RETURN OF THE FEMALE KNIGHT

130. You're Different From The Empress

"Please think about it again. Do you really believe that your husband will forget you so easily? Maybe your son wants to live his freedom with you."

"...Have you done further investigations into me and my family?"

"No. This is something anyone can think of without an investigation. I know it's not easy, but don't forget that you can still be honest when the last moment comes."

This was the best advice that Lalisa could give. If she said she knew what would happen in the future, her credibility would evaporate into air. Whatever decision Hwasa later made, it was her choice. All she could do was tell her that it was better to choose life over an easy death.

"Countess Viviana, you are loved more than you know. I know your situation well, and this is my counsel."

Hwasa stared at her, at a loss for words. She expected the princess to follow up with a threat that her future would be miserable unless some demand was fulfilled, but Lalisa's words ended there. The fact rather embarrassed the intelligent Hwasa.

'...Is she being truthful?'

It was almost impossible to believe, but Lalisa genuinely did seem to care for Hwasa's well-being, and Hwasa was able to imagine an outcome she never thought of before. If her husband and son couldn't get over her death...then even worse things may happen. She loved her husband and son with all her heart.

'Until now, I thought I could just disappear...but their grief may not end even if I die.'

Before Hwasa became a countess, she had grown up in a strict household, and she drifted away from her family in an act of youthful rebellion. The first time she became drunk, she conceived her son. Her family tried to get rid of the child, but she held onto him in an act of defiance. Eventually, Hwasa was able to find protection for her son, on the condition that he be kept hidden and that she marry the man chosen by her parents.

Her marriage to Count Viviana was a political one, but she fell deeply in love with her partner. From then on, Hwasa carried a dreadful guilt in her heart. She could never be honest with her husband, and she could never be a proud mother to her son. If it came to worst, she vowed to carry the sin alone.

That was, until Lalisa spoke to her, breaking down her resolution. Doubt gripped the countess, but she could feel the sincerity in the princess' words.

"Your Highness...you're different from the Empress."

Until now, Hwasa had seen Lalisa as a clever and formidable enemy. If Lalisa had not married Jungkook and become Crown Princess, the countess would have done her best to kill her. However, harming an Imperial Family member was a steep crime, and she was not in a position to place a knife in Lalisa's back whenever she pleased.

Lalisa smiled at her and responded.

"'Different from the Empress'...is that a compliment?"

"Well..."

Hwasa, a towering social figure in society, knew Ophelia's methods better than anyone else. The Empress was the type that hid a dagger behind a smiling face, and one was wise not to make her an enemy. Naturally, Hwasa assumed Lalisa would be like Empress Ophelia in the future.

And yet, Lalisa had given her counsel without benefit for herself. If Lalisa were like Ophelia, she would have used the information to cut Hwasa down to the bone.

"I can't quite describe it, but I can say this for sure. The Empress takes advantage of fear in her enemies, but you, Your Highness...you change people's hearts."

To her, Lalisa's honesty drew her in like a magnet.

"I don't know if that is a compliment."

"For me it is. For the first time, I want to be on your side, Your Highness."