The body gradually stiffens. On the day death arrived, Charlotte was completely forgotten.

“Your father is not coming.”

That’s what her husband said as he watched Charlotte dying. Her fingertips stiffened, weakly groping the bed, her gaze lingering regretfully on her husband.

“The family’s shame dies here.”

Why me?

Why am I in this state?

“The death of that shame will be buried as well.”

“Ah, don’t do this to me. Ah… Ahhh!”

“Keep the story of her illness strictly confidential. Don’t let this story leak outside.”

Did they hide my death?

Ah.

That’s right. You did that, Mogens. You lost half of your body’s skin to burns, and eventually ended your life with Lupus. Even as her lungs hardened and her life neared its end, no one looked back at her.

* * *

“Eat whatever you want. Just rest comfortably and come back.”

Leandro patted Charlotte’s shoulder.

“Everything will be over by then, so don’t worry and go.”

They started the process to get Charlotte out of her maternal family. They said they would start the process today. And to minimize any other noise, Charlotte was planned to be away.

“Your Majesty, please take good care of Charlotte.”

“Should I return by evening?”

“Yes. By then, the adoption procedures should be complete, so please rest comfortably with the child and come back.”

She went out with Benjamin, saying they would be away for a while.

Although her uncle told her to be wary of him, this time he readily pushed Charlotte’s back.

So, is it really…

Is it all over? Is it ending like this?

“Charl.”

Benjamin called her.

“Charlotte!”

Charlotte slowly turned her head.

“I’m listening.”

“I can clearly see you’re out of it.”

“I guess I’m unintentionally nervous since people from the main family are coming.”

They were already outside before she knew it. Looking around, it was a familiar commercial street. Ah, were we going to eat here first?

Lost in thought, she had been walking without knowing where she was.

As Charlotte stopped abruptly, Benjamin carelessly reached out his hand.

“Your complexion is a bit red.”

Benjamin touched her cheek with his hand.

“Are you the type whose body shows stress?”

From before, her body often got hot with a slight fever when she was sleep-deprived or stressed.

“Who did you get this from?”

“I took after my late mother.”

We ate our meal at the restaurant first. Apart from the complex emotions, the food itself was fine.

This restaurant was also located in a bustling commercial area, and it seemed to be a place with good word-of-mouth as all the dishes were neatly prepared.

Still, I quickly tired of the food.

“Is the meal not to your liking?”

“I don’t usually enjoy meals much.”

“Who did you get that from?”

“This too, I took after my late mother.”

My mother and I were similar in many ways. We resembled each other.

“What was it about Windsor that he hated so much?”

“What’s with the sudden question?”

“My father. I wonder what he hated so much to despise like that. When I was young, I thought it was my fault.”

It was around the time my mother died in my past life.

There was something Charlotte’s father told her when she was being dragged away for a forced marriage.

‘I’ve done all I can. Now you go your own way.’

You’ve done all you can? What exactly have you done?

You didn’t give me any choice. You talk as if I had some choice, but I never did.

Charlotte poked at her salad with her fork.

“You don’t look good.”

“Just. Some unpleasant memories came up.”

It felt like past memories were clinging to her ankles and dragging her down. Finally, Charlotte put down her utensils.

Benjamin also finished his meal after fiddling with his water glass. He brought up the subject while wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“…I’m telling you this in advance.”

“Yes?”

“The Windsor family will suffer great losses to get you out. They’ll permanently give up your birth mother’s personal assets, and hand over entire businesses to the Truett family. Will they just give up one arm? It’ll be like tearing off and handing over an entire leg. In return, the Windsor family will demand your adoption be annulled.”

Charlotte’s fingers trembled slightly.

Just one year. Custody until you turn twenty. The Windsor family is willing to suffer great losses to get just that.

“If your birth father doesn’t get you out, you can’t leave that family. It means your birth father is claiming ownership of you.”

This wasn’t about discussing custody. It was about ownership rights, treating you like property.

“Remember that feeling well.”

Charlotte slowly steadied her breathing. The trembling stopped at his words. She stiffly stroked her nape.

“It was expected, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“If getting you out was as easy as it sounds, things wouldn’t have come to this. Not for your birth mother, not for you, not for that household.”

Charlotte fiddled with her fingertips. She already remembered that resentment. She had engraved and re-engraved that sense of injustice.

“That’s why I stayed quiet in the first place.”

Now is the time to be pushed out. Getting out of that family comes first.

She chose to be abandoned instead. So she cut off the rotten roots.

At that moment, a few more people entered the restaurant. Charlotte’s expression twisted along with them.

Ah.

I wondered why those memories came up.

It seems it was to face you.

Benjamin also read her change. He turned his head towards the restaurant entrance.

“Is it someone you know?”

“Huh?”

“Your face darkened.”

“Hmm. They used to be, but not anymore.”

A familiar man looked around and took a seat by the window. After that, a few more of the man’s companions arrived.

Deep blonde hair and a neatly worn uniform.

And a well-groomed appearance.

‘Mogens Weber’

The eldest son of the Weber family and once her husband.

