Inside the brightly lit dining room that made it hard to believe it was night.

Alicia, seated at one end of the long table, was looking at the empty chair opposite her, waiting for its owner to arrive.

The mealtime had long passed and her wait had been just as long, but Alicia’s face was calm as if she were used to it.

“Has that person not arrived yet?”

“…I apologize, Your Majesty.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. It’s always like this.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Ignoring the attendant who bowed her head apologetically, Alicia picked up the water glass in front of her to wet her throat, then looked at the empty wine glass next to it.

The glass, still unfilled and reflecting the light of the dining room, seemed to warn her not to forget what she had to do today.

“I thought he would come on time at least today…”

“Pardon?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Alicia moistened her throat once more as if it were parching and set the water glass back on the table.

The Emperor of the Eregron Empire, the only one with noble blood.

If the nobles who value face more than life saw her, such an exalted person, sitting alone after sparing her precious time for someone, they would unanimously call for the other party to be punished for blasphemy.

But would anyone still make such a claim after hearing the name of the person she was waiting for?

Surely no one would, except perhaps that one person who planned today’s unpleasant event.

“His Grace Duke Killian Diaz-Craig has arrived.”

Alicia, who had been lost in thought recalling the face of the man who insisted they must carry out the task today, snapped back to attention at the news that the person she was waiting for had arrived and turned her gaze to the door.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No, not very long.”

“That’s good.”

There was no sincerity in the man’s voice as they exchanged greetings, as if an actor on stage reading from a script.

Alicia looked at the face of the man who bowed to her without the slightest hint of remorse before sitting down across from her, where she had been gazing until now.

Neatly combed short black hair, a handsome forehead below well-shaped eyebrows, long lush eyelashes that could belong to a woman, deep green eyes devoid of warmth beneath them, a straight nose, and firmly pressed lips.

He was a handsome man who instantly captured one’s gaze, but surrounded by an icy aura that made it impossible to approach carelessly.

Killian, Alicia’s husband and the Chancellor of the Empire.

“You seem to have been busy again today.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“…I see.”

Alicia knew that ‘today’ too, his lover had secretly visited his study.

And Killian surely knew that she was aware of this fact.

Since all the eyes and ears in this imperial palace belonged to him, he could have hidden it if he wished, but Killian did not.

He probably knew well that Alicia would pretend not to know even if he didn’t hide it.

Even if Alicia were to acknowledge it…

“The young lady of the Luise Count family…”

“Cheryl inherited the family title and became a count last year, Your Majesty.”

He would brush it off as if it were nothing, answering like this without a care.

Alicia looked at Killian, who continued speaking with an expressionless face, feeling a pain in her chest that she could never get used to.

“If it’s difficult to call her by name, it would be better to address her as Countess Luise according to protocol.”

And yet you casually call her by her name.

Alicia squeezed her eyes shut, barely swallowing the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue, then slowly opened her eyes with a bitter smile.

It was all her fault.

So who could she blame or resent?

“Shall I prepare the meal?”

The attendant’s attitude of seeking Killian’s permission despite the presence of the Empire’s Emperor showed intuitively where the power in this empire truly lay.

“Since Her Majesty invited me here, you should ask her.”

“Ah…! I apologize.”

Alicia waved her hand lightly at the attendant who now rushed over to bow deeply, realizing her mistake. Then she turned to Killian and spoke.

“You wouldn’t accept even if I offered a meal, would you?”

In the four years since their marriage, the two had shared a meal in the same place only three times.

And that was before Alicia ascended to the imperial throne.

She nodded lightly as she looked at Killian, who made no attempt to hide his wariness of her and gave no answer.

“Let’s have a meal next time… next time. Today I just wanted to have a drink with you.”

Will there even be a next time?

Though she knew she couldn’t promise a ‘next time’, Alicia still spoke of it as she waved lightly to the attendant.

As the table was filled at her signal, there was no conversation between the two.

They simply gazed into each other’s eyes, engaging in a battle of exploration to discern what the other was thinking.

