People call Killian the viper.

Sometimes, they snicker and crudely refer to him as “snake eyes.”

Just as people call him that, the public’s assessment of Killian is also simple and brutal.

A viper that bit his father and brothers to death.

Born as an illegitimate child, Killian’s life, rolling on the battlefield against beasts from a very young age, was a desperate struggle for survival.

Although it was his life that Alicia had only glimpsed through text, she could still vividly recall the thick scent of blood that permeated every stroke of the letters.

That’s why Alicia couldn’t understand those who called Killian a venomous snake.

To her, Killian was a wolf.

A wolf that trusts nothing in the world but itself and its pack was ready to tear apart everything else.

That must have been why he had no choice.

Killian grew by methodically tearing apart the obstacles in his path one by one.

The wolf that knew no compromise grew in size and increased its pack that way.

Alicia once believed that she too could be part of Killian’s pack.

Hearing the romantic story that the alpha wolf only takes one wife for life and loves only his mate, she expected that she could become Killian’s mate.

‘But I was never his wife until the moment I died.’

The two had a wedding ceremony, but never consummated their marriage.

If Alicia were to bear a child, regardless of the child’s gender, it would become the most likely heir to the throne, and then Killian, the imperial consort, would become unnecessary.

In fact, there were nobles who pressured Alicia to first have Killian’s child in order to eliminate him.

Of course, there were also those who demanded Alicia divorce Killian.

For the sake of Eregron, that might have been better.

Taking another imperial consort who wouldn’t covet the emperor’s power, bearing an heir, and making the empire prosperous…

But Alicia was a foolish emperor who couldn’t let go of her love.

‘After I died… he must have become the emperor there, right?’

After turning back time, Alicia had occasionally thought about the time after her death.

Since the emperor died without leaving an heir, it would have been the natural order for Killian, the imperial consort, to inherit that power.

‘…Why am I thinking about this now?’

As Alicia was blankly recalling the past, she noticed Mina standing in front of her, stomping her feet anxiously.

“Um, Your Majesty. Are you alright?”

“…Huh?”

“Well, when you heard the news that Duke Diaz was heading here, you suddenly started staring off into the distance without saying a word…”

Ah… so it was possible to escape reality like this too?

Alicia only then realized that she had momentarily escaped reality, surprised by the unexpected news.

The problem was that the trigger for this escape from reality was the news of Killian coming here, so even while escaping reality, she was thinking of him.

Quickly composing herself, Alicia asked what she needed to know right now.

“When are the Duke and the Badulf unit expected to arrive?”

“With the last snow of winter falling, we expect them around lunchtime.”

“The troops who arrived first?”

“We’ve arranged rooms for them and measures to warm up first.”

“Amy must be preparing to welcome the Duke and his troops.”

“Yes, Mrs. Campbell said to carefully relay the news so as not to startle Your Majesty…”

Though it seems she opened the door quite fussily for that…

For now, Alicia decided to hurry with preparations to welcome Killian and his subordinates who would soon arrive at the castle, rather than pointing out that fact.

The earlier escape from reality was helpful at this point.

Thanks to recalling the misery of her previous life, she regained her composure.

With this feeling, even if she were to face Killian, she might be able to handle it calmly and gracefully as befitting an imperial princess of the empire, without being shaken.

“Your Majesty… will you really be alright?”

“…”

“Mrs. Campbell said that since Your Majesty came here for health reasons anyway, you don’t have to greet the Duke.”

If someone else had said this, a stern rebuke would have fallen for daring to try to move the royalty of Eregron according to their own will, but the speaker was Amy.

Words conveyed with no impure intentions, solely out of concern for Alicia.

Once again realizing that she was surrounded by infinitely kind people, Alicia shook her head.

“The last snow has just started falling. Unless they only stay for a day or two, it will take quite some time for the snow to stop and melt, so how could we hide it?”

“But…”

“I’ll say I recovered from my illness here. Now that things have turned out this way, it shouldn’t be a problem to attend Bum’s banquet against His Majesty and the Crown Prince’s orders.”

Staying only within the castle was quite boring.

Alicia made plans to return to the imperial palace earlier than scheduled, using this incident as an excuse.

“I’m fine. Really. I’ve sorted out my feelings quite well here. I’ll be able to greet the Duke with a smile.”

Alicia was confident.

