Chapter 103

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 103

Chapter Title: The Forgotten Ring

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Arpad had said he'd return within a week.

And today was that seventh day.

But even as night fell, not a single strand of that man's hair was anywhere to be seen.

I was still sitting all by myself on the vast bed.

'What on earth could be keeping him away this long? Is he not coming tonight either?'

A day or two delay in his schedule was nothing unusual.

Maybe the roads were blocked, or some accident had happened...

'The chances are slim, but what if he's injured?'

Just imagining it made my heart lurch.

Then my thoughts veered off in a completely different direction.

'What if he's finally met that "lover" of his?'

In all my previous three lives, rumors of Arpad's secret lover had always swirled around.

"The Crown Prince lost his lover and fell into madness."

It was such a dramatic, romantic tale that it lingered in people's conversations for ages.

Even his father, the Emperor, believed it.

But just recently, Arpad had denied it vehemently right in front of me.

"I have no intention of keeping a separate lover."

Looking back, his tone hadn't sounded like a lie at all.

There was no reason for him to hide it, either.

Hadn't I told him over and over that he could have a lover, that I'd grant him a divorce whenever he wanted?

No need to conceal it from someone like me.

If I asked Arpad when he got back whether he'd met his lover...

'He'd definitely get angry.'

But then another thought struck me.

What if he didn't get angry? What if he confirmed it?

What if he demanded I keep my promise?

"..."

Suddenly, my chest tightened, and a surge of resentment welled up.

I'd felt this exact emotion once before.

'Right after I learned Evangeline Ruth was Ludwig Kielern's lover.'

I hadn't loved Ludwig, but I'd trusted him as my husband, and I'd thought of Evangeline as a friend.

The betrayal from both had been devastating, beyond words.

Now it was just anger and revenge fueling me, but I'd been genuinely hurt back then.

'Why am I thinking of that now?'

That sorrow and rage, too.

It wasn't even real—it was just my imagination.

Yet it felt like it would hurt even more than the betrayal from Ludwig and Evangeline.

I was startled by how quickly my mood soured.

Just from sleeping alone in this huge bed for a week?

The comfort of another person's body heat must have been far greater than I'd realized.

'He's not even back with a lover in tow...!'

Not when I had barely enough time just plotting revenge!

I shook my head vigorously to dispel the negative thoughts and decided to check my gains for the day instead.

I got up from the bed and lifted the ornate jewelry box from the table.

It was a gift from the Muzen Duchess and her son.

A token of gratitude for saving the duchess's life.

And a clear show of their support for me.

Inside the box gleamed an amethyst tiara, necklace, earrings, and brooch.

The violet-obsessed Muzen Duchess had gifted me these lustrous amethysts.

She said they'd been hers from her younger days—the quality of the gems and the craftsmanship were exquisite.

With just this set, I'd be perfectly adorned for any formal occasion.

Of course, saving her life alone hadn't won their loyalty.

The crucial information I'd shared afterward had sealed the deal.

"Do you really think it was a coincidence that she had the antidote right there?"

When the duchess had her lupis flower allergy attack, Evangeline Ruth had been there with medicine in hand.

The young duke caught my meaning and asked with a hardened expression.

"Does Your Highness believe it was planned?"

I voiced the suspicion they were bound to have first.

"Even if the Ruth Marquis's Daughter had been there alone, it would've been hard to call it coincidence. But then I showed up with medicine too. Does that sound like chance?"

"By your words, it seems either Your Highness the Crown Princess or the Ruth lady tried to harm my mother."

I smiled and had Annie fetch a potted plant.

"A gift for the duchess."

It was a pot overflowing with vibrant red lupis flowers.

Even with the pot brought in, neither the duchess nor the young duke recoiled in shock or anger.

They just looked puzzled.

'As expected, they don't know the allergy trigger.'

They'd probably called a doctor after returning to the ducal estate and learned it was an allergic reaction.

But not what caused it—allergies can stem from so many things.

I placed the pot in front of the duchess and began explaining.

"The reason you collapsed that day was this flower. Remember? The terrace where the Ruth Marquis's Daughter appeared was covered in lupis vines."

The duchess shot to her feet in shock, and the young duke stepped in front of her, eyeing me warily.

