121 – I think it's a fraudulent marriage (2)

TL: Zimmings

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

"Okay."

Most of them were korean dishes, but there were also some others like steak and lobster.

They added my favorite foods among the dishes that were originally prepared. It seemed like the korean dishes were made in a hurry.

I was going to eat the steak, but I couldn't cut it properly. It wasn't because of the steak.

When I took over Ser's body, my hands often trembled and couldn't move properly.

So I unconsciously had a hard time using my hands.

My habits remained even after I returned to my original body so I still found it difficult to use the knife.

"Ancia, let me."

Blake exchanged my plate with his plate.

He had already sliced up the steak on his plate so it was easy for me to eat.

Before, I used to be the one to cut his food for him.

"Thank you."

I looked at Blake as the memories of our past filled up my mind. Then, I heard Tenstheon's voice.

"Ancia, here."

Tenstheon cut up the shrimps and put it on my plate.

"Thank you."

I ate the other foods on my plate before finishing the shrimp and steak.

"This is delicious."

"Try this too."

"There is already too much food on my plate."

I shook my head as the two of them kept putting food on my plate.

They looked at each other. Then both of them opened their mouths.

"Wife, are you sick?"

"I'll call the doctor right now!"

"No it's not that! I'm full!"

I shouted embarrassedly.

I had to stop both of them before they really called for a doctor.

After finishing my meal, Blake and I went back to the Palace of Forens.

Blake escorted me as I got up to get out of the carriage. When I got off the carriage, I saw the red carpet from the carriage to the entrance.

The knights were lined up on both sides.

Now I had Ancia's body. That's why they prepared all this.

"Greetings to the blessing of the empire."

The knights and servants behind them greeted us.

We walked down the red carpet while holding hands.

At the door stood Melissa, Hans, Terry and Edon.

It was nothing new since we already saw each other everyday.

But this time, we reunited with me as Ancia, not Rose.

"Sir Edon, thank you for the welcome."

"Please speak to us casually, Your Highness."

Edon was confused about what to do.

When he hesitated to say more, Hans helped him.

"Yes, please speak comfortably, Your Highness."

"Okay…Hans."

I tried not to voice out my nervousness. I looked at Melissa standing on the side and saw the tears rolling down her face.

"Melissa, why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry that I failed to recognize you before. I don't have the face to look at Your Highness."

"It's only natural that you didn't know because I didn't tell you.

"But I'm so ashamed of myself."

"Don't say that. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

I grinned as I held Melissa and Hans' hands tightly.

"Melissa and Hans, I know this is too late, but congratulations on your wedding."

I said what I had always wanted to say since I came back.

Melissa sobbed even harder.

I hugged her and patted her back for a long time.

Blake and I entered the Crown Princess' bedroom.

I had been into the Palace of Forens, but I never really visited his room.

The room was the same just as how I decorated back then.

"How is it?"

"It's cute, but it's a little embarrassing."

It was very cute, like the bedroom of a princess in a fairytale book.

I was embarrassed to see how hard I pretended to be a child back then.

'I chose something like that…'

Come to think of it, I remembered something. I also chose the furniture for the guest room.

Melissa and the furniture owner were surprised, saying that my taste was mature and refined, unlike a child.

I was glad to hear that remark and decorated my room as cutely as I could.

The furniture in the bedroom was also the same, but to think that my taste was this bad once…

'It's okay, I was young before.'

It was even more embarrassing because of the atmosphere.

"Is your room the same as before too?"

That's right, I chose his room's furniture too."

"Would you like to see it?"

I nodded. We went into the Crown Prince's bedroom that was next to this room.

Fortunately, this place was fine. I didn't overdo it when I decorated Blake's room.

Past me, good job.

As I was praising myself, I noticed a small doll lying beside the bed.

Oh right. I picked that one.

It looked so much like Blake that I impulsively bought it.

It would've been really cute if it was the young Blake holding it, but it didn't match the majestic Crown Prince now.

"You still have the doll?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you throw it away?"

"Why would I throw it away?"

"Still…"

I touched the rabbit doll's ears.

The fur still felt soft as if it had been meticulously cared for.

Then I laughed.

"You look like-"

"What?"

"You look like the doll."

I held the rabbit in my arms.

Blake's expression hardened.

"It doesn't look like me."

"Why? I think it looks just like you."

Seeing my happy smile, Blake's expression hardened again.

Come to think of it, he looked like that when we were eating too.

I suddenly realized something.

"What's wrong Blake?"

"Do you think I am handsome?"

It was a random question.

"Father is still the most handsome man in the empire. His appearance hasn't changed at all."

Tenstheon was even cooler than before. He looked just as young as he was before.

"What about me?"

"Blake is the most beautiful man in the empire."

Tenstheon's aura was overwhelming, but Blake's aura was mysterious and beautiful.

Now, I think I realized why Blake's appearance was praised so much in the novel.

"……"

He pouted as if he didn't like my answer. Even when he was sulking, he still looked beautiful.

"I like your beautiful face."

His expression soon brightened.

"Do you mean it?"

I never even thought that I didn't like Blake's appearance.

A thousand years ago, Rakshul's aura was similar to that of Tenstheon.

But Blake took after the late Empress, so he looked beautiful.

However, as long as it was Blake, it didn't matter how he looked.

"I love you Ancia."

"I love you too."

I wanted to say it so many times that I wouldn't ever regret not saying it enough times.

I touched the left side of his face, which was once engraved with the curse marks, when he laughed and held my hand.

"Whose room should I sleep in today?"

"What?"

Whose room?

Of course Blake would sleep in his room, and I would sleep in mine.

Did I even have to decide?

"We can sleep in our own rooms."

I answered without any hesitation prompting him to look at me sadly.

"You said we will always sleep together…"

"Oh no, back then…"

I only did it to lessen Blake's pain before.

Besides, we were children before.

But now we were both adults.

Blake was wearing a shirt that was rather loose, but I could feel his sturdy stomach behind the shirt.

Of course, his figure was relatively thin compared to the knights, but he was an adult man now.

Perhaps it was because his curse was lifted much sooner than scheduled and he practiced swordsmanship since he was young, but he looked much taller and muscular than what was described in the novel.

"Why? Don't you like me?"

He looked down pitifully.

My heart ached when I saw him like that.

Blake was the type to hide his pain without showing it.

But his heart was quite tender.

"Of course I like you."

"You'll be with me then right? You're not gonna go away right?"

His beautiful eyes started to glisten with tears.

"Of course not! I won't leave you."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'll be with you forever so don't cry."

I held him tightly and soothed him.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the face of a beautiful man.

'Why did this happen?'

I wanted to comfort Blake because I thought he was hurt and reassured him that I wouldn't leave again.

So I came to comfort him, but somehow, I fell asleep on the same bed as him.

Of course, nothing happened. I just held his hands tightly and slept like before.

I looked at Blake sleeping beside me.

With his eyes closed, his eyelashes appeared to be longer.

He looked the same as he did when he was younger.

He still looked cute and harmless, bringing peace to my heart.

Well, this isn't bad either. I couldn't believe I could see Blake as soon as I woke up again.

This was really not a dream.

I wanted to stroke Blake's hair but Blake tightly grasped my hands.

It was exactly the same as before.

Blake slowly opened his eyes while smiling.

"……"

At that moment, the pure and peaceful atmosphere suddenly changed.

I looked at the man who had become rather sexy, unlike seven years ago.

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122 – I think it's a fraudulent marriage (3)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

"Ancia, what's wrong?"

"You woke up too late, get up!"

"No."

Blake grumbled as he rubbed his face against my hands.

"It's so nice to see my wife's face right after I wake up."

Ancia's heart beat wildly thanks to his cute antics.

"Get up!"

I quickly went under the blankets to hide my red face.

I pulled away his blanket too.

"You're too much…"

"Too much? It's already 10 o'clock!"

I wasn't saying all that deliberately. We really did wake up too late.

"I can't believe you took it off in the morning."

If anyone heard that, it would cause a misunderstanding!

His habit of making ambiguous comments was still the same. Though, before he didn't understand any of it.

"You should say it clearly. I only took off your blanket!"

"Take what off…"

He looked at me coyly while holding the edge of his blanket.

In contrast to his innocent eyes, his voice was husky.

I couldn't tell whether or not he was making fun of me.

In any case, I couldn't be swayed by it.

I pulled the entire blanket off of him.

"Wake up!"

"Were you really Rose before?"

Chelsea looked at my face.

"Yes."

I said while nodding.

Chelsea was dumbfounded.

"Your Highness, please speak to me at ease."

"Oh, right…"

It was very awkward for me to talk informally, perhaps because of my time as Rose.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth, Chelsea."

"No, I'm sure you had your reasons."

She answered calmly and added, "But it really is amazing."

"Huh?"

"I thought the Crown Prince wouldn't even look at another woman. But I thought I was wrong when I saw him treating Rose well. Turns out, you two were the same person."

She bowed politely while holding the hem of her skirt.

