Episode 25
Emma’s eyes were also filled with tears.
“Lady Dianne must have known her death was near.”
Even thinking about it now still broke her heart.
Emma could clearly remember that beautiful woman calmly accepting her fate and worrying about the son she would leave behind.
“It was about a year after the assassin’s attack.”
Alicia blinked slowly. Just as Emma had said, there was quite a long gap between the attack and Dianne’s death.
“Then it really wasn’t because of the assassin…?”
“Not completely. Lady Dianne was very weak. Even though the wound from the assassin wasn’t fatal and had mostly healed thanks to the doctors, she was still fragile.”
In her past life, Alicia had been empress for over 10 years, yet she’d never heard this before.
She had always felt like the world was cruel to her, but maybe she had just closed herself off too much.
“The Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince then, never left Lady Dianne’s side.
Because of that, His Majesty—who was still a prince—also got to see her often.”
Up to that point, it didn’t sound like anything had gone wrong.
“Because of her treatment, Lady Dianne was taking strong medicine. The doctors warned that she shouldn’t be too close to the Emperor.”
They were probably telling her to avoid physical intimacy. But in the end, Dianne had a miscarriage before she died.
“The Emperor knew about the warning. The doctor had told him. But… he didn’t listen.”
Alicia let out a soft sigh.
“No one knew Lady Dianne was pregnant. Not even me, her head maid.”
Alicia’s eyes widened in surprise. It was hard to believe even her closest maid hadn’t noticed.
“How could you not know?”
“She stopped having her monthly cycle after the attack, because of the medicine. We didn’t suspect anything. And we assumed she wasn’t seeing the Emperor closely.”
“Oh…”
“There were many reasons for her death, but the miscarriage was the worst blow.”
Emma’s expression darkened, remembering that painful night.
“She suddenly went into labor at night and bled until the next morning. The baby was stillborn, and Lady Dianne’s life started to fade soon after.”
The more Alicia heard, the more she felt sorry for Dianne—and furious that anyone would blame Kaien for her death.
“While other women were trying to stop the bleeding, Lady Dianne called me to her side and gave me her last message. Her final words.”
“Can you share them with me?”
“Yes. That’s why I brought this up.”
As she bled out, pale as paper, Dianne had spoken her last wish. Emma had waited all this time for someone to pass it on to.
“She asked that her death not be blamed on anyone. She especially worried about the young prince.”
But Dianne’s wish was not honored.
“She wanted it written down that she died from natural causes. And she said that if the prince grew up strong, there was something he should be told.”
“What was it?”
Emma hesitated, then pulled out a necklace with an old-looking key and handed it to Alicia.
“The letters on this key show a location. I’ve never dared open it. It was meant only for her son.”
“Then why give it to me instead of him?”
Emma didn’t answer. She just gave a sad smile.
“The Emperor twisted her last wish. He blamed the prince for her death.”
He couldn’t admit it was his own fault for ignoring the doctor’s warning and causing the miscarriage. So he put all that guilt on his son.
“His Majesty has done nothing wrong. He’s just someone who lost his mother too young.”
That guilt and hatred poisoned the Emperor’s mind and turned him into a madman. Kaien’s life went downhill from there.
“Is it really okay for me to have this?”
Alicia gently touched the key in her hand.
“I believe you’re the only one who can give it to him when the time is right.”
“But I don’t even know where it leads.”
“Lady Dianne left it with love for her son. It won’t lead to anything bad.”
Emma looked at Alicia kindly.
“But you must be careful when and how you give it to him.”
For Kaien, his mother’s death was the most sensitive topic.
“Someone once mentioned the late Empress and was executed on the spot.”
Now, no one dared talk about her—not even Alicia, the current Empress.
“But if the Emperor ever opens his heart to anyone, I believe it’ll be to you.”
Kaien had changed a lot lately—and it was all because of Alicia.
“That’s why only you should have this key.”
Emma smiled warmly.
“I finally feel like I’ve fulfilled my duty. Please, save His Majesty.”
Alicia couldn’t help but nod. Emma’s sorrowful story and her eyes full of regret made Alicia forget her plans to leave the palace behind.
“I promise.”
Alicia said it calmly. Even if she left Kaien one day, she wanted to share this truth with him.
His painful childhood made her feel sorry for him, and as a woman, she deeply sympathized with Dianne’s feelings.
“When he’s ready, I’ll give it to him.”
“Thank you. I cannot express how grateful I am.”
Emma teared up, and Alicia shook her head.
“Thank you for telling me the truth. Will you continue to tell me about His Majesty from now on?”
“If that’s what you want, of course.”
Alicia nodded slightly, still with tears in her eyes.
And so, this meeting created yet another turning point—different from her previous life.
After Emma left, Alicia sat quietly, overwhelmed by what she’d heard.
She had only expected to learn about Kaien’s hobbies or preferences—but she ended up hearing something life-changing.
“There really are only sad people in this palace…”
In her past life, she thought she was the unhappiest person. She believed Kaien lived freely and did whatever he wanted.
“Maybe it was the same back then.”
Now, she could see Kaien’s side a little. But before, she couldn’t. She used to resent how indifferent he seemed.
“For over 10 years, we didn’t know a single thing about each other.”
She used to blame Kaien’s coldness and obsession with Rubeo for making her life miserable.
She thought he never cared about her. But in reality, she hadn’t cared about him either. They were married for over 10 years, but they never really knew each other.
“Still… am I really the right person for this?”
She stared at the key. She couldn’t say she truly knew Kaien now. If she wanted to carry this responsibility, she’d have to become even closer to him.
“Can I really do this?”
Someone was executed just for mentioning the Empress. It was scary even to think about bringing it up.
“But…”
Even if she had come from another life, Alicia had once been Empress for over a decade. And after dying alone, she had become Empress again.
She might not fully understand Dianne’s heart—but as a woman and an Empress, she couldn’t ignore her feelings.
“If I had someone I loved that much… I’d want them to know the truth, too.”
She didn’t know exactly how Dianne felt, but she could imagine how painful it must’ve been to die, leaving her young son behind. And knowing what happened to Kaien after made her heart ache.
“If I want to ask him anything, I need to get closer first. I’ll give him the key when the time is right.”
Alicia gently placed the key in a hidden compartment in her jewelry box. She couldn’t ignore the deep love it represented. Even if her own future was uncertain, she wanted to pass this on one day.
“If he returns to Rubeo, I might lose my chance.”
If the Emperor stayed in the palace, she might have more chances. But he hated the palace and loved Rubeo, whom he had protected since childhood.
“Not even meeting him is up to me…”
She couldn’t do anything unless Kaien wanted to see her.
That’s how their past ten years had gone.
Back then, she was focused on teaching Lucan’s philosophy—something Kaien hated.
“But things are different now.”
In her past life, she’d just tried to survive in a strange world. She thought being Empress meant spreading Lucan’s ideas, and kept making the same mistake.
“But it’s not enough yet.”
Alicia’s blue eyes looked straight ahead. Now, she had a new mission.
