“What about Leonhardt?”

Fred hesitated briefly at Gustav’s question before answering.

“He seemed too agitated, so I escorted him to his chambers.”

The water was already spilled.

If something couldn’t be undone, the best course was to prevent it from spreading further. The real concern was if the boy tried to visit Daphne in some misguided attempt to fix what Barbara had done.

Gustav issued his command with chilling coldness.

“Lock that door too. Don’t open it until I give permission.”

“Yes, understood.”

Fred bowed stiffly before turning away.

Gustav cradled his head in his hands, which felt as though it might split apart. He was weary.

No, he was exhausted.

Born as the second son, he had surpassed his older brother to become Duke. And until now, he had raced endlessly for power.

Barbara had been the catalyst for this way of life.

“Perhaps it’s time to bring this to an end?” he muttered like a groan.

⁕⁕⁕

Two days later, Barbara’s fever broke and she regained consciousness.

It was when a maid brought thin soup that Fred entered her chambers with several servants.

“Duchess, His Grace has ordered that you be moved to the annex immediately.”

“W-what are you saying?”

“I’ve merely received orders. I have nothing more to tell you.”

With those words, he gestured to the servants.

They quickly began packing her belongings. Unable to understand what was happening, Barbara could only stare blankly.

But something was odd about what the servants were gathering. They only packed nightclothes and basic necessities. Her elaborate dresses, accessories, and jewels remained untouched in their places.

“Why only those things? That necklace is my most treasured piece. And that one too.”

“That’s not allowed.”

“What?”

“His Grace’s orders. Nothing beyond the basics is permitted.”

Barbara’s face contorted upon hearing Fred’s words.

But there was no consideration shown. Fred seated the sobbing Barbara in a chair.

“No! Let go! This is my chamber. Everything here belongs to me!”

As she struggled, Fred nodded coldly. The servants quickly tied her arms and legs to the chair.

Barbara was carried to the annex while bound. She screamed the entire way.

“Leon! Please save me. Oh, my son! Please……”

But no one came to her rescue, even as they secured a sturdy lock on the annex’s main door.

⁕⁕⁕

The next day, Daphne received a summons to the imperial palace.

She boarded her carriage after dressing elaborately. The Emperor loved pretty things, despite not having bathed for days herself.

‘Has she heard about the broken engagement? That’s unexpected.’

The Emperor was a figurehead. There was even a joke that she was the last person in the Empire to learn any news.

So it had to be one of two things: either news of the broken engagement had spread remarkably fast, or she had acquired a new source of information.

The chief chamberlain smiled broadly upon seeing Daphne and opened the audience chamber doors. As she entered, the Emperor leapt from the throne and rushed toward her.

“My smile, my sun!”

A thirteen-year-old girl jumped into Daphne’s arms and nuzzled her face.

Olivia Schwiers was one of the former Emperor’s numerous children.

The former Emperor had been extremely cruel.

He produced many children and made them compete against each other. It was his own method of ensuring the crown went to the most capable one.

Yet he grew jealous of the crown prince, his most brilliant child, and eliminated him with his own hands.

That wasn’t all.

Whenever the Empress, imperial consorts, and his countless concubines engaged in power struggles, he would interfere and eliminate them. As a result, only two of the former Emperor’s women remained alive.

In that terrifying palace, Olivia was born to a lady-in-waiting from a minor noble family and lived her entire life keeping a low profile. She had been so inconspicuous that some people thought she was dead.

Her famous anecdote was that she had left the palace for the first time in her life for the coronation ceremony.

Thanks to her thoroughly submissive approach, she became the only surviving child amid the fierce palace intrigue. That’s how she ascended to the throne.

Though she became emperor for such an absurd reason, the girl was quite clever.

She would smile sweetly one moment and fly into a rage the next, keeping others off-balance. While pretending to be young and innocent, she often made penetrating remarks that exposed others’ true intentions.

But the seasoned political veterans who dealt directly with the Emperor were not easily fooled. Given her youth, they simply endured her long, sharp barbs.

Smiling while delivering venom.

In short, the young tyrant was far from harmless. With Werner firmly supporting her, no one dared to treat her carelessly.

At least for now.

