Chapter 1
Prologue
“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”
“Waaaaah━!”
The cheers gradually drew closer.
It was the sound welcoming the new emperor returning after thoroughly dealing with Rodeium.
And it was also the cheer that Anelia had longed for so much.
‘Now everything is over.’
Anelia stared at the Argente flag visible outside the window and quietly caught her breath.
She had to execute her final plan before that flag fully arrived here.
Yet, was this unsettling feeling in her heart due to the anticipation that she would soon achieve what she had longed for so deeply for so long? Or was it……
“Alright, let’s hurry.”
Anelia shook her head to dispel her thoughts and turned around.
At that, Roina, who had been quietly waiting behind her, asked with a faint smile.
“You’re going out to greet him in front of the castle gates, right? It’s still cold outside, so shall I fetch an outer coat?”
“No, I can’t go out to greet him. I have something else to do.”
“Ah, then where are you……”
“For now, to the Princess’s Palace.”
Roina tilted her head with a puzzled expression, but like the seasoned maid she was, she followed Anelia without asking further.
For some reason, the path that wasn’t very long felt like an eternity to Anelia.
The servants and maids she encountered along the way all greeted her politely, but they could not hide their awkward unease.
“What will happen to Lady Anelia once His Majesty returns?”
“Well, since she’s the last princess of Rodeium, I suppose……”
The maids whispering among themselves were startled when Anelia suddenly appeared.
Sweating profusely, they bowed deeply, but Anelia didn’t even spare them a glance and simply kept walking.
It was a reaction she had expected anyway.
Argente, who brought down the imperial house of Rodeium. And the princess of Rodeium who actively helped him.
There would probably be a lot of talk regarding how she would be treated.
‘Luan promised he wouldn’t harm me, but.’
As a former princess, she knew better than anyone that things happening in the imperial palace didn’t always go as one wished.
Therefore, if she was going to leave as stipulated in the contract anyway, it was better to leave without running into him at all.
Because if she looked into Luan’s eyes—drooping like a rain-soaked puppy—her heart felt as though it would sway.
“Um, Lady Anelia.”
Just as they reached the Princess’s Palace, Roina, who had been quietly following behind, spoke up in a stiff voice.
“I don’t think His Majesty will abandon you, Lady Anelia. Everyone is gossiping, but you know his personality.”
“I know. I agree. But you see, Roina.”
Entering the bedroom of the Princess’s Palace, Anelia picked up a small envelope from the desk.
It was a short letter she had written in advance last night after much thought.
“New wine should be put into new wineskins. If Argente shields Rodeium, the imperial authority will not be properly established.”
“But.”
“Take this to His Majesty.”
Roina accepted the envelope Anelia handed her and looked back and forth between her and the envelope with a puzzled look.
“I told you I couldn’t go out to greet him because I have an important matter to attend to. You go out instead and give this to him. Then His Majesty will understand.”
“Ah…… Understood.”
Roina felt that something was amiss, but it was an order from none other than Anelia. She tucked the letter carefully into her bosom and nodded.
“By the way, when will you, Lady Anelia……”
“I’ll head out as soon as I finish what I have to do.”
“Yes, then.”
Of course, that didn’t mean she was going out to meet the emperor.
Anelia swallowed her words as she watched Roina’s retreating back leave the bedroom.
Where she was heading was deeper within the Princess’s Palace.
It was a secret passage she had prepared in advance, allowing her to escape far outside the imperial castle in one go.
‘Now, this is truly the end.’
After confirming that the surroundings had gone quiet, Anelia slowly opened the door to the passage.
A dark corridor into which not a single ray of light penetrated stretched out endlessly.
Anelia took a step inside, step by step.
Creeeeak, the sound of the door closing was loud, as if reflecting Anelia’s complex feelings.
When she suddenly turned around, all she could see was the tightly closed door and darkness.
Anelia lit the candle she had brought with a whoosh and murmured softly.
Goodbye, dreadful Rodeium.
And…….
Luan Argente.
My ex-husband, who is now the new emperor.
May you be a wise ruler for eternity.
And so ended Anelia’s long journey of revenge.
Though it still felt unbelievable and surreal, Anelia emerged from the passage and shouted as she looked at the brilliant sunshine.
“Yeah, now I’m going to freely live the second chapter of my life!”
Where should I go first?
The Eastern Continent where everyone’s hair color is black?
Or the Southern Continent, where the sea is said to be so gorgeous and full of handsome men?
Anelia excitedly made plans for the future.
It felt like everything was going to go smoothly.
“Oh my goodness, you know the last princess of Rodeium? The bounty on her is a whopping 1 billion Reat!”
“What? Just yesterday it was 500 million Reat, it doubled?”
“His Majesty must be thoroughly enraged.”
Anelia Ale Rodeium.
500 million Reat. 1 billion Reat.
Until a nationwide wanted notice was issued for her, that is.
“That damned bastard……, acting like he’d give me his liver and gallbladder, promising everything, and then breaking the contract?”
Anelia ripped off the wanted poster pasted in front of the inn room and gnashed her teeth with a grind.
You ungrateful brat, just see if I ever get caught!
Yes, perhaps this was wrong right from the very first step.
Starting from that very day about a year ago when she chose Luan Argente.
Chapter 1
Anelia had an exceptionally good intuition ever since she was young.
It wasn’t a simple hunch, but rather close to a sort of ‘result value’ derived from thorough observation and situational judgment.
