Celiya, who had been trained in dagger techniques by Dietrich all through dawn, fell asleep in a room filled with the smell of straw and floating dust, tightly holding the dagger to her chest.

Sunlight entering through the latticed window shone on the sleeping Celiya. She woke up to the touch of sunlight on her cheek.

The pattern of sunlight was embroidered on her retina, and soon the scene of the small room was captured in Celiya’s view.

It was a room with only an old bedside table and a sleeping place made of straw that could hardly be called a bed.

The room looked even shabbier now in the sunlight than it did at night. But Celiya did not dislike this place.

The horses, old and sick, yet once renowned steeds, confined to the stable, unable to die or run freely.

Next to them, in the adjoining quarters, herself – once a princess, now living with a hidden identity and numbered days.

Celiya thought her situation was not much different from that of the horses.

It was not self-pity. If it were, she would have been frustrated, not knowing what to do, and crying foolishly.

Like in those old days when she was forgiven for anything she did, when she was a tomboy princess.

She witnessed her father’s death and saw her kingdom’s people being murdered one after another. She used her ability, wearing out her body, but it was not enough to face the thousands and tens of thousands of soldiers pouring in.

Barely surviving, just running away.

The foolish princess who knew nothing of the world only realized how powerless she was after losing everything.

The reason she did not die honorably on the spot was because of her mother’s last words.

“Asha, you will always be the princess of the Shan Kingdom. Make sure to survive and go to the allied Inata Principality. The Prince there will take care of you.”

She rode for three days and nights to barely reach Inata. But what she saw upon arrival was the palace already turned to ashes and eagles pecking at corpses with nothing left but bones.

Celiya’s gaze, having lost its destination, stopped at one place. In front of the palace, a large flag was planted. The emblem on the flag was one she remembered seeing before.

The emblem of Abelon, with two white snakes on either side wrapping around a silver sword.

Abelon had finally destroyed even the allied Inata Principality.

Celiya slowly woke from the past. If she could only destroy Abelon, Celiya would sell her soul to the devil.

Not just her soul. She could give even this rotten, decaying body if they wanted it.

Celiya looked at the dagger Dietrich had given her. Certainly, the dagger techniques Dietrich had taught her all night seemed like they would be very helpful.

What his identity was, how he knew about her ability, none of that mattered anymore.

What mattered was destroying this Abelon. Celiya intended to use everything she could for this purpose.

“Using your ability will ruin your body.”

“You don’t have to do anything yourself, the Crown Prince will be dethroned. I’ll make sure of it.”

Celiya was not fooled by Dietrich’s kindness.

“Don’t go anywhere, stay well hidden here until I come back.”

Hiding is what those who have done wrong do.

If she ran away because she disliked becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine, what would change? It was clear that if she fled and was caught later, the situation would become even worse.

“…Ah.”

Celiya sighed briefly. She belatedly realized Dietrich’s thoughts.

‘He secretly brought me here from the Crown Prince’s chambers to make me have no choice but to rely on him.’

A considerable disappointment washed over her. She felt foolish for having harbored expectations for Dietrich even for a moment.

‘It’s not even funny. What did you expect from that insane man?’

Celiya put the dagger in her bosom with self-mockery.

“If you let your guard down, you’ll be torn apart without a single piece of flesh left.”

Ileon, that snake-like duke, was right.

Relying on others is foolish. Changing the situation ultimately depends on one’s own will.

Celiya flung open the closed door. The blazing sun poured over her entire body.

The Empress, Erphia, laughed ominously.

“So this really melts the face horribly even with just a small amount ingested.”

She had returned to her palace and was staring at a small vial with a black cap containing a transparent liquid for a long time.

However, the condition Ileon had set when handing over the vial bothered her greatly.

“May I prepare His Highness the Crown Prince’s coronation ceremony?”

A person who didn’t even attend the Emperor’s funeral wanted to personally prepare Jeremy’s coronation ceremony.

Despite being much younger than her, Ileon always had a smiling face, making it impossible to read what he was thinking.

‘What could he possibly do in my imperial palace?’

Although she was born as an illegitimate child, the blood of the late Duke Gredrick flowed in her veins, and Ileon was the direct descendant and current head of the Gredrick ducal family. Being from the same family, he wouldn’t harm her or Jeremy.

‘Besides, the Duke has often dirtied his hands on my behalf until now.’

Erphia shook her head, considering it unnecessary worry.

‘Now that I have the item in hand, I just need to feed it to that lowly Celiya.’

Because of Celiya, her relationship with Jeremy had soured.

Jeremy, who fell in love with Celiya at first sight, arbitrarily declared her as his concubine in the banquet hall.

He certainly wasn’t that stupid, but his judgment had become clouded, obsessed with one woman.

Erphia gnashed her teeth.

