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The end of his voice gradually cracked.

When I saw that figure, my throat felt dry.

I was kind of thirsty. A harmonious family was what Roxana had longed for. But now she was no longer in this world. The person who should be here right now was her, not me. Suddenly, my heart felt heavy. It was not enough for me to take someone else’s place and replace it, but instead I was enjoying everything that should have been hers. The Duke sat in front of me, bowed his head, and apologized endlessly. Seeing that scene made my heart ache.

“….”

I moved my lips.

Repeatedly opening and closing.

It was Roxana who had to forgive the Duke, not me.

What I say to him now is probably an act of deceiving both the Duke and Roxana.

But…

“It’s okay. I’m sorry too.”

I took a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to the Duke.

The Duke looked at me with a slightly surprised face. When our eyes met, I raised the corner of my lips awkwardly to signify that I was fine. Then, a knock was heard outside.

“Your Excellency, can I bring in tea and snacks?”

“Come in.”

As soon as the Duke’s permission was granted, Stephen entered. He put the plate of milk tea and croissants on the table and left the room again.

As Stephen left, another silence descended in the room. The atmosphere was still awkward, but it felt better than before.

“What happened to you and the Crown Prince?”

The Duke asked me with a complicated face.

“The rumors said it was because of the Crown Prince, you….“

“That day was an accident. People talk weird about me tripping while drunk.”

I interrupted the Duke’s words and answered hastily. Fortunately, the Duke did not question me further, despite my weak excuses.

“I only believe in your words. So whenever you want….”

The Duke looked at me without finishing his sentence. I wondered what he was going to say afterward, but I couldn’t ask because of the atmosphere.

“Anyway, he’ll pay the price for tormenting you.”

“What are you going to do?”

“He has to take responsibility. He will get down on his knees in front of you and apologize.”

Looking at the Duke now, memories of the past flashed through my mind. It was like seeing my father angry on behalf of me, who came back crying after being bullied by a classmate.

“Thank you.”

A smile came to my lips when I remembered my father, who always protected me from behind. In an instant, the figure of my real father and the figure of the Duke in my memory overlapped. However, he was Roxana’s father. Not my real family.

“But I will take care of this. So it’s okay.”

A sad smile spread across the Duke’s face at my words.

“Okay….”

The Duke might be able to use the power of the family to pressure the Crown Prince to apologize. But this wasn’t very good.

It was only unpleasant to receive an insincere apology, but this rather would create an opportunity for political opponents to catch our weaknesses.

I sighed inwardly.

It was only now that I had a clear understanding of the Duke’s attitude and knew I could use him. But I didn’t want to. In this world, the more I meet and interact with good people and receive unpaid favors, the more uncomfortable I feel.

It was difficult because the kinder to me, the more reluctant to take advantage of and involve them.

I stood up, trying to keep a smile on my face.

“Then I will go back to my room. See you later at dinner. It seems that the chef put a lot of effort into today, and I am looking forward to it.”

***

After I came back to my room, I was lost in thought for a while and didn’t say anything. All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind. I reconciled with the Duke, but my heart became more complicated. He had told me.

“I only believe in your words. So whenever you want…”

I was curious about the content behind what he was about to say.

‘Did the Duke want to say something related to the breakup of our engagement?’

Would it have been better to ask? I thought seriously, then shook my head.

It wouldn’t be too difficult to use the power of the duke to break the engagement. But if that happens, it will definitely harm the family. I had already become attached to the people here. Unless it is unavoidable, I do not want innocent people to suffer harm because of me.

If it was really possible to break up the engagement, then the reason must be the mistake made by the Crown Prince, not me.

As it is now, it wouldn’t be too difficult to make it like that.

“Miss? You don’t look good. What did His Excellency say to you?”

Joan asked me with a worried face.

“No. It’s not like that. Can you bring me a glass of water?”

Joan looked a little puzzled, but then went downstairs to run my errand. Tien and Annie were still in the room, but they didn’t talk to me.

I sat on the sofa and leaned comfortably on the backrest.

After a while, Joan came back with ice water. I drank a cup of cool water and sat at my desk to check the invitations and letters that came for me.

When evening came, Stephen came to call me for dinner with the Duke.

The meal prepared by the chef was very good and very luxurious. It was clear that a lot of effort was put into preparing it.

With the Duke…It was still awkward. The Duke and Roxana lived in a state of estrangement for a long time. The Duke was not my father, so I couldn’t approach him and be friendly.

It must have taken a long time for this awkward atmosphere to dissipate.

