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Chapter: 05
The Beginning of Revenge
The next day.
Even as she was dragged away by the guards, Sesenia’s body had not recovered.
Whatever it was they wanted to hide so desperately, Elzer had paralyzed Sesenia’s entire body, and because of that, she could barely even speak.
And so, she was seated atop the execution platform.
“Seseniа Vestel. You are the Empress of a nation, yet not only did you abuse Elzer, who carries the Emperor’s seed, you even attempted to kill the imperial prince, the Emperor’s own child. You have been brought here to receive the death penalty. Do you agree?”
“……”
“Will you not answer? If you do not respond, it will be taken as agreement.”
“……No.”
At last, her lips barely moved.
As if reflecting her determination not to die without saying anything. Her mouth was still numb, and it took immense effort to move it as she wished—but even this was enough.
“No?”
That was the only resistance Sesenia could manage.
She glared at her older sister, Elzer, who was holding the child in her arms. Elzer widened her eyes slightly in surprise at Sesenia speaking, but soon shook her head—as if to say that now, there was nothing Sesenia could do.
The Emperor wrapped an arm around Elzer’s shoulders as if protecting her, while behind them, Ian smiled as though he were enjoying this.
“Yes. I do not agree.”
But the more Sesenia spoke, the stranger the atmosphere around her became.
“How can she be so shameless? They say she tried to kill the prince. Even her own sister.”
“My goodness. A human… no, there’s no demon worse than her.”
Ignoring the voices condemning her, Sesenia raised her voice.
“Is it not a crime for the Emperor of a nation to have an affair with the Empress’s sister? And yet, because she was my sister, I did not kill her—I merely sent her to the North. Was that wrong? I didn’t even know she was pregnant. I didn’t know she had given birth. If I had known… if I had known…!”
What would have changed?
As she tried to continue, Sesenia’s strength faltered.
“If you had known what? Would anything have changed?”
At that moment, the Emperor questioned her.
She had to answer—but at his words, Sesenia bit her lip tightly.
‘What would have changed?’
Still, she did not want to go down silently.
At the very least, she wanted to plant doubt in their minds. Even if she died here—even if happiness came to them—she wanted them, someday, to doubt each other.
Even if no one would listen to the truth, she wanted to do at least that.
“I know you won’t listen even if I speak, but I still have to say it. Do you know how guilty she must feel? Yesterday, my sister Elzer even used poison on me to shut my mouth.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
She knew it wouldn’t help.
“Everything was fabricated by them.”
Still, she had to speak. Because the only one who could protect her was herself.
“Nonsense.”
Only then did Sesenia realize.
Watching the Emperor, who remained unmoved by anything she said—who only reacted to the mention of poison—she understood everything.
“Nonsense, you say… But now I see—you already knew, didn’t you?”
“Knew what?”
“That my sister had given birth. That I did nothing. If you truly didn’t know, you wouldn’t have said, ‘Would anything change?’ That proves even you, the Emperor, knew everything.”
Only now did Sesenia realize.
She had been the only one who knew nothing.
Everyone else already knew.
“I know you won’t listen no matter what I say. But don’t you find it strange? You, the Emperor—and all of you. It feels like you’re trying to bury everything unusually fast. Even though I’m the Empress, you’re executing me like this without a trial… Even though Elzer—my own sister—testified that she poisoned me, you’re trying to gloss over it… Doesn’t that seem suspicious? As if you’re trying to kill me as quickly as possible?”
She shouted toward the people gathered there.
“If that’s not the case—if there’s truly nothing—then let me stand trial. I have done nothing wrong.”
The atmosphere shifted.
No matter how grave the crime, she was still the Empress.
And the people began to waver like reeds in the wind. Everything had been moving far too quickly. Even if her guilt seemed certain, ordering an execution without a trial was unusual.
Realizing this belatedly, they began to whisper among themselves.
As if trying to suppress it, the Emperor quickly spoke.
“How ridiculous.”
“Isn’t it more suspicious that you’re trying to kill me without even letting me stand trial? You and my sister Elzer—everyone must have something to hide, that’s why you’re all trying to silence me. Isn’t that right?”
The murmuring of the crowd grew louder.
