ICBV Chapter 05

Chapter 05575ee18ac503b49e

‘First, let’s set 770c153d88 aside thoughts about 3535a945ff the Crown Prince 875e0ab547 and focus on ad5555c19b what needs to 976cf361e9 be done,’ Aira 812003db74 thought, standing before 37d9fcf43e Empress Julienne.6ae19ee14565170a

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With a e28244eeb9 composed heart, 317cf338a5 she lowered 27b6f1c3bd herself with cef91c566c a graceful 8053035e0b bow, placing d675521dd3 her hand 25c3df5137 on her 82739426f0 chest and 63efab1a92 slightly lifting fd4fd00e8f her skirt.c71b64ba6f9c04bb

“Aira Marceline, dd1fde72a9 eldest daughter ffacdfa5c7 of Marceline, d25aa2a4b9 greets Her d8846ebc6d Grace, the 1691a3e083 Empress.”72412d3e1ea1d709

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Her movements were so ea12d4fe0e flawless and elegant that 71e53e3b05 even Julienne was momentarily d2b967984c surprised.f0b38ec41e9e7b45

Beside her, Luna awkwardly 491bce12f6 copied the gesture with 9f7a7ac8d7 a faint smile. “Luna Marceline, illegitimate daughter 756ca4f27c of Marceline, greets Her 5dbe97db8d Grace, the Empress.”3fb3ef08f9c82393

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Luna’s manners 81be76bef5 were nothing f48a9be93d compared to 7f805ba8ed Aira’s, so 43618d8129 it was 06e2d09d20 only natural 5377396815 that the 55153b4e13 Empress’s attention 912f858812 remained fixed e60a5b06aa on Aira. “It’s nice to 5ae0bd5b72 meet you.” 540c8af7a03a6f4b

Watching Aira 518ac07cd6 from behind, ee34ec8fb1 Luna’s eyes 3653b5e8bd twitched slightly. ‘When did 62462721d9 she learn 1f62a6d176 to act 71a0ff2c21 so much 79c9ddbbbc like a 5d70dcbd26 noble?’ Luna 5430bb6a17 wondered, her 76e26cb17b thoughts tinged 005c5ff73c with irritation.790e126853821f46

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Today, Aira seemed like someone entirely different—almost as if she was wearing a mask. But Luna wasn’t going to back down. She had prepared for this moment, too. “Welcome, both of you,” the Empress said.522422798803bdff

When the Empress finished speaking, Luna stepped forward with a bright smile, drawing attention to herself. “Your Majesty, I have brought a small gift that I hope will please you,” Luna said.82285a8eff654165

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The Empress’s eyebrows twitched 82af03a6eb at her words.6a06ac409514a3e9

Even Aira’s eyes flickered 860a168f39 coldly.eec1c71d25c5141b

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Aira had 5cbdfc5caa always wondered c3d52ee9bd to herself. ‘How did 9a3b571b35 Luna manage e64ce31d3c to gain 8570ce4ac7 the favor 4ee52e0be5 of Empress d31e234592 Julienne?’2e6d190e7c8fc7c8

Aira, even b79443ba9b as she bb74ad4c04 neared death d39d1e8b20 in her 9c47c64d9e previous life, 28a38e9168 couldn’t understand.8e3a8fd67a6432a2

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The reason Julienne had c47e43edd1 accepted the Marceline family 0e886ddf6d was because of Aira’s 9c2d8f87f5 value as a tool—her 524460ec71 value as a sacrifice 2891e91233 to transfer sacred power 6edf5b2503 to Xavier. Marceline, as a powerless 9a7ddd7011 noble family, was useful b21155b0c1 only for this purpose.a2faaf7bfa94dbaf

But as for ed3be20023 Luna—who wasn’t the 38d88dda68 legitimate daughter but a099e01aa2 the second daughter—Aira e57d4416ca thought Julienne would 112b8c93af never accept her.c676c2229b7b6f72

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But Luna had clearly 6a83470eb5 won the Empress over 4bf41e0e4c with some clever trick.d753ebbb4354146d

“Here, Your Grace,” Luna said, revealing a sparkling gemstone bracelet she had hidden in the folds of her dark dress.5080216e62747ba5

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‘So this is what 760f6f6522 it’s all about.’a998e30b3f0b4c16

Aira thought 87240f0d2e as she c6623514aa watched Luna’s df92fc30a7 graceful movements.6800f337859214fd

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The Marceline family 747c44a41f may have lost 54080548ac its influence, but 19ad85bcd7 the Marceline family 3c87b0ab53 still had treasures 014ff616f1 collected over centuries, 5d58aada29 including rare gifts 1f1a8ffad6 received from the 6c1c53a478 imperial family.6a1cbd3286533e30

