Seruna twisted her face as if she were furious to the tips of her hair.

“Lady Brellof, are you threatening me right now? Rumor has it you never distribute weapons for personal reasons—do you intend to abandon your principles?”

It was true that until now, I had tried my best to avoid involvement in power struggles between factions.

Knowing the lethal power of the magical engineering weapons I possessed, I could not allow them to be used indiscriminately. That was why I introduced a rental system and began handling transactions personally.

But this policy was never meant to apply to someone like Seruna, who actively sought my death.

Sorry, but I was not that kind of woman.

“It’s true I’ve avoided getting involved in trivial matters, but if Her Imperial Majesty continues trying to kill me, I can’t just sit back and take it.”

“Lady Brellof, are you determined to become Empress and challenge me for power…!”

“Wait a moment.”

I interrupted Seruna mid-sentence. I didn’t need to hear her out—I already knew exactly what she was going to say.

“Whether you believe me or not, I have no intention of becoming Empress of Calua Empire. I plan to formally reject the proposal soon.”

Seruna stared at me with suspicious eyes.

It was obvious at a glance that she didn’t believe a word I said.

“You expect me to believe that? Do you even realize how generous the conditions offered to Lady Brellof are? Who in their right mind would reject…”

“Yes. Most people might accept. But not me.”

I had no choice but to cut her off again. Ascan was waiting outside, and I couldn’t afford to listen to her nonsense any longer.

Truthfully, the position of Empress of Calua Empire—a great power—was something anyone would covet.

Moreover, Helsion had promised to make any child I bore into Emperor, regardless of whether it was a son or daughter.

And that wasn’t all. He even pledged that if I failed to bear a child, he would name my adopted child as heir.

That was the absolute best offer Helsion could make—meaning he would stop at nothing to guarantee me a rosy future.

But it still wasn’t enough to sway my heart.

I had already experienced death once. That taught me how fleeting and hollow life could be.

Rather than pursue the path of acquiring more, I wanted to choose the path that would make me truly happy.

Seruna looked at me with an expression of disbelief and asked,

“Why? Shouldn’t I at least understand your reason before accepting this?”

“It’s not some grand reason. Everyone leaves this world empty-handed when they die. My current life is already abundant—I simply want to choose what makes me happiest.”

Until now, my thoughts on marriage had been vague.

But gradually, the image of whom I might marry was taking clearer shape. The fact that Ascan’s face was now the first thing that came to mind at the mention of marriage…

Seruna wore an expression of utter disbelief. Then, as if she’d just heard the most absurd thing imaginable, she burst into loud laughter.

“Ho ho ho, Lady Brellof. I don’t know what possessed you to say such things, but if you’re serious, you’re clearly still immature.”

“Well, I don’t plan on maturing anytime soon.”

Having said my piece, I stood up from my seat.

I had told Seruna everything I wanted to say. Prolonging the conversation wouldn’t change anything.

“Your Imperial Majesty, think carefully and decide. If you leave me alone from now on, I’ll quietly disappear. But if you continue sending assassins, I won’t hold back anymore.”

What happened next was entirely up to Seruna. I would simply respond according to her choice.

As I walked toward the door to leave, Seruna’s unexpected voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Lady Brellof, there’s one thing you’ve overlooked.”

Without realizing it, I halted. I had no idea what she meant.

I turned my head and looked back toward where Seruna was seated. She was gazing at me calmly.

“His Imperial Majesty is far more fearsome than you think. Since he offered you the position of Empress, he’ll make sure you cannot refuse.”

Upon hearing those words, Helsion’s face naturally came to mind.

With his masculine features and enigmatic smile, Helsion didn’t seem terrifying enough to frighten me—no matter how hard I tried to imagine it.

Clearly, Seruna was exaggerating.

I turned my back to her again and said,

“I’ll handle my own affairs, so there’s no need for you to worry. You only need to decide whether you’ll make me your enemy.”

Clack, clack—I walked out of the room with the same confident stride as when I entered.

As I opened the door, I saw Ascan standing there, arms crossed, exactly as he’d been when I first arrived.

His indifferent eyes met mine and softened with affection.

Without realizing it, I smiled back at him.

“Did you wait long?”

Ascan shook his head. It was a simple gesture, yet somehow felt uniquely different when he did it.

“No. You came out faster than I expected.”

“Good. I was worried you might be uncomfortable.”

“I told you I’m fine.”

Before I could finish speaking, I grabbed Ascan’s hand. I strode ahead briskly, pulling him along.

When I glanced back, Ascan looked puzzled, but obediently followed my steps.

I looked at him walking one step behind me and said,

“No matter how many times you say you’re fine, I still don’t like it. Your legs must hurt if you stand too long.”

He seemed genuinely surprised by this unexpected reasoning. Then, smiling brightly in a way uncharacteristic of him, he murmured softly,

“So you’re hurrying along because you’re worried my legs might ache?”

“Why ask something so obvious?”

At my reply, Ascan chuckled, pressing a hand to his forehead.

His low laughter sounded pleasant. Somehow, it made me smile too.

Seruna abruptly halted her steps as she watched Tanashia leave.

Though Tanashia seemed to have said everything she wanted during their meeting, Seruna still had words left unspoken.

She had intended to stop Tanashia and finish what she wanted to say, but by chance, she witnessed the tender moment between Ascan and Tanashia.

It was unbelievable.

She knew from reports that Ascan had entered the Empress’s palace with Tanashia, but she never imagined in her wildest dreams she’d witness such an affectionate scene.

Seruna had known Ascan for many years. But today was the first time she realized he was capable of smiling like that.

“So this is the face of a man in love…”

She didn’t need anyone to tell her—she felt it instinctively.

