Robellia had no interest in politics. Although she was a princess, she didn’t understand the privileges she enjoyed or the cost of maintaining them. Her world was so small and comfortable that she had no curiosity about what lay beyond it. For the moment, all she cared about was whether Akan would visit the palace again and whether they could play together.

The Emperor gave Robellia a strange look. 

“It is unusual for you to ask such a thing.”

“I have made friends with Lord Roxas.”

“Do not befriend them.”

The Emperor cut her short, as if the very mention of the name irritated him. But Robellia paid little attention to his words.

She was too busy imagining playing in the garden with Akan the next time he visited. Maybe they could make wreaths of purple flowers and put them on his shimmering silver hair – he would look so beautiful. She couldn’t stop wondering when she would see Akan again. If only her father would order the Duke to bring him back.

“Why not? He seemed to get on well with Lady Suther.”

Lady Suther, who had been the Princess’s chief lady-in-waiting since Robellia’s birth, had a close relationship with most of the palace staff. If Duke Roxas was on good terms with her, he would surely allow Akan to become her playmate. Robellia couldn’t understand why there should be any resistance.

“I want Lord Roxas to be my playmate, but… he said his father probably wouldn’t allow it.”

“What? Did he really say that?”

The Emperor, now visibly displeased, slammed his utensils down on the table with a loud clatter. Startled by his raised voice, Robellia instinctively shook her head.

“No… that’s not it. He just said they were going straight back to their territory.”

“Well, that’s wonderful news.”

Duke Roxas was known for speaking his mind and showing little respect for the Imperial family. Even during this audience, he had questioned why the nobles had to agree with the Emperor’s decisions when it came to changing laws. To the haughty Crown Prince, such remarks in the presence of the Emperor were the height of arrogance.

Robellia, oblivious to the undertones in Raves’ words, instead pondered what she had overheard earlier. Everyone had always said it was a great honour to become the princess’s playmate. Could the Duke’s refusal to let Akan stay have anything to do with that? It was too complex for her to fully understand.

Unaware that this was the last chance to leave the matter as a minor incident, Robellia’s naive and careless lips uttered words that should never have been spoken.

“They spoke of something like independence for their duchy. Could that be the reason?”

“What did you just say?”

At Robellia’s words, the Emperor shot to his feet, his anger palpable.

The House of Roxas was descended from the royal family of the Old Empire, a fact that had long irritated the Emperor. It was this lineage that caused him to view Duke Roxas with suspicion. For anyone from that house to even hint at independence for their duchy at this time was nothing short of treason – an affront to both the Imperial family and the Emperor himself.

Robellia blinked in surprise, startled by her father’s sudden outburst. She couldn’t understand what she could have said wrong and tried desperately to find out, but no answer came to her.

“No… Lady Suther mentioned it… I just… Is that a bad thing?”

The Emperor walked towards her with quick, purposeful steps, gripping her shoulders tightly. Frightened, Robellia couldn’t even cry out in pain, her wide eyes darting nervously.

There was no way the naive princess could have come up with such insolent ideas on her own. It was clear that she had heard them somewhere. The Emperor’s harsh interrogation rang out like thunder.

“Robellia. Speak clearly. Did Lady Suther and Duke Roxas conspire to commit treason?”

“T-treason?”

The sudden mention of such a terrible word made Robellia nervous and prompted her to ask again. She didn’t know much, but treason was undoubtedly a serious crime – one that had led to the utter destruction of even the greatest noble families in the past. Did this mean that Duke Roxas was a bad man? Confusion clouded Robellia’s wide, trembling eyes.

“You foolish girl! Why on earth would anyone conspire to commit treason in your palace?”

His anger boiled over and he overturned the dining table, sending dishes clattering to the floor with a deafening crash. Startled, Robellia crouched and covered her head, overwhelmed by the realisation that something was terribly out of control.

Across from her, Crown Prince Raves rose calmly from his seat. Though the Emperor appeared furious, it was an act. Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince understood that this situation was a golden opportunity.

“I will take care of this, I will go to the princess’s palace immediately, have Lady Suther arrested and investigate everyone else involved. Duke Roxas should still be in the capital.”

At his words, the guards stationed at the dining room doors bowed and quickly left to carry out his orders. Robellia, meanwhile, was completely lost, unable to comprehend what was happening. All she could think was that the atmosphere of Duke Roxas and Lady Suther’s conversation had seemed far too casual and warm for something as serious as treason.

Robellia, trembling with fear, tried once more to address her father, who had returned to his seat with a grim expression on his face.

“N-no, Father. I didn’t mean…”

“Silence, Robellia, if you defend traitors, not even a princess will go unpunished.”

At Raves’ ominous remark, Robellia froze, her mouth tightening. What did he mean by *unpunished*? Surely it wasn’t just a scolding or a lecture.

“Return to your palace and reflect on your actions.”

Obediently, Robellia rose and left the dining hall. Without even her maid to accompany her, she walked back to her quarters alone. On the way, the corridors were in utter chaos. She saw people being dragged away by soldiers, some with their hair gripped tightly in rough hands.

As she realised that her few careless words had caused this situation, terror gripped her heart. Robellia hunched her shoulders and shrank into herself as she hurried to her bedroom as if on the run. Once there, she crawled under her blankets, shaking uncontrollably. There was nothing else she could do. Covering her ears to block out the relentless screams, she silently prayed for it all to stop.

The lights of the Imperial Palace burned relentlessly through the night.

—

The small snowball Robellia had unwittingly started had grown into an avalanche in a matter of days. She was now standing in front of the closed doors of the Great Hall, practically dragged there. The hall, normally a place for lavish banquets, was now filled with accused criminals and the nobles gathered to witness their sentencing.

As the doors opened, Robellia’s eyes fell on the dishevelled figures of Lady Suther and the palace staff. Most of them were familiar faces from her residence. Their bodies, exposed by torn clothing, bore gruesome marks of torture. Unable to bear the sight, Robellia quickly lowered her eyes to the ground.

Despite the relentless torture, Lady Suther steadfastly denied any involvement in treason. She claimed it was all a misunderstanding, insisting that what had been misconstrued were lighthearted remarks – jokes that even the late Emperor had made casually in public. Her adamant denials only prolonged the ordeal, leading to Robellia being summoned as a witness.

From his high throne, the Emperor sat with a stern expression on his face and gestured for Robellia to approach. She felt like a cow being led to slaughter, her steps slow and heavy as she climbed the platform. Below her, the assembled nobles looked up at her – not with their usual polite smiles, but with cold, menacing expressions that sent shivers down her spine.