Why had it never occurred to me to think about it properly?

I don’t know the ending of the original work.

No matter how distorted the original work was from the start, I wasn’t even the slightest bit curious about my fate in the story.

What happened to me after I was locked in the tower?

One day, the imperial palace became noisy.

Then out of the blue, Marius imprisoned Rebecca Marquione…

…After that, the story lost me.

It was strange that I overlooked that fact before.

But does it matter now?

What I wanted to know was whether I suffered and died in the original work.

“Liliana. Aah, come on, take the medicine, ah—”

Eldest Sister carefully lifted me and sat me on my bed.

I was so feverish that my whole body ached like it was going to break, causing me endless torment.

“Sister, I don’t want to. I don’t want—”

“Let’s just take a bite, okay?”

The syrupy medicine she shoved into my mouth had a bitter taste.

—Shhh…

A warm hand rubbed my back.

The more she did this, the more frantic I became. I began to whimper and cry.

“Eldest Sister, am I going to die?”

“You won’t.”

“Uuhng, I don’t want to die, huff…”

“Regina, it seems she has a fever. We should try to lower it. Let’s wipe her down until the doctor arrives.”

Eldest Sister undressed me while instructing Second Sister.

Although the weather didn’t even seem cold, I was shivering without my clothes.

“Give me a blanket. I’m cold…”

Without paying me any heed, my sisters brought a wet towel and started wiping my body.

Third Sister was in shock and sobbing quietly, and it reached my ears.

Every time the damp towel touched my skin, I whined in pain.

“It’s cold, noo—!”

I desperately struggled and resisted, but Eldest Sister held me with such strength that I couldn’t move.

While my mind was dizzy and my sight was hazy, I heard a familiar voice.

“I cast a healing spell, but it only bolsters natural healing, so as long as the child is sick, there’s a limit, therefore—”

When I came to, François and Third Sister were in the corner of my room, talking frantically.

It was so noisy that I wanted everyone to just leave, but I couldn’t muster a word, so I just cried at the top of my lungs.

Then, at some point, I seemed to faint and fell asleep.

* * *

I thought I had come to the right place because I hadn’t gotten sick since I came to the empire, but eventually I got sick.

After my fever didn’t go down for several days, the faces of my sisters became swollen.

Then, I heard that François visited me at dawn and infused me with magical power, so when I woke up in the morning, I felt refreshed.

“No playing outside for the time being.”

Eldest Sister declared as she scooped up some watery porridge and put it into my mouth.

My lips were chapped, but I couldn’t refuse.

Apparently, I had collapsed while gazing at the Western Tower with Edgar. He carried me on his back to the imperial palace, where I became extremely feverish.

I didn’t know I would suddenly collapse like that.

Whether it was due to the shock of seeing the tower where I was imprisoned or the fatigue that had unknowingly accumulated, I had gotten really sick.

According to Youngest Sister, I sometimes said gibberish.

Finally, Youngest Sister appeared, dragging François by the collar and screaming at him to do something.

As for me…

…I also want to know what my illness is.

I lowered my head and checked my palms.

Others’ hands were reddish, but mine were sickly pale.

I often had a fever and felt so sick that I couldn’t even eat properly.

Yet, I didn’t even know the name of my illness.

My sisters seemed to know something, but they didn’t explain it to me because I was still small.

—But I won’t die. My sisters won’t let me!

I trusted my sisters.

I was still a child, but my sisters were the strongest and most wonderful people in the world.

“Lily, even if you don’t have any appetite, you need to eat to get better quickly.”

“I never said I didn’t want to eat? I was merely thinking about something.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“I’ll eat a lot of spinach from now on! That way, I will grow tall like my sisters, right?”

I needed to grow taller and healthier as quickly as possible if I wanted to learn ‘Hammer Fist.’ Afterward, I’d crush Edgar, and even Marius would tremble at my might.

“What’s going on? The youngest got sick and suddenly she’s all grown up.”

“That’s right. See? Only three broccoli left.”

“Sister has been cooking it since dawn, so you can’t leave anything behind.”

Youngest Sister emphasized with an uncharacteristic twinkle in her eyes that I couldn’t help but finish the rest of the soup.

Then, there was a knock.

“Come in!”

After drinking all the soup, powdered medicine always followed.

I wanted to postpone taking my medicine even if only a little bit longer, so I braced myself and screamed.

Then, the door opened slightly and Edgar stuck his head out.

“Edgar!”

When I tried to leap out of bed in joy, Eldest Sister seized my shoulders. At the same time, Edgar shouted desperately.

“No! Sit down!”

He came rushing in and stared at me.

Come to think of it, I heard that Edgar was shaken because I suddenly collapsed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I don’t feel any pain anymore.”

“You’re lying. Your face is as white as a boiled egg.”

“I’m naturally white.”

Edgar ignored my reply and suddenly held out something wrapped in a handkerchief to me.

“It’s a visitation gift.”

The gift wrapped in a handkerchief was an olive branch with a few leaves still attached.

Edgar spoke as my eyes widened.

“Before, we couldn’t go because the garden was still being maintained. I was able to enter a few days ago, so I went and picked some. I haven’t found the lemon tree yet, but I’ll let you know when I find it.”

