The empire had long upheld the tradition of having one Empress and two Imperial Consorts.

This rule was meant to prevent all the power from concentrating on just one consort, thereby avoiding domination over the royal palace.

The current Emperor also had three consorts.

Or rather, had three.

To explain simply, the structure was like this:

Empress: no children

Imperial Consort Annamaria: died during childbirth

Imperial Consort Ocelia: had the first prince

Annamaria and Ocelia became pregnant around the same time.

However, Annamaria gave birth a month earlier.

That meant Ocelia’s child would be the second son.

With an Empress already in place, if Annamaria had a son who was second-born, the chances of claiming the throne were slim.

So Ocelia Consort hatched a scheme...

“She bribed the doctors and maids in Annamaria’s palace.”

It was said Annamaria died from excessive bleeding during childbirth.

Her son, Alexis, was born safely, but according to the plan, he was supposed to die before even crying.

However, a soft-hearted doctor secretly smuggled Alexis out.

The consort later found out and was furious.

Since then, she had been secretly tracking Alexis.

This was a secret even Duke Astra did not know.

“I understand why Alexis is at Astra.”

The Astra estate was quickly called a criminal city, a land where outsiders could easily come and go.

It was different from other regions that strictly controlled their residents.

I groaned and pondered.

“Ocelia Consort is a terrifying person.”

In Bing.Heuk.Son, when the first prince acted as regent for the ailing emperor, the first thing he did was attack Astra.

“If the first prince becomes emperor outright, Astra won’t survive.”

And now Dalia would come and connect with Alexis.

“Alexis is the male lead, so of course he’ll become emperor, right?”

The novel was on hiatus, so the ending was unknown, but I had never seen a male lead prince fail to become emperor in a story.

Sometimes it could happen, sure.

But Bing.Heuk.Son was nothing but a cliché.

“Alexis will become emperor. Then Dalia will become empress.”

Then Astra, the empress’s home territory, would be safe.

“The family must not fall.”

If Astra fell, our blood family would also suffer damage.

My goals were clear:

Gain enough power so that no one could touch me.

When Dalia comes, never harass her. Ideally, be a distant cousin.

Enjoy a sweet and happy wealthy life as Miss Astra.

“Alright.”

I clenched my fist and decided to act.

I immediately left the room and hurried down the corridor.

Then I went to management and got a permit to go out under the pretense of buying tea leaves.

On the way, I hired Han Jihyuk as a servant.

“Glad I made the ranking.”

At Gongjakjeong (the factory), children with high rank could get almost anything done without special procedures.

Han Jihyuk and I took a carriage to the shopping district.

It was my first time in a while visiting the shopping district, still vast and beautiful.

“I have to shake off the guards.”

There was an easy way.

“I’m buying a cake mug.”

As soon as I said that, Han Jihyuk exclaimed, “Ah!”

“The cakes at Clangklin bakery are said to be delicious. Ah! But the guards can’t enter — what do we do?”

I followed Han Jihyuk and said, “Ah!”

“Then the soldiers wait in front of the store.”

“No, we’re knights of the main estate, so we can enter—”

“Yes! Because nobles would be uncomfortable. How thoughtful! I’ll escort you inside!”

“No, we can enter—”

“Yes! I’m a noble lady considerate of my people!”

“......”

Han Jihyuk and I so perfectly out-talked the soldiers that they couldn’t say a word, and we slipped into Clangklin bakery.

As soon as we opened the door, a clerk hurried over.

Han Jihyuk discreetly handed over a few gold coins, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} and the clerk nodded.

“So that’s how you cheat every time. You bribed the clerk.”

Well done!

The clerk secretly guided us to the back door.

“Come before sunset. I also have to leave work. Don’t disappear forever like last time, okay?”

“Got it.”

Han Jihyuk and I exited through the back door.

We immediately turned into an alley.

“So, where is the male lead in the shopping district?”

He asked, and I shook my head.

“I don’t know. We have to find him.”

“Here? This is the empire’s biggest shopping town.”

Han Jihyuk gave me a bewildered look.

I knew it was impossible to find someone here.

It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

“But I have a way.”

I opened the zipper of my bag.

Then I showed the blessing stone I brought from my room’s underground storage with a flash.

I poured in magic power.

BEEEEEEEPPP!!

A powerful noise echoed instantly through the alley.

“Hey, what are you doing—!”

“Run!”

I grabbed Han Jihyuk’s hand and waddled out of the alley.

Then I cast Gaho and checked the comment window.

There was no change in the comments.

Next alley.

Next alley.

Next alley.

And again.

Even by the 11th alley, I made noise with the blessing stone.

Ah, what is this soundㅠㅠ so unsettlingㅠㅠ author, this tiny one looks like the male lead, something bad won’t happen, right?

“Here!”

“Let’s check around here.”

“What?”

Han Jihyuk knew about my hidden blessing.

When I whispered why I did that, he opened his mouth wide.

“You... are a genius?”

“Let’s find the male lead. We don’t have much time.”

“Luckily, there aren’t many buildings here. But what’s the male lead’s trait?”

“Probably hides it. He can’t be found by Imperial Consort Ocelia.”

“Then how do we find him?”

I gave a thumbs up and said,

“He’s—handsome.”

“...What?”

“Extremely handsome.”

The male lead is usually incredibly handsome.

There might be princes who don’t become emperor, but none who aren’t handsome.

Even hidden, his dignity as a beauty would shine through.

