Edited by “Freya”
Chapter 05
‘First, let’s set aside thoughts about the Crown Prince and focus on what needs to be done,’ Aira thought, standing before Empress Julienne.
With a composed heart, she lowered herself with a graceful bow, placing her hand on her chest and slightly lifting her skirt.
“Aira Marceline, eldest daughter of Marceline, greets Her Grace, the Empress.”
Her movements were so flawless and elegant that even Julienne was momentarily surprised.
Beside her, Luna awkwardly copied the gesture with a faint smile.
“Luna Marceline, illegitimate daughter of Marceline, greets Her Grace, the Empress.”
Luna’s manners were nothing compared to Aira’s, so it was only natural that the Empress’s attention remained fixed on Aira.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Watching Aira from behind, Luna’s eyes twitched slightly.
‘When did she learn to act so much like a noble?’ Luna wondered, her thoughts tinged with irritation.
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.
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.
The Empress’s eyebrows twitched at her words.
Even Aira’s eyes flickered coldly.
Aira had always wondered to herself.
‘How did Luna manage to gain the favor of Empress Julienne?’
Aira, even as she neared death in her previous life, couldn’t understand.
The reason Julienne had accepted the Marceline family was because of Aira’s value as a tool—her value as a sacrifice to transfer sacred power to Xavier. Marceline, as a powerless noble family, was useful only for this purpose.
But as for Luna—who wasn’t the legitimate daughter but the second daughter—Aira thought Julienne would never accept her.
But Luna had clearly won the Empress over with some clever trick.
“Here, Your Grace,” Luna said, revealing a sparkling gemstone bracelet she had hidden in the folds of her dark dress.
‘So this is what it’s all about.’
Aira thought as she watched Luna’s graceful movements.
The Marceline family may have lost its influence, but the Marceline family still had treasures collected over centuries, including rare gifts received from the imperial family.
‘To think that Luna was nothing more than a sneaky thief. I truly didn’t expect it.’
A mocking smile appeared on Aira’s lips.
The reason she had reconciled with her father earlier was to inspect the family’s treasures. In the past, when Aira suggested selling the treasures to save the family from financial ruin, but Luna had avoided the idea with excuses.
Recently, Aira had entered the treasure room under the pretense of checking for jewels to decorate her dress and had discovered a significant discrepancy between the inventory records and the actual items.
As she saw Luna walking carefully in a dark gray dress, Aira began to suspect Luna was hiding something valuable.
“My, how beautiful,” the Empress said, admiring the bracelet glittering with jewels.
Aira once believed that hard work and integrity would earn recognition and love, but that had been a mistake.
Unlike Aira, who had cut her relationship with the Marceline family due to her stubbornness, Luna had likely offered the family’s treasures to the Empress.
After Aira’s father passed, Luna, who oversaw the family finances, had probably handed over the entire Marceline estate to the Empress to secure her position as a daughter-in-law.
“Such a lovely gift,” the Empress said, smiling as she tried on the bracelet.
Meanwhile, Luna beamed with satisfaction, confident that her efforts were paying off. If she had brought the bracelet openly, Aira would have blocked her, but now that it was already presented, there was no turning back.
Even if Aira reported this to their father, Luna believed he would praise her for securing the Empress’s favor rather than scolding her.
‘You need to be cunning, Aira,’ Luna thought smugly.
Just as Luna was preparing to flatter the Empress further, Aira suddenly spoke up.
“I hope Your Grace is pleased with the gift.”
The unexpected comment caught the Empress’s attention, and Luna’s composure wavered.
“Could it be…” the Empress began, glancing at Aira.
“Did my future daughter-in-law prepare this?”
At the Empress’s words, Luna’s eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.
The credit for the gift should have been hers, but Aira had skillfully intervened.
“This is… It’s mine…!” Luna stammered.
“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.
Luna was in shock at Aira’s words.
“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.
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.
“I’m glad you like it, Your Majesty,” Aira said with a radiant smile, leaving Luna not just confused but increasingly fearful.
Did Aira know? Did she figure out her plan? How could she be so calm? It couldn’t be—Aira wasn’t sharp enough for that.
“Step back now, Luna,” Aira said in a composed tone as if dismissing her after completing her task.
Luna wanted to protest, but the bracelet was now declared as a gift from Count Marceline, celebrating her engagement to the Crown Prince. If Luna confessed that she had stolen it from the family treasure room, it would only anger the Empress and disgrace herself.
Seething that, Luna returned to Aira’s side, her fists clenched in trembling fury.
The dull color of her dress seemed even darker when compared to Aira’s, making Luna feel even more insignificant.
‘Aira… you!’
“My father, Count Marceline, is overjoyed about the engagement with Prince Xavier,” Aira said smoothly, earning a pleased smile from the Empress.
“I’m glad to hear that. It seems this union will truly be a joyous occasion.”
Aira smiled faintly and lowered her head, but inside, she was laughing.
‘I’ll push you into the fate I experienced, Luna.’
‘I won’t let you claim any glory by using my family.’
The Empress would never know what Aira truly harbored in her heart.
‘If I was merely a puppet in my previous life, then you will play the role of a lowly slave.’
Aira had already planned the punishments she would give them.
Julienne would choke on his own greed and bring about his own ruin, and Xavier would lose everything he desperately wanted and fall into despair. Luna would be blind to her situation, only to be betrayed and scream in agony. Ultimately, the three of them would meet at the gates of hell, and that would be the conclusion Ara sought.
She would reclaim the life she had lost.
If her previous existence had been naive and pitiful, this time, she would embrace the role of the villainess.
“Aira! How could you do this to me?” Luna confronted Aira in a low voice, filled with disbelief.
The Empress had gone to change, and the two were momentarily alone. Luna’s fists were trembling violently, her eyes full of resentment towards Aira.
“That treasure, I worked so hard to steal it…”
