The Empress's Rose Palace—
At the main table of the tea party, Onissia and her best friend, Countess Catherine Ert, were chatting.
“I never imagined that Alisto would bring a woman with him.”
Onissia said to her dear friend, whom they had nothing to do with, as if she were simply complaining about her son's love life.
Then, Catherine, Cecilia Ert's mother, held the teacup elegantly and laughed lightly.
“Who would have thought that His Highness the Crown Prince would fall in love?”
In noble families, it was not common for marriage proposals to be annulled while being negotiated, but it was an occasional occurrence.
Moreover, the marriage talk that took place between Onissia and Catherine was more like a friendly chat.
You know, the kind of conversations between parents like, "When we have kids, let's marry them off to each other."
Since the matter of engagement had never been officially begun, its fizzling out did no harm to Eret's family.
Rather, Catherine felt relieved that Alisto brought the saint and housed her in Blossom Palace.
Her daughter, Cecilia, was agitated when the topic of engagement came up.
'Mom, have you lost your mind?
You know very well who my heart is leaning towards!'
Catherine knew who her daughter loved.
But—
She would rather have her daughter stay with her all her life than marry her to that man.
Anyway, while her daughter's resistance to marrying the Crown Prince was going on, the appearance of the Herman family's daughter suddenly was a good thing.
It is better to hear rejection from the other party than to start with it.
Catherine changed the mood by asking for help with her husband's project later, then asked, "What kind of girl is a saint?"
Then Onissia's features relaxed a little.
“I don't know her well yet, but from what I've seen, she seems to be very obedient and kind, which...worries me a little.”
When Onissia expressed this unflattering concern, Catherine laughed softly.
“There is not only one good and obedient person in this world.
In all my life, I have only seen one person who was like that.”
And now it doesn't exist.
Onissia patted the back of Catherine's hand.
The Empress knew who it was, and her friend remembered her with a bitter smile.
Camilla.
The Emperor's ex-wife, who received huge alimony and divorced, but was found murdered in her home, what a poor woman.
Since Camilla had no family, after her death all her wealth returned to the state treasury.
And so the expense she had taken from the Emperor was returned to him again.
It was Camilla, the daughter of Laura, Catherine's nanny.
The accident for Camilla, who had been raised with Catherine as sisters since childhood, was shocking, but her death itself was not the only problem.
Despite the sadness, no one knows when and where the accident will happen to anyone.
Everyone thought that what happened to Camilla was just a tragic accident.
If the security service had not been quick to close Camilla's case as a suicide, they would have continued to think like this.
'suicide?
This is unbelievable!
'We apologize, but the case has already been closed'
‘How can it be closed like this when I, the first witness, have not testified yet?!’
'We apologize, but the issue may…'
'Oh this!
Don't you know your job?!
Where is there an idiot who commits suicide when he owns all this wealth without leaving a will?!
'We apologize, but...'
'You...!!!'
On the evening of the day she caused a commotion at the security center, her husband said: ‘I know very well that Empress Camilla was your close friend, but it is better not to make any more trouble about this issue.’
Hearing her husband's words, Catherine realized that whatever the identity of the killer, the Emperor was behind him.
Because there is only the Emperor who can persuade the great Eret to persuade his wife to remain silent.
She wanted revenge at any cost.
She wanted to snatch his most valuable possession.
What was the most valuable thing to the emperor at that time?
Onisia, whom he married as the new empress, and Alisto, his illegitimate son.
But—
It was not easy to kill innocent people just to use them as a tool for revenge.
Later, Catherine investigates Onisia.
It is natural for the current empress to hate the ex-wife of the man she loves.
Maybe she asked the Emperor to harm her because she hates her.
Or maybe she hired people to do it, and the emperor settled the matter later.
Catherine vowed that she would not leave Onisia alone if she had the slightest connection with Camilla's death.
But what is this?
Onissia's past was completely shattered as well?
For Onisia, the Emperor was a sworn enemy with whom she could not live under the same sky.
At that time, Onissia approached her.
'I feel very sorry for what happened to your friend'
Catherine could not ignore this poor woman.
'If I, the one who lost a friend, suffer like this, how much do you suffer when you live with your family's killer?'
Since then, Catherine has become Onissia's hidden supporter.
So that she can exercise her influence as an empress in high society, and so that her son grows up and can protect his mother.
Over time, their relationship developed into a true friendship.
***
Atha left the tea party hall holding Alisto's hand as if it were a lifeline that had fallen to her from the sky.
As she walked behind him, she slowly began to regain consciousness.
'Have I lost my mind because of shame?'
While I was talking about this man, I felt ashamed, so why should I hold his hand and...
As soon as they left the Rose Palace, Atha came to her senses and thought that she should let go of his hand now.
But why?
For some reason, she didn't want to do that.
Alisto's large, rough hand was so hard that you clearly felt he was a man.
What is this strange feeling?
He was annoying but she didn't hate him.
It made her feel suffocated, but she felt like she was flying, and it was embarrassing, but she didn't want to hide.
For some reason, her heart was beating hard, and she felt a slight tingling around it.
“I didn't know that Miss Atha found me so kind and affectionate.”
Ah.
I withdraw the idea that I don't want to hide, I withdraw it completely.
I wish I could find a hole now to stick my head into.
“Actually, I also feel something similar.”
Oh, really?
Wow.
You think you are kind and affectionate.
Such high self-esteem.
While she was fighting an internal battle between shame and embarrassment—
“I also feel attracted to Miss Atha.
Since you are so beautiful and kind, I find myself wanting to constantly protect you.”
Oh?
“Don't you think we suit each other perfectly?”
Oh?
Atha couldn't get that goofy expression off her face.
“...Huh?
Just for a moment.”
She underestimated her heartbeat, which had been beating so delicately before.
But what happens now?
The heart that was beating gently a moment ago, suddenly made a bungee jump?
Why is he so disturbed?
Also, why does she feel sick to her stomach?
But this man's words did not end here.
The man, not realizing what she was going through, said in the sweetest voice in the world: “Miss Atha, will you marry me?”
***
Alisto had no intention of proposing to Atha from the beginning.
He only felt happy when he heard her praise him, and her hand holding his seemed to him to be so gentle and firm.
'Her congested face that looked like it would explode if she touched it was also very funny.'
So, the word marriage came out of his mouth unconsciously.
It was an anonymous motive.
Even he cannot understand the relationship between cause and effect, but what should he do when he has suddenly reached the conclusion of “marriage” inside him?
However, Alisto was confident that the Saint would accept his offer.
There is no single reason for rejection.
This saying may seem devoid of romance, but we live in an age where marriage is done on conditions.
Men are looking for a beautiful miss who grew up in a respectable family.
The women are looking for a wealthy nobleman from a prominent family.
'I am, by all accounts, perfect'
Social status, background, reputation, power, wealth, and appearance; He never lacks anything.
Even if he only offered terms, there was no reason to hesitate, so how about if there was mutual admiration?
'Acceptance will be inevitable'
That's how it was.
Alisto was sure that the saint admired him.
Although she did not express it explicitly, he felt it instinctively.
But—