Unexpectedly, I Became the Emperor’s Fiancé

I glanced at it and slowly began to scan the inside of the bedroom.

Books and papers were strewn about the floor carelessly, the bed was not only crumpled but also stained with ink, and the curtains billowed in the strong breeze coming through the open window.

In short, the current state of my sister’s bedroom was a complete mess.

It looked as though a burglar had been in, but I soon realized that all of this was the doing of my sister.

To anyone’s eyes, it was clear that it was the aftermath of my sister’s own actions.

As I leisurely approached the window, I noticed something resembling a rope made from torn fabrics hanging from the window. The makeshift rope stretched from the inside to the outside and was long enough to reach down to the first floor and then some.

“……”

Looking at it, I felt my legs give way and I slumped to the ground.

How… No, why…

Questions I couldn’t finish churned aimlessly in my head, making my sense of reality feel more and more distant.

Somehow, I had thought my sister’s reaction was strange yesterday. Remembering how awkwardly she seemed to be hiding something, I bit my lower lip hard.

…No. Maybe not. She could have just gone out for a bit.

A faint hope sparked below, but it was useless. Just by looking at the mess inside the bedroom, it was clear that my sister hadn’t simply gone out.

Then, is there a possibility my sister was kidnapped by a villain? Or…

“Sigh.”

While trying to think of every possible scenario to avoid the worst-case situation, I couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Isn’t this just seeking the lesser of two evils to avoid the worst?

First, let’s stop thinking about this and look around my sister’s bedroom a bit more. There might be something I missed.

I managed to calm my pounding heart and slowly stood up. My legs were still shaky, but stable enough to stand.

As I stood and moved my gaze, I discovered a letter and a potion on the nightstand beside the bed, items I hadn’t noticed before.

What’s this?

With a questioning look, I glanced briefly at the mysteriously colored potion and picked up the somewhat familiar letter. The pale green letter exuded a light rose scent, one that my sister often used.

[To my family.

Um… It’s my first time leaving a letter like this, so I’m not sure how to start.

Before I get into the main story, please, I hope you don’t get too shocked after reading this letter. It’s not that I want to do this, so I hope you won’t resent me too much.

As for the main matter, at first, I also thought about accepting His Majesty’s proposal. Becoming the empress seemed like the best choice, for the sake of our family, and for myself, too.

But… that’s not possible anymore.

Perhaps no one knew, but I have a beloved lover. He is the second son of the Pavellnuar Baron family. I won’t bother explaining how we met.

However, I recently found out that I am carrying his child in my womb.

Honestly, since our relationship only went that far once, I never expected to become pregnant.

I immediately told him, and he suggested that we run away to a foreign country together. He said he would prepare everything, so I just needed to come.

To be honest, um… I was quite shaken. Quite a lot, actually.

And so, I ended up making this decision. I am sorry beyond what the word can convey.

I hope you will be happy and healthy even without me. Wherever I am, I will always pray for the prosperity of the Obelton family.

I’m sorry once again.

P.S. The potion I’m leaving behind was obtained by him. It’s a potion that can change your eye and hair color to whatever you want. Since it lasts for a month, I hope you use it wisely.

With deep love, Serbia Obelton.

“…….”

After reading my sister’s letter, I stared blankly into space for a while.

This confirmed that my sister had indeed run away. And to protect the child of her beloved lover.

“What’s so great about love,” I wanted to scold my sister, but I couldn’t. After all, I hadn’t been able to forget my first love for 11 years either.

I tried hard to focus and read the letter again and again. The futile hope that I had misunderstood was the problem.

But the content of the letter remained unchanged. Of course, that was to be expected.

In the end, I let go of my attachment and continuously swallowed the bitter feeling, turning my gaze towards the potion.

The potion that changes eye and hair color at will, and my departed sister. It was clear what my sister meant by “using the potion wisely.”

Though it was nicely worded, in the end, it meant deceiving people by having someone else pretend to be her. And that “someone else” would most likely be me, given the high probability. After all, whether by appearance or talent, I was the best suited to be my sister’s stand-in.

“How is that even possible?”

How could I do such a thing? I muttered in a dry voice with a feeble laugh, a laugh meant to suppress the tears that wanted to burst out.

