6.
Was it really possible to move on so easily when the person he had been obsessively attached to had died?
‘He never abandoned Mother, not even for a moment.’
That’s why I thought she would survive even if my origins were exposed.
Even if Moren and I died, at the very least… Mother would live.
But what was the result?
Mother was buried in the cold ground without even a proper investigation, and I was left to survive alone, constantly watching the Emperor’s mood.
‘Could it be… he’s no longer interested in her?’
…No, that couldn’t be.
The Emperor’s obsession with Mother—all of it stemmed from Lornord’s madness.
No member of the royal family in history had ever managed to cure this obsession.
‘Then what is he thinking?’
Uneasy questions scattered and faded, drifting through my head.
I sipped my tea and temporarily set aside the tangled thoughts.
‘Let’s confirm what I can for now.’
“Your Majesty.”
At my call, the Emperor who was drinking tea with me looked over.
I blinked innocently and began to speak.
“This morning, I stopped by Mother’s palace for a moment, and I heard that Your Majesty had already cleared out all of her belongings.”
“…That’s right.”
“I was wondering if I might be able to keep a few of them…”
I hadn’t even finished asking when—
Clang.
The Emperor roughly set down his teacup, the sound of porcelain striking loudly.
“What are you trying to keep?”
His overly sensitive reaction made me quickly lower my gaze and mumble softly.
“Ah… it’s nothing big. You know how Mother used to write stories for me sometimes.”
Mother often wrote books for me, knowing how much I loved to read.
Back then, I thought she had a natural talent for writing.
‘But judging from her journals, they were probably stories she had encountered back on “Earth.”’
How fortunate that Mother had such a hobby.
Thanks to that, I had a quick and believable excuse ready.
“There were a few of those books in her study. I just wanted to keep them…”
Naturally, the original manuscript would be among them.
As I trailed off, the Emperor, whose expression had stiffened, soon smiled amiably.
“Ah, I remember. Tilia always had such a vivid imagination.”
“Then…”
“But Neroli,”
The Emperor crossed his legs, speaking with a troubled expression.
“I’ve stored all of Tilia’s belongings in the Imperial secret vault. I’m too busy with affairs of state right now, but I plan to go through them slowly later.”
“The Imperial secret vault?”
That was a place only the Emperor and Crown Prince could access at designated times.
Security there was extremely strict—it was where classified imperial documents and rare treasures were usually stored.
‘Why would he put Mother’s belongings in such a place?’
Even his earlier, overly sensitive reaction…
Though it was suspicious, I instead put on a visibly disappointed expression, pretending not to know anything.
“Hmmm, then I guess it’ll be hard to get those books anytime soon.”
“Hahaha, don’t be too disappointed. Once the urgent matters are dealt with, I’ll find those for you first.”
So just wait a little longer.
At the Emperor’s final words, I smiled sweetly and replied that I understood.
Of course, I was thinking something entirely different inside.
‘The secret vault, huh…’
Through the spirits, I had been able to gather a bit of information about the vault.
For instance, it could only be opened by the Emperor or the Crown Prince during specific intervals.
‘And yesterday must’ve been one of those times.’
That meant there was some time before the next cycle.
Luckily, the Emperor seemed completely unaware of the original manuscript’s existence.
‘I’ll proceed with the plan during the next cycle.’
I’d have to act faster than expected.
One way or another, I needed to get into the vault before the Emperor and steal the manuscript.
‘If the author ever learns of the original manuscript…’
That would be like giving wings to a tiger.
While I was busily planning my next steps in my head, the Emperor suddenly spoke in a low voice.
“Neroli, there’s something I want to tell you.”
Snapping out of my thoughts, I tilted my head slightly.
“Something to tell me?”
“Yes. Do you remember the conversation we once had—me, you, and Tilia?”
“If you mean that one…”
We had definitely talked about my marriage.
That it was time for me to consider it.
‘Why bring that up now?’
A sudden chill crept over me.
“Has there been a change of plans?”
At my question, the Emperor leisurely lifted his teacup again.
He took a calm sip and then spoke:
“Now that Tilia is gone, your sorrow must be deep. So I’ve decided to postpone your marriage for the time being.”
