Resistance to the Edict

—Time rewinds to shortly after the punishment began—

I believe it was about a week after I had been confined to this room, known as the惩戒 chamber, that I first heard the tale.

This is a dim, half-subterranean chamber at the northern edge of the manor.

I recall it was originally intended to isolate those among the kin who had suffered developmental difficulties or fallen ill in mind.

As a child, I had often been threatened with being sent here should I misbehave, yet I never imagined the day would come when I would truly enter it.

A window, barred with iron grating, rises to the ceiling, but light only reaches it as dusk approaches.

With half the wall made of stone, I might have shivered from cold had it not been summer.

Even so, the nights grow cold, and I wrapped myself in the thin blanket provided, enduring the chill.

The wooden cot creaked with each shift of my body, worn thin with age.

At first, the air had felt dusty and stagnant, but now I scarcely notice it at all—so much time has passed.

Strange, even to myself, that I can remain calm in such a confined space, thanks to the prolonged isolation masquerading as convalescence.

The next day after my arrival, Alex Elder came—bearing lectures, reproaches, and provisions—but since then, no other family member has visited. The silence is complete.

To summarize what I heard during his visit: it seems I am accused of having pushed Stella elder sister down the stairs.

“What motive could you have? Jealousy? Resentment? What grievance could drive you to wound your family?” he asked. But that, I would have asked her, too.

Why should I harbor jealousy or resentment toward someone who is inferior to me in both learning and cultivation? If you are dissatisfied, then why not accept the engagement with the one you cherish? Even if you do accept it, I refuse to be merely a supporting figure in my elder sister’s shadow! I wish only to stand at his side.

Perhaps things would have been different if I had spoken aloud, but I have already given up, believing that no matter what I say to my family, it is all in vain.

I swallowed my words and lowered my gaze. My elder brother offered me a popular read circulating among the common folk.

Read this and reflect upon it.

The collection contained several books centered on noblewomen reviled as villainesses, who, undeterred by the obstacles placed in their paths, found happiness despite their origins—commoners or lower-ranking noblewomen.

Every tale ended with the villainess meeting a miserable fate, so Elder Brother has placed me here, has he…

The story, though popular among the common folk, is perhaps entertaining in its own way, yet I cannot help but feel no warmth toward its protagonists.

On the contrary, it is precisely toward the villainesses that I find myself drawn, feeling empathy and closeness.

They merely upheld the prescribed order. Even if they overstepped in minor ways, their actions did not warrant the severity of being stripped of rank or sentenced to death…

Yet still, I wonder—why was this book delivered to me? Only after reading it through… only after reading it… did the question arise.

Indeed, not all things since entering this disciplinary chamber have been ill-fated.

Being located at the edge of the manor, the passage near the servants’ quarters allowed Alyssa and Yaia to visit me in secret.

Even if only for a brief moment, after their work had ended, speaking with them brought a quiet lightness to my heart.

At first, I was startled by the iron bar placed from within as a makeshift lock, but soon I felt nothing but gratitude.

This room cannot be opened from the inside, though it can be easily unlocked from outside. I was told to use it as a safeguard should any ill-intentioned soul attempt to force entry.

Skeptical at first, I tried it that night, when all had fallen into sleep. A rattling sound came from the doorway, the door creaking slightly as it shifted.

Awakened by the noise, I trembled in the corner of the room, praying silently that the door would not open.

After a while, I heard a man’s muttered curse, then the thud of a kick, and then silence returned. In that stillness, I felt deep gratitude for their thoughtful care.

Had that bar not been there, I shudder to think what might have happened…

The thought chilled me to the bone.

I passed several nights like this, sleepless and honest in my unease.

A guest arrived while I dozed briefly during the day, bearing news.

“So you’re here after all! You look just like a prisoner confined in a cell.”

She stepped through the door with a soft laugh—my elder sister.

To see her face again after days, so long absent from my sight, was a bitter irony.

“Yes, this is the penitential chamber, and I am under self-imposed restraint for my own transgression. I am no different from a criminal.”

I know my innocence better than anyone. Therefore, though I feel indignation, there is no sorrow.

When she senses my discomfort, she shifts her tone slightly.

“You sent away all your evening companions, didn’t you? You could have enjoyed yourself properly, if you’d only invited them to stay.”

I regard her with a detached gaze—her the mastermind behind the night’s visitor, as I suspected all along.

Her scornful glance had little effect on her. She withdrew a red envelope from her sleeve. “I thought if you’d only stayed to play, you’d never be able to marry anyone else. But that doesn’t matter anymore.”

The envelope bore the imperial color—deep crimson, sealed with golden wax stamped with a dragon’s design. This shade was permitted to only one person in the entire empire… the most exalted.

