Time flew by quickly, and soon the wedding day arrived.

The wedding would take place as soon as the day dawned.

Clea, the protagonist of the day, was busy gathering information about the attendees.

She had to memorize everything from which families were attending and who from each family, to their characteristics and even their relationships with the royal family.

It wouldn’t be a problem if she couldn’t memorize it all, but isn’t the first impression the most important thing when forming relationships with others?

During her time at the academy, there was nothing she could do as she was possessed midway.

A negative image of her was already firmly imprinted in people’s minds.

But now it was different. She was given a chance to start anew.

No one could stand in her way anymore.

“You look tired, why don’t you sleep some more?”

It was then that Admund’s voice was heard from beside her.

Clea put aside her thoughts and turned her gaze to the side.

“If I sleep more here, you’ll have to hold the wedding without the bride.”

“Then I’ll just wake you up when the time comes.”

“Are you telling me to stand by your side in a less than beautiful state?”

“You’re already beautiful enough, who would dare say you’re not beautiful.”

Admund advised her to get a bit more sleep.

She appreciated his suggestion, but it was time to get up.

The sky outside the window was getting brighter and brighter.

Numerous palace maids were already waiting for them outside the door.

There were many things to prepare, starting with the bath, so they had to hurry to make it in time.

But who would dare to barge into the crown prince’s bedroom without permission?

“Your Highness, it’s time for you to wake up now.”

Several careful reminders that it was time to wake up had already come from outside, but Admund deliberately ignored them.

It was a consideration shown with the thought that Clea should rest a little more before the busy day ahead.

Clea, who knew Admund’s intentions well, smiled and approached his ear to whisper.

“But I want to show you a more beautiful side of me.”

With those words, Clea quietly kissed his cheek and tried to get up from her spot.

Admund chuckled at the sudden occurrence and grabbed her wrist as she tried to get up.

Clea was about to say that she really had to get up now.

But before that, Admund covered her lips first.

After a time that was long if it was long, and short if it was short, Admund pulled away and said.

“Then I’ll have to dress up to match that.”

Clea was dumbfounded for a moment and tried to say something, but she couldn’t delay any longer and got up first.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Admund, who was watching Clea leave, predicted that today would be the most tiring day of all.

Because there were those who sought to disrupt even the momentous occasion where he would promise and pledge a lifetime with her.

“Your Highness.”

“So what did that bastard decide to wear?”

Admund asked Oberon, who had come in shortly after Clea left.

His expression, which had looked as sweet as honey, was now cold.

Oberon, who received the question, approached him and handed over a drawing.

Receiving the drawing, Admund snorted and narrowed his eyes.

“When will you come to your senses?”

It was a monologue, but Oberon also deeply sympathized.

Privileges come with corresponding responsibilities. But he had never once taken on that responsibility.

It would be fine if he only avoided responsibility, but he contributed to making the empire sick.

That alone had already sealed his downfall, but considering that they were once friends, a final favor could be shown.

However, he crossed the final line.

It was absolutely difficult to overlook that he laid a hand on Admund’s person.

‘I thought there wouldn’t be much of a problem.’

Clea decided not to deliberately announce what happened at the grand ducal residence, but the grand duke and duchess thought Admund needed to know and conveyed the news to him.

About what happened that day.

Upon receiving the news, Admund felt both relief and anger at the same time.

Relief that Clea was unharmed and safe, and anger that Lloyd dared to point a knife at her without knowing his place.

* * *

Clea regretted it a little.

“Is the water temperature suitable?”

“We’ll add some more flowers.”

“We’ll prepare a massage once the bath is over.”

As Admund said, she thought she should have rested a bit more.

Many palace maids were moving busily for her alone, making her feel overwhelmed.

Clea already felt fatigued.

She closed her eyes and quietly immersed herself in thought.

‘Who would have thought a day like this would come.’

As time passed, Clea couldn’t believe the marriage approaching reality.

Who would have thought she would get married after possessing this place?

Initially, she was in a position engaged to Lloyd.

