"Execute her! Execute her!!"

"How can someone be so vicious?!"

"She deserves to die!!"

Eleanora La Alexander Dalton, the former empress of the Valentino Empire, lazily raised her head to look at the people she took care of like her child, with her jewel-like blue eyes, which had lost their shine.

All she could feel was disappointment.

The same people, who once called her their mother, are now demanding the death penalty as she was pushed into the middle of the podium by a knight.

Because of the silver handcuffs on her hands to restrict her from using magic, she couldn't keep her balance and tripped down on her knees.

Everyone was yelling that she deserved it, and she continued to quietly listen to them without any protest.

Then the crowd became silent as the emperor coughed to get their attention towards him, while

Eleanora struggled to get up to stand, her eyes looking straight into the crowd.

No guilt or fear on her face, even if she might die.

'I haven't done anything. I'm not guilty.'

'My heart knows it, even if no one believes me.'

"It looks like everyone is here now,"

Cathain De Valerian Valentino, the emperor of the Valentino Empire spoke, looking straight into the crowd with his bloody red eyes.

Who was her husband till a week ago…

"Today we are gathered here to bear witness to the trial of Eleanora La Alexander Dalton, former empress of the Valentino Empire."

Eleanora scoffed as she heard him calling her by her maiden name as he divorced her right before she was imprisoned.

'You gave me your name when I was useful and used me.'

'The moment you achieved your goal, you took away your name from me and threw me away.'

Eleanora bitterly thought as a disgusted feeling rose in her heart, for loving this man and considering him as her everything.

The emperor's red eyes scanned over the faces of everyone around before finally landing on her, who was standing in a shabby white dress.

Which, never once in her life, had she imagined wearing.

"Eleanora La Alexander Dalton, do you swear to God's name; that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?"

Eleanora met his piercing red eyes, a shiver descending her spine as the emperor finished speaking.

Those bloody red eyes have always looked at her with disgust and hatred, full of coldness.

"I do,"

Eleanora replied loudly and confidently, and the whole trial ground filled with murmuring sounds for her boldness, and the emperor looked at her with sharp eyes before parting his thin lips to speak.

"Did you try to poison the mother of the future heir of the empire?"

Eleanora almost couldn't hold back her bitter laughter, as soon as she heard those words, and the emperor's eyes narrowed, looking at her with somewhat mixed feelings.

Something that she didn't want to be bothered about anymore.

'A mere maid, who later became a mistress and enjoyed the real privileges of an empress.'

'Where I, the real empress, was treated worse than a maid, who was also tossed into an abandoned palace?'

'When they deliberately killed my unborn children, no one believed me.'

'No one called my child the future ruler of the empire.'

'Here, he's calling her child the future ruler…'

Eleanora felt her heart-piercing into pieces as she held her breath before it started to race with an unknown fear rising in her heart again.

But she took a deep breath as she faced the crowd with courage and her majestic voice echoed in the huge trial ground.

.

.

.

"I am not guilty."

…

A week earlier: Imperial Foundation banquet~

"Lady Jena is pregnant, from now on she will be appointed as the new queen consort, and I declare her child as the future heir to my throne."

The emperor raised his campaign glass and announced this shocking news to the public with a smiling face.

Some nobles who opposed the empress started cheering, and the knights and people who were in support of the empress were too shocked to react.

The empress stared at the emperor with shock in her jewel-like blue eyes as her face turned pale.

'S-She's pregnant?'

Her man, her husband, the love of her life, was telling her that he had gotten a girl pregnant.

Someone else, who isn't her.

The emperor extended his hand toward the crowd and a girl with light blonde hair came forward to take his hand.

Light blonde hair with caramel brown eyes, a bright smile on her face which made her look soft and gentle.

The girl was just a palace maid not too long ago.

But now she is standing beside the emperor, the highest-ranking person in this empire.

Then the empress, who was standing beside the emperor, was soon brushed aside for that girl to stand beside him.

It was like a slap on her face.

Eleanora had given everything to him, suffered everything for him.

And yet here he was, standing in front of her, telling such excruciating news as if he were telling them the time of day.

With a dark expression, Eleanora quickly stepped down and immediately ran out from there, tears brimming in her eyes.

To hell with her manners as an empress, she was no longer in a condition to think of etiquette.

Who cares about manners, when the emperor that was supposed to be this empress is not hers?

'You couldn't even fulfill all your duties as my wife, let alone as an empress. The empire needs an heir.'

'Something you are incapable of, Empress.'

His words ring in her mind again, twisting deep into her flesh.

They had been married for four years now and it was true.

She had failed to bear him a child.

It wasn't as if she didn't want too though.

Every time she becomes pregnant, she would suffer from a miscarriage.

They said it was because of her poor health.

But Eleanora knew it wasn't the truth.

She is a trained knight.

How can her health be poor?

Her father, the Duke of Dalton, is also at the border. So she can't even ask him for help.

After her mother, the duchess had passed away; they grew apart from each other.

The emperor was never interested in her, which she could see clearly.

Eleanora knew that he was only with her because she was the rightful empress, who was able to help him.

She also knew about his mistress; Jena, who was a mere palace maid.

They had known each other since just before they were officially married or maybe earlier, which

Eleanora never tried to know more about it.

She didn't want to know about her husband's love affairs, where she hardly got any warmth from him.

Not only her, but everyone saw and knew how the emperor doted on that girl over the empress.

She was just a doll to sit on the empress and do the work, where that girl enjoyed and took what was supposed to be hers.

The emperor gave that girl the love, which was rightfully the empress, and looked at her as if she was his only one.

But every part of Eleanora's being loved the emperor, even if he did not love her... she just loved him like a hopeless person who was born to love him. 

He becomes her light when she is hopeless and can't find her way in the darkness.

She holds on to him, the light of her life, thinking one day he will realize her true feelings and embrace her.

Love her back, like she does.

Once she helps him to be successful, he will be proud of her efforts and of… her.

Eleanora remained hopeful that he would warm up to her once she bore him a child.

She was the empress, after all, his official wife whereas that girl was just a mere maid.

He will soon get bored with that girl, as he will realize her love and true sincerity.

Leave that girl to come to her.

He will give her the same smile that he gives that girl now.

Eleanora was confident as she was more capable than her, she could even give up her life to save him, which a maid like that girl wouldn't.

But that was her biggest mistake.

.

.

.

She belittled her enemy and now the child in her womb is going to suffer with her.