Hyperion Sabrand Feraro was the so-called ‘child born outside’ of the Empress. He was evidence of the Empress’s infidelity, without a drop of imperial Piragon blood mixed in.

And the Empress had no children after Peon. So there was a time when the only children in the imperial palace were Peon, who was raised in secret, and Kaela, who was born much later.

The two first met then. As Peon the ‘older brother’ and Kaela the ‘younger sister’. From then on, even if they only met twice a year, they were still brother and sister. At least until they got married.

Kaela couldn’t hear what she was being called. Her heart was racing violently, and her breathing was so rapid that her throat felt like it was going to split and tear. Can dreams be this vivid?

Left behind in the place the Emperor had hurriedly departed, she came to her senses belatedly. Her legs had lost strength and she had collapsed at some point. She needed to get up quickly, but even that was difficult.

“Excuse me.”

Along with a very familiar voice, a strong hand wearing a black glove grabbed her arm and lifted her up. It was a hand and strength Kaela knew well.

Had this man always been this kind? No, it all meant nothing. In this situation that she didn’t know if it was a dream or a fleeting vision or what, she just wanted to do what she wanted to do.

“Papa, Papa!”

The voice squeezed out through her cracked throat was half breath. Without a word of thanks to the Grand Duke, Kaela staggered towards her father, almost crawling.

“Kaela, why are you here…! It was too dangerous…”

Duke Ostein, who hurriedly reached out to embrace his daughter, had trembling hands as well. He was pale as if he’d seen a ghost. It had already happened. Kaela sensed it. The Emperor must have pointed a gun at her father and pulled the trigger.

Kaela kept checking her father as she clung to him, but there were no wounds on him. Thanks to the magical item she had given him. Thank goodness. It was such a relief.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. What about you? Don’t you know you shouldn’t come here without the Emperor’s permission?”

And why did the Empress’s illegitimate child come, and what’s this about the Empress collapsing? The father and daughter, both pale as sheets, clung to each other and kept checking if the other was okay.

“For now, you both need to leave this place.”

A calm yet powerful voice interjected between the father and daughter. The Grand Duke of Lüsenford, his massive body wrapped in a long cloak, turned slightly towards the entrance they had come through.

“This way, please.”

He was remarkably calm for someone famous for being filial, hearing that his mother had lost consciousness.

‘No, he’s probably just quietly enduring it again.’

Kaela guessed immediately. They had never shared a room, but he was still her husband. He rarely showed his emotions.

With that handsome but cold face that looked like it could cut, and eyes containing a frosty gaze, he merely scorned approaching attacks. Ironically, the being who received the most of that scorn was Kaela.

“Let’s go, Papa. Can you stand?”

“I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

She forcibly put strength into her legs that felt too vividly weak. Let’s get out of this cursed imperial palace. And when she wakes from this dream, death will come.

But if they just went straight home while the Empress had lost consciousness, wouldn’t that be impolite in its own way? After all, Duke Ostein was a son recognized by the previous emperor, so when there was a problem in the imperial family, he had to be present as ‘family’ regardless.

“Wait at Altein Palace. I’ll join you.”

The Grand Duke of Lüsenford, Peon, who knew this well, suggested first. That’s how it should be according to etiquette anyway.

‘Moreover, since the Emperor goes crazy without reason or anything when it comes to the Empress, there would be another uproar if we don’t follow etiquette.’

She thought it was a ridiculous thing. While criticizing the Empress for being unchaste for betraying her husband and having an affair that resulted in Peon, the Emperor was severely obsessed with his wife.

He even continually abused Peon, the illegitimate child of infidelity, then banished him to the north to fight the evil dragon Gusalante, all while clinging only to the Empress.

Now that such an Empress had lost consciousness, he would surely be out of his mind. How terrifying that a madman would be out of his mind.

‘I’m envious. How unburdened the Empress must feel.’

But more than anything, Kaela envied the Empress who had lost consciousness. Because consciousness sunk in black darkness would be forever distant from the world and not feel any pain.

