Chapter 5
“You’ve been reading too many novels. Cut it out. Read something more realistic.”
“Something realistic?”
“Like transmigration or reincarnation. You know, those kinds.”
“…Isn’t that even less realistic?”
That is my reality, Emma.
You really have no idea.
I let out a small chuckle and shook my head, changing the subject.
“Anyway, I’m not going to suddenly regain my memories. What exactly is in that room that scares you so much?”
The way Emma was reacting, I half thought Agatha had locked the Crown Prince in there.
Like she’d gone completely off the rails and left me to deal with the consequences.
Thinking that, I followed Emma to the so-called secret room—
Thud.
“W-What is all this?”
The letter slipped from my hand.
“You didn’t regain your memories, did you? You’re not in love with His Highness again, right?!”
“…I told you to stop reading novels.”
The secret room was filled—completely filled—with portraits of Nael.
Not just portraits. There were items that clearly belonged to him as well.
Y-you stalker… this is a crime, you know?!
And all this was sitting openly in the mansion—right next to my room—and I didn’t even know?
If Nael had known about this, he might have burned the entire place down.
It hadn’t been mentioned in the novel, so he probably didn’t know.
No—he must not know.
If he ever found out, he’d be so disgusted he’d probably want to kill me.
You… you crazy—
“Burn it all. Don’t leave a single thing behind. Burn even the dust in this room.”
“Yes, my lady!”
As Emma added that it was a relief, I thought to myself—
I had never seen anything this horrifying in my life.
At this level, it was understandable why Nael hated Agatha.
Forcing feelings onto someone who doesn’t want them only hurts both sides.
But at the same time, a thought crossed my mind.
How lonely must Agatha have been… to become this obsessed with someone who didn’t love her back?
The maids moved quickly, carrying everything out to be burned.
In the middle of it, a portrait slipped and fell at my feet.
It was about the size of my palm.
It looked like him as a child.
I quietly picked it up.
This much should be okay to keep… right?
It was, in a way, for Agatha’s sake.
After all, she really did love him.
Poor Agatha.
What kind of person were you, really?
I wrote her full name on the back of the portrait and tucked it into my diary—as something that belonged to her.
At that same moment—
In a room built of dark brown wood, a man sat quietly.
He had an aura that blended naturally with the shadows.
He adjusted his glasses with long fingers. Behind the lenses, his red eyes glowed deeply.
In his hand was a thick file. After reading the final page, he closed it.
Agatha Lucy Stadion
The file detailed not only the relationship between the Stadion family and the imperial family, but also the relationship between Agatha and Nael.
Their history was as long as the thickness of the file.
And yet, Nael could find no reason to marry her.
There was only one thing he was absolutely certain of:
Agatha could never become the empress he needed.
Breaking off the engagement two years ago had been the right decision.
The man standing beside him spoke carefully.
“Your Highness, you called for me?”
“Agatha’s been quiet lately. What’s she been up to?”
Nael frowned, as if the mere thought annoyed him.
Agatha was like a thorn embedded in his finger.
Their connection had lasted since childhood.
It wasn’t unusual for high-ranking nobles and royalty of similar age to interact. Nor was it strange for marriage talks to arise between them.
But such engagements rarely lasted.
The informal engagement between Agatha and Nael had naturally fallen apart.
Agatha, however, had not accepted it.
She used to visit him two or three times a week, constantly bothering him—
But recently, she had gone completely silent.
“She hasn’t left the mansion lately. It seems she’s been communicating with David.”
The subordinate’s eyes gleamed.
“And everything in the secret room… has been burned.”
Nael paused.
He knew about the secret room.
And what was inside it.
Agatha had always been obsessive about objects—attaching meaning to everything connected to him.
That room had been a collection of those things.
Handkerchiefs he had used. Souvenirs from places they had visited together.
Nael called it a trash heap.
“…Has she really come to her senses? I wonder what brought this on.”
He pressed his brow.
He was already overwhelmed dealing with monster invasions. In the past, divine beasts had protected the Empire—but now, humans had to defend it alone.
If Agatha stopped bothering him, that was something to be grateful for.
“Keep watching her. Report if she does anything strange.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The subordinate left, and Nael was alone.
…Or so it seemed.
A small lump curled at his feet lifted its head.
“Whine?”
Nael looked down coldly, then tossed a snack under the desk.
“Hisha.”
He spoke softly—like the dog could understand every word.
After the secret room incident, I erased every trace of the Crown Prince from the mansion.
Honestly, I felt like performing an exorcism.
Either way—first, avoid the Crown Prince. Second, avoid the Crown Prince.
Also, I learned something else about David:
He was incredibly capable.
Just three days after I mentioned the business, workers had already arrived at the estate.
Efficient guy.
“I hope it’s finished soon. Right, Mary? Ttori?”
“Yip!”
“Whine!”
The dogs circled around me happily.
Hehe… just wait, my babies. I’ll build you a paradise.
It was around 3 PM that the gardener came running toward me, pale-faced.
“My lady, do you know what those people are doing right now?”
“…Hmm?”
What’s the problem? Everything’s going great.
Construction was progressing smoothly.
On one side, a resting area. On another, marble flooring with small and large pools.
Various facilities were being installed.
Emma was walking around supervising everything.
“The Stadion family has a long and prestigious history. We have always upheld our honor and dignity. And I believed I contributed to that.”
The gardener spoke rapidly, his hands trembling as he gripped his hat.
So basically—he was devastated watching the garden he had carefully tended being destroyed.
Ah… was I supposed to discuss this with him beforehand…?
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”
I cleared my throat.
The gardener froze.
“W-What did you just say…?”
Oh—right!
I almost forgot my role.
I’m supposed to be a villainess. I wouldn’t apologize for something like this.
“Of course, I appreciate your efforts. Not ‘sorry’—I said ‘thank you.’ You understand?”
The gardener nodded, confused.
“But even so… I cannot bear to see what I’ve built being destroyed for the duchy.”
That stung.
“I will resign.”
Resign?!
That hit me straight in the heart.
Do you know how hard that decision is? Losing stable income, savings, insurance—
Wait, that’s not the point.
The point is—his life would be affected because of me.
And I didn’t want that.
“I understand how upset you are. But this won’t harm the duchy’s reputation. There are still many gardens for you to care for.”
“No, my lady. I’ve cared for this garden like it was my child—”
“I know your dedication. That’s why I prepared compensation.”
He looked at the envelope I handed him.
“I-This is…!”
Don’t underestimate a thin envelope.
Ever heard of a blank check?
