TRETTHD 69

#69. An Unpleasant Gift

Belia was exasperated.

She instinctively felt uneasy about Raul, who kept showing a strange interest in her.

He had once discarded someone else, claiming they were his true love, only to chase after her now with all his effort—yet she was the one who would not fall into his hands. Was that why he was so irritated and attentive?

“…Hah.”

The letter he had sent, enclosed with the tiaras, was almost laughable. Belia quickly read through it, gritted her teeth, and crumpled it up.

“Princess, I couldn’t refuse a gift sent by His Highness the Prince. I’m really sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. It was unavoidable.”

The tiaras he sent were three in total.

Belia lined them neatly on the table and sighed. The sparkling tiaras made her feel uneasy.

‘Is this a coincidence?’

If not…

Was it meant to show that no matter how hard she struggled, she could not escape the pattern of her past life?

‘How could he know about these…’

In her previous life, Raul had also gifted her three tiaras, letting her choose one. Belia had selected the one imbued with the blessing of a saint.

All three tiaras, of course, were highly treasured by the royal family of the Ingot Empire.

“My goodness! Princess, this is a tiara favored by Empress Carlina herself! I’ve only seen it in portraits…”

“This one is the ‘Joy of the Sun,’ blessed directly by Saint Aren.”

The ladies-in-waiting clustered around Belia, marveling at the tiaras. It was no wonder—they were all historically significant and incredibly valuable pieces.

“Even Her Majesty the Queen Dowager never used these. How did you…?”

“Wearing one at the wedding will surely cause a stir in high society.”

Belia already knew. Using one of these tiaras would undoubtedly strengthen her position. Favor toward Khalid had already begun to form among the empire’s citizens. She wanted to extend that favorable impression into society, but arrogant nobles rarely changed their minds easily.

However, wearing a tiara with such history—never even worn by the Queen Dowager—at the second prince’s wedding would naturally draw attention to the event, which would inevitably reflect on Khalid, the wedding’s main figure.

‘If I use that attention wisely, swaying public opinion will be much easier.’

Yet she had no desire to use the tiaras Raul had sent. What ulterior motives could he possibly have?

“…First, I need to return these.”

Moreover, she had already set her sights on another tiara: a large amethyst piece worn by the current Empress when she married the Emperor.

“I should also choose a tiara today and inform His Majesty to avoid any controversy.”

“Shall I bring some stationery?”

“No need. Just return them and say that we appreciate the gesture.”

The lady-in-waiting carefully packed the tiaras back into their boxes and left.

This was merely a minor incident. Few knew that Raul had sent tiaras for her to wear at the wedding. If she decided today to use the current Empress’s tiara, she would have a valid reason to refuse Raul’s gift, and any malicious rumors could be avoided since little time had been spent considering it.

‘Still, it feels off.’

What did he want from her? Why was he acting so blatantly suspicious?

Belia frowned. Even his strange obsession the last time he had held her close seemed unusual.

‘And sending the exact same tiaras from my past life… that’s suspicious too.’

Everything about him felt odd.

‘No way…’

Belia shook her head lightly, refusing the thought.

‘It can’t be.’

Her mind was unusually sensitive lately, and absurd theories kept forming. She even wondered—ridiculously—if Raul also remembered his past life.

“….”

But even the forced chuckle quickly died. She could not bring herself to laugh.

‘…If there’s a chance, I should test it.’

Belia decided not to reveal this premonition. She was indeed more sensitive than usual, but if her hunch were true, ignoring it would be far worse. After all, she had already returned from the past.

‘The Raul I first met in the Kingdom of Ronica clearly didn’t know anything.’

She had dismissed the idea that he could have returned from the past like her. Yet the current Raul was acting oddly.

‘It’s safer to suspect everything.’

Belia quickly took out a pen. She decided she would have to observe Raul’s movements more closely than ever before.

Belia arrived at the central palace treasury well past lunchtime. Since she had informed the Emperor in advance, gaining entry was easy.

