Imperial Palace.

Prince Fides of Tallocium entered the sunlit banquet hall.

The woman seated at the oval table lifted her gaze.

The Red Princess of the Empire—Ardiana.

“...Ardiana. You’re already here?”

Ardiana rose.

“I haven’t been waiting long.”

At that calm reply, Fides’s brow twitched slightly.

He stared at her for a moment, then sharply pulled out a chair.

“That’s good.”

Though he spoke calmly, his fist beneath the table was clenched.

“By the way, you look pale. Are you ill?”

Ardiana smiled gently.

“As you can see, I’m well. You should take care of yourself, brother. You must be busy with state affairs.”

Fides let out a short laugh.

“I’m fine. More than fine. Suspiciously so.”

Ardiana did not respond.

She simply folded her hands on her lap, maintaining her smile.

Irritation flickered in Fides’s eyes.

‘Why are you always fine.’

Ardiana had always been an obstacle to him.

Fides was the son of a common woman whom the Emperor had taken, unable to restrain his desire.

And Ardiana—the only daughter of the noble Empress.

‘Just listen to how the courtiers tear me apart behind my back.’

Fides was the Emperor’s most beloved child.

Yet his name was always accompanied by rumors.

Mostly about his origins and his mother.

‘Is it true? The consort empress used to be the late Empress’s head maid?’

‘Of course! It was the Empress herself who brought her into the palace.’

Fides’s mother, Lavenia, was a beautiful woman.

A commoner—one of the few survivors of a village on the outskirts of the capital that had been burned by magical creatures.

The Empress had saved Lavenia when she was on the verge of death.

During a secret inspection of the affected regions, she had found her by chance.

She brought the wounded woman to the palace and healed her.

Then kept her by her side, caring for her.

Though that kindness did not last long.

‘The Empress valued her so much. Isn’t that why, passing over all the noble ladies, she made her the head maid?’

But betraying the Empress’s trust, Lavenia became pregnant less than a month after her appointment.

And gave birth to Fides.

The Emperor’s first child—before the Empress herself could bear one.

‘The Empress was incredible too. Even after such humiliation, she went to the Emperor every day and begged... for him to be with her and help her bear an heir.’

And yet the Empress was coldly rational.

She feared the chaos that would follow if the Empire lacked a legitimate heir.

‘I do not ask for your love. But the title of Empress is not merely a name. It is the foundation of the state, and blood is the guarantee of stability.’

‘...Ha.’

‘If your children are only from Lavenia, disputes over legitimacy will be inevitable.’

‘You think so?’

‘...Your Majesty, I beg you to consider the future of the Empire.’

A year later—

The Empress conceived.

But she did not live to raise her child.

She died shortly after giving birth. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The child was a princess—Ardiana.

The legitimate daughter of the Imperial House.

The Emperor did not merely dislike her—he hated her.

‘Even your eyes are like your mother’s. As if you’re looking down on me.’

He humiliated her at court without hesitation.

And remained indifferent to her all his life.

Meanwhile, his love for Fides only grew stronger with each passing day.

‘I would gladly give Tallocium to you... if not for the resistance of the court.’

He pitied the son who could not inherit the throne.

And as if to compensate, he elevated Lavenia to the rank of consort empress.

‘Support Fides. You never know what might happen... if something were to happen to Ardiana.’

From childhood, Fides had heard the same thing over and over.

If Ardiana fell ill.

If she were harmed.

If she died.

Then the throne would be his.

And so, the desire to kill her had become almost natural to him.

But there was a problem.

‘Why is she so hard to kill. How many assassins have I sent already?’

The first time he poisoned her food—

Ardiana, at eleven years old, survived.

After that, he sent assassins.

And she survived again.

And again.

She had escaped death countless times.

And even reached adulthood.

With each passing year, it became harder.

‘Does she have some way to avoid death?’

At that moment, dinner was served.

A servant reported—

“The Emperor will not be joining you. He asks that you dine together.”

“Understood. Leave.”

Fides waved him off irritably and picked up his utensils.

Ardiana had already begun eating.

Watching her cut her meat, irritation rose again within him.

He spoke with a mocking tone.

“So, how is your... association doing?”

Ardiana lifted her gaze.

For the first time, a faint hostility appeared in her eyes.

“...It is doing well.”

“Still hiding your identity?”

“I am.”

“Good. You can’t go around boasting that the imperial family is dealing with the affairs of common rabble.”

Ardiana remained silent.

Fides watched her with a smirk.

‘I won’t let you have anything. No achievements, no recognition.’

He recalled something from a few years ago.

When Ardiana had advocated for the protection of mercenaries.

The Emperor and Fides had seen it as insolence.

But some of the court had thought differently.

‘Your Majesty. The Princess is right. Alliances between Holy Knights and mercenaries are becoming increasingly important. We need a system to manage them.’

Only after heated debate had the Emperor allowed the creation of the Association.

And, considering it a disgrace, he handed its management to Ardiana as if tossing her an unwanted card.

But she had been happy.

And at that moment, something inside Fides had twisted.

‘Ardiana. You’re not planning to run that rabble under your own name, are you?’

‘...I do not understand what you mean.’

‘You’re a princess. Imperial blood should not serve mercenaries. Operate under another name. Or remain in the shadows.’

Ardiana was meant to disappear.

Sooner or later, he would kill her anyway.

Fides had no intention of letting her stand in his way.

He wanted to inherit the throne without complications.

“There’s a gathering at the clock tower today, right?”

Ardiana paused and looked at him.

“Behave yourself. Otherwise I’ll tell Father, and you’ll be removed on the spot.”

As always, Ardiana suppressed a bitter smile and replied—

“I will remember that.”

A few hours later—

“Ahm!”

Tie stood in the middle of the square beneath the clock tower and cleared her throat.

In the distance, beneath the tower—

Two figures stood in sky-blue cloaks.

Basto said—

“Those must be the leaders of the Frost Association, Tie.”

Tie nodded.

She walked closer.

Then saw the face of one of them—and her eyes widened.

‘Waa...!’

Above the mask covering the nose and lips—

Sky-blue eyes shone like jewels.

Tie swallowed and whispered—

“Princess...!”

A flicker of confusion passed through the other person’s eyes.