The sound of gunfire echoed through the top floor of the Prison Tower, where Nellis, the only prisoner, was being held.
Just a short while ago, she was the crown princess and the next empress of the Empire of Visto, sitting in a position of unparalleled power.
The Empire, of course, was an eternal alliance with the noble Elantria family, one of the most prestigious families on the continent, and the symbol of the ancient hero Elantria, who possessed the mysterious Purple Eye.
Although her husband, the prince, treated her like a lowly concubine, reminding her that she was not born into the Elantria family but was a adopted daughter of a lower noble family, Nellis endured it.
She thought it was for the sake of her family.
However, about a year ago... the Elantria family finally revealed their long-held ambition and declared independence from the Empire, proclaiming themselves a royal family.
And when the Visto Imperial Family, which had failed to prevent this, officially recognized the independence of the Elantria Kingdom to resolve the pre-existing conflicts...
Her existence was treated as if she had never existed.
The prince, who had been married to Nellis for several years, suddenly imprisoned her and announced that he would marry her adoptive sister, Valentine, the current princess of the Elantria Kingdom.
So, how did the Elantria family respond to this?
The answer was the grand parade sounds coming from outside. According to the conversation between the guards a few days ago, the Elantria family's delegation had arrived with the 'new bride'.
'I was abandoned.'
Nellis muttered to herself, for the thousandth time.
12 years ago, when she was still a student at the Academy, she lost her mother, a distant relative of the Elantria family, and became an orphan. Her father, a low-ranking knight, had died long before, and she couldn't even remember his face.
The Elantria family had taken her in and given her a home and family.
Although the duke and duchess, as well as Valentine, had never been kind to her, Nellis thought she had to repay their kindness. So, she did everything for the family.
Really, everything.
She stayed up all night to learn the etiquette of the high-society, sometimes playing the role of a villain by lying to the family's enemies, and eventually... marrying a man she didn't love and enduring his abuse.
Even after her marriage, there were many people who were eliminated for the sake of the family.
Had she not done anything for the imperial family?
In reality, her husband, the prince, was deeply infatuated with his concubine, but Nellis was the one who had worked tirelessly for years to ensure the comfort of the entire imperial family, including him.
However, the attitude of the two families was as if Nellis had never existed from the beginning.
Her left leg, which had been crippled by the brutal torture, suddenly twitched.
'... What will become of me?'
A ray of sunlight briefly shone through the gap in the wall, illuminating the dimly lit cell.
Nellis's unfocused eyes reflected the sunlight, radiating a kaleidoscope of colors.
The legendary trait that had been known only to the imperial family, but was discovered in Nellis, allowing her to be adopted by the Elantria family and eventually rise to the position of crown princess.
It was the Purple Eye.
The precious Purple Eye, which had been of no help to her since she entered the prison, was instead used as a tool for the imperial family to vent their anger on her fragile body, subjecting her to long and gruesome torture.
But, after leaving the prison...
After leaving the prison? Nellis laughed at herself. Nellis, can you really escape?
From the beginning, the imperial family's message was clear: they had no relationship with her, and she was just a pawn in their game.
'Brother Nell will know about this situation...'
The rest of the family might not care about Nellis, but one person was different.
Only one person, Nellusion, the heir of the Elantria family and Nellis's adoptive brother, was different.
In this situation, Nellusion was the only hope for Nellis. He was always kind and recognized her value, so he would definitely request her release from the imperial family.
Just then, the iron door of the cell creaked open.
Nellis reflexively looked up, but it was not the torturer who entered with a torch.
Valentine, adorned with a radiant glow, sauntered into the cell, her smile dripping with malice.
Although they were only a year apart in age, the two sisters looked like they were from different worlds.
Nellis had a delicate face, but her eyes were worn out from constantly looking over her shoulder, and her body was frail from the torture.
On the other hand, Valentine had an innocent and confident air about her, a quality that only those who were loved by everyone could possess.
"Valentine..."
Valentine looked at Nellis with contempt, her lovely face twisted with cruelty.
Nellis finally noticed Valentine's clothes, which she had only thought were dazzlingly beautiful.
The clothes Valentine was wearing were the ones Nellis had worn as the crown princess. The golden silk and jewel-embroidered attire was only worn by direct members of the imperial family.
Nellis suppressed the despair rising in her chest and asked in a calm tone, "What are you doing here?"
Valentine looked Nellis up and down before responding, "I came to see your last moments."
Valentine's face lit up with a happy smile, seemingly satisfied with the current situation.
"Your expression looks like you were expecting Brother Nell... but unfortunately, he's going to stand by his new wife's side."
"New wife?"
The Elantria family had formed alliances with many influential people, including the current Pope, Omnitus III, to gain independence from the Empire. As a condition, the Pope had proposed the engagement between Bridget, his illegitimate child, and Nellusion.
Nellis was well aware of the situation, as she had been directly involved in the negotiations. Despite being the one who had led the negotiations, Nellis had secretly felt despair. Nellis thought that Nellusion had seen through her feelings and was being kind to her, but in reality, it was all just a political move.
