“Talia!”

Rahelica ran with all her might through the complex garden of the imperial palace, calling her sister’s name. The lanterns, whose colors and shapes she had personally specified, were mostly shattered, setting fire to various parts of the garden.

That wasn’t the only thing burning.

Gritting her teeth to avoid looking back at the bright flames she felt behind her, Rahelica raised her voice again.

“Talia Runtalis!”

The high heels of her shoes kept making her stumble. Staggering as if about to fall, Rahelica finally took off her shoes and threw them away. The rough grass and gravel touched her feet, but there was no time to care.

The emperor had been assassinated, and the palace was on fire.

Other nobles had their throats slit one after another. Rahelica recalled the knights drawing swords against each other as if possessed. Her body trembled involuntarily.

“Well, it seems I’ve come to an uninvited gathering.”

Speaking theatrically like an actor on stage, Netepel Runtalis passed by her standing at the door and approached Revernen.

Just as Revernen was about to open his mouth with an angry face.

“Well, I never expected to be welcomed, so it doesn’t matter.”

It was then that the sound of something bursting occurred. Startled by the sharp cracking sound, Rahelica’s eyes widened.

Revernen’s headless body slowly tilted forward. Soon, with a splash, his body fell onto a pool of blood. The scepter with red jewels symbolizing imperial authority rolled on the floor with a slight noise.

Finally realizing the situation, someone screamed.

“Father!”

And Orien drew the sword at his waist. Rahelica didn’t know what her brother intended to do with the decorative sword he had pulled out, but instinctively stepped back.

If she hadn’t seen wrong, Netepel Runtalis had just torn off someone’s head with his bare hands. And that someone was the emperor.

Even for an emperor, red blood flowed the same, but separating a human head without tools was no ordinary feat.

The knights in the banquet hall instantly surrounded the perpetrator. Their half-brother picked up the royal scepter from the floor without giving a glance to any of them.

And then unbelievable things started to happen……

Shaking her head to clear the bloody scene that wouldn’t leave her mind, Rahelica clutched her cumbersome skirt tightly.

When the knights began slashing people in the hall, she opened the door and fled the banquet hall. Then she ran straight to the garden where Talia would be. Whether that child knew about the current situation or not, she had to take her to a safe place immediately.

Where is a safe place? Running through the dense yew trees in the garden, Rahelica racked her brain. First, they needed to leave the imperial palace. They might return after the situation calmed down somewhat, but it was dangerous to stay in a confined space when the situation was immediately perilous. What if they got trapped in the flames by mistake?

Fortunately, unlike herself who had never been beyond the palace walls, Talia knew the geography of the capital well because she ran a trading company.

So if she could just get that child out of the palace first…… With that thought, as she turned the corner of the landscaped maze, suddenly a hand grabbed her.

“Shh, Rahel! Come here!”

The whispering voice was familiar. Forced to a stop, Rahelica asked back.

“Mother?”

Where all the maids had gone, Iris was alone. On top of that, her appearance was disheveled as if she had fled in a hurry. Rahelica stammered to her mother who was trying to drag her somewhere.

“M-Mother. Please let go. Talia is now……”

“Stop talking and come with me quickly.”

Rahelica blinked at the incomprehensible words. She couldn’t understand what Iris was saying now. She spoke again.

“I’m telling you Talia is somewhere over there……”

“I know. But what can we do?”

And Iris added.

“Do you remember what this mother told you? When something like this happens, you save the ones you love first.”

“Mother, what are you saying……”

“Now is exactly that time.”

There was no point in saying anything more. Realizing that Iris wouldn’t listen to her, Rahelica pulled her wrist to break free.

“Oh my, this child?”

“Let go of this! If you’re leaving, go by yourself!”

“Rahel!”

It was then that a familiar voice was heard from behind.

“What are you doing here……”

“Talia!”

Finally breaking free from Iris, Rahelica turned to look at her sister who had appeared just in time. Grabbing her sister’s wrist to prevent her from running away, Rahelica examined her appearance.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Where are your companions? Your guards?”

