It has already been almost two weeks since she was locked in the Empress’s bedroom.
Only food and water came in through small gaps, and she could not leave this place or meet anyone.
At first, maids came and went, but Titie tried to use them to get out and was caught, so she ended up being left alone.
She sat on the dirty bed and muttered,
“If this continues, I’ll go crazy...”
She could only tell day and night.
It seemed as if the flow of time had stopped.
However, she must not lose her senses.
She staggered up and walked to the door.
There was food that had come in through the small doorway.
Titie began to shove bread and fruit into her mouth, munching on them.
“I have to eat for the baby.”
However, no matter how much she ate, her arms and legs grew thinner day by day.
Titi e, who had been eating food for a long time, stopped.
She suddenly threw the bowl and started making a fuss as she quietly looked at the remaining food.
“What’s the difference!!”
The back alley where she sold flowers and the Empress’s seat overlapped. She must have gone crazy.
It seemed as if the flow of time had stopped.
However, she must not lose her senses.
She staggered up and walked to the door.
There was food that had come in through the small doorway.
Titie began to shove bread and fruit into her mouth, munching on them.
“I have to eat for the baby.”
However, no matter how much she ate, her arms and legs grew thinner day by day.
Titi e, who had been eating food for a long time, stopped.
She suddenly threw the bowl and started making a fuss as she quietly looked at the remaining food.
“What’s the difference!!”
The back alley where she sold flowers and the Empress’s seat overlapped. She must have gone crazy.
Her true feelings, which she could not shout out in case anyone heard, echoed as a scream inside her.
The interior, where even the maids could not enter, stung her nose with the smell of rotting food.
However, what tormented her more than the terrible stench was the name on her chest.
The Emperor’s name.
The darkly engraved trace was slowly fading.
Day by day, her blood dried and her throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe properly.
If this were to really be discovered that her name was fake...!
“Huk... Huk...!”
Titie gasped for breath.
Barely calming herself down, she squeezed out the mental strength stuck to the floor and caught her breath.
‘No, he will come to me first.’
Their contract wasn’t over yet.
When she handed over the book, she could sneak into the library, right?
The contract would only be complete when the baby was born.
So it must be.
Titie, who had been mumbling the same thing over and over again, opened her eyes.
“Yes... I have to be beautiful.”
She had to be more beautiful than anyone else.
She didn’t know when the Emperor’s mind would change.
When she was first locked up, she suffered from a terrible sense of betrayal.
But it wasn’t the first time she had felt it.
In the end, the Emperor had changed his mind and made her the Empress.
So it would be the same this time.
Titie went into the bathroom alone and washed herself. Her stomach had grown so much that she had difficulty moving, but she was okay.
After changing into new clothes, the stench that had been bothering her nose seemed to have subsided a little.
The only things that were intact in the room were the dressing table and the bed.
She sat down at the dressing table and began to dress up.
“I am the most beautiful.”
That way, everyone would want her.
Titie looked into the mirror.
Her face, which had once been beautifully radiant, had become pale and dry.
Like a withered tree.
Titi applied pink cheek powder to her skin.
However, no matter how much she applied, it could not hide her sunken cheeks.
Rather, her face was becoming more of a mess because of the makeup she kept putting on.
“It’s okay. Everything will be okay.”
She looked at the mirror and recited the spell, then looked at the vanity table.
The upper part was made of glass, so she could see at a glance what was in the drawer.
A necklace with a 30-carat diamond.
A red diamond ring that was so rare.
A rare item made of mysterious sapphires and pink pearls with mysterious colors.
The drawer was filled with luxurious accessories.
All of these were things that she could never have if she lived in a back alley.
Titie stroked the glass plate containing the jewels and her eyes were ecstatic.
Precious things that she could never have outside.
“Yes. I’m different. I’m out of there.”
She stared at the glittering things as if she was staring at them.
The whites of her eyes were red where her veins burst.
She opened the drawer and put on all the accessories inside.
Jewel rings on all ten fingers.
The heaviest earrings on her earlobes.
She felt a little better as she wrapped the necklaces around her neck until she couldn’t wear them anymore.
“I can go back.”
