Chapter 1
The Fifth Year of Her Reign as Empress
The Diamond Palace, where Anastasia lived as Empress, was filled with an unexpected stillness.
The handmaids who should have been hurrying about, the chefs who should have been preparing meals none of them were present.
The palace, once full of activity, was now quiet and empty.
Anastasia stood alone, staring into the mirror.
“Is it finally over?”
Beneath the glittering crown, her golden hair flowed down in loose waves.
Her green eyes, which had once shone brightly like those of a young girl, were now filled with exhaustion.
The life she had once imagined to be full of splendor had given her nothing but endless fatigue.
Anastasia gently touched her roughened face for a moment, then turned her gaze toward the sudden sound of knocking at the door.
Knock knock.
“Is someone still here?” she wondered.
She spoke calmly.
“Come in.”
A moment later, the door opened, revealing a familiar face.
“Brianna!”
Anastasia rose to her feet, a warm smile spreading across her face as she welcomed Brianna.
Brianna, the daughter of her maternal uncle, was the only person in the lonely palace with whom Anastasia could speak freely and openly.
“Did your father send a reply?”
Brianna looked slightly hesitant as she lowered her eyes and unfolded a white piece of paper.
[Yes. He said he will stand by Your Majesty in the courtroom.]
Only then did Anastasia feel as if the heavy weight on her chest had finally lifted.
“Thank goodness. That’s enough.”
She sank heavily into her seat.
She had loved the Emperor.
Although Cassius did not possess the qualities of a wise and virtuous ruler, she had wanted to stay by his side and help him become a good monarch.
But perhaps her honest advice had become poison to him.
As time passed, the distance between them grew.
The love she once felt gradually faded, and before she realized it, they had become nothing more than a couple in name only.
She had hoped that even if love was lost, the bond of friendship they shared would remain.
But in his eyes, she was nothing more than an obstacle.
He went as far as fabricating evidence to accuse Anastasia of treason.
Because of that, she now stood at the edge of a cliff.
It felt as though even the lightest push could send her plunging into the abyss.
If her uncle truly offered his support, then maybe, just maybe, she still had a chance to win this game.
That was what Anastasia believed.
Suddenly, armed knights burst into the room.
They quickly surrounded the table where Anastasia was seated.
The commander of the knights stepped forward and bowed his head.
“There is an imperial order to escort Her Majesty the Empress to the courtroom immediately.”
So, it has finally come.
Anastasia furrowed her brow.
No sooner had Commander Austin finished speaking than two knights reached out to seize her arms.
But Anastasia firmly struck their hands away.
“How dare you lay your hands on me? Do you know whose body you’re trying to touch? How disrespectful.”
With those words, Anastasia turned her eyes toward Austin.
“If, as you say, it is an imperial order, then I shall obey. But was there also an order allowing you to lay hands on me?”
“…No, Your Majesty.”
“Then I will walk on my own.”
Anastasia took her steps willingly.
As she moved forward, Austin stepped aside, allowing her to pass.
At that moment, Brianna suddenly stepped in front of her and dropped to her knees.
Born without the ability to speak, Brianna could only shake her head in protest.
“Move aside.”
Watching her, Austin drew his sword and aimed it at her neck.
“Austin, put your sword away.”
Anastasia quickly stepped in front of Brianna, shielding her, and gently took her by the shoulders to help her stand.
“Bri, it’s all right. Nothing bad will happen. Just in case something does, I want you to return to the count’s estate right away. Do you understand?”
Even after hearing Anastasia’s words, Brianna only shook her head again and again.
Tears were streaming down her face as she refused to leave.
Seeing her like that, Anastasia gently pulled her into a tight embrace.
“It’s all right. Everything will be fine.”
After holding her for a moment, Anastasia let her go and turned to Austin.
“Let’s go.”
At last, they arrived at the courtroom.
When Anastasia entered and took her place at the defendant’s stand, she saw many faces staring at her.
The room was filled with eyes full of scorn and contempt.
Among them, one face stood out.
