Cheers came out here and there. When I looked around, putting my hand on my chest with excitement, I saw my father who was clenching his fists tightly enough to the veins of the back of his hands stand out.

Come to think of it, Duke Jena also tried to kill my mother.

Tears suddenly welled up in my ears. How gratified my father was to have seen the duke pay the price for his crime!

I reached out quietly and gently wrapped his clenched fists, which turned white. When I smiled at his trembling navy blue eyes, his contorted face softened.

“Now, what can you do about the members of Duke Jena’s family?”

“Given that they didn’t know anything about their master’s treason plot, let me demote their noble status to commoners, except for his immediate family members. They will be forbidden from coming to the capital for the next 50 years. I won’t punish them other than that. But all the immediate members of the Jena family including his successor Clode de Jena will be beheaded on charges of the same crime as the duke.”

“Aristia la Monique! How can you betray me, you dirty slut?”

The moment the emperor gave the ruling, a sharp scream rang throughout the conference hall.

I sarcastically smiled at the man who was yelling at the top of his voice. I heard that it was his son who specifically planned the incident and translated it into action, though it was Duke Jena who tried to kill me. Then, how can he shout at me like crazy, who was bent on killing me until recently? In fact, I tried to satisfy the terms of the deal with him, but he was the one who betrayed me first.

“Drag him out.”

When the emperor waved his hand as if he was annoyed, a couple of royal knights quickly held him on both sides. After staring at the man being dragged out for a moment, I looked up at the head table because something quickly came to my mind.

Duke Jena and his immediate family members will be beheaded, while the other members demoted to commoners and expelled.

Then, what about Jiun? Is she also going to be beheaded?

As if he had the same question as mine, Duke Verita looked up at him and asked, “If that’s the case, are you going to sentence Lady Jena to beheading? I think it’s a bit problematic to behead her because she was already known as a sacred woman among the people…”

After agonizing for a moment, he said, “As for Lady Jena…”

***

The sound of two persons’ footsteps rang through the lonely stairways. The crest of the lion carved on the stone wall under the flickering torch weighed heavily on my mind today.

Was it because of the cold air? My body trembled when I felt creepy with something chilly on my back.

“Are you okay?” The man who followed me from behind asked in a worried voice.

I nodded slowly and quickened my step.

When I climbed the spiral staircases, I could see several human shadows around.

Startled by the sudden footsteps, they pointed the weapons toward me and said, “Stop there. Identify yourself! ”

When I looked back, the man following me stepped forward quickly and took out a small badge to show them. Checking it closely, they stepped aside.

The man asked me carefully, when I took a few more steps and stopped at the door clouded by the dark, “Do you have to go inside alone?”

“…”

“Okay. Shout if something happens. I will jump right in. You have a self-defense dagger, right? ”

When I nodded, the man stepped back silently.

I took a big breath and reached out to the doorknob. I flinched at the chill on my palm touching it, but I pulled it hard after taking another deep breath.

Unlike the outside, which was pretty dark, the room was very bright thanks to the candles placed everywhere. I slowly looked around the luxuriously decorated interior.

Elaborately embroidered tapestry, all kinds of decorations boasting of their brilliant colors, and delicately carved furniture. The owner of this stuff had a completely different taste from mine, but the bright but not vulgar room was nice in its own way.

“Who is it? Visiting me at this late hour? Did he come here to behead me immediately?” said a woman looking out the window with her back to me. When I remained silent, she stiffened when she turned around and shrugged.

Looking at the fear in her black eyes, I took off my hat that I wore down low over my eyes.

Letting out a little sigh, she said after looking at my silvery hair, “… Oh my, you surprised me!”

“I’ve got something to tell you.”

“That’s why you have come here secretly late at night… Well, good. Why don’t you sit down? ”

“No, I’m good now.”

“Okay, as you please.”

Nodding quickly, Jiun sat down on the chair. I agonized for a moment, looking at the purple fabric hung over her head like a wedding veil.

What should I say first?

I thought about various things, but I felt frustrated since I couldn’t figure out which one I had to ask first. Eventually, I gave up thinking and asked her the first question that came to my mind.

“… Why did you save me? ”

“What the heck are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I hear that you are the one who leaked his plan on ambushing me. Why did you do that? If you had overlooked it, you could have achieved at least one of the things you wanted. Did you feel my life was too precious for that?”

“…”

“Well, let me skip that question then. Why did you save me from dying? You already did enough to save my face by leaking his plan, right?”

She didn’t reply. I waited for her to answer for some time, but she didn’t.

I sighed a little, looking at her who kept looking away from me.

Well, I didn’t think she would answer me easily anyway.

At that moment, I suddenly recalled what happened at the conference hall several hours ago, let alone their conversation.

The emperor asked them for their opinion before making the final ruling.

Earl Genoa and some other members of the pro-emperor faction argued for her beheading.

The noble faction balked a bit, but largely agreed with the emperor’s ruling.

The noble faction, who were Duke Jena and her supporters until recently, didn’t give any thought to the achievement Jiun made for them until now. They were busy protecting themselves with a shallow cause.

Was it because I was reminded by their argument?

I said things that came into my head at that moment, “…I hated you. ”

I saw Jiun, who was silent, flinching at my remarks. I was also surprised by what I said.

It was the first time I directly expressed my feelings toward her. In the past, I had always hidden my feelings toward her for the sake of politeness. After my return, I hid my feelings, ignoring and disrespecting her.

“At that time, I didn’t even know that I was hating you, but looking back, I think I did.

Well, I actually did, although I acted casually, pretending not to have cared about you at all… I really hated you because you took away everything from me after you suddenly appeared.”

“…”