Han Ji-hyuk let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

It seemed utterly ridiculous to him that a wicked child like me would be called “kind-hearted.”

“Stay still, alright?”

I shot him a warning glance and then glanced up at the Empress Dowager.

“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager...”

“I know your heart. But this matter cannot be solved by your kindness alone.”

That was right.

I had been waiting to hear those words.

I smirked inwardly but outwardly drooped my eyebrows and choked up.

“My father said, a child is still immature and makes mistakes. So adults must be forgiving.”

“Your father has spoken truly.”

“And he also said... the fault stems from ‘an adult’s wrong teachings.’”

Who taught Silin that way?

Even if she was born wicked, what reason let her do such things?

Who has aided her crimes so far, enabling her arrogance?

Those nearby whispered.

“Certainly Duke Chateaubriand...”

“It had been hidden, but even before this, there were many problems.”

“Yes, if Duke Chateaubriand is left as is, it will happen again...”

I felt like cheering.

“Yes!”

It’s not just Silin who must be punished.

After all, she could cause such ridiculous trouble because her father was there.

I stared at the Emperor.

“You know who must be struck, right?”

If he tries to quietly spare Duke Chateaubriand again, with some story about their youth—

I won’t weep inside the palace but cry and scream outside.

Then the nobles outside will focus on Duke Chateaubriand.

“The anti-Emperor faction might see this as a chance to wipe out the pro-Emperor faction.”

I glanced carefully at the Emperor’s expression.

It was strange.

But it was definitely not angry.

The Empress Dowager tried to soothe me.

“Child, Silin Chateaubriand is not someone worthy of your protection.”

“I’m also angry and sad. But this is not something to push forward with only emotion.”

“...”

“Um, my father said—”

“...”

I lowered my voice so only the Emperor and Empress Dowager could hear.

“If you strike Silin now, His Majesty will be in trouble.”

“That is...”

The Empress Dowager sighed, and the Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.

The Emperor asked me,

“Your father said that?”

“Yes, Your Majesty... My father said that Duke Chateaubriand, Silin’s father, is a ‘necessary person’ to Your Majesty...”

“...”

“So, I thought I must endure. So... so...”

I drooped my eyebrows and looked at the Emperor.

“If only my heart aches, then the Imperial House can remain peaceful. Please forgive Silin, Your Majesty.”

“...So says Daymond Astra.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. My ‘father.’”

“Daymond Astra...”

Yes, remember well who thinks of you.

Engrave in your heart whose hand you must take.

The person you must take.

The man who can be a sure substitute for Duke Chateaubriand, the pro-Emperor faction’s leader.

That man is Daymond Astra, my father.

The Emperor’s mouth curled slightly as he mulled over my father’s name.

Then he looked at me and raised his eyebrows just a bit.

“I cannot grant your request in this matter.”

“Th-that’s...”

I pretended to be very sad and drooped my shoulders, but inside a festival was raging.

That’s right!

“If he said he’d forgive, I wouldn’t have let it go.”

The Emperor rubbed his chin and continued.

“But I will remember the loyalty you and your father have for the Imperial House.”

“I apologize if I troubled Your Majesty’s mind...”

The Empress Dowager smiled warmly and patted the back of my hand.

“How could you say such things? You are admirable beyond measure. A model noble.”

“Your Majesty...”

“I will send someone to Daymond Astra to commend his loyalty to the Imperial House.”

That’s it!

“If possible, commend him in a very grand manner, Your Majesty?”

So that the nobles of the Central Tower will see my father differently.

The Emperor nodded.

“So you should return to the mansion now. Your body is not well.”

“I am grateful, Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager ordered her head maid.

“Provide the Western Wonhwa with a royal carriage and have her attended to all the way to the mansion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Consider the admirable Western Wonhwa as this old woman’s own, and leave nothing lacking in her care.”

“Certainly.”

The head maid smiled gently and approached me.

“I will personally attend to you, Wonhwa.”

“Thank you...”

I deeply bowed to the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

“May the divine blessing of the royal family be with you.”

“Indeed.”

The Empress Dowager smiled kindly, and the Emperor nodded.

Then I withdrew with Han Ji-hyuk and the head maid.

By the time we were far enough that the Emperor and Empress Dowager were out of sight, my knees suddenly buckled.

“My lady, Wonhwa!”

“Miss...!”

