Chapter 11
The Rumored Duke’s Daughter (5)
“Somehow, it’s a little embarrassing.”
Veronica mumbled an obvious excuse in response, brushing the question aside. It was her way of saying she didn’t want to talk about it any further, and Lady Arin—quick-witted as always—seemed disappointed but did not press her further.
Veronica lifted her teacup. The table was filled with desserts Lady Arin had brought with her. Every time she visited House Hardiness, she would bring these appetizing sweets for Veronica. It was a little belated realization, but she was always so thoughtful and sincere.
“Fufu, I can’t believe Veronica has an engagement now.”
“It is rather late, isn’t it?”
“Late? Not at all! I also got engaged to my husband quite late. Did I ever tell you how I met him?”
“Yes, you did.”
She had told her. Repeatedly—so often Veronica’s ears could have bled from it.
Lady Arin’s husband had been the son of a poor noble family. In terms of wealth and status, his family was far inferior to hers—honestly, they could barely even be called nobles.
Yet somehow, the two people who had no connection whatsoever met by chance and fell in love. It was Lady Arin who fell first, and if she had not aggressively pursued him, it would never have worked out. She even went as far as breaking off a prearranged engagement. Everything had been the result of her own bold, unilateral actions.
Incredibly, she had succeeded in that difficult “love marriage.”
“Trials make love even stronger! If you want something, take it! Hope comes to those who strive! Claim what’s yours! If you stay still, you’ll get nothing!”
Lady Arin slammed the table as she delivered her speech of conviction. Veronica listened with a smile.
“Still, it wasn’t an easy decision, was it?”
“Well… no. In fact… my family strongly opposed it. I already had a fiancée, and breaking off an engagement unilaterally causes enormous damage to the family. It was the first rebellion of my life. My older brother got whatever he wanted growing up, but I had always lived obediently. I didn’t want my marriage to be the same… even though I had to give up my inheritance rights.”
Lady Arin stirred her teaspoon and smiled bitterly.
The cost of forcing a marriage against her family’s wishes had been enormous. She gave up a massive inheritance and lost her family’s financial support. She only received a symbolic dowry and married her husband. Because of that, she occasionally took side jobs teaching noble children, without her husband’s knowledge.
Veronica had met Lady Arin through an acquaintance of her father, and she had taught Veronica practical noble etiquette. It wasn’t rigid or overly formal, and Veronica had always enjoyed her time with her.
“But I don’t regret it. Love is what matters most to me!”
“Haha.”
Lady Arin clenched her fist with determination. Veronica simply laughed.
Love…
There had once been a time when Veronica herself had been swept away by that emotion. She had believed it was everything in her life.
What was the sixteen-year-old Veronica like?
An innocent young noble lady who knew nothing of the world would, by now, be drowning in a fated love. She would think of the one she loved, wonder how he was living, miss him so much she would write letters without rest. On clean, beautiful paper, she would write sweet words, spraying fragrance and placing flowers inside. She would carefully craft elegant expressions, hoping he would see her as a refined lady. And she would diligently attend the bridal lessons she once found tedious and skipped.
“How foolish.”
Even this reflection felt meaningless.
Lady Arin’s beautiful love would not last long. Three years later, the husband she had defied her family to marry would die in an accident. After that, she would return to her family, and soon discussions of remarriage would arise. At first she would refuse, but eventually marriage arrangements would be made. In the end, she would never escape her family’s grasp.
Veronica lifted her teacup with a bitter smile. A breeze from outside brushed through her hair. She tucked the strands behind her ear and quietly took a sip of tea. Watching her closely, Lady Arin spoke.
“Veronica.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You seem… different than before. More mature, perhaps.”
She had been hearing that a lot lately. She hadn’t particularly tried to hide anything, but time was something that could not be concealed.
Veronica had returned to being sixteen again. Which meant she had to relive a sixteen-year-old’s life.
For a noble lady, sixteen was a time for education, refinement, and learning etiquette. The daughter of a ducal house was no exception.
Veronica’s daily life was nothing but study, study, and more study. Noble girls typically received bridal education from a young age, but she was someone who would become an imperial princess consort. That meant she had to relearn imperial court etiquette, making her education even stricter and more demanding.