She carefully inspected the royal jewels and valuables to compile a list of what she would wear on the wedding day. As planned, she selected the Empress’s amethyst tiara and matched it with suitable earrings and a necklace.

“Princess.”

It was the lady-in-waiting who had returned the tiaras from Raul earlier. She carried three stacked, luxurious boxes.

“That is…”

“I delivered your message with the tiaras, Princess, and His Highness the First Prince instructed that the tiaras be returned to the treasury.”

So they had brought them back intact. Belia let out a small sigh.

“Did he say anything else?”

“No. He just asked what you wished to convey, and nothing else. He seemed to expect you would refuse the gift.”

What was he planning?

Belia narrowed her eyes at the boxes, but nothing could be seen just by looking. She placed a hand on her forehead, weary of how overly sensitive she had become.

“…I see. Thank you. Deliver the tiaras to the caretaker. I need to finish selecting my pieces, so once you’re done, you may return to the second prince’s palace.”

After thanking the lady-in-waiting, Belia continued reviewing the treasury. She also selected backup jewelry in case any of her first choices failed.

‘I’m exhausted…’

She realized she needed rest. So many tasks remained, and staying tense every moment would be unsustainable. Still, she had accomplished a lot today: choosing the draft dress, finalizing invitations, and deciding on the wedding jewelry.

Belia exhaled and looked up at the sky, now ablaze in red. She had expected to finish quickly, but it had taken much longer than anticipated. She hurried back to the second prince’s palace.

Soon, she spotted familiar figures in the central garden and bit her lip tightly.

“Ah…”

Why? Why were Erze and Khalid there together?

They were too far for her to hear their conversation. But seeing Erze shyly smile and Khalid attentively listen made her chest tighten. The strange déjà vu wracked her mind.

Each radiant smile from Erze gnawed at Belia’s composure. With every step closer, her heart pounded harder.

She was on the verge of breaking but refused to show it—feeling inferior to Erze again would be utterly humiliating.

“Khalid.”

Khalid turned at her call, smiling warmly.

“Princess!”

Erze looked at her with a gentle, affectionate smile.

“I was just returning from wedding preparations at the central palace. How are you two here?”

Erze lowered her eyes slightly and replied:

“Oh! We ran into the second prince while strolling in the central garden. I remembered I hadn’t properly thanked him for listening to me at the bazaar, so we were talking about that.”

A perfectly innocent explanation—but Belia could not smile back.

She recalled their kiss in her nightmare: Khalid gazing at Erze with warmth, and Erze leaning into him. The last image was her own lifeless body on the cold ground.

“Belia?”

Her stomach churned. She felt like she was losing control. She had never been so affected by memories of her past life.

Belia forced her lips into a small smile.

“Ah… I must be a bit tired today. Have you both exchanged greetings?”

Erze turned to Khalid and spoke:

“Thank you so much for listening to me, Your Highness.”

She then smiled at Belia.

“It’s done now. I just forgot to say thanks earlier. Haha.”

Erze’s clear, lovely laugh rang in Belia’s ears—but it felt like a sharp dagger stabbing her.

“…Princess?”

Erze noticed Belia’s unusual expression and called worriedly. Khalid saw her pale face and swiftly moved to support her.

But the moment his hand touched her shoulder, Belia recoiled with a thud.

“Belia…?”

Even she was surprised. She stared at Khalid’s frozen hand.

“This is…”

Her voice trembled. Khalid immediately removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Then he spoke to a stunned Erze:

“Baroness Kinetra. Belia seems unwell. Let’s head inside.”

“Ah… yes, it’s best to escort the princess inside.”

Though Erze’s faint voice reached her, Belia could not shake the shock of having rejected Khalid’s touch.

“…Khalid.”

“It’s alright.”

He carefully lifted her. Her body was cold.

“It’s alright, Belia.”

Whispering tenderly, Khalid hurried toward the second prince’s palace. Slowly, Belia’s consciousness faded—but even in the dimming world, she knew for certain: allowing Erze into the palace had been her own clear mistake.