“This is all my fault. I should have paid more attention and kept a closer watch. I should have taken his life right after the fire, but that’s……”

Even though Carlos didn’t finish his sentence, Mercedes could understand what he was saying.

Both of them were not in a good state. While Carlos was unable to pay attention, the Queen Dowager must have snatched the Count.

Carlos, who had hopelessly lost the Count, couldn’t bear to look into her eyes any longer. He really wanted to see her, though.

It was a face he had always wanted to keep seeing. But he couldn’t.

It was foolish.

Knowing that the Count was crazily sending untrained arrows to the Imperial Palace, he should have stepped forward to win over the merchant group and at least saved the Count’s life.

He was also not in a good condition after that night with Mercedes.

I have to kill, but it’s impossible, what should I do. Will I die? If so, what will happen to this country. Mercedes’ wound…… will it be okay?

“When the Count comes here, it will bring harm to you. But I won’t let that happen. Even if I have to assassinate.”

Carlos stood by the bedside with his head turned and continued speaking.

Mercedes felt something welling up in her heart.

He tried to kill me. Why is he apologizing and talking as if he will continue to help with my revenge?

And.

‘Why is father……’

Why does father always interfere in her life when she has given up everything?

The last image of the Count, who acted much more vigorously than her younger self and slapped her cheek, came to mind.

Mercedes suddenly laughed.

“Haha……”

Yes. Father said he was coming.

Now it seemed he really wanted to see the end.

“……The problem is that the Queen Dowager requested to schedule a banquet. The excuse is clear. You entered as the Empress, but never had a family meal. She’ll probably bring in the Count there.”

“I see.”

“I’ll reject it. Just say your health is not good.”

The Queen Dowager is moving like that, and is father trying to disrupt her life again?

There’s nothing much to disrupt anyway, as she will die soon.

She had always lived without having much, so what is there to take away? Even now, all she had left was her life that wouldn’t last long……

“Why don’t you just kill me now? Then you won’t need to make excuses.”

“……”

Carlos did not answer.

‘What the hell……’

It was frustrating. The feeling was truly bitter.

‘Yes, for now you’re not going to do anything.’

Mercedes laughed self-deprecatingly and gripped the blanket. A little strength entered the hands that had let go of everything.

“No, I will attend.”

“……Mercedes. You don’t have to push yourself−.”

“As the Empress, it’s my duty. You have given me so much.”

Such a large room, and the warm touch of the maids…… Even if it was a path leading to death.

She swallowed the hollow laughter that welled up at the end of the sentence and muttered.

“You have treated me so well.”

She really didn’t feel wronged at all. It was okay if she died by Carlos’ hands.

There was no answer from him. Now he had completely turned his head and was standing with his back to her. Mercedes looked at him with dry eyes and whispered softly.

The room was filled with silence, so the whisper clearly pierced Carlos’ ears.

“Until the time comes when you take my life. I will fulfill my duties.”

There was no passion in her voice as she said that.

“To meet father…… It will be a bit difficult.”

The following voice was very tired.

* * *

From bathing to dressing up, it didn’t take as long as when attending a banquet. Because she was told to dress neatly.

Still, it was very tiring. For about ten days, she had been lying in bed without eating or drinking properly and avoiding sunlight, so it was natural.

As if all the weight she had gained in half a year had disappeared, the thin Mercedes chose a navy blue dress that covered up to her neck to hide the lines of her body.

The shoulders and sleeves were puffy, and she wore a corset and petticoat underneath. It was a struggle not only for formality, but also to hide her overly thin body as much as possible.

Usually she would wear comfortable clothes, so it should be uncomfortable, but Mercedes was just calm.

Strangely, she felt nothing.

Even the fact that she would meet her father today felt unreal. And having to ‘act’ while fulfilling her duties beside the Emperor also felt numb.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the other maids had been banned from entering the palace for quite some time, she headed to the banquet hall with only Rhonda and Patricia.

And she didn’t say a word the entire time the two maids were guiding her while checking the atmosphere.

She just thought to herself.

‘Duties…… must all be fulfilled. So, I need to put on a mask. Father…… I don’t know. What do I want now? Do I really want revenge?’

She was filled with thoughts that she herself didn’t know her own feelings.

As she got closer to the banquet hall, she tried to shake off her thoughts. She had to pull herself together, even forcibly, and bring out the appearance of a different Mercedes. That’s what she resolved to do.

Because that was her duty to repay the grateful grace bestowed upon her by the Emperor.

And the door opened as she reached the banquet hall.

“Oh, the Empress has arrived.”

“……She has arrived.”

Following the Empress Dowager’s greeting with a pleased, rising tone, an endlessly lowered voice was heard.

