Baron Dana was greedy, but cowardly, so he was uneasy about Claire being close to the Crown Prince.

However he was pleased when Claire was favored by the Crown Prince. But as soon as the mishap happened, he immediately changed his color and treated his daughter this way.

It was clear that he had a grudge against the Crown Prince for intervening in the marriage he arranged for Claire last time.

He was a man who lacked the slightest conscience as his father, or as a human being.

It had been several days since Claire had been placed under house arrest, but she had not received any contact from the Crown Prince.

She would like to think it was because of his circumstances, but as time went on, she began to think that maybe it wasn’t.

He had always had a good reputation, but this had taken a toll on him.

If the crown prince blamed her for this and wouldn’t want to see her anymore….

Claire bit her lip.

‘This time again because of her!’

She threw the teacup from the table violently, thinking of Roxana.

The teacup hit the wall and shattered.

Claire looked at the broken pieces scattered on the floor, then turned her head away.

It was clear that this was Princess Lillian’s doing.

She was a woman who mercilessly clung to the Crown Prince while enduring all kinds of humiliation and insults.

She was stupid and scandalous, but she had the Crown Prince in the palm of her hand.

The princess was valued to the Crown Prince.

But she suddenly broke off the engagement, how could the duke accept it?

He wouldn’t just throw away the enormous fortune he had spent to make his daughter the empress, and if he behaved like a wolf while standing at the pinnacle of the battle for the throne, the family would be in danger.

So it must be that this time was a ploy to completely separate him from the royal family.

How could the Princess do something like that as the crown prince’s fiancée?

From the unilateral notice of breakup to bad rumors.

The princess’ actions were like putting a knife in the crown prince’s back.

Perhaps she was truly stupid, but this incident opened an irreparable chasm between her and the crown prince.

One day this humiliation would surely pay off.

But Claire couldn’t do anything right now because she couldn’t even step out of her room.

She couldn’t even ask for help from anyone, even sending a letter was impossible.

The thought of Roxana walking around proudly in her absence made Claire unbearably distressed.

Then, through the window, a luxurious carriage stopped in front of Baron Dana’s residence.

And then a woman got out of it.

A middle-aged woman, she was wearing a demure dark green dress that came up to her neck.

His clothes were neat but classy, his face looked stern, and his gait was dignified.

There was an aura unique to her appearance.

Claire widened her eyes.

She seemed to think about something for a moment, then she hurriedly approached the window.

Claire watched the people who got off the carriage enter the house and she slowly raised her lips.

Did she know that Claire was in confinement

by the baron, and did the Crown prince send someone to help?

Hope sparkled in her eyes.

How long had it been since then?

After about enough time for her cup of tea to cool down, a knock rang out.

There was the sound of furniture being removed from outside the door, and then the door opened.

“My lady, I brought you a meal.”

A maid went into the room.

Claire watched her as she set the table.

The Dana family wasn’t wealthy, but this maid was working for her family anyway, so it seemed that she wasn’t in a good position.

“While you’re here, clean up the mess there and go.”

At Claire’s command, the maid nodded calmly.

The maid prepared her meal and tidied up the messy room.

While tidying up the messy dressing table, the maid paused for a moment.

Claire caught the maid’s gaze on the jewelry on the dressing table.

“Do you like that bracelet?”

The maid hesitated with her answer.

Perhaps it was because of Baron Dana’s instructions that she should not talk to the young lady.

Claire moved closer to her and picked up the bracelet, which the maid had set her eyes on.

The maid didn’t know what to do, and she lowered her head in embarrassment with a flushed face.

“You can take it if you like. I recently received a much better new one from His Highness the Crown Prince. I no longer want this one so I’ll give it to you. Of course, I’ll keep it a secret from my father.”

“Are you serious?”

The maid finally cave in and asked.

Claire slowly raised the corners of her lips.

“Yes.”

If the maid only worked here for a short time, there would be no such thing as loyalty to the family or the owner.

Doing chores like this would be for money anyway, so it was easy.

More than anything else, the bracelet looked valuable.

“Instead, I have a favor to ask of you. Let the guest who just arrived know that I’m trapped.”

“My lady, but that’s…”

The maid’s hesitation made Claire even more nervous.

She spoke in a cold tone.

“If you don’t accept my offer now, I’ll scream and tell people that you tried to steal my things. In that case, you’ll be kicked out without a penny. And you’ll have to pay for stealing from your master before that.”

“But I never did…!”

“Of course not. But will father believe me, his daughter, or will he believe you, a maid?”

The maid shut her mouth with a sullen face.

Claire looked down at her with a cold gaze and asked.

“If you are whipped while your limbs are tied, you might become crippled. Surely you don’t want that.”

A cold sweat broke out on the maid’s forehead.

