Chapter 1: The Murder of the Princess Consort

The sound of fireworks was seeping through the cracks on the top floor of the prison tower.

Neris was the lone prisoner there. Forgotten by everyone, she was locked up in a dirty and dark solitary cell in the prison’s deepest corner. Up until just a little while ago, she was to be the next queen as the wife of the current prince, holding one of the highest seats of the Bista Empire. With her mysterious and rare purple jewel eyes that must have come from Elandria the Ancient Warrior, she also served as a symbol of the eternal alliance between the imperial family and hers, the House of Duke Elandria, the most distinguished family among all the nobles of the entire continent.

The imperial prince constantly treated his own wife Neris like some filth on the throne for having been the adopted daughter of the duke’s family, but she still endured it; it was all for the family.

However, starting around a year ago when the House of Elandria finally revealed its long-held ambition and declared independence from the empire, claiming to be the royal family of the newly found kingdom—and when the Imperial House of Bisto officially recognized the sovereign kingdom of Elandria to seal the end of the conflict after failing to stop its independence—everyone treated Neris as if she never existed.

This also coincided with the time the prince, who had already been married to Neris a few years by then, suddenly locked her up in prison and declared his marriage to her stepsister and princess of the Kingdom of Elandria, Valentin.

Then how did the House of Elandria respond to this?

The loud parade sounds from outside could answer that question. According to the guards’ conversation Neris overheard a few days ago, the Elandrias must have sent the prince’s new bride with a delegation.

They’ve abandoned me.

Neris muttered the words she had repeated in her mind thousands of times.

Her mother was a distant relative of the House of Elandria, and Neris was still a student at the Academy when she passed away twelve years ago. Neris’s father, who was a low-level knight, had already passed away so long ago that she couldn’t even remember his face anymore. It was the House of Elandria that adopted her and gave her a home and a new family.

Sure, Duke Elandria, his wife, and their daughter Valentin never showed any kindness to Neris, but she always believed she was indebted to them. Neris did anything and everything she could if it meant any benefit to the family.

She’d stayed up countless nights memorizing the social manners of the upper class and volunteered to lie to the family’s enemies despite knowing the hatred she’d receive. She even married a man she did not love and endured his abuse. She made many alliances and eliminated just as many enemies as she represented the family.

She also went to great lengths for the imperial family.

Her husband—the Empire’s prince—was completely obsessed with his mistress, but it was Neris who worked like a dog for years to keep her husband and the entire imperial family comfortable. However, all she received in return was the attitude from both families as if she never existed.

Neris’s left foot started throbbing suddenly, but she couldn’t move it after the harsh torture she had endured.

What will be the end of me?

A ray of sunlight peeped in for a moment through a stone gap in the wall, which was loosely open and let in cold wind and rain and sound. Neris’s unfocused eyes reflected the sunlight, creating a dazzling display of thousands of colors.

A legendary trait that had long been thought to be exclusive to the imperial family, but was surprisingly discovered in Neris and helped her to be adopted into the ducal family and eventually rise to the position of the prince’s wife—it was the jewel eyes.

However, the jewel eyes—which were said to be so precious—hadn't helped her at all since she came here. The torture inflicted on her frail body was long and terrifying, accusing her to be a spy who was planted into the imperial family from the start as if the family was taking out their anger on her.

But what about after I’m out of this prison…?

“After I’m out?” Neris scoffed at herself. Do you really think you could get out of this place, Neris?

The imperial family’s message was clear, having confined one of its own in prison as the empire welcomed the delegation: their alliance had nothing to do with the treatment of Neris.

Is Nel aware of this too…?

The Elandrias only pretended to be Neris’s family in front of other people. She was only adopted for having the purple jewel eyes, the symbol of the House of Elandria, but no one ever cared about her. Valentin seemed to completely detest her.

But one person—the heir to the ducal family and Neris’s stepbrother, Nelruision—was different.

