“By any chance, did you not see His Majesty the Emperor on your way here?”

By now, he might have stormed into the Empress’s Palace in a rage. Selina’s shoulders straightened proudly as she emphasized each word.

If an emperor knew about the hidden nighttime affairs of his empress, how could he remain calm? Even without feelings, he would become indignant and immediately draw his sword to behead that lover and his wife.

“I did not meet him.”

“Then this is terrible. His Majesty the Emperor must be very angry…”

“Is that so?”

The endless calmness turned Selina’s insides upside down. Irritation she couldn’t quite suppress trembled on her eyelashes.

The Empress didn’t seem to show even a speck of being affected.

Seeing such a composed attitude, she looked like someone who not only had no feelings left for the Emperor, but not even a shred of lingering attachment. But then why was she in his embrace that day?

“There’s nothing to worry about. The Empress Consort simply needs to devote herself to assisting His Majesty the Emperor wholeheartedly.”

“…Your Majesty the Empress. Please don’t lie.”

The irritation and anger that started from her eyelashes slowly consumed Selina’s body. How long would that solid person in front of her pretend to be so noble?

“Please be honest. You must not have had a single day of peace since I became the ‘shadow’. That’s why you accepted His Majesty the Emperor’s touch that day. Because you still had unresolved feelings!”

“I wonder. If there were any left, I would have used every means and method to erase the Empress Consort’s existence from the Empire.”

The sound of Selina inhaling sharply was heard. Ilarid remained as calm as an unfathomable lake.

What exactly was contained in there? Anger or pity? Perhaps there was nothing at all.

After a moment of silence, Ilarid brought up the main point.

“The reason I came today is not only to clear up the misunderstanding from that day, but also to give a warning to the Empress Consort.”

“A warning? Your Majesty the Empress, have you forgotten that the Empress Consort’s Palace is under the Emperor’s jurisdiction? Forgive me, but I am not qualified to hear such words from Your Majesty the Empress.”

Selina made it clear that she couldn’t hear any words from the Empress by forcibly bowing her waist. Her posture was submissive, but her attitude was not.

She believed that only the Emperor could control the Empress Consort.

But the Empress did not back down and instead approached the Empress Consort.

“I heard that the maids of the Empress Consort’s Palace are habitually abused by the Empress Consort.”

‘How dare these lowly beings report to the Empress?’

It was outrageous that they dared to run to someone of higher rank than her. Blue veins popped up on Selina’s forehead.

Recently, she had been taking out her frustrations quite severely on her subordinates, using the excuse that she couldn’t control her irritation.

However, they were just maids belonging to the Empress Consort’s Palace. It was up to the Empress Consort how to use and treat them.

In any case, the maids were easier to handle than the lady-in-waiting from noble families.

People who couldn’t even quit their jobs due to worries about their families’ livelihoods. A class where silence was the highest virtue even if they were beaten and broken, with no way out of their lowly status.

In Selina’s view, the maids were just that insignificant.

So she thought it was okay to vent her frustrations a little as she pleased.

“Even if the maids committed serious mistakes, physically assaulting subordinates is strictly forbidden.”

Selina had heard about it too. After Ilarid became Empress, the rods that the head lady-in-waiting and head maid carried around to discipline the children all disappeared.

She ordered that if they were human, they would understand when spoken to, and instead of corporal punishment, to highlight and reward good deeds.

Surprisingly, it seemed to have quite an effect. The movements of the maids who always went around in fear became more brisk, and even the evaluation of the Empress improved. There were even cases of people volunteering to work in the Empress’s Palace.

Selina didn’t believe in that kindness. It must all be just a facade. Who wouldn’t know that the Empress was white on the outside but black on the inside?

But Ilarid’s calm tone gradually made Selina feel shabby and small. A sense of shame washed over her, as if she was being openly stripped bare.

“They are members of the Empress Consort’s Palace. Not livestock to be tamed with beatings.”

“…Your Majesty the Empress. Stop pretending to be kind.”

If the Empress and I are the same kind of person, what makes you so great that you put on such an act of hypocrisy? After all, you’re just a woman thirsting for a man’s love.

The contempt that rose to her head turned into teardrops falling to the floor. Ilarid, who had been quietly watching Selina cry, opened her mouth.

“Empress Consort. Even hypocrisy is a form of goodness.”

Ilarid raised her hand to wipe the Empress Consort’s cheek.

“Come to think of it, even this act of me wiping away the Empress Consort’s tears could be considered hypocrisy.”

Selina’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit at the Empress’s unexpected action, but Ilarid paid no mind.

“But until one reveals their true intentions, no one can know. If one can’t even pretend to be kind, how can we call that person human?”

The eyes that she thought were like a calm lake pierced into Selina’s conscience. How long had she been hiding the churning waves inside?

“Let me ask you, Empress Consort. Will you live your entire life as a beast?”

It was a gentle warning and at the same time a concern. It was similar in tone to the advice she had given when arranging flowers in the rose garden before.

But to the highly agitated Selina, it didn’t really resonate. Green eyes peeked out from between pink strands of hair, glaring at the Empress in front of her.

“Are you saying… that I’m not even worth a beast?”

Before Ilarid could continue, Selina reached out and threw the nearest piece of pottery she could grab. The vase flew by, barely missing Ilarid.

The sound of shattering glass echoed loudly. At the intense noise, the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress’s Palace waiting outside, as well as Cecilia, all rushed in at once.

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

“Are you alright?”

Everyone ran to Ilarid’s side, pale-faced. But Ilarid remained still, just looking at the Empress Consort.

She was once the object Selina envied the most, the most radiant being in the world.

