Several days had passed since then, and now not only the palace but the entire empire knew about her pregnancy, just as Kilianerisa had planned.

As promised, Kilianerisa invited her for tea.

The weather was oddly sunny for such a momentous occasion. It was as if the day wanted to convey that nothing would happen today or that no matter what transpired, there would be no change in the world.

Kilianerisa instructed a maid to bring the teapot for their tea. The maid brought a transparent teapot with nothing in it. Turning to Lerian, who was looking at her strangely, Kilianerisa pulled a small pouch from her pocket.

Lerian’s gaze shifted to the pouch in Kilianerisa’s hand.

She untied the ribbon and opened the pouch. A refreshing scent wafted out from inside and filled the air. It was a brief moment, but the scent so captivating that it momentarily relieved the tension. Kilianerisa took a small amount of tea leaves from the pouch and placed them into the teapot.

The brief pause as they waited for the tea leaves to unfurl felt like an eternity to Lerian.

Eventually, Kilianerisa poured the tea into an empty cup with a graceful movement and gently pushed it toward Lerian.

“This is…”

“It’s a necessary prop for the play I mentioned earlier. You see, in theater, the more realistic thing feels, the more perfect it becomes. Don’t worry. It won’t be lethal, at least not to the point of taking your life. Of course, it could be quite deadly to the child in your womb. Deadly enough to make its existence disappear.”

She wore a gentle smile that didn’t fit the situation at all. It was a bizarre smile, given the circumstances. Lerian felt as if someone were tightening a noose around her neck, making it difficult to breathe.

So, she was telling her to drink this poisoned tea right now.

While Kilianerisa had mentioned taking poison before, Lerian hadn’t thought that it would involve actually drinking poison. It was only now that the realization hit her like a lightning bolt, and she was suddenly filled with fear.

It was madness. She herself is crazy, and so is this woman.

Reality was beginning to sink in, but there was no turning back now. How could she trust the woman before her? What if this was indeed a deadly poison, and she would die if she drank it?

What if all the words she had spoken so far were actually part of a plot to kill her?

As fear and shock filled her eyes, she looked at Kilianerisa. The woman simply snorted.

“I suppose you didn’t have this much determination to deceive the Empire, did you? It seems like you don’t trust me, but I’ve felt that from the beginning. You worry too much about unnecessary things. Why would I go through all this trouble just to get rid of someone like you?”

Though it was an accusatory remark against her, Lerian oddly found some reassurance in it. It was a bizarre feeling.

However, that didn’t make her situation any better. No matter what, she was still in a situation where she had to drink the poison. If she gave up here, everything Kilianerisa had done would become her own doing.

Lerian was filled with indignation. Why was she unable to even mount a proper protest in this ridiculous situation? It felt unfair and frustrating.

Lerian stared blankly at the crimson liquid in the cup before her. Somehow, it felt like she could see an illusion of Leonard’s face reflected in it.

She was terrified.

Terrified of this situation, of Kilianerisa, and of the palace itself.

No, in reality, she was afraid of everything.

Save me. Rescue me. I don’t want this.

Fragmented words echoed in her mind.

Why did thoughts of Leonard keep intruding even now? He might become a prince, but he would never be the knight who would save her. She knew that well.

Realizing this amused her.

Indeed, her love was far from romantic.

At the same time, she understood. The world was different from novels. Romantic stories didn’t exist in reality.

While it might appear like a life straight out of a novel on the surface, the reality was more akin to a swan’s desperate struggle. To maintain the beautiful facade visible to everyone, one had to endure so much.

However, she did not want to return to being a duck, so she drank the poisoned tea herself.

Her consciousness gradually faded. The teacup in her hand fell helplessly to the floor, shattering into pieces.

Kilianerisa watched the scene expressionlessly.

──── ⑅*❀*⑅ ────

Lerian had a dream. Countless hands were strangling her, gripping her throat and clutching her heart. At the end of it all was Kilianerisa.

No, it wasn’t her.

Then who was it?

As she thought about it, she suddenly woke up. She had been unconscious for quite some time.

The familiar ceiling greeted her. Her entire body was drenched in sweat. Her mind felt blank, as if someone had wiped her memories clean.

‘Why am I here…?’

She blinked dazedly, and slowly, the fog in her mind began to clear, revealing the memories of the past.

“Ah.”

Like the scraping of metal, a sound she didn’t want to hear reached Lerian’s ears. But it lasted only for a moment. She couldn’t help but wonder about what had happened to their bet. When she turned her head, she spotted the sleeping Leonard, who had been nursing her.

