The emperor and empress who left the interrogation room immediately summoned the crown prince and princes. A strategy meeting was needed.
After a long silence, Tate was the first to speak.
“This might actually be a good thing.”
“How can the death of a princess be a good thing? What do you mean, Prince?”
“Wasn’t she the princess who was beloved by all the people? The entire empire will be shocked and saddened by the news of her death.”
“That’s true.”
The emperor looked at Tate with an expression that still didn’t understand.
If asked to choose the most intelligent among his children, the emperor would say it was Tate. So this time too, he had high hopes that Tate would provide a good solution.
“During a period of mourning, it’s clear that the southern rebellion will also quiet down. When their beloved and respected princess has died, violent protests will pause for a while.”
“That’s certainly true.”
The emperor finally nodded. Seeing this, Tate continued speaking.
“Your Majesty, hold a state funeral for 10 days to allow the people to mourn sufficiently. And how about collecting a special tax from the entire empire and using it to quell the southern rebellion?”
“Oh… That’s a very good idea, Prince.”
A satisfied smile spread across the emperor’s face.
Tate inwardly rejoiced at scoring points after a long time, but he couldn’t show it outwardly.
He didn’t want to provoke Jonathan’s jealousy.
Tate glanced sideways at Jonathan.
As expected, fine wrinkles were twitching between Jonathan’s eyebrows.
‘Tsk, this is going to be troublesome again. It’s going to take some time to soothe my brother’s feelings this time.’
Tate racked his brains.
In the end, given the situation, he decided he couldn’t just sit quietly and read the room. So he spoke up again.
“How about putting Caspian at the forefront this time?”
At Tate’s words, Caspian’s eyes, which had been blank throughout the meeting, grew round in surprise.
The others were equally surprised.
“Caspian? In what way?”
“By showing the image of a brother grieving over his sister’s death.”
Tate calmly answered the empress’s question. However, Caspian immediately frowned at those words.
“I don’t want to, brother. The truth is, I’m not even that sad.”
“Caspian, dear. Calm down. We all feel the same way. We’re more angry than sad. We feel betrayed.”
“…”
“But we can’t show that in front of others, can we? Right?”
The empress gently reasoned with her youngest son.
As she did so, she recalled her own behavior of shouting angrily in the interrogation room just earlier, but she deliberately ignored it.
“Don’t you think you should show that you empathize and share in the people’s sorrow? Hm? I’m sure the people will like you, Caspian, just as they liked Veronia.”
“Do you really think so, Mother?”
“Of course. People tend to feel compassion and love for small and fragile things.”
“… Yes.”
When Caspian finally nodded, the empress’s face suddenly lit up with energy.
She quickly gave instructions.
“Caspian, you should attend the 10-day state funeral every day and shed tears. You should also look a bit thinner, so manage your diet for a few days. Make your hair and skin look a bit dry too. Understood?”
“… Yes, Mother.”
Though Caspian’s face showed signs of displeasure, he couldn’t express it.
Even though he was the thoughtless youngest, he wasn’t unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Veronia, who had long served as a shield for the imperial family’s image, was dead, and a rebellion had broken out in the southern provinces by angry citizens.
It was a time when they needed to lower their stance and observe the atmosphere in many ways. They couldn’t carelessly reveal their rough nature.
‘This is all because of Sister Veronia! Why did she have to die! Tch!’
The prince with particularly beautiful golden hair inwardly cursed at his sister.
[This is the timeline separator]By the time the incident report meeting and the nobility strategy meeting were over, it was already dark outside.
Killian, who was about to leave the palace, turned his steps towards the palace shrine. It was where Veronia’s body was laid.
The inside of the shrine was quiet.
Only the faint sound of footsteps from a few priests and priestesses, and someone reciting prayers could be heard.
Killian walked steadily towards the central altar of the main chapel.
Veronia’s body was neatly placed inside an ornate coffin decorated with gold.
The body, which had been burned completely black and left with only skeletal remains, bore no resemblance to Veronia.
According to the original custom, the body should have been embalmed and the coffin lid left open throughout the state funeral.
But it was different in cases like this where the body was severely damaged. They said they would keep the coffin lid closed to avoid shocking people with the horrific sight.
