselves. Esmerilda, because you did not choose me. Because of you!”

All that remained for Duke Vicander, who looked so much like this face, was agony.

As an image of the Princess shedding tears in the afterlife came to mind, a pleasant smile mixed into the Emperor’s lips.

The Emperor, who had been pouring out curses with an angry voice, suddenly stumbled back in surprise.

“What is this……?”

Impossibly, for a moment, the green eyes of the Princess in the portrait seemed to be mocking him.

When the Emperor blinked and looked at the portrait again, the Princess was, as always, staring expressionlessly at him.

It couldn’t be. The nape of the Emperor’s neck felt chilly. Unknowingly, he overturned the portrait.

It was nothing. Both the fall of the portrait and the unpleasant news of the Empress.

He was just a little sensitive today.

Even so, the Emperor surreptitiously clenched his fist.

Everything had been in his hands just a moment ago. As he clenched his fist, everything seemed to slip through his fingers.

Just like when he felt that he had lost control over his loyal dog, Duke Vicander.

It couldn’t be true.

The always obedient Empress would once again faithfully follow his command, and the Duke of Madelleine would bring back the eldest princess to the prince’s side.

And then the prince would take the Madelleine princess as a concubine and plant despair in Duke Vicander.

Everything would return to its place.

The Emperor repeated his mutterings like a spell, as if to say that this unease was nothing.

.

.

.

At that moment, following the Emperor’s command, the chief eunuch sent news to the Katangta Duchy. Watching the departing horse and knight, the chief eunuch swallowed an inexplicable anxiety.

“……Hopefully, the Duke of Madelleine will bring good news.”

The chief eunuch’s words dissipated powerlessly into the air.
And when the master of ceremonies turned around, the sun was rising in the distant unusually dark sky.

(This is a time separator.)

It was about dawn.

Olivia and Edwin sat side by side in the carriage, resting their heads on each other’s shoulders.

It was a good time just to hear the heartbeat.

Despite staying up all night, sleep strangely did not come. The body felt more energetic than usual.

Was it because they had spilled out the heavy burden of the story, or because they were sitting close to Edwin?

Olivia looked at the approaching duke’s castle with a snicker and fiddled with both hands habitually.

Only then did Olivia realize that she had not put on the jade necklace again at the touch of the small and hard feeling at her fingertips.

When Olivia carefully raised her head, Edwin followed her movement and looked at Olivia’s fingertips.

“I will put it on for you.”

A slightly husky and low voice was charming. When Edwin took the necklace from Olivia’s hand without hesitation, Olivia’s cheeks blushed as their fingers brushed.

Quickly noticing, Edwin slowly put the necklace around Olivia’s neck, pretending not to see her flushed cheeks. Then he whispered in her ear.

“Let’s sleep deeply as soon as we go in, and have a late breakfast. Don’t go to Yenive today, play with me all afternoon. What do you think?”

It was a splendid proposal, but Olivia shook her head.

She had to stamp the seal as soon as she entered. The duke couple’s property was common property after all. She wanted to leave more securely as Edwin’s share.

Of course, Bethany had to be okay.

Unable to check Bethany’s condition, Olivia swallowed her words. In the meantime, the solid gate of the duke’s castle opened, and the carriage entered the duke’s castle.

They had returned.

The word felt all too real, and Olivia absentmindedly muttered it under her breath.

.

.

.

“Have you arrived, Your Grace, Miss?”

“Bethany!”

She wanted to make sure she was okay, but she came all the way to the entrance!

Olivia opened her eyes wide and called Bethany.

Last night, Bethany, who had shed so many tears, greeted Olivia and Edwin with a calm face, standing at the entrance.

Surprised, Olivia hastily approached Bethany as soon as she got off the carriage and hugged her. Bethany, who had opened her eyes wide in surprise, soon warmly hugged Olivia back.

“Oh, Miss too. Have you had a good trip?”

“Yes. Are you okay?”

Bethany grinned and nodded at the whispered words. It was a relief.

Now there was no reason to hesitate. Olivia said to Bethany cautiously but confidently.

“Then please transfer this crystal mine to joint ownership right away.”
Olivia naturally thought Bethany would answer with a beaming smile. She even expected her to be so overjoyed at the return of such a cherished heritage that she would be overcome with emotion and unable to respond for a moment.

But the answer that came far exceeded Olivia’s expectations.

“I’m sorry, Miss, but that is impossible.”

Stunned by the unexpected reply, Olivia unwittingly looked at Edwin. As if he had known this would happen, Edwin smiled brightly and nodded.