“Are you crazy? Why are you suddenly like this?”

Talia frowned in displeasure and shook her off. Rahelica moved her lips to explain the situation.

“The palace, the palace is……”

“Rahel! Come here quickly!”

Iris grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Rahelica twisted her body to avoid being dragged away by her mother. And just then, Serven came running from behind Talia.

“Your Highness!”

Rahelica blinked at the knight’s gaze fixed precisely on her. Serven Adel was certainly one of the knights inside the banquet hall. But now, though disheveled and urgent, he seemed to be in his right mind.

Serven, who had run towards her, separated her from Iris’s arms.

“There she is!”

A shout was heard not far away. Soon after, at the sound of approaching footsteps, Rahelica realized she had been standing there stupidly.

At this rate, they would all be caught.

“Why are your feet… Where did you leave your shoes?”

Though she didn’t know what was happening, she knew they couldn’t stay like this.

“Can you walk?”

Rahelica clutched the arm of the knight supporting her and said in a low voice.

“…Take Talia and run away.”

“What?”

“Rahel!”

Serven also looked down at her with disbelieving eyes. For a moment, Rahelica read a flash of defiance in the knight’s eyes. Before he could say something against her will, Rahelica spoke first.

“It’s an order, Serven Adel. Take the Second Princess and leave the imperial palace immediately!”

It was the day of the birthday banquet.

Having already celebrated her birthday grandly twice before, Ophelia had expressed her wish for this one to be simpler. Idren respected her words and cut most of the procedures, leaving only enough scale to maintain the royal family’s dignity.

He also politely declined the delegations that said they would visit. Since they had temporarily reduced diplomatic relations since preparing for the wedding, there wasn’t much backlash. There were quite a few cases where countries that had recently been at war temporarily stopped diplomacy and focused on internal affairs, so there was a plausible excuse to give.

Still, there was a banquet being held in the castle, so Ophelia was dressed accordingly and sat for a moment on the sofa in the lounge.

Looking down at her knees, her eyes naturally fell on the blue silk. This time too, it was prepared by Idren.

In fact, Ophelia hadn’t expected him to prepare a blue dress this time as well. After she first spoke about Haslen, Idren had asked about him a few times, and among the topics that came up then was the clothes she received on her birthdays.

To be honest, Ophelia thought that might be received sensitively by Idren. Their first meeting was one of Idren’s precious memories. So if there were deep traces of another person there… even if there was no ill intent, it seemed like it might feel strange.

Idren hadn’t said anything about it, but that was because he was the type to be polite in that way.

As someone who knew how easily his mood could be upset, Ophelia had even planned to wear red clothes, which he liked, more often as a form of compensation.

But this morning, Idren, who came to wake her up, held out a blue dress as one of her birthday presents.

“…Is this alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the clothes.”

After briefly dismissing those around, Ophelia pulled him onto the bed and said.

“I thought you wouldn’t even look at blue clothes anymore.”

Her husband, lying beside her, seemed not to understand well.

“Why would I do that……”

“Because the blue clothes I’ve been wearing were gifts from Haslen……”

Idren still tilted his head, not understanding.

“What does that matter?”

“Weren’t you upset……”

“Why would I be……”

The conversation, which was becoming more incomprehensible as it progressed, was only resolved when Idren understood what she was trying to say. The man laughed softly and embraced her.

“Were you worried I might be jealous?”

“There’s a precedent.”

You’re the man who was jealous of a pirate, after all. Feeling awkward for barking up the wrong tree, she pinched him, and Idren stroked the back of her head.

“He was a man good enough for you to love. I don’t do such things to someone like that.”

“…I’m not sure what standard that is.”

“It’s the standard of a man who loves you.”

It was a statement that made her face flush hot from the morning. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was embarrassing on top of that. So Ophelia hit the back of the man embracing her once. Idren grumbled that it hurt, but didn’t let her go……

While briefly recalling what had happened on the bed, there was a knock on the door.

“May I come in?”