Perhaps because of Elvin’s visit a while ago, the Crown Prince’s expressionpletely hardened.


    However, he did not argue with me as before as if he knew his mistake.


    “Is your wrist okay? Let’s call the royal doctor for treatment…”


    The Crown Prince asked me in a worried voice. It was obvious that he was trying to manage his expression, but it didn’t seem to work.


    “You don’t have to worry. From now on, please be more careful. There are many eyes around.


    “Yes.”


    The Crown Prince answered without strength with an apologetic face.


    “Elvin… Have you two been seeing each other?”


    I frowned slightly at his next words.


    ‘Well then.’


    He just couldn’t let it pass.


    “No.”


    I tantly lied. Since the opponent was the Crown Prince, I didn’t feel any guilt.


    “Then what was the conversation about a while ago?”


    “I just identally picked up what Prince Croix dropped and returned it to him through someone else.”


    This time it wasn’t a lie, it was the truth.


    But the Crown Prince still seemed suspicious. Well, if I thought about it, it was an insincere answer.


    But there was no reason for me to exin to him who had ire as his mistress.


    “If all your questions are answered, I will leave now.”


    As I was about to turn around after I finished speaking, the Crown Prince caught me again. Perhaps he was more aware than before, this time the wrist he was holding didn’t hurt. When I stopped and looked up at him, he let go of my wrist.


    “Do you still have something to tell me?”


    I no longer felt the need to keep a smile on my face, so I asked coldly.


    “I know I don’t have to say this to you, but I want to be sure. My fiancée is you. No one can take your ce.” (CP)


    “… … That’s a relief.”


    Iughed.


    The Crown Prince’splexion darkened when he recognized the sneer in my words.


    “A while ago when I passed by Lady Dana, I saw her bracelet was very unique and beautiful.”


    “….. !”


    The Crown Prince opened his mouth as if to say something, and then closed it. He was probably thinking of excuses.


    Well, what else could he say?


    He just gave a present to his lover for her birthday.


    Compared to the things that the Crown Prince had done casually so far, it was a trivial matter.


    But while I was standing there just a moment ago, as I listened to ire and the bracelet she received as a gift, I feltplex emotions.


    The Crown Prince who whispered sweet words in front of me but gave precious gifts to ire as soon as he turned around, or ire proudly showed off the gifts she received from the Crown Prince in front of me… . Both were absolutely disgusting.


    Clearly, if Roxana had been there earlier, she would have been unable to hold back her anger and would have been violent again.


    After that onemotion, the same thing always happened over and over again.


    Despite the fact that the victim was Roxana, she would have been stigmatized as a vicious viin by people’s gossip again. Seeing ire who was protected by the Crown Prince and had people’s pity every time, I wondered what Roxana would think.


    In the end, when I think of Roxana, who had copsed after being scorched, an unknown emotion churned from deep in my heart.


    My heart ached.


    Roxana was pitiful, the Crown Prince was detestable, and ire was disgusting.


    “I have tried a lot to understand Your Highness so far. But the result is always the same.”


    “Roxana, I….”


    “You don’t need to make excuses. Apologies too. I won’t take it this time.”


    “…!”


    At that time, the atmosphere in the hall changed and the court musicians yed their instruments. A soft melody flowed through the hall, and people’s eyes turned towards us. The Crown Prince hesitated a little, but as if he was conscious of people’s gaze, he reached out to me.


    “Everyone is waiting. We should dance one song.”


    “I’m sorry… I am not feeling well today.”


    “Really? Then you don’t have to do it.”


    The Crown Prince awkwardly took back the hand that was extended to me with a slightly embarrassed face. Since I openly refused the dance he asked for, it meant that I didn’t show any respect for his face. It was easy to see how much more people would talk about today’s event.


    Rumors will circte between me and the Crown Prince, and some may be delighted with the rumors of the breakup of the marriage.


    For example, someone like ire or Lady Flynn……


    But now it didn’t matter. Because of spreading rumors of the Crown Prince and ire’s affair, I no longer had to be alone in the mud.


    ‘I have decided not to be the future empress, so I don’t need to care about the Crown Prince anymore.’


    To be honest, I had never thought about entering the pce before.


    But now I know.


    If I were to be the Empress, I would be the most honored woman in the Empire except for the Crown Prince’s mother.


    If that happens, I will gain power and honor that cannot bepared with the status of a duke’s daughter.


    But entering the Imperial Pce was a double-edged sword. The Crown Prince didn’t love me, so I couldn’t count on his protection.


    And ire’s existence cannot be ignored. If I be an empress, I will have great power, but the only true owner of the imperial pce was the emperor. In his realm, the imperial pce, an empress who was not favored could sometimes be in a worse position than a concubine favored by the emperor.


