Chapter 1

Prologue

The moonlight poked out through the cracks in the colorful tapestry. It was a time of silence… A time when no one disturbed.

On the bed decorated with gold, Isilis was groaning.

“Gasp! No!”

The magic circle drawn under her feet was devouring her magic. Feeling the magic power draining from her body, Isilis struggled.

As the aura surrounding her body grew stronger and stronger, her strength waned. Her eyes were dark. Although she reached out for the magic power that was scattered in the dark, it was not caught. The corners of the lips of those around her rose in a laugh.

Something cold wrapped around her ankles as she struggled to move her feet.

It was a magic constraint.

Her eyes lit up. With her face covered with cold sweat, she sat up and gasped before exhaling. It was a dream… everything. Even though it had been so long, it was a dream that still continued.

Isilis wiped her sweat-soaked hair and pulled the rope to call the handmaid. Moments later, the door slowly opened, and the handmaids entered and bowed their heads in front of her.

“Did you call, Your Majesty?”

“I need to change my clothes.”

“Yes… Are you all right?”

Seeing her complexion drenched with sweat, the chief handmaid asked her anxiously. Isilis opened her mouth again, waving her hand to the chief handmaid.

“Go on.”

“I will prepare.”

At the chief handmaid’s beckoning, the handmaid hastily brought her clothes. As she took off her wet clothes, the chief handmaid whispered to her softly.

“…Is that dream again?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Now, it’s time to go…”

“I said it’s none of your business.”

As Isilis raised her hand and spoke lightly but firmly, the chief handmaid could not continue her words any longer. She resumed her words again, passing the chief handmaid’s gaze that was glancing anxiously at her.

“Now that it’s done, get out.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I said it.”

“…Have a good night.”

Even though it seemed wrong to have a comfortable night already, she nodded her head roughly. Seeing that the chief handmaid and the maid had retreated, she waved her hand lightly towards the window.

With her magic, the window opened, and a cool breeze flowed in.

“It was about time to stop.”

It had been almost ten years since she had nightmares. When was the last time she had a comfortable night…?

Isilis gazed up at the night sky, lost in her thoughts.

The stars were hidden in the bright moonlight. The light of the moon was so bright that it was hard to see the light of each small star.

‘…They say that you can’t see the stars on a moonlit night.’

She continued to stare at the stars, though there was nothing she could do. It was because she could not miss the beauty of the flowing stars as she loved the gentle brilliance of the smaller stars rather than the splendid brilliance of the moon.

It was beautiful.

“Tomorrow will be a good day.”

Laying down again, she pondered that she would like her path to be the same. She couldn’t sleep well once she woke up. Still, she still struggled to close her eyes.

A sleepless night… Isillis’ night was lonely and bleak.

Chapter 1

Ettort Port

“The weather is nice.”

‘Loud noises, bright smiles…. They are all my people.’

Seeing the people’s happy faces, Isilis felt happy as well. It was very nice weather. Her eyes were dazzled by the bright sunlight, though she smiled brightly as she received her bright sunlight, that beautiful golden glow.

She was wearing a robe, and it was a pity that they could not see her face properly. It was a bright and beautiful smile.

“There are those people, that’s where I am.”

They were the people of the empire she ruled. Isilis gazed at them and turned to the smell of the sea on the tip of her nose. She enjoyed her freedom while looking at the beauty of the blue sea.

…At this moment, she was here not as the Empress of the Empire, but as a member of the Empire.

How often did she have a chance to mingle with the people and see the country she ruled? It was the first time for her.

Although she occasionally came out to travel, it was the first time she had cast off her heavy burden of being the Empress of an empire. The Empress of the Larchen Empire, she recalled what had just happened yesterday.

“No!”

“What do you mean no?”

“Please, choose one of the Lords listed now!”

Isilis couldn’t hide the coldness of her expression at her subject’s cries. She could see her subjects startled by her changed face. Nonetheless, they continued to open their mouths.

“It’s because we’re worried about the succession!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t die early.”

“That… Still, the country must have successors!”

Why did that sound like they could do whatever they wanted to make sure there was a successor…? She clenched her chin and opened her mouth with a bored expression.

“The saying that there must be a successor… Why does it sound like there must be a successor to your taste? Can you explain, Duke?”

Everyone hurriedly bowed their heads at her words. There was no one talking in the frozen atmosphere.

Meanwhile, the Duke, who had been called, was avoiding her gaze.

‘You, who can’t open your mouth properly…’

How did they dare to discuss succession? All they could hear was the sound of the finger tapping the colorful chair. There was silence in the audience room. At that moment, the Duke’s voice broke the silence as he opened his mouth.

“You are too casually ignoring the issue of succession, which is the foundation of the country.”

“I am the one who gives birth to that successor.”

Isilis threw her gaze at him, conveying not to say nonsense. However, when she saw that he opened his mouth, he seemed to be determined. It had been a long time since she had been wasting her time like this, yet they never tire of bringing troubles to her.

She was exhausted. They always say the same thing and end up in the same situation.

“It has been five years since you ascended to the position of the Highest, so I think it is time to discuss the issue of succession. Your Majesty.”

At those words, she wanted to sew the mouth that spoke casually.

