“Ugh…!”

The shard of glass lodged in Anais’s neck fell to the floor as it was pulled out by Lilith, along with drops of blood that hit the ground distinctly.

However, the pain soon vanished.

“Did you think I was unprepared for anything?”

Anais suddenly realized that the symbols on her chest and on Lilith’s body were similar. These symbols were spells placed in anticipation of such moments, designed to concentrate a portion of divine power in case of self-harm.

“Could it be?”

“Anais, you can never end your life on your own.”

“Why are you going to such lengths!”

At that moment, Lilith shouted with a surprised look upon seeing Anais.

“Lady Anais!”

Startled by Lilith’s outcry, Anais touched her neck. The wound had disappeared cleanly.

“Please… give up.”

“How can I give up? Kylian is in this state because of me!”

As Anais cried out in despair, Lilith’s expression changed. The cold and angry demeanor vanished, replaced by a sorrowful look, though she quickly reverted to her fierce expression.

“Give up on Kylian. I’m saying this for your sake.”

“Don’t lie!”

“I swear by the Goddess! I’m telling the truth!”

Anais thought her cowardly for invoking God’s name only in such moments.

“Then why did you say that? Why did you talk as if you were going to kill Kylian?”

At Anais’s question, Lilith stepped on the shard, fearing she might pick it up again. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Anais stabbing her own neck, not with her body but Anais’s own body, haunted her, causing her body to tremble.

“Kylian would die if I told him to right now. Don’t you know that?”

“Why would you go so far? Why do you hate Kylian so much! It’s enough that you hate me!”

“You took everything from me!”

Anais believed Lilith knew her feelings. Anais had always hoped Lilith and Kylian would be bound by fate, denying her own feelings for that purpose.

Lilith, of all people, should have understood that. At least, that’s what Anais thought.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have lived like this! I wouldn’t have lived so miserably, always looking at someone else’s back!”

“That’s why I yielded to you. I continuously helped so that you and Kylian could be together! I kept reassuring you that I had no place…”

“Ah, right. That was really amusing.”

Anais closed her mouth as Lilith looked at her with tormented eyes while speaking.

“But did you know? Goddess Julias was planning to kill Lady Anais. It was because you kept altering the ‘predetermined future’ that Goddess Julias had perfectly crafted.”

Anais stared directly at Lilith. Lilith looked straight back at her this time.

“It was Lady Anais, who ruined Kylian’s life. Look at how crazy Kylian has become because of your misguided sympathy that has wrecked him.”

Anais knew the telltale signs when Lilith was lying. Lilith had a habit of twisting her fingers when she did. But now, her gaze was steady, showing no sign of deception.

“It’s a lie.”

“Do you think it’s a lie? Lady Anais and Kylian weren’t even fated to be together in the first place.”

“Stop it!”

“That’s why Kylian can’t recognize you at all.”

As Anais attempted to cover her ears, Lilith grabbed her hands to stop her and continued.

“After I entered Lady Anais’s body, Kylian changed back to normal. That’s because we are fated to be together.”

“…”

“Think about it, Lady Anais.”

Anais stepped back, trying to pull her hands away, but Lilith followed her steps and grabbed her hands again. Lilith’s hands were trembling.

“Lady Anais knew it too. Kylian does not love you. If he did, he wouldn’t be indifferent to us being so different.”

“…”

“He just needs Lady Anais’ body because he felt indebted towards the person who gave him that guilt.”

Anais couldn’t deny those words. If Kylian truly loved her essence, he would have doubted the strange behaviors and uncharacteristic actions when Lilith pretended to be her.

How much Anais had tried to prove to him that she was the real Anais. Yet, he intentionally ignored it.

Lilith was right. It was clear he didn’t love her for who she was. He felt indebted to Anais Percival, whom he believed had lost her life because of him. His actions made that clear.

“Then why did you summon me? Why keep me in your body?”

“If left alone, Goddess Julias intended to annihilate your soul. That’s why I deliberately kept you in my body.”

“Why? You said you hated me.”

“Yes, I hate you. If you disappeared, who would relieve my misery?”

Anais didn’t know what to say, but from Lilith’s actions, words, and vows, it was clear there was not a shred of lie in her statement. Yet, Anais couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

“Still, this isn’t right. Kylian is depending on you, thinking you’re me. This is deceiving him.”

Thump, thump, thump.

Feeling Lilith’s heartbeat, Anais stood frozen, forgetting even to breathe. She found it strange to see Lilith who was still holding her hand, crying as if wronged.

