Steady footsteps echoed through the darkness. Gareth, who was sitting on a garden bench and staring at the pond, turned his head and looked at the corridor.

Varkas, neatly dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Knights, was walking out of the long arcade that connected to the garden. His appearance reminded him of a snake slithering lazily through deep, dark water.

He sometimes wondered why.

Light blond hair the color of faded flax, silvery blue eyes, skin like plaster…

Why did a man made up of only dim colors like old parchment exude such a dreary mood?

His presence always sent a chill down his spine for no reason.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

The man put his hand on his chest and bowed. Gareth roughly waved one hand with an annoyed expression.

“Stop the unnecessary formalities.”

Even though he was a member of the Imperial Knights, the man was soon to succeed Grand Duke Shiokan and rule the eastern region. He was definitely not someone he could treat lightly. However, Gareth nodded to him as if he were a lowly subordinate.

“How long are you going to make me look up at you? Sit down.”

The man’s face did not change at all despite his rude attitude. He sat down on the marble chair with an indifferent expression, neither displeased nor submissive.

The Crown Prince carefully examined his exquisite facial features that did not seem human. It wasn't hard to tell that he was not in a particularly good mood, despite his seemingly normal demeanor.

Was something not going well? Narrowing his eyes, Gareth asked a probing question.

“How did the interrogation go? Did you fail to find out who was behind it?”

“I found out everything I could find out.”

The man, who had pulled down the top of his overcoat with one hand, answered in a monotonous voice.

"But I doubt it's the answer Your Highness wants."

Gareth raised one eyebrow.

“Tell me more.”

“The drug in Her Highness’s glass did not come from the Empress’s palace.”

“Is that so?”

“The imperial apothecary prescribed it to a maid working in the main palace. It’s not even considered a poison in the first place. It only causes vomiting and stomachache when taken in large quantities at once, so they don’t strictly manage it.”

“So you’re saying that the maid in the main palace suddenly lost her mind and put the drug in my sister’s glass?”

The Crown Prince burst into laughter as if it was ridiculous. However, the tendons in his thick neck were taut. It was a sign that the Crown Prince was furious to the core.

However,Varkas' gaze was endlessly dry as he looked at Gareth whose face was flushed with anger.

"The maid didn't put the drug in."

"Then who is the culprit!"

Gareth shouted, losing his patience.

"Stop dragging it out and just tell me the conclusion! If the Empress wasn't scheming or the maid wasn't causing trouble, then who dared tamper with my sister's glass?"

"It was the second princess."

Gareth froze at the bluntness of the answer.

"That woman?"

The Crown Prince's face distorted fiercely. He was like boiling lava when the Empress was mentioned. But when the illegitimate child that woman had brought home was mentioned seemed to have swallowed the filthiest thing in the world. A grinding sound of teeth escaped his tightly clenched jaw.

"That crazy woman would be enough. When it comes to my sister, she's a bitch who can't tell right from wrong because her eyes are rolled back with jealousy..."

Varkas showed no reaction to the vulgar insults that only a swindler would say. Gareth, who had been staring at the man, couldn’t let go of his anger and hung on to the Empress.

“Even so, isn’t it too early to be certain that Senevere… that bitch… wasn’t involved in this incident? It’s quite possible that she encouraged her daughter…”

“If that were the case, she would have used proper poison instead of this kind of mediocre drugs.”

Varkas said calmly. His pale eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

“If it were the Empress, they wouldn’t have gotten caught for sloppy cleanup like this.”

Gareth fell silent, unable to find the words to retort. He was annoyed that he had been cut off mid-sentence, but the contempt in his voice satisfied him.

He was more than satisfied that this young man, who was indifferent to everything, was sharpening his blade when it came to Talia Roem Guirta, the stain on the royal family. This man felt like he was once again on his… own side.

“Sure… Senevere would not jeopardize her position with something so foolish."

Gareth said, his mood somewhat lifted.

“Talia, she’s shot herself in the foot. I knew she’d do something someday.”

He smiled like a mischievous child, just like when he swept through the Academy.

“I’m sure she’s lost her mind because my sister stole you. How long has that bastard who doesn’t know her place been wooing the heir to the Grand Duchy? The fact that the knight she treated like a toy has become the companion of the ‘real’ legitimate princess must have really driven her crazy.”

The man didn’t say anything back. Varkas Raedgo Shiokan was a man who didn’t say more than was absolutely necessary. So his silence wasn’t all that strange.

But Gareth sometimes found the man’s silence unbearable. This was the case right now. He stared at Varkas as if demanding an answer.

