Enzo said that once a year, on a designated day, he would allow the use of the gate for those with confirmed identities if they paid part of the cost of the magic stones used to operate the gate.

Those who cheered at this were wealthy merchants and financially well-off nobles.

Among the nobles, there were devout believers and those seeking magical knowledge.

As soon as the compromise was proposed, it progressed quickly and was set for the near future and announced.

Enzo announced that he would select the participants and divide the cost according to their number.

“It will be crowded with nobles, since it’s the first time.”

“Yes. I hear everyone is heading to the imperial palace as soon as the newspaper with the article circulates.”

Erina, who was reading the rest of the newspaper while conversing with Terik, spoke to him upon seeing a part of the announced content.

“His Majesty has limited the recruitment of participants to 3 days, anticipating the crowd.”

“Does the Count intend to participate?”

Erina put down the newspaper she was holding and pondered for a moment.

Sandes informed that after the diplomatic corps banquet, a palace servant saw Rose meeting with Headton.

It was clear that Rose knew about the existence of the Small Kingdom Alliance and approached them.

With everything different from before her regression and the prophecies she knew misaligned, Rose was trying to choose her last remaining option.

Erina had a feeling that everything would suddenly progress.

“I’ll participate.”

It seemed she needed to meet and talk with Laharta and Tarshan.

“Understood.”

“Please discreetly inform the Jabel County and Borbom Marquis families that I wish to participate and meet with them.”

Erina had told Sandes that she wanted to buy any communication artifacts he had in his possession.

Thinking she needed a means to secretly contact Sereni and Cony, she informed him of everything and requested his help.

Thanks to Sandes collecting as many artifacts as possible that were circulating in the market as soon as the magic stone mine was discovered, he could gladly accept Erina’s request.

She thought it would be best to meet secretly at the temple or tower to convey the message, as there were many eyes watching the Jabel County and Borbom Marquis families.

“I’ll relay it right away.”

As Terik answered and was about to leave, Erina called him.

“Brother Terik.”

Terik couldn’t raise his head at Erina’s call and only stared at his own feet.

Erina, unable to contain her concern about Terik’s expression that seemed darker than usual throughout their conversation, called out to him.

“I’m sorry.”

Terik apologized to her without looking at Erina.

Erina asked him, who couldn’t even look her in the eye as he apologized.

“For what?”

“For wishing you to forgive such people.”

Erina looked at the beautiful clouds drifting in the sky beyond the large window on one side of the office and said.

“You shouldn’t worry about it anymore either.”

Terik, unsure if he could keep her words, moved his lips but couldn’t answer.

He wondered if there would ever come a day when he could stop worrying about it.

Their existence might remain like an unwanted spot imprinted for the rest of his life, uncomfortably surfacing throughout his days.

Although they weren’t blood-related, they were the people who had made him who he was until now.

But the words that followed made Terik waver inevitably.

“I wish you wouldn’t hurt anymore and would be happy.”

Erina understood him.

She knew better than anyone the feeling of having her hope shattered, the hope that she might have occupied even a tiny corner in their hearts.

That’s why she wanted to tell him this.

To live happily for himself, not for anyone else.

Terik raised his head and met Erina’s gaze, who was looking at him.

The gloomy child he had known had already risen from her seat and was shining alone.

She sparkled so brilliantly that it was almost too dazzling to look at directly.

Erina once again reached out her hand to him, just like the day they met again.

Even though she wasn’t the only one in pain, even though Erina’s pain might be beyond what he could fathom, she comforted him like this.

Terik quietly answered, trying to hide his welling emotions.

“…I will.”

He couldn’t completely let go of their existence that remained like remnants, but he could shake off a little.

With a lighter heart, Terik gave a faint smile to Erina, who was smiling at him.

[This is the timeline separator]

A few days after Enzo’s announcement through the article, the first gate opening day arrived.

Despite not being a founding day celebration or a national event, the imperial palace was bustling with various people.

The nobles gathered to use the gate were guided by knights from the palace entrance to the hastily prepared gate plaza.

Those gathered with faces full of expectation were busy conversing in groups with their acquaintances.

Rose, who quietly entered the palace, rubbed her wrist as she saw as many people gathered as at a palace banquet.

The green silk gloves matching her dark green dress were long enough to cover up to her elbows.

