Doris knelt behind her father, whose neck had been cut off in an instant, and denied reality.
'Something's wrong.'
She raised her head following the intense gaze and saw Adrienne standing close to the table.
It had to be Adrienne who died.
It should have been she, not Adrienne, who was alive and dressed so beautifully.
“It’s a trick! Adrienne! It’s not Adrienne! Come here! I’ll see it with my own eyes! Come here right now! Right now!”
It was a last-ditch effort.
Adrienne raised her eyebrows in surprise and walked as Doris had wished. People around her tried to stop her, but Adrienne paid no attention.
At the same time, before Doris's eyes, the Duke's body was carelessly thrown aside, like an animal that had been hit by a carriage and killed.
Doris's green eyes lit up. She could taste the pungent taste of blood through her clenched teeth.
The expressionless guards dragged her to where her father had been and secured her wrists.
The fear that it would soon be her turn seeped into her bones.
“Pathetic Adrienne! Stupid Adrienne! It’s your fault for being so stupid! You, Eastern country bumpkin! Am I copying you? No! You were the one who tried to take my noble place without even knowing it! So you were the one copying me, not me! Fuck! No one knows that! I could kill a pathetic, stupid bitch like you a hundred times over!!”
Before she died, she felt like she could laugh and cut off her throat if she could just see Adrienne's distorted face that had twisted her heart so much.
“No, you’re not Adrienne! What the fuck is this? You’re the real Crown Princess of Bardenaldo? That’s ridiculous! That bastard Bardenaldo must have loved someone! That’s some kind of lying nonsense from people who don’t know anything...”
It had to be Adrienne who died.
It should have been she, not Adrienne, who was alive and dressed so beautifully.
“It’s a trick! Adrienne! It’s not Adrienne! Come here! I’ll see it with my own eyes! Come here right now! Right now!”
It was a last-ditch effort.
Adrienne raised her eyebrows in surprise and walked as Doris had wished. People around her tried to stop her, but Adrienne paid no attention.
At the same time, before Doris's eyes, the Duke's body was carelessly thrown aside, like an animal that had been hit by a carriage and killed.
Doris's green eyes lit up. She could taste the pungent taste of blood through her clenched teeth.
The expressionless guards dragged her to where her father had been and secured her wrists.
The fear that it would soon be her turn seeped into her bones.
“Pathetic Adrienne! Stupid Adrienne! It’s your fault for being so stupid! You, Eastern country bumpkin! Am I copying you? No! You were the one who tried to take my noble place without even knowing it! So you were the one copying me, not me! Fuck! No one knows that! I could kill a pathetic, stupid bitch like you a hundred times over!!”
Before she died, she felt like she could laugh and cut off her throat if she could just see Adrienne's distorted face that had twisted her heart so much.
“No, you’re not Adrienne! What the fuck is this? You’re the real Crown Princess of Bardenaldo? That’s ridiculous! That bastard Bardenaldo must have loved someone! That’s some kind of lying nonsense from people who don’t know anything...”
But contrary to Doris's expectations, Adrienne's face was overly calm, and there was a subtle smile on her face that seemed infinitely affectionate and gentle.
Contempt and pity.
A pitiful look at the ignorant.
Doris stopped whining and opened her mouth involuntarily, staring blankly at the smile.
Adrienne was the one who was harmed without knowing anything, but Doris couldn't understand why she was being looked at like that. So this time, she tried to curse openly.
“You look great, Doris Castagna.”
Before Adrienne said that, which was obviously fake.
The breath she had taken to curse was stuck in her throat, unable to escape.
Doris's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Adrienne smiled faintly at the demon before her eyes, waiting for her to collapse.
And then she bent down and came closer to Doris' face.
The innocent face that seemed holy at first glance was distorted for a moment as if possessed by a demon and then opened up as if it were a lie.
And in front of Doris, who was holding her breath, Adrienne whispered with shining eyes.
“It’s useless once you’re dead.”
Doris's eyes, which had been shaking for a moment as if she had lost track of reality, stopped at one point.
Doris, who had been frozen for a while as if time had stopped, suddenly opened her eyes wide as a memory flashed through her mind.
Between the wide-open eyes, dark green eyes flickered wildly like a fire on the verge of going out.
“How did you... do that...”
