Regrettably, that was also true.

“There’s a gentle and affectionate Grand Duke around your age among the imperial relatives. Once Cecilia became Empress and our family’s status rose, I was planning to naturally proceed with your marriage to His Highness the Grand Duke. I was about to…… bring it up soon.”

Lorelaine was a wise mother. The highest status didn’t guarantee the greatest happiness.

Considering Elia’s gentle nature, rather than the glory of being empress, she would have been happier as a Grand Duchess, loved by a gentle husband, enjoying wealth and honor while building a harmonious family.

“I…… never……”

Incomplete sounds escaped between Elia’s lips. Her head was too confused to form words. But it seemed true that her mother hadn’t wanted Cecilia’s death.

“Then, why on earth……”

In her previous life too, Lorelaine had insisted that the medicine was merely abortion medicine. Believing those words, Elia had taken that medicine in front of the Emperor to prove her innocence, but it turned out to be deadly poison.

“Why…… how……”

There was still much she didn’t understand. Perhaps she had also injured her head in the fall from the tower, as trying to think complicated thoughts caused pain like being stabbed with a needle.

“You must still be confused. You barely survived, but your injuries are serious. After that accident…… three days have already passed.”

Suddenly, a frightening thought occurred to Elia. According to her memories, the Emperor would return from the war earlier than expected.

“I’d like to give you time to recover, but news has arrived that His Majesty has achieved victory in the war and is returning.”

Ha, a low breath escaped between Elia’s lips.

“And this morning, His Majesty’s head chamberlain came to the residence.”

Lorelaine’s expression seemed calm, but she couldn’t hide her subtle tension.

“His Majesty expressed great regret over the unfortunate accident, and said he would…… personally visit you, who fortunately survived.”

“What? No. I……”

I hate this. She really hated facing Rockfort in this life too.

“Elia. His Majesty’s words are imperial commands.”

Only then did Elia realize that her life hadn’t changed much from before. Rockfort was still the supreme sovereign, and Elia was merely an object of his hatred.

As soon as she heard that Rockfort was coming, Elia’s head went completely blank. Her mother was talking earnestly, but it didn’t feel real.

“……Do you understand? Just report it exactly like this. Only if you properly report this accident to His Majesty can our family survive.”

Unable to bear Elia’s dazed state, the Duchess grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

“Elia, you need to pull yourself together!”

Elia stared at her mother with empty eyes.

“Why…… should I?”

None of this was her fault, so why did she always have to make excuses for them and endure Rockfort’s suspicious, angry glares?

“Cecilia’s ugly secret must not be revealed. That would be tantamount to treason. And…… you may not know this, but the Empress’s suicide is also a great sin.”

“I know. I know very well. The moment one becomes empress, it’s a vow to dedicate body, heart, and soul entirely to the imperial family. One cannot live as one wishes, and can’t even decide one’s own death.”

Lorelaine felt something off about Elia’s too detached and calm words, but there was no time to question it now as time was pressing.

Besides, after Cecilia had lost her mind and jumped with Elia, it was understandable if she seemed a bit strange from the shock.

“Yes. Once Cecilia became empress, her sins immediately became the sins of our House. So you know what you must do, right?”

When Lorelaine looked desperately at Elia, she felt strange. Even her mother, who had always been strong and dignified, seemed afraid of incurring the Emperor’s wrath.

Meanwhile, Elia herself had lived her entire previous life being denied.

“Did you hear what I said? Your father and I barely worked this out after much discussion. We’ve already bribed the servants and ladies-in-waiting of the Empress’s chambers, so their testimonies will support us.”

Elia blinked slowly.

It seemed that what her mother had been desperately explaining while Elia was dazed was the account of the accident that the Duke and Duchess had fabricated together.

“Cecilia had a mental breakdown. It’s due to her bloodline from her birth mother’s side. We’ve arranged for people to testify about that aspect as well.”

Lorelaine was still meticulous. Elia felt disgusted with such a mother.

“Waiting for His Majesty to return, she became exhausted from loneliness, her nervous breakdown worsened, and when she was with you, suddenly overwhelmed by nostalgia for her childhood…… she impulsively went to the edge of the tower and met with misfortune.”

Half of it was true. Cecilia was indeed out of her mind because of the illegitimate child growing in her womb.

