I translated from chapter 178 to the end 280.

Most of the Him,Her,He,She and

some other pronouns are meant to be opposite for example when sometimes it says
He said”” its actually she said””
 
 
 
 
 
I dont want to be loved
Chapter 178:
 
Several days later, since she learned of a life that existed inside her womb, Basil came
to visit Rihannan. Basil's daily schedule consisted of Igor and his needs, but today,
Basil had come alone for tea.
 
"... Igor doesn't give you time to eat like that?" Watching Basil eat one sandwich after
another, Rihannan commented curiously.
 
"It's not that. I don't usually have time to eat anything. That guy doesn't like to look at
anyone sitting even for a moment. I could barely escape his grasp today," Basil
replied. A cookie crumb was on his lower lips.
 
Rihannan smiled calmly and pushed the plate of cookies towards Basil.
 
"I'm sure you're not here to eat all the cookies and drink the tea I have available in my
room. Tell me, Basil. Why are you here?" Rihannan asked after Basil filled his
stomach, a little.
 
Rihannan smiled calmly and pushed the plate of cookies towards Basil.
 
"I'm sure you're not here to eat all the cookies and drink the tea I have available in my
room. Tell me, Basil. Why are you here?" Rihannan asked after Basil filled his
stomach, a little.
 
Basil cleared her throat and looked away from her. Soon, a flash of determination
appeared on her face.
 
"Yes, it is true. I actually have something I need to tell you, my Queen."
 
Rihannan's eyes widened slightly.
 
"And what is?" she said.
 
"But please don't tell Igor that I told you about this matter. My life could be in danger
if he ever hears a word of this."
 
Rihannan gave a soft laugh.
 
"I swear I won't reveal a word to him. Tell me."
 
"Six years ago, Igor disappeared for a while. Do you know this fact?"
 
Hearing suddenly of that topic, Rihannan nodded.
 
"Yes. I learned about that matter from the past from the Queen Mother. She also said
that no one but you knew where she had gone."
 
Basil smiled bitterly. "The truth is, my Queen, that back then ... Igor left the palace in
search of you."
 
Rihannan shuddered in her aura.
 
"... What do you mean him? Did he go looking for me?"
 
"Yes. It was six years ago. One day he suddenly got up, grabbed me, and jumped on
the horse like a frenzied maniac. I had no idea where we were going, but as his
caretaker, I had to follow him and ensure his safety. We arrived at Puerto Salerno
where the ship left for Chrichton. "
 
Port Salerno, was the port where the boats that Rihannan used to go to Chrichton set
sail.
 
"However, Her Majesty was unable to reach her. By the time we reached the port, the
ship had already set sail towards the horizon. We arrived too late. We made a
commotion pleading with the staff to bring the ship back, but to no avail. a great fight
with the sailors of the place. "
 
Rihannan faintly remembered her commotion at the harbor. So ... That was Igor and
Basil's doing? Rihannan raised her head and looked at Basil seriously.
 
"Why did you try to meet me back then?"
 
"That ... I'm not quite sure. Her Majesty didn't tell me why."
 
Basil let out a long, deep breath.
 
"But my Queen, there is one thing I am sure of. Her Majesty has been awaiting your
return to Arundell all this time. He accumulated enormous strength and went through
difficult times yearning for your return. Thinking only of how he could adequately
protect you once his position as king will stabilize. "
 
"But Basil ... I'm sure you already know. Igor's target was Princess Helena of
Chrichton, but he had no choice but to stay with me."
 
Basil shook his head. "Of course not, my Queen. From the beginning, I loved you,
always you."
 
"What do you mean...?"
 
Chapter 179:
 
My Queen, when Your Majesty wrote the contract, you never specifically mentioned
Princess Helena's name. The contract was vague, only mentioning royalty. She
predicted that Chrichton would never send you her beloved princess and use you as
her substitute. "
 
Rihannan's eyebrows narrowed in bewilderment. She could not fully understand this
truth.
 
"Even if what you say is true, why did I need to do it in that ... insensitive way? It
would have been easier if I had proposed it directly, wouldn't you?"
 
"That is because..."
 
| If she did, she would run away ... hiding somewhere and never appear again. |
 
Basil suddenly remembered what Igor had told him whimsically. Instinctively, he
considered that he shouldn't say that.
 
"I am sure His Majesty had his reasons for those actions, my Queen. I am not entirely
sure why you and His Majesty are currently distancing themselves. However, if you
have any concerns, I wish that you do not doubt your Your Majesty. He lived many
years admiring you. If what I say turns out to be false, may heaven strike me and grant
you the right to take my life for the lies I have told. "
 
Basil used to have a playful nature, he had it ingrained from his birth. Furthermore, he
was not the type of man who would gamble his own life lightly. This time, he was
sincerely pleading with her.
 
Therefore, Rihannan couldn't ignore his words.
 
"I beg you desperately to do something, my Queen. Please meet with Her Majesty and
have a frank conversation. I am sure Her Majesty will be able to answer the question
that I could not."
 
"... I will consider what you have told me today, Basil. I will have a candid talk with
Igor as you recommended. So please don't worry."
 
Basil smiled widely. "Yes! I'll take you at your word, my queen!"
 
When Basil left the room, Rihannan looked up at the ceiling and thought deeply. She
remembered all the strange behaviors that Igor had displayed all this time. She didn't
understand why.
 
Why did Igor come to the port to see her six years ago? And ... what was the reason
that he made a fuss to bring her back to Arundell instead of a direct proposal?
 
She had an unsettling feeling. No, she was closer to doubt. Although he could have
searched for her at any time, why the time when she had returned to the past after
drinking the poison and meeting death?
 
Why ... why did he choose that exact moment to see her?
 
Until now, she had been the only one who had returned to the past. She had talked to a
lot of people that she had had connections with in her past life and they didn't show
any signs that they remembered her past life, so not once did she think about the
possibility of someone else I would also have returned to the past.
 
And ... was there also the possibility that Igor had returned to the past?
 
Rihannan quickly shook her head.
 
No, that was impossible.
 
If that were true, she would have tried to avoid marriage. Igor felt nothing for her and
there was no way he would accept her again when he had gone abroad.
 
However, she needed an adequate answer to the question. There was no other way to
know than to ask Igor. She also had something important to say to him.
 
Rihannan sighed deeply and put her hand on her belly.
 
As the days passed, it became more apparent to him that she was pregnant. She still
had time left in the contract and she was wondering what to do in the current situation.
 
It would be best for her to return to Chrichton while pregnant, but she had already
waived that right in the written contract.
 
Even if it wasn't written in the clause, Igor wouldn't give up his child so easily either.
He was infatuated with the idea of having an heir back then. It would be the same this
time too.
 
Chapter 180
 
If that were the case, what would happen to your baby if he was born as a princess,
and not as a prince? Using the Queen Mother as a precedent, she came to power
through many bloody hardships. Her baby, born a princess, could create a lot of
trouble in her quest for the throne as the ruling queen.
 
Rihannan had a weak constitution. This would probably be the first and last time she
was able to give him a baby. So she was sure that Igor would remarry to have a son as
heir.
 
Maybe ... he would let her go in this case.
 
Determined, Rihannan steeled herself and got up from her seat. After going through
several rooms, she stood in front of the study room door.
 
She gathered her courage and knocked on the door, but she couldn't hear any
movement from inside. She stood for a while, before slightly opening the door ajar.
 
Just as she believed, Igor was nowhere in the studio. However, it didn't seem like he
had planned to go out for long. There were documents scattered on his desk.
 
Igor had a tendency to keep things clean. He normally tidied up the documents neatly
after finishing his work.
 
Wondering if he should wait for him or come back, she Rihannan noticed that the desk
drawer was slightly open.
 
She was not the type to look at other people's belongings when the owner was not
around, but the words Basil spoke to her kept ringing in her head. She wanted to know
the reason for what Igor did six years ago.
 
The answer to that question could be inside that drawer.
 
Rihannan grabbed the drawer knob and pulled it out. Inside the drawer was a small
wooden figure shaped like a ship.
 
"This..."
 
She said in surprise, grabbing the wooden boat. She had assumed Igor had thrown it
away or lost it. She hadn't looked at this boat since she gave it to him.
 
Rihannan examined the surface of the wooden boat. It was smooth and clean. As if
she had guarded it carefully.
 
For a moment, she was lost in thought of her, gently stroking the pot with her fingers.
As Basil said, maybe Igor had a reason that he couldn't explain to her. She shouldn't
keep doubting Igor in this way, she should ask him directly ...
 
With her thoughts determined from her, she placed the can back in the drawer. Then
something caught his eye from her. There was a small box deep inside the drawer.
 
Rihannan took out the box and opened it. Inside was something she never thought she
would see again.
 
"......"
 
She stared at the object for a long time before grasping it, her fingers trembling.
 
It was the golden feather.
 
She had thrown her into the sea six years ago ... but here ... she was in perfect shape ...
 
What did that mean? Did it mean that Igor had obtained another golden feather during
their first meeting with him?
 
That seemed possible. In that case, he would have shared them equally between them
and ...
 
Rihannan shook her head.
 
Igor had left the garden first.
 
There was no chance that he would pick up the pen again later.
 
Creak ...
 
At that moment, the sound of the door opening echoed through the room.
 
Rihannan turned stiffly.
 
Igor stood looking at her, his face shocked. To be precise, her gaze was fixed on the
pen she was holding.
 
Unconsciously, Rihannan gripped the golden feather tighter.
 
"... How do you have this?" Rihannan asked.
 
Igor did not reply.
 
Igor's puzzled expression disappeared and she was left with a calm look on her face.
 
Igor slowly closed the door and walked over to her.
 
"Answer me first. Why do you have this?" Rihannan screamed loudly
 
Chapter 181:
 
Although it was a way of signaling her not to continue approaching, Igor ignored her
and kept walking.
 
"I found it among her belongings."
 
"My belongings? I never brought this to the palace. I dumped it a long time ago, 6
years ago in the sea while on the ship heading to Chrichton. I definitely remember
seeing it float in the ocean, so why are you making up lies! ! "
 
"She was between the pages of the book that you appreciate."
 
"......"
 
Rihannan's breathing suddenly became ragged. She began to walk backwards as if she
had suddenly seen a ghost.
 
"That's why it took a long time to find her. She must have taken 3 years from that
day."
 
As she spoke, her tone of voice dropped suddenly.
 
"After you died."
 
Rihannan bit her lip so hard she bled.
 
"There is no way..."
 
"A long time ago, you said that if one tightly grasped that feather and made a heart
wish, Ataraxia would appear again and grant that person her wish."
 
"Do not!"
 
Rihannan sobbed as she covered her ears with her hands. She shook her head many
times. That couldn't be true. Something must be wrong. To think that the husband who
hated her the most was in front of her right now. Even though she had changed a lot.
 
As she backed away, she bumped into a bookcase. Rihannan's body shuddered as she
stared at Igor. Igor stopped a few steps from her.
 
"I begged Ataraxis. For her to bring you back into my arms."
 
"Lies..."
 
"Ataraxia said that you too had the right to have your wish fulfilled, and therefore my
wish could not be granted. That is why I asked for time to turn back. That wish was
granted."
 
"Even if what you say is true, there is no reason for you to make that kind of wish.
You would have no reason because ..."
 
'Because you are the person who killed me.'
 
The moment that thought appeared in her mind, extreme anger surged from within
her. Her purple eyes hers had always stared at her coldly. Those painful words he
spoke still felt fresh and clear in her mind. Her watching him smile as she danced with
Leticia, knowing that they were laying on her while she got her pregnant elsewhere. It
all seemed like it was yesterday for her ...
 
And to think that it was the same person who was in front of her. How could she fall
in love with someone who had killed her? He had even kissed her and wrapped her
skin passionately!
 
With rage filling her head and turning her vision completely red, all reasoning
disappeared from her mind. Rihannan pulled all the books she could hold from the
bookshelf and threw them at her.
 
"You killed me! It was you!"
 
The books were too heavy for Rihannan's strength, so some of them fell precipitously,
landing in front of Igor. However, some of them managed to hit Igor's body before
falling.
 
"You no longer needed a wife who had aborted your baby, so you framed me for a
crime and put me in jail!"
 
Igor lowered his head as he took all the blows. One of the books finally hit him on the
forehead. As he had hit it with the sharp corner, blood ran down his face. Still, Igor's
expression didn't change at all, as if he didn't feel any pain.
 
Chapter 182:
 
So you sent Leticia to find me. She told me to drink poison and commit suicide if she
didn't want to die embarrassed in front of many people. So why would you revive me
again when you've done all that? "
 
"That was not what I did."
 
Rihannan gave a wry laugh upon hearing that.
 
"So you didn't send Leticia? Then who did? She was able to go in and out of the
prison with your permission, who else could give it to her other than you?"
 
"That's..."
 
"And if you really saved my life, then I'm sure there is only one reason."
 
Rihannan's lips were trembling.
 
"Perhaps this time you not only wanted to take the power over Arundell from the
Queen Mother, you also have the greed to take over Chrichton! Surely you can get an
all-out war against Chrichton after taking me hostage and killing me."
 
"I never had the idea of hurting you in the past, not now either."
 
"Those words are not something that someone who has killed me should say."
 
Igor let out a pain-filled sigh.
 
"Rihannan. To tell the truth, there have been numerous misunderstandings in the past.
It's hard to believe, but it's hard to explain. Therefore, I can't tell you everything for
now."
 
"Misunderstandings? They were all misunderstandings? When you last saw me in the
past, you were doing it with Leticia at the office, was it also a misunderstanding?"
 
Igor's face went completely pale.
 
"That day, it definitely seemed like you were tempting Leticia. Are you really saying
there was just a misunderstanding going on?"
 
Rubbing his face furiously, Igor spoke angrily.
 
"... There was a reason I had to do that back then. Honestly, it wasn't because I wanted
to ..."
 
"Ahh ..."
 
Rihannan couldn't help but laugh. She never expected Igor to make such a terrible
excuse for her behavior.
 
"But I can explain those situations to you. So please ..."
 
Rihannan squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. A clear translucent tear
welled up in her eyes.
 
"Do you know what kind of people I despise the most?"
 
Rihannan suddenly asked Igor.
 
Rihannan suddenly asked Igor. She realized she would repeat the words he had said in
her other past life.
 
"'They are not cowards, nor dishonest people. Those people who have different faces
behind their backs', is what you said. You criticized me saying that I spoke terrible
things behind your back, and that I only made excuses. From that moment on , I
couldn't say anything in front of you, since whatever I said would be taken as a made-
up excuse after all. "
 
The tear ran down Rihannan's face. Igor couldn't say anything because his lips were
paralyzed.
 
"Then let me say the same to you, my king. As you have insulted me in the past, now
you have no right to make excuses. And I do not wish to hear any nonsense from you
ever again."
 
Rihannan turned her back on him, walking out. By the time she was about to leave the
studio, he spoke.
 
"Okay. I won't make any excuses. But Rihannan, I'm sure you have something else to
say to me."
 
Rihannan slowly turned around.
 
"Something I have to tell you?"
 
"About the recent changes in your body."
 
Rihannan gasped. Igor moved closer to her as he gazed into her trembling blue eyes.
 
"I've received reports on what you've been eating, if you've slept well, if something
hurts ... everything about you all this time regularly. It's been a long time since you
last instructed, and recently you started enjoying the food that had coriander leaves in
them. And these are the same symptoms that you had in the past life when you
conceived too. Am I wrong in what I say? "
 
Chapter 183
 
She suddenly felt weak. Rihannan reached out her hand and held onto the wall as he
leaned against her. She never expected Igor to be the first to notice, when not even
Mrs. Cessly had confirmed it.
 
"... I didn't mean to hide it from you. Anyway, I was going to tell you today."
 
Igor's expression completely changed immediately. A joyous smile appeared on his
face. He spread his hands.
 
"Rihannan! You really are ..."
 
However, Rihannan clapped his hands away from her. She looked at him coldly. Due
to her rejection, he stood still unable to get closer.
 
"It seems that's the only thing you haven't changed at all. Your infatuation with an
heir. You're still disgustingly the same now. But don't think I'll just let you play with
me like I did in the past life, even though you cheated with me. sister."
 
Rihannan gritted her teeth as she spoke.
 
"I know. That having an heir is more important to you than anything else. In the event
that I give birth to a child, I will not be able to do anything about it. You can exercise
that right as you have written in the contract. However , if I give birth to a girl, then I
wish you would let me leave this place with my daughter, after the contract ends. "
 
Igor stared at Rihannan, with a puzzled expression before slowly opening his mouth.
 
"Do you remember what I said about the boy's gender in the past?"
 
Rihannan immediately bit her lip. Of course she remembered. When she asked what
would happen if the baby she gave birth to was not a boy, she said it didn't matter at
all.
 
"My answer is the same as back then. Regardless of whether the baby is born male or
female, she will unquestionably grow up in this palace."
 
Although she gladly accepted those words from Igor in the past, after everything that
had happened, she did not agree. Rihannan screamed at the enormous amount of anger
she felt.
 
"What good would a daughter do you if she finds it difficult to continue the lineage? If
your goal is to harass me, then stop. Hasn't what you did to me in the past been
enough?"
 
"Even if she is a princess, it makes no difference that she will inherit the crown. After
all, I will make sure that there is no one who can oppose my decision."
 
She walked up to Rihannan. She was close enough to her that her breath touched her
skin. Rihannan lifted her chin and looked at him. The blood running down Igor's face
hardened at her temple. She made him look even more threatening.
 
"I say it loud and clear, I will abide by everything that is written in the contract. I will
never give it up, be it a boy or a girl. If you wish to leave this place after the contract
ends, then you must leave alone, leaving your son behind. "
 
Two pairs of eyelashes stared at each other without blinking. Every time she looked
into her dark purple eyes, she always felt fearful. She would feel that it had all been
her fault and her inadequacy, so she would quickly lower her gaze.
 
However, she would never do that this time. She kept her gaze from hers and not once
did she think to bow to these threats.
 
"...Then it's okay."
 
Chapter 184
 
Igor's eyes widened in shock as Rihannan twisted her lips.
 
Looking down she said with solemn regret, "As mentioned in the contract, if our baby
is a boy or a girl, I will leave this country leaving it behind ..."
 
"Rihannan ..."
 
"You probably think that I would break down and submit to your will, that I would not
leave our descendant behind. If I was the same person you knew in the past life ... I
could have. I would hate you to the core, but I would stay for myself. love my baby.
But I didn't spend the last six years of my life wasting them like I used to! It hasn't
been great but I lived the best I could! "
 
Rihannan's eyes lit up. Blue flames danced in her blue eyes.
 
"The very day I went back in time, I was determined to live a proper life of my own
free will. Not yours, not my father's, not anyone else's. You won't understand the
sufferings I've been through. How could you? When I was willing to understand you,
you didn't do the same. And you won't understand my pain in the last six years of my
life either. That's why you brought me here under a facade of lies, isn't it? You want to
ruin me, right? ? You brought me down then and now you want to do the same ... but
this time it won't be so easy. I won't die in that cold prison for false accusations! "
 
After saying those words, Rihannan spoke with a voice tinged with coldness.
 
"Until I give birth, I will live in the palace where the Queen Mother resides."
 
"Rihannan!"
 
"If you bring Leticia to this place and do what you want with her, I don't care. Do
what you want, as you always have. Although she has become the wife of an old
viscount, she loves you very much. that he will be happy to run into the palace and
into your arms. "
 
"Do not say those things!" Igor glared. "I don't have such thoughts! I don't want to be
with that vile woman either!"
 
"Jeez," Rihannan laughed desperately. "Hearing you say that ... it seems that you have
not been satisfied enough after my death in our previous life, Igor."
 
Igor grabbed Rihannan's arms, squeezing them.
 
Looking into his purple eyes, Rihannan spoke softly: "If you are not willing to kill
your own son with your hands, then let go of me ... forever ... Igor ..."
 
At her comment, Igor could not respond. Bewildered, he slowly released her arms.
 
Rihannan left the room.
 
She didn't look back.
 
***
 
"Grand Chamberlain! Grand Chamberlain!"
 
Mrs. Cessley ran frantically as she held onto her skirt.
 
The people of the palace looked at her curiously. Mrs. Cessley always walked
gracefully. Seeing her behaving that way, she was arousing the curiosity of others.
 
Mrs. Cessley grabbed one of her servants passing in front of her and asked quickly,
"You! Have you seen the Grand Chamberlain?"
 
"She said that he was going to visit the palace treasury for a moment before
returning ... oh ... here he comes."
 
Basil walked peacefully in the direction the servant was pointing.
 
Mrs. Cessley was over to Basil in an instant and grabbed her wrist.
 
Basil, startled, struggled as if he was being harassed.
 
Mrs. Cessley growled, "Now is not the time to complain! You must go and stop the
Majesty of her the Queen of her!"
 
"Stop the Majesty of her the Queen of her?"
 
Chapter 185:
 
Looking at Basil's puzzled expression, Mrs. Cessley touched her chest in frustration.
 
"Her Majesty from her the Queen tries to move her residence to the palace where the
Queen Mother resides. She This time she has said that she will never return!"
 
"What does she mean she ...? Why is her Majesty all of a sudden ...?"
 
"There is no time to lose. His Majesty the King cannot do anything about it. It is
useless from this moment on. The problem is that I cannot be in the palace where the
Queen Mother resides. I am sure you know why, Grand Chamberlain. "
 
"Sure! It's because the Queen Mother would shoot an arrow at you directly the
moment she hears you say a word or even see you ..."
 
Only then did Basil notice.
 
All of this had happened because of what he had told Rihannan. It seemed that there
was something deeper and that it had not been out of shame that Igor kept the incident
from him as a secret.
 
It was more than that.
 
"... It seems I made a big, unfortunate mistake."
 
Basil immediately started running.
 
***
 
When he reached the main palace, he saw Rihannan coming out of the building,
towards the carriage ready to leave.
 
"My Queen!"
 
Basil could barely get to her in time. He was breathing heavily and heavily.
 
Rihannan didn't even say hello properly. His blue eyes stared at him with a cold glint.
 
"Your Majesty of her, she cannot leave this way," Basil pleaded.
 
"Basil, get away."
 
"Please at least consider changing your mind. I beg of you."
 
"If you don't back off right now, I'll have your throat cut off."
 
Mrs. Cessley, who arrived in the fury of the moment, was amazed at her words.
Although she knew Rihannan didn't mean those words.
 
Basil looked at Rihannan puzzled.
 
Basil had a peasant background and so many of the people in the palace kept their
distance from him, but the queen had always respected and taken his views into
account. It was the first time she had behaved in this way with him.
 
"You think I won't dare? Who do you think you are ?!"
 
Basil made a firm decision in his mind and immediately fell to the ground.
 
"... Then go ahead and cut my throat, his Majesty."
 
"Basil!"
 
"I've said this before, haven't I, Her Majesty? It's okay for me to take my life."
 
At his melancholy words, Rihannan was enraged.
 
"Yes, it is true. You said that if you lied, then I have the right to end your life. Very
good. Then I will exercise that right."
 
Swing!
 
Rihannan drew the sword from the bodyguard next to her.
 
"Your Majesty of her!"
 
The maids said in surprise as they ran towards Rihannan to stop trying to stop her, but
Mrs. Cessley quickly blocked them before they could make a move.
 
"Stand firm. Do not anger the Majesty any more from her. Stay back."
 
Hearing Mrs. Cessley's soft whisper, the palace maids turned away from Rihannan.
 
Mrs. Cessley analyzed the tense situation anxiously. She knew that Rihannan would
never kill Basil, but despite that, she was making her very nervous.
 
Mrs. Cessley prayed over and over again that the worst did not happen.
 
The sword reached Basil's neck. The sword would be heavy for an inexperienced
person, but Rihannan held it steady without a trace of trembling.
 
"This is your last chance. Step aside, Basil."
 
"I can't do that, Your Majesty hers."
 
"Is she underestimating me as queen because you are the king's servant ?!"
 
"Not at all, her Majesty! That's not true!"
 
Basil looked at her. Tears began to form in his deep green eyes.
 
"I have never thought that way of you, her Majesty. The king and queen are equally
precious to me. That is the truth ..."
 
 
Chapter 186
 
The sword that was on Basilio's neck trembled for a moment. Rihannan bit her tongue,
not revealing this gesture outwardly.
 
When she spent her days in that cold prison, it was Basil who smiled at her and spoke
warmly to her at that depressing moment in her life.
 
"So ... if what I told you just now became a problem, you should punish me instead,
Your Majesty. If I let you go like this, I would never be able to forgive myself ... if
that happens, I'd rather die here and now! "
 
Basil's tears ran down his cheeks. Many would find a grown man crying absurd, but
no one thought of him that way. They looked at him with pity.
 
Rihannan let out a sigh.
 
"That's why I shouldn't have allowed myself to get close to you," she murmured,
dropping the sword.
 
The sword fell to the ground with a thunderous sound.
 
Mrs. Cessley breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Basil for a moment before
walking quickly to Rihannan's side.
 
"My Queen..."
 
Hearing Mrs. Cessley's cautious voice, Rihannan began to move her feet.
 
"I will stay in the Queen's Palace. I no longer wish to stay in the main palace from
now on."
 
"Yes, the Majesty of her!"
 
Mrs. Cessley quickly followed her.
 
This was the best solution Mrs. Cessley could hope for. That is, Rihannan did not
move into the residence of the Queen Mother.
 
***
 
"I have committed a capital offense, Her Majesty. Please punish me accordingly!"
 
Basil knelt deeply. In front of it was a great, broad sword.
 
Igor frowned as he placed a hand on his forehead.
 
"Enough is enough. Get up," Igor said modestly.
 
"No ... I dared to act against her orders and chattered easily when I shouldn't have.
That's why everything ..."
 
"It's not your fault. It was mine in the first place ... Stop crying!"
 
When Basil's eyes began to water, Igor hurriedly got up from his seat.
 
Basil sobbed and finally, drops of tears fell to the ground.
 
Igor couldn't bear to look at his expression. He turned his face to avoid looking at him.
 
"Basil, if you don't stop crying right now, I'll cut your neck immediately."
 
"But..."
 
Seeing that Basil's tears would not stop anytime soon, Igor let out a sigh.
 
"... You must have suffered a lot of hardships because of me in the past. Think of it as
if I was paying for all the things I put you through back then."
 
Basil realized what Igor was talking about. It was about six years ago that he was
beaten to death for keeping Igor's secret.
 
"... How did you know? I didn't think you cared at all and ..."
 
"That's enough. Just tell me what you've found out about Count Clovis and his
mistress."
 
When Igor sat back in his seat, Basil regained his composure and stood up. Holding
back his tears, he pulled a paper out of his pocket as he spoke.
 
"The reason that woman became Count Clovis's mistress is because she is a distant
relative of Viscount Olbach. Viscount Olbach remarried a few years ago and Leticia
followed the noblewoman as his servant. . "
 
Basil paused for a moment while he wiped away his tears.
 
"... It is rumored that she has been the Viscount's mistress since his wife was alive.
The wife was so heartbroken that she ended up committing suicide with poison ..."
 
"You mean the Viscount's wife committed suicide by drinking poison?"
 
Basil nodded.
 
"Yes. As his Majesty knows, Count Alessin, Leticia's father, also committed suicide
by drinking poison."
 
"... So two people have already died from drinking poison ..."
 
Igor gave a twisted laugh.
 
In truth, she had killed one more person by making her drink poison, but the people of
this world would never know.
 
 
Chapter 187
 
Yes, "Basil agreed," After the Viscount's wife passed away, his mistress Leticia
became the next wife. She then she became the mistress of Count Clovis. "
 
"Did you find out more information about Count Alessin and the death of the
Viscount's wife?"
 
"Of course I do! He can always count on me, his Majesty."
 
Basil handed Igor a single page of paper.
 
"I interviewed a servant who was working in Count Alessin's house at the time.
According to the witness's account, the day before the count passed away, he had a
terrible fight with his daughter. The next day, the Count was found lying on the
ground. the ground with a vial of poison in hand. "
 
"And they treated the simple poisoning as suicide?"
 
Basil nodded. "Because Count Alessin was heavily in debt during that time, House
Alessin wanted his death to pass smoothly and the only member of his family they
had, the queen, was abroad at the time."
 
"What about the death of the Viscount's wife?"
 
"After realizing the relationship that her husband had with her lover, she died shortly
after by suicide with poison. Her act would bring down her family, so they also hid
her death under the rug. "
 
Basil sighed.
 
"There are suspicions, Your Majesty, that Count Clovis helped facilitate the death of
the Viscount's wife. The investigation into her death was carried out too lightly and
quickly. Furthermore, the investigator had been hired by Count."
 
"Is there any information on the type of poison they consumed?" Igor asked.
 
"Yes. That information from the investigation is reported. The Viscount's former wife
and Count Alessin ingested a poisonous plant called talis. But the plant has a
particularly unique trait, Your Majesty. The talis is a poisonous plant, but normally ...
"
 
"... People do not usually use talis as a means of suicide. It is a toxic substance that
makes the victim suffer as if they were submerged in the coldest depths of hell,"
added Igor.
 
Basil looked at Igor, wide-eyed.
 
"How do you know that? But it's true. Although the talis is effective and fast, it is too
painful for a victim to use as a means of suicide. They would cause their internal
organs to shatter and they would vomit blood non-stop before meeting their hands. of
death. Therefore, if one decided to commit suicide, they would use other poisonous
plants but never talis. "
 
Igor clenched his fist. With those words, he felt as if ants were crawling inside his
skin.
 
"Arrest her," Igor growled.
 
Basil nodded. "Yes ... although there is not enough evidence, it is probably enough to
make her confess to her crimes."
 
"No. That woman will never confess. She will only play innocent, acting as if she had
never participated in the plan."
 
"If that's the case, her Majesty, then proving her crimes will be difficult. Even in the
past event there was no conclusive evidence ..."
 
"That is why Count Clovis must be arrested."
 
Basil gasped. "Count Clovi? But for what reason ...?"
 
"Of course, for treason."
 
"Your Majesty of him!" Basil was surprised. He couldn't help screaming loudly.
 
Basil saw Arundell in ruins due to an internal conflict 20 years ago and as a result he
was sensitive to issues that could tear the country apart.
 
They barely got over the bloodbath that ensued then and he didn't want something like
that to happen in his life ever again.
 
If Igor did not produce an heir, the crown would go to Count Clovis. If he arrested the
earl for treason, it would only cause another internal conflict.
 
"Your Majesty of him, you cannot do that without definitive proof."
 
"You said we just needed a confession, didn't you?" Igor replied.
 
"But you said that woman will never confess her sins ..."
 
"The confession will be made by Count Clovis himself."
 
Basil gaped at Igor.
 
"How can you know that, Your Majesty from him?
 
Chapter 188
 
Because he is someone who would reject anyone if necessary. Although he has no
security, he will prepare evil plans in the shadows. If you threaten him for any reason,
he will immediately become the most servile person in the world and will bow to the
ground, Basil. "
 
"But..."
 
"Arrest him for now. If we do, then he will confess all his sins without us doing
anything."
 
"But this is too dangerous! Please reconsider the arrest of Count Clovis, his Majesty."
 
"Basil, Rihannan is giving birth to my son ... our baby ..."
 
"Yeah, so please re ... what ?!"
 
"Rihannan is pregnant."
 
Basil's mouth closed.
 
"Aadasdaaargh !!! What ?!"
 
A strange sound escaped from his mouth that was covered with his hands.
 
"Is that true? His Majesty is having a baby from him? My God! What a joyous day!
Oh well, aside from the events of a while ago."
 
Basil coughed.
 
"Don't tell anyone else. No one but you knows about this."
 
"Yes, please don't worry. This time I swear to keep my mouth shut."
 
Basil made a motion to bake his mouth like a mime.
 
After that, he smiled happily touching his cheeks and spoke in a cheerful voice, "All
the Majesty of her Queen needs to do now is give birth to a prince. We will no longer
have to worry about the issue of an heir. "
 
"Even if the baby is born a princess, she will continue to triumph after me."
 
"Eh? But ..."
 
Basil remembered what the Queen Mother had gone through as a princess.
 
If the princess inherited the crown in the future, a case similar to that of the Queen
Mother could recur, causing the kingdom to turn upside down.
 
Igor looked at Basil's face full of concern.
 
He smiled bitterly. "Rihannan has a weak constitution. It is impossible for her to give
birth to another baby. It will also be difficult for her to give birth to this baby. It is
okay if we only have one child. It is enough for both of us."
 
Igor sighed.
 
"Basil, I don't want my daughter to walk the same path as my mother. To make sure
that doesn't happen, we have to deal with Count Clovis first. He is always aspiring to
my position and will take the risk of putting my daughter in danger to achieve that
goal. "
 
Leticia and Count Clovis are working together, preparing plans for their own selfish
motives. One sought the seat of the king's throne, while the other sought the death of
the queen.
 
Despite the death of Count Alessin, those two villains somehow met again, Igor
wondered if it was a wicked fate.
 
"Don't worry. I don't want to cause bloodshed. That is not my intention. I am only
planning to take away the inheritance rights from him and his relatives."
 
"Succession rights?"
 
"That's right. That is the only sin they have committed so far and that is the
punishment they will receive."
 
Igor had no plans to take their lives. Since everyone was safe and it would remain the
same in the future.
 
"I'm sure there is a servant named Rode among the servants who work in the main
palace, right?"
 
Basil's eyes widened.
 
"Yes ... that's right ... but why would you remember the name of a humble servant
who works in the main palace?"
 
"He is a spy planted by Count Clovis."
 
"Hey?"
 
"He has been reporting what goes on inside the castle every day for the past few years.
Whether he is in pain or he has vomited my food ... things like that."
 
"Why did he leave him alone if he knew what was going on, his Majesty ?!" surprised,
Basil roared.
 
"If I have to catch a rat, I will do it when it is useful to do so," Igor replied calmly.
 
"Then you should have at least informed me about this beforehand!"
 
 
Chapter 189
 
Igor sighed.
 
"Keep an eye on that servant. If you give Earl Clovis important information, secure
that evidence immediately. If I give you lots of evidence that he has been watching me
these past few years and I threaten him a bit ..."
 
Igor smiled bitterly.
 
"... Then he will probably be willing to give up all inheritance rights. I am sure Count
Clovis also knows of that woman's past. He uses her testimony as a reason to arrest
her lover immediately."
 
"Yes, his Majesty! I will obediently complete the task he gave me immediately!"
 
As Basil walked out of the room with a burning fighting spirit inside him, Igor opened
his mouth.
 
"Basil, you remember, right? What you should do if something happens to me, you
remember, right?"
 
Basil's face immediately stiffened. Shortly after his marriage, Igor said something to
Basil. And due to authoritarian pressure, Basil had no choice but to make a promise
against his will.
 
"Why do you say that again? You are young and healthy. Why would something
happen to you?" Basil muttered, avoiding Igor's gaze.
 
"Promise me that you will follow through on what I told you in the past, Basil."
 
Basil pledged again with a bitter expression.
 
"Ah ... yes, yes of course. I will. All right, then ... I say goodbye."
 
Basil immediately left the room.
 
Igor didn't move for a while.
 
Finally, he got up from his chair and headed for the door on the opposite side.
Opening the door revealed a dark and empty space.
 
Looking inside, Igor lowered his head.
 
The past ... his past ... what a messy mess.
 
He wanted to go after her, ask her if he was feeling bad, if he had something to eat,
but right now, he didn't have the strength to see her.
 
He was embarrassed.
 
He was grateful that Basil risked her life to keep her from leaving ... and possibly
forever.
 
Igor soon realized the bitter reality that was happening. The fabricated illusion he had
built on lies was crumbling. His current relationship couldn't be considered better than
his past one.
 
In these six years, he could barely contain himself from sneaking into Chrichton and
bringing her home. But he did not. Her appearance would only shock him… it would
shock her to look at the face of her killer.
 
In his past life, there was a time when he thought that all problems could be solved if
she gave him a descendant. Although his mother used him as a pawn, as a tool, he
thought that everything would change when Rihannan gave birth. Igor thought his
mother would quickly realize that she needed to change for this baby.
 
That's why he tried so hard, but every time he held her in his arms, she Rihannan
always forced herself to bear everything.
 
When they slept together, she always looked away, both of her hands gripping the
blanket tightly thinking that all her problems would go away if she held on ... just a
little longer ...
 
But no Igor didn't help. He was always angry every time he had her. The look on her
face must have scared her.
 
At first, she pretended that she was okay, but every time he reached out to calm her
anxiety, she always backed away from her touch to protect himself from her.
 
There was only one emotion Igor could sense from her; the wish that he would finish
her job as quickly as possible and leave.
 
That broke his heart. He didn't want to feel that pain in his heart every time he had his
wife in his arms.
 
In the end, he stopped frequenting her less and less. It was made public that Igor was
not sleeping with Rihannan, so the Queen Mother and the nobility immediately spoke
of producing an heir, which made him feel pressured.
 
Just ... Where did everything go wrong ...?
 
 
Chapter 190
 
The overriding pressure to produce an heir took hold of Igor, by the whispers of
snaking mouths telling him that if he did not produce an heir before his death, the
crown would pass to the sons of previous kings.
 
If that happened, the current nobility would lose the power they had in their hands.
 
"Your Majesty of her, if he continues to treat the queen so coldly, it will only be more
difficult for her. Her heart is delicate and fragile."
 
On the other hand, Basil had always regarded Rihannan as weak and pitiful. The
experience of his younger sisters gave her a slight insight.
 
"Please have a proper conversation with the queen, her Majesty."
 
Talk.
 
Igor couldn't remember the last time they had a proper conversation. The last time ...
was when they were kids.
 
If he decided to be direct and honest with her, would her strained relationship be
fixed? He wanted her to trust him. He was willing to do the same towards her.
 
After making a difficult decision, Igor searched everywhere for her. But he ... he
found her along with her cousin. Dimitri had built a solid foundation in business after
continuing his father's diplomatic relations.
 
It was the first time he had seen Dimitri visiting Arundell as an important foreign
visitor rather than his father. Everyone except Igor knew that he was visiting.
Although ... what struck him the most was witnessing Rihannan laughing and crying
in her arms.
 
It was the first time he had seen her smile freely and happily since they were children.
 
Strong emotions hidden inside her rose. Seeing her happy ... laughing ... crying ...
emotions he had never seen from her being given to another man made his heart ache.
 
It was jealousy.
 
That night, Igor hugged her. He normally spent the night with her at least once before
retiring to her bed, but that night ... when Rihannan rolled over in bed thinking it was
all over, Igor grabbed her shoulder and pulled her over. put under her, hugging her.
 
He ignored the shock in her blue eyes and saw her body several times that he lost
count.
 
The violent act continued deep into the night until she passed out.
 
Igor looked at her body wrapped in the warm sunlight with a gloomy face. Red and
purple marks etched into her white skin, showing how violent he had been to her the
night before.
 
He wrapped her body in a blanket before leaving the room in embarrassment. Every
time he wanted to mend her relationship and get closer to her, the distance from her
seemed to widen even more.
 
If they were doomed to this ... then ... maybe it was better to do what she wanted and
leave her alone ...
 
Since that day, he has never set foot in the Queen's Palace again.
 
Not long after, the Queen Mother called him and suggested: "If you are not willing to
work it out with her, how about producing an heir with Rihannan's sister? You just
have to pretend that Rihannan gave birth to the child and raise him as if it were yours.
Although I don't particularly like Count Alessin and that daughter of his, we must deal
with these matters quickly. This is for the best. Even Count Alessin gave his approval.
"
 
Igor didn't have the heart and mind to argue.
 
It was normal for a mother like her to treat her own child as nothing more than a pawn
for her own benefit.
 
Igor turned his back on her.
 
"Haven't you thought that Rihannan might be looking forward to this too? Or is it that
you wish to kick her out of her palace? If not, accept this suggestion, Igor!"
 
 
Chapter 191
 
Ignoring the echo of the voice behind him, Igor bit his lip and walked away, fist
clenched.
 
There was no need to worry about his mother. The process of removing her from
power and removing her forces was constantly progressing.
 
She may be confident now, but she will soon lose everything that she had protected
from her up to this moment.
 
"I invited my sister to the next dance."
 
... But ... when Igor rejoined his wife after not speaking for so long, she said those
words.
 
"Could you ... maybe dance with her that very day? It's hard to find a suitable person
and ..."
 
She looked down, her hands clasped.
 
When those words left his soft lips ... Igor felt a deep disappointment. His beating
heart skipped sporadically.
 
"Have you already discussed this with your family members?"
 
Rihannan nodded quietly and said, "Yes ... my father ... asked me directly about my ...
sister ..."
 
His own wife spoke in the same vein as his mother, and he couldn't help but think that
the people around her were talking in secret. while he remained in the shadows
without realizing it. Perhaps Rihannan really took the Queen Mother's suggestion,
since she wanted hers to keep her position as queen intact.
 
Igor looked at her with contempt and when her eyes met hers, the pupils of her blue
eyes trembled rapidly in fear.
 
In the end, he thought that both his mother and his wife treated him the same. They
only sought to stabilize his position and did not see Igor as a mere person.
 
... Even dogs raised by a family were treated better.
 
Igor smiled bitterly. "If that's what you want, I'll gladly dance with her ..."
 
And then the day of the dance came.
 
As planned, Rihannan's stepsister Leticia made her first appearance in noble society
after receiving an invitation from her sister the Queen of hers. Her goal was to allow
Leticia to make her appearance in palace and politics so that she would find her place
in noble society with ease.
 
If the king left the palace grounds frequently, rumors would spread. However, Leticia
was Rihannan's sister. It made sense for her to visit her sister, her queen.
 
And what better method for Igor to produce an heir than with his wife's sister? That
way, he would prevent rumors from spreading.
 
Igor felt very bad, his guts twisted. He normally would have opposed the plan of his
wife and his mother. He would not be carried away by his wayward desires. He would
not act like a useless puppet controlled by them.
 
But ... he would use it for his revenge. Revenge for how they treated him.
 
That day, Igor broke all tradition and danced with Leticia all day.
 
The murmurs of the nobility grew louder, and the longer the dance lasted, he noticed
his wife's face turn pale. Only when she couldn't handle the scene did she drop out of
the dance. After that, he immediately stopped his dancing with Leticia.
 
He should have been satisfied with her revenge, but he just felt dirty. Just ... Why did
things turn out this way ...?
 
"Your Majesty of him, I have always admired him for a long time."
 
Later, Rihannan's sister confessed to him the deep love she felt for him during the first
day they met. Igor was stunned. Even though they both had different mothers, he
should feel somewhat guilty about stealing his sister's husband, but his face had not a
hint of shame.
 
He had a wicked smile.
 
At that moment, Igor realized that something was wrong. Also, of the distant
relationship between her wife and her family. Igor didn't know anything in particular
about his past, or about his family, or about what happened after his mother's death.
He only knew that the Count brought a daughter that he gave birth to in another home.
 
"In the first place, my older sister was not destined to become queen. This is how she
was meant to be, her Majesty."
 
 
Chapter 192
 
Igor immediately realized Leticia's evil nature. Though beautiful and seductive as a
mind-blowing painting, her insides were filled with toxic vanity.
 
However, he paid her no attention. He would use this moment to spread and increase
rumors until the palace was engulfed in a blaze of rumors. He would use it to her
advantage. Women like Leticia would invent false rumors even if he did nothing.
 
If that happened, his mother would have no choice but to retract her plan.
 
As time passed, the rumors of her illicit love affair spread as Igor predicted, and that
generated a burning fury in his mother. She didn't care if he was having an affair or if
he had a mistress, but he couldn't allow rumors when she was supposed to secretly
give birth to an heir.
 
The scandal would only haunt that child born from Leticia's body for the rest of her
life. It would only threaten the child's right to succeed the throne.
 
So, just when the Queen Mother had decided that she couldn't do anything about it,
Rihannan got pregnant and revealed herself to the public.
 
Igor celebrated with joy. He ran to her, grinning at her as he hugged her tightly. It had
been a long time since he felt her warmth. It was a quiet moment. Igor was ready to
forget everything that had happened and move on.
 
He let his guard down around Rihannan. He would do anything to fix what he needed
to fix ... he was ready to do it.
 
But he still had a lot of work to do regarding his mother.
 
He decided that he would tell Rihannan the truth after everything got going, but this
little mistake cost him everything.
 
Thinking about it now, it had been a stupid decision. If he had informed him of her
plans and exposed the truth, the tragic end might never have happened ...
 
"Your Majesty of her."
 
A voice sounded from behind and Igor returned to the current reality.
 
Mrs. Cessley looked at Igor standing alone in the dark room and sighed.
 
"I knew you would be like this. You should at least turn on the lights. How is your
injury?"
 
Igor touched the bandage on his forehead and spoke in a solemn tone: "Okay. How is
Rihannan?"
 
"She came after she fell asleep. Don't worry. Although she is in an unstable condition,
the doctor says she will be fine," Mrs. Cessley smiled enthusiastically. There was a
hint of sadness in the back of her eyes. "And I would like to congratulate you
sincerely. She took me by surprise, Her Majesty."
 
"Did the doctor confirm her pregnancy?" Igor asked.
 
Mrs. Cessley nodded. "Yes. It had been a month since she conceived. I made sure the
check-up was done only after everyone was sent away as you ordered."
 
"That is good."
 
Even after hearing the confirmation of the existence of her son, Igor's countenance
was still grim. You would think that he had been in a state of depression. It was the
first time she had seen a look of defeat in her eyes.
 
Mrs. Cessley thought she was going crazy.
 
She had seen for a moment a look of love in her eyes, but there was a sudden abrupt
change ...
 
"... I'm not sure what happened, but once Her Majesty the Queen's belly swells and
shows, her anger will also start to wane. After all, parents are weak in front of their
children." Mrs. Cessley said.
 
"She may have done it before, but this time ... I'm not really sure."
 
In the past life, when Rihannan conceived a baby in her womb, everything was joy.
She never asked about Leticia. She, too, was not because of all the sufferings that she
had gone through. She was willing to leave everything behind for the sake of that
child.
 
... But not this time.
 
This time, she would leave her baby in her hands and return to Chrichton alone.
 
Igor was worried. Knowing her, she hadn't said those words without thinking. What
would she do if she really left? If he forced her to stay ... her relationship would only
break down further. He couldn't make her change her mind either.
 
"Your Majesty of her ... in my opinion, if you inflicted any violent bodily injury to the
Queen, or she said strong offensive words to you in equivalence ... the Queen will
probably forgive you considering her personality and. .. "
 
Igor clenched his fist. His face darkened.
 
Mrs. Cessley quickly closed her mouth at the sudden change. It was hard to
understand, but she knew something had happened between them.
 
Chapter 193
 
I will ensure that Her Majesty The Queen is taken care of ... so please do not worry
and rest easy, Your Majesty, "said Mrs. Cessley, in a cordial tone.
 
"It seems that I am indebted to you and Basil," Igor said, smiling bitterly.
 
"All I have done is follow the Grand Chamberlain, Her Majesty. It was thanks to his
efforts that Her Majesty the Queen changed her mind. In the end, the truth changes
everyone's mind. Please don't be impatient and give Her Your Majesty the Queen for
some time. "
 
Hearing the warning and Mrs. Cessley's genuine concern, Igor smiled softly and
solemnly. He was relieved to know that she would be by Rihannan's side. He knew he
could trust Mrs. Cessley to care for Rihannan's deep wound.
 
***
 
Mrs. Cessley was well aware of the current tense situation. In the days that followed,
she never said a single word about Igor to Rihannan, ignoring the king and paying
attention to Rihannan's well-being.
 
Rihannan wondered if her mother would care for her as much as Mrs. Cessley in these
difficult times.
 
"Thank goodness," Mrs. Cessley breathed in relief, "Your morning sickness from hers
hasn't been that terrible compared to mine. It was so bad I threw up blood!"
 