“Wow! Thank you!”

Olive trees were common in Trovanza but rarely found in the Empire.

Even though I was sick, seeing the leaves refreshed me.

Unlike me, who chirpily picked up the olive tree, Youngest Sister tilted her head in puzzlement.

“Little Duke, you said you couldn’t enter because the garden was being maintained?”

“Indeed. They prohibited me from entering because they were planting flowers.”

“At first, we were going to play in the garden, but we were told we couldn’t enter, so we went to see the tower instead.”

Youngest Sister seemed stunned by my answer.

Youngest Sister was always outspoken and boisterous, so it frightened me when she only knitted her eyebrows without a word.

As Edgar and I stared at each other in confusion, Youngest Sister smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Am I not allowed to bring an olive branch as a visitation gift?”

“No, I was merely curious about the garden. Even though I’ve been staying at the imperial palace, I’ve never set foot there.”

I don’t think that’s the case…

It seemed Eldest Sister knew why Youngest Sister was angry.

I could tell right away just by looking at the hand clenched tightly as it roughly opened the medicine bag

What? Did I cause an accident?

Feeling like I had pressed an emergency button, I took the medicine without saying anything.

The white powder tasted really terrible.

* * *

Liliana fell asleep after taking her medicine.

Leaving her youngest sister in the care of Regina, Alice went to Marius’ office.

After coming to the Empire, she behaved as reserved and quietly as possible, but now that she was going to meet Marius, she was overwhelmed by burning emotions.

“His Majesty is having a private meeting with the Magic Tower Lord. Please wait a moment.”

Max, the head of staff, stopped Alice at the door.

“Move.”

Although her voice was quiet, there was an undeniable sense of intimidation.

Max had felt that eerie sensation before—when Marius drew his sword to defend the throne.

The feeling was akin to standing in front of a wild beast, and the sense of dread tore him apart.

Max unconsciously bowed his head and stepped aside.
Considering Max’s actions as a given, Alice opened the door and walked in.

“If I had no luck finding the materials in Trovanza, then I don’t think I’d fare any better here. As soon as I came to the empire, I searched the magic tower, the imperial palace, and the library, but there was nothing.”

As soon as she entered the office, she saw Marius and François engaged in a serious conversation.

“We need to develop a cure.”

“I’ll pay for everything. I’ll fund the research as well, so the treatment—Max, I told you not to come in without permission. Do you want to die?”

She had entered without making any sound, but he still managed to detect her presence.

Alice halted when she heard Marius’ icy voice.

He was a cold and harsh monarch.

François clutched his forehead, perhaps having a headache from the stress of studying.

François shouted irritably as there was no sign of her leaving.

“Secretary, leave!”

“I didn’t know you’d be having your own private discussion without the child’s guardian.”

“…Ms. Alice?”

When Alice exclaimed in a cold voice, Marius greeted her with a slightly surprised expression.

“I was going to say hello to you today.”

François also hurriedly stood and greeted her.

It was awkward, to say the least, since they hadn’t been properly introduced to each other because Liliana fell ill.

“How is Liliana?”

“The fever has gone and the biggest issue has passed. She has started eating and taking her medicine well.”

“Thank goodness. The little crab was boiling and suffering. I’m sure Alice is having a hard time, as well.”

“It was your brother who suffered, not me.”

“Huh?”

Alice pretended not to have heard the consolation that Marius offered and walked over to them, before lightly hitting the table.

She didn’t apply much obvious force, but boom—!

Then, crash! Bang! Thud!

The table split in half and fell to the side.

“Hey…”

François reflexively froze under the pressure of Alice’s aura and now slammed his hand against the wall like a ball-jointed puppet.

Marius smiled and looked at Alice.

“I was about to change my desk, but you broke it.”

Alice coldly glared at Marius.

The frigid atmosphere was so fierce that it could’ve stabbed someone to death.

‘Emilia Verchio isn’t as wild as this one.’

François chuckled to himself, thinking that the sisters had diverse personalities.

At that time, Alice glared fiercely at François, as if reading his thoughts.

“Mr. François, could you please leave for a moment? I’ll see you in my room in an hour. I have something to discuss separately regarding Liliana’s treatment.”

“All right. I’ll see you later.”

As if he had been waiting for those exact words, François got up and left the office.

Marius still seemed unfazed even though his desk was broken.

“Let’s sit down and talk first.”

“—Just because Liliana is a Trovanza, she was denied entry to the gardens, unlike Regina, who was allowed to the garden every evening with the Duke of Waltrachen.”

“Really? I’ll have to call the person in charge. Which will make you feel better: for them to be beaten until they are semi-paralyzed, or sentenced to five years in prison?”

Belying his casual and friendly tone, it was a ruthless question.

Alice stared into the black, dead eyes of Marius and suppressed her despair.

How about starting with an apology?

He just dished out cruel punishment without any hesitation.

Feigning playing frivolously with Liliana was just one of that man’s faces.

A man who didn’t feel the slightest remorse in shedding blood, treating human life like a fly—it must be his true face.

That was the man she signed a contract with.

—