Chapter 3

Duchess Iris Tarentchuran was born into the leading ducal family of the empire and grew up without any want.

She was of noble blood, beautiful, intelligent, and talented, and possessed a grace that earned her the title of a born lady. Naturally, from a young age, she was never short of marriage proposals. However, the engagement her father, Duke Tarentchuran, arranged for her was the best possible.

Prince Edgar, who was destined to become the crown prince, became Iris's fiancé at the age of ten. Even as a child, Iris vowed to devote herself to Edgar. She spared no effort in her princess education, and her talents were honed year by year.

As she grew older and began attending the academy with the newly appointed crown prince Edgar, Iris never doubted that she would become the empress. This belief was shared by those around her, including Edgar himself. However, her life took an unexpected turn.

Iris's life began to crumble when Mina Ramblic, a bastard daughter of a rural baron who had lived as a commoner, enrolled in the academy.

Mina, despite her innocent and pure appearance, was a bright and cheerful woman. She openly expressed her likes and dislikes without hesitation. Among the refined and demure noble ladies, Mina's actions stood out, and no one was more drawn to her than Crown Prince Edgar.

As their interactions and meetings deepened, Mina and Edgar began to fall in love with each other. Watching them from the shadows, Iris felt a deep sense of humiliation.

Iris did not love Edgar as much as she thought. To her, who had met and devoted herself to Edgar as a fiancé since childhood, he was the only man she knew.

However, the thought that Edgar was not the same made her feel both frustrated and sad.

One day, the situation took a turn for the worse for Iris. Mina, who had been despised as a bastard daughter of a rural baron, was now recognized as a saint, blessed by the gods.

Mina's brown eyes turned into the ruby eyes of a saint, and she used her power to summon rain, heal the sick, and bring blessings to barren soil. People revered Mina, and her lovely appearance made her the envy of the nation.

As a result, the romance between Saint Mina and Crown Prince Edgar became a topic of discussion everywhere. This led to Iris, the official fiancée, being treated as a villain simply for existing. She was the subject of rumors and gossip, despite doing nothing wrong.

Just a few months ago, everyone welcomed Iris as the future empress, but now everyone, including the emperor, hoped for the marriage of Saint Mina and the crown prince. The royal family even approached Duke Tarentchuran with the proposal to break the engagement.

Duke Tarentchuran was shaken with anger. The royal family's demand to break the engagement and disregard the Tarentchuran family, who had no blemish, fueled his rage, which gradually spread. Ultimately, Duke Tarentchuran chose the path of rebellion.

Iris, who noticed her father's plans and was troubled, tried to stop him out of a sense of betrayal to her homeland. However, she was imprisoned by her father, who was enraged by her actions.

Lamenting the potential collapse of the family, Iris was saved by her mother and young brother.

"That man has gone mad. How could someone so calm talk about rebellion...? Tell the situation to His Highness the Crown Prince and ask for his help to prevent the rebellion. You are still His Highness's fiancée. Even if His Highness has been captivated by another woman, he will not ignore the words of someone who has always devoted herself to him."

"Mother..."

"Sister, please stop Father. If we can get His Highness's cooperation, it might still be in time."

"A horse is ready. Take this as well."

Iris was given a locket pendant that her mother had inherited from her grandmother.

"Use it as a talisman. Now, go."

"I will return!"

With that, Iris rode her horse to the palace.

"What on earth is going on, Iris?"

Edgar, who met Iris riding alone in her nightclothes, listened to her story and promised to help.

"You must be tired. Leave the rest to me and get some rest."

Relieved, Iris closed her eyes, overcome by sleep. When she opened her eyes again, five days had passed, and everything was over.

Crown Prince Edgar was too late, and the rebellious Duke Tarentchuran was killed on the spot. Iris's mother and younger brother, along with the rest of the Tarentchuran family, were executed, except for Iris.

Despairing and weeping over the bodies of her family, Iris found a small note inside the locket her mother had given her. It read, "You must survive. No matter what happens, you must continue the Tarentchuran bloodline."

Realizing her mother's final wish and the fact that even the path to follow her family had been taken away, Iris bowed to the emperor and Edgar, who were deliberating her fate. She pleaded for her life, no matter what it took. It was Mina who came to her aid.

"Lady Iris informed His Highness about Duke Tarentchuran's plans before the rebellion. Although she couldn't stop it, her information helped minimize the damage. Please help Lady Iris."

Thanks to Mina's words, Iris was spared from punishment.

"Mina... no, Lady Mina, thank you."

"It's fine. I wanted to be friends with you."

Iris reflected on her foolishness. She had harbored ill feelings towards such a pure person. If they had reconciled and Iris had truly been saved, this story might have been more in line with the will of the gods. However, it did not happen.

At that moment, Mina was smirking as she turned her back on the grateful Iris.

