Chapter 02
The carriage carrying her parents had been swept away by a landslide and fallen into a deep valley.
At first, it was reported as missing. One by one, bodies began to be discovered at the site of the landslide, but her parents’ bodies could not be found.
Everyone said her parents were as good as dead.
<They were pushed and fell from such a height…… there’s no way they could be alive……>
Meia did not accept the deaths of her father and mother.
Since their bodies had not yet been found, she held onto the hope that they were still alive.
One day passed, two days passed, and even a month passed, but in the end, her parents never returned.
Because of the deep valley and the strong currents, even retrieving bodies was difficult.
Within the unstoppable flow of time, emptiness only deepened, and the tightness in her chest only grew worse.
<Mei, just because something sparkles doesn’t mean it’s a jewel. You must learn to discern jewels even when they are buried in mud.>
They raised her without deficiency as a daughter, teaching her virtues for the day she would become empress. Thanks to that, Meia was treated as a flower of high society and the future empress.
However, her parents disappeared from this world without ever seeing Meia become empress.
From the day her parents disappeared, Meia stopped everything.
No, it wasn’t that she stopped—it was that she did nothing.
No, she didn’t want to do anything.
Meia recalled her last conversation with her parents.
<Is there anything you want?>
<No.>
<I’ll be back.>
I should have told them to come back safely. Or asked them not to go anywhere.
I should have hugged them just once.
I should have told them I respected them.
I should have told them I loved them.
I should have. It would have been better if I had.
I couldn’t do it.
Countless thoughts and unspoken words surged through her mind like a flood.
She tormented herself, repeating the saying that one should cherish people while they are still here.
Meia sat on the window frame inside her large room, staring blankly outside.
Her empty gaze, which had been looking out the window, slowly began to stare into empty space instead.
She tilted her head back and blinked, trying hard not to cry.
But……
<Mei, showing tears carelessly is the same as revealing your weakness to others.>
<Yes, Father.>
<However, Meia.>
<Yes?>
<When you feel like crying, it is alright to cry quietly alone.>
“Huff.”
Her tears soaked the corners of her eyes for a long time.
The emptiness, sorrow, and the pain of being left alone piled up in her heart, and her suppressed emotions surged up along with her tears.
Even gripping her left chest and covering her mouth could not stop the tears from flowing.
Even after hitting her chest hard enough to hurt, the sadness she tried to ignore kept bursting out.
<Please still hold onto hope.>
<We’ll find the bodies soon.>
<They might still be alive.>
People offered comforting words that sounded nice to hear.
Her fiancé, Patsrary, said the same things.
Even if she received comfort, she knew the reality. Neither her mother nor father would return.
Her mind was filled only with thoughts of her deceased parents.
Her mind was empty.
Her heart was empty as well.
To fill that emptiness even briefly, she repeatedly recalled the words her mother and father had said.
<Our Mei, you’re doing so well. So admirable.>
<As expected of our daughter.> <You will become the greatest empress.>
But the more she tried to fill the emptiness with memories, the heavier the sense of loss pressed down on her entire body.
Time continued to flow without stopping.
They still had not found the bodies. Slowly, she began to feel her parents’ absence more clearly.
The servants worried about the absence of the duke, and said that her uncle, Luman, should inherit the ducal title.
If Meia had been an adult who had undergone her coming-of-age ceremony, she would have inherited the dukedom, but she was still a minor who had not yet done so.
The vacant position of Duke of Hatsbelua would, according to imperial law, be inherited by the closest family member—her uncle.
He, who had been in the countryside, became the Duke of Hatsbelua of the Carpen Empire in a single day.
Her cousin naturally became a noble lady as well.
Luman said that because the carriage had fallen into the deep valley, it would be difficult to retrieve the bodies, and that they would hold a funeral without bodies.
“How can you hold a funeral without bodies!”
“It can’t be helped.”
“You can’t do this! Uncle, please… at least let us find the bodies…….”
All she received in response were Luman’s repeated words that it could not be helped.
“If they fell into that deep valley, there is no hope they survived.”
In the end, a funeral without bodies was held.
Meia sat again on the window frame in her room.
“Miss, please at least have some soup.”
“Yudi……”
Yudi, the nanny who had been by her side since childhood, felt pain seeing Meia grow thinner day by day.
Although the deaths of the duke and duchess were shocking, Yudi could not simply grieve—she had to protect Meia.
She stayed by Meia’s side, worrying that something might happen to her.
“You should attend your coming-of-age ceremony, and your imperial marriage as well. You must take your place that Lord David and Lady Violet left for you.”
“You’re right, Yudi.”
The place her parents created for her.
“So please, just have a spoonful of soup.”
“…Yes.”
With trembling hands, she held the spoon and took a bite of soup. Tears fell continuously into it.
She was supposed to cry quietly alone, but she could not control her tears.
