“Ah!”

Liliana nodded at the remark. She seemed to know who she was when the maid said that. In the original work, the empress was referred to as the empress, so she must not have remembered.

The Empress was a villain who regarded the original heroine, the little girl, as an eyesore.

‘And the one who will make me miscarried my first child.’

She wondered why such a dreadful person was already standing in front of the Emerald Palace. But Emerald Palace was already like Liliana’s house, and it seemed strange that she couldn’t enter her own house even though she had already right in front of the door.

Liliana went straight ahead and walked to the Emerald Palace. The maid next to Beatty found Liliana first. Soon after, Beatty also turned and saw Liliana.

“Oh, are you the defeated country’s princess?”

Liliana thought as she heard Beatty’s first words.

‘After a crazy man, there is a crazy woman.’

It would be great if she could just walk past this crazy woman. She couldn’t say that she would become the empress in the future. Beatty spread her fan and waved it with a haughty look.

“I want to take a look at the palace. I wonder how good it is.”

Liliana hadn’t even opened her lips yet, but Beatty’s eyes looked like she was ready to fight. She couldn’t understand what the hell was wrong with her.

Liliana was a hostage of a defeated country, so even if she became the emperor’s wife, she wouldn’t be treated properly. Even if she was respected, there was no way that much could be compared to an empress.

But she couldn’t show all of her feelings, so Liliana smiled modestly.

“I am pleased with everything as it has been bestowed upon me by His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Everything?”

Beatty made a ‘ha!’ sound as she laughed and fluttered her fan. Beatty’s eyes were filled with contempt and disregard as she looked at the Emerald Palace.

“This isn’t the best emperor concubine palace. Isn’t it too early to be so arrogant?”

‘When did I ever show off?’

Liliana wanted to say that, but she held back again this time.

Beatty circled Liliana and shook her head. It was as if she was criticizing Liliana. At the same time, she did not forget to disparage the Emerald Palace.

“It’s quite far from the Empress’ Palace. You’ll have to greet me every day in the future, but it must be hard.”

Right, with a great family on her back and appointed as the empress candidate, her nose could soar to the sky. After all, if Liliana died and her baby was born, she would be decapitated.

Thinking there were only a few years left to show off like that, Beatty’s arrogant expression was also cute and pitiful.

Tsk.

It must have been because she started that thought.

Liliana clicked her tongue unconsciously and was momentarily taken aback. Ah, she shouldn’t be like this.

It was even before she finished regretting that a palm flew into her cheek.

Liliana’s head jerked and her tiny body staggered to the side. She was hit so hard that her eyes were spinning.

The maids standing behind Liliana gasped in surprise, and Sophia rushed to support Liliana.

Beatty’s voice was heard from above the top of her head.

“Just now. How dare….”

She was so angry that she seemed to chew each word with her molars and spit it out. However, Liliana’s head, which was hit properly, was also in a red alert.

Liliana raised her hands high with her gentle eyes wide open.

The noble Lady Gabriel would have never seen anyone raise their hand toward her. She was so taken aback that she froze and stepped backward.

But Liliana didn’t really hit her. The last string of reason held her firmly.

This is not a world where all humans are equal, so she couldn’t pay back equally just because she was beaten. Liliana let out a long sigh and shook her head; she grabbed her tingling cheek.

“Then, I’ll go now.”

Liliana slapped Beatty’s shoulder as she walked, and Beatty moved a step behind.

“Y-you’re defeated princess…”

That mumble contained quite a lot of emotion. Negative emotions such as embarrassment, fear, and anger.

So Liliana didn’t feel so bad even if she was slapped. Liliana turned to Beatty and whispered softly.

“You were scared, but you pretended you weren’t.”

Even if she looked like this, it was her second life.

Then he lifted his skirt and ran into the Emerald Palace as if nothing had happened.

As she entered the Emerald Palace, the maids, who had been quiet and were still holding their breath, made a fuss.

“What should we do! Your Highness the Princess’ face is bright red!”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere for a while.”

Liliana answered carelessly and rubbed her tingling cheeks. She was hit so hard that the slightest brush of her finger made her frown.

“Ouch.”

When she touched it, her head relaxed and she could calmly reflect on what she had just done.

“I made a mistake. I don’t know why I suddenly clicked my tongue there.”

“… Really, why did I do that? She will rise to the position of Empress in the future.”

