“Haah……”

A long sigh escaped from deep within the lungs, as if emerging from the depths of a long slumber.

For a long while, she stared blankly into space while sitting cross-legged.

In the mirror was a pale face streaked with tears.

The memories formed along with the magical power belonged to the body’s owner, Vivian.

*

In an orphanage for children of unknown parentage, there was a girl.

Atop her thin, small body like a twisted branch, blue hair shone with a unique light.

The director and the so-called brothers of the orphanage beat and tormented the child.

One day, after enduring countless exploitations, a subtle energy began to emanate from the girl’s fingertips.

The blue light, resembling her hair color, signaled the manifestation of magical power.

Seeing this, the orphanage director disappeared with a delighted face, thinking of selling the child.

One day, a noble man wearing pitch-black dress shoes appeared before the girl.

The man boasting an impressive height was Diarob in his younger years.

He extended his hand to the girl.

“If you come with me, I’ll let you live in a nice house and eat delicious food.”

“……”

“I need you, you see.”

To the girl who had never known love, Diarob’s offer felt like salvation.

The blue-haired girl eagerly grasped that hand.

Not knowing that hand would lead her to hell.

After being adopted into the Snowfel family, the girl was compelled to use her magic to its absolute limits.

New scars were etched onto her body daily.

The screams she let out while writhing in excruciating pain still echoed vividly in her ears.

From a certain day, a child of her age began to visit occasionally as a playmate.

That child had a small, fairy-like body with golden hair and a name that perfectly matched.

‘Rachel.’

Looking at her, she felt envious.

Although Rachel wore things incomparably cheaper than her own and was of much lower status, she seemed to be loved more than anyone else.

The warm father she must have had since birth, Siron Rosemary, was in stark contrast to Duke Diarob who abused her daily.

The younger brother called Tikan was incomparably more docile than her own brother Biodelle and did whatever Rachel said.

They even said that unlike her, Rachel’s innate magical power was extraordinary.

To the girl who had a large capacity for magic but a small total amount, unable to satisfy Diarob’s desires, Rachel was an object of admiration.

The more this was true, the harder the blue-haired girl tried.

She thought that if she could somehow please her father, she could be loved.

However, the conclusion was always the same.

It was impossible to increase the total amount of magic that wasn’t there.

Eventually, the girl who had lost her usefulness was on the verge of being discarded.

Then one day, a fortune-teller appeared before her.

“This child has the fate to become an empress.”

After that, the girl lived solely to become an empress.

In that process, the girl lost all memories of being abused by Diarob in her childhood, and a seal was engraved on her heart.

The girl found herself spewing venom at Rachel, her childhood friend whom she had once admired, partly envied, and partly liked.

Finally, the girl annihilated Rachel’s family and brought down the Rosemary house.

Of course, all of this was at the instigation of Duke Diarob.

For some reason, time turned back after that.

However, nothing changed for her.

This time too, Rachel, who had her abilities recognized and successfully rose to the position of aide and even gained the crown prince’s love, became her political enemy.

The seal engraved on her heart remained unbroken, and Vivian, following Diarob’s will, once again drove her to the brink.

Sometimes when she slept, strange nightmares would overtake and torment her.

The fact that she had done this to Rachel, her childhood friend, with her own hands, the fact that this punishment might never end, frightened her.

Eventually, her adoptive father made Rachel disappear in an attempt to place her in the position of crown princess.

After Rachel disappeared, delayed aftereffects manifested over the scars that had spread throughout her body due to the abuse she suffered as a child.

It eventually drove Vivian to her death.

In the last moment when she sensed her impending death.

The contractor showed Vivian something.

In the flickering afterimage, there was a soul moving, desperately yearning for life.

The owner of that soul was Rachel Rosemary. The very child she had killed and tried to kill again was walking there aimlessly.

What came to Vivian’s mind at that moment was not the desire to be loved, nor jealousy, nor anything else.

It was guilt.

“If possible, please give my body to that child.”

In the end, it was she who had wronged so many people and made Rachel that way.

