Chapter 83

“No.”

I stopped walking and stared at the ground as my lips trembled.
My tightly clenched fists were shaking.

“…My lady.”

“No, Etias will never, ever become like that.”

I slowly raised my head and looked at Heros.
His brown eyes trembled as if he was surprised by my suddenly serious face.

“Maybe the hole in his heart will heal so much that some people think he’s broken. But…”

While reading Star of the Revolution, the pain he endured hurt me as if it were my own.
I had often cried for him, wondering if he could truly be okay after going through such hardships without breaking.

But I remembered what he said as he stopped his subordinates, who wanted to take revenge on those who had insulted him after the revolution:

“I grew stronger by overcoming pain. That’s why even pain is a part of my life. Do not deny it.”

It wasn’t meaningless optimism.

He truly learned to understand people’s pain through his own suffering.
This had become the strongest driving force of the revolution.

After ascending the throne, the first thing he did was not protect himself but implement clear and immediate policies to relieve the people’s suffering.
He built orphanages and schools all over the country and invested the national budget into poorhouses.
He revived the destroyed economy and used his personal wealth, tied up in banks, to create a new world.

Even when his body was close to death, his eyes were described as shining with brilliant light.

“I am not afraid. I have endured pain worse than death. This is just rest.”

That was Etias’ final words.

“He will become the greatest emperor. Etias von Clyde is that kind of person.”

I believed that a person’s true nature doesn’t change.
And his dazzling, intense nature could never be swallowed by shadows.

“……”

Heros watched me for a long time, then let out a small sigh.

“Even so, I still don’t like him.”

At that moment, the fake Eros standing far ahead shouted toward us:

“Why aren’t you coming inside!”

The door to the house where the fake Lady Katrin Ellemore stayed was already open.

I smirked as I brushed past Heros.

“Just watch.”

A moment later, Heros followed me and whispered softly:

“Very well.”

After leaving the prison, Caron bowed his head at the sight of Etias.

The Shadow of Darkness writhing at Etias’ feet sent a chill down Caron’s spine every time he saw it.

Etias, his face pale and cold, slowly swept his hair back with one hand.
The shadows on his face faded, revealing his elegant and handsome features again.

There were still faint shadows under his eyes, enough to make him look a little decadent, but the terrifying face from earlier was gone.

“He spilled the information out of fear. If you break the bricks on the left side of his basement, you’ll find a small drawer.”

Etias’ voice had returned to its usual calm tone, with the earlier madness gone.

As they walked down the hallway, Caron followed behind and spoke in admiration.

“The guards couldn’t get him to confess no matter how hard they tried, but he must have been terrified of Your Majesty.”

Etias smirked.

“Thanks to someone.”

“Excuse me?”

“I learned how to hide my true feelings and act as if I’m evil.”

Caron’s eyes wavered briefly. He knew exactly who Etias was referring to.

“Your Majesty…”

Etias wasn’t actually in the same frenzied state that had made Padelmon tremble.
Still, Caron knew his lord hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and he was worried.

Etias needs Katrin Ellemore. He needed her even before the revolution, but now more than ever.

‘Even if his strong will keeps him from becoming a tyrant… if he keeps living with that gaping hole in his heart…’

Caron’s gaze darkened slightly.

Even the best delicacies the palace chefs prepared couldn’t lift Etias’ eyes from the memories of someone.
How could Caron’s heart feel at ease when his lord was like that?

He forced himself to think differently and spoke again.

“I’ll immediately send someone to retrieve the evidence Your Majesty uncovered.”

“Good. We need to deal with Aglia quickly since she’s consolidating power.”

Etias had no intention of allowing Aglia to form a new corrupt power group as the leader of the pro-emperor faction.
He knew better than anyone that she wasn’t truly an ally.

He had accidentally overheard her conversation with Katrin at her birthday party and confirmed it then.

“A wise decision, Your Majesty.”

“And…”

Etias stopped mid-sentence. From where he stood, the grand view of the imperial palace spread out below him.

His black hair and cloak fluttered lightly in the breeze.

“I think I should go there myself.”

“Pardon?”

“I just have a good feeling.”

A faint smile crossed Etias’ thin lips.

I pulled a wide-brimmed hat low over my head and, after a body search, entered the house with Heros under Eros’ guidance.

The hallway was twice as wide as ours, with several armed men loitering around.

“They’re prisoners,” Heros whispered so quietly no one else could hear.

I nodded. Looking around, I could tell he was right.

Soon, the door to the innermost room opened, and Heros and I entered with Eros.

A woman sat cross-legged on a large, over-decorated chair.

Her cheaply dyed pink hair was tied into two pigtails, and her dress was far too outdated for a real noblewoman.

Just the style alone makes it obvious who she is.

“Lady, these new villagers brought jewels for you, so I brought them along. Hehe.”

Eros reported to the fake Lady Ellemore.

I kept my face hidden under the wide-brimmed hat, but her voice was very familiar.

“Really? Jewels, you say?”

Her tone rose briefly in curiosity, then quickly dropped with disinterest.

“But honestly, someone living in a place like this can’t possibly have good jewels.”

She stretched and tilted her head.

“Let me see them first.”

“Before that.”

I spoke up.

“Can I confirm whether you are really Lady Katrin Ellemore?”

“What?”

“I heard Lady Katrin Ellemore is a very scary person.”

“What are you—”

“She burns those who insult her, dunks their faces in water, shoots arrows through their hearts, and crushes their leg bones without blinking an eye. But…”

As I listed my infamous reputation, the atmosphere instantly froze.

“The lady in front of me doesn’t seem that wicked.”

I saw her hands tense as if nervous.

Eros’ eyebrow twitched.

“How dare you question Lady Ellemore’s identity, you insolent—”

“Leave it, Heros.”

The fake lady laughed softly and stepped forward, her heels clicking against the floor.

She touched the long necklace hanging from her neck, which bore the Ellemore family crest.

“A lowly girl like you probably doesn’t know, but this is the Ellemore family crest necklace. My father, Duke Ellemore, personally passed it down to me. Can you see it?”

“Padelmon.”

The calm way I said the name made her hand holding the pendant flinch.

I slowly removed the wide-brimmed hat from my head and met her green eyes.

Then I smiled darkly and spoke.

“It says Padelmon. My father’s name is Luciano, Lucia. You stupid impostor.”