The Imperial Prison.
Rose had never imagined setting foot in such a place.
Escorted by imperial knights, she descended into the depths of the imperial palace's underground prison.
Contrary to her expectations, the prison appeared surprisingly clean, resembling more a dwelling for ordinary people than a place of incarceration.
"This way."
The guide led Rose to a room, and as she approached the iron door, she peered inside.
A narrow iron bar near the top allowed her a glimpse of the cell's interior.
The room was meticulously arranged---a bed, a private toilet, and a modest table with a chair.
It reflected a deliberate effort to provide a semblance of comfort with minimal furnishings.
Within the cell, Ilya sat on the bed, her light brown hair falling untidily as she stared at the floor expressionlessly.
"Ilya Titonsser."
Rose uttered her name softly.
Ilya looked up, her gaze meeting Rose's.
"Rose... Lady..."
Ilya's once cheerful voice now sounded as desolate as a withered branch. Suppressing the surge of pity, Rose bit her lip as she swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.
Approaching the door with unsteady steps, Ilya implored Rose.
"Rose... Please save me. I don't want to be here, Rose...!"
Tears streamed down from Ilya's green eyes, her voice resonating with sorrow and desperation.
"Ilya Titonsser, have you not considered the mistake you have made?"
"I don't remember anything...! Why was I there... Why did I go by the name of Nina West? You have to believe me, Rose! I don't remember anything!"
Ilya gripped the iron bars as a small clanking sound echoed.
The knights surrounding Rose took a menacing step forward at the noise. Sensing their reaction, Ilya withdrew her hand as Rose appealed to the knights for understanding.
"I would like to speak alone with Lady Titonsser. Would you please grant me this request?"
"For safety protocols, we can't go too far away from you, Lady Honeywell."
The knight spoke firmly, maintaining a respectful but watchful distance from Rose.
Although it wasn't a considerable distance, Rose glanced back at Ilya in the cell, taking note of the separation.
"I know you were possessed and controlled by that strange thing, but what about before that? You were fully aware of your actions when you tried to kill me using Stanley Gardner."
Rose bluntly stated the truth that Ilya had conveniently chosen to overlook.
Ilya, who had been unresponsive, suddenly collapsed on the floor.
Rose's expression tightened into a cold mask as she observed Ilya.
"There's no need to pretend to be pitiful and gain sympathy from me---"
"---I did it because I was jealous!!!"
Ilya's desperate cry interrupted Rose.
Her eyes widened at the unexpected admission.
Before she knew it, Ilya began sobbing, shedding more tears than before---the perfect image of a tender young girl being wronged.
"I did it because I was jealous of you! Ugh! I liked that person first, but why does that person like you...? Why does everyone like you?"
"Ilya Titonsser."
"Ugh, I am... I wanted a luxurious life like the other nobles. Hic. That was all! I would make my debut in the social world, meet a man who loved me, and get married. That was the plan... Whaaa! I wanted to live the life of the nobles in the capital."
"..."
"Is that so wrong? Did this happen because I hoped for something I shouldn't have wished for?"
Ilya, sobbing while hitting the floor with her tightly clenched fists, looked up.
When Rose met her eyes, Ilya's shoulders trembled.
Rose saw her past self reflected in Ilya's eyes.
"I just liked Elliot Proud. Was I hoping for something impossible?"
That was what Rose had once asked her beloved brother who opposed her liking Elliot.
She walked away without giving Ilya a response.
Ilya's sobs echoed from the distant cell as Rose quickly turned around, wary of her heartfelt sobs gaining any of her sympathy.
"My business is done. I want to go back."
The knight who had guided Rose led the way outside.
She followed the knight out of the Imperial Prison, consciously avoiding looking back. The strain on her neck, perhaps from the tension and the strong urge to remain gazing forward, left the back of her neck sore.
As she finally left the dungeon, she massaged the back of her neck, her red eyes lost in thought.
Shaking off her contemplation, Rose approached an imperial knight who was nearby.
"Excuse me... May I meet His Majesty?"
Having obtained Russell's permission, Rose followed the knight to the garden. She received a message from him asking her to wait in the same spot they had met three days ago.
"You can go inside."
The knight stepped aside, revealing an arched door surrounded by blades of grass and flower petals.
Rose remembered the way and entered the garden.
As she walked, the bridge by the lake where she had initially encountered Russell appeared.
She stopped at the entrance without crossing the bridge.
As she approached the lake, she gazed at her reflection in the water.
Her hands fiddled with her bag, lost in thought.
"Rose."
The sound of her name brought Rose back to reality.
"I greet the sun of Tristan."
Rose greeted Russell, to which he reciprocated.
He joined her by the lake.
"Did you meet Ilya Titonsser?"
"Yes. It seems... Haa... She was thin."
"The imperial family provides meals, but it's up to her to eat them. It seems that she has no appetite."