But who was she?
Someone who had repeated this countless times.
She performed everything flawlessly. Playing instruments she once struggled with came easily now. She never missed a step in dance. Even history, once difficult, now flowed naturally from her lips. She had learned it all repeatedly—so often that it was exhausting, and thus effortless.
Yet her teachers, unaware of her circumstances, praised her endlessly. Some even called her a genius. But by now, she had heard it so many times it meant nothing to her.
Of course, inconveniences still arose. Not only her father Harry, but others around her found her behavior strange.
Veronica had no intention of explaining her circumstances in detail, nor did she wish to draw attention. But even when she tried to act like a child, her mind was that of an adult, so it wasn’t easy. She didn’t actually want to roll on the floor demanding this or that like a real child. She understood that such behavior would only worry her father unnecessarily—but after countless lifetimes, she simply couldn’t do it.
Still, she couldn’t do nothing.
Recently, Veronica had dismissed several people she remembered. The excuse was simple—she simply said she disliked them and refused. It was convenient to act like a spoiled child at times like this. She knew her father would eventually give in to her stubbornness.
She watched the servants leaving one by one outside the window. Among them was a maid she had previously argued with. Veronica remembered the moment that maid had looked down on her and smiled.
“…What happened here?”
Her father would never know. That they would later become traitors who gave false testimony linking House Hardiness to the rebels. Their smug, greedy faces as they fabricated evidence in front of her still remained vivid in her memory.
Expelling them would not change the future entirely—but it might delay things, even slightly.
“Hehe. Girls really do grow up quickly.”
Lady Arin rested her chin on her hands and laughed softly. Fortunately, she seemed willing to overlook Veronica’s changed demeanor. Her playful expression was bright and warm.
Veronica stared at her. To her, Lady Arin was a teacher of etiquette—and almost like a mother. Arin had always been kind to her. Even during Veronica’s arrogant and reckless days, she had remained close to her.
Perhaps because she pitied a girl raised without a mother, she visited her consistently whether she was happy or sad. She was someone who alone could brighten the room. Even during the downfall of House Hardiness, she had worried about Veronica until the very end.
“I’m sorry, Veronica.”
“Is it good, Veronica?”
That face—once filled with despair and regret—was now full of joy. She had wanted to help, but in the end, she had been powerless. Just like her love, it had all come to nothing. Well, if even the Emperor was their enemy, who could have helped them?
Thinking of it like that made everything feel distant, as if her emotions had been layered and dulled over time.
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
Veronica smiled faintly and took a cookie from Lady Arin’s tray. The sweetness spread across her tongue, but inside she felt nothing but emptiness.
Because she already knew—her future would be no sweeter than this cookie.
Veronica sent Cassian a letter every single day.
At first, she carefully crafted each message, even spraying fashionable perfume and decorating them beautifully. But in the end, she began writing them carelessly. She no longer expected him to be moved by effort, and honestly, she wasn’t even sure he read them at all. Given his complete lack of response, it was likely they were being discarded or burned unread—and that assumption was probably not wrong.
Still, Veronica did not stop.
She kept sending letters regardless of replies. She also wanted to see how long he would ignore her. Even Harry quietly admired her persistence.
Meanwhile, she continued her bridal lessons. Her tutors praised her endlessly for how much she had changed, but Veronica herself remained indifferent. She was simply repeating what she had already learned.
There had been a time when she desperately studied etiquette as Asar’s bride, eager to be worthy. There had been moments when praise made her happy. But she could no longer even remember them. No matter how much she was praised now, she felt no joy or accomplishment. It was all just part of a monotonous routine.
Yet even within that, something had clearly changed.
Veronica smiled shyly.
“I’ve been trying not to be an unworthy wife to His Highness Prince Cassian.”
“Oh my!”
Her teachers gasped in admiration, and Veronica put on a shy expression as if thinking of her fiancé. Inside, however, she imagined Cassian’s furious expression upon hearing these rumors spreading—and that thought amused her more than anything.
And so time passed.
The Emperor’s birthday arrived.