From then on, Iris, as the daughter of a rebel, had her engagement to Edgar broken and was treated like a slave. With no place to go and no property, she was forced to work as a servant in the palace. Her once flawless hands developed calluses, and the nobility mocked her fallen state.

Despite the humiliation, Iris endured, determined to fulfill her mother's last wish and as a repayment for being saved. Therefore, when she saw her former fiancé Edgar and his new fiancée Mina holding hands and showing their love, she could only offer her blessings. She genuinely wanted Mina, who had saved her, to be happy.

However, Iris's feelings were quickly trampled.

"Hey, Iris. Want some tea? I've invited my mother-in-law as well."

"Yes, Lady Mina."

As Iris, now completely Mina's servant, prepared the tea, Mina took the teapot from her.

"I'll pour it today."

"But..."

"Just sit down."

Iris sat down as Mina instructed. The head of the royal guards, who had accompanied the empress, scolded Iris.

"You! How dare you make the Saint work as a servant!"

"It's fine, Head of the Royal Guards. I wanted to pour tea for my mother-in-law."

Mina poured the tea, protecting Iris, who had tried to apologize.

"Mother-in-law, please enjoy your tea."

The empress, who had been expressionless, raised an eyebrow.

"I have no reason to be called your mother-in-law. I have not yet recognized you as Edgar's wife. Until you possess the grace of someone like Iris, I will not allow the marriage."

"Your Majesty, to call the Saint such..."

The head of the royal guards was silenced by the empress, who slapped the table with her fan.

"I still believe that Iris should have been Edgar's wife if not for that incident. Bringing such a vulgar woman into the royal family... I wonder what the emperor and Edgar are thinking."

As the empress, who was complaining, took a sip of tea, she suddenly collapsed, spitting blood. She was dead instantly.

The royal guards, who rushed to the scene at Mina's scream, immediately arrested Iris.

"The empress has been poisoned!"

"The culprit is Iris Tarentchuran! She was the one who poured the tea for the empress!"

Iris was speechless at Mina's words. As everyone's suspicious eyes turned to her, she desperately denied it.

"No! It wasn't me!"

The emperor and Edgar arrived, and the high priest confirmed the empress's death. An investigation was conducted on the spot.

"I did call the empress for tea, but I didn't touch the teapot at all. Iris prepared everything."

Mina, crying, testified smoothly, and Iris could only say, "No, it's not true."

"Perhaps Iris tried to kill me for taking Edgar and mistakenly served the poisoned tea to the empress. How could you hate me so much after I saved your life!?"

Mina's one-sided speculation, simply because it came from her, was taken as the truth. Everyone looked at Iris with disdain.

Iris continued to protest, insisting that she was innocent. However, no one believed her.

"The Saint's words cannot be wrong! Iris is a liar and a heretic! She should be purged in the name of the gods!"

The high priest declared this.

"I saw Iris pour the tea for the empress! She is the one who poisoned her!"

The head of the royal guards' testimony was the final straw, and Iris, who was crying and pleading her innocence, was met with hatred.

"Prince Edgar, please believe me! I am innocent!"

"Your wickedness makes me sick!"

"Ah!"

Edgar, who had been approached by Iris, pushed her away and looked at his former fiancée with cold eyes.

"A woman like you should die."

These words from the person who had promised her a future when she was a child stripped Iris of her will to argue.

She fell silent, lost in a daze, tears streaming down her face. The emperor, who had witnessed this, stood up and pronounced the verdict.

"Iris Tarentchuran is sentenced to beheading for the crime of poisoning the empress. The execution will take place the day after the marriage of Crown Prince Edgar and Saint Mina, at dawn."

With the emperor's declaration, Iris was thrown into a dungeon, given only minimal water and rotten bread, and forced to live in the dark until the marriage of Edgar and Mina.

The only person who visited Iris was Mina.

However, Mina did not come to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, but the empress was in the way, and I wanted to kill her. I was just looking for someone to pin the blame on."

Iris realized that her only hope, that Mina might feel remorse and help her, was shattered.

"It was fun to see you, the former fiancée of Edgar, fall from grace. When I saved you, I thought of it as a favor. Now, die with dignity. It's no use arguing; everyone is on my side."

Mina left, satisfied after saying what she wanted to say.

At first, Iris cried and screamed, but gradually she lost her will and spent her days in a daze. The celebratory atmosphere surrounding the upcoming marriage of the crown prince and the saint only made her situation worse.

The only comfort Iris found was a beautiful, clear voice that she heard from somewhere in the middle of the night in the dungeon. She couldn't tell if it was a hallucination or reality, but the voice healed her and helped her regain some of her strength.

Since she was going to die anyway, she decided to die with dignity, in a grand and elegant manner, befitting a Tarentchuran. On that day, feeling the festive atmosphere of the empire, Iris closed her eyes peacefully, awaiting her execution at dawn.