It was the busiest day at the Imperial Palace hunting grounds in a long time.

After a lively dinner, Hazel sat in front of the mirror and let the maidens do their thing.

“The hunt was tiring. I had to look at the blood all day. I still feel nauseous.”

When Hazel complained, Mary, the Empress’s chief maid, brought her a teacup and offered it to her.

“But you still had the best catch, didn’t you? What are you going to make with the white deer you got from His Majesty?”

“Well… Shall we hang it on the wall?”

Hazel chuckled.

“The antlers are beautiful and would look great on the wall in the Empress’s bedroom. What shall we make with the skins then?”

The deer that Emperor Achilleon had personally caught and presented to the Empress was an animal that could only be found about one or two at a time in the entire forest.

Not only were they cautious and inconspicuous, they were also fast and not easy to catch, yet the emperor was willing to give it to the empress.

“Why don’t you make a winter dress out of its leather?”

The maidservants were more excited about it than the Empress herself.

“I heard that the Emperor has caught many times more than the Grand Duke.”

The maidservants, who had just helped Hazel change into her pajamas, took off her jeweled hair ornaments and her shoes, and replaced them with soft silk slippers.

In the meantime, to keep the Empress entertained, they made constant noises about the day’s events.

“The Grand Duke had only caught a few foxes.”

The Empress’s expression, which had not reacted to the maid servant’s words, changed drastically.

“How dare you mock the Imperial family?”

“…My sins, I’m sorry…”

The dumbfounded maidservant hurriedly knelt and then bowed her head.

“Do your job. Whether it’s His Majesty or the sky, all were born with different qualities.”

“Yes, of course.”

The maid breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and began combing Hazel’s hair again.

“I heard white deer are precious. We could have raised it. It’s a shame that it’s dead.”

To liven up the atmosphere that was frozen for a while, Mary switched the subject in a cheerful voice.

“It’s true.”

Hazel nodded.

“He killed it in front of me…I still can’t breath at the sight.”

“Oh my God…”

The maid’s hand trembled as she held the comb, as if she had imagined the scene.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I was too.”

Hazel narrowed her eyes and thought back to earlier at the hunting ground. The deer’s eyes were like black grapes and it was still breathing. Hazel was about to say, “His leg is injured, let’s help it.” A long sword was thrust into the deer’s neck.

“I want to give it to you in its most beautiful condition.” The emperor said.

“My hand trembled when I saw it.”

Hazel raised her hand and mimicked the shaking. She remembered the fear she had felt a little while ago.

She knew he was a man of no mercy when it came to dealing with sinners and enemies, but the death she witnessed before her eyes was enough to make her spine tremble. And on the other hand.

“It’s weird.”

“What is it?”

Mary asked, but Hazel was silent, remembering what she had just seen.

“The blood…”

It was a noble beast that died with hot blood vomiting from its neck. The blood scattered over the white fur and was also splattered on Hazel’s dress.

“Oh, so the blood on my hunting clothes was deer blood?”

Mary heard Hazel murmuring and replied.

“You can’t use that dress anymore, because the bloodstains won’t go away. But don’t worry, we have plenty of dresses, Empress.”

“…….”

Hazel wasn’t worried about that. It was that she thought something was wrong earlier. It didn’t seem like a big deal, but when she thought about it, it was odd.

Achilleon had never been the kind of man who would arbitrarily show blood to his wife.

“The blood spilled on the battlefield cannot be recovered. But you won’t see blood while I’m with you. I promise you that.”

It was animal blood, not human, but it was a complete reversal of his promise.

The deer, who was shot in the leg instead of the vital point, was too healthy, it didn’t make sense that the Emperor would kill it out of mercy to end its suffocation. Besides, with his skills, the Emperor would never have missed the deer.

”Empress?”

“Yes?”

Hazel looked at Mary in surprise.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing.”

Hazel was constantly ruminating on the look on Achilleon’s face at the exact moment when he had taken the deer’s breath away.

