TVIOWHFW 75

Miryu’s face was filled with confusion and embarrassment.

“Oh, Mother.”

“Hmph.”

Queen Isabella remained unfazed by Miryu’s distress.

“Why is it that a mere young lady keeps calling me the acting king of Royem privately?”

Queen Isabella’s expression was completely impassive. Truly, her face was utterly expressionless.

But because of that, she emanated an even more chilling aura.

“Mother, please don’t do this.”

Miryu hurriedly grasped Queen Isabella’s dress hem, stubbornly tearful.

‘Queen Isabella is gentle at heart despite her cold exterior.’

“I’m really upset. Please believe me. I’m also part of the Royem family, and you said you cared for me like a daughter. You even said you expected this wedding more than I did.”

“Yes, I used to think so.”

“Even if I start to dislike you right now, you could at least listen once.”

“Then, try telling me.”

Miryu’s hope swelled.

‘See, she’s listening to me!’

If Queen Isabella’s heart had truly turned away from her, she would have completely ignored Miryu. The fact that she was reacting to her at all meant there was still hope.

Tears welled up, and Miryu begged desperately.

“I didn’t intend to go this far at first. But on the wedding day, Hesen suddenly ran away…”

At those words, Queen Isabella’s lips twitched subtly.

Miryu inwardly rejoiced. Even if everyone saw, it was more important to pass this moment.

“At Hesen’s departure, a letter was found sent by Duchess Blanchet. That’s how things turned out. The rest is all true.”

“…”

“You said you considered me like a daughter. If your words are sincere—”

“Yes, I truly cherished you like a daughter.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint such a mother—”

Just as Miryu was about to shed even more tears looking at Queen Isabella.

“So, you believed that and behaved so recklessly?”

“—I’m very sorry, yes…?”

“You think that letter you mentioned is this one?”

Queen Isabella handed a letter with a cold, icy stare. Miryu, tearful, awkwardly took the letter.

“Why did you give me this letter, Mother…”

[Though we have grown apart, I still congratulate you on the birth of the child.]

“So this letter, which accuses me—Queen Isabella—of betrayal by Duchess Blanchet…”

[I’ve already forgotten the scandal that happened at the Royem residence, and I wish for your wedding to be blessed.]

The letter contained no words that defamed Miryu. Her trembling hands clutched the letter tightly.

‘If Estelle didn’t do it, then why did Hesen suddenly change?’

Reality seemed unbelievable.

“Miryu Jutti. From the start, you were nothing but a flawed bride.”

Miryu looked up blankly from the letter to Queen Isabella.

Although Queen Isabella stood elegantly, her eyes, filled with anger, stared intently at Miryu.

“The only reason I accepted you was because you were the woman Hesen, the Crown Prince of Royem, loved and brought here.”

Isabella still couldn’t forget the night she brought Miryu. That night, Hesen came to her very late and made a request.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I apologize again for disappointing you. But I truly love her.”

“All blame lies with me, who lost her composure and let emotions take over, so please don’t scold her. I beg you.”

Isabella was devastated by her son’s confession.

It was true she thought Miryu was an inadequate bride. But seeing Hesen beg her for forgiveness made her reflect on her own shortcomings.

“Hesen. If that girl is the woman you love so much, then be proud. I will help you.”

So, Isabella truly did everything for Miryu.

“I have tolerated all your shortcomings so far. I looked after your circumstances, from your impoverished family that couldn’t afford a dowry, to your position in high society, and even handled the misunderstandings about your relationship with my daughter.”

Among those were things that even her biological parents would find difficult to do for their own daughter. Yet, even then, Queen Isabella still loved Miryu.

“Even your scars, which once marred your reputation in high society, were considered pain, and I created a place for you in Royem. I believed it was okay if you couldn’t fulfill your duties as the Crown Princess’ fiancée.”

