“What… may I inquire about what you are talking about?”

“Come to think of it, it’s always been like this.”

“…”

“Resolve one problem, and a new one arises. And I have always found a way to solve them, haven’t I?”

“That’s true. Your words are correct. Princess Hwangbi, I’m sure you will overcome this crisis as well.”

Looking at the confident expression of Countess Andney, Hwangbi’s eyes gleamed.

Hwangbi was not the only one agonizing over the news of the engagement between Vaskyr’s young emperor and the Siren Marquis’s daughter.
The sensation of burning on the instep was affecting Esica as well.

Esica reflected on the situation.

As she recalled the sight of Reneve gracefully walking into the hall with the escort of the young and handsome emperor, her insides bubbled with anger.

Reneve was wearing a light blue dress made of the trendy bikini fabric, showcasing a design that was both airy and beautifully accentuated her body lines.

The jewels adorned with the radiance of the chandelier, whether necklaces or earrings, were so expensive that it was almost impossible to covet them.

Moreover, she exuded a completely different atmosphere from when she was in Vaskyr.

The tightly tied hair and what seemed like carefully applied makeup suited her exceptionally well. It made Esica wonder why she hadn’t adorned herself like this before.

Even Esica, who saw the world’s most beautiful woman through the mirror every day, couldn’t help but be amazed at how beautiful she was.

So, she was furious.

After all, having possessed the protagonist’s body, it was enraging that the antagonist, who should have already died according to the original work, was receiving more attention than her from the male protagonist.

She felt jealous.

In the original work, an extra who should have died long ago became the emperor of the Vaskyr Empire, receiving envy from everyone.

In contrast, what about her? And what about the male protagonist, Lucius?

According to the original work, Lucius should have absorbed the military power of the Siren Marquis by now, becoming the first in line to succeed the throne.

But that didn’t happen.

He still lingered at the third position in the line of succession, and Esica herself remained in a state where she hadn’t even been engaged to him.

He was someone she could easily discard whenever Lucius decided to abandon her.

And there was an even bigger problem.

‘It felt like our eyes met…’

Until the peace agreement, Paradium and Vaskyr had no interaction.

Because the two countries were almost at odds, there was no one in Paradium who had enough interaction with Vaskyr to point out Esica’s history as the princess of Solti.

But recently, the atmosphere had changed a bit.

Young ladies dressed in designs oddly similar to Vaskyr’s costumes were appearing more frequently at social gatherings.

Just as she was anxiously wondering if someone who recognized her face might appear, Reneve returned.

Moreover, she returned as the fiancée of Vaskyr’s emperor.

As expected, it seemed that the worldview she was in was not the original work but rather an alternate universe.

“Really! I should have read the alternate universe!”

It was a moment of frustration that led to a loud exclamation.

Footsteps were heard from the corridor.

“Who is it?”

Esica turned her body toward the entrance.

Then, she pressed her ear against the door and listened to the situation outside.

Soon, a low-pitched voice came from beyond the door.

“Are you inside?”

It was Lucius.

“Sigh…”

Esica let out a sigh of relief.
I thought Reneve would proudly announce that the missing princess of Solti is here with Icarus…

Esica hastily opened the door.

“Who’s in there?”

“No, I’m alone.”

“Come in, let’s talk.”

“Yes, please come in.”

As she stepped aside, Lucius walked into the bedroom.

Esica closed the open door and slumped her shoulders dejectedly.

‘As if I wasn’t upset enough because of Reneve.’

It seemed like sharing her feelings with him might help.

Turning towards Lucius, Esica pouted her lower lip and looked up at him, hoping he would comfort her in her gloomy state.

“…Prince Lucius.”

However, contrary to Esica’s wishes, Lucius’ expression was grim.

“Can you explain what happened?”

“What… What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t Young Ae say she has the ability to see the future?”

“…”

“If that’s the case, she should know very well why Reneve and the Emperor of Vaskyr are engaged.”

In a tone that seemed to interrogate, Esica’s shoulders tensed.

The ability to see the future was not entirely false.

She knew the original story.

However, the problem was that this world was only somewhat similar to the alternate universe in which Esica knew the original work.

But since there was no need to bring up unnecessary stories, Esica just bit her lip in silence.

“It seems you can’t answer directly. In that case, let me change the question.”

“…”

“What happens to Reneve and the Emperor of Vaskyr in the future you know?”

Esica licked her lips, choosing her words carefully. During this time, Lucius continued his inquiry.

“No, no. That’s not important. Their relationship doesn’t matter. Just tell me how to break them up. That’s all I need.”

Although Esica, who had learned from experience, knew that Lucius hated being questioned like this, she couldn’t help but respond now.

“…What will you do after breaking them up? What’s your plan?”

In response to Esica’s question, Lucius raised an eyebrow.

It was an expression that seemed to ask, ‘What do you care?’

Usually, Esica would have changed the topic at this point, but now she couldn’t.

“What will you do after breaking them up?”

Lucius, maintaining a serious expression, chuckled slightly.

“Are you curious about what happens next, Young Ae?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“You said Young Ae can see the future, didn’t you?”

Esica sighed quietly.

The implication was that if she could see the future, she should already know the reason.