“To kill such a beautiful beast with impunity. Sometimes I see that His Majesty is really ….”

Hazel was about to say something, but then she looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled as she swallowed her next words.

“I feel sorry for the animals. I don’t know why he has such a hobby.”

She turned the diamond ring, which shone brightly in the candlelight, removed it and placed it in front of the mirror.

“How I wish he had the same taste as Grand Duke Sisef…”

“He prefers hunting to display. Isn’t that cool?

One of the maids mimicked firing a gun, and the other maids giggled, unable to contain their laughter.

“What about Lady Lorette?”

“The Grand Duchess was probably scared too.”

Hazel stared into the mirror again.

“Lorette must have been surprised to see blood in the hunting grounds today. Please bring her some tea to help her sleep.”

“That’s very kind of you, Empress.”

“Not too much.”

“You two married at the same time. As a superior, you take great care of her. I’m sure the Grand Duchess appreciates it.”

“If I don’t take care of her, who do you think will?”

It was a union of empire and kingdom, the union of brothers and sisters.

The funny thing was that both the grooms and the brides had one thing in common: they were half-brother and sister, born from different bellies.

Everyone talked about how King Land was not just a simple person for sending two daughters at the same time to the imperial family where everyone wanted a political marriage.

Rumors about his eldest daughter, who had captivated the Crown Prince, the next Emperor, and was quickly confirmed as the next Empress.

This has further strengthened the position of the kingdom under the protection of the empire that has swallowed up half of the continent, but for the kingdom, it was a “profitable business”.

“Today, the Grand Duchess seemed to be in a bad shape the whole time. Her complexion was pale and she looked as if she had seen a ghost.”

“It’s probably because she saw blood.”

It was Hazel’s half-sister who was in an even worse mood than she was.

“Empress must be tired, please get some rest.”

Mary was right, it had been a busy day. Hazel’s husband, the Emperor, had invited his brother, the Grand Duke, and his wife to the imperial villa to enjoy a day of hunting and to feast on their harvest.

After eating and drinking happily, the Emperor said, “I have something else to talk about with the Grand Duke.” Leaving the two men alone, the Grand Duchess (Hazel’s half sister) and Hazel went back to their respective bedrooms.

“The emperor has sent a maid.”

One of the maidservants came over and said, and Hazel nodded.

She tilted her head curiously as she gazed at the maid in the mirror.

“I’ve never seen you before.”

“I’m new here.”

Then the maid lifted the box and knelt graciously in front of Hazel. The box was wrapped in red velvet and the entrance was decorated with pure gold.

“Open it, Empress.”

The maid, who had been carefully combing her hair, said with curious eyes.

“It seems that the Emperor has sent you a gift.”

“So sudden? Didn’t he have some business with the Grand Duke?”

“They are done.”

Hazel tilted her head as she listened to the maid’s words.

“Where is the Emperor?”

“I think he drank too much, and the servants helped him to his chamber.”

“…Is that so?”

For the most part, Achilleon never slept alone. Even when he finished work late at night, he went to the Empress’ bedroom and slept by her side.

“I guess he sent it because he felt bad that he couldn’t come.”

Mary said with a smile, and the other maids interrupted her.

“Hasn’t His Majesty given you a gift once or twice?”

Hazel made eye contact and glanced at the laughing maids.

The Emperor had scoured the empire, and the continent, in person for gems that would suit his wife, as only the best would qualify to be placed on her body, and as a result, the bedroom of the Demophos Empress was filled with rare gems that could not be found anywhere else.

“He gave me this blue diamond necklace as a surprise.”

Hazel lightly touched the necklace on her neck.

The water droplet shaped blue diamond was the size of a child’s fist, which made its color stand out even more. The blue color was so deep that it reminded her of the eyes of the Emperor.

“Come on, open it.”

The maids continued their urging. When Hazel had just reached for the box, the maid who had brought the box quickly added.

“I’m sorry but it’s for your eyes only.”

“Everyone please leave.”

