The Emperor’s angry breathing could be heard over Ariel’s bowed head, but Ariel continued to speak calmly.

“Your Majesty must have been very worried about me, so as soon as I regained consciousness, I came straight here to tell you that I am well. And also…”

Ariel raised her head to meet the Emperor’s gaze.

“I have something urgent to tell Your Majesty.”

The Emperor stared at Ariel with eyes as cold as ice. But unlike the ferocity with which he had called her name earlier, he did not dismiss her.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. He had clearly heard what she knew.

Ariel waited silently for the Emperor’s response. Finally, after catching his breath, the Emperor parted his lips.

“Chamberlain. Dismiss all palace staff.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the Chamberlain led the staff away from the office, the Emperor added, addressing Ariel.

“Come in.”

Thud. 

As the doors to the office closed firmly, Ariel watched the Emperor sink into the sofa. The regal aura he once carried was nowhere to be seen; he looked utterly exhausted and worn. 

But Ariel felt no pity for him. 

A bystander was just as guilty. 

The Emperor rubbed his forehead and gestured to Ariel. 

“Sit.” 

Ariel quietly took her place on the sofa to the right of the Emperor’s seat, following the proper decorum. 

The Emperor glanced at her, noting her unshakable composure, and let out a faint, bitter laugh. 

“For someone who supposedly ingested poison, your complexion looks remarkably good.” 

“The greatest healer on the continent, the Tower Master, treated me. Of course I recovered quickly, didn’t I? Or perhaps you’re irritated that I’m in such good shape now?”

Ariel’s casual reply made the Emperor’s face twist in displeasure.

“It’s true you’ve annoyed me, but I never wished for your death. Nor your father’s.”

“You may not have wanted it, but even if I had died, I’m sure you would have felt no remorse. Perhaps you would have felt a brief moment of pity, but, like my father, you would have been more concerned with rectifying the situation to protect the reputation of the Imperial Family.”

At Ariel’s biting sarcasm, the Emperor’s face hardened like frost. But instead of reacting in anger, he met her sharp words with a penetrating gaze.

“Is that why you did all this? To make sure I couldn’t hide it, you trapped Melish, who killed your father, in front of everyone, poisoned Kylance, who went unpunished, and at the right moment forced Duke Piedu to confess everything… Ha.”

The Emperor let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Yes, I suspected it the day you returned. That you had come back for revenge. When I learned that the Marquis had been poisoned, I was even more certain. That you would see to it that Kylance was punished, that you would go all the way.”

Ariel remained silent, quietly listening to the Emperor’s words.

The Emperor sighed wearily, as if taking her silence as an admission.

“And in the end you succeeded. Melish, Kylance and even I fell into your trap.”

The Emperor suddenly twisted his face as if in agony.

“How could you use such a deadly poison… If Kylance hadn’t been a Transcendent, he would have died instantly. You must have known that Kylance was also a victim, so was it really necessary to be so cruel?”

“……”

“I don’t know how you discovered the heinous acts committed by Melish, but when you learned the truth, instead of setting a trap for Duke Piedu, you should have come to me and told me. If you had done that, I could have…”

Just as the Emperor, filled with frustration, was about to continue, Ariel, who had been silently holding her tongue, opened her lips.

“And if I had, would Your Majesty have believed me? If I had come out of nowhere to tell the truth without a witness like Duke Piedu, would Your Majesty really have trusted me and arrested the Duchess of Viasteus? Especially when it’s not a simple case, but treason – a royal killing another royal”.

The Emperor hesitated.

Because Ariel was right. 

Even when he first heard the news, he didn’t want to believe it. If Ariel, someone who had always been a thorn in his side, had suddenly come to him with such a claim… 

The Emperor would not have believed her. Instead, he would have been furious, accusing her of crossing the line. 

As she watched the Emperor, who didn’t deny her words, Ariel let out a cold laugh, correcting his misunderstanding. 

“And, Your Majesty, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding. The poisoning and Duke Piedu were not traps set by me. They were orchestrated by someone who discovered the truth about the late Archduke’s death before I did.” 

“What? Someone who knew about Arnold’s death before you… exists?” 

The Emperor’s expression wavered, probably because a certain person came to mind. 

Looking at the Emperor’s face as it began to crumble, Ariel replied calmly. 