Unlike Hesen, who had to shoulder the kingdom and could not show maternal care due to their mourning, Hesen, who could not properly hold her in his arms, was her son.

“But from the very beginning, everything was a lie.”

“Mother, no—”

“To think that your tragic past, your painful scar on your neck, and even the fake pregnancy you talked about in front of everyone were all lies! How dare you stand proudly before me?”

Isabella bit her lip tightly.

“How dare you deceive the Royem kingdom, slander innocent people, and even ruin Royem’s last remaining honor with a false pregnancy.”

Tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes. Calmly listing Miryu’s sins, she suddenly seemed to choke, her throat tightening with emotion.

Miryu was Hesen’s beloved woman.

She believed Hesen could be happy with her.

“Most importantly—”

Isabella suddenly roared like a thunderbolt.

“How dare you hurt my son—Hesen!”

With a snarl—

Isabella roughly slapped Miryu across the face.

Even Hesen, who was cautious not to hurt his mother, had to be careful with his own son. That slap caused Miryu’s cheek to swell and blood to trickle from her lips. Yet, Isabella’s gaze remained ferocious, like a predator.

Even a mere beast reacts with fury when its cub is injured.

“Don’t you dare think you can live peacefully with your neck still attached.”

Queen Isabella, acting as the regent of Royem, the heart of the United Kingdom, and one of the few kingdoms with influence over the Empire, declared sharply.

“I will crush you with everything I have.”

Miryu begged as if she was about to say something. But Isabella’s dark shadow loomed over her, as if to devour her.

And the reality awaiting Miryu was hardly different.

A perfect ruin of a fake.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

The wedding was completely ruined.

“I never imagined everything was fake. How could you do such a thing? I’m scared just thinking about it.”

“You thought you had nothing to lose, so you did it. Still, I saw for the first time today how furious the acting Regent of Royem was. He always kept his composure like a noble…”

“Who wouldn’t be furious after today? Even I would have been.”

Guests at the venue shook their heads in disapproval at the turbulent news unfolding at the wedding, then disappeared. Most looked satisfied, having seen more excitement than a simple gift.

“I need to inform everyone around me about what happened today, as soon as possible. Duchess Blanchet must have been so wronged all this time. Seeing her face turn pale at the end… I feel so sorry.”

“Royem is also a victim, but the biggest victim is Duchess Blanchet.”

“But to think her pregnancy was fake—perhaps the saint was mistaken for a moment?”

“Honestly, this incident can’t be entirely her fault, can it?”

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

And I waited for Diana’s comfort, standing by the carriage of the Blanchet family.

“It’s because of me that the wedding…”

“No, Estelle. Actually, Royem should be grateful to you.”

Diana shook her head repeatedly.

“The influence of Royem might not be what it used to be for a while. But still, breaking off the engagement like this is better than bringing someone in and ruining the entire kingdom.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Probably, Hesen ran away from the wedding with that thought in mind.”

Hesen hadn’t returned since rushing out of the wedding venue. Well, if it were me, I wouldn’t come home after ruining the wedding either.

“Then that’s a relief.”

I smiled brightly at Diana, who had played the most important role in causing this wedding disaster.

‘Miryu probably thought I told Hesen.’

But I am just a noblewoman with no connection to Crown Prince Hesen. No matter what evidence I bring, he might resist or even feel more pity for Miryu.

So, I chose to have Diana directly persuade Hesen.

‘Diana, I have nothing I can’t tell him. But… you also have a role to play. Think about it.’

By guiding Diana to the information guild I had arranged, she learned the truth about Miryu.

Diana, who had bravely confronted me at first, didn’t flinch.

She must have moved to tell her brother the truth. In fact, Diana had previously taken off Miryu’s gold ring and consulted with me.

‘Miryu tried to cover her situation with a fake pregnancy, but…’

Unfortunately, that very lie ensnared her in an even bigger trap.

‘From the moment she was suddenly recommended to the wedding hall, I should have suspected.’