At Hazel’s words, all the maids, including Mary, backed away at once. The maid who had brought the box also left after placing the box in front of the mirror.

Hazel opened the box as soon as she was alone.

Crack!

Contrary to her expectation that it would contain a dazzling gem, inside was a small piece of paper. The note was attached to a bracelet of colored thread with an ornamental initial pattern. Hazel’s eyes changed instantly when she saw it.

She hastily unfolded the note. The familiar handwriting caught her eyes.

[Meet me in the forest behind the annex, in front of the zelkova tree. I have something to tell you. I regret this marriage. I’m always thinking about you.]

It was Sisef.

Hazel looked around involuntarily. There were no eyes watching her, but her mouth was dry and she was starting to feel short of breath.

Because of the note Sisef had sent.

Why on earth would he do that? Suddenly? Why? He was her half sister’s husband, a brother of the Emperor, her husband.

And he was the man Hazel once loved. Yet he married her half-sister and was bound to the family name.

But he couldn’t believe he wrote such a letter now.

Hazel looked at the bracelet again. It was definitely Sisef’s. No, it belonged to her, to be exact.

A bracelet that they had made together in Land a long time ago. After their initials were carved on it, Hazel took his bracelet as a prank, and Sisef got Hazel’s.

What’s the point of hanging on to it and sending a note….

The maidservant from earlier…Hazel thought it was strange that a new face had suddenly appeared, and that she brought such a thing…

“Do you still have this?”

She was lost in thought as she looked at the bracelet. It was just a prank she had played in the past. The colored thread she had knitted it with was warped and not very elaborate. It was because she was clumsy with my hands. So she took the one from Sisef, who made it relatively better, and gave him her own.

She never thought he’d still have that humble thing.

‘You wanted Lorette. That’s why you married her. Why on earth would you do this?’

Her heart began to beat uncontrollably. Achilleon fell asleep drunk. All the maids left.

Suddenly, Hazel rummaged through her closet. She pulled out a long, thin robe of black silk and pulled the hat up to her head.

Just this once. Only this once. Never, never again…..

***

Huff. Huff…

Hazel let out a ragged breath as she reached the forest. The midnight hunting grounds were still and she ran along the unguarded path. When she got there, someone appeared behind a tree.

“Sisef?”

Perhaps because of the extremely dark surroundings, Sisef looked taller than usual.

“What’s going on?”

Her heart thumped, and for a moment Hazel felt her clouded reason gradually return.

“…….”

Hazel stepped back slowly. Just as an ominous feeling enveloped her body, the wind changed direction.

The disgusting smell of blood.

The servants didn’t clean up the blood? That couldn’t be….

“Hello, my Empress.”

Hazel doubted her ears at the sound of the blowing wind.

“Hazel, what are you doing here at this time of night?”

“…….”

The only thing she could see clearly were the blue eyes, as cold as the ice of the North Sea, staring at her.

A devilishly beautiful face came to the woman’s bedroom late at night and smiled at her, tempting her.

Facing that smile, Hazel was somewhat horrified. For it was as if she had witnessed a beautiful yet cruel scene that was not of this world.

“Your Majesty, this is…What’s going on?”

“You.”

She heard the sound of grass being stepped on. His body, still submerged in darkness, was not completely visible, but his half-exposed face held a ghostly color.

“I, I…..”

Wrong. There was definitely something wrong. Hazel tried to piece together her convoluted thoughts. Then what about the maid who was sent earlier?

“Why? Is it strange that I came out? Or are you disappointed?”

“……What?”

For a moment, Hazel thought she had misheard something.

“Am I not my brother you’re so eager to meet?”

“Achilleon….”

“I watched you the whole time in the hunting grounds. You were so sad that I almost cried.”

Achilleon raised his hand and brushed up the hair that covered his eyes.

“…….”

Hazel gasped and withdrew.

“Why?”

“Blood, blood…”

Achilleon’s face was stained with blood as he had swept his hair up with his hand.

“Oh, I’ve groomed my prey.”

He said as if it was nothing.