Chapter 1 – Part 6

Eliana walked out into the corridor. Her ankle hurt, but it wasn’t unbearable. Noah followed her out, assessing her condition.

“Did you have to fall so dramatically?”

Cedric sneered as he brushed back a stray strand of hair that had fallen over his forehead.

“I think I’m fine, Noah.”

“Yeah, you look just fine standing there,“ Cedric added, giving her a dismissive once-over.

“Your Highness, that comment is worse than saying nothing at all,“ Eliana shot back, her tone sharp.

Cedric’s face hardened.

“You…”

He started to retort, but the Marquis and Marchioness of Lequizet hurried over. They asked if she was alright and informed her that a physician was on standby.

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll see the physician,“ Eliana replied, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to have her ankle checked.

“Then let me guide you both to the room upstairs,“ the Marquis offered, referring to Cedric and Eliana. However, as they reached the hallway leading to the room, Cedric abruptly stopped. His desire to return to Rachel was written all over his face.

‘Like a dog who needs to relieve itself,‘ Eliana thought bitterly.

“I’ll go alone,“ Eliana said to the Marquis, who glanced at Cedric for his reaction.

“Fine, do as you wish,“ Cedric replied, walking away without looking back as soon as Eliana finished speaking.

***

“Fortunately, there seems to be no serious injury to your ankle,“ the physician said.

“That’s a relief,“ Noah remarked. He had followed Cedric but then returned to ensure Eliana was taken care of before leaving again.

“Please rest for a while, Lady Leiberte.”

Once everyone had left, Eliana was alone in the large room. Not wanting to stare at the walls, she moved to sit by the window. The outside was empty, with everyone still engrossed in the party.

‘This is a good place to gather my thoughts.’

The thoughts she hadn’t shared with Cedric earlier were about her plans.

As the Crown Prince’s fiancée, the benefits were for her family, not for her as an individual who did not aspire to become Empress. Eliana planned to make Cedric initiate the annulment of their engagement. After that, she wouldn’t just leave her family but the entire empire of Moira. There were no good memories for her here.

***

“Is your ability still dormant? Your powers need to manifest for the family to benefit.”

Her father’s constant pressure.

“You deceived me. Your abilities? What a joke. I was foolish to believe that the high priest knew anything. What good are you to me?”

Cedric’s accusations still stung, even if they weren’t entirely justified. In hindsight, they did raise questions.

‘If I were destined to have the power to bring prosperity to the empire, why did my healing ability only manifest at the moment of death? Was the high priest wrong, or has the time just not come yet?’

Eliana had become Empress, but the empire had not seen any significant positive changes. Articles criticizing her have become increasingly common.

A poorly regarded and unpopular Empress. Eliana had died with many unresolved issues.

‘No more dwelling on the past.’

She shook her head.

‘I’ll leave the empire as soon as the engagement is broken.’

Leaving the Empire of Moira wasn’t easy for its citizens, even for wealthy nobles. Without a permit from the royal family, leaving the continent was nearly impossible.

‘I need to secure money and a permit first. As for the money…’

She organized her thoughts and heard the door click open behind her.

‘Is it a maid from the Marquis’s house?’

Eliana perked up her ears. But the heavy footsteps approaching told her it was a man.

‘Who could it be?’

Eliana turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face.

Calix Vartica. His unexpected visit caught her off guard. He quickly approached Eliana, who was sitting by the window.

“You’re sitting too close to the window,“ his deep voice resonated in her ears.

“What?”

He alternated his gaze between the open window and Eliana.

“Ah…”

He seemed worried Eliana might jump out of the window, despairing over what had just happened.

“Don’t worry, Calix. I’m not going to do anything reckless. I was just looking out the window. Anyway, what brings you here? I doubt you came to see me.”

Instead of answering, Calix closed the window. Once it was shut, the room fell into complete silence. His eyes lingered on Eliana’s legs, even though they were hidden by her dress.

“Oh, my legs. Don’t worry about them. The doctor said it wasn’t a serious injury.“

“If you’re hurt, why are you alone? What’s His Highness doing?“

“Probably off having fun somewhere, dancing or something.”

Eliana shrugged. She felt no resentment that Cedric wasn’t there to check on her. She had stopped expecting anything from him when she was as good as dead to him.

“That doesn’t sound like you, Eliana.“

“What would sound like me? Secretly wiping away tears, upset that he isn’t caring for me?”

Eliana continued,

“I’ve decided not to do that anymore. It’s boring, endlessly hoping for affection from someone who doesn’t care about me.“

Calix’s brows furrowed at her response.

Judging by his expression, Eliana’s reply was far beyond what he had expected.

“Don’t just stand there. Come sit over here; let’s talk.”

Eliana invited him to sit beside her. Calix remained silent for a moment before moving to sit next to her.

‘When I was confined… I wanted to see you. After you became the Empress, we lost touch even more, and our relationship grew distant with formal speech. But you were the only one who responded to me besides my family.‘

For that, he was grateful and had missed her.

Calix gazed into Eliana’s blue eyes, which shone brightly. Seeing her thrown aside during the dance tugged at his heart. He thought she would be crying again, and that made it worse. So he couldn’t stay away.

‘I thought you’d be deeply hurt…’

But instead, Eliana wore a calm smile. It struck Calix as strangely out of place.

“Calix, why? Do I seem strange to you?“

“Who said that?“

“Well, it’s only natural. I don’t understand myself, either. Why was I so fixated on one person?”

The person Eliana spoke of was, of course, Crown Prince Cedric. When Calix finally emerged from seclusion and returned to the world, Eliana had eyes only for the Crown Prince. She was no longer the girl he remembered but a woman in love.

