‘I don’t understand. Why… all of a sudden…?’

As the events of that time resurfaced in her mind, Leticia’s hands trembled faintly.

“Arden, I am your wife—and the Queen of Brivent.”

At her words, Arden let out a low scoff. He looked at her with a gaze even colder than before and murmured.

“Queen? What have you ever done to deserve that title? Don’t misunderstand, Leticia Boarte. You merely became my consort through a contract.”

At those heartless words, Leticia’s eyes widened.

The shock made her slender body sway as if it might shatter at any moment. Her bitten lips split open, and blood slowly seeped out.

Soon after, Leticia cried out as Arden roughly dragged her forward.

“…It hurts! Let go!”

She struggled desperately to wrench her hand free from his grasp. But his strong arms did not budge no matter how much she fought.

Even when she dug her sharp nails into his arm and scratched at him, he did not stop walking.

“Arden! Please…!”

Despite her desperate cry, he remained indifferent.

Cutting down anyone who blocked his path, he continued forward in silence.

At last, when they reached a hidden passage, Arden finally threw her to the ground.

“Ah!”

Leticia collapsed onto the floor and looked up at him with eyes full of disbelief.

“I don’t want to hear any more whining. So, Leticia Boarte—disappear from my sight right now.”

“…When I begged you to abandon me before, you didn’t even pretend to listen. And now… you’re the one saying you’ll throw me away?”

Arden held her golden eyes in his gaze for a brief moment before speaking.

“Yes.”

He turned away without hesitation. As if he had no lingering attachment to her, he simply left her behind.

Leticia clenched her fists, feeling her emotions surge within her chest. Even when he reached the end of the corridor and disappeared from view, he did not look back.

He looked like a man with nothing left to regret. Of course, that was only natural. After all, he had never loved her. But how could he abandon her so easily?

“Hic… how… how can you do this to me…”

Although the marriage was unwanted, she was still his wife.

He was a man who would never abandon his kingdom or his people, yet he discarded her without hesitation.

Leticia staggered as she pushed herself to her feet.

Arden would not come back for her.

He had never loved her, not even once. To him, she had always been nothing more than a troublesome burden on the kingdom.

She could only continue living if she was loved by the person she loved. If she was going to die anyway, it would be better to end the disaster that had begun because of her.

Leticia clutched her chest and stared blankly into the empty air. Then she started walking in the direction that Arden had disappeared in.

She had not gone far before her injured leg dragged her down and she collapsed again. But she did not stop.

‘No… I can’t…’

She could not become a burden to him until the very end.

Leticia forced herself up once more and continued toward the path Arden had taken.

‘If I squeeze out the last of my strength… I might still be able to heal his wounds.’

She tried to walk faster. But her effort proved meaningless.

“That’s the Queen! Capture her alive!”

“The Emperor ordered us to bring the Queen to him. Do not kill her.”

At the sight of the imperial knights rushing toward her, Leticia did not even step back. She simply blinked.

‘The Emperor… wants me?’

Her eyes trembled.

Arden’s words flashed through her mind: everything had happened because of her.

Just as he had said, she was nothing more than a burden to the kingdom.

She was a queen in name only; she had been of no help at all.

That was who she was.

The imperial knights quickly rushed forward and seized her. Leticia did not resist; she allowed herself to be taken without a struggle.

‘So… I’ll be brought before the Emperor like this.’

The clear, golden light that had once filled Leticia’s eyes had now dimmed.

The knights dragged her away. Her injured leg could barely support her weight and dragged helplessly along the ground.

The stench of blood hung thick in the air.

“Your Majesty, we have brought her.”

At the knight’s words, Leticia slowly lifted her head. Then her eyes widened, only to twist with fury.

‘Why is he…’

The man who had occasionally acted as her friend was now staring at her with a completely different face.

‘That man… is Cadius Bellop, the Emperor of the Empire?’

A hollow laugh escaped from Leticia’s lips. Then her gaze shifted to the man standing opposite the Emperor with his sword raised: Arden Levter.

He stood facing the Emperor, their blades pointed at one another.

“Leticia. You have no idea how much blood I had to spill to obtain you. But seeing you now, it seems the lives of such insignificant people meant nothing after all.”

The Emperor addressed her gently. He did not spare Arden, who was pointing his sword at him, so much as a glance.

At this, Arden’s eyes flashed with fury.

“Do not look away! Emperor!”

“I have only ever looked at Leticia from the beginning. If I were to look at you now, that would truly be a distraction. Seeing how troublesome you are, I should have severed the tendons in your limbs earlier.”

With a crooked smile, he answered Arden’s words.

Then he lifted his sword and clashed with him.

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal colliding rang through the corridor.

“—Kgh.”

Unable to withstand his injuries, Arden barely managed to remain standing, gripping his sword for support.

The Emperor left him as he was and began walking toward Leticia.

“Wait your turn. Even if you stand there quietly, I will kill you soon enough. But first, I need to confirm something I’ve long wanted to possess. It’s been damaged, so there’s a flaw now… but since there’s only one, I suppose there’s no helping it.”

At Cadius’s signal, the knights rushed at Arden and restrained him.

“I desired you far too much. I never imagined it would take this long.”

“You desire me? Why would you—”

“Why else? Did you think everything I’ve done so far was done without reason? Did you think that, just because you belonged to another man, I couldn’t have you? How naive our queen is! You should have yielded to me when I first asked you nicely…”

The Emperor’s tone remained gentle, but his gaze was different.

It was filled with humiliation and unpleasant intent.

“…Why?”

Arden murmured under his breath when he saw Leticia.

Suddenly, she struggled and pushed the knights holding her back. She steadied herself just in time to face the Emperor as he approached.

“I wanted to give you one last gift, Arden.”

At her words, Arden’s eyes shook violently.

Why was a faint smile spreading across her lips as she saw the turmoil in his gaze?

Leticia gave him a faint smile.

“…A gift?”

At his low question, Leticia pulled a dagger from within her robes. Before anyone could stop her, she drove it straight into her chest.

‘Let the end be this…’

‘At the very least, let me become a queen who can be of use to him—and to Brivent.’

And yet, deep in her heart, Leticia made one final wish.

‘Let it hurt him a little.’

‘Let him regret it, even if only a little.’

‘Let him have loved me… even just a little.’

Blood spilled from her lips as her body collapsed to the floor.

“—Kgh.”

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she was consumed by pain. As her vision slowly blurred, she lifted the corners of her mouth in a quiet smile.

On the day the Emperor of Rysellon, Cadius Bellop, invaded Brivent, Leticia died.

Abandoned by her husband, King Arden Levter of Brivent.