Adilot examined the surrounding objects that remained untouched and lay back down. Beside him, the sound of soft breathing filled the air, and the afternoon sunlight was gentle. The rebellion had been dealt with, and aside from the occasional rustling of the person next to him, everything was remarkably peaceful.
Adilot drifted off to sleep—a deep and tranquil sleep, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
---
Chirp, chirp.
As the sound of birds reached her ears, Mia sensed something was wrong. There's a saying: if you wake up feeling too refreshed, something must be terribly wrong.
“...When did I fall asleep!?”
Mia jumped up. Morning sunlight streamed in through the window. Beside her, Adilot’s spot was already empty.
Mia grabbed her head in disbelief.
“How could I fall asleep in a situation like that? I should’ve been watching every move!”
She groaned, wondering if she had mumbled in her sleep or accidentally kicked Adilot.
Just then, the door opened, and Adilot entered the room. He was dressed in a long white toga, cinched at the waist with an embroidered belt. His hair was still damp, droplets of water clinging to the tips.
Seeing Mia’s panicked expression, he let out a chuckle.
“Where’s the person who said they’d guard the house?”
“...!”
His comment hit the mark, and Mia stammered for a while before finally crying out,
“I could have guarded it if it was a doghouse! But your Majesty's bed is way too soft! You’ve spoiled me too much!”
“So it’s my fault?”
“It’s all over now! Your Majesty’s pet has tasted luxury, and there’s no going back!”
At her desperate outburst, Adilot laughed softly and replied,
“Get ready and follow me.”
“...Where are we going?”
Still looking distressed, Mia asked. A cold smile appeared on Adilot’s handsome face.
“To the dungeon.”
---
Adilot led Mia deep into the palace. They passed several heavy doors guarded by knights and protected by magic and spells. At some point, even the torches on the walls disappeared, leaving only the small brass candleholder Adilot carried as they stepped into the darkness.
Mia was trembling.
“Eek, w-wha…”
“Ah!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Yikes!”
Every time a prisoner’s groan echoed through the halls, Mia shivered uncontrollably.
“Sob… Mom…”
Unable to bear it any longer, Adilot spoke up.
“It’s just sound. What’s so scary about that?”
“The sound is scary! It means there’s something there…”
“All that’s here are prisoners.”
“But… what if one of the doors is slightly open, and there's a murderer inside…?”
“If I were you, I’d be more afraid of the man with a sword walking next to you than some chained-up murderer.”
“But that man with the sword is a good person…”
Adilot stopped walking at her words. Mia also froze.
“W-what? Is something there?”
Terrified, she grabbed Adilot’s robe, only to realize what she had done and quickly pulled back. Still uneasy, she blinked her tear-filled pink eyes.
Adilot let out a complicated sigh.
“…Hold on to me if you need to.”
“Thank you!”
Without hesitation, Mia clung to Adilot’s back. His shoulders briefly stiffened at her touch, but he soon resumed walking as if nothing had happened.
They descended a spiral staircase, arriving at a wide area illuminated by several torches, where a single guard stood watch.
The guard saluted, and Adilot nodded in response.
“The prisoner?”
“Inside.”
Sensing the presence of people, a shadow stirred in the back of the cell.
“Eek!”
Mia hid behind Adilot, her voice trembling.
“W-why are we here?”
“There’s something I need to show you.”
“To me?”
Mia’s eyes widened in surprise.
‘Could it be that Count Celestial has been captured?’
Adilot motioned with his chin for her to look inside the cell. Hesitantly, Mia left Adilot’s side and peered into the dimly lit cell. Inside, a middle-aged woman with brown hair and a gentle expression sat on the floor.
Mia’s mouth fell open when she recognized her.
“…Mary?”
Mia rushed to the cell bars.
“Mary! Is that really you?”
“…?”
Hearing her name, Mary lifted her head. Her eyes soon met Mia’s.
“Lady Mia…?”
A mix of surprise and relief crossed Mary’s exhausted face.
“Is it really you, my lady? Am I truly seeing you…?”
“Mary, you didn’t escape? Why are you here?”
Mary was the head maid of the Celestial household. On the day the Celestial family fell, Mia had sent her away early, hoping she would escape.
Mary had tearfully wished for Mia’s survival, then fled without looking back.
‘I thought she had escaped…’
Mary’s condition was terrible, evidence of rough treatment.
“She was captured at dawn,” Adilot said, arms crossed, watching leisurely. Mia turned to him, her lips trembling.
“Your Majesty…”
“What?”
“Did you… capture all the servants of the Celestial household?”
“Not all of them. Just the necessary ones.”
“Am I not enough…?”
Adilot tilted his head slightly, offering no clear answer. Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes.
“They only helped my father’s rebellion because they had no choice… Please, show mercy…”
“I only promised to spare you, Mia Celestial. Besides…”
A chilling smile appeared on Adilot’s beautiful face.
