The Prince Seduces Me with His Body Chapter 151

“What?”

 

“What did you say?”

 

Kayden and Rebecca spoke at the same time, their voices filled with surprise. They flinched, belatedly looking at each other, and frowned as they realized even their reactions had overlapped.

 

Meanwhile, Diana’s gaze remained fixed on the woman in the priestess’s robes, unable to look away. The other woman also murmured in disbelief, her face dazed.

 

“…Diana?”

 

The priestess’s hair was the same pale pink as Diana’s. Even the impression given by her features was shockingly similar.

 

Kayden hurried to Diana’s side and whispered. “Diana. Is she really…”

 

“…Yes.” Unconsciously, Diana gripped the edge of her cloak tightly. She hesitated, then parted her lips. “… She’s my mother.”

 

“Diana.”

 

An encounter she had never anticipated. A title that now felt awkward even to pronounce. As Diana fell silent, tangled in her complicated feelings, Kayden watched her for a moment before patting her gently on the shoulder.

 

“I’ll take care of others with Lady Pamela, so go ahead and have a comfortable talk.”

 

“No, there’s no need to…”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Diana shook her head, but Kayden only smiled kindly. There was a strange strength in that smile, and in the end, Diana couldn’t refuse and gave a small nod. Rebecca also glanced briefly at Diana and her mother, but she quietly stepped away.

 

Soon, only silence remained around them. It was Dona who spoke first. A soft, familiar voice reached Diana’s ears.

 

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

 

“…I hope she’s doing well, wherever she is.”

 

Even on her way here, Diana had told Kayden that she didn’t blame Dona for leaving her at the Sudsfield estate. But why was it that, now that Dona was in front of her, a sudden, inexplicable sorrow welled up inside?

 

“Why…” Diana mumbled, not even sure what she was trying to say. “If you were alive, you must have heard that I became empress…”

 

“…”

 

“Why in a place like this…” She trailed off, only to realize the answer, biting her lips.

 

Diana had chosen to stay at the Sudsfield estate because she didn’t want to be a burden to Dona. But on the other hand—Maybe she just didn’t love me enough… Perhaps she had dreamed that Dona would come back for her. The irrational resentment that threatened to spill from her throat proved it.

 

At that moment, Dona, who had been quietly gazing at Diana’s face under the hood, lowered her eyes. “I thought it would be shameless even to congratulate you.”

 

“…What?”

 

The words were flat, but they pierced her ears like a dagger. Diana’s eyes widened unconsciously.

 

Dona swept her short pink hair back with a deliberate motion. In the dim light, her face became a little clearer. It was only natural, given that she had almost been sold off as a sl*ve to a foreign kingdom. Yet even so, her complexion was paler and more gaunt than most people’s.

 

“As you can see, my illness never fully healed. Even after sending you to the Sudsfield estate, I struggled just to survive. Many approached me with impure intentions, so I eventually took refuge in the temple.”

 

“…”

 

“Christina is the name I received when I became a priestess.”

 

Diana now recalled hearing once that when one became a priest or priestess, they were given a new name, signifying severance from their previous worldly ties. That was why she hadn’t realized at first that ‘Christina’ was Dona.

 

Dona spoke with a faint, self-deprecating smile. “I said I wanted to send you somewhere better… But in the end, I left you there because I couldn’t handle things myself.”

 

“…”

 

“How could I possibly say ‘congratulations’ now that you’ve become empress, or that I’m glad you seem to be doing well? What right do I have?”

 

Strangely, just that one sentence began to dissolve the resentment that had been knotted inside her heart. After blinking vacantly for a while, Diana let out a small laugh.

 

So that’s how it was. Just as Diana had chosen to stay at the Sudsfield estate for Dona’s sake, Dona had kept away for Diana’s sake—believing she was unworthy. She didn’t abandon me, after all.

 

Maybe it was because she was standing in front of her birth mother, but Diana felt on the verge of tears, as if she’d become a child again. Barely managing to hold back, she suddenly spoke. “…Even so, just this once, I’d like you not to shy away and to congratulate me.”

 

“What do you mean…”

 

“Everyone thinks Kayden and I fell in love at first sight and got married, but… the truth is, our relationship started as a contract marriage.”

 

This time, Dona’s eyes widened in surprise. But Diana continued calmly.

 

“But through all we’ve been through together, we came to truly care for each other… For various reasons, we can’t reveal the truth to the world, but we came here to hold a wedding ceremony just between us, to renew our vows.” She added with a gentle smile, “And unless Priestess Christina acts as our witness, we can’t go through with it.”

 

“…!”

 

Dona’s mouth fell open. She stared endlessly at Diana—her daughter—her lips trembling, and at last, she smiled.

 

“…Alright. With all my heart, I give you my blessing.”

 

While Diana and Dona were clearing up their misunderstandings, thanks to Kayden and Rebecca’s busy efforts, the situation around them was also wrapping up at just the right time.

 

“Then, I will escort my mother to the monastery now.”

 

Before leaving, Rebecca gave Kayden and Diana a polite nod. Kayden, though still frowning, eventually nodded back.

 

“Still, you’ll probably have to appear at the imperial palace for the investigation.”

 

“Of course.”

 

After watching Rebecca for a moment, Kayden turned to lead the captured people to the guards. Diana moved to follow him, when—

 

“Oh, and one more thing.”

 

Rebecca’s voice stopped her in her tracks. When Diana turned around, Rebecca smiled faintly.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“For what…?”

 

“For everything.”

 

Diana furrowed her brow in confusion, but then, at Rebecca’s last words, her fingertips trembled.

 

“I’m sorry, Dian.”

 

For a moment, Diana couldn’t believe her ears.

 

“Dian.”

 

That was a name when she…

 

“…”

 

Diana instinctively realized Rebecca had regained her memories from before the regression. She could have asked what happened, but in the end, Diana said nothing, only bowed her head lightly and turned away.

 

* * *

After parting ways with Kayden and Diana, Rebecca returned straight to the baron’s estate as she had said, to escort the former first concubine, Roxanne, to the monastery. The servants, following her orders, had already restrained Roxanne.

 

“You! How dare you—!”

 

Roxanne shrieked, disheveled, as she saw Rebecca enter the mansion. All her former dignity as a concubine was gone, replaced by mad delusion.

 

“If you’d become empress, I wouldn’t have had to do this! If you had only become empress, everything would have been perfect!”

 

“No, it wouldn’t.”

 

“What?” Roxanne frowned.

 

Rebecca clicked her tongue inwardly, a little too late, and sighed. I answered without thinking. Shaking her head lightly, Rebecca approached and took Roxanne’s shoulders, bowing her head. A quiet voice sounded.

 

“Mother.”

 

“Let me go—!”

 

“Even Madam Adella wouldn’t have wanted things to end up like this.”

 

“…!”

 

At the mention of the former second concubine, Adella, Roxanne froze. Rebecca saw herself reflected in Roxanne and spoke softly.

 

“Madam Adella surely helped me ascend to the throne. But in the end, I think it was because she wanted Mother to be happy and at peace.”

 

“…”

 

“So, please, let it go now.” Just as I did.