Chapter 04
To put it bluntly, Belthanio had lost his fiancée a year ago.
She was a princess from a small kingdom, and even before being mentioned as Belthanio’s fiancée, she was known for her excellent character.
Then her ability manifested.
A mage was called to help control it, but he made a mistake.
He misdirected the flow of her amplified power, causing it to turn against her.
How could a young woman, gently raised and only twenty years old, withstand such overwhelming power? She couldn’t even endure a week. She died.
Because of this incident, the imperial family became eager to find him a partner before he reached adulthood. But Belthanio refused.
He was still shaken by losing his fiancée, and he also found it unbearable to live while constantly watching the Crown Prince’s judgment, even if he tried to live according to his own will.
As far as I knew, Belthanio was second in line to the throne, but he would eventually abandon his claim and leave the imperial family.
Well, he isn’t an important character anyway. He leaves the palace early in the middle of the story, and I don’t really know what happens after that… but since there’s no mention of his death, I guess he’s fine.
Now that I think about it, he doesn’t even appear in the illustrations.
Because of his stubborn refusal to be tied to any woman, my engagement with him would likely be broken off soon too.
So Ever wouldn’t need to worry about me becoming royalty.
But if I told her that, she’d probably accuse me of treason and have me arrested. Better stay quiet.
About an hour later, I slightly pulled back the curtain Ever had drawn.
The imperial palace came into view.
Without thinking, I grabbed the window frame and pressed my face forward.
“Wow—amazing.”
“Could you please act like a proper noble lady of the Demierd family? Even a country viscount’s daughter wouldn’t behave like that.”
Yes, yes. You’re so noble and great, Lady Ever.
I only mocked her internally and closed the curtain again.
Haa… I’m nervous.
In my past life, I had never experienced anything like this, so I thought it would just be exciting—but seeing the huge imperial palace made me feel overwhelmed instead.
My feet already hurt from the narrow heels, my head felt slightly dizzy from the poorly ventilated carriage, and I was also nervous.
Right after being thrown into this world, I had to meet nobles, dance, and manage my reputation.
A ducal house—below the grand ducal families, but still one of the six ducal houses with authority…
This morning, while bathing, I had asked Susan what commoners thought of our family.
I wanted to use that information in real life, based on Lana’s memories.
I asked her to be honest, and although she was sweating nervously, she explained everything she knew.
From her explanation, I figured out how I should behave in front of others.
Not difficult.
I was even grateful that Lana’s original personality was so mild.
If I had to act clever and scheming instead, it would have been much harder.
Staying unnoticed in a corner required no effort.
That was my talent area.
One hour after arriving at the ballroom.
I greeted various nobles, moved naturally as if my body had been programmed, and danced.
During that time, I realized something.
How could noble ladies, who only rode horses and carriages, have so much stamina?
These dresses must weigh over 10 kilograms!
Feeling thirsty, I drank a lot of the non-alcoholic drinks prepared.
Now I understood why nobles who only drank a small amount of champagne ended up staggering drunk.
They must be so exhausted that they drink just to recover.
Ugh… pathetic.
Smiling brightly, I avoided the drunken nobles.
With my stomach full of water, I felt dizzy and wanted to rest.
“Lady Lana, it’s been a while.”
Just as I was heading toward the terrace, a clear voice stopped me.
I turned and saw who had called me.
Huh, the princess!
Lana’s body stiffened instinctively.
The princess, Scarlet, stood there.
I quickly bowed my head.
“Please raise your head. It makes me sad when you treat me like such a distant person.”
She smiled and covered her face with a fan.
“You’ve heard, haven’t you? About the engagement talks with my brother.”
I inwardly grimaced.
She had delayed marriage after marriage just to protect her position as head of the family, only to end up in an imperial engagement.
For some, it might be lucky… but Lana must have felt complicated.
“I do not have high expectations. There are many excellent ladies in the empire. I am not someone who can be of much help to anyone…”
“Lady Lana, it’s better to think differently. Someone benefits greatly just from my existence. If you think that way, there is no one more suitable for Belthanio than you.”