The wedding hall Miryu happily accepted, the Silver Swan, was arranged through a special request to Nadia.

Because the owner of the Silver Swan was Lord Temiller, Nadia’s godfather.

Especially since the area around the Silver Swan was surrounded by woods, it was easy to gauge people’s presence by observing the trees and coming and going, which could be exploited to guide a frantic Miryu, losing her reason.

‘Miryu probably won’t ever know.’

In fact, Hesen knew the day before the wedding that Miryu was an illegitimate child.

From the situation at the wedding, it seemed he was willing to marry her regardless of that fact.

‘But that last letter I sent through Diana…’

My kind letter, which only received insults about Miryu’s scar, touched Hesen’s guilt. After that, Hesen gave up on marrying Miryu.

‘Well, I don’t really know what the true reason was.’

In the end, Miryu gained everything through her sins, only to lose everything with her own hands.

Lord Jutti would do whatever it takes to exile Miryu, and as a commoner without protection, she would face deadly threats.

‘And besides, how famous was she?’

Not only would escaping her noble status and surviving as a commoner be difficult, but Miryu had committed too many sins. Diana held my hand.

“Mother will also be very grateful to you, Estelle. I’ll arrange a separate meeting to thank you.”

“Thank you, but why would I accept something like that in Royem?”

“It’s necessary. Because you basically saved Royem.”

If she said so, I’d accept.

“Alright. Then, even just by considering Diana’s feelings…”

I will do my best to make up for the damage!

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

The Blanchet family’s carriage came to pick me up.

‘It’s still daylight.’

Even after all that happened, I couldn’t believe the day wasn’t over yet. I twirled my long hair, lost in thought.

‘Stupid Miryu.’

Miryu, crying out in despair and desperately struggling with evil.

‘Why did she have to tell such a clumsy lie?’

All her efforts to make everything look real, unaware that she was actually living a lie.

I don’t feel sorry for Miryu at all. My entire plan was designed so that if Miryu had chosen differently, everything could have gone awry.

Moreover, Miryu chose to do all this herself.

Unlike me, who became a fake due to circumstances, she was the one who made everything happen with her own choices.

In a way, Miryu is also one of the perpetrators that made me into an endless fake.

But I, too, was a fake like her.

‘Fakes always have to try harder than the real thing. They have to struggle more desperately.’

Seeing Miryu’s complete downfall, if I didn’t feel a strange bitterness, it would be a lie.

‘The real one might someday be proven if you wait long enough—’

But a fake has no end. If it can just exist in the first place, perhaps it wasn’t truly fake after all.

“Estelle.”

John, waiting for me in the carriage, reached out his hand.

“Did everything go as planned?”

“Yeah, it’s all over now.”

I smiled brightly at John.

‘If he knew my truth, how would he act?’

It might be better to confess everything before Miryu’s world collapses, just like her. The truth revealed by others only makes me more miserable.

“So—”

Then John, leaning his head on the window, said lazily.

“Estelle, you’re too soft-hearted.”

“…Huh?”

That was an unexpected remark.

“You said that to me now?”

“Yeah. Your way of dealing with Miryu Jutti was too merciful.”

John’s red eyes flickered with a chilling glint. I involuntarily stiffened.

“Handling others like that and giving them chances isn’t good.”

John seemed to see through all my plans.

“Would that make your opponent truly collapse?”

“…Then what should I have done?”

“You should have immediately thrown her into prison and let her die. Involve all those connected to her, ruin them, create false evidence, and even trap those who slandered you in hell.”

“…”

“Isn’t that the most terrible way?”

Clearly, John was talking about Miryu.

“But—”

Still, strangely, it didn’t quite feel like he was talking about Miryu.

“What if innocent people get caught in that?”

“Why do you care?”

John gently brushed my hair with affection.

“Anyway, the grievances around me will become her suffering. It’s a perfect decoration for your revenge.”

~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.

See you then!!