Crown Prince, I hate you!

Rael froze, her head finally turning back toward me. Her eyelids trembled as she stared.

“I’ll help you,” I said again, my voice steady despite my own unease. “I can help you.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

“The marriage was Lady Porhan’s decision, wasn’t it? If we can change her mind, she’ll be the one to oppose the Viscount. That’s all we need.”

“There’s no way to do that,” Rael snapped, her voice rising in frustration. “Do you think I haven’t thought of it? I’ve already investigated everything about him, and there’s nothing—no weaknesses, no mistakes. It’s almost unbelievable.”

Rael’s eyes glistened as her frustration mounted. I stepped closer.

“No, there is something. You just haven’t found it yet. I’ll find it for you. Trust me.”

I already knew the crimes the Viscount had committed in his past. All I needed to do was retrace his steps.

“How can I trust you? And how did you even know about my engagement to begin with? Were you just trying to take advantage of me from the start?”

Gaining her trust was the first hurdle.

Rael’s voice was sharp, as though trying to dissect my intentions, but she fell silent when I placed a document on the table.

“This is minor information about his corruption. It won’t cause significant damage yet.”

The list of crimes I could remember was hastily written but enough to catch her attention.

“I heard about your situation from an informant,” I lied smoothly.

“An informant?”

“Of course. It’s not ideal for someone like me to meet one directly, but it happens. Now, you have leverage against me too.”

“Why are you doing this? Why go to such lengths? We barely know each other.”

Rael’s expression softened slightly, though suspicion lingered in her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said. “I have my reasons too. There’s something I need your help with.”

“My help?”

“Yes. I want to return to high society. But there’s much I don’t know anymore. Help me adapt, and that will be enough.”

Rael said nothing for a long moment, her lips pressing into a thin line.

“Take your time,” I added. “I’ll wait for your answer.”

‘This will do.’

I hadn’t expected her to accept immediately, so I wasn’t surprised.

Just as I was about to turn away, Rael’s quiet voice stopped me in my tracks.

“All right.”

I turned sharply, surprised by her response. Her gaze met mine, her expression as composed as ever.

“But let’s make a contract,” she added, her tone calm and deliberate. “I still can’t fully trust you.”

I smiled and extended my hand.

“Of course.”

3:00 PM.

The sun hung lower in the sky, casting a soft, warm glow—a perfect hour for quiet reflection.

For the first time in what felt like ages, I sat at a tea table, indulging in a rare moment of peace.

I’ve met with Rael and wrapped up all the unfinished work, I thought, satisfied.

With my return to society, I knew the days ahead would only grow busier. This break felt like a small gift, though I couldn’t help but question whether this life—more hectic than even my days as the Crown Princess—was truly the right path.

Still, I let myself enjoy the moment. Sunlight fell gently across my face, warm but not harsh, and my feet swayed idly beneath the table.

“It feels nice,” I murmured softly.

Who would have thought that rest—something I had once resented—could feel this soothing?

As I teetered on the edge of slumber, caught in a pleasant haze between wakefulness and sleep, my mind grew blissfully still.

And then, just as my eyelids began to close—

“My lady!”

The door burst open without warning, and Meysha’s voice jolted me upright.

“Meysha! What are you—”

I started to scold her for barging in so suddenly, but the frantic look on her face stopped me mid-sentence. There was only one reason she would rush in so desperately.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” Meysha said quickly, her voice low as she hesitated.

I took a steadying breath and asked cautiously, “We’ll address this later. Now, what is it?”

“The Crown Prince…” she began hesitantly.

Of course.

It had come at last.

His proposal.

“His Highness has invited you to the palace.”

“What?”

My voice rose sharply, echoing in the quiet room.

At first, I thought I’d misheard her.

“His Highness has invited you to the imperial palace. Tomorrow. You alone.”

No, I hadn’t misheard.

What on earth is this about?

He wanted to meet me?

It didn’t make sense. Why summon me to the palace now, when I was expecting the proposal documents?

More than that—he had never sought a private meeting with me before.

Everything between us—conversations, the proposal, even the engagement preparations—had been handled entirely through letters.

Why now?

“My lady, what should we do? Shall I prepare a dress?”

Meysha’s voice broke through the silence that had settled as I stood there, momentarily frozen.

Should I go?

I weighed my options for a moment. There was no plausible excuse to avoid this, and if I intended to reject him, meeting him in person might be the best course of action.

Perhaps it was partially an act of escapism, but avoiding him now would only prolong the inevitable.

“Prepare the dress, Meysha,” I said firmly.

Let’s see what he has to say.