“Something’s not right?” It was only when I saw the prince’s questioning gaze that I realized his intentions.

‘Ah…’

I think I understand the meaning now.

The prince also has a different reason for seeking that item.

Well, that item does have two effects, so it can’t be helped.

Very few people know about the other use.

The prince winked at me again and said,

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret.”

It seemed like there was a deepening misunderstanding, but it didn’t seem necessary to explain.

They probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

As I smiled brightly, the prince’s gaze on me turned even more pitiful.

At that moment, a strange energy swirled around the mana being deployed.

The mana that had risen through training was now sensitive to presence.

But why a presence in the bushes…? Unless it was a human chasing me, there was no way anyone could be here.

As I moved towards there, the bushes trembled and shook.

“Who is it?”

Only then did the owner of the shadow slowly reveal themselves.

The person who emerged from the bushes was a lady-in-waiting working under Evelina.

“I, I’m sorry. I got lost…”

The startled-looking lady-in-waiting turned pale and took a step back.

Just as I was about to question why she was hiding there, Prince Dillan approached from behind.

I had no desire to show such an unsightly appearance in front of a foreign guest.

I spoke quietly, only loud enough for her to hear, into the ear of the trembling lady-in-waiting.

“The principle of surveillance is not to get caught.”

“Em, Empress, Your Majesty.”

“Tell your mistress. I will handle the Empress’ affairs, so she should focus on being a good advisor.”

At the mention of advisor, the lady-in-waiting looked even more frightened and disappeared as if running away.

Watching the lady-in-waiting’s retreating figure disappear from sight, I was dumbfounded.

To think they would openly investigate me like this.

Well, not openly. If I didn’t have mana, I wouldn’t have noticed either.

Then, an even more absurd sound came from behind.

“My, no matter how handsome I am, to think you’d follow me like this. Ahem!”

It was Prince Dillan.

*

Evelina slammed the table roughly.

Having heard the story about the Empress, she finally began throwing objects as well.

The sound of shattering filled the air several times, and broken pieces were strewn across the floor.

These days, the Emperor wouldn’t even meet her eyes.

Not only that, now it was not easy to be allowed into the Emperor’s palace office.

The Emperor had clearly changed since the coronation night.

Just because he refused the Empress’ simultaneous entry on the day of the coronation, there was no way he would act like that. The Emperor originally had a bad relationship with the Empress anyway.

It was clear that the Emperor’s heart had been leaning towards the Empress for some time now.

Evelina had walked her entire life to become the Empress.

Entering the Continental Academy and studying difficult political situations and academics was also in the same context.

Duke Bashvir had always told Evelina that the position of Empress was the destination she should aim for.

In fact, there was no higher position for a woman in the Empire, so Evelina had honed herself with that goal in mind all her life.

Not only that, Evelina was second to none in beauty.

She knew how to use her unique innocent light well.

When she narrowed her eyes and smiled on her gentle face, there were quite a few young nobles who couldn’t come to their senses.

Looking at them, Evelina would feel a sense of dominance.

They were like silly dogs barking at her, unable to have her anyway.

Now, if she could only make the Emperor that way, she could reach the highest place in the world.

Besides, the Emperor was a very charming man who was the envy of all young ladies.

It was obvious that everyone would revere and envy her.

But the Empress ruined it all.

‘What do I lack compared to that measly Empress?’

And what? Focus on being a good advisor?

Wasn’t that a mockery of me being pushed out of the council room?

The veins on Evelina’s clenched hand bulged.

The lady-in-waiting continued reporting in a trembling voice as she watched.

“Em, Empress, Your Majesty, and Prince Dillan seemed to be very close, as you said.”

Of course. Since the coronation day, the prince and Vivian had been suspicious.

The sight of them chatting away and laughing warmly.

It was the same at the previous council meeting.

The image of the prince defending the Empress was still vivid in her mind.

Not only that. The person who ignored her when she staggered in the council room was now smiling and pleasing the Empress.

What does the Empress have that attracts him so?

He must have lost his mind.

Evelina couldn’t control the boiling rage inside her.

Prince Dillan was famous even before, if not as much as Casius.

An oddball but handsome, the first in line to inherit the kingdom.

That was his nickname.

‘How did she seduce Prince Dillan too?’

The more she saw, the more the Empress seemed like a fox.

The scenes of confronting the Empress flashed through her mind.

The words she tried to teach, citing etiquette, the backstabbing of taking the Emperor’s seat in the council and making her back down…

On top of that, she even indirectly let the Emperor know what happened to her, as if nothing had happened.

Contrary to what she had heard, the Empress was not an easy opponent.

Her father, Duke Bashvir, had greatly underestimated the Empress when informing her.

A woman who has no appeal to men, lacking warmth and only filled with a cold aura, he said.

She understood why her father had made that assessment.

But that wasn’t all there was to the Empress, which was the conclusion Evelina had reached over the past time.

