“Hah… hah… You startled me by suddenly running off like that.”

Looking at the First Prince who seemed to have hurriedly followed, catching his breath, Bellia wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. Then, as she got up from where she had been sitting, she said:

“…I’m not feeling well, so I’ll have to excuse myself.”

She didn’t even want to talk to him.

“Your Highness, Prince Raul. I’m sorry, but it seems you’ll have to leave for today,” Herald conveyed politely.

Only then noticing that Bellia had been crying, the First Prince nodded with a perplexed expression.

“…I understand. I’ll come visit again later.”

After sending off the First Prince, a brief silence fell.

The atmosphere was unsettling. It was clear that something had happened, but Bellia kept her mouth tightly shut and said nothing.

Seeing Herald and Closet looking at her with concern, Bellia finally forced a smile as if she couldn’t bear it anymore.

“Are you really sure nothing’s wrong? If there’s anything worrying you, please confide in me. I’m always on your side.”

Herald said, patting Bellia’s shoulder.

Hearing that kind consolation made her heart well up again.

“…More importantly, brother. Are you very busy today?”

“Why do you ask?”

“How about having tea time with Closet this afternoon?”

Rather than questioning why she had returned to the past, Bellia wanted to spend time with the family she had missed so much.

She didn’t want to think about the Emperor at all.

Forgetting revenge and hatred, she only wanted to feel the warmth of her family’s embrace more.

“Hmm. I have quite a lot of work today…”

“Please make some time, brother.”

“Alright. How could I refuse when you ask like that? I have something to report to Father, so I’ll be back soon.”

When she heard that the royal palace of the Kingdom of Ronica had been burned down and destroyed by her husband, the Emperor, she thought there could be no greater tragedy.

But then she had to hear the news of her parents’ death, saying they hadn’t been able to escape from the castle, and hear the story that her beloved younger sibling had jumped from the castle.

Bellia’s heart shattered and crumbled to pieces, to the point where it was a wonder she hadn’t gone mad. She simply couldn’t maintain her sanity.

It was then that she finally realized what the Emperor’s purpose had been, foolishly ascending to the position of Empress and never once seeking her out afterwards.

It wasn’t love. It wasn’t love at all.

The sweet words whispered in her ear, the tender gaze as if giving her the whole world wouldn’t be enough.

It was all a lie.

“Sister.”

Closet gently grasped Bellia’s hand.

“You know I’m always on your side no matter what, right?”

“…What’s with that all of a sudden?”

“I’m saying you don’t need to forcibly marry the Imperial Prince. I want you to marry someone you truly love.”

Closet was such a kind and gentle child.

She wasn’t someone who should have been so cruelly deceived by the Emperor.

Facing Closet’s pure face, Bellia felt as if her heart was being torn to shreds.

“You know what? I actually don’t really like the First Prince,” Closet suddenly leaned in close and whispered quietly.

“Why?”

“Just… something about him doesn’t sit right with me.”

Bellia couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Closet’s words.

In that moment when she had to receive the news of her brother’s death as well, she thought she wanted to spend time together laughing with all her family members gathered, even if just once.

And now she could make that happen. There was no need to hesitate.

“Let’s go to my room and talk.”

“Okay! I’ll give you all my snacks today, sister.”

“No need.”

“Hmph… I’m saying this like I’m giving you my flesh and blood! How cold!”

Watching Closet shouting with puffed cheeks, Bellia truly felt that she had returned to the past.

* * *

A neatly organized room. The familiar scenery visible through the window. And even the ugly statue placed in the corner of the terrace. It was her own room that she had missed so much.

“Princess, I’ve prepared refreshments here.”

From Closet’s favorite sweet and soft desserts to the baked goods that Bellia liked.

It was a modest but lavish feast that showed it had been prepared with the utmost sincerity and care.

“So?” Bellia asked as she sat down in a chair.

“What do you mean ‘so’? He’s handsome enough to live up to his face value, at least.”

“That’s what I don’t like about him,” Closet said, resting her chin on the table and stabbing a piece of cake with her fork before putting it in her mouth.

“What? Haha. Where did you hear such things?”

Face value…

It wasn’t something a 15-year-old Closet should be saying.

But apparently not liking how her sister was looking at her as if she was cute, Closet burst out:

“If you’re going to marry into the Empire, the Second Prince would be better!”

“The Second Prince? You mean Prince Callid?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

The Second Prince, Callid Ingot.

In the future Bellia had experienced, he was the Grand Duke who ruled over the rugged eastern territory.

“But doesn’t Prince Callid have a bad reputation…? I heard he’s cold and aloof.”

He had never once come to the capital after Bellia became Empress. Of course, she had never met him before that either.

During the time when Bellia was dating the First Prince, she had been curious about the Second Prince whom she had never met.

So when she casually asked about him, she remembered Raul telling her with an extremely cold attitude not to get close to Callid.

‘…That was a bit strange too.’

To react so sensitively and not let her say anything. It seemed like he was hiding something. Looking back now, Raul had been overly wary of Callid.

Of course, the rumors about the Second Prince weren’t very good either.

A prince who didn’t even try to hide his contemptuous gaze towards others and didn’t know manners, an arrogant prince.

A cruel and vicious prince with a gloomy side.

