Empress Velriona was once renowned as the most beautiful woman in the empire. However, before she became an empress, she was actually the daughter of a duke. Her father had opposed Emperor Gredor's ascension to the throne, favoring the youngest prince, Prince Ehtan, instead. But with the help of Duke Leonardo—Neonidas's father—Prince Gredor won the throne war. Upon ascending the throne, Gredor solidified his authority by killing all his siblings.
This fratricide, however, greatly disturbed many nobles and much of the populace. As a result, the White Rose Wars erupted, plunging the empire into a civil war. The leader of the rebellion was none other than Velriona's father. The conflict was named the White Rose Wars because Velriona's father had sent Emperor Gredor a white rose alongside a respectful letter, asking him to abdicate the throne.
Emperor Gredor found himself in grave danger, facing a major internal war shortly after ascending the throne. The civil war lasted eight years, and Gredor, with significant help from Duke Leonardo and a few other dukes, as well as foreign allies, managed to suppress the rebellion. The leaders of the revolt were either killed or captured alive. Velriona's father was executed under imperial law, and Velriona herself married the emperor.
This marriage was not born of love or even logic, but was instead a necessity to restore order and unity in the empire. It was meant to pacify the rebellious duke's followers and create an image of reconciliation and stability. The architect of this plan was, of course, none other than Duke Leonardo. His influence made him the most powerful figure in the empire, essentially the emperor's right hand and left foot. This was why Emperor Gredor treated Neonidas with such understanding and leniency.
But the crucial point here is that Empress Velriona had neither a love marriage nor even a logical one. She married the emperor because she had no choice.
All this information, though not found in the original novel, was present in Neonidas's memories. Unfortunately, Velriona's tragic life would not end there.
In the novel written by Neonidas's ex-girlfriend, a few years later, Princess Allea would go to war. During this time, Avelina, seeking to prove her abilities, would join the monster war with the emperor's powerful support. Princess Allea would sustain a severe injury early in the war, losing her right arm. As a result, the emperor would pull her back from the front lines, paving the way for Avelina to take the spotlight.
Avelina quickly gained the people's love with her inspiring magic and her romantic relationship with the heroic Roman. When the war ended, Allea would spiral into madness, and after a series of events, Avelina would seize the throne and become empress.
This marked the beginning of Velriona's tragedy. Having treated her stepdaughter poorly since childhood, Velriona had earned Avelina's wrath. Once Avelina became empress, her first act was to strip Velriona of her noble rights and banish her from the palace. Velriona lost her daughter, Allea, her home—everything.
Later in the story, readers would learn bandits kidnapped that Velriona shortly after being cast out and endured years of rape. Eventually, after somehow getting rid of these bandits, she would take refuge in the temple with her children and become a nun there.
Her last encounter with Avelina would occur in this temple. One day, by chance, Avelina would meet the former empress and, upon hearing her story, would forgive her and invite her back to the palace. Velriona, however, would respond with a harsh slap and spit in Avelina's face. Velriona hated the girl who had caused her downfall. Yet at this point, readers would see Velriona's arrogance and claim she deserved everything that happened to her. Some would even go as far as to say she had secretly wanted the rape she endured.
This highlighted humanity's darker side: the tendency to believe only what is visible, ignoring the countless perspectives and nuances that exist. Few, if any, except perhaps a rare group like Orson, would pity the empress. Such was the scope of Velriona's past and future tragedies.
As for why Velriona treated Avelina poorly, the reasons stemmed from her loveless marriage. The emperor had never shown her affection, yet he had loved Avelina's mother. Avelina frequently entered the main imperial palace, where she wasn't allowed, and once, as a child, accidentally wore Allea's clothes. Velriona accused her of stealing them. Over time, Velriona began plotting against Avelina, blaming her for Allea's descent into madness. This turned Velriona into one of the villainess of the story.
Nevertheless, Velriona had been a highly capable woman who maintained her power and influence in the empire until Avelina's coup. She had built her own intelligence network and gathered a loyal group of nobles. Her only weakness was her love for her daughter, Princess Allea and that's why he was actually going to lose to Avelina. But much had already changed in this world thanks to Neonidas, and it seemed that much would change in the future.
"Yeah, Allea gave me some of your cookies when we were children. They were probably the best thing I've ever eaten," Neonidas said to the empress. It was clear from his appearance that he had drunk heavily that night.
Velriona froze at his words. Hearing someone mention the cookies she had made years ago brought back a bittersweet memory of the past. Her daughter had once loved it very much those cookies but had still given some to Neonidas. This small act reminded Velriona of the kind girl Allea used to be, and a faint smile graced her lips. Her gaze drifted momentarily, then hardened.
"I remember how devoted Allea used to be to me," Velriona said, her voice trembling faintly. "But then she... like everything else, drifted away."
Allea, meanwhile, was surrounded by dozens of noblewomen, speaking animatedly in a corner with Duchess Lyranna beside her. At the table, only Velriona and Neonidas remained, their conversation unheard by anyone else.
Noticing the pain on the empress's face, Neonidas smirked mockingly. "Life's irony, isn't it? You're the most powerful woman here, yet you're stuck drinking wine with a useless duke."
Velriona flinched at his words. Her brief look of shock turned into a cold, smoldering anger. Narrowing her eyes, she glared at Neonidas, her lips twitching. "A useless duke?" she said, her voice icy but eerily calm. "That's your problem! You let people call you that. I thought you had changed lately, but it seems I was mistaken. Never let anyone judge or insult you. Kill them if you must, but never be weak.... This world is hell for the weak because all the devils live here."
Neonidas paused momentarily, caught off guard by Velriona's unexpected words. The sharpness in her tone carried the weight of the hardships she had endured and the battles she had fought. Yet, it also revealed the depth of her insight and foresight. Neonidas placed his glass on the table and straightened, his eyes locking with hers.
"How interesting," he said in a calm tone. "The most powerful woman in the empire is telling me not to be weak. And yet, she reminds me of how she herself once submitted." His eyes glimmered with a subtle challenge. "Velriona, you preach about killing and crushing to stay strong in this world. But after all these years, you're still trapped in the shadows of the past… still a prisoner to a husband who never loved you."
Velriona froze at his words. Her lips twitched, as though trying to form words that were caught in her throat. Her gaze lingered on Neonidas for a fleeting moment, carrying the pain of a truth that pierced her like an arrow. Yet her pride wouldn't allow her to reveal her anguish or vulnerability.
"You're quite adept at finding people's weak spots, little Neonidas," she said with a bitter smile. "But remember this: strength isn't about being free of scars from the past. It's about standing tall despite them. And yet, I see you still searching for someone to blame, like a child."
Neonidas let out a mocking laugh, as if amused by her response. "Fair enough. I know I've made foolish mistakes, but I'm changing faster than anyone else ever could. Surely, even you've noticed that, Your Majesty. Honestly, I'd have expected the same from you. After all, you know just as well as I do that there are things you need to change."
The stern expression on Velriona's face hardened further. Her hands gripped the edge of her wineglass tightly. Yet instead of raising her voice, she spoke in a calm tone laced with simmering anger. "Are you suggesting I betray my husband? That I plot behind his back? That will never happen. Perhaps I hate him, and perhaps I lie awake at night grieving when I see the women he truly loves instead of me. But I will not betray him—because I was raised better than that."
"And what if I told you," Neonidas said, leaning forward slightly, "that your daughter would die because of your stubbornness and your loyalty to that man? Would you still cling to your principles?"
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Just one question. Have I already described how Duchess Lyranna (Allea's best friend) looks like?