Yesterday, the high priest who recited the funeral prayer for the royal family was now placing the imperial crown on Ileon’s head.

Moreover, on the day of his coronation, Ileon appeared with his long hair cut short.

With his long hair cut, the gentle sage image disappeared without a trace, leaving only a sharp-featured handsome man.

Celiya watched the scene before her with a complex and subtle expression.

“O eternal glory and shining sun of Abelon. I bestow upon you the imperial crown, along with the name of Basilisk.”

The kindly-looking high priest placed the golden crown adorned with various jewels on Ileon’s head while giving his blessing.

“May God’s blessing and grace always be with Your Majesty. May there be no hardships or adversities on your path. Even if there are, may you overcome everything with bright and brilliant wisdom. May only brilliance be before the new sun.”

After blessing Ileon, the high priest knelt on both knees on the ground.

“As a servant of God, I pay homage to the new Emperor, His Majesty Ileon Gredrik Basilisk.”

Starting with the high priest’s kneeling, everyone attending the coronation knelt on the ground and paid homage to Ileon, the new emperor.

However, one person.

Only Celiya did not kneel on the ground or pay homage.

People looked at Celiya with puzzled faces, but she sat still in her seat with her back straight.

One of those kneeling on the ground was about to rebuke Celiya for being disrespectful, but before that, a slow voice flowed from Ileon’s mouth.

“Does Lady Celiya have any complaints about me becoming emperor?”

Ileon, now emperor, no longer spoke politely to Celiya.

The gazes of many people turned towards Celiya.

Celiya clenched her fists tightly. If she used her ability in front of so many people, it might not even reach Ileon and she might immediately cough up blood.

Never had she resented her terminally ill body as much as today.

“I asked if you have any complaints.”

Though the voice was slow, it carried weight.

Celiya found it laughable.

He was a very prepared emperor.

The first reason was that he had ascended to the throne the day after the royal family’s funeral, as if he had been waiting for this moment from the beginning, and the second reason was the look in his eyes, looking down at her who did not pay homage as if she were an ant.

“Is this what you meant by ‘interesting’ when you spoke to me yesterday?”

Everyone present looked shocked at Celiya’s retort.

Only Ileon, who heard that question, was staring at Celiya with a face tinged with plain amusement.

“And if it is?”

Ileon rested his chin on one hand as he observed Celiya’s reaction.

“Then I will take my leave now. It’s less interesting than I thought.”

With those words, Celiya tried to escape the suffocating coronation.

Ileon’s subordinates tried to forcibly stop Celiya, but Ileon raised one hand to stop them.

“Leave her be. Nothing will change just because one person leaves.”

Celiya thought things had gone terribly wrong.

Precisely, it seemed to be from the moment Ileon arrived at the imperial palace.

Ileon, who had disfigured people’s faces without a shred of guilt, now even seized the throne.

It seemed like everything was going according to his plan.

During the coronation, someone next to her was so moved they even shed tears.

“Long live the new Emperor!”

Celiya felt her mind becoming completely dazed at the sight of everyone being collectively mesmerized.

In fact, there was a separate reason why Celiya ended up attending the coronation.

Right before the coronation, Ileon had thrown Dietrich in prison, holding him responsible for failing to protect the royal family.

Ileon left a note on Celiya’s room table saying he would release Dietrich from prison if she came to where he was now.

Before Celiya could even think about how Ileon had invaded the mansion and the authenticity of the note, there was a knock on the door.

Knock knock.

−It’s an order to attend without fail.

When Celiya didn’t open the door, Ileon’s knights forcibly broke in.

−There will be disadvantages if you don’t come.

They seemed ready to drag her forcibly if she didn’t move.

At the point where Ileon’s knights entered Dietrich’s mansion without hesitation, Celiya thought that the contents of the note about him being imprisoned might be true.

Worried about Dietrich, Celiya followed Ileon’s knights somewhere.

She didn’t know it would be Ileon’s coronation.

Celiya couldn’t understand Ileon, nor did she want to.

If Ileon didn’t keep his promise, she intended to use her ability to steal the key and release Dietrich from prison. Her body would be a bit damaged, but.

As Celiya was contemplating whether to go to the prison or return to Dietrich’s mansion, she noticed something strange.

‘Dietrich isn’t the type to be imprisoned so easily. Does he have some intention?’

