Duke Metis’ residence in the Empire wasn’t far away. As he saw Monica, who took his daughter from the morning, Sagan couldn’t conceal his suspicious face.

Stella’s appearance looked horrible. The nail marks on her face, her chapped lips, and how many times she cried until her throat was hoarse and her eyes were swollen so that she couldn’t open them.

“Ah……Father!” Stella cried so hard, clinging on to her father as soon as she saw Sagan and the Empress who had an indifferent expression.

Sagan was able to guess what was going on loosely and swallowed his sigh, “First of all, I’ll talk to the Empress, so you go and get some rest.”

“Father!”

“That’s okay. I’ve listened to you enough, so go ahead and ask your mother to take care of you.”

Only then did Stella nodded her head with a face full of tears. The spoiled attitude of his youngest daughter didn’t disappear even with age. Monica, who saw her, just kicked her tongue.

After the maid could somehow persuade Stella to leave, Sagan bit his lip.

“What’s going on?”

“Is there anything you want to say to your brother?”

“That’s what happened. That’s all.” Monica replied in leisurely voice.

There was a mixture of disappointment and anger in Sagan’s eyes. Although Fabian’s cold attitude and rejection were unavoidable, it felt like a betrayal to him if his sister, the Empress Dowager, pretended not to care as well.

“Do you think I sent my Stella into the Palace to see this? I even begged you, sister! “

“What can I do? Your sister is an Empress.”

Monica didn’t even lift an eye at Sagan’s cry, and just sat down with a long pipe in her mouth.

It was time for Sagan to accept it, that his sister was a woman who lived as an Empress and stayed at the Southern Palace. Monica was no longer his younger sister. She was just an Empress who gave birth to the Emperor of this Empire.

“Are you saying that I was foolish?” Sagan immediately uttered bitter respect. “You must have completely forgotten that you’re a Metis woman.”

“I want to forget, but I can’t. When will I have the opportunity to forget it?” But Monica replied sharply.

It was her complaint to Sagan, who dragged her out of her peaceful life. From the beginning, Monica had never agreed with the Duke Metis since she thought that, she had already fulfilled her duty for the family.

“But how can you…….”

“Listen, brother.” Monica stopped his speech. “I know you’re blaming me now. Both Stella and you must hate me and think I’m cold-hearted.”

Sagan didn’t deny it.

“The Metis family doesn’t forget the grudge. We all know that debts must be paid off.”

Monica recalled her father, who looked like Sagan. Even before she was coming of age, her father told that she must become an Empress to protect Metis.

Still echoed in her mind the words of her mother, she would rather die if she couldn’t become an Empress and gave birth to Imperial successor.

But, Monica couldn’t break her blood ties, even though she wanted.

“And I’m Metis-woman and your sister. This …… This is the only way to save our family, you, and Stella. Even if you hate me now, someday, you’ll be grateful.”

“Is it you who decide it yourself? Or is it His Majesty’s will?”

“It doesn’t matter who. Know that, this is the best for Metis and Stella.”

There was no longer a younger sister’s impression of her. When he saw Monica’s cold gaze, Sagan remembered Fabian’s hateful face.

“Don’t let Stella come to the Palace anymore. Give up the Empress’s throne and the successor as well.”

Sagan just stared at her in silence.

“Metis blood already flows through His Majesty’s body. Your place and your glory are good enough. Our family does not lack at all.”

But when would human end his greed? The Empress felt bitter, looking at the ambition that still remained in Sagan’s eyes.

“It’s nobody’s fault. If Stella is becoming Empress, with or without Princess Evelyn, she can’t live the way she wants. She will be mad at her family. I know better than anyone because I was an Empress before. I don’t know if it’s Irina, but Stella …… no, she can’t. So give up.”

Monica shook her head. No matter how hard Sagan tried, he couldn’t change Stella into a new person overnight.

“You’re giving an ultimatum, not a persuasion.” Sagan summarized the situation in a single phrase.

“Yes.” Monica didn’t avoid and answered head-on. It was his first rebellion against her family. Still, it’s complicated to think that what she did was for the sake of her family.

“Brother, you’re a smart person, so I’m sure you will understand my heart as soon as the situation clears up.”

“Have you become an Imperial woman without my knowledge?”

“I’ve been an Imperial woman ever since I entered the Palace. Isn’t that what Metis was hoping for?”

Sagan’s lips twisted as Monica had drawn a clear line.

She never wanted to be an Empress. Yet fate finally determined her life. All because of her father’s hand, who had the same desire as Sagan now.

“I was lucky. It’s just that… … .”

Monica needed a long time to look back. His husband, the late Emperor, had an oppressive atmosphere, that made people suffocate just by being in one place with him. There was no conversation or exchanged mind, and it was a stroke of luck to have Fabian.

“Marry Stella to Duke Perth.”

“What?” Sagan’s face was crumpled. “Give my daughter to such an unprincipled person?”

“There’s no man better than him. And I know from what I’ve seen, they won’t be a bad match.”

