These days were filled with utterly boring days. Due to the conservative duke who strictly sealed the servants’ mouths, there was no chance to hear rumors of the family. The selfish helper had disappeared at some point and had been out of contact.

Just when he was getting bored, a letter arrived for Kyle. A plain envelope and the plain letter paper inside greeted him. It was sent by the selfish helper.

“Your Majesty, it has been a while.

Now is the time.

It is an excellent time to torment the princess.”

An excellent time to torment the princess.

It was a sentence that brought joy. Kyle, who liked the helper’s advice, gave a sinister smile.

‘By the way, unnecessarily meticulous.’

As he looked around the paper, he let out a silent exclamation. The helper was using a different handwriting for each sentence to prepare for any potential adversary. Certainly, even if the letter were to be discovered, the identity of the writer would not be revealed.

Kyle, who burned the letter, stood up and stretched fully to prepare for his leap. There was no reason to refuse when it was an excellent time to torment.

‘I should take this opportunity to get revenge on my old dog as well. I must show thoroughly what happens to a dog that bites its master.’

He came up with an excellent way to torment both dogs at once, Sieghart Asthart and Natasha Charliee, the past and present dogs.

Eventually, he ordered the servant who delivered the letter.

“Invite some journalists to tomorrow’s event.”

“Journalists…? Do you mean to allow entry not only to the Luid newspaper but also to journalists from other newspapers?”

The servant asked for confirmation. He wondered why the emperor, who had not allowed articles from newspapers other than the empire-friendly Luid newspaper, was suddenly giving equal opportunity to all.

“Yes, even the third-rate newspapers, all of them! There’s something everyone needs to know.”

Kyle wore a satisfied smile as he watched the servant leave to carry out his order.

The next day, as Kyle wished, a crowd of journalists gathered in front of the temple. Amidst the bustling atmosphere, the medal award ceremony for Kyle began.

The temple honored Kyle Letius for his contributions to the world’s development while growing the great Letius Empire.

They added various reasons such as promoting peace through agreements with several major countries, contributing to society by eradicating monsters nationwide, and contributing to the development of unified countries and dependencies, but in reality, it was a superficial ceremony held to console the imperial family who had lost the position of honorary knights.

Kyle, who ascended to the platform amidst countless praises, observed the journalists gathered like ants at his feet. They were drooling in anticipation of the upcoming scoop.

“Well, as everyone would agree, it’s thanks to everyone’s efforts that the great Letius Empire has come this far.”

Since they’ve been waiting since early morning for my article, I should give them something to write about.

“Among those many great people, there’s one person I particularly want to mention. I’d like to give half of today’s credit to Duke Sieghart Asthart. Although he’s a person who has become independent from the imperial family, I can’t deny that his contribution was significant in the daily development of the great Letius Empire.”

He struggled to suppress his twitching lips. Kyle, pretending to moisten his dry throat by swallowing, covered his mouth and continued speaking.

“It was all his plan to make the Charliee Kingdom a member of the empire and establish the Kshant Duchy.”

The man summarized what Duke Asthart had contributed. As it was an official occasion, he did not mention the barbaric methods he had used.

“Thanks to him, we achieved a clean and flawless result where everyone could be happy.”

My new dog, only you who can’t forget that day would know.

After one deviation, Natasha realized that the outside world was dangerous. Even if she ventured out with courage, what she received was not an apology but criticism.

She resumed her reclusive life in a room where light didn’t enter. She ate just enough not to die, drank just enough not to die. She slept just enough not to die, and cried just enough not to die.

Although Cayena’s sincere concern and worry were very appreciated, they were of no use to Natasha now.

Suddenly, a piece of paper was stuck to the straw-covered ground. Could it be the letter that had arrived for her?

Natasha tore open the letter without even checking the sender. Holding the paper up to the faint moonlight, she could see scattered words.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been doing poorly lately.”

When she confirmed that the sender was Kyle Letius, her hand gripping the letter paper tightened.

“So I’m sending a comforting gift. I hope the princess likes the gift that will arrive soon.”

A gift?

She tried to guess the nature of the cowardly and dirty gift the emperor would send. If he intended to torment her, he would probably take her acquaintances hostage and threaten her.

Or perhaps this time, instead of her parents and siblings, she would receive the head of a relative as a gift?

“Letius XIV, Supporting the Independent Asthart Duchy?”

“Sieghart Asthart’s Clean Operation Announced at the Medal Ceremony on the 18th – Hidden Competence Revealed”

The answer could be found in the next day’s newspapers.

Natasha read and reread more than ten newspapers. Regrettably, the more she read, the clearer the information and truth became.