The head maid urgently called for a doctor, and Han Ji-hyuk’s face turned pale as he supported me.

Noticing the head maid’s expression, he asked,

“See? You’re still not well—”

I lowered my voice and whispered.

“Say it louder. Louder.”

“...What?”

“I said, say it louder.”

So that everyone will know all about this commotion.

Let me make a fuss so everyone knows I acted for the pro-Emperor faction!

“You’re just putting on a show—”

“Shh, shh.”

“Ha...”

Han Ji-hyuk chuckled in disbelief.

But when the head maid approached again, calling the doctor and healer via communication crystal, I quickly started shouting again.

“Oh dear! Oh dear, my lady! This is why I warned you against coming to the palace...! How can you bear such loyalty like this!!”

“Has the Western Wonhwa been unwell all this time?”

“Yes, she had a fever all night and vomited everything she ate, but for the sake of the royal family, she said this small body’s pain was nothing—!”

“Good heavens... How admirable. Even much older people bow their heads in respect at such loyalty.”

Palace servants who heard the commotion gathered in a buzz.

The Emperor’s guards were there too, looking bewildered after seeing both the Emperor’s direct troops and Wonhwa troops fall.

Han Ji-hyuk seized the moment to chatter nonstop.

“Actually, she suffered even more from Miss Chateaubriand. Even I, who observed her closely, wanted to tear my hair out, so you can imagine how much the young lady felt!”

“More than that?”

“She spread baseless rumors in society to isolate her. When we were suppressing the Crimson Ghoul, she persuaded the captured Wonhwa to save the lady, putting her life in danger...!”

“My goodness!”

“She repeatedly insulted her with terrible words about ‘filthy blood’ and used my father’s reputation to—her... to—!”

Han Ji-hyuk turned his face away, sobbing as if unable to speak without tears.

‘No wonder she’s no ordinary fraud.’

Though it happened, adding Oscar-worthy acting made it even more impactful.

I felt like some tragic heroine.

People who had gathered around sighed.

The head maid covered her mouth with one hand. Her gaze was deeply felt on my cheek.

“Yes.”

Silin also knew the nature of the people of the capital well, but I knew it just as well.

“As soon as they disperse, rumors will spread everywhere.”

I chuckled inwardly.

As I’ve said many times, I was the main villain from Ice.Black.Hand.

I never go down easily.

I was a cruel child who returned all evil done to me a hundredfold.

“Silin, you’re dead.”

Bang!

Duke Chateaubriand threw down the communication crystal and shouted.

“You bastards─!”

His wife flinched and asked him.

“Can’t you reach Marquis Claude?”

“Not just Marquis Claude?!”

Count Roche, Count Busong...

The leaders of the pro-Emperor faction all could not be contacted.

It had already been five days since the 5-on-5 open battle training.

“The string’s been cut now.”

Duke Chateaubriand gritted his teeth.

Roughly sweeping back his hair, he looked at his wife.

“Send a letter to your father. We’ll have to ask the council of elders for help to break this situation.”

His wife said in a dark voice.

“Honey... I already contacted my father...”

“What happened?”

“...”

His wife glanced at Silin, who sat pale in the corner of the sofa.

She tightly closed her eyes and muttered.

“He said to think of his son-in-law and granddaughter as nonexistent...”

“What?!”

“I don’t think we can get help from him.”

“Jeres! Since you like Jeres (Chateaubriand’s eldest son, Silin’s brother), send him—”

“If only Jeres and I return, they said they would accept us back home.”

“That’s...”

The duke gripped the table with trembling hands.

Silin, clenching her skirt tightly, shouted.

“This is too much─!”

“Silin.”

The duke’s wife tried to stop her while eyeing her husband, but Silin burst into tears.

“How could my grandfather do this to me? When I was doing well as the Central Wonhwa, he called me ‘our granddaughter’ and doted on me!”

“Shut up─!!”

“Father...”

Duke Chateaubriand roared.

“Do you know what you’ve done and act innocent?! °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Your house hired a murderer! Bringing intruders into His Majesty’s palace is treason!”

“I, I, Father... but this was all caused by Erilot Astra...”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up!!”

“...”

Silin clenched her skirt, tears streaming down.

“This is too cruel... everyone’s really too cruel...”

At that moment, the Chateaubriand mansion’s steward hurried in.

“Milady.”

“What is it?”

“All the party invitations have been returned.”

“What...?”

