Biare struggled to stand up, forcing strength into her legs that barely responded.

Even before her regression, there had been repeated marriage talks with Ivan, but they hadn’t progressed this quickly.

If so, she must be missing something.

Was it something she already knew, or something she couldn’t even imagine?

Her inability to find that clue no matter how hard she tried left her feeling powerless.

Worried that the lady who should have come right after receiving the blessing hadn’t appeared, Biare’s guard knight was pacing in front of the carriage.

Since they had only planned to visit the Grand Temple, Biare had brought only Tonio as her guard knight, thinking there wouldn’t be any trouble.

The position of a princess’s guard knight was composed of only those with exceptional skills, so many knights aspired to it.

It was meaningless to compare their skills, but among them, Tonio was notably quick-witted.

As such, he was frequently designated for solo missions among the three guard knights, and his pride and sense of duty had reached a pinnacle.

Tonio instinctively sensed something was wrong when he saw the lady’s darkened complexion as she approached from afar.

He hurriedly took out a blanket from the carriage, approached Biare to wrap it around her, and carefully supporting her, he asked,

“My lady, did something happen?”

“The Crown Prince was inside.”

Tonio’s face instantly turned pale at the lady’s words that she had been alone with none other than the Crown Prince.

“I apologize. I should have stayed by your side, my lady.”

He showed an attitude as if he was about to hand over his sword to Biare, but seeing the knight like this, she shook her head.

“It’s fine. I was the one who sent you away first.”

As Biare was someone who strived to save someone’s life, the sight of the guard knight seemingly ready to hand over his own life seemed out of place to her.

Not knowing what Biare was thinking, but believing she was being considerate of him, a mere knight, he once again firmly resolved.

‘I will protect the lady even at the cost of my life.’

* * *

Biare gently closed her eyes as she sat in the carriage, feeling the silence that filled the interior.

If only she could have fallen asleep, she might have been able to clear her complicated mind for a moment, but it seemed even this wouldn’t go as she wished.

Due to receiving the blessing from the Archbishop, even gossip magazines she didn’t know about would soon be filled with stories about her one by one.

Far from a blessing, the feeling that misfortunes were occurring one after another made Biare’s heart sink heavily.

The marriage talks between her and Ivan had come up again shortly after she had become lovers with Dension.

That noble bloodline was ultimately clinging tenaciously to Biare’s ankles, binding her.

The Ruschef family had long been accustomed to the rejection from other families who took issue with the history of their bloodline.

They had been yearning to connect with the direct line of the imperial family by any means, but unfortunately, only sons were born in the Ruschef family.

It was only after several generations that they were finally able to break the family’s jinx, and the protagonist was none other than Fredick Ruschef, her father.

When Biare was born, it was said that the one who rejoiced the most was not her parents, but her paternal grandfather.

To think they were putting in so much effort to connect with the direct line of the imperial family just because their bloodline history was short.

No matter how much pride she felt in the Ruschef family, which valued practicality, it was hard for her to understand their desire to use even their child for political purposes.

Confirming once again that her family was no different from other families, a bitterness lingered on her lips.

It was extremely difficult to become a high-ranking noble in the current era, but it was also not easy to lose that position, which was cause for joy.

Before her regression, when Biare heard the news of renewed marriage talks with the Crown Prince, she had revealed to the Duke about her lover.

At first, the Duke was very surprised and hurt, but soon he rejoiced and blessed her for finding someone she loved.

After that, whenever the opportunity arose, Biare would bring Dension to various events such as banquets and equestrian meetings.

Even though she knew well that Dension avoided crowded places.

It was an action meant to convey that she had a lover she loved and no longer wished to be involved with the imperial family.

When it was revealed in high society that the Verdeum Marquis and the Ruschef princess were lovers, they became the talk of gossip magazines for a while.

She had intentionally brought Dension to official places as her lover to avoid marriage talks with the Crown Prince, but not knowing these circumstances, he couldn’t help but have frequent arguments with Biare.

She didn’t think to correct him even if he thought her selfish.