She wished she could stop dreaming this unpleasant dream-like reality and just die. Was there something wrong with the poison Beatrice Lavalle had given her? She didn’t understand why she wasn’t dead and was here, leaning on her father and following her husband.

“You should sit down and rest for a moment.”

Sitting in the warm Altein Palace, she finally felt the chill in her body that had rushed here with only a thin shawl wrapped around her. Kaela wrapped the shawl more tightly around herself.

“I’ll stay here, why don’t you go home alone?”

Duke Ostein Adeo de Chaser gently suggested to his daughter, but she shook her head.

“No, no, Papa. I want to stay here. I want to be with you.”

His daughter, who had come running pale-faced, may have sensed something even from when he told her to make sure to take the protective magical item.

Adeo didn’t press further. Fortunately, the gun that the Grand Duke of Lüsenford, standing tall next to the plush sofa where the father and daughter sat, had brought had no bullets.

“Aren’t you cold, Kaela?”

The Grand Duke of Lüsenford, who had been standing quietly, addressed Kaela. It was quite an affectionate tone.

“No, I’m fine.”

But Kaela answered quickly enough to make him embarrassed. Then she completely turned her gaze away.

Right now, Peon wasn’t important, but the fact that her father was alive was too important. Her body was trembling like an aspen leaf with excitement at the fact that part of her past, which had been terrible with cold, hunger, and humiliation, had changed, but she herself didn’t realize it.

And she didn’t even notice that Peon was carefully watching her right now. So she didn’t notice that his pupils had changed from the shiny black-purple to a cool purple color.

“Kaela, you’re shaking.”

Her reaction was slow. No, she was completely uninterested in him. Kaela, who always used to follow Peon around calling him “elder brother, elder brother”, just clung tightly to Adeo’s collar and trembled.

“Oh my goodness. Kaela. It’s alright, it’s alright.”

Adeo kept patting his daughter’s back. Kaela, embraced in her father’s arms, looked particularly small to Peon. Small, and too young. Twenty-one, before the baby fat had even left her cheeks. She was pale and lovely, hard to believe she had died so horribly from starvation.

‘She’ll get seriously ill at this rate.’

In Peon’s memory, Kaela had a weak body and was very sensitive to cold. Of course, with such a thin body that made one doubt if she ate properly. So she must have suffered terribly when she died.

She must have been in so much pain because of her husband who neglected her, knowing she was very sensitive to cold and needed to be fed well. The inside of his ribcage felt stuffy and aching.

I put a restriction on you, so you should have just shut up and obeyed, why did you waver because of that stupid girl and rebel against the restriction to end up like this!

The poison that had been hazy in his brain disappeared, and the noise that had filled the world vanished. Seeing Kaela with a clear and clean mind and senses, everything looked clear. He quietly undid the knot that had been fastening his cloak.

“Your Grace, could you spare me a moment?”

At the proposal for a private conversation between the two of them, Duke Ostein nodded and carefully seated Kaela on the sofa.

“Alright. Stay here for a moment, Kaela.”

Let her father and husband be alone? That can’t be. As Kaela flinched and tried to stop them, her husband’s thick and too long cloak was suddenly held out to her. Kaela looked up at Peon in surprise.

“Hold onto the cloak for a moment.”

“Yes, wrap that around you. You’re shaking too much.”

Before she could refuse, her father chimed in, so Kaela had no choice but to grip the cloak that was too burdensome for her to cover with, and watch as the two men turned the corner.

To keep dismissing it as a dream, well. It’s too vivid.

The cold sweat and damp palms, the rough breathing from tension and excitement, and the heart beating as if it would break her ribs proved that Kaela was a living person, even if she tried to ignore it. There’s no way a dream could be this vivid.

If it’s a vivid reality, then you’d be hungry if you starve and it would hurt if you get injured. Kaela’s head, which was sick and tired of that, started turning on its own. What exactly should she do now?

‘…Originally, the Emperor would have killed Papa and taken Ostein. Because Ostein is a place where gold rolls around. But now, Papa is alive.’