My heart thudded—loud, insistent, unbearable.

I pray it is my memory that is wrong…

That… it resembles the seal used on imperial decrees…

Without so much as a pause, she spoke lightly, as if dismissing my hopes entirely.

“His Imperial Majesty has approved my betrothal to Arthur!”

Then came a shrill, piercing laughter, echoing through the stone chamber.

And as if to deliver the final blow, she leaned close, peering into my face.

She smiles, sweetly yet irritatingly, saying, “Even though we are family, you won’t celebrate my sister’s engagement?”

I strained to hold back tears that threatened to spill over, squeezing out a small voice.

Congratulations, elder sister.

She smiles, content.

From now on, I shall use you as my shadow—treat you well, now, won’t you? Do not dare resist, or you’ll only suffer worse…

Besides, the edict has been issued—your period of self-restraint is concluded. See you later~

She departed the room, saying that.

I collapsed from my knees once I had seen the door close behind her.

And there, for the first time since being sentenced to seclusion, she wept without regard for the passing of time.

Emotions within me rise as passion, then shift to anger, and finally settle into certainty.

She must not be allowed to do as she pleases... at the very least, Arthur must be protected from her venomous grasp...

I had more than enough time to reconsider myself.

With my elder sister’s betrothal confirmed, the household was in turmoil, leaving me no room to be troubled by others. I took the opportunity to reflect on my future, unchallenged by anyone.

At that moment, I received a letter from the Abbot of Emmental—long overdue.

It began with seasonal greetings, a blessing for my recovery, and an update on the current holder of the title.

As I read on, I learned that the current holder’s strength was beginning to wane. It was written that, by no later than autumn this year, a succession would be necessary.

Upon reading this, I reflected on what had mattered most in my brief life. A light dawned.

It was the longing of a distant day.

The shimmer beyond memory.

If no one else could take the seat, then perhaps I might.

The seat of the Virgin of the Barrier…

Only a maiden untouched by impurity may become the Virgin of the Barrier.

If I assume this duty, my scandalous reputation will be dispelled, and my honor restored.

And within the final prayer granted to the Virgin of the Barrier, I found hope.

Most of all, I would no longer need to endure such treatment from my family, nor would I be forced to repay them in kind...

It is as though the final piece of a puzzle has fallen into place—what I now desire.

To that light, I clung with desperate resolve, and began my preparations.

The household staff showed me sympathy and offered aid in quiet ways, allowing me to proceed in secret from my family.

Though my room was unsealed, I did not return to it, choosing instead to remain in the punishment chamber.

The lock was replaced, certainly, but the location remained convenient—near the back entrance, and useful in every way.

Perhaps it was a quiet act of rebellion—wanting her to know that this room, which I had finally gained after being stripped of my sister’s quarters, was the one place I wished to keep. Though I myself thought it childish, I may have simply not wanted to lose this sanctuary, where someone I trusted could come to me that night.

Your Highness...

Perhaps he thinks I have betrayed him.

Yet if we cannot live side by side in this life...

Then perhaps I may be allowed to live as those I once admired did.

And if that, in the end, is what saves him, then I shall gladly take up that duty.

First, to lay the foundation, I made connections across various places.

The academy, having already earned graduation credentials, was granted a provisional departure and vacated the dormitories.

Shasha, as always, waited for me…

I now realize, with a quiet certainty, that my time at the academy would not have been possible without her support.

The night before my departure, we spent the entire evening talking in Shasha’s room.

Among those conversations were the matters of my future.

When I told her of my intention to become the Virgin of the Barrier, she looked at me with a sorrowful expression, as though she had already resigned herself, and shed quiet tears.

I also took my leave of the teachers who had guided me.

From Mistress Nephel, I received only a brief, kind word: “You were the finest student I have ever known.” I was deeply moved. Rather than reproach me for failing to continue the precious time we had shared, she greeted me with warmth and sent me forth with grace.

Though it took some time, I was finally granted an audience with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.

She listened to my apologies and my plea without rebuke, and in the end, assured me that my wish would be honored.

I corresponded with my grandmother in the province, and though she was initially surprised, I eventually secured her cooperation.

I relinquished my personal assets, anticipating the need for such things.

I gave up the rights to the shop and books I had received from Elder Brother since childhood, as well as the few precious pieces of jewelry I still held, keeping only what was necessary.

The only new item I acquired was the base for a chest ornament—

I had it made anew, just an empty pedestal, so that the heart bestowed by Your Highness might be placed within it… the stone not yet set.

While I arranged the means by which I would save him and fulfill my own desire, my elder sister announced the date of her wedding to Arthur.