The woman sitting in the position she had once vowed to reach someday. But the frozen Empress just silently returned a steady gaze.

‘What… When did so many people gather?’

The Empress had always been alone. She only kept one lady-in-waiting, said to be her closest friend, and always wandered the palace looking lonely and desolate.

Because of the accusations of treason against ‘Melpiram’, no one in noble society dared to approach the Empress first. She stayed holed up in the Empress’s Palace and only participated in a very few social events.

It felt as if she was enduring her entire life with the sole dedication of devoting herself to the Empire.

The Emperor’s attitude also played a part. Didn’t he openly revolve around only the Empress Consort, as if trying to dry out the Empress?

Now the situation had changed. More and more people were gathering around the Empress, whom she thought was a loner. Even her sister, whom she had unconditionally believed to be family, had left Selina’s side.

‘Now even His Majesty the Emperor…’

Anxiety rose up to her chin. It felt like she would suffocate from fear of the future if she just stayed still like this.

Selina clutched her head and screamed. The sharp scream seemed like it would make even the glass windows vibrate.

Why is everyone leaving me?

She couldn’t even make a proper sound. Amidst the screams and convulsions, Selina grabbed whatever object she could reach nearby and threw it at the Empress.

“Empress Consort, His Majesty the Emperor!”

The lady-in-waiting’s words were cut off. The object that left Selina’s hand didn’t reach Ilarid. The item that hit the floor only made a dull sound as it traced a few parabolas.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the door. Even Ilarid looked tense at the Emperor’s appearance.

‘I expected him to be negotiating with Count Diobe by now.’

Had he already resolved the issue with the Gloria Foundation? Or was it still ongoing?

Ilarid examined the sword Cledius was holding. Fortunately, it wasn’t stained with blood yet, so he hadn’t cut anyone down.

Those who had rushed in to check on the Empress all stepped aside. Cledius entered the room with heavy steps, not letting go of his sword. A fierce chill could be felt with each of his steps.

“You dare… insult the Empress?”

Pure anger cracked between his gritted teeth. Hearing Cledius’s words, Selina felt as if her tears were flowing backward.

Where had the sweet voice that always whispered to melt her ears gone, replaced only by killing intent as if he would draw his sword and cut her down at any moment?

“I, I never did such a thing.”

“You even bribed journalists to fabricate stories. Do you intend to keep denying it?”

“No! I don’t know anything about that, really! I just spread some rumors I heard…”

“Shut your mouth.”

Cledius’s shortened words showed not even a fingernail’s worth of affection. The coldness in his tone felt like thinly slicing flesh with a knife.

Selina immediately knelt on the floor, trembling.

She had only quietly informed her father about the rumors concerning the Empress. Hearing this, Count Diobe had beamed and boasted that he would take care of everything.

He said not to worry as nothing would happen, that now the Empress would be embroiled in scandal. Selina had firmly believed her father’s words.

But the situation before her now was the complete opposite.

Cledius pointed his sword at Selina, who was crouched low. The tip of the sword showed no compassion or mercy, only determination.

“The Empress’s honor is the same as my honor. How dare you presume to act beyond your station, trusting in your favor.”

The words “the likes of you” stabbed like a dagger. And the words equating the Empress and Emperor flowed through her veins like poison.

Selina’s hands on the carpet trembled. He had whispered of unchanging love, but in the end, was love something that changed as easily as turning over one’s palm?

Ilarid was also surprised by Cledius’s attitude. It was a plan to bring down Count Diobe, but the Emperor’s anger was directed at Selina.

‘Did the Count… pin everything on his daughter Selina?’

Ilarid gently bit her inner lip.

She had underestimated Count Diobe as a person. She never thought he would go so far as to sell out his own child. Was the position of head of the foundation more important than his daughter’s well-being?

Selina lay motionless on the floor, at a loss for words due to her father’s betrayal and Cledius’s change of heart.

The beautiful golden hair with a hint of pink was in disarray, casting shadows on Selina’s face. The light slowly faded from her green eyes that had once been full of life.

“Your Majesty the Emperor. There seems to be a misunderstanding. It would be best to cover this up and move on for now.”

Ilarid stepped forward, unable to bear it any longer. If they couldn’t touch the Gloria Foundation, they had no choice but to present an alternative.

The dark hem of Ilarid’s dress appeared before Selina. Her hands on the carpet tensed slightly.

‘Your Majesty the Empress, you show kindness even at this moment. How truly like you.’

But Cledius looked as if he wouldn’t be satisfied until he left a mark on Selina’s face. He remained silent and nodded towards Ilarid. It meant for her to step aside and not block the Empress Consort.

“Such an article won’t damage the Empress’s honor.”

Of course, there would be some scratches to the image built up so far, but hadn’t that much been expected?

Ilarid’s calm voice continued, but Cledius did not back down.

He was already displeased by the mere fact that an article linking Ilarid and Lebel had come out. He had tried to ignore it as it was already known, but Selina and Count Diobe’s collaboration was like pouring oil on a burning house.

Cledius glared at Ilarid and spat out his anger, grinding it out word by word.

“Then I ask the Empress. Shall I cut down that bastard in the rumor right now? How poorly did he control his lower body to smear such a scandal on the Empress?”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Ilarid put her hand on the sword pointed diagonally. Cledius flinched and lowered his sword.

As the Emperor stepped back, the Empress stepped forward. And tilting her head slightly, she opened her mouth with an attitude of genuine incomprehension.

“Who… did I bring into the Empress’s Palace?”

It was a calm voice that denied ever bringing in any man, let alone a ‘shadow’.