In the end, Adilot successfully suppressed the rebellion of Count Celestial. Although he didn’t capture the count himself, he seized his daughter and occupied the lands, so it was essentially a victory. Rumor had it that Count Celestial fled without even taking his luggage. Despite that, he managed to grab a box of gold, which naturally irritated Mia.
‘He must have left me behind on purpose. So I wouldn’t chase him, but rather focus on myself.’ How could someone be so infuriatingly meticulous? ‘Honestly, it’s probably better crawling under the male lead than making money for that kind of guy!’
As they headed to the Imperial Palace of Leventor with Mia as a hostage, Adilot had her walk beside his horse. Mia asked seriously, “On all fours?” “…On two legs!” Adilot replied, clearly irritated.
‘Adil must really like creatures that walk on two legs!’ It was fortunate for Mia. Thanks to this, she could maintain some dignity as she walked next to Adilot. ‘Although, I thought they’d at least tie my hands, but they didn’t even do that?’ Mia clenched and unclenched her hands, pondering. It was clear that Adilot had correctly judged that there wasn’t much she could do even if she tried to escape. ‘And if I did escape, he’s confident he could catch me. Or maybe it would be even better for him if I ran to Count Celestial.’
She was alive, with her limbs free. Adilot clearly cared about animal welfare. ‘Everything seems to be going better than expected!’
However, there was one problem. “Your Majesty, the law dictates that rebels’ families must be annihilated.” The one speaking was Marquis Ferdinand Kito. He had long black hair tied back and gray eyes. Though handsome, he was known for being ruthless on the battlefield and was Adilot’s closest aide. ‘He’s also the stoic secondary male character who eventually falls for Len!’
Returning after searching for Count Celestial, he drew his sword with a menacing look as soon as he saw Mia. Adilot stepped in front of him, and the two began a heated argument. “For Your Majesty’s safety, Mia Celestial must be killed immediately.” “I’ve only postponed it for now.” “This is unprecedented, Your Majesty.” “When have I ever concerned myself with precedent in ruling?” “This will give the Empress’s faction an opportunity to criticize.” “They’ve always found something to criticize. They’d probably even blame me for the day being 24 hours long.”
“Even so, she funded Celestial’s rebellion. We don’t know what her intentions are in staying by your side.” “If things go wrong, I can kill her then.” “In that case, why not kill her now?” Ferdinand’s gray eyes shifted to Mia as he spoke. “If you command it, Your Majesty, I will do it right now….” At the same time, his hand naturally moved to the hilt of his sword. Mia felt a sharp chill, as if her hair stood on end from the murderous intent.
“…Hiccup.” In that moment, Mia instinctively grabbed onto Adilot’s sleeve. Both Adilot and Ferdinand froze. “Hiccup… Hiccup!” “…” In their eyes, all they saw was a small, insignificant woman hiccuping. Her face was pale, her fingers trembling, and her shoulders hunched as she trembled in fear. Without even realizing it, she edged closer to Adilot. Oddly, it didn’t seem like she was doing it on purpose, more like it was an instinctive reaction. Realizing this, both Adilot and Ferdinand had strange expressions.
“…?” Seeing them both stare at her in silence, Mia nervously glanced around and spoke quietly. “P-Please spare me…?” Adilot let out a short sigh. He said just one thing. “Let’s leave it at that for today, Marquis.” “…Understood.” Ferdinand immediately straightened up and returned to his place, not glancing at Mia again.
Once Ferdinand backed down, the march resumed. From afar, the massive army looked like a great dragon. The flag with the red lion flapped in the wind, and the trumpeters announced the emperor’s victory with high notes as they advanced.
Adilot stood at the front of the procession, staring straight ahead with indifference. He seemed entirely accustomed to this situation, as if the whole world existed just for him. Watching his calm profile, Mia thought to herself. ‘I was wrong. I should’ve made money and offered it to Adil sooner to secure my place!’ Surviving wasn’t enough. In the novel, the ultimate survival guarantee was earning the protagonist’s trust. ‘Now that it’s come to this, I’ll stick by Adil’s side and survive for as long as I can!’
Of course, that would mean staying as his pet, but that was just a small, insignificant detail. In fact, it didn’t seem all that bad when she thought about it. After all, the saying goes, “It’s better to live like a dog than die.” ‘And besides, animals aren’t required to work! Even in novels, people get killed, but animals don’t!’
With this positive mindset, Mia clenched her fists. ‘Alright! I’ll clear my name and become the best pet ever!’ It was a resolution that would have made Adilot faint had he heard it.
—
The Imperial Palace of Leventor. Inside, the Conqueror’s Hall. A vast, long hall used only for special ceremonies. ‘In the novel, this was where Len and Adil got married, and where the villain met his downfall…’ The space she had only read about was getting closer. As they neared the towering doors that reached up to the ceiling, Mia took a small, deep breath. Adilot glanced back at her. “Mia Celestial.” “Yes?” “You don’t need to go in.” Mia’s face hardened. ‘What is he talking about! He needs to publicly announce that he spared me so no one messes with me!’
Panicking, Mia whispered urgently. “Your Majesty, an emperor always needs a cool animal by his side to show off his dignity!” “Bringing you along won’t make me seem dignified.” “Right? Because I’m more of the cute type.”
What kind of woman was this? Adilot gave her an indescribable look, but Mia maintained her calm expression. If it meant surviving, she could babble nonsense to bewilder a tyrant all day long. Fortunately, Adilot only sighed and didn’t kick her out. Soon, the grand doors to the Conqueror’s Hall swung open. The doorman announced, “His Imperial Majesty, the Moon of Orquenina, Emperor Adilot Gentzen Schroeder, enters!”
