Back then, she believed even death required someone’s permission. How naive she had been.

“Father, Mother, even Sister Cecilia, no one cared for me, they all pursued their own desires…… I was the only fool.”

Who else could she blame? Elia had been foolish and ignorant.

“When even I didn’t cherish myself, who would care for me?”

Elia’s life had always been considered subordinate to House Theon and the imperial family.

Why?

She had never even questioned it. That’s why she didn’t know why she had to be unhappy. The more she thought about it, the more empty her life seemed.

“But even now, after revealing all the truth…… I’m still not free.”

Elia stared resentfully at her immobile left leg. If only she could move this body, she would have abandoned this life long ago, but even now, Elia couldn’t choose her own death.

“Miss, I’m coming in.”

With a brief knock, Hannah entered and looked at Elia with kind eyes. She had brought tea with plenty of milk and medicine prescribed by the imperial physician on a silver tray for Elia who had no appetite.

“Please eat this. If you don’t eat even this, I’m really going to stand here and wait.”

Hannah had been Elia’s nurse since she was born. Her stubbornness was so strong that even Elia couldn’t win against it.

Elia picked up the teacup and emptied half of it, making Hannah look visibly relieved.

“I’ll drink the rest a little later.”

“Promise? First, take your medicine. The imperial physician said you need to take it on schedule for it to be effective.”

The term “imperial physician” troubled Elia’s mind. She knew why this mansion had become quiet, why only Hannah and Dain showed their faces…… but she couldn’t understand why the Emperor had left only Elia as she was.

“The medicine is a bit bitter. But the imperial physician sent some precious candy to take with it. You should take it right away.”

At first, she thought it was house arrest, but gradually her thinking changed. Though she didn’t know how much was the Emperor’s will, the treatment toward Elia was quite generous, and in some ways could be called attentive care.

“Hannah, how is the situation now? Tell me honestly. If not, I won’t take the medicine.”

It was a childish threat, but with her legs immobile, she had no other choice.

“Miss, really…… We can’t go outside since His Majesty visited, so we don’t know what’s happening. However, servants from the imperial palace come every day to abundantly supply whatever we need, and…… the imperial physician is paying such close attention.”

“My parents were taken away, so why just me?”

“Well, Miss, you’re currently unable to walk. The imperial physician will come again tomorrow to examine you.”

Originally, the imperial physician’s duty was to stay in the palace and treat the imperial family. The only time an imperial physician would treat someone outside the palace was in one case—by the Emperor’s order. It was an extremely rare occurrence, considered a family honor.

“Hannah, do you remember what I told His Majesty that day?”

Hannah nodded with a stiff face. After the storm had passed, Elia explained to Hannah and Dain, who remained by her side, what she had told the Emperor and how grave a crime it was.

“Our family is already criminal and treasonous. So this kind of care is…… doesn’t it seem strange?”

“But Miss, you are innocent, and His Majesty knows that……”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Elia’s expression was resolute. In her previous life too, truth had never mattered.

What difference would Elia’s innocence make? She would still be the daughter of criminals.

“Perhaps, he might put me on trial. Other than that…… I can’t think of any reason.”

Elia’s anxiety had grown since the Emperor’s visit.

“Surely, nothing so terrible could happen?”

“Even more terrible things have already happened.”

Elia laughed weakly.

“Our family is a ducal house that received the title of meritorious subject during the former emperor’s reign. Mother is also a daughter of the Belest ducal family. So if they want to charge her with a major crime, they might need a trial.”

Although Elia had volunteered for capital punishment, it was difficult to endure testifying while surrounded by the cold gazes of the emperor and many others.

Given the nature of the incident, a religious trial might even be held afterward.

“Perhaps even capital punishment was too greedy a wish.”

“Miss…… please don’t say such things……”

Hannah quickly wiped away tears at the unconsciously uttered words.

