The Duke of Russell killed so many people. Their lives were destroyed for the glory of the Russell family and his greed. From the distant ancestor, the first Amelia, to his daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and even her own mother.
Amelia turned and climbed the stairs again. She calmly locked the door leading to the basement and hid the key under her pillow in the bedroom. She then went to the dining room, where Louis and Joseph were sitting, and took a seat.
“...”
Joseph, who was sleeping with his head bowed to his chest, was beginning to see a faint dawn outside the window, his shoulder sagging. The tightly shut maw of darkness trembled.
Amelia recalled the trembling of those imprisoned underground at that sight. Even a single laugh, a mere laughter in an unbelievable situation, sent the humans within the bars crouching and trembling. For a long time, they had been strangled and tortured even more viciously than Amelia.
Compared to them, Amelia was treated with extraordinary respect. In a way, it was her bloodline as the Duke Russell that allowed her to continue to exist as Amelia. It was a privilege, if anything.
Should she be grateful for that?
"No."
No way. Amelia knew that much. Her bloodline had been abandoned, exploited, and suffered by the Russells. She wasn't grateful for being treated better than those imprisoned underground.
The sunlight, now bright and vivid, streamed through the window. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were suddenly blinded by the light and unable to bear the sting.
“...”
And then she opened her eyes again. Her vision was blurry and shaky. Amelia raised her hand and roughly wiped her eyelids. Only then did her vision become clear again. For the first time in her life, she could clearly see what she had to do and why.
This task, as before, couldn't simply be about protecting Ian or empowering Ivan. It was about eradicating the source of the suffering that had bound her and her bloodline. And it was about rescuing those trapped underground, treated worse than animals.
No, it's all excuses.
This was supposed to be revenge for the life she had ruined simply because she was born into their bloodline.
Ivan's long fingers closed the bookcase. The book Amelia had given him contained unbelievable sentences.
The secret of Amelia, who first appeared, the ugly truth hidden in the secret of the Priestess, who was assumed to have simply lived a long time, the screams of a woman who belatedly realizes the existence of her sacrificed child, her desperate pleas and struggles for help.
Amelia has been exploited by her bloodline for so long. It's all because of the Russell family's misguided desires.
“...”
Of course, even before he knew the truth, he suspected the Russell family had orchestrated the plot. But honestly, he never imagined such a horrific truth would be hidden.
Even though she wasn't a direct descendant, he was still Duke Russell blood. Even Ivan, who tried to ignore Ian, couldn't turn away from him. He couldn't abandon Amelia anymore. He couldn't allow someone he considered his to be hurt. He had to remind himself repeatedly that he was the Emperor, but that was the end of it.
“That’s terrible.”
But that's exactly what the Duke of Russell did. He murdered his lover, had his son rape and murder his own sister, used his daughter as a dummy to bear children, and used his grandson as a test subject for immortality. And so, the abuse was passed down through his bloodline, and then passed down again, until it solidified into a sacred legend.
To make matters worse, the Russells, to uphold the sacred legend, imprisoned Amelia in a temple and used her as they pleased. And when a girl grew to her mother's full size, she was killed. When a mother who bore twins rebelled, one of them was killed, thus nipping any rebellion in the bud.
“This is all true...”
Even though Amelia knew that she was of their blood, like Countess Skipper and Viscount Brown, Ivan burst into laughter, as if he found this absurd.
“...”
Of course, he wasn't a very compassionate man. He felt a fleeting pity for the women who died embracing this truth and those who died unaware of it.
“Human greed is truly endless and terrible, Ivan.”
But Amelia. Thinking of his woman. Thinking of the woman who must have been left alone in that castle to determine whether the letter was true or not, he felt a pang of sadness.
He knew that the girl wasn't okay.
Aaron, who had received Amelia's request, quickly arrived at the cursed castle.
"The Emperor didn't notice anything. His original purpose was to see if Ricky was still alive, and before he could properly inspect the castle, I feigned illness and kicked him out."