She spoke sharply yet elegantly.
She was essentially saying that a plain but well-born lady like me should be the one to keep Belthanio from causing trouble in the imperial family.
I broke out in a cold sweat, just like Susan did when she had to speak honestly about the Demierd family.
Anyway, considering Belthanio’s future choices… he’ll probably break off the engagement himself because he dislikes me.
I smiled politely again.
“Thank you for your kind evaluation.”
“Even if it’s not me, even a passing mouse in the imperial palace would think so. Hoho.”
Being evaluated even by mice was a bit depressing.
Scarlet then seemed to remember something and placed her hand on my shoulder, leaning in to whisper.
“There will be a big event soon. A chance to test the luck of the god Narte.”
What is that?
I had no idea. My mind went blank—this wasn’t something Lana was familiar with.
“It’s a lottery. The prize is 800,000 gold. Anyone would be tempted. Are you not interested, Lady Lana?”
Got it.
Prize, money, temptation. Answer: lottery.
800,000 gold. I quickly calculated.
…That was equivalent to the entire fortune of a wealthy count family.
Thanks to Scarlet, the concept of the imperial lottery entered Lana’s memories.
Unlike Korea, it was held once a year. You picked 10 numbers from 1 to 100.
The numbers were shuffled, and you had to match both the numbers and their order.
The odds were extremely low. Some years, there wasn’t even a winner.
Lana, who didn’t rely on luck, had never tried it.
“Ha… I don’t really know about these things, Your Highness.”
Someone who had never even won a 5th prize in Korea was not going to win 800,000 gold here.
So I smiled politely.
“Then let’s meet again later. Take care of yourself.”
After she left, I quickly went out to the terrace and grabbed the railing.
I knew I should organize my thoughts, but the lottery talk kept distracting me.
…Should I try it?
In my past life, I had tried hard to get rich.
I even bought lottery tickets before important interviews, believing it would bring luck—but as always, I never won anything.
Did I need money here?
I seriously thought about it.
Even if I wasn’t poor, personal wealth and family wealth were completely different things.
Thinking about money is driving me crazy!
Maybe Lana had delayed marriage just to protect her position, but if Ever took over…
And if she decided to cut me off—
She’d probably throw me out in just the dress I’m wearing.
Lana might have originally tried to secure Harriet for survival.
My greed for money grew, and everything else disappeared from my mind.
Without even realizing the terrace door had opened, I smiled wickedly while imagining how I would follow Harriet after winning the lottery.
Buying land, mansions, calculating servant salaries…
My fantasy was shattered.
“…So someone was here.”
A black-haired man had entered.
It was Belthanio.
I recognized him easily from Lana’s memories.
He politely acknowledged my presence and stepped onto the terrace.
I instinctively bowed and followed etiquette.
Finally, some rest—goodbye peace.
Being alone with the second prince was uncomfortable. I should leave.
“I was just about to return to the ballroom. Please enjoy your rest.”
“No, it’s fine. You can stay. Don’t be so cautious.”
Who could possibly not be cautious around you?
“You are… it’s been a while.”
You definitely forgot my name.
Suspicious, I still greeted him politely.
“Yes. Greetings, Your Highness the Second Prince.”
“We’ve benefited a lot from your father’s mining business recently. Please pass on my thanks.”
So he did know my name.
“Thank you. I will inform my father.”
Belthanio leaned on the railing and fell silent.
Gathering courage, I spoke.
“Your Highness, if it is not rude, may I return to the ballroom?”
“Why?”
“I… I rather like the music inside. I’d like to dance.”
Because I don’t want to be stuck here with you, NPC.
Before I could fully express my refusal, he spoke again.
“There’s enough music here too. Would you like to dance with me?”
“…Pardon?”
Dance here? With him?
Just as I was about to refuse loudly, the terrace door opened again.
……
“…Harriet!”
Harriet Raymoon appeared, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold.
