From the moment Aster appeared, Rose’s face, which had been filled with uneasy anticipation, turned sickly pale as if it would soon rot and crumble.

The onlookers, who had been constantly throwing trash at Katharine and hurling insults, began to murmur that this couldn’t be happening.

Charlen, unable to comprehend what had just come out of Aster’s mouth, stumbled forward like a person standing in the midst of a violent storm.

“What are you saying all of a sudden? Just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean you can spout nonsense, Lord Aster.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. But there’s more than one witness.”

“What?”

As Aster gestured somewhere, Lauren, who had been mixed in with the crowd, carefully stepped forward.

“His Majesty the King did not want to send Lady Katharine to the Emperor of Renel, so he imprisoned her in the tower out of misguided desire. The Queen, knowing this fact, planned to frame Lady Katharine with a staged incident.”

As Lauren continued in a voice that was clearly tense but also resolute, the expressions of Charlen and Rose changed for the worse.

Lauren continued.

“I was concerned about the Queen heading to the tower alone, so I secretly followed her and witnessed her hanging from the railing alone before falling.”

“Then why didn’t you say this during the royal trial?”

When a noble in the front row expressed doubt, Lauren answered without hesitation, as if anticipating such a question.

“I couldn’t testify alone at a trial dominated by the Queen’s attendants and close nobles, where everyone was already certain that Lady Katharine was the culprit.”

Lauren was Rose’s lady-in-waiting.

She came from a relatively low-ranking family, had no experience in high society, and was a maid who quietly and diligently did only the work given to her.

At least in others’ eyes, she was absolutely not the type to give exaggerated or distorted testimony.

That fact alone could have a far more excellent effect than the testimonies of ten passing strangers.

“This lady-in-waiting’s words are correct.”

As if spurring on a galloping horse, several soldiers also stepped forward, raising their hands.

They were personnel recruited by the royal family to strengthen security, but in fact, some of them were spies intentionally planted by Farnese.

“That day, Her Majesty the Queen gave me money while I was on duty. She said she had business in the tower and told me to pretend I hadn’t seen or heard anything. I was very flustered, but I felt I couldn’t accept such a thing, so I turned back towards the tower to return it. That’s when I witnessed the same scene this lady-in-waiting saw.”

The spy disguised as a soldier, planted by Farnese, placed an expensive pouch and gold items where everyone could see.

That pink pouch with yellow patterns was something Charlen had glimpsed once or twice in Rose’s room.

Charlen shook his head unconditionally, like someone unable to let go of the last remaining rope even knowing it was rotten.

“No. That’s impossible. If what you say is true, it means the Queen staged this ridiculous fraud to frame her own sister, Katharine, as a criminal.”

“Sisters… Well, I’m not sure if they can be called sisters.”

Farnese muttered something incomprehensible and tilted his head slightly towards Rose.

Rose was not so oblivious as to miss the meaning of that simple and clear gesture.

Rose now realized why Nelson had remained in the Renel Empire when she had sent Aster to investigate his whereabouts earlier.

The mastermind who had been moving Nelson, her birth father, behind the scenes, giving him the temporary position of gamekeeper.

The truth about her bloodline, which could be called her greatest weakness, was in the hands of none other than the Emperor.

Farnese was now telling Rose with his eyes.

That it would be better to admit her guilt herself before he revealed all her secrets here.

“There’s a simple way, King Charlen.”

Farnese continued speaking, still fixing his brightly shining gaze on Rose.

“Ask Queen Riche to answer whether she acknowledges or denies the circumstances that have been raised so far.”

Realizing that the final gateway to a new tomorrow led to a quagmire, Rose gasped for breath as if about to burst into tears.

Charlen’s gaze finally slid to Rose’s shoulders, trembling as if about to shatter into a thousand pieces.

“Queen.”

“I, I, well…”

“Hurry up and either shake your head no or protest, one or the other!”

Charlen raised his voice as if roaring.

Even the nobles who had been murmuring in confusion until just now all looked at Rose with expressions that seemed to ask how such a terrible thing could happen.

It felt like the hostile gazes that had suddenly changed from allies to enemies were flying like sharp spears piercing her entire body.

If she denied it to the end, Farnese would immediately reveal the secret of her bloodline, and at the same time, Nelson’s existence would be exposed to the world.

“I… seem to have made some kind of mistake…”

The scales had tipped, and Rose made her choice.

Because it was a greater calamity for Rose for Charlen to know that the baby in her womb had inherited the blood of a lowly beggar, Rose chose the path of burning her own dignity and honor.

Hearing her futile answer, Charlen first showed a gradual, dejected smile, then burst into laughter like a madman.

“Haha…!”

Charlen didn’t want to believe the current situation.

His relationship with Rose had crossed a river that could never be returned to.

Only the baby, still sleeping soundly in the womb, unaware of anything, remained in vain.

His face and honor as king had crumbled, and above all, Katharine was to become the Empress of the Renel Empire.

He wished it was all just a dream.

“Katharine. Think carefully. Do you think your life will dramatically change or become happier because of this?”

Charlen spoke as if pleading, with the blind obsession that he should at least hold onto Katharine alone, given how things had turned out.

However, Katharine’s face remained as cold as ice, not wavering in the slightest.