The Foundation Festival banquet this year.

I heard directly from her that it would be revealed at that gathering—less than three weeks away.

"Arthur’s engagement is confirmed!♪ This year’s Foundation Festival will be my moment! Isn’t it splendid?"

Look, the Sacred Stone of betrothal has also arrived from Arthur-sama.

The Sacred Stones shown to me were slightly smaller than the pair I held in my hand, two in color.

I felt as though I saw Arthur's resistance there.

That is congratulations.

I offer my congratulations as if from the very depth of my heart, hiding the conflicting emotions within me.

I thought that if I appeared sufficiently regretful, it would be exactly as she intended.

Spica’s expression remained unamused as she puckered her lips, but she quickly resumed her smile.

Ah, it’s my grand occasion—so I’ll have your attire renewed as well! No more wearing the same outfits over and over, now, please.

Well, since I am the leading role, do your best to serve as a supporting character.

I nearly sighed at the way she spoke, as though she had forgotten whose temper had prevented me from replacing my dress, but I held it back.

This is a favorable opportunity.

Since my elder sister has so graciously granted me permission to replace my dress, I shall take this chance to humble her prideful arrogance and prove myself her equal.

I am no longer one to merely lament…

Two days after hearing those words, I found myself in audience with Your Highness.

Though we had exchanged letters following the imperial decree, it had been some time since we last met in person.

Yet this meeting was announced as one concerning the removal of a betrothal candidate.

The chamber overlooks the Imperial Palace’s garden—a place where we have shared tea many times before.

He enters, yet does not meet my gaze.

“Your Highness, I offer my congratulations on your engagement…”

His eyes, at last, find mine—wet, trembling, clinging to me as though I were a child abandoned in the rain.

“Why… why must you say such things to me…”

No, forgive me. I know you have no choice but to say such things…

It is simply that my heart cannot catch up…」

Your Highness must be suffering greatly as well.

“Yet after this wedding, will you not be able to marry me? That is why I accepted this matter.”

I lower my gaze, bowing my head, and shake it firmly from side to side.

“Your Highness, we shall never share a life together in this world.

All of it stems from my petty, foolish pride—my inability to bear the thought of your sister standing at your side. But please, Your Highness, do not forget… I hold you in deep affection.”

Your Highness looks utterly bewildered, as though unable to comprehend what I am saying…

Perhaps, in his mind, he has already envisioned a future with me after his marriage to his sister.

But I am not there.

“And now, I ask this of you—please, if in the future Your Highness should inquire about your own feelings, speak them honestly. Let them be conveyed as they are.”

This is the final gesture of my heart toward Your Highness…」

Whether my earnest gaze reached You, or whether You sensed something within me, You ask me, Your Highness,

“Spica… what have you decided?”

I speak quietly, stating what I have resolved.

“I intend to go to Emmental as the Virgin of the Barrier.”

Your Highness’s eyes widen greatly, as if to ask why…

You beg me, pleading for me to stop, but I reply that, to free You from the edict, a mere noble lady such as I can do nothing else. You fall silent.

“Do you truly wish so little to come to my side? Even as a secondary consort, did you not wish to walk beside me?”

You ask, desperate.

“Your Highness, the edict named Your elder sister. And Your elder sister wished for me to have a white marriage…”

Even if Your Highness desires a betrothal with Your elder sister, I cannot stand in your way… yet I believe this union is not what Your Highness truly wishes.

He understood all without my needing to explain.

“Only you are what I desire,” he murmurs.

Though his words bring me joy, I am overcome with sorrow.

I shall not be able to remain at your side henceforth…

Leaning deeply into the sofa, I whisper, “I am sorry for you… yet you need not sacrifice yourself for me…”

“This union is also my wish,” I say. “I hold you in deep affection. I cherish your family. I hold dear the land of Emmental that raised me, and its people. Above all, I love this empire…

So please, send me away with a smile.

But… it must be after Your Highness’s betrothal ceremony.

A minor must have a parent’s presence at such a rite, so long as they have not yet come of age…

Will you grant me a memory, Your Highness, this day?

I have lost to my nation… a great enemy, when I beg for your love.

He rises, takes my hand, and lifts me to my feet, enfolding me in a embrace so strong I feel the ache of his trembling, as if his very soul were breaking.

After a moment of shared heat, our eyes meet, and we press our lips together deeply.

So close that tears spill from our eyes and mingle, I feel his warmth, hear his breath, and suppress the burning urge to surrender entirely—our gazes meet, filled with sorrow and resolve, and then we part.

This is the end… of my love in this life, the first and the last.

I will never forget this day.