There was quite a distance from Dietrich’s mansion to the Empress’s palace.

As the palace grounds were so vast, it was inevitable to encounter palace people on the way.

The gardeners trimming the lush tree branches, the chattering maids, all stopped what they were doing and stared at one place.

“!”

It was a very rare sight.

The man with jet-black hair had an impeccably beautiful face.

The smooth forehead, sharply defined nose bridge, firmly set jaw, and lips that seemed unable to smile gave an impression beyond indifference, almost ascetic at first glance.

His broad back and rock-solid build were so dependable one would want to jump into his arms right away.

It was Dietrich.

There were no maids working in the palace who did not admire Dietrich. But he was truly impartial in that he showed interest in no one.

True to the rumors of being the Emperor’s mad dog, he only stayed by the Emperor’s side.

Even when standing guard at palace banquets, despite numerous noble ladies showing interest in Dietrich, he would keep his mouth firmly shut.

It was a famous anecdote that Ileon’s younger sister had shown interest in Dietrich and been harshly rejected. Thus, he never allowed anyone close, even if they were from one of the three ducal families.

The handful of maids serving Dietrich were women born blind, abandoned by their families.

There was even a foolish woman who stabbed her own eyes, thinking she might be hired if she couldn’t see. Of course, Dietrich did not hire such a woman.

That Dietrich was now walking, matching his pace to a woman.

People could hardly believe the sight before their eyes. Their gazes naturally shifted to the slender woman beside Dietrich.

She was wearing a dull, rustic gray dress that contrasted with the golden palace.

Under the breaking sunlight, Celiya’s long silver hair fluttered gently in the breeze.

Her snow-white, transparent cheeks had faint dimples, and the delicate eyelashes like butterfly wings opened and closed to reveal vibrant green eyes, a beauty almost unearthly.

Though they had never seen her before, they immediately realized this woman was the one called the Angel of Brillian, the criminal who had been imprisoned for the crime of attempting to assassinate the Emperor.

The saying “clothes make the man” was wrong. Any clothes looked like wings when worn by an angel.

Even those who had scoffed at the rumors stared blankly at Celiya.

She assassinated the Emperor with that fragile body that looked like it might break at any moment? The unbelievable rumors they had dismissed as nonsense from outside the palace might actually be true.

Outside, there were rumors circulating that Celiya had been framed by someone who wanted to kill the Emperor, and that she hadn’t actually assassinated him.

A stunningly beautiful woman caught up in the whirlpool of palace intrigue.

But why was that woman walking side by side with Dietrich?

It was Dietrich of all people.

The woman bearing the crime of attempting to assassinate the Emperor and the Emperor’s mad dog.

While people looked at them uncomprehendingly, they thought the two made a strikingly good match.

Because both of them were unrealistically beautiful.

The men harbored lustful thoughts looking at Celiya, while the women stared at her with eyes mixed with envy, jealousy, and spite.

The men stared at Dietrich with eyes mixed with envy, jealousy, and spite, while the women thought they would have no regrets if they could be held in Dietrich’s arms.

“Why are Duke Calypso and that woman together?”

“…I heard from a friend who works in the Empress’s palace that Her Majesty the Empress summoned that woman separately.”

“My goodness. She was released without any charges despite committing the crime of assassinating the Emperor?”

“I don’t know either. But she really is doll-like pretty.”

The maids lowered their voices as they sent curious glances.

“But what kind of conversation are the two of them having?”

Though the maid lowered her voice as much as possible, Dietrich heard it very clearly, perhaps due to his sharp hearing. Dietrich looked down at Celiya with a dry expression.

“Why don’t you walk a little faster?”

“…Are you bragging about your long legs? Can’t you at least hold my hand?”

Celiya held out one hand. The pale hand extended before him was much smaller than Dietrich’s. Seeing this, Dietrich’s brow furrowed.

A memory he had momentarily forgotten came back. Those were the same hands that had grabbed his face as he tried to pull away, not letting go.

Recalling her happily smiling face as she sucked fiercely enough to make his lips tingle, a sense of displeasure welled up.

“…”

Dietrich did not take Celiya’s hand. Instead, he silently began to walk ahead.

“Follow me. If you don’t want to get lost.”

“!”

Dietrich was already far ahead. His legs were so long that Celiya was overwhelmed just trying to keep up with him.

Dietrich, having returned to his normal stride, was too fast. He was clearly walking, but why was he so quick?

Celiya started running to catch up to Dietrich. She ran until she was out of breath and barely managed to catch up to him. The broad back stopped in front of a large palace looked so hateful.

“Bastard.”

Celiya muttered a small curse at his back. At this, the corners of Dietrich’s mouth lifted in what seemed like a mocking smile.

The knights guarding the Empress’s palace froze in place, as they had never seen Dietrich smile before, even if it was a sneer.

Dietrich was almost always expressionless. He was so consistently blank-faced that there were even rumors among the knights that he might actually be devoid of emotions.

But the hint of a smile on Dietrich’s face was gone when they blinked. The knights tilted their heads, wondering if they had seen wrong.

Soon, a maid came out of the Empress’s palace.

“Duke Calypso, Her Majesty the Empress is waiting in the reception room. I will guide you.”

