Commander Vior stepped forward, striking her armored chest piece in a heavy, resounding military salute.
"The Royal Knights understand Your Imperial Majesty's stance," Vior said, her voice a low, disciplined rumble that masterfully masked her internal fury. "We shall await your next instructions, Your Majesty."
Lilia looked at Vior, then at her father's helpless expression, and finally at her mother's cold, unmoving gaze. She realized then, with absolute clarity, that the golden throne was just as much a prison as the squalid hovels of Oakhaven.
With a heavy, breaking heart, she bowed deeply and left the grand chamber, forced to accept the bitter, unforgiving reality of imperial politics.
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As Lilia walked down the quiet, vaulted corridors of the palace, the Empress's words about her upcoming eighteenth birthday triggered a sharp, painful memory.
The mention of turning eighteen summoned memories of two years ago—a time when the palace was still peaceful, back when Landra was still standing at their side.
Landra was the son of General Aurelius, the legendary commander who held the empire's fierce northern borders.
Having grown up alongside Maria and Lilia within the palace grounds, Landra had naturally risen to become Princess Maria's personal bodyguard.
He was twenty at the time—a brilliant warrior, highly respected, yet always strictly conscious of his place.
It was during Maria's eighteenth birthday banquet, a grand affair hosted at the imperial villa.
That night, Maria had finally gathered the courage to step away from her royal duties and confess her feelings to the man who had protected her since childhood.
She offered him a symbol of royal favor, hoping to bridge the gap between ruler and guardian.
However, Landra had simply dropped to one knee, offering a rigid, flawless salute.
"I am deeply honored by Your Highness's honest feelings," Landra's voice had resonated calmly, devoid of romantic warmth.
"However, my heart already belongs to someone else, and my duty is solely to protect you as a princess of this Empire. Furthermore, despite my father's service at the border, the gap between a princess of the First Royal Line and a mere bodyguard like me is too vast. I am afraid I cannot meet your expectations."
Maria was devastated. Her heart was shattered by the sudden and honest answer the man had given her, as if making an invisible barrier between them.
She soon realized that the someone else he referred to was none other than her own younger sister, Lilia.
Having long suspected that Landra harbored feelings for her sister, Maria had frequently observed him gazing wistfully at her.
She had also often seen her bodyguard offer a faint smile whenever Lilia appeared before them.
Yet, Maria had always been convinced that if she were to confess her love to Landra, he would accept it—especially given her status as a princess.
The rejection sent shockwaves through Maria's heart, but the true tragedy unfolded a month later.
In a turn of events no one could have anticipated, Landra—the honorable son of General Aurelius—was caught attempting to assault the sixteen-year-old Princess Lilia inside her private chambers.
At that moment, even Lilia herself could not believe what had happened.
She had thought a man like Landra would never commit such an act, yet others—who did not share her view—had cornered him and forced a confession, even without sufficient evidence.
The scandal rocked the empire. Landra was stripped of his titles, branded as a criminal, locked in a dungeon, and exiled to the lawless borderlands.
Shortly after his imprisonment, General Aurelius's house was implicated in treason, causing the once-mighty family of the border guardian—the very pillar that protected the frontier—to crumble into absolute ruin overnight.
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Lilia paused by the grand balcony, clutching her chest as the cold wind blew past her face.
The memories of that fateful night still haunted her—the downfall of her sister's beloved guardian, the destruction of a noble house that had stood as a pillar on the frontier, and the dark chain of events that had dragged the empire into its current, rotting state.
Then, a loud, boisterous burst of laughter violently snapped Lilia back to the present moment.
She was inside the Grand Hall of the Regalia Imperial Palace, which was a magnificent cage of shimmering gold, blinding light, and suffocating opulence.
Before, she celebrated her birthday by coming to the frontier to become the symbol for the people. But tonight, the empire spared absolutely no expense to celebrate the imperial lineage's birthdate.
Thousands of enchanted crystal chandeliers floated gracefully beneath the vaulted obsidian ceilings, casting a warm starlight glow over a vast sea of impeccably dressed nobles, foreign emissaries, and high-ranking military officials.
The air inside the grand hall was thick and suffocating, laden with the heavy scents of roasted venison, expensive liquor, and rare foreign cakes.
Master musicians played a sweeping waltz that made the polished marble floor physically vibrate beneath the weight of hundreds of dancing feet.
It was the eighteenth birthday of Princess Lilia Von Regalia—the youngest daughter of the sacred imperial bloodline.
"Smile, Lilia. The powerful dukes from the southern borders are watching your every move," a gentle, reassuring voice whispered from directly beside her.
Lilia blinked, snapping out of her deep, melancholic daze. She slowly looked up at her second sister, Yoana.
Yoana was dressed in an elegant white gown that perfectly mirrored her high status as the current captain of the Maiden's Shield—the palace's elite female knight order.
Despite the soft, encouraging smile gracing her lips, Lilia could easily feel the unnatural, defensive stiffness locking Yoana's shoulders into place.
"I'm smiling, sister. It's just that..." Lilia replied quietly, adjusting the heavy, shimmering silk of her sapphire ball gown.
"It feels... my heart still aches after seeing for myself what happened at that border post," she said, looking down at the polished floor.
"You already did everything you could, Lilia. Just let Father and Mother handle the complex politics of the state. Today is your birthday—let's enjoy it."
Princess Maria, lounging just behind them, casually took a fresh glass of red wine from a passing servant's silver tray.
She drank it slowly, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd for potential dissent.
Lilia tried her best to calm herself using her older sister's pragmatic words, yet instinctively, she turned her gaze toward the upper floor—visible from where she stood—where powerful officials were gathered.