FIH | CH 01

Chapter 1

Under the clear sky, the garden was bright and full of life.
A soft breeze passed through the rose bushes, scattering a few petals to the ground.

Inside the Empress’s Palace, the red glow of sunset streamed through a narrow window.
The room was large, but almost empty. The few pieces of furniture left were old and worn.

A woman knelt on the floor, scrubbing it clean.
Golden sunlight fell on her long blond hair and lashes of the same color.
She had a smooth forehead, a slender face, long eyes with double eyelids, and thick lower lips that contrasted with her thin upper lip.

But her thin, frail body and ragged clothes made her beauty fade.
After finishing her cleaning, Haela wiped her forehead with her sleeve and looked out the window, exhausted.
She gazed down at her rough hands, saddened.

How did it come to this?
She hadn’t looked into a mirror for a long time.
She used to take care of her appearance, but now she had neither the means nor anyone left to care.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she saw Kersian’s face.

Just thinking of him caused her pain, so she tried to push the thoughts away—
when suddenly, the door burst open.

Uriel walked in, followed by a few servants.
With drooping eyes and bright green pupils, she smiled sweetly, dressed in an extravagant outfit.
Her curly red hair gleamed under the light, and her pale, perfect skin looked untouched by hardship.
On her delicate hand shone a ruby ring — one that once belonged to Haela’s mother and was passed down as an imperial treasure.

“What is it this time?”
Haela asked nervously, then froze when she noticed Uriel’s swollen belly.

Uriel, noticing the sadness and longing in Haela’s eyes, smirked.
It had been a while since they last met, and Haela looked terrible — thin, pale, and pitiful.
Even the palace maids seemed better off than her.
Seeing that, Uriel’s mood brightened.

“His Majesty has decided to send you to a monastery,” she said lightly.

Haela didn’t answer. Her face showed no surprise — as if she had expected it.
Kersian had described her as harmless and quiet, and indeed, she never caused trouble.
But even so, Uriel couldn’t let her live in peace.

“All the other imperial descendants are dead. His Majesty letting you live… that’s far too merciful.”
Uriel spoke in a mockingly regretful tone.

Haela’s expression darkened.
Because of Kersian’s rebellion, she had lost her family, and Uriel’s family had helped him seize power.
Kersian had always favored Uriel, and after the rebellion, his affection for her only deepened.
Even when Haela lost her baby after being poisoned — something that clearly involved Uriel — Kersian hid the truth and protected her.

As a result, Haela was dethroned, and now Uriel would soon take her place as empress.
The child in her womb would become the next emperor.

“Bring the branding iron.”

At Uriel’s command, Haela’s eyes widened in shock.
Uriel smiled cruelly at her terrified face.

The servants grabbed Haela and forced her to her knees.
They held her tightly so she couldn’t move.

“What are you doing?” Haela shouted, struggling — but no one was afraid of her.
Once the most noble woman in the empire, she was now nothing but a toy for their amusement.

A servant brought in the branding iron.
The red-hot metal glowed between the coals. Just seeing it made Haela break out in cold sweat.

Her panic made Uriel’s smile widen.
Uriel held the glowing iron close to Haela’s face.
“I just need to make sure I can relax,” she said sweetly.

“Please, don’t! I’m begging you…”
The heat was already reaching Haela’s skin.

But Uriel pressed the metal against her cheek.
The sound of burning flesh filled the air.
A horrible smell spread as Haela screamed in agony.

When Uriel finally threw the iron aside, Haela couldn’t open her eyes from the pain.
Her cheek was blackened and blistered, the pink flesh around it melted.
Even the servants turned away in disgust.

Uriel wrinkled her nose.
“It’s hard to look at you. She has to be alive to reach the monastery, so call the physician.”
With that, she turned to leave.

As soon as the servants let go, Haela collapsed on the floor, shaking in pain.
Even though the branding iron had fallen, her face still burned.

“Kersian…”
The name slipped out of her mouth without thinking —
and it made Uriel stop in her tracks.

