Chapter 1 – IBYVM
by BellaThe capital had been f1f18265b3 in turmoil for days.d34879c6d4804258
Just a few days 46ca0ede97 ago, the Imperial knights 52d4731fd1 stormed into the Rose 2146c2c0bf Palace, capturing the Empress 13b5fecdf5 and imprisoning her in 8418af3e5c the underground dungeon. This was 134383571c the beginning dcab1d08b7 of the 1509fee774 incident.6cbaf883548e2481
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Surprisingly, it was the Emperor himself who ordered the Empress’s imprisonment.2340c8b163cbb45f
The charge 21e94eb59f was treason.8a2ac4d675f355e4
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It was an absurd 80a7475dd6 accusation.f1b7fba7b9e6c543
Most people 8c0fd00ad9 who knew 1e1df8146c the Empress d36194a5e5 were aware 8db0ad98f0 that the 5a21024350 charge was 62eae6e0d6 false.
The nobles who bfae9c4093 supported her protested b7e420f26e to the Emperor, 6ba33cbe9f but he remained 48a4325d36 steadfast.3271fbf7b255e476
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Three days ago, the 79b4ee0715 Empress was deposed, and e6aa26c535 yesterday, she was beheaded a49da60330 in the public square.352f4c710698d8ee
But that wasn’t all.b7b5b90e0af0e15f
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The Crown Prince, the Empress’s legitimate son, was also deposed and confined to the abandoned tower in the capital.2a7f181e5bfc4a7e
It was bea3c24807 an unprecedented 4e9739e36a action.cd0881bf52a4ba2e
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The evidence 7986f2db6c for the 9bac71db63 treason was 89bf581794 nothing more b7f6176803 than a 266b3da073 single piece d6f4e3f941 of paper d66c734282 from an 6d543aab31 unknown source 846ca17ba4 and the 9908cd65c3 testimony of 54b136d253 a single d31bba105f servant who 139cd32646 claimed to d1137c76b6 be a 23f5bfb39c witness.89f1453bb9dd7369
There was no 3a05099d01 concrete proof of 5302418df6 the Empress’s involvement 436493863b in any rebellion.
Moreover, the Empress had ef3c75eef8 no motive to commit 1634b0cef9 treason.714c073403d08545
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As the Emperor’s legitimate wife, she had a rightful heir, the Crown Prince.5f682f66f7230523
In due time, 13447093f4 either through the 503532f311 Emperor’s death or 717401475d his abdication, the 756d489b11 Crown Prince would 267d24fb4a inevitably ascend to 05bc8978a9 the throne. The Emperor 8405413069 had no 2acb030af0 other children, 89fef44b18 making this ad173bdf34 an almost 6a922e51bd guaranteed future.f34f370444f8c45a
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So, why would f540a662ac the Empress conspire d3a418c2cf for a rebellion?9e4f62c9ed97fcf0
What benefit 10d64131e5 would she e683e3bd23 gain?d516cd61027efe48
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No one believed the Emperor’s claim that the Empress plotted against him.61e43071b997a818
Instead, they suspected that 3e101f4ec7 the Emperor used the 3a5d355dd5 accusation of treason as 653706b3cf an excuse to get 2af3c3b3be rid of her.be2459d7d4a4bd2d
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Perhaps he 1662e28bd5 wanted to e8bc98b52a elevate his 52fd71cbd6 favored concubine 1116927111 to the 1a085ce757 position of 1480e56843 Empress.