“Yes. I knew nothing of this incident. I didn’t even know that Duke Piedu had been captured or that Archduke Seyerd would take his own life with poison.” 

“…!” 

The Emperor’s eyes filled with shock. Ariel drove the point home. 

“The one who prepared the poison, ingested the poison, and captured Duke Piedu to bring him before Your Majesty – it was all a trap set by Kylance Seyerd, the Archduke himself.” 

“Kylance? Why… That can’t be! If Kylance had discovered the truth first, he would have come to me! I would have believed him – there’s no way I wouldn’t trust Kylance’s words!” 

The Emperor jumped to his feet, shouting, but Ariel remained calm. 

“You would have believed him. But you would have wavered. Even if the truth about the late Archduke’s death were revealed now, more than a decade after his death, it would only tarnish the royal family’s reputation.” 

“……” 

“Your Majesty would probably have buried that truth and punished the Duchess with trumped up charges. The Archduke knew this better than I. He understood Your Majesty’s nature better than anyone, having seen you bury the truth once before.” 

“How dare you claim to know and speak so brazenly?” 

Ariel lifted her eyes to meet the Emperor’s. 

Despite his angry tone, his dark pupils trembled as if he did not want to believe her words – or perhaps he did not want to hear any more. 

But this was only the beginning. Ariel locked eyes with him, her unwavering gaze binding his, and spoke again. 

“In the end, Kylance could not trust Your Majesty. That is why he chose to ingest the deadly poison himself, in an extraordinary amount. Even though he knew the excruciating pain it would cause, he wanted to send you a message. A plea to never again turn away from the truth.” 

“……” 

Ariel continued, addressing the Emperor who was now as still as a stone. 

“Too many lives have been sacrificed because of Your Majesty’s willful ignorance.” 

With a heavy sigh, Ariel placed the letter she had brought on the table. 

The Emperor’s gaze fell on the tightly sealed parchment as if it bound him completely. 

“This is my father’s last journal, written before his death. It contains the true beginning of this entire tragedy.” 

The Emperor slowly sat down again, his trembling hands reaching out to untie the parchment. 

“It all began with the canal project. The great undertaking Your Majesty embarked upon after ascending the throne. Both my father, who was Your Majesty’s close friend, and the late Archduke knew that the canal project was flawed. Although they never made their friendship public… I believed that Your Majesty must have known.” 

The Emperor’s hands fell silent. 

“Your Majesty and the late Archduke were very close, and my father was a loyal supporter of the coup that secured Your Majesty’s rule. It is impossible that Your Majesty was unaware of the bond between them.” 

Ariel continued in a steady tone. 

“My father was the most vocal opponent of the canal project that would have cemented Your Majesty’s legacy. Surely he must have been seen as a thorn in your side.” 

“……” 

“And that was Your Majesty’s first act of defiance.” 

“…What?” 

The Emperor asked back, as if he couldn’t understand her words for a moment. Ariel lowered her eyes to the parchment precariously held in his hands and continued. 

“The second act of turning away was the death of the late Archduke. Despite the suspicious circumstances of his demise, Your Majesty hastily concluded that it was an accident, fearing that the failure of the canal project would weaken Imperial authority.” 

“……” 

“The third act of turning away was to leave the young Archduke Seyerd-Kylance in the hands of the Duchess of Viasteus.” 

For the first time, emotion seeped into Ariel’s voice, which had remained calm until then. 

“Your Majesty must have known that the Duchess of Viasteus was not a person of good character. Even if you didn’t, Her Majesty the Empress would surely have warned you.” 

The Emperor’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing. 

For he understood exactly what Ariel was saying. 

“The fourth act of turning away was my father. You branded him a traitor on the word of Archduke Seyerd alone. And even when you later learned that it was a false accusation, you chose to cover it up.” 

“……” 

“Your Majesty.” 

Ariel raised her eyes to meet the Emperor’s directly. 

“Do you understand now? Where the root of this tragedy lies?” 

“…I…” 

“It was Your Majesty’s acts of aversion that invited all this tragedy.” 

As Ariel delivered her words without hesitation, the parchment slipped from the Emperor’s trembling hands and fell to the floor with a soft thud. 

For he could no longer ignore the truth – or deny it.