“What on earth is going on?”

“You know that incident recently? There’s a rumor that Lady Katharine is actually innocent and it was all a scheme by the Queen.”

“An acquaintance who visited the square today said that Miss Katharine might become the Empress of the Renel Empire.”

For the nobles who couldn’t bear the rotten time and leisure, and wished for stimulating events to occur every day, there was no more exciting day than today.

A rumor spread that King Charlen Riche and Emperor Farnese had gathered at the Roberfon Marquis’s residence for some reason.

The nobles, each making plausible excuses, sent their servants to quietly find out what was happening.

Though the details were unclear, everyone could sense that something unbelievable was definitely occurring.

“Don’t linger here, please return! This area ahead is the Roberfon Marquis’s mansion!”

While the guards surrounding the marquis’s residence were sweating profusely trying to turn away the murmuring crowds one by one.

Unlike the noisy outside, inside the mansion’s reception room, only an awkward and bleak silence lingered.

Charlen stared at the innocent floor as if the words he had to say had shattered and fallen.

Katharine silently waited for his mouth to open on its own.

She wanted to know what his first words would be.

As the clock’s second hand raced breathlessly for one and a half revolutions, Charlen finally broke the silence, interlocking his ten fingers.

His voice was surprisingly calm.

No, it would be more accurate to say it was shamelessly nonchalant.

“Do you remember the day we first met?”

So that’s where he starts.

Katharine closed her eyes and touched her forehead as if annoyed.

Whether she showed her dislike or not, Charlen continued steadfastly with what he wanted to say, regardless.

“It was an early summer debutante ball when roses were in full bloom. You appeared in a peach-colored dress that day, and you were so full of spirit that I could hardly believe you were a teenage girl. I fell for the determination in your eyes, and we helplessly fell for each other. It was the happiest day of my life.”

“Yes. I was happy too.”

When Katharine responded like that for some reason, Charlen raised his head slightly surprised.

She looked at him straight in the eye with a gaze that seemed determined not to allow even the slightest gap, and said:

“In that sense, if I could go back to that day, I would unhesitatingly gouge out my eyes.”

“What?”

“If I couldn’t see anything, I wouldn’t have mistaken you for a wonderful person, and you wouldn’t have given even a glance to a ‘defective’ like me.”

“Defective? How can you say such a thing?”

“Why? Aren’t you the heartless person who throws away things or people without a second thought once they’re damaged or flawed?”

“No. That’s not true.”

Charlen shook his head repeatedly.

That head shake was closer to meaning he couldn’t accept being such a person himself, rather than denying Katharine’s words.

He lowered his voice even more and leaned his head closer to her, saying:

“Katharine. I’ll confess everything honestly. There has never been a time when I didn’t love you.”

“What?”

Katharine asked back, doubting her ears.

“Of course, I might have hurt you somewhat in the past. But everyone makes mistakes, and because we’re immature, we can eventually be forgiven by God. I deeply regret leaving you so heartlessly that day. Really.”

As if something constricting deep in her chest had swallowed her voice whole, she couldn’t utter a single word out of shock.

Katharine stared at him blankly with eyes shocked in a different way.

“The companion I truly want to spend the rest of my years with is you, Katharine. I’ve always thought so.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’ll make you the Queen.”

Charlen said in a vicious voice, as if a snake was whispering.

“You’ll be much happier and freer than an Empress. The path to becoming an Empress is a thorny one. You’d have to endure threats from political opponents almost daily and withstand subtle power struggles. But if you come to my side, you won’t have to do anything. If there’s something you want to do, I’ll allow it all. If there’s something you want to have, I’ll give you anything.”

“…Your Majesty.”

Katharine barely squeezed out a stream of voice through her narrowed airway, her one eye twitching finely.

“I’m asking because I don’t understand right now, but you haven’t forgotten that Rose is your Queen, have you?”

“Rose, you say.”

Charlen moistened his parched lips with a sip of cold water and continued.

“With this incident, Rose is as good as socially dead. Public activities will be almost impossible for her, and her shattered reputation will be difficult to recover. She’s someone who’ll have to spend the rest of her days in seclusion anyway.”

“That’s not what I asked, though.”

“So, it’s like this. If we use this incident well, we could create a justification for you to be reinstated as Queen.”

Reinstated?

When was I ever your Queen?

Even at the moment you made vows of love, promising to place me on that seat, you were already secretly involved with Rose.

“Rose is now carrying your child.”

“Of course she is. But that child could now become your child.”

“…What did you say?”

“I mean our child, yours and mine. It’s not impossible to give it a pretty name, hold and cradle it, and create good memories as a family. If only you would take my hand.”