"What is the meaning of this? Trying to harm my mother again...!"

"Don't worry. It's fine, isn't it, Duchess?"

"...Huh? Oh, yes. No itching, no trouble breathing."

"Didn't you say this flower caused her collapse?"

Yet the duchess was perfectly fine now. They had every reason to find it suspicious.

I tapped the pot and said,

"It's been magically sealed. No pollen or scent can escape. As long as you don't touch it directly, you're safe."

"...!"

"You still have plenty of the medicine I gave you last time, and now this flower. You can test it safely back at the estate. Confirm this is what made you collapse."

The pale-faced duchess regained her composure before her son.

"If I may be so bold, Your Highness. That alone doesn't prove you weren't behind it."

"Of course not. I'm sharing this so you can avoid it happening again."

Awe flickered across the duchess's face.

She instantly grasped my implication.

"When I collapsed, the Ruth Marquis's Daughter just vanished without a word, they say. Yet Your Highness is telling me everything."

She probed me carefully.

"May I ask why?"

"You don't think I did this out of pure goodwill, do you?"

"...!"

"I do want you to know the cause and stay safe. But if the Muzen family falls for the Ruth Marquis's Daughter's tricks, it'd put me in a real bind."

Even after I admitted it benefited me too, the duchess's smile deepened.

I added a few more details to bolster my credibility—bits of information.

"If you want the truth, look into the ownership of the building where she appeared."

"...Thank you. Still, one thing nags at me. How did the Ruth Marquis's Daughter know about my allergy—something even I didn't?"

"Who knows. I only learned it by keeping tabs on her movements."

That much, I couldn't answer.

That Evangeline was a possessor who'd read the original novel.

The duchess would surely tighten security at both the capital estate and the main house now.

The duchess and young duke seemed to reach the judgment I'd hoped for.

'The Empress and Evangeline toyed with the duchess's life to pull the Muzen ducal family to their side.'

And it was true, after all.

In the end, the duchess accepted the head maid position.

"It's an honor to serve the imperial family, Your Highness. And please accept this gift from your lifesaver."

She presented the amethyst set too.

I gazed down at the box with satisfaction.

'Great. Now I have one more thing to brag to Arpad about when he gets back.'

I was planning a tea party soon, and I'd wear this set with the duchess as my head maid.

Nothing would broadcast the Muzen family in my pocket more effectively.

'Now, what ring to pair with this?'

I tugged the bell cord to summon Annie.

"Bring all the rings that would match these amethysts."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Annie beamed and brought the ring box.

Amid the flood of sparkling gems, I searched for ones to complement the amethysts.

"Something in the same amethyst would work, and since the tiara has pink diamonds, maybe pink or red tones."

Then something familiar caught my eye among the rings.

A gold ring with three purple diamonds set like petals.

The wedding ring that lost a glow each regression, now shining like any ordinary jewel.

It was always on my finger every time I awoke in a new loop.

Annie gasped and apologized profusely.

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness! I should have put it away..."

Well, it was my wedding ring with Ludwig. No wonder Annie recoiled.

"It's fine, Annie."

Come to think of it, wasn't this one of the imperial treasures originally?

I picked it up and mused anew.

'Right, I should look into this too. I'd forgotten all about it...'

That was when the bedroom door flew open without warning.

"Who goes there?! Oh... Y-Your Highness!"

Annie started to scold the intruder but trailed off.

It was Arpad, appearing after a full week.

"Hilia!"

"Ah, welcome back, Arpad."

Annie swiftly excused herself.

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence followed our brief greeting.

The reason was simple. Arpad's gaze was fixed on one spot.

The wedding ring from Ludwig that I held.

"You still have that?"

His tone was as prickly as if he'd bitten into a whole lemon.

Thanks to that, I realized he knew what the ring was.

I wondered how it looked—me holding my ring from a former fiancé in front of my current husband.

Well, thank goodness we weren't a real couple.

In that instant, Arpad reached out and snatched Ludwig's ring from my hand.

"Hey?!"

His other hand clamped onto my left hand firmly, as if to prevent escape.

Then something flashed from his pocket.

Without a word, he slid the ostentatiously sparkling thing onto my left ring finger.

I knew what it was.

'Why is this here?!'