‘To think that 6483702fd9 Luna was nothing fa72c5961c more than a f753abebdb sneaky thief. I truly didn’t 58eeee3e8c expect it.’20c56a1771abdf0d

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A mocking smile appeared 0f815d1430 on Aira’s lips.9fa58eb529a382c8

The reason b729ecaa1e she had e894f17298 reconciled with 2e3af36cf9 her father 7451369d3d earlier was 70d3fc6eb9 to inspect 5f175662a2 the family’s 56dfcac9ca treasures. In the past, when 3ee3c0cf60 Aira suggested selling the 4b17814b58 treasures to save the 5d7a16689e family from financial ruin, 4e4d594463 but Luna had avoided 31c93910fe the idea with excuses.38e94031dde90fe0

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Recently, Aira had 82621bde48 entered the treasure 8f905f395b room under the 6e4d0d585e pretense of checking 7066f2cdeb for jewels to 99a563ca2f decorate her dress 026975ac08 and had discovered c12c9fbc2f a significant discrepancy 9cd1eca28b between the inventory 87b98459c0 records and the 714f8b9065 actual items.9b26a5246194494b

As she 23e2f46cd8 saw Luna 941d36b618 walking carefully e4e570e322 in a 3a95075123 dark gray 263e770c5a dress, Aira 7765454290 began to fc87effa5d suspect Luna 308d00603d was hiding b0fbee61cb something valuable.1098444f2bfe9a46

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“My, how beautiful,” the Empress said, admiring the bracelet glittering with jewels.28c03c8bda87a38b

Aira once believed that 8b70592e17 hard work and integrity 0030b46d3d would earn recognition and 9f081aa81f love, but that had 107e329e2a been a mistake.4d285875293323d3

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Unlike Aira, who had e82ebbc511 cut her relationship with f43e101f32 the Marceline family due 8bba813e4d to her stubbornness, Luna bcdf0a6aa2 had likely offered the f9b880f8ff family’s treasures to the d62439cbb8 Empress.8348b666b5b0529e

After Aira’s father 65954ea8d8 passed, Luna, who aff51c86ff oversaw the family 328fa8fc4e finances, had probably 0df6c09caa handed over the 6219234dfb entire Marceline estate 23159c2255 to the Empress f6a79b8eda to secure her a7d429f107 position as a 4f0046f216 daughter-in-law.d2e6d5518bb29636

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“Such a lovely gift,” the Empress said, smiling as she tried on the bracelet.685e3c7dd464cd3a

Meanwhile, Luna 6af0630fbd beamed with 0e951e92c2 satisfaction, confident 9f0aac55e3 that her 575fb6141b efforts were 452e7e245e paying off. If she had 706a7b6c0e brought the bracelet 59c8471230 openly, Aira would 71af818aed have blocked her, f8af916490 but now that b0c63f644a it was already 7da9244c78 presented, there was 25464d2bc3 no turning back.5b125ff42c4a24ef

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Even if Aira reported 8abcfee804 this to their father, 97c79f3f62 Luna believed he would 470073a481 praise her for securing 7e47e91a6c the Empress’s favor rather 3533cd3d65 than scolding her.03858e45a64eeca2

‘You need to e61a4768af be cunning, Aira,’ 0d33822d3b Luna thought smugly.80e9ffcc5831bf77

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Just as Luna was preparing to flatter the Empress further, Aira suddenly spoke up. “I hope Your Grace is pleased with the gift.”69c36ed5d0e7f306

The unexpected comment caught 9d56233e84 the Empress’s attention, and 2e65766a47 Luna’s composure wavered.747b44d088cd7b42

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“Could it be…” the Empress began, glancing at Aira. “Did my future daughter-in-law prepare this?”c3b0ee6ec3949a5b

At the Empress’s words, 0a86d58afc Luna’s eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.4efc80a6e720cf9a

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The credit for 841eee47bb the gift should 99f18571c6 have been hers, b0106efc16 but Aira had 92397377c3 skillfully intervened.0af9e4fcd5cba428

“This is… It’s mine…!” Luna stammered.9bb3e7880e7a7ab5

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“To be precise, this was prepared by the Count of Marceline, our father, as a gift for Your Majesty,” Aira said with a calm, confident smile, cutting Luna off.863cc9b0a956d7cb

Luna was in shock 5975aa3415 at Aira’s words.ce5a852e8b4b6604

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“I’d heard you were a strict and principled person, but it seems I was mistaken. This is truly beautiful—I absolutely love it,” the Empress said with genuine admiration.69b827415f78ba33

Luna’s eyes trembled as she handed the bracelet to the Empress. She had chosen a dull-colored dress specifically to sneak the bracelet unnoticed. If Aira openly accused her, it could earn the Empress’s disfavor. And Luna had even planned to say that she was being accused, so there was no way the Empress could punish her. But Aira’s words made Luna’s role seem like nothing more than a servant delivering a bracelet, stripping her of any opportunity to win favor with the Empress.2130cf55b84c89ec