Dietrich and Celiya followed the maid.

The maid stopped in front of a large room. In the center of the golden door were red rubies studded all over. Celiya thought those red rubies somehow resembled the color of Dietrich’s eyes.

“Your Majesty, I have brought Duke Calypso and the criminal.”

“Enter.”

As the maid opened the door, the figure of a woman sitting on a plush sofa came into view.

The Empress, with her luxurious blonde hair and purple eyes, looked younger than her middle age, perhaps due to good care. But the traces of time were clearly visible in the wrinkles around her eyes and the nasolabial folds.

The Empress’s expression immediately hardened upon seeing Celiya standing next to Dietrich, but she quickly put on a faint smile as if nothing had happened.

“So you are that criminal.”

Celiya instinctively realized that the Empress disliked her very, very much.

“I called you here because I was curious if you were as beautiful as the rumors said…”

The Empress’s gaze scrutinized Celiya from head to toe. The beautiful woman with long silver hair like stars were sewn into it, white and soft skin, and fresh green eyes could indeed be called everyone’s first love.

Celiya was extremely beautiful. She seemed to radiate light from her entire body. However, no matter how beautiful Celiya was, the fact that she was a criminal would not change.

Even if she had escaped from prison with the help of numerous men, she would forever live as the criminal who assassinated the Emperor.

The Empress herself would make sure of that.

The Empress raised one corner of her mouth, openly sneering at Celiya.

“Seeing you like this, all those rumors about angels and first loves must have been exaggerated.”

“…”

“You’re utterly ordinary. I don’t know what men are lacking to be so blinded by a not-so-pretty criminal… Tsk tsk.”

Celiya agreed with the Empress’s words. In fact, Celiya herself had thought the same. It had been that way since she was young.

Even when Celiya was a princess of the Shan Kingdom, there were those who coveted her. There were even those who tried to do something to her when she wasn’t even 10 years old, which was truly horrific.

Once, when Celiya complained to her mother the Queen in frustration, she gave a surprisingly odd answer.

− Asha, it’s because you’re too beautiful.

Asha was Celiya’s nickname as a princess. Celiya’s real name was Anastasia.

− Mother, is it okay to covet someone just because they’re beautiful? Do you know what happened just this morning? My Popo, of all things!

Popo was the name of the parrot Celiya raised. Celiya was very fond of the red-feathered parrot that often imitated her words.

She was so fond of it that she always took Popo with her even when going out.

The fact that the lovely youngest princess cherished the red parrot given by her father the King as a birthday present was known to everyone in the kingdom.

But one morning, Popo suddenly started shouting strange words she had never taught it.

− Princess Asha loves blue eyes! Loves blue eyes!

For a moment, it felt like her heart had sunk.

Since Celiya always carried Popo with her, the people who could approach Popo were extremely limited.

Except for her guard knights and maids, she didn’t let anyone touch Popo, so the culprit was quickly caught.

The culprit was Dylan, her guard knight. Dylan had blue eyes.

Celiya could hardly believe that it was her guard knight, of all people, who had done such a thing, when he used to chase away other men who approached her.

Dylan was very quiet and did his job very well.

Thinking he was different from the men who used to cast lustful glances at her, Celiya had entrusted Popo to Dylan without worry, never imagining he would do such a thing behind her back.

Because of this incident, Dylan was dismissed from his position as guard knight, but Popo kept saying:

− Princess Asha loves blue eyes! Loves blue eyes!

It endlessly repeated the words Dylan had taught.

Seeing Celiya depressed, her mother stroked her hair and said:

− …Don’t worry. Someday your true mate who will protect you will appear.

Celiya pouted and replied:

− Mother, what if my mate is weaker than me? Yesterday, Father taught me how to use a dagger, and he said I have more talent than expected.

− What, he taught you that?

− Ah, Father said it was a secret.

− How dangerous! Teaching such things to a child!

Her mother fussed, checking Celiya’s hands. Seeing there were no wounds on Celiya’s hands, her mother let go and added:

− Remember. Your mate will protect you. From all dangers that threaten you.

Her mother spoke as if certain. With sparkling green eyes inherited from her, she spoke words that would never come true.

As Celiya had expected, her mother’s words did not come true.

The peaceful kingdom was reduced to ashes by the accursed Abelon, her kind mother and father were beheaded, and she was still the object of men’s desires.

Celiya killed the Emperor entirely by her ‘own’ power.

When the kingdom fell, she hid her identity and squeezed into the luggage compartment to enter Abelon.

Just as she was getting used to life in the back alleys, she was adopted by the Brillian family, endured all hardships until entering the imperial palace, and persevered alone all this time for revenge.

Even if the ‘mate’ her mother had spoken of miraculously appeared now, when her body was in tatters and she had become terminally ill, Celiya would decline.

Recalling old memories, Celiya’s mood plummeted.

Celiya lowered her gaze to hide from the Empress’s view and concealed her emotions. Dietrich was quietly observing Celiya as she stared at the floor with a cold face and distorted lips.

Following Dietrich’s gaze, the Empress bit the soft flesh inside her mouth. The Empress put on a fake smile and dismissed Dietrich.

“You may leave now. I have something to say to this criminal alone.”