The steward handed over a pile of invitations returned with blue slips.

Not a single person had accepted the invitation.

“The Rotanox (the most prestigious social circle) has acted.”

Even the noblewomen had completely turned their backs on Chateaubriand.

No matter what her daughter had done, such a fierce backlash was unprecedented.

“In-deed...”

The duke’s wife looked at her husband with a grim expression.

He was holding his head with both hands.

“Paante.”

“...Yes?”

“To turn the hearts of the social circle, we need Paante’s help. Isn’t there a party for the wife of Marquis Paante today?”

“That’s right.”

“Send Silin to apologize at the Paante lady’s party for what the Southern Wonhwa did.”

Silin jumped.

“That’s the Southern Wonhwa’s job to apologize! Why me─!”

“Everyone knows the Southern Wonhwa manipulated the four of you!!”

“Bu-but...”

“If you want to live as a noble, you must get Paante’s forgiveness.”

The duke stared at the steward with a terrifying voice.

“If this isn’t done, Silin won’t be allowed in the mansion anymore.”

“Yes, master.”

Silin glared at the steward who quickly replied.

“You─!”

“Let’s go, my lady.”

The steward, indifferent, forcibly pushed struggling Silin out.

The duke’s wife sighed and followed.

Silin burst into tears.

“I don’t want to go. I hate it, Mother!”

“You must go.”

“Mother, I—”

“Don’t make me give up on you too.”

“M-mother...”

“The elders are already moving to erase you from the registry. Your father is taking steps to adopt Isabel (Silin’s cousin).”

“W-what?!”

“They have already erased your name in your maternal family.”

“...”

“There’s no way for you to survive now. Like your father said, if you want to live as a noble, handle this well.”

“How can you be so cruel to me, Mother?”

“How can I protect a daughter who ordered a murder?”

“I, I only did it once!”

“I can no longer believe your words. Your sins, Silin.”

The duke’s wife turned away coldly.

After she left, someone walked in from the other side.

Silin’s proud brother, Jeres.

And the cousin she hates most, Isabella.

Jeres coldly stared at Silin, who was crying loudly.

Isabella giggled.

“Don’t be so harsh, brother. Silin is already so down.”

“I never had a murderous sister.”

“...!”

Silin flinched and looked at Jeres.

Isabella puckered her lips and said,

“To be precise, she’s not a murderer, but a murder conspirator. The duchess said so too, didn’t she?”

“If the intruders had not failed, she surely would have been a murderer. Just lucky she didn’t succeed.”

“That’s true.”

Isabella glanced at Silin with a face full of laughter.

Jeres and Isabella knocked on the duke’s study door.

“This is Jeres.”

“This is Isabella, father~.”

Father?

Silin glared fiercely at Isabella.

Isabella just giggled.

The door opened, and the duke hurried out holding his jacket.

“What’s the matter? No, let’s deal with it later.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go to the Central Tower. They say there will be a discussion about Daymond Astra’s entry permit today. I should go cast my vote so Astra doesn’t take a bad impression.”

“Chateaubriand must watch Astra’s moves... It’s so frustrating, father~”

Jeres bowed his head toward the duke.

The duke hurried out without even looking at Silin.

Left alone, Silin collapsed in the corridor, sobbing loudly.

No one comforted her.

Central Tower.

I moved quickly and barely arrived before the meeting started.

Duke Chateaubriand entered the meeting room.

Leaders of the pro-Emperor faction, who hadn’t been reachable, were gathered in force.

“You’re all here.”

Duke Chateaubriand approached with a forced casualness.

The pro-Emperor nobles glanced at him with displeasure.

The duke laughed awkwardly.

“Today, I ask you all to make a positive decision on Daymond Astra’s entry permit—”

That was when two men entered.

The Duke of Astra and Daymond Astra.

“Count Astra!”

“Come, come, this way.”

“You look even more handsome than a few days ago.”

“Is that so? This is the same beauty that did not seek the light even before His Majesty.”

Before His Majesty?

Had he met with the Emperor and held talks with the pro-Emperor faction?

Duke Chateaubriand’s expression stiffened.

“Could it be...”

Daymond Astra took the third seat at the center of the round table.

The seat Duke Chateaubriand usually occupied.

The left side of the scale where the leader of the pro-Emperor faction sits.

“Could it be...!”

He was absorbed.

His faction was swallowed up by that young count!