Chapter 1
She Went Mad (1)
She had been betrayed by love.
It was the first and last love of her life—or so she had believed. She thought it was fate. She believed she had been born only to meet him, and that marrying him and bearing his children would be her sole happiness. She never once doubted that he would make her happy.
Veronica first saw him when she was fifteen.
Fifteen—a time when she possessed more than she lacked. A day when a once awkward young girl had just begun to bloom into a shy beauty through the first stirrings of maturity.
That was the day she met him.
Perhaps this was what people meant by a moment one could never forget.
Even now, she could vividly recall the first moment she saw him.
How lush the path of viburnum blossoms had been.
How warm the sunlight surrounding them felt.
How beautiful the colorful anemones swayed among the fresh green grass.
And how dazzling he had looked standing there among them.
The moment his lowered lashes lifted and those blue eyes met hers, a violent shock coursed through her entire body. Her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and her heart pounded as if it would burst through her skin.
It was the first time she had ever felt such emotions.
Words could never fully describe that moment.
“I lived only to meet you.”
Perhaps she had even said something so embarrassingly shameless.
Because after hearing those words, his face had flushed slightly in surprise, and he had smiled shyly.
After introducing themselves, Veronica returned to the ducal estate and wrote him a letter.
Naturally, it was addressed to him.
[To His Imperial Highness, Prince Asar Roel Diasta.]
Why had writing that single line made her hands tremble so much?
After that, they exchanged several letters.
She carefully dried and stored away every flower he sent her. She laughed at how his neat handwriting resembled him. Even the smallest flower he gifted her filled her with happiness.
She believed he must have felt the same shock she had that day.
Their letters were always filled with longing and promises of their next meeting. She counted the days until she could see him again. Veronica became utterly intoxicated by the sudden arrival of love.
And so, time passed.
At last, they met for a second time.
Veronica attended a reading gathering hosted by the Empress, and seeing him there felt like fate itself.
No—it had to be fate.
Had not even God arranged their meeting through mere coincidence?
The moment she saw him, she could no longer control herself.
It did not matter to her that he limped slightly on his left leg, or that others treated him poorly because of his weak disposition.
Unable to hold back, Veronica said:
“Please don’t make me wait any longer. I already know our feelings are mutual. So stop being shy and propose to me.”
“Lady Hardiness…”
Just like during their first meeting, he smiled bashfully.
His sky-blue eyes lowered, unable to meet hers directly.
Veronica gazed at the embarrassed expression of the man she loved with utter enchantment.
And after what felt like an eternity of waiting, his gentle voice finally emerged.
“To be honest, I’m surprised. I never expected to hear such words from Lady Hardiness.”
“Oh my. Surely you aren’t claiming you never noticed my feelings?”
Though she said she would be disappointed, she wasn’t disappointed at all.
She was simply overjoyed that she would finally receive his proposal.
Asking a man to propose first wounded her pride somewhat, but for him, she didn’t mind.
Perhaps her impatience had shown, because he suddenly laughed softly while watching her.
“You’re unexpectedly cute, unlike the rumors.”
“Rumors are just rumors. Spreading nonsense is a noble’s favorite pastime.”
“Lady Hardiness. I truly appreciate your feelings, but in my position, even love must be weighed against benefit.”
“I know. Don’t worry, Prince Asar. I am the only daughter of the prestigious Hardiness family, and someday I will inherit the entirety of its wealth and authority. I can become a great source of strength for you.”
She was useful.
The confidence in her raised chin proved it.
“You need only choose me.”
But she never imagined he would crush that confidence so mercilessly.
“My answer is… I’m sorry, Lady Hardiness.”
“That’s a lie!”
Veronica stared at him in horror.
It was an answer she had never once imagined.
Yet he merely smiled apologetically, clearly rejecting her.
She could not accept it.
Without any regard for dignity, she rushed after him as he walked away. People tried to stop her midway, but she ignored every warning and focused only on him.
She shouted at him not to hide his true feelings.
“I’m sorry.”
More than his words, it was his sorrowful expression that captured her heart.
Was it because of the people watching?
Was he worried about what others might say?
Unable to bear seeing her hurt, he turned away and left.
Veronica returned to the estate in tears.
That night, she wrote him another letter.
But he never replied.
She waited for months.
She attended the Empress’s reading gatherings repeatedly just to see him again, but he avoided her. Even when they crossed paths by chance, he always slipped away before she could speak to him.
In the end, Veronica tearfully went to her father and begged him.
She told him she had fallen in love.
That she wanted to marry him.
Her father looked deeply troubled.
Perhaps he believed it was merely the tantrum of a young daughter, because he gently held her shoulders and urged her to think calmly.
But Veronica, already blinded by love, slapped away her father’s hands and caused a scene.
Like a child, she collapsed onto the floor, rolling around and crying that she wanted to marry him.
Without even feeling ashamed, she stubbornly insisted on the marriage.
“Absolutely not! Give up on him!”
“Father!”
Her father’s opposition was firm.
Veronica spent her days in tears.
She lost her appetite and starved herself until she became thin and frail. Fever consumed her, and she gradually wasted away in bed.
