It was very tedious and confusing to memorize each portrait on the list, which was close to several hundred, and to remember the identity statements. Elena had a lot more to memorize, Leabrick added. Still, Elena didn't think it was a big deal.
'It's even harder to find a face I don't know.'
Elena reigned as a social flower and rose to the top as the Queen. It was a routine to meet with the royal family or nobles on the list and face them, so it was impossible not to know.
"Let's move on."
Leabrick reached out and laid out the next portrait and personal details on the table.
"…!"
Elena's eyes shook sharply, wary of another obvious aristocrat.
"Claudius de Sian. The crown prince who will succeed to the throne of the Empire in the future."
There was no sound in Elena's ears. She couldn't take her eyes off the portrait, and her eyes were filled indescribable joys and sorrows. The man she once loved more than herself.
But the man who never shared a single warmth. And the man who blamed himself for the child's entry. Even though he gave birth to a descendant who would succeed the royal family, she still couldn't forget how he was despairing and blaming himself.
"My momentary mistake eventually drove the millennium empire to hell."
Soon after the birth, Elena burst into tears in her sorrow as soon as she heard his lament. She was still bloodstained!
She knew the emperor himself had no affection for her, but how could he say such cruel things to a woman who gave birth to his own child?
After that day, Elena stayed away from Sian. She no longer longed for the emperor's affection. She didn't have the talent to endure without hate and resentment.
'Why was I so? He and I couldn't live together from the beginning. I didn't even know that, and was obsessed with him and resented him.'
After her regression, she finally realized why he had driven her away and forced her to hate him.
The Emperor was trying to strengthen his imperial authority. The Grand Duke had even produced the Queen, and his power was so great that he had hit the sky. These two politically different people are at odds with each other, making it impossible for them to coexist. Dazzled by their own ambitions, Grand Duke Friedrich and Leabrick had done what they should never have done.
'… They poisoned the empress to make me the consort.'
It was a barbaric act caused by the fear that the empress might give birth to a legitimate crown prince.
At the time, Elena didn't even know it was the work of the Grand Duke. She couldn't even guess the inner thoughts of the emperor, who was angry at the death of the empress and glared at her as if to kill her.
All of this could only be learned by looking back at the series of events more dispassionately since her regression. Why he hated and resented Elena so much. The closer the truth came, the more she was able to force herself to cleanly calm her emotions of that day, which had been filled with love and hate.
'Your Majesty, I will never stand next to you again.'
This was the string of bad relationships that left nothing but hurt and hate for each other. She believed it was right to cut the string rather than to follow up on the same mistake.
"Are you listening to me?"
Elena came to her senses and surrounded by Leabrick's eye daggers.
"Oh, I'm sorry. When I saw His Highness the Crown Prince, I lost it. He's so handsome, will the real thing look even more handsome?"
"You'll be seeing him soon, so see for yourself then."
"R-really? Oh, I'm so excited. I'm already looking forward to that day."
Leabrick glanced at Elena, who was shy like a girl, and gave out her details.
"To do that, you must be familiar with the Crown Prince, right? Make sure you understand every single word."
Elena nodded blankly. They had spent several years together as husband and wife, despite their bad relationship. Sian was not interested in her, the daughter of a political opponent, but Elena, who craved his affection unilaterally, was not ignorant of every little detail. But the fact that her gaze fell on him so often was probably due to the unrequited love they had shared, even if only briefly.
By sunset, only a few thick portraits and personal details were left.
"It's the last page."
Elena, who had been reluctantly taking classes pretending to be enthusiastic, looked at the face of the remaining portrait.
'You…'
Even though she looked enthusiastic, the anger that had been piled deep in Elena's heart grew.
'You son of a bitch?'
Ren Bastasche. That man, better suited to motherfucker than his own name, was the successor to the renowned Viscount Bastache and was Veronica's second cousin. According to the genealogy, he was the grandson of Princess Veronica's granduncle, who was the younger brother of her grandfather.
Although they were relatives, strictly speaking, the Bastasche family were servants. Her grandfather, the then Grand Duke of Friedrich, had formed a hundred-year-long treaty with the family of servants, in which they could be independent on the condition that they would take care of handling the Grand Duke's dirty work. Of course, at present, the treaty was still in effect, and they obeyed the Grand Duke. For that reason, they were brimming with sources of trouble.
