She dashed out the moment he arrived at the estate. [Alexa] "Brother!" [Emil] "Oh, Alexa!" He watched his younger sister rush toward him with tear-brimming eyes. Satisfied, he noted how faithfully the coachman and knights assigned by her had served him during the journey. Clinging to his chest, Alexa let her tears fall. [Alexa] "Brother, I missed you so much!" Overcome with a sudden wave of emotion, Emil nodded. When he had first boarded the carriage, he had intended to grab

Guiscard stared at her, bewildered. Observing his confusion, Dianna spoke with measured care. [Dianna] "I mean exactly what I said. Let us do it now." [Guiscard] "..." [Dianna] "You said you were anxious. Beyond just kissing... more." Clarifying her exact meaning, his eyes flickered like flame. Dianna stared at his face, spellbound. In her eyes, he possessed a side akin to a youth newly awakened to physical pleasure. Toss him a sweet, and he would be satisfied like a child. [

Philip stared at Dianna with a blank expression, his emerald eyes trembling in shock. She steeled her face, forcing herself to remain calm. They were the words she had always longed to say, words she had lacked the courage to utter until now. [Dianna] "I knew I had to apologize to you. You did nothing wrong..." [Philip] "Ann..." [Dianna] "I am so sorry." Confessing her wrongdoing, she lowered her head. She had harbored countless targets for her resentment, yet she had di

As Dianna finally mingled with the crowd, the tense atmosphere dissipated. The guests, initially fixated on her, quickly dispersed to enjoy the banquet before time slipped away. Some danced, while others engaged in lively conversation. From atop the dais, Guiscard watched his wife conversing with a blond man. He knew the man's name all too well—he had seen him relentlessly during his days as a slave. Philip. His violet eyes locked onto the pair. Philip's gentle, luminous face

Guests poured into the hall as the banquet commenced. It was the grandest and most lavish gathering in the history of Lodbrog, boasting the highest nobleman attendance since its founding. The Panborough aristocrats and the Lodbrog nobility stood at a clear distance from one another. Conquerors and the conquered could hardly mix amicably. The king had issued a strict decree forbidding plunder, enforcing it by beheading several nobles who disobeyed. Fearing any misinterpretatio

The cultural divide between Lodbrog and Panborough ran deep—a stark reality Dianna understood all too well. While the conquerors despised Panborough's weakness, they simultaneously envied its flourishing culture. Under Saruvia's influence, Panborough fashion had gradually taken hold of high society. Shortly before Dianna's death in her past life, noblemen and ladies had even begun wearing garments identical to those she once wore in her homeland. Paradoxically, Dianna's curre

Due to Dianna's pleas out of fondness for her former lady-in-waiting, the King cleared House Levian of all charges. While a few believed Duke Levian had been falsely accused, most nobility suspected the house stood behind the plot. Regardless, the Queen publicly defended her former servant, securing Saruvia's release. No one could deny that a one-year ban from high society was a lenient punishment. In fact, many pointed fingers at Saruvia, asserting that barring her from the

Her footsteps felt lighter. She had intended to play nice until the end, but holding back proved difficult in the face of such brazen audacity. She expected no redemption from Saruvia anyway. Nor did it matter. In fact, it would be better if Saruvia tried to retaliate. The moment she attacked her, who had just shown her mercy, House Levian's honor would hit rock bottom. With a strangely unburdened heart, Dianna exited the noble cells and headed toward the dungeon. One final m

He stroked her hair for a long time before breaking the silence. [Guiscard] "I brought her here... so you could do as you pleased with her. Because you hated her." What is he talking about? Do as I please? As she opened her mouth to reply, he spoke first. [Guiscard] "I know. I acted with a mindset not much different from your father's." [Guiscard] "You were never that kind of person. You never crushed or trampled people just because you held a higher position." The tension in

When Dianna awoke from her long slumber, three days had already passed. The moment she sat up, Mable rushed to her side. She felt parched, yet no sound escaped her dry throat. As if anticipating her state, Mable brought a glass of water. [Mable] "Drinking too fast will upset your stomach. Please sip it slowly." Dianna nodded, holding the water in her mouth before swallowing it carefully. Clearing her throat with a light cough, a raspy voice faintly emerged. As her voice retur

Emil? Emil is waiting for me? Her heart pounded wildly. Her pupils contracted and dilated. Mirva smiled with satisfaction upon seeing her reaction. [Mirva] "Do you think I don't know the people of that house? I know them best. You set Herya's son free. Do you think the Duke left you alone after that? I know exactly how you were treated." Herya. Dianna gasped at that name. Herya, Herya. She had heard that name countless times. It was the name of the woman her father had obsess

[Guiscard] "Things will get busy starting next week." He spoke quietly. Dianna raised her chin from her potato soup. For several days, he had continuously attempted to initiate conversation with her. She remembered their suffocating meals from her past life. She watched him initiate conversation, awkward though it was. A period of self-reflection...... Revius had claimed Guiscard was undergoing self-reflection. She didn't understand what he reflected upon. Nor did she unders