"Actually ... me too ..."
 
Rihannan was about to talk about her morning sickness and how terrible it had been,
but then she stopped before she could get a word out. In her past life, her morning
sickness became unbearable to the point of not being able to eat properly, but in this
life, her condition was much better.
 
The more she thought about this, the more her mind drifted to the sudden realization
that her baby was different. She was pregnant, she had conceived, but it was not the
same baby.
 
"I'm glad it's not too difficult for me," Rihannan smiled bitterly. "When my mother
had me in her womb, I heard that her morning sickness was terribly unbearable.
Fortunately ... it doesn't seem like that."
 
"Although there are cases where morning sickness is similar between mother and
daughter, there are also cases where it is not. It can also change between the first and
second child. A woman's body is amazing and full of wonders, Don't you agree, Your
Majesty? "
 
"...You are right."
 
Rihannan lowered her gaze and calmly stared at the flower-painted teacup.
 
This was the best result.
 
If it was the same baby she had previously lost, the more difficult it would be for her
to part with her when the time came. She would give this baby whatever affection she
could give him. It wasn't fair, but she would leave hers small of hers behind her.
 
When the time came ... it would be really difficult ...
 
"My Queen, I have heard that the bill has passed. I am sure you were relieved."
 
Rihannan smiled slightly. "I was also surprised. I didn't think the bill would go
through so quickly."
 
"It was the perfect time. There are many nobles who were in trouble after losing their
own dignity and property to gambling, but it would not have been approved so quickly
if it had not been for their preparation. And besides, there would be those who would
benefit from it. support the betting market. "
 
"I think using my father's case as an example turned out to be effective. No noble
wants to end up like him. Even when laying down the law, it's always good to give
realistic examples, although I never expected that I would use my father's death for
something like this. "
 
"I learned that he made the final decision to end his life due to the great debt he had
accumulated. If you didn't feel anything for your father, you would not have reached
this point."
 
"... I just hoped that he would take the opportunity to live normally. That's it.
 
Chapter 194
 
Rihannan sincerely hoped that her father would live a proper life. She knew her father
was upset with her, maybe he even hated her, but at least ... he expected her to live a
good and honest life.
 
She did not know how she had ended everything in the past life. Maybe they had a
happy ending. Maybe they got what they wanted. However, it was not the case in this
life. Leticia became the wife of a decrepit old man and the lover of another. She had
an unfortunate childhood. And her father ... hers committed suicide with a poison very
similar to hers.
 
"......"
 
Rihannan suddenly realized something.
 
Two people had died of poisoning. Had this been a coincidence? Considering that
Leticia had caused her death by poisoning, could she possibly ... did she put her hands
on her father?
 
"Mrs. Cessley, did you perhaps hear something about my father's death at the time?
As you know, I was in Crichton at the time. I didn't know many details."
 
Mrs. Cessley tried to remember things. She was silent for a while.
 
Shaking her head, she said, "I am sorry, my Queen. After you evicted Count Alessin
from the property, you did not set foot in politics. I am not sure what happened in your
life after that."
 
"...I see."
 
In her past life, after her father had been recognized as the richest man in Arundell
upon the discovery of the Arch Stone, her power and rank increased within the
nobility. She was capable enough to influence political views. But in this life, she led
a life of poverty before meeting a sad and tragic death.
 
... If her death was caused by Leticia, her beloved daughter, how miserable it turned
out to die at the hands of the daughter she loved more than anyone else in the world.
In a way, it was a fitting ending.
 
"Mrs. Cessley, do you remember the noble lady who was alone with me at Duchess
Saffia's birthday ball?"
 
Mrs. Cessley nodded. "Yes, I remember her."
 
"Leticia Olbach. She is my sister. We share the same father."
 
Mrs. Cessley put down her teacup, shocked.
 
"My God. Did she meet her by chance?"
 
"It didn't seem like a coincidence, but that's not important."
 
"Why isn't it important, my Queen? It's not normal if he approached you with evil
grudges in his heart. I knew it. I suspected that. Also, the big chump asked if Viscount
Olbach's wife had attended the ball. I never imagined that I was your sister. "
 
Rihannan realized that Igor found out about the situation, but none of that mattered.
Even if he met Leticia and they fell in love ... none of that mattered.
 
"I guess it's hard for people to change."
 
Rihannan could never understand Leticia. From the moment she arrived at the
mansion, she thought of Rihannan as an obstacle, an enemy who had stolen everything
from her. Despite knowing that wealth and luxury did not belong to her father but to
Rihannan's mother.
 
She stopped trying to understand Leticia a long time ago. And now in the current
situation, he still couldn't understand her.
 
Rihannan thought that she would change if she grew up in a different environment. He
gave Leticia everything she could offer in the past life and in this life she took
everything from her. Maybe both decisions were her mistake ...
 
"My queen, do you remember the conversation we had last time in the hall?" Mrs.
Cessley asked, noticing Rihannan's grim expression.
 
 
Chapter 195
 
The conversation about Professor Laghman's book on dance continued inside a room.
 
Rihannan nodded.
 
"The conversation centered on the kind of environment one should have in order to
grow up as a good and proper person capable of contributing to society. However, I
think of it a little differently. Even though poisonous plants are sometimes used to
make medicines, they are still poisonous. Just because the wind transports it to a
fertile land with lots of sun, it does not mean that its characteristics will change. It will
continue to be a poisonous plant. "
 
Mrs. Cessley smiled warmly.
 
"On the other hand, when good seeds are placed in safe and fertile soil, they will
bloom brilliantly. Of course, I believe that there are people who have the ability to
change, while others do not. So, my Queen, I do not believe that you have to worry
too much about your sister and ... Your Majesty? "
 
Suddenly, drops of tears spilled out of the corner of Rihannan's eyes.
 
Mrs. Cessley quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief, her face shocked.
 
"My Queen, did I make a mistake with my words ... Please don't cry, my Queen."
 
Rihannan couldn't stop her tears from spilling.
 
Mrs. Cessley hugged Rihannan and patted her on the back. In the arms of the Duchess,
she cried to seas. Mrs. Cessley may not know it, but the words she said about her
reassured her of the troubles plaguing her heart.
 
As Mrs. Cessley said, there was no need to repeat a life full of suffering to fix
everything.
 
Rihannan wished that her sister was a good seed, that somehow they could live well
together and happily.
 
She hoped that the wind would carry her to fertile ground and that she would bloom
like a beautiful flower that would help bees spread pollen to other flowers. A flower
that will help others and those in need.
 
She wanted that.
 
***
 
When Leticia arrived at Count Clovis's mansion, the servants tensed and bowed their
heads in silence. After Leticia had recklessly grabbed a servant's hair in the past, the
servants were unable to look her directly in the eyes. No matter what they thought of
her, they couldn't do anything out of fear.
 
Leticia smiled with satisfaction.
 
Every time she saw those who looked down on her kneeling before her, she felt an
exhilarating sensation.
 
She walked into the Count's study room with a smile on her lips. While she was lost in
thought of her, she met a man who was coming out of the study room.
 
"Oh God, my apologies. Are you okay, Lady?"
 
The man looked pitiful. His clothes were ripped apart and dirty at a single glance. A
black robe hid his body from top to bottom.
 
As he reached out her hand to her, Leticia's expression frowned at her.
 
"Okay! Just get out of my way!"
 
His words were filled with disgust. Meanwhile, the man's lips exposed under the hood
rose to form a smile.
 
"I apologize. You seem to be distressed," she said.
 
Men often praised her. It was common in her first meeting with any man. Leticia was
aware of the beauty that she possessed and she took advantage of the fact that she had
become used to the melodious voices of those men.
 
However, due to that experience, she became aware of the strange words of the man.
He had the appearance of a beggar, but she treated her with a conceit that seemed like
contempt.
 
His robe covered his entire body, emanating a sense of strangeness. His body was
slightly larger than the men who inhabited Arundell, and his hair, which was slightly
exposed through the hood, had a color that was common in the north.
 
 
Chapter 196
 
On examining him, Leticia thought he was a foreigner.
 
The man stepped aside from her, allowing her to pass as she bowed her head.
 
"Come in, Lady."
 
Leticia let out a "Hmmph!" as she tore her gaze away from the man. There was no
need to worry about an ordinary, trivial man like him.
 
When she stepped into the room, the man closed the door. Then the waiting butler
approached the man and guided him toward the exit.
 
"Please come this way, sir."
 
Following the butler, the man heard voices from the maids, who were complaining
about the red-haired woman.
 
"Did you see that? Did you see her smug look on hers? She thinks she owns this
place!"
 
"My heart boils with anger. Our poor lady ... What a pity!"
 
"... So that woman ... is she the Count's lover?" the man asked the butler.
 
The man had an elegant accent, characteristic of the people of the north.
 
"Yes, that's right," responding politely, the butler cocked his head.
 
"She looked strangely familiar to me ..." the man replied.
 
"Because Viscount Olbach's wife is the queen's sister. She is the illegitimate daughter
of the late Count."
 
The man quickly processed his thoughts before coming up with a quick answer.
 
"... Is she the queen's stepsister?"
 
The butler nodded. "Yes, sir. She is the illegitimate daughter the late Count Alessin
had with his lover, an ordinary woman. Before the queen moved to Chrichton, it was
rumored that she had thrown her own sister and the earl out of the mansion. I knew
that the Earl's wife was the Queen's sister until now. "
 
The man smirked.
 
"I see."
 
The man looked back and observed the Count's study room where the woman entered
just now. The silver eyes hidden from her under the shadows of her hood shone
brightly.
 
"Young Duke?"
 
Hearing the butler's call, the man quickly wiped the evil gaze from him and smiled
gracefully.
 
"It's nothing. Come on," he said.
 
***
 
Upon entering the study, he saw two glasses of alcohol on the table. He was curious.
Although he looked like a humble peasant, the Count had drunk cordially with the
beggar as if it were normal.
 
"Who is that man who just left?" Leticia asked.
 
"And why do you need to know that?"
 
Leticia was angered by Count Clovis' callous response, but before she could respond,
Count Clovis said, "On top of that, you finally have your chance, Leticia."
 
"What does he mean?"
 
"There is some discord between the king and queen at the moment."
 
Leticia's face lit up immediately.
 
"That's right?"
 
Count Clovis smiled. "True. The queen tried to leave the palace while she was furious.
The king did not stop her. Her relationship is certainly strained, something has gone
wrong. I will take advantage of this gap for you. Just sit back and wait."
 
"Ahh ... Count Clovis, I'm so happy!"
 
Leticia happily wrapped her arms around his neck, pleasantly brushing her third
manhood hidden under her pants. Her virility third of her pressed against her sensual
area, causing her to let out an eloquent moan.
 
She lowered herself to her knees, her hand rubbing the fabric that covered her
manhood in a circular motion, before unbuttoning her pants. Soon her manhood was
out in the open.
 
Leticia wrapped a hand around her waist, caressing him gently as she looked into his
eyes. An almost imperceptible growl escaped her throat.
 
"I swear I'll do it right. After all, you know me well. How good I am at making them
fall in love with me."
 
Count Clovis laughed and then groaned.
 
"Yes, Leticia. I know that very well," he said, stroking her head.
 
Then he pushed her onto a couch and lifted her skirt, revealing her smooth skin.
Abruptly, the earl slid the br4g4s down her legs.
 
Rubbing her wet entrance, he told her, "I'm not sure about the others, but your face
and body are useful."
 
 
Chapter 198
 
Rihannan's complicated thoughts naturally turned to the future.
 
Within a month, there would be an incident in which the Chrichton's would collapse
en masse from the virus outbreak. She knew it would happen, but she did nothing
because she knew that Dimitri and his uncle would be victorious.
 
But what would Igor do in this case?
 
If he had been put in the same situation, he would have stopped the deaths of the
royals. It was the most effective method.
 
Rihannan had exchanged many letters with Dimitri in her past life and she knew the
amount of anguish he felt. Her heart was in dismay that she had shed blood after blood
to acquire the throne. She had seen the death of many close friends of hers because of
it. And ... she never wanted the crown. He wanted freedom, but it seemed that an
unknown force was still binding him to the throne.
 
She knew it, but she did nothing. She was going to let him go the same way. And now
she had realized her selfishness. Deep down, she wanted to see him suffer through
hardships and maybe she ... she unconsciously thought that he would have more
power as a king than as a mere noble.
 
Rihannan couldn't sit idly by and allow the past event to repeat itself. The future could
change and perhaps produce unwanted results, but she will not allow Dimitri to be
ruined by his own fear and selfishness.
 
After leaving the Queen's Palace, Rihannan visited the headquarters.
 
"Your Majesty from him?"
 
Arriving at the front office door, Basil who was leaving, was surprised at the
unexpected appearance of Rihannan. It was her first meeting since the last incident.
 
She Rihannan didn't dare look him in the eye. She avoided his gaze completely.
 
"Is His Majesty the King inside?" She asked.
 
Basil nodded several times. "Yes, she is inside."
 
"Then please inform him that I have arrived and ..."
 
"There is no need. Please come in, my Queen!"
 
Basil opened the door.
 
"Then I'll get some tea right away," he said cheerfully.
 
"That won't be necessary. Let's just talk. Stay outside for a bit."
 
Basil smiled widely at his words.
 
"Of course, of course. I'll make sure no one comes in. Please relax and talk all you
want."
 
Jumping, Basil walked away. He seemed as if he had forgotten that she had threatened
to take his life. Seeing the joyous aura that surrounded Basil, she felt as if a heavy
rock was on his head.
 
Taking a deep breath, Rihannan entered the headquarters.
 
Igor stood up.
 
Rihannan's gaze drifted to the desk, where the cloudy memories of Igor hugging
Leticia at that desk began to swirl back.
 
Igor walked quickly away from the desk and approached Rihannan.
 
"Rihannan, why are you here ...?"
 
"I have something I need to tell you."
 
"Then sit in the chair first. We ..."
 
"There's no need. I won't be long. I'll leave after I tell you what I have to talk to you
about.
 
Chapter 199
 
Hearing her cold frankness, Igor did not dare to utter the words he wanted to say.
 
"... Rihannan."
 
"I'm sure you know what will happen in a month or so," Rihannan parted her lips,
looking away from her face. "I want to stop the deaths of members of the Chrichton
royal family and I plan to send Dimi clues about what will happen before the tragedy
begins."
 
"Clues? So ... you mean ..."
 
"I will tell him the truth of the water in the shrine where the ancient ritual formality
will take place. If it is Dimi, I am sure he will find a way to prevent the outbreak."
 
If her plan is successful, then she can prevent the deaths of the royals from the
outbreak. Although she hoped that the Crown Prince would fall victim to the
tragedy ... Dimi's freedom was more important. If she guaranteed his happiness, the
rest didn't matter.
 
"The sanctuary is a holy place for the royalty of Crichton. It is a place that no one can
enter freely, apart from those of direct lineage. The fact that I know secret information
about that place, means that if I am not careful, they will be suspicious of As you also
know, Dimitri has been charged with misconduct and conspiracy against Chrichton,
then put him in prison for a time. "
 
"......"
 
Remembering those painful moments, Rihannan squeezed her skirt tightly.
 
"I went through a lot of humiliation then and I don't want to go through that process
again. I hope you can put your signature next to mine, on the letter I will send to Dimi.
If he sees your signature with mine, he won't think I'm talking nonsense. I'm sure of
it."
 
After saying everything she had to say, Rihannan waited for her response.
 
There was no response for a while.
 
Rihannan lifted her face from hers and stared at him. Igor had a complicated look, he
seemed to have a hard time answering. She deduced that Igor wished to reject her
request.
 
"I see. Then I'll solve this problem on my account ..."
 
"There is no need to do that."
 
Rihannan immediately turned around as she approached the door. Her gaze went
straight to him, asking incredulously, "What do you mean by those words?"
 
"... You don't have to do anything at all," he replied.
 
"What are you trying to say? Do you mean I don't do anything and let them die?"
 
"No ... I'm saying there is no need. The matter that concerns you is not going to
happen."
 
"No ... I'm saying there is no need. The matter that concerns you is not going to
happen."
 
Rihannan frowned a little. She couldn't understand it.
 
"Are you implying that the tragic event in which royals die of an infectious disease
will not occur?"
 
"Yes."
 
"It has definitely happened in the past life. Why are you so sure it won't happen this
time?" Rihannan asked.
 
The incident had nothing to do with Arundell. Both she and Igor reincarnated, causing
a change in the future, but she doubted the possibility that her decisions would
influence the future on a large scale.
 
"... Please explain to me why you think that."
 
Hearing her repeated questions, Igor lowered his head and let out a long sigh. He put
his hand on his forehead.
 
A moment later, his tight lips slowly parted.
 
"It was not an infectious disease. It was from my mother."
 
Rihannan's ice blue eyes mirrored Igor's pained expression.
 
"My mother released poison on Chrichton to murder royalty ..." Igor closed his eyes
as he remembered things from the past life.
 
 
Chapter 200
 
Memories from the past...
 
"Your Majesty, there is a big problem!"
 
The incident began with Basil's urgent voice.
 
Rihannan spent her days dreaming of the baby that was forming in her womb. At that
moment, she heard disastrous news happening in Chrichton. Many of the royals who
performed a ritual at the shrine suffered from some kind of incurable disease.
 
The King, Crown Prince, and the many direct successors of the lineage collapsed one
after another en masse, their existence on the brink of death.
 
If it were a natural occurrence, people would have considered it an unfortunate
incident and would pray for his health.
 
However, everything changed when the truth was revealed. The Queen Mother
planned the plan together with various Crichton nobles, who opposed the tyrannical
rule that the royal families led in Crichton.
 
Igor, enraged by the horrible massacre he had committed, went to see her enraged.
 
"Are you crazy? How could you do such a thing ?! Something's wrong with your
head!" Igor roared.
 
For the first time since his birth, Igor spoke rudely to his mother, his own blood.
While Igor was shaken by the terrible event, the Queen Mother looked calm as usual.
 
"It was all because of you, Igor. Now, you will also be first in line to the throne in
Chrichton. You will become the king of two countries ... You will be an emperor!"
 
Igor was aware that his mother had a unique position. She had the blood of Crichton
and Arunell running through her veins. She always dreamed of building an empire
capable of fighting the Toulouse Empire. If she became the ruling queen as she
planned, then she could take the throne herself.
 
However, she did not. So she tried to satisfy her wishes through her son, his blood,
and her family. However, she never tried to know what Igor wanted.
 
"Stop talking such nonsense and don't cause any more trouble than you've already
done!"
 
But his mother kept pestering him to become next in line for the post of king at
Chrichton. Igor was at the limit of his patience. He had learned the hard way that the
time had come to take the center of power away from her. The time had come, if he
allowed her mother to do what she wanted, he and his wife could not live a life of
their own.
 
Igor decided to send Rihannan out of the main palace before seriously committing to
his work. He didn't want her to get involved in the problem, not when she was
pregnant. His mother would use Rihanannan to bend him to her will.
 
Also, he needed to separate Rihannan from her own family. When she conceived the
baby, Igor stopped meeting Leticia aside from the formalities.
 
Count Alessin complained, reacting to his actions.
 
"Your Majesty, are you trying to get rid of my daughter in this way? Even when the
whole world is talking about how she has become the mistress of the nation's king?
You cannot do this, Your Majesty! Rihannan barely has importance!"
 
Igor saw how the false mask of a benevolent father of the Count, was worn away. He
believed that Rihannan's father did not treat her with special love and care, but at least
he respected her within the limits of a distant father figure from hers.
 
But now that it was revealed, Igor saw through her facade. The Count was never a
father figure to his wife. He never cared about her. He only cared about Leticia.
 
He later learned that Rihannan experienced many psychological trauma after the death
of her mother, from the cold and uncaring environment in which she grew up.
 
He recalled her calm personality of hers and that she often smiled cheerfully when
they were young. But as they got older, she was always stiff, always shy, always
nervous, always restless. She wondered why. But she now she knew.
 
She couldn't lead a normal life when she lived with a father and sister who detested
her. She always spoke poisonous words that minimized her existence.
 
... she must have been hell ...
 
... And then she experienced another with him ...
 
"From the beginning, Rihannan has been and she will always be my wife. My
successor who will inherit the throne will be the baby that Rihannan gives birth to."
 
 
Chapter 201
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
Igor gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He stopped, with great restraint.
 
After that, Igor severely cut all ties with Count Alessin. The man only believed in
wealth and was too confident in the ambition to rule over the king.
 
"From now on, I will not see you again, Count Alessin. Thank you for stopping me at
this point because you are the father of my wife."
 
Count Alessin swallowed his anger before leaving the palace with a hideous blow.
 
Later, Igor excluded Count Alessin from all political affairs. To begin with, he never
wanted the earl to be near him. He was too incompetent and greedy.
 
A few days later, Igor stood in front of the carriage that he was waiting to take
Rihannan to the royal villa. When she got to where the carriage was, she smiled
awkwardly at him. It had been several years since the date of their marriage, but an
uncomfortable gap between them.
 
Igor felt desperate, as if he had no way out of trouble.
 
"... I will visit you frequently, although it will not be daily ... No, if time permits, I will
visit you every day."
 
His wide, innocent blue eyes looked up at him slightly surprised. Then she blushed
and lowered her gaze with a nod.
 
Igor hugged her tightly. She had a small body compared to his. She seemed pretty to
him.
 
Suddenly realizing what an exhausting life they led, Igor closed his eyes.
 
He regretted all the things he had done to her. To have told him to choose a side; her
husband or her godmother. Meanwhile, she never had a real family that she could
trust.
 
Then Rihannan got into the carriage.
 
As the carriage wheels turned, Rihannan opened the curtains and looked at Igor.
 
Igor smiled at him.
 
Rihannan smiled until her figure faded over the horizon.
 
Igor smiled, waiting impatiently for the day when she would return to her arms. When
the time comes and all your problems are properly resolved, then you could have a
happy life together.
 
His heart was full of hope.
 
But in the end...
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
"... Are you saying that the Queen Mother killed so many people? Even those
completely innocent of horrible acts?"
 
Rihannan freaked out upon hearing Igor's confession.
 
Igor took a close look at Rihannan and made sure she wasn't swooning from the shock
of the revelations.
 
"For a long time, my mother always had a great interest in creating a huge nation
capable of fighting against the Toulouse Empire and to achieve this, she found it
necessary to unite Arundell and Chrichton under a single ruling banner. She therefore
committed that horrible crime. "
 
"But ... they are also related to the Queen Mother ... How could I ...?"
 
"I told you before, didn't I? My mother is someone who can do very cruel things ...
even to those who are close to her."
 
She remembered the words Igor said to her in the carriage when he returned from the
seasonal palace where the Queen Mother resided.
 
Rihannan gasped. She realized that Igor hadn't said those words to keep her away
from the Queen Mother.
 
"So ... this time ... how did she end up that way ... no ..."
 
"This time, she will not be able to do anything. She has already lost the will and power
necessary to commit that act. I will also make sure that she can never do that."
 
"...I see."
 
 
Chapter 202
 
Rihannan grabbed the corners of her dress with an agitated expression. She couldn't
determine if this was a good thing or not. In any case, the people would not die as in
the past, and Dimitri would not be forced to be king, so all was well.
 
"However, the Crown Prince of Crichton will walk away from his position regardless
of whether that happens or not."
 
Hearing her sudden comment, she stared at him.
 
"What do you want ...?"
 
"You haven't been told this yet, but currently the Crown Prince is in a very difficult
position. The bad government seems more tyrannical, and instead of apologizing for
it, they blame some nobles. Also, recently the daughter of a nobleman has lost his life
due to his actions. Several nobles enraged by this wonder among themselves what
would be the proper responsibility he should take for this. "
 
"So he's done something terrible again!"
 
Although she didn't explain it in any other detail, Rihannan knew right away what she
meant, and Igor looked at Rihannan silently. She glared back at him.
 
"That man has always been the same. As he can have everything he wants, there is
nothing that can scare him. I was able to live safely all that time thanks to Princess
Helena, but when they were going to bring me to you in exchange for Princess Helena
, the Crown Prince tried to take me. His aim was probably to disgrace me so that he
could insult you. He stopped when I told him that I would personally carry out the
negotiation. "
 
Her face quickly paled and she stiffened. Rihannan scoffed at her expression.
 
"You shouldn't complain about what he did. There is no difference between you and
the Crown Prince, intoxicated by power. After all, they take whatever they want by
force. In any case, I didn't want to speak particularly on this subject as well. Let's stop.
Since I know now that nothing will happen to Dimi in the future, that doesn't matter
anymore. "
 
She was about to end the conversation when he spoke.
 
"That will matter."
 
"What do you mean by that?"
 
"It's because the one who controls all the people who are plotting to bring down the
Crown Prince is your cousin. I'm sure the Crown Prince must have realized that by
now as well. That there is someone behind Prince Ivan."
 
Rihannan's lips trembled. She knew that Dimi was getting actively involved in
politics, and naturally he was acting against the crown prince. After all, she knew that
her personality would not allow him to accept the crown prince's way of ruling.
However, she did not know that he would end up involved in this.
 
"Why would Dimi go so far ...?"
 
Rihannan soon realized the answer. The reason Dimitri had gotten into politics and
was trying so hard to bring down the crown prince was because of her. She just
couldn't bear to watch the crown prince cause discord between Arundel and
Chrichton, putting Rihannan in danger.
 
In his past life, Dimitri confessed that if he was not directly involved in the fight for
the succession to the throne, he would have fled and lived his entire life in hiding. The
reason he didn't do it was that, like his uncle, a lot of people around him would die if
he didn't rise to the occasion.
 
Now the reason he was stepping forward had changed, it was because of his cousin
Rihannan.
 
 
Chapter 203
 
Seeing her face darkened with concern, Igor opened his mouth.
 
"There is no need to worry. If you need help, I will gladly help you. Of course, it
would be difficult for me to help you directly."
 
"Since when have I told you to help him?"
 
Rihannan snapped at him immediately. She hadn't come because Dimitri needed help.
She had only done it to prevent a certain situation from occurring. She didn't want to
hear such a charitable tone from Igor. Especially from someone who killed her once.
 
"Don't get more involved in our situation. Dimi doesn't require his help, and neither do
I."
 
"Rihannan ..."
 
As Igor grabbed her arm, Rihannan jerked her hand away from her. Igor didn't dare to
grab her arm again, and instead he only clenched his fist.
 
"There is something ... you have to hear. About the past. And about your sister in this
current situation ..."
 
"Why are you telling me that? I'm sure I told you to do whatever you want."
 
"Rihannan, please listen to what I have ..."
 
"If you wanted to explain the situation, you should have done it right then!"
 
Rihannan's eyes filled with tears.
 
"After watching them hug each other deeply in this place, I ended up falling down the
stairs and lost my baby. At least you should have come to see me that day and tell me
that you had made a mistake. But not only did you not come to see me, but you had
the soldiers capture me and put me in jail. And yet you shamelessly say that you are
going to give me an explanation now? How dare you ...? "
 
When she opened her eyes after losing consciousness, the baby in her stomach had
died. Still, she Rihannan only wished that the man she hated and loved would give her
some cheeky excuse again. However, whenever she asked about Igor, her servants
simply shook their heads with a concerned expression.
 
"The moment I needed you the most, you pushed me aside and crushed me with your
feet."
 
She wanted to share the pain of losing a family member with someone, but whenever
she desperately needed them, they avoided her. Her father, as well as her husband.
 
The tears that ran down her cheek quickly filled her face. Looking at her face, Igor
could not continue speaking.
 
Her purple eyes filled with pain and gloom. He reached out her hand as if he wanted
to wipe away Rihanna's tears, but she shook her head avoiding her hand. As Rihannan
tried to leave the room, Igor blocked the door. Even when she tried to step around and
open the door, Igor gripped the door handle tightly.
 
"Step aside. I no longer have anything to say, nor do I want to hear anything more
from you."
 
Igor spoke hastily.
 
"Okay. I won't force you to listen to what I have to say. But I will call for Basil to
come and accompany you. Please go back to him."
 
"I can do it alone."
 
"You can do whatever you want, but I won't sit idly by and hurt myself like I have in
the past."
 
Igor whispered to her as if she was warning him.
 
"And from now on, you cannot walk alone. Wherever you go, you must make sure
you are accompanied by Mrs. Cessly. If people see you walking alone again, I have no
choice but to limit the places you can. direct you like I did before. "
 
'I bet you can't stand the baby getting hurt, instead wanting my safety.'
 
Swallowing the words that nearly escaped her mouth, Rihannan wiped the tears from
her eyes with her hand. Soon Basil entered the room. Then he saw that the mood
between them was completely different from what he expected and he was very
disappointed. However, as Igor ordered him to escort the queen to his palace, he
complied as usual without complaint.
 
Rihannan shed tears incessantly from her eyes as she walked back. If it had been like
in the past life, Basil would be happily talking and chatting with her, but this time he
could do nothing but follow her eagerly. When the queen arrived at the queen's palace,
Basil finally spoke.
 
"My queen, please stop crying. Please ..."
 
 
Chapter 204
 
However, there was no way that Rihannan would stop crying with just those words.
As Basil watched Rihannan cry, he reached into her pockets and pulled something out
of her.
 
"I heard that when you are in a bad mood, you feel better if you eat something sweet.
My Majesty, take this at least ..."
 
What she was holding was candy. As Rihannan stared at the candy in surprise and
confusion, with tears still in her eyes, Basil awkwardly began to withdraw his hand
from her in shame.
 
'I used to happily grab him when he was young, I guess it would be too much to ask
this time.'
 
"I apologize, I shouldn't have ..."
 
"Why are you being nice to me, Basil?"
 
Hearing her sudden question, Basil's eyes widened.
 
"That?"
 
"You have always been the same. In the past, and even now. Even though I treated
you terribly last time, you still treat me well."
 
Hearing her speak in a shaky, tearful voice, Basil felt as if he was listening to her own
young daughter of hers and had to avoid unconsciously laughing.
 
"Well, who could hate such a beautiful and beautiful queen like you?"
 
"No. Basil, you don't know, but there are a lot of people who hate me too. Even my
family hated me forever."
 
Basil smiled widely.
 
"If someone hates you or doesn't like you, then that person has a problem, not you my
queen. That's for sure. Besides that, what you said last time you didn't mean it."
 
This time, Basil took out a handkerchief to wipe Rihannan's cheek. It was a gentle
wave of the hand like a father trying to calm his daughter down.
 
"The right people will always like you, my queen. Even Mrs. Cessly is not someone
who easily befriends anyone, and yet she is uniquely very weak to you. Didn't you
know?"
 
"Isn't it because Mrs. Cessly is a good person?"
 
"Since you are a good person, Mrs. Cessly treats you like one. Usually, Mrs. Cessly is
actually very cold and harsh with others. Even the fearsome Queen Mother is wary of
Mrs. Cessly."
 
Only when he finished wiping all the wet spots from Rihannan's face did Basil remove
the handkerchief. Basil again extended his hand with a candy to Rihannan, a smile still
on his face.
 
"If that's okay with you, please try one. This was given to me by my wife, so it's not
something anyone would like to give."
 
Rihannan hesitated for a moment before taking the candy. She then she replied softly.
 
"...Thanks."
 
Basil understood that that single word he said had much more meaning than many,
and he smiled happily.
 
"Please get plenty of rest. Even if your problems with him are not resolved, I'm sure
her mood will improve by resting and sleeping."
 
Rihannan nodded. After confirming that her lips were forming a slight smile, Basil
was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
 
When Rihannan walked in, Basil's eyes quickly grew cold, they were warm until just
now. He had been feeling a gaze watching him all this time since he left headquarters.
And as soon as the queen entered, the feeling of someone watching him disappeared at
the same time.
 
According to his research, one of the servants working at the palace constantly
collected information related to the king and queen, handing the information to
someone outside the palace every three days. He was surprised that he hadn't realized
that this was happening all this time.
 
"It looks like he will finally start moving tonight."
 
Basil coldly muttered to himself. The time had come for them to finally catch that rat
that had been hiding inside the palace all this time.
 
Chapter 205
 
Rihannan returned to her chambers. He noticed a letter from her addressed to her; it
was well written and signed by the Queen Mother. The letter suggested that she,
Rihannan, visit the seasonal palace before winter came. At the end of the letter there
was an additional line that said, if Igor was against her visiting, it was okay not to.
 
They usually exchanged letters, and it became commonplace. She picked up the pen
and began to write. She had discovered something new about the Queen Mother. Igor
described her as a monstrous woman capable of poisoning a kingdom. But he couldn't
shake off the warm maternal feeling he felt from her.
 
Rihannan knew that the Queen Mother was a strict and fearsome woman, but also
wise and knowledgeable. She abandoned her legitimate claim to the throne and
sacrificed her position for the sake of peace. Arundell would have fallen to ruin if he
didn't stop the war.
 
However, following Igor's reveal, Rihannan learned a shocking truth. Igor's mother
could mercilessly murder her own distant cousins without remorse for an unreachable
dream.
 
How many of the events of the past were hidden and how many of them did she not
know?
 
Looking at her smooth, textured letter, her clear blue eyes clouded over. Memories of
the past life appeared again in her mind.
 
Memories from the past...
 
After moving her residence to the seasonal palace, Igor stayed true to her words,
visiting her often. Rihannan was ecstatic. He took care of her and her baby. That gave
her a lot of joy, something she had never felt before.
 
As always, Igor left the palace in season, reminding her that he would visit her the
next day. During the next day, she was waiting for her visit, but a letter arrived. Short
and concise.
 
The letter said that he was busy and worried. and that he didn't need to wait for it.
 
He read the letter over and over. She found it sad that she couldn't see him, but it was
also the first time she had received a letter from him. The elegant writing captivated
her and she read the content every minute, even though the content was not long. It
came from Igor.
 
A thought suddenly came to her mind. If she was worried, why didn't she visit him? It
would be a surprise visit. Would Igor hate for her to visit him unannounced? She
considered it, but he had been nice and sweet to her for a while now.
 
After much thought, she got rid of any doubts and got into the carriage that was
heading to the main palace. The kindness and sweetness he had shown her ... gave
comfort to her heart.
 
She never expected that an aberration awaited her. Opening the door to the central
office, she saw Leticia lying on her desk, legs spread, and Igor bent over in the
middle.
 
She realized that for that reason, Igor had sent her to the seasonal palace. The rumors
that she satisfied her urges with another woman while she was pregnant were true ...
 
Hurt and shocked, she hurried down the stairs. The tears that clouded her eyes,
prevented her from looking straight ahead, causing her to fall down a flight of stairs.
 
Due to her carelessness, she lost her son and they shoved her inside the cold walls of
the prison. What crimes had she committed? Why did she come to see him? Was that
why she was a sinner?
 
She lost her will to live.
 
She willingly took the poison Leticia gave her and took her life.
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
That was all she knew. She remembered it vividly.
 
The circumstances were clear, so Igor couldn't make any excuses.
 
Igor was lying? Making up things for her to believe? Or perhaps he considered that
she was still the ignorant girl from before?
 
In the end, Rihannan crumpled up her own letter.
 
She sighed, giving up writing an answer and dropped the pen.
 
If Igor had told the truth, Dimitri would benefit. She did not need to worry about
suffering in the future due to the carnage and bloodshed. He will live a happy and
fruitful life.
 
 
Chapter 206
 
Taking advantage of the night, Rode slipped through the palace grounds and waited
for the person at the agreed place. He was used to this. He had done it for a long time.
 
Rode soon heard the sounds of footsteps and quickly turned around. It was a servant
who came from the Count. He stood, waiting to receive the information.
 
"You're quite late today," Rode clicked his tongue.
 
The servant shrugged. "I took the precaution of going down another path. He made me
late. You brought the information, right?"
 
Rode nodded, pulling out a piece of paper. He detailed everything he knew, heard and
saw within the hallways of the palace.
 
The servant lit up, quickly grabbed it and put it in his pocket. In exchange for the
information, he put a lot of money in Rode's hand.
 
"So, be careful on your way to ..."
 
But before he could get the last word from him, a group of armed guards emerged
from the bushes. Rode realized that the situation had broken down and tried to escape.
But he did it too late. Someone got in the way and blocked their escape path. Rode's
face paled rapidly the moment he saw the man's face.
 
"Grand Chamberlain ..."
 
Basil was always smiling, but right now, he seemed like an emissary from hell. Basil
coldly took the paper from the servant's hand and scanned the contents, his fearsome
gaze immediately shifting to Rode.
 
Rode gave up any intention of making an excuse and lowered his head. They had
caught him while he was handing over inside information to a stranger. He couldn't
escape this. He was guilty. He knew how harsh the punishment would be for
committing this crime.
 
Puch!
 
Basil hit Rode's face with his fist and Rode fell to the ground, rolling.
 
"How dare you sell her Majesty's private information about her Queen while working
under my command ?! Do you think you can get away with it ?!"
 
"Please forgive me ... I apologize for what I have done!" Rode lowered his head and
fell to the ground.
 
Basil could barely contain his pent-up anger from him. If he had had his way, he
would have cut off the traitor's head.
 
"Take this man before the king and arrest Count Clovis at once!" Basil said enraged.
 
***
 
Count Clovis was taken in the middle of the beautiful night, to an underground prison
below the palace. The Count was familiar with this place. It was designed for those
who dared to betray the royal family. He realized that something was wrong.
 
For him to have been brought to this depraved place, Count Clovis supposed they had
discovered something, but he could not know what. He thought about it over and over,
but he had no idea what could have gone wrong. He lived a quiet and isolated life,
away from the king's eyes. Also, he made sure to keep his ambition to usurp the king's
office in check.
 
What had gone wrong?
 
Finally, the king appeared. He had a cold on his face. There was not a shred of
emotion in her. The Count realized that he was doomed. He felt uneasy.
 
"Your Majesty of him ... What is all this? Why did he bring me to this place?"
 
Count Clovis had no idea how he got into this situation. However, he needed to play
his part well and deny any wrongdoing. It was the only way that he could get out of
this place without being convicted of crimes.
 
Igor slowly sat down on a chair that had been arranged beforehand. He did it calmly
and very slowly. Count Clovis watched nervously. It seemed that the king did not care
if people found out that he had arrested and imprisoned Count Clovis.
 
The Count hid his fears from the king's gaze.
 
"If perhaps he is trying to charge me with a crime, it would be better not to. Did your
Majesty forget about it? The promise made after the tragedy that occurred in
Arundell?"
 
 
Chapter 207
 
It was a promise, a pact made quietly after the two tragedies that occurred in the royal
house of Arundell; one in which the Queen Mother rebelled against the new king,
causing bloodshed, and another in which some nobles preferred Count Clovis as their
king, so they tried to usurp the young king in order to put the Count in the seat of the
throne. It was a failure and many attacks were exchanged. A promise was made
thereafter wishing peace between the two parties and Arundell's prosperity.
 
"The Queen Mother and I promised each other not to create discord in Arundell again,
but the Majesty of him the King wishes to break that promise ... You, who obtained all
the benefits for which your predecessors worked so hard?"
 
Because of the civil war and the conflicts caused by the Queen Mother, Count Clovis,
son of the king, was left aside in the succession and postponed by Igor, who would
become king.
 
This is what Count Clovis meant.
 
Igor gave a little laugh. "If you knew the promise that well, you shouldn't have
planned dire things while you were sheltered."
 
The Count was about to erupt in a fit of rage after hearing the words 'nefarious plans'
from the king's mouth, but before he could respond, Igor threw a pile of papers in
front of him.
 
"All of these were found in your study. Please, Count Clovis, explain to me why you
ordered the servant to report every little action of us," Igor said.
 
Count Clovis looked at the scattered papers, wishing it would all go away. Gritting his
teeth, he raised his head with a sharp look at Igor.
 
"I do not deny having committed such acts. Yes, it is true. I bribed one of the servants
to loot all the information in the palace. However, if you think you can claim that I
have committed treason just because of this, you are wrong Your Majesty. Because I
have Gathering this information means nothing. Have I ever used it to threaten you?
No, right? "
 
Igor scoffed. "That is not entirely true. You threatened our safety."
 
"What do I want ...?"
 
"My wife. You tried to give my queen medicine, didn't you? You tried to make sure
she couldn't have children, right?"
 
Count Clovis's jaw dropped just at that moment.
 
His evil deeds began shortly after the king and queen celebrated their marriage. If they
managed to have an heir, the possibility of him stealing the throne would be spoiled.
So he planned it and put it into practice. He decided that he would mix contraceptives
in the queen's meals.
 
However, his efforts produced no results. He bribed one of the court ladies with a lot
of money and she kept biding her time. But for strange reasons, the medicine and food
that was to be served to the queen were always guaranteed with the highest level of
security.
 
He had never seen anything like it.
 
The queen's meals were as safe as the king's life. He had no choice but to surrender
bitterly, and somehow Igor now knew his plans well. Unexpected chills ran down his
spine at the thought that Igor knew of his audacious attempts, even if they had not
materialized.
 
How did he know?
 
He remained frozen as ice, unable to invent words of response.
 
Igor smiled. "You also conspired together with her lover, Count Clovis. You would
use Leticia Olbach, the queen's stepsister, to get close to me, knowing the hatred she
feels towards my wife. Am I wrong?"
 
The Count's face was pale.
 
"Did that woman say that? What was my idea?"
 
"Viscount Olbach's wife said that after she got close to me and became my lover, she
would help you become king in the future ..."
 
She released the bait easily and the earl was hooked, easy prey.
 
"No! That woman is lying! Those were her own words ... That she would tempt the
king and help me steal the throne ..."
 
Chapter 208
 
Although he stopped chattering shortly after, he did so too late. She said things that
she shouldn't. The Count's face expressed his nervousness.
 
"Please forgive me, His Majesty."
 
She slipped out of her chair and immediately knelt in front of Igor. At this point, she
should appeal to the young king as much as he could and try to find a way out of this
situation. He could plan his next chance after leaving this place.
 
"It's true what you've heard, but I've never once accepted her suggestion. All of this
was completely planned by herself. So please at least spare my life and ..."
 
"I won't kill you. At least this time."
 
Hearing the next words, the Count raised his head. 'At least this time?' As the Count
wondered what he meant by that, the king's purple eyes darkened.
 
"Since you are not a threat to me if I keep you alive, and since you are completely
useless, I have decided not to take care of you. Also, I also do not wish to get my
hands dirty at this time. But for me to let you go, you will have to confess everything.
What do you know about Leticia. "
 
"Everything ... About Leticia?"
 
"Only then can I have reason enough to set you free. If the truth is that you fell for the
charm of an evil woman, then at least you will be able to earn yourself some
sympathy. If you do, then I will end this case by saying only that you and your
brothers conspired to steal the right of succession. "
 
"What do you mean by stealing the right of succession?"
 
"If you don't want to, then die."
 
The Count thought he had misheard for a moment. This king who was known to be
wise and merciful throughout the people. It was said that he never had an ulterior
motive, and that he always dealt with problems through proper legal procedure. Due
to that temperament, he was able to seize political power from the Queen Mother
without having to shed a single drop of blood in the process. He even gave Arundel
victory during the war against Chrichton, ensuring there were a minimum number of
casualties.
 
Still, that man threatened Count Clovis.
 
The Count blinked several times wondering if he had a different person in front of
him. However, the face smiling at him was definitely that of Igor Cheska, the King of
Arundel.
 
"It will not end only with his death, Count. I will gather each of his brothers with the
right of succession and incriminate them of any conspiracy before hanging their necks
on the castle wall. Do you think I will not do such a thing? "
 
The Count took a moment to think if Igor could really do something like that. He soon
came to the conclusion that it would not be difficult for Igor.
 
Was there a time when Igor didn't get what he wanted until now? He had stolen
political power from his mother who seemed never to fall from his position, and he
was also the man who made Chrichton's most powerful naval ships immediately bow
to his will.
 
The Count knew that obtaining something without shedding a single drop of blood
was the most difficult method. Therefore, if Igor was willing to stop using such
difficult methods and simply spill blood on the ground to easily obtain what he wants,
it is likely that he would.
 
More than anything, there was not a single reflection of light in his eyes, dark and
completely devoid of color. The Count, who had many experiences throughout his
life, felt that this could be a sign of his madness.
 
"I'm sure you know that the nobles will never support you once they learn that you
placed a spy in the palace to know my every move. That would be enough to put the
nobles on my side."
 
As the Count looked at him with a stunned expression, Igor smiled.
 
"What would you like to do? Would you like this to end with you renouncing the
succession to the throne and confessing everything you know about the woman? Or
would you like to throw away your petty life for that greed that you have in your
mind?"
 
The Count lowered his head inert. Amazing. Only then did he realize that it was all
over, before he could make or begin his plan.
 
 
Chapter 209
 
While her husband snored loudly in his sleep, Leticia slowly got up from her bed. Her
weed-covered husband's sickly old body issued the strong mint smell of her.
 
That's why her body smelled of mint.
 
Leticia clicked her tongue and then lowered one leg over the side of the bed. As she
did so, a cloudy white liquid slid down her legs. If she could have, she would have
washed this horrible liquid off her legs right away, but she could wake her husband
from her, so she didn't.
 
Leticia put on pajamas and walked to the sofa. She reached her hand out to the alcohol
her husband hadn't finished drinking the day before, but she stopped right away. It
would be nice not to drink any alcohol for a while. Even this seed, it would be better
for her to keep it inside her body as long as she could. Because that way, once she
slept with the king for one night, she could argue that she was her baby.
 
Leticia sat down on a chair. Thinking that she would soon be in the embrace of the
man who holds the highest position in the country and not this decrepit old man.
 
Even just thinking about it made her feel happier. She felt like she was being rewarded
for all that she had suffered. If she could steal the king's heart, taking advantage of the
fact that she did not have a good relationship with the queen, then all those who
pointed her out saying that she was an orphan and her illegitimate daughter would
look at her with envy. She planned to get revenge on all of them for the suffering she
had been through. Of course, the queen would be the first person to suffer the
punishment.
 
As she imagined things in her mind, she suddenly heard loud noises from outside.
Leticia looked toward the door with an angry expression on her face. What are the
servants doing at this time when there is so much fuss?
 
"Mr. Mrs!"
 
The butler burst into the room. Leticia got up from her seat and screamed loudly.
 
"You! How dare you go in ...?"
 
"Ma'am, there is an emergency! Soldiers are breaking into the mansion!"
 
The loud snoring suddenly stopped. Viscount Olbach who was awakened by the
butler's words quickly got out of bed.
 
"What? What did you just say? Soldiers?"
 
"Oh lord. They are not only soldiers, but it is the royal army ..."
 
Before the butler could finish his words, armed soldiers appeared behind him. The
butler let out a cry of fear, before running to a corner.
 
However, she Leticia looked at them as if she hadn't realized the situation yet. Just as
the butler had said, the symbol on his chest armor definitely represented the royal
army.
 
'Why would the royal army be here?' As she thought that her husband must have made
a serious mistake and looked at him, a voice rang out.
 
"Are you Mrs. Leticia Olbach?"
 
They did not say the name of her husband, but hers. Leticia turned her head with wide
eyes. The sharp points of the swords the soldiers drew were pointed at her. Leticia
finally realized that her army had come to arrest her.
 
"Yes ... I am Mrs. Leticia Olbach ..."
 
Immediately, the soldier gestured with his chin at him and two other soldiers
approached. Then, they grabbed Leticia by both arms. Then, they began to drag her.
 
"Let go of me!"
 
Leticia screamed loudly as she struggled.
 
"What is the reason you are arresting me? How dare you lay your hands on a
noblewoman like me!"
 
"You are a suspect in a murder case."
 
Hearing that, Leticia's struggle stopped for a moment. Leticia's lips trembled.
 
"Murder cases?"
 
"We are talking about your father and Viscount Olbach's wife. On top of that, you
recently tried to assassinate the queen as well."
 