She had heard from the people in the mansion that the lady she was supposed to serve was very gentle, but now she knew it was just a facade.

She knew that the nobles wouldn’t value the lives of commoners, but she didn’t expect that she would experience something like this after only a few days working here.

However, if the owner insisted, even if it was unfair, the helpless servant had no choice but to obey.

“Of course not.”

“If you understand, then do what I say. If you help me, I’ll give you a bigger reward if I can get out of this house.”

Claire looked at the closed door and clicked her tongue.

“A lowly thing.”

***

The day was bright.

After washing up, I sat down at the dressing table, where Joan combed my hair. Meanwhile, Annie brought my dress and Tien opened the jewelry box. Since I wasn’t going to a banquet today, I didn’t have to put a lot of effort into dressing up, so the time to decorate was much shorter than usual.

Today was the day to go to the imperial court.

I had visited the imperial palace many times, but it was the first time I had set foot in the courtroom.

The duke would be by my side, but the tension could not be completely relieved.

“My lady, it suits you well, but the dress looks too plain. Wouldn’t another dress be better?”

Joan said in a slightly worried voice.

The black dress was dark in color and had few decorations, giving it a modest feeling.

Since I usually enjoy wearing colorful clothes, this dress was different.

But I had no intention of changing.

“No need. I’ll go like this.”

“But…….”

“I’m not going to a party, so this is enough. On top of that, I’m in a situation where a breakup is going to be officially decided. Shouldn’t I look a little pitiful to match the mood?”

The maids went silent at my words.

At today’s trial, I had to look as pitiful as possible.

The more I did, the bigger the Crown prince’s fault would seem.

It would be a lie if it wasn’t selfish, but it was not just for personal revenge.

Because if things went wrong and I had to pay him at least alimony in exchange for breaking up the marriage, there would be nothing more unfair than that.

“My lady, are you ready?”

Just as I had just finished getting my hair done, Stephen asked from outside the door.

Instead of answering, I opened the door and went outside.

“I have a carriage waiting. When you’re ready, please come down.”

“Yes.”

Going down the stairs, I glanced at Stephen.

His face looked as calm as ever.

“Stephen, there’s something I want to ask… Are you the one who intercepted the letters sent by the Crown Prince?”

“My lady, that’s…”

Stephen looked at me with a puzzled face.

The Crown Prince or his letters hadn’t done anymore after the last time he came here. I was glad because I didn’t want to engage in meaningless arguments with him.

But wasn’t this peace like the night before the storm?

Knowing what kind of person he was, he wouldn’t just give up easily.

I was worried that the crown prince might be up to something else.

However, the truth was easier and simpler than expected.

It wasn’t that the crown prince didn’t come, it was that he couldn’t come.

Because of the Duke.

When it was time for him to leave for the battlefield again, I would certainly be sad.

“I just asked because I was curious, so if you find it difficult to answer, you don’t have to. It must have been what my father ordered. I have no intention of prying or blaming.”

I could feel Stephen staring at me from behind.

I continued walking and said.

“Now, let’s go.”

***

I rode in a carriage with the Duke.

The northern palace, where the judge was located, had a particularly desolate and dreary atmosphere. When I got off the carriage and looked at the large gray-white building, my palms began to sweat.

“Are you nervous?”

The duke looked at me with a slightly worried expression and asked.

“A little bit.”

“There is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be by your side, so don’t worry about anything.”

Strangely enough, my heart immediately felt at ease when I faced the golden eyes that looked just like Roxana’s.

I nodded slightly at him, then looked ahead again.

It didn’t suit the current situation, but I could feel the tip of my lips rising slightly without knowing it.

However, the smile on my lips was erased as soon as we entered the building.

At the large arched door right in front of me, I had no choice but to stop.

It was because of the person standing in front of me.

“Roxana.”

The Crown Prince called my name in a soft voice.

“I see the Crown Prince.”

His face hardened as I greeted him with a calm face.

“It’s been so hard to see your face, I thought you were sick with a serious illness, but I’m glad you look so fine.”

He said sarcastically.

It seemed that the Duke told him I was sick and asked him to stay away.

It was something I didn’t even know about until this morning, but I couldn’t reveal it.

“Thank you for your concern.”

When I answered casually with a faint smile on my face, the Crown prince’s face became even more contorted.

Before he could say anything more, the Duke stood in front of me.

The trustworthy figure blocked the view, and the Crown prince was covered.

“Your Highness, if you have something to say, say it to me.”

“Duke, get out of the way. I was talking to Roxana, not you.”

Just then, an attendant approached from across the hallway, looked at us, and bowed her head respectfully. The attendant said to the duke.

“Your Excellency, before the trial begins, His Majesty would like to see you separately.”