Yes. It’s too joyous, but at the same time, now was not a good time. The imperial palace was extremely tense with rumors that the Empress had lost consciousness, and security had become even more stringent.

‘As things stand now, that man has the highest chance of being victimized by the Emperor for no reason.’

In this situation, even the Grand Duke of Lüsenford would have to be cautious. After all, he was the Empress’s only son and eternal proof of betrayal.

She might not know about other things, but she didn’t want to give up this reality where she had managed to save her father.

And she didn’t want to live painfully, difficultly, and pitifully again. It was instinct, so Kaela decided to seize today. Let’s live through today first. Then she should at least eavesdrop.

Kaela slowly moved to the sofa near the corner where her father and the Grand Duke had gone. She needed to hear everything she could now that she was much freer than during her days as the Grand Duchess when all information was blocked from her.

But from the first words she overheard, it was extremely shocking.

“Did you forget the bullets when gifting the gun, my friend?”

Kaela covered her mouth. Peon forgot the bullets?

‘It wasn’t that the protective magical item worked?’

Where do you gift a gun without the ammunition? Of course you should gift them together. At least the nobles of the Crania Empire didn’t make such naive gifts.

Kaela moved her body a bit more and pressed close to the wall. This is the imperial palace, a place where one must be careful with words again and again. She also looked around to see who else might be eavesdropping besides her. Peon’s calm reply was heard.

“I thought it would be safer to forget them.”

Adeo had to stay at the imperial palace to comfort his older brother who had pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger. But he also knew well that this young Grand Duke was in an even worse situation.

“…His Majesty will surely reprimand you.”

The victor of the North. The knight who knows no defeat. The empire’s greatest warrior, who alone was holding back the evil dragon Gusalante and protecting the North, fixed his mysterious purple eyes beneath thick eyebrows politely on Adeo. It was a calm gaze that seemed to know everything.

“His Majesty will completely forget that there were no bullets. It’s the same reason why Your Grace and I can freely have this conversation in the imperial palace.”

Peon asserted. As far as Adeo knew, Peon went to the North because the Emperor was tightly holding onto his mother, the Empress, and his childhood friend Beatrice.

Just twice a year, to meet those pitiful women, he had to sacrifice everything to protect the empire.

But strangely, he was alone and calm despite hearing the news that his mother, whom he cherished so much, had lost consciousness. He was composed as if he had no relation, like a cold-blooded person, or as if he had anticipated this situation.

“Your Grace, I think you properly realized one thing today. His Majesty was quite bored today.”

Today, the Duke of Ostein would have clearly learned that the Emperor is a being who can kill a person, even his half-brother, just because he’s bored.

Peon, who had once died miserably, silently observed the Duke of Ostein’s shock, shame, and anger.

“Your Grace needs to live long.”

Peon glanced towards the corner. A woman who could barely handle the excessively long cloak was quietly coming closer to eavesdrop. He lowered his voice even more.

“You must live long for your daughter’s sake.”

For Kaela, Adeo needed to become a reliable protector and her only family home. Peon knew very well what kind of end Kaela had met because Adeo wasn’t there.

“And I’ll coordinate with the servant who came earlier, so there won’t be any reprimand from His Majesty about the young lady coming to the Monster’s Garden.”

“Thank you. I’m indebted to you.”

Although Adeo didn’t know why the Grand Duke of Lüsenford was helping him and his daughter, he had some guesses and so held his tongue.

Everyone related to the imperial family is the Emperor’s sacrifice. Especially the Grand Duke of Lüsenford, who has been persistently and severely tormented by the Emperor from birth until now.

“I heard Her Majesty the Empress has collapsed, are you alright?”

Adeo examined the young Grand Duke who had struggled to survive in the midst of abuse since he was very young. But he was no longer looking at the Duke of Ostein.

“I’m fine. Your Grace, please excuse me for a moment.”

Peon turned the corner again. Someone else had just arrived here.

“Ah, Peon.”

The person who had been closely examining the cloak covering the pretending-to-sleep Kaela looked up and called him happily.

