"It's a political marriage, after all.
It's not easy to have feelings," Crichton said in a tone of complete understanding.
“So, sharing a bed with her for a week—was it just for the mana?
Or were you hoping for a hot night?”
"silent."
As Crichton whistled, Franz, who was quietly sipping his tea, responded in a chillingly cold tone.
Then he gave Crichton a look that could have crushed him.
“How long have you been interested in my affairs?
And where did you hear that I spent a week in the wedding bed?”
“Are you embarrassed?
Come on, Franz.
You and your wife are very young—there's no need to be ashamed of this...”
Suddenly, Crichton's talkative mouth was shut tightly.
The tulips next to Franz had frozen in an instant.
Franz quietly put down the teacup he was holding.
The tea inside the delicate ceramic cup had completely frozen.
When Crichton saw this, he laughed nervously.
“Calm down, I was just kidding.”
“She means nothing to me.”
"What?"
“The second princess means nothing to me.
Let’s stop talking about her.”
"Huh.
That's an overreaction.
Why?
Were you disappointed in her ability to neutralize your manta?"
"…Okay."
Franz gave him a heated look.
He gritted his teeth and spoke clearly, enunciating each word individually.
“Shut up.”
Elysia quietly raised her hand to her lips.
She was walking in the Empress's garden when she happened to overhear the conversation.
“She means nothing to me.”
Franz's clear words froze her heart.
Her fingertips, which covered her face, had lost their sensation as if they had turned into ice.
Since she was born with fiery mana, she only felt cold while neutralizing Franz's mana.
But now, she was overcome with chills worse than ever.
“Okay, okay.
I’ll shut up.
I didn’t know you hated the Second Princess so much.
God, I have to tell Glenna this.”
Crichton kept chattering, but none of it reached Elysia.
Even after Crichton left, and Franz stood up from his seat, Elisia did not move.
She couldn't.
Franz walked away, his back turned to her, heading towards the entrance to the garden.
As his image faded little by little, Elisia's heart was beating so hard that it echoed in her ears.
As soon as Franz left the garden, she lost her strength and fell to the ground.
Her trembling hands were tightening her skirt, and she was thinking:
'Faster than I expected.'
Franz had not yet met Nerys.
However, is he tired of Elysia already?
Or...was he not fast at all?
A sad smile appeared on her lips as she stared absently at her skirt.
'Actually, this is later than last time.'
In her previous life, Franz had hated her from the first moment they met.
But now, it has been a month since their marriage.
This is two months longer than before.
So, this is not considered “fast”.
She had prepared herf for this.
She thought it would be quiet.
'So why... feel like I can't breathe?'
Elisia opened her lips slightly.
Her eyes were burning.
She bit her lips hard, trying to hold back her tears.
People don't change.
Just as she hesitated and hesitated, even though she had decided to take revenge on Franz...
Franz still sees it as something to be used and thrown away.
Just like in her previous life.
'You promised yourf not to deceive yourf.
'You knew this would happen.'
Elisia muttered to herf as she swallowed her tears.
Only a few days of Franz's kindness had almost shaken her.
Foolishly, she thought that Franz in this life would be different.
And maybe she won't need to take revenge on him.
'Foolish.'
She scolded herf.
Even if only for a moment, she had contemplated.
What a pathetic idiot.
Her tears seeped into her skirt.
She kept staring absently at the tear drops falling on the fabric.
'You... will be miserable.
Just as I suffered while loving you.'
Elisia's face contorted in pain.
Her last words in her previous life—when she took her last breath in Franz's arms, stabbed by his sword—now hit her like a slap.
She was desperate.
Miserable.
So why did you try to forget that pain?
She thought one regret was enough.
How naive she is.
“Elysia, you—are you trying to manipulate me?
If it weren’t for the bond between our souls, I would have stripped you of your title long ago!”
Will she have to receive another impeachment threat to finally wake up?
Will you continue to repeat the same mistake in this second life, clinging to that foolish hope?
Elysia's eyes widened.
You won't let this happen again.
'I won't hesitate anymore.'
She bit her lip hard.
It cracked and blood began to flow, but she did not relent.
As if she was punishing herf for being insensitive to the pain, she did not stop even as blood ran down her chin.
“Oh, my dear, you cut your lip, wife of the Second Prince.”
“I am fine, Your Majesty.”
Elysia gave the Empress a faint smile in response to her worried look.
The Empress looked at her carefully, then sighed deeply.
"You don't look well either.
I guess you didn't sleep well?"
“I'm sorry I worried you.”
After her formal apology, Elizia sat next to the Empress.
One of the bridesmaids came forward and refilled her cup.
“Hot tea will make your lips hurt more.
Nadia, give her iced tea instead.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Elisia stared blankly at this exchange.
She had to thank the Empress.
But if she opens her mouth, she may start crying nonstop.
She felt like a balloon about to burst.
The most she could do was maintain a neutral countenance.
“I should have let you rest more.
It seems I summoned you unnecessarily.”
“...No, never.”
She barely managed to get out a response, her throat choking.
The Empress looked at the lady-in-waiting standing behind Elysia—Sara.
“I told you to let me know immediately if the Second Prince’s wife needed anything.
Why didn’t you?”
Elisia blinked and looked at Sara.
The Empress had summoned Sara first, even before Elysia.
She had thought it was to give her instructions, but it seemed that the Empress had only summoned her to make sure that she was taking good care of Elysia.
Sara bowed deeply, confused.
“I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty.
I was negligent in caring about Her Highness’s condition.
It will not happen again.”
“Don't apologize to me—apologize to your lady.”
When Sara bent down to apologize, the Empress nodded graciously.
Then Sarah approached her mistress.
"You are her personal lady-in-waiting from her maternal home.
You should be more concerned than others.
Adapting to life in the palace is not an easy matter at all."
“I will take that into consideration, Your Majesty.”
The Empress smiled kindly, then pointed to Nadia.
Nadia took a small package out of her sleeve and presented it to Sarah.
It made a faint sound—it seemed like a bag of jewels.
When Nadia revealed its contents, Sarah took a step back, eyes wide.
“Your Majesty, this is more than I deserve!”
“Then you are not greedy.”
The Empress tilted her head.
“But it's just a simple gift.
As a maid of honor for a member of the royal family, you should have at least something like this.”
“But still...”
“Sara,”
Elisia spoke gently, her voice returning to its calm.
She fixed her gaze on the sapphire brooch.
“It would be unseemly to refuse Her Majesty’s kindness.
Accept it with gratitude.”
She received the brooch from Nadia and said gently: “I should have taken better care of you.
I apologize for worrying Her Majesty.
I have been overwhelmed trying to adapt to palace life.”
Sara bowed deeply, touched by Elisia's kindness.
“No”
Elisia motioned for her to come closer, then pinned the brooch to her chest.
"Next time, I'll give you one in a color that matches your beautiful eyes.
Her Majesty is right—a prince's lady-in-law should at least have something like this."
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Sarah answered quietly, touching the brooch to her chest.
Elisia smiled at her when she saw her face blush.
A slight warmth filled her as she saw Sarah happy.
And I remembered again how kind the Empress really was.
Only moments ago, Elysia had been experiencing a whirlwind of emotions because of Franz, but the Empress's warmth was enough to calm her down.
In her previous life, Elysia had not made a good impression on the Empress.
Confined to a distant palace, she barely saw Franz, let alone the Empress.
You only saw her from afar on official occasions.
Therefore, she had no way to approach her or ask for her help.
If she had been able to do that, she might have been spared the miserable life of isolation.