Rose bit the inside of her mouth, swallowing curses at the gloves that grew longer with each passing day.

When she should be proudly displaying her beauty, she had to wear stifling gloves even in warm weather due to her arms full of scars.

Strangely, everything displeased her on this day.

All of this that these people cheered and enjoyed should have been because of her, but they were all busy praising Erina.

As days passed and she learned more about the prophecies, Rose felt an increasingly vicious murderous intent towards Erina.

She wanted to silence all the mouths around her that prattled on about Erina, not knowing her true feelings.

Rose was busy rubbing her gloves covering her itchy and burning skin, trying not to reveal her bubbling emotions.

At that moment, someone approached Rose.

It was a woman with dark teal hair meticulously pinned up.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Asila. I am Cony Jabel.”

Rose, realizing she was the Countess Jabel, was busy examining her to discern her true intentions while returning the greeting.

Cony took one step closer to Rose and whispered very quietly.

“I come from Trumto, my Queen.”

At this, Rose’s eyes widened.

Rose scrutinized Cony again upon hearing her words.

She realized that the teal hair without a single flyaway resembled that of the second prince of Trumto who had approached her without fear.

However, she seemed a bit different from the second prince who had acted foolishly, not knowing his place.

The Cony before her resembled more the advisor who had shown reverence to her than the dimwitted, rampaging second prince.

“I am here to guide you to easily find the Sage of the Tower.”

Rose liked Cony, who showed an appropriate attitude considering others’ eyes while speaking in an extremely polite manner.

“It is an honor to serve you.”

Rose’s toes tingled, intoxicated by the base sense of victory at having gained the perfect obedience that Erina lacked.

“You said Trumto?”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“I like that.”

Cony lowered her eyes instead of bowing her head, conscious of their surroundings.

Rose marveled at her political acumen.

She liked Cony, who showed her loyalty through actions right before her eyes, more than her father who had promised to help her to the best of his ability, or Peiron who dragged his feet while claiming he would offer even his heart.

While Rose and Cony maintained an outward appearance that anyone would see as a normal conversation between a countess and a count’s daughter, Erina entered the plaza.

With Erina’s appearance, the surroundings began to stir.

The owner of the magic stone mine, the bearer of the middle name, one under imperial protection, the possessor of immense wealth.

The words used to refer to Erina in the conversations heard haphazardly were diverse.

Rose, watching Erina from afar, felt as if her insides were about to turn over.

She could hardly believe that Erina’s future, which should have been reduced to that of a mere villainess awaiting a miserable death, had been switched with her own.

She could not comprehend why that woman had everything when she herself was the rightful owner of the magic stone mine and the one who should be receiving the love of the imperial family.

Rose was tormented, unable to understand what had gone wrong or where it had started to go wrong.

Her briefly joyful mood sank infinitely, and she felt as if the wounds inside her gloves were raging once again.

As Erina entered the plaza, the imperial 5th knight order escorting her followed in a line.

The notable nobles of the empire were desperate to speak to her, and Erina accepted it all as if it were natural.

Cony stood beside Rose, quietly observing the inferiority complex coloring her eyes.

Cony’s pitch-black eyes flashed fiercely before settling.

Erina, who had briefly observed Cony and Rose standing side by side from a distance, quickly averted her gaze.

As Erina greeted the approaching nobles and took her place in front of the gate, a servant standing at the entrance of the plaza shouted in a loud voice.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor enters!”

At this, the nobles who had been conversing in small groups bowed towards Enzo as he entered the plaza and shouted.

“We greet His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!”

As Enzo stood before the gate, the nobles raised their heads to look at him.

Enzo made eye contact with those present who had paid no small sum to cross the gate.

Wondering if there might be remnants of the Small Kingdom Alliance hidden among them, Enzo exchanged glances with those he had arranged to join in advance.

Finally, nodding as he met Erina’s eyes, Enzo spoke.

“Rejoicing that we can once again stand before the gate in God’s blessing, I hereby designate this day as the annual Gate Opening Day until the last day that blessings remain with the empire.”

People cheered at Enzo’s words, promising to open the gate every year as long as the magic stone mine was maintained.

The gate was immediately activated, and a mysterious purple membrane took its place in the gate that had previously existed only as an outline.