In a flash, the doors of the venue opened and someone rushed in.

A shrill scream-like sound echoed throughout.

“Stop!”

The nobles turned to look at the source of the noise.

‘Lord Rodgo?’

He was as pale as a half-crazed person.

Discovering the chaotic scene, Rodgo immediately headed towards Casius.

“Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to discuss.”

As Casius nodded, he handed over a piece of paper.

Casius took the paper and stared at it blankly.

In a moment, Casius’ expression subtly changed as he rose from his seat.

His gaze swept around the hall, slow yet composed.

He looked like a lion eyeing its prey.

Everyone held their breath under that gaze until Casius finally fixed his eyes somewhere.

His blue eyes settled on Lady Ravioli.

She flinched, feeling overwhelmed by his imposing presence.

Observing this, Casius calmly opened his mouth.

“Lady Ravioli, you claimed that Tikan had wronged you before. Is that correct?”

His heavy voice resonated clearly through the space.

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“And I assume your thoughts on the matter haven’t changed.”

Viscount Whistleton and Lady Ravioli tensed at the sudden question, exchanging glances.

Casius then turned to face Viscount Whistleton.

“Viscount Whistleton, you said you never sent any note to Tikan. Is that correct?”

Both Ravioli and Viscount Whistleton felt an ominous premonition, but they couldn’t back down now.

Everything had already been set in motion.

“That is correct.”

Whistleton added, trying to hide his trembling and appear nonchalant.

“I’m not sure why Your Majesty is bringing this up, but as it’s already been settled, I’d prefer not to discuss it further.”

Casius’ lips curled up coldly, as if he’d heard something amusing.

“You’d prefer not to discuss it… I’m sure you would.”

“Pardon?”

The nobles’ murmuring ceased for a moment, and the space suddenly fell silent.

In that silence, Ravioli and Whistleton’s minds raced.

Even the dullest person couldn’t miss that the emperor was now mocking them.

‘Did he find some evidence? But that’s impossible, isn’t it?’

This whole affair was planned by Duke Diarob.

The duke, who carried out everything meticulously, wouldn’t make such a mistake.

But…

As the two swallowed dry saliva, consumed by burning tension, Casius’ sharp gaze swept over them in turn.

Then, he curved his lips gently.

“How will you explain this note?”

Casius finally held up the neatly folded paper.

Confirming it was the note seen at Grand Pur, the nobles began to stir.

Moreover, the note… contained exactly what Tikan had claimed earlier.

Whistleton stared at it, his face ashen.

‘How did this happen? Didn’t Duke Diarob say he had taken care of that note…?’

Ravioli also looked at the note in Casius’ hand with a pale, shocked face.

It contained exactly what the two had denied, and what Tikan had claimed to have seen.

I have something to tell you, so please come to the Wolfdor Garden now.

I’ll be waiting.]

To address the possibility of the note being fabricated, an investigator from the Magic Department came forward to explain the closed magic circle and the comparison process.

Viscount Whistleton turned increasingly pale as he listened to the explanation.

If it wasn’t something he had written, he might have been able to deny it, but now he couldn’t even do that.

The nobles stared at Whistleton in shock.

Learning that this was all Viscount Whistleton’s scheme, the nobles uniformly shifted their target of criticism.

“What on earth were you thinking…”

“Indeed, what a terrible thing to do.”

“How disgusting. So Tikan was falsely accused?”

Amidst the clamorous voices, Whistleton and Ravioli’s faces turned deathly pale.

Watching this scene, Diarob’s face also subtly hardened.

Casius added a meaningful remark to this.

“Ryantin recently took the position of Minister of Protocol.”

Casius’ gaze briefly turned towards Diarob.

Diarob’s face inevitably crumpled.

In this situation, coming out like this meant he couldn’t avoid becoming the subject of noble gossip.

Of course, no evidence had been left, so nothing more could be done, but…

Looking at Casius, who curled his lips as if mocking, Diarob stiffened.

As Diarob began to be added to the nobles’ conversations, Casius nodded.

The Chief Justice, who was about to announce the marriage approval, immediately changed his stance and declared.

“This marriage is null and void!”

“…!”

Only then did Tikan step back from Viscount Whistleton.

Viscount Whistleton collapsed, his face ashen, clutching at his neck.

Casius looked at him with contempt before turning to the Chief Justice.

“Is that all?”

“…Pardon?”