“Why him? I rather send her to the monastery!”

“Then she can’t get married. Are you fine with that? His Majesty had agreed. If you do that, he won’t make things difficult for Metis anymore.”

Huh, Sagan spat out laughter, “You mean I have to obey him?”

“Right now…yes, there’s no other way.”

Sagan shut his mouth. He knew that Monica was a wise person. However, reason and emotion were two different things. His sister’s rebellion made him even more upset since he couldn’t do it right away.

“Sincerely, it was a decision I made for Metis.”

The eyes of the brother and sister met. It had been a long time since they looked directly at each other like this.

“I know your pride is very trampled now. But I’m also a Metis. Can’t you believe this is the best I can do for my family?”

Monica reached out her hand first because she didn’t want her family to have perished.

“Is this sincere from the bottom of your heart …..?”

“Yes, as the Empress and as the Metis’s daughter.”

Sagan briefly watched her, then soon he nodded his head hard, “Well, I have no choice but to follow you, then.”

“Really?”

Sagan nodded again, looking at the half-doubted Empress.

He moved his steps, stood before her and hugged Monica’s shoulder warmly, like in her childhood memories.

“Brother… … ?”

Monica became awkward when she sensed her family’s warmth, which she felt after a long time. But Sagan held her tightly as if he was trying to erase her awkwardness.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

A faint smile appeared on Monica’s lips, “Don’t keep it in your heart.”

Monica thought to herself that she was happy that she could protect her family in this way. Later, Sagan and Stella would understand and accept her decision as time went on, and things became clear.

“No, thank you. I appreciate it.” Sagan put Monica in his arms and said, making eye contact. “And… I’m so sorry for you.”

Monica felt soothed. She heaved a short breath then put on a gentle face after seeing Sagan put down his ambition and took her hand, “Thank you for your understanding.”

At least one hurdle had passed. Stella’s cry wouldn’t stop for a while, but she would be at peace for the rest of her life as a Duchess.

Metis was still Fabian’s mother’s family, so there was plenty of ways to maintain power. If he could compromise this much, Sagan had just had to make another deal with Fabian.

Monica spent some time at the Duke’s residence and returned to the Palace after she comforted Stella.

Still, Stella’s eyes which already reddened didn’t stop crying.

After Sagan sent Monica away, he sat down next to her still-crying-daughter.

“Father… …you’re not going to send me to Lady Akshire’s ex-husband, are you?”

Duke Perth wasn’t only a widower, but his status as Lady Rebecca’s ex-husband irritated her and insanely scratched Stella’s pride.

“Father, I’d rather go to a monastery than… ” Stella clung to her dad, desperately.

“You don’t have to.” Sagan swept Stella’s cheek and said firmly. “I won’t send you to the Duke Perth or the monastery.”

“But the Empress…….”

Sagan stared at Stella, with his eyes filled with various thoughts, begging his daughter not to speak more. Stella was silent after looking at her father and closed her mouth.

“The Empress will do her duty for our Metis, as she always does.”

Whether or not Monica wanted to, she had to do it.

“I’m always sorry and grateful to her.”

Sagan had made up his mind.

“Stella, you mustn’t forget to thank your aunt.”

Stella only nodded her head at her father’s words, which she still didn’t understand yet.

Sagan patted his daughter on the back and recalled his sister’s face who had just left.

The human heart turned out to be very vicious. He was hesitant when he was asked to use his sister. But it felt so sweet to use her when his sister betrayed him.

“Daughter born in Metis has to live for Metis until she dies.”

That’s how Sagan’s father taught Monica. However, Monica forgot his teachings, and she crossed the line that shouldn’t be crossed with her Empress’ status.

Sagan wasn’t cruel. It was Monica who first abandoned Metis and sided with that resentful Imperial family.

“Metis blood flows in our veins for life. Even if she’s an Empress, it will never erase the fact that she’s Metis’s daughter. “

Sagan didn’t know to whom was he speaking to?

To his sister, who had already become the Empress or his daughter, who he pushed to become the Empress?

“No matter what happens, we must not betray our family. We must live for Metis to the end.”

The bad person was Monica, who abandoned her duty. So Sagan decided to believe that.

“The Empress Dowager and the next Empress must be from Metis.”

“Yes… Yes, Father……don’t send me to Duke Perth…….” said Stella, who knew nothing, in tears.

But Sagan didn’t hear her. Monica’s image which turned his back from him began to blur. Perhaps, he’d never see her again.

“Yes.”

Even if their father were alive, Sagan was sure that his father would make the same choice. There was no compassion for the child who betrayed the family.

“If you live for Metis, you must die for Metis, that’s it.”

Sagan put an end to her sister’s fate in his heart.

When he made a justification for his family’s sake, his guilt disappeared.

This wasn’t for him. Not for his daughter, but only for Metis’ glory.

“That’s fate.”

So nobody was a sinner.

Even the Empress Dowager, who would kill her grandson without knowing it, wouldn’t be a sinner.