So this is what he was getting at with all that long, pretentious apology.

He’s thoroughly disappointed in Rose, and can’t bear to see himself become the Emperor of a powerful nation.

But he needs to have a child, so he wants to take me as his second wife and arrange everything to his liking.

Katharine was overwhelmed with shock, as she couldn’t have imagined he would show such depths here.

She was seriously concerned whether he might have some mental illness, wondering how he could utter such words so casually.

“Now I understand how you’ve been instigating and taming Rose all this time.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been subtly driving a wedge between us sisters all along. I’m sure that’s how it was when you first met Rose behind my back. Enjoying the rift forming between Rose and me, feeling a base thrill while wedged between two sisters who’ve become mortal enemies.”

Charlen seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.

He was now puzzled as to how Katharine knew that he and Rose had known each other from before.

But he didn’t blush, feel ashamed, or sorry about it at all.

“Katharine. Shouldn’t your anger be directed at Rose now? She framed you as a criminal. It’s as good as trying to kill you, to put it nicely.”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m greatly disappointed in Rose and I do hate her. But if she ever sincerely regrets and repents for her wrongdoings, I’m at least willing to meet her once. However.”

Katharine took a step closer to him and said:

“Even if the sky falls and the earth crumbles, I have no desire to listen to your words. No, beyond forgiveness or anything else at this point, I just wish you would disappear from my sight. Please.”

“…What?”

“The reason I allowed this private conversation was because I wanted you to realize for yourself what it means to cling on so pathetically. But there was no need for that. You were a far worse person than I thought. I’ve newly realized that you are the worst blemish in my life.”

Charlen seemed quite deeply shocked by Katharine’s words.

His lips, which had always been full of harsh words, constantly comparing her to Rose and tearing down her self-esteem, twitched madly, and his whole body seemed to freeze up as if turned to stone.

Katharine quickly passed by his side.

She went straight up to her room and started packing her necessary belongings.

She had intended to stay here for a night if possible, but after talking with him, that desire completely vanished.

She wanted to leave the borders of the Khan Kingdom as soon as possible, even by a minute or a second, and catch her breath in a quiet place.

“Katharine. Don’t do this.”

A long shadow fell across Katharine’s back as she packed clothes into a large bag.

She ignored him and crossed the room.

Her mother’s heirloom pearl necklace, a couple of books her father cherished when alive, the bank vault key, and her travel permit were all her luggage.

A copy of her identification document sprang out from the drawer drawer as if begging to be taken along, but she threw it into the blazing fireplace without hesitation.

She would get a new identity as soon as she crossed over to the Renel Empire anyway.

“Please don’t ignore my words! Katharine!”

Whatever he was shouting no longer reached Katharine’s ears.

A servant came to take her luggage bag, and Katharine called for Bess.

Bess approached, glancing at Charlen cautiously, probably because the recent commotion had echoed throughout the house.

“Young lady. Are you leaving right away without staying the night?”

“Yes. So, take this to the bank tomorrow. The staff there will know what to do when you mention my name.”

Katharine signed here and there on documents she had prepared in advance just in case, and handed them to Bess.

Bess, who was examining the documents with a look of ‘What’s this?’, gaped at the unbelievable amount.

“Young lady, this is!”

“Open the vault, donate half of my assets evenly to the poor districts, and keep the other half, Bess. Stop living a hard life now.”

“No, you can’t do this. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

“The reason I came to the mansion before leaving was to take care of my precious things left here one last time. There aren’t many, but that definitely includes you, Bess. If it’s burdensome, use it for good causes as you see fit. I believe you’ll use it wisely, Bess.”

“Young lady…”

After briefly greeting the other servants as well, Katharine went down the stairs in big strides and out.

Charlen chased after her, and Farnese was standing by the carriage as if he had been waiting.

“Katharine. Are you really… really going to do this to me?”

A cool breeze blew once.

She had no intention of continuing this lingering squabble when everything was over.

The view of the mansion filled with memories of her parents that would remain forever in her heart, though she would never return.

Bess and the other servants who had come out under the porch, preciously holding the papers fluttering in the wind.

Even the Roberfon Marchioness standing with a bewildered expression, unable to say a word.

Katharine gazed at all of these in turn, resolutely shaking off the yoke of the past that had gripped her neck for so long.

Having bid farewell to the Katharine of the past who had suffered so much, and prepared to welcome a new tomorrow, she quietly took Farnese’s hand and got into the carriage.

She didn’t bother to check what expression Charlen wore as he stood there alone at the end, but one thing was certain – it probably wasn’t the look of someone who wanted to apologize for his wrongdoings.