On the last day of the promised period, when the late afternoon came and the sun began to set, Eva called the maids who had been by her side since she entered the castle into her bedroom. Though she had reduced her sleep to embroider, she still lacked about a day’s time to complete the work, but she judged she couldn’t use that as an excuse to delay any longer.

“Eva……”

When Eva silently distributed handfuls of jewels from several jewelry boxes, Eileen couldn’t hold back her tears as she received a large ruby necklace that resembled what her hair color might have been before it turned white.

“I cannot accept this, Eva.”

“Neither can I. I haven’t done anything to deserve this.”

In the end, Eileen and the other maids, including Hannah, exchanged glances and returned the jewels Eva had distributed to her.

Eva sighed deeply and placed the jewels back into the maids’ hands.

“Please accept them, everyone. These jewels don’t suit a deposed empress. After the upcoming coronation ceremony, there’s no guarantee the new emperor will keep those who worked in the castle. I’m worried about how you’ll make a living immediately after leaving this castle. Lord Divlik doesn’t yet know how many jewels I have, so if not now, I won’t be able to give them to you even if I want to.”

‘Everything in this castle is his’—she knew this action went against that principle, but she wanted to do this much for those who had protected her until the end. However, Eileen, who had noticed Eva’s hidden thoughts, stepped forward and neatly arranged the jewels from the maids’ hands back into Eva’s jewelry box, then stood before her.

“You’re planning to go to his bedroom tonight, aren’t you? I heard from Hannah.”

Despite being firmly instructed not to tell anyone, it seems Hannah couldn’t keep quiet as the day approached.

“You think you might die, don’t you? You think the conqueror might kill Your Majesty the Empress after tonight, so you’re distributing all of this to us?”

“Eileen…… ‘Empress’? Watch your words.”

Though Divlik had said he wanted more than just one night with Eva, she thought his mood could change at any time. If Divlik extracted enough humiliation from Eva in this one night, she might not see the morning sun and could die.

Divlik seemed to vaguely understand as well. That the mercy Eva needed most was death. But Eileen, unaware of Eva’s feelings, placed the jewelry box in Eva’s arms and said,

“Escape, Your Majesty. Take all these jewels and go to the Veilen Empire in the north—they will gladly accept your request for asylum.”

Was Eva swayed by Eileen’s words to escape? She was not.

“That’s not possible.”

This is where I will die.

The moment Eva faced Divlik, she confirmed with more certainty than ever before that this was where she would die.

“Why not? The emperor fled without looking back, so why do you alone bear this shame to protect us, Your Majesty?”

“That’s precisely why. When the emperor fails to fulfill his duties, it falls to the empress to do so in his place. Even though I ascended to the position of empress without any preparation and couldn’t fully carry out my responsibilities…… regardless, I am your empress, am I not? Besides, you also refused to flee when told to escape.”

Eva smiled as if apologetic for not having done enough for the people of the castle.

“I’m simply paying the appropriate price as empress. There’s no reason for all of you to pay for the mistake of having the wrong emperor. Take these. If you have a hometown, return there and find a way to live comfortably; if not, find a place that feels like home and live out your days there. This is the last thing I can do for you as empress.”

The maids understood the tears Eva swallowed inside, but they still refused to accept the jewels.

“I’ve heard that sometimes conquerors pay generously to women they’ve taken and allow them to leave conquered territories. Though this man may be like a beast without proper origins, I’ll pray that he doesn’t lose his mercy toward a woman he’s forcibly taken. So please, Your Majesty, think of ways to survive until the end.”

Eileen conveyed her final wishes, then left the bedroom with the other maids, leaving only Hannah to attend to Eva.

“Hannah, will you really not accept it?”

“Eva, I will not accept anything that includes the price of your life.”

She had hoped that at least young Hannah might accept the jewels, blinded by their beauty, but she didn’t.

Eva sighed deeply and gazed at the sun beyond the window, which had already begun to set. It was uncertain whether she would face the rising sun again tomorrow, and though it pained her that the jewels she had brought from Florin might fall into the hands of those who didn’t know their value, there was nothing she could do.

“I haven’t properly paid for the herbs.”

Among everything else, Eva remembered that she hadn’t paid Mia for the herbs used in the medicine given to Divlik. Eva tightly gripped a sapphire ring of appropriate size.

