Epilogue (Part 7)

“Ian, you can’t defeat Duke Anthus with that skill.”

“Yes.”

“Raise your arm a bit more, Iantalliman von Sirius.”

“Moca, wouldn’t it be better to take it easy?”

Cloud felt anxious every time he watched their lessons. Monica, regardless of Ian being her son, taught strictly.

“Your Majesty, you know better than anyone that our Ian can’t defeat Duke Anthus in a knight’s duel.”

“That’s true.”

“To win somehow, he must master all the techniques passed down in our family.”

“Do you think assassination techniques will work?”

“Even if it’s through unconventional means, he must win.”

“Mother is right, Father. I can’t win through a normal duel.”

Ian said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

<I will make our lovely Noelis the head of the Rockbellion family. She cannot be with His Highness the Crown Prince. And I don’t want any man weaker than me near our Noel.>

Ian quietly smiled at Anthus’s attempts to persuade him to give up on Noelis.

“I plan to become Noelis’s man no matter what. So please help me.”

No matter how much Anthus resembled his beloved Noelis, he had no intention of backing down.

“Duke Anthus is such a fool for his daughter.”

“Aren’t you the same, Father?”

“At least I don’t plan to hinder my daughter’s love. I know how wonderful love is… and how sad it is to be opposed by others.”

“Come to think of it, you two had a love marriage, right?”

“That’s right.”

“How did your romance start?”

Ian knew that his mother, Monica, was an elite from a capable assassin family. Thanks to that, he was learning all sorts of assassination techniques, but what intrigued him most was their love story.

He had asked since he was young, but they only said they married because they liked each other.

But Monica was from a baron family. For the daughter of a baron to become an empress instead of a concubine, the emperor’s authority had to be strong. That meant Cloud must have made tremendous efforts.

“Crown Prince Ian, it’s not a very pleasant story.”

“But I’m curious.”

The love between the elite assassin daughter of a baron and the crown prince.

“Well, Ian’s not a child anymore, so maybe we can tell him, Moca?”

Cloud asked Monica with a mischievous expression.

“Crown Prince Ian.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“You know that your mother was a skilled elite assassin, right?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever thought that His Majesty was my assassination target during his Crown Prince days?”

“Yes.”

“His Majesty was indeed my target, but not for assassination.”

“What do you mean, Mother?”

“Assassins don’t only take assignments to kill people. They also take assignments for surveillance or protection. Though not well known, your mother mainly took surveillance or protection assignments rather than assassinations.”

Monica smiled. It was a story from a long time ago.

“His Majesty was my last assignment.”

In truth, Monica wasn’t really a baron’s daughter. Her only family was her mother, a pr*stitute from the slums.

<Do I not have a father?>

She was curious why she didn’t have a father, so she asked.

<Your father is probably one of my clients. You’re lucky to be a girl. If you were a boy, I would’ve abandoned you long ago.>

Monica gradually realized that she would have to become a pr*stitute like her mother as she grew older. She hated that reality.

Would leaving home be the answer? How should I leave? 

Even though becoming a pr*stitute was considered natural, Monica disliked it.

So she killed him.

The ugly man who claimed to have bought her from her mother and tried to forcibly drag her into a room to undress her.

<Aaah! What have you done? He was my regular client. And he’s a noble!>

Monica never wanted love from her mother. But she never wanted such humiliation and shame either.

So she killed her mother, who tried to make her a pr*stitute.

Having killed two people in one day, she’d surely be arrested and executed.

Yes. Maybe dying would be a better life. 

Monica was dragged to prison and sentenced to death.

But she woke up. She remembered having a hood placed over her head and a noose around her neck on the day of her execution.

<I’m alive.>

Why?

<You’re awake.>

<Who are you?>

Monica looked at the man. A middle-aged man with a kind mouth and sharp eyes, appearing to be in his mid to late forties, smiled at her.

<What’s your name?>

<My name is Crazy b*tch.>

<Is that really your name?>

<Yes, Crazy b*tch.>

<But ‘Crazy b*tch’ is an insult, child.>

<An insult? My mother’s clients said it was one of their favorite words and gave me that name.>

Her mother taught her from a young age to smile whenever people called her ‘Crazy b*tch,’ saying it was a good meaning. So Monica smiled when passing people called her that.

<I learned that owing money is an insult.>

<I understand everything you say, given where you lived. First, let me introduce myself. My name is Ophirius. You must have many questions.>

Of course.

<I heard I was sentenced to death for killing people. Why am I alive?>

<First, Crazy b*tch died yesterday. So is it okay if I give you a new name?>

<What? You’re giving me a new name?>

<From now on, your name is Monica Luberan. You’ll become the daughter of a baron.>

Monica couldn’t help but be surprised. Ophirius was the head of the Luberan baron family. He said he saved her to adopt her as his daughter.

<Why would a noble adopt me?>

It was strange enough that he secretly took her out.

