The aide spoke in a cold voice devoid of any emotion.

“He said it would be difficult for the time being.”

“But still…”

The aide called her in a cold voice, as if telling her to know her place.

“Lady Cecil.”

“…Please leave a message that I have been waiting eagerly.”

Cecil finally retreated. The return journey was terribly miserable.

‘My pride is hurt.’

What did it matter that years had passed since their engagement? She held no value to Saedel.

After hesitating for a moment, Cecil changed direction.

“Where is Prince Hadel?”

She was heading to a place she never thought she’d go to on her own.

Prince Hadel and she were staying at Changgung. As luck would have it, she was able to encounter her in the garden. Cecil’s eyes narrowed.

‘How are we supposed to look alike!’

Perhaps because she came in a bad mood from the start, even the sight of the woman wandering in the garden irritated her like a thorn.

‘Where did she learn her manners?’

Contrary to what she had heard, the woman’s walking posture was quite elegant. If not for the stuffy Northern-style clothes she wore, she would look like a proper noble lady in a flowing dress.

Everything about her seemed hateful. Seething inside, Cecil spoke to the woman first.

“Hello?”

Her round eyes, like a rabbit’s, were a light blue color. The woman, blinking her eyes, returned the greeting.

“Yes, hello.”

Her voice was more cheerful than Cecil’s. Cecil tried her best not to frown as she asked.

“I heard you’re Prince Hadel’s lover. Is that right?”

“Yes. My name is Marian.”

Marian. Cecil repeated that name several times in her mind.

“…”

Now that she had heard the name, she had nothing more to say. An awkward moment passed as the two similar-looking women just stared at each other’s faces.

‘I should say something…’

Feeling a strange pressure, Cecil opened her mouth. Her true feelings flowed out without her realizing.

“What is your relationship with Prince Saedel?”

“Pardon?”

Marian was startled. Seeing that expression, Cecil blushed and turned away.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Her cheeks suddenly felt hot. She covered them with both hands.

‘How embarrassing!’

What an unseemly display was this?

‘I must be crazy. How could I seek out a woman I’ve never met before and ask about the prince based on some baseless rumor?’

If it weren’t for being in the palace, she would have run away. Just as Cecil was looking around for a place to hide,

The aide who had coldly treated Cecil earlier was standing behind her like a shadow.

“Lady Cecil.”

Startled, Cecil took a step back. The aide said with an expressionless face.

“Prince Saedel is calling for you.”

He refused earlier, but now he’s calling for her first?

It was something to be upset about, but perhaps due to her inner anxiety, even that was welcome.

Hurrying to Saedel’s palace, his office, Cecil found Saedel sitting at his desk as always. Upon seeing Saedel, Cecil called out to him in an excited voice.

“Your Highness!”

Saedel asked in an extremely businesslike tone.

“I hear you met Marian. What did you talk about?”

“Marian?”

That was the name of the woman she had just encountered. Cecil frowned unconsciously, but upon meeting Saedel’s cold gaze, she startled and quickly replied.

“Ah, we didn’t talk about anything. I just asked what brought her to the palace…”

“And what did she say?”

“We really didn’t talk much at all.”

“I see.”

He seemed to lose interest quickly. Anxiously rolling her eyes, Cecil cautiously asked.

“There’s been a lot of talk lately about when our wedding will be. Especially with Prince Hadel suddenly visiting the capital…”

“And?”

At his cold retort, her throat felt choked, unable to say anything.

Only then did Saedel smile with satisfaction and answer.

“Continue to wait patiently as usual, young lady.”

Cecil bowed her head deeply.

Yesterday was really strange. I came out to the garden to map the shortest route to the Sun Palace, but ended up encountering a strange woman.

‘She really does look exactly like me.’

That woman had long pink hair hanging down like mine. Of course, there were many differences when looking closely. For one, she was shorter than me, and seemed soft and squishy, as if she didn’t exercise much.

“Hello?”

Unexpectedly, she greeted me first. Her voice was completely different from mine, with a calm feeling.

I, blinking my eyes, nodded politely.

“Yes, hello.”

She also made a subtle expression upon hearing my voice.

“I heard you’re Prince Hadel’s lover. Is that right?”

It seemed someone had told her ‘Hadel’s lover looks like you~’ and she had rushed over. I smiled faintly and gave her my name.