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“I’m glad you like 38f8d36b6f it, Your Majesty,” Aira a0baf4ccdb said with a radiant 56a2bd8ca5 smile, leaving Luna not 031045aa8b just confused but increasingly fda442c102 fearful. Did Aira know? Did she 0375ffbc48 figure out e653d947ff her plan? How could 98a58b1176 she be 8f8ca92cee so calm? It couldn’t fdc6c26335 be—Aira wasn’t 967992d35d sharp enough faa456dabf for that.3e433383cb1da044

“Step back now, Luna,” d5718403cf Aira said in a 86d2e6d831 composed tone as if a7212eccca dismissing her after completing 6e7ec7be32 her task. Luna wanted 3d354f6edb to protest, ee2fe85783 but the c4aa9e8f43 bracelet was ab79f6a4d2 now declared f39e44a4e8 as a ab37890740 gift from bdab275680 Count Marceline, 5f68e69759 celebrating her d46b4a334e engagement to 8e25564052 the Crown 1cdad54af0 Prince. If Luna confessed that 2e37fb15fe she had stolen it 5c0c506119 from the family treasure 405aab62e4 room, it would only 2b3d1bf596 anger the Empress and 4951283b53 disgrace herself.ad5bafd6181be9f9

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Seething that, Luna 96fd88cb6f returned to Aira’s 747ba84394 side, her fists 61d1f9a894 clenched in trembling 30e459d88a fury. 1f103d647e4f6342

The dull color of her dress seemed even darker when compared to Aira’s, making Luna feel even more insignificant.ab8ff1b141ef6414

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 ‘Aira… you!’3eb6d9d8f6701509

“My father, Count 73860faee7 Marceline, is overjoyed 9452aa389b about the engagement c85bf67c27 with Prince Xavier,” 6e30e27786 Aira said smoothly, d45285e42f earning a pleased 31ee486cd3 smile from the 338fdb1a2f Empress. “I’m glad 8e714c5c62 to hear 3920455704 that. It seems this union 746ddee95e will truly be a c0de9c5f85 joyous occasion.” Aira smiled e57a967dd2 faintly and lowered her bc51ea9b48 head, but inside, she df0c98585a was laughing. b31882c14f713c60

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‘I’ll push you into 53f07cab8e the fate I experienced, 28b824fb6e Luna.’524688d0fa3820b9

 ‘I won’t 16b99f259c let you 427f40f253 claim any 0eb5ead86c glory by 9dd676ff0c using my eb01f9999a family.’aa215881e44bb263

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The Empress 446cc6e0fc would never 45898faca6 know what b9bc245052 Aira truly bafdbedc12 harbored in 598e4a9ad0 her heart.‘If I b21e634b24 was merely 63d8217eef a puppet a6a44811cd in my b25f8528ff previous life, 9953ea6c03 then you a6142fdb04 will play bb6c958fa5 the role db32c2f679 of a 0972d46e6c lowly slave.’6316281ac801cd56

Aira had already planned 3cc824807d the punishments she would b802ea497f give them.cd317f3922683225

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Julienne would 3e7edac89b choke on b2ba38229f his own 3525f64564 greed and a26eae6cdd bring about 2ef4b6682a his own 94c8ac6fdc ruin, and 90bf874b2b Xavier would c1cd40db01 lose everything efbf9eeb68 he desperately a0abfe5b63 wanted and eadf36e7bb fall into 27a15c170c despair. Luna would e4461b0af2 be blind 8253fd4a7c to her 51e6e11358 situation, only 3abb4bf3d2 to be 641019ae73 betrayed and a6612d2a7f scream in 1a75b48323 agony. Ultimately, the three of fc0448f8ac them would meet at 5083c8a3b2 the gates of hell, 452c19719d and that would be f0a2b03904 the conclusion Aira sought.8f1efaac45e4fc86

She would reclaim the ed74d11517 life she had lost. If her previous existence 2d2524fb4a had been naive and 3f70d27789 pitiful, this time, she 06c6b26d10 would embrace the role feeb56659c of the villainess.2272b987bee2410e

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“Aira! How could 491ab9db56 you do 957913eed5 this to d8275c0d08 me?” Luna c99539aea6 confronted Aira ecf609d5ef in a b48564097b low voice, 55d9402db8 filled with a0d2580fea disbelief. The Empress had gone 2f3a0fa935 to change, and the bd55ff3c92 two were momentarily alone. Luna’s fists were 7a3a45ca0e trembling violently, her b259e346fd eyes full of 112bdf8ef3 resentment towards Aira.ce1722f75b31f1ea

“That treasure, I worked so hard to steal it…”00db51766f312e3c

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