“Ben. Go see what’s happening and report back.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ben ran toward the children.

Thanks to Ben’s adult intervention, the children soon shook hands, flashed a bright smile, and ran off in a different direction.

Ikar, who had been watching, spoke confidently.

“See? Was I wrong?”

“…Your Majesty was correct.”

Renev nodded lightly.

The thought that he envied the simplicity of the children, who reconciled as if nothing had happened after fighting, crossed his mind.

“…”

Suddenly, a scene that was definitely from the past, but which she had never personally experienced, came to her mind.

That fragmentary memory had the backdrop of a frozen winter lake, just like the landscape before her eyes.

And it showed a young girl with a yellow ribbon in her hair.

One thing was for sure: this was not a memory from before her reincarnation. After reincarnating into the novel, Renev had no childhood friends.

Since her possession occurred after the near murder of Count Trader Youngae, adults didn’t want their children associating with Renev.

So she was always alone, her only playmate being Lucius.

She had never encountered Trader Count Youngae after the incident. She had accidentally met him after a long time had passed.

At that time, the contempt and loathing captured in Trader Count Youngae’s green eyes; Renev had read that overt gaze.

‘Could the girl in that memory have been Trader Count Youngae?’

The girl in the memory also stared at Renev with fresh, sprouting eyes.

“…”

Noticing Renev’s suddenly darkened expression, Ikar raised an eyebrow.

“Youngae…?”

Renev didn’t answer right away and lowered her gaze.

Ikar gently patted her wide shoulders.

“Why are you like this?”

“It’s nothing.”

When Renev simply stared at him, he allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

With her head resting on Ikar’s shoulder, Renev closed her eyes.

The warmth she felt was a bit too hot, rather than comforting.

So, somehow, she felt relieved. Renev took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

“A memory from my forgotten past came up.”

“A memory from the past?”

Ikar looked at her as if to say, ‘Go on.’

This was the first time that a memory she had neither seen nor experienced came to her.

So she was a little confused.

‘How should I explain this to Ikar?’

After much thought, Renev peeked at Ikar. As their eyes met, Ikar casually spoke.

“Took you long enough. So, are you finally willing to talk about your old memories?”

It sounded slightly irritating, but Renev didn’t mind.

Ikar patiently waited beside her while she gathered her thoughts.

It was clearly an act of consideration.

Smiling faintly, Renev looked into Ikar’s eyes and spoke.

“It seems to be from when I was very young; something I’ve forgotten until now.”

“It must have been a bad memory.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Bad memories are automatically forgotten, like a defense mechanism.”

“How do you know that?”

Ikar shrugged.

“Perhaps because I’ve had similar experiences?”

Indeed.

She was convinced. Renev had witnessed Lucius’s journey from a mere prince to the owner of the throne. Although she had helped, it was never an easy path.

It would be the same for Ikar.

“…That might be true.”

“What memory was it?”

Though his tone remained the same, there was a hint of tenderness in Ikar’s voice.

He seemed to be making an effort to carry on the conversation gently, a rare consideration that felt both comforting and slightly irritating.

“Your Majesty, you’re really strange today.”

“Just know that changing the subject won’t work on me.”
Icar warned with narrowed eyes. But he wasn’t frightening now. He appeared to have no intention of threatening her.

Perhaps intoxicated by the peaceful and comforting atmosphere, her inner feelings, which she had concealed since her regression, began to leak out.

“When I was young, I pushed a girl into a frozen lake, just like the one you see now.”

Would Icar despise me?

He would.

Would he ask if I’m reflecting on it?

Although it wasn’t something he did, it was still an action done by this body. As long as he was using this body, the responsibility was also his.

Renev weakly smiled as she looked at Icar.

“Well done.”

An unexpected response came back.

“…Well done?”

Renev opened her eyes wide and asked again.

“Yes.”

Due to that incident, people had criticized Renev.

There was frequent mumbling from behind, and not a few people were deliberately hinting at the incident from behind her.

But he said well done?

It was so ridiculous that it was somewhat unbelievable. So she asked again.

“Your Majesty, did you hear my story correctly just now?”

“I heard it clearly, every single word.”

Living as the empress, Renev had developed the habit of trying to read the minds of people who were different on the outside and inside.

If looked upon favorably, she was perceptive in interpersonal relations; otherwise, she had become overly cautious.

People who speak contrary to their thoughts usually avoid eye contact in the blink of an eye.

Renev stared intently into Icar’s red eyes and asked,