"Congratulations on your return. It's an honor to have you back."

Chelsea greeted me politely. I held her hands.

"Chelsea, thank you very much for being so nice to me."

"No need to thank me. It's part of my duty as a maid."

"I heard it was you who insisted on giving my food to the Crown Prince."

"I just didn't want to see the dishes you made so painstaking be thrown away. Besides, even if it wasn't for that, the Crown Prince had already recognized you."

"Still, thank you very much."

Chelsea never discriminated against my appearance and status. Rather, she helped me alot when I was Rose.

I would never forget what she did for me.

Except for Chelsea, the other maids had all quit their jobs. It wasn't just the maids.

Those who mocked Rose's appearance, whether they were a knight or servant, were all forced to leave the palace.

It wasn't because they resigned voluntarily.

Before I came back here as Ancia, Blake had ordered all of those who mocked Rose to be fired.

The day when I went to cook, Melissa came back late because she was busy sorting out the list of people she needed to fire.

Some people still despised me, but they endured it.

It was because they were afraid and didn't want any trouble.

Now that I think about it, I didn't say anything about them because of Blake.

Blake was hurt a lot as a child because of his appearance. If he knew that people judged me because of my appearance now, it might make him remember those bad memories.

So I just kept my mouth shut.

I never really took it to heart either since I would die soon anyways.

The people who were fired came to meet me before they left and apologized for what had happened before.

"If I knew that it was Your Highness, I would;ve never done that. I'm sorry."

"I was very startled by your scars back then. I'm sorry."

"I made mistakes so I've been wanting to apologize."

But their apologies didn't sound sincere in the least.

If they really felt guilty, they should've apologized to me before they were even fired.

They didn't do it until it became known that I was the Crown Princess.

Since that fact was revealed, they were scared of being punished more.

But I didn't really think of other punishments than to fire them.

There was only one person who apologized truthfully.

Unlike the other generic apologies, Charlotte came to me and told me her honest feelings.

"Your Highness, I'm so sorry. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Your Highness was Rose. I hate myself for not recognizing you."

Her apology was indeed strange. She blamed herself for not recognizing me but didn't apologize for all the things she had done to Rose.

"Your Highness, I really really like you. Let me serve you again. I can serve you much better than Chelsea."

She said she liked me but she didn't do much to serve me.

When Ser came back in my body, Charlotte was happy, but it was purely because of my appearance.

"I didn't fire you for not recognizing me."

Charlotte was now no longer a maid of Forens Palace but a noble daughter, so I treated her as such.

"Then why? Is it because I'm ugly?"

"What?"

Charlotte's answer was unexpected.

I was bewildered but she continued.

"Everyone made fun of me when I was younger. Only Your Highness treated me nicely. You're my role model! I tried to look like you. I'll try harder. Is it not enough? I'll become someone that you won't be ashamed of!"

I thought of Charlotte's appearance in the past. Back then, she had some baby fat, but she looked very cute and not at all ugly.

Did she act like this because of what other people told her back then?

"It's not like that. You were pretty back then and you still are now too."

"You're the only one who thinks that."

I shook my head seeing her.

"I'm not. I'm sure other people think the same too. If there is anyone who has spoken ill of you, then they are the one who's strange. You don't pay them any mind."

Charlotte cried as I continued to comfort her.

"There are so many things in this world that are more important than appearance. I really want you to know that."

"If I make a mistake, you can teach me."

I shook my head.

"You've been a maid for a long time. Don't you think it's time to be free and see the world? "

Charlotte was obsessed and judged people by their appearance. But she was still young. It wasn't that she was born evil, but her attitude came from childhood trauma.

I decided to give her another chance.

"If you don't change your mind after you understand the reason why I fired you, then you can be my maid again."

"Really?"

I nodded.

"Thank you, thank you very much! I'll try my best and become a great person!"

After repeatedly thanking me, Charlotte left the palace.

I tried to do my duties as the Crown Princess but Tenstheon and Blake insisted that I should take a good rest.

"Ancia, just take a break for the time being."

"That's right, don't work. You need a break."

They were so awkward with each other throughout the meal, but surprisingly, they always had the same opinion when it came to me.

They were worried about me holding a knife so they watched me carefully. When I drank a lot of water, they asked me whether I felt unwell.

I felt too embarrassed being protected this much. I had never experienced this extent of their protection even when I was younger but I understood why.

If Blake were to come home after 7 years of disappearance, I'd be happy, but at the same time I'd be worried too. I wouldn't know what to do or say to him except tell him to rest more.

Now that I understood how they felt, I only nodded at everything they said.

Besides, I had been in that dark place for a long time. So many events happened at the same time and I was exhausted, so I decided to take this opportunity to rest a little bit.

A lot of time had passed since I left.

This empire wouldn't change drastically like Korea in that amount of time, but there would certainly be some changes.

When I went to the square, I observed what the ladies wore. I could tell that the fashion trends had changed.

With Blake's curse lifted and the fall of the Cassils, the ranks among the nobles must have changed too.

For the time being, I would study and live comfortably.

Besides, there was something I wanted to check.

I headed to the Amoria Palace. Chelsea and Edon said they would follow me but I refused.

I wanted to check this thing on my own.

123 – I think it's a fraudulent marriage (4)

TL: Zimmings

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

When I arrived at the Amoria Palace, I went straight to the greenhouse.

I stood in front of a small tree that seemed to have been just planted.

When I closed my eyes and focused, I could feel the power of light flowing in my body.

When I recalled my memories of being Laontel, the small tree grew significantly.

"Success."

It's not just my body that was restored, my power of light was also as strong as when I was Laontel.

No, it was much more than that.

Plus, I recalled all of my knowledge about this power.

Of course, there was a difference between remembering it and implementing it.

I still felt awkward using my powers but I'd get used to it soon.

Ser apologized and gave me back my blessing and strength.

But where was she now?

Ser was in her original body when I saw her in my dreams.

I couldn't even see any burn scars or spots on her.

So did she abandon her wounded human body and go back to her original body?

I hoped that that was the case. I hope she'd live peacefully and maybe we'd meet again someday.

I was about to return to the Forens Palace after implementing a few tricks using my power of light, when I saw Camilla standing in front of the Amoria Palace's entrance.

She didn't come when the servants rushed to me to apologize.

So I assumed that she had already left but there she was.

I looked at her, Camilla also looked back at me.

As a maid, she would never dare to look at the Crown Princess like this. However since she was no longer a maid, she had resumed her status as the daughter of a noble.

Her eyes were filled with jealousy towards me.

"I greet Your Highness, the blessing of the empire."

"Lady Vendrick, are you leaving now?"

I asked her as I glanced at the large leather bag on her hands.

"Yes, can I take one last look at the Amoria Palace?"

"That sounds difficult. This palace wasn't my own."

I flatly refused her as Camilla laughed bitterly.

I knew she would react like this.

"Can we talk for a while?"

"Sure."

We went into the garden outside the Amoria Palace and sat on a gazebo. Then, Camilla opened her mouth.

"For me, Amoria Palace was a dream. I really wanted to go here someday."

She looked at the Amoria Palace with an indescribable expression.

"But in the end, it was only a dream.

Camilla recalled her childhood memories.

She had grown up with all sorts of insults hurled at her.

Then one day, when the Crown Prince's curse was lifted, and even the Crown Princess went missing, so her parents entrusted her with the task of getting the Crown Prince's heart.

After educating her with perfect etiquette, they sent her over to the Crown Prince's Palace.

Camilla hated this situation. She was used as a tool for her parent's greed.

But when she met the Crown Prince in the Forens Palace, she changed her mind.

Many people had stories about the Crown Prince, so Camilla naturally knew a lot about him.

She was actually worried about his rumours when she first arrived, but the Crown Prince she met was completely different from the one described in those rumours.

He was not a monster or even someone great who had been chosen by the goddess of light.

He was just a wounded child, like herself.

People around her mocked her, yet they also envied her, for being a maid in the Crown Prince palace. But she felt lonely.

'I'm sure he felt the same way too. He must be lonely like me. He's the same as me.'

Camilla thought.

Blake was an easy master to serve.

He was usually calm and quiet, but sometimes he burst into fits of rage.

"Who is it? Who has been entering my bedroom!?"

Most of those who entered the Crown Prince's Palace had the same purpose as Camilla.

They would often bring gifts to impress him.

Some of them even got rid of the items in the Palace and replaced them with their gifts.

But no gift stood out to him. Blake only cared about and missed the Crown Princess.

The maids were jealous of the Crown Princess and deliberately removed her belongings to erase traces of her.

That was something no servant could do, no matter how jealous they were.

But the children who were born and raised as nobles made that mistake.

"What's going to happen if I throw away that old thing? Besides, my gift is much better."

Whenever that happened, Blake would be furious and the maids were fired immediately.

And because of their mistake, their family would also be dragged down.

However, those kinds of mistakes kept happening.

How can they be so stupid?

Instead of dealing with those troublesome maids, Blake didn't even memorize their names.