“Empress, you say? You, an empress? You becoming the mother of a country? Never in my life have I heard anything more ridiculous…!”

“If you continue to flap your lips, I won’t stand idly by.”

Farnese, who had been quietly maintaining silence all along, suddenly held a blade to Charlen’s neck in the blink of an eye.

“She’s no longer a woman you can treat in such a manner.”

The coldly honed blade flashed as it reflected the sunlight.

Charlen drew in a sharp breath.

Soldiers rushed in to protect him, and the Imperial Guard of the Renel Empire also drew their swords with a sharp metallic sound.

In this tense situation where the two countries were facing off as if war might break out at any moment, Farnese quietly continued speaking.

“You probably won’t understand even after you die. How many tears that child, who looks like she has no blood or tears on the outside, has swallowed behind the scenes.”

“…”

“What are you all doing? Hurry and escort the woman who will become the great Empress of the Renel Empire.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

An amazing thing happened.

The Imperial Guard of the Renel Empire, dressed in stylish plate armor, walked in formation, knelt before Katharine, and paid her the utmost respect.

The crowd was thrown into an uproar once again.

People watched with wide eyes, dazed and lost in thought, as an important event that would make its mark in history unfolded.

But at this moment, the most shocked of all was undoubtedly Charlen.

At first, he couldn’t properly grasp the situation, but when he saw Katharine calmly receiving the escort of the knights, he finally realized the reality and collapsed.

“Is she really becoming the Empress of the Renel Empire…?”

Charlen mumbled the word “empress” several times as if he had forgotten its meaning.

He had thought she would be a concubine at best.

Not once had he imagined Katharine becoming someone’s wife, let alone the Empress of the Renel Empire.

‘Because she can’t have children.’

Charlen could guarantee that there wasn’t a single foolish man in this world who would put a woman incapable of producing an heir on the throne of Empress.

After all, isn’t the ultimate purpose of imperial and royal families to secure a stable line of succession as the top priority?

Then it was clear that Katharine was now deceiving Farnese.

‘Actually, I can have children. Everything people say is all lies.’

She must have lied like that with that bewitching voice of hers.

To become an empress and rise to power by any means necessary.

Charlen clenched his trembling fist tightly.

Meanwhile, Farnese put away his sword and climbed onto the execution platform without hesitation.

When their eyes met, Katharine and Farnese smiled brightly at each other without anyone needing to go first.

They had come such a long way, so there was a slight hint of fatigue, but still.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I’ve come to take you away as promised.”

“I’ve been waiting, Your Majesty.”

“I have so much I want to say, but…”

Farnese’s gaze deepened as he carefully looked over Katharine’s thin shoulders and pale face.

“That can wait until we’re on our way to the Renel Empire.”

Farnese respectfully knelt on one knee in front of Katharine, who was still standing barefoot on the wooden floor.

Then he placed a pair of shoes trimmed with soft white satin before her.

Katharine put on the shoes and firmly grasped Farnese’s outstretched hand as she descended from the execution platform.

The knights of the Renel Empire, having reorganized their formation, followed closely behind, respectfully escorting Katharine.

“Stop right there! How dare you try to leave without my permission as the King!”

Katharine slowly came to a halt.

And turned to face Charlen.

An arrogant gaze that still couldn’t comprehend this situation.

Judging by his brazen expression, which showed he didn’t know what had gone wrong or what he had done wrong, it seemed Charlen still hadn’t come to his senses.

“Have you already forgotten what you said at the royal trial? Didn’t you promise to grant any request I desired if my innocence was proven?”

“What?”

“What I want is just one thing. As of today, I’m severing all ties with the Kingdom of Kan. It means that Your Majesty can no longer have any involvement in my life. We are now complete strangers.”

Only then did Charlen seem to fully grasp the gravity of the situation, shaking his head repeatedly.

“No. Strangers? That can’t be.”

“It’s been unpleasant being with you all this time, and I hope we never meet again. Well then, I wish you good health.”

Cutting through the slowly blowing wind, Katharine gracefully brushed past Charlen.

“Katharine, wait! I’m not finished speaking yet!”

Katharine suddenly thought.

She had felt a sense of déjà vu, and wasn’t this just like the day she received news of the broken engagement from Charlen?

Of course, their positions were completely reversed now.

“I find it regrettable.”

“That’s not what I want to hear from you. Let’s calm down first and talk quietly. I’ll apologize. I’ll even offer formal compensation for damages…”

“Your Majesty. The more you do this, the more unsightly it becomes. Please stop now.”

Katharine recited the harsh words he had said to her that day, word for word.

Charlen seemed to doubt his own ears, falling into immense shock.

“Didn’t Your Majesty say this to me on the day you announced our broken engagement? That the country was far more important than someone like me. So please take care of Rose, who’s sitting over there in a daze, and focus on calming the unsettled hearts of your people.”

“No. Stop right there, Katharine!”

“Don’t cling to me so pitifully. Nothing will change no matter what you do.”

That was Katharine’s final farewell.

Katharine advanced beyond the opening castle gates, escorted by Farnese.

Without a trace of lingering attachment or hesitation, she boarded the carriage and disappeared over the hill in the blink of an eye, becoming a small dot.

However, who could have known until this moment?

That the persistent ill-fated relationship with Charlen and Rose, which they thought had come to a complete end, was actually just beginning from this day forward.