"Your Majesty," I said carefully
"Might I request… that we move to a more private location?"
For a moment, silence.
Then, a low chuckle.
"How curious," the emperor mused.
"To dare such a thing in front of my court. Very well."
With a flick of his wrist, the guards parted. He turned and walked toward the balcony.
I followed, head bowed, until the heavy doors closed behind us.
The noise of the banquet faded, replaced by the quiet chill of the night air.
I dropped to my knees again, bowing deeply.
Henry Edencrown stood above me, golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
He looked every bit like the emperor that he is.
"Speak" he said.
"What is it you desire in exchange for this… treasure?"
His tone was amused.
He probably expects me to ask for gold. For land. For a title. Or even something greater.
I know the value of the elixir very well.
But I raised my head slightly, careful to keep my voice as noble and formal as possible.
"I humbly ask," I said, "that Angelica von Konrow be released from the restriction imposed upon her by the late emperor."
The air changed instantly.
It was like being crushed by a mountain. The warmth of the evening vanished, replaced by a suffocating chill.
If that was a normal person, that is.
Henry's aura was overwhelming, heavy enough to burden lesser people into dust.
"…You dare," he said slowly, his voice sharp as a blade.
I bowed my head again, forcing myself not to shake.
Only Angelica and I knew the truth.
That her "restriction" was not merely a matter of politics—but punishment for the crime of existing. The late emperor had forced Angelica to bear his child. Her blood carried the taint of royalty. And that was the reason she had been shackled.
If anyone else knew… if this truth spread, the Konrows would be destroyed.
But it was exactly because of that truth that I had to ask.
"Your Majesty," I said firmly. "Only Angelica and I know of this secret. None else shall ever learn of it. I swear it upon my life, upon the honor of House Konrow."
The silence stretched.
Then Henry laughed.
Not a polite chuckle. Not the cold, amused tone from earlier.
A full, booming, manic laugh that echoed across the balcony.
"You… you truly have guts!"
he said between laughs, clutching his chest.
"To throw such audacity before me, before the emperor itself!"
He wiped his mouth, but the sharp grin on his face never left. His eyes gleamed with something between fury and amusement.
"Very well. Since you have dared, then I shall answer."
He flicked his fingers.
In that instant, I felt it. A red line, faint and invisible, snapped in the air. A curse unraveling. A shackle broken.
"The late emperor's command is no more," Henry declared. His voice carried the weight of law itself.
"Lady Angelica von Konrow is free from the order. She may do as she pleases… so long as it does not rise against me."
My chest loosened. I lowered my head deeply, my voice firm but reverent.
"Your Majesty has my eternal gratitude. I swear Lady Angelica and I shall never forget this grace."
The emperor studied me for a long moment, lips curling into a smirk.
"Good," he said softly. "Remember it well. A Konrow who dares to bare her fangs before the throne… fascinating indeed."
The emperor dismissed me with a wave of his hand, and I bowed low before retreating.
When I stepped back into the banquet hall, every eye was on me.
Nobles swarmed like ants and their voices dripping with fake sweetness.
"Lady Josephine, to think you could accomplish such a feat…""Alchemy, of all things! Remarkable!""How extraordinary—might we perhaps… collaborate?"
I offered polite nods, murmured something about "the Empire's glory," and slipped through their grasp.
'Ugh.'
Percy's gaze burned into me from across the hall. When I finally approached, he leaned close enough that only I could hear.
"You've made quite the spectacle," he said coldly. "We will speak later."
Translation: I was in deep shit.
Jessica's lips were tight, her eyes unreadable. Mark's fists were clenched at his sides. Adele, however…
Her fury was written plain across her face. She masked it quickly with a cold smirk, but I saw it—the crack in her perfect composure.
Good.
Let her be.
I know that things didn't really go as she planned.
But I didn't care about any of them right now. My steps quickened toward the far end of the hall, where I knew she would be.
My grandmother. Angelica von Konrow.
I needed to tell her. Needed her to know that the restriction was gone.
[POV: Angelica von Konrow]
The instant the invisible chain around me broke, I knew.
The weight that had pressed on me for decades vanished like mist. My body, my soul—finally free.
I rose from my chair.
The banquet hall stilled as nobles turned to look at me. The authority that had long been smothered now radiated from every step I took.
The restriction was gone.
And I would waste no time.
My eyes locked on him—my son. Percy von Konrow.
The man who had twisted his lineage into cruelty. The boy I once cradled, now a tyrant who thought himself to be untouchable.
A lifetime of anger surged in my veins.
The hall seemed to shrink around me as my presence swelled, overwhelming. Nobles shrank back, whispering nervously.
Percy stiffened.
He knew.
I crossed the hall with deliberate steps, my authority pressing down on everyone present.
"P…mother," Percy said tightly, his usual confidence faltering.
I stopped before him. My hand rose, steady, unshaking.
And I struck.
The sound of my palm across his face echoed louder than the emperor's toast.
"You shitty child of mine!" I said
"For every sin you've committed against this family. For every cruelty you've inflicted. For every disgrace you've dragged our name into."
No one dared interrupt.
Percy's cheek burned red where her hand struck, but he could only grit his teeth and lower his head.