Han Jihyuk looked reluctant and awkward but then nodded.

We searched every corner of the alleys for the male lead.

We entered every shop looking for a child.

But strangely,

“He’s not here.”

We searched the entire vicinity, but not a single hair of a child was seen.

“Did the comments really say they heard noise?”

“Yeah.”

“We checked all the buildings and alleys nearby.”

Han Jihyuk and I crossed our arms and pondered.

“Shouldn’t we return for now? If he doesn’t come back by sunset, the estate will be in uproar.”

He was right, and I groaned.

Why can’t we find him?

Could it be the male lead was already caught by Lady Gonallong?

“Did he ascend to heaven or descend to earth?”

“Alright, let’s go back for now.”

The child curled up tightly.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed.

As usual, the time to leave for work.

Men who made strange noises lined the street.

The sound of heartbeat and footsteps was steady.

The child knew from experience what this sound meant.

They were sword wielders.

“Pursuers.”

Wearing a hat pulled down low and clutching a flyer, the child walked, when a man stopped them.

“Hey, you. Take off your hat.”

James, who raised me, always warned:

“When pursuers show up, don’t look back, just run.”

“......”

“Never get caught.”

The child always wondered about James.

He always drank and scolded me as a burden, yet why did he keep me?

Why did he sometimes come into my room and kneel before me pretending to sleep?

“Sorry, sorry, sorry......”

The meaning of James’s actions became clear only three months ago.

When the ‘pursuers’ appeared in the child’s life.

James ran holding the child but was hit by an arrow and collapsed.

He never opened his eyes again.

Before dying, he only said a few words.

“Return... to the royal palace... Your Majesty...”

“......”

“I, Ocelia Consort, accepted money... and took away all the glory you should have... and gave it to another.”

“......”

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry.”

I left the fallen James and ran away.

I walked endlessly through a ditch filled with water up to my chest, camped in a mountain where wild birds cried, barely escaping the pursuers.

Three hellish days passed, with no thoughts at all.

Only the will to live.

Only to run.

The child vaguely understood their life, torn apart by someone, was of little value.

“They found him! He went this way!”

“I’ll go through the alley; you go the other way!”

The pursuers’ footsteps drew closer.

The child curled up tighter.

Their hands hugging knees grew cold.

The footsteps were right outside.

They would be caught now.

Bad premonitions always came true.

See.

With a clatter, light poured into the hiding place.

The child looked up, face pale.

And saw,

“Alexis, I found you.”

...A tiny little girl.

At the moment I wondered ‘Did he ascend or descend?’ a light bulb flashed in my head.

“Maybe he descended...?”

From last year to this year, Astra estate suffered many disasters.

Landslides.

Drought.

Floods.

The worst was the flood.

It even affected the shopping district, nearly 25% of the estate’s income.

So after the flood, the streets were installed with sunken rain drains.

“And the rain drain is big enough for a kid to crawl into!”

Han Jihyuk said.

“He’s coming.”

I quickly reached out to Alexis.

“Catch him.”

“......”

Alexis hesitated, then sat down and reached out.

Dust stained his dress and ruined it.

“Alexis.”

“......”

“Let’s go.”

Alexis hesitated briefly, then grabbed my hand.

His hand was clammy with cold sweat, very cold.

I could tell how much he was trembling.

Groaning as I lifted Alexis, Han Jihyuk who was watching ran up and hoisted us both quickly.

I put my hat over Alexis’s head.

Then I took off his worn coat and stared at Han Jihyuk.

“Take off the cardigan inside.”

“What? But it’s cold?”

“Prince.”

Han Jihyuk grumbled but took off the cardigan and handed it to me.

I wrapped it around Alexis like a skirt tightly and put my coat over it.

At a glance, it looked like a little girl wearing a dress with a coat on top.

Han Jihyuk asked me.

“We’re going by carriage now, right?”

“Yeah.”

I answered and reached out to Alexis again, but he suddenly slapped my hand away.

Han Jihyuk frowned.

“After all that trouble saving him...”

Alexis’s expression was stiff with distrust of strangers.

Like a wounded cat, he stepped back a little each time I approached.

“Alexis.”

“......”

“It’s okay. Now I’ll protect you.”

The child flinched and stared at me.

Until Dalia comes, until you become an adult and meet that kid.

“So I must repay your kindness.”

At that moment,

An adult man came around the corner toward us.

Wearing ordinary clothes, but seeing scars on his hands, I knew at once he was a pursuer.

I held Alexis’s hand tightly.

“Wait.”

The pursuer narrowed his eyes at Alexis and blocked us.

Our makeshift clothes could not hide suspicion completely.

“Hey, you. Take off your hat.”

The pursuer stepped closer.

Alexis gripped my hand tighter.

He was still too young.

He hadn’t committed any crime.

He was just born the emperor’s eldest son and chased all his life.

Learning fear at such a young age.

I stood in front of the pursuer.

“Step back.”

“Don’t interfere...”

“Step back, I said─!!”

I shouted, and the pursuer flinched.

Then carefully scanned me from head to toe.

The fine dress given by the main estate.

It looked expensive at a glance.

“Noble, huh... I’m acting under orders from a high-ranking person. I just want to check your companion’s face─”

“Who dares give orders to whom?”

“Say what?”

I looked the pursuer straight in the face and hid Alexis behind my back.

“I am the granddaughter of the great Chronos Astra, daughter of Daymond Astra.”

“...!”

“I am the owner of this estate.”