Having parted ways with Kain, Liz stared out the window for a while after returning to her quarters.

The sky, once a bright blue, was now tinged with a purple hue as the sun set. The pine forest that rested below swayed in the wind like seaweed, creating a peaceful scene. It was a natural landscape well-suited for forgetting her chaotic reality.

Liz snapped back to reality when she opened the window for ventilation.

People taking a walk in the garden after an early dinner were visible. They chatted in groups, their faces appearing content and cheerful.

It seemed that Liz was the only person in the world who couldn’t feel the same way.

“What went wrong, and where?”

Murmuring to herself, Liz’s eyes swirled with confusion once again.

Why couldn’t things go as in the original story?

Why wasn’t the male lead falling in love with the female lead?

She had discreetly asked him a few times, wondering if perhaps he had already fallen in love and she just hadn’t noticed.

‘What do you think of Lilia?’

His response was always the same.

‘As your sister.’

Fine, let’s assume he hasn’t fallen in love with the female lead.

But doesn’t he have to go back to the palace, that man!

Returning to the palace had always been his long-term goal, irrespective of the female lead.

Maybe his love for the female lead could have accelerated matters, but even without her, he had planned to return. That much was clear.

‘So why isn’t he going back? What could possibly be the reason?’

She couldn’t understand his unpredictable actions, but one thing was certain.

Now, there were only two options: either he would leave this house or she would.

She had endured relying on the original story so far, but seeing no signs of him leaving, she started to think that maybe she should be the one to leave.

‘No, I can’t do that.’

Liz didn’t want to be alone again by leaving the house.

A family, even if it was just in name. It was better than her previous life, and she couldn’t give that up.

‘Yes, there may be a way. There must be a reason somewhere that could make him return to the palace….’

“Miss.”

“Ah! You startled me!”

Startled by the sudden voice, Liz almost jumped out of her skin.

Mirabel stood there, her eyes wide open in surprise. She managed not to drop the tray in her hands, which was commendable given her shocked expression.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“…I was just lost in thought.”

“Miss, really.”
Mirabel sighed as she set down a tray with tea and refreshments on the table.

“You’ve been lost in thought lately.”

“Have I… been?”

“Yes, you often seem startled. Is something troubling you?”

Yes, every day is a worry.

“Nothing like that.”

Liz faintly smiled, taking a bite from a cookie on the tray, chewing it slowly.

Then, suddenly, she wanted to ask Mirabel.

Mirabel occasionally demonstrated remarkable insight; perhaps she could solve her dilemma more easily than anticipated.

“Mirabel, what should I do when my mind is tangled up?”

“Is your mind tangled right now, Miss?”

To avoid going off-topic, Liz lied.

“No. Hypothetically speaking.”

“Hmm…”

Mirabel paused, stroking her chin thoughtfully before speaking to Liz.

“How about jotting down your thoughts?”

“Jotting down?”

“Yes, in my case, writing things down helps clear my mind. You should try it too.”

Just then, the sound of a bell signaling the arrival of visitors rang out, interrupting their conversation.

“Seems like we have a guest. There are no scheduled visitors today.”

“Go check quickly.”

“Yes, Miss. I’ll be back later.”

Mirabel turned around.

Liz stood up not long after the door clicked shut.

Approaching the dresser, Liz pulled out a pen and a notebook, and returned to her bed.

She sat with her knees up, placed the notebook on her thighs, and began to pour out words haphazardly.

About ten minutes passed.

Liz realized that Mirabel’s method only worked for Mirabel.

Her mind felt even more entangled.

“This isn’t from ‘The Flower of Lucencia.'”

Liz tried to find a clue in the original story to motivate the crown prince to return to the palace.

Knowing in advance what he would do once he got to the palace, she thought she could possibly motivate him.

But no matter what she jotted down, it did not connect to the latter part of the original novel.

Thoughts of entirely different novels kept coming to mind.

It was undoubtedly due to her poor reading habits.

In her previous life, she had the bad habit of not reading a single novel thoroughly, skimming through multiple ones simultaneously.

So, it wasn’t surprising that contents from various books collided and mixed up in her mind.

“Ah…”
Liz let out a sigh tinged with self-mockery and tossed her notebook and pen aside.

Maybe… yes. She might really need to leave this house.

She couldn’t continue living under the same roof with that man.

He was, after all, the crown prince.

Even though his hostility towards her had somewhat waned, living with such an uncomfortable person was…

‘Wait! I’m not even sure if his hostility has waned, am I?’