The decision had been made long ago, so the execution was swift. Ariadne was confined to the western tower of San Carlo Castle in her nightgown.

Sitting on straw spread over the cold stone floor, memories of the past flashed before her eyes like a flickering lantern.

Cesare was a man as refreshing as a summer breeze if one could meet his many demands. They had spent quite a pleasant 14 years together.

Cesare was spontaneous. He would often come to visit Cardinal De Mare’s residence and take Ariadne out for rides, seating her behind him on his horse. He would pluck lily of the valley flowers from the forest paths and give them to Ariadne.

“You’re like this flower, obedient and known only to me.”

The helpless wildflower, with its head bowed and facing the ground, looked unimpressive. But at the time, she thought it was the highest compliment.

From afar, the joyous music of Their Majesties’ coronation ceremony could be heard. It was all music that she had chosen and prepared. She had thought it would be her coronation.

She had believed it would be the day when her 14 years of devotion and love would be rewarded.

Ariadne’s reverie was broken by a clear voice.

“The lily of the valley blooming outside will never be as cherished as a rose cultivated in a greenhouse.”

The newly crowned queen, Isabella, appeared at the top of the western tower. Her amber hair was twisted up into an elaborate style, lavishly adorned with pearls. Atop it all was a delicate lace veil, as fine as dandelion seeds.

The white silk dress she wore was layered like tulip petals, softly complementing her slender figure. It was evident at a glance that much effort had gone into it, but it was a dress Ariadne had never seen before. Isabella had clearly had this dress made in advance, knowing this day would come.

There was much Ariadne wanted to ask. Since when? Why? If she had wanted Cesare, why didn’t she get engaged to him from the start, instead of pushing him onto me? Why now, after all this time?

Ariadne looked up at Isabella with a questioning expression. Sister, Isabella tilted her small chin up and looked down at Ariadne. As soon as their eyes met, Isabella launched into an attack.

“How dare you do this to my husband?”

Ariadne habitually bowed her head and apologized first. It was a response ingrained in her over many years.

“…If it’s about Prince Alfonso, I’m sorry. I have nothing to say.”

But that wasn’t the answer Isabella wanted.

“I’m talking about Cesare, you fool. How dare you try to become queen instead of me?”

‘What?’

Isabella mercilessly lashed out at the stunned Ariadne.

“I am the noblest woman in this country. By now, you should have known to step down from your position as the Regent’s fiancée. Do I have to go through all this trouble because of a worm like you?”

Isabella continued, fanning herself as she spoke to the confused Ariadne.

“Father said so too, that I was the daughter who would elevate the name of De Mare. You were just meant to fill the spot temporarily. You’ve become too arrogant.”

Here, Isabella’s pretty face twisted slightly.

“Because of you, my name has been tarnished with talks of being a widow, of having had a child. How will you take responsibility for this?”

Ariadne, belatedly feeling indignant, found herself talking back to Isabella without realizing it.

“Is that why you’re angry? What about… Prince Alfonso? Doesn’t that matter at all?”

Despite constantly reminding herself not to rebel against Isabella, the words tumbled out before she could stop them.

“He treated you well. Weren’t you loved?”

“Love?”

Isabella smiled sweetly.

“All men treat me well. If I had to reciprocate every such feeling, I’d have to love everyone like a harlot, wouldn’t I?”

Isabella, with her delicate features, looking as if she were pouting as she listed reasons why Alfonso had to die, was devilishly beautiful.

“Alfonso couldn’t give me the position of the noblest lady. That’s reason enough for him to die.”

Ariadne, pale-faced, retorted.

“Cesare… Do you love Cesare?”

Cesare was something most precious to her. He was of greater value than herself. Even if she got hurt, she worshipped and protected Cesare.

But Isabella stared at Ariadne with eyes full of mirth, as if she had just heard the most amusing story. Her fairy-like purple eyes looked as if they might burst into laughter at any moment.

“Oh, my dear foolish little sister. Life is a series of equivalent exchanges. Cesare crowned me queen. In return, he can now have me. What we did was a fair trade.”

Her fairy-like purple eyes looked as if they might burst into laughter at any moment.

“Alfonso simply failed to bring a price worthy of me. So, contract terminated. There’s no love in that.”

Isabella’s smile deepened. It was a radiant smile, but devoid of any warmth, like an artificial rose.

“Instead of love, there’s desire.”

It was a dry, brilliantly artificial smile, like a rose made of silk.

“Before Alfonso died, Cesare came to me and begged. He said he had never forgotten me even once since getting engaged to you.”

“What?”

Flustered, Ariadne stammered. Isabella replied melodiously.

“He said I appeared even in his dreams. That when he embraced you, he imagined it was me.”

Ariadne stared at her sister, Isabella, turning pale. Isabella continued, as sweet and elegant as a warbling lark.

“He said you’re too big, like embracing a man. Your hair is so black, like a crow.”

Isabella’s beautiful eyes glinted with malice.

“He said your breasts are too large and saggy, like a cow’s udders.”

Facing the speechless Ariadne, Isabella stroked her own fine amber hair.

“He said a woman should be small and fit snugly in one’s arms, making one want to protect her. He said my hair is noble gold, like an angel from a sacred book.”