⁕⁕⁕

The Emperor loved pretty things. She was obsessed with jewels and adored anything bright and sparkling.

That’s why Daphne was the only person she truly cherished. She gave her the embarrassing nickname “Sunshine Smile” and summoned her to the palace at every opportunity.

People even joked that if the Emperor had been male, she would have long since made Daphne her empress.

She lifted her head and caressed Daphne’s face.

“Poor thing. How much did it hurt your heart?”

The Emperor’s eyebrows drooped. Her voice carried deep sympathy. However, her sparkling eyes suggested she was thoroughly enjoying the situation.

“Your Majesty, a ruler’s virtue is making even falsehoods appear as truth.”

“Hehe, was it that obvious?”

“Are you that pleased?”

Instead of answering, she smiled, gently closing her green eyes.

The Emperor naturally despised the noble faction and found Gustav particularly troublesome. And she loathed Leonhardt.

Not because he was Gustav’s son, but because he was Daphne’s fiancé. Perhaps she would have felt similarly toward anyone who became her spouse.

But that wasn’t all. It was because of how he treated Daphne with indifference. At the same time, she was upset seeing her always being kind and yielding to him.

And now this pathetic man had acquired some insignificant lover and been dumped by Daphne.

“It feels like having a painful tooth finally pulled out.”

The Emperor scrutinized Daphne’s face carefully before commanding:

“Smile for me.”

Daphne smirked as if finding it absurd, then broke into a radiant smile. The Emperor gazed at her in rapture and murmured:

“To dare cheat on you… I should have Leonhardt killed.”

“That wouldn’t be useful, Your Majesty.”

“Do you know how worried I was that you might be crying and heartbroken? But seeing your smile still so bright naturally calms my murderous intent.”

“I’m grateful for your concern.”

“No, I’m the one who’s grateful. But you really did like him, didn’t you? I heard you were the one who first brought up breaking the engagement. What wind has blown your way?”

“I was only pretending. It was for the family’s sake.”

“Really?”

The Emperor’s eyes widened immediately before turning doleful.

“What’s so special about that family… I truly think nobles and royals are so pitiful. I’m dying from wearing this crown that doesn’t even fit my head.”

“It will fit perfectly once you grow a bit more.”

The Emperor’s expression instantly changed to that of a satisfied cat.

“Daphne, did you really break the engagement?”

“More precisely, I want to. It will proceed more concretely once my father returns.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure it happens.”

“I trust only Your Majesty.”

“Ah, the Marquis should have seen your expression right now. You’re not just unaffected—you’re completely composed. He shouldn’t have wasted you on his greedy eldest son or that second son who only makes toys under the guise of invention.”

The Emperor, who appeared to be nothing more than an innocent girl but whose depths were difficult to fathom, laughed so hard her uvula was visible.

Daphne placed her index finger on her lips and said:

“Your Majesty, they say walls have ears. Even though it’s just the two of us, speaking too freely could cause me trouble.”

“You’re so timid. Don’t worry. I’ve already said this to the Marquis’s face.”

“Now I’m even more curious about my father’s expression when you said that.”

“It’s obvious. The Marquis only changes his expression for matters related to pirates and Christine.”

The Emperor laughed loudly, her head shaking. But the sunlight streaming through the window revealed the dandruff falling from her head.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but when did you last wash your hair?”

Daphne asked, pointing at her dry blonde hair.

“More nagging!”

The Emperor’s lips immediately protruded in a pout.

It wasn’t just her hair. The Emperor not only disliked bathing but hated water itself.

She only consumed moisture through food and wouldn’t even drink plain water. Consequently, her hygiene was dreadful.

Daphne stared pointedly at her grimy fingernails and said:

“Staying clean is essential for good health.”

The Emperor quickly clenched her fists to hide her nails and replied:

“It’s advantageous to appear somewhat mad. Daphne, you don’t understand politics, so this might be difficult for you to comprehend.”

Her shameless answer naturally evoked laughter. The Emperor once again gazed at Daphne with an enraptured expression.

Just then, the chief chamberlain hurriedly entered and reported quietly:

“The Grand Duke requests an audience.”

Daphne unconsciously swallowed hard.

Kartun Schwiers was just beyond that door.