"Can you be my daughter?"
I shouldn't have held that hand.
Even the Emperor couldn't treat him recklessly, the Empire's Chancellor, Grand Duke Friedrich. The issue was that I couldn't resist his request.
I was surprised to hear that I was the only one who could replace Veronica, who died of fever.
If I had refused at that time, I could have avoided such a miserable death. I ended up looking ridiculous.
What is the point of being at the height of society and receiving the envy of young women and the courtship of men? What is the use of a dress adorned with an artisan's precious jewels? What was the point of being booked as the First Queen?
Princess Veronica, whom I thought was dead, is still alive. As long as she returned, I didn't exist anywhere in the world.
"You've… been meaning to do this since the beginning."
Whenever I struggled to spit out words, the iron stuck in my abdomen wobbled. The blood that flowed down from the twisted, bloody dress soaked the floor.
"Don't resent me. I only reached out my hand, and it's you who took that hand."
Grand Duke Friedrich gave a dry answer. I laughed in vain at his clever way of blaming me. Veronica, who was standing beside him, was heard saying something.
"It was a long-time plan. Because of that, I had to pretend to be dead, and I needed a substitute. You did pretty good during that time."
I looked up at Veronica.
Oh! When I saw her resembling me like a reflection in a mirror, I was filled with sorrow. If I die, she will naturally step in my place. Not only in the status of Queen, but even the child born between His Majesty and I may grow up calling Veronica mother.
No, I'm sure it would happen. It was so unfair that tears poured out of anger.
"Are you crying? Don't be too sad. I'm more compassionate than I look. I'm going to give you some comfort and consideration for all your hard work."
When Veronica beckoned, the knight standing behind her handed her a baby wrapped in silk.
Veronica showed the face of the child who fell asleep as if she were trying to be generous.
"Baby, say goodbye to your mom. Mom's gonna die soon."
"…!"
Veronica raised the crying baby's hand and waved it. She really looked more cruel than the devil.
"I-Ian!"
I crawled towards Veronica with a near-rampaging struggle. Even if I struggled with the pain of the iron, I could not stop. My son won't be hurt if I put him in my eyes. It drove me crazy to see Ian in her arms.
"Don't try too hard. I'm not going to do anything to this kid right now. I'm going to hear him call me "mother" and see his cute actions. By that time, I'll have a child with His Majesty, right? I'll send him by your side then."
"Y-you devil!"
My hands and lips trembled with indignation.
"You've delayed too much, Veronica."
"Oh, I lost track of time because of the sights. Let's go."
Grand Duke Friedrich glanced at me and turned furiously. Veronica followed suit.
"I can't even say goodbye because I don't know your real name. But I'll tell you at least you did a good job, fake Veronica."
I stretched out my hand as hard as I could, looking at Veronica's distant back. Even though I knew I couldn't keep up, desperation kept me from giving up.
"B-baby…"
However, this was the end of the body that spilled too much blood.
Thud.
My hands fell weakly. Veronica's distant back was the last thing I remembered.
Chapter 1. The Rise of Vengeance
"Elena!"
Elena, who was dipping her feet in a low hillside stream, stopped at the sound of her calling. The waves that were spreading over the water subsided and Elena's image was projected onto the calm water.
Where should she start explaining? The reflection on the surface of the water was young. The mature face and cheeks that did not fall out were particularly prominent. It contained the freshness of a bud waiting to be in full bloom between a girl and a woman.
It was hard to believe, but Elena went back. After posing as Veronica and becoming queen, she returned to the age of 16 just before her coming of age ceremony.
At first, she couldn't accept this. The betrayal that took all that had been achieved by posing as Veronica. The chilling sensation of iron through the abdomen. The image of Veronica's back which was moving away inside, vividly recalled memories made her unable to escape from those days.
Especially, when she remembered Ian, her heart was devastated. She was choked when she thought about the time for the child to suffer alone without the care of his mother.
Why did she have to come back all the way to five years ago? If she had gone back a year or three months back, she wouldn't have been helpless. She could have protected Ian.
For the first ten days, she lived like an enchanted person. It was not easy to narrow the gap between reality and the past life and admit it. However, as time passed, the fire of emotions that burned deep in her heart gradually cooled.
Yes, there was no Ian anywhere in this world.
They can't meet even if she searched the entire continent. He's not born, so he can't exist, can he? It was not until she had accepted it that Elena could bury her heart.
It wasn't just that. She could no longer stay in the past, but face up to her present life. She realized that she, Elena, could choose the future to come.
"Elena!"
The middle-aged man's call was once again heard loud. Elena turned her head and he came close.
"Here you are."
"Father."
Elena slightly raised her chin and made eye contact with him. Baron Frederick was a gentleman who's neat hair and eyeglasses matched well. At a certain point, he was a recognized administrator in the capital, but his grandfather's business failed, and he lost all the money and was driven to the periphery. Currently, he was a half-noble aristocrat who worked as an administrator under the lord, Viscount Claude.
"You don't want a coming-of-age ceremony? What does that mean?"
Baron Frederick's speech method, which brought the main point, was more direct than ever. He had come to look for his daughter at a time when he had to attend to his official duties at the residence, and his behavior showed his impatience. Elena, by contrast, was very calm.
"As I told you this morning. I don't want such a grand coming-of-age ceremony."
"But Elena, this is a good opportunity. Even though it's the patronage of the lord, you are officially making your debut in the social scene."
Baron Frederick was desperately trying to persuade her. With a tight salary, Elena's social debut was realistically unreasonable.
But an unexpected opportunity came. Viscount Claude had stepped forward to support the expenses necessary for her social career to recognize Elena's gender. Baron Frederick, who was plagued by guilt because his incompetence seemed to block his daughter from getting married, did not want to miss the opportunity.
"I'm sorry. I know you're concerned, but I don't want to go that far in society."
"It's for your own good. You're still young, so you may not know, but just making a formal debut in the social world makes your husband feel different. Do you know that?"
"…"
Elena's eyes deepened. The usual but honest and single-minded father had a positive opinion. At first glance, it was not wrong at all. If you can prove your aristocratic reputation in society and show off your beauty, you can be wooed by the noble men.
"Isn't that strange?"
"What do you mean?"
Baron Frederick's eyebrows shot up.
"The sponsorship you're talking about. Is it really a pure sponsorship? I don't think so, father."
"What does that mean?"
Elena squinted her eyes.
"Let's say I made my official debut in the social world. But what if he sends me to be the concubine of an old nobleman or a merchant on the pretext of a donation? Can you refuse in my position when you are sponsored by the Viscount?"
At Elena's words, Baron Frederick jumped.
"Concubine! He's not that kind of person."
"You don't know that."
'Because humans can hide a sword behind a smiling face.'
Elena had experienced it painfully. Despite Elena's concerns, Baron Frederick did not give up persuasion.
"I know what you're worried about. Just relax. My father here will step forward to stop them."
Despite his trustful words, Elena's seldom expression opened up. It was not because he was unreliable, but how she knows he can't do it.
"… You won't stop. They're not going to move just me, but also my entire family."
It was a thoroughly planned trap. In the past life, the patronage of the lord became a debt. The debt became a shackle, and in the end, the family was shattered. However, Baron Frederick, who did not know it, felt the frustration of talking to a wall.