Those maids who were hoping to get a little closer to him were soon fired one way or another.

But now, Camilla was also fired.

She thought that she would keep being by his side.

She was the second longest maid to serve the Crown Prince after Melissa. But the Crown Prince still didn't know her name.

Well, it wasn't much of a surprise.

The Crown Prince spent most of his time in the Valley of Chaos and at other times, he stayed in Amoria Palace.

Therefore, Camilla couldn't meet Blake very often.

But she still didn't give up and thought she would stand next to him one day.

She thought that he would surely know the existence of a woman who quietly stayed by his side.

Knowing that they shared a similar pain, it would open up a door to his locked heart.

But now, Camilla couldn't dream of that anymore.

She was eventually fired. The Crown Prince didn't know her name either.

Camilla looked at the woman in front of her.

Rose, no, Ancia Raelle Geracillion.

She was the Crown Princess of the Empire and the woman Blake had been looking for.

"I was in love with the Crown Prince."

Camilla confessed the love she had hidden in her heart for five years.

Of course, everyone knew that, but it was the first time Camilla said it out loud.

"I loved him more than anybody in this world."

Countless people said that they loved Blake, but their love was all fake.

They only liked Blake's beautiful appearance, his status, excellent swordsmanship and other things.

But she was different.

"I wasn't attracted to his identity or ability. I loved him as Blake. My heart wouldn't change even if he was cursed again."

Ancia looked at Camilla dryly.

She had read 'The Beast and Lady.'

Ancia had already known it long back because of the novel.

Camilla desperately confessed her love in the original novel.

Not to Blake, but to Richard.

She loved Richard, so she used abusive words towards Blake and loathed him.

"Why on earth would you keep that monster here? He's a fallen soul! Even though his curse has been lifted, the past didn't change. You need to send him to the Southern Island now"

Of course it wasn't like that now. Now the one she loved was Blake, not Richard.

But even considering that, it was hard to believe Camilla's words.

"I hate you very much Rose. Do you know why?"

Camilla spoke to Rose, not the Crown Princess.

Her words were very rude, but Ancia didn't care.

"I don't know."

"The day you came, he said, 'Chelsea, take good care of Rose.' He hadn't even remembered my name after five years, but he memorized Chelsea's name just because of you."

The Crown Prince who came back from the Valley of Chaos brought along an ugly woman with him from there.

Her words were a direct attack on me but I tried to ignore it.

"I thought he was an indifferent person, but turns out, he just wasn't interested in me. You will never know the misery I felt then."

Camilla envied Ancia, but she didn't hate her.

After all, she was already dead.

She was only a person from the past and couldn't stand next to the Crown Prince again.

When the fake Ancia appeared, everyone was alright with it except for her. The Crown Prince was somehow cold to her.

Could she even get the chance to stand next to the Crown Prince?

She was a little nervous about that.

Then the real Ancia returned. The moment Camilla saw the Crown Prince holding Ancia's hand tightly, her envy turned into hatred.

"You're such a lucky woman. Born as the oldest of the Bellacian family, and then became the Crown Princess. Even though you're older than him, I envy you."

If she wasn't the third daughter, she would've had the chance to become the Crown Princess.

If she was born as the oldest, she would be the one that the Crown Prince loved now.

People praised the Crown Princess for taking care of him even though he was cursed before.

But Camilla didn't agree with them.

"If I was the girl of the blessing, I would get rid of his curse immediately. Isn't it a crime to turn blind eye even though you have the power?"

Camilla thought that Ancia wasn't a tough opponent.

Ancia was only lucky enough to have the power of light to lift his curse.

If Camilla had that power, she would immediately lift his curse. In fact, she was confident that her love for him was greater than that of Ancia.

"Lady Vendrick, I won't allow you to make any more rude remarks."

Ancia said in a low voice.

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124 – It's a fraudulent marriage (5)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

Camilla's words seemed plausible when she heard it at first, but in fact, her words all had hidden meanings.

At that time, no one thought that the Crown Prince's curse would be lifted, so Ancia went all out to lift his curse.

She didn't take even a day off to relax and always kept an eye on his condition.

But despite Ancia's warning, Camilla kept talking.

"I've been with him longer than you have. But as soon as you came back, I was kicked out. The world is unfair. No matter how hard you try, your luck could run out soon."

Ancia was irritated when she heard Camilla say that her effort was luck.

She had worked so hard, but before she could reply, she heard another voice.

"You talk too much."

Camilla turned around in surprise.

"Your Highness…"

Blake stood in front of us.

Camilla called him with a pitiful voice, but Blake walked past her and approached Ancia.

"So you went to the Amoria Palace…I was so startled when you were gone."

"I need to talk to her for a moment."

Only then did Blake glance at Camilla.

"All the maids except Chelsea were fired, so why is she still here?"

"Did you know that I was a maid?"

Blake looked at her coldly, but Camilla was moved by the fact that he recognized her.

At least he knew she was there, so her time wasn't wasted.

But her expectations soon fell apart.

"The maid who tried to throw away Ancia's dishes."

Blake had no idea of Camilla's nice deeds even though she had served him for five years.

She was just remembered as the woman who bullied Rose. Camilla was shocked.

"I don't want my wife to feel burdened so I tried to end it with only firing you. I should've gotten rid of you faster."

"Blake."

Ancia was startled and called Blake's name. Then, Blake smiled affectionately at her.

'So he had that side of him too…'

Camilla became sad. She couldn't tell whether it was disappointment or something else.

And on the other hand, her anger soared.

"I'm a maid of Forens Palace and I've stayed here for a long time."

"Is that what you have to say about your rudeness just now?"

"I love you! I love you more than she ever did!"

Since Blake knew of her existence, she tried to confess.

As soon as she was notified of her dismissal, she wanted to say those words that she couldn't say before.

"Even if your curse hadn't been lifted, I would've still loved you! I'm the only one who will love you without hoping for anything in return!"

"Is this a joke?"

Blake spat out cynically.

"Pardon?"

"I've heard that a hundred times already."

Camilla bit her lips. She knew that other women would've already said that to him. But…

"I'm not like them! I mean it! I don't have the power of light. But, I would protect you with my life!"

"You overestimate yourself."

"What?"

"The things you do are your own efforts, while what others do are mere luck?"

Blake looked at Camilla coldly.

"You'll protect me? What a shallow thought."

"I-I…"

"You didn't even know me back then when I was cursed. You don't even mean it."

Camilla went pale.

She thought she understood Blake better than anyone else.

She thought Blake was similar to her, that he suffered a similar pain, so only she could fully understand him.

But he said that Camilla had never even faced him properly.

"Get out of here right now. If you act disrespectful to Ancia again, I will not forgive you."

Blake left with Ancia after warning her.

Camilla, who was left alone, slumped to the ground as she sobbed. Her unrequited love ended just like that.

Blake and I went back to the Forens Palace. Camilla shed tears until the moment we left, but I didn't feel sorry for her.

When I read the original novel, and even at this moment, I thought Camilla had never been sincere.

In the original novel, she thought she could understand Richard's pain, and this time, he was replaced by Blake.

In the novel, Camilla was on the verge of being executed because of Richard.

But right when the guillotine was about to cut her throat, she expected Richard to come to save her.

"I'm sure Richard will come to my rescue. I understand him. He will come. There's no way he would abandon a woman who really loves him."

But her expectations broke down in a terrible way, and her head was sliced off by the guillotine.

Unlike the novel, the man Camilla chose this time was Blake. And she was not unjustly executed. She was only fired.

Until now, she couldn't tell exactly what she really felt.

"I'll have to wash it."

While I was lost in thought, Blake rubbed my earlobe and whispered.

"Wha-wash what?"

I shouted in a fit of surprise.

"You thought of something dirty huh? I meant that I need to wash your ears."

Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been surprised.

"It's okay."

"Don't listen to things like that from now on. You don't have to deal with them."

"Okay, I won't do that next time."

"I regret it. I should've gotten rid of her right away."

"You're joking, aren't you?"

"…of course it's a joke."

Blake smiled awkwardly. I felt that he hesitated for a moment before he answered, but maybe I was mistaken.

"You act a little different from before."

"Me?"

"Is it because of me?"

I thought of Blake, who was always gentle back then.

If he had changed, I was probably the cause.

But Blake shook his head and denied it.

"I've never heard such a thing. Of course, I was a little sensitive back then because I was worried about you, but I never acted too harshly, so don't worry."

He smiled awkwardly like before.

"And don't mind what she said."

"Don't worry. I forgot about it as soon as I heard it. The founding day is just around the corner. There's no time to care about anything else."

I really meant it.

Three days later, Blake would officially announce my return.

It was the first party I would attend in seven years ever since I became an adult.

Of course, I was not directly in charge of the party since I was the Crown Princess, but there was a mountain of things to prepare just for my attendance.

"We'll attend the party soon, so let's enjoy it together."

He held my hand as he said sweetly, as if he knew of my worries.

"And I'd like to ask you a favor."