Lilith didn’t want to respond to her words, so she chose to say something that would hurt Anais the most.

“Kylian can only live properly without Lady Anais by his side. He has to live by Goddess Julias’s desired future.”

“But Kylian…”

“Give up on Kylian. He was never Lady Anais’s to begin with.”

Anais was forced to confront her own feelings, making Lilith’s sharp words feel like the shard of glass once lodged in her throat and piercing her heart.

“I don’t want to give up on Kylian.”

“Lady Anais, you’re not Kylian’s destiny. The fact that Kylian does not love your essence is because of that. Everything has fallen into place now that I am in this body.”

“What about the living sacrifice?”

“We no longer need a living sacrifice. We have the High Priest of Life now.”

Anais had thought she wished for Kylian not to love her, but hearing from someone else that he truly didn’t love her and was fated with Lilith, not loving her essence, pained her heart. She felt embarrassed yet sincere in her wish for his love.

“I don’t want to give up on Kylian.”

“If you love him, you shouldn’t. What do you think would happen if I commanded Kylian to die?”

“…”

“Kylian would take his own life if it could lessen his guilt.”

Anais wanted to avoid Lilith’s gaze, fearing Lilith would notice her condition, but she did not look away.

“All of this could be easily resolved with Kylian’s death. No need for a living sacrifice anymore, and once the continent’s order is restored, Goddess Julias will be satisfied.”

“Don’t do this.”

“If you don’t want me to do this, then you shouldn’t show me such an attitude. Who do you think holds the power now?”

Anais finally realized the Lilith she knew had never existed.

“I can do anything as long as it makes Lady Anais happy.”

“Were you deceiving me from the beginning?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You are a high-ranking Young Duke and a great subject of the Cypnos Empire. Even though I was a saint, my origin as a slave made me a disgrace to the temple. How could I have treated you comfortably?”

Anais was unfazed by Lilith’s tone. She was more worried she might act on her threat to Kylian.

“Leave Kylian alone.”

“…”

“Please, I’m begging you.”

Anais seemed to have given up on rational thought, pleading as she tightly grasped Lilith’s hand. However, Lilith’s expression turned colder.

And with a cruel smile she had once pretended to be Anais, she said.

“Now that I think about it, if Kylian dies and I become the empress, there couldn’t be a better ending.”

“Don’t do this, Lilith. It’s my fault.”

Anais was so heartbroken that she couldn’t continue to speak any further. She felt miserable but even more so because everything Lilith said seemed sincere.

“Then stay out of my sight. I don’t want to see you lurking around anymore.”

“Lewarren said I might not last long in this body. So… just let me stay by Kylian’s side until I die.”

“Why? You want to see whether I kill Kylian or not?”

“I know you won’t kill him. Because you love him too.”

Realizing she was powerless to change anything, Anais wanted to end her life here.

“Then so be it. That measly debt you think you owe me, consider it repaid.”

Lilith said this and left the room. Anais felt denied in all her efforts and she felt miserable. The tears she had been holding back flowed freely as she hit her chest.

* * *</center<

Despite knowing the Empress was Lilith, nothing changed. Kylian still cherished her, listened to everything she said, and since gifting her a bouquet, they both wore matching rings.

Anais no longer wore a restraint around her neck but remained silent.

"Wife, a petal has fallen in your hair."

"Is that so? Then let Kylian remove it."

"…Yes."

Blushing, Kylian leaned over to remove the petal from her hair resting on his shoulder.

"The wisteria flowers bloom every day now."

"Do you like seeing them?"

"Yes. Did you do it, Your Majesty?"

"…Yes. I thought you would like it."

"That's nice."

The Empress said this, leaning her head against Kylian's shoulder and rubbing against it. Kylian involuntarily shivered, feeling her gaze was slightly different from the Anais he had hoped for.

Yet, he held her hand very tightly.

"I would do anything to make you happy."

"Really? So if I asked you to die, would you do it?"

"Yes."

The Empress purposely asked this in front of Anais. She stood frozen when hearing that and soon overwhelmed by misery with tears bubbling in her eyes.

After strolling in the garden, they went inside.

As the imperial couple left, Anais headed not to Phileal’s bedroom but to her assigned quarters. She closed the door completely behind her, and the dim moonlight cast shadows through the window.

A shadow moved swiftly.

"Uhh…!"

Thud!

The moment she noticed the shadow, someone struck her neck from behind. That was the last thing Anais remembered that day.

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