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Chapter 02
A brief silence passed between Rizeana and Laiphin.
“Alright. If that is your wish.”
Laiphin stood up first, put on his robe, and brushed his blue hair that shimmered under the sunlight.
Once, she had fallen for that very sight.
But now, the man in her eyes was nothing more than the traitor who killed her.
“Shall we go have breakfast together?”
“No.”
Rizeana had always agreed to anything Laiphin said.
So her refusal made him look puzzled, but he still nodded.
“Hmm… alright. Then I’ll have today’s documents delivered through Eliza. Please take care of them.”
He clearly planned to dump his work on her and go spend time with Delisa.
It had been happening more often—this must have been when it peaked.
Because of that, Rizeana had learned how to handle state affairs just by watching him.
But the workload kept piling up, exhausting her more each day.
“Rizeana?”
Seeing her silent, Laiphin stepped closer.
“Ah, yes, Your Highness. Of course.”
She forced herself to respond, smiling faintly.
Laiphin smiled wider and took her hand, placing a light kiss on the back of it.
“I’m so glad I have you, Rizeana. I love you.”
He would never know how those words had chained her.
Because of them, she believed she was important to him—
and walked straight into her own destruction.
“Me too, Your Highness.”
She couldn’t say “I love you.”
The spot where his lips touched her hand felt disgusting.
She wanted to wash it immediately, but forced a smile instead.
‘Huh?’
She lowered her gaze to their joined hands.
A silver ring on his finger caught her attention.
Their wedding rings were also silver—but hers had a blue gem.
This was not it.
“Your Highness, this ring…?”
Laiphin glanced down, startled, and quickly pulled his hand away.
“It’s a ring His Majesty gave me.”
“Ah… I see.”
“I just remembered some urgent matters. Rizeana, I’ll take my leave.”
His smile vanished, and he left quickly without looking back.
Left alone, Rizeana watched his retreating figure.
Then she looked at her hand—the one he had touched.
“I love you.”
She repeated his words in her mind.
It made her sick.
She covered her mouth.
A confession of love—
from the man who stabbed her.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
“It’s a ring His Majesty gave me.”
“That’s a ring Delisa gave you!!”
She rubbed her hand harshly with a wet cloth until it turned red.
“And ‘urgent matters’? Disgusting bastard. You’re not going to work—you’re going to see Delisa.”
He made her do all the dirty work—
while he enjoyed himself with Delisa.
Rizeana opened the documents he had left behind.
“I can’t believe I’m seeing these again…”
The pile was large.
She picked one and skimmed through it.
Memories surfaced.
She had done everything he asked—
cut off funds of families opposing him,
ran illegal royal businesses,
eliminated his enemies without hesitation.
She had felt guilt once.
But over time—
she stopped feeling anything.
She let out a hollow laugh.
“The man praised as a wise ruler… is this filthy.”
And she—
was a fool for following him.
This time, the request was simple:
to secretly kill Marquis Carlson—
just because he opposed Laiphin in meetings.
Rizeana felt pure disgust.
She wanted to tear everything apart—
but instead, she stood up.
She gathered all the documents—
and threw them into the fireplace.
Flames rose.
“That despair… that pain… I will repay it all.”
The fire reflected in her eyes.
Unable to stay, Rizeana walked through the palace corridor.
She still had a chance.
She was alive.
She had not yet been falsely accused.
And most importantly—
she knew the future.
Hope slowly rose within her.
But then—
she saw someone approaching.
The moment she recognized the figure—
her hope sank.
She had forgotten something important.
There was another person responsible for her death.
“Rizeana… Your Highness.”
Delisa, wearing a pink dress, walked as if the palace belonged to her.
She deliberately said Rizeana’s name first—
then added honorifics mockingly.
“Lady Crodenne.”
Rizeana spoke her hated name again.
Strangely—
it excited her.
Her mind filled with ways to ruin her.
“Where are you going?”
“…None of your business.”
“Oh my. Such informal speech, Your Highness.”
Rizeana smirked.
“There’s no need to be polite to you.”
Delisa hesitated, clearly surprised.
“Are you coming from somewhere?”
“I doubt it’s worth Your Highness knowing.”
“Is that so?”
“Will you attend the ball?”
“…The ball…”
“Don’t tell me you forgot? Or perhaps… you don’t have a partner?”
Yes—
this was around the time of the ball.
Delisa laughed behind her fan.
The silver ring on her hand sparkled.
Rizeana’s eyes caught it.
‘That ring…’
Delisa noticed.
Her smile grew.
“Funny.”
“Of course. How could it not be? The great Crown Princess is about to lose her place.”
Rizeana stared at her calmly.
“You two seem quite inseparable.”
Delisa flinched.
“Why bring that up?”
“Why do you think?”
Delisa remembered—
how Laiphin often left her alone for “urgent matters.”
“Has Laiphin ever talked to you about state affairs?”
“I—!”
Rizeana stepped closer.
Her lips neared Delisa’s ear.
Slowly.
Coldly.
“Laiphin… asks me to kill people.”
“…!”
Delisa trembled.
Fear took over.
“Those are the ‘state affairs’ he entrusts to me. Though someone like you, who steals others’ nests, wouldn’t understand.”
Rizeana pulled back slightly.
“Do you think you can truly act as Crown Princess beside him?”
Delisa’s face flushed red with anger.
Rizeana smiled brightly.
“I truly hope you become Crown Princess.”
It sounded like a wish—
but it wasn’t.
Late at night,
Rizeana sat alone in her office.
The desk, once filled with documents, was now empty.
Moonlight shone through the window.
Her eyes glowed coldly.
“Revenge.”
Now that she had decided to repay everything—
she had nothing to fear.
She picked up a calendar.
“Ten days.”
In ten days—
she would be deposed and killed by Laiphin.
She circled the date.
“The cause…”
“Delisa Lupe Crodenne’s kidnapping.”
She marked another date.
“Five days from now.”
The day Delisa would be kidnapped.
Ink dripped onto the paper unnoticed.
“If I’m going to die in ten days… I’d rather be the one kidnapped in five.”
“Revenge…”
Her voice was cold.
Laiphin was the Crown Prince.
Revenge within the empire would not be easy.
But—
“What if I leave the empire?”
She looked at the circled date again.
Then—
she smiled.
“My time for revenge… is finally beginning.”