Then one day, while bedridden, she pleaded once more to the father caring for her.
“I want to marry Prince Asar Roel.”
Even while delirious with fever, she begged him through tears.
And in the end, her father, Harry Hardiness, finally relented.
He immediately went to the Emperor and pleaded personally.
A few days later, he came to see her.
The man she loved most.
The only happiness in her life.
Smiling shyly just as he had the first time they met, he said:
“I’ve lost, Lady Hardiness.”
And just like that, they became engaged.
It was the greatest sixteenth birthday gift imaginable.
After that, happiness continued endlessly.
Asar visited her often.
Every time, Veronica wore the finest dresses and adorned herself with the most luxurious jewels so she could greet him at her most beautiful.
They shared countless trivial conversations.
Though the moments themselves were insignificant, simply being with him brought her immense joy.
Every road they walked together felt soft beneath her feet, and even the smallest exchanges made her unable to suppress her laughter.
Veronica waited eagerly for the day they would marry.
She wanted to hold the wedding immediately, but he asked her to wait because he was not yet prepared.
So she endured.
Meanwhile, Veronica diligently devoted herself to lessons on becoming a proper bride. A girl who once hated every form of study had become remarkably earnest—all because of love.
Years passed.
Girls her age had already married and borne children, yet she still waited for her wedding with him.
Even then, her love belonged solely to him.
Her friends sighed at the sight of her blind devotion, but Veronica truly didn’t mind.
Still, patience was not always pleasant.
“Asar… shouldn’t we finally hold our wedding?”
Remembering the married couple she had met earlier that day, she felt particularly anxious.
She carefully asked the absent-minded Asar beside her.
He slowly turned to look at her.
“Veronica.”
“Yes, my Asar.”
“Do you love me?”
“Of course, Your Highness. I love you very much. More than you could possibly imagine—enough to do absolutely anything for you.”
“Veronica. My Veronica.”
His hands gripped her shoulders firmly.
“Would you truly do anything for me?”
“Of course! For the man I love.”
She thought those words would make him happy.
And indeed, he smiled.
“I wish to reform this rotten imperial family.”
Only then did she understand why he had delayed their marriage all this time.
Veronica was deeply moved.
So that was his purpose.
And to think she could help him achieve something so noble—
“What can I do for you?”
His request seemed surprisingly trivial.
He asked her to secretly steal a letter delivered to her father.
As he wished, Veronica sneaked into her father’s office and took the letter.
Even after briefly opening it, it appeared to contain nothing more than ordinary greetings, so she thought little of it.
Likewise, when she brought him books from her father’s office that she never read, or seemingly insignificant objects—
If he wanted them, she brought them all.
She believed she was doing it for the man she loved.
Perhaps she was intoxicated by the idea of risking herself and making sacrifices for love.
Without ever realizing she was doing something terribly wrong.
Then one day, imperial soldiers stormed the estate and arrested her father.
They claimed he had secretly gathered rebels and plotted to assassinate the Emperor.
It was impossible to believe.
Her family had served the imperial household with unwavering loyalty for generations.
Veronica immediately rushed to see Asar Roel Diasta.
“Asar, please clear up this misunderstanding. My father, Duke Harry Hardiness, would never plot the Emperor’s assassination. He would never plan a rebellion! You know how loyally he served the imperial family—how much he sacrificed for the Empire on the battlefield. Someone framed him!”
“Veronica.”
It was the first time she had ever heard such a cold voice from him.
Veronica froze.
Those blue eyes she loved so dearly had become chillingly icy.
It lasted only a moment.
When she blinked, he was smiling gently again.
His fingertips softly caressed her cheek.
“I will request a private audience with His Majesty.”
“Asar… please save my father…”
“Everything will be fine.”
He embraced her as though comforting her.
Veronica felt relieved that he would personally intervene.
And yet, for some reason, even within his warm embrace, her body trembled uncontrollably.
But the news she waited for never came.
Instead, her father’s execution was announced.
Beheading.
Evidence proving he had organized rebels and plotted regicide was publicly revealed.
The evidence looked painfully familiar.
How could she ever forget?
They were the very things Veronica herself had delivered to Asar.
Was this what true despair felt like—as if the ground beneath one’s feet had collapsed?
Her family’s wealth and lands were confiscated. Their soldiers were taken away. Guards watched her constantly.
She tried desperately to meet Asar, but she could not.
Even orchestrating chance encounters became impossible.
She sought help from acquaintances, but every one of them turned their backs on her.
Meaningless days passed.
And then the day of execution arrived.
The towering guillotine stood cruelly beneath the sky.
A great general.
A hero of the Diasta Empire.
The leader of the rebels who attempted to murder the Emperor.
As famous as the accused man was, so too was the crowd that gathered.
Harry Hardiness was dragged before the execution platform.
The once-glorious hero had vanished, leaving behind only the miserable appearance of a condemned criminal.
“Father!!”
Veronica shoved through the crowd and ran toward the platform.
But soldiers seized her before she could reach him.
“How dare you block my way!”
The soldiers sneered mockingly.
Veronica desperately pushed against the spears barring her path.
Father. Father!
