Amy lay curled up on the damp, dirty prison floor. Kidnapped by Lady Esmaine and waiting for her death, she had her tongue forcibly cut out by an intruder who suddenly burst in the day before, leaving her voiceless.

“……”

She raised her trembling hand in the air, illuminated by the bright moonlight. She didn’t know how long she had been imprisoned, but her bones were already protruding. Even that effort was too much, and she dropped her hand with a thud.

‘How long must I live like this? Why doesn’t Lady Esmaine just kill me quickly?’

In her hazy consciousness, she recalled a memory of the young Crown Prince sneaking into her room with a pillow, frightened by the thunderstorm. While scolding him that there was nothing to be afraid of, she lifted the corner of her blanket and laid him on the bed.

It was actually she who slept soundly, comforted by the warmth of his hand and his peaceful breathing. The Crown Prince she knew had never been afraid of thunder.

‘With all we’ve been through… the Crown Prince might come to save me.’

It was the only reason she couldn’t give up hope, even in this dire situation.

Just then, voices were heard from the stairway.

“What on earth is down here?”

Amy’s breath caught. It was the voice of the Crown Prince she had been waiting for.

Too weak to move, she could only stare at the prison entrance with wide eyes. There stood the Crown Prince, pale-faced, with Lady Esmaine clinging to his side, smirking as she looked at Amy.

“Oh my, Your Highness. Don’t you recognize her?”

The lady smiled coyly. Amy stared intently at the Crown Prince, ignoring her. Her heart was burning with joy.

Finally, he had come to rescue her!

“……”

The Crown Prince’s golden eyes lazily swept over the prison interior before his face contorted.

“What’s that smell… Tch, how unpleasant. Let’s go back.”

“!”

As he turned his back, Amy inadvertently gasped. At that moment, the Crown Prince flinched and half-turned as if to look back. Lady Esmaine clung to him even more tightly and laughed.

“I shouldn’t have done this. Well, it was amusing at least.”

“…How is this amusing?”

The two left the prison just like that.

“……”

In the silence that followed, Amy gathered her shattered mind to assess the situation.

‘Did he… not see me?’

That was impossible. Although the prison was underground, there was about a hand’s width of space facing the ground, allowing moonlight to shine in through the iron bars and illuminate her. Anyone who knew Amy couldn’t have failed to recognize her.

‘So the Crown Prince…’

Her reason coldly concluded:

‘He saw me… and just left.’

The Crown Prince, who had grown up with her since childhood and often clung to her whining about marriage, saw her in such a miserable state, wrinkled his nose saying it smelled dirty… and turned away without hesitation.

Amy slowly opened her eyes. The memory from long ago still sullied her mood.

‘In reality, I didn’t actually die then, but several years later…’

She silently looked around. The same scene from her memory greeted her eyes.

‘It’s still bone-chillingly cold here.’

Even the shackles on her ankles were the same, almost making her laugh bitterly. Amy sat up straight on the icy floor. With each rise and fall of her chest, white breath puffed out.

After some time, she finally heard the sound she had been waiting for.

Click, clack, someone was walking towards her. Eventually, the footsteps stopped in front of the prison.

“……”

The woman slowly opened her eyes. In front of the prison bars stood an elegantly dressed noblewoman, covering her mouth with a fan as she looked down at her.

“How dare a lowly thing like you summon me here?”

Her voice was thick with anger and contempt. The woman in the prison, who until recently had been the head maid of the Crown Prince’s palace and was currently the head maid of the Second Prince’s palace, Amelia, nicknamed Amy, calmly replied.

“Didn’t you want to hear my confession? Lady Esmaine?”

“……”

There was no response, but Amy could sense her surprise at having her identity exposed. Amy inwardly sneered.

‘Of course I’d know it was you, with how obsessed you are with the Crown Prince.’

Outwardly, Amy spoke with all due respect.

“As I’ve been saying from the beginning, this is a misunderstanding, Lady Esmaine.”

“…Lady?”

The noblewoman raised her voice with a crooked inflection. Amy inwardly clicked her tongue. Had she decided to drop all pretense now that her identity was revealed? Amy corrected herself, still maintaining a gentle tone.

“Oh, my mistake. Future Crown Princess, Your Highness.”

“…Hmph.”

Though still hiding behind her fan, the lady couldn’t conceal her satisfied snort. Ugh, really. Amy made a gagging motion inwardly but outwardly continued speaking properly.

