Chapter 55 …

“You still haven’t gotten over Duke Trone, have you?”

At the remark that struck right at the heart of the matter, Roa frowned.

“You’re going to become my sister-in-law anyway. My older brother may be fickle and easily bored with everything, but once he bites something, he never lets go. He has the instincts of a beast.”

Ophelian looked Roa over with pity in his eyes. He even clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“I’m not telling you to run away. I’m just saying you should at least say goodbye.”

Ophelian saw right through Roa. Even at such a simple suggestion, she had revealed how weak she had become.

“Spend one last night with him if you want. Then you’ll be able to sort out your feelings.”

Last.

When exactly would that “last” truly be the last?

Every time Roa met Aizen, she believed it would be the last time.

When she first rejected his proposal.

When she returned to the Clarion family from the Rubern territory.

When she chased after him after he stole an invitation to the imperial ball and ran away.

But none of those times had been the last.

In the end, the last time Roa saw Aizen was when he glared at her with eyes full of deep resentment. Around him were countless noblewomen from prestigious families.

The last image Aizen saw of Roa was also her holding Yudar’s hand as she followed behind him.

Out of all the countless days—

Why did it have to be that day that became the last?

Unable to accept it, she clenched her fists tightly, trembling. But Roa forced herself to push away the emotions that surged like waves.

“Thank you for the suggestion, but I refuse.”

Her cold, rational mind ordered her not to see him again.

She still harbored deep feelings for him that continued to shake her heart. She knew that if she met him again—if she saw his face and heard his voice—she would be swept away beyond control.

“You’re sure you won’t regret it?”

“Yes.”

Her hardened resolve produced a firm refusal.

“Then I hope you have a peaceful night as well, Your Highness.”

After giving Ophelian a polite bow, Roa turned away first. Ophelian stood there until she returned to her room and the door closed. Only after the barrier was formed did he turn his head to look at the shut door.

Despite Roa’s resolute attitude, Ophelian’s thoughts remained unchanged.

“There’s no way it would change that easily.”

Leaving behind a mocking remark she could not hear, Ophelian finally turned and walked away.

*

After spending a day at the imperial palace, the Clarion family returned to their territory under the escort of the knights. However, Roa could not return with them because she had to begin preparing for the wedding immediately, so she remained in the palace.

If Kailon hadn’t been there, it would have been difficult to endure the time.

Yudar took Roa to a wedding dress shop. Since the wedding was being prepared by the imperial family, the best tailors in the empire had custom-made dresses.

Roa checked the list of dresses that Yudar had selected in advance.

The thought of standing in front of him wearing a wedding dress already made her feel nauseous.

Nevertheless, Roa clenched her teeth and obediently moved as instructed.

If this was the fate of the time she had returned to, she had no choice but to accept it and grow accustomed to it.

After putting on the first dress, Roa didn’t even bother looking at herself in the mirror. Once the fitting was finished, the shop madam pulled open the dressing room curtain.

Yudar, who had been sitting arrogantly on the sofa, placed the sample book he had been reading down. Then he slowly looked Roa up and down—from head to toe—as she stood there in the pure white wedding dress.

Soon, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

“Hmm. It suits you.”

Even that brief compliment was unpleasant to hear.

Wanting to escape his gaze, Roa quickly grabbed the edge of the dressing room curtain.

“Then let’s go with this one.”

Unlike Roa, who wanted to finish quickly, Yudar slowly shook his head.

“There are still plenty I want to see you try.”

He opened the sample book he was holding and showed it to Roa. One page was filled with countless dress designs.

Roa pressed her aching forehead with her hand and let out a heavy sigh.

“Prepare the next one.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yudar immediately selected the next design.

The employees prepared the dress he indicated. As the dressing room curtain closed, the only person Roa could see was herself reflected in the mirror.

“We’ll help you with the fitting.”

An employee tried to remove the dress Roa was wearing, but Roa stiffened her body and refused to cooperate.

“Um…”

The flustered employee checked Roa’s complexion. However, seeing her face flushed with anger, she couldn’t even politely ask her to move.

