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CHAPTER 05:
What Kind of Man Even Is This?
“Rumor has it that Celia assassinated His Majesty the Emperor.”
Gabrielle lowered herself beside Hariel as she spoke.
Hariel’s face twisted in an instant at those words.
“…What did you say? Gabrielle, is that true?”
“Yes, the gossip is already spreading all over the city.”
“That damned wench is really trying to bring our whole family down!”
Hariel, unable to contain her anger, gripped the armrest of the sofa and fumed.
“A filthy beggar who used to scavenge through trash cans… and this is how she repays the kindness of being raised?”
Gabrielle gently held Hariel’s wrist and whispered in a soothing tone.
“Mother, please don’t be so angry. It doesn’t make sense that ignorant Celia could’ve killed the Emperor, right? They thoroughly search anyone before letting them near his chambers. I’m sure the rumors are exaggerated.”
Hariel frowned. She didn’t believe such baseless gossip could reach their distant viscountcy from the capital.
“Gabrielle, what if the rumors are true! That lowborn girl could be using our mistreatment of her as an excuse to drag our family into ruin!”
“Mother.”
Gabrielle cut her off sharply.
“When did we ever mistreat Celia?”
She tilted her head, as if genuinely puzzled.
“It’s not like she’s blood-related. The one who brought that girl in from the back alleys, where she survived off garbage, was Father.”
And besides—what kind of father looks at his adopted daughter with those kinds of eyes? Her older brothers were the same. The way they looked at Celia was no better than rabid dogs in heat.
Whether or not Celia truly killed the Emperor, Gabrielle didn’t regret selling her off to him for even a second.
She knew the rest of the family would throw a fit when they returned, but Celia was at the Imperial Palace. There was nothing they could do now.
“We’re ruined! If I’d known that bitch was going to kill the Emperor, I’d have broken her damned hands first.”
Hariel clutched at her own hair and cursed Celia furiously.
Gabrielle felt slightly annoyed at her mother, who always panicked first, but instead of showing her irritation, she coaxed her gently.
“Mother, even if Celia did kill His Majesty, it won’t bring harm to us.”
“Gabrielle! Are you even listening to yourself? Have you ever seen a family survive after defying the Emperor? We could all die—because of that one girl!”
Frustrated, Hariel beat her own chest with clenched fists.
Gabrielle frowned slightly but quickly flashed a bright smile toward her mother.
“Don’t worry, Mother. The real power lies with the Three Dukes anyway.”
The three dukes who ruled vast territories and held immense authority.
They came from noble families that had existed since the time when Abelon was still a minor kingdom, and each of them was perfect in looks and talent.
Ileon Grederick, the cunning strategist. Arthur Cervantes, the mage. And Balth Portman, the Swordmaster.
All three were more emperor than the Emperor himself.
Gabrielle spoke in a soft voice.
“The Emperor was just a puppet. The previous Three Dukes put him on the throne precisely because a real ruler would risk damaging the prestige and influence they worked so hard to build.”
Gabrielle had no regrets about selling off her unrelated “sister” to such an empty shell of a man. She leaned on Hariel’s shoulder and continued.
“Mother, why don’t you aim higher? Celia killing the Emperor might actually be a great opportunity for us.”
“…A great opportunity?”
Gabrielle smiled brightly.
“Exactly. Celia’s famously beautiful, right? But the late Emperor—he didn’t have a good reputation.”
She was right. The Emperor was incompetent and negligent of his duties, and public dissatisfaction had been growing for years.
“Just wait and see. There will definitely be people calling Celia a hero who saved the nation.”
“…”
“Who knows? Maybe she’ll even bring us into the palace.”
Hariel looked at Gabrielle as if she were a stranger. She’d always known her daughter was clever, but she hadn’t realized Gabrielle understood imperial politics so well.
“Gabrielle, you’re amazing! How can you be so smart?”
Gabrielle chuckled.
The reason she knew so much about the imperial family—more than any other noble lady her age—was all for one person: Dietrich.
Dietrich Calypso.
A man who had clawed his way up from nothing and claimed the title of Duke. A brilliant and capable man.