“You said I was in love with His Highness the Crown Prince? But I have never harbored such feelings for him, not even for a moment.”

“It’s easy to deny with words.”

Lady Esmaine said coldly.

‘As expected, she won’t believe me easily.’

Amy lowered her head, hiding her irritated expression. After a moment, she spoke again.

“If I may say… You have a younger brother, don’t you, Your Highness? Baron Dollion. The future Duke Esmaine…”

“Why are you bringing him up now?”

The lady immediately frowned her beautiful face. Amy grinned inwardly. Yes, that’s it. That’s exactly the reaction I wanted.

Amy stated firmly.

“To me, His Highness the Crown Prince is exactly like him.”

“…What did you say?”

“He’s troublesome and high-maintenance, but someone who will hold a high position in the future. So I’m merely being polite, nothing more.”

Sensing the burning sincerity in Amy’s words, Lady Esmaine’s eyes softened slightly.

“…Is that true?”

At the doubtful voice, Amy raised one hand and spoke solemnly.

“I swear by the name of the god Delial.”

Then her fervent voice echoed through the prison.

“Even if I die a hundred times, I will never desire His Highness the Crown Prince with personal feelings. No, a thousand times… no, ten thousand times… no…”

As Amy rolled her eyes and kept increasing the number, Lady Esmaine stopped her with a grimace.

“Ah, enough, that’s enough! I get it already.”

“…I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up.”

Amy said, prostrating herself. Lady Esmaine cleared her throat awkwardly. Now that she thought about it, it seemed she had been too hasty in capturing Amy. But still…

‘She’s always restricting His Highness the Crown Prince’s actions in everything.’

Does she really have no feelings for him? The lady narrowed her eyes and glared at Amy. Though emaciated from severe torture, Amy still possessed the beautiful appearance befitting the noble daughter of a once-prominent family. Realizing this, the suspicion she had just suppressed began to stir again.

Seeing through her inner thoughts, Amy drove in the final nail.

“Oh, did I mention this to you?”

“What?”

“I’ll be leaving for the Northern Grand Duchy soon.”

“What? Isn’t that a barren land with nothing there?”

The lady asked in confusion. Amy nodded.

“Yes. I will be serving the Second Prince and living there.”

“You? With the Second Prince?”

“Yes.”

The lady stared blankly at Amy, forgetting even to cover her face with her fan.

“Didn’t the Second Prince swear to His Highness the Crown Prince that he’d never return? Then you too…”

Amy calmly affirmed.

“Yes, I’ll likely be buried there as well.”

“…Ha, why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Lady Esmaine’s expression finally brightened as she urged the guard to remove Amy’s shackles. Amy bowed her head politely to her as if she had never been mistreated. Pleased with this attitude, the lady tapped Amy’s shoulder with her fan and smiled.

“You see, it’s fortunate that you know your place. You could have lost your life. So be careful with your behavior from now on. There’s no guarantee you’ll meet someone as generous as me next time.”

“You’re absolutely right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

As Amy continued to respond meekly until the end, the lady smiled broadly, as if a thorn had been removed.

“Well then, you may go now. You must have a lot to prepare if you’re going to the North.”

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave…”

Amy bowed politely and limped up the prison stairs. Feeling the gaze watching her from behind, she gritted her teeth and carefully moved one step at a time. Her ankle, cracked from torture, was excruciatingly painful, but she didn’t show it. She only ground her teeth inwardly.

‘Lady Esmaine, may you tumble down the palace stairs exactly five times, no more, no less.’

There were five sets of stairs in the Crown Prince’s palace. After casting this not-quite-curse, Amy finally escaped from the hellish Crown Prince’s palace.

In the distance, she could see the Second Prince’s palace. From the high tower down, it looked thoroughly shabby. Amy painfully turned her neck to glance at the Crown Prince’s palace. It gleamed as if brand new.

Amy clicked her tongue inwardly and clenched her teeth.

‘You won’t be living in that pretty place for much longer.’

Images of the Crown Prince’s gentle and adorable childhood flashed through her mind. Her fists clenched tighter.

“I’m back.”

Amy announced in a dying voice as she arrived at the old, dilapidated Second Prince’s palace. With a loud clattering, two women in maid’s uniforms appeared. Their faces were filled with surprise, as if they hadn’t expected Amy to return. Amy glared at them.