"You should have just been honest, grabbed His Majesty the Emperor by the collar, and tried to throw a punch or a fight instead."
"Are you telling me to die by the Emperor's hand?"
"You're finally dropping the formalities."
She let out a hollow laugh at the sight of him making no attempt to hide his anger, as if Roselyn's words had offended him.
"You started this with the resolve to die anyway, didn't you?"
The other person looked at her at the words she blurted out.
"Surely you didn't think you could survive after acting like this."
"You have quite a rough way of speaking."
"It’s just that since you spoke informally first, I didn’t feel the need to use honorifics anymore."
Roselyn shrugged her shoulders.
It’s not like Roselyn has lived through the outside world without ever hearing a single harsh word.
She just tried not to use it.
"Because there are some things that won't be resolved unless you confront them like that."
"..."
"I thought my father hated me my whole life, too. I didn't know until I died."
And she only found out after she died.
The fact that Roselyn, Roselyn Bellion, was loved more than anyone.
"Remember this, Sir. Don't touch what's mine. Before I kill you."
Having said that, Roselyn spun around and brushed past the captain of the Royal Guard.
"Thanks for the garden escort, Sir. I remember the way, so I'll make my way to the carriage on my own."
"...Do you really have no intention of becoming Queen?"
"I will ask you the same thing: do you have any intention of turning yourself in and finding enlightenment?"
Roselyn casually tossed out a question she didn't expect an answer to, then turned around.
"It’s strange to think that people would join just because you tell them how great an organization it is in the first place."
"..."
"Your ego seems way too inflated, so it would be best to reduce its size to a reasonable level."
At Roselyn's adding voice, he opened his mouth after a brief silence.
“I’m sorry.”
“I agree.”
"Lady Bellion."
At a low call, Roselyn stopped walking again.
No, to be precise, she didn't want to stop, but she had no choice but to.
Because her feet stopped on their own.
"The world is unreasonable."
"..."
"They say that after bringing you here, the Young Duke of Bellion stayed secluded for years."
Roselyn frowned at the sudden remark.
"What comes after that? A sickly daughter, a Young Duke who can go nowhere, gloomy in high society who eventually stages a suicide attempt and drags the family's reputation to the bottom..."
Before anyone realized it, the man was smiling in front of Roselyn.
"Do you think you are worth living? Wouldn't it be better to use that ability for yourself?"
Roselyn's eyes blurred slightly.
The captain of the guard lifted Roselyn's chin to make her meet his gaze.
"Not a world for the haves, but a world equal for everyone..."
Roselyn's hazy eyes contorted slightly, and soon she burst into loud laughter.
She, who had been bursting into laughter while clutching her stomach and bending forward at the waist, eventually smiled brightly.
With her hands clasped behind her back, she approached the stiff captain of the guard with light steps.
"Sorry, Sir. I forgot to mention one thing."
"..."
The man lowered his gaze and looked at Roselyn.
It was a look that clearly conveyed bewilderment and surprise.
"Your Abyss."
Roselyn smiled.
“I know.”
His eyes widened at the words mumbled in a whisper.
"Lady Carmel's brainwashing didn't work on anyone who recognized her ability. And..."
Roselyn stood on tiptoes, brought her lips close to the stiff captain of the Royal Guard, and whispered.
"Even your replicated Abyss won't work on me."
"...How did you know?"
“It’s a secret.”
Roselyn whispered softly with a smile.
"You know the saying that a woman becomes beautiful with secrets. Please don't try to dig too deep."
"..."
"Of course, the fact that Your Abyss cannot copy abilities that surpass Your level is why You could not steal His Majesty the Emperor's Abyss..."
His cheek twitched.
Despite the fierce stares directed at her, Roselyn smiled brightly.
She was someone who could always smile more flamboyantly and shamelessly in front of others' enemies.
"So I know that you feel inferior to His Majesty. I know that your Abyss can only be replicated three times, and that you have been trying to replicate the Abyss from me for a while now."
Roselyn arrogantly extended her hand with a smiling face.
"You can take it."
As Roselyn shrugged her shoulders, the man took the hand she extended without saying a word.
"But what can I do? I don't have an Abyss that can replicate wonder."
Roselyn spoke, recalling the time she met 'King' in the past.
His Abyss replicates the Abyss of the opponent he comes into contact with.
However, replication was only possible for immediate-effect Abysses that did not have specific activation conditions, or Abysses up to a level equivalent to one's own capabilities.
