Chapter 21
In the original story, Julius and Rose’s relationship was remembered as especially tender.
In truth… the most heartbreaking part of their love was that the circumstances had almost forced it to be that way.
Rose Ricetta not only lost two precious friends at once due to the betrayal of the childhood friend she had trusted without question, but even after that, she withered away in loneliness under Ethan’s relentless obsession.
The fact that Rose and Ethan were friends was, for Rose, an act of mercy toward him.
But for Ethan, it was nothing more than the limit of the feelings he could allow himself to have for her.
Don’t meet that bastard, Rose.
But Ethan… His Highness the Crown Prince came looking for me and said he wished to see me…
You only need me. You don’t need anyone else.
Having lived her entire life beneath the shadow of Ethan’s possessive obsession, Rose knew his feelings were far from pure. Even so, she accepted them simply because he was an old friend.
Because of that, the only person Rose could truly call a friend was Eunice Servita—yet even she was taken from her by Ethan’s own hand.
What did you… do to Eunice?
I killed her myself. She kept filling your head with nonsense, and it annoyed me. You don’t need to worry anymore, Rose.
Ethan… Ethan Clovis. What are you even saying…?
Don’t believe a single word that woman said. She joined hands with Crown Prince Julius to deceive you.
…You’re horrible. Truly horrible, Ethan Clovis.
For Rose, it had been the perfect chance to finally see Ethan’s sticky, grotesque obsession for what it was—but instead, it pushed her deeper into a pit of loneliness.
And Julius Reinhardt, the one who had reached out and taken Rose’s withering hand, was hardly in a better position himself.
Become a strong ruler, Julius Reinhardt.
Under an emperor who demanded strength above all else, Julius bore the weight of the crown alone, unable to rely on anyone.
Rumor had it that the emperor constantly compared Julius to Ethan, harassing him for falling short, which was why Julius and Ethan were not on good terms.
Are you just going to stand by and watch the Clovis Grand Duchy trample over the Reinhardt Imperial Family?! It’s bad enough that you won’t crush that arrogant pride of theirs—now you’re being outdone by Ethan Clovis?!
Surpass Ethan Clovis, Julius. That is the only way for you to survive—and for the Reinhardt Empire to survive!
Ethan possessed talent in both magic and swordsmanship. Julius, on the other hand, was a strategist type whose only real strength lay in magic.
Naturally, he failed to satisfy an emperor who desired a powerful successor worthy of inheriting the great Reinhardt Empire.
In that sense, Rose and Julius shared a goal neither of them could afford to lose—and so, they inevitably grew close.
They were in a position where they had no choice but to become each other’s sole salvation.
When I first read the original story, I thought it was beautiful.
But now that I thought about it again, I couldn’t imagine a more cruel and relentless bond.
Trapped in circumstances that could only leave them wounded and broken, all Rose and Julius could do was cling to each other and endure.
And now… even that was gone.
The two protagonists who had been destined to fall apart for the sake of the original story’s moving narrative—and the beautiful, tragic fate they were meant to create—had completely collapsed.
Following Julius’s lead, I began touring the imperial palace.
“Even this palace, which has always felt so dull, seems new when I’m with Lady Servita.”
Rather than someone acting on the emperor’s orders, Julius looked like a man simply delighted to meet someone new in his monotonous palace life.
With a face like that and a smile so charming, even someone who isn’t the female lead would fall for him…
As he showed me around the palace, Julius kept saying how happy and enjoyable it was to be with me.
Hearing such pleasant words in his gentle, warm voice, the tension I always carried eased just a little.
Some people can only scowl with a face that handsome!
Whenever I was with Ethan, I was constantly on edge, never knowing when I might die. But with Julius, there was none of that.
And yet… in a different way, this moment felt oddly uncomfortable.
Even as I followed Julius’s steps, I barely spared a glance at the palace scenery he was introducing.
My entire field of vision was filled with Julius’s bright, cheerful expression.
Is Julius… really okay?
That single thought occupied my mind completely.
He had lost the only lover who could truly understand his heart—so how could he smile as though nothing had happened?
…He has to pretend he’s fine, doesn’t he.
To the emperor of the great Reinhardt Empire, personal emotions were nothing but poison.
Thinking that, Julius’s radiant smile suddenly looked strangely sad to me.
Perhaps he noticed my unease.
Mid-sentence, Julius suddenly stopped and turned to face me.
His warm green eyes settled on me.
I looked back at him, my gaze trembling slightly.
“What is it, my lady?”
“Pardon?”
“Is there something making you uncomfortable?”
Even his concern sounded gentle.
Seeing that kindness, I shook my head quickly, trying to cast aside my troubling thoughts.
Then I deliberately smiled brightly at him.
“It’s nothing. I just had a lot on my mind.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m sorry if I worried you unnecessarily.”
“Not at all. Seeing that you seem troubled makes my own heart uneasy as well.”
After answering lightly, Julius paused for a moment—then stepped closer to me.
When I looked up at him, he raised his hand while gazing down at me with those deep green eyes.
Startled by the sudden movement, I squeezed my eyes shut without thinking.
I didn’t know why.
It just felt like I had to, the moment his shadow fell over me.
“If you flinch like that, it makes me feel like I’m some sort of villain.”
Hearing the faintly disappointed voice in the darkness, I cautiously opened my eyes.
Julius was gently smoothing my slightly tousled hair.
Feeling as though I had been caught harboring unkind thoughts on my own, I gave an awkward smile and stepped back.
Julius calmly withdrew the hand that had been left suspended in the air.
“It seems I approached too quickly. My apologies, my lady.”
Having brushed aside the strange tension, Julius returned to his usual gentle expression.
“Shall we continue?”
After that, we continued touring the palace together.
The library, the training grounds, and even the Magic Department—the very heart of the empire.
Julius even granted me permission to visit the palace whenever I wished.
After making our way through the vast palace, we finally arrived at a beautiful garden.
“Now then—this is the imperial garden, famed as one of the most beautiful in the Reinhardt Empire.”
“W-Wow… It really is… just as they say.”
Unlike Julius’s energetic explanation, my reply came out in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.
I had promised myself not to dwell on gloomy thoughts anymore… but standing here, I couldn’t help it.
The imperial garden appeared frequently in the original story.
The place where Rose and Julius first met.
The place where they first confessed their love.
And…
The place where Ethan Clovis met his death at the hands of Rose and Julius.
In many ways, the imperial garden was a pivotal location in the original story.
A place where tender romance and chilling death coexisted.
As I looked at the garden, I couldn’t tell whether I should admire it for its beauty, like Rose and Julius’s passionate love—or remember the blood-soaked death hidden beneath that beauty.
Unaware of my turmoil, Julius took a few bold steps forward, then suddenly turned to face me.
Standing with the lush garden as his backdrop, Julius looked at me and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“Now then, let’s stop pretending not to notice.”
For the first time, Julius did not hide his cool, sharp aura.
I looked at him with slightly tense eyes.
He had always been the eternally gentle male lead to me—but right now, Julius felt different.
…The original story may have changed, but surely his personality hasn’t changed too?
Swallowing my unease, I stared at him.
Julius smiled—a smile as beautiful as the scenery behind him.
“May I ask you something now, Lady Servita?”
When I nodded in agreement, Julius took a step closer instead of answering.
The distance between us narrowed, until he stood right before me.
He leaned down slightly, locking eyes with me.
The words he spoke with that harmless smile were… terrifying.
“Why do you look at me with such sorrow in your eyes?”
