Chapter 92

“…This is…”

I couldn’t hide my astonishment at the massive boulder before me, my eyes widening.

Holding his hand, I climbed over the nearby rocks to stand atop it. Beneath the night’s shadow, the rock’s surface glowed faintly.

Crouching, I blew away the dust and brushed my fingers across it.

Rough… but with a unique feel.

I remembered—I had a few pieces of jewelry made from this stored in my vault inside Biyo.

Was it when I was eight years old? Katrin had once received a gemstone bracelet from Duke Elemoor and had been overjoyed.

“It’s pink sapphire.”

A precious stone rarely found in the Empire.
Even in Montella, only small amounts were mined, fetching prices rivaling diamonds.

“You’re right.”

Etias confirmed. I looked at him, bewildered.

“But how…? I never heard of anything like this being in the village.”

A boulder the size of a house, made of pink sapphire—it was almost unbelievable.

Surely, this was the first time such a massive raw pink sapphire had been discovered on the continent.
Just a fragment would make anyone rich. Had the villagers really hidden this until now?

Etias answered my doubts.

“It was exposed when the flood temporarily washed away the ground.”

“Ah.”

That made sense. After the fire and the flood, the terrain had shifted in places—some parts eroded, others buried under soil.

“What a relief…”

My gaze shimmered as I looked at the pink sapphire.

“Relief? Why?”

Etias watched me quietly.

“Because… honestly, I felt guilty toward the villagers.”

A quiet guilt had always lain dormant inside me.

“It feels like they suffered all this because of me.”

After all, the fire had started because assassins—who were after my life—had set it.
Of course, even if I hadn’t come, Lucia, pretending to be me, might have led to their deaths anyway.
But one thing was certain: my existence had brought suffering to people who once lived simple, peaceful lives in this rural village.

Now, with this enormous pink sapphire,
the villagers could all build far better homes than before.
This village might even become one of the wealthiest in the Empire.

“You intend to leave it for the villagers, then.”

“Yes. Well, I already have more than enough money. And this was originally buried in their land.”

He leaned slightly toward me, meeting my eyes as he took my hand and helped me stand.

The wind ruffled our hair as we stood atop the giant gem.

“Katrin Elemoor, you’re hardly fit for the title of villainess. Looking back, you might even be a saint.”

At his words, I shook my head.

“Impossible. Even a passing dog would laugh.”

I gave him a faintly cold smile—the kind that once concealed hostility well-suited to me.

In the past, Etias’ expression would always harden at this smile,
for it had been laced with hostility toward him.

But unlike before, Etias now looked calm.
Instead, his blue eyes, as his hand gently cupped my cheek, held an indescribable depth of feeling.

“…Then let’s call you a noble villainess, even higher than a saint.”

His voice seeped into my ears, making my heart tremble.
I wanted to argue at the contradiction, but the distant, yearning look in his eyes left my throat tight.

“The more I know you, the less I can look away. I’m curious what you’ll show me next.”

Thump, thump—my heart raced, my lips parched.

It was the same look he’d had when he caught me secretly helping the young siblings at the Sistina orphanage.

I answered evenly:

“The motives in my heart are nothing like what Your Majesty imagines.”

Etias, star of the Revolution—his heart beat for the Empire, lifting the weak with his chivalry.

“So please, don’t say such embarrassing things.”

I wasn’t driven by love for the Empire’s people.
I only wanted to support my favorite—him.
I just wished that the Empire he would rule would be peaceful and good.

I heard a faint chuckle. Lifting my eyes, I saw Etias smiling at me.

“I know, Katrin.”

…He knows?

His relaxed smile was the same as when he had seen through me before, when I’d tried to hide that I was his benefactor.

“But remember this.”

His quiet voice made my chest flutter again.

“That the flood didn’t just uncover this stone.”

His eyes, filled with me, recalled that moment intensely.

“I realized something.”

The gaze he’d had, swimming swiftly toward me as I struggled for breath underwater…

“Without you, I…”

Etias pulled me into his arms.

“…die.”

The cool scent from his collar filled my nose, and my chest thudded hard.

If I provoke a jealous quarrel, perhaps Etias will never return.

As the morning sun rose, Aglia sipped her tea.

The only one who can be the next Emperor is me.

She had already been accustomed to the taste of power through Etias.
Though her faction was no match for his, and unlike her nephew she could not seize the throne by rebellion,
if Etias were killed while returning with Katrin,
the empty throne would surely fall to her.

The guildmaster of the Scavengers, the one to kill the Emperor, would flee with Lady Elemoor.

And once she became Empress, it wouldn’t matter whether Katrin held her weakness or not.

Finishing her tea, Aglia stepped onto the balcony, gazing over her garden.

Men are all beasts blinded by lust.
Especially when some stray stone dares to steal the precious woman I’ve carefully protected.

The so-called “King of the Underground” wouldn’t let that pass.

Flames of jealousy, burn everything away.

The next morning, Katrin called the villagers to see the pink sapphire.
They had no idea how valuable it was—until she explained.
Then, their mouths fell open in shock.

“The shares of this gemstone must be divided fairly among all villagers.”

Everyone agreed with Katrin, and the village chief thanked her on their behalf.
In disbelief that such fortune had come to their poor mountain village,
they all said it was thanks to Lady Ross.

Some dreamed of sending tuition to their children in the city,
others of proposing to someone they loved.
The air was filled with excitement.

Meanwhile, in the meeting room, three males sat around the table.
To be exact—two men and a dog.

Pant, pant.

Behind them, the Duke sniffed at the chairs.
Heros immediately shared with Etias the contents of the letter Aglia had sent the day before.

You don’t know love, Aglia.

Heros’ gaze drifted briefly outside—to where Katrin sat.
The village women were braiding her pink hair.
Brighter than the sapphire itself, her smiling face shone.

If I wanted to cage her just because I liked her, I’d have done it a hundred times already.