‘Maybe it won’t work out for the rest of my life, but there is a saying that the beginning is half the time.’

I had a good harvest today, so I was satisfied with this.

I finished my meal with the Duke in such an awkward atmosphere.

****

A few days have passed.

Because the return of the Duke was earlier than expected, my schedule was a little off.

After waking up early in the morning, taking a bath, and sitting in front of the dressing table, the maids were busy moving. While Joan and Annie were fixing my hair, Tien brought a dress to change into. My gaze at the dress paused for a moment. The elegant yet refreshing look was similar to the dress I usually wore, but it was strangely different.

What Tien brought was a pale blue-white dress.

“Miss? If you don’t like the dress, can I get another one?”

What Tien brought was a gift given to me by the Lord of Hermes before.

‘I put it in my closet and forgot about it for a while… .’

I pondered for a moment and answered.

“No. I’ll wear it.”

Tien’s expression brightened at my answer. Until now, I didn’t feel like attending big banquets very often, but Roxana’s wardrobe was complicated and not very practical. It probably wouldn’t be easy to find a better option than this in Roxana’s wardrobe. It was something I had already received, but wouldn’t it be a waste to just keep such nice clothes without wearing it?

I changed my dress and stood in front of the mirror. The pale bluish dress matched Roxana’s white skin very well. Age-appropriate, bright, and sophisticated embroidery was eye-catching.

Finally, I left the room wearing a bracelet and necklace that matched the dress. As I went down the stairs, the Duke, who had already been prepared, was waiting for me on the first floor.

“Did you choose that dress yourself?”

The Duke asked me.

It was a slightly difficult question to answer.

“Yes.”

This dress was sent by Hermes, so it was a gift from Elvin. But I couldn’t tell the truth, so I ended up telling a lie.

“It suits you very well.”

The Duke’s words made me feel uncomfortable, as if my lie was caught. Fortunately, however, the Duke did not pursue further.

“Come on, let’s go now.”

Before getting on the carriage, the Duke reached out to me. With his help, I got on the carriage with ease.

I could see the Duke trying to be friendly to me, albeit clumsily. He listened to me at no cost, and I have no doubts because Roxana is his daughter.

The Duke was obviously a good man.

However, he was also clumsy as it was his first experience of becoming an attentive father in his life. How will he react when he finds out that someone else occupies Roxana’s body, the daughter he cared so much about?

Just thinking about it for a moment made my spine shiver. In an instant, I made eye contact with him.

He frowned slightly.

“You don’t look well. Are you sick?”

Golden eyes very similar to Roxana’s turned towards me.

The Duke’s face was full of concern. For a moment, my stomach churned. Tried to put on an okay face.

I made an effortless expression on my face.

“No. I’m just a little bit dizzy. I guess I have motion sickness. I’m better now, so don’t worry about it.”

“From now on, don’t hold back and tell me. I will stop the carriage right away.”

I was troubled when the Duke reacted seriously to the excuses I made haphazardly. The main character of today’s banquet was the Duke, no matter what anyone said.

The emperor personally held a banquet for the first time in a long time, but if it was delayed because of me, it would not be good for the Duke.

“No. I’m fine now. Really. I’ll let you know if I’m uncomfortable later.”

“Then…okay. If you feel any discomfort, just tell me.”

The carriage drove quickly and arrived at the Imperial Palace.

As I got out of the carriage, people split on both sides like a miracle of Moses. It was definitely different from when I entered alone.

People looked at us with curious eyes. Until now, it was similar to usual, but their gaze was favorable and contained a light of envy and respect.

I glanced at the Duke walking by my side. He had a very cold impression, so it was not easy to approach him without considering his status or prestige.

That kind of atmosphere made Roxana more difficult, but it was definitely reassuring to be next to him.

“The Duke of Lillian and Princess Lillian are entering.”

I took a slow step into the banquet hall. Roxana did not know much about the battlefield, and neither did I. So I didn’t really know how great the Duke’s retribution had been. However, when I looked inside the grandly decorated banquet hall, I could see how satisfied the emperor was with him.

“Your Excellency, Princess, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. You shine even brighter today.”

I didn’t mean to be in the eyes, but today I was with the Duke, so I also received people’s attention.

It was a little different from my expectation that I would be able to avoid trouble if I was with the Duke. Only today, people were especially kind to me, and their attitude was uniformly very polite.

But the Duke got busy dealing with the crowds that soon came in. I took a few steps away and quietly raised my glass. At that time, the chamberlain announced the entering of the imperial family.

“The Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince will now enter.”