As Adrienne nodded as if to allow his brother to carry out his sentence and walked away from Doris without a second thought, Doris felt a chill rise from the tips of her toes all the way up to her ears.
What I mean is, definitely...
Click.
A new iron blade was fitted and raised onto the fearsome guillotine that had decapitated the limp father.
“Kill her! Kill her!! Kill the devil!!”
In front of a crowd cheering and swearing like crazy, Doris finally couldn't take her eyes off Adrienne, who was looking at her even with the spine-chilling sword above her head.
Her dry cheeks turned pale as if she had encountered a fear worse than death.
Bang!
The executioner cut the taut rope with an axe.
“You... how...”
Choaaaaaaah!
Scraping between two tall wooden poles, the sharp, honed iron blade rushed toward the white neck.
Doris desperately reached forward as a chill ran through her body.
“How did you do that!!!!!!!”
With a thunderous scream, the head that had been shaking as if denying reality soon rolled on the floor.
The white dress she had been wearing like a bride turned red as it absorbed the blood of the deceased and his father.
Death was a moment, and the jubilation lasted forever.
The green eyes of the water blob rolling on the floor were still staring at Adrienne, their light lost.
Adrienne didn't avoid those eyes. A thin teardrop fell from beneath her green eyes, which were raised forcefully as if in a snowball fight.
Blie, who had been standing behind, quietly approached Adrienne and held her hand so tightly that it hurt.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Blie whispered.
“Because we were the most pitiful ones.”
At those words, all the unpleasant feelings blew away like the wind.
Adrienne smiled, leaning on Blie's trembling hands.
Now, really, it was over.
***
The Duke of Castagna, who reigned as King of the West, was executed.
Her daughter, Doris Castagna, was talked about by bards as a great villain after her death.
And starting with that execution, a tremendous storm of blood blew through the capital for a while.
One by one, red lines were drawn across the names that Vincenzo had written down.
It was the name of those who wanted to kill Rhodnes' lover and make their daughter the future Empress.
Finally, with every name under a red line and the leadership of the West changed, the Emperor prepared to proclaim Rhodnes as the new Crown Prince of Ronta.
Any noble in the capital city with even a little bit of sense could not raise any objections.
Because they had witnessed the process of how Rhodnes, who had gained experience on the battlefield and dealt with the big and small affairs of the country, destroyed the families that were objectionable without even leaving behind a genealogy.
The Duke of Piretta in the East abruptly abdicated and was not charged with a grave crime, taking into account the fact that he was the father of two Saints who had miraculously appeared in Ronta.
It was an unexpectedly generous gesture from Lord Rhodnes.
Given the fact that Countess Acacia had become the new Duchess of Piretta, given the number of families that had fallen to the hands of Rhodnes, the implications were clear.
'If you quarrel with his scandalous lover, Countess Blie Acacia, you will only end up dead.'
It was clearly engraved in the minds of the nobles.
It was only a matter of time before Rhodnes was officially announced as the new Crown Prince, but there was no grand coronation ceremony.
However, with the Empire's prestige at stake, the Hall of Atilchards opened before the smell of blood had even subsided, due to Empress Grace's firm will that she could not just pass it by.
The opinion was that there should be at least a splendid coronation party at the imperial palace, even if it was not a splendid coronation ceremony held in the heart of the capital.
Naturally, a large number of people flocked to the palace to catch the eye of the powerful and beautiful single Crown Prince.
***
“The speed is good. Why are you coming to a party where your ex-lover is the main character?”
“...”
“If you look closely, Madam is really, really cold-blooded. She doesn’t even cry. How could she do that if she clearly loved you?”
“How long must I listen to this Prince’s nonsense?”
Blie whispered to me ominously as Ephero, who was in charge of escorting her, muttered incessantly.
Blie's face looked completely exhausted.
Ephero couldn't understand why Rhodnes was suddenly getting close to her, and why Blie seemed to be indifferent to it.
“Still, I feel reassured that Prince Ephero is escorting me here. Thank you.”
"Hmm."
Ephero had a menacing expression on his face as if he was going to scold me on behalf of Blie, but when I praised him, he looked away awkwardly.
“That Prince... I think he liked you, Adrienne.”
Blie said, her mouth pressed close to my ear.
I felt a little uneasy.
“Blie, you do well. In fact, Ephero said that your face is his style.”