Under Casius’ fierce gaze, the Chief Justice bowed his head and immediately ordered the punishment for Whistleton and Ravioli.

“Viscount Whistleton, for framing Tikan and attempting to send him to the executioner’s block, is to be imprisoned in Wolfdor Prison.”

Wolfdor Prison was notorious for its horrors, holding only prisoners of the most serious crimes.

Viscount Whistleton’s piercing scream echoed through the space, but the Chief Justice only furrowed his brow and continued the sentence.

“Lady Ravioli, who cooperated in this, will also be imprisoned in Wolfdor Prison.”

Ravioli, unable to even scream, turned pale, while Whistleton, who had been shouting loudly, was immediately seized by knights and dragged outside.

As Whistleton disappeared, he caught a final glimpse of Diarob turning away from him.

Now that all was lost, he acted as Casius had predicted.

“It was Duke Diarob’s instigation. I only did as I was told!”

Diarob’s face froze for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and stepped forward confidently.

“It seems you think you can say anything to save yourself now, Viscount!”

Around them, the nobles’ murmurs continued.

They debated whether Duke Diarob had really instigated such a thing.

Naturally, no clear conclusion was reached.

However, even the nobles who had been speaking fell silent in the face of Duke Diarob’s intense presence.

Casius, watching the scene as if observing, spoke with a sharp smile like a honed blade.

“Since Duke Diarob’s name has come up, an investigation will be necessary.”

“…”

“If Duke Diarob did instigate this, it will come to light.”

His words, carefully measured, contained no warmth or emotion, making them all the more terrifying.

Even Diarob’s followers, who were about to come to his defense, closed their mouths at this display.

It seemed that speaking up now would leave them with not even bones to pick.

Even in this situation, Diarob did not avoid Casius’ gaze, meeting it fiercely.

“Since Your Majesty doesn’t trust me, I suppose that’s necessary.”

It was a chilling wedding ceremony, where not a drop of blood was shed, yet a dark red hue lingered.

As the nobles left the venue, they rubbed their necks as if swords had been placed upon them.

*

The wedding that began with Tikan’s alleged molestation was nullified.

As expected, Viscount Whistleton, who orchestrated this, was executed, while Lady Ravioli was sentenced to serve in a convent for life.

Duke Diarob, as always, slipped out of this situation like a snake.

In reality, Casius hadn’t thrown out that suspicion believing he could deal with Diarob through this incident.

The goal was merely to reveal what kind of atrocities he commits, gradually cracking his image in public opinion.

In fact, what mattered now wasn’t his punishment.

Looking at Tikan, who knelt on one knee gripping his sword, Casius stroked his heart.

In the past time.

He had seriously considered whether there would be any meaning in living if he lost Tikan too.

As if all of this was entirely his own fault.

Casius looked at Tikan, who seemed no different than usual, for a moment before turning and walking away.

Tikan seemed to need time alone with his thoughts.

And so did he.

The rough note crinkled under his palm.

Every time he thought it was the end, it was as if God couldn’t bear to see that and kept helping him.

‘No, to be precise, it’s not God.’

It was someone whose identity was unknown.

‘From the Snowfel mark hidden in rosemary before, to the divination circle…’

His thoughts quickly led to the burnt leaf left by the empress.

‘The Snowfel’s Benedict trade route that the empress passed on, and the rosemary flowers she used to plant…’

His directionless thoughts swayed like the wind, piling up.

As he walked out, Casius’ view caught the hideout where he often stayed with Rachel.

Over it, the scene of the empress sitting there overlapped chaotically.

‘Crazy.’

Why was he sitting there thinking about that woman?

Casius moved his heavy steps quickly. Until the hideout became a dot and disappeared from view.

Returning to the imperial palace with hurried steps, Casius unfolded the note with a seriously hardened expression.

‘Rodgo clearly said it was impossible to restore, and yet…’

Now, as if it had never been damaged, the letters were clearly visible.

Questions settled in Casius’ eyes as he looked at it.

‘Who on earth deciphered this?’

For a moment, the empress rose unbearably in his mind.

‘Am I really going crazy?’

Casius let out a self-mocking laugh.

Just then, Rodgo, following orders, entered and stood before him.

Rodgo swallowed hard as he looked at Casius.

A deep blue light, like the depths of the sea that often appeared when he was engrossed in something, was coolly illuminating Casius’ eyes.

He soon asked in a voice as cool as his blue eyes.

“Have you still not found the one who broke the magic circle?”