"Tell me."

Blake smiled brightly.

"Are you aware of what I will be asking of you? What if I ask you for a weird favour?"

"I don't care. I'll do whatever I can."

I could do anything for Blake. Besides, I believed that he wouldn't do anything that could hurt me.

"Don't. I hope my wife always puts herself first."

His expression was sad. He was probably blaming himself for the sacrifices I made for him.

No matter what I said, the guilt wouldn't go away easily.

So instead of comforting him, I smiled brightly.

"You'll do whatever I ask you to, right?"

"Of course."

"But what can I do for you?"

"Please pick out your dress."

"My dress?"

Does he mean my dress for the party?

He led me into the hall on the third floor, and I saw a row of beautiful dresses.

"Pick a dress for yourself. If you don't like it, I'll buy other dresses."

"No, no. I like everything."

In fact, the most agonizing thing was the dress.

It was a grand party to celebrate the founding day. At the same time, it was also a place to announce my return.

But there was not enough time to create a dress.

It would be best to get an already completed dress and alter it.

But even if it was only modified, it would still be difficult to make a dress for the occasion.

But as soon as I saw the dresses that filled the hall, my worries disappeared in an instant.

I went closer and inspected the dresses. The fabrics and decorations were all beautiful and looked as if they had prepared it carefully.

"How long have you been preparing this?"

"The day I brought you back to the palace."

He was already planning to attend the founding day with me while I was still Rose.

He did it secretly. If I knew he had prepared dresses for me to choose, I would definitely refuse it.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you for coming back."

Blake wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned against him for a while.

When the problem of preparing the dress was solved, another problem arose.

The dresses were all so pretty that I couldn't choose one.

After much thought I chose only one dress and was going downstairs, when I suddenly heard a loud noise.

"Sister!"

A woman wearing a black academy uniform with her hair tied in a ponytail was running towards me.

I exclaimed as soon as I saw her.

"Diana!"

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125 – It's a fraudulent marriage (6)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

Diana's face had changed and she had lost her baby fat.

Her gentle eyes had become a little sharper, and she was also taller.

She changed a lot, but I could still recognize my sister at a glance.

"Sister!"

Diana ran to me and gave me a big hug. I hugged my younger sister, whom I finally met after a long time. I was surprised by the force she put into the hug.

"Sister! Are you really sister? Are you really my older sister?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm back, Diana."

"Uwaa! S-s-sister. Uwaaa! Sister!"

I could feel the sadness and loneliness she had experienced in her cries.

"I'm sorry, don't cry. Don't cry, Diana."

"Yes, I won't cry, Uwaa! Sister. Uwaa!"

But the more she tried to hold it in, the more she cried.

I gave her a big hug without saying anything.

Diana barely managed to calm down after crying for a long time.

I told her about what happened in those 7 years, like I did with Tenstheon.

I spoke about my time inside the door of darkness brightly and said that it wasn't too hard. I didn't know how much time had passed. Diana quietly nodded her head.

I didn't think she believed me completely, but she didn't ask me to explain more.

I appreciated her consideration even though she must've been very curious.

My Diana, she really has grown up.

I held her hand tightly as I looked at the grown up Diana.

"Sister, why do you look so thin? Look at your slender wrists."

I did look thinner than before but it was not that serious.

The Imperial doctor examined me just in case, and he said I was healthy.

Also, I had even more power of light than before, so I felt quite healthy.

"Your cheeks are chubby, but your fingers are all bones."

Diana began to cry again. Physically, she had grown up, but she looked exactly the same as when she was a kid when she cried.

"I'm fine. I heard it's exam season. How did you do on your test? Aren't we going to see each other tomorrow?"

The test was important for her graduation score.

So I begged everyone to not let her know that I was back until the test was over, but it seems that she still found out.

"Jayden told me. Brother-in-law also called me. They said I should pay attention in my studies and told me to come after the test. But that didn't make sense! My sister is here, and I would get distracted from my test instead!"

She raised her voice. I guess she was still getting along well with Jayden. I was worried that she would lose all of her friends after taking two years off from the academy, but I was mistaken.

"The test is important too. It's the result of all your hard work."

"I'm sorry…"

Tears streamed down Diana's face. I held her in my arms and asked, "What would you be sorry for?"

"I gave up on you before…I was going to search for you again after I graduated, but I thought there was very little chance of finding you. I shouldn't have given up, I should've kept looking for you…I'm terribly sorry."

"How can you say that? I'm glad you're doing so well. If you had been looking for me all this time, I would be guilty instead."

I was glad that Diana kept going to the academy. It was absurd for her to apologize.

"Still…"

I wiped Diana's tears and grinned.

"Diana, how's your academy life? Is there anything uncomfortable?"

"Uncomfortable? Like what?"

"I heard you took a two-year leave of absence."

I spoke out carefully.

Diana said she didn't want to call younger children her senior, so she studied hard to get into the academy a year earlier.

But since she took a two-year leave of absence, she must've been one of the older students.

"What's the big deal about taking a leave of absence? There are so many people older than me."

She noticed what I was worried about and said brightly.

"Did you make a lot of friends?"

"Yes, of course. Also, in the last exam, I was at the top of the class."

"Good job. I'm so proud of you, my younger sister."

In my previous life, I would run to my grandmother with excitement when I got good grades. I liked my grandmother's praise more than the grades themselves.

But Diana was alone, and praises from friends were different from that from family.

"I heard about our father."

Shortly after I disappeared, Gilbert Bellacian died in exile.

"Did you have a hard time preparing the funeral alone?"

I was gone and Gilbert was dead. In addition, Diana's biological mother did not attend the funeral because she had already remarried.

Diana endured a situation that would have been difficult even for an adult.

"No, His Majesty helped me. I didn't do much. Besides, he deserved to die."

There was no sorrow or longing in her face for the loss of our father.

On the contrary, I could see a feeling of regret.

"In fact, I'm not in a position to speak ill of him."

"Huh?"

"I'm the only one who had a good room, wore good clothes, ate good food, and got a good education. Honestly, I don't have the right to call you my sister. I'm too shameless."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

When Diana tried to side with me or give me her stuff, Gilbert would get angry and beat me up instead.

There was nothing a young Diana could do in that situation.

"No, it's my fault. Why couldn't I do anything back then?"

"It's natural to be scared. We were young back then."

"Just because I was young, it doesn't change anything. I was so mean back then. So bad and mean."

Diana bit her lips so hard that it started bleeding. She kept blaming herself for seven years. No, even back then, she had felt guilty towards me.

I took Diana's hand.

I know that she had always felt guilty, but I didn't know how to comfort her.

Back then, I didn't realize that I was Ancia, so I didn't know what to say.

"…Ancia Bellacian doesn't hate you."

That's all I could say to the young Diana when she cried back then.

But now I knew what to say, because I was Ancia. So I was able to convey my thoughts.

"Diana, I don't hate you."

"……"

"I've never blamed you. You're my only sister. I've always liked you."

"Sister…"

Diana burst into tears again. I hugged my lovely sister tightly.

"Are you leaving?"

When Diana left the Forens Palace, she heard Blake's voice.

"Yes, I have one last exam left."

"Good luck on your exam."

"I'll definitely graduate at the top of my class and become Ancia's knight with confidence."

Diana's eyes were swollen because she cried so much, but her expression was full of joy because her sister had returned.

"I can't wait. I don't want to leave her to anyone else."

Diana looked at Blake. His expression was brighter than before. The dark atmosphere that surrounded him had disappeared, and he was a lot like he was in his younger days.

"Your Highness, do you remember what you said before? When I graduate at the top of my class, you agreed that we'd compete again on who likes her the most."

"I did."

"I'll admit it now. You win. I couldn't protect her until the end."

Diana thought that only a family would remember Ancia. She was so out of it and said hurtful things to Blake back then.

But in the end, it was Blake who never gave up and found Ancia.

"You only say that now? I thought I was always the winner seven years ago."

Blake responded playfully.

"No, I never thought so before."

Diana replied lightly.

"You know how much your sister cared for me. That means you've admitted it for the second time."

"Yes, but you'll see. I will be the first in her heart someday."

"You have an impossible dream."

Diana laughed. If she had heard that as a child, she would've fought with him.

However, she was grateful to Blake for telling her that he loved Ancia more than anyone else.

"You're blessed to be married to my sister."

"I'm always grateful for it."

Blake had never regretted a single moment after meeting Ancia.

If he hadn't met her, he would've been in despair all his life. He would've lived a meaningless life.

"And my sister got married to a great person too."

Diana smiled sweetly. But Blake shook his head with a sad face

"No, she's been through a lot because of me."

Blake recalled the image of Ancia as she was walking endlessly in the darkness. Blake was silent because he knew that was what Ancia wanted, but he felt pained when he thought about her efforts.

Diana encouraged Blake warmly when she saw him blaming himself.

"She wouldn't think so, and you can just be a good husband for her in return."

"Of course I should."

He'd protect her smile and only happy days would be ahead of them from now on.