“Cecilia was muttering something, saw an illusion outside the window, reached out to grab it, and lost her balance. You, trying to save your sister, threw yourself after her and also met with the accident…… Yes, better say that Cecilia saw an illusion of His Majesty.”

“Mother.”

But Lorelaine wasn’t in her right mind either.

“Elia, you’re the victim. A pitiful incident you were somehow dragged into.”

At those words, tears reflexively rolled down Elia’s cheeks. It was the first time Elia had been called a ‘victim.’

“Apart from the truth you’ll tell His Majesty…… Cecilia tried to commit suicide by dragging you with her!”

Lorelaine said, grinding her teeth.

“How dare she, forgetting the grace I showed her by raising her, try to kill my own daughter!”

Elia felt her mother’s hands trembling as they wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Elia. When I heard about the accident, the first thing I asked was whether you were safe. Because you’re my only child…… as long as you survived, that’s all that matters.”

Lorelaine embraced Elia in her arms.

“I never particularly loved Cecilia, but I never hated her either. Yet that child has cornered us like this.”

Her mother’s embrace tightened around Elia.

“Elia, we just need to get through this crisis somehow. This mother will make sure you marry a kind man and live happily.”

Could this kind of maternal love be called love?

“My poor child, to have suffered such a terrible ordeal.”

She wanted to hear these words for a very long time. Elia’s throat tightened and her eyes stung.

She wanted to burst into tears. She wanted to cry loudly in her mother’s arms like a child and be comforted.

“The survival of us all depends entirely on you.”

But Elia’s face hardened at Lorelaine’s whisper.

“Once this matter quiets down, you’ll become a person of noble status and live happily for the rest of your life……”

The momentary expectation shattered. Even if all of Lorelaine’s words were true, even if she hadn’t intended to kill Cecilia, she was still pushing her daughter to lie before the Emperor.

Just as she had done many times in that terrible previous life.

“His Majesty will come to the mansion tomorrow afternoon. I earnestly pleaded several times that you haven’t recovered yet, but it seems he suspects the accident is suspicious, as he insists on coming tomorrow.”

Rockfort wasn’t a fool. News that the Empress had fallen from a tower and died would be the most absurd thing he could hear.

“I’ve left detailed notes about this accident at your bedside, so memorize them by tonight and burn them. Though you’re still struggling with your injuries, it can’t be helped as this is important.”

Of course, Lorelaine was thorough in her preparations. Three days after the accident, while her daughter was unconscious, she had already fabricated excuses about the accident and created witnesses. That was just like her.

“You must be busy preparing to receive His Majesty tomorrow. I’ll come back later, so memorize everything I’ve written down.”

“You want me to lie again?”

There was no hesitation on Lorelaine’s face.

“Well, would you rather we all die?”

Lorelaine stood up from the bed and looked down at Elia.

“Do as you please. If you want to throw away your life, your father’s life, and the lives of everyone in the duchy, including yourself.”

She was exactly like the strict mother Elia had always known. Elia couldn’t answer.

Lorelaine gave her a warning glance and left Elia’s room.

“Again……”

When Elia closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face.

“I failed to die.”

Everything was already as tangled as a knotted skein of thread, complicated and interconnected. Unless forcibly cut, there was no way to properly unravel it.

“Yes, I need to cut it, even forcibly.”

Her death in her past life wasn’t Elia’s intention. But now?

Elia had completely given up on untangling this mess, and now she couldn’t even bear to look at it. Only the sweet thought of simply cutting it with scissors circled in her mind.

“He despises falsehood. Being punished again by those cold eyes…… I can’t bear it anymore.”

When night came, Lorelaine would return and ask if she had memorized the excuses for the accident. Before that, a maid might come in and interrupt her.

“It’s the easiest path. I don’t even need to make a decision.”

She thought perhaps it would have been better to die with Cecilia back then.

If she had to live only to be forced to lie again, only to feel that man’s cold contempt again.

“Rather than memorizing this and reporting it……”

Elia looked at the paper with Lorelaine’s unmistakable handwriting and let out a bitter laugh. The part where it said Cecilia had muttered about seeing hallucinations and Elia had thrown herself to save her made Elia feel disgusted.

“Ah…… now I understand how His Majesty felt.”

She now understood why Rockfort had looked at her with such cold eyes, why he grimaced like he’s seeing something terrible, why he had shown such contempt.

It was all truly disgusting, wasn’t it?