“What the hell are you doing?”

“Packing up quickly. This isn’t the time for sleep.”

With a quick mutter, Vincent looked around Rosalyn’s bedroom.

“We’re going to lose our heads.”

Vincent’s muttering and the way he grabbed his bag didn’t look sane at all. Rosalyn, staring at him with a stunned expression, quickly rushed over and grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

“Are you mad?”

“Felipe Baron has returned to the Imperial Palace!”

Rosalyn’s shoulders jerked at the sudden scream.

It took a few seconds for the stalled thought process to catch up with his words.

Felipe Baron was the Commander of Lombard, the Emperor’s closest confidant and the highest ranking of the living knights. Once considered the greatest knight on the continent, he had recently been in poor health due to a chronic illness.

To rest and recover, he had stayed at the home of his older brother, the Baron Count, avoiding contact with others.

“But he returned to the capital?”

Rosalyn, who had frozen for a moment, tried to answer calmly.

“Just because the Baron has returned to the Imperial Palace doesn’t necessarily mean it’s about our situation.”

“Are you stupid or just ridiculously naive?”

Vincent rubbed his face irritably.

“He’s basically the head of Lombard, Rosalyn. He’s old and they’re discussing who will succeed him as the next commander. So why should this old man, who’s been cooped up at home, suddenly come to the imperial palace?”

Although there were others who had recently made notable contributions to the Emperor’s side, Felipe Baron was still the official commander of the Lombards. The old man, now preparing for his official retirement, had been entrusted with the task concerning the Delmart family – widely known to be his final mission as commander. By severing the Delmart bloodline, he would bring his career to a grand close.

Next, it was almost certain that Johannes Moore, the Emperor’s loyal dog, would take over. He had played a major role in leading the noble family to their downfall, and it seemed that his loyalty would earn him the coveted position once Felipe stepped down.

“Do you know what kind of life Raphael leads? They say he keeps a filthy woman by his side and calls her his wife.”

Vincent seemed so angry that he muttered, his chest heaving with rage.

“Do you know how hard your father has worked to get you into this position? Isn’t it frustrating to have it taken away from him by a useless woman? Aren’t you angry?”

Some frustration was inevitable. But what really bothered Rosalyn was that all the time and effort she had put into the past had come to nothing.

The fact that Raphael had married another woman did not make her sad. There was no reason to be angry. Becoming Raphael’s Empress had long been her father’s wish, not her own.

Of course, it was hard to accept that she would end her day simply grateful to have her head attached to her body while Raphael basked in the bliss of his honeymoon.

But in the end, she muttered to herself, “It’s spilled water.” The words carried a sense of resignation – an acknowledgement that there was nothing more to be done.

“It’s already spilled water.”

Rosalyn replied with a sigh. In any case, there was no trace of regret in her feelings towards Raphael or the position of Empress.

“If he wanted to kill us, he would have done it by now. Why hasn’t he?”

“Well, it’s probably because you’re so popular in high society.”

“If it were up to him, he’d probably want to kill us now. But he doesn’t have a good reason, so he’s put it off.”

Of course, that was just her speculation, a thought born of the uncertainty and tension that weighed on her.

She couldn’t read Raphael’s mind either. Considering the hostility he had shown, it seemed he would have killed the Duke’s family at the first sign of rebellion, so she couldn’t understand why he was dragging things out like this.

“Is that so? He must have found a good excuse recently. That’s probably why the old man made such a long and difficult journey to the capital!”

The thought of the old man’s journey only added to the uncertainty, as if some plan was finally coming to fruition – but still, the wait hung in the air like an unresolved tension.

When Vincent raised his voice, Rosalyn fell silent. What she wanted to say was caution, but it seemed to have angered Vincent.

She knew from a lifetime of experience that the best course of action was to say nothing more. Continuing the endless conversation didn’t seem to lead to a proper conclusion.

“If you want to escape, now is the time. Are you going or not?”

Vincent shouted, his patience wearing thin. Rosalyn couldn’t answer, only shifted her eyes nervously, feeling the pressure of his growing anger. As time passed, Vincent’s frustration deepened, his expression hardening as he waited for her answer, which never came.

“If that’s what you think, then do what you want. I don’t care if you regret it just before you die.”

He tossed Rosalyn’s bag aside as if to throw it away, then turned and moved like an enraged bull. Every step he took seemed to shake the entire building with a deep, rumbling sound.

Meanwhile, Rosalyn’s eyes were glued to her brother’s back as he walked further and further away.

