Chapter 1

“I hope my death will lead to their downfall.”

In the dead of night, at the very top of the tallest spire in the Imperial Palace, a dizzyingly silent precipice stretched out beneath Erenia’s feet as she stood upon its railing.

“Please, help me, Mother.”

Erenia prayed to the mother whose face she had never even known.

It would all end today.

The life she had spent anxiously begging for love from those who despised her, and the life she had been destined to spend as a sacrifice for the peace of the Empire.

“P-Princess?”

Perhaps she had spotted Erenia standing precariously atop the spire, for a maid let out a terrified scream.

“Tell His Majesty the Emperor! Quickly!”

Below the spire, the Imperial Palace servants frantically rushed about in terror, desperately trying to prevent Erenia’s death.

But it was not for Erenia’s sake.

It was merely a struggle to preserve their own peace.

If Erenia died like this, the princess who was supposed to be sold to the Grand Duke of the enemy nation as a hostage in the name of a marriage alliance would disappear. Then, having already lost the war, the Empire would have no further opportunity to negotiate and would inevitably proceed toward its destruction.

“E-Erenia! Sister! What on earth are you doing up there?!”

Just then, Joanna came running from afar with her ladies-in-waiting, shouting desperately. She seemed to have forgotten even her status as the first empress of the Empire, for she had not even properly dressed herself.

“Come down! Come down, Sister!”

Erenia’s beloved half-sister had effortlessly surpassed the legitimate eldest daughter of the Imperial Family and ascended the throne.

Unlike Erenia, who had been the object of hatred and contempt, Joanna had been showered with the love of the Empire from the moment she was born, blooming beautifully like a flower. Yet, at this moment, even she could not hide her panic.

Everyone in the Empire who had despised Erenia had loved Joanna dearly.

The nobles, the people of the Empire, and even the late Emperor.

It was an affection that Erenia, who had been forced to grow up always bowing her head as a sinner of the Imperial Family under the stigma of being the daughter of a disgraced Empress accused of plotting treason with her maternal family, could never have dreamed of receiving.

But Erenia had never once been jealous of or hated Joanna.

If anything, she had loved her more than her own life.

Joanna. I thought you were the only family who truly cared about me…

Erenia still remembered it vividly.

Those young days when Joanna had been the first person to reach out her hand to Erenia, who was withering away in the cold and lonely Imperial Palace.

“Sister, come play with me! I’m so happy that I have a sister!”

And so, Erenia had made a decision.

Even if it cost her own life, she would protect Joanna.

She had given Joanna everything she possessed.

Her knowledge, her strategies, and even her one and only secret lover.

Even after giving all of that away, she had never regretted it.

That’s why I was even willing to accept marrying Grand Duke Devlin.

She had been prepared to become the wife of the conqueror of the enemy nation in order to peacefully end the war that had broken out because of Joanna’s diplomatic blunder.

She had done it all for Joanna.

“Sister, I’m really sorry. Sob… You’re the only unmarried woman left in the Imperial Family, so there was no other choice….

“But I found a clue that perhaps the accusation that your maternal family committed treason was a false charge.

“If you can bring this war to a peaceful end, I’ll stay here and investigate it more thoroughly.”

Of course, the hope that she might finally be able to clear the stigma that had tormented Erenia her entire life had also played a part.

Under normal circumstances, Erenia was supposed to leave the Imperial Palace tomorrow morning and head for the border.

For Joanna.

And perhaps for herself and her maternal family, who might have been falsely accused.

But…

“Why on earth does Grand Duke Devlin want that Erenia woman? She’s such an insignificant, worthless girl. Hardly worthy of being the sole condition for a peace treaty.”

“Mother, really. What does the reason matter? All I need to do is hand that foolish woman over and protect this throne.”

Just moments ago.

Erenia had gone to meet Joanna when she accidentally overheard a shocking truth in the garden of the Imperial Palace.

“Isn’t it absolutely ridiculous? No matter how hard she tries, there’s no one who will ever love her. Yet just because someone shows her the slightest bit of kindness, she scrambles around begging for affection as though she’d give up everything she has for it.”

Joanna, who had always put on an innocent expression and treated Erenia warmly, had been playing with her all this time.

The pain was unbearable, as though her heart were being hacked apart by a sword heated in flames.

But that was not the end.

“Hehehe. That stupid girl will never know until the day she dies that the former Emperor and I framed the Helias Ducal Family for treason.”

Erenia could hardly breathe.

I… didn’t even know.

All her life, she had endured every humiliation with the heart of a sinner atoning for the treason of her maternal family.

She had believed that sacrificing herself for the Empire was the only way she could earn even the slightest bit of forgiveness, so she had done everything she could.

Above all…

She had worshiped Joanna as her salvation without even knowing that she was the daughter of her enemy.

How foolish.

And yet, thanks to the ugly depths they had finally revealed, the blood throughout Erenia’s body turned cold.

At once, she realized what the greatest revenge she could take would be.

If I am the condition for the peace treaty…

Then I will gladly disappear.

“Sister! Sister, don’t do this! Come down first and let’s talk! I’m begging you!”

“What are you all doing?! Hurry! Hurry and rescue her! You must never let her die!”

Seeing Joanna desperately trying to prevent Erenia’s death only strengthened her resolve.

“So… If I die, you’ll be in trouble too, Joanna.”

“Let’s meet in hell. I’ll be waiting.”

Erenia murmured in a cold voice.

With a frigid smile on her lips, she stepped forward without hesitation.

For the first and last time in her life, it was time to repay those who had deceived her all these years.

“KYAAAAAA!”

Amid Joanna’s scream, Erenia’s dazzling platinum-blonde hair fluttered through the air.

The irreversible step came to an end in an instant.

Everyone rushed toward Erenia’s fallen body in a state of utter panic.

“No! Princess!”

Then…

A familiar yet strangely unfamiliar man’s voice pierced Erenia’s ears.

Within Erenia’s increasingly fading vision appeared the face of a man with jet-black hair and blood-red eyes.

He was running toward her, roaring as though in despair.

…Grand Duke Devlin?

The conqueror of the enemy nation who held the Empire’s fate in his hands.

Grand Duke Devlin, Seirn.

His face, which had always been expressionless, if not downright cold, was now filled with profound despair.

It was completely different from the man who had mercilessly trampled the entire Empire and entered this Imperial Palace only days ago.

As though he had become an entirely different person.

“Please… please, don’t die!”

Seirn desperately cried out as he carefully gathered Erenia into his arms.

…Why are you doing this?

To you, I’m nothing more than spoils of war.

Why would the death of someone like me matter to the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke, who has always been so composed?

Seirn had no reason to crumble before her death.

Yet he was more desperate than anyone else.

“Do whatever it takes to save the Princess! Hurry!”

“Save her no matter what! If we lose the Princess like this, no one in this Haiyen Empire will survive!”

That was exactly what Erenia wanted.

“Princess! Don’t lose consciousness! Please, please look at me!”

And yet, Erenia still could not understand.

Why was a man who had barely even spoken to her before clinging to her so desperately?

She simply could not understand.

Still…

Somewhere deep within her heart, a small warmth spread.

At least someone seemed as though they would mourn her death.

And so…

In the arms of the conqueror of the enemy nation, Erenia breathed her final breath, her heart filled with questions she could not answer.