Because her observational skills were outstanding and she was sensitive to changes, most of the ‘result values’ Anelia produced hit the mark.
Thanks to that, she was able to steadfastly survive amid countless enemies—for instance, on a day like today.
“Princess, please eat quickly before it cools down.”
It was an afternoon with exceptionally clear weather.
Avoiding the other princes and princesses who would bully her whenever their eyes met, she barely managed to finish eating alone and then called a maid to have tea.
The maid assigned to Anelia today was Lena Hesla. She was at least someone who would speak to her.
Normally, she would have gladly drunk the tea Lena brewed for her.
If only Anelia’s intuition hadn’t been screaming, that is.
“Princess?”
Lena urged her repeatedly with an innocent face.
Anelia silently looked at the Earl Grey placed in front of her.
With its brilliant reddish hue and perfect aroma, it was flawless, yet she couldn’t bring herself to reach out.
‘This…… I must not drink. Absolutely not.’
It was clear a trick was being played.
Because she felt that while everything was the same as usual, it was subtly different.
Lena’s tone of voice, pitch, and the number of times she blinked.
In addition, while she usually kept her hands gathered, right now she was clutching the hem of her skirt.
And so tightly that it creaked with wrinkles.
Crucially, when pouring the tea, she had swallowed dry saliva no less than twice.
Considering Lena was a maid who had never once swallowed her saliva while pouring tea until now, this was a clear sign of abnormality.
Anelia stroked only the handle of the teacup before quietly speaking.
“Lena.”
“Yes, Princess.”
A bitter taste lingered in her mouth since she was a maid she had thought fondly of.
However, since she couldn’t just drink this and die, Anelia asked in a cold voice.
“Tell me who ordered you to do this.”
“What…… suddenly do you mean by that?”
The corners of Lena’s lips trembled slightly as she answered.
Anelia felt bitter about herself for picking the right answer once again today.
“You don’t seem to have any intention of speaking. In that case, you drink this tea.”
“H-How could I possibly dare to drink the Princess’s tea?”
Lena expressed noticeable panic and dismay.
Without further ado, Anelia signaled the guard immediately.
“Seize this girl. She tried to poison the princess by putting poison in the tea.”
“Princess!”
Lena seemed genuinely shocked.
The guard approached Lena, who was shaking her head in horror.
However, the guard did not seize Lena and merely hesitated.
“Um…… Princess Anelia. Did maid Lena really attempt a poisoning? It only looked like she was pouring tea for you.”
He was even taking her side.
When it concerned nothing less than the poisoning of royalty, to react like this.
Anelia looked at the guard with an appalled expression.
Emboldened by the words defending her, Lena began to deny it even more forcefully.
“Princess, I am innocent! Stir it with a silver rod. I am truly innocent!”
“There are endless poisons that silver cannot detect. Wouldn’t it be most certain if you drank this tea instead?”
As Anelia stood her ground, Lena’s eyes turned pale.
She bit her lower lip and cried out.
“It’s really not true, Princess! No matter how much I am your maid, I am also a daughter of a noble house. Please do not frame me.”
“Framing, you say.”
Anelia slowly stood up and picked up the teacup containing the Earl Grey.
With every step she took closer, Lena trembled even more violently.
“If your innocence is proven, I will apologize publicly.”
“That’s……!”
As the commotion grew louder, nearby maids and guards gathered around.
Lena’s complexion turned darker and darker, completely at a loss for what to do.
Glancing at the gathered crowd, Anelia spoke in a slightly louder voice.
“If an apology isn’t enough, I will also give you the Princess’s Palace’s entire privy budget for a year. So prove your innocence, Lena.”
In truth, even if it was a year’s worth of the privy budget, Anelia wasn’t even treated properly as a princess, so it wasn’t that large a sum.
However, for Lena, a daughter of a humble noble family, it was tempting money.
Since the people here weren’t ignorant of that, doubts began to bloom from all around.
If she was truly innocent, wouldn’t it be great to prove it by drinking it and getting the money?
“I, I am……”
“Go on, Lena.”
Anelia offered the teacup with a light gesture. However, Lena could not accept it and only shivered uncontrollably.
“I have served you for years, Princess, how could you doubt me like this? I am truly hurt……!”
It felt impossible to listen to any more.
Tears dripped from Lena’s eyes, but Anelia’s heart only grew colder and colder.
Anelia commanded the guards with a sigh.
“Seize Lena Hesla. I will feed it to her myself.”
Ultimately, two guards seized Lena’s arms, and the surrounding murmurs grew even louder.
“Let go of me! I’m innocent!”
Anelia grabbed the jaw of the thrashing Lena and forced her head up.
Lena’s dark blue eyes shook like an aspen leaf in the wind.
It felt as if she might be devoured at any moment by Anelia’s golden eyes meeting hers.
Staring into Lena’s fear-filled eyes, Anelia whispered softly.
“I’m really going to make you drink it, Lena. If you want to live, you’d better confess, wouldn’t you?”
Lena’s eyelids fluttered violently, as if making a final struggle.
She could absolutely not drink the tea. Because she had heard the poison’s antidote was extremely rare.
Yet the way to slip through this situation also seemed remote.
In the end, Lena spoke in a tearful voice.
“Please save me, Princess……!”
Tears poured down from Lena’s eyes.
Trembling all over as if genuinely terrified, she began to confess.
“I only did as I was told. It’s the truth.”
