Was she testing him or not, his blue eyes seemed to pierce Olivia as if trying to discern her intentions. To reassure him, Olivia spoke slowly.

“You should understand your place. I do. You know that.”

A clear voice passed through Olivia’s mind. Leopold’s voice.

“A princess should know her place. You will never cause any trouble. I guarantee.”

“……You’ve gone beyond jealousy, princess. Have you been eavesdropping?”

His face frowned as if displeased, Olivia smiled thinly.

There was really no consideration for me to be found, even if I searched with eyes wide open. So Olivia revealed the truth.

“It’s more like you forgot our appointment and were having a secret meeting in this princess’s garden where I was waiting.”

“Princess!”

A flash of energy approached his whole body.

I never thought I’d feel it this way from an excellent knight. A momentum that made it impossible to breathe properly, but Olivia did her best to stand tall.

That was the pride I wanted to protect, and the image I wanted to show last.

And at that moment, a single echoing footstep intervened.

“Is the final greeting over, miss?”

Olivia smiled faintly at the neat voice. Somehow, her breath became easier. Leopold called his name softly.

“……Duke Vicander.”

Olivia slowly turned around. With black hair contrasting with a soft white face, he smiled and came close to Olivia.

With broad shoulders and a strong body accentuated by his black uniform, he looked so beautiful and dangerous that he could enchant anyone.

“I see the empire’s little sun. You look quite harmless, Your Highness.”

“What is this rudeness?”

Leopold curled one side of his lips disdainfully. Olivia slowly rose from her seat.

“I intend to go to His Majesty after telling Your Highness about breaking the engagement.”

Leopold’s answer did not hide his dry anger.

“How dare the Duke enter the princess’s palace without permission?”

“I formally invited him. It was a palace that was permitted to me. Your Highness.”

Olivia looked at Leopold for a moment. His handsome face stared at Olivia as if in disbelief.

Beneath the sunken pale blue eyes, Olivia could not fathom what was swirling. No, now she didn’t even want to gauge it.

She had spent her lifetime reading someone’s mind. Now was the time to cast all of that aside. Olivia smiled broadly.

“……I thought it was my share. But it wasn’t. It’s mine.”

“Olivia.”

“So, I used my last given authority for the final time. It was a good choice to wrap up such a dreamlike time.”

Olivia looked around as if newly aware. Every tuft of grass, every tree, even every windowpane that supported the palace had been looked after by Olivia.

All the beautiful things that Leopold wanted her to see. Therefore, she had more carefully nurtured her own palace.

Having taken in everything in the palace, Olivia was ready to bid farewell to her palace.

Olivia stepped lightly. Naturally, the place she was headed was by Edwin’s side. That’s when it happened.

“……Stand there.”

A heavily sunken voice came from behind. Olivia glanced sideways at Leopold.

He seemed angry.

There was no need for him to be angry at all. To Leopold, Olivia Madelleine was merely, a betrothed who understood her place well.

“……Ah.”

Olivia turned around as if she had just remembered. It was when a faint smile of anticipation brushed past Leopold’s face.

Olivia raised her skirt and curtseyed to Leopold.

“Bowing to the empire’s little sun. Olivia Madelleine, will soon greet you again as the Duchess of Vicander. Please.”

Olivia raised her head. Although it wasn’t in accordance with etiquette, it didn’t matter.

Seeing Leopold’s face, staring with his mouth tightly shut as if to deny what was unfolding before his eyes, the me of all those past moments came to mind.

Nine years old, when I first fell in love with him, shining like the sun.

Fourteen, unable to give him the cravat as he left on his first expedition, I tried hard to smile.

Eighteen, believing the first dance at my debutante would naturally be with him but was ruthlessly shattered.

And twenty, watching my fiancé confess his love to someone else in the place I believed was mine,

The pitiable Olivia Madelleine of every moment.

The lovestarved Olivia Madelleine had finally managed to put Leopold Franz in his place. Olivia smiled brightly and concluded her words.

“……Until then, be safe.”

Olivia turned around. Showing her back to Leopold was a first. Edwin, who bowed to the prince as a formality, reached out his arm.

Olivia lightly took his arm with grace.

Moving forward, leaving someone behind felt strange.

She had already walked past the Duke and Jade, but this oddly unsettled feeling seemed something she could never get used to.

Suddenly, she wondered what she looked like from the back. Having always watched someone’s back, longing for affection, Olivia cautiously opened her mouth.

“Is it always such a strange feeling to leave someone behind?”

“……What do you mean?”

“What does my back look like? I’m curious about such a pointless thing.”

Before Olivia’s answer could finish, a tender laugh came from beside her. Olivia looked at Edwin with a puzzled expression.

When his beautiful eyes bore a sweet smile, Edwin spoke softly.

“I’ve seen it.”

Edwin glanced back. There was the prince, his eyes wide, looking stupid.

He looked very much like his earlier foolish figure, angrily breathing life, forgetting even the chivalry of a knight. The memory of her small shoulders, standing stiffly before him, came to mind.

The determination not to bow to anyone.

A posture that revealed her firmly set mindset.

Edwin looked again at the delicate hand that held his arm.

Her eyes, which had wholly borne this slight trembling sensation alone, were straighter than anyone’s.

“……It’s incredibly splendid.”

Olivia’s eyes widened slightly at the low voice. A red flush slowly spread over her pale cheeks like spring flowers.

Olivia avoided Edwin’s gaze. Suddenly, she looked over to see the maids, including Lady Sophron, standing there. Their faces were surprised when their eyes met.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Olivia, having asked for permission, approached Lady Sophron. Lady Sophron looked at Olivia with a bewildered face.

“Your, your Grace. Then.”

Only now, understanding the entire situation, the lady’s face turned pale. Olivia smiled faintly.

“Thank you for everything, my lady.”

Lady Sophron couldn’t say anything. Even though young Etel was loved, she had thought that the owner of Tiage Palace would eventually be this graceful princess.

“Please continue to take good care of Tiage Palace.”

She thought that this princess, who showed affection for the palace to the last, would take over the palace.

The lady sighed softly without realizing it. Who could show such affection for the palace? Now that she thought about it, her earlier examination of the palace hadn’t been to kill time.

She shouldn’t have interrupted.

A regret that couldn’t be undone seeped out like another sigh.

The princess moved again. Her retreating figure was resolute, as if she would never return.

When her elegant figure had faded to a speck, Lady Sophron didn’t bother to distinguish whether the emotion in her heart was regret or sorrow.

She just felt emptiness, as the owner who best suited this Tiage Palace had left.