“I came like this because I thought I wouldn’t be able to see even this sight after today, Your Highness.”
Killian murmured quietly.
His heart sank heavily as he took in the final sight of Veronia.
“I always thought you were small and fragile, but you look even smaller now, Your Highness.”
He reached out and gently touched the fingers of the corpse.
He was sorry he couldn’t hold her hand more firmly, more warmly.
“May you rest in peace…”
May you no longer be in pain, may you be happy in your new place… Killian prayed and prayed for Veronia’s eternal rest.
But it was strange. Even in this moment, facing her body, he couldn’t believe her death.
Many circumstances were already saying that the body before his eyes was Veronia.
But someone in Killian’s heart kept denying that fact.
That the body lying here was not Veronia but a fake. That Veronia was alive and well somewhere.
Everything felt like a dream and a lie. No, he wished it were so.
‘…That’s impossible. What nonsense am I thinking?’
He chuckled at the absurdity of his own stubbornness.
Is this how he wanted to hold onto hope, even in this way?
Could this be a facet of the heart that doesn’t want to lose her forever?
His chest felt tight and his mind was in turmoil. The current situation, where nothing made sense, was distressing.
But one thing was certain.
“It seems I liked Your Highness more than I thought. Seeing how sad and difficult this is. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it earlier. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you that I liked you, that I still like you. Truly… I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
Killian turned away, struggling to swallow the sobs that threatened to burst forth.
[This is the timeline separator]Late at night.
Veronia, who had escaped from the burning hut on horseback, rendezvoused with Onyx midway.
The two rode for two days straight.
Instead of heading directly to their destination, they used teleportation scrolls to pass through several places. This was to disperse any traces they might have left.
The place they finally arrived at was a village called Rosler, a fairly densely populated area adjacent to the capital.
They parted ways at the outskirts of the village.
“Thank you, Onyx. You truly are an outstanding professional.”
“That I am.”
Onyx nodded with an arrogant laugh. He was a man who knew no modesty.
But Veronia thought that was fine as long as his work was flawless.
“You’ll need my help for a while longer. Keep your communication crystal close.”
“Yes, I will.”
“I’ll visit once a month, even if nothing happens. As an herb broker. That couple are herbalists.”
“I see. Understood.”
What impeccable work! Veronia was inwardly impressed again.
She was also relieved to know that Onyx would be visiting regularly for the time being.
Onyx pointed to a spot with his finger and said,
“It’s the third house after turning that alley. Two-story house with a green roof. Go on in then. You’ve been through a lot. Should I call you ‘Nia’ now?”
“That’s right. Nia, that’s my name now. Take care.”
Veronia waved her hand and immediately rode her horse in the direction Onyx had pointed.
Finding the two-story house with a green roof wasn’t difficult. Though it was close to midnight, the house was brightly lit.
They must be waiting for her.
Veronia took a deep breath to shake off her nervousness, then knocked on the door.
The door opened immediately, and an elderly couple with white hair greeted Veronia with smiles.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Hugo Lampert. This is my wife, Louisa Lampert.”
“You must be very tired. We’ve prepared bath water upstairs.”
Veronia’s tension eased at the couple’s comfortable appearance and voices. The cozy house was warm and filled with the savory smell of food.
It was the first time she had faced and spoken with people who were not from the original story, in a place that wasn’t in the original background.
Now it truly felt like she had escaped from the original story.
“Please call me Nia. I’ll be in your care from now on.”
“For tonight, just rest well and we’ll exchange greetings properly tomorrow. Go upstairs and I’ll soon bring you some warm soup and bread.”
Had they experienced welcoming guests like this before? Their natural consideration was admirable.
Veronia followed Hugo’s guidance up to the second floor.
“Rest well then. Louisa will bring you some refreshments soon.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Finally alone, Veronia first headed to the bathroom. Getting rid of two days’ worth of dust was the most urgent task.
The sight of steam rising from the warm water in the tub already made her feel like her fatigue was melting away.
As she undressed, she glanced at the mirror and startled. It was because an unfamiliar face was reflected.
“That’s right. This is my face now.”
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