 
Chapter 210
 
A great fury surged within him. 'This is definitely that bitch's fault. She acted calm,
like she didn't know anything, but she was plotting all this deep down! '
 
"With what evidence? They're arresting someone without any evidence, do you think
Count Clovis will sit idly by while this happens? Why are you looking like idiots? Go
tell Count Clobis what's going on!" "
 
Hearing Leticia's hostile screams towards the servants, one of the soldiers laughed.
 
"Did you say evidence? The person who has testified to all the crimes you've
committed so far is Count Clovis himself."
 
"...That?"
 
Surprised and confused, Leticia stared at the soldier as he continued speaking.
 
"Not only that, but the truth was also revealed that you borrowed someone else's name
to sneak into the hunting grounds. It will be difficult to escape from this, so it would
be better to surrender. Take her away!"
 
Leticia was dragged outside the mansion while she was still barefoot. The soldiers
pushed Leticia into the carriage that was prepared for her. The door closed
immediately, and there was the sound of the door lock locking. Leticia pounded on the
door over and over again as if she was going crazy, but the black carriage used to
transport criminals was much tougher than she thought.
 
When the carriage began to move, Leticia huddled inside the dark, windowless
carriage. She thought of ways to escape while she was biting her nails, but there didn't
seem to be any way to escape.
 
'This is incredible'.
 
Leticia gave a hollow laugh. She had done so many things up to now to get here. She
had earned the title of noble by becoming the wife of a Viscount, and the opportunity
to reach the king with the help of Count Clovis was within her grasp. If she had
progressed a little more, she might have held the highest position in the nation in her
hands, but it all suddenly collapsed. But now, she was going to die this way.
 
"Open it! Open the door!"
 
Leticia started pulling the door handle. She could never forgive Count Clovis. She had
served him loyally for a long time, so how could she betray her like this? If she was
going to die, she before she wanted to kill him, she was not willing to die alone.
 
When Leticia began to scream in an even more desperate voice, the carriage suddenly
stopped. At the same time, she heard sounds of metal colliding with each other, along
with screams and screams from other people.
 
Leticia crawled to the corner of the carriage furthest from the door and compressed
her body as much as she could while she trembled in fear. The sounds she heard in
complete darkness increased the emotion of fear that she felt. Perhaps Count Clovis
had sent someone to get rid of her, because he didn't want him to reveal any more
secrets about her.
 
At that moment, with the sound of a lock being opened, the carriage door opened.
Leticia covered her head as she feared for her life.
 
"Lady Olbach."
 
The voice that she extended from her was strange but familiar to him. It was definitely
the voice of the man she had heard before. Leticia slowly raised her head. Outside the
carriage, which she could see through the open door, there were corpses lying around.
And in the midst of the darkness, a tall male figure reached out to her.
 
"If you want to live, follow me."
 
Chapter 211
 
"Did you lose it?" Igor asked, his voice full of reproach.
 
Basil lowered his head. "I apologize, Her Majesty. They say she ran away during the
transport."
 
"Basil, correct me, did you allow a woman to escape with soldiers surrounding her?"
Igor asked.
 
Basil had made a huge mistake. "She didn't run away alone. A person was helping
her."
 
Igor frowned. "Is it someone Earl Clovis sent or her current husband?"
 
"We are not sure yet, Majesty of her. But that is not likely to be the case. After all,
they are currently under heavy surveillance. Since they are being investigated, we may
apprehend them soon."
 
Igor rubbed his head and sighed miserably. His mind raced through past memories of
him, remembering every little detail. Who had helped her escape? As much as he
squeezed her brain, he couldn't come up with a specific person.
 
"Find her no matter what. We don't know what she's capable of," Igor said.
 
Straightening his back, Basil declared, "Yes, her Majesty! We will ensure that she is
captured!"
 
After Basil left, Igor collapsed. He rubbed his face with both hands. His eyes were
red, tired from lack of sleep. However, he did not care. He would not rest properly
until he made sure the woman was captured and put in prison.
 
That wicked woman ruined everything he had meticulously built and worked for. She
thought that she then she could live happily with Rihannan, but Leticia coiled her tails
around her like poison, causing all the work she had done on her to fall apart.
 
Memories from the past...
 
"Count Clovis and Count Alessin met in secret, your Majesty."
 
After sending Rihannan to the seasonal palace, Igor spent his days worrying about
work. He kept a close eye on her mother and the problems she caused in Crichton; he
focused all his efforts on suppressing her power.
 
During that time, Count Alessin was eerily calm. Before the Count revealed his true
colors, he had been treated as a close associate by the King. Now that he was expelled
along with his daughter, Igor thought he would take revenge for the loss of him.
 
"It seems they had some kind of discussion between them," Basil wrote.
 
After reading the reports he received from Basil, he realized the reason why Count
Clovis was quiet for the past few years. For the past ten years, Count Clovis has been
silent as a mouse, hiding his ambitions and his greed for the throne in the shadows. He
planted a spy in the palace, who reported to him the events of the royal family. Count
Clovis took advantage of this information.
 
While further investigating the affairs of Count Clovis, he came across something
terrible. Count Clovis, all the time, put birth control pills in Rihannan's food from the
moment she entered the palace. If she could not conceive an heir, the Earl and his
bloodline would naturally inherit the throne. This was his ultimate goal.
 
Once Count Clovis heard the relationship between the king and queen was
deteriorating, the Earl ordered his spies to cease their secret act of planting birth
control pills. The Count had thought that there was no chance they would have a child
with their ruined relationship.
 
Igor hit the wall and gritted his teeth. He had the urge to strangle and kill Count
Clovis. The king and queen had been unable to produce a descendant. It was
speculated that her wife was sterile and they spoke ill of her.
 
Rumors within the palace walls blamed her weak constitution.
 
If Rihannan had never taken those birth control pills and had given her a child a lot,
her relationship wouldn't have gotten worse. It only got noticeably better once she
became pregnant with her child.
 
Chapter 212
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
When news of Rihannan's pregnancy emerged, Count Clovis' meticulous efforts and
plans were ruined. He was on the edge of his sanity and approached Count Alessin.
He planned to use Count Alessin's hatred towards the king to create a beneficial
situation.
 
The best Count Clovis could do was use Leticia and Count Alessin to end the life of
the baby in Rihannan's womb, while he tried to plunder Count Alessin's enormous
wealth.
 
That is why Igor decided to take advantage of Leticia.
 
Igor knew very well her desires and her vanity, her greed for the throne. He desired
the position his sister had. He longed to become queen. And he believed that he
would. Of course, he would report it to his father and Count Clovis.
 
At that moment, everything around him was in his favor. He successfully concealed
the truth that her mother had poisoned the Chrichton royal family and pressured her on
the grounds of the letters he exchanged with the Chrichton nobility.
 
Her plan would not have come to fruition if she had not paid to obtain sensitive
information from Chrichton and poison the royal family while she disguised it as an
infectious disease.
 
Igor threatened his mother, she said that she would publicly announce the terrible
crime that she committed against Chrichton. Immediately she went still. Soon after,
many of her helping hands stopped. She was being pushed to the brim. She decided to
take a break instead of facing her son head-on.
 
Her sequence of events made him feel overconfident. The years he spent silently
preparing revenge for her were dissipated. The obstacles had been overcome. Her
conviction reached new heights. He believed that everything would go as he imagined.
But he never thought that one mistake would cost him everything.
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
***
 
Leticia calmly looked at the man sitting across from her with his legs crossed. This
man had brought her to an unknown place, being careless with her ever since. He did
not reveal her identity, why he brought her to this place, or what he planned to do with
her ... he simply locked her in something like a cabin without knowing her location.
 
She could only see the lush trees through the window, where not a single beam of
light was reflected. The cabin she slept in had no light. It was also damp.
 
A few days went by like that. Leticia caused an uproar, yelling at the top of her lungs
demanding the man's presence. It was useless. The man appeared when she wanted
him. His appearance was covered from top to bottom in a black robe
 
"Who are you?" asked the cautious Leticia.
 
"Shouldn't you thank me first?" The man replied calmly.
 
"Why should I thank you?" She answered sharply.
 
"If it weren't for me, Viscountess, he would spend his life in the cold and dark prison.
His mind being tortured endlessly. He is guilty of the crime of murder, of killing his
blood father and the lady you served. You have even conspired to assassinate the
queen of Arundell. It is very likely that you will be tortured. Death will not be easy. "
 
Leticia's jaw dropped. "How did you do for sa ...?"
 
"The whole world is in an uproar, as if everything has been turned upside down.
Viscountess, she has become a notorious wanted criminal."
 
Chapter 213
 
Leticia's beautiful face paled. She clenched her fist tightly. There was no denying this.
She had publicly threatened Count Clovis's wife ... she told him that if she didn't want
to die cruelly poisoned, she had better keep her mouth shut.
 
She was able to say those words freely thanks to the Count. Count Clovis deeply
desired her body, and she took advantage of that. It seemed like a fair exchange to
Leticia.
 
But in one day, everything was turned upside down. She had become a wanted
criminal. This news caused her inner anger to explode.
 
"Then what should I do?!" Leticia screamed hoarsely. "You mean I've lived my whole
life for nothing? Crawling on the ground, like an illegitimate daughter, didn't mean
anything? Even if this isn't what I wanted? I ... never asked for any of this! "
 
Her label and her illegitimate daughter title followed her from the moment she was
born. Echoes after echoes pierced her ear continuously until she could understand
human language. She wasn't to blame for the state of her birth, but her fingers kept
pointing at her and her mouths kept insulting her. Perhaps her father could have put an
end to those comments. Her father, noble by birth; he had wealth, he had power, but
he barely held on to the minimal pension she received from Rihannan. He had never
defended her. The situation only got worse when she tried her hand at gambling, her
debts piling up in droves.
 
"Nor did I want to kill my own father, my own blood. But if you found out that they
were selling you as a slave to pay their debts, you would do something, right? That's
why I killed him! I never wanted to! I…"
 
Her own blood, her father who promised her a new world, threatened to sell her
daughter into a life of bondage and slavery. That was the only way her father could
pay her mounting debt. And when she found out about this, she realized that she
needed to put it aside to survive. She was alone in this world.
 
She bought poison quickly. If she had poisoned him over a long period of time, the
chances of someone knowing the cause of her death would be high. She needed
something powerful, something that would cause death instantly. She found him
shortly after. One night her father came home drunk. In her drunken state, she mixed
poison in the last glass she drank. Her father noticed that her body was reacting
strangely, but it was too late. He tried to call her servants, but Leticia hastened to
cover his face with a pillow, until she took one last breath.
 
She didn't breathe anymore. Leticia laid him on a blanket covered in bloodstains; she
opened a bottle of pills and placed it next to her. After a job well done, she rubbed her
hands together and instructed the servants not to disturb him. That he was fast asleep.
 
Finally, the worst was over.
 
And as she expected, when they learned of her death, her family members were
embarrassed that she committed suicide after suffering massive gambling debts. They
quickly covered up the cause of his death.
 
She received a lump sum for her father's pension after her death, but after her debt
collectors took it away from her bit by bit, she was left with nothing. Relatives on her
father's side avoided Leticia as if she were a leech. At that moment, a passing noble
woman took pity on her. The noblewoman suggested that Leticia serve him and live in
her house.
 
| How about coming to my house and working as a maid? Since half of your blood is
of noble origin, I'll make sure you don't do any hard work. All you have to do is clean
the study room.
 
Leticia's happiness did not last long. A deep hatred surged within her towards the
noble woman after she heard the words she spoke. The noble woman, pretended to be
doing her an incredible favor. She seemed ridiculous to him. She would work as a
simple maid. Bitterness spread in her heart. She thought of putting poison on her face.
 
When the noble lady remarried, this time to Viscount Olbach, she Leticia realized that
her chance to get revenge on her had finally come.
 
Chapter 214
 
A couple of lovely smiles later, the silly old Viscount quickly fell in love with Leticia.
The noble wife watched them reach cl! M4x together. She was totally enraged and
told Leticia.
 
| I was generous to a commoner like you and you pay me this way! I let a snake into
my house!
 
The noble woman wondered why her husband had done that. She was old and ugly,
logically her husband wanted a young face. Leticia gave him that. The noblewoman
used all the power she could muster to drive her out of the mansion. She failed. Leticia
killed her. He had killed her for insulting her. Maybe because she had done it before,
committing the second crime was so much easier.
 
"I'm sure this has been planned by the queen," Leticia said.
 
After all this time, no problem ever arose. No one dared to threaten her, but everything
went wrong after she met the queen.
 
"It's the royal family. Their fingerprints are everywhere," the man confirmed. "Grand
Chamberlain Basil was personally involved in this matter."
 
Enraged, Leticia gritted her teeth. Who had put her in this bind? In this troubled life of
hardship? She was the mother of her stepsister. If that woman had not stolen the love
of her father, her parents would have lived happily ever after and consummated an
official marriage. She would not be an illegitimate daughter. Yet despite this, her
stepsister did not feel a shred of empathy for her and the life she lived. Rather, she
revealed the sins that Leticia had committed.
 
"Please don't worry. I want to help you, Viscountess."
 
At her unexpected words, Leticia raised her head. "Will you help me?"
 
"I'll help you, Viscountess. Take revenge on the queen. Isn't that what you want?"
 
"Why would you do it? What benefit does it bring you? And who are you?"
 
The man was silent briefly, simply smiling at the red-haired beauty of hers. "Shouldn't
you consider your situation before asking me about my identity?"
 
"My situation?" Leticia scoffed. "I am well aware of it."
 
"I'm thinking of moving aside if you won't be of use."
 
Leticia's lips parted slightly. The man continued.
 
"If you are worried that I plan to kill you, it is not necessary. I do not like that crude
method. But if you do not want revenge, I am thinking of setting you free. It will take
less than a day before the soldiers arrive and throw you in the cold prison. . They're
prowling all over this place. You won't be able to escape, not without help. "
 
Leticia understood the disturbing feeling that she felt in her heart when she met this
man. The man kept a dark secret. Compared to her, this man was a serpent with fangs
that contained deadly venom. Putting her aside if it would be of no use was not an
empty threat. After all, she kept her alive for so long for her plans to come to life.
 
"What do you want me to do?"
 
The man shook his head. "I advise you to make a decision. If you decide to take
revenge on the queen, we will help you. We will give you the opportunity to enter the
palace and stick the knife in the heart of the queen. However, if you decide not to, you
can simply leave this place whenever you want. "
 
"Why are you making that suggestion ...?"
 
"The reason is not important. I am only giving you a suggestion. It all depends on you.
Whether you are willing to carry out your revenge, or quietly rot in prison."
 
Leticia's red eyes trembled strongly.
 
Studying her expression, the man said, "Now, I ask you again: What will you do?"
 
She was cornered in a dead end. Living and surviving meant accepting her suggestion.
 
"... Do you have a proper plan?", She asked through clenched teeth of hers.
 
The man laughed, satisfied. "The queen will soon be hosting her birthday banquet," he
replied, the subject unrelated to her question.
 
Leticia frowned; the man hit the table.
 
"Since you have agreed to carry out revenge, then we will begin our conversation
about the plan now."
 
Chapter 215
 
As time went by, his body began to change little by little. When she Rihannan
watched the new baby forming in her womb, she felt happiness and sadness at the
same time. Would she really be able to leave this baby here and go to Chrichton?
 
She made herself sad thinking about that. But she too she was happy to think about the
fact that she is now having a new baby when she thought she could never have
another. She knew that even if she wasn't with her baby, Igor, Basil and Mrs. Cessly
would be in her place, giving her all the love in the world.
 
On the other hand, Mrs. Sessly watched as Rihannan's stomach grew slowly and she
became more and more nervous. Although Rihannan was to officially announce her
pregnancy, the public was not yet aware of this fact. Mrs. Cessly was concerned that
at some point someone might create strange rumors about her body.
 
However, as the King and Queen are unwilling to make this information public, she
could not act in advance to ensure that those types of rumors did not spread. She could
only hope that the relationship between them would be resolved as quickly as possible
and that they would be happy with her baby.
 
"What are you doing? Is it the same as the one you did last time?"
 
Mrs. Cessly spoke to Rihannan while she was weaving. After getting pregnant,
Rihannan strayed a bit from the duties she was fulfilling. After that, she Rihannan
used to use her spare time to devote herself to sewing.
 
"I particularly didn't want to do this. I wanted to do something else this time."
 
After knitting a garment for the Queen Mother, she had definitely started knitting
men's clothing, but she put it aside and started knitting something else.
 
Mrs. Cessly would have suggested that she continue to work on that garment for the
king, but she now she could do it no more. Mrs. Cessly pretended not to have realized
what she was doing until just now as she changed the subject.
 
"Have you thought about the name of the baby to be born?"
 
Rihannan shook her head.
 
"Anyway, the boy's father will give him a name. I don't care what it will be."
 
Hearing that answer unexpectedly, Mrs. Cessly's face turned serious.
 
"But my queen, they say that a person's name determines her fate. If you take the time
to figure out a name for the baby, then I'm sure it will be the best thing for the baby."
 
Rihannan bit her lip to hide the sudden rush of emotions that flooded her mind. If a
person's name determined her fate, then she Rihannan would be experiencing a life
where she would be loved more than anyone else. Since Rihannan's name itself meant,
'My love'.
 
"... I'm sure he'll find a suitable one."
 
So Rihannan continued weaving without saying much more. Seeing how she reacted,
Mrs. Cessly realized that her assumptions could be wrong. She believed that if she
began to show love and affection for the baby, Rihannan would naturally have more
affection for her father as well.
 
But in reality, the Queen acted cold, not only with the King, but with the Queen
Mother as well. As it had been a long time since the Queen had last responded to the
Queen Mother's letters, the Queen Mother kept sending letters over and over again as
a sign of annoyance.
 
However, she didn't even bother to read the news that came in. When Mrs. Cessly
couldn't take it anymore and told her to take a look, the Queen simply said that she
would take care of it herself, so she shouldn't bother her. Mrs. Cessly felt that at that
point Rihannan might kick her out of her place as well, so she didn't say anything else
at the time.
 
"Looks like your birthday will soon be my queen."
 
Mrs. Cessly spoke trying to change the subject. Hearing the unexpected comment,
Rihannan stared at Mrs. Cessly before putting on a slightly embarrassed face.
 
"So you remembered?"
 
"Of course I do. This is the first time that we are going to celebrate your birthday
party after you became the queen."
 
Mrs. Cessly spoke trying to change the subject. Hearing the unexpected comment,
Rihannan stared at Mrs. Cessly before putting on a slightly embarrassed face.
 
"So you remembered?"
 
"Of course I do. This is the first time that we are going to celebrate your birthday
party after you became the queen."
 
Mrs. Cessly smiled brightly.
 
"With about a month left until that day, you have to prepare diligently from now on.
Do you want anything in particular?"
 
"I don't care, it can be done anyway."
 
"Hmph, I knew you would say something like that, my Queen. But I'm planning to
throw a big party. After all, we can't let the Queen's birthday party lose scale to
Countess Saphia's party. So no you can stop me. "
 
Mrs. Cessly put on a determined face as if she would never back down, and Rihannan
laughed.
 
"It's okay."
 
"We will need to purchase the items that will be required for the banquet, how about
having the merchants bring in various sample items and let you choose the ones you
like, my queen? Like last time."
 
"That sounds good to me. Also, I started to need a few things to prepare for winter."
 
Rihannan had previously summoned merchants to visit her several times during the
preparation period for the wedding ceremony. That method would be better, rather
than Rihannan going out and checking the merchandise herself.
 
"Then I'll make sure that happens."
 
"Thanks."
 
Mistress Cessly left the queen's palace to carry out her work. She then she found Basil
spying near her.
 
"Grand Chamberlain, what are you doing ...?"
 
"Ah, you have surprised me!"
 
Really surprised, Basil clutched his chest as he breathed a long sigh of relief.
 
Chapter 216
 
"The truth is that we are looking for the queen's stepsister."
 
Basil summarized the events that had happened to him so far. That she had been the
person who tried to assassinate the queen on the hunting grounds, and that in the past
she had already killed two people. After receiving the testimony of Count Clovis, he
tried to capture her, but when he finished saying that she had escaped from her, Mrs.
Cessly made a face that expressed that she was very surprised.
 
"My God, why didn't you say so until now?"
 
"Our queen already has a lot on her mind, so she didn't want her to worry about this
too. She's already pretty depressed these days, isn't she?"
 
"That's how it is..."
 
In this time period where joyous news abounded to rejoice, the queen's mood was
extremely low. The court doctor even said that if her mood remained the same, she
could have a negative effect on the child, expressing her concern. Her mood finally
improved as she concentrated on her hobby of knitting.
 
"So please don't say any of this to the queen. I'm sure that once that woman is
captured, the king will tell her personally."
 
"Very good then. I promise not to tell him, so don't worry."
 
Basil scratched his head as he spoke.
 
"I actually think that at this time it would be better for the queen to live in the palace
that the queen mother is in until the whole incident is resolved, rather than stay in the
seasonal palace. Actually, she may have done something. unnecessary last time ... "
 
Even if they keep their mouths shut, it will be difficult to completely stop any rumors
circulating within the Queen Mother's palace. So when the Queen Mother finds out
that the Queen has become pregnant, she will undoubtedly put all her love and care for
her into her.
 
"Actually she was also concerned because the queen's mood has been very low lately.
As you said, Grand Chamberlain, a new environment may be better for her. How
about if she makes that suggestion to her majesty? ? "
 
Hearing her, Basil's face turned pale. His expression seemed as if he had been
surprised by what she said.
 
"What is she saying? If I do, the rage of the Majesty of her King will fall upon me. I
do not wish to die yet, considering my young daughter!"
 
Mrs. Cessly laughed.
 
"Speaking of which, I'm sure her second youngest daughter has grown quite a bit by
now. You said she was a girl, right?"
 
Both of Basil's eyes shone like stars.
 
"Yes. They are really very wonderful and cute. Completely different from the boys.
That is why I think that the Majesty of him the King also wishes a daughter ..."
 
"His Majesty wishes him a princess ... Not a prince?"
 
"Well not exactly that, she said it doesn't matter if he's a boy or a girl, but it seems to
me that he prefers to have a daughter. Considering that she has already chosen the
name for the baby."
 
"What? Has she already chosen a name for the baby? So why didn't she tell him?"
 
"He can't say at all because of how worried he is for the queen. The name is actually
quite unexpected, though."
 
"What is it ...?"
 
Basil whispered the name in Mrs. Cessly's ear so that no one could hear it. After
hearing the name, Mrs. Cessly's expression was filled with surprise.
 
***
 
In front of the entrance to the queen's palace were merchants lined with merchandise.
It was the first time the queen had called merchants to come directly to the palace
since her marriage ceremony. Everyone waited patiently, hoping they would have a
chance to sell their item and be recognized. However, for that to happen, they had to
pass through the queen's keen eyes.
 
Chapter 217
 
To prepare for this, they brought in numerous expensive merchandise. There were
numerous carriages filled with silk of the highest quality that changed color according
to the light it caught, as well as tapestries and yarn used for weaving specially
prepared for the queen.
 
However, before all of them could enter the queen's palace, they had to go through a
strict process first.
 
"This is Chris from Orban Merchants."
 
After the merchants revealed where they were affiliated and their name, a full body
search was made immediately afterward. The items they have brought in would also
go through a strict search. They all seemed annoyed seeing that it would be more
difficult to enter the palace. It seemed that they were willing to register even a single
ant among their merchandise.
 
"Please come in."
 
After completing the lengthy inspection, they were given permission to enter the
queen's palace. Once inside, they would follow a maid's instructions to head to the
reception room and then meet the queen directly.
 
Leticia was mixed among them. She dyed her hair black and changed her skin color
with makeup, as well as making changes to her facial features. After putting on a
merchant's clothes, she looked very good. Although she at first she doubted that she
could sneak into the palace, the words that 'the man' had said to her were very true.
 
She was informed that no one would suspect that a wanted criminal would enter the
queen's palace by himself. Also, the guards focused more on whether the arriving
people had dangerous weapons or something strange among the merchandise they
brought, but they didn't care much about their appearance. Therefore, she Leticia was
extremely nervous when she entered the palace compound, but after reaching the
queen's palace, she felt somewhat more relaxed.
 
"All of you wait here."
 
The representative merchants entered the reception room. The lower level employees,
at the same level as Leticia, were ordered to stay in the designated places, while
guarding the remaining merchandise. As she moved to that place, Leticia escaped the
eyes of the maids and slipped away. Then, she moved to the place that she confirmed
in advance on a map and hid there, waiting. While she waited, she took out a small
knife that was hidden in the ball of thread she was holding.
 
«Ball - It is used to refer to a ball of threads»
 
Now, she just had to wait for the queen to pass and stab her with this knife.
 
The place where Leticia was hiding was on the side of the hall, where there was a
small round indentation in which she could hide. With the curtain covering her, she
Leticia waited for the queen to pass. Not long after, she heard approaching footsteps.
Leticia saw that the queen and some maids walked together down the hall, laughing
softly.
 
Seeing the queen, she Leticia was filled with rage once more. She was not in style.
She was wearing boring clothes that looked like everyday wear, and her hair was
simply tousled without any accessories. Still, she stood out among the numerous
servants that surrounded her. Anyone could figure out who the Queen was among the
group of women. She exuded an elegant aura around her, as if she was born and raised
in a royal family.
 
That made Leticia madly angry. Despite her current sorry state, that woman still
looked noble and beautiful.
 
Leticia tightly grasped the knife that she was holding in her hand. In any case,
everything was going according to plan. She had entered the palace as planned, and
based on the information she had received beforehand, the queen would walk down
this hall to reach the reception room.
 
Leticia waited inside the deep crevice in the wall, and once they were past her, she
opened the curtain. Just when she was about to rush towards the queen, someone came
up behind her to Leticia and grabbed her.
 
"......!"
 
Chapter 218
 
A huge hand blocked his mouth. Although her arm was painfully twisted back, she
couldn't let out a single sound of pain. After submitting Leticia's body, the man waited
for the queen and her servants to pass completely. After they disappeared down the
hall, the man spoke as if he really couldn't believe it.
 
"I suspected it was you when I heard that someone similar in appearance had entered
this place. But to think that you would walk into the palace yourself is unbelievable.
I'm not sure whether to call you brave or stupid ..."
 
As the man clicked his tongue, he released the hand that was blocking the woman's
mouth. Leticia turned and stared at Basil fiercely.
 
"... Let go!"
 
"Do you think I'll let you go just because you asked? Please think before you speak,
Lady Viscountess Leticia Olbach."
 
"That?"
 
"Shh. Please shut up. Our queen is feeling very happy, and it's been a while since that
happened, so I don't want to ruin this occasion for her."
 
Basil examined Leticia's face, and although she had changed a bit, her face was still
the same as the one portrayed on the 'Wanted' posters. He frowned.
 
"Why do people say that you are the most amazing beauty that ever lived? From my
perspective it doesn't seem like it."
 
Leticia couldn't find what word to say at this point. While she was stunned, Basil
yelled at the nearby soldiers.
 
"Take this woman away. This is the criminal who tried to assassinate the queen!"
 
Leticia once more tried to scream and fight, but that didn't last too long either. Her lips
were sealed once more by a cloth, and a black bandage over her eyes.
 
She was escorted by the guards and forced to walk somewhere with them. After
entering a structure, she went down a few stairs. She began to feel dampness, as well
as an unpleasant smell. Since she couldn't speak, or say anything, the fear she felt
grew even stronger.
 
After being forced into a room, she was made to kneel on the floor. She spent a lot of
time in that state. Only the sound of her breathing echoed loudly around the room.
When she spent a long period of time and her Leticia began to feel that she could not
take it anymore, she suddenly heard an iron door opening.
 
Along with the sound of her footsteps, someone approached her. Soon after, she heard
the sound of the person sitting in front of her on a chair.
 
She leticia wanted to immediately remove the black bandage that covered her eyes,
but as time passed, there was no response. Just when Leticia's patience was about to
reach its limit, a male voice rang out.
 
"Take it off."
 
Immediately, the black blindfold was removed from her eyes. The torches that lit the
room were so bright they blinded her eyes a little. She saw the form of a man sitting
on a chair in front of her. When her sight began to return to normal, her voice rang out
again.
 
"He unties the ropes from his hands too."
 
"Your Majesty of her, that is ..."
 
"Do as I told you. And all of you, get out of this room."
 
Hearing the words that came out of the man's mouth, she Leticia swallowed. She had
finally realized who the man in front of her was that she couldn't see well due to the
bright lights.
 
Igor Cessca.
 
The king of this nation, and the husband of that woman.
 
Chapter 219
 
Leticia's bonds were untied by order of the king, and the men left. Leticia grumbled,
rubbing her aching wrists as the sight of her adjusted to the light in the room until she
could correctly visualize the man sitting across from her.
 
The man was beautiful, like a pleasant sight to her eyes, and like a sweet, majestic-
flavored candy. His black hair gleamed, blowing like grass in a meadow on the wind.
His beautiful purple eyes lit up as if a jeweler had cut the finest gem from hers to
insert into them. But more than anything, the graceful aura that exuded around her.
 
She wanted this man from the moment she saw him and longed for her gaze to land on
her, not on that silver-haired woman. She liked her smile; it should just be hers. She
had a lot of ambition, but she had never liked someone so much in her entire life.
Perhaps this was part of destiny. If she was not her, why did she desperately yearn for
this man, a man she had never spoken to before?
 
"... I have long wanted to see you, his Majesty," she said, shyly. Although there was a
slight tremor in her voice. The king's lips curved slightly. She steeled herself and
walked over to Igor, carefully placing her hand on his knee. She looked at him with an
innocent countenance and with the most captivating look she could do.
 
Every time she did this performance, men always bowed to her. Whether out of lust or
human interest, she never failed him. This man would also fall. Furthermore, her
relationship with the queen, her stepsister, had deteriorated. She was sure that Igor
was seeking pleasure that she could give him. This was her chance to steal her heart.
 
"Am I not more beautiful than my sister?"
 
The Rihannan she knew was a self-centered woman. He knew many women like her.
They cared more about themselves, leaving others in the background. Those women
could never comfort a man. Her presence tired those around her. That made their
partners seek pleasure elsewhere.
 
"I can comfort his heart, his Majesty."
 
Leticia slowly rubbed her thigh, lovingly. Moments later, Igor reacted, causing her to
smile. Igor's big hand moved, and it reached the top of her head, but her great
expectations plummeted.
 
"Ahh!"
 
It was painful. He felt a lot of pain in his scalp. Her death called to her. Igor hadn't
stroked her head as she expected, but pulled her hair violently.
 
"Looks like you haven't changed a thing," she said. An icy voice echoed through the
room.
 
Leticia frowned in pain and stared at Igor as tears escaped from the corner of her eyes.
She was confused, but when her eyes met, she was shocked. She could feel the gaze of
a bloodthirsty beast wanting to quench her bloodlust. She sensed hatred and anger in
her purple eyes. Leticia trembled with fear.
 
"What do you mean...?"
 
Igor stared at her, her contempt washing over her eyes. The tragic event from the past
came to her mind, filling her heart with darkness.
 
Memories from the past...
 
Her hair opened the office door and she excitedly ran to him. She did her best to tempt
the husband of her older sister, Igor.
 
"Your Majesty of her, she does not know how happy she makes me to know that she
has called me among all the people."
 
She went into her arms, her eyes red and wet with tears. After hearing the news that
Count Clovis and his father were having meetings alone, Igor summoned Leticia. She
was very happy and Igor smiled at her.
 
"You must have felt lonely all this time, Leticia," she said, stroking her hair as if she
were indulging a puppy. Every time she saw her, this was all the physical contact Igor
was willing to give her. However, there were rumors and stories of his love affair with
Leticia.
 
Igor easily realized that Leticia was fooling everyone with her innocent lie. If he said
now that he had never spent a single night with her, Leticia's status would drop and
she would be expelled by society because she would reveal that they had no
relationship.
 
"There is a rumor that Count Alessin is having strange thoughts these days. Do you
know anything about it, Leticia?" Igor asked kindly as his red eyes staring at him.
 
His lips curved. "My father and I think differently. I only have eyes for you, her
Majesty." Leticia wrapped her arms around Igor's neck and put her red lips close to his
ear, whispering: "By her Majesty, I am ready to renounce my father. If there is
anything you want to know, I will tell you. . "
 
Igor smiled slightly. Was the answer he predicted.
 
"But before that, please hug me." Leticia's desperate pleading eyes burned with force.
"If you hold me ... here and now ... I'll tell you everything that Count Clovis and my
father are planning.
 
Chapter 220
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
Leticia was in love and desperate for her to touch her. Igor was looking at her, always
smiling at her, but he never put his hands on top of her. Leticia thought Rihannan was
holding him. She was sure Igor wanted the same, but his queen was pressing him. Igor
stared at her, not moving. So, Leticia decided to take the first step.
 
She stepped away a bit and untied the rope from her dress. Her clothes slid smoothly
down her body, her chest bare from view. The curves of her waist swayed as she
reached up to her hair and removed her hair accessories. Her beautiful red hair
cascaded down her back. She looked charming, incandescently beautiful. Enough to
attract people's eyes during the first appearance at the banquet.
 
Igor's thoughts were tangled. He didn't feel the slightest hint of lust as he gazed at her
naked form. It seems that his heart preferred to snuggle and hide to prevent this red
haired beauty from seducing him. Igor wanted another woman.
 
He imagined it. Forever. He longed to watch Rihannan tremble and squirm, hear her
gem! R and call her name with her pleasure, her hot bodies united as one in a night of
passion.
 
But the reality differed from his imagination. Her wife regularly turned her back on
him after he sprayed her white fluids inside her once. The last time they spent the
night together it was because she was jealous and angry for her cousin. Igor took her
body several times that night, but then he felt disgust at his own act.
 
His mind was filled with thoughts of his wife instead of the naked red-haired woman.
He didn't notice her unbuttoning her clothes while he was deep in thought of her. If
this was what she wanted, he could play along with her to some degree.
 
Igor grabbed Leticia and pushed her across the table, placing himself between her
legs. Leticia breathed heavily, pressing her s3xo against him.
 
"I knew from the beginning that the one who the Majesty wants from her is me and
not Rihannan. There is no way I will be satisfied with her after trying my taste."
Leticia wrapped her arms around her neck like a snake and pressed her red lips to the
nape of her neck. "So, Majesty of her, get Rihannan out of her mind and hug me."
 
Igor stared at her, cold purple eyes holding not a single hint of lust. He was playing
with her. He slowly stroked her leg, just enough to make her want him more. Leticia
moaned. Igor leaned into her ear and asked in a low voice, "So what is the plan that
your father and Count Clovis are trying to prepare?"
 
Leticia moaned and rubbed her hand over her chest. She pressed her wetness tighter
against him. "They ... they plan for the queen to abort her child ..."
 
"How?" Igor frowned.
 
Leticia's lips reached his clavicle. Igor wanted to strangle her. He could hardly help
but want to throw this woman to the ground.
 
"They would lure Rihannan out of the palace and make it look like an accident ..."
 
Creak ...
 
At that moment, he heard the door open and saw Rihannan frozen, her hand on the
doorknob. Igor was stunned, he couldn't speak.
 
Rihannan couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was hurt. Her eyes clouded and
tears ran down her cheeks. She bit her lip painfully, but felt no pain. She quickly
turned around and ran. Igor pushed Leticia to the side of her and chased after her in a
hurry.
 
Erred...
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
Recalling the past life, Igor gritted his teeth. He didn't want to think about what had
happened. Thinking about it made her heart ache.
 
"You are always so disgusting and dishonest. You lived a different life, but you have
changed so little that it amazes me. If I had known you would do something like this, I
would have killed you when I had the chance six years ago."
 
"Your Majesty of her, what ...?"
 
As Igor released his hold on her, Leticia fell to the ground. He got up from her seat
and walked over to her. She was full of fear. Igor was looking at her as if she were a
pathetic insect. Then he realized that he had no interest in her. He hated her.
 
This was her first meeting, he was sure of it, so he couldn't understand why he
harbored such a strong hatred for her.
 
He crouched in front of Leticia, a simple movement that froze her bones.
 
"Who saved you and allowed you to enter the palace?" he said with a rude voice.
 
"......"
 
"If you don't want to talk, I don't mind cutting off your fingers one by one."
 
His cold gaze traveled up and down the body of Leticia and he soon realized the true
hidden nature of this man. Was he also so cruel to Rihannan in private?
 
His face, which gave a kind and gentle impression, was a mask. It was truly a ruthless
beast that lurked in the shadows. Her purple eyes full of bad intentions impressed her.
 
How does she not had you noticed until now?
 
Chapter 221
 
His face seemed ready to pounce on her, his sharp teeth and claws ready to rip her in
two. Leticia was frozen, unable to say a word. Her lips trembled.
 
Igor drew a knife from his hip, his eyes fixed on her. "If you don't tell the truth after I
cut off all your fingers, I'll rip out your eyes and limbs one by one. That useless
tongue of yours will be the last to go."
 
With a quick movement, he grabbed Leticia's hand and held it to the ground. Before
the blade dug into her finger, Leticia screamed in fear.
 
"Someone who works with Count Clovis helped me."
 
"Count Clovis?"
 
Leticia nodded quickly.
 
"After saving me from the carriage, he took me to another place."
 
"And, where's that?"
 
"I don't know. It was a place completely full of giant trees ..."
 
While she held back her sobs, Leticia continued speaking.
 
"He took me to that place, and then he said that he would help me get revenge on the
queen. He had arranged everything for me to sneak into the palace as well. So please
don't do this to me and ask the Count instead. I'm sure that he knows everything. "
 
Actually, she Leticia didn't know anything about the man. She did not know his face,
nor his name.
 
"I honestly don't know anything more than that. I'm telling the truth ..."
 
Leticia sobbed and cried. She was shaking in fear thinking that her response might be
considered insufficient and that he might stab her finger this time. Fortunately, not
long after Igor let go of her hand. Leticia immediately ran to the corner of the room
and curled up with her body.
 
"... You better tell the truth. If we find out that you are telling lies, then you will
experience exactly what I said I would do."
 
Leticia nodded her head again. After Igor was released from prison, Leticia was
collapsed. She was finally able to breathe normally, since she had been holding her
breath all this time.
 
She was slow to realize that she should never lay her hands on him.
 
***
 
When Igor left the prison, Basil immediately approached him.
 
"Your Majesty of him, how was the conversation ...?"
 
When Basil saw Igor's expression, his mouth froze. He was looking at Igor with an
expression on his face that he had never seen before in his life. An emotionless face,
with his eyes shadowed to the point of darkness. He felt like Basil was looking at
someone else's face. Basil soon realized that he had seen this expression on someone
else in the past.
 
People who survived a horrendous war came back with this kind of expression. People
who had to repeatedly cut other humans to the point of thinking of them as nothing
more than chunks of meat, ultimately losing all of their humanity. Igor had that
expression on his face. Basil felt a chill up his spine.
 
"Your Majesty from him?"
 
Hearing Basil's voice, he blinked very slowly. Little by little, the light began to return
to Igor's eyes.
 
"Your Majesty of him, did something happen inside ...?"
 
"No, there is no need to worry."
 
His face was back to normal, and Basil breathed in relief.
 
"She said someone who worked for Count Clovis helped her."
 
"Someone who works for Count Clovis? Are you saying that the Count made such a
request? But since Leticia's arrest warrant was given while the Count was inside the
prison, she wouldn't have had time for that."
 
"We will have to find out from now on."
 
"Actually, I gathered Earl Clovis's servants and investigated the past. They mentioned
that someone who looked like a mercenary visited Count Clovis's mansion recently. It
may be that mercenary who helped Leticia."
 
"Mercenary huh ..."
 
"If he really is a mercenary, then he would have left long ago. By his characteristics,
that is what they usually do. We will continue investigating, but there will be no more
immediate threats to the queen, so he will not have to worry.
 
Chapter 222
 
Only one mercenary is hired for two reasons. A mercenary is hired to protect
someone's life by acting as a bodyguard, or to harm someone. As soon as they
complete their end of the deal, the mercenaries go into hiding while making sure they
are not linked to the incident. People who worked only for money usually behaved
that way.
 
"Actually, there is one more thing I must inform you."
 
Basil took something out of his hand and showed it to Igor. There was a small stone
that glowed with white light in his hand.
 
"... This is the Arch Stone."
 
"This stone was hidden between cracks around the queen's residence."
 
Igor's expression turned cold. He knew many things about the Arch Stone. Therefore,
he understood very well what could happen when placed somewhere.
 
"Were they aiming to create an explosion on the queen's palace grounds? Targeting
Rihannan?"
 
The Arch Stone was very valuable and difficult to preserve. If it was left uncovered
and received too much sunlight, it would explode destroying the surroundings.
Therefore, people always made sure that these minerals were kept in a place where
sunlight would not reach after they were extracted.
 
"So it seems. While I was busy with Lady Viscountess Olbach, I ..."
 
Basil's voice was full of guilt. After hearing that a suspicious woman had been
detected, Basil immediately stalked the woman. After capturing her while he was
trying to assassinate the queen, he tried to search for the men who entered with her,
but had already escaped from her by then. But soon after, he realized that things were
not over. Having Arch Stones brought into the palace grounds would not have been
difficult, since they were used for so many different purposes.
 
"How many more of these stones are left within the queen's palace grounds?"
 
"We are searching, but if we start searching on a large scale, the queen will find out
what is going on."
 
Igor discreetly bit his tongue. He didn't want her to worry when she is pregnant.
 
Basil spoke carefully again.
 
"So I've thought about it, how about we send the queen to the seasonal palace for a
while, her Majesty?"
 
Hearing the sudden suggestion, Igor stared at Basil.
 
"To the seasonal palace?"
 
"Yes. I think it would be best to send her to the seasonal palace for a moment until the
search for the place is completed and everything is confirmed to be safe. After all, it
will be difficult to hide the fact that we are searching for Archstones while she it's
inside the palace. I've also heard from Mrs. Cessly that the queen will benefit from a
change of pace and atmosphere. "
 
Igor frowned. If he could, he wanted the queen to stay inside the queen's palace. How
could he send her to the seasonal palace when now she knew what the Queen Mother
had done?
 
However, Igor soon realized that he could only accept Basil's suggestion. Although
Rihannan might not harbor as much affection as before for the Queen Mother since
she now she knew what she had done, there was nowhere safer than the seasonal
palace, apart from the palace grounds. Also, once the Queen Mother realized that
Rihannan was pregnant, she would be glad for her and take care of her with kindness.
 
Igor let out a long breath.
 
"Okay. Send a message to the Queen Mother. That Rihannan has become pregnant
and she wishes to rest at the seasonal palace for a while."
 
Chapter 223
 
Even Rihannan noticed that the atmosphere within the palace grounds became a bit
strange. While she was personally picking out items to buy from the merchants
yesterday, Mrs. Cessly received a report from the maids and put on a shocked
expression. Rihannan asked about the report, but Mrs. Cessly vaguely avoided
answering, saying it was nothing important.
 
Afterward, the maids tried to avoid looking at Rihannan when her eyes met. It seemed
like they would pass out if she asked them about what was going on, so Rihannan
didn't dare ask the question. And in that way, she Rihannan realized that the people
who worked inside the queen's palace were hiding something from her. Of course,
Mrs. Cessly was also included in those people.
 
However, Rihannan didn't press Mrs. Cessly for answers like last time. Rihannan
considered that perhaps she did not know the exact situation of her, and that also, she
did it because she did not want to worry her.
 
Thinking that things had changed a lot from the beginning, Rihannan smiled bitterly.
At the time she was angry at the fact that she withheld information about Princess
Rissel from her, but now she Rihannan completely trusted Lady Cessly.
 
Feeling once again that a long time had passed, Rihannan looked at the autumn leaves
falling through the window. This bleak setting, she reminded him of Crichton. She
must be snowing at this time ...
 
Rihannan's eyes were filled with longing emotions. At this time, when she woke up in
the morning in Crichton, the windows were completely covered with snow. After
opening the windows with some difficulty due to the fact that they were frozen, her
eyes would find a vast snow scene, which Rihannan yearned for greatly.
 
Even thinking that she wanted to get back to Chrichton asap, she suddenly got the
idea. If she were in Chrichton, would she end up yearning for Arundel?
 
She longing for this kingdom, as well as the people she will leave in this place.
 
"My queen, her majesty has come."
 
Hearing that she had come unannounced, Rihannan put on a shocked expression.
 
"Why so suddenly?"
 
"Good..."
 
Mrs. Cessly was having trouble speaking her mind when Igor opened the bedroom
door and entered. Mrs. Cessly gestured with her eyes, causing all the maids to leave
the room.
 
"Hope you guys have a nice chat. We'll bring some tea soon."
 
After saying that, Mrs. Cessly left the room and only the two of them stayed inside.
Then an eerie silence ensued between them. With their mouths shut tight, they
avoided looking at each other. In the end, Rihannan opened her mouth first.
 
"Please sit down."
 
Even after they sat facing each other in a chair, there were no words between them.
When the maids came in and brought the tea, only the sound of teacups was heard as
she was set on the table in deathly silence. In the end, Rihannan had to open her
mouth once more.
 
"May I ask what the reason is that you came?"
 
"How about you stay at the seasonal palace for a while?"
 
It was a very sudden question, as was the unannounced visit she made. Rihannan was
stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Igor to say that, when he had been so angry
in the past.
 
Chapter 224
 
"Are you telling me to leave this place and stay with the Queen Mother?"
 
"Yes. I have received requests from my mother for you to move to her place of
residence for a long time."
 
"That's correct, but ..."
 
Rihannan remembered the things the Queen Mother had done in the past life. She
couldn't understand why Igor was telling her to move into the palace for the season
when she knew the truth of what she had done.
 
"Although it seems like my suggestion is quite sudden for you, I wish you to follow
through."
 
The question, 'What's the matter?' Came to the tip of her tongue, but Rihannan
swallowed it. She had caused an uproar in the past by saying that she was going to
stay with the Queen Mother, so saying that she didn't want to do it now would make
her look like a fool.
 
"... Okay then. I'll do it."
 
As Rihannan obediently responded, an expression of relief appeared on Igor's face for
a moment.
 
"I understand that your feelings towards my mother are not that good due to what I
have told you before. However, the truth is that my mother currently cares about you."
 
"Of course I'm not going to show that my opinion of her changed. You won't have to
worry about that part of her."
 
Although the truth about the Queen Mother was definitely shocking to her, in any case
that incident did not occur in this lifetime. It has been a while since she learned of that
truth, and she was glad that the Queen Mother currently had no power to commit such
a horrible act.
 
"When should I go to the seasonal palace?"
 
"You should leave tomorrow immediately. I have already informed mother about your
pregnancy. Anything you need should be prepared."
 
"...I see."
 
She had tried to stay in the seasonal palace but Basil prevented her, so she should be
glad that she could now stay in that place without problems, but she was not. Hearing
Igor say that she had to leave immediately tomorrow made her feel like she was
kicking her out.
 
She remembered what had happened in the past life. The whole palace was full of
rumors. Whenever she asked what was wrong with the maids, they said nothing. Igor
also avoided talking about it by telling her to worry about her baby. And like now, she
suddenly suggested that she stay in the palace for the season.
 
She felt a kind of Déjà Vu. She felt that she had experienced this before.
 
Rihannan couldn't get rid of that feeling although there were certainly differences in
her past life and in this life. Igor took power over the nation from the Queen Mother,
he just did it a little late, but overall he had done it in the past life. The same thing
happened with the fact that Leticia wanted him, as well as with the fact that she was
sent to the seasonal palace as if she was thrown out ...
 
"...I just have one question."
 
Igor blinked several times. It seemed as if he never expected her to ask a question. In
fact, he seemed a bit happy about it.
 
"Go ahead. I'll answer anything."
 
