But she stopped mid-sentence. Partly because breathing had become difficult, but mostly because she knew too well.

That ‘Kian’ and ‘Roshan’ were the same person.

Though she hadn’t said she loved the man before her, she had ultimately failed to prove she didn’t love him either. Yerena found herself utterly disgusting and hateful. She even worried whether the god of death would accept someone like her.

“……I’ll never be forgiven.”

Yerena muttered, imagining her family standing at her feet. As death drew ever closer, they remained constantly with her.

“St-still, since I’ll be joining you soon, please show me a smiling face just once…… Just o-once. Mother. Father. Brothers……”

Ignoring the man crying beside her, Yerena managed a faint smile. Roshan clenched his fist as he watched his wife speaking to the dead while staring into empty space.

The princess who had muttered to her family remained still for a moment. Then, using her last strength, she rolled her eyes. After fixing her gaze on the man and briefly contemplating, she called her enemy’s name.

“Roshan Vistius.”

Her voice, drained of all strength, contained none of the previous anger or hatred. Only resignation and despair remained. She wiped his tears with her finger once more. Then she recited in a calm voice,

“Promise me. D-don’t die.”

Yerena knew the man too well. He was crazy enough to follow her after she died. He would probably follow her all the way to h*ll. He would apologize while secretly trailing behind her.

But if that happened, the children who lost their mother would lose their father too. Yerena couldn’t bear to see that. Despite the Empire’s strong authority and loyal aides, she couldn’t predict what might happen if only young children remained near the throne.

“The children…… My children. You must take care of your children.”

Thus, the princess decided to protect the children while inflicting pain on her hateful enemy even after death. This was also why she broke her resolution not to see him again.

“At least until they can stand on their own…… by th-themselves, don’t die. En-endure.”

At her words, the man began shaking his head repeatedly. His pathetic appearance, begging for forgiveness and telling her not to make such requests, was truly miserable.

‘How ridiculous.’

After committing all sorts of atrocities against her, trampling her country and slaughtering her family, he showed such a face. The princess raised the corners of her mouth at the sight of the man with his face ruined by tears.

It felt good.

It felt satisfying.

Even if it was just vanity, she felt she had achieved some measure of revenge.

And yet…….

Why did tears burst forth instead of laughter?

The princess ultimately failed to stop her flowing tears. She even had the insane thought that she pitied the man.

Why had that monster taken her to heart? Among the many lives he had ruined, why had he chosen to hold her in his heart and subject himself to such suffering? But foolish monster, I do not pity you. I only hate you.

‘There are no benevolent gods in this world. They’re all cruel.’

For a moment, Yerena blasphemously cursed the gods with such thoughts. But then she prayed again. Still, she wished happiness for everyone except this man. Her children, her friends whom she hadn’t seen for a long time but who might still be alive, and all the many people she had encountered—she prayed they would find happiness in divine mercy.

The silent prayer ended. Yerena fixed her gaze on the man again. He still hadn’t answered her request.

“The children…… Promise me. Okay?”

Yerena asked him once more. Again, the man didn’t nod. Sensing her approaching end, she gasped for breath. She needed to extract a promise from him, to protect the children—our children—and complete her revenge, however imperfect.

Looking at the man’s state, it seemed difficult to get his promise. Finally, to ensure her revenge would continue even after her death, the princess cast a sweet lure to her enemy.

“Ro…… shan.”

Roshan froze like a statue at the sound of his name from his wife’s lips. Yerena’s image reflected transparently in his tear-filled eyes.

“Please take care of the ch-children. If you do well, I might con-consider it someday. After all…… we’ll both end up in h*ll. We’ll me-meet there.”

Was she the princess or the empress? The indistinguishable Yerena spoke to the man who was both her enemy and husband. Only then did Roshan open his mouth. And with difficulty, he said,

“I understand.”

“……”

“Ye-Yerena. As you wish…… I will do as you wish.”

Like a candle flickering brightly just before going out, Yerena smiled radiantly. Then slowly closing her eyes, she moved her lips as she exhaled.

“I love you.”

To whom was she speaking? Along with her almost vanished breath, very faint confessions that could only be heard by putting an ear close to her mouth continued to come from Yerena’s lips.

“I love you.”

“……”

“I love…… you.”

