“There are rumors that Celiya assassinated His Majesty the Emperor.”

Gabriel said, lowering her body near Hariel.

At those words, Hariel’s expression instantly contorted.

“…What? Gabriel, is that true?”

“Yes, the rumors are already spreading through the streets.”

“That damn wench is finally determined to ruin our family!”

Unable to contain her anger, Hariel gripped the armrest of the sofa and fumed.

“Once a beggar rummaging through trash cans… Is this how she repays the kindness of raising her?”

She wrapped her arms around the furious Hariel’s wrist and whispered in a gentle tone.

“Mother, don’t be too angry. It doesn’t make sense that the ignorant Celiya could have killed the Emperor, does she? Given how thoroughly they search the body before entering the bedchamber, it must be an exaggerated rumor.”

Hariel frowned. She believed there was no way an unfounded rumor could spread to the distant viscounty from the capital.

“Gabriel, what if the rumor is true! That lowborn girl might have deliberately pushed our family into the fire pit, using our mistreatment of her as an excuse!”

“Mother.”

Gabriel cut off Hariel’s words sharply.

“When did we ever mistreat Celiya?”

Gabriel tilted her head with a look of incomprehension.

“To begin with, she’s not even blood-related, and it was Father who adopted her into the family when she was just a girl barely surviving by rummaging through trash in back alleys.”

Moreover, what kind of father would look at his adopted daughter with such eyes? Her brothers too. The way they looked at Celiya seemed no different from dogs in heat.

Whether Celiya had really killed the Emperor or not, Gabriel had no regrets about selling Celiya to the Emperor.

It was obvious that the family members who had been away from the mansion would cause a commotion when they returned, but since Celiya was in the imperial palace, there was nothing they could do.

“We’re ruined! If I had known that wench would kill the Emperor, I should have wrung her neck!”

Hariel cursed Celiya while tearing at her own hair.

Gabriel was a bit irritated with her mother for getting scared prematurely, but instead of showing her annoyance, she soothed her mother with gentle words.

“Mother, even if Celiya did kill His Majesty the Emperor, it won’t harm us.”

“Gabriel! What are you saying? Have you ever seen a family that opposed the Emperor remain unscathed? We might die. All because of that girl!”

Hariel, seemingly frustrated, pounded her own chest with her fist.

Gabriel frowned but smiled at Hariel as if nothing had happened and said,

“Don’t worry, Mother. After all, the real emperors are the three dukes.”

The three dukes who ruled vast territories and boasted immense power.

The three dukes were from long-standing families that had existed since Abelon was just a small country, and they were outstanding individuals lacking nothing in appearance or ability.

Ileon Gredrick with his excellent strategy, the magician Arthur Cervantes, and the Swordmaster Balt Portman.

Each of them was more emperor-like than the Emperor himself.

Gabriel spoke in a gentle voice.

“The Emperor was just a figurehead. The previous three dukes joined forces to install a mere shell as Emperor, knowing that if they got involved in a power struggle, their hard-earned reputation and status would crumble.”

Gabriel, who had sold her non-blood-related sister to that shell, leaned her body on Hariel’s shoulder and continued speaking.

“Mother, why don’t you look to higher places? Celiya killing the Emperor could be a good opportunity for us.”

“…A good opportunity?”

Gabriel wore a bright smile across her face.

“Exactly. Celiya is famous for her beauty, isn’t she? But the late Emperor didn’t have such a good reputation.”

Gabriel was right. The Emperor was incompetent and neglected the imperial palace, causing frequent complaints from the people.

“Just wait and see. There will surely be people who praise Celiya as a hero who saved the country.”

“…”

“Who knows? Maybe Celiya will even bring us to the imperial palace.”

Hariel looked at Gabriel as if she were a stranger. She knew Gabriel was more intelligent than her peers, but she didn’t know she was this well-versed in the workings of imperial power.

“Gabriel, you’re truly amazing! How can you be so smart?”

Gabriel smirked.

The reason she knew so much about imperial affairs that other noble young ladies didn’t was for none other than to obtain Dietrich.

Dietrich Calypso.

A man of great skill who had climbed up from the bottom to claim the title of duke.

Gabriel had accidentally encountered Dietrich on the street in front of the imperial palace when she visited the capital a few years ago.

The moment their eyes met, his indifferent red eyes, she vowed to make that man hers by any means necessary.

With eyes as indifferent as an unfathomable swamp, she thought he wouldn’t be swayed even by Celiya.