"You previously said that you found the pen 3 years after I died. Was my father still ...
alive at the time?"
 
Chapter 225
 
Rihannan believed that something that had changed a lot in this life was the death of
her father. Since her father remained alive and healthy in the past life, but in this life
he had passed away. Rihannan thought her father had died just because she changed
events.
 
But what if her death also happened in the past life?
 
"...Do not."
 
She lowered her gaze from her as she avoided her eyes.
 
"Not long after you died, your father passed away too."
 
"Why...?"
 
Rihannan was about to ask how and why he died, but she stopped. For some strange
reason, she had a bad feeling. She felt that after Rihannan died, Igor was overwhelmed
with problems that she couldn't bear.
 
"I see..."
 
Rihannan gave up asking further. She couldn't decide, if she wanted to know what had
happened in the past life, or if she wanted to ignore it. Her emotions were chaotic.
 
"Very good then. Thanks for responding."
 
Rihannan got up from her seat. If she is leaving tomorrow immediately, there were
many things to prepare.
 
"Then like you said, I'll be leaving tomorrow ..."
 
"Rihannan."
 
Igor grabbed Rihannan's wrist. As Rihannan looked at him in surprise, he slowly
released her hand. Every time she saw him do this kind of thing, she became even
more confused.
 
Although she learned that the Igor from the past life and the current one were the same
person, the two acted very differently. Where was this man who always looked down
on her and used hurtful words?
 
"... What I said last time was not sincere."
 
"What are you...?"
 
"I don't want you to leave this nation while leaving your baby behind. What I want is
for both you and the baby to stay by my side. I made that statement earlier because I
wanted to prevent you from leaving my side using any possible method."
 
"......"
 
Hearing her sudden confession, Rihannan couldn't find any answer in her mind. She
thought that she didn't want to be next to Igor, and that the moments when she was
next to her made her stomach turn, but in the end she couldn't say any of those
thoughts from her mind.
 
While Rihannan kept his mouth shut, Igor nodded slightly and got up from her chair.
 
"Please don't worry about what I just said. We will speak again when you return from
the seasonal palace."
 
Then Igor quickly left the room. Looking at the door that was tightly closed, she felt
her lose her strength and collapsed into the chair. What were her true feelings towards
her? And if she really wasn't treating her right because she had ulterior motive, then
did she really want her to forgive him for what she had done, even if it was completely
late? Is that why she had done all these things?
 
So, it would be real selfishness on her part. There was nothing he could do to make
her forgive what he had done in the past life. There is no way she could fix the
completely disastrous relationship they have had.
 
"I will never forgive you."
 
Rihannan's thoughts intensified. She hardly stopped the tears that formed in her eyes.
She hated Igor, more than she did in the past life. At least the man she knew then had
never manipulated her.
 
Chapter 226
 
The next day, before leaving for the seasonal palace, Rihannan would pick up the
mailbox she hadn't touched in a long time. The outer shell of the mailbox was adorned
with gold plates and intricate patterns. Remembering that she was locked in prison for
the emails contained in the mailbox she made her expression turn grim for a moment.
She wasn't sure what happened at the time.
 
Igor would answer the questions she had if she asked him, but she could lie. It would
be useless to ask him what happened. She would only end up driving another nail into
her wounded heart.
 
Rihannan realized the reason why she was trying to keep her distance from Igor. She
was doing it in her own defense, so she wouldn't hurt her anymore. She didn't want to
hear the truth Igor wanted to tell her.
 
With a sound, she opened the lid of the mailbox. Rihannan made sure all letters were
properly cataloged and serviced. When she wasn't sure of the sender, she didn't even
open it and regularly burned it in a pile.
 
As she Rihannan organized the letters that she had received from the Queen Mother,
her gaze went to the pile next to the mailbox, where were all the letters that were not
well cataloged and that were accumulating.
 
The letters Rihannan told Mrs. Cessley not to bother to review and organize had
formed a large pile. Rihannan knew personally how hard Mrs. Cessley had to work
regularly.
 
At that moment, Mrs. Cessley entered the room.
 
"My Queen, is your preparation complete?"
 
"Yes."
 
Rihannan got up from her seat. Mrs. Cessley put a fur coat on Rihannan's body and
buttoned her coat.
 
"Since the first part of the pregnancy has passed, she does not need to worry, but if she
begins to feel uncomfortable in any way, please inform the assistants immediately."
 
"Understand."
 
"And since it is much colder in the seasonal palace, she must be very careful about her
temperature. She must always make sure that her hands and feet are warm and ... Ah,
she really should follow you there. .. "
 
Seeing Mrs. Cessley still distraught over the subject of accompanying her to the
seasonal palace, Rihannan chuckled briefly.
 
"You said you could get a crush on the queen mother if you showed up in that place. I
can't bear to lose you like that, so please don't worry, I'll go alone. More than anything
..." Rihannan pointed at the pile of letters with a slightly embarrassed expression. "...
While I'm at the seasonal palace, could you take care of organizing the letters that
arrived lately? Just as I thought, it's too much to do on my own."
 
Mrs. Cessley laughed heartily, and then said. "Yes, my queen. Of course, I will."
 
Igor followed the schedule, and had sent a carriage with guards to Rihannan. When
Rihannan got into the carriage, she immediately began to move.
 
Sitting alone inside the carriage, she parted the curtain slightly as the carriage was
about to pass through the main palace. Facing an elegant palace surrounded by a
beautiful landscape, Rihannan's gaze went to the window at the highest point of the
palace.
 
Rihannan recalled a moment from her past life. Back then, she was so elated that she
felt that all the happiness in the world was in her arms. It was because of what Igor
had told her before she left.
 
| I will visit you regularly. It may not be daily, but ... Actually, if time permits, then I
will visit you daily.
 
And when Igor hugged her, she felt as if all her wounds had vanished in that moment.
She believed that the three of them could get over the painful past and move on to be
happier. She, although she realized that in the end everything had been a lie.
 
Rihannan closed the curtain with a long sigh. She leaned her head against the wall
inside the carriage and closed her eyes. She wished with all her heart that this would
all end and that she could get out of this place once and for all.
 
Chapter 227
 
Mrs. Cessley remembered that black-haired young man who had suddenly visited the
Duke's residence in the middle of the night a long time ago, something she hadn't
thought about in a long time. The young man who was fifteen at the time, turned his
deep purple eyes to Mrs. Cessley as she spoke with confidence in her voice. "I wish
you to work under me instead of my mother, the queen."
 
In that period, the Queen Mother wielded the greatest power in politics. The Queen
Mother had taken her position as regent instead of her young son, she slowly
persuaded those serpent-like nobles as she increased her power.
 
Although the young man who was hiding behind the skirt of his own mother had a
different spirit from the others, he was still a little boy who did not know many things
about the world. Observing the young king, Mrs. Cessley thought that if he planned to
regain the power that the queen mother had, he would still need a few more years.
 
She therefore, she did not want to oppose the queen mother for a child like this. She
and her husband were highly respected among the nobles. Also, they lived a quiet life,
so she didn't want to ruin her lifestyle.
 
However, the young man returned to her looking completely different, even though
only a few days had passed. The young man's eyes were cold as if he had become a
completely different person, and Mrs. Cessley found herself wanting to help him as
she gazed into his eyes.
 
This young man definitely had a goal that she wanted to achieve. Whether it was for
political power or something else, this boy was definitely ready to risk his life for a
chance to complete his goal.
 
He began to describe a concrete plan to Mrs. Cessley, who had a hard time believing
those words were coming from a 15-year-old boy. Later, she tried to convince Mrs.
Cessley to work for him.
 
| You will never regret having made this decision. I swear I'll make that the case.
 
Those words shook Mrs. Cessley's heart. She might be fine to continue living
peacefully, but hearing how she could shape the future by helping this young king was
extremely tempting.
 
Although back then he was fearless and brave, he now lived every day in fear. Basil
sighed several times regretting not knowing when was the last time Igor got a good
night's sleep. He normally wasn't a fearful person, so why was he so careful about
things concerning the queen?
 
Mrs. Cessley sighed slightly, then concentrated on organizing the pile of letters. The
cards that came from the kingdom and from abroad were so many that they were
enough to cover the entire table.
 
She was already used to doing this job of opening a letter, reading only the important
parts, and organizing it according to topic. As she quickly sorted the cards that way, a
card with a familiar symbol caught her eye.
 
In the center of the envelope was the drawing of two lions facing each other. There
was also a red wax seal that kept the envelope closed, which had the pattern of a swan.
 
"... Princess of Chrichton?"
 
To the best of her knowledge, these symbols definitely indicated that the letter came
from the Chrichton royal family. Precisely from his princess. It was suspicious that the
letter someone from the Chrichton royal family had sent him was mixed up in this pile
of letters. Letters like these were usually delivered directly to the queen through a
messenger sent by the royal family.
 
Mrs. Cessley thought for a moment if she would be alright to open this letter. Letters
that are personal to her, such as the ones she sends and receives from the Queen
Mother, Mrs. Cessley made sure not to open those letters and deliver them directly to
Rihannan. If it is a letter from the Princess of Chrichton, it must have been a personal
matter.
 
As she organized the other letters, her mind was still filled with thoughts of
strangeness and suspicion. The fact that the Princess of Chrichton had ignored her
official procedures and sent the letter to her in this manner seemed highly suspicious
to Mrs. Cessley. The Princess definitely would not have known that she would be
mixed up in this large pile of cards, it would have been better to deliver it directly to
her.
 
After wrestling with her mind for a while, Mrs. Cessley tore the seal and opened the
letter, unfolding it to read the contents. After reading the entire contents of the letter,
Mrs. Cessley's face turned completely pale. She then she ran out of the place
immediately.
 
Chapter 228
 
When the carriage was on a forest path where not many people were traveling, it
suddenly stopped. Rihannan opened the window curtain. The commander of the
guards responsible for the procession stopped his horse near the carriage window and
lowered his head towards Rihannan.
 
"What's going on?"
 
"Please don't worry. We will deal with it soon."
 
"Take care of it? How are we going to take care of it?"
 
"Good..."
 
Rihannan saw that he had a funny expression, so she stuck her head out the window.
She soon realized what the commander meant. Several large trees were stacked in the
middle of the road and blocked the march.
 
"How did that happen?"
 
"It seems that the locals who were felling have left the logs on the road. If you wait a
moment, we will get them out of the way soon."
 
"Is there no other way?"
 
"No, my queen. This is the only path that leads to the seasonal palace, so ..."
 
The commander's face was quite nervous. He had made the royal procession stop in
the middle of the road and now he was forcing her to wait, which meant that he would
be severely reprimanded once he returned from this procession.
 
Rihannan nodded.
 
"Well that's good, I wanted to rest since I wasn't feeling very well. Let me get out of
the carriage for a moment and get some fresh air."
 
"Would you like to do that?"
 
The commander's face immediately lit up. When Rihannan got out of the carriage, the
commander laid a thick blanket on a nearby grassy patch and led Rihannan to sit on it.
He even put a thick shawl around his shoulder. One of the soldiers quickly boiled
some hot tea and gave it to Rihannan.
 
"If you need anything else, please let us know."
 
"Fine thanks."
 
As the other soldiers struggled to clear the wooden logs, Rihannan enjoyed the autumn
atmosphere around her. The sky was particularly clear as if drops of white paint were
scattering across a blue canvas sky. As she admired the endless expanse of the
mountain range and the river in the distance below the sky, as well as the lush
vegetation around her, Rihannan noticed that several children were hiding behind a
tree and looking in her direction.
 
It seemed that they were children who lived in a nearby town. Her hair was frizzy and
dry as if it hadn't been well cared for.
 
Rihannan waved her hand.
 
"Could you come over? I'll give you all something to eat."
 
The children hesitated, they did not immediately approach. Looking at the fully armed
guards near Rihannan, they became even more scared and hid further among the trees.
Rihannan turned to the guards and gave an order.
 
"Bring some of the food that has been packed to give to the Queen Mother."
 
"Eh? But ..."
 
The guard's words stopped. They wondered if it was alright that the food that had been
prepared for the Queen Mother to enjoy was given to scrawny children like
themselves.
 
"If the Queen Mother finds out that hungry children were able to eat deliciously, I am
sure she will be delighted. Also, children seem to be afraid of all of you, I think it
would be better if you stayed away a bit."
 
"I understand."
 
Upon hearing the order of the queen, the guards could not do anything other than
comply and leave the place. Soon, the precious and expensive meals were placed on
the grassy ground. From perfectly baked bread to rare fruits and sweet desserts. The
children gulped their saliva as they watched from behind the trees.
 
Chapter 229
 
Okay, come and have some. "
 
Hearing that, the children immediately ran to the food. Watching them shove any food
into their mouths with their dirty hands made Rihannan feel a bit uncomfortable.
 
This place was made up of people who lived by logging or agriculture. She knew that
the people who lived in these places did not have a very prosperous lifestyle, but she
did not expect it to be so bad. If those children are that hungry, then their parents and
adults should be even hungrier than they are.
 
Therefore, Rihannan was embarrassed when she realized how much she was ignorant
of her. Since she had grown up with her parents giving her infinite love and resources
throughout her life, she may not even be able to understand the difficulties these
people were going through.
 
"Take your time to eat. There is so much for all of you to eat."
 
Hearing her, a girl smiled happily. She looked like a girl of about ten years. Rihannan
reached out her hand and wiped the dirt off her cheek. The girl seemed even happier at
her generous gesture from hers, and then she shoved more food into her mouth.
 
"But what were you all doing here?"
 
"We were playing."
 
"What are you playing?"
 
"We were catching rabbits."
 
One of the boys mumbled an answer through a mouthful of food. Rihannan burst out
laughing. Memories came to mind of her cousins, who were similar to Dimi, playing
and hunting rabbits.
 
"Did they catch any rabbits?"
 
The boy shook his head with a grumpy expression immediately.
 
"No. They were so fast that it was difficult to catch them."
 
"Were they trying to catch them with their hands? Of course, they couldn't catch
them."
 
"So how do you catch them?"
 
"Try using baskets."
 
Watching a high ranking noblewoman give them advice on how to catch rabbits, the
children looked at Rihannan in amazement and confusion.
 
"With baskets? How?"
 
"Put a basket upside down, supporting it with a stick. Then they put some food inside,
under the basket. If you tie a string to the stick and wait in a nearby bush for a rabbit
to enter, you can catch it by just pulling the rope once the rabbit is under the basket. "
 
"Ahh, we caught some birds that way. Does that work with rabbits too?"
 
"Of course. My cousins always used to capture rabbits that way too."
 
"Then we will try the way you taught us next time, sister!"
 
A girl next to the boy elbowed him on the hip.
 
"Hey, don't call her sister. You're being rude."
 
"So what do I call her?"
 
"You have to call her Madam."
 
"But calling her ma'am is a bit weird! You usually call grumpy old ladies' ma'am."
 
The children were very confused about the honorific with which to call Rihannan.
Rihannan was laughing out loud, something she hadn't done in a long time.
 
"You can call me whatever you want. Either sister or Madam. But personally, I prefer
to be called sister."
 
Chapter 230
 
After exchanging conversations like this for a while, the children's eating speed
became noticeably slower. The children who ate until they were full soon put a sleepy
expression on their faces. Rihannan wrapped up the rest of the food that was left and
handed it over.
 
"Take and share this with your families."
 
"Thanks!"
 
Her voices sounded much louder than before, perhaps because her stomach was now
full. Rihannan laughed lightly. At that moment, the girl handed something to
Rihannan. It was a small folded paper.
 
"What is this?"
 
"Well actually, a man told me to bring this to you just now, sister."
 
"A man?"
 
"Yes. We were waiting for the opportunity to deliver this to him."
 
Was that why they were waiting near her, watching her for a chance to get closer?
Rihannan cocked her head curiously and opened the paper. She couldn't even guess
who might be sending her a message on paper like this.
 
『Ria loves the plump buttocks of the rabbit. But the tastiest thing in the world is
rabbit meat. Yum, yum. Oh, how delicious.
 
Rihannan let out a small sigh. Rihannan recognized this handwritten note that looked
like a little boy's joke. The song Dimitri sang to make fun of young Rihannan was
written on the note.
 
"Who is the person who wrote this note?"
 
"It's down there." The girl pointed to the edge of the water.
 
"Have you seen his face?"
 
The girl nodded. "He was a person with a bright hair color like you, sister. He was
also tall."
 
Overwhelming joy washed over Rihannan's face. It meant that Dimi was here. She
didn't understand why she wanted to find her this way, but Dimi had always been very
playful. She maybe she was preparing a surprise meeting in anticipation of her next
birthday.
 
Rihannan was about to head immediately to the seashore, but she stopped and checked
where the soldiers were. Most of the soldiers were still clearing the wooden logs,
while the rest were surveying the surroundings to make sure no one suspicious had
passed.
 
Dimi hadn't officially announced that she would come to Arundel, and nothing good
would come of telling everyone that she had come. On top of that, Dimi came to her
preparing this meeting in the most secret way possible, so it would be better for her to
hear what he had to say to her in private.
 
"Kids."
 
The children, who were busy organizing and wrapping the food packages, turned their
gaze to Rihannan. Rihannan smiled.
 
"Could you help me a little?"
 
***
 
The blades collided with a loud sound. It had been a long time since they had a fight
like this, but both sides weren't planning to back down. Basil could barely stop Igor's
numerous attacks.
 
For some strange reason, his fencing showed signs of lack of refinement. Contrary to
the usual elegant style of fencing that people of high class and status learn, Igor's style
of fencing was closer to a barbaric and tough attack style that was more commonly
associated with soldiers who had spent several years fighting in a field. battle.
 
"Have you been leaving the palace without saying anything to me? Where have you
learned this kind of thing?"
 
Just as he finished speaking, Igor's sharp sword passed over his head, causing Basil to
shut his mouth immediately. If he kept chattering, he will end up dying.
 
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Basil had spent most of his time at Igor's
side. No matter what Igor did, Basil was always by his side. To an extent that Basil
might know more about Igor than his own wife. However, he couldn't help but be
surprised every time Igor acts in a way that he had never observed before.
 
Those kinds of situations had been even more noticeable lately. After Igor threatened
Duke Olbach and his wife, Basil had to seriously think about whether a fox had
disguised itself to look like Igor and had been acting in his place. It was because he
considered that the Igor he knew would never do such a thing.
 
Clang!
 
Chapter 231
 
In that slight moment when Basil began to think about other things, Igor took
advantage of that moment and with the hilt of his sword struck Basil on the hand.
Basilio's sword fell to the ground in the autumn leaves. Basil rubbed his sore hand as
he smiled bitterly.
 
"Do you feel refreshed now after hitting me as much as you wanted to?"
 
Igor had been very nervous since the queen left the palace. He couldn't concentrate at
all, as if he was completely obsessed with something he couldn't understand. Basil
told him that the best thing in this situation was for him to exercise his body without
thinking about anything, so he brought Igor to this place. However, he did not expect
her to hit him like this.
 
Igor took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. When he
collapsed and sat on the ground, Basil sat on the ground next to him. Igor's mouth,
which had been closed for a while, finally opened.
 
"Still no news on that hired mercenary?"
 
Since Igor's first words were about the worries on his mind even after he had done all
that exercise, Basil let out a deep sigh.
 
"Yes. For some strange reason, Count Clovis keeps his mouth shut for anything
related to that mercenary. But we'll find out soon, so please wait a moment longer."
 
Until now, the Count's mouth opened easily and revealed secrets. He was helping in
any way possible. However, for some reason, he didn't seem willing to talk about the
mercenary. And since only Count Clovis knew about the mercenary, but he was
unwilling to say anything, all progress stopped at that point.
 
In the end, that drew Igor's ire. Igor finally broke out and ordered him killed unless he
was willing to talk about the mercenary. That would be enough to put fear in anyone's
heart, even if it was a half threat. By now, that order must have reached his prison cell,
so he just had to wait for the result. Whether he was willing to speak out of fear of
death or he wanted to keep his mouth shut.
 
"The reason the earl keeps his mouth shut is because probably if he speaks, an even
bigger problem may occur."
 
Igor thought about it. He knew that Count Clovis would end up revealing everything
he knows, but he wondered why he was delaying it so much. The Count had a
completely different demeanor from what Igor expected.
 
In fact, he had a slight concern for a while. Igor wondered if he could have made a big
mistake.
 
"Now I'm not sure if sending Rihannan to the seasonal palace was the right thing to do
or not ..."
 
Seeing his expression darken, Basil commented slyly.
 
"In that case, then follow her to the seasonal palace. You can also reconcile with the
Queen Mother while you are there."
 
"You still think I could reconcile with my mother, huh."
 
Basil shrugged.
 
"And what's stopping it? It's not that the Queen Mother is willing to seize your
political power again. Anyway, that is now impossible. Please grant her a little mercy.
Once she dies, it will be too late to regret not doing it. "
 
"Sorry, huh ..." Igor muttered to himself in an annoyed tone. "Basil, if the only thing
my mother had taken from me was my political power, then she wouldn't hate her as
much as she does now."
 
Chapter 232
 
"What else did she do to make you hate her?"
 
"She directed all the hatred and anger at me. That woman in the end escaped all the
criticism that could be directed at her. She wanted to be recognized as a good person
in the end, no matter what she had to do."
 
Ironically, the Queen Mother was very fond of Rihannan. That is why she
recommended not to get rid of her once it became known that she could not have
children, and instead accept a surrogate to have her baby. It was a very unexpected
recommendation, especially considering how the Queen Mother normally handled
things. It would have been more appropriate for her to kick out Rihannan, who had
been an obstacle in her path, and install another woman in her place.
 
Although the Queen Mother instigated conflict between them, in contradiction to her
actions, she wished that Rihannan would give birth to a baby and create a harmonious
family. The Queen Mother knew that the only person who treated her kindly among
all the people who hated her in the palace, was Rihannan. The Queen Mother was not
only happy about it, she also took advantage of it.
 
"Basil, there is something I need to confess to you."
 
"......"
 
Basil flinched for a moment, had a strange thought in his mind, and then turned away
from Igor a little. Igor could barely contain the urge to hit Basil right away, because he
must have been thinking of something stupid.
 
"I once overheard a conversation between my mother and the Marquis Rozan."
 
"What kind of conversation?"
 
"They were talking about how she could lose all her political power should I die
suddenly, so they hoped she would have a child to continue my lineage before that
happened."
 
Basil dropped his jaw. It was a truly amazing revelation.
 
"When did that conversation take place?"
 
"It was when she was about eight years old ... It was after I was seriously injured. The
Queen Mother realized the fragility of her power."
 
"Is that why you hated the Queen Mother so much since then?"
 
"Basil, if it were you, what would surprise you more, if you were betrayed by your
wife, or someone you don't have a relationship with?"
 
Basil shuddered, it seemed that he did not even want to imagine that situation.
 
"... Of course I'd be more surprised if my wife betrayed me. She wouldn't be able to
handle it."
 
"Sure, that would be normal."
 
After chasing Rihannan to the port of Salerno and failing to catch up with her before
she left, Igor returned to the palace. He realized that Rihannan had sent a letter to the
Queen Mother. The letter was full of words of kindness and consideration. The letter
was full of words of kindness and consideration. No one would think that it had been
written by a person who had just experienced a painful death.
 
Rihannan hated and loathed herself. However, she still treasured and loved the Queen
Mother, who had been cruel to her. To the point that Rihannan personally wrote her a
letter when she was leaving everything behind and leaving for Chrichton.
 
Before she left for Chrichton, she seemed like the only happy memories in her mind
were those she had spent with her mother. How would she change if she had known
that her mother, whom she loved so much, had committed those crimes?
 
At the time, Igor felt that even if Rihannan actually knew that he remembered the past
life, he would never reveal the truth about what her mother did to him in the past.
 
"I don't want Rihannan to feel the way I do. There's no need to intentionally make her
hate more people."
 
Basil put on a confused expression.
 
"What do you mean by that?"
 
Chapter 233
 
"Your Majesty!" Suddenly, Mrs. Cessley's urgent voice rang out loudly. She was
running frantically towards Igor and Basil, not bothering to keep up appearances.
 
The two men slowly raised their heads.
 
Igor said. "Mrs. Cessley, what's the pro ...?"
 
"Please look at this!"
 
Mrs. Cessley was breathing heavily. She quickly handed a crumpled letter to Igor.
 
"...What is this?"
 
"Please ... please read it quickly, Your Majesty hers! This was sent by Princess
Helena."
 
Igor focused his gaze on the crumpled white card and unfolded it, quickly reading the
contents.
 
『To my love Rhia,
 
My older brother is hatching a plan to assassinate you and I believe this started to get
revenge on Baron Dimitri. He has found out everything he could about you, and he
plans to use it maliciously.
 
I'm sorry ... I realized too late ...
 
He will try to get you to leave the queen's palace to ... kill you.
 
Please be careful.
 
I hope I didn't give you a late warning.
 
Your friend,
 
Helena 』
 
Igor gripped the letter tightly. The wrinkled white card turned into a ball. With
contempt, he said, "You mean ... that the Crown Prince of Crichton plans to
assassinate Rihannan?"
 
Mrs. Cessley nodded. "According to the letter, yes. Princess Helena's words are
accurate. Don't you think? They have a close relationship as if they were best friends.
After reading this letter ... I am concerned that Her Majesty may be in danger if she is
sent to the seasonal palace. "
 
"But there is no other way to guarantee Rihannan's safety ..."
 
Igor suddenly realized the identity of the man who worried him so much.
 
Everything was going too easy. Everything flowed perfectly as if the whole world was
on his side. Even capturing Leticia was easy. She herself had entered the palace, and
because of her suspicious behavior she was quickly captured by the subordinates that
she had placed beforehand.
 
The Arco stone was placed in a place too easy to find, and it was even found in a
single day. Thus, Igor ended up sending Rihannan to the seasonal palace the next day.
But what if this was all part of someone's plan?
 
If even the fact that Leticia had been sent inside the queen's palace had been a trap? A
whole plan to get Rihannan out of the queen's palace ...
 
"Your Highness of her!"
 
Another person ran towards them. It was about the person who was interrogating
Count Clovis in prison. She knelt before Igor.
 
"Earl Clovis has confessed the identity of the mercenary. He said he is a high-ranking
noble from Chrichton."
 
"A nobleman from Crichton ..." Igor's voice trembled. "Yes. Danil Durik. He is part of
Duke Lurik's family and is a personal advisor to the Crown Prince of Chrichton. It
seems they have recently started working together and planning something for his
mutual benefit."
 
The three people who were present were deeply shocked. Basil's gaze and Mrs
Sessly's looked at Igor at the same time.
 
"Me..."
 
Before Basil could finish speaking, Igor started running rapidly. Basil said something
quickly to Mrs. Cessly before quickly following Igor.
 
"Please don't worry, Ma'am. We promise to bring the queen back safely."
 
Mrs. Cessly nodded several times. Her steady eyes were now wet with tears. Mrs.
Cessly clasped her hands tightly and wished all three people would return safely.
 
Igor was running without thinking. His heart was racing. He had been careless. The
people who had hurt Rihannan were the Queen Mother, Count Clovis, and his own
family. He therefore, he believed that she would be fine as long as she took care of
everyone before they could do anything.
 
However, as the future changed, an unexpected factor appeared. Igor had forcibly
brought Rihannan to Arundel to marry her, and if he had remained true to her usual
demeanor, her cousin would have stayed quiet and done nothing about it. But this
time, his cousin had made the decision to confront the crown prince. Because he knew
that the Crown Prince was willing to sacrifice Rihannan to create a war between
Arundel and Chrichton whenever he wanted. And also that the Crown Prince would
use Rihannan's death as a warning to Dimitri. Proving how far he was willing to go to
stop it.
 
And therefore, in the end, it had all been for ...
 
"You have made all this yourself."
 
She remembered what her mother had told her in the past life. She was her answer to
her question as to why she had done such things to Rihannan.
 
| You had pushed everyone to the limit to the point where the situation turned out that
way. Have you ever thought about how cornered rats bite? I didn't want to do this
either. You know how much I loved that baby! In the end, it was you fault that
Rihannan died |
 
Igor bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. If somehow she dies because of her
again ...
 
She didn't even want to think about it anymore. He wanted to believe that God was not
that violent.
 
Igor and Basil immediately brought the royal guard with them, then mounted their
horses at full speed. As they were about to reach the path that led into the forest, they
found the carriage that Rihannan took to head to the seasonal palace that was ahead.
 
There did not appear to be any evidence that a battle had occurred around the carriage.
There was not a single body of a fallen soldier. Looking towards the front of the
carriage, large tree trunks were laid to one side. Perhaps they were unable to proceed
due to the wooden logs. If that had been the only problem, then it would have been
completely fine.
 
Igor breathed a sigh of relief, then led the horse near the tree near the carriage to get
off.
 
"Your Majesty of her!" The commander immediately ran to Igor as soon as he saw
him.
 
"Where is the queen?"
 
When Igor asked the question as soon as she got off the horse, the commander could
not answer it. After putting on an awkward expression, as if he couldn't think of any
way to respond without getting into trouble, the commander quickly knelt down and
prostrated himself deeply to the ground.
 
Chapter 234
 
"My apologies, Your Majesty!"
 
Igor's face became more severe.
 
"I have asked about the queen's whereabouts, why are you telling me that as an
answer?"
 
"We're actually ... searching right now."
 
"Searching right now?" Igor's voice was calm as always, but it was clear that he was
holding back his anger.
 
"As we advanced we had to stop because of the logs blocking the road and ..."
 
"Get to the point and tell me what happened to the queen."
 
His voice sounded like he was suppressing his anger. The commander gulped in fear.
He could barely speak with a tremor in his voice.
 
"We have not seen the queen for a moment. She has suddenly disappeared while the
soldiers were distracted with the children. The children said that she had gone down to
the lake after receiving a note from someone. We are currently searching that area as a
center and ... "
 
Igor immediately started moving towards that place. The commander and Basil
followed him.
 
The shore of the lake had fields of reeds growing around it. The reeds that had grown
much taller than any normal person swayed like waves of seas in the wind. In the
fields filled with the sounds of reeds brushing against each other, no people could be
heard talking. Even if someone got into a boat and went down the river right next to
them, they wouldn't be able to tell.
 
"Find her! Cut down all the reeds if necessary!"
 
Hearing the king's furious screams in the air, numerous soldiers entered the reed field
immediately. They all scattered among the reeds that swayed in the wind.
 
Just when Igor's patience was about to run out, Basil rushed to his side.
 
"We found this in that place."
 
Basil handed her a shawl, a garment that women wear over their shoulders. Igor
recognized this shawl. Seeing him covered in mud and dirty, Igor stared with his
pupils trembling.
 
"There were tracks of multiple people heading towards the lake. It definitely looks
like they've taken a boat and moved somewhere else," Basil quickly continued his
report. "There were no signs of blood spilled anywhere in the area. We think he's still
fine."
 
"Where is this lake connected to?"
 
"Well ... the lake splits into three different directions after going down a bit from this
point. It goes to Dalia from the south, Anz from the west, and Calsis from the north."
 
It meant there was no way to find out where they went between those three places.
Igor clutched his head and gave a cry of disgust. Time was running out. These people
did not want a negotiation, but simply the death of Rihannan. Searching in all three
places would be of no use in this situation.
 
If they wasted time, Rihannan might ...
 
When Igor accidentally imagined the worst possible situation for a moment, his eyes
flinched in fear. His mind went completely empty and he couldn't think of anything.
What if he was too late this time too? No, maybe it's too late too. Seeing her as a cold
corpse in front of his eyes, like back then ...
 
"Your Majesty of her!" Basil grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him hard.
"Please control yourself. If you agitate now, you won't be able to save the queen's
life!"
 
Basil shook him roughly to bring him to his senses. If Basil crossed the line, surely
Igor would strangle him personally. All the soldiers watched, holding their breath, as
Basil treated Igor so roughly.
 
"If you don't want to regret this moment later, you will have to make a quick decision.
There is no time to hesitate."
 
Igor soon pursed his lips and nodded. As Basil said, if he wasted time like this, he
would just end up letting what happened in the past life happen again. He inhaled
deeply, and then closed his eyes tightly. His cool, calm mind began to think. 'Where
could these people go?'
 
| A place where there were numerous giant trees huddled together like a dense
forest ... |
 
Suddenly, he remembered what Leticia had told him.
 
It would not be easy for a foreign person to find a place to hide. There was a strong
possibility that they were heading towards the place where Leticia once stood. In that
case, where was a place with giant trees among those three areas?
 
"... Giant trees."
 
"Hm?"
 
Igor opened his eyes and turned to Basil.
 
"The Black Forest is in Calsis, right?"
 
"Ah ... that's correct. The place is full of giant trees that don't let even light through,
which gave it the name 'Black Forest'."
 
"Was there a place similar to that?"
 
Basil shook his head after thinking for a moment. "No. That kind of forest is the only
one that exists in Adrine. After all, it is rare to find a forest made up of trees over a
thousand years old."
 
"We will head towards Calsis."
 
"Yes! As you order!" Basil replied with a strong voice.
 
Chapter 235
 
Basil did not ask Igor why he decided to choose that place. He had a hideously cool
and calm expression. Whenever he made a decision with that expression, he never
made mistakes in judgment.
 
Basil turned to the soldiers and gave the order.
 
"We moved to the Black Forest in Calsis immediately. Be sure to search all the places
in the area!"
 
***
 
When he opened his eyes again, he could only look at a dark room around him. He
could feel dampness and a faint musty smell around him ... Rihannan finally reacted,
quickly lifting her body.
 
It was very dark. Even though there was a window, not a bit of light entered. He could
barely make out the shapes of the objects around him. The room was completely
empty. There was only the messy bed he was in. The floor had no proper covering,
just wet hay everywhere.
 
Rihannan once saw this same environment in the past. Not in this current life, but in
the previous one. She reminded him of the prison in which she had been thrown like a
piece of trash.
 
"... Ugh."
 
She found it harder to breathe. Feeling an immense amount of fear wash over her, she
Rihannan grabbed her chest with her hand.
 
"This is definitely just a dream." That's what she thought. That's right, she was having
the nightmare again that she hadn't had in a long time. There was no way she would
ever be in this place again unless it was a dream again. Yet for some reason, all the
sensations felt very real. The humid air around her, as well as the rough texture of the
blanket.
 
Rihannan slapped both of her cheeks with her hands. She did it out of the rush to wake
up from the dream. Her cheeks turned red and painful. Tears welled up in her eyes
automatically. Still, she didn't look like she was going to wake up from this dream.
 
Only then did Rihannan realize that this could be real. If it really was about real life
and not a dream, then what did this all mean? Perhaps she had returned to the place
where she was before her death in the previous life?
 
Rihannan's chin twitched weakly. Numerous thoughts caused a disorder in her mind.
Her mind, which had been lost beyond sanity, slowly began to change the scenery
around her.
 
She could observe giant iron bars that prevented her from escaping. She could also
observe her soldiers looking at her, reproaching her for having sold her own country.
The moment Rihannan noticed an unfamiliar red spot on the ground, she slowly
backed away. Her despair washed over her completely in a single moment. She may
have remained locked in this place her entire life. As if the fact that she had returned
at the age of twelve and changed her life had been just a dream.
 
Right, come back to life. To think that a bird granted a wish and rewound time
backwards. That didn't sound good at all. It was actually more realistic that it had all
been just a dream in the end.
 
As her mind drifted to that thought, her body began to shake uncontrollably. Rihannan
rolled over to the corner of the bed and curled up with her body.
 
So what will happen now? Would he soon leave her cell to be executed, or would
Leticia come to her with poison to drink? Both results were terrifying and she wanted
neither of them. But since she was locked up, there didn't seem to be any other
alternative.
 
'I'm sure the person who is trying to kill me is you this time too ...'
 
Tears flowed from Rihannan's eyes as she buried her head in her knees. She
considered that in the end she might have gone crazy. After losing her baby, being
falsely accused, and betrayed by her own husband, she ended up losing all common
sense and began to create a fantasy world in her mind ...
 
As she drenched her knees with her tears of pain, she Rihannan recalled a fact.
 
'The baby...'
 
Rihannan put her hand on her belly. Although she was not very big yet, her belly was
swollen. Her baby was definitely still inside her.
 
"Ufff ..."
 
Rihannan let out a big sigh. She began to calm down, and the disorder in her mind
began to resolve little by little. This was not a dream. If she had been dreaming, then
she wouldn't have a baby inside her right now.
 
'So where is this place?'
 
Rihannan finally came out of the illusion of her and came back to reality. There were
no iron bars in front of her. It just looked like a small abandoned cabin in a remote
location.
 
Her memories of what happened before she lost consciousness of her slowly began to
return to her. After ordering the children to distract the soldiers, she headed to the lake
to meet Dimitri. Inside the field of tall reeds was a man standing with his back to her.
As the children said, the man had a rather large body e and muscular. His silver hair
that was sticking out of his hood also glowed faintly in the light.
 
"Dimi!"
 
Hearing Rihannan's call, she slowly turned around. She knew this face. However, it
was not Dimitri.
 
Creak ...
 
Suddenly, a door opened with the sound of a squeak when her thoughts had reached
that point. A man entered the room. The small chandelier in his hand lit up the
interior.
 
Staring directly at the man's face lit by candlelight, Rihannan gritted her teeth. "Duke
Danil Lyurik."
 
«Danil Lyurik - He was the one who stopped Dimitri from escaping with Rihannan.
Chapter 40. »
 
Chapter 236
 
Danil Lyurik. Eldest son of Duke Lyurik, and closest adviser to the Crown Prince of
Chrichton. The man in the lake was not Dimitri, but Danil Lyurik.
 
Even when she was at Chrichton, she never had any conversation with him. Dimi very
much hated that Rihannan mixed with the people who worked for the Crown Prince
while she was in the palace, so Rihannan tried to avoid such people as much as she
could. Yet this man was here in Arundell.
 
When she was on the shore of the lake, Rihannan could not speak for a moment due to
her being shocked, Danil quickly reached over and covered her mouth with her hand.
He then dragged her into a boat that had been prepared previously. After losing
consciousness due to fright, she woke up in this place.
 
"Are you planning something? Why did you bring me here?"
 
Danil simply nodded without making up any excuses or denials. His smug attitude
made her even angrier.
 
"Duke Danil Lyurik. Perhaps you forgot who I am?"
 
"No, I know that very well. Queen of Arundell."
 
Walking over to her, he quickly made it to the front of the bed. Her large body was
enough to scare anyone. Rihannan hid his fear from her by suppressing her nervous
expression. She didn't want to show any sign of weakness right now.
 
"Why did you kidnap me here? I won't ask you again. Set me free immediately. If you
do, then I won't tell anyone else what you've done."
 
"Rihannan Allesin. No, maybe I should call you Rihannan Cessca from now on."
 
She suddenly grabbed Rihannan's chin with her hand. Due to her immense strength
and her rough grip, she could not pull away from her. Rihannan's expression
immediately filled with anger. Her blue eyes, always calm and serene, now seemed as
if a maritime storm, while her lips trembled. Looking at her expression for a moment,
she blurted out a comment.
 
"... So now you can make those kinds of expressions huh."
 
"...That?"
 
She released his chin and placed the chandelier on the nightstand next to the bed. Then
she crossed her arms and looked at her.
 
"Whenever I saw you around Princess Helena, you looked like an emotionless doll.
Like someone who had no hope for the future."
 
Those words were similar to what Helena had said in the past. She once commented to
Rihannan that it seemed like she wasn't curious about what tomorrow she might bring.
As someone who was not by her side at all times like Helena, she was able to analyze
her to the point of making the same kind of comment, Rihannan felt chills down her
spine.
 
"But to my surprise, now you look like a living person."
 
"How do you know about that song?"
 
Rihannan ignored her comment and asked her a question. The song that was written
on the piece of paper, Dimi made by altering the lyrics of a Chrichton folk song.
Definitely, someone who did not know about her childhood, should not know that
song.
 
"That's the song Dimi used to sing to me when we were young, how do you know it?"
 
"I heard it from Princess Helena."
 
Rihannan was shocked. Had Helena collaborated in this kidnapping?
 
She stared at Rihannan's confused expression, and she slyly raised the corners of her
mouth to form a smile.
 
"I'm only going to say this because I don't want to make any unnecessary
misunderstandings. Princess Helena simply answered the Crown Prince's question
without thinking anything wrong, that was it."
 
"In that case, did they use the information they gathered from Helena to capture me?"
 
"It has not been easy to get you to leave the seasonal palace ... We had thought of
various ways to achieve this. At first we thought about using Count Clovis, but that
plan fell apart when the king suddenly put him in prison. So we used to your stepsister
instead. "
 
"...My step sister?"
 
"Don't you know? Your sister is currently in prison for trying to take your life from
you recently."
 
Rihannan looked at him with a puzzled expression. Honestly, she was just finding out
about this.
 
"Judging from your expression, it seems you don't know anything about this. You
recently brought merchants to your residence because of your upcoming birthday
celebration, right? Leticia sneaked out among the merchants and tried to kill you. The
king captured her. immediately and put her in prison. "
 
"How could she try to do such ...?"
 
"The king had ordered the capture of Count Clovis and Leticia. The woman was
barely able to escape alive thanks to me, but she became a fugitive. That woman
wanted to carry out her revenge, and I used that emotion to my advantage. placed
some Arch Stones around the queen's palace while they were distracted trying to
capture Leticia, the king immediately sent you to the queen's palace as I expected. "
 
Only then did Rihannan learn the reason why she had been suddenly sent to the
seasonal palace. Their Security was the reason.
 
But why didn't he tell her why? As she thought about why Igor acted that way, her
Rihannan soon remembered how she had been treating him all this time. Whenever
she wanted her to listen to him, she was always firmly opposed. She also once got
angry saying that she did not want to hear anything about Leticia. So Igor hadn't been
able to tell him even if he wanted to.
 
Chapter 237
 
"... So what is the reason for you kidnapping me?"
 
This was not the time to regret not having listened to Igor. She now herself she needed
to know why this man from Chrichton had kidnapped her.
 
"Dimitri has stepped out of bounds a bit. The Crown Prince decided that he will give
him a warning through you."
 
Hearing those words, Rihannan's eyes shook terribly. That meant the crown prince
would take revenge on Dimitri through her.
 
"Are you saying that you will kill me because of Dimitri?"
 
"Only then will he realize that he made a mistake facing the Crown Prince and will
finally back down."
 
"I'm not Dimi's blood sister, just a cousin, why would I do that?"
 
"I'm sure you know better than anyone that you are not just a cousin to him. Dimitri
never had an interest in politics, but now he's getting involved in the conflict and it's
all about you, isn't it?" The man put on an expression that showed he was having fun.
"Don't you know that even though Dimitri had been hiding his true potential in the
shadows, he came out and won the Kiritte contest just for you?"
 
Seeing Rihannan's face still full of confusion, he narrowed his eyes.
 
"I once told Dimitri this in the past. That if he won the next Kiritte contest, he would
ask for his cousin's hand. I had said those words simply to irritate him. I was simply
wondering if he would show his true abilities with such a statement."
 
Danil had always disliked Dimitri for a long time. To be precise, Danil envied him
and hated him deeply.
 
Although Dimitri made sure to stay out of the way and live trying not to stand out
from the crowd, Danil knew that Dimitri simply thought that others were below his
level and that he didn't need to even bother challenging them. Danil realized at some
point that Dimitri was losing everything on purpose when they faced each other as
opponents. In fencing, in learning and even in friendly sports together.
 
| If I win the next Kiritte competition, I am thinking of asking for your cousin's hand
in marriage to His Highness the Crown Prince. I have liked it for a long time.
 
Therefore Danil one day intentionally said those words to him. He added that the
Crown Prince would definitely agree, since he was his loyal servant. Suddenly,
Dimitri's gaze changed. The man who seemed to live as if nothing mattered to him,
suddenly turned into a demon in terms of skill in Kiritte's competition.
 
"Dimitri, who hadn't proven anything until then, won that particular competition. At
that moment I realized. That for Dimitri, you are his greatest weakness. If he wanted
to destroy his heart, he knew he just had to ruin you. or kill you. "
 
As Rihannan was taken to Arundell as a hostage instead of the princess, things turned
out as Danil suspected. If the girl who had become Arundell's queen were to suffer
misfortune or accidentally die, Dimitri would definitely fall apart.
 
However, contrary to her prediction, the woman managed to persuade the king of
Arundell and leave the country of Crichton while she received the treatment of a true
queen. After she crossed the sea, Danil began to hear some of the rumors about the
queen and king of Arundell from time to time. He came to hear that they had a deep
love relationship, as if they were destined to be together.
 
During that time, Dimitri entered the world of politics and began to increase his
power. His goal was clear. It consisted of preventing the prince from doing something
reckless against her cousin and protecting her from harm. After becoming a close
associate of Prince Ivan and starting to pressure the Crown Prince, the latter began to
realize Dimitri's power as well.
 
| I can't let Dimitri continue to develop. What is his greatest weakness?
 
The crown prince began to search for Dimitri's weak point nervously. He also realized
too late that Dimitri had hidden true power from him all along. Hearing him, Danil
whispered in his ear.
 
| It's his cousin Rihannan. He already once tried to run away with her ignoring the
king's royal order.
 
| But it's too dangerous to try to kill the queen of Arundell. I think it would be better to
kill Dimitri directly and ... |
 
| The death of the Queen of Arundel could spell opportunity for you, Your Highness. |
 
| An opportunity? |
 
| You can solve the internal problem by directing your attention abroad. If she were to
be killed by an Arundell person while she is in Arundell territory, what could happen?
All of Chrichton would be filled with anger at the news. All hatred for His Highness
would immediately go to the King of Arundell in his stead. We would also be given a
reason to pressure Arundell. If we make the most of At the very least, the nobles who
try to oppose it would immediately calm down.
 
| Well, I understand! |
 
The crown prince looked happy after hearing his words. The Crown Prince always
enjoyed taking proper revenge on those who were against him.
 
To prepare this, Danil personally approached Arundell and attempted to contact Count
Clovis. The Earl seemed very interested in hearing Danil's suggestion that if he helped
him eliminate the queen, Danil would help Clovis become king.
 
Negotiations were going well, when suddenly the king stopped the Count and
everything was spoiled. Danil first made sure to rescue Leticia. He had calculated that
while it would be great if she succeeded in assassinating the queen of Arundell, her
failure would be useful in getting the queen out of her palace.
 
"Therefore, Rihannan Cessca. You will have to die in this place today."
 
The announcement of her death. That she will die today. Instead of shaking in fear,
Rihannan glared at him with hatred in her eyes.
 
"If I am killed by someone from Chrichton, I'm sure they will be in a bad position."
 
"I'll dress it up to make it look like you were kidnapped by people from Arundell and
murdered. Some poor starving farmers were tempted by that expensive clothing and
accessories you wore on your body, so much so that they ended up making a mistake."
 
Chapter 238
 
Only then did Rihannan realize that all the accessories she once had on her body were
gone. Even the coat that Madam Cessley put on her body was also missing.
 
"I'm planning to burn this place down. I'll leave some of your accessories here and
then give the rest to those hungry fools. Once they start trying to sell it in the market,
the palace people will follow the trail and blame them. In the end, everything. It will
go according to my plan. "
 
Danil looked at Rihannan with his silver eyes. She had predicted that at this moment
Rihannan would either burst into tears or desperately beg for her life. Yet she stared at
him silently with cold anger inside her.
 
"I had a recurring thought in the past ... that if the words I said to pressure Dimitri to
do better, helped connect you and you two ended up getting married ... If that had
been the case, then my relationship with Dimitri It could have been improved. Also,
they wouldn't have sent you to Arundell if that had happened too. "
 
This particular woman was often on her mind. When he looked at her like a doll next
to the princess, she sometimes felt that she would like to open his head and find out
what she was really thinking. She then she realized later. That the words she said to
Dimitri may not have been simply an intentionally created plan.
 