According to Sansar, Roselyn's Abyss is a conditional Abyss that manifests only upon death.
"...If it’s not the Abyss, how on earth did you know all of this?"
"Didn't I tell you I died and came back to life? Still, I prefer not to cause trouble, so I won't reveal your true identity; don't worry."
Roselyn added that she would be leaving now, withdrew her hand, and turned around.
'...Ah. I think my life is in danger now.'
Roselyn let out a sigh.
'Is there no other choice?'
Roselyn, who had been contemplating, turned her steps back toward the Imperial Palace instead of heading toward the carriage.
***
"...I did think so, but I never imagined they would send an assassin on the very first day."
Roselyn, who had woken up from sleep, thought her hands were quick and rubbed her face to chase away the drowsiness.
It seemed that Cherty Bellion had left after seeing that Roselyn was asleep.
"It is impolite to enter a lady's room without permission."
"..."
A pure white skull mask worn on the face.
Black clothes that tightly wrapped the entire body.
'Even in Makluxa, guys like that are limited.'
Roselyn sat up from where she was lying, leaned against the headboard, and slowly thought to herself.
It felt like a waste to die here, considering how well she had protected her life until now.
"Is it Makluxa's Reaper?"
"..."
"You must be well-trained; I didn't expect you to be so unfazed."
Roselyn still didn't say a word, gripping her sword tighter as she watched the assassin whose gaze was fixed only on her neck.
"I'll kill you."
"No, it won't work, boy. Do you know what I realized while dying and coming back to life?"
Roselyn spoke, hiding her surprise at the voice sounding younger than she had expected.
"The point is that people need to talk."
No sooner had she finished speaking than she took the orange bead of the Seven Star Stone from her wrist and smashed it on the floor.
The ability of the orange orb was the summoning of the Abyss ability user absorbed into the orb.
"Sorry, I knew this would happen, so I ratted you out in advance."
At the same time, a halo of light spread out and someone appeared in her room.
"...Roselyn! Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Ah, yes. But why, His Highness the Third Prince..."
Roselyn paused for a moment at the appearance of an unexpected person and asked.
'I definitely tattled to the Emperor...'
"I was drinking with His Majesty when it seemed he was about to be caught in the magic circle, so I jumped in to take his place. I wonder if I am making you uncomfortable..."
Arma answered with an awkward smile and a look of slight disappointment.
"No, I just didn't expect it. Anyway, I'm glad I didn't die."
"...Yes. That is a relief."
Arma answered in a daze and laughed.
Roselyn nodded.
After talking with the captain of the Royal Guard, Roselyn was about to get into the carriage but felt uneasy, so she turned back the way she came and headed toward the Emperor.
She recalled what had happened during the day.
***
"Your Majesty. I am set to become your daughter-in-law, but I have fallen out of favor with Makluxa and my life is about to be in danger. By any chance, could you please use the Abyss on this orb?"
"...Didn't you say at one point that you were going to break off the engagement?"
"But since I am engaged right now, I’ve learned that I should use everything available."
The Emperor looked at Roselyn with a bewildered expression.
“I’ll give you an escort.”
"No. I need to be more certain."
She needed a way not to die.
At Roselyn's refusal, the Emperor rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes.
"What are you planning to do with my Abyss?"
"This is a bead that can summon a person containing the Abyss."
"...Are you saying you are summoning me to escort the Princess right now?"
He asked as if he were dumbfounded.
Roselyn nodded confidently.
"Yes."
"..."
"Ultimately, Your Majesty will not be at a disadvantage either. After all, I will be able to root out the Makluxa organization by serving as the bait."
"Are you now boasting that you will let Makluxa be uprooted to the very end?"
"Yes."
It was a great boast.
The Emperor burst into laughter at the sight of the audacious Roselyn, who didn't even blink an eye.
"I know the King of Makluxa, too. I don't know his base, though."
"...You know the King?"
"Yes."
“...Who is it?”
Roselin paused for a moment at the Emperor's question.
"Didn't I tell you I died and came back to life? Still, I prefer not to cause trouble, so I won't reveal your true identity; don't worry."
It was because she briefly recalled what she had said to the captain of the guard herself.
However, since the promise with the criminal was not more important than her own life, Roselyn opened her mouth without any particular guilt.
"He is the captain of the Royal Guard."
It was a neat snitch.
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