Episode 1
The 5th year of the Empress’s reign.
The Diamond Palace, where Empress Anastasia lived, was unusually quiet.
The maids who were supposed to be busy…
The chefs who should’ve been preparing food…
Everyone had left.
The palace was empty.
Anastasia sat alone, staring into a mirror.
“…So, this is the end.”
Underneath her fancy crown, her golden hair flowed messily.
Her once bright green eyes, like a young girl’s, now looked tired and drained.
Life in the palace, which she once thought would be glamorous, had only brought her endless exhaustion.
She raised her hand to gently touch her rough face when suddenly—
Knock, knock.
‘Someone’s still here?’
She spoke.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a familiar face walked in.
“Briana!”
Anastasia stood up, clearly happy to see her.
Briana was her cousin—her uncle’s daughter—and the only person she could truly talk to in this lonely palace.
“Did your father send a reply?”
Briana lowered her eyes awkwardly and showed Anastasia a letter.
[Yes. He said he would help Your Majesty in court.]
Anastasia finally felt like she could breathe again.
“Ha… Thank goodness.”
She collapsed into her seat.
She had truly loved the Emperor.
Even though Cassius didn’t have the makings of a wise ruler, she had wanted to stay by his side and help him become a good one.
But maybe her honest advice had become poison to him.
The more time passed, the more distant he became.
Her love slowly faded, and eventually, they were just a couple in name only.
She had hoped at least their friendship would remain, but in the end, he saw her only as a nuisance.
Cassius even faked evidence to accuse her of treason.
Now, Anastasia was standing at the edge of a cliff—just one small push and she’d fall.
But if her uncle helped…
She might still have a chance to survive this.
Suddenly, armored knights stormed into the room.
They surrounded the table where Anastasia was sitting.
The captain, Austin, stepped forward and bowed.
“There is an imperial order to bring Her Majesty the Empress to court immediately.”
So, it had come.
Anastasia frowned.
Two knights stepped forward to grab her, but she smacked their hands away.
“How dare you touch me! Do you know who I am?”
She looked straight at Austin.
“If the Emperor has summoned me, I will go. But did he say you could lay hands on me?”
“…No, Your Majesty.”
“Then I will walk on my own.”
And so, Anastasia began walking by herself.
Austin stepped aside, and she moved forward—
Until suddenly—
“…!”
Briana knelt in front of her, blocking her path.
She couldn’t speak, so all she could do was shake her head again and again.
“Move!”
Austin drew his sword and pointed it at Briana.
“Put your sword away, Austin.”
Anastasia quickly stepped in front of Briana and helped her up.
“Bri, it’s okay. Nothing bad will happen. Go back to the count’s estate, just in case anything happens to you. Please, go.”
But Briana just kept shaking her head.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Anastasia hugged her tightly.
“It’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.”
Then, she gently let her go and turned to Austin.
“Let’s go.”
At last, they arrived at the court.
Anastasia stood in the defendant’s spot and looked around.
All she saw were faces full of disgust and scorn.
And then…
At the back of the court, sitting proudly, was Cassius, her husband, the Emperor.
‘Cassius…’
He smirked as he looked at her.
“Are you Empress Anastasia?”
“I am Anastasia Adelaide, yes.”
“The trial was called quickly due to the many wrongdoings committed by Your Majesty.”
The judge flipped through some papers and continued.
“During these hard economic times, the Empress should’ve set an example by being frugal.
But instead, she lived in luxury, ignored her duties, and angered the people.
She also showed great disrespect to the Grand Empress Dowager and committed adultery by inviting men into her quarters every day.”
The judge went on and on with more accusations, then looked up.
“Do you admit to these crimes?”
“No. I deny every single one of them.”
Anastasia replied firmly.
None of it was true.
Especially the part about bringing men into her quarters—what nonsense.
‘And yet the Emperor can have a different woman in his bed every night, but I, the Empress, can’t even be visited by a man—unless it’s my husband? How ridiculous.’
She wanted to say it out loud—but held back.
She was already in a dangerous position and couldn’t risk saying something foolish.
“Then we will bring out witnesses.”
At that, her expression changed.
Witnesses? In this fake trial? Who would lie like that?
“You monster!”
A huge rock hit her head.
The crowd began yelling at her.
“We believed in you! You were supposed to be our savior!”
“How can anyone stand such a disgraceful woman?”
Her uncle—who said he would help—never showed up.
One by one, people lined up to testify against her.
Some were familiar faces, others were strangers.
But the court never gave her a chance to speak.
This trial was like a well-rehearsed play—and Anastasia couldn’t do anything about it.
The day of her execution arrived.
She saw the shining guillotine in front of her.
But all she could do was laugh bitterly.
Even her beloved family had abandoned her long ago.
After killing her parents and destroying her family’s name, Cassius finally ordered her execution.
“How dare you kill my son!”
A mother screamed—probably the mother of a boy Cassius had killed just to frame Anastasia.
She cried loudly, shouting her son’s name again and again.
Her tearful wails only made the angry crowd more violent.
Although guards stood around Anastasia, none of them stopped the crowd’s behavior.
Suddenly, someone yelled:
“Look! The Emperor is here!”
Everyone’s eyes turned.
“His Majesty the Emperor!”
The guards all knelt in respect.
One by one, the crowd began to kneel too.
Everyone—except for Anastasia.
She stood tall, even as Cassius walked up to the platform and stopped in front of her.
“I’ll give you one last chance to confess your sins.”
His “merciful” voice made the people gasp.
“He’s so kind… Even to such a wicked criminal…”
Everyone looked at Anastasia, waiting for her to apologize and beg for forgiveness.
They wanted to witness the moment the merciful Emperor forgave the evil Empress.
But instead—
“Oh my god… Is she crazy?!”
Anastasia spat in Cassius’s face.
“Leaving a man like you on this earth is my only real sin.”