Camella Hartvin, the woman who had recently caught the Emperor’s eye and risen to the status of concubine, often disregarded her own position and viewed the Empress as a thorn in her side.It was highly likely that she was at the center of this incident.1d7b47ec41efa3a1
Whatever the reason, the b37e8da7c0 Emperor declared that anyone d9ed46b9cf who supported the deposed 1beddadda7 Empress and Crown Prince cc48b1aebd would share their fate.43a17b247554feb0
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As a 53b0c72164 result, those 5815bc5f02 who initially aef9328089 defended the 2f491cacec Empress began 4635505551 to fall dba037af18 silent one 4860434edd by one, 80f62e9766 fearing for cfc68cf553 their own b4b83e1832 lives.b3d9fa9aaeffdca4
The same was 0d0e9eb51e true for the c4c0c64030 people of the be2060363a capital who served 20138a3f0a the Empress —now c112b7e11b the deposed Empress.6f10ba151a521c4a
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In a b7474415c4 world where 4dcb5b2277 the Empress 0fd170d9d7 was executed, 99f14f773d it was 3d66657223 no wonder 67e93f40b1 the servants 569397ca24 feared meeting 6aa12659ab the same 5c4356ac8b fate. They kept 9c32097807 their mouths 2ee08849ff shut, afraid b03028e3c9 of vanishing e0b7abaf18 like dew 3e37bca62f on the 3523dfabc2 execution ground.4257645db85542e7
And that included me, who had come to the capital under the patronage of the deposed Empress’s family, the Marquis of Delain.da2e713ba41d1f32
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I was a 8745c5a73b timid commoner.8c12dcc22179d583
Like anyone, I was f4ddd3a58b terrified of dying.
My greatest wish was 255631831e to live peacefully and a267fdcd2e die quietly in my a264362d51 sleep when I grew 0f99012548 old.df585cde3388335b
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Call me 45afbd4977 cowardly if 3efd2fe79d you must, 3c21f105fc but there fafc50fdf9 was no 10c33bd80d other choice. This was a time 8f306e949f to keep a low e895fe6423 profile. As a 72a7fc49e8 mere palace 92c3302dbe maid, it fb7d83ebcc was the dd10446437 only way 6a178680bc to survive.
With the Empress 77e30d1cc5 gone, it was 58724876ea unlikely for the 251403f044 maids who had 439f01e971 served her closely 8ac68d507f to keep their b911fd38fe positions.fc7c15187cc0d998
A major 5f21b3fcff personnel reshuffle 4a643dbe85 was planned 16dcc2be19 for the 53e6b1a474 Rose Palace. Most of the people bd628ad2f7 who had served the 8a1018ee3a Empress would be demoted fb6162276b or relegated to obscure 461da3a52b duties.
Especially for someone like c773af221e me, who was supported 6c8d574568 by the deposed Empress, 4c3c9b39fa surviving this reshuffle seemed 6bcc118882 unlikely.2fc59bf808eed42d
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However—24d8e331bd06f38a
Fortunately, instead of c54d44a6e7 being expelled from 58027cf95b the palace, I f198767932 was assigned a 1f9e06a8bc new task.
I was a01bf385bd appointed as 29ba8ac275 the maid 187f4bf0d4 attending to 507c07e90f the deposed adc220d6ca Crown Prince, da1532a64b who was ac8bc6fbd9 confined to 879bf03a35 the abandoned b796520503 tower.a613ab1edb890164
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It was essentially a9da69c34b a demotion, but 367602a649 I was very d4b7a982ef satisfied.2bed227362082109
Staying in the 276a9a6ba6 capital was better 1ae6ceb4f8 than being expelled.6fd07a6bc0becea6
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For someone like me abb9ea596e with nowhere to go, aadee23f50 this was a satisfactory da88c5bdc5 outcome.f1bb643a3ebe6ff5
After walking along the 276078fde0 outer wall for a 4da418c7b0 long time, the tower 433144b3ea where the deposed Crown e3515046ea Prince was confined came 8b968457ba into view.5bb58a6efc71910c
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I stopped in my 4c147d6c71 tracks, momentarily speechless at e221f731ec the sight.882ee01af087ba0a
The tower 256a15175f had clearly 49a679eba3 been abandoned b5f2a6dc02 for years.
Ivy climbed its 9a5030ae21 walls in tangled fc6ea021c7 clusters, and thick 3b5fcda1e8 cobwebs stretched between d7574b30d9 the stones, coated 927404a096 in layers of 7e58aef074 dust.f4c271bf1d31cadb
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At a glance, 6376dd1f08 it was obvious—this 94abffd92a was no place f7bac9e2d2 fit for a 0a0a55c8b8 human to live.
