Chapter – 03
“Send the princess to Bashker? Do you really think that makes any sense?!”
As the emperor exploded in anger, Icar raised one corner of his lips slightly.
“This is merely a proposal to let her experience the cultural differences between our empires.”
The emperor glared at Icar with furious eyes.
Though he was now an old man with white hair, the Emperor of Paradium had once possessed remarkable swordsmanship. At least, in his youth.
The overwhelming presence of someone who had ruled the empire for decades would normally be enough to chill anyone to the bone.
But the young emperor, Icar, merely looked at him indifferently, as if he were nothing more than a paper tiger.
“You could consider it a study abroad program.”
A fight only exists when the other party accepts it. As if the emperor’s intimidation meant nothing, the young emperor calmly stated his demand without even the slightest change in expression.
“The duration will be three years.”
A hollow laugh escaped the emperor’s mouth.
“Ha… study abroad… hahaha.”
“Please do not think of it as something too difficult. The princess will arrive safely on our soil.”
As if he had no intention of negotiating further, Icar stood up from his seat.
Until recently, the Bashker Empire had shown little interest in conquest.
However, after the new emperor ascended the throne, the international situation began to change rapidly. They started swallowing up the territories of smaller neighboring states bit by bit.
Now they had expanded their borders right up to Paradium’s territory.
And reports had come in that elite warriors from Bashker had already secretly infiltrated Paradium.
Given these circumstances, the Emperor of Paradium could not easily refuse this forceful and inconsiderate proposal from the young emperor.
At that same moment—
The empress, who had been anxiously pacing the hallway, received a whispered report from a servant.
“My goodness! What kind of unreasonable demand is this?!”
Her chest heaved violently. The servant lowered his head.
“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty…”
“This is no different from taking a hostage! Sending my daughter to such a place…”
As the enraged empress trembled with clenched fists, a quiet voice interrupted.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
Suppressing her anger, the empress turned around and her eyes widened slightly.
“Lady Reneve of the House of Seiren. What brings you here?”
“I have something I must tell you, even at the risk of being disrespectful.”
“Go on.”
“…I heard that the Emperor of Bashker has invited Her Highness the Princess.”
The empress’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
How did she know about such confidential news?
After staring at Reneve for a moment, the empress scoffed.
“An invitation? Is that what they called it?”
“This must be very distressing news given how sudden and uncomfortable it is.”
“….”
Seeing Reneve’s genuinely sympathetic expression, the empress calmed slightly and gestured for her to continue.
“I have a good way to prevent the princess from going to Bashker.”
“A good way?”
“I will volunteer to go in her place.”
“You’ll volunteer? Do you even understand what you’re saying—”
The empress stopped speaking.
At first, she thought the young lady might not fully understand the seriousness of the situation.
Admittedly, she had been briefly tempted.
But she could not rule out the possibility of future complications if she accepted such bait too hastily.
“This is not something I can decide immediately. I will take some time to think about it. We will discuss it again later.”
With that, the empress turned to leave.
“I understand Your Majesty’s feelings. I also know it was improper of me to overhear your conversation.”
Reneve nodded as she continued:
“But please know this was not a reckless suggestion. I sincerely ask that you consider it.”
After giving a graceful bow, Reneve turned to leave, leaving the empress even more troubled.
The empress had long wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Seiren family. It would strengthen her son’s faction.
However, the problem was the bad rumors surrounding the marquis’s only daughter.
But the girl she saw today was nothing like those rumors.
Not only was she beautiful, but her eyes were sharp and intelligent.
Both of the empress’s sons were already promised to others, so it was pointless to regret it now, but she still found herself drawn to the girl.
How did she master palace etiquette so perfectly?
Even she had struggled with court manners for years after becoming crown princess.
Yet Reneve’s behavior was flawless—even compared to the empress herself.
“It would be a waste to send her off as a hostage to an enemy nation…”
As she pondered with narrowed eyes, a thought suddenly struck her.
If Reneve volunteered and left, she could claim the imperial family owed a great debt to House Seiren and arrange for the princess to marry the Seiren heir.