Amelia calmly greeted Aaron. She then told him that she had feigned illness, which had startled Ivan and caused him to hurriedly leave the castle. Louis, who was beside Amelia, nodded quietly, lending credibility to her story.
"Just in case, leave a few knights here and go to the temple together. It's suspicious that I woke up from my illness overnight."
Amelia gave the order. It was a clear judgment, something he hadn't seen before. However, there was nothing to object to. In fact, it was more bizarre that Amelia had stayed in the palace all this time. So, Aaron accompanied Amelia to the temple.
“I meet the Priestess.”
As the master of the temple had returned, everyone welcomed Amelia.
“It seems like you’ve finally returned to your original place.”
The same was true of the nobles, including the Duke of Russell. Of course, it wasn't simply a matter of welcoming Amelia back to the temple. They wanted to clearly formulate future plans without worrying about Ivan's reaction. The fact that they were all huddled together so late at night only reinforced that suspicion.
“What happened in the castle?”
The Duke of Russell asked. Amelia repeated the same words she had told Aaron, confirming that Ivan had dug up nothing from the castle. She even pretended not to know about the existence of those imprisoned underground like animals. She was worried that the Duke of Russell might destroy any evidence.
"Yes."
Duke Russell nodded. There was nothing strange about Amelia's words. In fact, her cleanliness felt suspicious, but Joseph had already confirmed it. There was no room for doubt.
“Nothing happened this time, but who knows what will happen next.”
“...”
“The Emperor will continue to try to shake me like this.”
But Aaron felt a strange sense of unease with Amelia, even though she wasn't all that different from her usual self.
“This can’t go on like this.”
“There isn’t much time left anyway.”
The day Ian turned one was the day he would become Crown Prince, so the event was not far off. Duke Russell mentioned this fact to soothe Amelia's displeasure.
“While the Emperor was away, Rodan Howard posted a recruitment notice for the 3rd Division and enlisted the private soldiers of the three houses.”
“Is there any guarantee that they will all pass?”
Duke Russell smiled briefly at Amelia's question. The Knights needed strong arms and sturdy physiques. And the private soldiers he had selected all fit that description.
“At least half.”
Amelia nodded at the Duke of Russell's confident answer without asking any further questions.
"So, how do you plan to kill the Emperor? It's time you shared the details."
This time, it was the Duke of Russell who asked the question. Amelia picked up the glass in front of her and took a sip of water. She licked her lips, which were moistened by the water, and then met Aaron's gaze, who sat across from her.
“As I said before, there is one fruit that the Emperor cannot eat.”
There might be foods you find repulsive. Is that a big deal? A faint question crossed everyone's faces as they sat around the table.
"I heard that it's called a strange fruit because it's not a fruit from Escliff. It's not just a simple aversion, but it causes rashes and breathing difficulties."
“...”
"He almost died from eating it when he was very young. But it's not known to the outside world because it's a weakness, so only a few people know about it."
The Duke of Russell's eyes lit up at Amelia's words. Poisoning was a hassle, but it also made for a nice conversation. But dying from an allergic reaction after eating ordinary food was a different story. Ivan had been so intent on hiding his weakness that he kept it a secret, making it difficult for anyone to know.
“It could be false.”
Amelia finally did something useful. Just as the Duke of Russell was thinking this, Aaron stepped forward.
“Wouldn’t verification be necessary?”
Aaron was right. Duke Russell nodded, reflecting on his rare moment of excitement.
"I'll return to the palace and arrange a meal for everyone, so you can watch from there. Since Ian still refuses to leave me, the Emperor will have no choice but to summon me again."
Amelia spoke with a confident voice. It was a trait he hadn't seen before.
“The child is a filial son.”
The Duke of Russell laughed as he spoke. But despite his praise, despite his secretly observing gaze, Amelia didn't smile. She still hated Aaron, the Duke of Russell, and this temple, and she wanted it to show.
They think the reason she joined hands with those she hated so much was because she despised Ivan more than she hated them.
“...”
That opaque trust will one day cut off his neck.
Amelia stared directly at the Duke of Russell, clenching her fists beneath the tablecloth. Her delicate skin prickled as her sharpened nails tore at it. But she didn't feel any pain. She was consumed by revenge.