Or rather, only Killian was conducting such an exploration, while Alicia was trying to engrave his face, her beloved husband’s face, in her eyes for as long as possible.

“You’re acting strange today.”

Killian spoke as he watched his wine glass being filled.

The maid filling the wine startled at his sudden words, but it was only for a moment. She quickly bowed her head and retreated, then approached Alicia to fill her glass.

“What’s strange?”

“Everything.”

As Killian said this with a gesture of his eyes, those standing by to serve quickly began to leave the dining room.

Among them, the maid who had filled their wine glasses looked at Alicia with an uncertain expression, but when Alicia nodded with a smile, she bit her lower lip as if holding back tears and followed the others.

Now in the dining room where only their breaths remained, Alicia slowly opened her mouth as she looked at Killian, whose eyes pressed her to speak the words she had prepared.

“Can’t you stop?”

“Stop what?”

“The war you’re preparing for now.”

“Do you think I would nod and agree if Your Majesty said so?”

“…No.”

Alicia knew such an answer would come.

But even though she knew this, as the Emperor of Eregron, it was a question she had to ask Killian at least once.

Alicia looked at Killian, who made no attempt to hide his fierce expression, and picked up her wine glass.

Now that she had asked the question she needed to, it was time for her to do what she had to do.

“I’m not suited to be Emperor.”

“…”

“If only my brother hadn’t suddenly passed away in an accident, I would never have even dreamed of it.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Everything was overwhelming, but thanks to you, I was able to at least pretend to be Emperor.”

“…”

“Thank you, Killian.”

This was sincere.

Although she was called a puppet of the Duke and an empty shell of an Emperor, it was all thanks to Killian that she had been able to endure until this moment.

“So let’s make a toast. For this Eregron that my foolish love has ruined.”

Alicia raised her glass to the air and drained it in one go with a smile.

This was a special drink prepared for today.

As she felt the strong alcohol, as special as its preparation, sliding down her throat, Alicia set the empty glass on the table and looked at Killian.

He hadn’t touched the wine glass prepared for him.

“Why aren’t you drinking?”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“Afraid I might have poisoned that wine?”

“Do you have the courage for that?”

Pfft.

Even as she watched Killian sneer at her, Alicia couldn’t get angry.

It wasn’t wrong, after all.

Nodding at his question, Alicia stood up and approached Killian.

“You’re right. I don’t have the courage to kill you. So… I’ll drink this instead.”

Alicia picked up Killian’s wine glass and downed it in one go again.

Killian’s eyes widened briefly in surprise at her action, then he furrowed his brow as he looked at the empty glass Alicia set down.

“What are you doing?”

“I knew you wouldn’t drink this wine. You never have… all these years.”

“What?”

Was it because of the strong alcohol? Or had the special properties of that wine begun to take effect?

Her insides felt burning hot and dizzy.

“Alicia!”

So this is what it feels like to burn and die from the inside.

As she collapsed, coughing up blood, Alicia looked up at Killian who held her in his arms, urgently calling her name.

Was he flustered? Seeing his deep green eyes wavering for the first time, she couldn’t help but smile even as she was dying.

“What have you done?”

“Killian…”

If you knew what I was thinking as I poisoned the wine prepared to celebrate our wedding anniversary… would you laugh at me for being foolish?

“…I regret…”

A man who never loved Alicia for a single moment from the first time they met until now as she dies coughing blood.

A venomous snake not satisfied even after killing her parents and siblings.

A puppeteer controlling an empty shell of an Emperor with strings.

A tyrant preparing for war, unsatisfied with what he has and grasping for more.

And… the man Alicia Craig loves, Killian Diaz.

“Every… moment… I held… you… in my heart…”

Unable to let go of her first love, she had prepared for this moment to die together, but unable to harm the one she loved with her own hands, Alicia chose to die alone.

No, she decided to escape through death.

“If… I’m given… another chance…”

If such a chance were given, she would run away with all her might.

So that her foolishness wouldn’t ruin everything once again.

“…I won’t… love you…”

So, Killian.

In this dying moment, my beloved whom I will probably long for and love even in death.

Let’s never… meet again.