It was when she was seriously thinking about whether she should use the magic she developed a while ago—

“Your Majesty! Magic…!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Due to her anger, uncontrollable magical power leaked out. The subjects breathed a sigh of relief at the magical power that subsided quickly. It was always the same, she would get angry and use her magic power when the subjects dissuade her.

…What the hell was this? She struggled to hold back her breath.

“Tell me again. What did you say, Duke?”

“Nothing.”

Isilis smiled coldly as she stared at the Duke’s face, who had a sullen expression. Without even blinking her eyes, the subjects shuddered at the cool expression on her smiling face and bowed their heads.

‘I left him off the hook, and he is climbing all the way up endlessly.’

She needed to show them again. It was necessary to make them aware of who the imperial family of this Larchen Empire was.

“How dare you argue about the succession of the imperial family? Do you not want to live in this world?”

When she spoke bitterly and stood up from her seat, the subjects couldn’t catch her as she walked without making a sound of footsteps, consistently keeping her silence. The door swung open, and she stepped out of the audience room.

Just moments later, the room soon became noisy again.

“Do something, Duke!”

“That’s right. If anything happens to Her Majesty this way…!”

“Watch your mouth!”

At the Baron’s hasty words, the Duke turned towards him.

“What nonsense are you talking about! When we talked about succession, we weren’t expecting something to happen to Her Majesty! You know that!”

The nobles chattered at the Duke’s words.

The thoughts of the nobles gathered here were divided in half. Those who really care about the country or discuss the succession of the Empress to maintain their power. It was only for their circumstances, and it was questionable whether Isilis would move according to their will.

“Because the Empress is so stiff.”

The nobles shook their heads at the Duke’s word to himself. It was not a word that could be said carelessly. He continued to open his mouth as if he could not even see the video stones shining throughout the audience room.

“Is it possible that she doesn’t like men?”

“Duke…! Speak properly!”

The Marquis could not stand it while listening to the duke’s words and raised his voice. In his words, the Duke raised his chin.

The nobles who watched it all shook their heads, even clicking their tongues.

“Here we go again.”

“It is…”

“How long will it take this time?”

“Well, maybe an hour?”

“…Let’s go out.”

Taking advantage of the quarrel between the Duke and the Marquis, everyone rushed out of the audience room. The two of them quarreled casually even after seeing the nobles leaving.

“Did they leave?”

“They’re gone.”

“Haa.”

When the Duke sighed, the Marquis sighed as well.

“Why did Her Majesty make me do this?”

“That’s the way it is.”

Empress Isilis was a terrifying person. Before her accession, she had summoned the Duke and the Marquis to give orders in advance.

[ What did you say? ]

[ I asked you to create an atmosphere with the Marquis. ]

[ Did you know that we have been friends for ten years? ]

[I know you’ve been together longer than that. Though power is what makes the younger you turn away. ]

The Duke and Marquis tried to understand the Empress’ intention, who suddenly summoned them. No matter how much they glanced at the Empress’ expressionless face, they couldn’t tell what she was saying.

[ Good. ]

[ Duke…! ]

[ I’ll do that. ]

The Marquis revolted against the Duke’s words, but as soon as he had finished speaking, Isilis nodded her head with satisfaction.

[ If it were you, I know you would have said that. ]

[ Even though I don’t know why you wanted this… but, if your will is like that, I have no choice but to follow you as a servant. ]

[ As my mother said. ]

When he nodded his head and stared at the Empress with his dim eyes, the Duke felt that she missed her mother a lot at that time. Not to mention, her mother, who was the previous emperor, has left her. That was already five years ago.

Since five years ago, the Marquis and the Duke were doing this for the current Empress Isilis.

“Still, we need a successor for our country.”

“It won’t be easy since Her Majesty won’t move.”

“Is it like that even after seeing the Lords’ faces?”

“Is the face important? I do not know Her Majesty’s taste. She has no interest in men at all.”

“I think so, still… What if she really likes women…”

“What nonsense!”

The Marquise shut the Duke’s mouth as if fearing anyone would hear it. Their appearance was reflected in the video sphere.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

“Are you laughing about this now?” She scolded her aide, Marquis Cyrka.

“You like women, Your Majesty. Haa…”

“Why are you excited, though?”

“That’s right. Why am I excited?”

At Marquis Cyrka’s words, Isilis laughed. As she laughed, it felt like the room was getting brighter.

‘You are such a beautiful person…’

The Marquise could find himself falling for her as he gazed at her blazing red hair and blue eyes.

He got to know Isilis ten years ago. As a child, he was bound to fall in love with her from the moment she cast a recovery spell on him when she found him falling while running in the gardens of the Imperial Palace.

In order to help her, as the eldest son of Cyrka, he attended the Imperial Academy. When he achieved good grades there and stood by the throne, he thought for a moment… He might give the woman his heart.

However, that person was the Empress of the Empire.

She was no ordinary woman. She was a person who was too far away for him to reach out to.

He was afraid of the throne. The supreme place was a place that made it impossible for such a beautiful woman to be just a woman. Isilis was the one who withstood the subjects who tried to bring down the Empress on the spot.

“What are you going to do?”