Amelia turned and climbed the stairs again. She calmly locked the door leading to the basement and hid the key under her pillow in the bedroom. She then went to the dining room, where Louis and Joseph were sitting, and took a seat.
“...”
Joseph, who was sleeping with his head bowed to his chest, was beginning to see a faint dawn outside the window, his shoulder sagging. The tightly shut maw of darkness trembled.
Amelia recalled the trembling of those imprisoned underground at that sight. Even a single laugh, a mere laughter in an unbelievable situation, sent the humans within the bars crouching and trembling. For a long time, they had been strangled and tortured even more viciously than Amelia.
Compared to them, Amelia was treated with extraordinary respect. In a way, it was her bloodline as the Duke Russell that allowed her to continue to exist as Amelia. It was a privilege, if anything.
Should she be grateful for that?
"No."
No way. Amelia knew that much. Her bloodline had been abandoned, exploited, and suffered by the Russells. She wasn't grateful for being treated better than those imprisoned underground.
The sunlight, now bright and vivid, streamed through the window. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were suddenly blinded by the light and unable to bear the sting.
“...”
And then she opened her eyes again. Her vision was blurry and shaky. Amelia raised her hand and roughly wiped her eyelids. Only then did her vision become clear again. For the first time in her life, she could clearly see what she had to do and why.
This task, as before, couldn't simply be about protecting Ian or empowering Ivan. It was about eradicating the source of the suffering that had bound her and her bloodline. And it was about rescuing those trapped underground, treated worse than animals.
No, it's all excuses.
This was supposed to be revenge for the life she had ruined simply because she was born into their bloodline.
***
Ivan's long fingers closed the bookcase. The book Amelia had given him contained unbelievable sentences.
The secret of Amelia, who first appeared, the ugly truth hidden in the secret of the Priestess, who was assumed to have simply lived a long time, the screams of a woman who belatedly realizes the existence of her sacrificed child, her desperate pleas and struggles for help.
Amelia has been exploited by her bloodline for so long. It's all because of the Russell family's misguided desires.
“...”
Of course, even before he knew the truth, he suspected the Russell family had orchestrated the plot. But honestly, he never imagined such a horrific truth would be hidden.
Even though she wasn't a direct descendant, he was still Duke Russell blood. Even Ivan, who tried to ignore Ian, couldn't turn away from him. He couldn't abandon Amelia anymore. He couldn't allow someone he considered his to be hurt. He had to remind himself repeatedly that he was the Emperor, but that was the end of it.
“That’s terrible.”
But that's exactly what the Duke of Russell did. He murdered his lover, had his son rape and murder his own sister, used his daughter as a dummy to bear children, and used his grandson as a test subject for immortality. And so, the abuse was passed down through his bloodline, and then passed down again, until it solidified into a sacred legend.
To make matters worse, the Russells, to uphold the sacred legend, imprisoned Amelia in a temple and used her as they pleased. And when a girl grew to her mother's full size, she was killed. When a mother who bore twins rebelled, one of them was killed, thus nipping any rebellion in the bud.
“This is all true...”
Even though Amelia knew that she was of their blood, like Countess Skipper and Viscount Brown, Ivan burst into laughter, as if he found this absurd.
“...”
Of course, he wasn't a very compassionate man. He felt a fleeting pity for the women who died embracing this truth and those who died unaware of it.
“Human greed is truly endless and terrible, Ivan.”
But Amelia. Thinking of his woman. Thinking of the woman who must have been left alone in that castle to determine whether the letter was true or not, he felt a pang of sadness.
He knew that the girl wasn't okay.
***
Aaron, who had received Amelia's request, quickly arrived at the cursed castle.
"The Emperor didn't notice anything. His original purpose was to see if Ricky was still alive, and before he could properly inspect the castle, I feigned illness and kicked him out."
Amelia calmly greeted Aaron. She then told him that she had feigned illness, which had startled Ivan and caused him to hurriedly leave the castle. Louis, who was beside Amelia, nodded quietly, lending credibility to her story.