“There’s still blood on his head...”
“Shh! It’s almost the new year. It doesn’t matter if he's an adult.”
"Hmm."
Blie swept Ephero forward, stroking the tip of his chin. A satisfied smile played on his lips.
“Still, the more I look at him, the more handsome he looks. I’ll save him for now.”
“?”
“Save as my new husband candidate.”
“Stop using language that would make a fuss if you heard it.”
“Enough nagging Gregory.”
Blie spoke sharply and naturally grabbed Ephero's arm. Ephero's ears instantly turned red and his steps quickened.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the Atilchad Hall.
Even though I looked around, it seemed like the main character, Rhodnes, hadn't arrived yet. Just by looking at the noisy atmosphere, I could tell he wasn't there.
I tried to ignore the burdensome gazes pouring down on us and moved to a relatively secluded seat.
However, the twin sisters were reunited after a tragedy in their childhood. The attention poured on Blie, who became the protagonist of a life-changing turnaround, and me, who died and came back to life, was considerable.
Even with Ephero standing guard, it was not enough to defeat the ladies with familiar faces.
“Lady Blie!”
In particular, it was difficult to refuse Noura Giuseppe, who approached Blie with eyes full of affection, and Irene, who followed her cautiously.
“How many letters have you sent me! Oh, I greet you, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess. No, should I say Princess Piretta now? Viscountess Noura Giuseppe.”
“I think it would be better to just call you Your Highness the Grand Duchess for convenience. People still think that the title of Grand Duchess is more appropriate, and Your Highness’s future has not been completely decided yet. Right? Oh, my name is Irene Siscometin, who worked with Blie. Your Highness.”
Blie remained silent as if he hoped that the attention focused on me would not transfer to her. Noura made a sullen expression as if she did not welcome it.
“My husband is here with me today. Everyone knows that today’s party is like the Crown Prince’s coronation, right? You have to show up on a day like this. So... My husband really wants to meet his benefactor, Lady Blie. When would you like to meet him?”
“It’s been a while since we last met, so please come hang out together. And if it’s okay with you, please be my chaperone for my debutante next year, Lady Blie.”
Blie's face turned pale.
From her perspective, it was just strange women pretending to be friendly and hitting on her.
“Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, can I be Lady Irene's chaperone?”
“Oh my God!”
Irene's expression, which had been gloomy at Blie's trembling reaction, immediately brightened. Irene seemed to be impressed by my affectionate voice and quickly leaned closer to me.
“I would be so, so happy if HerHighness the Grand Duchess herself would act as my chaperone! Maybe it’s because the two of you look so alike, but I strangely feel an affinity for Your Highness the Grand Duchess... Wouldn’t this be rude to Your Highness?”
Irene asked me with a blush on her face, which she had innocently liked. I smiled and held her arm affectionately.
“Of course. If you’re Blie’s friend, you’re my friend. I hope we can build a good relationship in the future.”
Irene's young face turned bright red.
Irene quickly brightened up again and said goodbye to her friends, telling them she had found a new chaperone to brag about.
“Please leave this woman alone too.”
Blie began to whisper to me as if he was performing a ventriloquism.
“My husband and I want to have a meal together, but I don’t want to eat with strangers.”
The Countess Giuseppe was waving and smiling brightly at the Count, who was standing far away on crutches, and she kept talking without stopping.
Blie stared at her with weary eyes.
I moved closer to Blie and opened my mouth.
“Take this opportunity to broaden your network. Countess Giuseppe has a firm grip on the capital’s social circles, so she’ll be of help in the future.”
“I don’t know who this woman is.”
Blie said through gritted teeth.
“You just have to find out.”
At the refreshing answer, Blie opened her mouth as if she was going to swear.
The great bell of the Atilchard Hall rang exactly three times.
“Your Majesty the Emperor and the Empress, and His Royal Highness the Second Prince of Rhodnes!”
The noisy atmosphere in Atilchad Hall has changed.
The Emperor, whose face was filled with worry, the Empress Grace, whose expression had brightened, and Rhodnes, whose overwhelming beauty took everyone's breath away, entered the second-floor landing of the hall.
Rhodnes found me without even looking around.
As soon as I met the red eyes that sparkled clearly even from afar, I felt as if an invisible hand was holding my body tightly and not letting go.
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