Sitting proudly behind the judges, overseeing everything, was none other than Cassius—Anastasia’s husband and the Emperor of this nation.
Cassius.
Cassius looked at her with a smirk, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Are you Her Majesty, Empress Anastasia?”
“Yes. I am Anastasia Adelaide.”
“Due to the number of offenses committed by Her Majesty, this trial has been convened urgently.”
The judge flipped through a stack of papers and continued reading aloud.
“At a time when the Empire’s economy is unstable, the Empress, who should be setting an example of modesty, has led a life of extravagance. Her careless neglect of duties has drawn public criticism. Furthermore, she has failed to show proper respect to the Grand Empress Dowager, who is still alive. She has also been accused of immorality, including bringing men into the Empress’s quarters on a daily basis and engaging in acts of adultery.”
The list of charges continued for some time before the judge finally looked up at Anastasia.
“Do you admit to these crimes?”
“No. I do not admit to any of them.”
Anastasia spoke firmly.
None of the accusations read by the judge were true.
The accusation about bringing men into her chambers was so absurd that Anastasia could hardly believe what she was hearing.
On top of that, she thought to herself:
“The Emperor has different women coming and going from his bedchamber every night, yet the only man allowed in the Empress’s palace is her husband? How can such blatant hypocrisy be accepted?”
Anastasia wanted to say those words out loud, but she held herself back.
She knew her position was too precarious to risk saying something that could be used against her.
“Then we will bring in the witness.”
At the word witness, her expression changed completely.
A witness in this sham of a trial?
How could there possibly be a real witness to these lies?
“You wicked woman! You deserve to die!”
A large stone came flying and struck her on the head.
Shouts of condemnation followed, all directed at Anastasia.
“We were fools to believe you were our savior!”
“How could such a shameless woman be allowed to live!”
Her uncle, who had promised to help her, never appeared in the courtroom.
All she saw were people stepping forward, one after another, claiming to testify against her.
Some faces were familiar. Others she had never seen before.
But none of them listened to what she had to say.
No one in the courtroom was interested in the truth.
Faced with a carefully staged performance, Anastasia found herself powerless.
There was nothing she could do.
And so, the day of her execution finally arrived.
The gleaming blade of the guillotine stood before her, sharp and cold.
All she could do was let out a hollow laugh.
Even her beloved family had long since abandoned her.
After ordering the deaths of her father and mother, and wiping out her entire bloodline, Cassius finally commanded that her sentence be carried out.
“How dare you harm my son, my only son!”
The woman was likely a mother who had lost her child.
That, too, must have been one of the many false crimes pinned on Anastasia.
To send Anastasia to the execution platform, Cassius had killed many people and built a web of lies to frame her.
A woman in the crowd began shouting her son’s name again and again, then broke into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
Her cries, filled with grief and fury, became the spark that stirred even greater outrage among the people.
Several knights were stationed around Anastasia, but none of them tried to stop the growing unrest. They simply stood in place, watching.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd cried out.
“Look, His Majesty the Emperor is coming!”
All the eyes that had been fixed on Anastasia shifted at once.
“His Majesty!”
The knights surrounding Anastasia dropped to their knees, showing respect to their ruler.
The crowd began kneeling as well, one by one.
Only one person remained standing.
Anastasia did not move.
She stood firm, her back straight, her gaze unshaken.
Even when the Emperor climbed the platform and stood directly in front of her, she never lowered her eyes.
“I will give you one final chance to confess your crimes.”
Cassius spoke with a voice full of grace, and the crowd could not hide their astonishment.
“To show such mercy to a vile criminal like her…”
Moved by what they believed to be the Emperor’s compassion, all eyes turned to Anastasia, waiting for her response.
They seemed to be expecting a dramatic moment, where even the sinner would break down and confess in awe of the Emperor’s mercy.
But instead—
“Oh my, has she gone mad?”
Anastasia spats directly into Cassius’s face.
“Leaving behind a monster like you on this earth is the only crime I have ever committed.”