But in any case, none of that mattered now.
 
"So it's really a shame. I ended up killing you with my bare hands like this."
 
"Duke Danil Lyurik." Rihannan slowly opened her mouth. In her eyes, blue flames
ignited. "I'm the one who really wants to say that I feel sorry for you. Even if you
rewind time and change everything, I would never end up falling in love with you.
You are nothing more than a dirty dog who serves the Crown Prince, and that is why I
truly despise you."
 
Rihannan spoke in disgust.
 
"And even if you kill me here and now, you won't be able to stop Dimitri. After all,
Dimi is someone much more powerful and fearsome than you think. He will make
sure to make you pay for the sin you committed today, so I just want to say that you
will live in perpetual fear and anxiety until that moment arrives. "
 
Hearing those words, Danil did not show a single expression of anger. His lips just
twisted a little as if they were forming a vague smile.
 
"As I expected from Dimitri's cousin, you have the same attitude towards me ..." She
let out a small sigh, and then took something out of her pocket. It was a small glass
jar. Rihannan knew immediately what it was. "Regardless of the feelings you have for
me, I do not wish to intentionally make you feel pain prior to your death. This is the
plain truth."
 
She put the glass jar on the nightstand. The azure blue liquid inside the bottle stirred a
bit. Rihannan stared at the vial as she kept her mouth shut.
 
"It will be much better for you to die drinking poison than to die burned. I have often
heard that it is a medicine used for suicides. It is not as if you feel no pain, but it
seems that it will give you a quick death. I will leave the decision. in your hands. If
you want to die drinking this, or die in a fire. "
 
Finishing her words, she looked at Rihannan for a moment and then left the room.
Rihannan heard the sound of the outer door closing. Obviously, she needed to make
sure that she couldn't escape once she set the house on fire.
 
Rihannan didn't move an inch even after Danil left the room, and after a long time she
slowly reached out her hand.
 
Her fingers wrapped around the glass jar. Rihannan realized that the worrying thought
in her mind came true exactly as she predicted.
 
In the end, it all ended the same way.
 
Chapter 239
 
Haa ... "
 
SHe couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune. 6 years ago, her mind was only full of
wishes to die, so she took the poison that Leticia gave her. Therefore, she was able to
drink it without hesitation.
 
Unlike back then, she now himself he had too many regrets to leave this world. SHe
knew it would be painful for Dimi because he would blame everything on himself,
and the fact that the baby died once again without being able to know this world made
him feel sorry too. Mrs. Cessley would also be really shocked and horrified by the
news. Basil would cry like the last time too.
 
Y...
 
When he thought of Igor, Rihannan shook her head from side to side. Anyway there
was no other way. Right now, he had no choice but to take this poison. As Danil said,
it would be much less painful to die by taking poison than by burning in fire.
 
Rihannan opened the lid of the jar. Looking at him, the idea of the promise he had
made in the last moments of his previous life appeared in his mind. 'That if there was
an after life, it would be different.' That he would never fall in love with Igor, and that
he would never forgive those who hurt him.
 
In the end, she ended up unable to accomplish any of that. She had foolishly fallen in
love with Igor again, and she couldn't even come to hate Leticia. An opportunity is
given to people so that they can take advantage of it.
 
Realizing that truth, Rihannan brought the vial to her lips.
 
***
 
"The time has come, my Duke."
 
Hearing those words, Danil held the bow tight. At this point, the queen would have
likely drank the poison and died completely. Danil knew that anyone on the brink of
death would always choose the least painful path.
 
"Light the arrowhead with fire."
 
As soon as he finished giving his order, the oil-soaked rag that was wrapped around
the arrowhead ignited. Fwoosh! The fire flared brightly. The hut, which was made of
wood, also had an adequate amount of oil spread near the area. Danil aimed the
burning arrow at the hut. The moment the burning arrow landed on the hut, it would
immediately catch fire.
 
Danil wished she hadn't made the stupid choice of not ingesting the poison and trying
to find a way out. He had been honest in saying that he wanted her not to suffer.
 
He lowered his head. Just as he was about to nervously release the arrow, a knife that
came flying from somewhere and stabbed him in the back of his hand.
 
"Ugh!"
 
Danil dropped the bow and the date at that moment. Not long after, loud voices were
heard.
 
"Capture them all!"
 
With a loud shout, numerous soldiers came out from the surrounding forest. The area
quickly became a battlefield. In the chaos that surrounded him, Danil quickly drew the
knife that he had stuck in the back of his hand and quickly made his way towards the
arrow that had also fallen to the ground. Just when his hand was about to reach the
arrow that was still burning, another strong sensation of pain spread throughout his
body.
 
"Argh!"
 
This time, a long blade from above stabbed his hand into the ground. A long shadow
approached Danil that he was suffering. The man who made sure Danil couldn't move
extinguished the burning arrow by crushing it with his foot.
 
"Danil Lyurik."
 
 
Chapter 240
 
The man spoke his name in a terrifying tone. Danil gritted his teeth. He realized that in
the end, Count Clovis had talked about everything. Danil thought that he could silence
him completely by telling Clovis that he would receive an even harsher penalty if he
leaked the information, but it seemed that the weak-willed man could not overcome
the king's threats.
 
Danil raised his head. With the way things were happening, he knew that he would
end up dying in this place. He didn't even think about begging for his life. Danil could
see the man's face completely filled with rage.
 
Danil smiled. "Igor Cessca, you are too late. The queen is already dead. She herself
has drunk poison."
 
Igor's face immediately froze. "...Poison?"
 
Hearing his dismayed voice, Danil felt great satisfaction. He always wanted to watch
the man who humiliated Chrichton crumble before his eyes at least once.
 
"I gave it to the Queen. I let her choose between dying in a fire or dying drinking
poison."
 
"......"
 
"That was a long time ago. The queen's body is probably already getting cold by
now."
 
The king's face began to distort as if his very soul had abandoned him. His shocked
eyes trembled terribly, as his footsteps staggered. The king left Danil behind and
immediately ran towards the hut. Igor saw Danil's men approaching his position. At
that moment, without hesitation, Igor cut their throats.
 
When Igor opened the door to the cabin, it was dark inside as deep night, perhaps
because there was no lighting inside. He was familiar with this situation. 6 years ago
he had opened the prison door under the same circumstances.
 
The horrendous memories he had of the past life invaded his mind once more. He
even remembered the moment he was chasing Rihannan after she saw him with
Leticia.
 
Memories from the past...
 
"Rihannan!"
 
Back then, although Igor desperately called out to her, it seemed that she couldn't hear
anything through her ears. Igor hoped that once he grabbed her and properly explained
all of her to her, she would understand him in the end.
 
However, after desperately running after her, he saw her stumbling at the top of the
stairs. Rihannan, she leaned down as she put her hand on her forehead as if she felt
dizzy. Igor immediately pounced on her.
 
Memories of what had happened next were blurry. Although he managed to grab her
and pull her into hers, he couldn't stop her from falling. As he rolled down the stairs,
the hard stone blocks of the staircase caused great pain in her body. In the end, he hit
his head hard on the ground. Feeling the warm blood flowing down her face, he felt
the world darken around her.
 
Long after.
 
"Igor?"
 
 
Chapter 241
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
"Igor!"
 
She began to hear his mother's voice more clearly. She gradually got used to the light
and was able to look at things around her. She saw the familiar ceiling. He also saw
his mother crying with happiness, and the cheerful doctor.
 
"Igor, are you regaining your senses? Do you recognize who I am?"
 
"Mother..."
 
Hearing that Igor had spoken, his face was filled with joy. He immediately went to the
doctor.
 
"I don't think he has a problem in his head. Take a closer look at him if that's what you
think!"
 
The doctor examined Igor's entire body while he asked various questions. Igor made
sure to calmly answer all the questions correctly, even though his head was spinning.
 
In the end, the doctor gave a final report.
 
"Queen Mother, there is no need to worry. It seems her Majesty doesn't have any
serious problems!"
 
The Queen Mother almost screamed in relief. "Ahh, thank goodness. Thank
goodness!"
 
It was at that moment that she finally felt his dizziness diminish little by little. Igor
soon realized that the person he cared about the most was not in the room.
 
"...And my wife?"
 
The two who were happy up to that point immediately kept their mouths shut. Igor
began to remember what had happened before he fainted little by little. After
remembering the moment when he rolled down the stairs along with his wife, Igor
quickly lifted his body.
 
"Igor! You have to keep lying down. You must not move from ..."
 
Igor harshly pushed away his mother's hands that were trying to get him to lie down
again. After sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, Igor realized that his
head was bandaged. Not only that, but various places on his body were also wrapped
in bandages.
 
"Fortunately you didn't have any broken bones, but you suffered a major injury to
your head. We thought you wouldn't wake up again."
 
"I had asked where Rihannan is. No, is she okay? Maybe she received more serious
injuries than ...?"
 
Seeing that everyone avoided giving him an answer, Igor imagined the worst possible
situation. Maybe she had died falling down the stairs ...?
 
"Mother, Rihannan ... did she die ...?"
 
Slam!
 
At that moment, a loud knock was heard and the door opened. Agitated voices were
also heard.
 
"Move aside! If you block me, I'll cut you all off!"
 
The man who caused a commotion as he walked through the door was Basil. He
threatened the guards who were preventing him from advancing, they were all
brandishing his swords. Igor realized that the strange situation. Grand Chamberlain
Basil should have been by his side the moment he woke up. He was not being blocked
while he tried to enter.
 
"Basil, what is all this ...?"
 
"Igor!" Basil started crying when he saw Igor. Throwing his sword to the ground, he
immediately moved to Igor's side.
 
"So you're really awake. The queen actually ..."
 
"Basil!"
 
The Queen Mother intervened. You were yelling at Basil in anger.
 
"What did you try to inform someone who has just regained common sense? Don't say
such useless things and get out of here immediately!"
 
"Her Majesty Queen Mother! You cannot do this. I must tell the Majesty of her the
whole truth at once!"
 
"You dare to contradict my order? I have been too lenient with you all this time and
now you are answering me. Take him away immediately!
 
 
Chapter 242
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
Hearing the order of the queen mother, the soldiers approached Basil. But Igor gave
them an order.
 
"Back off."
 
"Igor!"
 
Igor gritted his teeth at the Queen Mother. "Have you already forgotten, mother? The
king of this nation is me!"
 
The fragile appearance of the man disappeared, he had returned to his usual state. As
the Queen Mother shuddered at her voice, Basil used the moment to pry his hands
away from the soldiers. Basil then knelt on the side of the bed and reported with tears
in his eyes.
 
"Right now, the queen is in prison."
 
Igor couldn't understand his words for a moment. Although he had covered her with
her body, she must have fallen down the stairs as well, so her body shouldn't be in
very good condition either. She should be in bed recovering from her injuries, why
would she be in prison?
 
"Prison? Why is she in that place?"
 
She "She was put in prison on suspicion of treason."
 
"Betrayal? What the hell are you saying ...?"
 
"The letters that were sent were in the queen's room. Those became the evidence
and ..."
 
Igor knew how Rihannan's cousin became the crown prince, she had exchanged letters
with Dimitri for a long time. However, the letters only contained family
conversations. Were they suspicious of the content of the letters?
 
As Igor reflected on that suspicion, he noticed that Basil was constantly looking at his
mother with contempt and hatred in her eyes. Instead, his mother pulled away
completely and she avoided looking at Basil.
 
At that moment, Igor remembered. There was a letter detailing the incident in which
his mother gave sensitive information about Arundell in exchange for instigating the
poisoning of the Chrichton royal family. Igor had threatened his mother with this
before.
 
"... Was it your fault, mother?"
 
Even as he asked with a trembling voice, he desperately hoped in his mind that he was
wrong. He was sure that his mother loved and cared for Rihannan, even though her
methods were strange. He never imagined that she could do something so terrible and
cruel to Rihannan. Furthermore, he did not expect his mother to do such a thing,
knowing that she would disrespect her own son in such a way.
 
"Please tell me. Mother, did you incriminate Rihannan for your crime?"
 
Igor wanted her to say she didn't. That she was misinterpreting something. However,
his mother kept her mouth shut.
 
"It has not been that long since the queen suffered a miscarriage. Just thinking that she
is currently trapped in a prison, I feel like my heart is breaking. But I have no power to
stop this ..."
 
Basil couldn't help crying out loud. Igor knew that he had even lost his own son. A
feeling of misery overcame him rather than sadness. Not even tears could flow from
his eyes. He had missed the life that was inside Rihannan's body. The life they had
protected so much.
 
After a long time, Igor finally opened his mouth again.
 
"... First, let's get Rihannan out of prison."
 
He first he had to get her out of prison. He planned to do that first before carefully
finding out what had happened the entire time he was unconscious and trying to solve
the problems.
 
Basil stood up immediately with joy on his face.
 
"Then I will bring the queen here, immediately ..."
 
"It's too late."
 
The person who suddenly interrupted their conversation was Leticia. She was standing
between the frames of the open door, she was wearing an even more extravagant dress
than the Queen Mother's. Before Igor could ask why she was here, Leticia spoke.
 
"That bitch is already dead. I gave her poison just now." Leticia stared at Igor's
paralyzed face and laughed. Her laugh was full of madness. "She took the poison I
offered her without a moment's hesitation. She stupidly believed the lies I made up for
her, claiming that you were going to execute her the next day. I'm sure that bitch must
have resented you until her last breath. does that make you feel? "
 
At that moment, Igor felt extreme pain in his chest for the first time, so much so that
he had to clutch his chest with his hand. He felt that his heart had stopped at that
moment, and his vision turned completely dark. He couldn't breathe at all. Leticia
asked him how he felt about it. He felt a sensation of death. If something had really
happened to Rihannan, then her life was ending right now.
 
Either her life or her soul.
 
"Basil, go to the prison first. I will catch up with you soon."
 
Hearing the order from him, Basil didn't even reply before running out the door. When
Igor got up from the bed and followed him outside, the Queen Mother approached
trying to stop him.
 
"Igor! I said you shouldn't move yet ..."
 
Igor shifted his gaze to the Queen Mother. She couldn't say another word and stepped
back out of fear. Igor's eyes shone with a terrifying and penetrating light. It looked
like the gaze of a maddened beast, ready to destroy everything in front of him.
 
"Take the Queen Mother and that woman into custody."
 
 
Chapter 243
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
"Igor!"
 
"You should be praying over and over that Rihannan is still alive. Because if she isn't,
then I'll have to tear them all to pieces!" Igor whispered softly towards the Queen
Mother, who was agitated.
 
In the end, the queen mother was unable to hold her body upright and she collapsed,
sitting on the ground. Igor didn't show any hesitation seeing that, he just continued on
his way to the prison.
 
He was trapped in the hospital bed for so long that it was difficult for him to even
move his legs properly. His entire body felt like he was creaking, and every step he
took made his forehead sweat a lot. Practically since he started walking his face was
drenched with sweat.
 
Igor just wished he wasn't too late. That Rihannan hadn't drunk the poison and that she
would wait for him. If not, that she feared death so much that she doubted. In that
case, Igor was ready to immediately kneel down and apologize for everything he had
done. For making her lose her baby because of the misunderstandings she caused of
her, and also why she was imprisoned in this way.
 
However, when he reached the prison cell, he saw Basil with tears in his eyes
clutching the corpse of a woman that he was getting cold.
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
Inside the cabin, just as he reached a door that was padlocked, the painful memories
he had from the past washed over him like a wave before he came back to reality. Igor
gritted his teeth and rammed the door with all his might.
 
Slam!
 
The interior of the room was dark without any source of light. There was also no
sound. His body unconsciously shuddered, as he felt that the current situation exactly
matched the one he had experienced in the past life.
 
In the past life, when he came to the cell, she was dark and calm. He only felt despair
and death. Basil left the room where Igor was without saying another word. After
Basil left the cell, only the two of them were left.
 
She was lying on the floor at the side of the cell. All around her were numerous
splashes of blood, as if she had spilled all of her blood.
 
When she got closer, he saw that her white clothes and her silver hair were also
soaked in blood. Beside her was a glass jar that was clearly empty. Igor realized that
during Rihannan's last moments, she writhed in pain and anguish until the very end.
He saw that her fingernails were broken and bloody, as if she had been scratching the
walls.
 
| Rihannan ... |
 
He called her name, but there was no answer. He suddenly realized that until then, he
had never really called her by her name. Repeating her name uselessly several times,
he knelt down. He screamed in anguish as he crouched down, unable to even look at
the face of the woman who had died. Her screams were filled with anguish, like a
beast.
 
The woman he loved the most and the one he loved the most in the world had died in
the most miserable way possible in the lowest part of the palace. And all this because
of her.
 
"Rihannan ..."
 
He called her by her name, this time not in the past life but in the present moment. Her
eyes moved in the dark although he couldn't visualize anything, but since he didn't get
an answer even after calling her, Igor gradually lost his confidence in himself.
 
Maybe he too had been too late this time.
 
Did he repeat the mistake he had made in this life as well? Was it foolish to bring her
back to life, only to end up making her return to the same heartache ...?
 
*Creak*
 
At that moment, she heard something crackling behind him.
 
Igor turned quickly. In the direction of the crackle a candle was burning. There was a
large pile of wood stacked to one side, and he saw that Rihannan was sitting leaning
against the wall.
 
"......"
 
Even though Igor looked at Rihannan with his own eyes, he couldn't believe it. He
imagined her lying lifeless in this room so many times that he felt as if she were
seeing a hallucination.
 
"Rihannan?"
 
Approaching her in a daze, he saw that her hands had scratches and small cuts.
Rihannan saw that she was looking at her fingers, and she shrugged.
 
"... she was just trying to break this."
 
Finally Igor realized what was happening in that corner. As she said, the corner of the
hut that was built of wood was being slightly ripped open to make an opening.
 
"I thought it might sneak out because the rotten wood on this side seemed weak
enough to knock it over ..."
 
"That man said ... that he gave you poison, and ..."
 
Hearing her words, Rihannan said "Ah" as if she remembered something and she took
out a glass jar from her clothes.
 
"I took it, but I didn't drink it. Well, I was going to drink it at first, but ..." Rihannan
let out a light sigh. "Before drinking it, I suddenly I remembered the words you said to
me. "" What is it ...? "" When you told me to believe in you this time. "
 
 
Chapter 244
 
"This time, I'll believe what you say, so could you trust me too?"
 
Before he drank the poison, Igor's voice echoed in his head. Along with the promise
he made in the past, saying that he would protect her at all costs, something he said
when they were in front of her mother's grave.
 
She did not want to experience the harrowing death again. But if she did not drink the
poison at that time, she would meet an even more gruesome death as she died by
burning alive inside the cabin. She therefore, she did her best to push away the
memory of what Igor had said, but she was unable to drink it. As if she was
hypnotized by those words.
 
"Therefore, I decided that I must find a way to escape from this place."
 
After deciding that she wanted to live no matter what happened, she wanted to try to
do something and not just sit around waiting for something to happen. After looking
around the room for a while with the chandelier in hand, she saw that one side of the
wooden wall was rotting. Once she started poking around with her fingers, the pieces
of wood crumbled more easily than she thought due to rot and moisture.
 
"I was busy smashing the wood when it suddenly became very loud outside, so I
turned off the candlelight and waited inside. If someone came into the room, I thought
I might use it as an opportunity to escape while the door was open. I didn't really think
the person who walked in would be you. But since you suddenly screamed my name,
so ... "
 
Rihannan was suddenly shocked before she could finish what she was about to say. It
was because Igor approached her and then suddenly knelt down.
 
"Igor?"
 
She took a handkerchief from her pocket and tore it in half. Then she wrapped it
around Rihannan's hand, which was bleeding from chipping off pieces of wood. She
wanted to tell him that it wasn't that bad, but since Igor had a serious expression, she
couldn't say anything. After fully wrapping half of the scarf around Rihannan's hand,
Igor put his hands on Rihannan's cheeks as she lowered her head.
 
"Haaa ..."
 
Finally, she let out a deep breath. Watching her shoulders sway, Rihannan realized the
emotions running through her mind and that she was barely holding back.
 
"...Thanks." Soon, her low voice rang out, charged with emotions. "For waiting until
he arrived this time ... And not dying ..."
 
Her words were deeply permeated with regret and regret. Rihannan realized a moment
later what she had meant by that.
 
"... Did you really go into the prison back then? After I died from drinking the poison?
To save me?"
 
Igor bit his lip as he nodded.
 
"But Leticia definitely said that you gave the order to execute me the next day ..."
 
Then Rihannan soon realized. That all that had been Leticia's lie.
 
Leticia had often put Rihannan in bad situations by lying. Leticia would say things to
her father about Rihannan to further separate the relationship from her, and she also
often kicked out servants she did not like with false statements. Even though she knew
that Leticia was making up all those lies, she had fallen for the last lie that she had
made up.
 
"...It was all a lie
 
Chapter 245
 
Tears began to flow at the edges of her eyes. She couldn't help but let out a sigh with
tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe the foolish decision she had
made in the past life.
 
"Because ... she believed in such nonsense that ..."
 
"Rihannan". Igor pulled Rihannan into his arms. As she rested her face on her chest,
Igor stroked her hair. "It wasn't your fault, it was mine."
 
"No, it all happened simply because I've been stupid. She didn't even have to force me
to drink the poison. I drank it willingly, what a fool I must have been!"
 
Her words were meant to harm herself and degrade herself. Igor couldn't sit idly by.
 
"In the first place, you were put in prison because of me. My incompetence and
stupidity was what led to your death."
 
Every one of her words was filled with pain and anguish. Silently Igor put his face on
Rihanna's shoulder. She quickly felt her shoulder wet with tears. She spoke in her
voice, full of regret and guilt.
 
"I should have told you everything before and beg you to forgive me. I'm sorry. I was
only able to do it now."
 
Rinannan couldn't understand how many things Igor regretted because she hadn't
explained everything to him. Rihannan could only assume that, just as she had caused
numerous misunderstandings and problems in her previous life, so had Igor.
 
Therefore, she couldn't blame him more.
 
 Rihannan reached out her hand and calmly stroked her hair as Igor rested her head on
her shoulder. She had understood that there were many lies and misunderstandings in
her previous life. Also, that there were very difficult truths to assimilate.
 
"... When we return to the palace, please tell me everything. Everything that happened
between us in the past life," Rihannan whispered in her ear.
 
Igor wrapped her arms around her waist. Letting out a deep sigh, he replied, "Okay. I
won't hide anything and tell you everything you ask."
 
"My Queen!"
 
It was then that a loud voice was heard from outside. Soon after, Basil rushed into the
room. His expression was filled with anxiety and fear, but once he saw them together,
he smiled widely with happiness. Then, he began to wipe away the tears that kept
coming from his eyes with her sleeve as she sobbed.
 
"I'm so glad. I had bad thoughts in my mind as I came to this place, but it seems like I
was worrying for no reason."
 
At that moment, Igor realized. That 6 years ago, the three of them were in a place very
similar to this one, but now they got a completely different result. Of course, if there
had been a small mistake, a tragedy could have happened again.
 
When everyone left the cabin, the situation outside was over. Danil had been killed by
cutting his neck with his sword. After Danil's death, his subordinates also committed
suicide. It seemed like they had planned to kill themselves the moment something
went wrong.
 
Igor entrusted the management of the corpses to Basil, and the two headed for the
palace first. As they went to the palace inside the carriage, neither of them said
anything. However, Igor held onto Rihannan's hand the entire journey until they
reached the palace. As if he could only be relaxed if there was some physical
connection between the two.
 
 
Chapter 246
 
Once they returned to the queen's palace, Mrs. Cessley welcomed Rihannan while
bursting into tears. She sobbed herself as she hugged Rihannan tightly.
 
"My Queen, I am so glad that she is safe. I am so happy. I was so worried thinking
about what might have happened to you. Oh God, what happened to your hand?"
 
Seeing that Mrs. Cessley's eyes were swollen from crying while she was waiting for
her, Rihannan felt a great sadness and her tears welled up as well. She once again
realized that she needed Mrs. Cessley by her side.
 
Mrs. Cessley immediately called the doctor to come treat Rihannan's injuries and
check on her condition. The treatment was simple and fast. The doctor removed the
wood chips, disinfected the area, and bandaged it. Mrs. Cessley was still very anxious,
but she was very relieved when the doctor told her that the mother and baby were
completely fine with no serious problems.
 
"In any case, my Queen, she must be exhausted from what happened today. She
should go in and rest for today ..."
 
"Mrs. Cessley, I actually have some things that I need to discuss with the king."
 
Rihannan looked at Igor. Igor nodded silently. Realizing that they had an important
conversation pending, Mrs. Cessley did not complain, and she stepped aside.
 
"I understand. But if you feel any discomfort in your body during the conversation,
you should rest with your baby in mind. Do you understand?"
 
Rihannan assured Mrs. Cessley that she would take care of her health many times,
only after that, she left.
 
So Igor and Rihannan sat in the queen's palace guest room. When the tea that was
brewed in front of the two of them began to cool, Igor opened his mouth.
 
"I'm not sure where to start. But I guess I should talk about Leticia first ..."
 
Rihannan supposed there was some kind of misunderstanding, but she was still afraid
that he would say something completely unexpected.
 
"I practically spread rumors about my relationship with Leticia." As Rihannan looked
at him in surprise, she quickly added. "Please don't get me wrong. I mean it was just
rumors. I never had any physical contact with Leticia. The rumors Leticia spread
about us sleeping together, she made up. Of course, I encouraged those rumors a bit. ..
"
 
Then the long story began to unfold. He explained the reason why he had allowed
those rumors to spread about her relationship with Leticia. As Rihannan could not
have children, the Queen Mother pressured him to make a child through Leticia. But
instead of doing that, Igor tried to make the Queen Mother abandon her plan by
spreading the rumor that Leticia was her lover.
 
"Why didn't you tell me that?"
 
Rihannan chided Igor with resentment in his voice. If Igor had told her the truth, then
she would not have suffered because her stepsister was having an affair with her
husband.
 
Igor lowered his head.
 
"... I also thought that you wanted that. After hearing that you wanted me to dance
with Leticia, I assumed that you agreed with my mom and that there was no need to
talk more about it."
 
"The reason I made that request was because of Leticia's status. There was no one at
that party who was willing to dance with her. It is also an old custom that if someone
has no one to dance with during their first dance, a member of the family should dance
with that person. Of course, it is true that my father was the one who gave me that
suggestion, but I never ... "
 
Rihannan couldn't continue speaking and kept her lips closed. She couldn't blame him
for not telling her the truth. At the time, due to the relationship they had, they never
spoke openly. If she had asked him first, Igor would have answered her honestly. In
the end, they were both to blame.
 
 
Chapter 247
 
But I didn't know that the Queen Mother thought that way. "
 
More than other things, she was more surprised by the fact that the queen mother
pressured him to do so. In the past life, the Queen Mother had never shown any
interest in her relationship with Igor, as far as she knew. Therefore, she had always
thought that the plans were between her stepsister and her father, but she was wrong.
 
Igor silently shook his head from side to side.
 
"Regardless, the fault is completely mine. I cannot make any kind of excuse."
 
But there was something she still couldn't understand. If Igor had an acted relationship
with Leticia, why did he leave her completely alone after falling down the stairs?
 
"Why did you decide not to see me after I lost my baby? I still wanted to see you even
after that incident and I sent a maid several times to ask you to meet me, but they
rejected her every time."
 
Igor, who was looking at Rihannan's face, slowly raised her hand and pointed to an
area on her head.
 
"Rihannan, I suffered a huge injury in this area, it even left a mark on me. Of course,
it doesn't exist now."
 
"A big wound?"
 
"It wasn't just you who fell down the stairs. I held you in my arms as we both fell
together."
 
Rihannan answered. "But I don't remember such a thing happening in ..."
 
"When I grabbed you, you had already lost consciousness."
 
Rihannan inquired into her memory about what happened back then. Just like Igor
said, she completely lost consciousness after she started feeling dizzy at the top of the
stairs. Logically, she would not remember anything that happened after losing
consciousness.
 
"At that moment, I rolled down the stairs and received a huge blow to the head. I
didn't wake up for a whole ten days. And just when I woke up ..." she let out a sigh.
Then she continued talking about the terrible memory that was etched in her mind.
"You were already incarcerated at the time. After hearing that Leticia had given you
poison, I immediately ran to you, but I was too late. You had already passed away and
there was nothing I could do."
 
"... Then why did they put me in prison?" Rihannan's eyes filled with tears. "If you
weren't the one who put me in prison for collaborating with the enemy, who did it?"
 
Igor stared into Rihannan's blue eyes that were trembling with anger. Soon, he looked
down from her sadly. Igor's eyes were completely filled with guilt. Rihannan couldn't
understand why she was showing that expression of hers when she said that she hadn't
put her in prison.
 
"Just tell me who got me into ..."
 
At that moment, Rihannan suddenly realized something. Back then, there was only
one person who had as much political power as the king. A person capable of shaping
the entire kingdom to her will while the king and queen were in dire straits.
 
"No way..."
 
Rihannan started to shake her head. She had come to a conclusion that she did not
want to accept. There was no reason for that person to do it.
 
That person had always protected her. Although many people insisted that the king get
rid of the queen and take a new wife to give birth to an heir, that person had protected
her all along. So why had that person suddenly falsely accused her to put her in
prison?
 
 
Chapter 248
 
"... It's not the person I'm thinking of, is it? I'm having the wrong idea, right?"
 
She desperately wanted Igor to tell her that she was wrong, but he just kept staring at
her. As she looked into his eyes with trembling pupils, Rihannan suddenly
remembered the letters that served her to incriminate her for helping the enemy
country.
 
The mailbox was full of letters that she saw for the first time. Among them were some
that she had received from the Crichton nobles, but there was also a letter that
appeared to have been written from the Arundell kingdom. It was also the reason that
Rihannan was easily proven to be aiding the enemy kingdom.
 
It was a high quality letter that was only produced in a specific area within Arundell.
Due to its beautiful color and wonderful accompanying aroma, it was often used
among the ladies of the palace.
 
That letter that was completely filled with numerous national secrets. Although
Rihannan had no knowledge about it, they quickly judged that she had written it.
Since the words on the letter were written in block letters, she also could not make an
excuse that it did not match her handwriting.
 
However, there was a member of the royal family who used the same type of
stationery. The Queen Mother. The letters that she had sent during this life were also
of the same type of paper.
 
Rihannan's jaw began to tremble slightly. What if those letters belonged to the Queen
Mother? What if someone had taken the letter that belonged to the Queen Mother and
put it in her mailbox without her knowing?
 
Only one person could open and look into the contents of the mailbox at that time
other than Rihannan.
 
Count Egail's wife.
 
The person the queen mother had put to work under Rihannan after she entered the
palace as queen, the woman who had worked as her Companion Lady in the past life.
 
Until this moment, she thought that the Countess did it because she was bribed or
coerced by someone, but she was wrong. She was simply carrying out the orders that
her superior had given her.
 
"Ngh ...!"
 
As she couldn't help but let out a cry of anguish, Rihannan covered her mouth with her
hands.
 
"Rihannan!" Igor got up from his seat immediately. He quickly came around the table
and grabbed her by the shoulders ...
 
"No, I have to confirm it right now." She took his hand away and cried out through
tears. "Tell me right now! Who is that person! The person who led me to my death!"
 
Igor's face twisted horribly. When Rihannan saw that she still hadn't given him an
answer, she was about to scream again in anger before Igor's lips parted and her voice
came out.
 
"The Queen Mother."
 
Seeing her pale face that looked like it was going to crumble immediately, she
couldn't bear to look at her anymore and closed her eyes.
 
"The person who framed you and put you in prison was my mother, the Queen
Mother."
 
Memories from the past...
 
"Because you did?!" After touching Rihannan's cold body, he immediately went to his
mother. He was mad at her. "It hadn't been that long since she lost her baby. You still
had no mercy and put her in prison! I'm wondering why you did that to her!"
 
After witnessing with her own eyes that her husband was being unfaithful to her, she
lost her baby in an accident. That was quite painful and shocking, an eternal wound in
her life. However, the Queen Mother ordered that this woman be put in prison. He just
couldn't believe that his own mother had carried out all those procedures.
 
"I'm asking you, why did you do it?"
 
Igor grabbed her mother's shoulders and shook her. He barely stopped her urge to
strangle him immediately.
 
 
Chapter 249
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
"You caused all of this!" The Queen Mother jerked him away as she yelled at him in
anger. "It was you who put me in that situation and blocked all possible exits around
me. Have you ever thought about how a cornered woman could bite her hunter?"
 
"...What do you mean by that?" As he muttered in a state of shock, the Queen Mother
kept lashing out at him in a terrifying manner.
 
"The doctor said that you would not be able to wake up again. And that even if you
miraculously woke up, you had suffered a great blow to the head, so it would be
difficult for you to continue with your normal life. What else could you have done in
that situation ? In that situation where everything would be ruined if you died, what
else could I have done !? "
 
If Igor had died, then the crown would have been left to Count Clovis. This wouldn't
have happened if Rihannan's son was alive, but he wasn't.
 
"Is that why you cooperated with Leticia to do all that to her?"
 
"Leticia came to me directly. She said she had your baby inside her."
 
Igor laughed. He couldn't believe it at all.
 
"My son? I've never had sex with her, not even once, so how could she have a baby
with me?"
 
"I already knew it wasn't your son. But that didn't matter. Leticia was pregnant, and
the truth is that everyone knew the rumors that you cheated on Rihannan with her."
 
Igor's eyebrows twitched. He now understood what kind of plan the Queen Mother
was making.
 
"Everyone would think that Leticia's son really is yours. Information about who is the
real father of her son does not matter. If a child was born to a woman who had an
affair with the king, then everyone would immediately assume that the seed comes
from the king. But the problem was ... "
 
"That even if the child were born, he would be an illegitimate child."
 
"That's right. Even if everyone agrees that the baby is born from your seed, they
would lose the right to succeed the throne if he were born as an illegitimate child.
Therefore, I had no choice but to do that to Rihannan ..." The Queen Mother covered
her face with trembling hands. "I had no other method to make sure Leticia became
queen as soon as possible. To do so, I had to frame Rihannan to strip her of queen
status from her."
 
"So even though you were the one who gave Chrichton national secrets, you
pretended Rihannan had. All of her to put her in prison and even force her to drink
poison."
 
At that moment, Igor's voice sounded very low and dangerous. However, the Queen
Mother still didn't realize it, as she continued to speak shaking her head.
 
"No. I didn't do the poisoning. Leticia did it without my consent when she saw you
wake up. Igor, please believe me!"
 
"Trust me, huh ..."
 
Laughter echoed throughout the room. An extremely sinister laugh, devoid of all
emotion. Then, the Queen Mother raised her head and saw what kind of expression he
had. His icy face of his had an extreme amount of hatred bubbling up inside him. It
was definitely not the expression of a son looking at his own mother. he looked like he
was looking at his enemy.
 
 
Chapter 250
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
The queen mother took a step back unconsciously.
 
"I didn't want everything to happen this way either. You know how much she loved
and cared for that girl!" She could barely speak forcibly. "If you had done what I told
you, this would not have happened. If you had not spread those rumors about your
love affair with Leticia, this would not have happened. In the end, Rihannan's death
was your fault!"
 
Had Rihannan really died because of him? He thought about the possibility for a
moment, and then he accepted it immediately. his mother was right. Rihannan had
died because of him. She had fallen down the stairs because of him, and she also
caused her to lose her baby.
 
If the baby in her womb was fine, then the situation would have been different. The
queen could have maintained her political power over others just by having the king's
son within her. However, she had lost her baby and subsequently died from it. Due to
the rumors that she had spread about Leticia, she ultimately gave her mother an
excuse to do so.
 
"Do you have any idea how much pain I felt in my heart when I ended up making that
decision? There was no one I treasured more than Rihannan. I welcomed her as if she
were my own daughter. That's why I was so kind to her all this time even though I
couldn't. conceiving. It was definitely not an easy decision to make! "
 
Her words contained some truth. The Queen Mother cared for Rihannan in her own
way. However, the Queen Mother was not someone who would miss the last chance to
maintain political power. After all, she encouraged him to pick Rihannan as queen
quickly so that she would conceive a descendant just in case something untimely
happened.
 
The Queen Mother was blind with greed. There is nothing that makes a person more
blind than wanting something that she once had in her hands, especially so much
power.
 
Since the power that she had cost him so much to obtain from her could disappear, she
put her ambition before the life of anyone else. Even if that life was hers, her own son
or her goddaughter.
 
"... I think I can begin to understand you now, mother."
 
Hearing her sudden and unexpected words, the Queen Mother felt very happy.
 
"Yes. Thank you, Igor. Thank you for understanding. Ahh, it's a shame things turned
out this way." Tears streamed down her face as she approached Igor. "But I'm glad
you at least woke up healthy. It's a shame what happened to Rihannan, but even these
things, after a long time ..."
 
She couldn't complete her sentence. She had pulled a long blade from her sheath and
stabbed the Queen Mother into her stomach in an instant. The Queen Mother looked
up with wide eyes, unable to believe what was happening.
 
"I ... Igor ..."
 
"Now I understand that I am just like you, mother."
 
Igor pulled the sword from her stomach. Blood spilled all over the ground and a
painful scream was heard. Watching the Queen Mother fall helplessly to the ground,
Igor spoke without any expression on her face.
 
"You and I are the kind of people who can never forgive anyone if what they
desperately want is taken away from them. You wanted the succession to the throne. I
wanted her. Rihannan. You took her away from me."
 
 
Chapter 251
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
Not that the Queen Mother was blind from having political power from the start. In
her days as a princess, she was bright and intelligent. However, to keep the peace
within Arundell she had to give the crown to Igor, and the fact that she could never
have the crown to herself slowly gnawed at it from inside her mind. And finally, she
drove her crazy like this.
 
Igor realized that the same madness was inside her. Once Rihannan died, everything
else lost its meaning. Even when he looked at his own hand soaked with his mother's
blood, he felt no particular emotion. He seemed as if he had become a completely
different human in just a few moments. He  now understood completely. He knew
what kind of mind the Queen Mother must have in order to murder numerous
members of the Chrichton royal family, as well as to harm Rihannan.
 
He now had the same mentality. People stopped looking like people to him. If she
needed them she wouldn't kill them, but if not, she could kill them whenever she
wanted. They died easily. So what was the problem?
 
She should have taken this simple method earlier.
 
"Your Majesty of her ..."
 
As Basil opened the door to the room and witnessed the situation, he fell to his knees.
However, he quickly got up to close the door so that no one else could look at the
body, causing Igor a little laugh. Seeing that he was laughing, Basil got even more
scared.
 
"Your Majesty of her, why ..."
 
"Clean it up". Igor stared at the Queen Mother's corpse for a moment with narrowed
eyes. "The Queen Mother had murdered numerous members of the Chrichton royal
family while she concealed it as a contagious disease. So, she blamed the queen for
secretly communicating with Chrichton. I made the swift decision to execute her for
the crimes she has committed. . "
 
Basil's entire body was trembling with fear now. He was looking at the dead body of
the Queen Mother and the King who had gone mad. There was no way he could stay
calm.
 
"I will let everyone know this truth."
 
Then Basil finally came to his senses after hearing those words.
 
"That everyone knows the truth? Who would they be?"
 
"Everyone in this world. I will tell you exactly why the Queen Mother and Queen
died."
 
Basil was shocked. "But if it does, then there will be a war!"
 
Although Arundell and Chrichton maintained a close diplomatic relationship due to
the alliance between them, there was no way that Chrichton would remain calm after
hearing that the Queen Mother of Arundell had assassinated numerous members of the
Chrichton royal family. Furthermore, the queen of Arundell's cousin had recently
become Crown Prince of Chrichton. There was no way Dimitri wouldn't act after
learning the reason for his cousin's death.
 
"We've put a lot of effort all this time to make sure the Queen Mother's actions were
covered up ... You can't say. If you do, then Arundell will fall."
 
Basil knelt on the ground and pleaded with tears in his eyes. Basil had always been by
Igor's side and observed from the beginning how much suffering he had to endure to
get to this point. Both from the Queen Mother, as well as from other nobles. Now that
he could finally act properly as king, he would ruin everything.
 
"Then let it fall." He stepped over the pool of blood that came from the Queen
Mother's body as he finished speaking. "I do not mind."
 
 
Chapter 252
 
Memories of the past continues ...
 
After that day, a bloodbath occurred in Arundell. Igor first arrested everyone who was
connected to Rihannan's death. He executed Count Clovis, who was entitled to the
succession, and hung his head on the outer wall of the castle. With Count Allesin and
Leticia, he had their bodies cut into pieces before throwing them to wild animals to
feed.
As the king went mad, killing his own mother without going through a proper trial, the
nobles who had political power began to rebel against him. However, his anger
quickly diminished.
 
This was because Chrichton's anger reached Arundell after learning that the Queen
Mother had been responsible for the deaths of many members of the Chrichton royal
family. Furthermore, after hearing how Rihannan had died, Crown Prince Dimitri
would not stand still either.
 
One day in the middle of the night, the misty shores of Arundell were suddenly filled
with naval ships from Chrichton, sparking the start of the war. For a long time, there
was nothing but people murdering each other. Murder encourages revenge, which in
turn would incite another revenge and so on.
 
The reason the slaughter stopped after almost a year was because the Toulouse Empire
began to show its ambition while Chrichton and Arundell were at war with each other.
Realizing that both sides who were in danger of being conquered by the Toulouse
Empire at this rate, they decided to stop the war.
 
Chrichton would have been able to keep his dignity if he had gained something from
Arundell's invasion. However, the Chrichton nation did not achieve anything
important in the end, they were only driven back to their homeland after completely
losing many battles.
 
After the war ended, Igor was announced as the king who had protected Arundell by
defeating the invading Crichton army. The population was too busy celebrating, while
Igor stood on mountains of bodies and blood that he had accumulated.
 
Ironically, Igor was able to find out the weaknesses of the Chrichton army through
this war. Therefore, when he waged war against Chrichton again 6 years later, he was
able to achieve a victory without the need to shed much blood from either side.
 
End of memories of the past ...
 
"So ... she was the Queen Mother."
 
A sobbing voice rang out. Igor froze while he looked at Rihannan's face,. She was not
on the ground dead as in the past life, she now she was alive in front of him, crying.
 
When he returned to the new timeline, Igor realized that Rihannan did not commit any
kind of revenge towards those who led to her own death and quietly left the nation.
For that reason, he had something of fear inside of her. How would she react to
Rihannan if she knew that she had killed and murdered numerous people without any
remorse like a psychopath?
 
She would definitely fear him or despise him completely. That would show him that
she was no different from the Queen Mother.
 
Therefore, even though Igor had told him everything that had happened in the past
life, he simply could not bring up the fact that he had brutally murdered the Queen
Mother, Count Clovis, and his family. She was already very shocked, there was no
need for her to hear that.
 
"And she ... put me in pri ..."
 
Tears ran down Rihannan's cheeks. Igor slowly reached out his hand. Just when he
was about to wipe the tear from Rihannan's cheek, because she couldn't use her hands
right now, the doors to the room suddenly flung open.
 
 
Chapter 253
 
"Rihannan!"
 
The person who opened the door and entered was the Queen Mother. Igor, surprised
by her sudden entrance, tried to get her out of the room in a hurry. He saw an
embarrassed Mrs. Cessley standing behind the Queen Mother. Mrs. Cessley shook her
head.
 
"I tried to stop her but she was so stubborn that ..."
 
The Queen Mother immediately walked over to Rihannan, who was sitting in the
chair. Rihannan's face turned completely pale when she looked at the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother had no idea that Rihannan's latent anger. When the Queen Mother
reached out her hand to Rihannan.
 
"I've heard the news that you were kidnapped on the way to the seasonal palace. My
God, your face ... Are you okay, my daughter?"
 
However, before her hand reached Rihanann, Igor stepped in and stopped her. Igor
rushed to speak as he blocked Rihanann from the Queen Mother's view.
 
"We'll talk later. For now, please go."
 
"Step aside. I have to personally check if Rihannan and the baby are safe."
 
"Mother!" Igor grunted.
 
"Because you did?" That voice came from the mouth of someone who was behind
Igor. Rihannan slowly rose from her chair. As her tear-filled eyes lit with fire, a
scream of anger came from her mouth. "Why did you do that to me? What did I do to
you !?"
 
Igor hugged Rihannan as she approached the Queen Mother. She tried with all her
might to push him away from her, but she was of no use against the strong hold of her
arms.
 
Seeing Rihannan's expression, the Queen Mother could do nothing but show a
shocked expression. She couldn't understand the current situation.
 
"Rihannan, what are you saying? What have I done to ...?"
 
"Since I had lost my own mother, you said that you would be my mother from now
on. I believed those words completely. I did not doubt you for even a second!
However, you crushed me under your foot, do you feel any kind of remorse? Or guilt
for what you've done? What did I mean to you? "
 
Igor turned Rihannan's head and shoved it deep into her chest. Then he seriously
pleaded with the Queen Mother.
 
"Please leave the room for now. Mother please!"
 
The Queen Mother kept her lips closed upon hearing her words. Seeing that Rihannan
was in a deep state of panic, she realized that she was in no position to stubbornly stay
to watch her.
 
Once the Queen Mother left the room, Rihannan felt her strength slowly leave her
body. As she buried her face in her chest, she sobbed lamentably.
 
"Did my past life have any meaning?"
 
Those words stabbed deep into Igor's heart.
 
Igor wished he could tell her that she was the most important thing in his life, more
than anything else in the world. But it wasn't something a man who had practically
ignored her to the point of causing her death should tell her. Furthermore, he also
didn't think that would help much right now.
 
"So now I confirm once again that my life was meaningless ..."
 
Rihannan's voice began to slowly fade. Her eyes closed, and soon her body began to
collapse.
 
"Rihannan?"
 
Her forehead was drenched in cold sweat. Her face was pale as if no blood flowed
through her veins. She looked like she was going to die at any moment. Igor yelled out
loud as he held Rihannan's body.
 
"Call a doctor. Immediately!"
 
 
Chapter 254
 
Rihanann's face looked pale as a white sheet while in bed. When the doctor finished
examining her condition a second time, she turned to Igor and said, "Anyway, the
queen and the child inside her stomach are safe. You won't have to worry too much
about them."
 
Igor breathed the great sigh of relief that he had been enduring for a while. However,
he still seemed nervous as he waited for the doctor to continue his sentence.
 
"However, you must let the queen rest undisturbed from now on, whatever happens."
 
"Will she be alright if she just rests?"
 
"Yes. You shouldn't give the queen more mental shocks than she has had so far. Of
course, she should rest her body as well."
 
Finishing the examination of her, the doctor left the room. Igor, Basil, and Mrs.
Cessley moved into the adjacent room, where they took some seats. Everyone was
deadly silent for a while. Basil and Mrs. Cessley silently watched Igor's expression
without saying anything.
 
You couldn't predict what Igor was thinking just by looking at his expression. In the
end, Mrs. Cessley couldn't take it anymore and she lightly kicked Basil's foot with
hers. Just when Basil was about to clear his throat to speak, Igor did it first.
 
"Danil Lyurik. How did you dispose of her body?"
 
Basil was really excited to hear that question rather than anything else. If it was work,
he would happily talk about it as much as he could.
 
"We have taken her body for now. It seems that all the subordinates she brought with
her have taken their own lives. We tried to save at least one of them, but it was not
possible. It seems they had planned this situation as well."
 
"... And the Crown Prince will pretend he doesn't know anything about it."
 
It was obvious knowing that all of them decided to kill themselves. As everything
went wrong, they closed their mouths, dying immediately. Even if Igor were to
retaliate strongly against Chrichton for this assassination attempt, Chrichton would
only claim that it was Danil Lurik's idea and that they were not related to the incident.
 
