“Did you hear the news? The emperor is on his deathbed.”

The emperor had been bedridden for a long time.

At some point, he began to suffer from delusions, claiming he could see the deceased former emperor and ordering his tomb to be dug up.

After digging up the tomb and moving it,

the emperor gradually went mad and lost his sanity.

He covered his eyes and ears,

suffering from delusions day by day, and beheaded his subjects one by one.

He cut out the tongues of those who spoke the truth and beheaded them.

The emperor was mad, and his relatives were corrupt.

The Central Elders and key ministers were occupied by the former emperor’s relatives.

One only had to look at the state of the Repose Palace to see that.

The Repose Palace was where the remains of the ancestors were enshrined.

It was where the remains of the founding king were buried, a place to remember and console the dead.

“What is happening to the imperial family…?”

“If the founding king were to see the imperial palace now, he would be shocked.”

The guard watching over the Repose Palace groaned and swallowed.

As imperial family members, they had lost both dignity and honor.

“Tsk. Be quiet. This is the Repose Palace. It’s where the memorial tablets of the former emperors are enshrined, and you’re talking about such things?”

“Do you know that the former emperor’s tomb is empty? His Majesty claimed the former emperor appeared in his dreams and ordered the tomb to be dug up… Haven’t you heard?”

“Damn it! Are you trying to scare me all of a sudden with that kind of talk!”

There were two knights guarding the entrance to the Repose Palace.

“It was just the sound of the wind.”

“As the days get colder, the wind becomes fiercer too.”

“Why are we the only ones on duty at the Repose Palace?”

“Usually, the youngest knight who has just removed his apprentice badge is assigned to guard the Repose Palace. We have to wait for new recruits to join us, what else can we do?”

In the beginning, it was an honorable position, but not anymore.

“Shh. Someone is really coming. Be quiet.”

Soon, the sound of someone’s footsteps echoed.

“Isn’t that the Crown Prince?”

“We pay our respects to Your Highness.”

Benjamin walked through the imperial palace alone.

The knights bowed their heads, and Benjamin turned his head.

“……”

Then, without a word, he moved his steps again.

“His Highness intends to visit the Repose Palace alone. Do not follow him.”

Rosquella followed behind Benjamin.

“Your Highness, where are you going?”

Benjamin crossed between the graves in the Repose Palace.

His birth mother was executed, and her body could not even be retrieved. There was no tomb for his grandfather either. No tombstone.

“The Repose Palace has become quite empty.”

Rosquella looked around the Repose Palace absentmindedly.

“What have they done here…?”

The sight of the dug-up tombs in the Repose Palace, temporarily covered, was miserable.

“They are going mad. Those who saw this with their own eyes…”

“Some of them died, and some of them lived.”

Benjamin looked down at the empty tomb. It was the tomb of the former emperor, his grandfather.

“Prepare for the memorial service.”

A consolation for the dead.

Soon. The time will come.

[This is the timeline separator] [The system is in disarray. But you don’t have to worry about that. We are all doing well, and you should too. Tsk tsk. Are you eating well? You have a habit of skipping meals when you’re troubled, don’t you?]

A postcard arrived from the imperial city.

It had been a couple of months since Charlotte went down to the estate for a break.

After she left the capital, news spread that the emperor was on his deathbed, and the capital quickly fell into chaos.

Although the emperor, who was said to be on his deathbed, managed to cling to life for five years.

‘This end is coming too.’

Charlotte unfolded the letter and finished reading it.

[You’re also too fond of alcohol, just like Cosette, aren’t you? Don’t drink on an empty stomach.

Do I have to discipline my niece’s drinking habits at this age? Tsk tsk. Your uncle Cesar is looking for you. I’ll have to keep my words brief too. I may not be able to contact you often. Take care of yourself.]

Charlotte put away the letter and walked through the backyard. The trees in the backyard shed their leaves and became increasingly desolate.

The gardener swept and cleaned the fallen leaves on the ground, and the servants busily passed by.

“Young lady, the wind is cold. Let’s go inside now.”

“Catarina said it’s not good for me to stay in my room all the time, so I came out for a short walk.”

As Charlotte gently closed her eyes, a voice came from behind.

“Staying indoors all day when the weather is cold will weaken your energy.”

“You’ve also become more nagging these days.”

“It is my duty to protect the young lady.”

Catarina stayed by Charlotte’s side as her personal guard.

“I’m not a child abandoned by the water.”

Five years is a short time if it’s short and a long time if it’s long.

[I found evidence that Ruptic disease was recorded in the Southern Continent. So I’m going to visit the Southern Continent for a while. Wait for me even if it takes some time.]

Aaron closed his pharmacy and left for the Southern Continent for a while.

It’s been quite some time. Strangely, there’s no sense of urgency.

If I immerse myself in this peaceful daily life here, I may even forget that I’m living on borrowed time.

Perhaps it’s because there’s no particular pain.

Perhaps it’s because this daily life has become so natural.

The cause and treatment for Ruptic disease still haven’t been found.

“If I die like in my previous life, then I’ll die.”

Still.

Charlotte looked up at the sky.

“At least I won’t be alone this time.”

Charlotte smiled quietly.

After that.

A message arrived. There was no sender or origin.

[It will end soon]

Just three words.

[Charl.]

It seemed like someone’s voice was calling out.

