.jpg)
Watching the knights rummaging around, the Empress couldn't hide her anxiousness.
'How long does His Majesty the Emperor intend to continue this? Does he really plan to continue the investigation until the culprit is found?'
The Emperor's words from a few days ago kept swirling in her head.
"Whoever tried to harm Princess Peony, no matter who it is. Even if they are royalty, they will not be safe."
The Empress noticed the chilling warning contained in those words as soon as she heard them.
'His Majesty suspects me and Empress Christina.'
It was a reasonable assumption.
If Princess Peony were to die, the people who would benefit the most would be the forces of the First Prince or the Third Prince.
Click.
The Empress, forgetting her manners for the first time in a while, was busy biting her fingernails.
It had been decades since she had lived in this prison-like Imperial Palace, but it had been a long time since she had felt this uneasy.
At that moment, a maid cautiously entered the room.
"Your Majesty the Empress, I know you don't have an appetite... but please eat something."
She spoke as she carefully offered the food on the silver tray.
The Empress stared at the steaming soup for a long time before slowly opening her mouth.
"The evidence. Did you say you cleaned it all up thoroughly?"
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
The maid quickly nodded, regaining her senses.
"All the poison and food that Lona used have been disposed of, and we deliberately avoided exchanging letters."
"What about that child's room?"
"Yes. The collection of her belongings is finished, and it has been an empty room for a long time now."
"Haa..."
She had checked several times, so it should be fine, but strangely, she couldn't shake off her unease.
Perhaps it was because of Darian's unusually quiet attitude.
As he had said a while ago, he no longer met with the Empress.
After hearing the news about Peony, he had locked himself in his bedroom and refused to let anyone in; that was all she had heard.
That child probably suspected that she was the one who had harmed Peony.
'I wonder how long he intends to keep doing that...'
But eventually, time would solve everything.
The Empress believed that Darian would eventually understand her. He had to.
'That child is kind. He won't be angry for long.'
If Darian were to rise to the Emperor's throne, surpassing the other royals, everything would fall back into place.
'He will realize that everything was for his sake.'
Convincing herself in that way, the Empress's eyes flashed.
Like the Empress, Darian was also confined to his bedroom, trembling with anxiety.
'...It's clear that Mother harmed Peony.'
Even though he had pleaded so earnestly, she had apparently ignored his request not to harm that child.
He wanted to rush out of his bedroom right away to check on Peony's condition.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it, hearing that she had almost died.
No matter how much he pretended not to know, he was an impure bloodline and the son of the person who had harmed Peony.
Darian had no idea how to act now.
'How can I stop Mother?'
Should he tell his father everything now?
Perhaps the time had come to pay for all his sins.
His false bloodline and the original sins his mother had committed.
If he confessed the truth he had been hiding and begged for punishment...
'If that happens, neither I nor Mother will be safe.'
Trembling, he closed his eyes in anguish.
But what if he did nothing, as he was doing now?
'Mother won't leave Peony alone in the future. Next time, something truly irreversible might happen.'
After hearing the news of the assassination attempt on Peony, Darian was tormented by terrible guilt.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this had happened because he had done nothing.
'...And that's also true.'
He felt pathetic, unable to do anything and only locking himself in his room.
He was crouching on the floor, clutching his head, when he heard a desperate voice in his ear.
"Your Highness, you must at least eat something."
Darian didn't even pretend to hear. He didn't want to face anyone right now.
After a while, he heard his aide talking to someone outside the door.
"...says she would like to have a brief conversation with His Highness."
"What? Blanche Duchess?"
The aide seemed to hesitate for a moment before sighing and replying.
"As you can see, His Highness hasn't been out of his room. Tell her to come back next time."
Blanche Duchess? What was Ayla doing here?
The next moment, Darian chuckled as if he understood.
'Ah, now that Peony is like that, she's finally come to question my sins.'
In fact, it was a miracle that Ayla had remained silent until now.
Perhaps the time had really come to confess everything. It would be a more honorable end to voluntarily accept punishment.
Eventually, Darian staggered to his feet.
Bang.
The tightly closed bedroom door opened, and Darian, with a haggard face, peeked out.
"Escort her to my office."
"Your, Your Highness?"
"I'll be there soon after I get ready."
"Are you saying you will meet the Blanche Duchess?"
"Yes. Prepare quickly."
Boris looked at Darian in surprise at the unexpected words.
But soon, his face lit up with joy, and he nodded.
"...Ah, I understand, Your Highness!"
Sitting in Darian's office, Ayla quietly looked around.
'It's been a while since I've been here.'
A bitter smile appeared on Ayla's lips. She used to come here often when they were lovers.
The office was still neatly organized without a single flaw.
'This isn't much different from my past life.'
It was a space that clearly revealed Darian's orderly and clean personality.
At that moment, she heard low whispers from outside. Ayla turned her head.
"Why is Prince Darian meeting someone?"
"I know, he's been locked up in his room lately, it's strange."
"Could he be interested in the Blanche Duchess?"
"Don't be ridiculous. He wouldn't do that to someone who's engaged. She probably came because of Princess Peony."
Ayla's face hardened coldly as she overheard the maids' conversation.
She was wondering if she should say something when the door suddenly opened.
Darian said to the maids standing in front of the door in a cold voice.
"Everyone, leave."
He raised his eyebrows and added.
"And it would be best not to say unnecessary things."
The maids' faces turned pale at those words. They looked at each other and hurriedly bowed before scurrying away.
"It's been a while, Miss Ayla."
Ayla's eyes widened. His condition was somewhat unfamiliar.
Tired eyes, a gaunt face. Even his wrinkled clothes, as if he had put them on in a hurry.
It was an unlike him, who was always perfect.
'I've only seen him looking this disheveled once before, on the day he told me he was breaking up with me.'
Darian slowly sat down in front of her. Ayla stared at Darian and frowned.
"...Are you feeling alright?"
Darian was silent for a moment before nodding.
"I'm fine. More than that..."
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Is Peony... is she alright?"
As soon as she heard those words, Ayla's complexion turned coldly.
"Yes, thankfully she survived. She almost died this time. She was very lucky."
Darian couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes and lowered his gaze.
"I see. I heard that you and the Black Dragon were instrumental."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"I'm really sorry again. For not being able to prevent this."
Ayla also knew.
That Darian had done his best in his own way.
He had even deliberately warned her for Peony's safety. Even knowing that he would be suspected as a result.
'Thanks to that, I was able to prepare in advance.'
But the moment he said those words, the memories of the past that she had been trying to suppress resurfaced.
'He had the exact same expression when he broke up with me. As if there was nothing he could do about it.'
Soon, a sharp voice came out of Ayla's mouth.
"Saying you're sorry doesn't make everything disappear."
Darian's eyes wavered at her cold words.
.jpg)