"But we cannot let this go. No matter what happens, we must obtain adequate
compensation for his attempted assassination of the queen!"
 
Hearing Mrs. Cessley's fiery statement, Basil lowered his head. As the Crown Prince
of Chrichton would not admit to the assassination attempt, the only way to receive
adequate compensation would be through war.
 
The war was not a trivial thing. It was a decision that was only made when he was
willing to sacrifice many lives to carry it out. The fact that they were victorious in the
first war with almost no harm being done to either side could only be considered a
miracle. Also, this time it would be different because the queen was a descendant of
Chrichton. Taking revenge on her for what was done to her could put her in an even
more unfortunate position.
 
"We will make sure they pay adequate compensation."
 
A moment later, hearing Igor's low, grumpy voice come out of his mouth, Basil was
filled with fear. He thought Igor had lost his temper because of what he had happened
to the queen.
 
"Your Majesty of her, war is not such a trivial thing ..."
 
"That man will definitely pay adequate compensation for what he has done. And it
will be how I want him to do it."
 
Basil realized what Igor wanted to say. Igor didn't exactly want war. Basil didn't know
exactly what he wanted, but he knew that Igor had a plan.
 
"I understand."
 
 
Chapter 255
 
"Follow the proper procedures to deal with the matter. There is no need to go out and
attack them just because they won't admit their guilt."
 
"Of course."
 
"Make sure the trials of Count Clovis and Leticia proceed quickly as well. There is no
need to delay any further."
 
"Understood."
 
"And for a while, I'll take care of Rihannan directly myself."
 
Mrs. Cessly's eyes widened in surprise at Igor's words. "Take care of her? Does the
Majesty say of her that she will take care of the queen yourself?"
 
"He will not only take care of her until she recovers, but I will be by her side and take
care of all her needs. So Basil, you have to take care of everything in my place for a
while. Defer any important matter as long as you can, unless make it an emergency. "
 
Basil also looked at Igor with a surprised expression before bowing his head. "I
understand."
 
"But the Majesty of her ..." Mrs. Cessly looked at Igor with some concern on her face.
"I understand her concerns, but at this rate I'm afraid it may harm her own health as
well, her Majesty. If it's because I've stopped liking her ..."
 
"I'm definitely not doing this because I have a problem with you, Ma'am."
 
Igor put a bitter smile on his face. "There was a time in the past when Rihannan
suffered more suffering than in her entire life, and I was not by her side to care for her.
If things take an unfortunate turn ... then a problem can occur as a result, if you
understand what I mean."
 
Although the doctor said there would be no serious problems as long as she rested
well, she Rihannan never had a day where she felt absolutely relaxed and comfortable
after learning of her pregnancy in the past life. The memory of having lost her son in
the previous life kept popping up in her head. She disturbed him more and more,
because everything that had happened in the previous life happened again in a similar
way.
 
She had no power to stop Rihannan from losing her baby again in this life due to her
stress. However, this time she knew that she would be able to stay by her side. If the
unfortunate event occurred, she would be by her side to share in mourning instead of
letting her suffer the sadness and pain of her own.
 
Mrs. Cessly bowed deeply to Igor. "Yes, her Majesty. I will follow her wishes."
 
After saying goodbye to the two, Igor went to the room where Rihannan was. She
looked at his sleeping face while she was lying on the bed. It seemed to him that she
would sink deeper into the bed until she was completely gone. Her pale white face, as
well as the silver hair that flowed all over the bed, helped create that illusion.
 
Igor spent a lot of time with Rihannan that day. Time passed deep into the night, and
moonlight flooded the dark room for the two of them.
 
As Igor watched Rihannan, lying still on the bed with hardly any movement and with
the lightest of her breaths, he wished for a moment that this quiet moment would last
forever. If Rihannan lost her baby again, her relationship would completely fall apart.
Although Igor wished he could act shamelessly and keep her to himself even if he lost
her baby, he had no reason or right to do so.
 
Rihannan wished to leave the country together with the baby after learning that Igor
also returned to the past, and even she had passed out from shock after hearing the full
truth of past life events. Could Rihannan's heart be healed?
 
"Mmmh ..."
 
At that moment, a small moan escaped her lips. She slowly opened her eyes as Igor
hurried over to the bed and leaned over.
 
"Rihannan, are you coming to your senses?"
 
Half-awake eyes turned to him. After staring at him for a moment, a sudden shock and
horror washed over Rihannan's face.
 
"Do not!"
 
Rihannan tried to get up and escape from Igor, in a half delusional state.
 
Chapter 256
 
"Rihannan?"
 
"Do not!"
 
Igor pulled Rihannan by the shoulders into his embrace. However, she was still
completely filled with fear in her heart.
 
"So much ... so much blood ..."
 
"Blood? No blood, you just passed out and lost consciousness."
 
Rihnannan shook her head fiercely. "No! I definitely saw it! I definitely saw the blood
flowing between my legs after falling to the ground ..."
 
Only then did Igor realize that she was mistaking reality for some dream. Igor bit his
lip for a moment, then took Rihannan's hand and placed it on her stomach.
 
"Feel it yourself. Your baby is still safe inside."
 
Rihannan started rubbing her belly with Igor's hand on top of her. Seeing that she
began to calm down a bit, Igor spoke: "However, the doctor has specified that you
should still be careful. You better spend your days in bed for a while."
 
Rihannan stared at Igor for a while, when suddenly hot tears began to roll down her
cheeks.
 
"This was all my fault."
 
"It wasn't your fault that you fell down the stairs, but rather my recklessness. I should
have made sure Mom couldn't enter the room earlier ... I had another oversight."
 
"No, that's not the problem." Rihannan sobbed a lot. "Actually, I keep thinking that I
don't need this baby. Since I can't take this baby with me, nor take care of him as he
grows up, I shouldn't develop any attachments. I tried not to feel attached to this baby
all the time while thinking about that Even thinking of it as a positive thing, I kept
thinking of getting rid of the baby while it's still in an early stage. That's why ... "
 
Igor's eyes immediately darkened. The fear and misfortune that she has been feeling
all this time came from Igor himself. Because she told him to leave the baby before
going to Chrichton. Rihannan kept crying while she was still in bed. Igor was about to
tell her not to cry anymore because it would not be good for the child, but she stopped.
He felt that she would blame herself even more if she said that to him.
 
"Rihannan ..."
 
Igor carefully extended his hand. He thought she would refuse, but Rihannan grabbed
her hand quickly. She screamed as she desperately grabbed Igor's hand.
 
"I'm so scared. That I may lose my baby than then."
 
"That will never happen. The doctor said she will be fine too."
 
Igor wiped away the tears that were running down her cheeks.
 
"Blood flowed incessantly in my dream, but there was nothing I could do, so I tried to
look for you. While hating and cursing you for not coming, I woke up from the dream.
Not even knowing that you also suffered a lot during that time that you could not see
me."
 
"This time, I will be by your side always. I will never leave you alone, so don't worry
and go to sleep."
 
Rihannan nodded slowly. Her blue eyes, wet with tears, gazed at him silently for a
moment. Slowly, Rihanann's eyes closed. Soon after, realizing that she had fallen
asleep completely, Igor tried to carefully release her hand. He tried to keep her
sleeping in a more comfortable position, but even while she was completely asleep,
Rihannan was holding her hand firmly.
 
Igor stopped trying to release her hand and laid her own body on the bed. He turned
her face to look at hers as he listened to her rhythmic breathing. Then he closed his
eyes and thought. 'What would I need to do for her from now on?'
 
Chapter 257
 
She kept having the same dream repeatedly.
 
Before she only dreamed of falling down the stairs, but now she kept dreaming of
being at the bottom of the stairs looking at the blood that flowed between her legs.
Every time she saw this happen, she knew that the baby within her was probably
dying and she did her best to try to stop it, but as a mere human she could do nothing.
 
"Igor!"
 
In this situation, she reached out her hand. She felt that if Igor grabbed her right now,
the pain and suffering she felt could somehow be mitigated. Yet she knew. Igor won't
be by her side. Although she kept looking for him after falling down the stairs, he
didn't even show her face once. He didn't even mention the reason why he couldn't see
her.
 
His desire for her soon turned to despair. Just when she was about to lower her hand
weakly, someone pulled her hand out with great force.
 
"Rihannan."
 
When she opened her eyes, she had her face facing her. As she wandered between the
limits of dream and reality for a moment, Igor held her deeply in hers arms. A gentle
hand stroked her messy hair from hers.
 
"You were having a dream again. You and your baby are fine, so don't worry."
 
"Sleep..."
 
"Yes. A bad dream. A dream from the past gone. So there's no way it will happen to
you again."
 
Then Rihannan remembered the words she said in the past life. That she would always
be by her side and would never leave her. She also quickly realized that these kinds of
situations had been repeated several times. However, this time Igor was always by her
side when she was in pain and confusion. She constantly whispered in his ear that she
was dreaming and that everything was fine.
 
A week full of days like those continued. Every day she was next to her in her bed,
and he held her in her arms every time she had a nightmare to tell her that everything
was going to be okay. Also, she personally cooked meals for him. After a while, the
doctor saw that Igor wouldn't even let her get out of bed and told her that she didn't
need to exaggerate so much, but she immediately kept her mouth shut at Igor's deadly
gaze. In a way, it seemed like Igor was very happy to take care of Rihannan
personally.
 
As time passed, Rihannan began to stabilize again. She didn't have any more
nightmares, either. She had assumed that her current life was different from her past
life. The baby she carried within her was growing healthy, and Igor never left her,
taking care of her every day. As if she regretted what she had done in the past and
tried to make up for it.
 
One day, after a light nap, Rihannan saw that Igor was still taking care of her by the
bedside. As she stroked the back of Rihannan's hand with her thumb, and she looked
away, toward the window. When her gaze shifted to where Igor was looking, she saw
heavy rain falling, fogging up the windows.
 
She wondered what she was thinking as her eyes were cloudy like the weather. She
seemed like she was in a completely different place, at a different time. He had such a
blank stare that it was difficult for her to speak.
 
"Did you wake up?"
 
Soon after, Igor realized that she was awake and turned to her. Her distant expression
and her gaze disappeared, replaced by a smile on her face.
 
"You're hungry, aren't you? I'll ask for food to be brought to you right away."
 
Chapter 258
 
In the last week that Igor was protecting Rihannan, she had been eating well and
sleeping well. Thanks to that, her face improved and even her weight increased a bit
as well. On the other hand, it was obvious how Igor was shedding his obligations from
her. Seeing that he was always awake when she opened her eyes, she was sure that
Igor had not slept well for a long time.
 
"I don't want to eat anything right now ... More than that, is it okay for you to be here
like this?"
 
Igor tilted his head in confusion upon hearing Rihannan's question.
 
"What do you mean by that?"
 
"I ask you if it is alright for you to stay in this place so long without taking care of the
nation's problems."
 
Hearing her concerns, he laughed lightly.
 
"Rihannan, all this time I have tried very hard to ensure that nothing gets out of
control in case something sudden happens to me. After all, I did not want the past life
to repeat itself. No problem will occur even if I do not deal with things for a while. "
 
"What will happen when something happens to you?"
 
"First, it is divided into two circumstances, whether you still have your baby or not."
Igor lowered his gaze as he continued to explain, "If we hadn't had a child and you
wanted to leave this country immediately, you could. Whether it was Chrichton or
elsewhere, Basil would take you."
 
"What if I have my son?"
 
"If you have your son, the moment I cannot make any more decisions for the nation,
you will become the highest authority in the kingdom immediately. I have written a
will so that my mother cannot lay her hand on you, and that's it. A list of nobles has
been established who will help you. Besides, since Basil has helped me all this time,
he will also help you in the future. He is the most talented person, as well as the most
trustworthy. "
 
In the past life, the moment Igor lost consciousness, all the political power of the
nation was in the hands of the Queen Mother. Therefore, Rihannan was unable to do
anything against the Queen Mother's plan to frame her. She seemed like she had made
this preparation for that fact.
 
"...I see." Rihannan didn't think she'd done the prep just up to that point. She realized
that Igor was thinking about the future far beyond what she could foresee. "... Did the
Queen Mother say something about me?"
 
Rihannan had yelled at her about many things although the Queen Mother definitely
did not remember anything of what had happened in the previous life. Certainly the
Queen Mother would have been confused by what Rihannan had said. She even she
might be thinking that Rihannan had gone crazy.
 
"It seems like she just thinks you lost your senses for a moment due to the shock the
kidnapping gave you. Since she thinks you only said those things while you were
completely confused and upset, you won't have to worry too much about it."
 
Rihannan had finally understood why Igor was so angry when he learned that she had
gone to the seasonal palace without telling him. Knowing everything that had
happened in the previous life, he must have wanted to prevent Rihannan from getting
close to the Queen Mother.
 
"And what will happen now with Leticia?"
 
Igor's expression immediately turned grim. Seeing how she was silent, Rihannan
spoke to Igor again.
 
"Okay, just tell me. I need to know about this anyway."
 
"While you regained your strength, the trial continued."
 
Igor found it difficult to open his mouth again to continue speaking.
 
"For the two murders he had committed, as well as for two assassination attempts
against you, he has been sentenced to death. If Count Clovis had not given his
testimony, the process would have taken longer. There was also enough evidence
thanks to her having been caught on the spot, and therefore the trial was quickly
ended. She will soon be executed by beheading. "
 
Chapter 259
 
Since Rihannan had predicted that part of this would occur, she was not so surprised
by the news. After pondering for a moment, she spoke.
 
"I wish to meet Leticia personally."
 
"That is not possible."
 
Her expression quickly changed to one of fear. Perhaps because of what she saw she
happen to Rihannan when she met the Queen Mother, she came to the conclusion that
she would not let Rihannan see Leticia, no matter the circumstances.
 
"I have something to say to Leticia directly."
 
"Do you know what that woman did to you in your last moments?"
 
She spoke herself while she clenched her teeth.
 
"She gave you the poison that causes the most painful death of all. To ensure that you
would die as soon as possible."
 
The excruciating pain she suffered after drinking the poison flashed through
Rihannan's mind and made her completely pale immediately. She had already guessed
something after looking at the poison Danil had given her, but now she had confirmed
it again. Leticia had truly hated every fiber of her being until the last moment.
 
"But I still need to see her."
 
"Rihannan!"
 
"This time, I won't do things like pass out. My body has healed, and more than
anything, Leticia will never dare to hurt me in this state." Rihannan smiled a little. It
was a smile she hadn't seen in a long time. "I've never once asked you for a favor,
have I? I wish you would grant me this favor, thinking it's the first and the last."
 
***
 
Inside the prison it was exactly as Rihannan remembered it. Dark, damp and cold. A
place where she puts people that the world has thrown away.
 
In that place, Rihannan flinched for a moment at the memory of her past life, but she
soon regained her composure. She would no longer be consumed by the nightmares of
her past life. After all, what she had experienced here, theoretically, never happened.
 
Leticia was curled up, sitting in a corner of a dark room. She had her face buried in
her knees when she heard the sounds outside, and she quickly turned her head to
Rihannan. As soon as she recognized that it was Rihannan, her red eyes flared.
 
"...Your!" Leticia ran immediately and clung to the iron bars. She reached up between
the bars and waved her hand, reaching for it. "It was you, right? You did this to me,
right? You're the one who ..."
 
The red hair that everyone praised for her immaculate beauty was now messy, and her
mesmerizing face was wrinkled like a demon. Rihannan stared at Leticia in that state.
She thought that once she saw Leticia she would be scared like the last time or be
angry with her, but contrary to her assumption, she did not feel any emotion towards
Leticia. She simply found it ironic that the position between them had completely
changed between her current life and her past life.
 
"Look at me now. This is all your fault ..."
 
"It's not my fault, Leticia. What you've done makes you deserve all this."
 
Hearing Rihannan's calm retort, Leticia's eyes tightened with bloodshot veins.
 
"Shut up! If you hadn't kicked me out in the first place ..."
 
"In the past, I had accepted you once. You probably don't remember that though."
 
"You accepted me? What do you mean by 'you accepted me'? The first day I went to
that house, you kicked me out!"
 
"No. At first, I definitely accepted you and took you in. Of course, it wasn't really
what I wanted, but since you were my sister, I thought I should treat you with
kindness."
 
"What kind of crazy are you saying right now?"
 
"Leticia, six years ago you killed me in this prison. After drinking the poison you gave
me."
 
 
Chapter 260
 
Leticia's lips closed at that moment. Looking at Rihannan with a stunned expression,
Leticia soon let out a loud laugh. "You have gone crazy! You say you died after
drinking the poison I gave you? What are you saying right now?"
 
"When I drank the poison you gave me and died, I woke up again when I was twelve
years old. I came back the same day you first came to my residence."
 
"You've been making up a crazy story for a long time. Just tell me the truth. That you
came here to laugh at the terrible state I've fallen into!"
 
"Believe me or not, that doesn't matter. I just wanted to tell you this. That you had
only one chance to change your life in the past." Rihannan's expression turned grim.
"Even in the past life, you were greedy with everything I had, and you wanted to
replace me as the queen, taking my husband for you. When things didn't go your way,
in the end you gave me the poison. In this life, definitely you had the opportunity to
change to be much better than you were in the past life. But you wasted the
opportunity, and that is why now you are trapped inside a cell awaiting your death. "
 
"Does the king know that you have gone completely insane too? Hahaha, oh how I
wish I could be present to observe his reaction!"
 
Rihannan did not respond to her comment, and simply stared at Leticia. Just when
Leticia was about to yell at Rihannan again, from the corner of darkness a human
figure began to move towards the light. As soon as she got to where the light could
illuminate him, Leticia immediately calmed down.
 
"Your Majesty of her ..." Leticia remembered the moments when she had seen him for
the last time, and immediately she walked away from the iron bars. Even though she
was trembling with fear, she Leticia used the last of her strength to scream. "Have you
heard her? The crazy speech that just came out of her mouth? She said that she had
died and come back to life, what do you think of that? Did you already know that she
was crazy?"
 
Leticia thought that since Igor must have heard all the madness Rihannan had just
said, she would show some kind of response to that. She definitely imagined that Igor
would put on an expression that looked like he was looking at a crazy person, just like
she did. However, instead of the expression intended by Leticia, he simply looked at
Leticia with her cold purple eyes.
 
"Haven't you heard her? That woman is completely insane! She said she died and
came back to life!"
 
Instead of being scared off by the madness the queen was saying, the king sided with
the queen. He then he approached Rihannan pulling her with an arm around her
shoulder. No matter how she looks at herself, she seemed to be protecting the queen.
 
Then Leticia realized that something was wrong. No way, do you really believe all
those things that she said? How could she believe such nonsense ...?
 
But then she, she suddenly she remembered what Igor had told her in the past. The
words that even after hearing them herself, she couldn't believe.
 
| You really haven't changed anything. |
 
| You are still vile and disgusting. Your tendency to always covet the belongings of
others and to blame others has not changed at all. If I had known what you would do 6
years ago, I would have killed you back then.
 
 
Chapter 261
 
"6 years ago..."
 
Leticia muttered to herself with a trembling voice. he definitely had said it. He said
that he would have killed her 6 years ago.
 
That led to two possible outcomes. Either they're both crazy, or they're really telling
the truth.
 
Leticia felt her strength completely leave her body as she collapsed on the ground.
While Leticia was still full of confusion in her mind, Rihannan walked over.
 
"If there is a difference between you and us, then it would be the fact that we still
retain our memories of the past life."
 
Leticia bit her lip and raised her head violently. Tears welled up in her eyes. "So that's
unfair. If everything you say is true, of course both of them would have many more
advantages since they retain their memories."
 
"If you had your memories of the past life, then would you have changed? Would you
have lived differently?"
 
"Of course, he would have acted completely differently if he knew everything from
the past life!"
 
"Leticia, what do you think you would do if you kept your memory and went back to
the past?"
 
"Well of course ..."
 
"Get rid of everything that would be an obstacle to you. Be it a human or whatever,
you would have completely gotten rid of everything that stood in your way."
Rihannan smiled bitterly. "And what difference would it make to this life?"
 
Leticia realized that Rihannan was right. Even if she went back to the past while
retaining all the memories of her, she would definitely have lived a similar life. She
knew this better than anyone.
 
"If you knew what would happen in the future, you would have killed my father and
me much earlier. However, even if you did, the end result would not have changed
much. You have not changed yourself, so there would be no difference. to live again. "
 
"Who are you to chatter like you understand everything!" Leticia screamed loudly as
she cried. Even though Rihannan plays smart, she was born to a respectable noble
family in the first place, and she enjoyed double the luxury of becoming queen. On the
other hand, how was her life? Since she was born, she went through hell, being
accused at all times of being an illegitimate daughter. All for that woman's mother!
"You never experienced contempt from anyone in your life. You never felt what it's
like to live being poor! Do you even understand what it's like to lead a life with a
father who has gone crazy over gambling?"
 
"So is that why you killed our father with poison?"
 
"It's true, I killed him! Because there was no other way!"
 
"No, Leticia. There were definitely other ways. Not everyone tries to get through a
crisis by murdering the problem person. You just didn't bother trying to find a
different way to solve the problem. You just made an unconvincing excuse."
 
Rihannan continued to brutally reprimand Leticia with her cold voice.
 
"It's also silly that you're resentful of me just because I kicked you out. You ruined
your own life yourself. But you will probably never admit it. Yes, I understand that
everything I'm saying to you right now doesn't make any sense to you." Looking at
Leticia for a moment, Rihannan said, "Tomorrow, you will be sentenced to death by
beheading."
 
Leticia's face, full of malice, disappeared completely in a moment, and her face turned
deathly pale.
 
"Decapitation?"
 
"I heard that the evidence for your attempts to assassinate me is so clear that the guilty
verdict was quickly rendered."
 
Leticia looked at Rihannan with a look of fear in her eyes. It seems that no one can
hide her fears upon hearing that her death is coming.
 
"I will give you the opportunity to make a choice."
 
When Igor who was standing next to Rihannan heard her words, he frowned and bit
his mouth. In reality, he still didn't like the decision she had made.
 
Chapter 262
 
Rihannan took a glass jar out of her pocket. It was the same vial that Danil had given
him.
 
"But you are still my sister after all. Even if you hate me to an extreme extent, I don't
want to end all of this in a bad way. Therefore, I wish to extend my condolences to
you at this last moment, for my own good and for the baby I am carrying. in my belly.
"
 
Leticia's gaze went to Rihannan's belly. Seeing that she caressed her own belly with
care and kindness, the fire lit up again within Leticia's eyes.
 
"Did you get pregnant?"
 
"That's right. I lost it because of you in the past life, but this time they are growing up
healthy."
 
"......"
 
"In the past life, you gave me a poison that caused me excruciating pain before I died.
However, I do not wish to do the same to you. This is a different poison than you gave
me in the past life. I cannot say that you will not feel any pain, but it would be better
to have your neck cut off. "
 
"Why do you say you will be understanding with me? According to you, I have done
very cruel things to you in the past life."
 
"... Do you know what I told you when you gave me the poison back then?"
 
"How could I know!"
 
"I said I was grateful."
 
Leticia's eyes widened in shock. "...That?"
 
"I was grateful to you, because I was able to die alone in this place and not executed in
front of many people the next day. Of course, you probably didn't mean it that way,
but in any case, you gave me the option to choose, and I thanked you. honestly for
giving it to me. I also think you didn't want me to die and for a lot of people to see the
show. "
 
Rihannan opened her hand to show him her glass jar.
 
"The choice is completely yours. Now what will you do?"
 
Leticia's eyes, full of anger, suddenly became calm and cold. Soon, a deep bitterness
washed over her face.
 
"Thank you sister." Leticia stood up slowly. She wiped away her tears and walked
over to Rihannan. "Thank you very much. Offer me this compassion when I have
done something so cruel to you. Even if I die, I will never forget the kindness you
have shown me."
 
Leticia spread her two hands between the iron bars. Rihannan walked over to give her
the vial of poison. Igor watched cautiously as she did so. So when Leticia grabbed the
vial of poison with one hand, she slammed it hard against the iron bars of her cell. At
the same time, she grabbed Rihannan by the neck with her other hand.
 
Crash!
 
When the poison vial shattered, shards of glass and splashes of liquid fell to the
ground. However, the larger piece of glass was still held tightly in Leticia's hand.
 
"Go dead!"
 
Just when the blood-soaked piece of glass was about to stab into Rihannan's neck, her
body was quickly pulled back.
 
"Rihannan!"
 
Igor pulled Rihannan out of Leticia's arms. Falling into her embrace, he first checked
Rihannan's neck. Seeing that there were no injuries, Igor breathed a sigh of relief. If he
hadn't acted at the time, the sharp piece of glass would have made a fatal wound to
Rihannan's neck.
 
Her eyes filled with anger immediately turned to Leticia.
 
Chapter 263
 
"Your..."
 
Igor gritted his teeth as he drew his sword. Before coming, when Rihannan said that
she wanted to give Leticia poison, Igor completely objected. Perhaps he would have
had another opinion if it was the same poison that Rihannan had taken in the past life,
but since Rihannan wanted to give Leticia the option of a peaceful death, Igor was
totally against it.
 
However, the person who had the right to choose Leticia's last moments was
Rihannan. If Rihannan wanted that, then there was no one who could stop her.
Therefore, Rihannan offered her solidarity to Leticia until the last moment, but Leticia
still kept betraying her kindness. Now, Igor couldn't forgive this woman.
 
"If you wish to die, then I will kill you right here. Like I did back then."
 
He had thought of killing her as he had in the past life. To begin with, he would cut
off her fingers and ears. Then he would continue with her limbs until he made her feel
as much pain as possible before her death. She would end up begging for her head to
be decapitated at once.
 
"Open the door!"
 
Hearing Igor's order, a prison officer waiting outside immediately rushed in. Just as he
was about to put the key to the cell lock, Rihannan stopped him by getting in his way.
 
"Step aside, Rihannan."
 
Igor warned Rihannan with a rare expression of coldness towards her.
 
Rihannan shook his head at her.
 
"Enough. You don't need to get your hands dirty."
 
"Rihannan!"
 
"Since Leticia has denied my suggestion, all that remains is for her to be executed
tomorrow. In the end, that would be an even more humiliating disgrace for her."
 
Finally, Igor backed away from the door although he still resented Leticia. Rihannan
turned once more to Leticia. Realizing that everything she tried had failed, she began
to cry. Rihannan didn't particularly bother to understand the reasoning behind Leticia's
tears. She finally realized that she didn't need to do that.
 
"Am I telling you a fact that you didn't know, since everything is going to end for
you?"
 
"A fact that I didn't know?"
 
"My mother never seduced a man who had a woman as a partner."
 
"That?"
 
"My father met my mother for the first time at a dance. As a member of the royal
family of the neighboring country, he met a woman from a noble family who had an
intimate relationship with the Queen Mother, who had the greatest power. about the
country at the time. What do you think Dad must have thought when he met her? "
 
"What are you trying to say...?"
 
"That man concealed the fact that he had a woman whom he had promised a future by
his side and seduced another woman with his sweet words. Due to her naivety, my
mother fell for his lies. When she found out that he had a fiancee, he already had me
in his womb. Mom thought that Dad would cancel the engagement he had with your
mother, so she married him. On the other hand, if he didn't, I would have been born an
illegitimate daughter. "
 
"M ... lies!"
 
"But even after they got married, Dad kept meeting your mother. When my mother
learned that your mother had a baby in her womb, my mother tried to make your
mother go away by bribing her with money. My father resented my mother for what
he had done. "
 
"What kind of crazy are you saying right now ?!"
 
"I didn't know about this fact in the past life either. After all, Mom never talked about
this when she was alive. She was probably worried that I might feel hurt by what had
happened. I was finally able to know the details after I was at Chrichton. Dad had only
told lies. "
 
"There is no way. There is no way that he lied."
 
"Leticia, you know that, right? What kind of person was our father?
 
Chapter 264
 
A tear fell to the ground from Leticia's chin. Looking at Leticia, she felt capable of
saying anything, so her Rihannan spoke coldly. "Tomorrow, your execution will
proceed as planned."
 
"Sorry Rihannan!" Leticia quickly grabbed the iron bars and pleaded. "I was wrong.
So please save me. I was just jealous."
 
She screamed as she shed tears of despair.
 
"Seeing you standing at the top of the stairs of a large mansion with numerous
servants and servants made you look beautiful like a princess. But how you had coldly
kicked me out when you had all that ..."
 
"You took everything I had in the past life. Beautiful dresses and jewelry, you even
took over my father's love. But what did you do to me afterwards?"
 
"But you said that in the end you became the queen in that past life! It's something I
can't have even if I try my best. If I had been born in your position ..."
 
"Then you would have been jealous of someone else who was in a better position than
you. You would continue to hate and be jealous of someone who is better than you.
Am I wrong?"
 
Seeing Leticia lose her last strength to make a reply, Rihannan coldly scolded her.
 
"My Company Lady once told me this. That in the world, there are always people
equal to poisonous plants. Even if poisonous plants grow in fresh, fertile soil, they are
still poisonous and will never change their essence. That's right, now I understand that
there are some people who can never change their essence no matter what happens.
I'm sure you are one of those people. " Rihannan paused for a moment and fell silent
before speaking again. "You, who are like a poisonous plant, have ended up ruining
yourself in the end."
 
Leticia's hands, which were clinging to the iron bars, slowly lowered as she lost her
strength. Rihannan pulled away completely. The king escorted Rihannan out with her
hand on her back, not even giving Leticia a glance as they both left.
 
After they left, everything went dark as if all the lights had gone out. Confined alone
in absolute darkness, Leticia sat on the ground.
 
Her hot tears fell to the ground. As she cried aloud, Leticia remembered a moment
from her youth.
 
Her mother always said this to Leticia when she was a child.
 
| Your father is a person of very high status. Right now maybe we are living very
apart, but one day he will come to be with us.
 
After her mother died and was left alone in an orphanage, she kept the medallion
necklace. That necklace had been given by her father to her mother as a token of her
love. She knew that the locket meant that eventually her father would come to pick her
up.
 
The children of the orphanage were very jealous of Leticia for that. An astonishing
beauty from an early age, a medallion necklace that seemed extremely expensive at
first glance, and her claim that her father, who is of very high status, would one day
come to pick her up. To the children who lived in the orphanage, that sounded similar
to the novels and stories they read from the orphanage's selection of books, a girl who
represented everything they wanted to be. Leticia also thought that way. That she was
definitely a unique child. That she was definitely different from those petty peasant
children that surrounded her.
 
One day, the fact that her father came to pick her up in a carriage became a reality and
not just a fantasy of hers. When all the children in the orphanage realized that her
biological father not only belonged to a noble family, but was also an earl, they
couldn't help but stare at her in amazement.
 
Chapter 265
 
Even at first glance, he was an astonishingly handsome man. Every one of his actions
looked elegant. The way he walked, and even the way his fingers lifted the teacup,
were completely different from the morons he had known so far. He was a true
nobleman with refinement inscribed deep in his bones. Leticia's father hugged her and
whispered: | I didn't abandon you. It was because ... Uh ... Yeah, it was all because of
that woman. Things turned out this way because that woman seduced me. If it hadn't
been for that woman, then I wouldn't have abandoned your mother. So please forgive
me Leticia.
 
She originally said that she would have an official marriage with her mother. Saying
that even though her mother had a low status from hers, he truly loved her.
 
| I love you, Leticia. Although I have another daughter, the one I love the most is you.
So please wait a little longer. My wife is in critical condition. Once she dies, I swear
that I will come immediately to find you to take you home.
 
Those words felt sweeter to Leticia's ears compared to any candy she had ever tasted
in her life. From that moment, she Leticia desperately waited for her to arrive that day.
She wished the Count's wife would pass away quickly. No, not even that, that she died
as soon as possible.
 
After Leticia's biological father entered the orphanage, each child in the orphanage
treated Leticia as a completely different person. Even the director of the orphanage,
who had an unpleasant personality, trembled with fear in front of Leticia. He then
realized for the first time what this meant. Have power over people. That with power,
she would be able to rule the people immediately.
 
After the funeral of the Count's wife, Leticia's father made her put on a beautiful dress
of hers before taking her into the elegant four-wheeled carriage. Heading towards her
father's territory, Leticia's head was filled with dreams. What kind of days could come
for her from now on? The protagonists of fairy tales always used to become a queen in
the end. Maybe, she can end up as one too.
 
Daddy's territory was vast, with a large and magnificent mansion. If someone told her
that it was the king's palace, she would have believed it. Stepping down from the
carriage while she was in her father's embrace, Leticia's chest throbbed wildly.
Numerous servants lined up in two rows before her, and bowed. She felt as if she had
truly become a princess.
 
As soon as she entered the mansion, she saw another girl the same age as hers at the
top of the grand staircase in the center. With the unique appearance of the people of
the northern region, she had long, silver hair that flowed downward, and she stared at
her coldly. A girl born between a member of the royal family of the neighboring
country and a high-ranking noble father, a girl born into high nobility.
 
Looking at the beautiful appearance of the girl, he couldn't help but feel some pressure
from her. Leticia clenched her hand into a fist and suppressed those feelings.
 
'Even if that's the case, the daughter that father loves the most is me. She's just a
supporting actress who gets in my way. '
 
However, from that fragile little mouth of the girl came the words that she had never
imagined.
 
| I already told you to leave my home, father. Together with your daughter.
 
Chapter 266
 
Father was very angry at what she said, but in the end they threw him out of the place.
For Leticia, there was no worse nightmare than this. Her father, who looked as big and
powerful as God himself to Leticia, but couldn't even properly protest to that young
woman and they kicked him out.
 
On top of that, what was even more incredible was that all that wealth did not belong
to her father, but it all belonged to that young woman. Realizing that she now she had
to live with her father, who was no different from a ruined beggar as of today,
Leticia's gaze began to darken.
 
Leticia instinctively knew that once she left this mansion, it would all end. Her
experience living in her orphanage had taught her, that whether it be clothes or bread,
once you lose the chance to get it, she will never come back. If you don't want it taken
from you, you must steal it first, and the things that others try to take from you, you
must do your best to keep it as long as you can.
 
| The only thing you can take off is the dress you're wearing. |
 
The girl she spoke with an icy tone to Leticia, who begged her to stay in this place.
The fact that she wasn't even the clothes she was wearing from hers, she had stabbed
him in the chest. Leticia was furious and gritted her teeth.
 
Leticia never imagined this future in her mind. No book she had read at the orphanage
had a story like this. Leticia had dreamed that after entering the house, she would
receive much more love from her father compared to her older sister, she would grow
up wearing beautiful clothes, until finally she would go to the great ball of the palace
where she would meet the king by chance and end up marrying him . However, she
was actually kicked out of the mansion without being able to spend a single day there.
 
After that, the life that she spent in the company of her father was not happy at all.
With her pension, she was only able to buy a small old house. They were always short
of money, and when her father started gambling, the debts increased exponentially.
 
Her father directed all of her problems at her. He claimed that if he had not sought her
out, this would not have happened. Only then did Leticia realize the type of person her
father really was. A despicable man on the inside of her as opposed to the elegant
outward appearance of her. She didn't even object to talking about selling her own
daughter to pay off the debt, even though she had said with her own mouth that he
loved her dearly.
 
However, instead of hating her father for her behavior, Leticia came to hate Rihannan
even more. She had everything that she Leticia had always wanted. Also, she ended
up in this situation because of Rihannan's mother, right?
 
Additionally, she Leticia wouldn't be in such bad shape if Rihannan had shared a bit
of the wealth she was born with.
 
However, Rihannan told Leticia that she had lived an elegant lifestyle, as a daughter
loved by her father and praised as the most beautiful lady in the mansion to the end.
 
The things Rihannan had said about her father must also be true. Leticia knew that her
father was someone who always blamed others when things went wrong for him.
Thus, it was clear that she would lie about her own past to gain advantage.
 
"I'm actually very similar to him in that sense," Leticia thought.
 
Leticia could not help but let out a bitter laugh while she was locked up in prison
while she remembered those moments.
 
If Rihannan hadn't told Leticia what had happened in her past life and left her alone,
she Leticia would have died resentful of Rihannan until the last moment. However, as
Rihannan had told her the truth about life in the past, now her Leticia couldn't even
resent Rihannan for anything. Rihannan said that she had come to give her a way to
die without pain through poison, but what had left Leticia was the feeling of utter
defeat, the fact that no matter how many times her life was repeated, it would end up
being repeatedly a failure.
 
*Sob*
 
With a cry of pain, Leticia lay down on the ground. From night until the last morning
of her life, her tears did not stop flowing from her eyes.
 
Chapter 267
 
The punishment was carried out the next morning.
 
Even though it was early, numerous people gathered around. People gathered around
her to insult her. She had killed her own father, her savior, and even attempted to
murder her own sister. She was a true villain, with an evil never seen before. Leticia
silently listened to mockery and recriminations until the last moment of her execution.
 
Although Rihannan had told her that she would show no more contemplation to
Leticia, she made sure that the most skilled executioner of hers was the one who cut
Leticia's neck. She had heard that there were rare cases where her neck was not
completely cut off at once, causing a lot of pain and anguish before she died.
 
After all that, Rihannan spent her days in a dazed state for a while. She didn't go out
often and spent most of her days inside her room. But still, she made sure to eat and
sleep well for her baby. She wanted to make sure the baby was born healthy. That she
was born instead of the baby who had died without being able to look at this world.
 
After Leticia's death, it became difficult to look at Igor around. Once Rihannan made a
full recovery, Igor took care of the issues and problems that had accumulated while he
tended to her.
 
And although she felt that she had gotten a little closer to Igor, that distance grew
again. In reality, this was probably the most natural thing to do. Igor had cared for her
as much as she could since she was kidnapped, an unexpected fact that she never
predicted. Rihannan ended up trusting Igor too much at a time when her heart was
weak.
 
In the first place, even after telling the truth and clearing up misunderstandings, that
didn't mean that everything that had happened in the past life completely disappeared
from her minds. They had too many accumulated emotions and memories to
overcome that problem immediately. Maybe now she should just be glad she didn't
hate him anymore.
 
As she thought about it, Rihannan stroked her belly and looked out the window,
seeing the snow falling outside her. It was the first snow of the season. Rihannan
realized that she had never lived long enough to be able to look at snow in her
previous life.
 
As she stared out the window with the feeling of having a lump in her throat, Mrs.
Sessly approached her.
 
"My queen, her Majesty has arrived."
 
She saw Igor standing in the open door. She smiled slightly at meeting her gaze for
the first time in a while. Rihannan also returned the same smile.
 
"It's been a while, Igor. Welcome."
 
The two people drank tea while sitting at a table, looking at each other while there was
snow outside. To one side could be heard the sound of the crackling of the fireplace.
Although not many words were exchanged, the two showed a rather relaxed
atmosphere between them. Not long after, Igor spoke first.
 
"An official letter came from Chrichton."
 
After Leticia's execution, Igor sent a forceful letter to Crichton demanding an
explanation for the attempted murder of the Queen of Arundell. The answer to that
letter had arrived.
 
"What did he say?"
 
"The Crown Prince denied any connection to the case. He claimed that everything had
been planned by the Duke himself."
 
"Just as you expected."
 
Rihannan let out a light sigh.
 
"He knew he would never admit it. After all, he wouldn't be able to weather the storm
that would rage if he did admit it."
 
If the Crown Prince admitted that he had attempted to assassinate the queen of a
foreign country, the very existence of the Chrichton royal family would be in
jeopardy. For them, the highest priority was to make sure this incident was forgotten.
 
Chapter 268
 
"But on top of that, another report came in."
 
"About what?"
 
"It is about Duke Lurik. We assumed that he would try not to get involved in this
situation since he had disowned his son Danil Durik, but instead he has shown a
different reaction. He said that his son had only followed the Crown Prince's orders
and was fiercely against the Chrichton royal family for it. "
 
"You say that the Duke is rebelling against the Crown Prince? I'm sure that would
hardly happen, since there was a very deep relationship between the Duke's family and
the royal family. Besides, it's not that the Duke especially loved his child."
 
Duke Lurik was known to be cold-blooded. He had no mercy for anyone in a lower
position than his, even if they were blood relatives. Even that personality of his led
him to resort to the power of the Crown Prince to commit illegal acts for great profit
for a long time.
 
"It seems that Prince Ivan is convincing him. If he can get Duke Lurik to collaborate
with them, this time they can take him down."
 
"...I see."
 
Rihannan remembered Dimitri's letter that arrived not long ago. After learning of the
incident that had happened to Rihannan, he hastily sent her a letter. The letter was full
of paragraphs blaming himself for what had happened to Rihannan. His cousin
apologized for being able to come at that time, and that he will never forgive the
crown prince for what he had done.
 
"It seems that the Crown Prince will also not be able to sit idly by. His greatest ally,
Duke Lurik is turning his back on him after all. It seems that this time he will be
properly dethroned."
 
Before Rihannan left Chrichton to come to Arundell, it seemed to her that there was
no one who could stop the Crown Prince. He had the greatest power over everyone,
and he would never hesitate to make any drastic decision.
 
Although he had not died poisoned as in the past life, he was now also in a dangerous
situation where he could be dethroned. Sometimes the world seems to never change
and is set in stone, but sometimes it can change dramatically in a short time like this.
 
"I wish to end this here. I don't want things to get worse later. I want you to do the
same too. Honestly, if you think about what happened in the past, you also benefited
from it."
 
Instead of answering Rihannan, Igor pointed the teacup in his hand. As he waited for
his response, Rihannan saw an envelope on the table.
 
"What is this?"
 
It was a document that he brought with him when he entered. She had barely noticed
it.
 
"Open it and you will see."
 
Rihannan opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. As soon as he reviewed
the contents, his eyes widened and he turned to Igor with a shocked expression.
 
"This is..."
 
The marriage contract they made on the ship before the wedding. Rihannan and Igor's
signatures were clearly written at the end of the document.
 
"Why are you giving this to me ...?"
 
"I want to give you a chance."
 
"Chance?"
 
She still had a surprised expression on her face, Igor spoke with a bitter smile.
 
"An opportunity to end this marriage."
 
Rihannan's mouth fell open slowly.
 
"When you mean a chance to end this marriage ..."
 
"In the first place, you didn't want this marriage after all. You were only forced to
marry me because the Crown Prince threatened to take your cousin's life."
 
"But why are you giving me this opportunity? Anyway, this marriage will
automatically end after one year."
 
Her contractual marriage had a stipulated duration. Rihannan couldn't understand why
she was giving him this opportunity now.
 
"If you want to end the marriage, then you don't need to wait for the end of the
duration to do so. I'll make sure you can leave this nation tomorrow immediately if
you want."
 
"So what about the baby inside me ...?"
 
Rihannan's voice trailed off. Her gaze drifted to the clauses of the contract. Right
there, she definitely claimed that if Rihannan got pregnant, all rights to the baby
would be ceded to Igor. If she took advantage of this opportunity, she left this place
and hid somewhere far away, he would not be able to exercise her rights over the baby
anymore.
 
"I am giving this paper of the contract to you. You can burn it or break it, it is up to
you. If you do, all the current contractual obligation will disappear and the right to
your baby will naturally be transferred to you as well."
 
"Are you saying that I can take my baby and leave this place?"
 
"Yes."
 
He nodded his head. Rihannan looked at him with a shocked expression on her face.
As far as she knew, Igor wanted a successor more than anyone else in the world. It
was hard to think of royal families willing to give up their successor so easily, when
ndo every member of the royal family is very valuable. So she couldn't understand at
all why Igor was making such a suggestion.
 
"Why are you giving me this opportunity?"
 
"I've already told you. In the first place, you were forced to come to this place, so now
I'm giving you a chance to make up your mind."
 
Igor looked away from Rihannan as she continued speaking.
 
"I rushed to do things because I wanted to bring you. I mistakenly thought that I just
had to bring you and everything would be fine. That the method did not matter at all.
But now I have realized that it was beyond my powers and that it has been a mistake.
After all, you almost died because of me. It can't be said that such a thing won't
happen again. Therefore, I wish to leave the last option to you. "
 
Igor kept his mouth closed for a moment before opening it again.
 
"Choose if you want to stay here or go with the baby."
 
Rihannan's mind was soon thrown into confusion. She had definitely wanted deeply to
leave this place safe with her baby until not too long ago. After the collapse of the last
time, she was more obsessed with the baby than ever before. If time kept passing this
way, she might just give up leaving this place for the baby. Therefore, if in those
moments she had been given the opportunity to leave this place with her baby, it
would be amazing.
 
Yet it was also true that his words shook her to the core. She now knew that
everything that had happened in the past life was due to different reasons than she
believed. It was nobody's fault. Igor was also a victim and suffered greatly from the
incident. Maybe if she now discards all of that and was on her side, things would be
fine.
 
But what would she gain from that?
 
Rihannan's vision blurred. Whenever she sees it, the memories of the past life will
continually come to mind. As long as Rihannan is here, she can't completely avoid the
Queen Mother either. Still, she Rihannan did not want to blame and harass the Queen
Mother for something that she literally did not do in this life. But something similar
could also happen in the future. As her wife and Arundell's queen, she would always
be in danger.
 
More than anything, at this moment Igor has his mind full of feelings of guilt. She
thought that everything that had happened in the past life had been her fault, and she
also blamed herself for what had happened recently.
 
Guilty conscience, regret, sympathy and compassion.
 
Is there anything else left in Igor right now?
 
On top of that, he ...
 
Rihannan bit her lip. She lowered her gaze silently.
 
"Thanks."
 
Instead of being carried away by her emotions, she should coldly calculate. When
Rihannan thought about it, she came to a conclusion easily.
 
"Then, I'll be leaving as soon as possible after some preparations."
 
Igor stared at Rihannan with a stunned expression for a moment. His purple eyes
trembled heavily in shock. When Rihannan saw that the cup Igor was holding was
tilted to the side and began to spill the tea on his hand, Rihannan quickly tried to
speak, but instead Igor spoke as he lowered his cup.
 
"... I understand. Then it would be good for you to try to contact your relatives in
Chrichton before you go. Even if the Crown Prince is in that situation, the situation
might not be safe enough for you to stay there."
 
"I'll take care of that on my own. You must be busy with other things as well, so you
don't need to worry about me."
 
Igor's lips trembled for a moment, as if he couldn't find words to say, but then he
nodded awkwardly.
 
"Okay. Go ahead and do it then. Talk to me when you need help too."
 
"Yes, I will do it."
 
When the conversation ended, Igor slowly rose from his seat. Rihannan got up too.
Just when he was about to turn around, Rihannan spoke.
 
"I wish you would stop feeling guilty for what happened to me."
 
Igor's two eyes stared at Rihannan. Somehow it was difficult for her to look at him, so
he looked away.
 
"I don't dislike you anymore, Igor. I appreciate you letting me live again and leave this
place together with my baby."
 
"Thankful ... Huh."
 
As he muttered bitterly to himself, Rihannan nodded.
 
"After all, you have tried so hard to save my life. I will do my best to lead a good life
from now on. I am not completely alone now."
 
Rihannan put her hand on his belly.
 
"Once this baby is born, I will only teach him the best things and let him hear only the
most wonderful things. I will not be able to prevent all the darkness in the world from
reaching the baby, but I will do my best so that nothing bad or dangerous comes near
the child. . "
 
Then she smiled again.
 
"Even though we both had a terrible and unfortunate childhood, I will make sure this
baby has a wonderful life.
 
love love. So please don't worry. "
 
Igor stared at Rihannan for a long time. A very faint voice came out of his mouth.
 
"It's okay, Rihannan."
 
He slowly turned his back on her.
 
"I'm sure you will do well."
 
After leaving the room, all of her strength left her.
 
Inside the room there was only a tea that was cooled and a marriage contract. The
faint scent of the perfume Igor always wore disappeared from the room shortly after as
well.
 
