“So this is how you’re going to play it, Isabella. I didn’t expect that.”

She truly hadn’t.

Whenever she was with Lesta, Isabella was vicious and struggled to keep her emotions under control.

At the Imperial Palace, however, she played the part of the perfectly refined young lady flawlessly.

But whenever her patience was pushed to its limit…

Her true nature always surfaced.

“I thought you’d resort to poison or send assassins.”

“You’re cleverer than I gave you credit for.”

Anyone convicted of treason was sentenced to death, regardless of their social standing.

At least nobles had the right to a trial.

However, Serena’s family had already fallen from grace, and she had no surviving relatives.

Under normal circumstances…

She should have been executed by now.

“So the verdict hasn’t been handed down yet?”

“Not as of the last report I received.”

“And since we still haven’t heard anything, that means they’re keeping her alive.”

The Emperor must have had his reasons for sparing Serena.

No matter how fiercely the Crown Prince defended her, treason was not a crime that could easily be forgiven.

Lesta closed her eyes.

In an instant, countless possibilities formed in her mind as she considered how Serena’s treasonous arrest could be exploited.

A moment later, she opened her eyes.

“So that’s why Richard Blackwood has been so quiet all this time. He’s planning to tie Serena to House Sunray.”

“Tie House Sunray to this?”

Eldrian had been trying not to interrupt their conversation.

But the moment House Sunray was mentioned, he could no longer remain silent.

Lesta answered without hiding anything.

“Young Duke.”

“I joined forces with the Crown Prince and placed one of my own people at his side.”

“That person is Serena Eilune, the Crown Prince’s current lover.”

Eldrian was utterly stunned.

‘She joined hands with the Crown Prince?’

‘She planted someone beside him?’

‘When…’

“I’ve been very busy all this time. I had to find the right people and put them in the right places. I couldn’t have done it without Nell—without Nestor’s help. That’s why it angers me whenever Leonel treats Nestor so disrespectfully.”

Lesta frowned for a brief moment before composing herself.

“This isn’t the most important issue for you, Young Duke, so I’ll get straight to the point. I intended to use Serena to manipulate Isabella. Along with Dominic, Isabella—the Crown Prince’s fiancée—is one of Duke Blackwood’s most valuable pieces. If both Dominic and Isabella begin to show cracks, Duke Blackwood’s attention will naturally shift toward protecting his children. It’s much easier to deal with someone whose focus has narrowed.”

She let out a quiet sigh.

“But Isabella proved to be far more patient than I expected. I was arrogant. I never imagined she would go so far as to frame Serena for treason.”

“…”

“Officially, Serena is the daughter of a fallen noble house. Her parents and siblings are all dead, leaving her completely alone. The Emperor would never believe that a woman with no family, no influence, and no power could have planned a rebellion on her own. Blackwood must have taken the Emperor’s suspicions and turned them into a raging fire.”

“And that fire is directed at House Sunray?”

“Yes.”

“The Emperor would never be swayed by Duke Blackwood’s words alone.”

“If Richard Blackwood were speaking for himself, perhaps not. But he prefers to put others forward instead of acting directly. That way, if something goes wrong, he can always distance himself.”

“So… there’s a traitor among us?”

“Not necessarily within House Sunray. It could be someone from the Imperial faction—one of the noble houses loyal to the Emperor. Or perhaps it isn’t outright betrayal. It may simply be someone trying to stir up a little trouble out of personal ambition.”

Eldrian rubbed both hands over his face before speaking.

“First, Lesta… what Leonel did to Nestor matters to me as well. I’m truly sorry. If you want, I’ll drag him here and make him kneel before Nestor and apologize.”

Lesta’s eyes widened.

She hadn’t realized he had taken the incident so seriously.

Nestor, meanwhile, shot Eldrian a look of obvious displeasure.

Neither Lesta nor Eldrian paid him any mind.

“And as for the other matter… being implicated in treason is a far more serious problem. The best outcome is for this to pass without incident. But if things unfold the way you predict, Lesta, and House Sunray is drawn into the charge of treason…”

Their house would not fall.

But the Emperor’s suspicion would weaken House Sunray’s influence.

And if the leading house of the Imperial faction was pushed aside…

There was no need to imagine what would happen next.

“House Blackwood will devour the Empire. Whether Dominic is truly a hero or not… it won’t matter anymore.”

Lesta smiled faintly.

“Treason is indeed a very serious matter. But it won’t come to that. I didn’t send Serena into the Imperial Palace without making preparations.”

