TVBO 55

Chapter 55

My life is clearly happy—I’m loved, after all.
So why do I keep having these restless dreams whenever I sleep?

Why do I keep dreaming of my own death, over and over?
And why do I always see Chester’s face right before I die?
Even though I know they’re nightmares, they terrify me.

I have no idea why I’m having these dreams.

“Your Highness!”

“Hm? Ah! Right, today is my brother’s marriage ceremony, isn’t it?”

“Yes. He’s the main character of the day, of course, but since Your Highness rarely shows your face in public, you should at least dress up today.”

“Pfft! Okay. Do whatever you want.”

Ever since the engagement ceremony, my nanny had been even more enthusiastic about dressing me up.

It wasn’t like it was every day—just occasionally—so I let her do as she pleased.
She always put so much care into my dresses.

To me, they all looked the same, though.

Once I gave permission, she put me into the prepared bathtub, washed me, dried my hair, and lined up all the dresses and accessories.

“Your Highness, do you like the sky-blue dress or the lemon-yellow dress more?”

“Uh…? I’ll go with the sky-blue one today?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

She dressed me in the sky-blue dress and put on jewelry with blue gemstones—matching earrings and a necklace.

Because I’d been suffering from nightmares, my skin and lips had gone pale, so she applied only a little makeup to bring back some color.

My nanny came with a comb and began brushing my hair.
Normally I left it down, but on a formal day like today, it was styled up.

“All done, Your Highness! Truly, you look so beautiful.”

Just as she said, when I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror, a beautiful angel was reflected there.

I never get tired of my own face—it’s always pretty—but seeing myself fully dressed up made me look even brighter.

The dark circles under my eyes were hidden, so I looked livelier.

Chester wouldn’t even worry if he saw me—my nanny really had excellent skills.
I found myself staring at my own face, momentarily enchanted.

“We still have plenty of time left. If we leave now, we’ll arrive right on time.”

“Okay.”

I put on the shoes she handed me and left the room fully dressed.

Outside, I saw my father, also dressed up. My brother wasn’t there, which I found odd, but Father said he had already gone ahead.

“You look beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as the bride.”

“Yulia, you’re the most beautiful girl in the world.”

“…Today the bride is prettier though. She’s the main character! And I look pretty to you because I’m your daughter!”

Well, objectively speaking, I am pretty.
But today’s main character is Cecil.

Then again, Cecil is the protagonist of the novel, so of course she’s picture-perfect.
Still, the fact that I’m pretty too is an undeniable truth.

It’s almost a waste for me to just be an extra—
With this face, I should have at least been an important villainess.

“I’ve scheduled your wedding for one month from now, so you should start preparing tomorrow.”

“Really? Truly?”

“Yes. Though I’ll be sad to send my lovely daughter away… the Zikbert dukedom in the capital is close to the imperial palace, so I’ll see you often.”

“Yes! I’ll visit a lot, Father!”

“That’s enough for me.”

Today might be the last time Father would escort me like this.

I held his hand tightly as we went to watch my brother’s wedding—or more precisely, the announcement of the new crown princess.

Something I learned recently: although Chester has more military power, the Blair ducal family currently has stronger political influence.

After the former Zikbert duke—the leader of the conservative faction—died suddenly, their foundation weakened.
And while Chester was away at war, the reformist faction took over most of the political sphere.

Only after Chester returned, victorious after victory, did his family start regaining influence.

Maybe I’d placed too much blind faith in the original novel…

Or maybe Chester’s overwhelming presence in the story made me pay less attention to reality.

“……”

I stood beside Father at the highest seat, staring blankly at my brother and Cecil’s wedding ceremony.

They are precious to me—my loving brother and my only friend.
So why does my heart ache?

No… it’s not aching—it feels hollow.

Was it because my precious friend was being “taken” by my brother?
Or because my kind brother was being “taken” by my friend?

The surroundings became loud.
Countless whispers and murmurs made my head throb.

“Yulia, if this is too much, you can step out.”

“…Okay, I’ll just step out for a moment.”

I didn’t reject Father’s suggestion.
He probably thought I was uncomfortable around large crowds—he wasn’t entirely wrong.

I stepped outside to calm my pounding head and nauseous stomach.

Once the noise faded, I could breathe a little easier.
A soft breeze brushed my cheek, helping me steady my breath.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

I turned my head to see Idrian. Not a welcome sight.
Actually, it was uncomfortable.

“…Why did you come? I thought I told you—next time we meet should be at my wedding with Chester.”

“Be careful.”

“About what?”

“Chester is not entirely pure-hearted. Today… I only came because I wanted to see you.”

“……”

“I’ve wasted your time, haven’t I? Next time, I’ll truly meet you at your wedding.”

With lingering reluctance in every step, Idrian walked away.

I stared blankly up at the sky.
Even if I wanted to deny it, things were unfolding completely differently from the novel I once knew.

The heroine married my brother, an extra.
The villain didn’t lead a coup—he was dating me instead.

The male lead didn’t confess love to the heroine—he confessed to me instead.

“……”

Is it okay to feel relieved now?
Can I finally believe that neither I nor my family will die?

The story has diverged from what I remember of the novel.
So clearly, none of us should die.

So why did Idrian’s words leave me with such unease?

Why can’t I fully trust Chester?

Anyone can see he loves me.
I know Idrian is trying to sow discord—but still, I feel uneasy.

Is it because of the dream?

“Yulia.”

Chester’s voice came from behind me.
His tone was warm and gentle.

Not the icy, chilling voice from my nightmares—but sweet like honey.

“Chester, we’re getting married in a month.”

“Is that so?”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be? In just a month, I’ll finally have you.”

He draped his outer coat over my shoulders.
It wasn’t even cold outside, but I liked the scent of him lingering on the fabric, so I didn’t refuse.

I pulled the coat closer, clinging to the warmth he left behind.

“I told you not to catch a cold. Why did you dress so lightly?”

“I wasn’t cold.”

“You worry me. Don’t get sick, Yulia. You must never be hurt or ill.”

“It’s not even cold today. You’re worrying too much.”

“You’ve lost weight. Eat more.”

“I lost weight?”

“Your face is half its size.”

I liked the fact that Chester’s attention and concern were all directed at me.

“I’ve been having unsettled dreams lately—maybe that’s why.”

“What kind of dreams?”

Should I tell him?
That he kills me in them.

I hesitated for a long time, but in the end, I didn’t say it.
Even though I’m certain he wouldn’t harm me, that faint uneasiness still lingered inside me.

“Just nightmares. I don’t remember clearly.”

“I see.”

“Have you been busy lately?”

“No, not at all.”

“Liar.”

“I’m really not busy.”

His eyes were dark and tired, like someone who hadn’t slept properly.
How could I believe he wasn’t busy?

“Well, I’m glad you’re not. We have a lot to prepare for our wedding next month!”

“Hmm… Yulia, where would you like to go for our honeymoon?”

“Uh… hmm, the sea? I want to see the ocean!”

I answered casually, but doubt tugged at my heart.

“Is that so? Then an island would be perfect.”