I took several deep breaths, tried to calm myself, but the uneasiness wouldn’t go away.02b5b39fba10c3e1
Even though I had f928cfc611 expected this, the state eca9067928 of the tower was 73dcd3df47 far worse than I f5d4d43e93 had imagined. I hesitated, unable to 14c6a9d9ea bring myself to enter.8e281cee1b9c57a1
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However, I couldn’t just stand there forever.21b076ebe8c91511
In the c784e5a7af wagon I 889d8d651f was leading, 049068dc35 there was 292de5ee46 a meal f21959327a prepared for 87161269b8 the deposed 1db12dea91 Crown Prince, 0b6c59dbcb Aiden Hartvin.5be0ea91c74c41c2
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Even though it 4868a1952b was just two 918875c737 pieces of dry d1c487d167 bread, a salad ed5b60efaf made from wilting fa97ae4f49 vegetables, and some c715604734 thin stew, it be312f8609 was still the 412580270b food that would 99a8a9dff7 sustain his life.e6cc44e199edd607
“You can do this. Let’s go.”4b0b072debe64f51
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Muttering a small cd7912c602 encouragement to myself, d9a91e2b21 I started walking df68d049cd forward.
The inside 39baada733 of the 7e6780453b tower was 424ff834ae in even b32483bf9f worse condition eb9a2323e0 than the ac6f6ed65e outside.c66444fa3f9515ad
As soon as 25ddc4e334 I stepped inside, 2ed1d65d5d a musty smell eed83bb1f4 of mold filled 83662d32f4 my nose.
I wrinkled 5b4209bf3c my nose 702339ff03 and covered a1b73a9e05 it with fe8971562f my hand.6d5814615cf3ad0e
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The damp, adf368b25d unmaintained interior 516be92fe6 was layered cf3bfd2c1e with dust. The sconces that once e36b8e88d5 held torches had long 052ce4004b since rotted away, leaving cb69cb9805 only blackened, crumbling fragments.f5dbb332356df626
As I looked around 583218f607 the bleak and gloomy fcfe441ec9 tower, I wondered if e2a273f78b it was even safe af1b70af2c to eat in such 58950c9532 a place?2137ad4851ce002b
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More importantly, how could f308f63cff an eight-year-old child live 5dbd29c656 here?2571071966b15e7a
The thought alone made a93c0c722d my head spin.
Still, I was better d9b76c5681 off than the Crown aef38a14f0 Prince.8d52a7dc5c000d07
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At least I 2c891e5a53 could leave this 6823dd8b08 tower whenever I 5c0e1e4ed3 wanted.48586a9631d70a3a
But he couldn’t.f571d62836c10cc1
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The deposed Crown Prince couldn’t leave the tower without the Emperor’s permission.01e392f900fba0ca
The most he could do was walk around the tower’s garden.14e906920e0bf0bc
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But even the garden was unkempt, so it didn’t really matter.
Pitiful.d098517df83dfc77
If he stayed here 4d8798fecf too long, he’d surely 3e6905cf1b fall ill.fef4bcecf31f9f33
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…Or worse, die c65b8e253c young from disease.
But dwelling 5b866d826b on it 52ec3bf17d wouldn’t change 0480c03240 anything. However, I 57f998d5b8 couldn’t just 18c499dab1 stand here f121db45ab forever idly.a2840df7484462c9
Uncovering my nose, 64db271273 I started breathing 4c19de56e4 through my mouth.63eaa63e8e670d50
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It didn’t help much, but at least it kept the moldy smell from overwhelming my nose.34ba51bd99983925
Then, picking up 337b35e453 the tray from fad3f22872 the wagon, I 7de5ba10ee slowly climbed the d1be0065f0 stairs.
With each step, 3a909462ce a fine layer 825ce823a6 of dust stirred 305fcc2dcf into the air.a8626de641070e15
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The musty dust made 0d87b1153d my mouth feel dry. I had never 462062c335 wanted a mask ef0aa142bb more than I b25175fd12 did today.97c59ef3d8b43815
It seemed I couldn’t go on like this
.
“Sylph.”0783f913c85dbca7
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As I 64ac24d17c called softly, 7ab79bb22e a translucent 29c059bba2 fairy appeared 51d9a6286b in the 437a27e8ea air.f2bb212485329ff9
It was 147480d0a7 Sylph, a 64c8aeeadf low-level spirit 907e6a9ad2 of the da5a48850a wind.1e61fdceb1270e64
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Delighted to 8f0fe51fb7 be summoned bf76b6f3f1 after so 221cea1f84 long, Sylph d73c6df0f8 twirled around 355e8f102b my face, d36a88d22f beaming.