‘Is he really going like this? Leaving me behind?’

Rosalyn’s chin trembled.

‘No. I don’t want to be left alone. I can’t bear it.’

She didn’t hesitate any longer. Standing there in a state of shock, she quickly ran out of the room, desperately chasing after Vincent, who was already some distance ahead.

“Vincent, please…”

Almost out of breath, Rosalyn finally caught up with Vincent and frantically grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“If you go on like this, we could really get into trouble. It’s better if we wait a little longer. Let’s wait a few days and see if anything unusual happens. If the situation still doesn’t seem right, then we’ll run away, just like you said, OK?”

She pleaded urgently without even taking a breath. She couldn’t let Vincent go. The thought of being left alone filled her with overwhelming fear.

But even so, it was not easy to follow him immediately. The chances of a successful escape were slim, and if she succeeded, it would be like giving the Emperor a reason to carry out the delayed execution. If they failed, death would come immediately.

“Not today. This is too…”

“Shut up!”

Vincent shook Rosalyn’s hand roughly and shouted.

“If only you had pursued the Emperor from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened! The Emperor wouldn’t have gone looking for someone else, and Father wouldn’t be so angry!”

Rosalyn touched her ears briefly. With a stunned look on her face, she looked up at him and clicked her tongue as he shook off the arm she had grabbed.

“What are you saying? That this situation is my fault?”

“Isn’t that somewhat true?”

His bold question left Rosalyn speechless.

How could he say such a thing? Who was he to blurt out whatever came into his head without thinking about what was appropriate?

It all started with the social gathering led by Vincent Delmart.

When the Duke of Delmart’s only son reached adulthood and entered high society, he personally founded a social club to help him network with the children of high-ranking nobles. Although it was called a social club, it was essentially a gathering of young men who indulged in reckless behaviour.

They brought in unknown drugs and used them together, and on one occasion some women who had visited the club reported Vincent, almost causing a scandal.

However, the Duke was able to intervene at the last moment and prevent the situation from escalating further. The incident, though suppressed, left a lingering tension in the air, a reminder of the recklessness that surrounded Vincent and his companions.

The group had become a place where young men, despite their high status, got drunk or high on drugs and engaged in promiscuous behaviour with women, disregarding their dignity and responsibility.

The Duke, who was very fond of his only heir, never scolded Vincent, no matter what he did, and always turned a blind eye to his son’s reckless behaviour.

Then one day Rosalyn’s name came up. From the years she had lived as Vincent’s sister, it was clear that what was being said about her was far from healthy.

Besides, Vincent wasn’t the type to worry about his sister being bullied by others. To him, it was just another thing to sweep under the carpet, and his indifference only deepened the isolation Rosalyn felt within the family.

Among those mingling at the club was Mikhail Broltz, eldest son of the Count of Broltz, who had long been secretly in love with Rosalyn. Although the full details were unknown, it seemed that there had been a heated argument between him and Vincent.

Tensions had been high as Mikhail’s feelings for Rosalyn had become more apparent and Vincent, ever protective of his pride, did not take kindly to the attention his sister was receiving.

As for Vincent, his pride was sky high and he had no hesitation in mocking and insulting others. His quick temper and impulsive actions remained unchanged, both in and out of the house. He acted without thinking, his arrogance clouding his judgement, and his desire to maintain control often led to conflict with those around him.

After a heated argument, Vincent, consumed with rage, beat Mikhail Broltz until he was covered in blood, insisting that his sister was destined to be the Emperor’s wife and that someone like Mikhail had no right to desire her.

He hurled numerous insults. In response, Mikhail Broltz returned to his mansion with a vengeance and reported to the Emperor everything Vincent had bragged about during their meetings.

Among the reports were statements that hinted at a possible rebellion, which caused an uproar throughout the capital.

Among the reports were allegations of a plot to rebel, which caused an uproar in the capital.

Of course, the Duke protested his innocence, but his words were not believed. The Delmart Estate was immediately shut down, and while the Duke was imprisoned, the “incident” took place.

When the previous Emperor died and the newly crowned Emperor Raphael declared that he would marry another woman, not Rosalyn, the Duke resorted to his last resort.

The evidence of treason uncovered by Johannes Moore was thus proven true. Enraged, the Duke gathered mercenaries to lead a rebellion, but before he could do so, he met a swift and empty end. He had no reason to feel wronged by his father’s execution; it was the result of his own actions.