Epilogue: The Story of Syssy — Part One — The Secret Shared —

"The True Daughter Has Returned, So I Have Decided to Vanish as the Adopted Daughter" Vol. 1 — A Happy Past and the Virgin of the Barrier — "Vol. 2 — First Love and the Debutante" — Available now on all sites

"The True Daughter Has Returned, So I Have Decided to Vanish as the Adopted Daughter" Vol. 3 — A New Family and the Beginning of Tragedy —

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One truth revealed to me after marrying into the imperial family was the existence of the mysterious called the Gifted.

I was born with a fate sealed within me. It is to become the imperial consort, the mother of the nation, and uphold this empire. For the sake of my family’s honor, for the sake of the nation, and for the sake of my subjects, I was raised to dedicate my life to the imperial family. This was the lullaby I was sung as a child.

This was my unavoidable path, the fate etched into me from birth as the daughter of the Earl of Elard—Elizabeth Klaus Elard.

To me, there was a woman of the same age and noble standing, almost a worthy rival. She was Franchesca, the second daughter of the Earl of Velvet, and my cousin by blood.

She had a beautiful face, yet struggled with expressing emotion, always wearing either the practiced smile of a noble or a solemn expression. Yet her beauty lay not in appearance, but within.

From childhood, she had been capable of debating with learned adults. Her manners were flawless, though she seemed slightly awkward in physical pursuits such as dancing—yet she made up for it with relentless effort.

To those around her, her willingness to correct her own shortcomings was more valued than perfection itself. It was this quality that inspired me to persevere in my own studies, a memory I hold dear.

Though she had never been considered a potential bride for the imperial family due to her bloodline, I, as a child, had often worried whether that might one day change.

To me at the time, becoming the nation’s mother was the sole purpose of my existence…

To her, I was likely one of the few she could call friend, among those closest to her. In my early years, before attending the academy, she had quietly confided in me about her power—something I later learned was the true nature of a gifted one.

One day, we had been summoned to a tea gathering hosted by the reigning Empress and were on our way to the venue.

As we walked the usual path through the Imperial Palace as always, she suddenly tugged at my sleeve.

“Sis… there’s something unpleasant about what lies ahead. Let us take a slightly longer route today. We still have time.”

Though she rarely spoke so, I was persuaded by her tone, and that day we arrived at the hall by an unfamiliar path.

On that day, a young lady of the same hair color as myself, who had also been scheduled to attend the same tea gathering, was attacked by an assassin along the path we had avoided. Though she survived, she sustained injuries severe enough to require her to remain within the church for recovery.

Some time later, the marquis family, who had also been seeking to betroth their daughter to Your Highness, fell into sudden ruin due to a rapid deterioration in their estate management.

That is likely how it must be.

I had grown afraid, and so I asked her, suspecting she had known of the assassin. I wondered, could she too be one of those who sought to push me from the path?

“Kekka… did you know what would happen there, that day, at that place?”

She shook her head slowly, in silence.

I did not know at all. I… you may not believe me, but sometimes, like on that day, I am overcome by instinct. On that day, I felt the future of you, drowned in a pool of blood, if we had continued forward. That is why I suggested we change our path.”

She showed me a look of resignation. In it, a solitary light of being unbelieved shone. Perhaps she had spoken of this before, and no one had ever believed her.

There had been, only, a friend who wished only to help me.

“No, Kekka, I believe you. If you had not urged me to take another path, I might have died. You are my benefactor.”

I took her hand, my face a mixture of confusion and relief, and became a keeper of her secret.

After that, time passed. I now lived each day as the official fiancée of the Crown Prince.

Francesca had been betrothed to the eldest son of the traditionalist Emmental family, and I felt a measure of relief. Surely Your Highness would not so much as glance at another woman while already pledged...

Your Highness had one younger sister among siblings, and the majority held that a greater number of heirs was preferable. Moreover, Your Highness himself was known for his restless inclinations.

Yet even so, Your Highness had always treated me with the proper regard befitting a betrothed, and I believed—yes, I believed—that You cared for me. Still, the weight of having to become the nation’s mother pressed upon me, and the mere thought of other women lingering near You filled me with dread.

It was as though Your Highness slipped into the shadows of my heart, speaking often with Kekka.

That was what stoked my jealousy to unbearable heat.

Yet the truth was only that Your Highness, fleeing from scholarly duties, was being gently admonished by a loyal servant.

For a long time, I misunderstood the nature of my friend’s concern—believing her kindness toward me and my relationship with Your Highness was born of envy.

I learned the truth soon after reaching adulthood.

Upon attaining my majority, Your Highness and I were immediately wed.

During the honeymoon following the week-long wedding rites, Your Highness spoke of it.

“Fortunate to have such a loyal friend. I am constantly reprimanded by her. To disregard you is to disregard the nation. I am not forbidden from playing with fire, but she has warned me again and again—do not harm Shishi. She holds you in such regard that she even threatens me as if I were a future emperor.”