The small, delicate amethyst angel smiled wickedly. Isabella brought her small face with perfect features close to Ariadne’s and asked.

“Have you ever been the object of such hungry desire for anyone?”

Ariadne felt suffocated and couldn’t utter a word.

The change in his attitude after ascending to the Regent’s position, the engagement ring he no longer wore, his gradually cooling passion, and the postponed wedding date. Isabella declared with a face radiant with victory.

“This is the difference between you and me. No matter how much you devote yourself to a man, nothing comes back to you.”

Isabella offered advice to her stubborn younger sister. Whether the soon-to-be-dead sister would have a chance to use this advice was another matter.

“They don’t know gratitude. Don’t trust men.”

Isabella pouted her full lips.

“Cesare might be crazy with desire for me now. But after a year, after three years, he’ll eventually tire of me too.”

This was an insurmountable problem even for the 32-year-old Isabella, a woman of unparalleled beauty.

“Men are so strange. They do things worthy of punishment, but if I get angry, they hate me.”

She twirled a loose strand of her amber hair around her finger as she continued.

“Then they’ll probably remember my loyal little sister who couldn’t even make a peep after being under him for 14 years.”

“…Loyal?”

“I don’t like future troubles. Daddy taught me. It’s safer to cleanly eliminate all possibilities. Isn’t that right, my dear sister?”

As Isabella raised her hand, her Moorish knight, who followed her like a shadow, drew his sword.

“I’ll be going now. I have to attend the coronation parade.”

That coronation was supposed to be Ariadne’s.

“Make it painless, Agosto. After all, she is my beloved sister.”

Isabella was spiteful to the very end.

Beyond Isabella’s small retreating back, her Moorish knight approached with his sword raised. His left eye glowed ominously red. The red glow in his left eye intensified, becoming increasingly crimson, like a lamp being turned up.

But Ariadne was too busy glaring at Isabella’s back with wide eyes to notice the Moor’s eye closely.

It was so frustrating that she couldn’t retort even once!

The Moor’s scimitar flashed across Ariadne’s wide-open eyes.

– Slash!

A searing pain in her neck, a fountain of blood, and Isabella’s small retreating figure growing distant.

Her face felt hot with her own blood.

Then darkness.

She could have rested eternally, but there was still much to do in this world. She couldn’t close her eyes like this.

– The Golden Rule.

A faint, sobbing voice seemed to whisper in her ear.

– Reap what you sow, receive what you give. That is the Golden Rule.

I want that. I wish it were so. Why can’t the world be like that?

– Can you do it?

Ariadne nodded frantically. I’ll do it. I can do it. I will definitely accomplish it.

She thought she heard the owner of the voice snicker mockingly, or perhaps another voice seemed to pity her, but a heavy drowsiness crept through her entire body to the tips of her limbs, and Ariadne lost consciousness just like that.

* * *

“Gasp!”

She opened her eyes, bracing for the burning pain, but there was no pain at all. Instead, she saw the ceiling of an old wooden house with exposed rafters. It was the farm where she had lived as a child.

‘What’s going on?’

Strangely, her body felt light. Ariadne raised her hands.

She saw thin arms and small hands. The taut skin belonged to a child. Having heard the worst insults about her body less than 5 minutes ago, she instinctively looked down at her torso.

Fortunately, the skinny girl still growing had a flat chest, small thorax, and narrow shoulders.

‘Goodness.’

Ariadne jumped out of bed and ran to the old mirror. In the uneven, cheap mirror stood a girl of about fifteen.

She was thin from growing taller, but her arms and legs were pleasingly long. Her black hair, reaching her waist, swayed. Dark green eyes stared intently at her reflection in the mirror.

It was her past self.

Except for two things.

Ariadne raised her hand and touched below her left eye. There was a bright red teardrop mark. It hadn’t been there originally.

And there was the shining, slender last joint of her left ring finger. The one she had cut off for Cesare.

As if by magic, the whole finger was in its place. But the last joint, which hadn’t been there originally, was slightly redder than the rest of the hand. A faint red flush surrounded the last joint of the ring finger.

Ariadne’s wonder was interrupted by an unwelcome intruder.

– Bang!

“Ariadne, you useless thing!”

A skinny old woman shouted as she flung open the door to Ariadne’s room.

“The sun is high in the sky, and you’re still lazing about!”

The old woman swung the broom she was holding randomly, beating Ariadne’s head and nape indiscriminately.

“You can’t even wake up on time! Do you know how many people are going hungry because of you?”

Ariadne didn’t know, but in fact, she was supposed to be on cleaning duty today, so it had nothing to do with meals. But even if she could have explained, old woman Jan Galeazzo wouldn’t have listened.

Beating young maids was old woman Jan Galeazzo’s hobby, and she particularly enjoyed tormenting Ariadne.

The fact that this girl of noble lineage was wallowing in the dirt just like her, no, even worse than her, always thrilled the spiteful old woman.

Ariadne raised her arms to shield her face. The broom struck her arms and face in turn, stinging and painful. The past was repeating itself.

The spring of her 15th year. The day she was thrown into the social world teeming with beasts, without anyone to care for her.

Today was the day Ariadne was to be summoned to the Cardinal’s residence in the main castle of San Carlo.