Dension already had a lot of work to deal with in managing his territory, and she didn’t want to make him worry about such things because of her.

She was also afraid that he might find out that the imperial family, which was not on good terms with the Marquis’s family, had proposed marriage to the Ruschef family.

But thinking about it now, she might have been avoiding the issue herself while putting forward the superficial reason of doing it for him.

Perhaps it was the weak side of her seventeen-year-old self, afraid of being hated by her lover.

However, Biare had sworn several times that she would no longer act like her foolish past self.

As she thought of Dension, her vision blurred distantly, and her throat burned and churned.

‘What’s certain is that the past is getting twisted.’

It should have been an issue to be pursued around the beginning of winter, but for some mistake, the past had indeed become tangled.

Biare lifted her head to look at the wide fields outside the carriage, thinking about what she might have missed in the process so far.

Time that is not eternal, memories that have been lost, and even the person who has left her side.

Whether this situation could be reversed, and if not, what should be done from now on. Biare was lost in thought for a long time.

Before she knew it, the carriage had arrived at the Ruschef mansion, and Biare hurriedly got out of the carriage, escorted by Tonio.

The maids had come out in advance to attend to Biare, and the butler Henderson also warmly welcomed her.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

“Yes. Where’s Father?”

“The Duke has finished his business with the guild and is now working in the study.”

“I see. Everyone, go about your duties.”

Normally, the maids would have headed to the dressing room to help her change, but Biare’s words implied that they should not follow her.

Henderson, who had been observing the situation, was about to follow Biare while reading the atmosphere, but her knight stopped him.

“Make sure no one enters the study.”

“As you command.”

Biare had tried to suppress her boiling emotions on the way to the mansion, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling of betrayal and anger towards her father.

Only the sound of her shoe heels clicking resonated regularly in the empty corridor.

She was determined to make him not even hope for it anymore, as she had no intention of proceeding with things as her father wished.

Soon, Biare arrived at the Duke’s study and knocked twice on the door.

“Father, it’s Biare.”

“Yes, come in.”

She sat down on the sofa with a brief bow, even before hearing the Duke’s words.

As the atmosphere around Biare who entered the study flowed ominously, the Duke swiftly moved towards the sofa.

“My daughter, did you have a good visit to the Grand Temple?”

“Yes, I delivered it well to the Archbishop.”

“I heard you received a blessing?”

The news that the Ruschef princess had received a blessing from the Archbishop seemed to be already spreading widely in the capital square.

“It ended up that way somehow.”

A chilly coldness emanated from her as she answered indifferently, and seeing this, the Duke started to feel uneasy.

“Did something unpleasant happen?”

“I met His Highness the Crown Prince at the Grand Temple.”

“…….”

The moment the word ‘Crown Prince’ came out of her mouth, the Duke could only cough awkwardly without saying a word.

Seeing her father busy avoiding her eyes, Biare felt as if her insides were burning black.

“His Highness said strange things to me.”

Although she tried to maintain a calm attitude to not show her emotions, the end of her voice was slightly trembling with lingering anger.

“My daughter, Biare.”

The Duke, not knowing what to do, cautiously called her name after observing her mood.

“Yes, please speak, Father.”

Although Biare had thought from the carriage that she would hear an explanation directly from the Duke, when it came time to actually hear his answer, anxiety overwhelmed her.

Her father held a letter in his hand, hesitating repeatedly, before finally steeling himself and handing it to Biare.

“The imperial family sent a marriage proposal.”

On the golden envelope that only the imperial family could use, the Crown Prince’s seal was prominently engraved.

Biare could only react with a mixture of derision to the situation that made no sense at all.

“I never thought you would even consider throwing me away like this.”

The Duke, who had been wearing an unreadable expression while lost in deep thought, finally raised his lowered head.

“A few days ago, the Crown Prince approached the guild. He said he would make you the future Empress, Biare.”

She had never, not even once, coveted or desired the position of Empress of the Marta Empire.

‘How could Father do this to me?’

The Duke was not so dull as to not remember what she had done when she was young.

No matter how much she thought about it, Biare couldn’t understand his actions.