I felt heartbroken, but I said firmly, Throw it away, too.

But my lady, this is the late emperors gift. If you abandoned it recklessly

I closed my eyes tightly. Though I wanted to throw them away, she had a point.

I replied with a deep sigh after pondering for a moment.

Keep it deep inside, so nobody can see it.

Yes, my lady. Thats all for now. Are you really going to throw all of them away?

No.

Oh, thats what I guessed. They are too precious to throw away. Can I put them back?

Burn them all instead of throwing them away.

Pardon? Burn them all?

Yes, burn them all.

Originally the clothes of someone who died should be burned. Im here as Aristia la Monique, the successor of the Monique family, not as the woman named Aristia who already died.

Oh, my lady

Dont you hear me?

Oh, okay, my lady.

After Lina went out with a bunch of dresses after some hesitancy, I slowly rose from the sofa and looked around at the empty dressing room.

Dresses in black, gray, navy blue.

I giggled at the mix of dresses in dark color.

When I was about to walk away from the dressing room after tidying up the disordered dresses, Lina suddenly reappeared and said, My lady, Sir Carsein is here. What shall I do?

Tell him to go back. I cant meet anybody today because Im in bad shape.

But

Lina, when did you start talking back to me?

I knew at some point that she followed Carsein like her master, but I felt she went too far.

Staring at her who flinched, I said coldly, Because I regarded you as my friend, you seem to talk back to me too much. Your comment is okay, but if you meddle, I cant accept it.

Yes, my lady. I will be careful.

At that moment, the door was flung open. I stared at the young red-haired man who stepped in. How rude of him!

What the heck are you doing? I didnt even allow you to come in.

I couldnt just go because you are out of sorts.

What are you talking about?

You were crying. I see your red face, said Carsein, approaching my desk and looking at me with a worried expression. As I was facing his blue eyes, I felt more and more jammed up on the inside.

He said, breathing roughly, Im sorry if I hurt your feelings. But I was really worried about you.

I suddenly felt sorry for him. Given my first meeting with him or rumors about him in social circles, Carsein was not the type of man who was careful and considerate. He was far from it. He wasnt so meticulous. Rather than being attentive, he was indifferent. In other words, he only focused on what he was interested in.

While he was trying his best to do something good for me, I could do nothing for him. Rather I was taking out my anger on him without any reason.

Oh, Im sorry for being angry.

While I was apologizing to him out of guilt, I saw Duke Lars overlapping him. Despite his strong bondge with my family, he dumped me after thorough political calculations.

Look at me, Tia.

Ugh? Please raise your head.

I looked up at his low but appealing voice. I said with a sulken voice, What do you want to say to me?

I heard what happened at the Imperial Palace. Well was my father also involved?

Oh, he was Carsein sighed again, said in a calm voice, Let me apologize on behalf of my father. So, please let off your steam.

Its already late, I said, turning away from his eyes.

I unwittingly spat out some barbed words at him, though I tried not to.

You said you heard what I told them at the palace. Dont you really know what that means?

When I saw him stiffening, I chuckled.

Yes, you know it. You know what kind of decision Ive made and what Im thinking now.

I said I would no longer interfere with the matters of the pro-emperor faction. So, I told them they should not expect any cooperation from my family. Dont you know what this means? It means Im willing to turn my back against them, especially your family, the chief of the faction, in particular.

Thats why you tried not to make eye contact with me? Youre not going to see me because you have turned your back against our family?

Whew He sighed long, looking at me as I remained silent.

Why are you always trying to think in extremes?

What?

Please dont do that. Isnt it too hard if you live like that? Let me help you. So, I hope you wont be too hard on yourself.

I was silent. What can I do for Carsen, the second son of the Duke Lars family at the moment when I could pursue a different path from theirs? Even if this had not happened, how could he help me in a situation like this when he spent time only practicing fencing without any interest in politics?

As if he read my mind, he let out a deep sigh after looking at me blankly for some time.

You dont believe me at all?

Well, would you believe me if I say I would move out of my parents house?

Moving out?

I opened my eyes wide. Of course, as he wasnt the successor of his fathers title and as he came of age, he was supposed to move out someday. But he was too young to move out. Besides, given that it was customary for the rest of the brothers including him to move out when the eldest son inherited the title, his remarks were extremely unusual.

When I looked at him in surprise, he nodded, looking at me with serious eyes.

Yes, Im moving out.

Why?

Well, Im supposed to move out anyway. If I move out, I dont have to follow the political line of my family.

Well, dont do it. I dont want to get you involved in my matters.

Basically, it was my own matter. I didnt want to get him involved in something that I didnt like. Although I was grateful for his efforts to help me even by moving out, I didnt feel he would be a great help to me because he was not politically trained at all. Of course, he would be helpful when it came to fencing.

When I shook my head with a determined expression, he remained silent for a long time, then said in a calm voice, Okay. Lets talk about it next time.

Sein.

You look tired. Have some rest.

Having said that, he turned. His red shadow flickered and disappeared out of the door.

Looking at him disappearing, I sighed deeply.

Somehow I felt frustrated and gloomy.

Three days later I received a letter with the results of the meeting. The luxurious white paper detailed the coronation schedule and procedures, but there was nothing about the emperors wedding that was the center of the controversy.

Only

According to the long letter, the emperor agreed to break off his engagement with me, but refused to hold a wedding ceremony with someone immediately.

Was it because of that? Other letters enclosed in it included several precautions. For example, as he cant officially reveal his breakoff in the presence of foreign delegations, I have to continue to act as his fiance until a few months later when it is officially recorded. And I should not make any mistake as he will announce to the outside world that he and I have agreed to hold a wedding ceremony after I come of age and fully recover from poisoning.

Touching the two letters to the candlelight, I tilted my head.

Why did they make this conclusion? This was not what the pro-emperor faction or the noble faction wanted.

When I saw the ashes of the letters, I suddenly remembered what happened three days ago.

The emperor came to see me urgently and asked me to think twice about my decision, but I refused his request coldly. I felt heartbroken when he turned, saying he would do as I wished.

When I was working with a heavy heart, the butler came in carefully and gave me good news. He said the delegation of the Lua kingdom just arrived in the capital, and that my father would return home by evening.

It was already in the evening after I gave house employees various instructions for my father who came all the way back from the Lua kingdom.