The Emperor sensed that the Crown Prince’s marriage would become a lifelong task at the founding ball.

While conversing with the Duke of Heinz’s daughter, who had come as a potential match for the Crown Prince, Resban entered the ballroom.

A fishy blood scent spread through the ballroom as he entered without wiping off the blood splattered on his armor.

The Duke of Heinz’s daughter began trembling as soon as she saw the Crown Prince.

“I, I, I…… Your Highness……”

The Emperor was inwardly flustered, and angry that the Crown Prince had deliberately appeared in this attire, but calmly received Resban’s greeting.

“I’ve just returned from the battlefield, and didn’t have time to change.”

But the air in the ballroom quickly chilled at Resban’s blatant lie.

“I presume this lady is my fiancée.”

She seemed unable to regain her composure in the face of Resban’s imposing presence.

The war-crazed Crown Prince she had only heard of was more horrific than she had imagined.

As rumored, his face was indeed so handsome it could be called the most beautiful in the empire without exaggeration, but that blood-covered armor would be an object of terror no matter who wore it.

“Ah… something felt cumbersome.”

Resban frowned slightly and pulled something out from between the blood-soaked armor plates, tossing it to the floor.

“This seems to have been stuck.”

With a plop, what fell was a blood-covered finger.

“Kyaaaah!!!”

Screams from the House of Heinz echoed through the ballroom, startled by the finger that had fallen right in front of her shoe.

And with eyes wide open, she fainted and collapsed on the spot.

After that incident, the Duke of Heinz pleaded, sweating profusely, to break off the engagement.

He appealed that his daughter’s mental and physical health was weak, and she had been on the brink of death for days, saying his daughter was not fit to continue the imperial lineage.

The engagement was broken off, and the position of Crown Princess candidate remained vacant.

Rumors circulated in social circles about noble ladies who had their throats slit by the Crown Prince while pursuing him, though it was obvious who had spread such rumors.

It was said that when young ladies misbehaved, their parents would threaten to ‘marry them off to the war-crazed Crown Prince’.

The Emperor had hoped to at least bring in a captive woman as a lover, but even this smallest of wishes went unfulfilled.

A woman who had already been married once was out of the question as a Crown Princess.

In normal circumstances, that is.

However, from the Emperor’s observation, Esika Klaus, no, the woman called Esika Klaus was the first female the Crown Prince had shown interest in.

If he had known the Crown Prince would remain unmarried until now, he would not have signed the marriage permission request submitted by House Klaus in the past.

Though her marital history was certainly a flaw, the Emperor had no choice.

For the Crown Prince to be thirty years old, unmarried, and without children was unacceptable.

The Emperor knew he did not have much time left.

**

“……”

Esika walked through the palace corridor with a dazed expression.

“I intend to make you the Crown Princess.”

The Emperor’s words were buzzing around in her head.

She couldn’t have imagined the Emperor would say such a thing to her.

Common sense dictated that if Resban appeared with a divorced woman claiming her as his lover, he would be criticized first.

It had only been a month since she divorced Duke Klaus.

Yet suddenly, Crown Princess?

‘Is he trying to test me?’

Esika frowned, deep in thought.

But the Emperor did not look at Esika’s reaction as if it were a test.

Without waiting for Esika’s answer, the Emperor dismissed her saying, “Well then, I’ll see you next time”… and Esika was walking in shock from the unexpected proposal.

One thing was clear – she needed to talk to Resban about this.

He had told Esika, who was furious over Sela’s death, to use him.

For revenge against the Empress.

Certainly, to catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger’s den.

Esika’s thoughts turned to Resban.

But for things to progress this easily… was unexpected.

“How rude.”

It was then.

A cold voice was heard. That voice was familiar from somewhere.

Suddenly, it seemed like the sound of water dripping in a cave echoed in her ears.

Esika turned around.

There was a woman in an elaborate dress with a skinny body.

With her brown hair tied up and brown eyes, she looked to be about the same age as Riona.

Six women who appeared to be ladies-in-waiting and maids followed behind her, indicating her high status.

“…How dare you walk in front of the Empress.”

The woman who stopped right in front of Esika spoke.

Her brown eyes were filled with obvious contempt and coldness.

Mariela Lucein, Empress of Turecian. Mother of the Second Prince Brayton.