The sense of defeat she tasted for the first time in her life gave her a lot to think about.

She had no intention of backing down here.

Tok tok – Her fingers tapped the table in a familiar rhythm.

‘Should I leak the relationship between the Empress and Prince Dillan to the Emperor?’

There was no clear evidence, but the Emperor would also have several suspicions like herself. It would be easy to obtain such things with just a little investigation.

But Evelina soon abandoned that thought.

If the Emperor had intended to find fault with the Empress and Dillan’s relationship, he would have already done so.

Evidence. Yes, more definite evidence was needed.

Evelina hurriedly asked Duke Bashvir, who had entered shortly after.

“Did you find out what the Empress was supposed to receive from Prince Dillan?”

“I looked into it with difficulty by obtaining the ledger.”

Seeing Bashvir’s mouth curve up pleasingly, Evelina gained hope.

“What is it?”

“Shirmi herbs.”

“If it’s Shirmi herbs…”

For a moment, the eyes of the two met in mid-air.

Shirmi herbs were famous for being effective against the ‘Ilachino’ disease.

Ilachino was once known as a naturally occurring incurable disease, but analysis revealed it to be a condition caused by a promiscuous lifestyle.

As a result, many patients hid it for fear that their past would be revealed.

The moment this disease was revealed, it was natural to receive social condemnation and a decline in reputation in an instant.

The only herb that could completely cure this disease was Shirmi.

‘I thought the Empress was a sly bitch, but I didn’t expect her to be this bad… That crazy bitch. How dare she hide this kind of disease and think of acting as the Empress?’

If this fact becomes known, the Emperor will surely abandon the Empress.

“Yes. It seems the heavens are helping us.”

Everything is meant to have a tail stepped on.

One corner of Evelina’s mouth curled up bitterly.

*

Returning to the Empress Palace, the tension in my body loosened.

The warm water prepared by the ladies-in-waiting soaked my weary body.

“Where’s Marianne?”

Usually, she would have come to my side and nagged about why Evelina’s lady-in-waiting appeared there.

She probably would have also strengthened security, saying that Evelina must have been snooping around the Empress Palace to investigate me.

But seeing that nothing happened, it seemed she was away.

“She said her younger sibling was very sick and she would be back after a short visit.”

Marianne had been away quite often these days.

Of course, even in her absence, the ladies-in-waiting moved perfectly as if Marianne was there.

It was thanks to her who gave perfect instructions before leaving.

The ladies-in-waiting, who created foam on the warm water, gently applied fragrant oil.

Entrusting my body to the hands of the ladies-in-waiting, the moisture was removed and light linen clothing was put on.

Coming out and sitting on the bed, drowsiness crept in with the weary energy.

Unable to overcome the sudden drowsiness, I fell asleep and when I regained consciousness, it was late at night.

Opening the curtains, the lit Emperor’s Palace came into view.

The flickering shadow in the distance by the window was definitely Casius.

It was truly ridiculous that I could tell it was him just by seeing the shadow.

Fortunately, there were no emotions in the shadow.

I wonder if you’re smiling when I’m not in front of you.

You always have a different face when I’m in front of you.

The you contained in there would be like the you in any other letter.

I avoided facing it, but the image of you throwing objects and writhing in pain is vivid. On top of that are the diary entries you wrote, like letters.

And above that, the image of you opening the hideout is vivid.

The eyes with which you looked at me were filled with anger.

The furrowed eyebrows, the sharpened blue eyes, the swirling deep waves…

‘You still can’t forget me.’

It’s been 7 years.

It was my own delusion to think that much would have been erased.

Today, I realized again. That the present me was completely defeated by the past me.

Casius couldn’t forget me, Rachel, at all.

To the point of getting that angry just because I visited our space.

To the point of visiting our space after such a long time.

‘What if you still miss me?’

The initial bewilderment and resentment I felt melted away the more I thought of him.

Those wounded eyes suffocated my heart.

‘I didn’t know the past me would be this jealous.’

If it had been someone other than me, I would have given up already.

That’s how cold and poignant those eyes were.

‘Now that things have turned out this way, Casius probably won’t come. So what should I do now?’

Until now, I have knocked on him countless times.

That would be the method this time as well, but I was afraid.

Afraid that if I knock on Casius who left like that again, it might backfire.

If that happens, it might become difficult to even see Casius again.

Tossing the blanket and getting out, a deep breath entered my lungs.

As reason made me realize reality, it became even more apparent that the situation was the worst.

To forget the uneasiness, I took out the cards and the light reflected on them, making the beautiful pictures ripple.

These cards, which I received from the High Priest a long time ago and kept in the hideout, showed the future quite well.

I don’t rely on or believe in these cards for my future, but even nonsensical interpretations are quite helpful in calming the mind.

I flipped the deck of cards upside down, spread them out, and picked one.

What appeared was an angel with a sword.

It was upright.