It had been a while since they last met, but for some reason, Sinclair looked much more haggard than the last time.

“……”

In the reception room of the Crown Prince’s Palace.

Anelli, who was sitting face to face with Sinclair, briefly showed a puzzled expression at his unexpected appearance, then very carefully parted her lips.

“I came to tell you various things, but I’m not sure if it was an unnecessary visit.”

“What do you mean?”

“I apologize for saying this, but you look quite unwell.”

Sinclair did not reply to Anelli’s words. He only thought to himself. Yes, does my appearance look that miserable right now?

Since the day Elaina discovered the portrait, Sinclair had lost all light and had not slept or eaten. So perhaps it was only natural for Anelli to say such things.

“Never mind my condition, just say what you need to say.”

“……”

“As you said, you even requested an audience to come and see me… Isn’t it because you have something urgent to discuss?”

Despite telling her not to worry, the person speaking looked like he might collapse at any moment.

But since Sinclair said that, Anelli had nothing more to say. So she sipped the tea that had cooled enough to drink a few times, then slowly moved her lips.

“…I came to relay exactly what the child from the branch family said last time.”

“That you will help me.”

“To put it simply, yes.”

“To put it in a more complicated way?”

At Sinclair’s words, still cautious despite his appearance, Anelli smiled faintly.

“From now on, all the branch families, including myself, will pledge loyalty to Your Highness the Crown Prince, not Hister Butler. If you need private soldiers, we will support you. If you need resources and supplies, we will also support you with that.”

“So.”

“In return, I hope you can make a promise to me.”

Anelli’s voice suddenly became serious, and Sinclair reflexively twitched his eyebrows slightly.

The Anelli sitting in front of him had a completely different face from before.

The kindness and gentleness that were always felt at other times were nowhere to be seen. All that emanated from her face was anger, hatred, and a desperate desire for revenge.

“No matter what happens, drive out Hister Butler.”

“……”

“This is my only condition.”

“Is it because of Henry?”

For a moment, Anelli flinched.

“The reason you came to see me and made me promise like this.”

“…I can’t say it’s not. Your Highness is right.”

Yes, that’s right. Losing a loved one to Yuria’s forces was not just her experience. Anelli had also lost her beloved Henry.

“At first, I gathered a desperate amount of power to kill Yuria. Unfortunately, I did not know. That Your Highness would kill Yuria in broad daylight, and even in the Imperial Palace.”

“Are you blaming me now?”

“Of course not.”

Anelli laughed.

“Actually, what I wanted to do most was to kill Hister. Since Yuria killed my child so blatantly, I wouldn’t be satisfied unless I killed Yuria’s child, would I?”

“……”

“Of course, it’s a bit of a shame that Yuria can’t see that sight, but he’ll be watching from heaven. How his only son crumbles and how painfully he meets his death.”

Anelli’s desire for revenge, built up over a long time, was so deep and thick that there was no way to turn it back no matter what.

Except by killing Hister.

“Listening to what the person who came that time said, it seems that all the members of the branch families regard Anelli Haworth’s existence itself as an emperor.”

“I know very well what Your Highness is worried about.”

Anelli quickly continued.

“At first, I had thought about it. What if we enthrone a member of the branch family as the next emperor? Kill all the damned emperor’s bloodline and rewrite the history of the imperial family anew.”

Sinclair’s golden eyes, filled with wariness, shone sharply.

“But, I changed my mind.”

“Why?”

“In the first place, I didn’t really have a desire for power to rise to this position. My only driving force was just revenge.”

“……”

“I lived only with that thought. What kind of end should I make him meet to be the most miserable, painful, and agonizing? But can someone like me, who has only lived for that, dare to sprinkle ashes on a new emperor?”

From the beginning, Anelli had no great interest in imperial power. If she had been greedy, she would have started eroding the imperial family from the inside, not secretly building power behind the scenes as she had done until now.

“If Your Highness just punishes Hister Butler, the branch families will not dare to desire anything more, I swear. Even if we rise up, you know very well that we don’t even come close to half of the military force Your Highness possesses.”

