Chapter 104: Hypocrite

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

Following Xavier, who offered his congratulations with a short bow, I nodded and met Rosetta’s gaze.

Her eyes, still sparkling like stars, narrowed slightly, and a smile spread across her lips, red as blood.

“The Duke and Duchess of Auguste are here as well. I thought you wouldn’t be able to attend due to unavoidable circumstances.”

“Since you made a special effort to accommodate us, we had to attend, Your Highness.”

“Oh, it’s refreshing to hear the Duchess call me Your Highness.”

Her eyes, unlike her slightly upturned lips, gleamed like those of a predator ready to devour me.

Rosetta’s changed tone was unfamiliar, and so was her sharp expression. An unprecedented feeling of discomfort and displeasure was evident in her demeanor.

“I heard that Count Willem made a mistake… Sent the wrong invitation, perhaps? But it seems it was unnecessary worry, seeing how harmoniously you’re standing among the others.”

“So it wasn’t a consideration but a mistake.”

“Exactly. I specifically instructed them to pay special attention to the Duchess, but alas.”

Rosetta looked down at me with a raised smile. Her actions were as bold as her elevated status.

The Crown Prince stood beside her, wearing a gentle smile, replacing his expression with a kind face without saying a word.

“I’m so upset, Your Highness.”

Rosetta linked arms with Crown Prince Arthur and leaned her small face on his shoulder, blinking at me.

Simultaneously, the Crown Prince met my gaze directly and slowly opened his mouth, curling his lips as if to say, “See?”

‘The Crown Prince knew too?’

I was speechless, biting my lips. His beautiful face was overshadowed by his obnoxious demeanor.

I didn’t expect the male lead, described so magnificently in the original work, to be such a jerk.

“Indeed. It seems we’ve unnecessarily troubled you.”

A cold yet heavy voice came from beside me.

Xavier twisted his lips and pulled my hand, holding it tightly. As my frail body was enveloped in his large frame, his big hand hugged my shoulder firmly.

“My wife, don’t be bothered.”

If Rosetta had the obnoxious Crown Prince, I had the original rude husband.

I glanced up at Xavier, whose sharp jawline was prominently tense. His clenched expression was full of hostility.

Arthur didn’t immediately get angry, but judging by his furrowed eyebrows, the atmosphere was tense.

“Troublesome? Duke Xavier Auguste, your words are excessive.”

“Since when did the Auguste Ducal House become a family that needs to mind the Crown Princess’s whims?”

The Auguste family, which had long sacrificed itself to serve as the empire’s shield, stood shoulder to shoulder with the imperial family. They fulfilled their duties for the empire and showed respect to the imperial family, but they were not in a position to bow down.

“Crown Princess Rosetta will become the future Empress of Brillante. Don’t be unreasonable.”

“You spoke well. She’s still the Crown Princess, not the Empress.”

As Xavier released me and took a step forward, Arthur also stepped forward, leaving Rosetta behind.

A tense confrontation.

Amidst the two men who wouldn’t back down an inch, Rosetta suddenly frowned and whimpered, looking somewhere.

Is Rosetta crying?

I was dumbfounded and looked at her, only to be pushed aside by a lady who stood in front of me.

“Oh, Rosetta. You’ve become even more beautiful.”

“Mother!”

Rubbing my sore arm, I looked up at the back of the black-haired lady. Surprisingly, the woman who pushed me had the same black hair as Rosetta.

“Mother, I’m so glad you came.”

“Rosetta, no. My daughter has become the Crown Princess, so I had to come.”

“Did you forget your brother?”

“How could I forget, brother? Both of you look wonderful today!”

The two people who suddenly appeared hugged Rosetta and kissed her on the cheek like a close family.

To anyone, they looked like people who had lived as a family for decades.

“Oh dear, Lady Cornwell, Count Cornwell. Don’t you see me?”

Cornwell?

I had never received Yuria’s memories, and the name of a character who didn’t appear in the original was unfamiliar. I blinked, not knowing who they were.

‘Ah, if it’s Cornwell?’

I remembered that the Cornwell family was the one that accepted Rosetta as a branch of the Graham family. The Cornwell family members were busy greeting the Crown Prince, standing us and Xavier aside.

“Your Highness, please take care of my daughter.”

“Lady Cornwell, don’t worry. Thank you for coming all the way here, Count Cornwell.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am grateful for the title of Count and the land you bestowed.”

“Oh, Mother, brother. The Duke and Duchess are here, so it’s rude.”

Rosetta, who had finished her greetings, turned to us and smiled brightly. The Count and his daughter looked at us without any hint of apology.

“Oh my, Yuria has grown so much.”

Lady Sophia Cornwell called my name with a friendly smile, her eyes narrowing.

“Lady Sophia Cornwell, be formal.”

Xavier’s voice, cold as the ice of midwinter, poured out. Lady Cornwell, who was about to approach me and take my hand, quickly retreated to Rosetta’s side, mumbling.

“…So picky. Crown Princess, look at this. Because he’s the eldest son, he inherits the family’s name and monopolizes the wealth, so how can the second son live without resentment?”

The second son, meaning my father’s younger brother and my uncle.

‘Then, is this the aunt my mother mentioned? She doesn’t even hide her dislike for our family.’

“Mother, don’t worry. I’m here. The Cornwell family will prosper.”

As Rosetta took her side, Lady Cornwell raised her wrinkled lips in a sickening smile.

“That’s very reassuring, Crown Princess.”

Count Cornwell also chimed in, placing his hands on Rosetta’s shoulders behind her.