Though she couldn’t be forgiven for everything, if she could cut off all her remaining life like this.

If only she could be forgiven by that child alone.

Vivian thus passed her body on to Rachel.

.

.

.

Vivian’s terrible memories all came in as if they were my own, pulsating vividly in my heart.

A muffled resonance spread to my ears as if I had been submerged in the deep sea and then pulled out.

The tears that flowed endlessly contained many things.

The anger and hatred rising towards Diarob, and…

Now I could finally understand Vivian, and everything about her.

Diarob, that bastard had ruined not only my family and my house, but also Vivian.

Amidst the complex tidal wave of emotions, only one feeling survived clearly and burned.

It was anger towards Diarob.

Now it was my turn to take revenge on behalf of the soul of a girl who had now turned to ashes and disappeared.

*

The trial date approached without fail.

They say other people’s fights are enjoyable, don’t they?

Since it involved Tikan’s matter, many nobles who were little more than spectators also attended the gallery, chattering with interested expressions.

“Did Sir Tikan really molest Lady Ravioli?”

“How else could Lady Ravioli have reacted in such a way?”

“Of course. He only pretended to be well-behaved, but it turns out he’s no different from his sister, I tell you.”

Just as the spectators’ voices were growing louder, Count Siron entered.

Upon seeing him, the imperial faction members, unlike a moment ago, closed their mouths.

Meanwhile, Duke Bashville, who had been quietly seated in a corner observing the situation with interest, stood up and took a seat next to Count Siron.

“Do not worry. Sir Tikan’s innocence will surely be revealed.”

Following Bashville’s formal words of comfort, the imperial faction members also began to offer words of consolation one by one.

Diarob, who had been looking at Bashville as if he were putting on airs, raised one corner of his mouth crookedly.

In that instant, the door opened and Casius entered.

As Casius took his seat, the nobles all rose from their seats and paid their respects to him.

As always, the emperor showed not the slightest change in his expression, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.

The trial began only after the murmuring had completely subsided and silence had settled.

Soon after, Tikan, who had been the subject of heated discussion, entered through the opened door.

He sat down with a bloodless face and looked around the courtroom blankly.

Then, upon meeting eyes with his father, he immediately lowered his head.

It was because he couldn’t bear to face his father’s pale appearance.

“We will now begin the trial.”

Seeing Tikan’s and Siron’s pale complexions, the nobles were certain there would be no unexpected turns in this trial.

While the judge recited the precepts to be observed during the trial and the oath, the nobles quietly chattered about the empty seat of the empress.

“Is Her Majesty the Empress not attending today?”

As the voices gradually grew louder, Diarob cleared his throat once and said with a feigned gloomy face.

“My daughter is running a fever today and unable to attend.”

A few formal greetings were added, expressing how unfortunate it was that she couldn’t witness such an interesting scene.

Amidst this, Bashville added a seemingly mocking comment.

“With her health being so poor, it must be truly arduous for her to perform the duties of an empress.”

Although he spoke in a roundabout way, none present were unaware that the ’empress’s duties’ Bashville referred to meant producing an heir.

Diarob managed to smooth out his furrowing brow and smiled.

“I wasn’t aware you had such an interest in state affairs so soon after having your title restored.”

Bashville tightly clenched his fist under his invisible cuff.

His words essentially meant that Bashville was causing trouble when he had only recently been restored to his title.

‘And whose fault was it that I ended up that way? You sly bastard.’

While Bashville was cursing inwardly, Diarob responded with a leisurely smile.

“In any case, I appreciate your concern.”

As the two engaged in an intense battle of nerves, the judge struck the gavel three times to signal the true start of the trial.

The nobles’ interest in the empress’s absence quickly faded.

In truth, today’s main topic was Tikan and Lady Ravioli, not the empress.

It was only a moment before the chief justice opened his mouth.

“Is it true that Lady Ravioli suffered an indecent act from Sir Tikan that day?”

The nobles, swallowing hard, all turned to look at Count Whistleton, who was attending on behalf of Lady Ravioli.

Now, Sir Tikan’s future would change depending on his words.