In an attempt to escape the king’s anger, Mary shifted the blame onto Jane.

Still, Jane was fine.

A life born, abandoned by parents, and living through various hardships.

In a poor neighborhood with no dreams or hopes, Mary reached out to Jane. She held Jane’s dirty hand, brought her to the royal palace, washed her, fed her, and dressed her in fine clothes.
That day, the moment Dierolf saw Mary’s smile in that poor neighborhood, he made up his mind to dedicate his life for her. Therefore, Jane shouting that all the sins were hers was acceptable.

As long as Mary is safe, my lovely princess can be at peace, and my life doesn’t matter at all.

“Jane, you don’t even deserve to stand trial. Immediately take this woman and execute her.”

Jane didn’t plead for her life.

The knights of the king, seizing Jane’s arms on both sides, pulled her away roughly.

Being dragged away, Jane briefly lifted her head.

She wanted to capture the princess who saved her from that ordeal in her eyes one last time.

Perhaps because the king’s anger was directed at Jane, Mary was smiling with a sense of relief.

When Jane’s eyes met Mary’s, Mary pursed her lips as if to apologize.

‘That’s enough.’

Jane thought.

‘If it wasn’t for the princess saving my life, I would have been grateful. Now, forget about being sorry for me and be happy.’

As soon as Jane disappeared from view, Mary turned to Dierolf.

“Father, there won’t be such incidents in the future. I’ll change all the maids. I’ll keep only the good daughters of noble families as maids who can help me, and I’ll live quietly. I was blinded by Jane and got carried away, and I regret it.”

Watching Mary plead, Dierolf remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“Mary, as a princess, you should set an example for the people by behaving properly. However, due to jealousy and greed, you tried to endanger all of Minas Aric.”

“Father, I just…”

“Lock the princess in the tower, feed her only bread and water twice a day.”

“Your Highness!”

The queen and the crown prince, standing by, shouted simultaneously.

Mary, unable to believe the words from Dierolf’s mouth, blinked her eyes with a blank expression.

The tower was in the center of the forest at the far end of the royal palace, where members of the royal family who committed serious crimes were confined.

The narrow circular building, after turning the stairs round and round, had only one room at the top.

The windowless room, without a royal decree, wouldn’t open. Except when meals came through the small hole below the door, it was a place where no one could have a conversation with someone else.

Usually, those imprisoned in the tower, unable to overcome loneliness and hunger, often committed suicide shortly after being locked up.

To confine Mary in such a place, the queen and the crown prince, who had maintained silence until now, had no choice but to scream like a scream.

“Oh, Father…!”

Mary, who belatedly came to her senses, knelt in front of Dierolf.

“Father, Your Highness, I didn’t do it. I just listened to Jane’s words… Well, I was wrong. I won’t do such a thing again. I’ll do well. I’ll go into the monastery. I’ll go there and help people.”

“Your Highness, please reconsider. It’s too fragile for the princess to stay in the tower.”
“Your Highness, Lady Rishi is also reflecting. Please grant forgiveness.”

The queen and the crown prince tried to intervene for Mary, but Dierolf’s stern expression did not soften.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, please… please forgive. Please… please don’t confine her to the tower. If not that, I’ll do anything. Father, please. I’ll do anything.”

“Anything? So, would you return to the Green Viscount and accept punishment from the Green Viscount?”

Mary couldn’t answer.

The tower was frightening, but Kay was even scarier.

Kay, dealing with someone who had harmed his wife, was not the Kay that Mary knew.

“The Green Viscount said so. Since he saved your life when you were young, he’s repaying you by sending you back. With this, the ties between the Green Viscount and our Minas Aric Kingdom are severed.”

“Father…”

“You have endangered our kingdom! Be grateful that it only ends with confinement in the tower.”

“Father, please…”

“What are you doing?! We can’t let the criminal who ruined this country go!”

The queen fainted.

The crown prince quickly supported his mother.

Only then did Mary realize that no matter how much she begged, she couldn’t avoid this punishment.

The pumpkin-colored pupils sank into the darkness of despair.

In that darkness, Mary found Rishi.

Rishi, in her usual posture with both hands neatly folded in front, was smiling arrogantly.

+++

Creed, February 2016.

Princess Mary Ketben of the Minas Aric Kingdom was confined to the tower.

Mary begged for days, cursed, and poured out curses, but after a few days, her energy waned, and she became quiet.

According to the knights who brought her meals, she was crouching in a corner, occasionally sobbing or murmuring something.

Although the queen, the crown prince, and several courtiers constantly pleaded for the princess’s forgiveness, King Dierolf Ketben coldly declared,

“The princess will never see the light again. Anyone who brings up the princess in front of me again will be executed on the spot!”

and coldly dismissed them. After that, public discussions about Princess Mary Ketben no longer took place.

Creed, April 2016.

A decree from the Gavizar Empire came to the Viscount Wittle Estate.

Britney had scolded her parents, but she was a clever girl who had avoided severe punishment.

The envoy who came to deliver the imperial decree was familiar with Glorben, but without exchanging eye contact, he quickly read the emperor’s letter.

Britney Wittle, affiliated with the Sacred Kingdom and providing significant assistance to the Gavizar Empire by colluding with a foreign princess, the Green Viscount family, and secretly engaging in transactions with Kurian, the chief aide to the crown prince, sought to harm the Green Viscount family. Additionally, Viscount Glorben Wittle was trying to interfere in the imperial affairs with clandestine transactions of wealth.
This is an act that should lead to execution as it shakes the foundation of the nation. However, due to the loyalty shown by the Wittle family through generations to the Gavizar Empire, the death penalty is avoided.

However, the noble title of Viscount Glorben Wittle is abolished, and he is demoted to a baron. The territory is confiscated, and a small piece of land in the western region is granted. If the territory is not sorted out and vacated within a month, it will be judged as dissent against the imperial decree, and appropriate punishment will be imposed.

Stripping a noble title.

Unless a rebellion is incited, it was a difficult occurrence.

If it were a powerful duke, they might refuse the imperial decree and raise an army, but the Wittle family did not have such strength.

“Your Majesty has been greatly angered, Duke Glorben. It would be wise to receive the imperial decree with gratitude.”

Facing Glorben, who remained silent, the envoy coldly spoke and then left the mansion.

Glorben, with wide-open eyes, continued to read the imperial letter left behind by the envoy.

“Hey, what on earth brought someone from the royal family here?”

The moment Duchess Denise Wittle entered the drawing room and asked.

“Brit…ugh!”

Glorben grabbed his throat, trembling, and with a gasping sound, he collapsed.

It was the final moment for Glorben Wittle, who, in his past life, pretended not to know his child, sold her, and caused her only pain until she suffered and died.