“I know right.”

Liliana let out a long sigh and then looked at Sofia while biting her lips.

“Can I rest now? The Empress Dowager doesn’t call me and the empress appointment ceremony is far away. I have nothing to do, right? I don’t have to eat lunch.”

She was like a child, but she really had nothing to do for a while. What else could a defeated country’s princess do but behave?

Sophia smiled and tucked Liliana’s comforter up to her chin.

“Yes, take a good rest. I’ll wake you up for dinner.”

“Wake me up as late as possible.”

She had been nervous about meeting Empress Dowager since morning, but she suddenly met Beatty and became very tired. Liliana felt Sophia putting ice on her cheek while she fell asleep slowly.

***

When Liliana had just woken up, a red sunset light was seeping through the cracks in the curtains.

Sophia may have been away for a while, but there was an ice bag on the side table and no one was in the room.

Liliana brought the ice bag to her cheek. It was tingling at first, but the crunching sound and cold touch were pleasant. She closed her eyes and was spaced out, but it was strangely noisy outside.

Liliana slipped her arm and pulled the rope. There must be someone outside the door, but no one came in.

Liliana was puzzled and put the ice bag back on the table side, then she raised her upper body.

“Is anyone out there?”

It was the moment when she asked a little louder. The door opened and a man entered the relatively dark room.

His bright blond hair looked dark due to the backlight, but it was still beautiful; his blue eyes shone and didn’t diminish in the slightest.

Liliana blinked and bowed as low as she could.

“I-I see Your Majesty the Emperor.”

She thought she could rest well for a while, but what was going on with this crazy guy? That was what Liliana thought, but she couldn’t greet him carelessly.

Her eyes were gently lowered, and a large, beautiful hand burst suddenly entered her low field of vision.

“Huh?”

Liliana unconsciously raised her head and blinked. Then a gorgeous face filled her vision this time. Helio lifted one corner of his mouth and held his hand again.

“Uh-huh.”

What a stupid conversation. It was a silly conversation between an emperor and a princess that no one could ever imagine.

Liliana rolled her eyes with a frown and eventually grabbed the hand. Helio lifted her like an escort.

“Thank… you.”

“My pleasure.”

“But what brings you all the way here?”

Helio smirked at Liliana’s absurd question.

“You’re going to be my empress, can’t I go in and out at will?”

Helio replied and sat down on Liliana’s bed. As Liliana looked hesitantly at Helio, he reached out and wrapped her hand around Liliana’s waist then pulled her.

“Kyaa!”

Liliana was frightened by Helio’s sudden action and pulled into bed with her body stiffened. It seemed to be due to her recoil as she pushed Helio down.

As he lay on the bed and looked up, Helio raised both hands to shoulder high and acted naturally.

“I didn’t expect you to be so surprised.”

“Yes, that’s right. I was just surprised….”

Liliana lifted her body with a bewildered face. She didn’t forget to distance herself from Helio.

’Why on earth did this man come?’

Liliana’s mind was filled with that thought. In fact, Liliana had a very strong candidate for the answer.

Liliana was soon to be the empress, and Helio was the emperor who was no less than the empress’ owner. What would be the reason for the emperor’s visit to the empress’ palace?

‘It’s probably about sharing the bed for a successor.’

Liliana couldn’t hide her troubled expression. She had trouble sleeping with the emperor because she had not yet found a contraceptive pill. What if she suddenly has a baby?

It was clear that things would go according to the original story as the empress candidate Beatty already had malicious feelings for her.

‘No way!’

Helio was quietly watching the whole process of Liliana’s expression of despair after she was in agony. She even looked at how much she used her tiny head and whether the top of her head was steaming.

The moment Helio reached over Liliana’s head to check it by himself….

“Oh my.”

Liliana made a strange noise and pulled herself. She opened her eyes wide and stared intently at Helio.

Helio also stared back at Liliana silently. He narrowed her eyes and leaned his upper body toward Liliana.

“Princess.”

“Yes, yes?”

Liliana’s heart raced like crazy. Although the man in front of her is handsome, beautiful, and charming! It’s a life-and-death affair at stake!

Her face flushed red as she tried to turn her head, not knowing how she should get out of it.

As Helio’s hand reached Liliana once more, Liliana squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“Yo-yo-your Majesty! We’re still….”

“Still?”

“We’re still not married?!”