Roselina is watching. She would never want me to fall into the abyss.

Conversely, she would want me to push that villainess into the abyss. That cruel murderer who took her life like killing a bug, simply because she was the protagonist in a novel!

“……I will stop you.”

Aristie shot back with a cold, clear mind.

“By any means necessary.”

She swore to do so. She didn’t care if it was vile or childish.

Just not today, but she was determined to block Estelle’s path and one day expose her crimes to the world.

“Well, try your best. With both marriage and revenge. Marriage to a man who fell deeply for another woman that he caused her friend’s death…… I’m looking forward to it?”

Though she felt extremely guilty saying he had fallen deeply, Estelle calmly displayed an expression of receiving the Emperor’s abundant affection.

Aristie looked at her with cold eyes, then turned away without even responding.

Watching her retreating figure, Estelle stretched her lips in satisfaction.

Her inability to respond meant that even her opponent secretly acknowledged her words.

‘According to plan! Hehehe.’

She hadn’t come all the way here and confessed to being the criminal for nothing. Estelle’s real purpose was to make the future Empress hate the Emperor.

For that, she needed to make the future Empress believe that the Emperor deeply loved Estelle herself.

A woman who poisoned her best friend. A man who trusts and loves that woman. No fiancée in the world could live happily with such a man.

“So back off, you leech. Now that the female lead is gone, I just need you to disappear too.”

Estelle muttered to herself with determination. She had worried what would happen if Roselina held on longer and didn’t die, but today her concerns were alleviated.

Only the future Empress remained.

She firmly believed that once she removed her too, the Emperor would give his heart to her.

* * *

She had no idea how she returned home. Her expression must have been so terrible that the shocked private soldiers who saw Aristie escorted her to the entrance and personally handed her over to the head maid.

The maids were equally shocked. But it wasn’t just because of Aristie’s appearance.

The Emperor himself had visited the ducal residence during her absence and was waiting in the reception room.

“His Majesty……?”

When she asked in a desolate voice, the maids looked even more concerned.

“Miss, this won’t do. Please stop by your room first and put on some makeup at least…… Miss? Miss!”

Aristie ignored the maids calling after her and headed straight to the reception room. When she entered, she saw Khalid rising to welcome her arrival.

He looked splendid, not disheveled in the slightest despite having waited for a long time. Unlike herself who looked utterly haggard.

‘Khalid……’

For a moment, Aristie blankly repeated his name like someone whose thoughts had stopped.

‘Khalid.’

Then emotions that had seemed dead gradually rose like a storm.

‘Khalid!’

The intensified emotions transformed into anger and raged uncontrollably.

And finally,

‘Khalid, you……!’

You didn’t believe me.

You refused to believe me.

You tore my heart to pieces!

That’s why Rose died!

If you had stepped in, she wouldn’t have died. If you had just believed me, Rose would have……!

“I heard the news that your friend passed away.”

The moment Khalid’s voice rang in her ears, Aristie coldly snapped back.

“I suppose you haven’t heard the news that your woman poisoned my friend.”

“Poisoned…what?”

Khalid asked with an expression like he had been slapped.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. The person who told me this was Estelle herself! I know you won’t believe me even if I tell you this!”

“Wait…a moment. Calm down. Estelle poisoned your friend? For what reason?”

“Because you were originally destined to be with my friend Roselina! That’s why she killed her. To become the protagonist instead!”

Her emotions had reached such an extreme that her pupils didn’t even waver. Neither did Aristie’s nor even Khalid’s.

A chilling coldness dominated the space. While everything froze, only Aristie’s lips moved.

“Do you remember what I told you? That woman referred to herself as a villainess from another world. She said she had read our story in a book multiple times. Do you remember that?”

“……”

“That’s exactly the secret to her catching your eye and becoming the Saintess! It wasn’t some prophecy or anything else, just using information she read in a book!”

Khalid listened to Aristie’s angry words pouring down like a sudden shower with a dazed expression.

