I had expected him to demand the removal of the Empress Dowager in exchange for his cooperation in securing the throne.
The Crown Prince, who was uniting the forces of the West, had no other reason to come all the way to the distant North with such a proposal.
The Duke of Winston stood at the pinnacle of the neutral aristocrats. Though his position had once wavered due to Veronica’s marriage, he had stubbornly maintained his stance.
Currently, the empire’s nobles were divided into two factions: those who followed the Empress Dowager and those who supported the Crown Prince. The so-called neutral nobles were merely watching both sides, hesitant to take a stand.
Gaining the support of the Winston Duchy would have been a worthwhile endeavor for the Crown Prince.
Yet he claimed he sought nothing in return.
Was he deliberately hiding his true intentions, or was he truly sincere?
“And His Highness wishes to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. He was planning to return to the West without even meeting Vincent.”
“……”
Veronica was as perplexed as the Duke was.
She already couldn’t grasp his true motives—what could he possibly wish to say to her?
It had been so long since she last met the Crown Prince that his face was barely a blur in her memory.
Still, she had no reason to refuse. Right now, she desperately needed his help.
Her tightly closed lips parted, and she nodded resolutely.
“Yes, I will meet him.”
“If His Highness makes an unreasonable demand…”
“There is nothing I can decide on my own anyway.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing Veronica’s calm response, the Duke let out a small, worried sigh.
Veronica had a history of making decisions against his wishes. Despite his vehement opposition, she had stubbornly gone through with her marriage to that wretched Cedric.
And now, there was the Crown Prince to worry about.
The Duke hadn’t spoken with the Crown Prince alone in a very long time. The last time he had seen him, before he left for the West, the boy had still retained a youthful softness in his face.
Yet when he appeared again, he had fully matured into a man.
Come to think of it, hadn’t he reached the level of a Sword Master during the war?
There were only three Sword Masters in the entire empire.
The Duke had never felt the slightest threat from Cedric, who was also a Sword Master.
But the Crown Prince was different.
Throughout their meeting, the Duke had been unable to shake off an unexplainable tension.
‘There better not be any trouble.’
The Crown Prince, who had remained composed all along, only showed intense emotions when speaking about Veronica.
And that gaze made the Duke uneasy.
Frowning, he let out an uncomfortable cough.
‘What the hell is this?’
I frowned, listening in on the Duke and Veronica’s conversation in real time.
I was the one who had sent a letter to Dantellion, the Crown Prince stationed at the Western stronghold.
The contents were simple.
First, that Veronica was soon to divorce Cedric.
Second, that the divorce was difficult due to Cedric and the Empress Dowager’s opposition.
That was all.
That alone should have been enough for the calculative Dantellion to see the benefits of supporting the divorce and gaining leverage in the North.
And as expected, Dantellion came to see the Duke.
But everything else… I hadn’t anticipated at all.
‘No way… this guy…?’
The conclusion I reached after some deep thought made my face twist in disbelief.
Clue #1:
In the original novel, after Veronica’s death, Dantellion became a tyrant who relentlessly tormented the protagonists.
I had always suspected that he was a hastily written villain, created simply because the author needed a new antagonist after Veronica disappeared.
After all, Dantellion had no real reason to hate the protagonists so much.
It wasn’t just because Cedric was aligned with the Empress Dowager’s faction—Dantellion had spared other nobles who supported her.
Clue #2:
Upon receiving a mere note about Veronica’s situation, he had rushed to the North in a panic.
And instead of negotiating with the North, he was acting like a complete pushover.
He said he wanted nothing in return.
He just wanted to see Veronica’s face before leaving.
‘Well… I mean… Veronica is absurdly beautiful.’
The author had explicitly declared her the most beautiful woman in the entire world.
That was my mother—Veronica Winston.
‘No, that’s not the point right now.’
I shook my head.
Combining both clues, the only possible conclusion was that…
Dantellion had fallen for Veronica.
And the reasoning was simple enough.
Her beauty was reason enough.
But this was a serious issue. I had to tread carefully—our very lives depended on it.
‘For now, I’ll just listen in on their conversation and think things through later.’
Finally collecting my thoughts, I nodded and refocused on their meeting.
Soon, Veronica’s voice reached my ears.
“It has been a long time, Your Highness.”
“Ah.”
Veronica greeted him calmly and lifted her head.
Yet there was no returning greeting from the other side.
She paid it no mind.
She merely watched Dantellion in silence.
“Ah, yes. It has been a while.”
“……”
His first words were unexpectedly familiar.
And with that, Veronica was drawn into old memories.
Tea time in the imperial garden with Vincent and Dantellion.
Exploring the vast grounds and getting lost, crying by herself.
A small chuckle escaped her lips.
“Heh.”
“……?”
“You haven’t changed, brother.”
Calling him “brother” was inappropriate now that he was the Crown Prince.
Even though she was a duchess, it was still disrespectful.
But Dantellion had insisted on it persistently in their childhood, and young Veronica had been unable to refuse.
It had become their little secret.
Her eyes softened.
“I didn’t think you would remember those old days.”
“Haha…”
Of course, she had forgotten over time.
It had been years since she lived apart from him.
But the human memory was a strange thing.
Though he had grown into a man with only traces of his boyish past, facing him like this brought those old memories flooding back.
Golden curls, deep blue eyes like a lake.
His gentle smile was just as warm as it used to be.
Veronica felt ashamed for having been so tense.
To think she had doubted his intentions.
What nonsense.
“I was afraid I’d have to call you ‘Duchess’ formally.”
“That might not be so bad. Would you like to try it?”
“Haha… How can I earn your forgiveness?”
“Heh.”
His playful response made Veronica laugh.
For a moment, she felt as if she had traveled back in time.
How strange, that just a few words could make her feel this way.
Yes.
There had been a time when her life was warm and peaceful.
She had simply forgotten.
“Berry, I heard about you.”
“…?”
“I’m sorry. I only learned of it too late, since I was in isolation.”
“It’s all right, brother. I haven’t done anything to help you either.”
“……I want to help you now.”
“……”
It was a cliché line, but Veronica felt his sincerity.
Perhaps he was merely using his old familiarity to manipulate her.
But there was no reason for him to.
“……”
Dantellion met her gaze.
His eyes burned with an inexplicable intensity.
Veronica instinctively flinched.
His lips parted slowly.
“I want you to be happy, Veronica.”
“……”
“That is all.”
For a long time, she couldn’t say a word.
“……”
What… was this?
I had listened to their entire conversation and was completely floored.
‘What is this atmosphere?’
Even someone who didn’t know the original novel could tell.
His final words—“I want you to be happy”—were straight out of a tragic unrequited love story.
‘So that terrifying tyrant… was secretly in love with Veronica?’
A man who acted as if he knew no emotion… was actually a hopeless romantic?
As someone who had read the original, I was utterly shaken.
‘Who… are you?’
I wanted to grab him by the collar and demand answers.
“Sigh…”
I had expected something strange.
But this… this was on another level.
I let out a stunned sigh.
