That would be so, since she was the Princess of Cretian, who was said to have died, and the successor of the extinct Jupiter family.
“Oh my goodness. The rumors were true. The dead Princess Cretian is alive.”
“I heard you are the successor to the extinct Jupiter family?”
Rumors about Bellona had already spread beyond the imperial palace and even to small towns in the provinces, so no one did not know about it.
Nevertheless, people could not take their eyes off the successor to the House of Jupiter, who appeared like a comet.
The woman who was once the daughter of the Duke of Cretian and later became the Crown Princess turned out to be the successor of the extinct Jupiter family.
Furthermore, as rumors of an affair with Carsis, who had seized the throne through treason, grew, curiosity about Bellona reached its peak.
'Bellona...'
She wasn't wearing an expensive dress or fancy jewelry, but she was more beautiful than anyone here.
Even before the rebellion, and even after it, she stood at the pinnacle of power that a woman could attain.
“Cretian, no... That woman who is now the Duke of Jupiter will become the Empress.”
As if the rumors were not false, she stayed by Carsis's side throughout the coronation.
Bellona was an orphan, as befitting the mistress of the House of Jupiter, and displayed quiet dignity as the future Empress.
And Deborah's face darkened as she watched the scene from a distance.
Unlike her, Bellona was shining under the most ornate chandelier.
Compared to Bellona, she was as shabby as a light in the wind.
‘Why is it always that woman...’
Deborah hung her head in shame and despair.
Deborah hasn't had any dreams since she prophesied the Emperor's resurrection.
As time passed, she became more and more anxious.
'If I ever get to have prophetic dreams again, I...'
I might die by Bellona's hand!
Feelings of inferiority, misery, and impatience soon turned into anxiety.
Eventually, as her whole body began to tremble, Deborah decided that she could no longer stay in that place and left the hall and headed toward the garden.
Fortunately, Deborah was alone in the garden as everyone was watching the coronation.
It was while she was walking in the quiet garden, taking deep breaths and calming her mind.
“Are you Deborah of the Oroz family?”
Deborah flinched at the sudden mention of her name.
She was the one who did not exchange names with anyone throughout the entire coronation ceremony.
Moreover, since she was always locked up in the territory, no one knew her face.
She looked at the man in front of her with very wary eyes.
He was bowing toward Deborah, his dark purple hair pulled back.
“Who are you? How do you know me?”
Then the man bowed and answered.
“I am Ires, the second son of Baron Wayne.”
“If it’s the Wayne Baron family...”
Deborah frowned when she realized that he was one of the relatives of the Duke of Oroz.
In the midst of all this, she meets his relatives, who are eyeing her position.
Deborah answered, not hiding her discomfort.
“I want to be alone for a while now. If you want to say hello, I’ll greet you later.”
One corner of Ires' mouth went up at her firm command.
“I just came to deliver His message, so please don’t be so cautious.”
Deborah's body stopped as she started to walk, thinking that she would leave first if the man did not leave.
“Is that him?”
He straightened his back, which had been bent, and whispered secretly.
“His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for you.”
The Emperor he was talking about was not Carsis.
Deborah's body trembled slightly as she realized that fact.
“Carsis is too small a vessel to contain you. But our Emperor is different. He is the one to whom your mother, the late Duchess Oroz, swore allegiance.”
“That means...”
“Come with me. He needs you. And you need him too.”
Deborah clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly at the man's words.
'What should I do?'
She had heard rumors about what kind of person the Emperor was after the rebellion.
She heard that he was such a cruel man that torturing and killing people was his hobby.
But...
'My mother served the Emperor until the end and then passed away.'
History is usually written by the victors.
Could it be that the rumors about the Emperor were false?
Considering Bellona's actions so far, it was a fairly plausible assumption.
Ires added, noticing Deborah's hesitation.
“As Lady Deborah knows, it was your mother who led the House of Jupiter to its demise. His Majesty has kept you alive now because of your power... Do you really think that His Majesty the Emperor will keep you alive after His death?”
“...”
Ires was not wrong.
Deborah was also trembling with anxiety because of that fact.
"I, I can predict the future. Now that the Emperor is alive, they can't kill me."
“You are right. Before the Emperor was alive, that is.”
Deborah looked up, recalling the conversation she had had with Bellona a while ago.
'Yeah, rather than living here in fear of when I'll die...'
Her worries were short-lived.
“Yes. I’ll follow.”
“Good idea. Now, come with me.”
Ires reached out his hand to her, and Deborah took hold of the man's hand.
The night after the coronation.
I was looking into Deborah's empty room.
Isaac, who was standing next to me, said.
“It seems that she disappeared while the coronation ceremony was in full swing.”
"Yes?"
I nodded as if I knew it.
I entered Deborah's room with slow steps and slowly swept away the things as if trying to remember the traces of the room's owner.
“What happened to what I said?”
“As you said, the preparations are complete. When Lady Oroz gets there, she will see ‘it’ soon.”
"Great job."