And Callian’s aunt, Sela’s enemy, in her past life… the Empress Dowager and her enemy.

“Kneel.”

Esika opened her mouth while maintaining eye contact with the Empress.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

A very clear voice flowed from her lips.

Esika slowly knelt down to the floor without taking her eyes off the Empress.

‘…It was you.’

She could see the Empress’s face looking down at her.

She looked exactly like the Empress Dowager from her past life. Just as she had immediately recognized Callian as the Emperor’s reincarnation, there was no mistaking that face.

The owner of the voice muttering like a prayer in the cave, and the hand that stabbed a knife close to her heart, even the familiar yet unpleasant scent.

Even though she couldn’t see, she could vaguely sense who she was.

“The Emperor and that wench are not a good match. How can you ask such a lowly body to receive noble seed? That wench is truly a vixen.”

In her past life, the Empress Dowager had killed the fetus in the spirit’s womb, caused bloodshed by sowing discord with other women, and ultimately massacred all of her family.

In this life too, she was desperate to kill Esika, and with hands full of malice, she had killed Sela.

Having finished her revenge on the husband who abandoned her, now revenge on this ugly soul remained.

“What is your name?”

The Empress asked, looking down at her.

Esika smiled coldly and said,

“Don’t you… already know?”

At Esika’s question, the tip of the Empress’s fine eyebrow twitched.

Though she was kneeling, to the Empress, it felt as if Esika was looking down on her with her legs crossed.

Accomplice of the war maniac, minion of the devil, witch, rat that should be caught and killed.

Esika could tell from her eyes alone that the Empress’s thoughts about her were wrapped in curses.

“Why would I know your name?”

“That’s because…”

Esika said with a faint smile.

“You must have seen me at the wedding with Callian Klaus. Aunt.”

Esika was not naive enough to openly show hostility in a place with so many women watching.

Even if she said, ‘You tried to kill me,’ who would believe those words?

The palace was her domain, and Esika knew this well.

“…How inappropriate.”

The Empress twisted her lips in displeasure.

“A woman who discarded her husband like an old shoe, calling me aunt. Hah.”

At the Empress’s words, Esika said with a faint smile,

“It was merely… a mutual divorce. For various reasons.”

“……”

Everyone in high society knew that the reason for the divorce was Klaus’s unilateral fault.

It was known that Esika had endured and been patient through many things before that.

“We’ve recently redecorated the Klaus mansion. I believe it’s where Your Majesty grew up as well. Why don’t you visit sometime to reminisce?”

Esika countered her hostility with kindness.

The ladies-in-waiting and maids watching this scene would judge that the former Lady Klaus had greater magnanimity compared to the petty Empress taking out her anger for divorcing her nephew.

“……”

Flames of contempt blazed in the Empress’s brown eyes.

Though Esika’s voice was bright, the hostility in her eyes was something only the person meeting her gaze could see.

Cunning thing.

She had heard about Esika from Yuri Anesis.

How vulgar and ill-bred a child she was, and how stupid and completely unsuited for Klaus.

But that she had been possessed by a strange evil spirit and completely changed.

The Empress withdrew her contemptuous gaze and moved her feet, leaving Esika kneeling.

Her ladies-in-waiting and maids followed behind.

After they disappeared, Esika, who had been sitting alone, slowly rose to her feet.

**

“Esika.”

As Esika was about to get into the carriage, a low voice was heard.

Esika stopped and turned around.

The wind blew, and his black hair fluttered gently.

The Crown Prince’s uniform decorated with the imperial family’s crest in gold thread, and countless medals of merit from numerous wars.

In his cool eyes, distinct golden eyes, Esika was reflected.

Esika turned her foot that was about to step into the carriage and looked at him.

Her lips parted.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

His figure with the palace in the sunset behind him was radiant.

He reached out and cupped Esika’s cheek.

His eyebrows were furrowed as if angry, and he seemed to be checking if there were any injuries.

That came before asking what had happened.

A smile formed on Esika’s lips without her realizing.

“…Why are you smiling?”

Resban asked stiffly, looking at her face.

Esika shook her head as if she had no intention of answering.

And instead opened her mouth.

Her tone was quite serious, unlike the smile from earlier.

“Just…”

Resban’s eyebrows twitched at Esika’s next words.

“…because I’m happy.”

The war that was approaching right before her eyes.