It’s Him, Without a Doubt!
In the original story, Fay was the epitome of a fragile heroine—pure in appearance and kind in heart.
She was the type to always forgive the villainess.
The type to endure unjust situations in silence.
— “Actually, my dress was ruined not long ago.”
Fay, who trembled just at the sight of Helena, could barely even speak to her.
— “But it’s okay. They never caught the culprit, but His Majesty gifted me such a beautiful dress because of it. I almost feel grateful to whoever did it.”
…Right. That’s how she was in the original.
I can’t be the only one who finds this strange, right?
Fay acted completely unaware of the rumors in front of me.
She even flaunted her new dress and said they never caught the one who ruined her old one.
But then…
— “I believe I told you the Empress ripped your dress.”
— “Ah, but I’m really fine. His Majesty bought me a new one, after all.”
So she already knew. Jerome must’ve told her everything.
Then why pretend otherwise?
Was she just that forgiving, willing to feign ignorance for peace?
Or was that smile masking something darker?
The thought gave me chills.
Could she have done that on purpose?
Then that’s seriously creepy…
At that moment, a voice echoed my thoughts.
“Oh my, oh my. That’s just chilling!”
“Seriously, how can someone be so shameless?”
“Normally, I’d never judge someone by their origins, but this is just too much.”
…Huh?
The ladies-in-waiting were reacting strangely.
“Didn’t something like this happen before? She gossiped about Her Majesty while smiling sweetly.”
Wait, what?
Who gossiped about who?
“Oh, yes. And the way her expression changed the moment His Majesty appeared? So fake!”
“She’s always putting on that innocent act!”
I blinked in confusion and asked, “Just to clarify… we’re talking about the Empress Consort, right?”
“Of course. Who else would we be talking about?”
They all nodded as if it were obvious.
Um…
I’m the one who ordered a stalker to tail the Emperor, so aren’t I kind of creepy too?
Anyway, that wasn’t the issue right now.
What mattered was how different the maids’ impressions of the heroine were from the novel.
“I… I thought she was supposed to be quite fragile and delicate.”
“You mean the Empress Consort?”
“Yes?”
“No way. If she’s fragile, I’m basically a walking hospital!”
That was… an intense response.
“But she’s supposed to be innocent and down-to-earth despite being of common birth…”
“Oh, if she’s innocent, then I’m a complete idiot!”
Wow. That’s a leap.
The maids looked genuinely aggrieved.
“Of course, just like Your Majesty said, most people still believe she’s sweet and innocent.”
“One look at that gentle smile and they all fall head over heels!”
What on earth is going on?
I held onto my sanity by a thread.
Jerome had acted strange, and now Fay too?
Both felt completely different from what I remembered from the novel.
Was it something the book just never showed?
Or had things changed because I possessed Helena?
I was deep in thought when—
“Your Majesty…”
A trembling voice broke through.
It was Marie.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked ready to cry at the slightest nudge.
Now that I thought about it, she was the one who tore Fay’s dress.
“This humiliation… It’s all because of me, Your Majesty…”
“No need to feel sorry. I’m fine.”
“But still…”
“It’s all in the past. Don’t worry about it.”
I pulled out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at her tears.
Gasps rose around us, but I paid them no mind.
What’s so strange about an empress wiping her maid’s tears?
Just a little while ago, I was a regular citizen myself.
“Your Majesty…”
Marie’s gaze shifted as she accepted my touch.
Then, as if steeling herself, she said:
“To be honest, I used to be terrified of you.”
“Is that so?”
I could understand.
Helena had a fiery temper.
Raised to be aloof and noble, she never cared for how others viewed her.
She always wanted what she wanted, when she wanted it.
It made sense that Marie, as her maid, had feared her.
“But I was wrong all along.”
No, actually, you weren’t. Helena really was awful.
“I’ve made up my mind. From now on, I’ll serve Your Majesty with all my heart! For life!”
Marie clenched her fists in determination.
“If you ask me to live, I’ll live. If you ask me to die, I’ll die!”
Then she dropped to her knees.
Startled, I quickly tried to stop her.
“You mustn’t kneel so easily before others. Get up, please.”
“I just wanted to show you how serious I am.”
“I understand your heart well enough. Now, get up. And don’t say things like ‘die’ so lightly.”
“If Your Majesty hadn’t protected me, I’d already be dead. I’m not afraid to give my life for you.”
“But you did what you did for my sake. There’s no need to thank me.”
Come on now, let’s get up.
I reached out and helped Marie to her feet.
