Thousands of weap*ns were shattered into pieces.

The metal fragments, which could no longer be called weap*ns, glistened as they fell to the ground mixed with rainwater.

The continuing strange phenomena were clearly not on the emperor’s side. Rather, they interfered with everything the emperor tried to do.

Of course, it wasn’t just interference.

Leticia intended to shatter the emperor’s intangible authority.

The wealth and armies of the imperial family, such material things, were essentially possessed by other nobles as well.

Had there really been no one wealthier than the Herta imperial family in the past 300 years, or anyone with a stronger army?

Being strong and wealthy was natural. To become an imperial family, more was needed.

Namely, legitimacy to the throne.

When people asked, ‘Why are you the emperor?’ the Herta imperial family offered the legend of the founding Herta as an answer, and that had been accepted by the continent until now.

And Leticia planned to eliminate the halo of the founding Herta that the emperor had borrowed today.

She intended to make everyone in the capital know that as of today, the mythical founding Herta from 300 years ago had abandoned the ‘Herta imperial family.’

The Herta imperial family had already been exposed for losing their golden eyes.

While rain fell throughout the capital, not a single drop of water was allowed on the burning palace.

The weap*ns held by the emperor’s soldiers shattered at the touch of raindrops.

But this wasn’t enough. She needed to make it clearer that the founding Herta had abandoned the Herta imperial family.

For this purpose, Leticia could use the founding Herta as much as needed.

For instance, even the tomb of the founding Herta, of which not even a corpse remained.

Leticia closed her eyes.

An enormous amount of water poured from the sky with a thunderous sound.

Everyone could see it because the burning palace illuminated the night as bright as day.

The sight of water pouring from the sky like a waterfall onto one spot in the capital.

…!

It was like a river flowing from the sky to the ground.

People were speechless at the tremendous sight.

Finally, the water pouring from the sky stopped.

Rain was still falling throughout the capital, but at least that tremendous downpour had ended.

Those who had been overwhelmed by the sight gradually managed to speak.

“What is… No, where is that place?”

“…That area is, well.”

“Where the tomb is…”

The place where the Herta imperial family’s cemetery was located.

At that moment, the roof of the burning palace crashed to the ground. Those who fled in a hurry with screams each climbed into carriages or onto horses.

Raindrops still fell everywhere in sight, but as if cursed, rain still refused to fall on the palace alone.

That fact was etched distinctly in people’s minds.

***

It was a massive lake.

“Hahaha, insane…”

Colin unconsciously muttered at Leticia’s magic that had turned the entire imperial cemetery into a huge lake.

“I should never cross her…”

Though he had no such intention, somehow he felt he would be more respectful in Leticia’s presence.

Behind Colin, who was the first to arrive at the lake with a carriage, nobles arrived one by one.

Even commoners who came to see what was happening mixed in, and despite the dark night, the surroundings were bright with the lamps they carried.

Those who saw the Herta imperial cemetery turned into a deep lake were all at a loss for words. The surroundings gradually filled with more people.

No one left. They just stared blankly at the lake.

As dawn slowly broke after the night, the rain gradually subsided.

The gradually brightening massive lake was incomparably beautiful.

Colin, who had privately thought Astrid’s plan was childish when he first heard it, now watched with his mouth open at what was happening in the lake.

In the middle of the lake, a human figure was formed with transparent water.

It was a beautiful man with long hair. The founding Herta, still depicted in portraits and known to all.

He quietly looked around.

After a moment, transparent water crowns appeared above the heads of nine people among the many standing at the lakeshore.

The imperial crowns that appeared on the nine heads of high noble families who had previously negotiated with Leticia reflected the dawn light for a while before disappearing like mist.

Now they could legitimately claim their share of the imperial throne. Because everyone here was a witness.

They were already people who possessed wealth and power. And now, they had also gained a miracle to wrap themselves in.

‘The emperor would probably want to die if he knew about all this.’

Just as Colin thought that, Astrid jumped out of the carriage he had been guarding.

“I leave the rest to you!”

With those words, Astrid, who had been diligently controlling water to create the recent miracle, mounted a horse.

Colin didn’t even ask where she was going.

She’s going to Leticia, where else would she go?

The reason Colin was stationed here in the first place was because they had insisted they needed to go to Leticia as soon as their work was done.

Colin sighed.

And before that sigh ended, he was pounced on by a woman who came running from afar as if flying.

The woman who climbed on top of Colin, completely soaked from the rain, grabbed his collar and shook him while shouting.

“Moreta territory! Contact them at maximum speed! Tell them to occupy the military city next to our territory immediately!”

The eyes of the Marchioness of Moreta were blazing with ambition.

“First come, first served.”

Colin replied, trembling.

“The, the order…!”

He was afraid to boldly take out the order document tucked in her skirt, and even more afraid to tear it in half when she said it was too large to carry.

Colin knocked on the carriage with trembling hands.

“Master Eckle, please move to Moreta territory…”

The century-old grand magician, who had already transcended contemplations about ‘Why am I doing this?’ and was smiling serenely, received the order.

It was nothing short of chaos.

***

The flames had now burned down to the palace’s skeleton. With a creaking sound, the ceiling tilted to one side.

Amid the flames that had now approached quite close, Leticia just stared blankly out the window where rain was falling.

The city was as noisy as daylight.

The murmuring sounds from outside, the crackling sound of flames burning wood as they drew closer, and the ominous sound of the ceiling collapsing and pillars breaking.

When she closed her eyes, it felt just like going back ten years.

To that fire ten years ago, when she lost the family she had first made.

At that time, Leticia was right behind the stage where the fire broke out. She still clearly remembered what her older sisters and brothers had said as they poured what little water they had on her.

“Get outside, Leti!”

“Run!”

“Go quickly, hurry…”

She quietly closed her eyes and ruminated on the repeating memories of that day.

Who first took her hand and ran, who picked her up, who pushed her back, who gave up escaping first, who…

The memories slowly rewound.

Leticia thought about the past of those faces that had been desperately contorted in the final moment.

Laughing or crying, passionately showing off on stage, quietly reading scripts…

Whenever she recalled her old family, Leticia always muttered apologies. It felt necessary. She always had to apologize for surviving alone.

Knowing that these words would never reach them, and even if they did, they wouldn’t want such apologies.

Leticia ruminated on her regret for them one last time. It was the end of ten years of apology.

“Thank you.”

From now on, when good things happened, when joyful things occurred, when she felt glad to have survived.

Leticia planned to say thank you instead of sorry.

So that remembering them would no longer be painful.

“Thank you for loving me. I loved you too. Very, very much.”