So there were frequent comparisons with the First Prince, who was always kind to those around him…

“Oh my! Sister! You really don’t know anything!”

Closet exclaimed, beating her chest as if frustrated.

“People who act like they’ll do anything for you, like Prince Raul, are bound to change later! Someone cold and aloof like Prince Callid is more likely to be warm to his woman when you get to know him!”

Closet ranted passionately.

“Closet… Didn’t I tell you to stop reading those novels?”

“I-It’s not novels! Anyway!”

As if hit right on the mark, Closet pretended to be drinking tea to change the subject.

But that didn’t last long.

With a faint sigh, she poked at the empty plate with her fork and muttered:

“Sometimes I don’t understand you, sister. If I were you, I would have met all sorts of men.”

“Closet.”

“It’s true. What’s the use of being known as beautiful everywhere? You’re always just reading books in the castle, so of course you’d fall head over heels for the First Prince as soon as he shows up and treats you a little nicely.”

Really. Since when did this child’s choice of words become so problematic?

Judging that her sister was quite serious, Bellia pondered what to point out first in Closet’s words, then chuckled.

It was because she realized she was about to start nagging her sister whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Even such an emotion felt so luxurious that she didn’t know what to do with herself.

“I didn’t fall for him.”

“Then you will in a few days.”

“Closet. You really…”

Just as Bellia was about to say something, exasperated by Closet’s words that seemed determined not to back down even an inch.

The door to the terrace opened and Herald entered.

“I hope I’m not too late?”

“Of course not, brother.”

Bellia smiled and offered the empty seat.

How long had it been since the three of them spent time together like this?

She felt like she might cry again from the warmth welling up from deep inside her chest.

But swallowing down the emotion that was about to surge up, she smiled very brightly and said:

“I really wanted us three to spend time together like this.”

“Is that so?”

“Thank you.”

For being alive.

Reciting in her mind the words she couldn’t bring herself to say out loud, Bellia deliberately made a big fuss as she took a bite of her favorite baked goods.

* * *

Sitting in front of a large desk, Bellia blankly stared at a single letter.

“What will you do?”

It was clear who had sent this paper with “Marriage Proposal” written in very neat handwriting.

“Prince Raul seems quite fond of you.”

“Father.”

“Didn’t you have feelings for him too?”

Perhaps she did.

If she recalled her past memories, Bellia had fallen head over heels for Raul in an instant.

But.

“Please refuse it.”

“…Weren’t you fond of him?”

“It’s true that I was swayed for a moment, but not enough to decide to spend my life with him.”

The middle-aged man with a benevolent appearance listened carefully to Bellia’s words.

“I don’t want to marry Prince Raul.”

At his daughter’s firm words, he opened his mouth with a serious expression.

“The Kingdom of Ronica is a small country. No matter how peaceful we are, we’re ultimately a small country that will inevitably bear the full brunt of events occurring in powerful nations.”

“So you’re telling me to marry him for that reason?”

Bellia asked with a defiant attitude.

“It’s not a bad match.”

Her father always gave such ambiguous answers like this.

He always passed the choice to Bellia. As if saying she would have to bear all the responsibility alone.

Although she loved her family very much, she felt a little hurt in moments like this.

“Then there must be better matches, so please refuse. My heart won’t change.”

“Prince Raul is the person closest to becoming the next Emperor. To refuse his proposal, we need a reasonable justification.”

A justification to refuse!

I dislike him. I really dislike Raul.

Isn’t that enough?

When the person directly involved in the marriage talks dislikes it, why is a justification needed?

“Is it not enough that I dislike him? Even though my heart doesn’t want him?”

“Bellia. Don’t throw a tantrum like a child. I’m saying we need to create a reason that will convince him.”

Bellia gritted her teeth.

‘Ah…’

But at this moment, for some reason, Prince Callid came to mind.

Was it because of the conversation with Closet a while ago?

Come to think of it, to bring down Raul, she needed someone who could stand against him.

Considering his position as an Imperial Prince, and further, assuming when he becomes Emperor, there was nothing she could do in return with her status as a princess of a small country.

She needed someone who could be her sword.

‘…Callid Ingot.’

What if she could make him her ally?

Bellia knew the future that was about to unfold.

If she used all that information.

‘…I might be able to place the Emperor’s crown on Prince Callid’s head instead of Raul’s.’

She had watched everything Raul had achieved by his side.

Until the moment he received the Emperor’s crown, Bellia had been by his side as the Emperor’s greatest supporter.

Although she eventually became Empress and learned of the existence of his hidden mistress, watching him take away everything she had, and in the end was killed by him, at least until then, she had been the closest person to the Emperor.

“…Please give me a little time, Father.”

Bellia, who had returned to the past, wished for Raul to fall miserably into ruin.

To do that, she needed a new figure who could take away all the praise that had been stolen from him.

‘If that figure becomes the Second Prince.’

Raul would be more furious than in any other situation.

To have everything taken away by his brother whom he had been so wary of.

Bellia felt a thrill run through her entire body at the brief imagining of that scene.

Perhaps.

The person who could make him kneel on all fours at the end of desperate agony.

The person who could push him into the sticky darkness of despair.

The Second Prince of the Empire, Callid.

He might be the right person for the job.