Once Celiya’s pretty face became hideous, Jeremy’s interest would soon turn to disgust.

The woman would be cast out immediately with her face horribly disfigured, and her son Jeremy would become Emperor.

She, who had been Empress, would become Empress Dowager and be able to fully control this vast imperial palace.

If that happened, she might even be able to have Dietrich, that rock-solid man who everyone covets but who seems uninterested in anything.

‘If he doesn’t listen to me, I can strip him of all his titles and imprison him.’

Imagining the perfect Dietrich prostrating at her feet and barking like a dog, Erphia felt a warmth in her lower abdomen.

Erphia immediately summoned one of her most cherished knights to her room.

“Ben, there’s something you need to do secretly for me.”

Ben, with a long scar on his left cheek, nodded slightly.

He had been claiming to be Erphia’s loyal servant unchanged since she had just become Empress until now.

Ben’s hair, once red, was now grizzled, proving the passage of time.

Erphia handed the poison to Ben and gave her order.

“Feed this to Celiya, that woman. You can mix it in her food or drinking water. You may use forceful means if necessary.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

“This matter is known only to you and me, so there must be no mistakes.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Ben bowed and withdrew.

Erphia looked at the closed door with a satisfied expression.

Now, all that was left was to wait.

“Where’s Celiya!”

Jeremy roared angrily.

The sensation of biting Celiya’s collarbone last night was still vivid, but perhaps because he had drunk too much wine, he had fallen asleep as if passing out.

When he woke up, he was alone sprawled on the bed floor.

At Jeremy’s angry shout, the maids and knights outside rushed into his chambers.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“Celiya, my concubine has disappeared. She was definitely in my chambers last night.”

The maids and knights looked at each other nervously and swallowed dry saliva.

They had been guarding the palace all night without even getting a wink of sleep, but they had no memory of seeing Celiya come out.

Moreover, the Crown Prince’s chambers were on the third floor. It didn’t make sense for a person to suddenly disappear.

Unless she jumped out the window.

A knight furrowed his brow and offered an opinion.

“Perhaps, she might be under the bed or somewhere in the room, Your Highness.”

“That’s impossible. I’ve already searched the entire room.”

Jeremy roughly ruffled his hair, seemingly anxious.

His head was pounding as if it would split from the strong wine he had drunk last night.

Recalling Celiya’s figure leaving the banquet hall with Ileon without looking back, his anger surged.

Jeremy muttered softly.

“As if that thing could run away.”

Instead of being obedient and just receiving affection as his concubine should, why was she trying to slip away like sand through his fingers?

He recalled the scene of men at the banquet eyeing Celiya.

The flower that he found beautiful was beautiful in the eyes of others too.

A heartrending beauty that seemed about to break at any moment, an alluring yet sublime atmosphere.

Jeremy felt his throat burning as if he wanted to possess Celiya right away.

What was wrong with the most outstanding male wanting to possess the most beautiful female?

‘When I become Emperor, I should get rid of the three dukes that bother me first. Along with that bastard Dietrich.’

How dare he try to sit above the Emperor’s head when he’s not even royalty.

Jeremy issued orders to his subordinates who were watching his mood.

“Find my concubine immediately. She couldn’t have gone far, so deploy people throughout the imperial palace. No, first search Dietrich’s mansion thoroughly!”

The knights and maids moved quickly at Jeremy’s command.

Jeremy lay down on the bed alone, trying to quell his anger.

How much time had passed since then?

Knock knock.

Jeremy raised his head at the sound of knocking.

“…Your Highness, I’ve come on behalf of Her Majesty the Empress.”

The deep, resonant voice was one Jeremy knew.

It was Ben, his mother’s closest guard knight. Jeremy opened his mouth with an expression that didn’t hide his disappointment.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Ben entered the room. Ben was holding something in his hand.

“What did mother say when she sent you? And what’s that you’re holding?”

Ben placed the object on the bedside table.

With a thud, the identity of the object was revealed. A letter and a bottle of honey water came into Jeremy’s view.

“Her Majesty has been thinking all day about not being able to attend Your Highness’s birthday banquet. As soon as she heard that you had drunk a lot of wine, she ordered me to deliver honey water and a letter.”

Jeremy was momentarily lost in memories.

On days after he had drunk heavily, his mother would always send honey water for him, just like today.

The precious honey water, which she said was sent directly from her family home, the Gredrick ducal house, was very sweet and very effective for hangovers.

Their relationship had soured when he said he would take Celiya as his concubine and his mother strongly opposed it, but mother was still mother after all.

The letter contained Erphia’s neat handwriting, apologizing for not attending the banquet and suggesting they have tea time as soon as he felt better after drinking the honey water.

“In this situation, only mother worries about me after all.”

Jeremy chuckled and drank the honey water without any suspicion.

Not leaving a single drop.