Psirias Bianthe.
Born as the eldest daughter of the Marquis Bianthe, she became the Crown Princess and later, the Empress, living a relatively uneventful life.
Before her marriage, she was ranked as the number one woman who captured the hearts of all the young nobles, and at the same time, she was also considered the number one woman who they didn’t want to marry.
“You have a face that captivates people.”
To this day, Psirias remembers the words of the young nobleman who whispered to her on the terrace of the banquet hall.
The young noble who had approached her with disrespectful intentions received a beating from Psirias and fled, but Psirias was left to deal with the aftermath.
“I heard she punched him.”
“How can she be so different from what she looks like?”
“Beauty is indeed more about inner qualities than outward appearance.”
The rumor that began with the young ladies, who were jealous of Psirias’ beauty, did not subside easily.
The rumor was fueled by Psirias’ subsequent actions.
“You rejected all the proposals?”
“How on earth do you plan to get married?”
“Who would take away a flower without fragrance?”
Despite the constant rumors, slander, and jealousy, Psirias did not waver.
On the contrary, she rose to the pinnacle of society, stepping on each person one by one.
There were no longer any people gossiping about Psirias or insulting her.
She had become the Empress of the Empire.
That’s how she earned the nickname “Iron Lady.”
‘I’m not that strong of a person.’
Somehow she ended up like this.
As she was trying to live, she ended up like this.
Because she struggled, she came this far.
But people cheered for the strong Empress.
There was no room for weakness.
For herself and for the people.
“His Majesty the Emperor has fallen!”
With the fall of the Emperor, the only one Psirias could lean on, she slowly began to crumble.
She was barely fulfilling her duties as the Empress, but she felt unmotivated by everything.
Then one day, terrible pain came.
The slightest glimpse of light felt like her eyes were being ripped out, pushing her mind and body deeper and deeper into darkness.
She thought she would never have the same life again.
She despaired, hoped, and gave up.
And she became a paper doll like this.
Just a few days ago, it was definitely like that.
“Your Majesty, I will prepare breakfast for you.”
“Prepare it a little later. I want to be alone right now.”
“Understood. I will return, so please call me if you need anything.”
As the maid retreated, Psirias slowly slid off the bed.
Her body felt refreshed as she stepped on the floor.
Although she couldn’t see what was in front of her due to the bandages, she could move comfortably within her bedroom.
With familiar steps, Psirias walked toward the window that led to the balcony.
A breeze blew through the open window.
Feeling the intangible sensation brushing against her cheek, she unconsciously reached out her hand.
‘It’s refreshing.’
She wanted to see what was in front of her.
She wanted to remove the bandages and see the sunlight.
Beyond this was the garden that the Emperor had arranged for her.
A garden she hadn’t seen in over a year.
The last time she saw it, the grass seemed to be growing lushly.
“It’s surprisingly not very painful.”
She had bandages on, but the surroundings were bright. It’s a clear sign of light, but she really doesn’t feel any pain.
The more she felt that her condition had improved, the harder it was for Psirias to contain her excitement.
If only Rohiriel would come and remove the bandages, and tell her that she was fully recovered.
“……!”
Once again, a breeze passed through her hair.
The pin that held it in place came loose, and the bandage began to slide off, layer by layer.
It happened so quickly that Psirias couldn’t bring herself to raise her hand to stop the bandages from unraveling.
Perhaps it was because her eyes were filled with bright blue sky.
The cool sky with vibrant greenery.
White wildflowers in the distance.
“Ah…….”
How long had it been since she had seen the outside in such brightness?
What was the last scenery she saw with her intact eyes, without pain?
Psirias took a step outside, as if mesmerized by something.
And another step, and another.
When she came to her senses, she found herself standing in the sunlight, basking in its warmth.
“Oh dear, I’ll get scolded by the Crown Princess.”
Rohiriel, with her pale and freckled face, firmly tried to control Psirias’s actions in her mind. It seemed like she might scold Psirias for removing the bandages first.
But even so, Psirias couldn’t help but laugh.
Then, for a moment, she closed her eyes, overcome by a choking emotion rising from her throat.
Tears that she didn’t know when it formed fell onto the top of her foot.
“I’m not even wearing shoes…….”
She could feel the texture of the earth beneath her feet
Even the dirt, which she had never paid much attention to before, seemed beautiful to Psirias, and her eyes welled up again.
One drop, two drops, three drops.
As Psirias wiped away the tears that kept falling, she heard a sound from behind.
“Your Majesty!”
Psirias quickly regained her composure and looked at Rohiriel, who had come closer.
Her blue eyes were filled with concern.
“Are your eyes hurting again? Where does it hurt…?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that the thought of being scolded by you brought tears to my eyes.”
“What? What’s that about?”
Rohiriel tilted her head slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on Psirias’ eyes.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Psirias looked away and explained herself unnecessarily.
“Well, I didn’t deliberately undo the bandages. They just came loose because of the wind.”
It was the truth, but for some reason, Psirias felt like she was making excuses.
At first, she felt unfamiliar with the idea of having such intimate feelings for a lady of Cassian, whom she had been so wary of.
Watching Psirias trying to explain herself, Rohiriel smiled gently.
“Well, it can’t be helped. I was planning to remove them today anyway. I’ll check one last time, so please come in, Your Majesty.”
As they entered, she could see the maid, whose complexion had turned pale, anxiously wringing her hands.
Feeling sorry, Psirias thought she should apologize to the maid separately and sat down on the sofa.
“How is your eyesight?”
“It’s amazing. I can see everything just fine. It doesn’t hurt at all, really!”
“Good, then let’s try the same test as last time. Hold this paper with numbers and stand over there.”
A maid held a paper with numbers, stood at a distance, and Psirias read the numbers without any difficulty.
Rohiriel quickly jotted something down in her notebook then nodded.
“I can’t definitively declare you cured, but it seems safe to say you’re almost fully recovered.”
“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t even want to think about what would have happened.”
“It’s because Your Majesty put in the effort.”
“No, it’s because I was such an incompetent Empress… I almost lost my sight forever. Those wretched people.”
Psirias’ expression turned stern as she thought of Blanche and the chief physician.
But then her expression softened again and she spoke.
“I would like to reward you. If you have a request, I will do my best to fulfill it.”
“I’ve only done what I should have done, so a reward is unnecessary. It’s more than enough.”
“It’s not the Crown Princess’ duty to treat me. You deserve a reward. Please tell me.”
Psirias was resolute.
Rohiriel hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should continue to refuse or if she should finally say what she had in mind.
There was something she wanted to request, but it was a delicate matter, so she had been waiting for the right moment.
Seeing her hesitation, Psirias spoke gently.
“Don’t feel burdened. Just tell me. If it’s not an impossible task, I’ll grant it. You’ve done me a favor.”
Rohiriel swallowed dryly.
Before, it didn’t seem like the right time, but now it feels like the right moment to speak.
She had been thinking about it since she first came here.
Rohiriel’s lips slowly parted.
“Well… I have one request, Your Majesty.”
“Alright, what is it?”
Rohiriel’s eyes as she met Psirias’ sparkled with anticipation.
Her gaze wandered beyond the heavy curtain that draped across the bedroom.
“Please allow me to examine His Majesty the Emperor.”
For a moment, golden eyes flickered.
She hadn’t expected Rohiriel to bring up the Emperor.
“His Majesty the Emperor…?”
Psirias’ gaze also turned toward the curtain.
It was where the sun that ruled the empire, the Emperor, had been asleep for several years.