Rihannan finally realized that it was all over. And that she was now alone. From now
on, she had to get used to living without him.
 
"Everything will be fine."
 
Rihannan muttered to herself multiple times over and over. In the first place, she had
married Igor for a specific reason. She now she was just following her original plan.
Yes, everything had worked out as she wanted.
 
But for some strange reason, an emotion she couldn't distinguish washed over her like
a tidal wave. Her heart was aching as if she had a hole.
 
Standing without knowing how to determine that emotion, Rihannan shed a tear.
 
Chapter 269
 
Ten days later, Rihannan left the palace. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
 
As soon as Rihannan sent a letter asking about the safety of returning to Chrichton,
Dimitri immediately sent someone to help her. Between that time period, Chrichton's
internal conflicts were quickly resolved.
 
The Crown Prince was restricted with all his rights suspended from him, and a serious
discussion began about making Prince Ivan the next Crown Prince. As the situation
turned out as Dimitri planned, he advanced Rihannan's departure date. As if he
couldn't bear another day away from Rihannan.
 
Rihannan's goodbye greeting ended so quickly and easily that it seemed surprising.
Mrs. Cessly didn't even show up on the last day. Basil chose strongly to follow her to
the port, but Rihannan refused to do so. Igor realized once again that Rihannan was
determined, she wouldn't let anything get in the way of her.
 
And just like that, on the day of her departure, Igor saw Rihannan slowly leaving the
palace while he was in her office. She was inside a carriage looking out the window.
 
Finally, after the carriage left the palace grounds and she was unable to follow it with
her gaze, she couldn't help but let out a defeated sigh.
 
"Your Majesty of her ..."
 
Behind her back came Basil's voice that was full of concern. Igor stood staring out the
window and said.
 
"I wish to be alone, so stay away. And make sure no one enters my room."
 
Hearing his order, Basil nodded. Only after hearing the door close completely and
after a long time did Igor look away from the window. He stared at the pile of
documents on the table, but couldn't focus on it. In the end, he put the documents in a
drawer. As he did so, his fingers caught a small sculpture inside the drawer.
 
A very poorly sculpted ship model. Looking at the last trace of the past left to him,
Igor bitterly remembered the past long ago.
 
A very poorly sculpted ship model. Looking at the last trace of the past left to him,
Igor bitterly remembered the past long ago.
 
| It's a gift. It is something that I also treasure a lot.
 
At that moment, that child was smiling happily. Knowing that she expected her to like
the gift. However, Igor could not smile again with that child like him when he met her
in the past.
 
After realizing that her mother was inviting that girl to the castle, he decided to make
sure that he would not feel anything for her. Therefore, Igor tried his best to appear
stoic all the time and not listen to anything the girl said.
 
| He Said It's The Pirate Ship Dimi Will Sail With And Travel Around The World In
The Future. |
 
However, before he was aware of her, he was listening intently to her. Seeing her say
those kinds of things sincerely about her made her look cute, and that she was willing
to give her most precious things to someone else also interested her.
 
Also, it was then that she first became interested in the sea. Before that, the world for
Igor was just the continent he had lived on for his entire life. Since his mother only
spoke often that she needed to strengthen the nation in order to take over the Trulz
Empire in the future, Igor had thought that he only had to worry about that.
 
The realization that this girl knew something she had no idea about opened her mind.
Perhaps, even though he always wanted to get away from his mother's side, he
actually settled for staying with his mother's side.
 
Therefore, even though he pretended not to hear anything from Rihannan, he was still
listening to her. However, once he became her husband, he couldn't do it anymore.
Rihannan no longer spoke with her bright eyes from before, and he had decided not to
listen to anything more than what she had to say.
 
'If I knew this would end this way, I should have pretended not to listen to her until
the end.'
 
Igor gave a mocking laugh. He shouldn't even have given her a choice in the first
place. It would have been better for him to continually threaten her and force her to
leave this place without her baby. In that case, Rihannan would have stayed. After all,
Igor had realized that Rihannan's thoughts on her baby had changed a lot.
 
If she still wanted to leave her baby and go to Chrichton after the set time period, Igor
only had to tie her hands and feet so that she could not leave. He wouldn't mind even
if his cousin protested. If he asked for Rihannan back, Igor would ignore him, and if
he used that as an excuse to invade Arundell, Igor would gladly crush him. He had
done it before, he could do it again.
 
As these thoughts ran through his mind, he gazed at hers reflected in the window
glass. He had the face of an evil man who thought horrible things. Ento ces noticed.
After all this time, he was still filled with such horrible thoughts and ideas in his mind.
 
After a long sigh, Igor took out an alcoholic drink and began to drink. Drinking so
early in the morning he hadn't done often, but now he himself wanted to console
himself at least in this way.
 
When he started to get a little drunk, he sat in his chair and stared straight ahead. He
then he remembered the events of ten days ago. The silly man who gave Rihannan a
choice to stay or go with the baby without worrying at all.
 
He honestly thought she wouldn't say he was going to leave. Or at least he would ask
her to give him some time to think.
 
She had understood everything that had happened in the past life, and although she
was a bit distressed by the revelation, she seemed like she had recovered from it a bit.
Therefore, she wanted to fix the relationship they had. That although she had no
choice at first, he would allow her to make a decision in which she could choose to
leave or stay of her own free will. But for whatever reason, Rihannan had chosen the
option of leaving too easily.
 
Above all, the realization that she felt almost nothing for him made Igor despair. He
said that once this baby was born, he would only show her the best things and let her
hear only the most wonderful. But that was what he wanted more than anyone.
 
He said that he might not be able to stop all the darkness that could reach the baby, but
that Igor was ready to make sure that he would block any irregularities or threats that
could reach the baby. Whether the baby was a girl or a boy, Igor would make sure to
remove anything that could get in the baby's way to the throne.
 
However, in the end Rihannan decided that her baby would be completely isolated and
separated from Igor's family.
 
With bitter thoughts on her mind, she repeatedly poured the drink into her mouth. As
time drifted into the night, someone disobeyed his order not to disturb him for the rest
of the day and opened the door.
 
"Your Majesty from him."
 
The person who opened the door and walked in was Mrs. Cessly. Once inside her, she
was surprised by the bottle of alcohol that was on her desk.
 
"What's all this? You don't even drink normally."
 
Igor smirked.
 
"Just in time, ma'am. Would you like to join me for a drink?"
 
"If you wanted to do this, why haven't you called the Grand Chamberlain? He had
come in a hurry because he was worried about you."
 
"I can't let Basil drink with me. Because I know that if he drinks, he will cry and I will
need to comfort him."
 
Mrs. Cessly burst into laughter.
 
"You are right. After all, the Grand Chamberlain was very close to the Queen."
 
Mrs. Cessly sat across from Igor. She then she let out a long sigh.
 
"Of course, I'm the same too. That's why ... she was quite upset."
 
Yesterday, the queen broke the news to Mrs. Sessly all of a sudden. Rihannan
announced that he would be going to Chrichton starting tomorrow. But what was even
more confusing for her was what Rihannan said after her.
 
"In the first place, the marriage has been a contractual marriage that would only last
one year. It's just that the end of that contract has come soon. I thought I should at
least tell you the truth about this, Mrs. Cessly. I am so sorry."
 
Mrs. Cessly looked stunned for a moment at Rihannan, before her expression turned
stiff. Soon, a formal, cold smile formed on Mrs. Cessly's face.
 
| Seeing that you were willing to inform me about the contract before the day of your
departure, it seems that you fulfilled the contract as you said. I understand. I won't fire
you when you leave. I hope your trip tomorrow is safe. |
 
And that was all the goodbye. As Mrs. Cessly said, she did not even see the queen
leave when she left the palace.
 
"Due to my age, I have become so stubborn that I have not even seen the queen today.
Even though I knew this would be the last time."
 
"It was not Rihannan's fault. I had put in the clause of the marriage contract that she
could not give any information about the contractual marriage. She could not tell you
anything about it, even when she wanted to."
 
"What makes me mad is that!"
 
Mrs. Cessly grabbed the glass from the table and poured a lot of alcohol into it. She
then she gulped it down. She spoke out loud after slamming the glass against the table.
 
"I'm not angry that you didn't tell me. I understand that this was a circumstance that I
couldn't control. However, couldn't you have at least told me about it just once during
those ten days that you were preparing? He said at least that he had made the decision
to go back to Chrichton. Why did he decide to tell me the day before he left? Did he
really care so little about me? "
 
A tear welled up in Mrs. Cessly's eyes, until she began to cry out loud. Igor put her
fingers on her temples. He's the one who should cry, but he had started it first. If this
was to happen, she should have let Basil in her place. If Basil cried, he at least he
could kick him out and tell him to cry somewhere else.
 
"Mrs. Cessly, please stop ..."
 
"This has all been because of you, Her Majesty!"
 
Mrs. Cessly said, and then attacked Igor with criticism.
 
"It is because her Majesty let the Queen easily go to Chrichton. Why has she done
that?"
 
"All I have done is give you a choice."
 
"A chance to choose?"
 
 
Chapter 270
 
"I told him to choose between staying here or going away with the baby."
 
"Why did you say such a thing?"
 
"First of all, there is a motive behind my marriage to Rihannan. I cheated on her and
forced her to come."
 
"Actually, I remember that the queen told me something similar before her. That her
Majesty did not plan to marry her, but Princess Helena. Was this related to that?"
 
Igor nodded.
 
"Yes. In the first place, if she had proposed to Rihannan, she would have run away
from me ASAP."
 
Mrs. Cessly stared at Igor with a shocked look. Noticing that Mrs. Cessly's head must
be working at full capacity trying to figure out what reason Rihannan would want to
run away from Igor, he spoke quietly.
 
"It's definitely not because Rihannan owed me money or something. I can't tell you
why, so please don't ask any more about it."
 
Mrs. Cessly got mad at Igor.
 
"How dare you say that ...? Who do you think I am to suppose I think those things? I
didn't think about those things for a moment!"
 
Afterward, Mrs. Cessly shook her head for a moment before speaking again.
 
"In any case, if what you say is true, then this has all happened according to Her
Majesty's plan? It means that she did it because if she asked for Rihannan's hand in
marriage, she would not have accepted her proposal. . "
 
"...That's why."
 
"And when she gave the Queen the freedom to choose this time between leaving or
staying, did the Queen choose to leave?"
 
"Yes."
 
Igor nodded.
 
"Honestly, I had some ideas to try and make sure Rihannan couldn't leave. Even if it
had been an act of cowardice, it might have caused trouble at Chrichton to make sure
she could never come back, apart from countless different methods to make sure that
she she couldn't leave. However, she knew she shouldn't. It was Rihannan's decision,
so I wanted to respect her. "
 
Mrs. Cessly blinked a few times as she thought. Although she still didn't know many
things about the situation between them, there was still one thing that she realized.
Between the two of them, there is something in which they made a serious mistake.
 
"Your Majesty. First of all, those kinds of methods are not correct. That is no way to
treat someone you love when they leave you. Threats and intrigues? No way, no ... not
at all ... There is another way besides that, don't you think? "
 
"Another way?"
 
"Have you confessed her feelings to the queen, her Majesty?"
 
Igor's purple eyes stared at Mrs. Cessly. Feeling annoyed that she hadn't realized it
yet, Mrs. Cessly asked again.
 
"I ask you if you confessed your love for her before giving her the option to stay or
not."
 
"......"
 
"I don't think so, you really didn't say anything at all?"
 
Igor couldn't say anything, a confused expression on his face. Seeing that he couldn't
say anything, Mrs. Cessly was puzzled.
 
"That's..."
 
"My God, if you were going to let her make a decision, then I should have assured her
first. That it was okay that she decided to live her whole life with a man like you! But
you went ahead and forced her to make a decision even before Give her reassurance!
Don't you know her personality? First of all, she's a very introverted person. Giving
that decision to a person like her is basically like telling her to leave immediately. "
 
"But..."
 
"Or is it that you've never properly confessed your love to the queen once in all this
time?"
 
"......"
 
At this point, Igor completely stayed long. Even though he still had his tongue, he
couldn't speak at all. Mrs. Cessly wailed deep in his mind with tears in her eyes.
 
'My God, this fool who is absolutely indifferent to romance!'
 
"If you don't say so yourself, how is the other person supposed to know how you feel?
Does Her Majesty understand all the feelings the Queen feels? What does Her Majesty
think is the reason the Queen has decided to leave? in the end?
 
"......"
 
Mrs. Cessly put her hand on her forehead. It was hard to tell if her headache was due
to alcohol or the incompetence the king displayed in romance.
 
"Excuse my rudeness, His Majesty, but if it were my son, he would have kicked you
in the ass and told you to go after his wife immediately."
 
Seeing that Igor kept his mouth shut even after that, Mrs. Cessly growled at him.
 
"... Just go to her for now. Tell her that you want her to stay by your side because you
love her so much. A different answer may arise if you do."
 
"Do you really believe it?"
 
"Of course! Thinking that the person will fully understand your thoughts is not only
acting inconsiderate, it is simply dodging the problem. You are afraid it will hurt your
pride. Even if your love is rejected, make sure you do. and have honestly confessed
your feelings. Then at least you won't have any regrets. "
 
Mrs. Cessly was very experienced in running society, and she was once called the
'queen of the community'. After dealing with numerous people throughout her life, not
only did she have a lot of experience in romance, but it could basically be said that she
almost mastered the art of reading other people's minds.
 
"It's too late to leave today, so you should leave early tomorrow ..."
 
Before she finished speaking, Igor got up from her seat. He then left the room without
saying another word.
 
After being left alone in the room for a while, Mrs. Cessly finally realized that Igor
had come out to look for her. The whole palace would go into hysterics at the fleeting
departure of the king, but Igor didn't care and he left immediately.
 
"My God..."
 
After saying that, Mrs. Cessly noticed a boat-shaped sculpture left on her desk. A
wooden boat, with clear signs of wear. She seemed like she was staring at him the
whole time before she left.
 
"Hmm."
 
Mrs. Cessly righted the boat that had fallen on its side. A smile formed on her lips. For
some reason, she had a feeling that everything would be fine.
 
***
 
The Sallerno port was no different from the last time. Tall, sturdy walls surrounded
the beach. With numerous houses with scarlet roofs everywhere. A winter turquoise
sea that stretched out infinitely. It was still calm and beautiful.
 
In the coastal waters of the port there was only one ship at sea. The white ship had
been built with avant-garde design and functionality.
 
When the queen's carriage reached the port, the noisy and bustling port city
immediately became quiet. The carriage door opened, and the queen got out escorted
by soldiers. She was dressed in a thick coat, hat, and gloves made from silver fox fur,
as if she was preparing to move to a place much colder than Arundell. Shortly after,
the ship's captain approached her. He removed his hat and showed the proper respects
to the Royal Queen.
 
"Greetings to you, most honorable of Arundell, her Majesty Her Queen. May Elheim's
blessings always be with you."
 
A smile formed on Rihannan's lips.
 
"Greetings, Captain. I will be in her care."
 
The captain pointed to the two men next to her who were wearing uniforms.
 
"This is the first officer to command the ship with me, and this is the number one
navigator."
 
The two ship's employees also removed their hats to pay their respects to the queen.
Then they shouted aloud in unison.
 
"It is an honor to serve you, Her Majesty. We will make sure to get her safely to
Chrichton."
 
Rihannan's gaze shifted to the captain's two companions. Among them, the one who
had been called Navigator Number One seemed quite young. Even if she was not
quite right, he didn't look older than twenty. Rihannan looked at him with interest at
his young age, and for some reason she felt his face look a bit familiar. Noticing
Rihannan staring at him, she smiled.
 
"Her Majesty of her, in the past, took the Ataraxia ship to head for Crichton, right?"
 
Then Rihannan could remember.
 
"Were you then ...?"
 
"Yes. I was the rookie crew member who explained the origins of the Ataraxia ship
statue back then. Do you remember?"
 
A bright smile appeared on Rihannan's face.
 
"Of course. Have you become the number one navigator in this short period of time?"
 
"Yes. I had very good talents, so I ended up succeeding a little earlier."
 
The crewmates who were lined up around him looked at him with jealousy. They
seemed to wonder how he got to know the queen personally. Rihannan laughed.
 
"It's good to see you in this position again."
 
"Yes, the pleasure is mine too, my queen. And for that, can I give you a separate
greeting?"
 
She held out her hand. The navigator took it quickly and kissed the back of Rihannan's
hand that was still wearing leather gloves. Another wave of jealousy broke out.
 
"In any case, what did I tell you back then? I said the bond with Ataraxia is very
strong, right? I told you that you would end up going back to Arundell again. In the
end, I was right, right?"
 
"You were right, since I came back here because of the circumstances."
 
Rihannan muttered bitterly to herself. The navigator spoke aloud, all excited.
 
"You know how shocked I was when I heard the news that a young woman like you
had become the queen? I even went all over town presuming that I had spoken to the
queen directly. No one wanted to believe me, but now everyone will."
 
The nimble-tongued navigator once again asked Rihannan a question with a smile still
on her face.
 
"But why are you going back to Chrichton again? to your cousin?"
 
Rihannan's face stiffened a bit. Seeing her reaction, the captain gave an order albeit a
little late.
 
"Stop there. How can you act that way with the Queen? Back off."
 
The navigator immediately closed his mouth and took a step back. Seeing that the
navigator completely lost his smile and freaked out, she found Rihannan regrettable,
but since she was concerned about her question, she appreciated the captain's
interruption.
 
"So, her Majesty. It's time to get on the ship."
 
Hearing the captain's words, she Rihannan looked at the soldiers who had escorted her
to the port. Now they planned to return to Edinere city after Rihannan left. Then she
Rihannan would get on the boat Dimitri had sent her, and she would go to Chrichton.
When she arrived, Dimi and her uncle would be waiting to welcome her.
 
Chapter 271
 
"Thank you all for joining me here. You can come back now."
 
At that moment, the commander took an envelope out of his pocket. Then he politely
handed it to Rihannan.
 
"Please take this."
 
"What is this?"
 
"They told me to give her this letter once she got on the ship, her Majesty."
 
Even without asking about the sender, she could know whose she was. Rihannan
smiled bitterly upon receiving the letter.
 
"Thanks."
 
With that final goodbye, Rihannan boarded the ship. All the soldiers stood on the dock
and gave their last royal salute to the queen.
 
"Setting sail!"
 
Vwooom!
 
At the captain's shout, a loud blare from the ship's horn sounded. Rihannan stayed on
the deck of the ship to look at the dock. When the ship began to move, Rihannan
finally pulled out the letter that she received from the commander. Inside the envelope
was another item along with a piece of paper. After taking several deep breaths,
Rihannan opened the letter inside the envelope.
 
The first word written on the paper was her name.
 
『Rihannan. Did you know that I never called you 'Riha' even once? 』
 
Rihannan searched through the memories of her. Thinking about it, when he referred
to her, he would always say 'Rihannan', her full name of hers. She had thought that
Igor just didn't care to call her that way, but maybe she was wrong.
 
『Honestly, after you told me the meaning of your name, I always wanted to keep
calling you by your full name. You probably don't realize how happy I feel every time
I say your full name, 'Rihannan'. 』
 
Realizing what she meant by that, Rihannan's lips trembled. But the funny thing was,
she wasn't sure that the person who had written this letter understood what she was
saying.
 
『As there are still truths that I have not told you, I have written this letter instead. It's
about everything that happened after your death in the past life. 』
 
In the content of the letter, she calmly described everything that had happened after
her death. About the violence with which she had killed her father, Leticia, and the
Queen Mother. Also about the war that occurred between Arundell and Chrichton.
 
The whole time she was reading the letter, she could barely breathe. The letter showed
how violent the three years after her death had been. Although the war between
Arundell and Chrichton was horrible and cruel, the tyrannical government that she
imposed was the same.
 
Incredibly, he had sown the terror necessary to rule everyone. She had displayed
ruthless cruelty. Anyone who was against them was crushed by her military might, or
their life was easily taken. Even the noble families that had strong political power
were crushed under her power, helplessly. The war with Crichton was also made
possible by her tyrannical rule.
 
And in that way, after the cruel war ended, the King of Arundell ended up having
much more power than the Chrichton royal family. It was to the point that no one
dared to mess with the King of Arundell.
 
『Probably back then, I was no different from the Crown Prince of Crichton. A man
you would have hated and despised more than anyone else in the world. 』
 
Rihannan brought her trembling hand to her lips. Igor said something related to this
earlier. That when a person receives a strong shock, no psychological therapy could
help, so he would end up making extreme decisions. Some could end up committing
suicide, but others would direct their anger in the opposite direction and end up
committing a horrible genocide.
 
She finally realized that Igor was talking about himself. After she died, he was
completely shattered.
 
『The blood of the Queen Mother, who murdered numerous members of the royal
family in cold blood, is flowing through my veins as well. I think I made the right
decision by letting you choose. It is preferable that you live in a safe environment with
trustworthy people, rather than with me. That would be the best for the baby too. 』
 
And now the letter was almost coming to an end.
 
『Rihannan, I imagined one day looking at you while slight wrinkles appeared around
your eyes and your silver hair turned into a beautiful gray. You are also beautiful now,
but I am sure that you will look even more beautiful in the future. 』
 
Reading those words, Rihannan couldn't help but give a hollow laugh. The man who
had never told her that she was beautiful, now told her that he loved her. In a letter full
of affection. Also, at the last minute, when they could never meet again.
 
『Although I wished that the moments I spent with you in this life would last forever,
I also wanted the twilight of our lives to come as soon as possible. At that point, we
would have spent several decades of our lives together, and I wouldn't need to keep
thinking about my crazy worry of losing you again. In all honesty, I expected pas ar
my life growing old with you. Although now my wish is impossible. 』
 
Then Rihannan felt something indescribable rise from deep within her heart. Her eyes
warmed with tears welling up. She had to let out a sigh when she felt something heavy
press against her chest.
 
『I hope you have a wonderful life, Rihannan. Even all that life you never had in the
previous one. 』
 
And that was it. The bottom was completely blank with nothing else written on it.
Rihannan took out the other thing that was left in the envelope.
 
She pulled out a feather, which swelled to full size right away. Receiving the bright
sunlight as she swayed in the wind, her golden colors glowed brightly. The golden
feather, which she had thrown at her 6 years ago in this sea, was once again in her
hands as if fate mocked her.
 
*Sob*
 
A tear fell on her pen. Without even thinking about wiping away the endless amount
of tears that rolled down her cheeks, Rihannan cried for a long time.
 
After the conversation with Mrs. Cessly, Igor immediately set off on horseback
towards the harbor. This time, Basil was not next to him, he was alone. During the
time that she was riding, everything that she had been through in the last 6 years went
through her mind.
 
 
Chapter 272
 
Igor realized that once again he had come too late. His heart felt completely empty.
Getting off his horse, collapsing from exhaustion, Igor walked slowly towards the sea.
He had a desperate expression while he was on the dock.
 
As he stood for a long time, he suddenly noticed hot tears streaming down his cheek.
All the tears that he held back throughout various events, were shed at this moment.
 
*Sob*
 
A deep despair rose inside him, accompanied by his sobs. 6 years ago he was able to
hold back her tears because he hoped to meet her again in the future. Instead of feeling
despair, he turned his back on this sea because he hoped that he would see her again.
 
However, this time, it wouldn't be the same. More than anything, he was very sorry
that he had not said that he loved her even once in all this time. As Mrs. Cessly said,
he wouldn't feel so much regret if he had confessed her feelings to him before she left
him.
 
Why didn't she say anything to him until the end? How charming and beautiful she
seemed to him. How precious she was to him. If he had told her that, then she could
have ...
 
The whole world was stained with the color of blood. Without thinking of wiping the
tears that were running down his cheeks, he was standing crying in the red sunset,
when he suddenly heard a sound of footsteps behind him.
 
"Igor."
 
His body immediately froze. With extreme tension, he slowly turned around. He saw
the blurred silhouette of a woman.
 
"......"
 
The white-faced woman had a black robe that covered her completely. A very
different outfit from the one she was wearing when he left the palace. A few strands of
her silver hair fluttered in the wind, sticking out of her hooded face. He saw the
woman's face, a shocked expression on her face. The silver lashes flicked several
times as she stared at him.
 
Igor thought that he was definitely seeing a hallucination. Or maybe he was dreaming
right now. There was no other option, since she could not be present in this place
when the ship had sailed.
 
"Igor?"
 
After hearing his voice once more, Igor felt him slowly regain consciousness. A tear
dangling from his chin fell to the ground. Since he couldn't believe it even though he
looked with hers with his own eyes, he could only stare at her with an expression of
disbelief.
 
"Are you ... crying right now?"
 
Rihannan approached him. She reached out her hand, with which he wiped away the
tears that were falling down her cheeks. Feeling her cold fingers making contact with
her skin, Igor involuntarily shivered. Igor grabbed her and held her hand immediately.
 
"How can this be possible?!"
 
Besides, how could he be in this place without a single bodyguard accompanying her?
 
Thinking about it, emotions of anger and worry suddenly expanded in his heart.
 
"What happened ?! Why didn't you get on the boat? Why are you here alone, being so
dangerous ?!"
 
"Well ... After getting on the ship, I got off. Well, to be precise, the ship left the dock,
but I made the ship return to the dock. I told them that it would be fine, and that they
should leave again so that the rest of the passengers going to Chrichton. Of course, I
left a message for my cousin and my uncle. "
 
Igor stood with his mouth open. He couldn't quite understand what she was saying.
 
"What are you saying? Why did you get off the boat?"
 
"Good..."
 
After hesitating for a long time, Rihannan bit her lip as if she had made up her mind.
 
"I think there are some words you haven't said to me yet."
 
"Any words I haven't said to you yet ...?"
 
"The words that were written in this letter. The words that you have never said to me
correctly, even though you have explained everything clearly in the letter!"
 
Rihannan waved the object in her hand. It was the envelope that she had ordered the
commander to hand over to Rihannan once she boarded the ship to Chrichton, the
envelope that included her golden feather.
 
"If you have something to say to me, tell me directly instead of writing it in a letter.
And if you desperately want something, then instead of asking this pen, ask me
directly, a real human. You never know! she's not Ataraxia, not even a demigoddess.
She may just be a mere human, but she may be able to grant that wish of yours, you
know? "
 
Still staring at Rihannan like he was in a dream, Igor let go of Rihannan's hand she
was clinging to. Then he took the envelope. Then, he slowly took the letter out of the
inside of the envelope. Glowing in the dim red light of the sun, there was also a
golden feather that sparkled like a jewel.
 
This time she had the security. That her wish would be truly granted. And that wish
that she had been rejected when she first asked for it would now be completely
granted. "Rihannan, my love."
 
Igor stared at Rihannan. The beautiful woman who came from the neighboring
country, with blue eyes and dazzling silver hair. She looked at the person she held
most dear in the whole world with admiration in her eyes.
 
"Can this foolish man expect that you, whom I love ..."
 
She then she knelt with both hands together as she held the golden feather that
glittered in the dim sunset of her.
 
"Do not leave my side, and that you stay forever?"
 
Rihannan burst into tears immediately. Then, she practically flew into her arms.
Igor held Rihannan tightly in her arms as she fell into her embrace. As he stroked her
silver hair with her hand inside her hood, he kissed her deeply. As her tongues made
their way, the tears mingled as well. Although he was salty, it was the sweetest kiss
she ever had.
 
"Rihannan, Rihannan, Rihannan."
 
After pulling her lips away from hers, he said her name over and over again. Rihannan
then realized. Igor loved to call her by her name.
 
"I love you, Rihannan."
 
And now, he didn't hide his feelings from her. He kept kissing and repeating that he
loves her countless times. Rihannan responded with a shaky, tearful voice.
 
"I love you too."
 
During the time when she did not know the truth that Igor had returned as her and was
married to him, Rihannan decided not to let him enter her heart. However, that
determination of hers had crumbled too easily.
 
Her heart began to ache again. She noticed that she kept directing her eyes and ears
towards Igor once more. She therefore, she tried to justify herself thinking that this
Igor was a completely different person from the previous life. She didn't want to admit
that she still loved him all this time.
 
"Even during that time when I believed that you had betrayed me and I despised you
completely, I continued to love you continuously."
 
In the past life, she was sure that she led a life where she did not deserve anyone's
love. That was the reason why she was able to give up her life so easily. However, she
realized that during all that time, there was a man who had loved her more than
anyone in the entire world.
 
Igor hugged her hips. Her sweet kisses and her heartfelt confessions continued.
 
"As all my wishes have been granted, from now on, you cannot leave my side."
 
The one who could grant this genuine wish was not God, nor was it the unknown
existence that came from the legends. Only one person can move another, when he
does so with sincere words and actions.
 
***
 
As the sun set completely, the two of them sat on the side of the pier and watched as
all the red tint of the sunset view disappeared over the horizon. Igor took off his jacket
and put it on Rihannan. He still thought she might be cold, so he walked over to her
and put Rihannan's head on her chest. Murmurs flowed between them.
 
"But how did you know he was going to chase you?"
 
"I thought that this time you would definitely also haunt me like you have up to now.
After all, now I have fully discovered your feelings."
 
Igor laughed heartily.
 
"But what were you going to do if he didn't come? Were you thinking of taking
another ship and sailing to Chrichton again?"
 
"No. As there are many carriages on the pier, I planned to take one of them, arrive at
my residence and spend a night in that place. Then, go to the palace. You should be
grateful. If I had not come to this place, it would not have been so easy for you, as I
have been this time. "
 
Igor laughed once more, and then put her lips to her temple.
 
"Mrs. Cessly probably would have kicked me out of the palace before that. After all,
she said she would have kicked my ass if she was her her son."
 
Igor stroked Rihannan's face as she laid her cheek on her hair. As the moonlight began
to spread around her, they heard the melodic voices of the ship's crew singing. The
song that was mixed with the sound of the crashing waves did not give him pain or
sadness as before.
 
Ggrrr
 
It was at that moment that Igor heard an unknown noise. It didn't come from him.
 
 
Chapter 273
 
"Posada Sallerno ..."
 
Rihannan read the old sign posted on top of the structure. As it was an inn, it was
definitely a place where accommodation and meals were provided to travelers.
 
"It would take around two hours to get to the territory that belonged to your mother,
but I think that's too long. It would be faster if we rode my horse, but I can't let you do
that for your pregnancy ... But you don't want to spend a night in that place, then I'll
try to find another way to ... "
 
Igor muttered as he checked Rihannan's reaction, because he knew the inn was quite
old and worn. He had been to this inn before, but it was different for Rihannan. Since
she had spent her entire life inside mansions and palaces, she may find it repulsive to
stay in a place like this.
 
He did not want the news about them to spread too much, so he wanted to make sure
that the fact that they were in this place was kept a secret. As Igor wondered if he
should consider Rihannan's situation and better go to some official's residence where
he had to reveal his identity in order to spend a night there, Rihannan tugged at the tip
of his clothes. Then he spoke.
 
"It looks a bit worn, but it seems to be kept clean and well managed. Let's go inside."
 
When Igor opened the entrance to the inn, the cold winds disappeared into the warm
interior of the inn. The people sitting inside, enjoying their food and talking
boisterously, turned their attention to the people entering as if it were customary. His
gaze was fixed on them.
 
Even with the naked eye, it was obvious to say that the man and the woman were
people who had lived a high-class life. With an impeccable appearance and an
expensive tunic on, but the most striking thing was that they possessed a rare beauty in
this area.
 
The tall, handsome man had a firm body that did not match the usual appearance of
sailors. With his jet-black hair, piercing eyes, and lips, it was enough to deduce that he
belonged to an upper-class society. On the other hand, the woman following him
seemed smaller than the average woman and even more fragile. Her face had a
peculiar look, and her eyebrows slightly dyed silver, made anyone who saw her think
that she came from the north or that she had blood from people from that area.
 
The woman realized that her gazes were fixed on them, and she hastily covered
herself as much as she could with her robe. She then she got behind the man's back
and lowered her head. Someone in the crowd laughed out loud.
 
"Jojojo! You both look like runaway lovers! So be careful your families don't catch
you!"
 
Hearing her joke, the crowd agreed and laughed as well. Amid boisterous laughter
from the crowd, one of the men asked the man who he had spoken to.
 
"Wait, how do you know that? Do you have a method to identify them?"
 
"Obviously, considering that a high-class man and woman show up late at night at an
inn in a port city with no servants in sight. Also, seeing them grip their hands so
tightly makes me think they are not married. that the only couples who do that are
those who are dating, while married couples have already gone through all those
stages. "
 
"Hm, it seems like you're right about that. Here, here!"
 
Rihannan's face immediately turned red. With her blush reaching to the tips of her
ears, she tried to pull her hand away from her but Igor didn't let go.
 
Igor just ignored all those nosy people at the inn and they walked together as he clung
to Rihannan's hand. A man who looked like the owner of the place approached Igor
and started a conversation.
 
"Are you planning to stay the night?"
 
"We will only stay for tonight. Do you have a room available?"
 
"Oh, of course. In fact, we just made available a nice new room on the top floor, so
you can both stay in it if you want. Although it is a bit expensive, do you agree with
that?"
 
Igor nodded without even asking the price. As the innkeeper's eyes sparkled with joy,
Igor asked him a question after looking around the inn for a bit.
 
"Do you mean the third floor when you say last floor?"
 
"Yes, it is. You won't have to worry about the cold. We have even installed a state-of-
the-art heating system to maintain the environment properly."
 
"How many rooms are there on that floor?"
 
"There are five, but why?"
 
"I'll pay the price for the five rooms on the third floor, so empty all those rooms and
make sure no one can go up to that floor."
 
Igor took a bag full of money from his pocket and handed it to him. Even with the
naked eye you could see that it was quite heavy. As soon as the money was put into
his hand, the innkeeper immediately g he rhymed out loud.
 
"Nick! Go and move everyone's luggage on the third floor to the second floor, now!"
 
Hearing the order, one of the inn's employees immediately went up to the third floor.
Even though there were some arguments with the people who were staying in those
rooms, they immediately fell silent after they were given some money.
 
As a witness to this chain of events, Rihannan whispered in her ear.
 
"Why are you paying for the entire floor? It would be fine if we only had one room."
 
"Originally I would have kicked everyone out of this establishment, but it seemed a bit
cruel to leave them all outside in the cold, so I stopped just asking for the third floor."
 
"......"
 
Rihannan kept her mouth shut, thinking that if he really insisted, Igor would really
kick everyone out. After the third floor was organized, the innkeeper personally
ushered Rihannan and Igor to the third floor.
 
"Please follow me. It's this way."
 
After climbing the steep staircase with screeching at every step, they came to a
hallway. The room at the end of the corridor was the room in which they were to
spend the night.
 
Inside the tidy room there was a bed, a wardrobe for clothes, other simple furniture,
and a small table. Right in front of the door was a large window covered with curtains,
and there was an adjacent room that looked like the bathroom.
 
"Although it is not entirely clear because it is night, the landscape that can be seen
from this place in the morning is absolutely wonderful. You can see the whole sea
through the window. What time would you like your food for this? night?"
 
"Please bring her here. As soon as possible too."
 
As Igor put additional money into the innkeeper's hand, the innkeeper nodded
vigorously.
 
"Yes! We will bring it to you immediately!"
 
When the innkeeper left the room, Igor told Rihannan to wait a moment while she
went through the many corners of the room. When he finished checking the bathroom
and even under the bed, he went back to Rihannan and spoke.
 
"There doesn't seem to be anything particularly dangerous. The room seems clean, as
the innkeeper said about the recent cleaning."
 
Even Rihannan could tell that he was pretty neat for an old shabby inn. There was no
dust on the floor, and the sheets looked clean too.
 
Just as he was about to cautiously enter the room, Igor put his hand on Rihannan's
shoulder.
 
Thud.
 
He heard the sound of the door closing behind him. Rihannan couldn't stop his body
from shuddering.
 
"Rihannan."
 
"Yes?"
 
Hearing him say his name, Rihannan put her hand on his chest and stared at him,
while Igor asked him a question.
 
"On second thought, I think you would like to wash first ... Would you like to wash
before you eat?"
 
Rihannan quickly shook her head.
 
"Ah, no, it's fine. I'll eat the food first. After all, you told them to bring it as soon as
possible."
 
"Okay. Then please wait on the bed until the food arrives."
 
"It's okay..."
 
Rihannan sat on the bed as Igor ordered her to. For some strange reason, she
continued to feel anxious for a few moments. Although they were very close without
any problem on the dock, she now she felt anxious, and she could not understand why
she felt that way.
 
She thought it might be because the two of them were alone in a small room together,
but they were married anyway. Although they lived apart for a time because their
relationship was damaged, they had spent every night together in the bedroom before.
So why did she suddenly ..?
 
Rihannan did her best to appear calm. She desperately hoped Igor wouldn't come sit
on the bed next to her. If that happened, she would find it difficult to even breathe.
 
But as if to embarrass her for having that thought of her, Igor began to approach her.
When he reached out, Rihannan flinched and closed her eyes. She waited a long time,
but since there was no contact, Rihannan slowly opened her eyes. She saw that Igor
was looking at her with purple eyes from hers, he quickly withdrew his hand from her
that was near Rihannan's shoulder.
 
"I was going to take off your robe. She looked uncomfortable, so ..."
 
"I'll take it off on my own."
 
Rihannan quickly removed her robe and then the coat inside her robe, setting them to
the side of the bed. Igor took both things and placed them in the closet. After thinking
about something for a moment, Igor spoke.
 
"Then I'll go to the stable for a moment."
 
"To the stable?"
 
"Yes. Since I've made the horse run from so far away, I should check the horse's shoe
a bit. I'll be back soon, so keep the door closed. Never open the door for anyone else."
 
Then Igor left the room. Left alone inside, Rihannan couldn't erase the thoughts that
Igor was misinterpreting something. .
 
He maybe he thought she was rejecting her advances. Was that why she left the room
intentionally? She definitely had no such intention, so what should she do?
 
As she circled the room over and over again anxiously, she heard someone knock on
the door.
 
'Igor!'
 
A bright smile appeared on Rihannan's face. Delighted that he had returned, she ran
for the door.
 
 
Chapter 274
 
Leaving the stable, Igor walked through a group of people who were still curious
about them. After ordering the innkeeper to raise the water for the bath in an hour, he
went upstairs. Just as he climbed the last ladder above, he saw the door to his room
wide open.
 
Igor immediately drew his sword from its sheath and ran inside. A great regret seized
his mind, thinking that he shouldn't have left her alone in the room for even a moment.
When he burst into the room with an enraged face, he saw Rihannan licking her
fingers. In front of her was a plate full of a hearty meal with seafood as its main
ingredient, as well as an employee who was staring at Igor with wide eyes.
 
"Igor?"
 
Rihannan quickly removed his finger from her mouth. She spoke with a very nervous
tone.
 
"What's wrong? Has something happened?"
 
The clerk also stared at Igor with his pupils trembling because he had a sword in his
hand.
 
"Ah, it's just that, it seemed like his wife was pregnant, so I asked him if he didn't like
this, would he bring her another meal instead of her and ..."
 
Since Rihannan took off her outer clothing and wore only thinner clothing, her
bulging belly showed more clearly. It seemed that the employee considered her
pregnancy and asked her what she thought of the food. It was absolutely embarrassing
to be enraged by something so trivial.
 
No, other than that, the reaction that arose in hers was even more incredible. Watching
Rihannan suck the sauce on her finger with her big round belly made Igor feel a strong
sexual urge for her. Nothing else, seeing her in that state.
 
Igor quickly adjusted her altered expression on hers. Rihannan had shown signs of
hesitation and fear of caressing from her, so having this urge to sleep with her didn't
make him any different from a beast. Igor spoke in a low voice to try to hide the
emotions he was feeling at the moment.
 
"Food is fine, you can go out."
 
Hearing his voice, which sounded somewhat displeased, Rihannan and the clerk
shuddered at the same time. The clerk put the tray down on a table and left the room
as if he was practically on the run. In this awkward moment of silence, Rihannan's
eyes moved across the room and she then she spoke softly.
 
"The reason I opened the door was because they told me they were bringing the
requested meals, so ..."
 
Igor quickly shook his hand from side to side interrupting Rihannan.
 
"I'm not mad about it."
 
"Ah, so I'm sorry I ate before you. I was thinking of trying, but I was so hungry that I
ended up with ..."
 
"No, not that either."
 
"Then why are you angry?"
 
"I'm not angry."
 
"However, it seems that you are."
 
"......"
 
Igor let out a sigh. Not being able to speak honestly of his emotions, he tried to make
his voice sound natural and calm as much as he could.
 
"I was a bit surprised that the door was open. Since the food is here, let's eat."
 
He made Rihannan sit at the table, and he also sat across from her. As is expected of a
port city, there were various fresh looking seafood. Igor took a fist-sized shrimp, cut it
into bite-sized pieces and put them on Rihannan's plate. Rihannan stuck her fork into a
piece of the shrimp and raised it to her mouth. As he chewed on the shrimp and smiled
as he tasted the freshness, Igor laughed gingerly.
 
"It seems to be to your liking, luckily."
 
"Yes. I apologize for saying this, but their seafood meals taste much better than those
made by the palace cooks. I could end up taking them to the palace once we return."
 
"Then I'll consider it after ..."
 
"Please don't take jokes too seriously."
 
Rihannan scolded him for taking it too seriously, as she took some well-cooked
seafood in butter and put it on Igor's plate. A bright smile appeared on Igor's face. For
the first time in his life, he was eating something that Rihannan had served him
directly. The seafood had an extremely sweet and mild flavor. He thought that he
would probably remember this taste forever.
 
Afterwards, the conversations between them flowed naturally as before.
 
"Actually, you served some meat on my plate earlier. Do you know what went
through my mind back then?"
 
"What were you thinking?"
 
"I thought maybe you were trying to torture me or something. Back then I was
distraught and couldn't digest anything I was eating. Yet you were putting meat on my
plate, trying to force me to eat it."
 
"I ... only did that because you seemed so weak and without energy, so ..."
 
"I get it. Seeing that you took half the meat from the plate, I knew that was not your
intention."
 
Rihannan reached out for a cooked vegetable. At the same time, Igor reached out her
hand to drink her water. The two m years brushed lightly in the air. Rihannan quickly
withdrew his arm from her. She then she looked away and tried to ignore him.
 
Seeing her act that way, Igor's expression became more rigid and grim. Just when he
was about to sink into a deep depression, she noticed through her loose hair that
Rihannan's ears and cheeks were completely red. Rihannan's students moved quickly,
not knowing what to do. A different expression than when it seemed that she was
afraid of him.
 
Only then did Igor realize that she was not avoiding him, but that she was simply
being shy.
 
"......"
 
Slowly, Igor's lips curved up. He was holding back the urge he felt to laugh. With a
calm tone, he spoke.
 
"If you're not full after eating all this, tell me. We can always ask for more."
 
After Rihannan's stomach filled up a bit, her eating speed certainly slowed down. She
began to feel very tired because of all the fatigue that she had accumulated so far, to
the point that her eyelids began to close. Just when Rihannan was about to fall asleep
for a moment, someone knocked on the door.
 
"If you've finished eating, I'm here to clear the plates!"
 
The person who walked in was the clerk who had brought the food to the room earlier.
Perhaps due to the fact that Igor had drawn his sword just now, her gaze was fixed on
Igor's hip where the sword hung.
 
Most of the meals had been eaten. Igor waved his hand. The clerk quickly collected
the dishes and walked to the room's exit door. Before the employee left, he said he.
 
"Oh, and the water for the bath will be sent immediately."
 
Rihannan asked after the employee left.
 
"Bathwater?"
 
Hearing her question, he smiled.
 
"I have told them downstairs to bring us water for the bath immediately after we finish
eating. You must be tired of riding the carriage all day and wandering around the
harbor. I am sure you will be able to sleep well once you bathe. "
 
Rihannan nodded. As Igor said, once she bathed in hot water, her fatigue would
dissipate.
 
"Thanks for being considerate, Igor."
 
"Well, I'm not sure I'm being considerate ..."
 
She gave a curious reply while she smiled.
 
"What do you mean by that?"
 
"I just remembered what I told you earlier."
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"It's what I told you before the Kiritte competition started."
 
Rihannan tried to remember what Igor had told her before Kiritte's competition
started, but she couldn't think of anything in particular. All that time, Rihannan
noticed a strange expression on Igor's face. Actually, she had been smiling the entire
time for a few moments.
 
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
 
"Why...?"
 
She was about to ask why she was smiling all this time, but then some employees
brought a bathtub. After that, several buckets full of hot water were brought in one by
one as well. Buckets of hot water were poured into the tub, which soon filled the
bathroom with steam and hot air. After the preparations were made and the employees
left, Igor spoke.
 
"Now then, go in and wash yourself."
 
Igor opened his hand and gestured for her to go to the bathroom. Rihannan walked
into the bathroom with a sense of confusion in her mind. It seemed like Igor was
planning something, but maybe she was wrong.
 
In any case, she could finally bathe herself, which she looked forward to more eagerly
than anything else in the world. Rihannan stripped off her clothes, tied her hair, and
then dipped her body into the hot water. The fatigue that had built up in her
immediately vanished. Although she should quickly wash up and leave, she felt so
relaxed that it was difficult for her to lift a single finger. Just when she was about to
close her eyes and fall into a light sleep, she heard the sound of the door opening.
 
Rihannan's eyes immediately widened. She thought she might have misheard, but no.
The person who opened the bathroom door and was entering was definitely Igor.
 
"Eeek!"
 
Rihannan quickly covered her chest with both of her arms and snuggled in. She
wanted to say something, but she couldn't think of anything because she was so
shocked. As Rihannan's lips parted and closed without a word, Igor began to unbutton
his shirt. Seeing this, Rihannan hurriedly yelled.
 
"What are you doing!?"
 
"I also wanted to take a bath."
 
She answered him too confidently and without hesitation. Rihannan still didn't know
what to say.
 
"Why would we bathe together ...?"
 
"I told you before the Kiritte competition started, right? There were things I had to do
with you."
 
Only then did Rihannan remember what Igor had told her before they headed to the
hunting grounds where she competed her. Kiritte's n was going to take place.
 
"How about we do all the homework we delayed that day?"
 
Chapter 275
 
When she thought about it, her face turned red. Only then did Rihannan realize that
she desperately wanted him too. She didn't want to just have dinner and chat with
Igor, she wanted to feel his warm skin. She wanted him to hold her so tightly that she
couldn't breathe, as they mixed her tongues. And she wanted ... to fill her void right
now.
 
Rihannan held her cheeks with both hands and lowered her head. She was
embarrassed and shy thinking that Igor might notice that she was thinking about
things like this. On top of that, she was currently pregnant. After informing him of her
pregnancy status, he did not hug him once that night. That meant Igor couldn't
properly look at how much her body had changed. He might be disappointed when she
realized how different the size of her belly was. Perhaps she even thinks that her
feminine charms have diminished.
 
"Good..."
 
Seeing Rihannan struggling in her mind with thousands of contradictory thoughts,
Igor made an indecipherable smile.
 
"If that's the case, then there's nothing I can do. I can't force you to do what you don't
want."
 
Hearing it, Rihannan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that he would come
out of the bathroom immediately after saying that.
 
"Instead, I'll wash your body then."
 
But hearing her sudden assertion, Rihannan could do nothing but open her mouth and
stare at him in shock. Igor playfully manipulated Rihannan's silver hair that was wet.
 
"I'm sure you're so tired now that you don't even have the energy to wash yourself."
 
"No, it's not like that, I have enough energy to wash myself ..."
 
"Well, a moment ago it looked like you were going to fall asleep."
 
Igor finished preparing. Then he took a bath towel and started rubbing Rihannan's
body.
 
Rather than being ashamed, Rihannan was more surprised by the fact that the king
was kneeling on one leg and washing her body like a common servant. Although Igor
had stated that it was normal for husbands to bathe together, Rihannan was sure that a
husband would never do this to his wife.
 