"There's something I really want to say to you."

Diana hesitated to open her mouth.

"What is it? Tell me."

"It's late, but I sincerely congratulate you for breaking the curse."

When Blake's curse was lifted, she was shocked by Ancia's disappearance and couldn't celebrate it.

Of course, she later apologized for it, but time went by without celebrating it.

"Thank you."

Blake smiled.

As Ancia returned, all the scars and sadness left between the two disappeared.

"I'll be on my way."

"Yes, be careful."

"I'll take the exam tomorrow and come back!"

"Of course. Otherwise Ancia will be upset."

"Don't worry."

Diana answered him while smiling brightly.

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126 – It's a fraudulent marriage (7)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

The founding day had finally arrived.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Her Highness the Crown Princess has arrived!"

I entered the ballroom with Blake escorting me.

At that moment, everyone's eyes were on us.

It was the first party I attended after a long time. I didn't feel nervous, just a bit overwhelmed.

I was attending the ball with Blake. I never thought this day would happen.

I thought I would have to leave after Blake's curse was lifted, so I never imagined that I would be next to Blake when he stood proudly in front of everyone.

But today, we were next to each other.

The nobles stepped back and made a path for us.

We walked ahead together.

Blake looked very confident and dignified today.

My heart fluttered when I saw him being different from his usual cute and friendly appearance.

Tenstheon stood up from his seat and looked at us happily.

When we climbed onto the platform, Tenstheon gave me a light hug.

"You look very pretty today."

"Thank you, father."

Tenstheon smiled warmly, then turned around and looked at the nobles.

"The blessing of the Asteric Empire, the Crown Princess, and my precious daughter, Ancia, has returned."

When Tenstheon declared that the Crown Princess had returned, the nobles all bowed their heads in unison.

"Congratulations on the return of the Crown Princess, the blessing of the Empire."

I saw Diana among the nobles. She was dressed in the knight academy's red robes.

Originally, the academy uniform was dark blue, but students who won the top spot at least once were given red robes.

Diana said she hadn't attended any party other than the academy's events since I disappeared. She didn't even make her society debut.

So I wanted Diana to wear a dress today.

I offered many beautiful dresses that Blake had prepared for me, but Diana refused by saying she hated them.

"Ugh, I can't wear that. It's so uncomfortable."

It's not because she didn't want to borrow from me, but it was because she really hated wearing it, so I didn't force her.

I was a little disappointed, but I felt very proud when I saw her wearing the academy uniform.

She looked even cooler because only top students could wear that red robe.

Diana was the only woman wearing pants.

I looked at Diana proudly and told everyone.

"Thank you for your welcome. Please get up everyone."

"Yes, Your Highness."

When I ordered them, the nobles raised their heads in unison.

Mrs. Chardin's eyes were moist, and the other ladies who were close to me also cried.

No, they were no longer ladies.

Next to them stood their husbands. Everyone had gotten married now.

Time had really passed by so quickly.

There were many new faces in the crowd. This was because after the Duke of Cassil's downfall, many other nobles had entered the Palace now.

Almost all the nobles of the Empire were invited, but I didn't see Richard.

Richard brought in the fake Ancia. So by law, he had to be punished.

Then again, she wasn't just a fake. It was Serphania, the goddess of light.

Ser disappeared and Richard was investigated, but he said he didn't know anything and had no idea that she was the goddess of light.

Ser seemed to have completely deceived Richard.

What was her intention for finding Richard?

Anyway, even though Richard brought her, he didn't do it to deceive anyone. So I couldn't punish him for this.

Richard was supposed to be the Marquis' son-in-law, so he was eligible to attend the ball with Lady Westin.

But neither Richard nor the Westin family were anywhere to be seen.

Why didn't they come?

It was a grand party to commemorate the founding of the Asteric Empire. There would be no place better than this to declare his return to society.

He wouldn't have missed this party. He wasn't that kind of person.

He would've attended this party confidently.

If he was worried about public opinion, he would have used Lady Westin to appeal his innocence.

Why didn't he attend this party?

I had an ominous premonition.

The party began with praise for Phillip, the first Emperor of the Asteric Empire.

But it was different this time.

We praised the goddess of light instead.

However, the nobles were distracted by my return and didn't notice the difference.

"Her Highness is still so beautiful."

"Yes, I recognized her at first sight."

"I'm glad she looks healthy."

"His Highness is smiling!"

"I've never really seen His Highness like that."

"I haven't seen him smile in a long time."

While everyone was thrilled to see that the Crown Princess had returned safely and the Emperor and the Crown Prince were happy, Chelsea nervously whispered to her father, Count Brooke.

"Father, you must tell His Highness everything."

"Yes, don't worry."

"There should be no mistakes."

Chelsea was the Crown Princess's maid so she had been busy since dawn.

Ancia looked very beautiful wearing a sky blue dress.

"What do you think, Blake?"

"Pretty. Very pretty."

Blake's affectionate gaze didn't stray off of Ancia for even a moment.

Chelsea couldn't even see any traces of the cold Crown Prince.

But it wasn't a bad change.

Chelsea gazed at Ancia and Blake with delight.

'I want to get married too.'

For the first time in her life, she felt happy as she was preparing for the ball. Suddenly, a voice rang out in the hallway of the palace.

"Edon, everybody's going to look at her. What do I do? I want to dig their eyes out."

Chelsea was so frightened by his gruesome words that she hid herself without realizing it.

Blake and Edon were talking in the hallway. He looked so friendly and nice when he was with Ancia out there, but this Blake was very scary.

Chelsea wasn't the only one who was surprised. Edon was also surprised and tried to dissuade him.

"Your Highness, please refrain from doing that."

"If anyone wants to dance with her, I'll cut off their wrist."

"You can't do that!"

"Then shall I just get rid of them now?"

"Your Highness!"

Blake really meant it. Edon desperately tried to stop him.

Cold sweat ran down on Chelsea's back when she heard him.

In fact, there was a rumour about the Crown Princess. They said that when someone attacked or tried to hurt Ancia, or even just displeased her in some way, they would be cursed with misfortunes.

The Duke of Cassil and the Marquis of Hamel had acted recklessly against the Crown Princess and now they were ruined. One of the Empire's prominent clothing stores, Perion, also collapsed overnight.

After Ancia disappeared, she heard that the people who used to gossip about her were also punished.

Chelsea didn't believe these stories.

The Duke of Cassil had crossed the line and acted rudely to the Emperor.

Frank also made fun of Ancia, so it made the situation worse.

It was true that Mrs. Perion was criticized for making mean comments to Ancia.

However, her store only went bankrupt when she wanted to expand her business but failed to plan ahead. There was no correlation between their collapse with the Crown Princess.

There were many women in the Palace who were said to have been plagued by misfortune because they spoke ill of the Crown Princess.

But they were fired for throwing away the Crown Prince's belongings. Those were all natural consequences.

In the end, the rumour was just a conspiracy theory that involved various events.

But now that she heard Blake speaking, she thought it might not be just a rumor.

Come to think of it, Dix's family also collapsed because they looked down on Rose.

Yesterday, Camilla's family, the Vendricks, were investigated for corruption.

'If the Crown Prince dealt with every person who does harm to Ancia, then that might explain the rumors…'

She understood what was happening now and she continued to listen.

"What about deportation?"

"Please don't!"

"You say no to everything. I think it's best to just cut off the wrists of anyone who flirts with Ancia."

"Your Highness, please!"

Chelsea stopped listening to them talk.

She thought that Blake became cold and distant only after he lost his loved one.

He was cold and didn't open up his heart to anyone.

But maybe it wasn't because of that.

'Oh my god…'

The Crown Prince was simply a scary man.

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127 – It's a fraudulent marriage (8)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

It was not known whether or not the story about the Crown Princess was really the work of the Crown Prince.

But it was clear that Blake would not let anyone approach her at today's ball.

As soon as Chelsea arrived at the ballroom, she walked over to her father, Count Brooke, and her relatives.

"They cannot at any costs ask Her Highness to dance. Tell them to be careful with their gaze too. They must be polite! Tell the other men in our family too!"

When Chelsea said so, Count Brooke did not question her and told his nephew and family to do as she said.

The ball had begun, but the tension in the room did not ease in the slightest.

"You remember what I said? Do not ask Her Highness to dance at any cost."

Chelsea warned repeatedly. The Crown Prince was, in fact, much scarier than Tenstheon.

Especially when it came to Ancia.

Then, her cousin Thomas said, "Isn't it going against the etiquette if I don't ask her to dance?"

Thomas grumbled, unable to take his eyes off Ancia.

He just wanted to dance with a pretty girl but used etiquette as an excuse!

Chelsea hit him on the back.

"Ah! That hurts!"

"When will you grow up, you rascal!?"

"So what!"

"If you goof off today, I'll kick you out of the family register!"

Chelsea gave Thomas a firm warning.

She warned them again one more time before the event began.

When I first attended the palace ball, I was very nervous.