Nelruision was Neris’s only hope out of this bleak situation. He was always kind to her and recognized her importance to the family. Neris was certain he would have begged the emperor to release her.

Neris stared blankly at the prison floor.

That was when the metal door of her solitary cell opened.

Neris flinched involuntarily and lifted her head. But the person who walked in with the knight holding a torch was not the torturer.

It was Valentin, who walked into the solitary cell with a glowing smirk on her face. She was only a year younger than Neris, but the two sisters looked completely different.

Although Neris had elegant features, she looked like an old lady whose life had been sucked out of her after suffering from constant political strife and the pressure of pleasing everyone around her, exacerbated by the tortures she received in prison. On the other hand, Valentin exuded innocence and confidence that only a person who was loved by everyone around her could possess.

“Valentin…”

Valentin had a contemptuous look on her face as she heard Neris’s voice, which had become cracked and coarse due to brutal torture. A vicious look flashed across her adorable face.

Only then did Neris recognize Valentin's clothes. She just thought it was a dazzlingly beautiful dress, but it was a ceremonial dress reserved for a direct member of the imperial family, woven with golden threads and adorned with jewels.

Barely suppressing the sense of despair that welled up from inside her, Neris asked in a calm voice, “What are you doing here?”

Valentin took one glance at Neris before answering, “I’m here to witness your last moment, sister.”

Seemingly content with what she was seeing, her face was quickly filled with a happy smile.

“Judging from your expression, you must’ve been expecting my brother to show up here! But it’s too bad… Nel’s determined to stay by his new bride’s side.”

“His new bride?”

As a part of the effort to break away from the empire, the House of Elandria joined hands with many influential people from in and out of the empire. Among them, the most significant figure was the current pope, Omnitus III, who offered his illegitimate daughter Bridgette to be engaged to Nelruision as a condition to help the Elandrias.

Neris knew well about that arrangement since it was her who personally pushed for it, thinking it was best for her family’s position. However, Neris was secretly devastated when the deal went through. Nelruision would comfort her by whispering in her ears that it was all just a strategic move for the family, nothing more. Neris always believed he saw through how she felt about him.

Neris knew nothing could materialize between Nelruision and her; she was already married, after all. But that didn’t change how much his sweet words comforted her, like he was tickling her heart.

But now…

“Is Nel here too…?”

Reality seemed to mercilessly strike Neris on the head. She suddenly realized it was impossible for Nelruision to not have known that no one could contact Neris immediately after Elandria declared its independence—if he even thought about Neris at all.

Seeing how Neris could not hide her devastation from her face anymore, Valentin covered her face with her fancy fan and cackled. Then, with a brisk motion, she folded her fan and lifted Neris's chin with it, grinning.

“It’s time to wake up! Did you really believe you were my real older sister or something? Don’t you remember your pitiful birth family?”

Every word that came out of Valentin’s mouth left Neris breathless. With a sudden thought that came to her mind, Neris asked Valentin with a pale face, “Was this… always your plan? Mother’s, Father’s, and yours?”

“Why did you leave out Nel? It was his idea to adopt you and marry you off to His Highness,” Valentin spoke in a deliberately crueler voice. “You were pretty useful, all right. You were clever despite your lowly background, and even your eyes were the same color as ours… We needed you to get to a certain level of position to help us. And now that you’ve fulfilled your purpose… it’s time for you to go. It’s what’s best for this new, clean beginning of our new kingdom and the empire.”

Tears flowed from Neris's eyes that she thought had dried up. Her purple jewel eyes shimmered like crystals under the torchlight. This irritated Valentin even more since her eyes were sky-blue instead of purple, despite being a direct descendant of the House of Elandria.

“There’s no need to be so upset. The prince wouldn’t have been satisfied with an adopted daughter from a poor family anyway. Mere eye colors mean nothing in front of real power! Marriages are contracts and deals for people like us—of course it needs to be done with the real daughter of the family.”