If Demios acknowledged her as Empress again, things would be different.
After all, her belly contained such a precious heir.
The fact that she was so skinny must have been because the baby had absorbed the nutrients.
Titie carefully stroked her swollen belly.
“My lovely baby. You are my hope. So please be born safely. You must.”
Because.
“You must repay the favor of parasitizing on my body.”
She glared at her swollen belly with bloodshot eyes.
“It’s all because of you!!”
Her beautiful face had dried up, and her emaciated body had become swollen.
No matter how many jewels she had draped over her, her appearance in the mirror was different from before.
She wanted to hit her belly right away.
But she couldn’t do that.
What was inside her belly was more valuable than jewels.
She had to do it.
She, who had been nagging at her belly, soon began humming the lyrics.
“My baby under the apple tree... My pretty baby sleeps well.”
It was a lullaby that Titie had picked up in the back alley where she was born and raised, and she only knew one or two lines of the lyrics.
She continued to hum the same part.
Alone among the rotting food.
How much time had passed?
Titie, who was caressing her belly, suddenly felt something strange.
Her belly was already bulging.
At first, she didn’t feel anything strange.
However, her belly was still bulging with the slight movement of the fetus. Even though she was already close to full term.
‘...How many months have I been pregnant?’
Her brain, which had stopped functioning, creaked and moved.
She had found out about her pregnancy this spring.
It was early summer now, but no matter what, only four months had passed.
Even though it was her first pregnancy, she knew that this was not normal.
She slowly got up from her seat. She wanted to look at her entire body in the mirror on the dressing table.
Her arms and legs were as skinny as corn.
Her belly was so swollen that it wouldn’t be strange if she was pregnant with twins.
However, there was only one baby inside her belly.
Titie carefully pressed her swollen belly.
That’s when.
It wasn’t a fetal movement, but a clear, visible form rising above her belly skin.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaah-!”
A sharp scream rang out like a deafening roar.
Rapikan headed to the village where Dyling was staying under the watchful eyes of the knights.
And he had to confess the truth about the illness in front of the people of villagers.
“Father, what are you talking about?!”
Dyling, flustered, tried to stop him, but it was useless.
Rapikan grabbed her hand and bowed his head.
“I’m so sorry, my daughter. But you knew deep down, didn’t you? That you were not a Saintess.”
The tips of her fingers trembled.
Dyling, who had firmly believed herself to be a Saintess, knew the truth deep down inside.
That she was just an ordinary young lady.
But she didn’t want to know the reality, so she used self-suggestion.
Dyling lowered her head.
The dirt floor was soaked with her tears.
“I wanted to be special, too. Like the ladies of the capital.”
Even if it was a fake specialness.
Dyling was only seventeen.
A young girl who was easily hurt and deceived.
However, she had to shoulder the responsibility and the weight of the sins she had committed, as she had been born and raised as a noble.
The people of the estate stirred.
She was no longer a Saintess to them. She was just a sinner who had taken money and committed fraud.
The real owner of the estate gave the woman an order.
“Rapikan Deardis, Dyling Deardis. The two beasts are to be banished from Leopold.”
They would no longer be able to live as nobles. They could return to their hometown, but it was doubtful whether the Deardis family would accept someone whose honor had fallen.
“And distribute tea to the people of the estate.”
“I obey your orders.”
A red diamond ring that was so rare.
A rare item made of mysterious sapphires and pink pearls with mysterious colors.
The drawer was filled with luxurious accessories.
All of these were things that she could never have if she lived in a back alley.
Titie stroked the glass plate containing the jewels and her eyes were ecstatic.
Precious things that she could never have outside.
“Yes. I’m different. I’m out of there.”
She stared at the glittering things as if she was staring at them.
The whites of her eyes were red where her veins burst.
She opened the drawer and put on all the accessories inside.
Jewel rings on all ten fingers.
The heaviest earrings on her earlobes.
She felt a little better as she wrapped the necklaces around her neck until she couldn’t wear them anymore.
“I can go back.”
If Demios acknowledged her as Empress again, things would be different.
After all, her belly contained such a precious heir.
The fact that she was so skinny must have been because the baby had absorbed the nutrients.