She was still young—and yet doing such harsh work.
I’d even heard she cared for three younger siblings on her own.
And after all the cruel things Helena had done…
Marie was the kind of person who cried over a few kind words.
A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, and I gently patted her head.
“If anything troubles you in the future, always come to me, alright?”
As I consoled Marie and lifted my head, I noticed the other maids watching with teary eyes.
Their gazes made me a little flustered.
If I stood here any longer, things were bound to get even more embarrassing.
Time to change the subject.
Conveniently, there was one.
“By the way, didn’t someone mention an intruder earlier? His Majesty advised me to leave, so we should head to the Empress’s palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I set off with the maids in tow.
The careful way they followed me somehow felt comforting.
＊＊＊
Jerome hadn’t lied—there really was an intruder.
In no time, the sunny rear gardens were swarming with soldiers and knights.
Checkpoints were set up, and the entire area was on high alert.
The air itself was tense and brimming with unease.
What struck me as odd was how calm the maids were.
I turned to Countess Chloe and asked,
“Does this sort of thing happen often?”
“You mean intruders in the imperial palace?”
“Yes. It seems serious, but none of you look particularly alarmed.”
“It’s not common, but it does happen now and then.”
Marie, beside us, gasped.
“Someone dared break into the imperial palace?! Shouldn’t we be rushing to safety at the Empress’s palace?”
“Lady Marie hasn’t been here long, has she?”
Countess Chloe replied calmly.
“No need to panic. Most cases are just lost visitors or foolish mischief.”
“But what if someone really is dangerous?”
“No need to worry about that either. The palace has many skilled knights.”
“Knights?”
Marie’s eyes sparkled with interest.
Clearly, she was still a young girl at heart.
“I’ve heard the palace is full of handsome and brave knights.”
“You seem very interested.”
“Of course! Whenever noble ladies gather, we always talk about knights!”
Marie gushed, listing various heroic deeds.
This knight did that, and that one did this.
Finally, she clasped her hands together.
“But the most famous of all is that man!”
Her voice rose with excitement.
“He defended a remote village from monsters, chopped down an unbreakable ancient tree with a single strike—”
“Those were before he became captain of the knights.”
“There were many more feats, but the most famous was when he chased down a high-level monster for two whole days and saved a kidnapped orphan from an orphanage!”
“That one’s been misreported.”
“Really? It’s not true?”
“Oh, he saved the child, yes. But there wasn’t just one high-level monster. There were five.”
“Five?! But I thought even one could overwhelm an entire regional knight squad!”
“Exactly. That’s how remarkable he is.”
“Incredible.”
“So don’t worry. As long as he’s the Knight Commander, the palace is perfectly safe.”
Countess Chloe’s face brimmed with pride as she spoke.
Whoever he was, he must be a legend.
‘A Knight Commander who slays high-level monsters…’
Come to think of it, I remembered reading something like that in the book.
An enigmatic figure said to possess unmatched swordsmanship, keen intellect, and unshakable will.
‘His first appearance was quite dramatic, wasn’t it?’
The heroine once slipped and fell from the third floor during a banquet.
And he appeared like the wind—effortlessly catching her midair—
CRASH—!
A sudden explosion overhead.
I instinctively looked up.
A black figure darted through the sky like a hawk.
‘Wait… is that a person?!’
Two figures burst through a third-floor window and dove straight down.
The one on top wore a crimson cape that fluttered behind him.
BOOM—!
They slammed violently into the central fountain, now shattered beyond recognition.
The once-glorious structure was reduced to rubble.
From the wreckage, a tall man rose slowly.
Cool, steady eyes.
Soaked uniform clinging to a lean, muscular frame.
And beneath him, another man—masked, dressed all in black—struggled at his feet.
The onlookers screamed.
But the standing man remained stone-faced.
Shhhhnk—
He drew his sword.
And without hesitation, plunged it into the man’s chest.
Squelch.
No hesitation. No mercy.
Blood spurted like a fountain.
It stained his face, his hair, his uniform.
“…Ah.”
Only then did I realize—
The cape draped over his shoulder had once been blue.
A chill raced down my spine.
But I couldn’t look away.
His hair, soaked not in water but blood.
His cold blue eyes gleaming beneath it.
The destroyed fountain no longer mattered.
Something greater had taken its place.
A god-carved sculpture of destruction.
Like a masterpiece sculpted by the divine, cloaked in ominous red light.
A shocking, unforgettable sight.
He wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
And on his face bloomed a faint, languid smile—stained red.