Peon’s brow furrowed without him realizing. Beatrice Lavalle was wearing her characteristic smile.

She was the beauty of the century with clean and brilliant silver hair and light pink eyes, and Peon’s childhood friend. On the surface, she appeared pure, shy, and polite, setting the hearts of all men on fire. Peon too once thought it was love.

“I heard the news. What should we do.”

Or he was brainwashed into thinking it was love. Beatrice started chattering, but Peon turned his gaze to Kaela, who was pretending to sleep to hide that she had eavesdropped.

I happened to see Lady Lavalle over there, near Aquitel Palace, on my way here.

He was the Empress’s son, and Kaela was the only daughter of Duke Ostein, so the two had often encountered each other since childhood.

Peon played with Kaela a lot. Kaela also followed him well, calling him “elder brother, elder brother” as he was seven years older. Now they were both grown adults and didn’t meet as often as when they were young, so being very generous, let’s say that’s why the way of speaking is like that.

‘Why is she telling me to go to Beatrice?’

A child who wouldn’t normally do so came running recklessly and clung to him, begging desperately.

Go to Beatrice Lavalle, the lover of all. Go away. The woman who always tried to smile in front of him, despite being constantly overpowered by Beatrice since childhood, told him to go away.

You are the result of infidelity, Hyperion. You’re a dirty mongrel who betrayed a vow that should never be broken. You were rotten from birth! You’re someone who could never understand virtues like trust and loyalty!

The words the Emperor kept throwing at young Peon whenever he got the chance turned out to be true after all.

To prove that wasn’t the case, he turned his back on Kaela in an attempt to keep his loyalty to Beatrice, but he was that kind of seed from birth. He was already rotten in that he fell for such flimsy brainwashing and headed straight for destruction.

“Is Her Majesty the Empress alright? Are you okay, Peon?”

Beatrice worried about him greatly, and when she said a word to him, he took it thinking it was good. There were times when he thought this wasn’t right, but his hazy mind swallowed the poison it had been fed and became even hazier.

Because she was his only friend, his first love and only ally, he could never utter the words that he wanted to quit. The existence called Peon was controlled to think that would be an act without trust, loyalty, or honor.

“Guard.”

Peon looked down coldly at Beatrice and called for a guard.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why has an outsider entered Altein Palace, which only royalty can access?”

Startled by the low voice of the strong man, Kaela slightly opened her eyes, mixed with fatigue.

“Do you not know etiquette, Lady Lavalle?”

Something that should never happen was happening. The cold, contemptuous expression and voice that had always been directed at Kaela were now aimed at Beatrice Lavalle.

“Don’t you know that non-royals cannot freely enter and exit Altein Palace, that you must first show respect to the Duke and Lady of Ostein, and that you must be careful with your words and follow the rules of the imperial palace governed by His august Majesty?”

Kaela had never seen Beatrice Lavalle so surprised. Her beautiful pink eyes widened, and her lovely cheeks turned pale. In a situation where everyone would naturally sympathize with the queen of high society, the Grand Duke of Lüsenford spoke mercilessly.

“Guide the unauthorized person to where the exit is.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I apologize. This way, my lady.”

“Pe… Peon.”

Peon. That name was a nickname Kaela had always wanted to call, but was not allowed to, yet one Beatrice could use so casually.

“Lady Lavalle. You must leave. This way.”

The woman who had been painfully envious of that and miserable for not being allowed, blankly watched as the flower of high society was almost forcibly dragged out. It was something that could never happen in high society.

“I apologize for showing an unseemly sight, Your Grace. I’m sorry, Kaela.”

“No need. It’s not your fault, is it?”

“Not at all. For now, Kaela seems to be struggling a lot, so I think it would be good for her to rest separately.”

Beatrice, wearing the latest fashionable aqua dress that Kaela never dared to try on, was dragged out, and Peon, who had directly issued the order to expel her, was now worried about Kaela. She blinked and raised her hand high.

‘I still haven’t come to my senses.’

To act so stupidly and pitifully even with Papa in front of her.

The sound of her slapping her own cheek was loud.