What an awful bitch! My anger, which I calmed down a moment ago, was boiling again.

If so, you’ve got nothing to tell you apart from a commoner woman. What is the difference between a prostitute who sells her body to make money and a woman like you who has sex to get what you want?

I was burning with anger. I felt I was stupid enough to have been swayed by her feigned smile.

I spat out whatever came to my mind because I didn’t like her indifferent look. When I said her father died, she stared at me with her face turned white. I laughed to find intense anger in her golden eyes.

Oh, you are now revealing your true colors? Since I, who had a commoner’s blood, dared to disgrace you, a noblewoman, you must have hated me a lot. When you suffered an intolerable humiliation because of me, you must have blown your top when you heard there was no father to take you home.

Grabbing my blood-stained chest, I now saw the concubine. While she was dragged out roughly, she reached out for the hairpin I was holding. I turned my mouth up slightly, looking at her troubled golden eyes. I was very satisfied with the breakup of her sturdy mask.

He didn’t take any action even after learning that his daughter was in prison. He continued to remain silent even when the nobles strongly argued that she should be executed. Besides, the close aides to the emperor, who had to save her life, were silent.

I couldn’t understand why he remained silent all along when he could use “it” to save her. If he did so, even I could do nothing but to follow his demands. Then, why didn’t he take any action?

I kept wondering why, and finally, I got the answer when he opened his tight-lipped mouth on the day that he was summoned after my continuing interrogation.

I was dumbfounded to hear that. How could he say that as her father? Honor more important than her life? So, you want to see her death because she would live in disgrace? Is that the reason why you kept silent until now? And that’s why you stopped your faction members from trying to save her? Like you, she would certainly think so. Nonetheless, you guys are really tough cookies!

I looked at the tight-lipped marquise with a smile, then let him out. I didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

Rather than getting better, my insomnia was getting worse, accompanied by a headache.

Grabbing my stinging head, I lay on the bed, but I couldn’t sleep.

Suddenly, her face came to my mind when I closed my eyes, who was smiling at me faintly on that day. I tried to shake off her image from my mind, but it didn’t go away easily. I could not forget her mouth that breathed hard and her soft touch.

I raised my body, holding my aching heart. When I poured a glass of wine at my bedside, I heard someone opening the door with a bang. I sighed, seeing Jiun crying, but I swallowed it silently and asked why.

She asked me if I was okay, saying she heard I was wounded and that she was worried a lot because I didn’t visit her for the past few days. I silently patted her in my arms. I didn’t see her after the incident involving Lady Monique, but I seemed to feel much better when I saw her face to face.

Yes, I have this woman Jiun anyway, who was worried about me so much as to shed tears, and who loved me so much.

I looked down at Concubine Monique who knelt with her head down. I couldn’t see her face because of her long, silver hair covering it.

What kind of expression are you making now? Is it still indifferent as usual? Or is it burning with hatred like last time? Or is it happy because you are finally out of my control?

Suddenly, I broke into laughter. I was sick and tired of you. Yes, that’s the perfect expression I’ve been looking for. Just like I did, you would have been sick and tired of me whenever you saw me.

How about now? Are you satisfied? Looking back, you and I have had a long and persistent relationship. Are you happy that our bad relationship that has been continuing since your birth is finally at an end?

As soon as the executioner lifted the ax high, she raised her head, after all, and stared at me.

My heart sank at her totally unexpected look. She was neither indifferent, nor burning with hatred of me, nor happy. Her golden eyes, which exactly resembled her mother’s, were wet with tears, just like I saw her tearful eyes, leaving her room, on the day I held her first.

Why are you crying?

I murmured with a sigh, putting my hand on my cold chest. Why are you crying? You had what you wanted. You said you didn’t want a dishonorable life, right? Didn’t you say you would like to leave this world rather than living with me with a commoner’s blood, right?

But I hesitated, looking at the ax that was about to hit her. Is it really okay for me to have her executed like this? Wouldn’t it be better to stop her execution even now?

The moment I was about to lift my arm to stop it, Jiun closed my mouth with one hand and hung on to me. I flinched when she touched my shoulders. Isn’t she a woman who despised and hated me anyway? What would be different even if I stopped the execution?

I clenched and opened my fists, watching her staring at me straight. Ignoring her wet eyes, I hugged Jiun.

At that moment, the executioner wielded the ax.

I nodded silently because I guessed he would do so when I saw him last.

When I directed them to hold his funeral as the marquis of the empire by recording the date of his death a little earlier, Duke Verita, who remained silent all along, said he wanted to step down from his premier position. Following his resignation, Duke Lars removed the shoulder straps from his uniform and resigned, saying he would retire from politics.

When I discovered a reproachful look in their eyes, I got upset suddenly. What did I do wrong? I just executed the traitor who dared to try to kill the emperor.

As I was irritated by their unpleasant attitude, I nodded without dissuading them.

Yes, go away. Anyway, you were all close aids to my father, the emperor, not mine.

I opened the documents as if nothing happened, but could not concentrate. Why am I so empty when I got rid of not only Lady Monique but also her strong supporters?

When I felt jammed up inside, Jiun suddenly came in with all kinds of food, saying that she made the dishes for me. Although the dishes looked terrible and very salty, I picked the food with a fork silently.

I smiled lightly at her when she asked me if I liked the food. Yes, Jiun is the woman I should care about, not Lady Monique who pursued her own interests to the end.

So, I didn’t have any reason to feel ill at ease. Finally, I was in possession of the empire that I could start with a clean state on my own, where there was no vestige of the late emperor’s legacy, but full of vassals loyal to me and the woman who loved me only.

I screamed, pushing aside the documents piled up before me.

What did you say? Did you tell me to come to my senses? The late emperor would not have handled the problem like that?

I was sick and tired of the earl preaching to me about the late emperor’s exemplary standards for work.

In the end, I pointed the sword at the earl who was trying to persuade me. When I warned him that I would cut him if he mentioned the late emperor once more, the old earl closed his mouth.

But I didn’t feel satisfied for that long. When I calmed down, I felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The royal doctor who examined my condition said I was fine. Is it because of my excessive stress?