"Just in case, leave a few knights here and go to the temple together. It's suspicious that I woke up from my illness overnight."
Amelia gave the order. It was a clear judgment, something he hadn't seen before. However, there was nothing to object to. In fact, it was more bizarre that Amelia had stayed in the palace all this time. So, Aaron accompanied Amelia to the temple.
“I meet the Priestess.”
As the master of the temple had returned, everyone welcomed Amelia.
“It seems like you’ve finally returned to your original place.”
The same was true of the nobles, including the Duke of Russell. Of course, it wasn't simply a matter of welcoming Amelia back to the temple. They wanted to clearly formulate future plans without worrying about Ivan's reaction. The fact that they were all huddled together so late at night only reinforced that suspicion.
“What happened in the castle?”
The Duke of Russell asked. Amelia repeated the same words she had told Aaron, confirming that Ivan had dug up nothing from the castle. She even pretended not to know about the existence of those imprisoned underground like animals. She was worried that the Duke of Russell might destroy any evidence.
"Yes."
Duke Russell nodded. There was nothing strange about Amelia's words. In fact, her cleanliness felt suspicious, but Joseph had already confirmed it. There was no room for doubt.
“Nothing happened this time, but who knows what will happen next.”
“...”
“The Emperor will continue to try to shake me like this.”
But Aaron felt a strange sense of unease with Amelia, even though she wasn't all that different from her usual self.
“This can’t go on like this.”
“There isn’t much time left anyway.”
The day Ian turned one was the day he would become Crown Prince, so the event was not far off. Duke Russell mentioned this fact to soothe Amelia's displeasure.
“While the Emperor was away, Rodan Howard posted a recruitment notice for the 3rd Division and enlisted the private soldiers of the three houses.”
“Is there any guarantee that they will all pass?”
Duke Russell smiled briefly at Amelia's question. The Knights needed strong arms and sturdy physiques. And the private soldiers he had selected all fit that description.
“At least half.”
Amelia nodded at the Duke of Russell's confident answer without asking any further questions.
"So, how do you plan to kill the Emperor? It's time you shared the details."
This time, it was the Duke of Russell who asked the question. Amelia picked up the glass in front of her and took a sip of water. She licked her lips, which were moistened by the water, and then met Aaron's gaze, who sat across from her.
“As I said before, there is one fruit that the Emperor cannot eat.”
There might be foods you find repulsive. Is that a big deal? A faint question crossed everyone's faces as they sat around the table.
"I heard that it's called a strange fruit because it's not a fruit from Escliff. It's not just a simple aversion, but it causes rashes and breathing difficulties."
“...”
"He almost died from eating it when he was very young. But it's not known to the outside world because it's a weakness, so only a few people know about it."
The Duke of Russell's eyes lit up at Amelia's words. Poisoning was a hassle, but it also made for a nice conversation. But dying from an allergic reaction after eating ordinary food was a different story. Ivan had been so intent on hiding his weakness that he kept it a secret, making it difficult for anyone to know.
“It could be false.”
Amelia finally did something useful. Just as the Duke of Russell was thinking this, Aaron stepped forward.
“Wouldn’t verification be necessary?”
Aaron was right. Duke Russell nodded, reflecting on his rare moment of excitement.
"I'll return to the palace and arrange a meal for everyone, so you can watch from there. Since Ian still refuses to leave me, the Emperor will have no choice but to summon me again."
Amelia spoke with a confident voice. It was a trait he hadn't seen before.
“The child is a filial son.”
The Duke of Russell laughed as he spoke. But despite his praise, despite his secretly observing gaze, Amelia didn't smile. She still hated Aaron, the Duke of Russell, and this temple, and she wanted it to show.
They think the reason she joined hands with those she hated so much was because she despised Ivan more than she hated them.
“...”
That opaque trust will one day cut off his neck.
Amelia stared directly at the Duke of Russell, clenching her fists beneath the tablecloth. Her delicate skin prickled as her sharpened nails tore at it. But she didn't feel any pain. She was consumed by revenge.
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