Especially unlike the original work, the Percy ducal family did not oppose the marriage with Lloyd. Rather, they desperately hoped for her to marry him.

However, Clea was confident that she would never marry him.

The one Lloyd had feelings for was Aria, and the moment he married Clea, he would never end up with Aria.

‘Even if we got married, he might have secretly tried to meet Aria.’

A man who would do anything for his own happiness.

Even in the original work, he couldn’t give up Aria to the end and tried to kidnap and confine her despite becoming the crown princess.

It was unlikely that a man with such morals would easily give up Aria just because he married Clea.

So Clea didn’t want to marry Lloyd even if it killed her.

Rather than marrying Lloyd, she even thought it would be better to face a painful death.

While living day by day, only wishing for death, she unexpectedly encountered a light named Admund.

She opened her eyes and looked ahead.

“You still haven’t changed your mind?”

Beside her stood the maid who used to devote herself to Aria.

The question she threw at her had a different meaning from the previous ones.

If the previous question was whether she would still not betray her intentions and protect Aria, now it was whether she would still give up Aria.

The maid’s eyes shone with determination.

“I have no intention of being loyal to those who drove me and my family into a pit.”

“Yes, I like that answer.”

Driven into a pit.

Those words might have been what Clea wanted to say.

Recalling how her life was driven into a pit because of Aria.

“I can protect you. Not only will I protect you, but I can also rebuild your fallen family.”

If she became the crown princess, that much would be possible.

She might be stigmatized in high society for betraying the Hersher family, but it would be a different story if it was out of loyalty to the crown princess.

She would become a loyal subject of the crown princess, and people would show deep interest in her and her family.

If that happened, her fallen family could receive better treatment than before.

But the maid seemed to desire something else more than that.

“I can never forgive her and the Hersher family for making me miserable and even betraying me.”

She was a maid who had been loyal to the Hersher family, but was mercilessly abandoned.

Vengeance was already evident in the maid’s eyes.

On the other hand, Clea liked her attitude.

With the status of a maid, she would have witnessed firsthand what kind of things Aria did behind the scenes while showing a kind appearance.

The maid shed tears with a firm expression and knelt on the spot.

“Apart from that, I will never forget the grace Your Highness the Crown Princess has bestowed upon me. My life now belongs to Your Highness.”

The maid had lived with gratitude towards Aria and the Hersher family from the moment she was born into the world until she became an adult.

Thanks to her loyalty to them, her family’s status was elevated, and she could live a prosperous life.

But they ruined the maid’s life in an instant.

They even tried to take her life.

If she had just stayed still, she would have willingly given up her life, but in the end, they tried to destroy everything.

Clea gave the maid an opportunity to completely erase any doubts that might remain in her.

She let her see with her own two eyes where her family was.

‘It’s a good thing I found them first.’

Fortunately, Clea was a little faster than the Hersher duke who tried to kill the maid’s family.

Thanks to her swift actions, she was able to secretly protect them in a secluded place.

Deceiving the suspicious duke was unexpectedly simple. Because she succeeded in bribing the butler of the Hersher family whom the duke trusted and relied on the most.

Even his great loyalty was nothing in front of a large sum of money.

The bribed butler made a false report to the duke he was supposed to be loyal to.

Saying that the assassination guild had succeeded in dealing with them.

After confirming that her family was safe, the maid completely became Clea’s person.

Then the maid vowed revenge against Aria.

Saying she would definitely make her hit rock bottom.

Meanwhile, Clea looked at the maid and got out of the bathtub.

It wasn’t time to get out yet, but no one could stop Clea in the current atmosphere.

Clea walked leisurely and stood in front of the maid.

Something similar had happened before, but Clea didn’t mind.

Clea lifted her chin to meet her gaze.

“Look forward to it today.”

With those words, Clea stepped outside.

Perhaps because she had been in the bathtub for quite a while, she felt a bit dizzy, but she still felt good.

Clea was very curious to see how Aria, who was always confident in front of others, would change from now on.

After leaving the bathroom, she saw the dress she would wear today.

In front of the snow-white dress, Clea smiled.