Bertisha’s voice trembled with shock.

“Camileo, are you angry at me right now……?”

She had impulsively slapped Lady Orbetian’s cheek. But to reprimand her so harshly! Whenever such incidents occurred, it was Camileo who would first ask Bertisha if something unpleasant had happened to her. If anyone had upset her, he would willingly punish that person most severely.

‘It was always like that! Camileo, why are you angry at me?’

Bertisha lowered the corners of her eyes sorrowfully and avoided his gaze. Seeing this, Camileo understood that she was hurt.

Yet, as always, he could not comfort and soothe her. This was no longer childhood naivety; now he was Emperor, and she was Empress.

As the foundation and order of this nation, they had to maintain their public image. That was precisely why, when he was still Crown Prince, he had secretly dealt with those who harmed Bertisha—not openly, but behind closed doors.

Being feared by the imperial subjects or nobles was not desirable. A reign of terror, killing and cutting down those one disliked, could not last. The empire’s history books had proven this.

Those who indulged in tyranny barely lasted a few years before crumbling beneath the sparks of rebellion. Camileo was well aware of the responsibilities that came with being Emperor.

And yet, upon the throne of Emperor, he had chosen not a woman from a noble house who could support the Empress’s position, but the one he loved. His love, burning as if consuming everything within him, had always valued the happiness of being together over the stability of status.

But why had Bertisha been acting so un-Empress-like lately? The joy over her pregnancy had lasted only briefly, and recently her sharp words and attitude toward the palace staff occupied his thoughts.

“Yes. I’m angry at the Empress who acted so recklessly, despite knowing full well that eyes and ears are everywhere in the palace.”

His voice, cold to the point of icy detachment, pierced deep into the bones. Camileo continued to address her as “Empress,”

as if drawing a clear line. With glistening eyes, Bertisha confronted him.

“And you, Camileo—why didn’t you tell me you invited Duchess Ferhaem? Weren’t there supposed to be no secrets between us?”

Betrayal shimmered in Bertisha’s moist eyes. Her voice was sharp, verging on fury.

“Because I knew the Empress didn’t favor Duchess Ferhaem. I simply avoided saying anything that would upset you. I also heard she was staying in the Empress’s quarters, so I assumed they wouldn’t meet.”

“Ha. What kind of excuse is that? Does that mean it would be fine if I secretly met with another man, just because you don’t like him?”

Even as a hypothetical, a grinding of teeth was audible. Camileo’s eyes turned vicious, as if ready to snap that man’s neck at once.

“See? You’d do the same, Camileo. Then why did you keep secrets from me……? Do you even remember there’s a child growing inside me?”

Her anger crumbled like a sandcastle, replaced by a trembling, tearful voice. Her words, now turning into pitiful pleading, softened Camileo’s anger, and he apologized.

“I was wrong, Bertisha.”

But as always, he did not pull her into his arms to comfort her. He merely stood still, offering his apology. It felt strange, but Bertisha let it pass.

After all, her beloved Camileo had always knelt before her in their relationship, begging for forgiveness.

“So now, tell me the real reason. Why did you raise your hand against Duchess Ferhaem?”

His voice, gentle and affectionate as usual, reached her. She lied, concealing the truth, knowing full well how soft he always was toward her.

She was certain, as always, that he would take her side.

“Duchess Ferhaem was the one who was rude first. She jealously said vile things because she knew Yezar and I were close. We’re merely friends.”

In a coquettish tone, Bertisha began weaving one lie after another, slandering Julietta.

“I never thought she’d say such awful things—suggesting I have feelings for Yezar—when my child might hear. Even knowing I’m pregnant, she approached me when we were alone, revealing her true colors. I was so frightened, I reached out to stop her…… and accidentally slapped her. Sniff. I feel so terrible toward Duchess Ferhaem.”

The moment she struck Lady Orbetian, her dilated pupils, guilt, confusion, and trembling body—all had vanished without a trace. Her fluent lies were as crimson as a rose.

With the delicate face of a single flower, Bertisha pleaded with Camileo, claiming she had been terrified of Julietta.

But there was one thing Bertisha didn’t know: Camileo loved her so deeply that he knew and sought to know every aspect of her.

Thus, there were no secrets about her that he did not know. Even before arriving here, he had already heard that a heated argument had taken place between Bertisha and Duchess Ferhaem.

And clearly, the content of that conversation was not what Bertisha described. The knight guards at her door unanimously reported that it was Bertisha who had aggressively pressed the matter, and it was she—his beloved partner—who had raised her hand in anger.

However, the knights also said the conversation was unclear to them.

But Yezar, who had been there earlier, would be different. As commander of the Blue Knights, renowned for his exceptional hearing……

‘Yezar, could you have heard the conversation in detail, even what the knights couldn’t catch?’

‘Your Majesty, the Empress ordered us to remain silent. But we dared to report this, fearing misunderstanding. We heard talk that Duke Ferhaem had loved Her Majesty.’

‘Was that mentioned by Duchess Ferhaem?’

‘No, Your Majesty. It was Her Majesty who said so, almost as if deliberately mocking the Duchess.’

Had that damn rumor reached him and made him rush so quickly to the Duke’s residence? The knight bowing his head trembled, insisting he had to report it despite the uncertainty.

He clearly understood the repercussions if that story were true.

‘But Yezar has had an old lover all along. Someone he never once mentioned to us……’

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it became. Yezar had shown no interest beyond his sword, and rarely had free time to maintain a steady relationship. Yet his demeanor toward the Duchess clearly spoke of love, causing confusion.

‘Or perhaps he hastily married to erase feelings for Bertisha…… and then fell in love? If we assume they’ve only recently become lovers, the pieces fit somewhat.’

Long-term relationships naturally lose their initial excitement and freshness. But Yezar and his wife seemed newly in love—passionate and tender. He began piecing together the awkward details like a puzzle.

After their state wedding, Yezar had cut off communication and avoided her. Then, within months, he abruptly married as if struck by lightning. Bertisha had clung stubbornly to the avoiding Yezar.

Despite previously thinking poorly of the Duchess, Bertisha had recently approached her, then afterward grown sharply hostile.

The more he connected these assumptions, the more a complete picture emerged. He nearly laughed bitterly in disbelief.

Yet his voice remained tender, comforting Bertisha.

“That’s understandable, Bertisha. You’ve never resorted to violence before—how frightened you must have been.”

“Ca, mileo.”

“Come here, Bertisha. Rest in my arms for a while.”

Without hesitation, she nestled into his embrace. She pressed her face against his chest, smiling brightly. Soon, her eyes—clear and beautiful as a cloudless sky—gazed up at him. It was impossible to believe she was lying to him.

Yet at the same moment, revulsion welled up inside him. Ah. His one and only beloved, who always immersed him in the illusion of love, was now hiding secrets and whispering falsehoods to him.

Thinking he wouldn’t know, she deceived him. Dared to repay his love with deception.

His heart ached. His love for her ran so deep. How could she not speak the truth, instead weaving lies and deceit? He could not understand.

Love and hatred intertwined, consuming him. He wanted to confirm his suspicions immediately. But then he remembered the child within her womb. And his love for her made Camileo hesitate.

‘Yes. At least until she gives birth.’

And so, Camileo granted himself a reprieve, though he knew his own heart was no longer as it once was.

“……I love you, Camileo. Please forgive the Duchess generously. For the sake of our child, I don’t want to dwell on unpleasant matters.”

Unaware, Bertisha was calming her anxiety in his arms, completely oblivious to the fact that her world, already creaking, was now on the verge of total collapse.