Count Austin had been very wary of Calix approaching Eliana, cutting off even the chance for them to rekindle their friendship. Calix saw the cruel and vile things Crown Prince Cedric did to Eliana.

“I’m fine.”

Eliana endured the harsh treatment as if it were her fate, her blue eyes welling with tears. But today, something was different.

“You seem like someone who’s had a revelation.“

“Maybe. No. Yes. Being around someone who knocked me down and shamelessly acts as if nothing happened—someone who can’t even bring himself to congratulate others because of his jealousy—I realized I had to change to survive.“

Eliana’s words were sharp with criticism. She spoke of change.

“Earlier, you praised my achievements in front of His Highness, and now you’re criticizing his character? What kind of reaction are you hoping for from me by saying that, Eliana?“

“I’m not looking for a reaction.”

Eliana shook her head.

“I’m just saying what I want to say. My congratulations for your genuine contribution to the battle of Grinnish. I don’t think I ever properly said how glad you made it back safely from that tough battle.”

“…”

It was true. At some point, a thick veil had been drawn between Eliana and Calix. They no longer said what they wanted to each other but only spoke the expected words.

It seemed like they would always be parallel lines, never crossing, and Eliana would become Empress as if it were predestined. But today, she spoke words that were unlike her usual self.

‘This feels unfamiliar.’

Her pretty red lips spilled words that hit precisely where Crown Prince Cedric would lose his temper if he heard them.

“… It’s much better than seeing you cry alone.”

Calix spoke quietly.

Eliana understood why he said that.

‘Because he saw me crying alone in the palace not long ago.‘

That day was supposed to celebrate Calix’s discovery of two sacred relics near the marshland.

There was a tense, creaking atmosphere between Cedric and Calix. Cedric was extremely irritable that day. Calix was the thorn he couldn’t get rid of in his side. And as usual, his frustration was taken out on Eliana.

‘Sobs, hic…’

Eliana had been wiping her tears with gloved hands, having forgotten her handkerchief.

She couldn’t cry out loud as much as she wanted to. She tried to swallow her sobs, but Calix had noticed. He had left the room, but soon after, a servant approached her and handed her a silk handkerchief.

“A nobleman asked me to deliver this to you.”

The servant said only this, but Eliana immediately knew it was from Calix. She had been grateful, but she hadn’t adequately expressed her thanks.

“I’m not a child anymore, so I won’t be crying,“ Eliana said with a light smile, deliberately making her tone playful.

“Really? I’m looking forward to seeing that,“ Calix replied, unconvinced. His skepticism wasn’t unwarranted.

“You can bet on it, just like we did when we were kids.“

“I think I’ll win.“

“No, I think I will.”

Calix chuckled softly.

“I’ll win. I know you too well, including your soft heart.“

“You’ll be surprised at how tough I’ve become. I’m now the toughest woman in Moira,”

Eliana responded playfully. The childish banter made it feel as if they were back to their days of making bets as children. A few more exchanged words softened the tense atmosphere between them.

“Both of us are pretty confident.“

“Of course, I’m sure I’ll win. If you still don’t believe me, you can bet anything you want,“ Eliana shrugged.

“Anything?“

“Yes. I… I have a lot I could give you.”

Whether it was money, battle strategies, or insights into the political intrigues of the imperial palace, she knew it all.

Since his coronation, Cedric hadn’t just tried to keep Calix in check; he had subjected him to far worse. The tyranny Cedric would unleash on him would make the harsh tasks imposed by Emperor Davon pale in comparison.

Although Calix didn’t easily succumb to these pressures, the new emperor’s abuse of power wore him down. He was sent into every battle, his life constantly on the line. His trading company, supposedly for the empire’s future, was seized and manipulated. All of this was a glimpse into the future that awaited Calix.

‘I’d like to help, even if it’s just a small gesture, to the childhood friend who responded to my letters and sent me a handkerchief to wipe away my tears.’

Before leaving, Eliana planned to share with him what she knew.

She was about to assure him that she meant it and could help when Calix’s red eyes suddenly gleamed sharply. She knew this glow appeared whenever he was deeply stirred.

‘…’

Calix fell silent, deep in thought. At that moment, something flashed through his mind.

During the Grinnish battle, an old woman suddenly appeared before him when he had chosen to save lives rather than sacrifice them for a more significant advantage. The sight of an elderly woman, likely in her seventies, on a battlefield where even strong men were collapsing was surreal.

“Brave knight… You must know of His Majesty Cedric Kynes and Empress Eliana.”

The old woman, unprompted, had mentioned Cedric and Eliana by name, referring to them as His Majesty and the Empress.

“Stand back!”

Calix had stopped his lieutenant from driving her away. Something was unsettling in her gaze that made him hesitate.

“Why are you telling me this out of the blue?”

“Because it concerns your future, brave knight. Their lives and yours are intertwined.”

“Intertwined?”

“Stay close to Empress Eliana. You might think this is the rambling of a mad old woman, but she will save your life. The time will come when you’ll recall my words.”

Intertwined lives.

Those cryptic, prophecy-like words now overlapped with Eliana’s face for some reason.

A life of nothing but deadly battles and relentless opposition. Those loyal to the Crown Prince’s faction were always cold toward him. Even Eliana Leiberte, the one person he most wanted to see after ending his seclusion, had sided with the Crown Prince. Calix had always watched her from a distance, like a hungry wolf. But today, seeing Eliana like this felt like she was swimming against the current—something entirely new.

Knock, knock.

A sudden knock at the door made Eliana’s shoulders tense. Not knowing who might enter, Calix stood up from the sofa.