It was when Charlotte was abandoned in the face of death. The Weber family was the closest to witness that death.

The clean face turned this way. Mogens didn’t recognize her and withdrew his gaze again.

The grave of my past life.

My grave.

The man who had stepped on that grave.

Charlotte averted her gaze and gave a small smile to Benjamin.

“Shall we get up?”

“What about the meal?”

“If Your Majesty is done, let’s get up now.”

Benjamin readily tidied up the dining table. As he passed by, Mogens turned his head.

It was just for a moment, but their eyes met. Mogens recognized Benjamin at once and approached.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“Don’t give such a grand greeting outside.”

Mogens looked exactly as she remembered. There was not a trace of discomfort on his clean face.

He was still the same, extending his hand for a handshake with his neat appearance.

“I’m Mogens Weber.”

Charlotte tilted her head sideways and replied.

“I’m Charlotte.”

Mogens paused as if the name Charlotte was familiar. His eyes scanned her.

Mogens pondered why the name was familiar and belatedly answered.

“Charlotte Truett.”

“What, Mogens, you know each other?”

His friends look at me.

‘She’s limping? Tsk, put her away where she can’t be seen.’

More filthy memories surface.

It was just that the nerves in my body had stiffened.

You treated me like waste.

Charlotte smiled as she chewed on the memories.

Mogens introduced her.

“She’s the young lady of the Truett family.”

“Truett family? You mean the Truett Viscount family? Was there a young lady of this age there…?”

“Be quiet. How can you be so rude… I apologize, young lady.”

It was more natural for them not to recognize Charlotte.

It was one of the side effects of Charlotte not being able to engage in social activities while nursing her mother.

“It’s fine.”

Charlotte shrugged.

“I didn’t know you thought of me that way.”

That hypocrisy and that pretense are disgusting.

“Your Majesty.”

There’s nothing more to say.

Charlotte called Benjamin quietly.

“Let’s go now.”

* * *

“What family was that fellow from again?”

“He’s the eldest son of the Weber family. They’re one of the Empress’s factions, and one of the families close to the Truett family.”

If I had remained tied to the Truett family, I might have been dragged off to the Weber family for a wedding ceremony, almost like being kidnapped.

“I’ll be disowned like this, right?”

Since the Windsor family is already going through the procedures, there shouldn’t be any particular issues. This is the end.

Who abandoned whom first? Did I abandon them? Or did you abandon me?

Although Charlotte is the only daughter of the Truett family, she doesn’t need to worry about what happens after being disowned.

We’ve become strangers now. I’ve really let go. Charlotte sobbed, clutching her knees.

As she lowered her head, long red hair fell forward. Her bloodshot eyes were hidden in the shadows as they obscured her vision.

How many years has it been? How many decades did I lose my life, held captive by that man?

One side of my face was almost crushed by the fire.

And then, paralyzed by Lupus disease, spending days abandoned in a corner of the sickbed.

You told me then. That even the last breath was shameful.

That the stubbornly clinging breath reveals your presence without knowing the shame.

“Charl.”

Someone calls her.

“Charlotte.”

Charlotte closed her eyes.

“Charlotte Windsor.”

A shadow fell. A large presence covered her.

“You should lift your head.”

Benjamin approached and stood close. The distance between them grew shorter, and Benjamin stopped in front of Charlotte’s small head.

Charlotte lifted her head and met Benjamin’s eyes. He simply looked down at her bloodshot eyes.

“Are you crying?”

“No.”

“Biting your lip won’t stop the tears.”

Benjamin smiled and poked the bridge of her nose. Charlotte hid her body under his shadow.

She slowly steadied her breath. She forcibly calmed her increasingly rapid breathing.

Benjamin stroked her head and asked again.

“Are you alright?”

“Thanks to your concern.”

“Well, that’s good. But we should get moving now. It’s about time the people from the Truett family have come and gone.”

Benjamin smoothly grasped Charlotte’s wrist. As Benjamin gently pulled her wrist saying it’s time to go, she was swept away again.

“Uncle is extremely wary of Your Majesty.”

“He’s a bit harsh towards me.”

“But you know. In the past few days, I think I understand the reason a little.”

I think I understand why Aster was wary of Benjamin.

He naturally manipulates people.

The imperial palace is prey placed before a snake. He will eventually chew and swallow it all.

There’s no disagreement about that fact.

In her past life, she had once seen Benjamin continue his tyrannical rule by killing family and relatives.

In his past life, he was alone. He reigned alone on the throne.

In the end, he broke and suppressed people with a reign of terror, clutching them in his grasp.

“Your Majesty reigns alone even at this moment.”

You are standing alone even now.

“I think I understand why the Truett family disliked Your Majesty.”

“The Truett family dislikes me? Well, that’s welcome news. It’s much better to be hated than to be loved by the Empress’s dogs.”

Benjamin looked down at people with the eyes of a ruler.

The crushing gaze was familiar.

How long will you stand alone?

In his past life, he continued his tyrannical rule until she died.

‘But after I died, there’s no way to know.’