Yudi took out a handkerchief and gently pressed away the tears flowing down Meia’s cheeks.
“I’ll bring you more soup.”
“No. It’s good. Yudi.”
Thus, pretending to overcome her sorrow day by day, Meia waited for her coming-of-age ceremony.
She only thought about holding the imperial marriage and entering the imperial palace.
She resumed the studies she had once set aside.
But even this was not easy for Meia.
Luman spoke casually while looking at documents in his office.
“I hear Meril has feelings for His Highness, Crown Prince Patsrary.”
Meia tightly gripped the hem of her dress.
“Are you really saying that right now?”
She almost let out a dry laugh in disbelief. She swallowed a sigh to calm her boiling anger, but it only made her rage grow stronger.
“But Meril said it was love at first sight……”
Bang.
Meia stomped the floor with all her strength. Her ankle twisted slightly, causing pain, but it didn’t matter.
“This is the place my parents left for me.”
From the moment she was born, she had worked tirelessly to become the Crown Princess.
After her coming-of-age ceremony, she was supposed to prepare for the imperial marriage immediately. But suddenly, because Meril had fallen in love with Patsrary at first sight, they were asking to break off the engagement.
Why should I have to hear this?
There was no reason to break an engagement just because of “love at first sight.”
Strength naturally entered Meia’s hands.
“This was a political marriage arranged directly between the imperial family and my late father. It is not something that can be broken so easily. The imperial family will not accept a breakup.”
“And if they do accept it?”
At Luman’s words, “if they accept it,” she felt doubt toward the imperial elders who had always been kind to her.
She felt a brief disappointment in herself for doubting them.
She knew well that once such doubt arose, the trust she had built would slowly collapse.
She had done her best for ten years of engagement.
As a flower of high society, handling imperial affairs and events, she had never neglected her duties or studies as a noble lady. I trust them.
Luman put down the documents he was reading.
“It seems the imperial family wouldn’t care who the duke family marries anyway.”
“That’s just your assumption. It’s not certain.”
“Isn’t the Crown Prince’s marriage itself a political arrangement to maintain his position?”
“Then just say you want to give the empress position to Meril.”
Her uncle should not be speaking of breaking the engagement, not when thinking of her deceased parents.
At that moment—
Someone knocked harshly on the office door.
Bang, bang.
“Father!”
The person who entered the office was her cousin, Meril. Unlike Luman’s words, she showed no sign of being lovesick.
“Prince Patsrary is totally my type!”
As soon as she entered, Meril smiled sweetly at Meia, looking completely in love.
“Meia, can you break off the engagement for me?”
With flushed cheeks, Meril said shyly.
“You don’t love His Highness the Crown Prince. But I’ve fallen in love with him.”
“Even if it isn’t love, there are ten years of trust.”
Yes, even if it wasn’t love, there was trust built over years of relying on each other.
She believed he was not someone who would betray that so easily.
No, she had to believe it.
“I also spent years preparing to become Crown Princess.”
“What kind of preparation?”
“I studied etiquette, politics. If necessary, even military theory, mathematics, and many other things beyond the basics.”
“Do you really need all that? Isn’t it enough just to bear heirs?”
“I can’t break the engagement.”
Meia looked at Meril, who had begun to sob, and said in a cold voice.
“And the imperial family won’t allow a breakup anyway.”
I believe.
“Do you think the imperial family would allow it if we ask for a breakup? A breakup?”
I trust the bond we built.
“They won’t even bring up breaking the engagement.”
“…If you don’t love him, then let the Crown Prince go.”
“You really make me sound like a villain breaking up a loving couple.”
Meril’s eyes began to turn red. Moisture gathered in her eyes.
“Don’t cry.”
“Do you know how cruel you sound? Why are you so cold…? I love the Crown Prince.”
Meia turned away from the tearful Meril and looked directly at Luman.
“Uncle.”
“Speak.”
Looking at Meril, Meia said,
“I don’t want to talk to someone who is crying. I will return to my room.”
Just as she turned to leave, Luman urgently shouted.
“The imperial family might prefer Meril more!”
I trust them. I trust them.
But currently, the Duke of Hatsbelua was Luman. Naturally, it was expected that he would prefer his own daughter over his niece to become empress.
Meia bit the inside of her mouth, suppressing her anger, and said,
“If, by any chance, the imperial family says it is fine to change the fiancée, then do so.”
Meril stopped crying and immediately looked happy.
“Thank you, Meia.”
As if the breakup had already been decided, Meril wiped her tears and smiled in joy.
“Will you believe me if I say the Crown Prince likes me too?”
“You can’t live on love alone.”
“Don’t you know the saying that love can save the world?”
“The position of Crown Princess and Empress is not a place to save the world, sister.”
“Anyway, thank you for giving up the engagement.”