As they stepped inside, the light from the chandeliers and the crimson curtains poured down from above. Even Mia, who rarely got nervous, felt a bit of tension. Lining the sides of the long hallway were all the highest-ranking figures in the empire. Expensive clothing, ornate jewelry, stern and severe faces. Aged ministers and expressionless knights all fixed their sharp gazes on Mia at once.
‘It’s fine. Adilot spared me, so no one can harm me.’ Mia swallowed nervously and followed a few steps behind Adilot. He walked calmly along the red carpet and sat on the imperial throne as if it was his natural place, like someone born to be in the spotlight.
Once everyone found their places, one of the ministers finally spoke up. “Your Majesty…?”
Mia looked over.
Gray hair with brown eyes, and a monocle covering his left eye. She recognized him immediately by his distinctive appearance.
“It’s Marquis Grass!”
In the original story, Marquis Grass was the one who constantly picked fights with Serenity when she entered the imperial palace. He was also a supporter of Empress Chrysor, Adilott’s political rival.
His face was clearly displeased.
“Why?” Adilott asked.
Marquis Grass cleared his throat. “That young lady, or rather, that person… Isn’t she the daughter of the traitor Celestial?”
“That’s right,” Adilott replied.
“Then how is she here? Surely, Your Majesty isn’t unaware of the way to the execution grounds.”
Mia frowned immediately. The marquis’s comment was an obvious mockery, suggesting Adilott had spared many lives before. But Adilott answered nonchalantly, “I’ll make sure to remember when it’s your time, so don’t worry too much.”
The implication was clear: unless you want to be among the dead, you’d better be quiet. Marquis Grass’s lips twitched in response.
“…It’s only natural for a subject to be concerned about the safety of Your Majesty, who is responsible for the future of Orquenina. So, how did that person end up here?”
Feridian stepped in to respond. “Mia Celestial stayed behind to atone for her father’s crimes. She has also pledged her loyalty to His Majesty. His Majesty has shown her mercy and decided to spare her.”
Upon hearing this, Marquis Grass’s expression immediately soured.
“That’s absurd! The law decrees that the traitor’s entire family should be wiped out. Who’s to say she won’t rebel again in the future?”
“Marquis Grass, are you saying you intend to defy His Majesty’s will?” Feridian interjected.
“That’s not what I mean!” Grass snapped.
“Then, as a loyal subject, you should follow His Majesty’s decision,” Feridian said, his tone firm.
Tension mounted between the two men, their gazes locking in midair.
“Now, now, let’s all calm down,” someone said, clapping his hands as he stepped forward.
Dressed in an ivory robe with light brown hair, Joachim Kirch appeared, his light green eyes smiling kindly behind silver-rimmed glasses. Seeing him, Mia muttered to herself, “…Sub-male lead number three!”
Joachim Kirch was the third male lead in Serenity in the Rose Garden and also the chancellor of Orquenina.
“They’re all so handsome,” Mia thought in pure admiration as she watched the three men—Joachim, Feridian, and Marquis Grass—engage in a three-way battle.
“I was simply worried that His Majesty might be heading down the wrong path,” Marquis Grass said.
“His Majesty is always right,” Feridian shot back.
“Not even an emperor is always right, obviously,” Joachim added, keeping a calm demeanor.
It was clear from their conversation who had the more reasonable tone. Naturally, the winner of this verbal sparring match was Joachim, the chancellor with the ever-present smile.
“As the chancellor, it’s our job to advise His Majesty. For now, I believe we should focus on celebrating the successful suppression of the rebellion, don’t you?”
Joachim’s gentle tone and subtle glance towards the weary knights made it clear that he was urging for an end to the discussion.
“…Perhaps we should address this matter in the next council meeting,” Marquis Grass grumbled, clicking his tongue before retreating.
With that, silence returned to the room. Adilott glanced around indifferently.
“Seems quieter than usual today,” he remarked with a dry laugh. “It’s odd, but things always seem to go this way when I’ve got something strapped to my waist.”
He gestured to the sword at his side. The nobles averted their gazes.
‘Even I’m feeling a bit scared right now, so I can’t imagine how they must feel,’ Mia thought.
Fresh off the battlefield, Adilott was still clad in heavy armor, and the knights supporting him were equally intimidating, glaring at anyone who might speak out of turn. No one dared to.
Feridian stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I will lead the army to pursue Count Celestial.”
“Do as you wish, but don’t try too hard,” Adilott replied casually.
“Excuse me?”
“The Celestial family treasures their heir. He’ll come looking for her sooner or later.”
At Adilott’s nonchalant response, Feridian’s gray eyes widened slightly. He gave a sharp bow. “Understood.”
“That’ll do for today. Leave the cleanup to the chancellor.”
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, rest well,” Joachim said with a reassuring smile.
As Adilott was about to leave, Feridian asked, “But what about her?”
“Just toss her somewhere…”
Adilott trailed off as he turned to look at Mia. Feridian also stopped and stared at her.
Even Joachim, with his ambiguous smile, glanced over.
“Technically, criminals of state are sent to the underground dungeons…”
Joachim paused, looking Mia up and down thoughtfully.
“…?”
Faced with their collective gaze, Mia blinked, unsure of how to react. Then, for some reason, she suddenly widened her eyes, almost as if she were challenging them in a stare-off.
It was as if she was thinking, I won’t back down!
The three men chuckled in unison at her oddly defiant expression.