There was no complete forgiveness. Yerena never revealed who her final confessions of love were truly for.

“Love……”

After several confessions of love, what was the final, soundless shape her lips formed? Whose name was it?

The man at her side, blinded by tears, couldn’t read it. Thus, all that remained for him was a living h*ll he must endure.

* * *

The moon of the great Empire, Empress Yerena, passed away at a young age. Many people throughout the country, regardless of status, mourned the death of the beautiful and benevolent empress who had been so beloved.

But the dead are quickly forgotten. Not long after the funeral, nobles began to say that the emperor was still too young, that the empress’s position couldn’t remain vacant.

‘This is our opportunity. The deceased empress’s family isn’t very powerful. They have no proper connection to central politics. So we must quickly select and establish a new empress from our side.’

‘Exactly. The twin princes are still young, aren’t they? We must ensure the emperor takes a new empress before the princes grow older.’

The noble faction, whose power had diminished, was particularly eager not to miss this chance. Gathering around Marquis Lant, they worked hard to present beautiful noble ladies to the emperor.

‘We must also take measures. We cannot simply watch as they produce the next empress.’

‘But Count James told us to wait……”

‘This is no time for leisure. We must move quickly.’

As things unfolded this way, the imperial faction didn’t remain idle either. While the emperor’s closest confidants didn’t move, those who felt anxious began looking for suitable noble ladies. Thus, many daughters from noble families came to the capital and the palace, dreaming of becoming the next empress.

But the emperor didn’t give his attention to any of the young and beautiful women. Not only that, after his wife’s death, he brought the twin princes and young princess—the deceased empress’s children—to the Central Palace and personally involved himself in their upbringing. This was as good as an indirect declaration, there would be no new empress, and the next emperor would come from the deceased empress’s offspring.

But the persistent ones didn’t give up. They continued to fuel their ambitions as they looked at the vacant empress position.

Whenever word spread that the emperor, who rarely attended banquets, might make an appearance, beautifully adorned women waited in anticipation. When news circulated that maid positions were available at the Central Palace, they scrambled to secure those positions.

‘Who’s there?’

‘Y-Your Majesty.’

Then one day, an incident occurred. A woman was found hiding in the deceased empress’s room. It was a scheme by a noble who, having heard that the emperor occasionally spent nights at the Ivory Palace, used his daughter.

The emperor didn’t punish the woman who dared enter the deceased empress’s room. But as soon as day broke, he rounded up everyone involved, from the man who sent his daughter to the Ivory Palace to those who assisted in the plan. Then he personally beheaded them all that day, without listening to any excuses.

‘I will have no more empresses.’

Those with ambitions finally accepted the emperor’s will. After all, power could only be enjoyed if one remained alive.

After the brief bloodshed, the palace became quiet again. Only the occasional laughter of the princes and princess echoed through the palace.

And so, time that felt like an eternity to some flew like an arrow for others.

* * *

Nine springs passed in the palace, which had somehow grown lonely after the empress’s death.

With the new spring, the twenty-year-old twin princes had grown up and were helping the emperor. Cairo, the firstborn who had become crown prince at fifteen, was now a proper small sun of the Empire. Louis, the second son, traveled around the Empire’s defensive fortifications fighting external enemies with his swordsmanship skills that resembled his father’s. And the princes’ sister, the Empire’s only princess Aisha, was busy with various lessons in preparation for her upcoming fifteenth birthday debutante.

Unlike the emperor, known for his coldness, his children always had many people around them. The firstborn and crown prince Cairo was often said to resemble his father’s coldness, but those close to him knew better. They knew the crown prince was affectionate to his people.

“Did you see His Highness the Crown Prince at the recent banquet? How handsome he was! Which noble lady will have the honor of standing beside him?”

“The position of crown princess isn’t easy to obtain. And personally, I’m more drawn to Prince Louis. That sparkling blonde hair! I first saw the prince at last year’s swordsmanship tournament, and oh my……”

“I find my eyes drawn more to the princess than the princes. Perhaps because she’s grown so much, but whenever I see the princess, I’m reminded of the late Empress.”

The well-raised princes and princess received much love. People occasionally remembered the deceased empress when they saw the gallant princes and the beautifully blossoming princess.

* * *