As Seruna stood frozen like someone entranced, Yuella noticed her and approached.

“Your Imperial Majesty, is something the matter?”

“Ah—”

Only then did Seruna snap back to reality and return to her tea table.

Seruna remained silent, but Yuella followed her and asked curiously,

“Lady Brellof… Something seems strange. She didn’t drink the tea, so we can excuse that, but why wasn’t she affected by the incense either?”

“…I’m not sure. At first I thought she hadn’t inhaled enough, but even after time passed, nothing happened.”

“This is truly strange. I’ll investigate what happened.”

“It’s probably because of that perfume Father said was taken by the Captain of the Royal Guard. Perhaps they found a weakness against the scent.”

“That’s impossible. The incense crafted by the Manoko family cannot be deciphered by anyone.”

Yuella firmly denied the possibility, as if such a thing could never occur.

Seruna opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.

Though she spoke aloud about the hypnotic effects, her mind was entirely filled with Tanashia’s earlier words and Ascan’s smile.

—I simply want to choose what makes me happiest.

Happiness…

How many noble couples married without political calculation?

Marrying someone you love truly sounded like a fairy tale.

Seruna had briefly entertained such fantasies when she was young, but as she matured and faced reality, it was the first dream she abandoned.

“Could it be that the Captain of the Royal Guard and Lady Brellof are in love with each other?”

Anyone who saw Ascan’s bright smile just now would know the answer. Perhaps the two were already deeply in love.

If so, maybe the person Tanashia truly wished to marry wasn’t Helsion—but Ascan.

“Ha, love…”

It was unbelievable that she might have rejected Helsion’s enormous marriage proposal simply for love.

What on earth was Orland doing? How could he let his daughter do exactly as she pleased? Seruna simply couldn’t comprehend it.

Unaware that she had drifted deep into thought, Seruna faintly heard Yuella calling her.

“Your Imperial Majesty?”

Snapped out of her reverie by the call, Seruna deliberately feigned nonchalance and said,

“Bring me some warm tea again.”

“Ah, yes, Your Majesty. Are you troubled because of Lady Brellof?”

“It’s nothing. I was just…”

Curious, suddenly, about what kind of path she herself had never walked.

Noticing Seruna trailing off, Yuella wisely bowed her head and moved to fetch fresh tea as instructed.

Until now, Seruna’s marriage had been like politics—hiding her true feelings, striving to gain as much as possible.

She had never known the emotions of giving love to someone—and receiving love in return.

What if there had been a man who looked at Seruna with warm eyes like Ascan’s? She found herself imagining it without realizing.

If she had married such a person and built a family, would she have been happy?

She didn’t know the answer. Only the echo of the question remained in her heart.

Shortly after, Yuella returned with warm tea. Handing Seruna a cup, she cautiously spoke,

“Your Majesty, if you’re troubled over Lady Brellof, shall I contact Marquis Manoko and ask him to come to the Imperial Palace?”

Seruna couldn’t answer immediately. This wasn’t a decision she could make lightly.

She couldn’t fully believe everything Tanashia had said earlier. At first, she assumed it was deception, but after seeing Ascan’s smile, it gained credibility.

Still, it was only a feeling—not concrete evidence.

Setting aside such emotional considerations for now, Tanashia’s warning left behind today was undeniably threatening.

“Lady Brellof told me to choose… but after hearing such a warning, who in the world would dare send another assassin?”

The thought of distributing magical engineering weapons to Seruna’s lifelong enemies was horrifying even to imagine.

Especially now, with Helsion having only recently ascended the throne, power struggles among nobles were intense.

Even if Tanashia were buying time to become Empress, succession issues were distant concerns. The immediate danger was that hostile factions gaining magical engineering weapons could collapse the carefully built tower she had spent years constructing.

“Then Your Majesty means…”

“For now, having hostile factions acquire magical engineering weapons is a bigger headache than gaining an enemy in the form of an Empress.”

“Understood. I’ll eliminate all assassins intended for Lady Brellof.”

Whether Seruna believed Tanashia’s words or not was irrelevant. The conclusion reached was to wait and observe how things unfolded.

If fortune truly favored her, perhaps Tanashia would reject the position of Empress and disappear from Calua Empire.

The problem was, that wouldn’t be easy.

Sipping her hot tea, Seruna murmured softly,

“Lady Brellof still doesn’t know His Imperial Majesty at all…”

Even if Seruna ceased targeting Tanashia’s life, Helsion’s ambition wouldn’t change.

It didn’t matter whose heart Tanashia’s affections leaned toward.

If Helsion had decided to make Tanashia his Empress, he would likely stop at nothing to make it reality.

That was precisely why eliminating Tanashia had seemed the safest option.

Seruna smiled bitterly and whispered,

“But I won’t give any more hints out of jealousy. Let her experience firsthand what future awaits.”

If forced to choose a side between Helsion and Tanashia, Seruna would naturally side with Tanashia.

If Tanashia truly intended to reject the position of Empress, Seruna could only hope events unfolded according to her wishes.

Yuella asked with a puzzled expression,

“Huh? Hints?”

“Never mind. Contact my father immediately, before it’s too late. Tell him not to touch Lady Brellof for a while.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Yuella bowed respectfully and disappeared from the room, moving to contact Luphilmo as Seruna commanded.

Alone, Seruna sipped her hot tea.

For some reason, the palace felt unusually quiet today. She had scolded away the servants who usually lingered around, annoyed by their noise—now, no one was in sight.

“Love…”

Was it because of the scene she’d just witnessed between Ascan and Tanashia?

Absurdly, she felt a touch of loneliness.