I smiled with satisfaction at Isaac's positive answer.
From the beginning, I knew that the Emperor's man would take Deborah away.
And that day would be the coronation, a day when security at the palace would be a little looser.
I, who had come to the window, looked out.
The moonlight softly illuminated the dark night sky.
Everything was going according to plan.
Since Deborah has fallen into the hands of the Emperor, the wheel of fate cannot be stopped.
Jenna asked curiously, looking at me, who seemed delighted even though the one who could see the future had fallen into the hands of the Emperor.
“But, Miss. If that woman’s power falls into the hands of the Emperor, wouldn’t it be detrimental to us?”
“It doesn’t matter if you give up something small and get something big in return.”
I continued to speak, even seeming happy.
“Because Deborah will kill the Emperor.”
"Yes...?"
Jenna asked back, as if she couldn't figure out my intentions.
I continued speaking, caressing Jenna's cheek as if I thought she was cute.
“The prophecy made by Duke Oroz that he would kill the emperor, in fact, I was not the main character of that prophecy.”
"Then..."
“Deborah.”
The truth of the prophecy that the former Duke of Oroz risked her life to hide.
“The child in the prophecy who will kill the Emperor is not me, but Deborah.”
And the prophecies of the Oroz family have never been wrong.
Not even once.
'It's uncomfortable.'
It's already been a month since she left the palace.
Long distance travel was arduous even in a cozy carriage with soft sofas.
But the carriage she was riding in was so small and crude that it could barely fit two people.
She knew it was inevitable since she was running away from the palace...
"Ha...."
Deborah, who had been sighing briefly with an inexplicable sense of suffocation, opened the window.
A dreary air now seeped into the carriage as if to announce that autumn was coming.
'But doesn't anyone live here?'
Deborah looked out to check the atmosphere in the estate after the coachman said that they were almost there.
The village scenery outside the window was so bleak that it was impossible to feel any human warmth.
It was when Deborah tilted her head in a strangeness that felt like she had come to a ghost town.
“We have arrived.”
The carriage that had entered the castle suddenly stopped, and someone opened the door.
Outside, a man who appeared to be the castle's butler was welcoming Deborah.
“Here...”
“This is Gertz, the territory of Duke Philosykos.”
She also knew a lot about Duke Philosykos.
She didn't know about other families, but she knew the genealogy of the five ducal families by heart.
It was also something that the successor to the five ducal families should naturally know.
“Come this way. His Majesty the Emperor awaits you.”
Instead of answering, she nodded.
Deborah looked around as she followed the butler.
“Oh my goodness. The rumors were true. The dead Princess Cretian is alive.”
“I heard you are the successor to the extinct Jupiter family?”
Rumors about Bellona had already spread beyond the imperial palace and even to small towns in the provinces, so no one did not know about it.
Nevertheless, people could not take their eyes off the successor to the House of Jupiter, who appeared like a comet.
The woman who was once the daughter of the Duke of Cretian and later became the Crown Princess turned out to be the successor of the extinct Jupiter family.
Furthermore, as rumors of an affair with Carsis, who had seized the throne through treason, grew, curiosity about Bellona reached its peak.
'Bellona...'
She wasn't wearing an expensive dress or fancy jewelry, but she was more beautiful than anyone here.
Even before the rebellion, and even after it, she stood at the pinnacle of power that a woman could attain.
“Cretian, no... That woman who is now the Duke of Jupiter will become the Empress.”
As if the rumors were not false, she stayed by Carsis's side throughout the coronation.
Bellona was an orphan, as befitting the mistress of the House of Jupiter, and displayed quiet dignity as the future Empress.
And Deborah's face darkened as she watched the scene from a distance.
Unlike her, Bellona was shining under the most ornate chandelier.
Compared to Bellona, she was as shabby as a light in the wind.
‘Why is it always that woman...’
Deborah hung her head in shame and despair.
Deborah hasn't had any dreams since she prophesied the Emperor's resurrection.
As time passed, she became more and more anxious.
'If I ever get to have prophetic dreams again, I...'
I might die by Bellona's hand!
Feelings of inferiority, misery, and impatience soon turned into anxiety.
Eventually, as her whole body began to tremble, Deborah decided that she could no longer stay in that place and left the hall and headed toward the garden.
Fortunately, Deborah was alone in the garden as everyone was watching the coronation.
It was while she was walking in the quiet garden, taking deep breaths and calming her mind.
“Are you Deborah of the Oroz family?”
Deborah flinched at the sudden mention of her name.
She was the one who did not exchange names with anyone throughout the entire coronation ceremony.
Moreover, since she was always locked up in the territory, no one knew her face.
She looked at the man in front of her with very wary eyes.
He was bowing toward Deborah, his dark purple hair pulled back.
“Who are you? How do you know me?”
Then the man bowed and answered.
“I am Ires, the second son of Baron Wayne.”
“If it’s the Wayne Baron family...”
Deborah frowned when she realized that he was one of the relatives of the Duke of Oroz.