“Anyway, this time she won’t be spared punishment. If I’m lucky, I can even frame her for attempted poisoning…”

“It won’t go as you wish.”

Varkas cut off the Crown Prince’s words for the second time. Gareth’s eyes immediately turned fierce. However, the man’s eyes were still, unwavering as he looked at the next emperor of the empire.

“First of all, there is only circumstantial evidence, not hard evidence. If that woman decides to evade, it won’t be easy to prove that she is the culprit.”

“Then we bring in the maid who provided the drugs as a witness…!”

“Do you think you can put Senevere’s eldest daughter on trial with just the testimony of a mere maid?”

While Gareth was struggling to find a rebuttal, Varkas continued calmly.

“Secondly, even if it is clearly revealed that this incident was the work of the second princess, it is difficult to impose a severe punishment with a drug that only causes stomachache. If she insists that it was a light prank, it will end with a sentence of confinement at best.”

“A light prank?”

Gareth, who had been silently listening to him, finally exploded. He angr stood up from his seat and grabbed the next Grand Duke by the collar.

"Do you know what humiliation the woman who’s to be your wife was subjected to in front of everyone? A girl who has never showed up disheveled collapsed in vomit in a banquet hall! How can you call that a lighthearted prank when Ayla was so distressed?!"

The Crown Prince's tanned face flared to a color that was recognizable even in the darkness as he recalled the events of the day. He gritted his teeth and sneered.

“Yes, I was distracted that I overlooked it, but when Ayla fell, I saw Talia, that bitch, laughing from afar! I wouldn’t be satisfied even if I tore the limbs off of that filthy bastard…!”

“Your Highness.”

Gareth flinched and let go of his hands. Varkas didn’t even raise his voice, but his back suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Gareth took a step back and watched Varkas’s expression.

The man calmly straightened his disheveled clothes.

“That woman is not someone that Your Highness should be so concerned about.”

His voice was monotonous, as if he was talking about the obvious fact that night comes after the sun sets.

"At best, that's all she does, tormenting people with her nasty pranks. You're supposed to be the ruler of an empire, and you shouldn't be bothered by such petty pranks."

He spoke as if he was soothing a child.

Ordinarily, Gareth would have exploded with indignation at the reprimand, but knowing full well that he had crossed the line first, he remained silent.

The man slowly stood up from his seat. Despite the disrespect of leaving without asking the Crown Prince’s permission, the man’s actions were as natural as flowing water.

“I have sent the Princess some medicine to calm her stomach. Also, from now on, I plan to strictly supervise all the drinks and food served on her table.”

“So, we just cover it up and move on?”

“If Your Highness insists on finding out the truth of this incident and punishing the second princess, I won’t stop you. However, I'd like to be left out of it."

Gareth turned red at the man’s indifferent response. Varkas seemed to be trying to dismiss this incident as nothing more than a mischievous prank by a reckless woman obsessed with speculation.

As he said, if the Crown Prince and the heir to the Eastern Duke were to get angry about such a trivial incident, it would only hurt their own reputation.

However, Gareth felt a strong repulsion at his coldness. It wasn’t just because of his indifferent attitude toward his sister. Gareth shot him with a suspicious look.

“You’re not protecting that woman, are you?”

Returning to the way he had come, Varkas stopped and gave him a cold look over his shoulder.

Just then, a breeze blew from the lakeside, gently ruffling his ash-blond hair. However, his expression did not dim in the slightest. A smile, sharp like a well-honed blade, filled the corners of his mouth. It was the first expression to appear on his otherwise masked, serene face.

“Me, that woman?”

Varkas let out a small laugh, as if he had heard an interesting story. However, his blue eyes were flashing with raw anger.

Gareth was speechless for a moment. He knew that this man hated Talia. But he had not known that he harbored such strong hostility.

This was a man who had been thoroughly castrated of his emotions by the priests. In fact, Gareth had never seen him show emotion in over a decade.

What on earth had that woman done to make this stone-like man bare his teeth?

Gareth stared at him curiously.

He had heard tales of the man's many insults during his time as Talia Roem Guirta’s guard, but he had never thought Varkas would be affected by them.

Wasn't he too noble to be swayed by the hysteria of a bratty young woman? He had thought Talia Roem Guirta was nothing more than a nuisance and an annoyance to him. But it seemed that was not the case.

Varkas spoke with a bitter glint in his blue eyes that did not even feel a single bit of warmth.

“I just don’t want to get involved with that woman again.”