How dare she…! No one toiled for the House of Elandria more than I did!

It wasn’t like Neris expected great praise; she only wanted someone to acknowledge that her work was helpful one day. That was all she wanted.

Neris couldn’t say anything more because her head felt like it was about to explode. Valentin, disapproving of even that, slapped Neris on the cheek with her fan.

“Just how foolish are you? It wasn’t much of a marriage anyway. I couldn’t believe how pathetic you were every time I saw that shameless woman around. Well, it’ll be all over in three days anyway… I’m locking her up at the temple as soon as I become His Highness’s wife. Aren’t you happy? I know how much you hated her too.”

It had already been several years since the prince’s mistress, Megara, began acting as if she were the prince’s wife everywhere except for official appearances. She and Neris were the same age, but their lives were polar opposites in every way.

Megara, who was rich and beautiful and easily liked by everyone, had been tormenting Neris for a long time. Valentin wasn’t completely wrong when she said Neris hated her too.

I guess Megara’s life ends just as easily too.

Neris begged with her coarse and faint voice, “You know how hard I’ve worked for the family. I did everything I was told! You don’t need me anymore… Please let me go now…”

“How absurd! Have you ever seen an owner who lets their dog just run away?”

“What could you want more from me? Don’t you think you had enough…”

“Not at all. Even a dog’s dead body could be useful for something.” Valentin shrugged her shoulders. “Princess Camille told me I must see everything through to the end, no matter what it is. As soon as you let your guard down, that’s when your gaps are exposed to enemies.”

Neris had goosebumps. Princess Camille had always lent her shoulders kindly to Neris whenever Neris felt neglected by her brother and prince. She was the first one to rebuke her brother, who was distracted by his lover and brought shame to the royal family, and complimented Neris when her work benefited the imperial family.

Camille was the reason Neris was able to withstand her desolate marriage. Even as she was neglected by her husband, Neris had Camille by her side who acknowledged her hard work. But the Camille she trusted so much told Valentin that she must confirm Neris’s dead body.

The whole world changed in an instant.

Everything she had been believing in had shattered. Neris shook her head violently without realizing it.

“No… I can’t die like this!”

“Grab her, Joseph.”

Valentin ordered him in a relaxed tone. The knight who came with the torch grabbed Neris. Neris recognized him; he was brought up with Nelruision to be his henchman.

Neris looked him straight in the eyes and rebuked him sternly. “Let go of me! I am your master's sister!”

The knight clenched his eyes shut to avoid looking at Neris.

Valentin smirked and said, “‘Sister’? You’re still speaking nonsense. Well, thanks to you, my family is now recognized as proper royalty. I’ll let you in on an interesting secret for it.”

Her stunning blue eyes looked down at Neris with a look of disgust. They reminded Neris of the sky outside these walls, which she hadn’t seen for a while. Nelruision had those same exact eyes, with his youthful good looks and silver hair.

There was a time Neris felt like Nelruision was by her side just by looking up at the clear blue sky. But now… she found the color of the sky the most repugnant.

“It was Nel who took care of that annoying mother of yours… You’ve never thought about it?”

Every ounce of strength drained out of Neris’s body. She had guessed it the moment she had heard it was Nelruision who pushed for her adoption. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Neris’s entire life was made of lies. What more was there to gain from continuing her life?

“I’m sure you know exactly what’s in this bottle, right?”

Valentin pulled out a small bottle and emptied it into Neris’s mouth while the knight held her mouth open.

“Thank the merciful princess for granting you death without any pain. Don’t you prefer this more than a messy death? You should consider yourself lucky that there’s something to be grateful for, even in your dying moment.”

Neris’s vision was already becoming blurry, but she could not tell if it was because of the potion she just drank, her tears, or because she was thrown onto the cold prison floor.

She could only feel her body falling into an endless abyss filled with Valentin’s fading laughter… until she saw a faint, thin light in the distance.