Reneve watched the empress disappear down the hallway before heading toward the Great Hall where the ball was in full swing.
I wonder what decision she’ll make.
When she first transmigrated into this novel, Reneve’s goal had simply been survival.
That was why she had devoted herself to Lucius, the original male lead, hoping to change the future.
She attended every social gathering to build connections with nobles in order to place the third prince—Lucius, who was farthest from the throne—onto it.
Despite having no talent for handicrafts, she stayed up all night embroidering a handkerchief for him.
She even snuck into the kitchen to cook for him.
All that effort only barely managed to extend her life.
So this time, she decided to abandon Lucius.
She would leave him and try to live a life different from the original story.
Her first step was distancing herself from the main characters.
While thinking of a method, she remembered that around this time in the original story, Emperor Icar had invited the princess for a three-year “study exchange” under the pretense of a ceasefire.
If we’re apart for three years, Lucius will probably remarry.
Of course, she hadn’t expected to get another chance at life, so she did feel some fear about what kind of butterfly effect her actions might cause.
At the same time, she also hoped this time a miracle might change her future.
She was laughing bitterly at her own contradictions when—
“Reneve? Where did you go by yourself?”
A man with a face very similar to hers came running down the hallway, his silver hair fluttering.
“…Patrick.”
Seeing her family alive and moving again made her eyes suddenly fill with tears. Reneve threw her arms around him.
“…Reneve? W-what’s wrong? This isn’t like you. Did something happen?”
Though clearly surprised, Patrick gently patted her back. Reneve quickly composed herself while still in his arms.
To Patrick, it had only been a few months since he last saw his sister.
Such an emotional reaction would naturally seem strange.
“I was looking at the artworks on the palace walls and got lost. But seeing family like this made me really happy.”
Patrick relaxed.
“That makes sense. When I first came to the palace, I almost got lost too. This place is like a maze.”
Patrick had an excellent sense of direction—almost like a human navigation system—but he seemed to be trying to match her mood.
“Let’s head back to the Great Hall.”
Reneve walked ahead to hide her reddened eyes. Patrick followed beside her.
“But Reneve… isn’t it a bit strange that His Majesty suddenly invited not just Father but me too?”
In the past, around this same time, both the Marquis of Seiren and Patrick had been invited to the palace ball.
On the surface, it looked like a celebration for subduing monsters in their territory.
But now that she thought about it, it might have been part of the empress’s scheme.
Because today, the empress planned to publicly announce Reneve and Lucius as a couple.
“Well, the founding festival is coming up anyway. Maybe they just wanted to celebrate your victory early.”
Reneve answered while looking off into the distance.
Patrick looked at her meaningfully.
“…Do you really think that?”
In her previous life, Reneve and Patrick had not been particularly close.
At the time she transmigrated, Patrick was managing their western territory while she lived near the palace.
Back then, she had devoted herself entirely to Lucius to change the story.
After their father died and Patrick inherited the title, they only saw each other a few times a year.
“Why? You don’t think someone important summoned our family with some hidden agenda, do you?”
“I just think it’s a little strange. Ever heard of reasonable suspicion?”
“….”
Reneve was about to reply when a noblewoman approaching from the opposite corridor spoke.
“You two look very close for siblings.”
Patrick gave a polite nod.
“I was just looking for my sister. What a coincidence to meet her here.”
Seeing Countess Andney pretend it was chance, Reneve clenched her fists.
Patrick immediately noticed the sudden change in his sister’s attitude.
He didn’t know what had happened between them before, but her hostility was obvious.
“Do you have business with my sister?”
Patrick stepped forward, shielding Reneve behind him.
The countess smiled behind her hand.
“The young marquis must care very much for his sister. You don’t even allow her to speak.”
It was a sarcastic jab suggesting that a noblewoman nearing adulthood still hid behind her brother instead of speaking for herself.
Reneve, who had spent years navigating noble society as empress, immediately understood.
Patrick, who grew up on battlefields instead of ballrooms, did not.
But his instincts—honed through war—still sensed hostility.
A kind of warrior’s intuition.
“Thank you for your concern for my sister. However, your remarks sound rather presumptuous to me, Countess.”
