Chapter 19
A long silence followed the emperor’s question.
Ariadne herself was momentarily stunned. She had not expected such a blunt question from the emperor. No one had.
A wave of discomfort washed over her again. The gloom of that night returned vividly to her mind.
“…….”
That night when Ashley had thrown herself into the lake—though it had been her body in the water, it was Ariadne who had felt as if she were dying.
The loneliness from losing trust built over years, and the feeling that no one believed her, made it as if she were alive yet not truly living.
The reason she had never revealed Ashley’s request was because nothing would have changed had she told anyone.
Ian had known and yet sided with Ashley, which made it even worse. The count had done the same, defending Ashley while pretending ignorance.
Ariadne could only stop herself from dwelling on it.
“…….”
She also didn’t want to continue sinking into the abyss of those thoughts. And she didn’t want to give up even the tiniest remnant of familial love left within her.
That faint, remaining emotion was all that tied her to the hope that her family had cared for her as much as she had cared for them. Not much to ask for, really.
‘Did I… ask for something I shouldn’t have?’
Suddenly, emotion welled up in her throat again. The familial love she had longed for had long since burned away, leaving nothing but bitterness from the series of events. There was no desire, no family, no affection left. She had already resolved to leave them behind. The past was there to be discarded. That had been her decision.
Slowly, Ariadne opened her mouth.
“That night… Ashley asked me…”
Ariadne paused to take a breath. Everyone watched her in silence.
“She asked me… to lend her my fiancé, Ian.”
“……!”
The first thing Ariadne noticed was the emperor’s strangely changing expression. And then, the others followed.
“……My goodness.”
“…….”
Diego and Canin both let out audible gasps at the unbelievable claim.
The count, who had already known but pretended otherwise, looked as though he wanted to immediately silence Ariadne. After all, Ashley was far more important than Ariadne. The truth didn’t matter.
And Ian…
Ariadne slowly turned her gaze to him. The man who had once been foolish and infatuated with her—now he seemed so distant, so unfamiliar.
“Lend her my fiancé?”
The emperor’s face reflected his confusion. Ariadne suppressed her surprisingly calm feelings and continued speaking.
“I was taught to do anything for my sister.”
Suddenly, she began speaking in a different vein. But no one could interrupt her; everyone listened.
“Do you know why I keep throwing myself into danger to save others—even with my own body?”
No one answered. Thinking about it, it made sense.
Saving Canin in the Visen Forest, helping the crown prince in the Colosseum—anyone looking might think she was foolishly reckless, but there was a reason behind her actions.
This time, Ariadne looked at the count—her father—who was glaring at her.
“If Ashley gets hurt right in front of you, you must throw yourself in to protect her, right? Father?”
The count remained silent.
“That’s what you’ve always told me.”
“…….”
“I was raised that way. I grew up that way. Even that night… if I could, I would have offered even my fiancé to Ashley.”
Of course, it was an absurd request. But Ariadne was accustomed to giving, yielding, and sacrificing for Ashley.
“If she needed an escort… or wanted to bring a partner to the ball… I would have smiled and even given her my fiancé. I thought that was right…”
Ian’s face was devastated upon hearing this. Ariadne continued, ignoring his pained gaze.
Canin and Diego could not lift their heads. The emperor didn’t know what to say and could only watch Ariadne. Only Ashley stared back at her, tears streaming down her face.
Undeterred, Ariadne continued.
“I foolishly tried to give even my fiancé away.”
Her voice was calm, but it sounded as though she were crying.
“But… Ashley…”
“Sister….”
Ashley’s voice choked as she tried to stop her. Ariadne raised her head to meet her gaze.
“Do you want to tell your side next?”
Ashley clenched her fists. She couldn’t possibly speak those words herself. Ariadne hadn’t asked for an answer, so she continued speaking.
“Ashley said she wanted to take Ian to the masked ball.”
“…….”
No one could speak.
A masked ball—a place for the nobility to indulge in all sorts of forbidden acts. Unspeakable, obscene, unimaginable things occurred there. Couples switched partners; potions to cloud the mind were traded. No proper couple would ever take their partner there.
Yet Ashley wanted to take someone there… something no noble could ever do.
“She seemed so exhausted by the role of Saint. I thought… I wanted to believe it wasn’t sincere.”
Ariadne’s voice was calm and emotionless, yet profoundly sorrowful.
“At the time… I loved Ian. I couldn’t bear to send my fiancé there.”
“Ariad! I—I must have been insane. I’ve committed a grave sin. Please!”
It was Ian who rushed forward, kneeling at the edge of the bed, trembling as if begging her. Ariadne didn’t even glance at him.
“So I persuaded her. She mustn’t go to a masked ball… I couldn’t allow Ian to be taken there.”
“Ariad… I didn’t realize it was such a matter. Please forgive my foolishness…”
Ian’s voice sounded almost like sobbing. Ariadne ignored him and continued.
“What was wrong with my advice? Wouldn’t anyone have said the same thing?”
She turned back to Ashley. The emperor, shocked by the truth, opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unsure what to say. Finally, he spoke.
“How did this happen…? Saint?”
Anyone would have had to ask Ashley. She clenched her fists, letting the tears fall. The count approached, laying a thin blanket over her and letting her lean on him. She began to sob audibly. Ariadne sighed in disbelief.
“I’m the one who wanted to cry… and yet you always cry, Ashley.”
The count glared again. Without the emperor present, he might have slapped her.
“So this happened… I’m disappointed…”
The emperor muttered to himself, his voice loud enough for all to hear. Ariadne addressed him.
“Your Majesty, you would have said the same, wouldn’t you?”
The emperor was in a bind. He couldn’t take sides; the Saint was the one who healed him. He couldn’t answer. Ariadne, not expecting an answer, continued.
“As a sister, I only guided my younger sister along the right path. And yet this happened. I had no choice but to think it strange. So I thought about it more deeply…”
She looked at Ashley again.
“Ashley.”
And with a clear, commanding voice, she called her. Loud enough for everyone to hear.
“The real reason you attempted suicide isn’t just because I refused your request. That was merely an excuse.”
Ariadne looked at her and asked once more.
“Right? There was another reason. There was, wasn’t there?”
A silence fell over the room, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over everyone.