But there was no way Dietrich would meet Gabriel, who had no connection to him. Believing that he would only meet her if she proved useful, Gabriel studied everything she could about the imperial family.

Now, years later, she was knowledgeable enough about the imperial palace to converse with imperial officials.

She had attempted to meet Dietrich several times by bribing the gatekeeper, but he had never once agreed to see her.

So, Gabriel’s final measure was to send Celiya to the Emperor.

If Celiya entered the imperial palace, it would provide a good excuse for her to enter as well. It was killing two birds with one stone, as she could also see Celiya being depressed and miserable about her situation.

“…I didn’t know she had the courage to kill the Emperor though.”

Gabriel muttered softly.

Celiya may have assassinated the Emperor, but she won’t die. The countless men who adore her will never let her die.

* * *

In the deepest part of the underground prison of the imperial palace, in a cold cell, Celiya was recalling her conversation with Dietrich.

−How can you… use ability?

Her power didn’t work on Dietrich at all. Moreover, he seemed to know very well about the existence of abilities.

Celiya doubted her own ears. Because those who knew about abilities had all died ten years ago.

She hid her agitation and feigned ignorance.

−Ability? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

−…

Dietrich stared intently at the red handprint on Celiya’s neck. Under his piercing gaze, Celiya wondered if this man was going to choke her again.

Even after a long while, Dietrich did not take his eyes off Celiya’s neck. Feeling uncomfortable, Celiya gently covered her neck with one hand.

Then Dietrich grabbed Celiya’s hand and lowered his head to her nape.

Celiya thought that Dietrich, although her ability didn’t work on him, was no different from other men before her.

But Dietrich’s subsequent action was far from her expectations. He buried his face in her neck and sniffed like a dog.

The sensation of him rubbing against her skin while taking a deep breath momentarily left Celiya speechless.

But soon she pushed Dietrich away in panic. His solid body, which seemed immovable, surprisingly moved back easily at her touch.

Dietrich looked down at Celiya’s small head and blurted out.

−It’s not there.

−What?

What kind of man is this? Celiya stared at Dietrich with a displeased face. On the other hand, Dietrich’s face was utterly expressionless. It was hard to believe he had just done such a thing.

−Stay still, as if you’re dead.

With those words as his last, Dietrich got up. He walked out of the iron bars at a pace that was neither slow nor fast.

Clank!

As Dietrich locked the prison door, his and Celiya’s gazes met across the iron bars.

−What are you going to do with me?

Dietrich said nothing to Celiya’s question. He stared at her for a moment before turning his back.

Left alone, Celiya clenched and unclenched her hand.

It was the first time in her life that her ability didn’t work on a man.

Celiya leaned against the wall and glared angrily at the place where Dietrich had disappeared.

Celiya’s true identity was the last princess of the Shan Kingdom, which was destroyed by Abelon ten years ago and erased from the map. The Shan Kingdom’s royal family was born with abilities generation after generation, each person possessing a different ability.

From not very practical abilities like making plants grow well when singing, to being able to communicate with animals, the types were diverse.

Celiya was born with the ability to control people’s minds, the first in the history of the Shan dynasty.

Her ability was to emit the scent of hyacinth flowers, paralyzing all the senses of the target. Those who smelled the scent became fools who couldn’t hear anything said to them, nor could they feel pain or hurt.

When the hyacinth scent was removed, the target couldn’t even remember what had just happened.

However, this ability, which was not just great but perfect, had a fatal flaw… it only worked on males, and the more it was used, the more it ate away at her own lifespan.

The greatest tragedy was that Celiya possessed extraordinarily beautiful looks.

They say the world is relatively easier for beautiful people to live in, but well.

Celiya wondered what kind of fool would say such a thing.

Just then, a blood-tinged cough erupted from between Celiya’s teeth.

Celiya wiped her blood-stained mouth with the back of her hand and smiled self-deprecatingly.

‘About a year left of my lifespan, I guess.’

It’s not surprising that her body has reached its limit after using her ability so recklessly. People always tried to exploit her, and she used her ability without restraint to defend herself.

Countless men rushed to confess their love to her, but in Celiya’s eyes, they seemed like blind men with open eyes.

Don’t they realize how rotten they are inside, deceived by a seemingly glossy exterior?

Depending on others is a foolish thing. That’s why she killed the Emperor with her own hands.

If she had been afraid of the approaching death, she wouldn’t have used her ability so recklessly.

‘Those who knew about abilities were all supposed to be dead except for me…’

How does that man Dietrich know about the existence of abilities?