003
[As my vision gradually blurred, I saw a familiar face in the distance.]
In the heart of that ruin, where walls and pillars lay in shambles, a man with black hair approached, swallowing even the brilliant sunlight.
In the original novel, Estelle and Theo fully understood they would die. Before entering the old palace, Theo begged Estelle to run away with him.
He said that one day—even if not now—a new Saintess would appear to take her place.
And the continent would remain safe until then.
But Estelle, in her naivety, convinced Theo otherwise.
She said that if she fled now, more people would die, and she couldn’t live the rest of her life carrying the burden of that bloodshed.
In the end, Theo—my dear younger brother—accepted Estelle’s earnest words.
And so, the question arises:
What was I doing—me—while my siblings wrestled with such burdens, even though I should’ve stopped Damian?
Could it be that I didn’t know what they had realized?
As I reached this point in my thoughts, sweat poured from my palms, and my hair stood on end in horror.
Theo, the protagonist of the novel, my younger brother by three years, lost our mother to illness when he was just five.
“Sister, Mom isn’t here anymore.”
I don’t know how he reached my room, or whether it was the darkness cloaking the corridor or the silent suits of armor that frightened him.
But Theo, who woke me in the middle of the night with his small hands, said nothing else.
“Sister, Mom isn’t here anymore…”
That child who cried like that would lose his life in the Land of Death.
With the person he loved. Without ever closing his eyes, because of betrayal.
“…Why?”
I couldn’t believe that the smiles I had seen, the warm gazes, the tenderness I felt when they touched me—would all be taken away because of Damian.
I quickly reopened the book.
I had to confirm whether I—within the novel—had failed to convince Damian, or if I hadn’t even tried.
The difference between the two was vast. The solution would differ based on that.
Today, I must observe him—eliminate all wrong answers and find the right one.
According to the journal, Estelle and Theo would be sent away two or three months from now.
To save them, I must persuade Damian—no matter the cost. With every possible means.
And if it proves useless… then I must find another way.
In the sitting room, the sound of water trickling from a fountain outside drifted in through the open window.
The man lifted his head from the old book he had been reading when he heard a knock at the door.
From beneath his pitch-black hair, his eyes gleamed like amethysts.
“Enter.”
His soft voice, filled with gentleness, echoed through the room. But it wasn’t the butler from outside who opened the door—it was his personal servant, who had been silently observing him from within the room like a still shadow.
The regular servant stepped forward after bowing and delivered a message to his master.
“A reply has arrived from the Duchy of Moore.”
Though the servant handed him the letter, the personal attendant didn’t step back—instead, he moved closer, waiting for his master to open the envelope.
Despite the excessive proximity, the man showed no discomfort as he took out the letter.
[To His Highness Prince Damian,
I apologize for causing you concern. Fortunately, my health has not deteriorated as you feared…]
What followed was written in a formal, distant tone. The man sighed heavily, then folded the letter with care and placed it between the pages of his book.
In that moment, the light in his eyes dimmed as if extinguished, only to quickly return to their bright violet hue.
Fortunately, no one noticed. After writing his reply with precision, he handed it to the regular servant.
“Prepare the carriage as well. I’ll be going too.”
The personal servant observed everything—what his master wrote, and the butler’s exit from the room.
Then silence returned, broken only by the sound of running water.
The man turned his gaze toward the personal servant who remained watching him.
“How long will you stay?”
“…”
The servant pressed his lips shut silently. Like a loyal attendant, he said nothing. But had that loyalty been directed toward him, it would’ve been better.
Regardless, Damian no longer expected anything. All he did was polish his blade endlessly.
He returned to his desk and opened a book titled History of the Ancient Kingdom.
At the banquet, the emperor would pretend to know nothing, trying to gauge his interest in politics or power.
At that time, this book would serve as a fitting excuse.
‘No, I’m merely interested in old adventures and legends.’
The answer was always prepared in advance. Sometimes it suffocated him, but before a man gripped by paranoia, it was best to appear a fool.
‘But at least today… Rosalyn will come.’
The envelope Rosalyn sent was golden—like her hair. Its texture was soft, and despite the servant’s presence, he lifted the envelope and inhaled its scent.
The fresh fragrance of summer roses filled his chest, deep and consuming.
‘…Didn’t you find it disgusting?’