Her eyes remained fixed solely on him.
Tears poured down her face.
Or perhaps they had already been falling for some time.
Her vision blurred.
It seemed her father had seen her too.
Then suddenly—
Chaos erupted.
Her father, Harry, suddenly broke free and ran toward Veronica.
People screamed.
Seeing her chance, Veronica shoved aside the soldiers and rushed toward him.
“Father!”
She smiled brightly at the sight of him running to her.
“Veronica. My dear child.”
His voice sounded distant.
Veronica embraced him tightly, touching the ragged remains of his body.
When their eyes met, a faint smile appeared on his exhausted face.
Father. Father.
Veronica cried as though trapped in a dream.
“Always live proudly, my daughter Veronica.”
Those were his final words.
In the next instant, his head was severed before her eyes.
Blood burst forth like a fountain, drenching Veronica completely.
His headless body collapsed limply to the ground.
“Ah…”
Standing before her was Asar.
Blood dripped from the tip of the sword in his hand.
Even his pale face and platinum-blond hair were stained red.
“Why…”
Why would you do this…?
Veronica could not finish the sentence.
She stared blankly at the man she once loved.
“You said… you would help…”
“You believed that?”
“You said you loved me…”
“When did I ever say such a thing?”
Asar chuckled softly.
Then he cupped her cheek.
The hand she once thought gentle now felt terrifyingly cold.
Blood from his fingers dripped onto her skin.
Her father’s blood.
“Veronica. I never loved you, nor did I ever promise to help you. I approached you solely because Duke Hardiness stood in the way of my ascension to the throne. I needed to remove him. And you kindly provided me with the perfect opportunity.”
“…”
“And love? After ruining someone’s life so completely, did you truly believe you would be loved? What an ambitious dream.”
The hand cradling her cheek fell away.
Then the sword that had killed her father was aimed at her throat.
It radiated murderous intent, as though it might strike her down at any moment.
“Veronica Hardiness.”
The man she had loved with all her heart whispered gently with the same smile she once adored.
“You were deceived by me.”
And in that moment, she realized it.
She herself had helped bring about her father’s death.
Not long afterward, news spread that Prince Asar Roel Diasta had overthrown the incompetent Emperor and ascended the throne himself.
A prince never even considered in the line of succession had become Emperor.
At the same time, rumors spread regarding the Hardiness family.
People said Duke Hardiness had formed a rebellion to seize imperial power and was executed after failing.
Whether the rumors were true no longer mattered.
His headless corpse hung publicly in the square for all to see.
The honor of House Hardiness was destroyed.
And Veronica was condemned as the daughter who betrayed her own father to save herself.
And so, Veronica survived.
The traitor’s daughter.
The unfilial child who sold out her father.
The woman driven mad by love.
Even while enduring endless abuse and ridicule, Veronica survived.
Her father had been beheaded.
Her family exterminated.
Yet she alone remained alive.
Ordinarily she should have been punished as well, but apparently it was the “mercy” of the newly crowned Emperor.
Mercy?
This was mercy?
“Ahahahahahahaha!”
The situation was so absurd that she burst into laughter.
How could she not laugh?
Her hysterical laughter echoed beyond the estate walls, yet she could not stop.
How much more miserable must she become?
She had truly believed he loved her.
She thought the gaze directed toward her, the eyes that seemed to hold only her, could not possibly be false.
Regret welled into tears.
She had been betrayed by love.
This was the result of the love she believed to be destiny.
When she dreamed of meeting him, he dreamed only of leaving her.
When she whispered words of love, he responded with lies disguised as truth.
When she happily embraced him, he must have been suppressing the urge to shove her away.
From the very beginning, there had never been love between them.
To him, she was merely a useful tool capable of granting him power.
Perhaps it was a painfully ordinary story.
In the ruined estate, Veronica stood alone.
She did not know how many days had passed since then.
Her senses dulled.
Her mind grew hazy.
Watching an ant crawl across the filthy floor, she slowly raised her hand.
Then she stabbed her own throat with the dagger she held.
The perfect ending for the daughter of a traitor.
The girl who betrayed her father.
The woman driven insane by love.
As blood drained from her body and consciousness flickered away, she reflected on her past.
She relived her regrets.
She thought of the man she had once loved with all her heart and soul.
And she prayed desperately.
If only I could return…
If only I were given one more chance…
My beloved Asar.
“Next time, I will kill you without fail.”
And so, Veronica died.
But when she opened her eyes again, she was lying in bed.
Wrapped in soft blankets, she could not understand what was happening.
Her once filthy, wounded hands were now perfectly clean.
No dirt stained her face or clothes.
More than that—
Her face looked younger.
Still dazed, she was suddenly surrounded by maids who hurriedly dressed and prepared her.
Then she was led to the reception room.
And there, she saw him.
The man who betrayed her.
The man who framed her father and destroyed her family.
The man she once loved more than anyone.
“His Imperial Highness, Prince Asar Roel Diasta.”
“Lady Veronica Hardiness.”
The moment she saw his gentle smile, overwhelming joy surged through her.
Veronica ran toward the man welcoming her—
And wrapped her hands around his throat.
