“Send a messenger bird ahead. Tomorrow afternoon, I will personally visit the ducal residence to inquire after her health.”

Without waiting for a response, Rockfort spurred his horse and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Jayden gestured to a knight waiting behind, relayed the Emperor’s orders, and hurriedly followed after Rockfort.

* * *

Elia stared blankly at the ceiling. The fact that this was the only thing she could do now made her laugh bitterly at the absurdity.

“Well.”

It wasn’t different from her previous life. Even when she could freely move her limbs, she had never lived with peace of mind.

Her mother’s strange errands, Cecilia’s death, becoming Empress, and the life afterward…… none of it was much different from being confined to this bed.

“I am powerless.”

Even though she had died once and returned in time, that fact remained unchanged. This reality was so sorrowful that tears rolled down her cheeks, but even the tears soon dried up.

“To think I can’t even die as I wish, truly nothing has changed from before.”

Looking back, she had lived so foolishly. What was that family worth, and what did it matter if a person who would die anyway became a sinner.

Always watching others’ reactions, always thinking of others before herself—as a result, Elia had nothing left for herself.

“It’s my life, yet I haven’t made a single decision for myself.”

Born as a duke’s daughter, she had never even chosen what clothes to wear each morning. She just wore what was given to her and learned what was taught. It was a life where there was no need to think about what she wanted or what she liked.

“A noble lady is raised for marriage, and afterward lives for her husband and children.”

Her mother Lorelaine’s life was the same. Without ever questioning it, believing that was the meaning of life.

“The crazy one wasn’t sister Cecilia. The one who was chasing hallucinations…… was me.”

She had thought that someday she might be happy. Yet despite that, she had never made any effort to escape her painful reality.

She just wanted to believe that if she endured and persevered, he might someday understand her true heart.

“It was all a hallucination. Such things…… could never happen in reality.”

Elia had never struggled or made efforts for her own happiness. She thought such things were base and ugly. What she had been taught her whole life became shackles that blindfolded her eyes and bound her body.

“Just once……”

She wanted to see Rockfort’s eyes without contempt or hatred. Like that day when she first met him in her first life, even if he wasn’t as kind.

Even if he just didn’t look at Elia as if she were a terrible monster, she would have no more regrets.

“Now…… I can’t even remember.”

During her time as Empress, Elia could never look him straight in the eyes. The last smile of Rockfort that she remembered was always frozen at Cecilia’s wedding.

“I truly was chasing hallucinations.”

Elia couldn’t clearly picture Rockfort’s face in the end. Only the mysterious purple eyes faintly brushed through her memory.

“If only I could live as I wish just once.”

As she slowly closed her eyes, darkness came.

All those wishes were already too late. Elia had no chance.

When this darkness ended, the man with cold purple eyes would come.

* * *

From early morning, the ducal residence was in a commotion. Her father and mother, visibly tense, took turns staying by Elia’s side.

Especially Lorelaine, who thoroughly checked whether Elia had properly memorized the inside story of the accident.

“His Majesty will be here soon. If you just do well, it will be over quickly, so please make an effort.”

Elia’s face, devoid of any emotion, looked like a beautifully crafted doll. Her icy blue eyes held neither vitality nor will.

“Elia, we have enough witnesses. It will be fine.”

Lorelaine thought Elia was silent because she was nervous. Indeed, soon she would meet the Emperor, which was quite burdensome for a young lady who was ill.

“Are you alright? If you’re too nervous, I can ask the physician for medicine……”

“I’m fine.”

When Elia answered, Lorelaine sighed in relief and looked at her bandaged leg.

“Your leg…… the physician said you won’t be able to walk for a while, but once the bone heals, you’ll recover. So don’t worry about that now and focus on what you need to report to His Majesty.”

“Yes.”

Lorelaine pulled back the blanket halfway to deliberately make the injured leg visible. She wanted to make sure the Emperor saw that Elia had nearly died.

“When you have an audience with His Majesty, your father and I will be by your side…… so don’t be too nervous.”

Elia nodded. Right now, there was nothing else she could do.

* * *

Rockfort, dressed in a black formal uniform with the imperial symbol of a purple cape, arrived imposingly at the ducal residence. Unusually, he came without a long procession or carriage, riding his own horse accompanied by only a few knights.

