Now it was just a faint, beautiful memory she couldn’t hold onto.

One thing was certain—the cold reality that such days would never return to her.

* * *

When Elia emerged from the prayer room, Hannah, who had been waiting, approached her with quiet steps.

“How are you feeling today?”

The voice of Hannah, the head lady-in-waiting, was always kind. In this vast imperial palace, only Hannah and the head servant Dain, who had cared for Elia since her days at the ducal residence, truly worried about her.

“Same as always.”

Elia spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. Initially, the empress’s quarters had been bustling with palace staff, second only to the emperor’s chambers, but as Elia’s disfavor with the emperor became apparent, it grew noticeably desolate.

Now, only head lady-in-waiting Hannah, head servant Dain, two young maids, and one manservant remained—a complete disgrace to the dignity of an empress.

“You seemed to overexert yourself at yesterday’s banquet……”

“I’m fine. It’s not like I’m sick.”

After appearing in public alongside Rockfort, she couldn’t bring herself to eat anything, and even if she managed to, she would promptly vomit it back up. Sometimes she would fall ill with fever, like someone with a high temperature.

“The imperial physician is right. My body weakens because of my mindset.”

The first few times she fell ill, the imperial physician dutifully came to the empress’s chambers to examine Elia, but after diagnosing her condition as neurological, he lost interest.

“Don’t look at me like that. This time I need to recover quickly. There’s something very important to do.”

As Elia smiled faintly, Hannah reluctantly nodded.

“The weather is nice today. Shall I open the window?”

The weather hardly mattered to her anymore. But seeing Hannah’s effort, Elia nodded.

A year of miserable marriage had not only tormented Elia. Hannah’s wrinkles had deepened in that short time. It couldn’t be easy caring for these large empress’s quarters with so little help.

“Is it difficult?”

“Me? Of course not.”

A lie. Hannah’s face was growing shadowed like Elia’s.

The taciturn head servant Dain was so busy filling in for the lack of staff—doing the work of gardeners and servants—that it was hard to even see his face.

“Even though I’m always confined to my chambers…… I’m not a fool.”

While Elia spent her time sitting or lying quietly like a plant, Hannah and Dain were managing the vast empress’s quarters almost entirely by themselves.

An empress despised—no, detested and abhorred—by the emperor was truly a miserable existence.

“Recently, I hear some palace staff blatantly ignore orders.”

“It’s because I’m inadequate as head lady-in-waiting. I’m still not accustomed to……”

“It’s my fault. When the empress is a laughingstock, the orders from the empress’s chambers and the head lady-in-waiting become laughable too.”

Hannah couldn’t deny it and pressed her lips together.

“With me in this state, forget about work—we can’t even get proper supplies. Everything we use in the empress’s chambers now comes from House Theon, doesn’t it?”

“That’s the duchess’s goodwill. And…… the empress’s quarters are quiet, so there’s little to do. I deliberately sent away useless palace staff. You prefer the quiet, don’t you?”

At first, Elia thought she was innocent. But time had clearly branded her punishment upon her.

Now, she had long forgotten to consider whether she was innocent or not, and merely felt wretched about becoming a sinner.

“Ah, the duchess will be entering the palace soon…… sharing tea with her might improve your mood.”

“I suppose so…… it’s almost that day.”

Elia swallowed bitterly at the news of her mother after so long.

“Normally it would be impossible, but since it’s the second anniversary of Cecilia’s death, His Majesty must have permitted her entry.”

Elia no longer harbored any illusions. The only one Rockfort showed any compassion toward was the deceased Cecilia, not her.

Because to Rockfort, Elia could never be anyone.

“I have no place at my sister’s memorial service. But if it’s mother’s request…… who knows.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to meet with mother privately, even if just for a moment. Of course, I’ll need His Majesty’s permission.”

Perhaps Rockfort would grant generous permission. For Cecilia—to honor her death.

“Tell mother that I want to meet her privately. Even if written correspondence is difficult, that much can be conveyed through messengers. If it’s mother’s request, His Majesty might permit it.”