Ren was the most dangerous servant in the world, if he had a chance to kill his owner, he would.
'Wait, come to think of it, Ren had suspected me of being a fake since the first meeting. Why?'
She suddenly had a question. How could Ren be sure that Elena was a fake Veronica less than ten minutes after he encountered her?
'No matter how young you were, you wouldn't have seen each other many times.'
Elena recalled her first meeting with Ren. She looked back to see if she missed anything.
'He certainly didn't suspect that I was fake at first.'
There must have been something that Elena missed that solidified his suspicions, clear as day. If only she knew what it was…
'What if?'
Elena unwittingly patted the back of her ear. Fluffy and smooth skin were passed on to her fingertips. Of course, she didn't have the scar that was supposed to be on Veronica.
'I heard Veronica never had her hair tied up. She was afraid that the scar behind her ear would be revealed. I'm sure.'
The scar was nothing more than a disgrace to a noblewoman. It was understandable to be sensitive and hide it even though it wouldn't be obvious behind the ears.
How was it? Elena's mouth corners were slightly raised. If it were not for Leabrick, she would have laughed freely, but it was a pity that she couldn't.
'I'm not going to be swayed by that son of a bitch anymore. I can just make a scar.'
Ren was a man who shouldn't be associated with. As a result, it would be hard to suspect that Elena might be a stand in.
"Ren Bastache. He is the heir to a family independent of the Grand Duchy, a relative of the princess and her second cousin."
"If they were related, would they have been close?"
"No, they didn't really get along. To start with the conclusion, never get close."
Leabrick was also wary of Ren. It was because he was an ambitious and dangerous man to be bound by the Hundred Years' Treaty. All figures have been identified with tips and advice on the dangers of Ren.
"Remember everything by tomorrow. There should be no small confusion. Minor mistakes in human relationships are irreversible."
"I-I'll try."
Leabrick added words to Elena, who was not confident but showed enthusiasm.
"I won't accept mistakes. From now on, everything is real, so there's no turning back."
"If it's real, don't tell me…"
Leabrick calmly continued as she watched Elena nervous about anything she could guess.
"In two days, we're leaving here and going to the grand duchy."
Sect. 3 Hurelbard
Standing by the window, Elena stared down at the four-wheeled carriage parked at the entrance to the mansion. On the sides of the carriage, which was led by four white horses, was a brilliantly engraved pattern of an eagle, symbolizing the Grand Duchy. The arrogance of the eagle that held the power to kill even the imperial family of the empire was in the air.
"I'll have to go to the nest to wring the eagle's neck."
Elena stood in front of the mirror and dressed herself. Her blonde hair flowed down like a waterfall, and the striking silver embroidery of her dress was in perfect harmony with it.
But when it came down to it, it was the atmosphere that made Elena look like a noble woman. Her compassionate integrity, her solitary raised chin, and her trivial gestures oozed an authority that could not be defied.
Knock, knock.
Even before the knock was heard, the door opened and Leabrick came in.
"The carriage came. Shall we go?"
"Yes."
Elena responded and left the room. As they passed through the halls and out of the mansion, the waiting chauffeurs bowed in moderation. Elena thanked them in return with a somewhat awkward chin and got on the four-wheeled carriage. Soon a rough whinnying of horses was heard and the four laps began to roll along the ground.
"You didn't get nervous and did a good job. They're knights, but they are inferior to the princess. You don't have to respond."
"That's a relief. I was worried about the awkwardness…"
Elena looked worried as if she was still wearing clothes that did not fit her body.
"You need to control your expressions, Elena. Did you know that?"
"Yes, Liv."
As Elena responded reflexively, Leabrick's eyes were fierce. Elena was like a chicken that got caught countless times.
"Again, again. I must have warned you. Yesterday, a woman named Elena died. Have you forgotten who you are?"
"I-I'm sorry, I won't make the same mistake again."
"Remember the fact that you are a princess. Don't be nervous."
Leabrick tightened the tension in case she would make a mistake. Still, she added that all the maids who served the deceased Veronica were expelled, so it was okay to get along. She was trying to control Elena with the right carrot and stick.