<I want to raise you as an assassin.>

<An assassin?>

<I heard you’re twelve years old. At that age, you killed both your mother and a stranger. You have the talent of an assassin. That’s why I want to adopt you as my daughter.>

There was no reason to refuse. It wasn’t about becoming a pr*stitute, and he explained it was similar to being an errand runner, so there was no reason to refuse.

A new life unfolded. Ophirius gave Monica much love and taught her incredible assassination skills. In return, she had to accept his assignments when he wanted.

Even if it involved killing people.

The first warm food, clothing, and shelter Monica ever received. Kind words, a father’s praise.

Whenever she completed errands or assassinations, she received praise and gifts.

And one day.

An incredible assignment came. It was a protection assignment for Crown Prince Cloud of the empire. Assassins weren’t just given assignments to kill.

<Disguise yourself as a maid to the crown prince and enter the palace to protect him.>

If silent footsteps were the basics of assassination skills, disguise could be considered the foundation of assassination.

That’s how she first entered the palace and met Cloud.

<I heard you’re a skilled assassin, Lady Monica.>

<Yes.>

<Especially skilled with poison, I hear.>

<Yes.>

<Can you smile?>

<Yes.>

<Is that a smile?>

<I don’t really know what smiling is.>

<Look at me. Put some strength in the corners of your mouth and lift them.>

<Like this?>

<No. Don’t force a smile.>

<Yes, Your Highness.>

<Wait. I’ll make you truly smile. Then show me your smile.>

<Yes.>

Monica felt a strange sensation. She was living in the slums with her pr*stitute mother.

And she had killed people and been sentenced to death.

She was in a very low position. Yet, she became a maid to the crown prince, which was fascinating.

She realized firsthand that the saying “life is unpredictable” wasn’t just empty words.

<Every time I see you, Lady Monica, my heart races.>

<Do you have arrhythmia? Shall I call a doctor?>

<No, it’s fine. Just don’t disappear from my sight.>

<Understood, Your Highness.>

<I told you to call me by my name, Monica.>

Every day spent accommodating his whims, complaining of arrhythmia, was increasingly stressful.

<Crown Prince Cloud.>

<No. The name I taught you, the nickname.>

Every time he insisted on being called by his nickname, it was more burdensome than stressful.

<Call me.>

<Lau, Your Highness.>

<Without the ‘Your Highness.’>

<Lau.>

<That’s it, Monica.>

<Yes, Your Highness.>

<When we’re alone, call me by my nickname.>

Monica recalled Ophirius’s words.

If the assignment target has a request, fulfill it. If it’s a difficult task, you don’t have to.

Calling him by his nickname was easy.

<Lau.>

<Ah, that’s nice. Then can I call you Moca, Lady Monica?>

Since she had to stay with the protection assignment target, maintaining a harmonious relationship was essential.

<Yes.>

For the sake of a harmonious relationship, an alias was fine. Once she allowed the nickname, Cloud called her by it at every opportunity, and Monica called him by his nickname.

Then one day.

<My arrhythmia is because of you, Moca.>

She thought he was making another strange excuse. But Cloud confessed quite seriously.

<I’ve fallen in love with you. Lady Monica, will you be my lover?>

She refused, of course. Falling in love with an assignment target.

Leaving aside the fact that she was the daughter of a pr*stitute from the slums, she didn’t even know who her father was. She was a murderer who had killed people. Becoming a lover with the noble crown prince? Nonsense.

<I refuse.>

His confessions continued, and Monica kept refusing.

Monica smiled as she looked at Ian.

“Then why did you suddenly accept Father, Mother?”

It’s impossible not to develop feelings for a handsome man who confesses every day without fail.

So Monica eventually explained to Ophirius that she wanted to give up the assignment.

But he said it was okay.

<It seems we’ll have a concubine from our family.>

<What?>

<I’m saying it’s okay to become lovers with His Highness Cloud.>

<You’re telling me to become lovers with the assignment target?>

<I knew His Highness would fall for my beautiful daughter.>

Ophirius spoke more straightforwardly than expected.

<I’m from the slums…>

<It’s alright. You’re my daughter now.>

<An assassin…>

<His Highness Cloud knows well that you’re an assassin. What’s the problem?>

<I don’t love him.>

In truth, she didn’t really understand the emotion of love.

<Then I’ll give you an assignment.>

<An assignment?>

<Become His Highness Cloud’s lover and concubine. That’s my assignment.>

Monica smiled as she thought of Ophirius.

“Genuine and sincere daily confessions moved my heart. There’s probably no stronger force to move people than sincerity, Ian.”

“I understand. I will also devote myself to Lady Noelis.”

Monica smiled brightly at Ian, who made a resolution.

“Moca, you just smiled, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I smiled, Your Majesty.”

“Do you remember what I said a long time ago, Moca?”

Monica looked at Cloud.

“I said I’d make you truly smile.”

“I smiled because Ian is adorable, Your Majesty.”

“Aren’t I adorable, Moca?”

Monica started to smile wider than before at Cloud’s words. That smile was answer enough.