It didn’t make sense that Dietrich would be imprisoned so easily.

Celiya carefully considered what she might have missed.

“What are you doing, wandering around?”

At that moment, a huge shadow fell over her.

Because of the rumor that men who became involved with her died, men usually only glanced at her and rarely spoke to her.

Celiya looked up to see the owner of the shadow.

The man with tanned skin and bulging muscles was Balt.

“Aren’t you going to the coronation?”

“Why would I go there? I don’t want to see that bastard Ileon anymore.”

Celiya felt puzzled that Ileon and Balt didn’t seem very close.

“Weren’t you two close?”

“……What’s close about it. It just looks that way because we’re both dukes.”

Balt clicked his tongue and looked at Celiya.

“Come to think of it, you.”

Balt’s dark gray eyes shone brightly.

“Where did you leave your lover?”

“……Pardon?”

“You’re dating Dietrich, right? Why are you wandering around alone?”

Celiya blinked several times. She didn’t expect the act of being fake lovers to reach this person’s ears.

“Have you seen where Dietrich went by any chance? Duke Gredrik said that Dietrich was imprisoned.”

Celiya lowered her eyelids awkwardly, trying to probe Balt.

“Dietrich? Imprisoned? He’s not in prison right now?”

Balt raised his eyebrows as if to say what on earth are you talking about.

“Then where is he? Duke Gredrik clearly said that Dietrich was imprisoned……”

“Hey, is he the kind of guy who would be imprisoned? He’s a guy with swordsmanship skills similar to mine.”

“……”

“You, you’ve been deceived. By that snake-like bastard. Obviously, that snake-like bastard lied to you when Dietrich was away for a moment.”

Balt made an “ehyu” sound.

“Go to the mansion. He’s probably looking for you like a madman by now.”

“……”

“Hey hey, speak of the devil, there he comes.”

Balt pointed behind Celiya’s back. When she turned her head to follow, Dietrich was indeed walking hurriedly towards Celiya.

“You, if you had gone to prison believing Ileon’s words, it would have been big trouble. Pay me back for this debt next time.”

With those words, Balt disappeared like the wind.

Dietrich glared at the spot where Balt had disappeared, then turned his gaze to Celiya and said.

“Why did you leave the mansion on your own?”

“……”

“How worried I was.”

Worried?

Celiya thought Dietrich’s words were very strange.

If he had really been worried about her, he shouldn’t have caused her worry.

If he had at least told her in advance where he was going.

If he had, she wouldn’t have had to see Ileon’s coronation or worry about how to get Dietrich out of prison.

“You’re the one who didn’t tell me where you were going first.”

Celiya said, looking at Dietrich with a calm face.

“Don’t pretend to worry about me now when you didn’t tell me first.”

“Do you know why I left?”

“How would I know? You didn’t tell me anything.”

Celiya was a little annoyed. She had believed Dietrich’s words and only thought that the three dukes were her enemies.

She thought her former fiancé wouldn’t deceive her.

But that thought itself was a trap.

She began to think that Dietrich himself might be lying to her.

There was no proper token of engagement, so there was no way to confirm whether he was really her former fiancé or not.

In fact, she even had the absurd thought that maybe the emperor she killed was really her enemy, and Dietrich was doing this to her to avenge that emperor.

“Come to the mansion. I have something important to tell you.”

Celiya looked at Dietrich with a displeased face.

Once they arrived at the mansion, a deep silence fell between them.

When Dietrich showed no signs of speaking even after a long while, Celiya had no choice but to break the silence first.

“What did you want to say?”

Dietrich slowly closed and opened his eyes as if organizing his thoughts.

“You probably know that Ileon became emperor this time.”

When Celiya nodded, Dietrich continued.

“This morning, he gave me two choices. Either abandon you, or go to the battlefield and return after achieving merit.”

“……”

Celiya thought Dietrich would obviously choose the former.

To him, she was just a collaborator, nothing more, nothing less.

“I chose neither. I won’t abandon you, nor do I want to go to the battlefield and return with merit for the sake of this Abelon.”

Celiya didn’t know why Dietrich made such a choice.

“Do you know what he said then?”

Celiya shook her head.

“He said he would make you empress.”

“……”

Celiya couldn’t say anything. She had no idea what to say.

“When I objected, he presented another option.”

“……What option?”

“He said to offer my body whenever his younger sister wants it.”