If there is someone you have to meet even if you don’t want to, it’s Ruans.

In the past, the path to meeting him would have been exciting and enjoyable, but now the path to meeting him felt so suffocating and sad. Just thinking about what words Ruans would say to turn her stomach made her feel sick.

They were so in love, so how did it come to this? Now she just wanted to be alone in silence.

Before getting on the carriage, Illina recalled the last words Adun had said to her.

She had been educated to become Ruans’ companion.

Adun’s words were right. She needed to get a grip.

A noble lady who had been to prison could never become an empress or crown princess.

She knew. That she, who had been to prison, could never become Ruans’ companion. Rather, because she had broken up with Ruans as lovers before going to prison, no, because she had been unilaterally dumped, she was now in a position where she couldn’t even become a concubine.

It was humiliating that she, who had been the flower of the glamorous social world of the Isuter Empire, had become a villainess pointed at by people. Ruans’ unilateral break-up also added to that humiliation.

Illina suppressed the shame and sadness that threatened to well up, sat in the seat of honor, and bowed to Ruans who was looking down at her arrogantly.

“Lady Illina of the Pol Heredian family.”

“Yes. Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Did Count Brant leave anything when he died?”

Ruans asked Illina in an irritated voice.

“I’m not sure what my father left behind, as I held the funeral right after being released from prison.”

What could be his intent in asking?

“As soon as you return to the count’s residence today, there will be an imperial decree issued by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

“An imperial decree?”

Illina slowly raised her head and looked at Ruans. What could be the imperial decree that the Empress Dowager could issue?

One of the imperial decrees that the Empress Dowager could issue was a document to welcome a concubine or empress, sent to the head of the family to which a noble lady belonged.

She had been heartlessly dumped by Ruans. She had even been to prison. But still, Illina kept thinking that it might be possible. They had loved each other so passionately, it couldn’t easily cool down.

“What kind of imperial decree is it? Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor Ruans.”

Illina suppressed the rising anticipation and calmly asked. The corners of Ruans’ mouth, who received the question, rose wide.

“An imperial decree stating that I will take Lady Pol Heredian as my concubine.”

“Really? Will you take me as your concubine?”

“Of course. I’d like to take you as my empress if I could, but since Her Majesty the Empress Dowager opposes it, I’ll be taking you as a concubine.”

“Your Majesty… I’m so happy. I thought I wouldn’t even be able to become a concubine after breaking up and going to prison.”

“Is this decree that pleasing to you?”

“Yes.”

Illina, smiling and bowing her head, bit her lip in joy. Although she couldn’t become the empress, considering the deceased Anne and Brant, she was grateful that he was even giving her the position of concubine.

“So you have to bring the decree. Lady Illina.”

“I understand. I will return to the count’s residence right away and find the decree. Your Majesty.”

The moment the door slowly closed after Illina went out after paying her respects, she heard the sound of Ruans starting to laugh loudly. It seemed a little strange, but she felt good at the thought of becoming a concubine rather than that.

When Illina returned to the mansion, she asked Adun about the decree welcoming the concubine.

“Important things are always kept in the mana storage box. But a decree welcoming a concubine… What do you mean?”

“He said it was a decree from Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. I think His Majesty was trying to take me as his concubine somehow.”

“Did you say concubine?”

“Yeah.”

Adun tilted his head. No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t make sense for Ruans or Pelina to take Illina as a concubine.

“I’m so happy. So, Adun.”

“Yes. My lady.”

“I don’t think I can become the head of the family after all.”

Adun couldn’t shake off the strange feeling at Illina’s happy voice.

“If I become a concubine, I think we’ll have to find someone from a branch family for the head of the family.”

“Yes…”

Illina entered Brant’s office.

The mana storage box was one of the magical tools designed to be used only by Brant’s direct family.

The mana storage box, which is a square box, is a storage box without a handle. The weight of the mana storage box was light.

Illina picked up the mana storage box and shook it. No sound was heard. At a glance, it could be seen as a square ornament. No matter how well you looked at it, it looked like a piece of wood carved into a square shape, so it looked shabby. However, this mana storage box not only doesn’t burn in fire, but it doesn’t break even with strong impact.