“At the next banquet, His Majesty will officially declare me the new empress,” Uriel said coldly.
“This will be the last time I see you. You look so pitiful still calling for him… Let me tell you something — it was His Majesty who killed your unborn child.”

Haela’s blurry eyes suddenly widened.
Uriel smiled cruelly and added,
“So don’t put your hope in him anymore. Once you reach the monastery, I’ll send you something — the same poison your father and your baby drank.”

Haela’s eyes darted to the floor — the iron rod was still there.
In a flash, she grabbed it and swung it at Uriel.

Uriel stumbled backward in shock and fell to the floor.
For the first time, she saw Haela’s eyes blazing with fury.
Fear filled Uriel’s gaze — but the rebellion didn’t last long.

The servants pinned Haela down and tore the rod from her hands, throwing it across the room.
Uriel gasped for breath, glaring at Haela with hatred.

“Did she hurt you, my lady?” a servant asked.
Uriel didn’t answer right away.
Her pride wounded, she hesitated — then shouted furiously,
“That madwoman tried to harm me and my unborn heir! Kill her right now!”

“But His Majesty’s orders—”

At that moment, someone entered the room.
Haela froze when she saw him — the man she had once loved so deeply.

Kersian.

Even when he had been just a duke, he had been graceful and elegant.
Now, dressed in the robes of an emperor, he looked even more dazzling — mature and powerful.

But to Haela, his appearance only brought a chilling dread.

“Your Majesty!” everyone bowed in panic.

Kersian’s gaze fell on Haela.
Her face was streaked with tears, and a fresh burn scar marked her cheek.

“Release her and bring a doctor. Take Uriel to her room,” he ordered.

Uriel hesitated, then left, glancing nervously at his expression.
Once the room quieted, Kersian approached Haela and extended his hand.

“The floor’s cold. Stand up,” he said gently.

But Haela didn’t take his hand.
So he took hers and helped her up himself.
His hand was still large and warm.

Tears kept flowing down her face as she whispered,
“Why did you do it?”

“I’m sorry,” he said simply.

For a moment, Haela couldn’t speak. Then, with trembling lips, she said,
“Empty words mean nothing. You killed my father and your own child. Only a monster could do that.”

“If that’s what you think, then so be it,” he replied tiredly, as if humoring a child.
There was no guilt or remorse in his voice, his eyes, or his face.

Haela’s heart filled with despair.
She had thought it was love.
She had believed it so deeply that she gave him everything.
Now she realized — it had all been one-sided.

“Kersian,” she said quietly, “you are the most shameless and cruel person I’ve ever known.”

“I know,” he said calmly. “So you can hate me as much as you want.”

He reached out to wipe her tears, but she flinched away in disgust.

Her vision cleared, and she saw his face clearly —
black hair, sharp eyes, high nose, thin lips.
In those pale green eyes she once loved, she now saw only her ruined reflection.

Haela backed away until her back hit the wall.
Kersian sighed softly, watching her trembling.

“Your Majesty, the physician has arrived,” a servant said.

Kersian turned to answer —
but before he could, a sudden gust of wind brushed his cheek.

He turned around and froze.
Haela was sitting on the window ledge, her hair blowing in the wind.

“Meeting you was the worst mistake of my life,” she said.
“My only regret is that I didn’t kill you and Uriel myself.”

“Haela, don’t do something foolish. Come down,” Kersian said quickly, his voice suddenly shaken.

Seeing the fear in his eyes for the first time, Haela laughed bitterly.

“Go to hell.”

And with that, she leaned back and fell.

Kersian ran forward, but she was already falling faster than he could move.
Time seemed to slow as she plummeted.
As the ground rushed closer, regret filled her chest — not fear, but anger and sorrow.

She shouldn’t have been the one to die.

Then came a heavy thud.
Her legs bent unnaturally, and blood spread beneath her.
The palace servants nearby screamed, some running to get help.

And with that sound, Haela lost consciousness.