Then, as if he had nothing more to say, he turned around and went back the way he had come.

A sinister smile appeared on Gareth’s lips as he watched him quietly moving away like a water snake gliding across a lake.

'Talia, I don't know what she's done, but it's good for me.’

Now that the man who should be his strongest supporter hated his enemy, their alliance would be even stronger.

Gareth rose from his seat with a satisfied expression.

***

This love is like a curse

Talia looked into the mirror. There it was, the face of the woman she'd seen sick of seeing over and over since birth.

The only difference between her and the girl in the mirror was that instead of graceful smiles and lustful eyes full of sensuality, the girl in the mirror had anxious eyes and parched lips, tinged with nervousness.

After studying her face with a disgruntled expression, Talia turned to her nanny and asked.

"How do I look?"

"Your Highness looks like an angel."

The nanny, who had been tirelessly combing her hair, replied, her eyes folded into a crescent moon.

“Your Highness really looks just like Her Majesty Senevere. With all this effort put into your attire, it’s like I’m seeing Her Majesty at the age of eighteen.”

Talia roughly swatted away the gnarled hand that was playing with her hair. Irritation flared at the insensitivity of a nanny who thought being told she resembled someone was a compliment.

"Enough with the combing, go get my clothes."

The nanny stomped away, her face like a puppy that had been kicked.

Talia shot her a disapproving glance. How could she be so dull?

Grunting, the woman rummaged in the bin, pulled out a red satin dress and held it up to her.

"Look at this. It's the dress Her Majesty Senevere wore when she first set foot in the palace. I think it was made for Your Highness."

Talia gave her a bored look.

"Does the nanny even remember what my mother wore so long ago?"

"Of course! How could I forget that day? She was so out of this world, it brought tears to my eyes to realize that such a beautiful person existed in the world. Even the Emperor couldn't take his eyes off her."

The nanny sighed, her face dreamy, as if she were reminiscing of the day past.

Talia swallowed hard. Did this woman think their meeting was the romance of the century?

The Emperor had an Empress to whom he had been married for six years, and she was even expecting a child. Senevere’s meeting with the Emperor was a scandalous affair, nothing more, nothing less.

Even after the former Empress Bernadette died and Senevere became the official Empress, people didn't forget about it. As long as they existed, people would never forget the unscrupulous sins they had committed.

Talia swallowed the sarcasm that rose to her throat and snatched her dress from the nanny's hand.

"If you have time for this nonsense, please finish my makeup."

"Of course, I'll do it all for you."

The nanny slipped the beautiful velvet blouse over her body.

Talia straightened her hair and looked in the mirror again. In her mother's dress, she looked more and more like her.

An ominously dark aura of sensuality began to stir within her. Talia stared at the top of her breasts, which had begun to rise roundly above the deeply plunging square neckline.

It was not what one would call dignified, but no one could deny that it was alluring.

Talia brought her fingers to the corners of her mouth out of habit, then quickly lowered them, afraid of messing up her makeup. Just for today, she wanted to look better than anyone else, better than her mother if she could.

She wanted everyone to see her, so she hoped no one would look at Ayla.

In the mirror, an intense hunger grew in her dark blue eyes. They weren't the eyes of an empire's Princess; they belonged to a fucking bum on the street.

Talia picked up the candlestick on the table and smacked the woman in the mirror with it. With a loud crack, a spiderweb-like crack appeared on the mirror's surface. The nanny, who was smoothing the hem of her skirt, jumped back in surprise.

Talia threw the candlestick to the floor and said coldly.

"I'm sick of that mirror. Get me a new one."

The nanny looked up at her with a white face, pursed her lips, and pushed herself to her feet. Then, as if nothing had happened, Talia draped a colorful, fur-lined coat over her shoulders.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror that shattered into dozens of pieces, and then spun on her heel.

As she left the room, she saw the escort knight sent by Senevere standing straight in the hallway. She descended the stairs, ignoring the man's red-faced stare.

A gilded four-wheeled carriage and eight bodyguards waited in front of the palace. Senevere did not want her eldest daughter to appear shabby.

'You want me to offend your enemies, I suppose.'

She twisted her lips sarcastically and climbed into the carriage. Just then, the new guard knight who stepped forward to close the door spoke as if to clear a hot lump in his throat.

"You look............... beautiful today, Your Highness."

The eagerness in his voice made every hair on her body stand on end.

Talia shot him a sharp glare. She didn't need this man's praise.

"Cut the crap and get going."

The man slammed the door behind him.