I quickly chose an elegant dress and memorized the list of nobles.

After that, I was worried that I might make a mistake during the ball.

I was afraid because my mistake would stain Blake's reputation.

But now it was different. There was no need to worry about things like that.

Even if I made a mistake, no one would underestimate Blake, the honorable Crown Prince of the Asteric Empire.

However, I became nervous when the ball officially started.

I have to put my right foot out first. Don't forget that, Ancia. Right foot!

Don't get distracted by the steps, concentrate on maintaining balance. I have to maintain a consistent distance from my partner. Don't rush!

I can't do this. Let's review it again. Right foot, left foot, forward and backward, turn…

And, uh, what was it?

All of a sudden, I couldn't think of any of the steps that I had just memorized and my mind went blank.

What if I make a mistake? I hope I won't fall. If I step on his foot…

Of course, even if I made a mistake that didn't mean that Blake's reputation would turn to dust.

But I didn't want to be humiliated with so many people watching.

"Don't worry."

Blake said gently as if he had read my mind.

"But what if I fall down? So many people are watching…"

"Should I make them bow their heads the whole time?"

"…huh?"

"I'll eliminate everything you don't like."

"Don't do that. It will go down in history."

I didn't want to read any history books with an anecdote of a prince who made all of the ball attendees bow down the whole time, just because his wife didn't want to humiliate herself.

"And I don't mind if you step on my foot. You're like a fairy, as light as a feather."

He told me the same thing as when we were young.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Besides, everyone's so busy looking at you that they don't even care about your steps. I'm afraid everyone has a crush on you."

I would've hated it if someone else said that, but it sounded sweet coming from Blake.

Was it because of his innocent appearance, or because they were my husband's words that I felt good?

The melody of an elegant waltz filled the ballroom.

We held hands together, and after taking a deep breath, I took the first step with my right foot without making a mistake.

It was finally time for our first dance.

When the dance began, I was so happy to be dancing with Blake that I didn't care about my steps or movements at all.

Back then, we practiced while looking at the moon in the palace hall, dreaming of the day we would attend the ball together.

After I returned to my original body, I practiced every day, preparing for this dance.

Maybe that's why my body remembered the steps without having to think about them.

I relaxed and danced freely, following the flow of the music.

I wanted to share my first dance with Blake at the ball, but I thought it would be an impossible dream.

Since his curse had to be lifted if he wanted to escape the shabby palace and attend the ball, he needed Diana's power of light.

So I thought that there would be someone else next to Blake even if the day came.

Yet now, we were still together.

I pulled off the most difficult steps with ease, and soon, the dance came to an end.

Even though it had come to an end, my heart still hadn't stopped racing.

I was so happy to be the one standing next to Blake that I couldn't calm down.

"It's like a dream."

"I think so too."

"What if it's really a dream?"

What if I was still wandering in the darkness and this was all an illusion?

Fear gripped my heart when that thought suddenly flashed through my mind.

"It's not a dream."

Blake hugged me tightly. Feeling his warm body temperature, my rapidly beating heart calmed down a little.

"That's right. It's not a dream."

We stood in each other's embrace while the melody of the beautiful waltz gradually diminished and ended.

After the first song ended, it was time to switch partners for the next song.

"It's alright now."

I smiled brightly to reassure Blake, but he stood next to me unwaveringly.

It was not polite to dance more than one time with the same partner.

I was thinking about what to do, when I heard Tenstheon's voice.

"Blake, remember to follow the etiquette."

The Crown Prince of the Empire could not ignore the Emperor's words. Blake turned to look at Tenstheon.

"Your Majesty, are you going to dance too?"

Tenstheon quickly replied without a hint of hesitation.

"Yes. I've already waited many years after you had your first dance."

I was originally supposed to dance with Tenstheon at the first ball I attended.

But Tenstheon knew I wanted to dance with Blake for my first dance so he didn't force me.

That was already 10 years ago…

Tenstheon said so, but Blake stood still and refused to yield.

I released Blake's hand and looked at Tenstheon.

"Wife…"

Blake looked shocked when I chose His Majesty. I felt bad seeing his expression, but I couldn't help it this time.

"I promised my father a long time ago."

"Blake, get out of the way."

Tenstheon always gave Blake everything he wanted, but this time, he refused to give in.

"Ancia, will you dance with me?"

Tenstheon held his hand out and politely asked me for a dance. I smiled brightly as I took his hand.

"Of course."

I started my second dance with Tenstheon.

His steps were perfect.

I could see why Mrs. Shardin said that I always danced according to the texbook.

I had never danced with anyone other than Blake. I didn't even practice with anybody else.

So my dance moves were tailored to match Blake only. It was the same for Blake too.

Yet, Tenstheon led me perfectly.

Not only did he dance well, he was also able to improve his partner's ability.

Even if someone didn't know anything about dancing, they'd look like a good dancer when dancing with him.

"Ancia, what's wrong."

"I'm just surprised because you dance so well."

"What are you talking about?"

Tenstheon grinned and continued.

"I'm so glad you're back."

"I'm happy to be able to dance with you too."

"No, it's my honor."

Thanks to Tenstheon leading, I was able to finish the second dance without making any mistakes.

At the end of the second song, Tenstheon bowed slightly. It was a perfect finish.

After we finished dancing, I could feel the envious gazes of several women who wanted to be in my position on me. However, Tenstheon no longer danced and returned to his original position.

The next song also begun. Then, someone I had never expected came to me.

"Will you give me the honor of dancing with Your Highness?"

"Diana."

I was surprised. I never thought Diana would ask me for a dance.

Although she wore pants today, there had never been a precedent of two girls dancing together in an official ball.

People around me kept chattering, but Diana stood confidently.

"Sister, this is the first dance of my life. Don't refuse it."

If everyone heard about it and I refused her offer, people would talk about her.

I took Diana's hand and accepted the dance request, but I still felt uncomfortable.

"How can you dance with me for your first dance!?"

I whispered in her ear.

"What's wrong with it?"

"For your first dance, you should dance with someone you like."

There was Jayden and the other cool guys from the Knights Academy. There would certainly be someone who liked Diana among them.

Whoever it was, it would be better to dance with them than with me.

But Diana responded quickly.

"You are the person I like most."

"Diana…"

"The music had started. Are we going to stand like this?"

If we didn't start moving, we would bump into someone else.

I sighed and held her hands as we danced to the waltz.

128 – It's a fraudulent marriage (9)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

Diana seemed like a natural as she led me. Of course, she was no match for Tenstheon or Blake.

But her dancing skills were still remarkable.

"Since when have you been practicing?"

Diana had dance classes when she was young, but that was for the women's position. She had never learned how to dance in the men's position.

"I practiced really hard yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yes, I wanted to dance with my sister."

I couldn't believe that she was this good after practicing just one day. I couldn't even do the basic steps even after working hard for a long time.

Was this the difference between a talented person and a normal person?

This was my third dance, but maybe because I was dancing with my younger sister, I felt relaxed. I looked at Diana.

"Diana, you're so tall now."

I noticed it when we met, but standing so close like this I couldn't help but realize that she really had grown much taller. She could easily be over 170cm.

"I'm the tallest girl in my class."

There was no particular description of her height in the original story. Unlike the original story, however, she seemed to have grown way taller while training and attending the Academy of Knights.

When we were young, I was the tallest among the three, but now I was the shortest.

"I envy you."

"You're cute because you're small."

"……"

It didn't comfort me at all to hear my younger sister say that.

"Oh, sorry!"

As I was sulking, I lost focus and accidentally stepped on Diana's foot.

"It's okay."

Diana smiled and pulled my waist.

"But please focus a little more. It's my first dance."

"Okay."

I couldn't ruin Diana's first dance.

After finishing the dance, Diana bowed gracefully.

"It was an honor. Your Highness."

"It was an honor for me too, Countess Bellacian."

After Diana left, other men approached me. I didn't know much about them except for their names and family.

Which of them should I choose?

I was worried about whom I should dance with, and whether or not I would be able to dance well, when Blake took my hand.

"Ancia, will you dance with me?"

"Dancing with the same person is against etiquette."

"Just the last time."

Blake grumbled cutely.

To be honest, the moment he held my hand, my nervousness disappeared and I felt at ease. But etiquette was etiquette.

I was still wondering what to do, but then Blake turned his head and looked at the men that asked for a dance.

At that moment, the men's faces turned pale and they hurriedly left with their tails tucked between their legs.

What kind of facial expression did he make?

"Blake, what have you done?"

"I didn't do anything."

He said gently. Just looking at his expression, he looked really harmless. However, the expressions of the men that just left showed that it was not true.

Well, it didn't matter.

I wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of having to refuse other people's requests for a dance everytime anymore. Besides, I wanted to dance with Blake again.

It was the first beautiful moment I experienced in seven years so it was okay to forget the rules for a while.

In the end, the two of us danced together for a long time.

Even after the song ended, we didn't change partners and looked at each other only.