    In addition, the Imperial Pce was a dangerous ce that could not bepared with ordinary noble families. Do I want to go into such a ce and feel like walking on thin ice every day? For someone who doesn’t even love me?


    No matter how stupid I was, I couldn’t do such a thing. And I had no desire whatsoever for the things in the imperial pce.


    The life in the Duke’s family was already full of abundance.


    In addition, there were many servants in the mansion who listened to me, as well aspetent butlers, cooks, and gardeners.


    Roxana considered herself unhappy in this mansion, but she was free and prosperous.


    However, entering the Imperial Pce was a different story.


    Every single thing I do will be restricted, and all rules and manners will suffocate me.


    One small mistake will have a huge impact and will eventuallye back as a big storm.


    So in conclusion, I had no intention of entering the Imperial Pce. The only thing I was concerned about was the process to go through for the breakup and the things after that. Having confirmed the attitude of the Duke, the breakup may not be as difficult as I thought. However, even if the breakup was sessfully concluded, the work behind it was moreplicated and demanding, so I had to pay attention to it.


    ire always came to Roxana with a smirk and turned her world upside down.


    If looking at it that way, ire’s spection was also significant.


    Of course, she would want to be the Crown Prince’s only lover. Actually, it would be the same for anyone other than ire.


    The desire to possess the one you love alone.


    The imperial family wouldn’t ept it, but… If ire bes the Empress, what will happen then?


    The rtionship between Roxana and ire went wrong from the start and is now irreversible. If the Crown Prince bes emperor and ire is still by his side… Just imagining it for a moment was terrifying and I shuddered.


    “Is everything okay?”


    When I returned to my seat, the Duke narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down.


    “Yes.”


    “The Crown Prince… … No, what did he say to you?”


    “It was nothing special. He was just apologizing to me.”


    “Is that really all?”


    The Duke looked at me suspiciously. His gaze was full of concern.


    “Don’t bear with it. Even if His Highness, or whoever your opponent is, tell me if you’re having a hard time again. Father will take care of it.”


    “Yes.”


    I nodded meekly.


    Still, the Duke’s worried gaze did not fall from me.


    Somehow Iughed. In the eyes of others, I was a foolish and vicious viin, but in my parents’ eyes, I was only weak and pitiful.


    The music flowing in the hall changed several times. After standing for a long time in high shoes, my feet started to hurt little by little.


    ‘There is still a long way to go before the banquet is over… .’


    I looked around, walked over to the Duke and said,


    “I’ll take a break in the break room ande back.”


    “Take the knights….”


    “We’re in the Imperial Pce. There are guards all over the ce, so it’s no big deal.”


    I hurriedly cut the duke’s words and said to make him feel at ease.


    It was cumbersome and inconvenient to carry several people with me every time I go anywhere. Since the knights were people of the Duke, even if that was not the intention, I felt as if my actions were being monitored one by one, so it was annoying. At my words, the Duke thought about it for a moment, and then said.


    “Then take the maids with you. If anything happens, scream right away.”


    It was absurd.


    ‘I’m not a five-year-old kid..’


    But knowing that all these wordse from the hearts of parents who care about their children, I couldn’t refuse and nodded my head.


    “Okay.”


    As the Duke said, I took Joan and Annie into the break room.


    There were already people inside.


    It was the young Lady Flynn and her crowd.


    The moment I opened the door without thinking and stepped inside, there was a strange silence in the room. But after a few seconds, the rest of the girls, with the exception of Lady Flynn, greeted me with smiles.


    “Princess, long time no see. You have be more beautiful while we haven’t seen each other.”


    “Where did you get that dress? It suits you well. It looks expensive, but if I can afford it, I would like to buy a simr one.”


    Several pairs of eyes turned to me.


    ‘If I leave right away as soon as Ie in, it’ll look weird.’


    I sighed inwardly, answered with a smile on my face, and sat down.


    “I got it as a gift, so I don’t know where it came from.”


    A look of disappointment crossed the faces of the young girls at my words.


    “I’ve been to all the shops in the capital, but I’ve never seen such pretty clothes. The sewing is sophisticated and gorgeous….. .”


    One of them pped her hands with a bright face as if she had realized something.


    “Ah, did you receive a present from the Crown Prince?”


    In an instant, Lady Flynn’s eyebrows twitched.


    She raised the teacup with a calm face as if she had not heard our conversation. However, I could see that the fingers holding the teacup had a lot of strength in it.


    “Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”


    I answered in a sarcastic but casual voice. After the sweetmentary, they were wary and quietly brought up the subject.


    “Did the princess see the bracelet that Lady Dana wore on her wrist today? It looked like she was trying to brag about it because it was a gift from the Crown Prince.”


    “Even if I put iron tes on my face, I won’t be able to do it like her. She really is shameless, isn’t she?”