Titie carefully stroked her swollen belly.
“My lovely baby. You are my hope. So please be born safely. You must.”
Because.
“You must repay the favor of parasitizing on my body.”
She glared at her swollen belly with bloodshot eyes.
“It’s all because of you!!”
Her beautiful face had dried up, and her emaciated body had become swollen.
No matter how many jewels she had draped over her, her appearance in the mirror was different from before.
She wanted to hit her belly right away.
But she couldn’t do that.
What was inside her belly was more valuable than jewels.
She had to do it.
She, who had been nagging at her belly, soon began humming the lyrics.
“My baby under the apple tree... My pretty baby sleeps well.”
It was a lullaby that Titie had picked up in the back alley where she was born and raised, and she only knew one or two lines of the lyrics.
She continued to hum the same part.
Alone among the rotting food.
How much time had passed?
Titie, who was caressing her belly, suddenly felt something strange.
Her belly was already bulging.
At first, she didn’t feel anything strange.
However, her belly was still bulging with the slight movement of the fetus. Even though she was already close to full term.
‘...How many months have I been pregnant?’
Her brain, which had stopped functioning, creaked and moved.
She had found out about her pregnancy this spring.
It was early summer now, but no matter what, only four months had passed.
Even though it was her first pregnancy, she knew that this was not normal.
She slowly got up from her seat. She wanted to look at her entire body in the mirror on the dressing table.
Her arms and legs were as skinny as corn.
Her belly was so swollen that it wouldn’t be strange if she was pregnant with twins.
However, there was only one baby inside her belly.
Titie carefully pressed her swollen belly.
That’s when.
It wasn’t a fetal movement, but a clear, visible form rising above her belly skin.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaah-!”
A sharp scream rang out like a deafening roar.
***
Rapikan headed to the village where Dyling was staying under the watchful eyes of the knights.
And he had to confess the truth about the illness in front of the people of villagers.
“Father, what are you talking about?!”
Dyling, flustered, tried to stop him, but it was useless.
Rapikan grabbed her hand and bowed his head.
“I’m so sorry, my daughter. But you knew deep down, didn’t you? That you were not a Saintess.”
The tips of her fingers trembled.
Dyling, who had firmly believed herself to be a Saintess, knew the truth deep down inside.
That she was just an ordinary young lady.
But she didn’t want to know the reality, so she used self-suggestion.
Dyling lowered her head.
The dirt floor was soaked with her tears.
“I wanted to be special, too. Like the ladies of the capital.”
Even if it was a fake specialness.
Dyling was only seventeen.
A young girl who was easily hurt and deceived.
However, she had to shoulder the responsibility and the weight of the sins she had committed, as she had been born and raised as a noble.
The people of the estate stirred.
She was no longer a Saintess to them. She was just a sinner who had taken money and committed fraud.
The real owner of the estate gave the woman an order.
“Rapikan Deardis, Dyling Deardis. The two beasts are to be banished from Leopold.”
They would no longer be able to live as nobles. They could return to their hometown, but it was doubtful whether the Deardis family would accept someone whose honor had fallen.
“And distribute tea to the people of the estate.”
“I obey your orders.”
The knights moved diligently and carried out their assigned duties.
Even as the rich were being captured, the eyes of the residents were filled with confusion.
The young lady they had believed in and followed was not a Saintess.
And the Duke who spread the disease was actually helping them.
Even though he must have known the rumor, the Duke did not scold them. Next to the Duke stood a blonde woman.
The beautiful, straight-faced woman with blue eyes that seemed to be made of light from the beach said,
“The Duke will never spread the disease. Not in the past, not in the future.”
The people had to realize that Roxanne was their protector.
Sepia turned around under his escort.
They disappeared into the carriage with the Duke’s emblem on it.
One of the villagers who was blankly watching the carriage departing asked the knight,
“Excuse me, who is that person next to the Duke?”
The knight who was moving a box of tea leaves suddenly stopped.
“She is the one who will become the Duchess. Be careful of your words and actions.”
“I, I’m sorry.”
The villager hurriedly lowered his head. Then the knight continued what he was doing.
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