The mana storage box that Brant had was set to be opened by only 3 people: herself, Anne, and Brant. The way to open it is simple. But others can never open it.

“It’s been a while since I touched it.”

When Illina put her palm on the square mana storage box, it shone. The storage box door slid open.

Inside the storage box were what appeared to be Brant’s diaries.

“Diaries?”

Illina, more preoccupied with the diaries than the thought of the decree, sat in the chair where Brant often sat and began to read the diaries.

Brant’s diaries, which had been written since his academy days, showed the life of an ordinary noble boy. The contents were that academy studies and swordsmanship were boring and difficult.

And.

“What does this mean?”

-Daniel, the head of the Greykan Duchy family, told me. To take a monster as a concubine.

As Illina read Brant’s diary, her eyes gradually grew larger.

-I sincerely wanted to take the beautiful Musilla as my concubine, but she was already carrying another man’s child. A filthy wench. A filthy wench can never be my concubine. But Duke Daniel promised that if I accepted Musilla, who had another man, as my concubine and accepted the child in her womb as the illegitimate child of the Pol Heredian County family… I would become the next Count Pol Heredian. The conditions were so good that I accepted. If I, the third son, can become a count, I can accept even a demon as my concubine.

Illina put down the diary. The hand holding the diary began to tremble. She opened the diary and read it again.

-Musilla gave birth to a daughter in February. She’s not my child, but I have to treat her as an illegitimate child. Anne was very angry, but she kept her mouth shut to keep the promise with Duke Daniel. Instead, I did everything for Anne.

“No way.”

Illina, who got up from her chair, kept shaking her head hard.

“That monster is not my father’s illegitimate child?”

Illina looked through Brant’s diary again. The contents of his diary described Brant’s painful days after drinking the potion from the black glass bottle given by Duke Daniel, unable to disobey his words.

And also the incident where black smoke came out of Lorencia’s body. How much he cried after Anne’s death. How painful it was.

“Father…”

Illina’s tears dripped onto the diary.

She spent the whole night crying and reading the diary. Adun watched Illina sitting in the office reading Brant’s diary. He brought snacks or food on a trolley.

“My lady. Please eat while reading.”

“Okay. Leave it and go. Adun.”

Adun had no choice but to watch. What kind of contents were written that she would get angry and then shed tears like that? He was just worried.

Illina read the diary without letting go of it, without sleeping properly or eating.

And she picked up the recent diary.

It contained Brant’s anguished heart after Illina was imprisoned. His feelings of not knowing why he was so loyal to Ruans and Daniel, and his painful content that he felt like he was going crazy because Daniel wasn’t giving him the potion, made Illina put down Brant’s diary and cry out loud.

-His Majesty Emperor Ruans called me. He suddenly asked me if Lorencia was my biological daughter. I remembered the promise with Duke Daniel. To keep that promise of keeping the fact that Lorencia was someone else’s child a secret, I said ‘yes’ to his question of whether she was my biological daughter. In fact, she’s not my daughter.

When Illina turned to the next page of the diary, a folded piece of paper fluttered and fell.

She picked up the fallen paper and unfolded it.

It was the Empress Dowager’s decree welcoming a concubine that Ruans had told her to bring. And on the signature and sign were Ruans’ signature and sign, the emperor’s seal, and below that.

“Lorencia Pol Heredian?”

Lorencia’s signature and sign were written. However, the seal of the Pol Heredian family was not stamped. Illina picked up the diary again with trembling hands and read.

-I suffered unspeakable humiliation in the Duchy of Greykan. I can no longer live as a nobleman.

In the meantime, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and Daniel said they would take Lorencia as a concubine. What have I been living for? On the way back to the residence, the flowers and trees visible through the carriage window looked beautiful. Tears came out at the scenery I wanted to see with my beloved daughter Anne and Illina.

“Father… sob sob.”

-There is only one thing left that I can do now. To allow my lovely daughter to be released from prison. That will be the last thing I can do as a father and my honorable choice. If I die, Illina can come out of prison. If you, my beloved daughter Illina, who may read this diary. I’m really sorry. I love you. I hid the family seal. What I want is to never see the monster become a concubine. The family seal is…

Illina, who had finished reading up to the last diary, tore the last page lengthwise. Then she folded it neatly, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it.