The carriage began to move, and she burrowed her back into the seat and looked up through the fluttering curtains at the blood-red sky.

If only the banquet this evening were that color. She hoped there would be a big commotion and everything would be ruined.

She unconsciously touched her lips and quickly lowered her arm, noticing the red dye on the tips of her fingernails.

Her nerves seemed to be on edge. Despite her mood, the palace was filled with beautiful music and brilliant lights.

Stepping out of the carriage, Talia frowned as she surveyed the wide avenues and ornate gardens that led to the ballroom. Hundreds of nobles in silk robes were making their way down the marble staircase and into the halls of the main palace.

She strode toward the entrance to the ballroom, oblivious to the knight who had followed to escort her. Those who recognized her made way for her.

It was only natural. The palace was her home. She had no intention of lining up like the other guests.

Talia spoke nonchalantly to the flustered servant.

"I'm here to celebrate my brother’s birthday."

The servant's eyes widened.

Talia shot him a frustrated glare.

"What are you doing without announcing my arrival?"

The man shuffled to the side of the pillar and called out loudly.

"The Second Princess, Her Highness Talia Roem Gurita, is entering!"

For a moment, a chilling silence filled the grand hall.

She stepped into the glorious ballroom, bathed in golden light, and held her head high. She could feel hundreds of pairs of piercing eyes scanning her from head to toe.

Talia continued on her way, silently savoring their astonishment, anger, embarrassment, and grudging admiration. Then, like an ebbing tide, they widened the distance from her.

As if she were a plague.

Talia muttered to herself with a malicious grin.

Just then, someone stepped in front of her.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked up into the man's face. It was one of the foolish men who followed her noble half-sister, Ayla.

Talia smiled wickedly. She'd seen her mother mesmerize men like that a thousand times before.

"Have I come to a place I shouldn't?"

The man's face, stiff with wariness, flushed bright red. He took a step back, a puzzled look on his face.

Talia more than made up for his retreat, stepping closer, her chin held high.

"This is my father's palace, and this banquet is for my brother. What is wrong with me being here?"

His eyes stared straight into hers, and she froze, as if trapped in place.

She could see his big nostrils flaring. It was like he was smelling the rose oil the nanny had painstakingly spread on every strand of her hair.

His eyes were glassy, as if intoxicated, and a strange satisfaction and deep revulsion washed over her at the same time. Talia walked past the man, who stammered and mouthed like an idiot, to the center of the hall.

***

Her siblings had not yet arrived. Gareth, the Crown Prince of the empire and her half-sister, always stood like a king in the center of the banquet hall, or on the second floor table overlooking the hall.

And Ayla had never been more graceful and elegant than when she stood by his side.

'But tonight, I fear we will not see Ayla Roem Guirta.'

Talia chuckled softly as she picked up a silver goblet from the small round table.

A cruel satisfaction bloomed in her chest as she remembered the image of Ayla collapsing blue-faced in the middle of the ballroom not long ago. The way she'd spilled the wine on the marble floor, it had looked like she'd poured out her heart.

If only she could make it happen.

Talia scratched the surface of the goblet with the tips of her sharp nails, making a hissing sound.

She didn’t know how many times she looked at her half-sister convulsing on the floor and prayed to herself.

Just stay dead, Ayla. Please, don't ever open your eyes again.

"Your Highness."

Talia, deep in her dark thoughts, turned her head at the sound of a voice nearby.

A man, immaculately dressed in a dark green gown, stood erect, one hand over his heart. His face was familiar.

It took her a moment to remember that he was a frequent guest at her mother's banquets.

She couldn't remember his name. She could only vaguely recall that her mother had called him Count Serian.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, Your Highness, and you're growing more beautiful with each passing day.”

As he gazed down at her with admiration, he bent down and kissed the back of her hand. A wave of discomfort washed over her, as if a damp caterpillar had touched her. But Talia forced a smile.

"Did my mother ask you to be my partner?"

"The Empress is always concerned about the princess."

The man nodded affirmatively.

"But even if it weren't for the Empress’s request, I wouldn't have been able to resist speaking to you. Take a look around."

He whispered in her ear as if he were sharing a great secret.

"Every man in this room is looking at you, and they, like me, want to run up to you and kiss those beautiful hands and shower you with fervent praise, but they are trying hard to suppress their desires. They don’t want to get into the Crown Prince’s bad graces.”

"And you don't?"

"I earned my hatred a long time ago."

He smiled slyly.

"Which is why, tonight, I've been assigned the task of assisting Your Highness, so it's a blessing in disguise.”