“What do you mean they ‘had no choice’ in helping with the rebellion?”
His mocking tone made Mia blink in confusion.
“What do you mean…?”
“Mary Lehmann, 56 years old. Head maid of the Celestial household.”
Adilotte languidly looked down at Mary. She flinched like a mouse in front of a snake and averted her gaze.
"But behind that, she's a member of an illegal organization that kidnaps people and sells them."
"What?"
Mia doubted her ears. Adilotte continued speaking.
"The reason she aided the Celestial Count's rebellion is that Emperor Adilotte, unlike the late Emperor Ludwig, has made slavery illegal."
"......"
"Naturally, she was a key figure who wholeheartedly assisted in the rebellion. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"Ugh..."
Mary grimaced and bit her lip. Mia turned her stiff neck to look at her.
"Mary... did you really do that?"
With a heavily furrowed brow, Mary narrowed her eyes.
"I had no choice!"
"What?"
"It was hard to make a living!"
"But I provided you with a fortune. It was enough to cover a commoner's living expenses for a year..."
"Th-there were circumstances..."
"Gambling debts."
Adilotte said in a singsong voice.
"When you got into gambling and ran out of money, you willingly walked into a human trafficking ring. With that money, you gambled again, and when you ran out, you kidnapped children and gambled again."
Mary chewed her lips but did not refute it. Tears welled up in Mia's eyes as she watched.
"Mary, how could you..."
Mia stepped back from the bars. Fear began to surface on Mary's face.
"Please save me, miss! I’ll never do it again! I wanted to quit too, but addiction is like that..."
Mary shouted urgently. After all, her counterpart was Adilotte Genchen Schroeder.
This young, arrogant emperor was famous for not being merciful to rebels and criminals. For reasons unknown, he had come to see her, bringing Mia with him.
In this situation, Mia was almost Mary's only hope.
"The children... those children were originally living on the streets without parents! They’ve at least found a home, so it’s okay!"
Mia shook her head in disbelief and sniffled. Mary grew anxious.
‘This girl. Hurry and plead for me instead...!’
She changed her approach and spoke in a softer voice.
"Miss...! When you were suffering from amnesia, I helped you a lot. Do you remember...?"
"That..."
Mia’s expression softened a little. She covered her mouth with her pink hair and lowered her trembling eyes.
"Yeah. I know... It would have been hard for me without you, Mary."
Mia recalled the moment she first entered the story.
‘Where am I...? Why am I in a place like this...?’
The world within the story was difficult and unfamiliar. She couldn’t count the number of nights she cried, thinking of her family and hometown she had left behind.
Yet, to survive, Mia had to study and work. No one helped her. And it was certain that no one would help her in the future. This realization had come after she overheard the servants’ conversation.
‘Miss Mia, you’ve changed a bit since you woke up, haven’t you?’
‘Whatever it is, I just hope you don’t make extreme choices like before.’
‘Well! It was lucky the priest arrived quickly; they thought they were just cleaning up a corpse that day.’
‘If you’re not feeling well, just lie still in bed and wait to die. Why did you crawl into the vineyard and do that? Did you want attention?’
Listening to the conversation, Mia realized where the original ‘Mia Celestial’ had disappeared to.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she looked at her diary.
Mia Celestial had been suffering from a genetic disease inherited from her mother, and her diary contained deep sorrow that matched the long passage of time.
That’s why neither the servants nor the Celestial Count had said anything about their changed attitudes. It would have been odd for a revived noblewoman to have amnesia, act strangely, and suddenly be cured of her illness.
However, that didn’t mean they showed her any warm interest.
The Celestial Count was ambitious yet incompetent, and the Celestial Countess had already passed away from illness. Given that her biological father, the Count, acted that way, the servants certainly had no interest in Mia.
During those difficult times, only Mary had shown Mia even a little concern.
‘Miss, it’s okay. You can find your memories, or it’s fine if you don’t. You’re still you. I know this, Mary?’
Mia relied heavily on her.
"Mary was like a mother to me..."
At Mia’s mumble, recalling the past, Mary’s expression brightened.
"Miss... I was also happy because you felt like my daughter...!"
Watching the two, Adilotte quietly drew his sword.
Just as he had anticipated. No matter how intelligent a person might be, they are sometimes swayed by emotions and make the wrong choices.
Such as defending a criminal or sacrificing oneself for those unworthy of it.
...Just like his mother.
Mia Celestial was the same.
'I knew this would happen, but what was I expecting...?'
It was the moment Adilotte approached the bars to conclude Mary’s fate.
"But Mary..."
Mia whispered, her usual cheerful voice absent.
Adilotte stopped in his tracks.
"Miss...?"
Mary also sensed something unusual and lowered her voice. Mia, who had been keeping her head down, slowly raised her face. She approached the bars with a touch that was unexpectedly gentle.
And, with sad eyes, she whispered.
"My mother wouldn’t do something like human trafficking."
