Crown Prince, I hate you!

“This is new.”

Something about his warm presence soothed the discomfort I had been feeling only moments earlier. Feeling more at ease, I saw no reason to refuse. Just as I moved to take his extended hand—

“Lady Clody.”

Another voice interrupted.

Turning toward the sound, I froze, my hand falling back to my side.

Standing a short distance away was a man with light silver hair and piercing violet eyes.

A man who, as far as I knew, could only be one person in the entire empire.

The Duke of Tehas.

Despite inheriting his title at a young age due to the sudden and tragic loss of his parents, he had grown into a man with few, if any, shortcomings.

A natural talent for swordsmanship, an exceptional mind, the confidence to act decisively, and the support of the empire’s only ducal family—he was the kind of person most wouldn’t dare approach.

“Karl Tehas.”

Why was someone like him here?

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace. I am Berian Clody.”

I offered a polite bow, my words tinged with both curiosity and unease.

When I raised my head, his faint smile greeted me, annoyingly flawless. His silver hair shimmered under the ballroom’s lighting, drawing an audible wave of attention from the surrounding noblewomen.

And then came the surprise.

“May I have a moment of your time?”

His words sent a cascade of stares onto me, piercing and relentless, much like those I’d endured earlier with Hailon. My skin prickled under their weight.

“I’m sorry, but I was just about to leave.”

It wasn’t just the overwhelming attention—I genuinely wanted to leave.

“Then allow me to escort you.”

“…Excuse me?”

Why?

That single question burned in my mind, but I swallowed it for now. Instead, I glanced at Bian, who stood nearby.

Bian had been the first to offer me an escort, so it felt only right to give him an answer. Yet, accepting his offer while also considering the duke’s would create an awkward scene.

I glanced at Bian with an apologetic expression. He met my gaze and mouthed, “It’s fine.”

Still, I couldn’t shake my discomfort.

My thoughts swirled chaotically, but ultimately, there was only one answer. With a quiet sigh, I turned to the duke and met his gaze.

“No, thank you. I’d prefer to go alone. Your concern is appreciated, Your Grace, but truly, I’m fine. And Bian, you don’t need to worry about me.”

Declining both offers.

It was the best solution I could come up with on short notice.

After offering both men a polite bow, I quickly made my way out of the ballroom, putting as much distance as possible between myself and the suffocating atmosphere.

Clunk.

The moment I closed the carriage door behind me, all the tension drained from my body.

Though I had anticipated changes, I still wasn’t used to the way events seemed to diverge from my past life.

“…Sigh.”

“If this is just the beginning, how will I handle what’s to come?”

Leaning back against the carriage wall, I clenched my trembling hands, trying to calm the unease coursing through me.

A Week Later

It had been a week since the crown prince’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Hailon, who had revealed himself to society for the first time as an adult, had been busy cementing his presence.

While some dismissed his actions as mere posturing, their skepticism quickly faded.

Within two weeks, he was expected to reestablish trade with the Kingdom of Lica—a negotiation that had stalled for years.

On top of that, he would begin attending the emperor’s morning councils, further solidifying his position among the nobility, while simultaneously garnering the trust of the commoners through outreach programs.

His relentless momentum terrified me.

In the past, shortly after successfully reestablishing trade, Hailon had sent something to my family:

An engagement proposal.

Even though I was living my life a second time, I couldn’t afford to be reckless with the crown prince. I still had too much to protect.

Keeping my distance without offending him seemed impossible. Yet confronting him boldly carried its own risks.

“Sigh…”

Slumping over my desk, I stared at the scattered papers in front of me. My maid, Meysha, approached with a chilled drink in hand.

“You’ve been working too hard lately, my lady. Please take care of yourself.”

“Yeah… I am a bit tired.”

Unlike my past life, where I aimlessly wandered the estate, I now had an overwhelming number of tasks and thoughts vying for my attention. My eyes burned from the strain.

“I haven’t been idle this past week.”

I had been meticulously planning how to rebuild my family’s standing.

Currently, the Clody family lacked three things: capital, influence, and allies.

Rebuilding our capital was the most urgent issue, but there were no immediate means to generate income.

My mother refused to leave the estate, and my father, as captain of the knights, couldn’t take on additional responsibilities. The last business venture my mother had managed was sold off years ago due to mismanagement.

Suddenly starting a new business wasn’t feasible, nor could I rely on something as trivial as gambling or lottery numbers from my past life—I didn’t remember them anyway.

Even if I had, five years would have blurred those details into irrelevance.

As for allies, gathering support wasn’t easy either. Even attending social events subjected me to sharp scrutiny. Who would willingly stand by my side in such a hostile environment?

At this point, rebuilding capital seemed easier than finding allies.

That left influence—the most attainable of the three.

I was the sole representative of the Clody family in high society, and every action I took carried the weight of rebuilding our reputation. If I conducted myself well, I could begin to restore our standing—at least to a manageable degree.

“The problem is, rebuilding a shattered reputation is far from easy. Cases of successfully doing so are incredibly rare.”

The gazes I received were already laced with disdain, and our family was teetering on the edge. In this situation, what could I do to become someone others couldn’t ignore?

No matter how much I pondered or explored alternative paths, the conclusion remained the same: the first step was to reenter society.

However, having spent years confined to my room, navigating the intricacies of the current social landscape was beyond me. I needed help.

I briefly considered who I could turn to, but the answer came to me quickly.

“Meisha, I need to send a letter.”