Talia didn't like men who paid more attention to her than was necessary. No. She was on the axis of loathing.

But it was better to have some sort of shield than to endure hundreds of pairs of piercing eyes alone.

Talia accepted her escort like it was a red line.

"What did mother say, did she ask you to bail out her poor eldest daughter, who's being turned out like a black sheep?"

"The empress ordered me to help the princess enjoy the banquet to the fullest."

Talia stifled a snort that threatened to burst out.

The man led her toward the stage set up in front of the balcony.

"And she instructed me to do my best to make sure you look better than anyone else in the ballroom."

Those who had been dancing to the tune of the lute and organ shuffled back and gave her cold glares. But the Count was unperturbed, and bowed to her.

"Would Your Highness please grant me the honor of dancing with you?"

Talia looked down at his callus-less hands with reluctance.

She had no desire to make contact with a man she barely knew. But the sharp stares and chattering voices of the people revolted her.

They were probably hoping she would disappear from this place. Or perhaps they wanted her to stay quiet, like in a corner, like she was not there.

But she wouldn’t.

Talia took the man's hand, and as if waiting for her, he slipped his arm around her waist and began to lead her deftly across the stage.

Even Talia, who had an intense aversion to human contact, could not help but be impressed by the man's dancing ability. Count Serian was skillfully executing perfect movements in time to the melody and for flattering his opponent in subtle ways.

Talia had always loved to dance, but she had never felt so graceful in her movements as she did at this moment, and it seemed she wasn't the only one who felt that way.

She glanced over the Count's shoulder as he skillfully spun her around. She could see hundreds of pairs of eyes following her movements, moving in unison. All eyes were on the imperial bastard they had so disdained.

Talia felt a surge of exhilaration. In the past, when she showed up at official functions, people would pretend not to notice her and watch her every move. But that was just an expression of contempt and wariness.

But this time it was different: they were looking at her the way they looked at her mother. She could feel the fear and fascination in their eyes twisting around her like tangled threads.

She felt like Senevere. The most powerful, dangerous, and beautiful being in the world.

But the sweet triumph was short-lived. Suddenly, the music cut out, and the real stars of the banquet appeared.

"Enter the great Crown Prince of the Empire, His Royal Highness Gareth Roem Guirta, and Her Royal Highness Ayla Roem Guirta, First Princess of the Empire!"

With the chamberlain's thunderous shout, the two imperials strode gracefully through the ballroom's entrance and down the marble staircase, and Talia was quickly pushed out of the limelight.

Count Serian smiled bitterly and led her toward the terrace where wine and food had been set out.

"I'm sorry to have to interrupt your fun."

The Count spoke in a raspy voice, as if trying to break her stony expression, but not a word fell on deaf ears.

Talia stared at Ayla in her pristine white dress with burning eyes, seemingly oblivious to the scandalous way she'd behaved in public a few weeks ago.

Her stomach heated with anger at the sight of the pretty face smiling gracefully as she stood beside her brother.

Talia's intense gaze took in every detail of their dark hair, emerald eyes, and ivory-chiseled faces.

They oozed royalty and regality. It was something that Senevere and herself could not have, no matter how hard they tried.

Senevere was the viper that had dragged the young emperor, once hailed as the Holy Emperor, down into the mire of sordid affairs, and Talia was the filth from its belly. The fact that Senevere would go on to bear dozens of emperor's sons would never change that.

Talia glanced silently at her half-siblings, who were surrounded by the fervent attention of the crowd, then turned toward the table where the goblets of wine were set out. She noticed that the people who had been gazing at the First Princess and the Crown Prince with envy were now glancing at her, exchanging subtle glances.

Every nerve in her body tensed, and she wanted to claw out every one of their eyeballs.

Don't compare me to them.

She suppressed the urge to shout it, desperately feigning indifference, but the man beside her whispered in her ear without knowing her internal turmoil.

"Since the two seem intent on ignoring Your Highness's presence, what do you say, go and greet them first?"

She shot the man a venomous glare.

He tugged at the corners of his mouth in amusement.

"Isn't that what you came here for?"

Talia bit her lip.

He was right, she had come here to ruin her siblings’ mood, to create a terrible dissonance in the midst of their celebration, and Senevere would want that.

Finally composing herself, Talia gripped her goblet tightly and turned to face her half-siblings, then stepped proudly through the crowd.

Just then, Varkas Raedgo Shiokan appeared at the entrance to the ballroom.

Talia stopped all movement. Her heart pounded as if she had been ambushed.

***