It was Sieghart who had planned the operation to invade the Charliee royal palace, exterminate the royal family, and then acquire territorial ownership.

Hanging the beheaded heads high in the sky as if they were medals, silently threatening the royalist nobles, and even softening the few opinions written under the threat of death, all of it…

Was it all Sieghart’s doing?

It was truly unbelievable. This was a completely separate matter from cutting off her affection for the man. This was treating the Natasha of the past as an unfilial daughter, a traitor, and a fool.

To think that not only the love Sieghart had shown, but even his background was all a lie.

‘However, the tragedy the princess experienced was merely the imperial family’s unilateral action, it had nothing to do with the Asthart duchy.’

‘…Are you saying that Your Grace had nothing to do with that day’s tragedy?’

‘Yes, I swear that day’s tragedy had nothing to do with me.’

Then, of the man she knew, which parts were his true self and which parts were false?

‘I understand the princess’s sorrow as well. It must be achingly painful to lose loved ones. I and the Asthart duchy will strive to fill the void of family that the princess feels.’

For how long had Natasha been deceived?

From the very first meeting. For the six months he courted her from their first meeting. For a year after marriage. The man had been deceiving Natasha every single day during that time.

‘Do you love me?’

‘Of course.’

He said he loved me.

He said he empathized with the sorrow of losing family.

He promised that he would cherish and love a child that resembled me more than anyone else in the future…!

‘It was you who threw me into the gutter. You, Sieghart Asthart, were my enemy who completely ruined my life.’

Not knowing this, Natasha loved the man. Dreaming of a future with him, she devoted her entire life to her enemy.

‘How foolish I must have looked.’

It was painful. Even though it was the man who had done wrong, Natasha was in agony, feeling as if the blame lay with her.

This time too, the man made her come out of her room. Crawling on the ground, afraid of the light she encountered after so long, she headed towards her destination.

As she tumbled down the stairs, the newspaper she was holding flew far away. And it landed right in front of familiar shoe heels.

The man’s foot movement brushing aside the paper was graceful. Unlike her own wretched appearance, even the sole of Sieghart’s shoe touching the floor was immaculate.

He was indifferent regardless of who he was dealing with. He was unrealistically arrogant and selfish. Even on the day his cruel atrocities were discovered, he remained unchanged. Sieghart looked down at Natasha with his usual dry expression.

“…Explain to me.”

His attitude of not opening his mouth when an explanation was needed was also nonchalant.

“I won’t ask why you pretended to love me. I won’t ask why you turned your back on your child. Just answer this one thing. Is what the newspapers are saying true? Did you really plan everything? Did you… assert that if the royal family was exterminated, you could take the kingdom?”

“……”

“That it would be easier to take the territory if the royal family was exterminated. And that if beheaded heads were hung on trees, the resistance of the royalist nobles would subside, making it possible to obtain territorial ownership… Did you claim that?”

As the plaintive questions continued, the other’s expression finally creased. Breathing a low sigh, he crouched down to meet her gaze.

“Later.”

“……”

“I have an urgent appointment now, so let’s talk later.”

An answer came. It just wasn’t the one Natasha wanted.

“Later?”

She dumbly repeated the man’s brief answer.

“Later won’t do. It has to be now. I don’t know what kind of righteous words you’ll use to deceive me again. So, so it has to be now. Only now can you make excuses to me.”

Natasha refused the postponement because it was obvious that in that ‘later’ Sieghart wanted, he would utter lies instead of the truth. His only chance to speak was right now.

“…I’ll go to my appointment. Have maids and servants assigned to the princess.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

But he left to resolve his prior engagement, disregarding her. As if excuses for Natasha were secondary because he had more important matters.

Sieghart, putting on the coat received from the butler, walked steadily towards the entrance. The servants standing in two rows on either side bowed in unison, seeing off the head of the household on his business trip.

“I see…”

She etched the retreating figure of the man into her eyes over and over again.

“…I knew you’d do this.”

Her heart, which had been hurt many times, was perhaps unconsciously prepared for disaster, as it did not spew out sorrow. Her eyes were also incredibly dry.

Eight days had passed since Sieghart left. Contrary to his orders, no servants came to attend to Natasha. At first, Cayena occasionally helped with the chores, but perhaps tired of Natasha’s lack of response, her visits became infrequent later.

‘It’s snowing…’

Suddenly, she saw snow falling through the window she looked at.

A shallow smile was drawn on her face as she saw the beautiful sight.

Ah, beautiful snow…

Unlike me, clean and powerful, the absolute ruler of the world.