She rose to her feet.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in the ducal capital, Young Duke. But I’m returning to the capital now. Depending on how things unfold, I may need your help. Will you come with me?”

***

Nestor followed Lesta into her room.

The moment he stepped inside, his brow furrowed. The room looked exactly like the bedchamber of a noble young lady.

“So this is where you’ve been staying. It’s awfully extravagant.”

“It’s beautiful. I like it. It’s comfortable.”

“And the nightmares?”

“They’re still there… but it’s still better.”

Lesta knelt beside the large travel bag she had carelessly tossed into the corner and began packing her belongings.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to clear the Emperor’s suspicions and save Serena.”

“You’re taking the harder path. It would be much simpler to kill him.”

“Who? The Emperor?”

“The Crown Prince is already on your side. If the Emperor dies and the Crown Prince ascends the throne before Isabella becomes Crown Princess, the problem disappears. Isabella will never become Empress, and Dominic can be driven out of the Imperial Palace.”

“And then House Blackwood will start a war.”

“If you join forces with the Crown Prince after he becomes Emperor, dealing with House Blackwood won’t be difficult. Countless mercenary companies would answer your call.”

Lesta picked up the silver-masked doll she had barely looked at since arriving there, placed it carefully into her bag, and stared at it for a long moment.

“A war would cost countless lives.”

“Since when did you start caring about something like that?”

“I watched the play today. It was a play about me. The audience was cheering for me… and it felt nice.”

“…They weren’t cheering for you. They were cheering for the actress who played you.”

“I know. Even so… it still felt like they were cheering for me. I don’t want those people to be hurt. I don’t want them to die.”

“You’ve grown soft. A dull blade can’t cut anyone.”

A faint smile touched Lesta’s lips.

“Maybe. But I can still crush my enemies with the flat of my blade.”

As she reached to finish packing the doll, Nestor suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Lesta looked up.

Meeting her eyes, he spoke with grave seriousness.

“The longer this drags on, the shorter your life will become.”

Lesta held his crimson gaze silently before lowering her eyes.

He was right.

Her power was not limitless.

Each time she summoned the power of the Evil God etched into her body, her life grew shorter.

She could feel the mark silently devouring her soul.

There had once been a time when she had wondered why the Evil God had done nothing.

It should have claimed her soul instead of Dominic’s.

But now…

She understood.

The Evil God was simply waiting for her thirst for vengeance to consume her completely.

Because once that happened…

Her soul would still belong to it.

If she abandoned her quest for revenge…

If she lived quietly…

If she never used the Evil God’s power again, she might live a little longer.

She might live a little longer.

But what would be the point of that?

Those who still had their paradise wanted to stay there and live happily ever after.

Lesta’s paradise had been shattered.

Burned to ashes.

Erased.

Cast out of the ruins of her paradise, all Lesta wanted was for those who had destroyed it to suffer.

One day, she would also be cast beyond it.

She wanted them to stand before the paradise they had reduced to ashes.

To despair.

To scream.

To experience the same hopelessness.

She no longer cared if the Evil God gnawed away at her soul or devoured it whole.

As long as she could hear those people crying out from beyond the paradise they had destroyed, she would be content.

She wouldn’t mind dying the very next moment.

“I’ll worry about my own lifespan, Nell. I’ll make sure I live long enough to watch House Blackwood weep. So don’t worry.”

***

The Crown Prince, Asterion, found himself in a very difficult situation.

Serena, who was known among the nobility as his lover, had been arrested on treason charges.

The Emperor refused to grant Asterion an audience.

The only person willing to meet with him was the Empress, who greeted him with a worried expression.

“Restrain yourself, Your Highness. Now is the time to keep your head down.”

Asterion knew she was right.

He had become the Crown Prince without facing any opposition simply because he had been born to the Empress.

But until one actually ascended the Imperial Throne…

No one could know what fate had in store.

And even after becoming Emperor, there would always be those waiting for a chance to seize the throne.

No ruler could ever afford to let down their guard.

That was why the Emperor had become so deeply suspicious of everyone around him.

The previous Emperor had been no different.

Nor the Emperor before him.

Each had ruled with constant suspicion.

And now…

The first person Asterion found himself doubting was Lesta.

‘Had she planned all of this from the very beginning…?’

‘Did she deliberately place Serena by my side…?’

‘Was this all part of a scheme to implicate me in a charge of treason?’