Chapter 5

“Duke, the morning paper has arrived.”

“Bring it here.”

The next morning, inside the Gloucester ducal estate’s study, the butler bowed deeply as he handed over the newspaper.

Accepting it expressionlessly, Aiden unfolded the paper with practiced familiarity.

‘If you can’t believe me, then check tomorrow morning’s paper.’

Evelyn’s words from yesterday lingered heavily in his mind, which was why he had requested the paper earlier than usual.

His gaze slowly lowered.

“Viscount Chester Family Imprisoned for Ties to Heresy—
By order of Her Majesty the Emperor, evidence connected to heretical activity was discovered throughout the estate……”

Like Gloucester, the Chester family had supported the Second Empress.

Though they were not especially powerful, after the Second Empress ascended the throne, they had solidified a strong economic foundation by monopolizing several trade rights.

While merchants occasionally fell into dealings with heretics, the Chester family had been devout believers for generations.

Moreover, he knew they had recently begun businesses connected to the religious order itself.

And yet now they were being accused of heresy?

Impossible.

Long lashes cast shadows over his amber eyes.

“Furthermore, the Imperial Knights announced that signs of rebellion have been discovered within the Sands territory….”

Chester and Sands.

Both were prominent supporters of the Second Empress.

And both families had risen greatly in power after backing Empress Blair.

Several deep lines formed across Aiden’s once smooth brow.

Folding the newspaper, he rose from his seat and walked toward the window.

The moment Empress Blair gave birth to a son, Emperor Philip wasted no time deposing Empress Catherine and separating her daughter, Mary, to a detached palace.

And during the ten years Mary remained within the palace afterward, Philip never once visited her.

In contrast, he showered Evelyn with affection and cherished her more than anyone else.

Perhaps because of that, the young Evelyn had once been an innocent child overflowing with the warmth of love.

‘She’s changed so much…’

But the Evelyn he met again after ten years was nothing like the girl he remembered.

Her platinum-blond hair still fluttered like grains of sand along the shore, and her pale green eyes remained as fresh as spring foliage.

But everything else about her felt completely different.

Her gaze.

Her tone.

Even that habitual smile.

That kind of smile belonged only to the weak—those who survived by enduring beneath the powerful.

‘She’s only been imprisoned in the tower for two weeks….’

So why did she already wear such an expression?

Had life inside the Imperial Palace Tower truly been that unbearable?

After a long moment of thought, Aiden turned around and addressed his aide, Scott.

“Investigate the current situation in Brang immediately.”

***

“How much longer do you intend to keep this up, Count?”

“As long as Your Highness refuses to eat, how could I possibly leave?”

Leaning against the shabby wooden door, Evelyn’s lips curved into a bitter smile.

It had already been a week.

Ever since the coronation banquet, Robert had continued visiting her relentlessly.

Glancing downward, she noticed the fruits resting inside the small basket placed through the food slot.

“At least have some fruit. I brought them because I heard you like them.”

Some might have found his devotion touching—

the way he visited her every single day despite her imprisonment in the tower.

The Evelyn of the past certainly had.

At least until she learned that every ounce of his kindness was fake.

“You must take care of your health, Your Highness.”

“If this continues, I won’t be the only one put in a difficult position.”

“You needn’t worry about me. Did that sound like concern?”

“If you eat even a single piece of fruit, I’ll leave afterward.”

Perhaps he had bent down, because Robert’s voice came from near the food slot.

“Ha……”

A bitter laugh escaped Evelyn’s lips.

‘Ah, Count. You’re all I have. The only one who comes to see me is….!’

‘Please call me Rob, Your Highness.’

Once again, memories from her second life resurfaced in her mind.

Even after swearing loyalty to her sister, who had become Emperor, Evelyn remained imprisoned in the tower for another full year.

And during that time, Robert had been the only one who visited her.

A girl who had lost her parents and younger brother, trapped alone in a tower.

And a charming man who came to see her every single day.

The exact same situation from before was unfolding again right before her eyes, yet now that her feelings had long since faded, Evelyn could only look back on her former self with cold ridicule.

‘The more shattered the mind becomes, the easier it is for emotions to fall.’

She despised how weak she had been, though at the same time, she had to admit how meticulous Robert truly was.

No matter the lifetime, he always wore his mask flawlessly.

But this time, she intended to tear that mask away.

“Your Highness.”

“….Fine. I’ll eat it.”

Shaking herself free from her thoughts at his relentless urging, she picked up an apple from the basket and bit into it.

A low chuckle sounded from beyond the door.

“Thank you. I’m in quite a good mood now.”

“I’m the one eating it, so why are you thanking me?”

“Because you granted my request, didn’t you?”

A crease formed between Evelyn’s brows.

Even though the door between them blocked her view, she could practically picture the playful expression he always wore.