The emperor thoroughly ignored Elia, not House Theon. On the contrary, Rockfort felt responsible for Cecilia’s lonely death and treated House Theon more generously.

“No, definitely. Tell her I absolutely must meet with mother privately.”

A determined light shone in Elia’s blue eyes.

Before withering away, she had something she needed to do.

* * *

The second anniversary memorial service for the former Empress Cecilia was conducted solemnly and reverently. Rockfort, dressed in black formal attire, maintained an expressionless face, but melancholy emanated from his eyes.

“With this, we conclude the second anniversary memorial service for former Empress Cecilia. May God’s glorious name guide her soul to heaven.”

The former emperor couldn’t attend due to chronic illness, and only the imperial couple and Cecilia’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Theon, held the modest service.

Elia, wearing a black veil, kept her head deeply bowed in silence, like a sinner.

“When I think of the empress, I still cannot contain my grief. I only held the wedding ceremony before departing for battle. As a husband, I did nothing for her.”

Despite Elia clearly being alive as the current empress, Rockfort still referred to Cecilia as “empress”—not former empress, but empress.

If so, what was the existence of Elia, who was holding her breath here?

“I still cannot understand how an empress with such a beautiful heart and appearance had to die so futilely.”

Elia and Rockfort had one thing in common: the thought that it would have been better if Elia had died instead of Cecilia.

However, having to witness this in front of her parents made Elia wish she could turn to dust and disappear.

“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault. The former empress was born with a short life span and caused Your Majesty concern…… our House Theon is deeply sorry.”

Duke Theon, Elia’s father, spoke gravely.

“I feel equally apologetic. Having gained a beautiful wife, I couldn’t even spend a single day in the empress’s chambers before departing for battle…… she must have been lonely.”

It was common knowledge that the emperor had not even consummated his marriage with former Empress Cecilia.

At the time, Rockfort was facing an important war at the border and intended to establish his family after securing a definite victory and returning alive.

However, before the joyous news of victory could be announced, the first empress passed away.

“Cecilia would understand Your Majesty’s heart and be grateful, even in heaven.”

“I suppose so. She was a virtuous woman.”

“Yes. Fortunately, with her younger sister Elia, we were able to keep the promise made by the former emperor…… Cecilia must be happy in heaven.”

The ducal family knew how Elia was being treated now. For them, the living Elia was naturally more important than their deceased daughter.

However, as soon as they broached the subject, the emperor’s face hardened.

“Happy? What woman would be happy dying at such a young age without fulfilling her marital bond?”

“I apologize……”

“Cecilia is Cecilia. No one can replace her.”

The Duke of Theon dared not speak further.

“Indeed. She was truly a special and affectionate person. In fact…… our ducal house still holds dawn prayers for her every day.”

As the duchess interjected with a sad expression, the emperor’s face softened somewhat.

“I heard the mother and daughter were quite close in life?”

His question seemed somewhat unexpected, causing the duchess to respond with slight embarrassment.

“Yes…… she was a daughter with such depth that she was sometimes like a friend.”

For a moment, Rockfort’s gaze turned toward the duchess.

“I remember too. Cecilia was a calm and gentle woman.”

Only Elia felt a sting at Rockfort’s words. The time Cecilia had spent with the emperor was truly minimal. The occasions when they conversed alone could be counted on one hand.

“She was more broad-minded and kind than I am.”

The Cecilia the emperor now remembered was a fantasy he had created. Who could compete with Cecilia, who remained a perfect wife because she had already died?

By now, the time Elia had spent with him was far longer, but that meant nothing.

“The current empress must also feel deep sorrow. The bond between the sisters was extraordinary. If Your Majesty permits, I would like to deliver a prayer for the former empress to the empress’s chambers as well.”

“The duchess’s heart is beautiful. It’s a pity only Cecilia took after you in that regard.”

The daggers came flying at various times. By now, Elia should have grown accustomed to the pain, but each time, she still felt suffocated and her face stiffened.

“The duchess can teach the empress how beautiful her sister’s heart was.”