Nellis knew that she could never be with him, as she was already married. Still, his sweet words had comforted her at the time.
But...
"Did Brother Nell also... come here?"
The harsh reality hit Nellis like a ton of bricks.
If Nellusion had thought of Nellis at all, he would have known that there had been no contact between them since the Elantria family's declaration of independence.
Valentine laughed, covering her face with a luxurious fan, and then lifted Nellis's chin with the fan, smiling coldly.
"Wake up. You're just a low-born, thinking you're my real sister?"
Nellis's breath was taken away by Valentine's words.
Suddenly, she realized something and asked with a pale face, "Was this your idea from the beginning? Mother, Father, and you too?"
"Why exclude Brother Nell? It was him who suggested adopting you and sending you to the prince in the first place."
Valentine spoke in a deliberately cruel tone, "You were useful. You had a good head on your shoulders, and your eyes were like our family's... and you were in a position to cooperate with us. But now that you're no longer needed, you should disappear. For a clean new start between our two countries."
Tears flowed from Nellis's eyes, which had been dry for so long. The Purple Eye, illuminated by the torchlight, sparkled like a gemstone.
Even Valentine, a direct member of the Elantria family with blue eyes, seemed to be enjoying the scene.
"Don't be too resentful. From the beginning, it was unlikely that the prince would be satisfied with a low-born adopted daughter like you. What's the point of having a certain eye color when it comes to real power? For people like us, marriage is a transaction, and it's only natural to prioritize our own flesh and blood."
Who had worked hard for the family until now?
It wasn't as if she had expected great praise or reward.
She had just wanted someone to acknowledge her efforts.
That was all she wanted.
Nellis's head was spinning, and she couldn't say anything more. Valentine seemed dissatisfied with that too, and slapped Nellis's cheek with her fan.
"You're really foolish. You couldn't even manage your married life properly, could you? Every time I saw 'that shameless thing', I felt sorry for you. But anyway, it'll all be over in three days. Once I become the crown princess, I'll chase that woman out of the palace. How about that? Aren't you grateful to me? You also hated that woman, didn't you?"
The prince's concubine, Megara, had been acting like the crown princess everywhere except for official events for several years now. She was the same age as Nellis, but their lives were like heaven and earth.
Megara, who was beautiful and charming, had tormented Nellis for a long time. So, Valentine's words were true.
'You'll also end up like this.'
Nellis's voice was faint as she pleaded.
"I'm not needed anymore. I worked hard for the family. You know that. I did everything I was told to do. Just let me go...…"
"Ha? Is there an owner who just watches as their dog runs away?"
"What more do you want from me? Can't you just leave me alone now...?"
"No. Even a dead dog has its uses."
Valentine shrugged.
"That's what Her Majesty Queen Camille said. Everything has to be certain until the end. If you think 'it'll be okay' and let your guard down, you'll show your weaknesses."
Nellis's bones turned cold.
Queen Camille, who was the prince's sister, had always taken care of Nellis, her sister-in-law who was being ignored by her brother.
She would scold her brother for being infatuated with his concubine and losing the dignity of the imperial family, and praise Nellis when she contributed to the imperial family.
Thanks to Queen Camille, Nellis was able to endure her miserable married life. Even when her husband ignored her, Nellis had Queen Camille, who recognized her efforts.
But now, Queen Camille was saying that even a corpse had to be certain, according to Valentine.
'It's changing so quickly.'
Everything she had believed in until now was crumbling. Nellis shook her head uncontrollably.
"I don't want to die like this."
"Grab her, Joseph."
Valentine gave the order with a relaxed tone. The knight who had brought the torch grabbed Nellis's body. Nellis recognized him as one of Nellusion's loyal servants, who had grown up with him.
Nellis looked him straight in the eye and shouted sternly.
"Let me go! I'm your master's sister!"
The knight closed his eyes, unable to look at her. Valentine sneered.
"Sister? You're still spouting nonsense. But thanks to you, our family was treated as a respectable royal family. I'll tell you one good thing, though."
Valentine's beautiful blue eyes were filled with contempt as she looked down at Nellis. Nellis remembered the sky outside, which she hadn't seen in a long time.
Nellusion also had eyes like that. A handsome young man with long silver hair and blue eyes.
At one time, just looking up at the clear sky made her feel like he was by her side.
But now, Nellis found the color blue repulsive.
"Don't you think that your brother Nell is the one who got rid of your mother, that annoying woman?"
Nellis's strength left her body. She had suspected it from the moment she heard that Nellusion was the one who had promoted her adoption.
Everything felt meaningless. Her entire life had been a lie. Then what was the point of trying to survive?
"I think you know what that is, don't you?"
Valentine pulled out a small bottle and poured its contents into Nellis's mouth, which the knight had forced open.
"Thank the princess for her mercy, which grants you a painless death. You're better off this way than dying in a more miserable way, aren't you? It's good that you have so much to be grateful for as you meet your end."
Nellis's vision was already blurry. She couldn't tell if it was due to the poison, her tears, or being thrown to the ground.
She just fell into an endless abyss, hearing only Valentine's fading laughter.
In the distance, a faint, thin light appeared.