Her words were true. Even if the branch families rebelled like that, there would be no major damage. Moreover, after becoming the emperor, even more so. It would be a bit chaotic for a while, but that would be it.

“Is that all you want?”

“……”

“I think it’s not just that.”

At Sinclair’s sharp question, Anelli regained her original expression, smiled kindly, and answered.

“Yes. This is all I wanted to say to Your Highness.”

The rest is not for you to hear, Sinclair…

An obstacle.

It’s something Crown Princess Elaina needs to hear.

“So, will you promise me? The things I just told you.”

“…I promise.”

Eventually, Sinclair spoke slowly in a low voice.

“I also wanted and wished for Hister Butler’s death, so I will handle it without any mistakes.”

“Then…”

“But you should know. If the branch families cross the line or make any remarks, my next prey will be the branch families themselves.”

“……”

“I think it’s your turn to answer now.”

“How could I refuse?”

Anelli answered with a smile, and Sinclair finally nodded as if he understood.

But even at that moment, Sinclair was still looking at Anelli with distrustful eyes. Anelli was also aware of that fact but did not show it.

* * *

The back garden of the Crown Prince’s Palace was utterly quiet.

Elaina’s face, sitting on the bench, was just blank. The warm sunlight was pouring down on her, but Elaina looked like someone who couldn’t feel such warmth at all.

“……”

Elaina, who had been sitting quietly as if her soul had left her body, suddenly let out a short groan.

Perhaps because she hadn’t eaten anything for the past few days, she felt as if the world was spinning before her eyes.

But if she collapsed like this, Judith and Anna would come running again with worry.

Although she didn’t want to worry them any further, her desire to be alone at the moment was greater, so Elaina held tightly onto the bench and endured with all her might.

After a while, the dizziness subsided, but the waves rising in Elaina’s heart seemed to have no intention of ceasing at all.

…Sinclair begged again and again.

Not to abandon him and leave.

The story Glen had told also remained vividly, ringing in Elaina’s ears and refusing to stop.

What do I really want to do?

She pitied Sinclair.

She hated Sinclair.

Thinking of Sinclair made her cry.

Thinking of Sinclair made her teeth chatter with the feeling of betrayal after being deceived all this time.

She didn’t want him to be sad, and at the same time, she wanted him to suffer.

Those emotions that kept mismatching and tormenting her like misaligned gears… Elaina couldn’t bear it.

[If I don’t leave, and you don’t end up as miserable as I was then… What meaning does that have for me?]

I want you to be as miserable as I was.

I want the sky to collapse and the earth to split apart at the fact that you were abandoned by me.

Now I…

Can’t trust you anymore.

[Now every moment with you… Will be nothing more and nothing less than pain for me.]

You, who always come in the guise of salvation and unfailingly only strangle my neck.

“……”

Transparent tears silently flowed down Elaina’s pale face.

Since learning of the whereabouts of Ren, whom she had resented, longed for, and hated so much, Elaina had not had a day without tears.

Ah, I wish I could just cry myself to death like this.

Then my pain would end, and your pain would never be tied up.

‘…No, is that really what I want?’

And then, it seemed like she heard someone’s voice.

Yes, you’ve always wanted that. For Ren to be as miserable as you.

Can you really accept Ren, Sinclair… who not only abandoned you, but also hid all the facts and drove you to the edge?

Based on which aspect of him?

Can you believe that the sincerity he has shown so far was truly sincere?

Someone was screaming inside her heart. She heard a mournful voice crying out.

It was Eli from the past.

At that voice that kept spitting out harsh words and shouting, Elaina closed her eyes tightly, leaning against the tree next to the bench.

“It seems that His Highness the Crown Prince is also unwell, so I was worried, but it appears that Her Highness the Crown Princess is the same.”

At the sudden presence and someone’s voice, Elaina reflexively opened her eyes.

“…Lady Anelli.”

And she looked at Anelli, who was smiling, with trembling eyes.