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Chapter 107




As I stared at the paper, I heard Blake’s voice from behind.
“You’ve been studying since morning?”
I nodded.
“You don’t need to work so hard. I can still read your lips.”
He smiled after seeing my writing.
“You like perilla leaves and lemon jam too?”
I nodded.
I didn’t want to hide the fact that I was Ancia anymore.
He patted my hair lightly.
“Why do you look prettier today?”
‘Am I pretty?’
“Yes, you’re always pretty.”
Blake looked into my eyes.
“Do you want to go to Amoria Palace? There are many fresh vegetables in the greenhouse.”
I looked at him in astonishment.
I can go there?
Amoria Palace was a place where only Blake, Ancia and some servants could enter.
He took me to the palace because until yesterday, he still thought that I was Ancia.
But then, Ser appeared.
Even though it wasn’t confirmed yet, it was much more likely for her to be Ancia than me.
Yet he wanted to take me there again?
‘Can I really go?’
“Of course, you can go there anytime.”
He said to me gently and offered me a hand.
“Let’s go Rose.”
I got up from the chair while holding his hands.
***
We went to the Amoria Palace together.
As soon as I entered the greenhouse, I went straight to the vegetable garden.
When I came here yesterday, I tried to ignore it. But today, I enjoyed seeing the vegetables that had grown so well to my heart’s content.
The greenhouse’s temperature was controlled by magic, allowing the vegetables to grow nicely all year round.
The flowers were pretty, but I liked the vegetables more.
Seeing vegetables everywhere, I wanted to jump with joy.
“Pick as many as you want.”
‘Can I?’
“Yes. I’ll ask Terry to cook it.”
I started to quickly pick vegetables.
It was fun to pick up fully grown vegetables.
“Rose.”
I was still focused on picking vegetables when Blake called me.
I turned around to see him smiling beautifully with a red pepper in his hands.
“Ahh—“
He put the red pepper in my mouth.
Back then, even Koreans who were accustomed to spicy food couldn’t handle the flavor and had to drink about two liters of water after eating red pepper.
It was a crime for him to laugh so beautifully while doing this kind of thing.
His action would bother others, but it didn’t bother me.
When I lived in Korea, there was a jjampong restaurant in front of the company I worked at. It was famous for its spicy flavor and I was a regular customer there.
The boss was always surprised to see me eat spicy food so well.
I smiled confidently and was about to eat the red pepper, when suddenly I heard a woman’s voice.
“Your Highness!”
Ser shouted with Edon following behind her.
Ser approached Blake with a bright smile.
Blake’s expression hardened.
“How did you get in here?”
Blake gazed at Ser coldly. Edon answered quickly.
“I brought her here to help her recall her memories.”
Edon was lying. He only acted on Blake’s orders.
She said she was Ancia, but he wouldn’t bring her here without Blake’s permission.
Edon was defending Ser.
“Yes. Sir Edon brought me here!”
Ser naturally passed the blame to Edon.
“I was wondering what kind of place I used to live in. It’s surprisingly small and old. His Majesty is too much. He put you into a separate palace like this just because you were cursed.”
Ser said with a sad expression.
Blake looked at her for a short while before saying to Edon,
“…I told you not to let anyone inside the Amoria Palace without my permission.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Take her away.”
“Yes, Your Highness, let’s go.”
“What about that woman?”
Edon tried to drag her away but Ser pointed at me.
“She’s still here so why are you telling me to go back!”
“Your Highness.”
Edon tried to take her away but Ser grabbed onto Blake’s collar.
“Your Highness, don’t you like me? Are you disappointed that I am so different now? Do you hate me? Am I a burden?”
“…”
“I’m Ancia. I’m the one who freed you from your curse. You have to be nice to me.”
“Don’t say my wife’s name ever again.”
“What?”
“You said that you lost your memory. So why are you so sure that you’re Ancia?”
“That’s…”
“Go to Sephia Palace and think about it slowly, if you’re really Ancia.”
“Your Highness…”
Ser was shocked at Blake’s attitude.
Of course she was shocked. Ser had taken over my body, so it was natural to think of her as Ancia. But Blake continued to doubt her.
“Your Highness, let’s go back.”
Edon tried to drag Ser away again.
She finally stopped being stubborn.
When they left, Blake came over to me
“Rose, there are fresh fruits over there. Shall we go there?”
He said while clasping my hand.
His cold attitude from earlier was nowhere to be seen. He was kind to me as usual.
‘Yes, let’s go.’
I nodded.
***
When Edon entered the head maid’s office, Melissa rushed to him.
“Sir Edon, why are you back so quickly?”
“His Highness told us to go back.”
“Was it because of Rose?”
“Yes.”
When he nodded, Hans was stunned.
“You’re saying that he turned her away because of Miss Rose?”
Ancia suddenly showed up at the Foren Palace and asked where Blake was.
When he said that he was at the Amoria Palace, she said she’ll go to him.
Edon explained that she couldn’t enter the palace without His Highness’ permission.
“Are you dismissing me because I lost my memories? Humans really are annoying! You’re only a servant! You should just do what you’re told! Whose side are you on? That woman’s side?”
They were surprised to hear Ancia speaking to them that way.
Ancia wasn’t that kind of person.
She never discriminated against anyone because of their status, occupation or appearance.
Even though Edon and Terry were commoners, she treated them nicely and even praised them.
But now it was as if she was a completely different person.
But even if she was different now, she was still Ancia.
Blake had missed Ancia for seven years, so Edon took her to Amoria Palace.
Although the Crown Prince was with Rose, he thought that Blake would be more considerate to Ancia than her.
But they were completely wrong.
Edon recalled what happened at the Amoria palace as he opened his mouth.
“His Highness doesn’t think of her as Ancia.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
Melissa and Hans were surprised.
Of course, they felt something was wrong with Ancia.
She had changed a lot.
Her face was the same yet her personality, way of speaking, and behaviour were so different that she felt like a different person.
Melissa recalled seeing Blake and Ancia on their way to Sephia Palace together last night.
There was an awkward tension between them.
She couldn’t feel any hint of the atmosphere they had when they were still kids.
Rather, she could feel that atmosphere when Blake and Rose were together.
Melissa thought of Blake and Rose looking at each other warmly, but she quickly erased the thought.
The real Crown Princess was back. She couldn’t believe that Rose reminded her of Ancia.
That was impossible.
According to Collin, Ancia still had the power of light.
She had the same appearance and the power of light, so she had to be the real Crown Princess.
“Does he have any proof?”
Hans asked but Edon shook his head.
“I don’t know, but there must be something we didn’t know.”
Their expressions turned grim.
Just yesterday, they were delighted to hear that Ancia had returned.
Now that she returned, they thought that only happiness would fill the entire palace from then on.
But another problem occured in the Forens Palace.
***
Blake ordered Hans to investigate Richard.
“Richard’s orphanage was famous for having better facilities than other orphanages. They have many supplies of clothes and food, as well as providing good education.”
Hans reported his findings.
“In addition, they accepted children of Roum and disabled people without any discrimination. Some people looked at it negatively, but most people praise them for it.”
Unlike the orphanages run by the empire, private orphanages were often discriminated against.
Those private orphanages were usually the places where rich families adopted children from. In return, they received many donations. For that reason, disabled children, Roums, and anyone with ugly an appearance were not accepted.
It was really admirable of Richard to open his doors to everyone, but Blake couldn’t help but feel something was very wrong about this situation.