* * *

“Mia left the castle right after lunch today as well, Eva. She’s been so busy.”

“When might she return?”

“I’m not sure, but she’s a woman who never misses meals, so she’ll probably be back before dinner.”

“I see.”

Eva had purposely gone to the annex to give the ring to Mia, but she couldn’t meet her. Whatever task Divlik had assigned her, Mia seemed to be working diligently at it.

“Do you have a message for her?”

Eva hesitated, fidgeting with the ring in her hand. Would it be all right to entrust the ring to someone she had only exchanged a few greetings with?

“I had something to ask of Mia.”

Realizing that her hesitation revealed her underlying assumption that these women were street women who sold their bodies for money, Eva finally held out the ring to them.

“When Mia returns, could you tell her I’m not sure if this is sufficient payment?”

“Such an expensive ring?”

“Please keep it and give it to her when you meet her later, Eva. She’s a woman who never misses meal times, so she’ll surely return in time for dinner.”

The women’s refusal left Eva with no way to hide her embarrassment.

Still acting as if I’m noble…… As if I’m some extraordinary woman, just as the servants in this castle and Divlik mistakenly believe…… If there’s anyone in this world who can’t be trusted, it would be me.

As Eva headed toward the fountain in front of the castle gate, having heard that Mia would return soon since it was dinner time, she suddenly felt puzzled.

—Whenever a woman died, the opportunity to serve the Grand Duke fell to her.

What did those words mean?

She had somewhat dismissed the statement, thinking these were women who offered their bodies according to payment. She hadn’t understood how devastated Mia might have felt having to offer her body unwillingly, believing she had misunderstood her. But what if that wasn’t the case……?

—Grand Duke Joseph said he would repay my debt and help me, so he brought me into the castle.

Were those tears all lies? Why would she deceive me……?

It must be a misunderstanding. The women who died suddenly without knowing why—surely Mia was suspected because of her knowledge of poisonous herbs. And Grand Duke Joseph must have called for Mia each time because he knew the other women misunderstood her.

He was that cruel. One who took pleasure in seeing others’ pain.

“What’s for dinner tonight?”

“Whatever it is, it’ll be delicious. The cook here might grumble when you ask for seconds, but his skills are top-notch.”

As Eva approached the fountain amid these thoughts, she heard the soldiers guarding the castle gate chatting. Even as Eva lingered near the gate wondering when Mia might return, the guards didn’t particularly watch her with suspicion.

—Escape, Your Majesty.

Eileen’s words that now was the opportunity were correct. If she took one of the horses standing idle nearby and galloped away at once, no one seemed likely to pursue her, even belatedly.

She still had no desire to escape. But Eva suddenly wanted to walk through the wide-open castle gate. She just wanted to run back to Florin without thinking. If she was going to die anyway, she wanted to die on that warm, flower-covered hill.

Though she had said she would create a new garden, there was nothing soft to step on in this castle yet, only hard stones. She wanted to die buried among countless flowers that would gently embrace her body, not here.

What stopped Eva’s steps as she unconsciously headed toward the castle gate was the sound of approaching horses from afar.

Eva hurriedly turned and hid herself inside the doorway of the castle building.

What was I doing, thinking of leaving the castle without my people?

“Welcome back, Lord Divlik. You’ve worked hard.”

As expected, Divlik and his party entered the castle with the clamor of hoofbeats. As soldiers standing guard nearby took the reins, Divlik lightly jumped to the ground.

“Has anything happened?”

“No, nothing.”

“That’s good.”

“Ah. The deposed empress was lingering near the castle gate for quite some time before going inside just now.”

“The castle gate?”

“Yes.”

“She wouldn’t have been waiting for our return…… Was she trying to escape?”

“If she had escaped, that would have been fine too.”

“Pardon?”

“Wouldn’t it have been fun to capture her again?”

Looking at Divlik, who smiled weakly at Finn’s words, Eva was relieved that she hadn’t stepped a single foot outside.

The distance between Hael and Elan was a full day’s ride, not one that could be covered by this hour even with an early start. The fact that they had returned before dinner time meant they had not only departed early but had ridden with all their might.

It seemed his anticipation for tonight was truly sincere.