She will now properly accomplish what her foolish and pitiful self from her previous life couldn’t.

With that resolution, Alicia called in the waiting maids from outside.

It’s a matter of welcoming one of Eregron’s three dukes.

She must greet him in perfect form from head to toe, without violating etiquette.

If he sees her completely changed appearance, he too will be able to confirm that the farewell message in her last letter was sincere.

It’s very important to confirm one’s sincerity, even for the sake of settling the relationship.

Having organized her thoughts like this, Alicia closed her eyes listening to the hurried footsteps of the maids.

And several hours later, Alicia was standing at the top of the stairs leading to the lobby of Rasa Castle.

The pale yellow dress, not at all excessive, seemed to shine on its own, harmonizing with Alicia’s golden hair, and the tiara on her head sparkled as it caught the light.

The light blush on her white cheeks and the red lips forming a soft curve made her look both young and mature.

And what of those mysterious sky-blue eyes under the lush eyelashes that lengthened and shortened repeatedly along the slowly blinking eyelids, as if trying to suppress nervousness?

Mina, who had been looking at Alicia with concern until just moments ago, was in a daze, enchanted by her mistress’s beautiful appearance.

“I wonder if she’ll be alright…”

Amy, who was standing on the right side of the lobby waiting for the guests about to arrive along with Mina, muttered worriedly.

Hearing that voice and coming to her senses, Mina barely tore her eyes away from Alicia and looked at Amy.

“Her Majesty said she would be fine.”

“It’s the worry of not being able to believe those words.”

Amy was a person who had always been by Alicia’s side, observing how much she loved Killian.

Alicia’s love, which sometimes seemed childish and at other times desperate, was not an emotion that could be erased in a short time.

Amy, who knew this even better than Alicia herself, was worried about what impact today’s unexpected meeting would have on her mistress.

Feeling the anxiety that had been suppressed in her heart rising again at the sight of Amy like this, Mina was about to say something when a presence was heard from beyond the closed doors.

“Duke Killian Diaz and the Badulf unit have arrived!”

Swallowing dry saliva as she heard the servant’s voice, Alicia clenched her fists, straightened her back, and nodded.

At that signal, the huge doors of the lobby slowly opened.

Watching this scene, Alicia was mentally checking what she should say and do.

When Killian and his subordinates enter the lobby, she will happily welcome them as guests visiting her castle and then recommend rest.

The luggage they brought would have already been received by the servants when passing through the castle gates and moved to the guests’ quarters, so the next step would be to tell the attendants to guide them there and serve them attentively.

And for their master, she will suggest having dinner together this evening.

There’s no burden about the dinner.

Not only because her resolution is firm, but also because she knows that Killian will surely refuse that offer.

Even thinking back to before the regression, she had shared meals with him in the same space only a few times.

She didn’t think that such a person would now accept her dinner invitation.

‘No, now that he really has no relationship with me, he might accept.’

A dinner that can only be shared after giving up on love.

Feeling a hollow laugh escaping, Alicia lowered her gaze for a moment, then raised her head again as she heard the sound of the lobby doors fully opening and locking in place.

Winter’s last snow was engulfing the world beyond the doors in complete whiteness.

And entering the lobby with that as a backdrop… that person.

‘Ah…’

The black cloak made of animal hide and fur, fluttering with each striding step.

The long legs and the ducal family’s sword that appeared and disappeared repeatedly between the cloak with each movement.

Following the upper body completely covered by the cloak, stubborn tightly closed lips come into view, followed by a high nose bridge and dark green eyes that captivate the viewer’s gaze after the lips.

Even the short, neatly trimmed black hair…

Slowly taking in Killian’s entire appearance from bottom to top, Alicia realized.

Her foolish self was about to make another foolish choice.

The resolution she had made until seeing him melted away without even accumulating like sleet, leaving no trace to be found.

The vow she had made while exhaling her last breath after swallowing the poison that melted her internal organs was broken ridiculously easily.

“Killian Diaz of Binion. I pay my respects to the noble one of Eregron.”

A low and soft voice unlike his cold impression.

Standing in a lower place than Alicia who was on top of the high stairs, but looking at her as if looking down.

“Killian…”

His name, uttered as if exhaling a shallow breath, pressed down on Alicia’s chest as if it had weight.

Foolish, foolish Alicia.

You have once again fallen in love with a man who will not love you.