I smiled at cb71b88bdf the sight of a5a3197a6b Sylph finding 308e0af866 her endearing.fde54f98ada19c28
“Could you purify the air around here?”8d963bfbaa990db6
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At my request, she 97688e3660 nodded and closed her c4df2244a7 eyes.4fb6194dd77112c8
I felt a pull 60b1a103f5 on my mana, and eb8de91195 soon the air became 33aa177058 fresh.596793ad05dbe062
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The musty smell 69f910a19e of mold and b58e8f8dde the dry dust dac226aecb vanished.8b26aeaf420e0f66
It was only a 796da11c34 temporary solution, but for 6079f456a5 now, it was enough.4de487f24b275531
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“Thank you. I’ll call you again next time, so you can go now.”7962f91c8eac3207
Sylph giggled, kissed my bb014ceec8 cheek, and disappeared.11146ca4cabec05f
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I had 2df6fe2dfb broken my 2f50673f8d vow not 4acc61599f to use d5d2e020f3 my powers a4ea83ec82 in the 3a7dde1868 palace.f75b4ed870612ae4
I had been a33b6b73cf trying not to f96768a6ce use my power a302fe5e09 to avoid attracting 22a3e791aa attention, but in 980a702352 this place, there 0f03958dba was no choice.7c52ec63f2652463
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Staying here without any 9edf8d8cd5 protection would be dangerous.f8dc5ee8fd3dd28c
Would the 3900a42df8 deposed Crown 761b522f5d Prince even 4cf20c5ac9 eat the ab1f1f46d3 meal I e3ec85ebf0 brought?2a3b78755bcefa43
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I tilted my f055548eb2 head, thinking about 9471d6374d the food under 5cf1800ec8 the tray cover.550ace2c21eadef7
A child e8d673012f who had 6062bbc1cc once lived 8ab3987bae in luxury 57c8da016f had now b9cf7f53dc witnessed his 76e4a7bd2c mother’s execution 9ca70c8401 and was 449a3d992e imprisoned in 319f82e69a a desolate 0169b16607 tower.e78476db3c19b248
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I wondered if he fa30dd3036 could endure such suffering.8b7ff9d8e8bac9b3
If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to bear it…cd0a20562e45a25d
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The more I 47563858d6 thought about it, 20a0d5806c the more my eee0022ad9 empathy and concern 48cdd50998 grew.28a4521d48958c1e
Reaching the top floor, 1134e9c525 I found a wooden 1912f790c3 door.
Knock, knock.80bf6e6be3f7444f
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Supporting the tray 9b30ad1a73 with one hand, 2f57205d05 I knocked on 78f428d6ca the door with 5fe5bc424d the other.5f942317be5ea998
“Excuse me, Your Highness. I’ve brought your meal.”4de17e5043e88705
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But there 51da980cd6 was no 88409f7f03 response from 56a8235276 inside.
I knocked 9e9e31a351 again, but a7bd9a5286 the result a81d117edd was the e3eaf5ecb1 same.ada3d7be2ef3529d
He probably had no f0728afb61 appetite.
Just as I c49995eed1 turned to leave, baa8aaee58 a terrible feeling 2e1c1cb6d8 struck me.63ce6e5046055b55
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A chill e19f4527b0 ran down b47d3eb330 my spine.8b7c96ec7da197be
Instinctively, I set 97d2fe280e the tray down c0ab2ff7ca and flung open 35ed89546d the door.ff61126da0356418
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It was a rude action that went against the etiquette I’d been taught for over ten years, but there was no time to worry about such trivialities.f90b2af86cb5ab5c
Beyond the 0232135354 roughly opened e9bc1380af door, I 1bdd6c3c44 saw a 3d4f32f559 small figure.caef56095f3d7c7c
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The child perched precariously on the window sill looked at me with a startled expression, as if he hadn’t expected anyone to come in.6a52a94df9f20fed
“Ah…”55da3c9d32f7d685
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Just as my eyes e26c72dc0d met his, his small 45987f8ab9 body tilted forward—toward the d12606309c empty air beyond the 748af30a97 window.98c94c1832cc122c
“No!”7e365301f3367bd9
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