Tears fell from me, struck by the ugliness within my own heart. I am, without question, utterly selfish. Your Highness, mistaking my weeping for joy, drew close to me still.

And so, returning to the castle, I learned from my former mother-in-law, the former empress, of a certain department’s existence in secret.

“Only you could wield them for the sake of the nation.”

From her lips came an explanation of a hidden, mystical institution directly under the empress’s authority. There, I came to know that the power of Kekka was indeed its mystery, its truth.

She had been one of the gifted, untouched by the instability of that power, and thus never encircled by it…

Meanwhile, Kekka, even after reaching adulthood, never married, instead beginning her service as a lady-in-waiting at court. Her fiancé, the son of Emmental, had permitted this—now, looking back, a remarkably modern and flexible mind.

At the time, she was met with curious eyes, yet she wielded her innate talent and sharp resolve to silence those around her through sheer ability. Kekka, though surprisingly blunt and inclined to rely on force, need not have shown that side of herself…

Rumors circulated that a young noblewoman of high rank, already betrothed, would serve at court only because of her status as Your Highness or the Emperor’s favored—rumors I could not fully deny, as I endured the weight of surrounding pressure.

After the honeymoon, I was safely with child, yet the prince—driven by his natural disposition—soon took a consort after my announcement. Days passed in dread, each whisper a poison, as I feared the moment my position might be cast aside. Unknowingly, I came to both admire and envy Kekka, who lived with such vibrant purpose, doing exactly what she wished.

Another season passed, and when I bore my son, the heir to the throne, the Empress also became with child. Though it is a joyous thing, given the scarcity of direct heirs, my heart remained troubled.

There are other women, I know, whom he has taken as playthings, though he hides them well enough. The management of the royal bloodline is the duty of the consort, after all—I have had inquiries made.

And each time, I found myself relieved that Kekka’s name did not appear on the list.

To be wary of a friend who continues to serve in the castle, even though she is betrothed… How foolish I was.

And yet, I stood in contradiction, appointing Kekka as the tutor to the prince.

Among all those I knew, she was the most capable, the one I trusted most…

Not long after the prince reached two years of age, Kekka remained by my side—serving as both caretaker and tutor to the child in the midst of his defiant phase.

There were still those who firmly believed Kekka would be summoned to serve as Second Empress. I, too, had harbored a flicker of doubt…

Amidst this, I was summoned to a gathering of young mothers alone. The stated purpose was camaraderie—sharing domestic grievances and the frustrations of childrearing—but in truth, it served as preparation for the prince’s inner circle and the selection of his betrothed.

Though I had not yet become conspicuous, I attended the gathering accompanied by many servants, my condition still hidden.

The venue was the Pomegranate Pavilion in the secondary palace. Since infants and very young children were also invited, the air was thick with cries and laughter, a lively chaos I still remember clearly.

Of course, I attended with the two-year-old prince, as was expected. It was striking how tense he seemed, having had little opportunity to interact with children of his own age.

Kekka stood naturally at my side. It was said that the prince’s social engagements should respect his own will, so on this day he remained by my side. I exchanged greetings with several familiar faces, and the gathering proceeded with mutual expressions of shared hardship.

Amidst this, Kekka’s expression darkened unexpectedly before a pair of parent and child. I immediately dismissed the others and asked him, concerned.

“Was there something with those parents?”

Kekka lowered his eyes slightly, reluctant to speak.

“By order of the Crown Princess. Answer.”

He spoke not as a friend, but as a blade held in the formal posture of duty.

Kekka confirmed that no one remained nearby, then activated a spell of concealment to prevent eavesdropping.

"Your Highness... my intuition has told me that the infant before us will become the mother of the future emperor..."

That alone would be a matter of pleasant, hopeful portent.

"Indeed, is that not good news? Then, which child is to be the mother of the future emperor?"

Kekka hesitated, reluctant to answer.

The pair before me—sisters from a marquisial house—were similarly aged in their children. I recalled that the elder sister had married into the same marquisial house, while the younger had wed into a viscount's line.

After a long silence, Kekka spoke, her voice heavy.

"Both of them, Your Highness... the same person, the mother of the future emperor, as my intuition declares."

I did not understand the meaning of those words.

Uncomprehending, I approached the two families and spoke.

This was the first meeting between Miss Charlotte, who would later become the consort of my son, and Miss Catherine, her cousin and chief lady-in-waiting, entering the castle alongside her.

In commemoration of the advance release of Volume Three by Comic Seema, I will post three consecutive side stories over the next three days.

This is the first installment!

A side story delving into the longstanding enmity between the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

It is scheduled for inclusion in Volume Five.

I would be delighted if you could enjoy it ahead of its official release.

Incidentally, Volume Three will finally reveal Miss Stella’s visual design on the cover—and it is the turning point where the story truly begins to move forward. I hope you will enjoy that volume as well.

Please wait a little longer for the story about Francesca Main, which I previously hinted at. It will, however, connect to this side story.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mashiro Sato