“Yes. My name is Marian.”

She mouthed my name several times. Is there any need to memorize my name? I’ll be leaving the capital soon anyway.

Having nothing more to say, her lips remained tightly closed after that. Just as I was about to leave, feeling bored,

She threw an unexpected question.

“What is your relationship with Prince Saedel?”

“Pardon?”

Prince Saedel?

‘Why is that name coming up here?’

As I blinked in confusion, her face suddenly turned as red as a radish. Realizing it was a strange question, she quickly turned away.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“Oh! Um…”

Could she perhaps know Prince Saedel well? I was about to ask various questions, but she ran away before I could catch her.

It doesn’t seem like we talked about much. I scratched my head as I entered the palace. Seeing my perplexed face, Hadel hurriedly approached.

“Marian?”

“Ah, Hadel.”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen in the garden? I should have gone with you after all.”

“No, what danger could there be? The garden is clearly visible from here.”

It’s awkward with Hadel suddenly being overprotective. I waved my hands.

“It seems rumors about us are circulating in the palace.”

“Rumors?”

“So a woman who looks similar to me came to meet me.”

As I was explaining the situation, a sudden thought occurred to me.

‘Since it’s unlikely the king will meet me easily anyway, why don’t I try to gather some information?’

Gaining useful information through people who come seeking me after hearing rumors!

With that goal in mind, I decided to sit alone in the garden for an hour each day. Hadel wanted to accompany me, but I persuaded him like this:

“If you’re there, people will hesitate to approach freely. The garden is clearly visible from the windows anyway, so don’t worry and leave it to me.”

So I spent another three days sitting in the garden. But contrary to my expectations, no one approached me in the garden. Even if someone did come, they would just look from afar and run away.

‘Ah, this isn’t very interesting. Except for that lady on the first day, no one is directly approaching me.’

Was sitting in the garden not a good choice? Just as I was getting tired and thinking of quitting, he came to find me.

“Pleased to meet you, young lady.”

It was a polite greeting, but his blue eyes looking down at me were only haughty. His silver hair gleamed dazzlingly under the sunlight.

I called his name in a tense voice.

“…Prince Saedel.”

How can the final boss suddenly appear like this!

The sun was blazing, but we two stood silently facing each other. I swallowed the sigh that was about to escape.

‘Ah, he wasn’t the one I was trying to catch here.’

I was trying to gather information, but what do I do when the person in question appears? First, I carefully surveyed his surroundings. Should I say it’s fortunate? He didn’t bring any soldiers.

‘At least it seems he didn’t come to arrest me.’

But it’s too early to feel relieved. The ice mana he possesses is vast, and I’m not in a position to freely spew flames like in my past life.

‘I need to contact Hadel…’

If I had known Prince Saedel would appear, I wouldn’t have carelessly been alone.

‘And what’s with that appearance?’

I lowered my eyes slightly to avoid direct eye contact while still scanning Prince Saedel’s chest. There, he was holding a bouquet as large as his torso. It was a lush bouquet made entirely of vivid and beautiful flowers.

‘It doesn’t suit his ice attribute.’

For someone with the ability to freeze and shatter even living flowers, carrying a bouquet was unexpected. But it suited his delicate appearance well.

‘Instead of experimenting on people, he should just grow flowers.’

Just as I was twisting my lips slightly at that thought, Prince Saedel spoke to me in a strangely elated tone.

“Would you call me once more?”

“What?”

“Who I am, I mean.”

Why his name? I’ve already called it once. I frowned and smiled.

“You have a strange taste.”

Even as I chided him, for some reason he looked very excited.

“It feels good to hear my name in your voice.”

I nearly died in the North because of Saedel, but now facing him smiling at me in the palace gave me goosebumps all over my body.

‘What’s with him, really?’

Is he Espen? Or not?

Still not having a definite answer about his identity, I was confused about how to deal with him.

After looking at him with a sour expression for a moment, I opened my mouth. Perhaps because my heart was twisted, the words that flowed out were inevitably crooked.

“Why are you speaking so formally? Please speak comfortably.”

“I don’t mind… Ah, is formal speech not to your liking?”

What kind of ‘ah’ is that. Go ask such things to your fiancée.

I crossed my arms and replied indifferently.

“Is my preference important?”

Saedel, on the other hand, was serious.

“It is important.”

What is he really thinking.