"Miss Vivi... I cannot say whether the rumors you've heard are true or false," Anastasia began, her voice firm and resolute. "But what I can confirm is this—"
She took a deep breath... before finally admitting it herself!
"I have indeed committed a crime... Or rather, I have committed a great sin against the Kingdom and the Crown!"
"L-Lady Anastasia...!"
"M-M-My lady...?!"
Both Martha and Bella gasped and recoiled, not expecting their mistress to openly admit her transgression. After all, both of them had tried to protect their mistress's honor...
But... they all saw the unshaken resolve, clearly evident in her expression—!
She did not need their help after all.
"...But even so," Anastasia pressed on, her hand above her chest—her heart—as she continued, "I was not exiled. Instead... I was given a punishment by the Kingdom... to govern this land, and I have accepted this duty."