"They say that when a woman is pregnant she gains weight, so why are you more
fragile than before?"
 
As he carefully cleaned her slender arm that looked like it was going to break in half,
he said with compassion in his voice. Seeing her deep frown furrow from hers,
Rihannan quickly commented.
 
"That's because you haven't got a good look at my belly darling. Now, my belly is
quite big, so I ended up not being able to wear any other dresses. I'm sure I'll probably
be rolling instead of walking when I get to the end of the month."
 
Igor's gaze slowly drifted down, past her chest that was submerged under the water
and even lower, to a specific part of her body. Rihannan was about to cover her body
with her arms again when Igor grabbed her.
 
"... Would it be okay if she could touch your belly just once?"
 
He asked seriously. He waited anxiously for Rihannan's response, thinking that she
might reject him. Thinking about it, she could never adequately sense the existence of
the baby inside her womb in this life, unlike the previous one. If Rihannan actually
left Arundel upon boarding the ship, Igor would have ended up living her entire life
without being able to experience anything related to her descendant.
 
And she would probably miss the baby until his death, too.
 
Instead of answering him, she took his hand and moved it to her belly. Her big hand
carefully caressed her now clearly curved belly. Every time she moved her hand, hot
water splashed around her. She let out a long breath.
 
"I still can't believe it. The fact that you and my son are with me."
 
She smiled.
 
"Every night, as I looked at your face, I prayed to God. To give birth to the baby as
soon as you could. I thought if that happened, we could continue this unstable
relationship that had been built by contract ... No, honestly , I wanted the baby to be
born. The fact that the baby could not be born in the previous life weighed heavily on
my mind. "
 
Rihannan's eyes immediately turned red with tears. She realized how much Igor had
loved her baby all this time. With her threat that she would leave the baby and go
alone, he was just trying desperately to keep her by his side. However, both of them
had probably desperately wanted to keep the baby in their lives the entire time. How
difficult it was for Igor to let Rihannan try to leave Arundell.
 
Rihannan reached out her wet hand and caressed his cheek, reassuring him. Igor put
his hand on Rihannan's hand that was on his cheek, stroking the back of her hand. As
soon as her gazes locked, they both instinctively kissed. Two lips hurriedly
intertwined. Rihannan opened her mouth and Igor licked everything was inside his
mouth. He wanted all of her, as if he didn't want to miss a single detail of her.
 
The hand that was stroking Rihannan's belly was now covering her chest. As he
grabbed her t3t4s, which were now bigger and more sensitive due to her being
pregnant, she Rihannan couldn't help but moan between her lips as they continued to
kiss deeply. Feeling the sensation of her p3zon3s being rubbed, she ended up letting
out a louder moan.
 
"Aaah ...!"
 
Rihannan grabbed the black hair that was right in front of her. As he pulled his head
towards her, she continued to savagely kiss her mouth deeply. A high temperature
rose in the lower part of her crotch. She couldn't help but unconsciously rub her
thighs, wanting something deeply.
 
She was about to reach for her cl! M4x, even though she was only kissing her while
she rubbed her p3z3s. She could no longer contain the desire she felt. The lower part
of her crotch, which had not received love for a long time, was now desperately
begging to be filled with love immediately.
 
"Igor, Igor ..."
 
Rihannan screamed her name as she clung to Igor wildly. Igor held Rihannan's head
with one hand as he kissed her. Rihannan boldly moved his hand down, grasping his
erect manhood, Igor gasped heavily.
 
"Ngh ...!"
 
Igor bit his lip hard. As soon as his hard manhood was touched by Rihannan's hand, it
grew so large that it seemed impossible to fully hold her with one hand. Immediately,
she felt that she was about to ey4cul4r. Igor could barely contain the urge for him to
roughly treat Rihannan. If he let his wild side out like this, the baby inside her body
would get hurt. This also applied to Rihannan, who probably wasn't ready for it.
 
Igor grabbed Rihannan's hand and pulled it away from her manhood. Then he stepped
into the bathtub and lifted Rihannan's body so that she was on top of him.
 
Rihannan was in a position where her back was resting on Igor's chest. Her muscles
were tense because she was in an unfamiliar position, but she soon relaxed little by
little. Perhaps since she had placed herself on top of Igor in the villa of her own free
will, she did not feel any fear. And right now, her mind was filled with thoughts of
wanting him desperately.
 
Igor reached out with both his hands wrapped around Rihannan's breasts. As he began
to gently stroke and rub them, little moans began to come out of Rihannan's mouth
again. His raw manhood kept pressing on her ass, stimulating her even more.
 
"Ah, Igor, quick ..."
 
Rihannan moved her body, prompting him to make a move, but Igor did not comply
with her wish. Lightly biting his red ear, Igor gave a light laugh.
 
"I can't. You're not ready to have me inside you yet."
 
"I'm completely ready. I can have it all inside."
 
"Calm down, Rihannan. I can barely suppress myself."
 
Igor let out a long breath and caressed Rihannan's body slowly. Her wet skin looked
white as milk and smooth as a pearl. Feeling the sensation of her skin made him
happy.
 
When Igor's hand started to go down, Rihannan finally remembered the state her body
was in at the time. Furthermore, she thought that from this angle, her round belly
would appear even larger to him.
 
Just as Rihannan was about to quickly cover her body, Igor whispered.
 
"Do you know how beautiful you are right now?"
 
Her hot breath tickled the back of Rihannan's neck.
 
"You are so beautiful that I want to remember how you look right now forever.
Honestly, even when I saw you tasting food with your finger, it made me react ..."
 
His fingers that lovingly caressed her bulging belly began to slowly lower. Just as his
fingers reached her garden, Rihannan squeezed Igor's hand and arched her head back.
 
"Haa ...!"
 
She was already feeling too many sensations all this time. She desperately wanted
something, but since Igor wasn't about to give it to her, she was going crazy.
 
"Igor, please ..."
 
His fingers did not enter the cavity immediately, but rubbed lovingly and carefully
around the area. Finally, as his fingers slid carefully inside her, Rihannan had to bite
her lip to keep from moaning out loud. Her hips unconsciously curved, and her fingers
curled. With those deft fingers moving inside her, she trembled until a clear fluid
began to flow out of her.
 
After realizing that that part of her body was ready, Igor lifted Rihannan's body. Then
he very carefully he put her on his manhood. Feeling his thick, big manhood slowly
break through, Rihannan breathed heavily.
 
"It hurts?"
 
When Igor stopped moving and asked Rihannan, she strongly shook her head from
side to side.
 
"No, it's okay, so please continue."
 
Igor began to move again. The more they went into her, the faster her breath turned.
Finally, when her manhood reached inside her, loud moans were heard from both of
them at the same time.
 
"Ahh ..."
 
"Haah ..."
 
Chapter 276
 
While Rihannan was in a state of lethargy from everything they did, Igor finished
washing her body for her, wrapped her in a towel, and lifted her up to carry her to bed.
At first he just wanted to tease her a little while he helped wash hers, but he ended up
taking away almost all the last energy that was left in hers.
 
Rihannan was half asleep when he put her on the bed, but when Igor sat down next to
her, she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. Then Igor lay down next to her and stroked
the wet hair on one side of her.
 
"Go ahead, sleep."
 
Rihannan nodded. When her mind began to cloud and half asleep, Igor whispered in
her ear.
 
"However, after you deliver the baby, I won't stop anymore."
 
As her eyelids fell heavily, Rihannan asked.
 
"Won't you hold back anymore? What do you mean?"
 
"Until now, I haven't hugged you many times because I thought you might hate him."
 
Igor smiled as he kissed Rihannan's eyelids, which were half closed.
 
"So after you give birth, I'll hold you over and over again even if you complain that
you're tired."
 
Rihannan smiled, then leaned close to her chest and hugged him tightly. Not long
after, she fell asleep right away. The small, delicate breaths of her echoed silently
throughout the room.
 
Igor continued to stare at Rihannan's face long after she fell asleep, stroking and
gazing at her beauty. He now he felt his mind finally beginning to relax from the
worries that plagued him. He was scared. That the incredible miracle could one day
end. And as happened in the past, she may go far, to a place where she cannot go ...
 
However, now she would never leave his side. They will spend many years together
with this baby, crying, laughing, and finally growing old together.
 
Igor closed his eyes and fell asleep slowly. It was the first sweet dream he had since
he had returned to his new life for the miracle. He fell fast asleep while he clung to
Rihannan, never waking up once due to any worries or nightmares. The next morning
Rihannan woke him up, along with the morning sunlight, shaking him and telling him
to look at the morning scenery through the window.
 
Chapter 277
 
Years later.
 
"... And Elheim had truly loved the human woman. But since he was the noble and
pure god, he couldn't keep staying on the ground. Because if he stayed in the human
world for too long, he would lose his holy divine power. ... "
 
The man who was reading the book aloud to his audience looked at a particular
direction. In that place there was a girl sitting who had the same hair color as him. As
he yawned, she narrowed her eyes. She could easily notice her reproachful look, as if
she were asking him why she had stopped reading the book aloud. The man started
reading the book again.
 
"In the end, Elheim had to leave the woman he loved and go back to heaven.
However, he cried for the love he had left behind in the human world, and those tears
turned into rain. At the same time, inside the stomach of That woman had a baby
made by the union of the two people. The baby was born healthy and grew strong. The
baby really had amazing power. It was the power to transform into a bird. In the
human world, it would have the appearance of a normal bird, and when it went up into
the sky, it turned into a golden bird of blinding beauty. And the bird's name was
Maiastra. "
 
The man turned the page.
 
"Maiastra traveled back and forth between her mother and father, conveying the
message of love that they wanted to say to each other. In the end, the two were able to
meet and live happily ever after. In that way, to this day, the great legend of Maiastra
has been passed down for generations. Legend stated that if a human who had saved
Maiastra from death raised the golden feather and made a wish, it would be granted no
matter what it was. "
 
After reading all that, the man closed the book. He then he smiled at the girl as she
spoke.
 
"Do you understand? If you want a wish, then you must look for Maiastra as well. The
golden bird will definitely grant your wish ..."
 
"Hmph, you liar."
 
The girl scoffed. She didn't believe him one bit.
 
"That is just a story in the legends. There is no way there can be a golden bird that
grants wishes."
 
"No, really, there is. I think I saw it too when she was young!"
 
"Well that's because you must have been wrong about what she saw."
 
"Think of your own name. Do you think your name was given to you for no reason?"
 
"Why is the origin of my name related to the existence of this legendary bird?"
 
"......"
 
Dimitris stared at the lovely girl in front of her, who in appearance resembled his
cousin, but inwardly resembled a little demon. When Rihannan was her age, she
believed everything she told her, but this girl seems to believe nothing, as if she had
spent her entire life discovering that she had been lied to. On top of that, she used
almost adult-appropriate language, discussing every little thing with clear logic.
 
"You really are ..."
 
Like your father, was what Dimitri was going to say when the doors to the room
opened. The girl's eyes lit up immediately.
 
"Mother!"
 
The girl immediately ran towards the beautiful woman entering the room. As she
hugged her hips, the girl could smell the wonderful and unique fragrance that
emanated from her.
 
"Mai."
 
The mother smiled warmly as she stroked her daughter's cheek. She lowered her head
to kiss her daughter's two plump cheeks.
 
"Looks like the guy was reading you a book. Was it fun?"
 
"Yes! It was really fun and interesting. I didn't even realize how much time has
passed, mother."
 
Hearing that, Dimitri was shocked. The girl who had just yawned and showed no sign
of interest until just now, now she made that statement without any remorse.
 
This girl had a quick judgment and critical thinking of situations. She knew that her
mother wanted her to build a good relationship with her relatives from this part of the
world, so she acted as if she really enjoyed Dimitri's company.
 
Rihannan smiled brightly.
 
"I found the stories Dimitri used to tell me in the past very funny and interesting. Of
course, most of them were just exaggerations and presumptions."
 
"Ugh!"
 
Dimitris clutched his chest, feeling like she had hit him deep into her foundations. Mai
laughed out loud and totally agreed with her mother. Rihannan looked at her daughter
and spoke amiably.
 
"Mary said that she would go to the forest to pick some strawberries to put on a cake.
If you want to accompany her, you should go now to catch up with her."
 
Mai's purple eyes flashed immediately.
 
"Yes! Mother!"
 
Mai left the room excited. Even after leaving the room, thunderous noises were heard
as she ran down the hall. Dimitri shook her head from side to side.
 
"I didn't think it was that difficult to win the heart of that tomboy princess."
 
"Well it's all because of this beard of yours . "
 
Rihannan said as she tugged on Dimitri's beard. Since he had not cut his beard for
several years, she was not exaggerating when she said that his entire face was covered
in beard.
 
"I told you. Mai only likes people who are like her father. Someone very clean and
dignified. She definitely doesn't like people who look like a beast like you."
 
Dimitri scratched his cheek with his finger. Rihannan laughed.
 
"If you shave your beard, you could probably be in the top 4 of the people he likes.
Really. I guarantee it."
 
"What? Why would I be in fourth place, and not third? Isn't that you, that guy, and
then me third?"
 
"Bzzt. You have a rival against you. Someone named Kaka ..."
 
"Kaka? And who is that? Is he someone who is going to marry Mai?"
 
"She is only 7 years old, why do you mention a marriage? Jeez."
 
Rihannan sighed as she crossed her arms.
 
"Kaka is the dog Mai is raising. The dog is huge and wonderful. I had to stop her from
bringing him here too."
 
"So you say a dog is beating me?"
 
"Oh Dimitri. Please stop being so attached to my daughter and get married too so you
can have a daughter."
 
Rihannan patted her on the shoulder.
 
"Mai told me that you grew more wrinkles on her face. And she wondered if your
family line would end with you."
 
The Marquis was terribly worried, since his son was about to turn 30 and had no
intention of marrying yet. Seeing how he loved Mai, he seemed like he still wanted a
child of his own, and although there were women lined up wanting to get closer with
Dimitri, he still wandered the sea.
 
"Anyway, at some point that will come. But can I really take fourth place?"
 
He stroked his beard as she asked, and Rihannan smiled brightly as she tugged at his
arm.
 
"Of course. Now let's cut your beard right now. I'll do it myself!"
 
...
...
 
Rihannan let out a deep sigh as she remembered the things that had happened so far.
Igor complied with the claim that he would treasure Mai more than anything else in
the world since her birth. He not only bathed her personally, but he also stood by her
side until she fell asleep at night when she had the opportunity to do so. Once Mai
began to be able to lift her head, he even he let her sit on his lap while she worked on
her government duties. It was to the point where Rihannan had to snatch her away,
telling her not to monopolize her too much.
 
"But why do you keep calling him 'that guy' constantly? He has a name, his name is
IGOR."
 
Hearing Rihannan's complaint, Dimitri laughed.
 
"I still don't like him very much."
 
"What is he doing that you don't like?"
 
"After all, he took you away from us by force. We would have been hesitant to give
you up even if they brought gold and treasures as an offer, but he just took you
hostage."
 
"Well, the circumstance was that ..."
 
"No matter what the circumstance was, I will never really accept it."
 
Dimitri complained angrily, hatred for Igor still burned in his heart. It seemed that
what had happened 'back then' increased the hatred he felt for Igor.
 
That was 6 years ago, when Rihannan gave up going back to Chrichton and went back
to Igor, which infuriated Dimitri. He had learned that Igor had come to the port
personally, and he took Rihannan back to the palace. He firmly believed that she had
returned to the palace with Igor because he had threatened her again to make sure she
did not leave her side.
 
Dimitri claimed that he had broken the promise he had made, and asked him to return
Rihannan to Chrichton, but Igor flatly rejected that request. It seemed that the incident
had ended at that point, but a few months after that happened, one day Dimitri himself
appeared at Arundell's royal palace and once again there was a fierce battle between
them.
 
Dimitri had in his possession a document bearing the seal of the King of Crichton,
creating an uproar within Arundell Palace.
 
| I have evidence that this marriage is void. King of Arundell, bring my cousin back
now!
 
At the time, Rihannan was in the last month of her pregnancy. Hearing the news that
Dimitri had arrived, she was so overjoyed that despite his heavy body, she struggled to
make her way to the reception. But when Rihannan opened the reception door she saw
Igor and Dimitris in fierce conflict.
 
She felt like she was suddenly in a wilderness area that contained wild predators.
Seeing that they were both screaming wildly, she put her hand to her forehead.
Despite the fact that she had sent multiple letters to Dimitri all this time telling him
that she had made that decision herself and that Igor had never threatened her, Dimitri
did not believe in any of it. He assumed that once again she was sacrificing herself for
the good of the country or something like that. In the first place, she was brought to
Arundell for that belief of hers. to.
 
| What do you mean that the marriage is void ... |
 
| Read it yourself. |
 
Igor snatched the document from Dimitri. As he read the contents of the document, his
pupils began to tremble. Rihannan was immediately curious about the contents of the
document. What was written in the document that made Igor react in this way?
 
| ...... |
 
After reading the entire document, Igor said nothing. As he repeatedly bit his lip,
Dimitri had an arrogant expression on his face.
 
| Strictly speaking, Ria is not part of the Chrichton royal family. Since Ria, who is not
part of the royal family, has married the King of Arundell in royal family status, this
marriage is logically void.
 
Mrs. Cessly, who was standing next to Rihannan, gasped in surprise. Then, she ran
quickly towards Igor, who dropped the document from her hand in shock. Mrs. Cessly
grabbed the document long before she hit the ground and walked over to Rihannan to
read it.
 
Rihannan and Mrs. Cessly put their heads together as they quickly read the contents of
the document. The document stipulated the possible scope of the royal family during
the time of Chrichton's establishment as a country. The direct line would recognize up
to the fifth descendants as part of the royal family. While the indirect lines would only
be recognized up to the third descendants as part of the royal family. In the chaos that
ensued during the founding of the Crichton country, there was a redistribution of titles
and land for the nobles. This process was done, to find out how far they were willing
to recognize some descendants as part of the royal family line.
 
Over the years, the royal family focused on the order of members who lined up for the
throne, and Dimitri was among the chosen ones. Therefore, it was obvious that
Rihannan was considered an indirect line of the royal family. But the problem was
that according to the stipulation written during the founding of the country, it meant
that Dimitris and Rihannan were not part of the royal family.
 
According to the information in the document, the marriage was annulled. It was also
written that they would be held responsible for what had happened and adequate
compensation would be given to the King of Arundell.
 
Rihannan and Mrs. Cessly stared at Dimitri with expressions of utter horror. Dimiti
had great tenacity. In his attempt to bring his cousin back no matter what, he pulled
out an old stipulation and declared that this marriage was annulled.
 
| My God ... |
 
Mrs. Cessly shook her head from side to side.
 
| This is the first time I have seen someone with such tenacity in my life. He has dug
up a several hundred year old mold rotten document to get his cousin to divorce! Now
I understand why the Crown Prince of Crichton has fallen so fast. With a tenacity like
his, there is nothing in the world that he cannot do.
 
| Dimi is normally quiet, but he can do things like this when he puts his mind to it. |
 
| But in any case, he will be a source of headache for his Majesty. After all, it appears
that Dimitri is not claiming something false.
 
Rihannan put her hand on her belly and sighed. Recently, Igor had worked hard to
improve his relationship with Dimitri. Once his baby was born, he planned to invite all
the members of Rihannan's family to Chrichton and serve them all very kindly to try
to get rid of the hatred between the two groups. But before it could take place, Dimitri
had struck first.
 
As Rihannan and Mrs. Cessly talked about this, the two men kept arguing screaming.
One side argued that the marriage was void and that he would take Rihannan back to
Chrichton, while the other side said that all this was useless and that she should leave
the palace immediately.
 
From Rihannan's point of view, they were both very stubborn and no solution would
come up for this problem. Just when she was about to move her heavy feet to
intervene and calm them both, as they still did not realize that Rihannan had arrived,
she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her belly.
 
| Ha ... |
 
When Rihannan stopped suddenly as she clutched her belly, Mrs. Cessly's face turned
deathly pale.
 
| My queen? |
 
Rihannan shook her head from side to side.
 
| It's nothing, I think it's just that my belly is tightening as usual. |
 
They were already at a point in their pregnancy where it wouldn't be a surprise if she
gave birth right now. Just when Rihannan was about to move again thinking it was
nothing ...
 
| Haaa! |
 
This time, she felt a sensation of pain in her belly completely different from before. It
was so painful that a tear came out of her eyes. Not only that, but something started to
drip between her legs.
 
| My queen, do you think you are starting to have contractions? |
 
Mrs. Sessly was quick to support Rihannan. She then saw that Rihannan had broken
water, which made her realize the seriousness of the situation. Mrs. Cessly got rid of
all the elegance and manners that she had maintained until now, and she screamed out
loud.
 
| Your Highness of her! Now is not the time to argue! The queen has ... |
 
Hearing her scream, Igor and Dimitri turned their heads at the same time.
 
| Rihannan! |
 
| Ria! |
 
The two men stopped fighting and ran towards Rihannan. Dimitri tried to hug
Rihannan and lift her, but Igor pushed him with her shoulder and lifted Rihannan in
her place. He then took her to the appropriate room in her arms. And 24 hours of pain
later, she gave birth to Mai.
 
Remembering that moment, Rihannan laughed.
 
"Mrs. Cessly told me this later that day. That she found it amusing to watch the two
men who were arguing intensely a few moments ago, standing outside the delivery
room, looking anxious and concerned."
 
Dimitri laughed slightly.
 
"I didn't know anything about female childbirth, so I thought something was wrong
with you. I thought you were going to die."
 
"Yes, Igor also thought the same. He must have been very surprised to see that I broke
my water."
 
"Honestly, after you gave birth to your baby, I knew you would never go back to
Chrichton. I realized that you really loved him."
 
Rihannan stopped the hands that held the towel that wiped Dimitri's chin and looked
at him with a surprised expression, because Dimitri had never recognized Igor until
now. Dimitri's eyes went to Rihannan and they curved as when one smiles.
 
Chapter 278
 
"Was that why you decided to acknowledge our relationship and not oppose it
anymore?"
 
"That's right. I was trying to recognize you two. Ria, if you really wanted to stay, I
planned to leave Arundell in peace and not make any fuss. But that guy ...!"
 
Dimitri hit the wall below the window. He growled with an angry expression.
 
"But suddenly, he forced me out and sent me back to Chrichton. Then he made sure
that he could never enter that place again. How am I supposed to understand that !?"
 
"Igor didn't know at all that you had changed your thoughts. He was worried that you
would use the document you took out as an excuse to take me back to Chrichton. I'm
not sure this helps, but Igor probably wanted to throw you into the sea at that moment
and not send you back to Chrichton like he did. "
 
"Ria, are you really siding with him?"
 
Hearing her voice filled with rage from hers, Rihannan laughed and kissed him on the
cheek.
 
"Don't be mad. You know, I never actually shaved my husband's beard this way.
You're the first person I ever did it to, cousin."
 
And with Rihannan's kiss on her cheek, her anger subsided immediately. As Dimitri
grinned like an idiot, she wiped the rest of his face, but had a slightly sad smile on her
lips.
 
"But are you okay?"
 
"Hm? What do you mean?"
 
"I'm talking about your life right now."
 
3 years ago, Chrichton had crowned a new king. If he had been in the past life, the
rightful owner of the kingship would have been Dimitri. However, in this life in which
the future had changed, the one who had become the King of Chrichton was Prince
Ivan.
 
He then he began to dedicate himself seriously to sailing. Traveling through distant
seas, reaching unknown nations, meeting unknown people and culture, as well as
trading with them. That she had dreamed of since his youth. However, if the future
hadn't changed due to interference from Igor and Rihannan, Dimitri would have ended
up sitting in Chrichton's highest possible position. He may end up hating Rihannan if
she realizes this truth.
 
"Have you never thought ... that you could have become the King of Crichton?"
 
"What are you saying? Me, becoming king? Although I have the right to ascend to the
throne as a descendant, many people have more right and primacy to it."
 
Rihannan looked down.
 
"You never know. All those members of the royal family in front of you could
suddenly meet an unfortunate ending at the same time ..."
 
Dimitri laughed.
 
"I'm not sure why you say those things, but I have no interest in ascending the throne.
You asked me how I am currently, right? I am satisfied. More than satisfied. If I was
not, there would be no reason for me to navigate the seas without even bothering to
marry, right? Ah, I suppose there could be something good if I became the king. I
could show the powers that I have in front of your husband. But since you are leading
a good life, I no longer have the need to do it. "
 
He got up from the chair. He then he leaned his body slightly forward and stroked
Rihannan's head.
 
"Are you worried? No need. That man died a long time ago, and there is no one who
can hurt you anymore."
 
Dimitri was referring to the former Crown Prince of Chrichton.
 
5 years ago, he found the crown prince dead. After being dethroned from his position
as crown prince, he went hunting outside the palace one day and suffered an accident
that ended his life. When his body was found, he was badly burned. There was a fire
in that area of the mountain during that time, and people assumed that the previous
crown prince could not escape the fire. Only the ring left on his finger indicated that
the body actually belonged to the former crown prince.
 
And with that, his existence was quietly forgotten. But Rihannan vaguely surmised
that Igor may have been involved in that incident. The crown prince had died in the
same way that Rihannan could have ended up dying. She was not so stupid as not to
make any connection between the two events.
 
"Mother!"
 
At that moment, Mai's scream was heard. Rihannan and Dimitri left the room. Mai
had arrived with Mary with baskets full of strawberries. Just when Mai saw Rihannan,
she happily ran up to her.
 
"Mother! Look at this, I picked all these strawberries myself!"
 
Seeing the basket filled to the brim with strawberries, Rihannan laughed.
 
"Mai, this is too much, even if all the people in the mansion eat this every day, it will
still take a few days to finish them!"
 
"I'll eat all the remaining ones! I swear I can!"
 
After she bragged about how much she could eat, Mary spoke.
 
"The princess was really amazing how quickly she was able to pick all those
strawberries, they were all picked in a second! If she hadn't stopped her, she would
have I would have picked up all the strawberries available in the forest ... Oh my God!
"
 
Mary turned to look at Dimitri that he had become a completely different person, and
she was so shocked that she dropped the basket in her hand. Dimitri moved quickly to
keep the basket from falling to the ground.
 
"My God, who is this? It seems our handsome young master Dimitri is back!"
 
Mary was stunned. During the time it took her to go out to pick some strawberries and
return, Dimitri had gone from a furry monkey to a handsome man. Hearing Mary's
compliment, Dimitri smirked, then turned his gaze to Mai. Mai was also staring at his
face with an expression of mild surprise.
 
"Mai, my princess. How do I look? Do I look more handsome now that I have shaved
my beard?"
 
Mai studied every corner of Dimitri's face as if she were a teacher looking for
imperfections. She then she did a quick nod.
 
"Hm. At least much better than before. Don't grow a beard again."
 
Dimitri was full of happiness.
 
"Really? So Mai, could you give me a kiss on the cheek?"
 
"Ugh!"
 
Mai berated dumb Dimitri before sneaking into the kitchen. Rihannan patted her on
the shoulder and comforted him.
 
"Don't be so sad, Dimi. One day you'll get a kiss on the cheek from her."
 
But Dimitri's face was still very depressed.
 
"It seems like Mai still hates me, .."
 
"She's a bit hard to please, she got that from her father. Don't give up, Dimi."
 
The dessert served at dinner was filled with strawberries that were picked from the
forest. Mai spoke enthusiastically of all the events she experienced in the forest, and
the family continually laughed upon hearing of her hilarious adventures.
 
When it got late at night, Rihannan put Mai to bed and tucked her to sleep. She
normally fell asleep immediately after Rihannan covered her with her blanket and
patted her chest gently, but for some reason she Mai seemed unable to sleep at all
tonight.
 
"Mai, aren't you sleepy?"
 
Mai grabbed Rihannan's hand and brought it to her cheek, rubbing her face against it.
 
"Yes, mother. But I think I'll be able to fall asleep immediately if you sleep with me."
 
After arriving at this place, Mai showed that she needed more affection from her
mother. It seems that it was because she in Arundell needed to maintain an appearance
of nobility, but in this place she did not need to worry about that.
 
Rihannan lay down next to Mai as she watched her. Her lovely daughter had the
spitting image and beauty of her mother. With her shiny silver hair, her exceptionally
white skin, and her facial features, she looked more like Rihannan than Igor.
 
However, it seemed to Rihannan that Mai had the deep purple eyes of her father. If
she stood still and stared into Mai's eyes, she might even make the mistake of thinking
that she was looking at Igor. Her personality also closely resembled Igor's in many
ways. So much so that Basil commented that Mai was like Igor in her youth.
 
"Mother, please tell me the story of how you met my father."
 
Looking into Mai's bright purple eyes, Rihannan laughed.
 
"Again?"
 
"Yes, please tell me again."
 
Despite having told her so many times, Mai still begged her to tell her again.
Rihannan cleared her throat and began to speak.
 
"When I was 10 years old, I visited the royal palace with my mother. While mother
was chatting with the queen mother, I was in the gardens playing alone, when ..."
 
"That's when you met Dad, right? And Dad was laying in the garden at the time."
 
Rihannan nodded. She couldn't understand why Mai kept asking her to tell her story
when she seemed like she remembered everything. For now, she just continued with
the story.
 
"Right. I didn't even know your father was in the garden, when I ended up seeing
something while he was seeing flowers and butterflies."
 
"You mean when he saw a cat trying to catch a bird to eat it, right?"
 
Rihannan couldn't help but laugh, and she stroked Mai's hair. At this point, she was
confused as to whether she was telling him the story, or just discussing the story
together.
 
"Yes. In the end, your father climbed the tree and saved the little bird."
 
And the story always ended at that point. Neither of them spoke of the incredible
miracle that occurred after that moment. After all, it was a secret that only the two of
them knew.
 
Chapter 279
 
Only then did Rihannan notice. That Mai was picking up on her tendency to prefer
outer appearances.
 
Even when Mai heard Rihannan make the shameful confession that she had liked her
father because of her appearance, she was not at all surprised. She was just nodding
her head, agreeing with Rihannan.
 
"Well, I also really like Daddy's pretty face. I get it, Mom."
 
"Yes. Thank you very much for understanding ..."
 
Rihannan felt that she should make Mai fall asleep as soon as she could.
 
"Mai, if you want to get up early to play a lot tomorrow, you have to go to sleep now."
 
Rihannan lifted the blanket up to Mai's neck. However, Mai still had something to say.
 
"Tomorrow is the last day then, right?"
 
"Yes."
 
"So the time has come ... haa, that was quick."
 
"You're sad?"
 
"Yes."
 
The short 3-day visit was almost coming to an end. At first Mai found this place a bit
uncomfortable, but she quickly began to enjoy this life as if she had been raised in
Crichton. Rihannan analyzed her daughter's expression very carefully.
 
"So, will we stay a little longer before we go back? For a few more days?"
 
"No! Anything but that!"
 
Hearing her disagreement, Rihannan's eyes widened.
 
"Why? You said you were sad!"
 
"Dad said that if Mom talks about staying longer, she should do her best to cry and
beg to come home as soon as ... Ah!"
 
Mai covered her mouth with both of her hands quickly. But she had already
mentioned a lot of the things she shouldn't say. Rihannan narrowed her eyes.
 
"Mai, what did you talk about with dad before you came here?"
 
"Good..."
 
Mai soon revealed the whole truth. The day before they arrived at Chrichton, Igor
secretly told Mai that if her mother spoke of wanting to stay longer, she should
immediately complain and beg to return to Arundell, rolling on the ground if
necessary.
 
Rihannan couldn't help but laugh. She wondered why Igor was so willing to let her
come to Crichton, and now the truth had been revealed. Igor desperately wanted her to
return as soon as possible.
 
"Mother, but even though that's true, I still want to go back to Arundell. It's not that I
don't like being here, but ... I want to see my father."
 
Mai's eyes were full of longing for her father. Since Igor and Mai always played
together every day, except when they were abroad, it was understandable.
 
"Okay. I understand, now go to sleep."
 
Mai smiled shyly and closed her eyes. Not long after, Mai quickly fell asleep.
Watching her soft breathing while she slept, Rihannan remembered many things. The
days really felt like a dream. Her memories of having been able to give birth to her
baby and watch her grow were the happiest moments of her life. Sometimes it was
hard for him to believe that this was reality.
 
"Mai."
 
Hearing Rihannan's little whisper, her daughter reacted by smiling like an angel. As if
she had heard her words in her dream. Rihannan kissed her daughter on the forehead
and whispered again.
 
"My daughter, Maiastra."
 
The golden bird with miraculous power. After giving birth to Mai, Igor confessed that
he had thought of Mai's name a long time ago. He said that in that moment when there
was no hope in the relationship between them, he clung to the last hope he had, and
ended up thinking of the name of Maiastra.
 
She asked him why she chose the name Maiastra when the bird's name was Ataraxia
in Arundell, and he replied that she did so in anticipation of the worst possible
outcome. He said that if he ended up having to send his wife and daughter back to
Chrichton, they would end up living there with his daughter's name after Arundell's
golden bird, which would end up being awkward and embarrassing for both Rihannan
and for his daughter. Therefore, he assumed it would be a burden, he said this while
he laughed.
 
"He really is an idiot."
 
With a teasing tone to his murmur, Rihannan hugged Mai. It was difficult to organize
this visit to Chrichton. She originally planned to stay a week, but due to Igor's
rejection, they were only able to stay 3 days. She thought that she would end up
regretting the short time they would spend in Crichton, but as Mai said, she also
wanted to meet Igor. Rihannan closed her eyes as her mind wondered how she wanted
to reunite with Igor as soon as possible.
 
***
 
On the day they were to return to Arundell, Rihannan said goodbye to Dimitri and his
uncle, who had come to the port to see them off.
 
"Then we will go. Please stay safe and healthy."
 
"Good, Rihannan. Next time, I'll come visit you."
 
The Marquis waved his hand farewell. On the other hand, it was too easy to see the
sadness on Dimitri's face. As he hugged Rihannan and said his last goodbye, he
deliberately grumbled.
 
"Only 3 days. Realme I can't forgive that guy ... "
 
Seeing that he was speaking ill of her father in front of her, Mai frowned, to which
Dimitri immediately closed her mouth. Practically digging his own grave,
badmouthing Igor in front of Mai!
 
"Mai. It's the last chance, could you give me a kiss on the cheek?"
 
Dimitri kept begging for his affection until the last minute, being too clingy. Even
when he moved his cheek to Mai, in his mind he had no hope of receiving a kiss. That
shy princess would definitely ignore him and turn her back on him.
 
But a miracle happened. Mai walked over to him, hugged him, and kissed him on the
cheek.
 
"Good to see you. You should come to Arundell next time."
 
Dimitri touched his cheek with a shocked expression. And with that final goodbye,
Rihannan and Mai boarded the boat. The ship sailed out of the harbor and headed
toward the horizon. The ship sped towards the man they both loved very much.
 
When they reached the port of Sallerno after a long journey, Igor was on a corner,
waiting for his arrival. The moment Mai got off the ship, she ran into Igor's arms.
 
"Dad!"
 
Igor hugged Mai fully as she jumped into her arms. Mai wrapped her hands around
Igor's neck as she kissed him on the face several times.
 
"I've missed you, father. I've missed you so much!"
 
Igor also kissed Mai's cheeks several times to return her gesture. After all that
greeting, he finally put Mai down.
 
"Where is Kaka?"
 
Mai immediately started looking for Kaka. The moment the servant behind Igor
released the dog's leash, the human-sized black dog ran straight towards Mai. Then he
frantically licked her face incessantly.
 
"Kaka! Eek! Stop! It tickles!"
 
As Mai received an enthusiastic greeting from Kaka, Igor approached Rihannan. With
a smile he couldn't hide, he took Rihannan's hand. Then quickly he pulled Rihannan's
hips toward him.
 
"Rihannan."
 
That single word had many different meanings behind it. That he had been worried the
entire time during her absence, and that he had missed her terribly.
 
Rihannan buried her face in her chest. Only when she began to hear her heartbeat did
she feel that all the emptiness within her heart was completely filled again.
 
"I missed you, Igor."
 
At that moment, the hand that encircled Rihannan's hips suddenly grabbed her tighter.
Rihannan felt chills. Igor held Rihannan's face with both hands and gave her a little
kiss on the lips. As his soft lips brushed, his eyes met. Although his expression
seemed calm and peaceful, his purple eyes burned with desire deep inside. Igor
laughed.
 
"I was worried what to do if by chance you didn't take this ship to come, Rihannan."
 
"Why? Were you planning to bring in a fleet of ships to threaten them again or
something?"
 
He calmly caressed Rihannan's cheek with her fingers.
 
"Do you think I would just sit idly by?"
 
"You wouldn't have needed to do that anyway. After all, you gave Mai your plan
instructions. Telling her that if I started wanting to stay in Chrichton any longer, that
she would roll on the floor begging me to come home."
 
"......"
 
When his secret plan worked out with his daughter behind his wife's back was fully
revealed, Igor kept his mouth shut. At that moment, Mai and Kaka who had finished
greeting each other, approached them. The great beast also clung tightly to Rihannan,
happily greeting her. Only after Rihannan stroked Kaka's fur enough were they finally
able to get into the carriage to return home.
 
The carriage that rode for about 2 hours reached the former territory of Count Alessin.
All the employees left the mansion and greeted them courteously. They had come to
visit them for the first time in a long time.
 
"Welcome, His Majesties. And princess."
 
Jeffery stood right up front and greeted them when they arrived. Wearing a monocle
and a bright smile on his face, he had a lot more gray on his head than the last time
they saw him a few years ago.
 
"Jeffery."
 
Rihannan approached him first and took his hand. Feeling the numerous wrinkles in
her hand, she felt how the years had passed quickly.
 
"I heard your knee wasn't right, how has it been these days?"
 
"My Lady. It is natural to have pains in various places as one gets older. You don't
need to worry about those things."
 
His personality remained the same even after he had aged many years. A sense of
relief crossed Rihannan's face. Even though 7 years had passed since she had become
queen, Jeffery still called her a lady. She would probably only be recognized as the
young and esteemed daughter of her parents in this mansion.
 
"Princess Mai, it's an honor for this Jeffery butler to greet you officially, Princess Mai.
Actually, you will be our mistress in the future. "
 
Mai's eyes widened immediately. She turned and looked at Rihannan with a confused
expression.
 
"Mother, what did he mean by that?"
 
Rihannan just held Mai's small hand tightly.
 
Chapter 280
 
The path that led to the cemetery behind the mansion was lined with flowers on the
sides. Igor stopped Rihannan for a moment and started picking up some flowers from
the side of the road. Seeing that he knew very well which ones to pick up, he could
easily imagine that he had acted the same way 7 years ago. Soon, a whole bunch of
flowers were in his hand. Watching him find a rope to tie it all together, Rihannan
pulled out one of the ribbons that held his hair and handed it to him.
 
"Tie him up with this."
 
Igor took the ribbon made of blue silk that Rihannan gave him, and with precision
completely tied the bouquet of flowers. Then he took one of the white flowers that
was in the grass and gave it to Rihannan.
 
"Since this was the most beautiful, I made sure to give it to you directly."
 
Rihannan's face immediately turned red. She smiled shyly and took the flower that
Igor offered her. When he brought it to her nose and sniffed it, he thought she had a
wonderful scent.
 
Although they have lived together for a long time, every time Igor did this kind of
action, her heart always pounded. Looking into his eyes even now made her feel blush
and her chest pound harder. Rihannan thought that she could remain the same even
after a hundred years.
 
"Did you know?"
 
As they headed back to the cemetery, Rihannan asked him a question and Igor
answered.
 
"That?"
 
"The moment I began to open my heart to you was exactly when you gave me that
bouquet of flowers. Seeing you make a bouquet of flowers with your own hands, I
realized that you were completely different."
 
"My God, then I guess I should be grateful for Basil's warning back then."
 
"Was it Basil's idea? I knew it ... I'm a little disappointed."
 
"No wait, I didn't mean that Basil told me that, but ..."
 
Looking at the man who still reacts sensitively to every word she said, she smiled and
held her hand tightly as they walked together.
 
After leaving the bouquet of flowers in front of her mother's grave, the two of them
stayed in front of the grave for a while. After a long time, Rihannan opened her
mouth.
 
"Actually, Mom really liked you."
 
Igor turned and looked at Rihannan with a shocked expression. It was shocking,
because in her previous life she had never said anything to him about this.
 
"Because she...?"
 
"She said that even if you didn't express yourself often, you are not one to lie to
deceive people. If she really hadn't liked you back then, she would never have wanted
me to occupy the position of queen, even if the Queen Mother were to ordered it. And
I also knew at that moment, that I was also starting to fall in love with you. "
 
Igor looked down. He had always thought that her marriage had been made for
political gain, and now it was proven again that it was not true. The more he knew
about the past life, the more painful his memories of the mistakes she had made
became.
 
"Ah, now that I remember ... the King of Crichton was showing a favorable stance
towards you."
 
Seeing his expression quickly darken, Rihannan quickly changed the subject. Igor
smiled again and looked at Rihannan again.
 
"Really? Good to hear."
 
"Yes. After all, maintaining a good relationship with us would be beneficial to both
parties. Their position is still unstable."
 
The current King of Crichton had been crowned although strictly speaking he came
from the nobility and not from the royal family, something that was unprecedented. In
these days when his position was still in danger, he would lose nothing by being
friendly and cooperative with the neighboring country.
 
"I said that I will actively support Mai for her to become the successor to the throne."
 
His visit to Chrichton was not just to meet his relatives. When Rihannan arrived in
Chrichton, she first visited the royal palace to meet Helena, who had now become the
wife of an Earl, and then met the King of Chrichton separately. She did it to take care
of all the behind-the-scenes work that needed to be done in order for Mai to become
the next successor to the throne in the future.
 
In the last 7 years, Igor and Rihannan only raised Mai. Igor did not wish to have more
descendants than Mai, and Rihannan wanted another baby, but he gave up the idea for
Mai. If another baby were born to them, Mai's position as successor would be
complicated.
 
From the beginning, they both laid out a plan for Mai to become the proper successor
to the throne in the future. However, the nobles thought differently. Since the king and
queen were still young, they had many opportunities and time to give birth to a child
later, so they did not have to rush to choose a successor.
 
While Rihannan worried about this problem, Igor advanced his plan and decided to
make Mai the right successor to the throne. He did not want to leave the matter in the
hands of Rihannan and for her to think that she had the burden of giving birth to a
child as in the past life.
 
Giving Mai Countess status was also part of the plan. Originally the currently empty
position of Count Alessin would be given to a child Rihannan gave birth to, but since
that would not be the case, she needed to inform everyone of his decision. That Mai
not only has the right to triumph and claim the position of Countess, but also the right
to the throne.
 
"I will make sure Mai never experiences the tragedy that the Queen Mother had to go
through."
 
With a firm voice, Rihannan closed her hand into a fist.
 
Although the position of the king was more established today, there were still many
people who would not feel comfortable with Mai being the queen of the country. As
this had caused internal conflicts and a civil war in the past, they were much more
defensive regarding that proposal. Also, if Mai gave up the right of succession to the
throne of her and Rihannan did not have a child, the husband that Mai married would
end up becoming the king of the country.
 
Igor hugged Rihannan. As he stroked her round shoulder silently, he whispered.
 
"Don't worry. Such a thing will never happen."
 
Rihannan nodded as she leaned against her body. Ironically, the person who supported
the move for Mai to be the successor to the throne was the Queen Mother herself.
Even though she had raised her son with a cold demeanor, she gave her granddaughter
Mai a lot of love and affection.
 
The Queen Mother actually wished with all her might that Mai didn't end up walking
the same path as her. Therefore, she would actively help as much as she could. It was
the Queen Mother who made the recommendation that before Igor officially
announced the successor to the throne, it would be best to ensure that they received
the support of neighboring countries before they announced it. She mentioned that
having Chrichton's support would ensure that people considered that what had
happened in the past could not happen again.
 
As the saying goes, 'all wounds heal over time', when Rihannan saw the Queen
Mother acting with such affection towards Mai, the hatred and contempt she felt
towards her gradually diminished over time. Although all the villains from the
previous life were now dead or received punishment from her, perhaps the Queen
Mother was able to live peacefully because she did not miss the second chance she
had.
 
"Let's go now. Mai could be looking for us."
 
As the sun went down and the winds started to blow, Rihannan told Igor. They weren't
sure when they could come back once they left this time. Rihannan gave the last
goodbye to her before leaving, telling her.
 
"Mother, I am living a happy life."
 
...
...
 
 
"I never regret it."
 
They had almost reached the mansion after coming down the hill when Rihannan
suddenly said those words to Igor. He stopped and looked at her.
 
"I said it in the past, right? My mother loved my father every day of her life, so even if
she hated or loved him, she would always be happier by her side. I am the same too. .
"
 
Rihannan knew that Igor always felt guilty about what had happened in the previous
life. She wished Igor would stop blaming himself for it.
 
"Even though a lot happened after I married you, I don't regret being by your side one
bit. I always wanted to tell you this."
 
Igor kept his gaze on Rihannan, his eyes still filled with guilt and regret.
 
"Even though you have experienced death because of me?"
 
"The person who had revived me after death was also you. And in the first place, it
was not your fault. After all, you also had to pay a heavy price for what you did."
 
Igor had confessed to her at some point that the three years of her previous life after
she died of poison were hell. He wished he had died on the battlefield.
 
Therefore, he decided that in this life, it would be better for her to live longer than
him. If dying together was impossible, she wanted to send Igor sooner so that he
wouldn't end up experiencing the same torment and pain that she experienced in the
past life.
 
"If you hadn't met me, you probably would have had a much more relaxed life."
 
"But I would probably not be as happy as I am now. And I prefer to live next to the
people I love."
 
Igor finally smiled. The expression on his face was filled with happiness.
 
"I love you."
 
Igor whispered to him as he placed his palms on Rihannan's cheeks.
 
"Every moment you were away from me, I desperately wanted to say these words to
you."
 
Both of Rihannan's eyes became very curved. Logically, she responded with the
sweetest words in the world.
 
"I love you too, Igor."
 
Both lips met. Igor gave him a deep kiss. There was no way his desire for Rihannan,
which had built up during the days she left Arundell, could be completely satisfied
just by this. Her mind was completely filled with the desire to introduce his manhood
in the deepest and warmest place of his body.
 
"... I want to do it right now."
 
Words came out of her mouth between heavy breaths. Igor's purple eyes blazed with
desire as he looked at Rihannan. Rihannan, how many times in a row would he make
her reach the end over and over again.
 
Rihannan wanted him desperately too. She wanted to make love to him immediately.
She was so eager that she would allow Igor to put her on the grassy ground they were
treading on, to do so immediately.
 
"Please make love to me, Igor."
 
Hearing those words, Igor immediately lifted Rihannan into her embrace. Rihannan
held in her hand the flower she gave him from her while she held on to Igor's neck. As
they entered the mansion, they did not stop kissing.
 
"I'll make sure you can't sleep tonight. We'll worry about your travel weariness when
we get back to the palace."
 
Hearing his threat, Rihannan gave a loud laugh.
 
"Are you saying that you will let me sleep without disturbing me when we arrive at
the palace?"
 
"Well ... I'll have to think about it then ..."
 
In the distance, she heard the barking of a dog. And then there was the sound of a girl
screaming for her parents. If it were like any other time, they would have approached
her daughter, but just this once did they prevent her from seeing them.
 
Right now, it was time to make love together.
 
<THE END>
 
***
 
Thank you very much for joining us in this novel!
 
In this novel there were two great opposite poles. A group that wanted Rihannan and
Igor to stay together, while the other group was adamantly opposed. What we are sure
of is that many at the beginning did not expect that there would be so many
background scenes capable of changing the perspective of readers. Did you imagine
another ending?