“In the end, those who make the decisions have already decided to kill me, so there’s nothing I can do… but still… I hope you all understand… that they are killing me with lies.”
She had already given up everything.
They weren’t killing her out of ignorance.
They were killing her to suit their own purposes.
And now that she realized that, there was nothing left she could change.
“And you’d better be careful. Honestly… who’s to say that child is truly the Emperor’s? Isn’t it suspicious that the prince—who once called me a friend for so many years—betrayed me and took my sister’s side? Even if he is royalty… what if he’s not actually your child?”
Sesenia let out a faint laugh as she looked at him.
“W-what kind of insane nonsense is that…!”
“Don’t insult my pure love!!”
As expected, Ian exploded in anger, veins bulging.
“Whether it’s pure love—or the child of royalty born from flirting with multiple men… who knows?”
“So that’s all you have to say, Sesenia?”
Elzer, still holding the child, looked at her with ridicule.
Yes, that was all.
Words without any evidence.
But Elzer failed to notice.
Behind her, the Emperor’s expression changed instantly.
“Do you not realize that what you’re saying could be considered an insult to the imperial family? Foolish woman.”
“Is that all you have to threaten me with, Elzer? When I’m about to die anyway, what does insulting the imperial family even matter? The foolish one is you, Elzer.”
You’re finished.
The child her sister had borne—her nephew—was unmistakably of imperial blood.
Golden hair.
That was a trait only the imperial family possessed.
It was obvious the child was the Emperor’s.
But doubt had already taken root in him.
‘At the very least, you won’t live happily for long. Sister.’
With a faint smirk, Sesenia looked at them.
“If Prince Ian had no connection to Elzer, he wouldn’t have stepped forward so eagerly as a witness, would he? Your Majesty? Well… this is the end of my testimony. I won’t cling on and say more. And be careful. A sister who wouldn’t hesitate to poison even her own sibling… and Elzer, who has that kind of relationship with Prince Ian—there’s no way she’ll leave you alone either, Emperor.”
The Emperor’s expression turned cold and sharp.
Seeing that, Sesenia shut her mouth tightly—as if she knew much more, but chose not to say it.
The seeds of doubt she had sown began to sprout—not only in the Emperor, but in everyone present.
‘The Emperor could never have children.’
No matter which woman he spent the night with, he had never been able to produce an heir.
Rumors had even spread that he was incapable of having children.
That was why he cherished the child Elzer brought more than anything.
But now, those very facts only deepened his suspicion.
Even the way Ian gently brushed Elzer’s shoulder, as if to reassure her—everything only fueled their growing doubt.
“Please, just execute Sesenia! She’s only spouting nonsense!”
“Nonsense, you say…”
Only then did Elzer realize that the Emperor’s gaze toward her had changed.
Cold.
Terrifyingly so.
“Elzer. It seems you truly tried to silence your sister.”
“No! I just—just…!”
“Did you really use poison?”
“That’s… that’s only because I thought she might say strange things and disturb you! I only did it so she wouldn’t confuse you!”
“So you admit to using poison.”
The reason Elzer poisoned Sesenia was unclear.
Perhaps she feared that Sesenia would reveal what had happened in the prison before her death.
Or perhaps she simply wanted to prove that she could break Sesenia with her own power.
Whatever the reason—
Elzer was truly foolish.
At that moment—
“Waaah!!”
The child in Elzer’s arms began to cry.
To escape the situation, Elzer had pinched the child’s arm.
Sesenia, watching them directly, saw it all clearly.
“Your Majesty… your child has started crying. What should we do? Perhaps he’s cold… after being in such a frightening place for so long.”
Even then, the Emperor did not move.
As if he wanted to hear more.
“Kill me.”
At that moment—
Sesenia spoke.
“What?”
“Just kill me. In the end, aren’t you going to kill me anyway? Even if there’s a trial, you won’t spare me. Even if I speak, you won’t take my side. So just kill me.”
Who would ever ask for their own death?
But Sesenia stood firm.
As if she wanted her death to come sooner.
As if she had something waiting beyond it.
“Why? Now that it’s come to this, can’t you do it?”
“As if I wouldn’t. Sesenia Vestel. You are hereby sentenced to death.”
That was the end.
“I, Sesenia Vestel… desire death.”