When I came back to my seat to take a rest after dancing, people rushed over to me as if they had been waiting.

"Your Highness, I'm glad you're back."

"Congratulations."

"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

Some people were glad to see me after a long time, while others were new faces.

I was grateful to them for welcoming me after 7 years and glad to meet them again. But I was a little tired from talking to so many people.

So I headed to the terrace to relax, but Blake approached me and whispered in my ear.

"Ancia, let's go."

"What? Where?"

Where were we going when the ball hadn't even finished?

"You promised."

"Promise?"

"Let's watch the fireworks."

Fireworks…

"Melissa and Hans will be in the square, right?"

"Yeah. They're probably watching fireworks in the square by now."

"We can do that too, right?"

"Of course. Let's take a look at the square."

When we were young, we promised each other to go to the festival together and I asked him to watch the fireworks with me in the square.

He didn't forget our promise.

"But if we leave…"

We were at the ball now. Even if the other nobles didn't notice, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess could not go out until the ball was over.

"It will be the biggest firework festival in the history of the Empire. I prepared it specially for you. Won't you watch it with me?"

Blake looked at me with a pitiful expression.

Seeing his pitiful eyes, I couldn't find any words to refuse him. Besides, I also wanted to see the fireworks.

Of course, there were fireworks in the palace, but watching them in the square was different.

I looked at Tenstheon. Tenstheon was talking to Collin. He turned his head and stared at me.

He gestured briefly, the corners of his mouth gently rising.

Father knows…

"Okay, let's go."

I smiled broadly and took hold of Blake's hand.

We sneaked out of the ballroom. Then, I took off my fancy dress and shoes, changed into casual clothes, and headed to the square.

The square was already crowded with thousands of people.

Blake held my hand firmly. He grinned and said, "I need to make sure I don't lose my wife."

"Am I a child?"

"Well, you're still a baby in my eyes."

He tapped my cheek.

"……"

"Cute."

I couldn't believe he said that.

Come to think of it, Diana did the same thing a little while ago. They were the cute ones back then…how did I end up being told that I was cute by the little ones?

I was definitely a reliable and cool wife…

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"We're supposed to see it from the front."

The square was crowded with people, but if we identified ourselves, we would get a view in the front. But I shook my head.

"We can see it from here."

Those who were at the front had waited since morning to see the fireworks from a good position. I didn't want to take their place.

"There's a VIP seat in front of us."

Blake pointed to the seats.

Like he said, there was a luxurious space prepared for the nobles.

Since the Asteric Empire valued people of status, there would be special seats provided for the nobles at any event.

But I shook my head again this time.

"It's better here."

If we sit, we will feel comfortable, but we'll attract attention. So it's no different from seeing it at the Palace.

I wanted to enjoy the festive mood.

The square was crowded with family, lovers, and friends.

Even now, I could hear people talking all over the place, but they were engrossed in the camaraderie and didn't care about us.

Seven years ago, and even a while ago, I couldn't even dream about this.

Blake had the curse of the goddess, and I had my burn scars.

Back then, if we didn't cover ourselves with masks, we would be anxious to stand in front of people and have to deal with many contemptuous gazes.

Today, I wanted to enjoy the festival without any attention.

It was much better to see Blake standing proudly next to me.

"Okay, we'll do what you want."

We held hands tightly and looked up at the sky.

After a while, the fireworks went off. Beautiful fireworks covered the black sky.

"Wow!"

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Mom, look at that!"

The sound of fireworks and people's admiration filled the spacious square.

I saw fireworks in the palace before, but It felt different when I saw them in the square.

The sound of fireworks and the stars looked very clear.

In addition, it was several times more grand and splendid than usual as the national founding day was a celebration of a millennium.

"Wow…It's pretty, isn't it?"

When I turned my head, I saw Blake staring at me.

"Yes, pretty."

"What are you doing? You should look at the fireworks."

"My wife is prettier."

He held my shoulders.

"Look at the fireworks. We can see it anytime, but we can't see such big fireworks unless it is at this moment."

There were fireworks at every festival, but fireworks of this scale were rare.

"…Blake, I'm not leaving anymore."

"I know. Even if you try to leave, I'll never let you."

Blake took my hand in his. I smiled slightly and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I don't even want to leave."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Make a promise."

"I promise."

I hooked my pinky finger around his.

It was not a white lie this time.

We would continue to be next to each other from now on.

129 – It's a fraudulent marriage (10)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

After we hooked our pinky fingers together, Blake kissed me.

It wasn't the kind of kiss that barely touched the lips, rather, it was a real adult's kiss.

We shared each other's temperature for a long time, and as soon as we stopped, a huge firecracker exploded with a loud sound.

The dark sky shone brightly.

The splendid firework show was suitable for the big festival.

As the twinkling lights slowly disappeared, the atmosphere became quiet.

"It's over."

By the time we were done kissing, the fireworks had ended. How long had we been doing that for?

"I didn't see it properly…"

"Should I ask them to start the fireworks again?"

Blake asked affectionately.

"It's alright."

"Tell me if you want to see it again. I'll do whatever my wife wants."

Hearing him speak so confidently, I was deeply moved.

It seemed like yesterday when we saw the fireworks in the attic of the small palace, but now his status had risen to the point where he could conduct a festival as he pleased.

He was the Crown Prince of the Empire, who was acknowledged by all.

"It's okay. Let's see it again next year."

After the fireworks ended, people left one by one. But even after everyone left, we stood there.

We had made this promise seven years ago.

I looked at the pitch-black night sky while I leaned into his embrace.

"Blake, when you married me, wasn't it a bit disappointing?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your marriage partner was me."

"What does that mean?"

"I know that Diana was your first love."

Back then, even if I knew it, I pretended not to know. But I said it this time. I didn't know myself why I suddenly brought this up.

"Diana?"

Blake sounded angry. I looked at him in amazement

"Blake…?"

"My first love is Diana?"

"…isn't that right?"

"Since when have you been thinking about such nonsense?"

Since when…

That was what I thought from the beginning. After all, that was what it said in the original story.

Blake liked Diana, and after finding that out, Tenstheon let him marry the Bellacian family.

Gilbert Bellacian did not want to send his beloved Diana to the cursed crown prince, but he wanted the huge wedding gift.

That's why Ancia was sent to the palace instead.

"Didn't you marry me because you failed to get married to Diana?"

"No, it was you from the beginning. Ancia, I got married because it was you. If it were someone else, I would have refused."

"It wasn't Diana, but me…?"

Come to think of it, the Emperor didn't really specify whom to marry in the original story.

Considering the situation, I naturally thought it was Diana, since she was the same age as Blake and she was cherished by the Count of Bellacian.

Furthermore, Diana was the main character, so I never doubted it.

But that wasn't it…?

"I told you I like you from the beginning. I told you that you were the only one. You didn't believe me? Did you think I liked Diana? Is that why you wanted to leave?"

I had never seen Blake be this angry. It must've been a big misunderstanding.

As soon as I tried to apologize to him, cold drops of water dripped on my face.

Huh? Is it raining?

As soon as I realized that it was raining, the raindrops that had been dripping down slowly one by one began to pour heavily.

The heavy rain soaked our clothes in an instant.

The wind was cold and the temperature dropped as it rained. At this rate, we would get stuck before we even reached the Imperial Palace.

"Let's go over there."

Frustrated by the sudden situation, Blake pointed at the hotel next to the square.

That was the biggest hotel in the capital city.

I nodded and we entered the hotel without wasting any time.

As we entered the hotel, the manager led us to the suite on the top floor as if he had been waiting.

"Did you make a reservation?"

All the accommodations were fully booked because of the festival. There couldn't have been such a nice room left.

"Yes. If there were too many people and the VIP seats were uncomfortable, we would watch it here."

I looked out the window. The night view was beautiful since it was the best hotel in the capital city.

Although it was now covered by the heavy rain, the square was still slightly visible.

Blake held my hand firmly as soon as we arrived at the square.

He remembered that I said crowded places were scary, so just in case, he reserved a hotel right next to the square.

"Should we have seen it from here?"

I shook my head.

"I like it here, but I'd still prefer to see it in the square."

We could enjoy fireworks comfortably if we saw them at the hotel, but we would've missed the festive atmosphere.

"That's a good thing."

"…Blake, are you angry?"

Blake's expression had been stiff ever since I brought up Diana's topic.

He shook his head at my question.

"No, but you are my first and my last love. Don't forget that."

"Okay, I won't forget it."

Blake's stiff expression relaxed and he smiled brightly.

"You're going to catch a cold. Go ahead and wash up."

Now he didn't have any curse. However, I was still worried about him.

I pretended to rub Blake's face to see if he had a fever, but he took my hand.

"It's cold. Go inside first."

Unlike when he was young, now his hands were warm.

He was no longer a fragile little boy.

"Alright."

I went into the bathroom first. After taking a quick shower, I told Blake to wash up.

Blake went into the bathroom, and I was left alone in the large hotel room.

I sat on a chair in front of the window in my bathrobe and looked down at the view.