Rosetta, surrounded by her family like a backdrop, raised her head higher, as if to show off.

Fortunately, I had heard about it from my mother in advance. I recited what I had heard.

“Lady Sophia, I understand that the estate was divided fairly with the late Lord of Cornwell, but the abilities of the Baron Graham family were never shared. And, this can be considered a formal challenge to the Auguste family, right?”

I was so grateful for Xavier, who held my hand tightly at the same time.

Lady Cornwell’s raised lips hardened into a straight line. Her face flushed as she stammered.

“Hmph. From now on, treat me as the Crown Princess’s mother.”

She snorted and nodded her head slightly in greeting, then completely hid behind Rosetta.

Naturally, Rosetta’s unfriendly gaze lingered on me. Being targeted without knowing the reason made my annoyance slowly rise.

‘At least let me know why.’

“Crown Princess Rosetta, may I have a word with you?”

“Oh my, I have nothing to say. What should I do?”

Is this…?

I have something to say, so I must meet today. I don’t know when I’ll see Rosetta again.

I called Arthur, who was leisurely savoring champagne in a glass.

“Your Highness.”

“Why, Your Eminence?”

“You proclaimed that I have a status equivalent to that of a princess, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then, as a member of the imperial family, I can borrow the Crown Princess for a moment.”

The Crown Prince chuckled at my proposal.

“Haha, go ahead.”

“Arthur?”

“I think the two of you have a lot to talk about… Isn’t it your first meeting in a while with the saintess?”

Rosetta glared at me with fierce eyes and then turned around and strode toward the terrace.

Is that an invitation to follow?

“Xavier, I’ll go talk for a bit.”

After reassuring the worried Xavier, I quickly walked toward the direction Rosetta had left.

Passing through the door opened by a servant and stepping onto the terrace, I saw Rosetta standing with her arms crossed, looking at me.

Her face, devoid of any color, bore a crazed expression. She stood there with an unfamiliar look that she had never shown me before.

The autumn wind, carrying a chill, tousled her and my hair.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“No, Rosetta.”

“What?”

“I also have the status of a princess, so I’ll speak informally like before.”

“How shameless!”

The cure for a crazy woman is another crazy woman. That’s my judgment of you from reading the original work.

Staring at Rosetta, who looked at me dumbfounded, I asked directly.

“Rosetta, why are you doing this?”

“What did I do?”

“Playing dress code pranks after becoming the Crown Princess, does it relieve you to play such childish pranks? Do you know how troubled I was because of it?”

“I play pranks to trouble you, not for nothing. You came dressed appropriately, yet you talk so much, Duchess.”

Rosetta’s raw sarcasm slipped through her lips.

“So you’re admitting it was your doing?”

“Hmph.”

Since she intended to bother me from the start, she probably never thought of hiding it.

“Rosetta, at least let me know why you’re doing this to me. If you’re angry, just tell me. If I’ve done something wrong, I’ll apologize and try to fix it. Maya and I have been so worried…”

“Fix? Worried?”

Rosetta, arms crossed, glared and stepped closer to me. As a shadow fell over my face, her black eyes glinted menacingly.

I gritted my teeth and poured out what I wanted to say.

“Yes, worried! How could you leave without a word like that? You could at least contact us, tell us you’re getting married? Think about the people waiting for you, worrying.”

“Stop pretending to be good when you’re not even a real saintess!”

Rosetta, who was listening to me, shrieked. Her piercing voice rang in my ears. But more than that, I was stunned by what Rosetta said.

“…What? A real saintess?”

She definitely said ‘real saintess.’ When I asked her again, Rosetta unfolded her arms.

“You deceived me.”

“I deceived you? What are you talking about?”

“You hypocrite! You pretended to save me at Pins Square, pretended to care for me, and took what was mine!”

“……!”

“I was the real saintess, wasn’t I? Isn’t it true?”

Her large eyes twisted like a waning moon. The starlight that had been there disappeared, and she glared at me with eyes full of resentment.

I couldn’t say anything.

I hadn’t intended to hide or take anything, just thought the original story had changed.

‘Rosetta knows she was the saintess?’

“Why? Did I hit the nail on the head, thief saintess?”

Rosetta’s gritted teeth gave me goosebumps, and my mouth went dry.

How on earth did Rosetta find out about that? Desperately holding onto my fading consciousness, I grabbed her stiff arms.

“Rosetta, please listen to me for a moment.”

“What is there to listen to? Come to think of it, how did you know about the changed dress code and come dressed like that, as if you were prepared?”

“Rosetta!”

“Let go of me!”

Rosetta roughly shook off my hand and wiped her tears with her clenched fist.

“I have nothing more to say to you. I won’t forgive you.”

Rosetta began to take a few steps back toward the terrace entrance.

“Rosetta!”

“Just wait and see. I’ll take back what’s yours. It’s my turn now.”

Then she abruptly left the terrace.

“Wait!”

Chasing after her, I stepped on the hem of my dress and rolled onto the marble floor. A scream escaped, and my elbows and knees were scraped, bleeding.

Even so, I could only stare blankly at the entrance of the terrace where Rosetta had disappeared. The golden light inside the terrace began to shimmer mercilessly.

Rosetta knows she was the aaintess.

‘I was the real saintess, wasn’t I? Isn’t it true?’

Those words meant someone had hinted to Rosetta about the saintess.

‘Could it be…’

Suddenly, the image of Crown Prince Arthur came to mind.

It was then.

“Are you okay, Your Eminence?”

A gentle voice came from above.