Chapter 9. The Oracle’s Words
“Princess… please spare me.”
Albert groaned weakly, pretending to be pitiful.
But I didn’t feel the slightest bit of pity. Instead, I answered him more firmly.
“You’d better think carefully.”
Albert hesitated again, then finally confessed the truth.
“Please… never let His Majesty know about this.”
I nodded. I had no intention of letting Father notice.
“After Princess Riley’s accident in the Remzi Empire, an oracle about the imperial bloodline was delivered.”
Albert recited the oracle clearly.
“If a child with tainted blood enters the imperial family, the Empire’s order, upheld for a hundred years, will collapse.”
“……!”
The moment I heard it, goosebumps spread all over me.
It was exactly the same as the oracle the sorcerer had told me.
‘Everything the sorcerer said was true…’
Father must have taken part in Eddie’s death because of this oracle.
He probably didn’t act directly, but forced Helena to do it. I was sure of it.
An oracle—what is that, really? Just unexplained nonsense.
I wanted to scream at Father:
‘Father, is the Empire really more important than me and my child?’
And I knew… he would say yes.
That thought alone made my fists clench so tight that blood almost stopped flowing.
I couldn’t stop my face from twisting in anger.
“So… when will I receive ownership of the mine?”
Albert shamelessly asked about his ambition again.
And Father believed men like him, trusted them blindly, and killed Eddie…
I sighed.
“I’ll send someone to the temple today.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
Albert left quietly.
I stared at the chair where he had sat for a long time.
The fury that had stormed inside me was replaced with emptiness.
Everything felt meaningless—my love, my family, my power, the Empire, even my title as princess.
The only thing that still meant something to me was Eddie.
I missed him so much.
I longed to meet his shining eyes again, to kiss his soft cheek.
“Eddie…”
Even though I knew there’d be no reply, I wished to hear his voice.
‘Eddie, even if it’s just an illusion, even if it’s only for a moment… please appear before me and comfort me.’
But what surrounded me was only silence and loneliness.
I sank into a bathtub full of hot water, lost in thought.
The exact time I could confirm my pregnancy would be five weeks from today.
Until then, I would live as Princess Riley.
After that, I planned to cross into the Remzi Empire and live as someone else, leaving behind my name, my family—everything.
I felt no regret. No hesitation.
What mattered was building a future with Eddie.
That was why I chose the Remzi Empire as our new home.
It welcomed foreigners, unlike other nations. People of many races lived there, so it would be easy to hide.
There was much to prepare in the next two weeks:
Forging new documents, gathering money to live with Eddie.
And most important of all…
“I have to pay Father and Helena back.”
Father had tried to marry me to Prince Gran of the Remzi Empire.
I planned to use that very marriage to humiliate him.
I felt a little sorry for Gran—after all, I didn’t know him.
‘But he was the one who proposed a political marriage and came here first. Sorry, but it can’t be helped.’
As for Helena, I planned to bring up her past sins, the ones I had once overlooked.
And Henderson?
“Henderson…”
I couldn’t think of a way to take revenge on him.
He had nothing to lose. No possessions. Nothing he valued.
Before I met him, he was like an empty puppet—without desire, without love.
“You really were a pitiful man.”
But pity aside, betrayal was unforgivable.
Even if his affair had been my misunderstanding, I could never forgive how he treated Eddie and me coldly for a whole year.
No matter his reasons.
I decided—I would punish Father and Helena first. Henderson could wait.
“By now… has Henderson realized the woman he spent the night with was me?”
Even if it had been dark, how many women had pink hair and green eyes?
Maybe he had already guessed, and was now searching for me.
A tiny part of me… was curious.
Meanwhile, Henderson awoke suddenly, sweat trickling down his forehead.
He wiped his brow and caught his breath.
The dream he had just seen was strangely vivid.
In it, a woman with green eyes looked at him with love.
He promised to spend his life with her, and before long, they had a son who looked just like him.
Those days were full of happiness.
But the dream turned dark.
People tried to separate him from his wife.
He made mistakes, and in the end, even lost his child.
His beloved wife’s green eyes filled with hatred.
She looked at him with tears of resentment.
That was how the dream ended.
“Haa…”
What a strange dream. It felt like it had really happened.
One thing lingered in his mind—he hadn’t apologized to her.
Would he ever see that dream again? If so, he would beg for forgiveness.
Then memories of the night returned:
The masked ball at the Duke’s mansion.
The mysterious woman he met on the balcony.
The unforgettable night they spent together.
Henderson believed she felt the same destiny he had.
But…
“……”
He sat up and glanced beside him.
She was gone.
Only the rumpled sheets and a single pearl earring proved she’d been there.
Why did she disappear?
Was she unsatisfied with him?
As disappointment overwhelmed him, one thought struck:
‘Pink hair… green eyes… She looked just like the woman in my dream.’
A few days later, I slipped into the city unnoticed.
I had business with a certain back-alley guild.
The guild provided any information or arrangements—as long as you paid.
I had secretly used them before, when I was Duchess, to investigate Henderson’s vassals.
This time, I had two requests:
First, to dig into Helena and Henderson.
Second, to prepare everything I needed to settle in the Remzi Empire.
A week later, Prince Gran, the second prince of the Remzi Empire, arrived at the palace.
He came with envoys and many luxurious gifts.
Father welcomed him with great joy—as if our marriage was already certain.
In the throne room, I stood like a doll beside Father, dressed in an uncomfortable gown he forced upon me.
I was weary of it all.
But I endured, because I needed Gran for my plan.
As I looked at him approaching, I noticed something unusual—he wore a veil that covered more than half his face.
The part I could see showed pale, flawless skin and a straight nose.
And his hair was jet-black.
Just like Henderson’s.
Our eyes met. His eyes were as dark as the night sky.
Then he smiled, his eyes curving like a crescent moon.
Even with most of his face hidden, I could sense—he must be handsome.