A woman from another world. A world inside a book. Moreover, Estelle being the murderer of her friend. He had clearly heard that Roselina’s cause of death was illness.

It doesn’t make sense. Honestly, it’s hard to believe.

Rationally speaking, Aristie’s current state would be correctly viewed as delusional paranoia directed at Estelle. That would explain everything.

Her outlandish claims, her forcing a connection between Estelle and her ill friend’s death.

But……

What if, for some incomprehensible reason……

‘What if her words are true?’

His infinite affection for Aristie sprouted a breeze in Khalid’s heart. Despite having no evidence or basis, he wanted to believe her regardless.

He thought she wouldn’t lie about her dead friend. He decided to accept that if either Aristie or Estelle was telling the truth, it could be Aristie. Based on the wisdom and trust she had shown him until now.

“Aristie, I……”

Khalid opened his mouth to convey his intention. But Aristie was in no mood to hear his words.

“Even after telling you all this, you still can’t believe me? I’m sure you can’t. The only things Your Majesty trusts are your own reason and Estelle.”

“That’s not true. I will order a thorough investigation into the death of Count Humpton’s daughter.”

“She said it would be useless. That there’s no evidence whatsoever. I think she’s right. If there was any risk of exposure, Estelle wouldn’t have approached me in the first place!”

Aristie took a deep breath. She seemed to be trying to calm herself.

Then she called him.

“Khalid.”

“……!”

Khalid looked at Aristie with surprised eyes. It seemed like the first time she had called him purely by name since they had known each other.

“Rationally, I know it’s not your fault.”

That statement initially sounded like she understood Khalid. But that wasn’t the case.

“Nevertheless, I blame you. You who brought in Estelle, who schemed against me and murdered my friend. You who failed to see through her filthy intentions and ultimately refused to believe me!”

Khalid silently listened to the accusations directed at him.

It was a strange feeling.

While empathizing with Aristie’s grief, he also felt his heart stirring from hearing his name called by her moments ago.

— Khalid.

If only you had called me like that sooner.

If only you had shown me such passionate emotions even once, we might have……!

Unaware of Khalid’s numbed feelings, Aristie continued speaking, consumed by her own emotions.

“Now Estelle has become a noble and a Saintess, an untouchable existence…… even if you believed me and wanted to expel her.”

Tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Khalid felt pain, her tears cutting through his heart.

“I will definitely stop Estelle. If you are her shield, I’ll gladly stand against you too. I’ll fight even using my position as future Empress. I’ll use any means necessary, without restraint!”

“Aristie……”

“I’m not afraid. My mother’s death, my father’s transformation, my brother’s disability, and now Roselina too! I’ve already experienced too much loss to fear anything!”

“……”

“That’s all I have to say. I have nothing more to discuss. Please leave.”

Aristie coldly turned her back. Khalid gazed at her back blankly.

Meanwhile, he thought of Estelle. The result before his eyes was ultimately caused by his fateful connection with Estelle.

Meeting Estelle hadn’t been easy at all.

He had vowed to protect Aristie even if it meant killing his love, to stay close to her even if she distanced herself from him. The fact that he had met someone under such desperate purpose, hurting Aristie in the process, made it difficult to dismiss her.

Nevertheless, he realized he needed to cut ties.

If he couldn’t sever it at once, he would gradually erase it from memory.

The strange things Estelle had shown, the interest he had inclined toward out of thirst for their identity—if they tormented his partner this much……

“……I won’t bring Estelle into the palace.”

“What?”

Aristie frowned at Khalid’s declaration like she had heard something unbelievable.

“Are you telling me to believe that?”

“It’s true. I never had personal feelings for Estelle from the beginning. I considered bringing her in because I had a separate purpose. There was something I desperately wanted to uncover.”

Khalid continued in a dejected tone.

“But that desire has vanished. I never intended to proceed if it caused such discord……”

“Stop it!”

Aristie’s cry fiercely shook the air.

In her excitement, she wasn’t aware that she had dared to interrupt the Emperor’s words, or even that she had spoken informally to the Emperor.