…It’s my life, after all. Although I never had control over it from the beginning, it’s still my life.

Just as I was swallowing the welled-up resentment, my mother’s voice came from outside the bedroom.

“Seri, why are you… What is…!”

A short while later, when mother checked inside my sister’s bedroom, she was so shocked that she fainted.

I couldn’t move a finger even as I watched mother collapse helplessly, still trapped in the swamp of nameless tumultuous emotions.

“Mother!”

Fortunately, Ian, who had followed mother closely, caught her before her body hit the ground.

Seeing mother’s pale face, Ian furrowed his brows and looked at me. Faced with eyes full of warm concern, the tears I had been holding back finally burst forth.

“What do we do now, Ian?”

Wiping the tears streaming down my cheeks with the back of my hand, I asked Ian.

Normally, I would have calmly and quickly discussed the situation with Ian, but this time, I simply couldn’t.

Ian, seeing me crying and with a complex look in his eyes, sighed and answered.

“I will talk to Miss Lilia and send her back. So, please go back to your bedroom and rest. You look very unwell.”

***

I returned to my bedroom as Ian suggested to sort out my thoughts.

Honestly, I didn’t want to act according to my sister’s wishes. Moreover, I disliked it even more because it involved deceiving others by pretending to be my sister.

However, there was no better way to solve this situation.

When I had somewhat sorted out my feelings, Ian came to say that mother had woken up.

Following Ian, I found mother sitting on the bed, looking out the window with an expressionless face.

“Mother.”

When I quietly called out to her, she finally noticed me.

“It’s you, Seri.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, but what about you? You must have been quite shocked.”

“…….”

I couldn’t immediately answer mother’s question. My face almost twisted again, but I barely held it back.

“Seri?”

Mother cautiously called my name when I didn’t answer.

“Ah, I am…….”

I hesitated for a moment, considering what to say. A conflict arose within me between not wanting to worry my mother further and a desire to be honest and seek comfort.

“…I’m okay.”

“That’s a relief.”

After I responded, my mother smiled reassuringly, a smile that seemed as fragile as a flame about to go out.

I had a rough idea why my mother didn’t bring up anything about my sister and discreetly clenched and then relaxed my hand. Then, taking a deep breath, I pulled out the letter my sister had left from my bosom.

“Mother.”

“Hmm?”

“This is a letter left by my sister.”

As soon as my words fell, my mother’s face hardened.

It was a frightening expression I had never seen before, but I continued without being deterred.

“If you look here, if we use the potion my sister left, it seems I can buy some time for a while. Of course, it would only be for a very short period.”

Listening to my explanation and reading the letter along with me, my mother’s lips quivered.

“If we do it this way, then you could…”

“I think I can do it, Mother. I’ve always been good, haven’t I? Hiding. Just think of it as the same thing this time.”

I cut off my mother’s words and laid out everything I wanted to say. It felt like if I stopped midway, my heart would flutter like a piece of paper caught in the wind.

“Older sister. Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

“Lies…!”

Ian’s voice, which was about to rise, quickly died down. He seemed to suppress the emotions that surged up, biting his lip tightly and burying his face in his hands.

After a moment, Ian slowly lowered his hands and looked directly at me with sharp eyes.

“Are you truly serious?”

“Whether I’m serious or not, what does it matter. Unless we do this, the Obelton family will have to live bearing the heavy label of treason against the royal family.”

“That much is…”

“The Obelton family belongs to the emperor’s faction, doesn’t it? What do you think will happen to such a family if they commit treason against the royal family, Ian?”

“…”

When I posed a question that seemed to already have an answer, Ian shut his mouth.

Seeing him like that, I added,

“I know better than anyone how much you and mother have struggled over the past year to regain the power of our family. That’s why I want to use this method even more.”

After I finished speaking, my mother, who had been silently listening, cautiously voiced her opinion.

“I honestly want to oppose. It’s too much of a gamble.”

“But mother. You know as well. That this is the only way we can resolve the situation without anyone getting hurt.”

“Well, that’s true but……”

At the moment mother trailed off, lost in thought, Ian, who had been quiet, spoke up.

“Is this really a method where no one gets hurt?”

“?”

“What about your sister?”