Gabrielle had first seen him years ago in the capital, near the palace. The moment her eyes met his indifferent crimson gaze, she had vowed to make him hers—no matter what it took.
With eyes like still, bottomless swamps, he seemed like the only man who wouldn’t be swayed by someone like Celia.
But there was no way Dietrich would spare a glance at someone with no connection to him.
So Gabrielle studied everything about the imperial court, believing she needed to be useful to gain his attention.
Years later, she was now knowledgeable enough to speak confidently with palace officials.
She had tried to bribe the palace guards multiple times to meet him, but Dietrich had never granted her a single audience.
So she had chosen a final, desperate plan: sending Celia to the Emperor.
If Celia entered the palace, Gabrielle would have the perfect excuse to enter it as well. And as a bonus, she could watch Celia spiral into misery. Two birds with one stone.
“…I just didn’t expect her to actually have the guts to kill him.”
Gabrielle muttered under her breath.
Yes, Celia may have killed the Emperor, but she wouldn’t die. Too many men adored her to let her die that easily.
Deep in the coldest part of the underground prison of the imperial palace, Celia was recalling her conversation with Dietrich.
—How… how can you use an ability?
Her powers had no effect on Dietrich. Worse yet, he seemed to know exactly what that power was.
Celia couldn’t believe her ears. Everyone who had ever known about abilities had died ten years ago.
She feigned ignorance and kept her expression calm.
—Ability? I have no idea what you’re talking about.
—…
Dietrich stared silently at the red mark on her neck. Under his piercing gaze, Celia wondered if he was going to choke her again.
But even after a while, he didn’t look away. Annoyed, Celia raised a hand to cover her neck.
At that, Dietrich grabbed her hand and lowered his head toward her neck.
Celia assumed he was just like all the other men, unmoved by her powers but still driven by base desires.
But what he did next caught her completely off guard.
He buried his face in her neck and… sniffed her. Like a dog.
As he inhaled deeply, rubbing his face against her skin, Celia was left utterly speechless.
She instinctively shoved him away in horror. Surprisingly, the muscular man who seemed immovable was easily pushed back.
Dietrich looked down at her small head and muttered,
—Nothing.
—What?
What kind of man even is this? Celia stared at him, appalled. Meanwhile, his face was blank, as if he hadn’t just done something incredibly bizarre.
—Lie there. And act like you’re dead.
That was all he said before standing up. He walked out of the cell, not slowly but not quickly either.
Clang!
He locked the cell door behind him. Their eyes met through the iron bars.
—What are you going to do with me?
Celia asked, but Dietrich didn’t respond. He simply stared at her for a moment before turning his back.
Left alone, Celia opened and closed one hand.
She had never met a man immune to her powers before.
Leaning against the wall, she glared at the direction he had gone with a storm in her eyes.
Celia’s true identity was the last princess of the Shan Kingdom—a nation erased from the map by Abelon a decade ago. The royal bloodline of Shan was born with unique abilities, each one different.
Some had harmless talents, like making plants grow by singing. Others could speak to animals.
But Celia was the first in Shan’s history to be born with the ability to control a person’s mind.
Her ability? She could release the scent of hyacinth flowers and paralyze all of the target’s senses. Anyone who inhaled the scent would be unable to hear, feel pain, or comprehend anything. They became fools.
Once the scent was gone, they wouldn’t even remember what had happened.
But such a powerful and perfect ability came with a fatal flaw—it only worked on men, and the more she used it, the more it shortened her own lifespan.
Her greatest tragedy, however, was her stunning beauty.
The world claimed that beautiful people had it easier—but Celia wondered which fool said that.
Right then, a bloody cough escaped from between her lips.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed bitterly.
‘So… I have about a year left.’
After abusing her powers so much, it was no wonder her body was reaching its limits. People always tried to exploit her, and she never held back in using her powers to protect herself.
Countless men had declared their love for her, but to Celia, they all looked like blind fools.
Deceived by her pretty shell, they had no idea how rotten she was inside.
Relying on others was foolish. That’s why she had killed the Emperor with her own hands.
If she had feared death, she wouldn’t have used her powers so recklessly.
‘Everyone who knew about abilities is dead… except me.’
Then how did that man—Dietrich—know about them?
