After Jieun's arrival, Tia is poisoned with tea but doesn't die. She's healed by doctors and magicians. Carsein and Ruve are both very frightened for her. We don't know who the culprit is, so no one is punished yet. Emperor Mirkan dies not long after.

On the day Emperor Mirkan dies Tia reaches out to Ruve to comfort him. She makes him tea and he asks if she can stay the night with him. She accepts and they go walk in the park. Under the big tree, they sit down and Tia explains to Ruve that Mirkan loved and cared for him. Ruve is deeply moved. He then tells her he's changed a lot thanks to her. That he used to hate her, and he explains why : He was always compared to her, even his father dotted on her while he never had a nice word for him. And most of all, one day assassins came into the palace while Jeremiah and Tia were here, and Jeremiah whom he thought loved him like a mother instinctively protected Tia with her body, while letting him alone and unprotected. It hurt him very deeply. Ruve then falls asleep and cry in his sleep - but he's smiling so they are tears of relief and happiness. Tia then holds him gently so that he may sleep on her lap, comb his hair and dry his tears. Then falls asleep herself. It's the year before Tia comes of age.

The next morning Tia wakes up in Ruve's bed and is invited to have breakfast with Ruve. Then the knights who are Ruve's bodyguards explain to blushing Tia that they saw everything the night before. That Ruve slept well for the first time in years. But it was quite cold so they tried to approach to wake them up. Ruve felt their approach and stirred, and told them to stay away. Then he wrapped Tia in his coat and hugged her after watching her for a long time.

At breakfast there are other nobles present talking about business, then Tia got a second serving of the dish she enjoyed. She was surprised but the servant told her it was on Ruve's order. When she looks at him she sees him watching her and smiling. Tia is shocked to realise Ruve observed her and knew she loved this dish. (This is insanely cute…)

After Tia's poisoning, the emperor's faction is abandoning her because there is a suspicion that the poison made her infertile. She is not surprised for in the first timeline they also forsakened her and didn't help when her family was destroyed. Therefore she is unwilling to make any sacrifice for them (marry Ruve, as an empress or as a queen) because she knows they can't be trusted. And so when Ruve asks her to see her to comfort her after she had been publicly shamed and called barren, she asks him to revoke their marriage. Ruve begs her to give him time. He says he will fix everything. But Tia doesn't sway and tell him she was never willing to be tangled with the imperial family and never will be. Ruve is hurt. But he doesn't get angry he just asks Tia to not rush things and give him a little time for he doesn't want to marry Jieun and become a puppet king, at the hands of the aristocracy faction. To replace Tia the imperial faction will put forward another contestant against Jieun, a noble lady named ‘Grace’. (But I’m not sure they’ll keep her character in the manhwa, frankly she’s useless and we see very little of her.)

Tia is healed and has been for 4 months. But this poison attacked the womb. She is most likely fine now, but suspicions from the nobles makes her an unfit candidate for the position of empress -therefore it is likely that she will end up as the queen once again as she is let down by her own faction. Tia also is very angry because she is so much more than a broodmare. She feels insulted and humiliated and has no desire to help such people and turning her future children into political pawns such as she has been all her life. So the next day in front of all the nobles she announces that she asked Ruve for the breaking of their engagement. She did it to avoid her faction pushing her into the queen's position. Ruve is badly shaken.

After the meeting, Ruve runs to Tia to beg her one more time to give him a chance (#grovelingagain) and says to Tia that after the night they spent together he thought he could have some hope. He then freezes when he sees a handkerchief Tia has embroidered with his initials and crest, and asks her why she made something like that if she doesn't see him as a love interest? (He seems quite lost and desperate --> And tbh I am too.) Tia answers that it's true she has thought of him as a romantic interest, but it's now over, and definite. Ruve, crushed, leaves. And later on announces that he agrees to the breaking of his engagement to Tia but won't marry yet. And on the day of his coronation Tia notices that he is careful not to look at her once.

Tia goes to the temple because she suspects the high priest to be the one who sneaked the poisoned tea in the kingdom. He's speaking with Jieun who calls to Tia and pretends to be friendly and offers to take her back to the palace. Tia reluctantly agrees because too many eyes are on them. Inside the carriage Jieun shows her true colours. She accuses Tia to pretend to not be interested in Ruve so that he would chase after her. Tia assures she gave up on the position, that it's true, not a gossip. Jieun then says Tia is no fun, that there is no glory in winning if Tia doesn't fight. Tia boils with outrage and anger. She tells Jieun "You came back to win?! Only for that?! When did you ever not win against me?! You took everything from me : my love, my family, my honor, my life!" Then Jieun says "Oh right, you never lived to see what happened so that is why you think you're in your right." Tia answers "I just want to live in peace" but understands that Jieun wants to get revenge on her and won't let her get away. Tia tells Jieun to stay away from her and leave the carriage. It’s a very intense moment. Tia then understands she will need the help of the emperor's faction to be safe from Jieun.

On Tia's coming of age, Ruve who had given her the cold shoulder since his coronation sends her a gift and a letter. Tia is shocked because the emperor shouldn't send gifts to his servants. The present is a music box made of diamonds and sapphires. Inside there is a girl dressed in a blue dress with long silver hair and golden eyes who wears... a blue tiara!! We've learnt before that tiaras can only be worn by royals. So basically it is a message Ruve sends to Tia that she's his empress. (I'm dying. This is too cute.)

On Tia's coming of age ceremony Ruve suddenly shows up to steal Tia's first dance as an adult. Indeed with the emperor there, Tia cannot ask any other man or she could insult the honor of the emperor. So she asks Ruve to be her partner. He answers in an unexpected manner, not the customary answer. He says something like "great" (showing his happiness). Everyone around them is whispering and staring at his unusual answer. He smiles at Tia and is very gentle with her. She even asks herself "why are you so kind to me?! " quite desperately. It's obvious she is very confused and begins to have a hard time refusing him.

Carsein our sweet boy also wins a point for defending Tia's honour - threatening boys of the emperor's faction who were badmouthing Tia. He makes it clear he will always be on Tia's side, whatever the faction or what his own father want. Tia is grateful and moved, but afraid for him and his future.