It was a few days later.
Rellia was secretly heading to the cottage when she hid herself behind a large tree.
'It's Yurianna...!'
She had spotted Yurianna in the distance.
Honestly, nothing good would come from running into her, so hiding was the better option.
'Surely her twin brothers will be tagging along with her.'
And she didn't want to get scolded by those guys again.
However, perhaps because she was still young, it was difficult to resist even the instinct of curiosity. Rellia carefully peeked out from behind the tree.
"Please cheer up, Your Highness. Please?"
"How about we go sightseeing in the bustling district? If you get a pretty dress fitted, you'll feel better."
"Or shall we go see the princes?"
A large knight with a good-natured smile was giving Yurianna a piggyback ride.
And Yurianna's maid was gently comforting her.
'Something must have happened.'
Yurianna's expression while being carried was quite dark. As if she had received some great wound.
"His Majesty is really too much... Rejecting the Princess's hand like that. He's so heartless."
"You're right."
The maid and knight coaxed and comforted Yurianna. But Yurianna pouted her lips and murmured timidly.
"No... Father is a good person. He's just... uncomfortable with me still..."
Listening to their words as they passed along the walking path through the forest, Rellia narrowed her eyes.
'Ah, I see. So this is that time.'
Just before that doll incident in the original story where Emperor Perseus becomes completely a daughter-fool.
Yurianna gathers courage to try to hold Perseus's hand, but gets rejected.
Today must be that problematic day.
After this day, Yurianna becomes dejected whenever she stands before Perseus, and Perseus buys her a doll to comfort her.
It was just before the birth of the unprecedented doting emperor.
'She must be really hurt...'
Rellia thought as she watched Yurianna's back, looking particularly depressed.
The knight giving her a piggyback ride and the maid tried hard to comfort her, but Yurianna's shoulders remained slumped.
In her even younger childhood, Yurianna had grown up under her biological father who frequently used violence.
But her stepfather Perseus was different.
He was stoic but basically kind to everyone. Enough that young Yurianna would reach out her hand first.
Perhaps Yurianna knew. That Perseus carried deep wounds inside. That's why she tried to take his hand.
'Well... still, in a few days she'll be smiling. Hang in there.'
Rellia silently offered words of comfort to Yurianna, who was making a tearful face.
And then she hurriedly moved her steps again toward the cottage.
But unfortunately, Rellia couldn't go to the cottage that day.
Because she spotted Emperor Perseus standing in front of the cottage from afar.
'Why is everyone wandering around so much today of all days?'
Rellia grumbled inwardly.
Emperor Perseus looked like his mood was greatly dampened. He stood in front of the cottage for a while before going inside.
'He seems to be feeling guilty for hurting Yurianna...?'
Rellia wanted to tell him not to just stand there and go to the doll shop quickly, but she held back.
'I need to find something in the cottage quickly...'
Rellia wanted to leave this imperial palace as soon as possible. For that, she needed insurance that could protect herself.
'I'll come back in a few days.'
It seemed like the emperor would keep coming and going from the cottage for a few days, until the relationship between Emperor Perseus and Yurianna was resolved.
Because Emperor Perseus always used to find comfort in that cottage when his body and mind were exhausted.
But now that was true for Rellia as well.
That cottage was a space cherished and loved by Emperor Perseus and the future Yurianna, but for Rellia, it was her mother's embrace.
And so Rellia had no choice but to grumble and return to the tower.