The long green fabric fluttered. The scarf that had been neatly wrapped around Ilarid’s neck was now in Cledius’s hand as he moved away.

Lebel could only watch. He knew better than anyone that he was in no position to step forward.

What on earth had happened in there? In Lebel’s mind, the image of Cledius reaching out to Ilarid was painted.

‘No.’

It was a terrible sight he didn’t even want to imagine. He turned his head away from the departing Cledius.

He was casually taking what Lebel had never been able to obtain. Lebel’s hands clenched. His tightly gripped hands began to tremble finely.

‘Is this jealousy?’

Probably so. Soon, a crooked sneer appeared on Lebel’s lips. He wanted to rush into the Empress’s palace right away and ask what had happened, if he had harmed her in any way.

But what if, by any chance, Ilarid still had feelings for Cledius?

As if wanting to drive away these jumbled thoughts, Lebel shook his head several times. He hurriedly walked into the darkness. He planned to go straight to the training ground and swing a wooden sword. It seemed like it might ease the stifling feeling that was coming over him.

Contrary to Lebel’s worries, Ilarid returned directly to her office after escaping from Cledius.

She had been concerned that Cledius might follow her, but her fears did not materialize. Instead, there was another point of worry.

‘Did he get there safely?’

Since it was a journey within the palace to another part of the palace, he should have gone without incident. Judging by the fact that Cledius didn’t raise any particular issues, it seemed Lebel’s escape had been successful.

But strangely, she felt uneasy. She had thought it was somewhat successful upon seeing Cledius’s surprised expression, but what could have been the problem?

When she was young, whenever she felt stifled, she would make excuses about getting some fresh air and go out horseback riding.

Count Melpiram was always terrified, but it wasn’t easy to stop a daughter born with a tomboy nature.

There was also the tacit approval and turning of a blind eye from Limless and Keira. Life at the mansion was quite free. Her mother was moderately laissez-faire, and Limless was like a comrade to Ilarid.

If she were to officially become the Crown Princess and go to the imperial palace, it was clear that for various reasons, she wouldn’t be able to even jog, let alone ride horses.

‘Later, when your child is born, it would be nice to run together.’

Limless’s words came to mind on the breeze. He had said it was one of his small wishes. Limless was usually awkward with children, but perhaps he would have been quite fond of his newborn niece or nephew.

It would have been possible if all those tragedies hadn’t occurred. If Melpiram hadn’t been framed for treason, if the child had been born healthy.

‘The child…’

Come to think of it, it was almost the anniversary of the child’s death.

“Lynette.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’d like to make a small doll. Will you help me?”

Lynette knew what this meant. So that day has come again. Whenever the anniversary of the child’s death approached, Ilarid would visit the grave with a handmade doll or toy.

“Of course.”

Worried that Ilarid might become even sadder, Lynette answered with a firm voice.

**

It was a weak child. A child who breathed its last faint breath just three days after birth. Sorrow filled both inside and outside the palace.

Black cloths were hung throughout the palace and low sobs could be heard, but Cledius was not there. Naturally, he was out on the battlefield.

Even as the due date approached, the Emperor set out for the battlefield to see more blood. Was it a conquest for the child to be born, or was it for his own greed?

Messengers would have rushed to announce the birth of the imperial heir, and subsequent messengers would have arrived immediately after to announce the death of the imperial heir.

How did she endure those three days after the child passed away? Ilarid only realized it when she stood before the black coffin.

The coffin was smaller than she had imagined.

Surely tears should have come first. Her grief should have boiled over intensely in front of the coffin, but perhaps it was because she had to witness too many deaths before. Nothing flowed from Ilarid’s eyes.

My child has died, yet I shed not a single tear. I’m a failure as a mother. Ilarid thought this as she watched the coffin being carried to the burial ground.

‘You are my child. Not Cledius’s child, not this country’s imperial heir, but my child.’

After the funeral, Ilarid sat alone in the empty room. Only the baby’s cradle, now without an owner, stood quietly by her side.

After Cledius entered, what expression did he make upon seeing Ilarid in mourning clothes? He was still in his attire from just returning from war. The only thing she clearly remembered was the blood stains on his white uniform.

“I heard the news that you gave birth to a child.”

Despite seeing the black clothes, despite seeing the shadow cast over Ilarid beneath her veil, Cledius went straight to the point. There was no comfort, not a single warm word.

“I came to see the child.”

“The child is no longer in this world.”

It felt like he was rubbing salt in the wound, even though he knew. Ilarid barely managed to swallow the lump forming in her throat. Cledius maintained silence for a while after hearing this.

“Did you kill it?”

That unscrupulous and cruel voice echoing in the room.

If only that had been the case. I killed your child, I cut off the imperial heir of the Astrid Empire with my own hands. If she could have shouted that, would it have at least eased her heart?

But before being Cledius’s child, it was a child born to Ilarid. How could she treat even an enemy’s child so carelessly?

Ilarid, who had been motionless like a statue, slowly moved. With her black veil lowered, she looked like a formless black ghost.

She moved towards Cledius and raised her arm. Soon, a sharp slapping sound echoed through the room.

With the sound of a slap, Cledius’s head tilted to the side.

“Bastard…”

A quiet, seething sound was heard from beyond the black veil.