The smile he had once seen, the hand that reached out to him—
The warmth that spread through his palm, her golden hair shimmering like radiant sunlight, her crimson eyes more vibrant than any May blossom.
[In my opinion, you’re already a good person.]
Those words—spoken by no one else—were what kept him standing.
‘Even if Rosalyn never remembers me again, that’s fine.’
Even if she forgot him, even if the Duke replaced him with someone else.
Damian lowered the letter again. His heart pounded violently, his cheeks flushed. He couldn’t peel his fingers away from the letter—it felt as though they were fused to it.
‘If I can endure this just a bit longer, she’ll stay by my side forever.’
I don’t know how quickly the reply came, but by the time I finished getting ready, the carriage meant to take me was already waiting at the front gate.
As I walked slowly, Theo and Estelle rushed out of the sitting room, complaining as they followed me.
“Sister, you’re still sick—where are you going?”
“Yes, you should rest more. I’m sure His Highness the Crown Prince will understand if you speak to him again.”
But I doubted that someone capable of murdering his wife’s family without batting an eye would be understanding.
It was ironic that these two complaining children would soon become the Saintess and the knight who would protect the Empire.
“I’ve made the decision to go. I’ll return later.”
I replied casually, and they fell silent.
They continued watching me with concern, but it was easy to ignore.
I stepped into the carriage and silently stared at the empty seat across from me.
My feelings were complex. Today held little value.
For today had not been written in Rosalyn’s journal.
Meaning the Rosalyn who wrote the journal knew nothing about Damian’s inner thoughts today.
‘Could that be…?’
During this thought, the carriage arrived faster than I expected, leaving me no time to continue reading.
I considered reading the journal inside the carriage, but the motion sickness…
‘I’m going to the capital to hide this, not to risk exposing it further.’
In the end, I gave up trying to decipher the journal and began analyzing the novel as I had planned.
Avoiding the romantic scenes as much as possible, I focused on the timeline, and began noticing things I had overlooked.
According to the original novel, Estelle would move in with us a month from now.
This was for early marriage arrangements and convenience.
Even my father—Tigris Moore—had married my mother, a noble of lower rank, overcoming the status gap. But though my mother’s rank was low, nobles were vastly different from commoners with no titles.
The issue was that Estelle would awaken as the Saintess by the end of that week.
Because of that, Theo and Estelle would receive an imperial order and train for only a month before being sent to the Land of Death.
It was an unfair process, but it served to strengthen ties between the imperial family and the ducal house.
‘But that… was only for show.’
The relationship that seemed peaceful collapsed just three weeks later.
Because the emperor, his wife, and my father were murdered during a banquet in a horrific incident.
Later, it was revealed they had been poisoned. And from that point on, Damian’s role in the novel grew.
‘It was around then that Damian began to clearly emerge.’
Due to the mission, Theo and Estelle received the news late. By then, the funeral had already ended.
As had my wedding and Damian’s coronation.
‘To be honest, I never had emotional attachments to my father…’
Our father—Tigris Moore, Theo’s and my father—was a staunch supporter of the emperor.
He was equally strict with us as his children, leaving no room for affection.
Even at my mother’s funeral, he only allowed behavior befitting nobility.
Now, with the memories of my past life returned, things were even clearer.
‘I understand now why Father acted that way. He was merely a character with that role.’
A character without real importance—created solely to highlight the protagonists and push the story forward.
Still, his death was far too suspicious to ignore.
First, the imperial family announced they had captured the culprit immediately, and it turned out to be a low-ranking court servant.
Second, he confessed to all charges at once and was executed on the spot.
How could such a lowly servant kill both the emperor and the duke without someone backing him—and confess, knowing it would mean his death?
And yet, the case was closed so easily.
‘The real killer is obviously Damian.’
He’s the only one capable of committing such a crime and burying it without consequence.
According to the novel, I was in isolation at that time.
My father was dead. My brother was in the Land of Death.
Rosalyn’s journal only contained details up to when Theo and Estelle were sent off, so I had no idea what I’d been thinking then—or what Damian’s true intentions were.
When had Damian begun planning to kill my father?
‘Maybe he feared his murder would be exposed and decided to get rid of Theo and Estelle afterward.’
If only the journal were useful now…
As I sank deeper into thought, the carriage quietly passed through the gates of the imperial palace.