“Cecilia is the bad one. Our Miss has done nothing wrong, how could this……”

In her previous life too, Hannah had always felt sorry for Elia. She could have simply abandoned her powerless mistress and left, but she couldn’t do that, and she felt sorry for making her suffer again this time.

“Don’t cry, Hannah. That…… doesn’t help at all.”

Hannah looked at Elia with surprised eyes. No matter how much she had been through, when had she become so mature? This composed expression, never before seen in the previous Elia, felt quite unfamiliar.

“I’d like to tell you all to leave, but since I’m under house arrest, that’s not possible either.”

“If you keep saying such things, I’ll get angry. I’ve lived my life finding fulfillment in taking care of you, so what’s the point of living if something happens to you?”

“Hannah……”

“I absolutely cannot go anywhere without you. Even if it’s to the afterlife! Let the grim reaper come if he wants! I absolutely cannot leave you!”

Elia sighed deeply. These people had stayed by Elia’s side longer than her birth parents. And they had given her deeper affection than her parents. How could they leave Elia?

“Why are we all so foolish?”

She couldn’t help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

“Being kind, keeping faith…… has nothing to do with living well. I should have lived more wickedly.”

When Elia deliberately said things she didn’t mean to lighten the heavy atmosphere, Hannah forced a smile.

“Miss……”

In her previous life, when living as a scorned empress, Hannah had been disrespected even by maids doing menial tasks, yet she always smiled resolutely when seeing Elia. Dain had abandoned his dignity as head servant and stolen firewood from other quarters, only to be despised.

“But I liked both of you.”

Elia wore a faint smile. If she had the power, she wanted to protect them in this life. Even if she had to stand trial, suffer humiliation, and face capital punishment, she would plead with the emperor.

“Then please take your medicine first. That will put our minds at ease.”

At those words, Elia obediently drank the medicine. But despite its terribly bitter taste, she didn’t touch the precious candy.

“Isn’t it bitter? Please, have some candy……”

“It’s fine. I’m used to bitter tastes now.”

She needed to take the medicine so her legs could heal and she could move. But not eating the paltry candy given by the emperor was her own form of pride.

Besides, could this even be called bitter? Just this much.

“Ask Dain to inquire with the knight guarding the mansion if I…… may send a letter.”

“What? Who would you send it to? Even if it’s allowed, they’ll inspect the entire contents.”

“It’s fine. The content doesn’t matter who sees it. Now, go and ask.”

“Yes.”

Hannah organized the silver tray and left the room. When she last met the emperor, she should have asked for those two to be set free…… her thinking had been shallow.

“Well, there’s no guarantee he would have granted my plea anyway.”

Elia had never asked Rockfort for any favors. Whenever she saw his contemptuous gaze, she felt she had no right to.

“Now I’ll abandon useless hope. I won’t expect anything. No one will fulfill my wishes.”

Until now, the Theon ducal family had been Elia’s entire world. And all of them had betrayed her utterly.

For their own desires, they had used and sacrificed Elia too easily.

“If I want something, I must seize it with my own hands.”

It had taken too long to realize this simple truth.

* * *

First, permission to write a letter was easily granted. Elia sat on the bed and held a pen.

It was about time for rumors to spread in the capital, but the outside world still wouldn’t know the inside story of this incident.

“Are you writing to Lord Daniel?”

Hannah asked cautiously. But Elia merely snorted.

“What could Uncle do for me?”

Daniel Theon, the younger brother of Duke Theon, always wore a grinning smile, but he was a person whose true intentions were unknown.

He had only met Elia a few times, so how could he extend a helping hand in such a difficult situation?

“Then, where are you writing to?”

“To Aunt Briana.”

At those words, Hannah tilted her head.

“But Briana is in the monastery.”

“Yes. Perhaps she might help me.”

“But she’s already abandoned the Theon name and status to live as a child of God……”

“That’s why.”

Elia gave an incomprehensible answer and finished the letter in elegant handwriting. If she wrote about the details of the incident, there was a high chance the letter wouldn’t be delivered, so there wasn’t much to write.

“Here. Send it as is.”