An unnecessary memory.

Determined to erase every remnant of her previous life, Evelyn bit harder into the apple than before.

“Don’t come here anymore. I won’t entertain you.”

“In that case, I suppose I’ll have no choice but to open the door myself and confirm Your Highness is safe.”

“……”

“Now that I think about it, that doesn’t sound too bad. I’d get to see Your Highness’s face directly.”

“Didn’t you say you’d leave once I ate? Your attitude changes as easily as flipping a hand.”

“Isn’t that simply how the heart of someone in love behaves?”

“Haah.”

She had no desire to lower herself by pleading with him, but at the moment, she had no other choice.

Robert truly might open the door and enter as he pleased.

Regardless of how she felt, she could not face him dressed as she was now.

In the end, Evelyn reluctantly took a step back.

“Give me a few days alone. Too much has happened, and both my body and mind are exhausted.”

“Then after that, will you speak with me properly?”

“…Yes.”

“Understood. I’ll return next week.”

“……”

“I hope you recover quickly.”

Click. Click.

The sound of Robert’s footsteps gradually faded away.

Only then did Evelyn’s gaze slowly shift sideways.

Beneath the thin negligee, the Blessing of Strovana shone clearly upon her bare shoulder.

Originally, just like in her previous lives, Evelyn had been wearing little more than ragged prisoner’s clothes.

But the day after the banquet, a single blue negligee had been delivered to her.

“Her Majesty sent this because she was worried about Your Highness living in such shabby clothing.”

Though it was spring, the dawn winds were still bitterly cold.

And yet Mary had sent her a summer nightgown to wear inside a prison cell with barely any protection from the wind.

On the surface, it appeared as though she was caring for her younger sister.

But Mary’s true intentions were painfully obvious.

Mary likely hoped the bitter cold would slowly erode her sanity.

Even knowing her intentions, Evelyn had no choice but to accept it.

The maid had apparently been ordered to help her change as well, but Evelyn dismissed her, insisting it wasn’t necessary.

After changing clothes alone, she ultimately had to throw her prisoner’s garments out through the food slot—those rags being the only things that could have provided even a little warmth.

The reason she had no choice but to do this was because of the “Blessing” that had manifested after her first regression.

During her second life, she constantly wore clothing that covered her all the way to the neck in order to hide it.

Though the mark rested near her shoulder blade and didn’t necessarily require such caution, even slightly revealing clothes terrified her.

‘If they discover it, I’ll die.’

Mary was so obsessed with imperial authority that she constantly wore the heavy imperial crown.

Even after becoming Emperor, she endlessly displayed the legitimacy of her rule.

So what would happen if she learned that the Blessing—the very foundation of that legitimacy—had manifested in Evelyn as well?

Back then, even imagining such a possibility had terrified her.

Of course, now that she had resolved to become Emperor herself, she intended to use it as the center of a future rebellion.

Her dark green eyes settled upon the food on the table, long since gone cold.

She picked up a hardened piece of whole wheat bread she hadn’t touched for days and bit into it.

Her jaw moved mechanically.

The restraint she displayed was unbelievable for someone who had barely eaten properly in days.

Not showing emotion—

No, erasing emotion entirely.

That had been the vow Evelyn made at the beginning of her third life.

‘Maron will come in a few days.’

After briefly glancing toward the iron door, she turned her gaze back toward the window.

Beyond the tightly shut door, the quiet voices of the soldiers drifted faintly inside.

“She’s unbelievably stubborn.”

***

Once Robert stopped visiting her every day, the Imperial Palace Tower became deathly silent once again.

Other than the voices of the soldiers chatting to relieve their boredom during shifts.

“Looks like even the Count finally gave up. Honestly, if someone acted that cold all the time, I’d lose interest too. I mean, sure, she’s called a princess, but who knows when she’ll die?”

“Jack! Have you lost your mind?!”

His companion startled violently and hurried to stop him.

Originally assigned to guard the outside of the Imperial Palace Tower, he had only been transferred to internal watch duty starting today.

Watching his ignorant companion, who clearly knew nothing about the atmosphere here, the man called Jack sneered arrogantly.

“What’s the problem? Who’s going to hear us? There aren’t even many people on this floor.”

“Even so! Besides, here we have….”

The other soldier glanced nervously toward the tightly shut iron door behind them before lowering his voice.

“Her Highness the Princess is here!”

“Have you ever seen anyone walk out of the Imperial Palace Tower alive?”

“W-Well, no, but…”

“Exactly. The moment someone gets imprisoned here, it means they’re as good as dead. It’s only a matter of time. Why bother watching our mouths around people who are going to die anyway?”

“Y-You… your mouth!”

As Jack’s voice grew louder and louder, the other soldier panicked and quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

The rough palm pressed painfully against his lips, making Jack yank his companion’s arm away irritably.