After speaking with Lilian Winston, I returned to the Rose Palace where I lived.
"Welcome home, Princess. Did the tea party go well?"
As usual, Nora greeted me with a worried expression. Of course, she must have known that the gossip about the canceled engagement had become the hottest rumor in the kingdom. There would be plenty of nasty looks directed at me, which worried Nora.
"It wasn't too bad, even though there were a few minor interruptions. But meeting Miss Lilian Winston was truly enjoyable," I said.
Nora tilted her head in confusion. "Really? This is the first time you've shown interest in anyone other than Sir Felix. Is Miss Lilian Winston a good person, then, to make you like her so much?"
I chuckled. "I don't like her that much. We've only just become close friends, like ordinary friends. Though I can't exactly say she's a good person. Lilian seems somewhat cunning. Even so, she's a little wiser than the other ladies who openly mocked her and spoke rudely. But Lilian isn't the sort of person who would join in mocking them. On the contrary, she's quite wise."
Nora raised an eyebrow. "I'm confused about what you mean, Princess. You say Miss Lilian is cunning but also good at the same time. That's quite a contradiction. But if you think she's good, then I'll trust your judgment."
What Nora said was true. Lilian's personality was full of contradictions. But people aren't completely perfect, are they?! So I decided to trust Lilian, even though I still had my doubts.
Because after the day of the execution, the people who had treated my husband and me kindly immediately changed their attitudes once we were declared criminals. So I couldn't trust people just like that.
Raymond was the same way. In the past, I never imagined he would change. Yet he had been ruthless enough to trap me, even smiling broadly during my execution in my previous life. Whenever I remembered that day, I became furious. My anger boiled over. I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the head.
He hadn't just trapped me. He had also broken his promise to Father to continue treating me well even after he became King.
"Don't worry, Nora. I'm not someone who trusts other people that quickly," I said. "By the way, what do you think of Prince Raymond?" I asked.
I was genuinely curious about other people's opinions of him.
Nora thought for a moment before finally saying, "Prince Raymond is a good person who tends to be weak. Even when he's near someone as strong as Sir Felix, he seems frightened. So I don't think Prince Raymond is someone you need to worry about, Princess," Nora said confidently.
I only gave a faint smile. Just as I suspected, Nora didn't know Raymond's true nature either.
I had to admit, Raymond was incredibly good at hiding his true nature. But because I knew what he was really like in this life, I wouldn't let him destroy the kingdom Father loved.
That was why I had to find a way to prevent Raymond from ascending the throne. It would be incredibly dangerous for someone who had been happy to watch me die to become King.
It was truly horrifying.
Perhaps he had been planning to kill me for a long time. That was why I also had to be careful around him.
"Nora, could you keep an eye on Prince Raymond for me?" I said.
Nora looked curious, but she didn't ask any further questions and immediately nodded obediently. She knew her limits and how far she could interfere in my affairs.
That was why I was grateful that Nora was both my personal maid and my nursemaid.
"Oh, right, Princess. Actually, Sir Felix came looking for you while you were attending Miss Lilian's tea party," Nora suddenly said.
"Sir Felix? Why was he looking for me?" I asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.
"He didn't say anything. As soon as he found out you weren't here, he left," Nora said.
I was still confused. I didn't think there was any relationship between us anymore. So why had he come looking for me? Had I done something wrong?
My thoughts immediately began to churn.