In the midst of all this, she meets his relatives, who are eyeing her position.
Deborah answered, not hiding her discomfort.
“I want to be alone for a while now. If you want to say hello, I’ll greet you later.”
One corner of Ires' mouth went up at her firm command.
“I just came to deliver His message, so please don’t be so cautious.”
Deborah's body stopped as she started to walk, thinking that she would leave first if the man did not leave.
“Is that him?”
He straightened his back, which had been bent, and whispered secretly.
“His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for you.”
The Emperor he was talking about was not Carsis.
Deborah's body trembled slightly as she realized that fact.
“Carsis is too small a vessel to contain you. But our Emperor is different. He is the one to whom your mother, the late Duchess Oroz, swore allegiance.”
“That means...”
“Come with me. He needs you. And you need him too.”
Deborah clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly at the man's words.
'What should I do?'
She had heard rumors about what kind of person the Emperor was after the rebellion.
She heard that he was such a cruel man that torturing and killing people was his hobby.
But...
'My mother served the Emperor until the end and then passed away.'
History is usually written by the victors.
Could it be that the rumors about the Emperor were false?
Considering Bellona's actions so far, it was a fairly plausible assumption.
Ires added, noticing Deborah's hesitation.
“As Lady Deborah knows, it was your mother who led the House of Jupiter to its demise. His Majesty has kept you alive now because of your power... Do you really think that His Majesty the Emperor will keep you alive after His death?”
“...”
Ires was not wrong.
Deborah was also trembling with anxiety because of that fact.
"I, I can predict the future. Now that the Emperor is alive, they can't kill me."
“You are right. Before the Emperor was alive, that is.”
Deborah looked up, recalling the conversation she had had with Bellona a while ago.
'Yeah, rather than living here in fear of when I'll die...'
Her worries were short-lived.
“Yes. I’ll follow.”
“Good idea. Now, come with me.”
Ires reached out his hand to her, and Deborah took hold of the man's hand.
***
The night after the coronation.
I was looking into Deborah's empty room.
Isaac, who was standing next to me, said.
“It seems that she disappeared while the coronation ceremony was in full swing.”
"Yes?"
I nodded as if I knew it.
I entered Deborah's room with slow steps and slowly swept away the things as if trying to remember the traces of the room's owner.
“What happened to what I said?”
“As you said, the preparations are complete. When Lady Oroz gets there, she will see ‘it’ soon.”
"Great job."
I smiled with satisfaction at Isaac's positive answer.
From the beginning, I knew that the Emperor's man would take Deborah away.
And that day would be the coronation, a day when security at the palace would be a little looser.
I, who had come to the window, looked out.
The moonlight softly illuminated the dark night sky.
Everything was going according to plan.
Since Deborah has fallen into the hands of the Emperor, the wheel of fate cannot be stopped.
Jenna asked curiously, looking at me, who seemed delighted even though the one who could see the future had fallen into the hands of the Emperor.
“But, Miss. If that woman’s power falls into the hands of the Emperor, wouldn’t it be detrimental to us?”
“It doesn’t matter if you give up something small and get something big in return.”
I continued to speak, even seeming happy.
“Because Deborah will kill the Emperor.”
"Yes...?"
Jenna asked back, as if she couldn't figure out my intentions.
I continued speaking, caressing Jenna's cheek as if I thought she was cute.
“The prophecy made by Duke Oroz that he would kill the emperor, in fact, I was not the main character of that prophecy.”
"Then..."
“Deborah.”
The truth of the prophecy that the former Duke of Oroz risked her life to hide.
“The child in the prophecy who will kill the Emperor is not me, but Deborah.”
And the prophecies of the Oroz family have never been wrong.
Not even once.
***
'It's uncomfortable.'
It's already been a month since she left the palace.
Long distance travel was arduous even in a cozy carriage with soft sofas.
But the carriage she was riding in was so small and crude that it could barely fit two people.
She knew it was inevitable since she was running away from the palace...
"Ha...."
Deborah, who had been sighing briefly with an inexplicable sense of suffocation, opened the window.
A dreary air now seeped into the carriage as if to announce that autumn was coming.
'But doesn't anyone live here?'
Deborah looked out to check the atmosphere in the estate after the coachman said that they were almost there.
The village scenery outside the window was so bleak that it was impossible to feel any human warmth.
It was when Deborah tilted her head in a strangeness that felt like she had come to a ghost town.
“We have arrived.”
The carriage that had entered the castle suddenly stopped, and someone opened the door.
Outside, a man who appeared to be the castle's butler was welcoming Deborah.
“Here...”
“This is Gertz, the territory of Duke Philosykos.”
She also knew a lot about Duke Philosykos.
She didn't know about other families, but she knew the genealogy of the five ducal families by heart.
It was also something that the successor to the five ducal families should naturally know.
“Come this way. His Majesty the Emperor awaits you.”
Instead of answering, she nodded.
Deborah looked around as she followed the butler.
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