“What? But if we delay any longer, I’ll be getting too old…”
“Don’t worry.”
And then—I didn’t miss it.
The strange glint in the Emperor’s red eyes.
“If no one will take you, then this father will keep you by his side for the rest of your life.”
“…”
“Do you doubt that the Emperor of this Empire could do such a thing, hmm?”
He stared straight at me, as if he wouldn’t miss even the slightest reaction.
Suppressing the chill crawling up my spine, I forced a bright smile.
“It makes me so happy that Your Majesty thinks of me that way!”
A faint tremble crept at the corners of my smiling lips.
To cover it naturally, I let my tears fall again.
“Oh dear, why do I keep crying… The truth is, I didn’t want to leave this palace so soon—it’s full of memories with Mother.”
“You were such a close mother and daughter. I understand.”
The Emperor smiled in satisfaction.
“Neroli, my beautiful daughter. Just stay by my side and trust in me. Then all glory will be yours.”
Ah…
Even though he once showed me open hostility, was this why he left me alone?
‘Because he can use me as Mother’s replacement.’
Thanks to the spirits, who were sensitive to emotions, I knew this much:
The tears the Emperor shed at Mother’s funeral were genuine.
As was the hostility he’d shown toward me.
But those were fleeting emotions—he had already found a substitute.
‘Whether I’m his biological daughter or not doesn’t matter. As long as I look like her.’
Disgusting.
I felt bile rise in my throat.
Now that those filthy hands that once tormented Mother were turning toward me, it felt like a red warning light was flashing before my eyes.
“Yes, Your Majesty! I’m so lucky to have you as my father!”
I hid all my emotions and smiled innocently.
No one would doubt the joy in my voice.
‘At least this is good.’
It meant the Emperor wouldn’t touch me—as long as he had no better replacement.
I had bought myself a little time.
And beyond that…
‘Was the Emperor directly involved in Mother’s death?’
Knowing how pathologically obsessed he was with her, I had assumed he wouldn’t have killed her with his own hands.
But he had covered up the suspicious circumstances of her death.
So I assumed he was indirectly involved.
‘But if, from the beginning, he had planned to use me as her replacement…’
And that’s why he killed her with his own hands?
‘You cunning snake.’
A possibility I had kept sealed away burst open, and a new flood of deductions poured in.
Among all those swirling possibilities, one thing remained unchanged:
‘In the end, I must eliminate the Emperor.’
Whether he was the culprit or not… the fact that he was trying to keep a leash on me would never change.
Even if I escaped the palace or left the Empire, it would be nearly impossible to escape the continent’s most powerful man.
And I knew well someone who had tried everything to escape from him—and failed.
‘Mother…’
If I kept being passive, I too would become a doll, preserved in this palace just like her.
‘So don’t rush.’
For now, all I needed was to confirm the manuscript’s location and that the Emperor wouldn’t act against me right away.
As I calmly calculated the situation, I suddenly began to loathe myself.
Because even in the face of Mother’s death, I was instinctively calculating my next move.
This question rose in my mind:
‘If I hadn’t existed, would Mother still be alive?’
I contemplated it briefly, then quickly pushed away the negative thoughts.
Diving deeper would only hurt me.
*
As soon as the meeting with the Emperor ended, I headed straight to my younger brother Moren’s palace.
When I arrived, the chief attendant of the palace greeted me with a bright face.
“Welcome, Princess Neroli.”
“Where’s Moren?”
“He hasn’t left his room since the funeral.”
“And meals?”
“…I’m sorry. He’s refused them all.”
“I’ll go see him.”
I went straight to Moren’s bedroom.
Since all the servants had been sent out, the room was very quiet.
I took a deep breath in front of the door and knocked gently.
Knock knock.
“Moren, it’s me.”
No answer.
After waiting for a moment, I grabbed the doorknob and tried to push it open.
But it wouldn’t budge—he must’ve locked it from the inside.
“Moren.”
“…Go away.”
His voice came through faintly from inside.
“I don’t want to see anyone right now.”
His answer made me anxious.
Moren was precious to me.
Under our erratic mother, my brother and I had leaned on each other to survive.
‘Especially since Mother practically neglected Moren altogether.’
To her, Moren was little more than a stranger.