Cledius slowly turned his head to look at Ilarid. The Ilarid visible beyond that black shadow was cold to an unfamiliar degree.

And at the same time, she was overflowing with vitality born of anger.

“I humbly inform Your Majesty the Emperor. From today on… I shall live for your death.”

That was the end of it. Ilarid left the room immediately. Cledius neither grabbed her as she passed by, nor called out to stop her.

Cledius gently touched his cheek, which was slowly swelling. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel bad about it.

Rather, he felt relieved. How long had it been since he had seen Ilarid so full of life?

“Living for my death, she says…”

Then I too, and you too, must endure without dying.

Cledius let out a slight laugh. It was a smile born of joy, not derision.

Of course, he had no intention of dying quietly. He would only fan the flames of Ilarid’s anger further. Only then would she rush to strangle Cledius.

Now she would be trapped in a cage she could never escape from, endlessly dreaming of revenge only to find herself unable to do anything.

In the darkening room, Cledius glanced once at the baby’s cradle and left his seat.

Hoping that the mark on his slapped cheek would remain as long as possible.

**

In the evening, as soon as the bathroom door opened, a wave of hot air rushed out.

Ilarid glared at the maids who had finished preparing for her bath. People working in the Empress’s palace should have known the water temperature she preferred.

“This can’t be a mistake. Who ordered this? The head maid?”

“Well…”

The maids couldn’t even raise their heads, and the ladies-in-waiting just looked at each other awkwardly, exchanging only their embarrassment.

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that from now on, the bath water in the Empress’s palace should be warm,” said Lynette, who had followed behind, closing the bathroom door.

“I agree with His Majesty the Emperor just this once.”

“Lynette.”

“I know. Why you insist on cold water every time… But I don’t want Your Majesty to fall ill.”

That was the wish of the entire Empress’s palace. Lynette held Ilarid’s hand tightly. Despite the warm air in the bathroom, her hand was like ice.

“Your Majesty needs to be healthy for me to live. You know that.”

Lynette spoke jokingly, shrugging her shoulders. She had sensed that the Emperor was trying to manipulate Ilarid by using her life as leverage.

That’s why she wanted Ilarid to become stronger. She hoped she wouldn’t fall ill. One needs to be healthy to have the strength to endure.

The surrounding ladies-in-waiting also began to chime in one by one.

“That’s right, Your Majesty. You’re the only one we can trust and rely on in the palace.”

“We’ve even prepared flower petals especially for today.”

They thought that seeing the bright and colorful flower petals might improve Ilarid’s mood, even if just a little. Though they didn’t say it, on days when Ilarid faced Cledius, she would wander around the Empress’s palace all day in a low mood.

A subtle lavender scent wafted from the steaming bath water. It was evening, and she was about to go to sleep soon, so it couldn’t have been better.

As Ilarid immersed herself in the bathtub, one of the maids generously sprinkled purple flower petals. The scattered petal fragments undulated with the ripples of the water.

How long had it been since she had taken a warm bath? The comfortably pleasant temperature and fragrance gently enveloped Ilarid’s body.

“Shall I prepare a sweet drink for you?”

“No. I feel like I might fall asleep just like this…”

“I’ll wake you before the bath water cools, so please rest your eyes for a moment.”

The view that she thought had become blurry due to the white steam had already darkened. With the cozy warmth offered by the water, Ilarid’s eyes slowly closed.

“Ilarid!”

“Huh?”

Someone called her name energetically. Ilarid looked around, pushing open her heavy eyelids.

“This is…”

A place Ilarid knew. The feel of the saddle against her legs, the sensation of the reins in her hand. This place, where the smell of manure seemed about to tickle her nose, was the stable of the Melpiram mansion.

A horse snorted. Next to her, Lynette was stamping her feet with a face mixed with shock and embarrassment.

Originally, horseback riding for women meant sitting demurely with both legs to one side. The riding outfit was also a narrow skirt, and wearing pants was extremely rare.

Now Ilarid was dressed in men’s riding clothes.

“If the Count finds out, he’ll be upset again. Come down quickly!”

She knew it was a dream. But if she could ride even for a moment, wouldn’t it ease her stifled heart a little?

“I’ll just ride one lap, okay?”

“Then I’ll get scolded for not stopping you!”

“Want to ride together?”

“You really! Come down quickly.”

Ilarid winked at Lynette and spurred her horse. It was a signal asking her to pretend she hadn’t seen anything. With a “Yah!” a cool breeze touched Ilarid’s cheeks.

In the distance, she could see the familiar forest landscape. She wanted to go at least to the entrance of that forest. Ilarid’s eyes began to sparkle as she looked at the edge of the green horizon, a fragment of the dream.

It didn’t take long to reach the starting point of the forest. Ilarid, stopping her horse in front of the forest, hesitated at the sight of the greenery visible inside. Someone inside her whispered quietly. Why not go a little further?

Her loose hair swayed in the breeze. Since she was already out, why not ride a little more? Ilarid grinned boldly as she gripped the reins, about to spur her horse.

“Ah!”

The horse reared up, startled. Not noticing the person beside her had been the mistake. Ilarid barely maintained her balance and began to soothe the horse.

And immediately checked on the condition of the person next to her.

The man had his hood pulled down low, hiding his appearance.