The second dress fitting took longer than the first.

Once again, the curtain opened, revealing Roa.

This dress was one Yudar had particularly favored—a mermaid-line dress that emphasized her figure.

“I knew this dress would suit you well. A good body should be shown off.”

His gaze lingered on her even longer and more intensely than before.

As if he were admiring a magnificent work of art, he made Roa stand there and examined her from various angles.

“There are so many that suit you well that it’s hard to choose.”

Yudar selected the next dress for her to try.

“It’s hard enough just changing clothes, so let’s stop here and decide roughly.”

Without realizing it, Roa raised her voice.

The employees and knights nearby stared at her with startled eyes like rabbits. But Yudar’s face remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

“A wedding only happens once. We should choose carefully. After all, you’re the bride of Crown Prince Yudar. Do you think it’s okay to choose carelessly?”

Yudar picked up the pen on the table and scribbled something on the sample book before handing it to the madam.

The sample book now had numbers written on it, marking the order of dresses she would have to try on.

“Let’s try three more.”

Yudar leaned comfortably against the sofa and crossed his legs.

Roa glared at him arrogantly, but an employee hurriedly pulled the curtain between them.

Once again, the employees helped her remove the dress she was wearing while the next dresses were brought in one by one.

“Ah!”

Unable to endure it any longer, Roa suddenly screamed.

To someone outside, it might have sounded like a simple accident—like her skin getting caught while changing dresses.

But nothing like that had happened.

She had simply lost control of her temper and burst out in anger.

“Ha… ha ha…”

Yudar knew the scream came not from pain but from irritation.

Changing tight dresses several times was already exhausting, and hearing his snickering laughter from outside made Roa’s face burn bright red.

Already tense, she began moving more roughly.

The employees worried the expensive custom dresses might get damaged, but since she was the Crown Prince’s woman, they couldn’t dare complain.

Eventually, after trying on three more dresses as Yudar ordered, the fitting finally ended.

Wearing formal dresses at the palace had been uncomfortable enough, but wedding dresses were on another level.

After changing back into her own clothes, Roa left the dressing room with a face that finally showed some relief.

“Unfortunately, I can’t choose based on just these. Let’s come back another day and try some other designs.”

Yudar dropped a thunderbolt on Roa, who had just breathed a sigh of relief.

“What? When would we even have time to—”

“That’s enough for today. I have state affairs to attend to, so I’ll head back first.”

After saying only what he wanted to say, he turned and left the wedding shop.

Roa cooled herself down by drinking the cold tea the madam had prepared.

“Ha… that crazy bastard.”

She hadn’t realized how torturous it would be to show herself in a wedding dress to a man she didn’t love.

Roa muttered insults about the Crown Prince without caring who might hear.

After Yudar had been gone for quite a while, Roa finally prepared to leave and came outside with the madam.

The carriage and knights sent by the palace were waiting for her.

As she naturally walked toward the carriage, Roa suddenly stopped after noticing something.

“Have you finished the dress fitting?”

She had thought it was the carriage sent to pick her up, but someone was already inside.

The person who opened the door and stepped out was Ophelian.

“What brings you all the way here?”

Roa greeted him with an unwelcoming gaze.

“I wanted to talk more about what we discussed earlier.”

Ophelian had once proposed that if Roa cooperated with his revolution, he would arrange a meeting with Duke Aizen Trone.

If it was about that proposal, she would have firmly refused already. Yet he said he had more to discuss.

Roa raised one eyebrow in discomfort.

“Wasn’t that already settled?”

Ophelian showed no sign of backing down.

She had lost count of how many times she had sighed today.

The Crown Prince and the Prince were both the same—men who had no respect whatsoever for the wishes of others.

“I’m a bit tired today. Let’s talk another time.”

Roa refused the conversation and tried to pass him to get into the carriage.

At that moment, Ophelian lowered his voice so that only she could hear.

“You know that Duke Trone is attending the state council meeting at the imperial palace today… don’t you?”