Chapter 20
— Luigi
“Your Highness the Princess, are you inside? Your Highness?”
A cautious voice accompanied a knock on the door, trying to check the situation within.
Marienne barely lifted herself and replied,
“…Yes.”
“There’s nothing wrong, is there? You haven’t come out in days…”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Alright, I’ll leave your meal here. Please make sure to eat it.”
“…Okay.”
Only then did the knocking fade away.
The person outside was a maid who had accompanied Marienne all the way from her kingdom. She wasn’t someone who wavered with the tide or changed allegiances easily — a loyal servant who had served Marienne alone for a long time.
Marienne knew she had no real allies in the Empire. At the very least, she needed to take care of that maid.
But—
“….”
Right now, she couldn’t respond to anything. She just sat there, blankly staring at the closed door.
Not because she was recalling her humiliation at the ball — but because a far more complicated, deeper memory had struck her.
“It was Laura.”
Marienne bit her lower lip and curled up.
“The woman Crown Prince Asel loved… it was that girl!”
She’d found out about Asel’s lover about a week after arriving at the palace.
After Asel repeatedly avoided her with various excuses, Marienne started wandering the palace, looking for any opportunity to see him. That’s when she discovered that room.
A room filled with expensive women’s items, neatly arranged in careful order.
The dress and shoe sizes were consistent. Nothing looked used.
“They’re gifts… Everything prepared for one person.”
And the owner of that room was—
[“What are you doing here?”]
Shockingly, it was Asel.
[“Get out.”]
He’d shown clear hostility — like a wild animal defending its territory. Marienne had fled in fear.
At the time, she was too startled to ask anything. But once she had time to think, curiosity set in.
Asel had a lover. But they were no longer together. Why?
Did she reject him? Did she die before he could express his feelings?
And then—today—Marienne found the answer.
“He lost his memories.”
Until just a year ago, Marienne had been destined for another kingdom.
“Because Crown Prince Asel already had someone he loved.”
And that woman wasn’t just any noble — she was his fiancée, from a powerful family.
Her father, the king, and his ministers had concluded that even sending royalty wouldn’t sway Asel, so they had removed his name from the royal marriage candidates list.
“But at some point… everyone forgot.”
They forgot so completely that they didn’t even realize they’d forgotten.
“But I remembered.”
The one memory even Asel himself had lost — she alone remembered it, vividly.
Asel’s incomplete memory was obvious from his actions.
He was still interacting with Laura, keeping that room exactly as it was.
He remembered loving someone, but not who it was.
And in that moment, Marienne realized this was an opportunity.
“Then… I just need to become that woman.”
If she could claim all that Laura had—she could stay in the Empire.
“That’s my only way to survive.”
The realization filled her with desperate joy.
She knew how vile it was. But what choice did she have?
“If I return to my kingdom… I’ll vanish like my half-brothers did.”
No exile. No announcement. They simply disappeared.
“So I have to try everything—anything—to survive.”
Because this was the best she could do.
Three days after the welcome banquet.
I visited the Imperial Palace again.
The Grand Duke and Princess Luigi were scheduled to arrive today.
A dinner would be held for them in a few days, but given their status in the Imperial family, they deserved appropriate greetings the moment they arrived.
And as Asel’s fiancée, I had the rank and position to welcome them personally.
It wasn’t just about etiquette.
Though the Emperor remained unconscious, I needed to show that the Empire was still strong—and the royal family was still functioning as usual.
As I strode through the palace corridors, handmaidens and knights bowed their heads respectfully.
“…!!”
A marked change in attitude.
Not long ago, the palace staff would scramble to avoid crossing paths with me.
“Has Laura’s image improved?”
Or maybe they now believed Asel would keep the engagement intact and were switching sides.
I didn’t care which.
The one person whose reaction I wanted to see wasn’t present.
“Asel didn’t show up.”
They said he was too busy to even lift his head.
Understandable—he’d been by my side nonstop for three days. Work must’ve piled up.
I could live with that.
What I didn’t expect—
“L-Lady Laura…”
Marienne came running toward me.
“I’m so sorry about that day. I should’ve spoken up, but I just got swept up in the mood…”
Her outfit was simpler than at the ball. Her eyes were swollen, as if she’d been crying in a corner.
She was clearly trying to present a pitiful image.
“How cheap.”
Grabbing me in a public area like this—it was obviously staged.
Was she trying to provoke me into lashing out, so she could paint me as the heartless villain?
“But what do I have to lose?”
Unlike her, I didn’t base my worth on public image.
I wasn’t chosen as Asel’s fiancée for my personality. And getting more criticism wouldn’t change anything now.
“That’s quite alright, Your Highness. I haven’t given it a second thought.”
It sounded gracious—but it wasn’t.
“Did you really think I’d be concerned about you all this time?”
“Asel is fully aware that you were… unwell. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Her expression faltered.
But she couldn’t say anything in return. Arguing would mean admitting it hadn’t been an accident.
“So why’d you even pick this fight?”
You’re outmatched.
As I moved past her—
“Ah, there you are.”
Angel had come to greet me on Asel’s behalf. But when he saw Marienne, he frowned.
“…What brings you here, Your Highness?”
“Well, I… I just…”
“Weren’t you supposed to be resting because of your injury?”
Marienne had claimed she couldn’t return to her kingdom due to her injured foot. Angel was calling that out.
“I just… The room was too stuffy. And walking helps with healing, you see…”
Angel clicked his tongue but didn’t press further. He couldn’t insult a guest outright.
“The palace is quite hectic lately. I hope you’ll focus on your recovery instead of unnecessary concerns.”
In other words—stay out of sight.
But Marienne wasn’t giving up.
“I understand. Um… is His Highness unavailable again today?”
“Of course. He’s far too busy managing state affairs.”
With a curt nod, Angel ended the exchange.
As we walked on, Angel sighed.
“Please don’t worry. His Highness doesn’t even consider her a candidate for Crown Princess.”
“I never thought he did.”
I knew that better than anyone.
Even in the original timeline, Marienne never won Asel’s heart.
Then Angel looked at me.
It struck me that—for once—he wasn’t frowning.
“You really have… changed.”
“…Pardon?”
“I mean you, Lady Laura. I didn’t quite understand what His Highness meant when he said that, but…”
He added quietly—
“You seem more at ease now.”
“…Do I?”
He was right.
The old Laura had always been anxious, watching everything around her with fear.
Afraid her family would disown her. Afraid Seraphina would take her place.