[This is the timeline separator]

Everyone thought Benjamin would be dethroned.

The Crown Prince couldn’t blend into the imperial palace. He was like oil and water, unable to mix.

His support base was also minuscule,

and the Crown Prince lost his birth mother and had his arms and legs broken, yet he remained silent.

That dynamic was overturned in just five years.

The dethroned Crown Prince ascended to the throne.

“The princes and their forces have all been dealt with.”

From his dethroned position, he beheaded his half-siblings and relatives.

His coldness was so chilling that even those around him were driven to the edge.

“To think that even a country like this is called a country, and someone has to keep it alive, how ridiculous. If the founding king were to see the state of the country now, he would draw his sword from his grave and rush out.”

Benjamin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

Waiting to be dethroned was for the sake of justification.

Only when they all tried to strangle him,

could he drag the empress, the former emperor’s relatives, the Central Elders, and key ministers to the grave all at once.

Dealing with just one of them would be endless.

To get rid of them all, Benjamin had to bury himself in the grave

and wait for them to crawl in as well.

“What are you thinking about?”

“The tip of the sword feels unusually heavy.”

“Ah, it seems the blade has become dull. I’ll give you my sword. Now it’s time to wrap things up. Take a step forward.”

Benjamin moved his steps slowly. His footsteps were aloof, without any hint of haste.

“I will escort you to the Confinement Palace.”

The Confinement Palace was a place where imperial family members who committed crimes were temporarily confined and imprisoned.

It was all over.

Rosquella glanced at his lord.

His steps were monotonous. Not the slightest bit of disarray. Only a little blood splattered on his collar.

From the beginning, he maintained a neat appearance.

His jet-black hair swayed with each step he took.

“The Empress took poison on her own.”

“……”

“She had kept the poison with her.”

Empress Liliana took her own life.

Benjamin opened the door to the Confinement Palace.

A delicate female body lay on the floor.

“She’s dead.”

“I had clearly given instructions to keep her alive…”

“Who would have known she had poison hidden on her person?”

Liliana died just like that. She died very quietly. Her expression was also peaceful.

“Hic!”

The head court lady collapsed to the floor.

Looking down at the dazed head court lady, Benjamin asked,

“Is your master the one who died there?”

“Your… Your Majesty! I am a loyal servant of the imperial family, and the master of this palace is my master.”

Benjamin’s eyes closed quietly.

‘What are you doing! Burn the Empress Dowager’s corpse and hang it at the execution grounds!’

‘Keep a close watch on the Crown Prince. Make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish!’

‘Move the former emperor’s tomb. That damn old man keeps appearing in my dreams. He says the old man is crawling out of his grave!’

‘From now on, please listen carefully to my story. Even if you question this sinner’s sins, please listen to my story. Your Highness, be wary of the Empress. There is something about her. I couldn’t disobey. I had no choice but to obey.’

Benjamin was bored and a little tired.

The sharpened blade of the sword beheaded his enemies and his own hands.

As time passed, it felt like something was festering.

He used fear to bind people,

and the imperial subjects felt both reverence and rejection, respecting him yet keeping their distance.

There was a sense of distance that his existence brought.

-Thud.

A coffin containing the belongings of the executed criminals was placed in the audience hall.

Benjamin drove the nobles into a snake pit.

As if trying to see what he would throw into that coffin next.

“Will you remain as dogs of the dead or as humans? If you choose to remain as dogs, then remain as dogs. If you choose to remain as humans, then remain as humans. The choice is yours.”

[This is the timeline separator]

The dethroned Crown Prince ascended to the throne.

Killing his half-siblings and relatives.

[This is the timeline separator]

“I heard they are holding a memorial service in the capital.”

A memorial service to honor the souls of the deceased is being held in the imperial city.

“His Majesty will be attending in person.”

The maid said as she touched Charlotte’s hair.

Charlotte’s fingertips faltered. Did something like this happen in her previous life too? It’s the first time she’s hearing about a memorial service…

“The timing coincides with my mother’s death anniversary.”

“I will pray for her too.”

Charlotte took a deep breath. If her breath trembles, it means her heart is shaken.

She closed her eyes. Why are tears flowing when she hears that story?

As Charlotte was alone like that, someone knocked on the door.

“Ah, young lady!”

The maid urgently called for Charlotte.

“I can hear you, so you can lower your voice.”

“That’s not it…!”

The maid shook Charlotte’s shoulders.

“They’ve come to get you, Charl.”

Aster was standing there, looking down at Charlotte.

Leaning against the wall, Aster knocked on the door with the back of his hand, making his presence known.

It was a reunion after five years. A long wait and a long separation.

“Are you crying?”

“……”

“Who made you cry?”

Why is our child like this? Aster asked, but the maid had nothing to say either.

“What were you talking about?”

“Ah, we were just talking about how there will be a memorial service in the capital soon.”

“Now that the chaos has ended, the dead should be comforted.”

“The young lady seems to have a delicate side to her.”

Charlotte, who was shaken upon hearing about the memorial service, regained her composure as if nothing had happened.

The maid looked at her young lady thoughtfully and smiled.

“It seems you said you’ll be returning to the capital soon.”

“What should I do with this delicate child? Even at this age, a child is still a child.”

Charlotte felt a little dazed.

I’m still being called a child at this age.