Chapter 43

‘Just because someone is an enemy of the villain doesn’t mean they’re a good person.’

When Aglaia appeared in Star of Revolution, readers were divided into two camps.

One believed it was fortunate the protagonist Etias had someone on his side when he had no one to rely on, and that Aglaia was undoubtedly a good aunt.
The other felt there was something chilling about Aglaia.

I was in the latter group.

‘If she’s such a good aunt, how could she let her nephew go hungry?’

Even if she had to tread carefully because Etias and the emperor were political enemies, a truly good aunt would at least ensure he had enough food and decent shelter.

But in the novel, Etias often starved, lived in a dilapidated guard post-like house, and wore only old, worn-out clothes.

Of course, most of his pay from the government office went straight to sustaining the revolutionary army, but there are many ways to provide material support.

‘Even I, a nobody, can sponsor Etias without much trouble.’

If I hadn’t helped him, he wouldn’t have been able to move out of that freezing shack into a two-storey house, and he would still be starving.

He might even have had to sell the late emperor’s keepsakes to pay for his missions.

He would’ve had to walk to events like this without even an old horse and shabby carriage.

“….”

‘When she herself lives in such luxury.’

Upon arriving at her impossibly extravagant party, many eyes turned to me.

I was the daughter of Duke Elemoer, the peak of the imperial faction opposing the parliament faction.

Katrin Elemoer.

Some imperial faction guests were present, but no one else was born-and-bred elite like me.

There were rumours Aglaia was selling business rights only to imperial nobles recently, and whispers she regained favour with the emperor by returning control of the frozen lands.

‘They probably see the emperor riding on my back.’

Hostile glares brimming with hatred landed on me.

“Lady Katrin Elemoer greets the Speaker and offers her congratulations.”

I approached Aglaia, the party’s star, and bowed elegantly.

Aglaia responded with a bright smile.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Lady Elemoer.”

I raised my gaze to her face.

In her eyes gleamed unmistakable contempt.

Was it only for my father, or was it partly directed at me too?

Aglaia gestured, and the musicians who had paused resumed playing.

“I’ve prepared a place where we can enjoy the party more privately. Would you join me?”

She wanted a private conversation.

I answered obediently.

“A place to better enjoy the party? I look forward to it.”

We walked to the far side of the garden.

I heard parliament nobles gossiping softly as we passed.

“What nerve does Katrin Elemoer have to come here?”

“She can’t be naive enough to not know what her father did.”

“Naive? Ha. Do you know how cruel she was to His Highness at the Academy?”

‘I wasn’t cruel. I confessed, damn it.’

Well, perhaps it was the same thing to them.

We arrived at a glass table by the rose garden, and Aglaia dismissed her maids.

“Here, we can speak alone.”

I sat across from her calmly, meeting her cold gaze.

She took something out and set it on the table.

My lips parted slightly.

“This is….”

It was a dagger in a scorched black sheath, engraved with the Elemoer family crest.

As I picked it up and examined it, Aglaia spoke.

“It was found in the ruins of Cambute Palace.”

“….”

“Near where the late empress’s body was found. Experts say it almost certainly belonged to Duke Elemoer.”

My eyes trembled.

Cambute Palace – where Etias spent his childhood.

Built by the late emperor for his empress and son.

My memories of it were vague, but I recalled visiting a few times.

After the emperor’s death, it burned down, leaving only ashes.

“So Duke Elemoer likely started the fire and assassinated the empress.”

My eyebrows twitched again.

That fire killed the empress.

It orphaned Etias.

‘My father… caused that…?’

Star of Revolution never explained the fire’s cause. Readers debated whether it was a planned twist or simply forgotten by the author, but the truth was never revealed by the end.

So everyone assumed the latter.

“….”

I fell silent, staring at the dagger bearing my family crest.

If Duke Elemoer really burned down Cambute Palace—

I would never, for my entire life, be forgiven by Etias.
I’d be the daughter of his mortal enemy.
I’d become someone even more deserving of his contempt.
‘I truly have no right to love him in this body.’

After a long silence, Aglaia spoke.

“I heard Etias helped you during the recent attack, and that you entrusted him with your uncle’s treason case.”

Her cold eyes bored into me.

“Etias only helps women like you because he’s righteous. Don’t use my nephew for your schemes. This is a warning.”

“….”

“Do you think I don’t know you accused Fadelmon Elemoer just to win favour with His Majesty? His Majesty wants Etias to investigate and be intimidated by treason cases.”

Well, that was a sharp enough warning for an aunt.

“I will advise Etias to step away from this case. Once an official withdraws, reinvestigation becomes almost impossible for such matters.”

A truly loving aunt would say that.

But I didn’t think so.

Readers who finished Star of Revolution would be horrified if they knew what I knew about Aglaia.

“How much did Fadelmon offer you?”

I chuckled, folding my arms.

Aglaia’s eyebrow twitched.

“W-What are you saying?”

“When he offered you half of Elemoer’s estate if you helped him seize it. Didn’t he promise Filios a share too? But you, being the Speaker, probably demanded half or more.”

“…!”

“Or was it more than half?”

Aglaia’s face twisted with shock.

“W-What are you talking about? I’ve lived my life for my nephew! Of course, for Etias…!”

“Hahaha, ahahaha!”

I burst out laughing at her words.

Wiping tears from my eyes, I smirked.

“Such a loving aunt….”

Aglaia’s fingertips trembled violently.

“An aunt so angered by her nephew’s tragedy….”

I drew a card from my pocket, prepared just for her.

“Did you send my father a letter negotiating your nephew’s life price?”

Aglaia’s face turned deathly pale.

I had burned the revolutionary army lists in the library, but kept minor documents – like blackmail material on various nobles.

Among them was a secret letter from Aglaia.

When she attacked Duke Elemoer with parliament power, he retaliated by sending her copies of all her corruption evidence.

Panicking, Aglaia sent him a letter suggesting a deal over Etias’s life to silence him.

Duke Elemoer never replied.

That dagger was likely Aglaia’s attempt to dig up more dirt on him by searching Cambute Palace ruins.

“I didn’t know an aunt who negotiated her nephew’s murder price was such a loving person.”

“H-How did you…!”

She probably never imagined Duke Elemoer would keep such dangerous letters, nor that I’d survive and find them after his library burned down.

“You didn’t expect me to have this, did you.”

Before the revolution, Aglaia was useful to Etias.

She at least kept him alive.

But Etias was just as useful to Aglaia.

Before the current emperor seized the throne, Aglaia was merely a lowborn daughter and ordinary parliament member.

But the moment she spoke out to protect Etias, nobles who resented the new emperor rallied around her.

She became their figurehead, gaining power she never had.

Aglaia went from zero to three out of ten in political power – a huge leap.

This woman is nothing but a vile hypocrite pretending to care for her nephew to keep her power.

“Hypocrite.”

My lips curled in a cold smile as Aglaia’s face turned ghostly pale.