Ah. Whenever I hear that person’s voice again, my heart sinks with a thud. I find myself missing it.

After that fleeting thought passed by, she laughed at herself. It’s all in vain.

Mercedes tried her best to keep her eyes downcast and avoid looking at him, while making a deliberately lively sound.

“I’m the last one to arrive. I apologize. Your Majesty the Queen Dowager, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Rhonda and Patricia were surprised to see their mistress like that, but Mercedes didn’t know how much.

“It’s alright. I arrived a bit early. Besides, His Majesty the Emperor won’t keep me company.”

The Queen Dowager laughed and welcomed her.

Mercedes smiled brightly. The facial muscles she hadn’t used for ten days felt like they were pulling, but she had been practicing becoming a ‘different Mercedes’ for almost half a year now.

She never admitted it, but she wondered if she had a real talent for it. Or was it really easy because she lacked a sense of reality?

Even when her heart had hit rock bottom, she could pull out a mask and put it on.

“I don’t know what to do with myself when you make such allowances. Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen Dowager.”

“It’s nice to see the Empress so well-mannered and radiant in beauty. Sit down.”

“Yes.”

Rhonda and Patricia calmed their surprised hearts, quickly attended to Mercedes to seat her, and then left the banquet hall.

Thus, the Queen Dowager sat at the head seat, the Emperor next to her, and Mercedes sat facing the Emperor.

A strange tension hung in the banquet hall.

‘Duty.’

In the midst of that, she engraved what she had to do in her heart once again.

“Wow, today’s banquet looks really fancy. Did you prepare it, Your Majesty the Queen Dowager? I’m sorry. I should have prepared it first.”

Then she smiled and made polite remarks to the Queen Dowager. Thinking that she would probably vomit all the food she ate today.

After that, slowly. Very slowly, she turned her eyes to Carlos.

She was reflected in his black eyes.

It was the first time since briefly seeing him in the room. Was it three days ago?

He stared at her expressionlessly and then turned his eyes away. As if he couldn’t bear to look.

Then he started a conversation with the Queen Dowager.

She no longer wanted to think about his abnormal behavior. It kept making her mistakenly think and drained more of her energy when she had those thoughts.

She was destined to die anyway, so she wasn’t even curious.

“Empress, please eat. You look a bit thin…… You’re eating well, right?”

The Queen Dowager called out to Mercedes, who had been quietly staring at her own plate.

Mercedes hastily recalled that she was acting and showed a sweet smile.

“Of course. It’s just that the room is a bit hotter than Sheim, so it’s hard to adapt as summer approaches. I think I lost weight because my appetite has decreased a bit.”

“Oh my. I should send some medicine then.”

“Oh no! It’s fine, Your Majesty the Queen Dowager. It’s just temporary. I will adapt soon.”

Mercedes shook her head and replied lovingly. The Queen Dowager showed a concerned look on her face.

It was strange. Just like when preparing for the coronation, the Queen Dowager was not someone with such a kind personality. Of course, she acted kindly when necessary.

But now, she was being overly kind, so to speak.

‘Is it so delightful that you investigated my father, held him hostage, and can do something to me?’

She felt nausea rising as she looked at the well-grilled meat. As if she were the food placed on this plate.

“Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since you left Sheim, so you must miss it.”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s care, I don’t have homesickness yet.”

Mercedes answered neatly.

It seemed she was now slowly reaching the timing to bring in Count Cromwell. Mercedes glanced at Carlos. Carlos was looking at the Queen Dowager with the same expressionless face as before, but…… there was worry in his eyes.

Perhaps it was because he was the person she had met most frequently for half a year.

She could quickly detect his emotions.

‘I hate it…….’

For her current self, it was something she truly didn’t want.

“So, I’m saying.”

The Queen Dowager chewed her food elegantly and paused between each word.

I already know everything.

Is she excited while eating the appetizer and waiting for the main dish?

The Queen Dowager, whether she knew her inner thoughts or not, smiled brightly and said,

“I prepared a gift for the Empress.”

“Really? A gift? It’s alright. Your Majesty the Queen Dowager. How could I receive a precious gift from you?”

Mercedes spoke polite words fluently without even wetting her mouth.

“Hoho. Don’t draw the line like that. We are family, aren’t we?”

The Queen Dowager now reached out and placed her hand on top of Mercedes’ hand. She really seemed like a kind person at a glance.

“Now. Look, bring in the Count.”

The Queen Dowager soon ordered in a solemn voice. Then the door opened.

And so appeared.

“Greetings to the Sun of the Empire and the biggest Moon. And…… Your Majesty the Empress. I really wanted to see you.”

Yes, as expected, with his father and……

‘I didn’t expect them all to come.’

The Count’s family members.