At that moment, Lerian’s eyes widened.

“Y-your Majesty…?”

Her voice broke like cracked earth during a drought. Her throat hurt. However, she couldn’t dwell on it. Anxious and on the verge of madness, Lerian clutched Leonard’s arm as if it were a lifeline.

At her touch, Leonard woke up. When his unfocused blue eyes met Lerian’s, relief washed over him.

“Lerian.”

“Leonard.”

She murmured softly, and Leonard pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Lerian!”

She couldn’t understand how this situation had come to be. Did she win? Or did Kilianerisa win? She wanted to ask right away, but she was afraid that if she did, their bet might be exposed. She winced in pain as she tried to turn her aching head and asked carefully.

“What… What happened?”

The story that came out of Leonard’s mouth was something she had suspected, but it was still shocking to hear.

In the end, Leonard had chosen her.

Not only that, but the date of her execution had already been decided. She didn’t even have time to worry about what would happen if Leonard hadn’t chosen her.

What Kilianerisa had given her was not a deadly poison, but it was a poison that could cause excruciating pain. As a result, she had to undergo treatment by a physician for a while.

Days passed quickly, and the day of Kilianerisa’s execution arrived.

No matter how scary or wicked that person had been in life, in the face of q blade, everyone would meet an equal death.

The flame that had been the most intense was extinguished in a miserable way.

Lerian watched the scene with her ailing body. She was the winner, but if Leonard hadn’t chosen her, it might have been her in that position. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She was the one who won the bet. That’s why Lerian smiled. She was so happy that her laughter couldn’t stop. It was the smile of a clear winner.

His gaze on her would never change now. She no longer had to fear losing it. No one would ignore her anymore.

Love, power—

Everything would now flow as she pleased.

In the face of such rapid change, everything felt like a dream rather than a reality. It was none other than Leonard’s words that had brought her back to reality.

“Since the Empress is gone, I can elevate you to the position of Empress now.”

The words she had longed to hear.

But instead, those words loosened the smile that had lingered on her lips. A strange feeling welled up inside her. Lerian was afraid that if she stayed there any longer, she wouldn’t be able to maintain the smile that had previously graced her lips due to her enemy’s death. She hurriedly returned to her quarters and sat down on the bed.

‘It’s strange.’

This wasn’t a dream.

She had obtained everything she had longed for, yet for some reason, her stomach churned strangely.

In a situation where she should naturally feel joy and happiness, she had no idea why she felt this way.

It was as if someone had placed a heavy stone in her chest.

Her body trembled. Why, why is it like this…

Why on earth!

This wasn’t the feeling she had strived so fiercely to experience. Why should I feel this way? I’m the winner. I fought and won against that terrifying Empress.

I, I…

‘I did nothing wrong!’

She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes with the back of her hand and got up from the bed. She looked around frantically. She needed something, something to relieve this stifling feeling. Something to return her heart to its normal state.

Her desperate gaze quickly scanned the room before finally landing on the jewelry she had placed on the vanity. She strode over, reaching for a bunch of trinkets with an outstretched hand.

The precious jewels that Leonard had given her as gift to console her.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she burst into laughter.

“Haha.”

However, her expression seemed strange. She brought the jewelry close to her eyes and stared intently. In a moment, a bloody gem passed through her field of vision. Shock washed over her face, and suddenly, the jewels in her hand fell to the ground with a soft clatter.

Thump-thump. Her heart pounded loudly.

With trembling hands, she picked up the fallen jewels and examined them closely. After seeing the flawless, sparkling gems in her hands, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It must have been a hallucination, probably due to exhaustion.

What she held in her hand must have undoubtedly been brilliant jewels. She had wanted them so desperately, and they must have held great value. After gazing at them for a while, Lerian carefully placed the jewels back on the vanity.

Then, she turned her head to look out the window. The sunset beyond the glass resembled someone’s eye. She stared at it blankly. It was a crimson sunset that looked like blood. As she observed it, a sudden and unfounded question surfaced in her mind.

‘Did she really love Leonard?’

It was a random thought, an inconsequential curiosity. There was no need to question it. However, the person who could answer it no longer existed in this world.

‘What am I even thinking?’

She trembled due to unease. Wasn’t she the one who had tried to win his love, even going so far as to make a bet with her, all because she loved him? She scoffed at her thoughts and turned her gaze away from the sky.