“Haha. Are you jealous?”

“Such frightening words, as if someone might overhear. Why would I be jealous?”

“For me, there is only you.”

“…If you’re going to keep making useless remarks, I’d rather not stay here.”

With an irritated tone, Belia cut off the conversation and turned her head. Raul approached her, blocking her way. His expression was warm, and a gentle smile graced his lips.

“Belia.”

At this moment, she couldn’t just dismiss Raul and leave.

Despite feeling annoyed, Belia sighed and spoke with a weary tone.

“Please behave appropriately, Your Highness. The one who becomes more miserable in this situation is Your Highness, not me.”

The only reason she endured this frustrating interaction was one.

‘I have to make sure.’

She needed to confirm whether Raul had truly regained memories from his previous life, and his changed attitude was a result of that.

Belia decided to take a gamble.

“Your Highness, what do you know about me? Can you boast that you know everything about me based on that fleeting moment in the Ronika Kingdom?”

“While I may not know everything about you, I am certain that you will eventually take my hand.”

“Why would I take Your Highness’s hand when I have Khalid?”

Raul started to say more but bit his lip, choosing to remain silent with a bitter expression. Belia, lifting one corner of her mouth, asked slyly.

“Do you have a wish? I can grant anything.”

“Then…”

Belia, knowing nothing about the current Raul but suggesting a wish that the previous Raul would definitely be aware of, slyly included it in her words.

“Could you gift me a ‘Duysta’—a flower that only grows at the northernmost tip? It’s much rarer than rumors suggest.”

Duysta was an extremely rare flower that only grew in the mountains covered in ice and snow at the northernmost tip of the continent.

By asking for this flower, Belia was testing Raul’s abilities and, more importantly, implying something known only to the previous Raul.

‘You killed me with that.’
After drinking the poison, the symptoms that followed, the peculiar scent from the tea, and the analysis of the secretly stolen Empress’s tea revealed that the ingredient was ‘Duysta.’

When the roots of Duysta are dried and ground, it becomes a unique poison that emits a distinctive aroma and burns the internal organs. This poison was precisely what was present in the tea that Raul had given to Belia.

“Even if Raul pretends not to know, I know his habit when he lies. I’ll check if he truly knows about Duysta.”

Upon close examination, the medicine produced in the imperial pharmacy was not commonly made. Only the Emperor and the chief pharmacist who knew the manufacturing process were involved.

So, if Raul currently lacks memories of his past life, even if he hears the name, he would naturally not associate it with poison. If he remembers, he might pretend not to know about Duysta.

“For you, there is nothing I cannot obtain. But just ‘Duysta.’ Belia, I can embrace all the precious things in this world in your arms. I can provide things that Khalid cannot.”

“…Anything?”

“Of course. When you rejected me and chose Khalid, it was because you didn’t believe my feelings at the time. You are sharp-witted, so let me be honest with you.”

Raul, humbling his pride, pleaded with Belia.

His desperate act of revealing everything and clinging to her was so unfamiliar, as if he were a completely different Raul.

“At first, my attention was on your background. So, I approached you with concealed feelings. But when I saw you choosing Khalid and holding hands with another man, I realized. My feelings towards you were sincere.”

The situation was truly absurd.

When he desperately wanted her, he unhesitatingly abandoned her, and now, at a time when all affection for her had vanished, leaving only revenge, he whispered to her that he was sincere.

“It may still be doubtful. However, Belia, as you said, people’s hearts change. I cannot be without you. You are the only person who can stand by my side.”

Belia closely observed Raul’s expression and actions.

The habit of squinting one eye when he lied did not appear every time he lied. Moreover, the slight tilting of the head to the left when he tried to hide something or had another agenda was completely absent now.

‘…Was I mistaken?’

It was confusing. If so, what was the reason for Raul’s sudden change in attitude?

He had transformed overnight, like any other person.

The attachment he displayed now was vastly different from the greed he exhibited before.

When she considered him based on her past life, Raul at this moment did not resemble the person with such a sinister gaze. He was someone skillfully packaged, still a bit of an unmarked beast.

However, now he showed no signs of a seasoned attitude that would be expected after sitting on the throne for a very long time.

‘If he has memories from his past life, he would have shown some reaction when he heard the name ‘Duysta’…’

Belia had thought that since Raul could penetrate even the smallest habits she knew, he would be able to figure out when he was lying. However, she didn’t see any of the habits she knew.

So, did the mere fact that she was taken away by Khalid, whom he had so ignored, make him change so much?

At that moment, Raul brought his hand to Belia’s cheek and whispered quietly.

“Belia, I love you.”

“…Ha.”

Love. It was astonishing.

She couldn’t bear it any longer. Belia forcefully pushed away Raul’s hand, which was wiping her cheek.
As if implying there was no worth in responding, Raul tried to ignore Belia and pass by, but he grabbed Belia’s arm.

“I’m sincere.”

“…Let go.”

“I can wait. Even if you’ve taken the wrong path, going around in circles, you’ll eventually reach your destination. You’re bound to come back to me, and I’m ready to wait.”

“What on earth…!”

As Belia tried to get angry, biting back her frustration at Raul’s nonsensical words, Erzhe’s high, clear voice was heard.

“Your Highness! Princess! There’s a small pond over there!”

Turning away from Raul and looking in the direction of the voice, Erzhe approached with a bright smile.

Did Erzhe see this situation?

Or did she hear the conversation we just had?

Belia sighed with annoyance.

“Don’t talk to me from now on. There won’t be any forgiveness for what happened this time.”

With that, Belia passed by Raul and approached Erzhe.