The rain was stronger than before, so there was nothing to be seen except the darkness, rain hitting the windows, and dim street lights.

The stalls and shops were closed and people left the square.

I was surprised by the sudden rain, but I was glad that the fireworks were over.

Creak-

I could hear the door open.

When I turned my head, I saw Blake wearing a black bathrobe.

"……"

I was at a loss for words.

Blake felt really different.

This was not the Amoria Palace where we spent our childhood together.

It was not the Foren Palace that was full of things I picked when I was a kid either.

Is it because this place is completely disconnected to my memory?

When I was young, I often saw his naked body when I helped him take a bath.

I used to check his body every day, worrying that the curse might have spread.

However, when Blake appeared in front of me wearing only a bathrobe, it felt really different.

The silver-haired man stood tall and faced me with an indescribable gaze. I met his gaze but quickly looked away without realizing it.

"Why are you avoiding my eyes?"

"……"

Blake came close to me.

"……"

And then he touched my hair.

"It's wet."

Originally, I should have dried it in the bathroom.

But Blake was also soaked in the rain, so I hurried out because I wanted him to warm up with a hot shower as soon as possible.

"Ah, I'll go dry it."

As soon as I was about to get up from the chair, he grabbed my shoulder and made me sit down again.

"I'll dry it."

"It's alright…"

"I want to do it."

I ended up sitting on the chair. Blake stood behind me and dried my hair.

His long fingers swept through my hair slowly.

"Today wasn't a very good day, was it?"

"No, it was like a dream."

I got up at dawn and was busy preparing for the dance. But even though it was raining heavily, the day felt really good.

It's just that my body felt a little weird.

I was extremely conscious of Blake's presence and my head went blank every time his fingers touched my hair or the back of my neck. My body was also heating up.

In order to hide my condition, I answered curtly and quickly shut my mouth.

Both of us became silent, and the sound of rain outside the window filled the room.

This time, Blake broke the silence.

"Ancia, how much longer do I have to wait?"

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130 – It's a fraudulent marriage (11)

TL: Zimming

Editor: bodyinthefreezer

"Wait for what?"

"You were supposed to talk to me casually. I've been waiting until now."

Before leaving for the Door of Darkness, I asked Blake to wait a little longer because it was still awkward.

I didn't think much of it back then. However, 7 years had already passed since I said that.

"Maybe later…"

But I said the same thing again that I said in the past.

A thousand years ago, I had been friends with Rakshul. However, after he was reincarnated, it was awkward to speak casually and that's why I continued to use honorifics.

I think I became more polite because I was used to living as Rose.

"Should I dye my hair?"

Blade suddenly said.

"Dye your hair?"

"Yes. I had a strange dream a few days ago."

"What did you see in it?"

"We were walking in the woods, and you spoke to me very casually. Like a friend."

"……"

"But the strange thing is, my hair was black."

Did he dream of his past life? I looked away in surprise. Blake continued to stare at me.

"If my hair turns black, will my wife talk to me comfortably?"

"…do you want me to speak casually?"

"Yes. I want to be friends with my wife."

Blake took my hand and kissed it.

I looked into Blake's eyes.

When I saw him after he came out of the bathroom, I turned my head away for some reason. But now I didn't want to avoid him anymore.

"…Alright"

I touched his face as I replied.

My hand trailed down from his forehead, and I traced his cheeks, lips, chin, and neck, and chest as I went lower.

"…Blake, can I check?"

Suddenly, I wanted to check his body.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

"I want to see if the curse really has been lifted."

I wanted to see with my own eyes whether or not the Curse of the Goddess really had been lifted.

But Blake remained silent for a while.

"No…?"

"I'm no longer a child."

He grabbed my hand that was on his chest.

"Did you miss me?"

"Yes, I missed you."

I nodded without hesitation.

Blake let go of my hand and took off his bathrobe.

He cut a slender figure when he was clothed, but when he took off his clothes, his firm muscles harmonized with each other and made him look like an ancient statue.

But rather than the muscles, I noticed that the sentences of the curse had completely disappeared.

The curse really had been lifted. I already knew it, but it really hit me when I saw it in person.

I reached for Blake's body.

As soon as my hand touched his body, Blake pulled me closer by my waist and kissed me. I slid my arms around his neck and accepted the kiss.

Blake kissed me roughly and bit my lower lip.

I shuddered with surprise at the sudden stimulus, but he didn't stop and continued to kiss me on my chin and neck.

His lips gradually travelled lower, and the robe that was covering my body came untied.

"Ugh."

I woke up with a groan. Why did my whole body feel so sore? Ah!

The moment I saw a handsome man lying next to me, I woke up and remembered what happened last night.

Oh, oh, Oh, oh, oh…!

It was my first experience.

I had never done it before, whether it was in Korea or a thousand years ago.

I'm so embarrassed…

How was I supposed to face Blake from now on?

What to do? What to do? What to do?!!

I couldn't think of anything because my face was heating up.

Let's get dressed first!

I looked down and saw a pure white chemise draped over my body.

When did I wear it? Did Blake put it on me?

"Wife, did you sleep well?"

"Ah!"

I shouted in surprise at the sudden sound.

"Why are you so surprised?"

Blake looked at me as he smiled innocently.

The beast-like man from last night had disappeared and turned back into an innocent rabbit.

'Was it a dream?'

Yes, my husband was the cutest and most innocent. There was no such thing as a wild and beast-like husband.

But the soreness I felt was clear evidence that last night was real.

I pulled the blanket towards me and covered myself.

"You're pulling it off as soon as you wake up?"

He looked up at me and blinked innocently with his big eyes.

"I pulled the blanket! Don't leave that word and make it sound so ambiguous!"

"But it's embarrassing if you pull it off like that."

"……"

Putting my husband's true nature aside, it was Blake who was supposed to cover himself with a blanket now.

"Go to sleep."

I tried to cover him up again, but he pulled my hand.

"But I don't find it embarrassing if I hold your hand like this."

He said and gently lowered his eyes as if he was embarrassed. His face was also flushed.

In the past, looking at my husband being shy I'd find him so cute that I would've hugged him right away.

But now, I still remembered what happened last night vividly.

"Ancia, tell me what you want."

"Blake…"

"If you don't tell me, I won't know."

Just thinking about what happened at that time made my face burn up.

'It was no use pretending to be naive now.'

I knew my husband's true nature.

The rabbit was actually a beast in disguise!

I thought I had married a rabbit, but he had tricked me. This was a fraudulent marriage!

I glared at him without saying anything, while he crept into his blanket and covered himself.

"I feel shy seeing my wife like that."

"……"

That's why he knew everything! He pretended to be innocent, but I wouldn't be fooled anymore!

I stared at him, finding it ridiculous, as he took my hand and led me onto the bed.

When I lay down next to him again, Blake stared at me.

"Are you mad at me?"

He didn't do anything wrong. I was embarrassed by what happened last night, but honestly I liked it.

However, I was under the impression that my husband was an innocent rabbit, so I felt a small sense of betrayal. It felt as if he was not a mere fox, but a thousand year old gumiho instead.

"You fox."

"Do you like foxes now? You want to raise a fox? Should I become a fox?"

"You're already a fox."

"What does that mean?"

He opened his innocent eyes widely.

His expression was the same as when he was young.

I didn't know how he hid his true nature all this time.

But no matter how hard I thought about it, it was useless. He only revealed his true nature last night!

I knew now. He was not a rabbit!

"But what were you talking about before? You left me hanging last night."

"……"

Last night…

"Blake, please…"

"Ancia."

"D-do it!"

My face flushed when those words came out of Blake's mouth.

Yes, I did. I said that. But…!

"Th-th-that…!"

"Come here."

He hugged me in embarrassment.

"Let's just stay like this."

"We have to go back to the palace."

"I'll make it short."

"…it's too late. Let's go."

I still felt awkward speaking informally, but it was better than before.

"Let's stay just a little longer."

But even though Blake said that, he wouldn't let me go.

"…it must've stopped raining."

Bright sunlight filtered in through the closed curtains. I couldn't hear the sound of the rain anymore.

"That's right."

"Shall we walk to the palace?"

"Your legs will hurt."

"Then just to the square."

If it didn't rain yesterday, we would've enjoyed the festival after watching the fireworks and looked around the stands and shops.

Of course, we had made other memories instead, but it still felt like a wasted opportunity.

"Let's do that."

Blake kissed me on the cheek and said, "Would you like a candy apple?"

"No need."

The candy apple which rolled to the floor back then came back to mind again.

"I'll feed you so that it doesn't fall down."

I was about to say that I was not a child, but Blake rubbed my lips slowly. I felt strange.

"L-Let's go."

As I tried to get up to hide my red face, Blake hugged me tightly.

"But I don't want to leave."

"Me neither."

I relaxed in his arms.

As I felt Blake's warm body temperature, my shyness gradually dissipated and my heart began to beat rapidly instead.

Blake really seemed to be my man, and I felt like I was his woman too.