“I, Duke Theon, greet Your Majesty. Everyone in the ducal residence feels deeply honored by Your Majesty’s visit.”

Rockfort, dismounting from his horse, nodded briefly.

“I’ve heard that Your Majesty is deeply concerned about Her Majesty the Empress, and I too am heavy-hearted. My daughter was born with a short fate, and I am ashamed to face Your Majesty.”

“Whether the Duke’s words are sincere, I will see in time.”

At Rockfort’s chilling words, Duke Theon broke into a cold sweat. He had prepared to some extent, but the Emperor’s quiet anger was deeper than expected, and his purple eyes were already full of suspicion.

“Where is the lady who was at the scene?”

“I regret to inform you that she severely injured her leg in the accident and cannot leave her bed.”

In fact, the best plan that the Duke and Duchess had thought of was to use Elia’s injury as an excuse for them to have an audience with the Emperor in her place and explain the situation. The excuse that it wasn’t proper for an unmarried lady to receive the Emperor while lying in bed was also appropriate.

“If Your Majesty would allow, my wife and I could directly report the details of the accident……”

“Lead the way.”

Rockfort cut him off.

“With all due respect, the child cannot get out of bed now and cannot even offer the minimum courtesy……”

“I said lead the way.”

The Duke bowed deeply before the Emperor. Now he had to rely on the instructions he had firmly given to Elia for this contingency.

“Her bedroom is on the second floor. Chamberlain, clear the path for His Majesty.”

As Rockfort climbed the stairs with a hardened face, it was impossible to easily read any emotion. For the Duke, it was an anxiety-inducing situation.

“My wife is with her.”

The Emperor, blatantly ignoring the Duke’s words, gave a slight nod, and the chamberlain had no choice but to knock on the bedroom door and open it.

The Duchess, who had been waiting inside, quickly stood up and paid her respects.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

Rockfort didn’t even glance at the Duchess and strode directly toward the bed. The Duke and Duchess exchanged glances and shared their flustered feelings, but they had no way to stop the Emperor.

“Are you awake?”

Rockfort asked, looking at the curtain draped over the bed. As the Duchess hesitated to answer, Elia stirred from behind the curtain.

“Yes. Please forgive my rudeness in receiving Your Majesty from bed due to my impaired condition.”

“I understand. May I draw back the curtain?”

“Yes.”

The Duchess quickly approached to draw back the curtain, but Rockfort raised his hand to stop her.

“Everyone leave. I will speak with the lady alone.”

At those words, the Duchess quickly bowed.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, Elia is still a young lady and……”

“Are you suggesting that I would tarnish the lady’s honor?”

“H-how could that be possible?”

There was no room for further excuses. The Emperor, seen up close, was more majestic than at Cecilia’s wedding, and his cold purple eyes even instilled fear.

“Withdraw.”

No one dared to resist his low voice. The Duke and Duchess had no choice but to bow deeply once more and withdraw.

“I will draw the curtain.”

At Rockfort’s voice, Elia took a deep breath. Fortunately, she had earlier received help from her maid to sit up against the bed.

Whether it was his touch or not, as the curtain moved, her heart pounded. She hadn’t expected to see his face again in this life.

“Are you Elia, Cecilia’s sister?”

Rockfort’s voice was heard much closer after drawing the curtain. Elia carefully raised her gaze to look at him.

“Yes, I am.”

The mysterious eyes with their purple hue were just as she remembered. But everything else felt completely new. His purple eyes weren’t kind, but they didn’t show the clear contempt of before. That made Elia’s tension dissipate. There was no longer the maddening constriction of her heart. It just felt like the time that had to come had arrived.

His black formal attire, the purple cape adorning his shoulders, his distinctive scent, and even the long fingers that had drawn back the curtain—it all felt somehow different.

Well, he was a man she had only been held by as her life was ending. Before that, he had never allowed such close proximity, and Elia had always been too afraid to look at him.

“Why do you look at me like that?”

Elia involuntarily shuddered at his deep voice.

“I asked why you’re looking at me with such unfamiliar eyes.”

“I……”

Past memories held Elia back, but she didn’t avoid his gaze and continued to meet his eyes. Except for Cecilia’s wedding, this was the longest moment in her life that she had clearly seen his eyes.

“……I have something to report to Your Majesty.”