"Yes. It seemed like that..."
Rose looked down at her bag, contemplating its contents.
Carefully, she spoke to Russell.
"Your Majesty."
"Hmm?"
"My wish... Can I tell you now?"
"Now? Didn't you say it was a week later? There are still four days left."
A laugh resonated in Russell's voice, a sound that Rose found comforting.
She wanted to reciprocate with a smile, but the weight of her request held her back.
Perceptive to Rose's mood, Russell cracked a smile.
"It seems like a pretty serious wish."
"Yes, perhaps... You might not allow it."
"I won't allow it if you put my name on the line. Never mind, just say it. What do you want from me?"
Rose cleared her throat and turned around to face Russell.
She raised her head, meeting his amethyst eyes.
"Your Majesty."
"...."
"Please revoke all punishments that will be imposed on Ilya Titonsser."
"...This is a wish I never thought of."
Visibly embarrassed, Russell covered his mouth with his hand.
Observing the sincerity in Rose's eyes, he lowered his hand, attentive to her request.
"Before that, may I ask why you made that wish?"
"I don't know either. Maybe it's sympathy. Can we settle it quietly? Please allow her to leave the capital."
"If that is what you want, so be it. As long as you promise, you won't regret it, alright?"
Rose nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. Rather, if she pays for her sins... I think that will come across as more of a regret."
Russell was left speechless.
After a moment, he folded his arms and spoke his thoughts.
"Okay, I will revoke all punishments that will be imposed on Ilya Titonsser."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Rose bowed and departed, leaving Russell to watch her retreating figure.
As she became a dot and vanished from his sight, he withdrew his gaze.
"Hmm. This is truly an unexpected wish."
Russell headed to his office and promptly summoned Wells.
He discussed Ilya Titonsser's situation, instructing Wells to escort her out of the capital at dawn the following day.
"...What? What are you saying?! You're sending Ilya Titonsser out of the capital?"
Wells asked in disbelief, struggling to fully grasp the intent behind the emperor's decision.
Russell rubbed his temple wearily.
"Yes. Ilya Titonsser will expiate her sins by leaving the capital of Tristan and never returning."
"But she said Rose..."
"This is Rose's wish."
"Wish...?"
"Yes. In exchange for sealing Abaddon, I promised that I'd grant her a wish in the name of the emperor."
Wells was already aware of this fact, but the details of the wish perplexed him.
"Rose... Did she really say it?"
"Yes. Today, after meeting with Ilya Titonsser, she came to me and made the request. Since it was done in the name of the emperor, even if the duke protests, there is little we can do."
"If it's Rose's will... I am not particularly opposed to it, but..."
Wells found it hard to believe that Rose had made such a wish.
Just three days ago, she had personally proposed to Russell and expressed her intent to confess her feelings.
Rose had been eagerly awaiting the ring she ordered from a jeweler... Haa...
Without saying more to Russell, Wells withdrew from the office.
As he left, he caught a glimpse of Russell's face, filled with concern.
After returning from the Imperial Palace, Rose skipped meals and sequestered herself in her room.
Coming home later after working on the upcoming celebration, Wells visited Rose well into the evening.
"Rose, are you sleeping?"
Sitting on the bed, Wells called out softly. Rose turned under the blanket and sat up.
"No, brother, I couldn't sleep."
"I heard from the butler that you skipped dinner. Are you hurt?"
Rose shook her head.
"Not sick? Hmm... Is it because of Ilya Titonsser?"
Looking at Rose's lack of reaction, Wells realized his assumption was correct.
"That's strange. Weren't you planning to confess to His Majesty under the guise of a marriage proposal as per your wish?"
"Huh? I did plan that. Well, I did, until I met Ilya Titonsser earlier."
"Why did you change your mind?"
Rose released a long sigh and began to explain.
"Brother, you know, in the past, I despised you so much because of your strong opposition to my liking of Elliot Proud."
"...It truly was like that."
"I didn't know anything then... Still, I despised you so much at the time. I probably would have liked Elliot even if he wasn't the head of the Proud family."
"..."
"I just liked him. I had no explanation for why I felt that way. I just liked someone, but for the first time, my brother got angry at me."
"..."
"It felt so unfair. I didn't understand it. Is it such a big mistake to like someone? You didn't like me trying to follow Elliot to the party he was attending."
"..."
"Ilya Titonsser must have initially followed you because she longed for the glamorous life of an aristocrat. She was born and raised in a barony on the capital's outskirts. How big of an illusion must the nobles of the capital have had on her?"
Rose took a deep breath and held back tears.
"Ilya told me that. She just wanted that kind of life. As she sat there, she asked me something. 'What did I do wrong? Is it a sin to wish for something you shouldn't?'"
Rose attempted to hold back her tears, but as they welled up, her voice became watery.
"I could see myself in Ilya Titonsser's appearance. So how could I ask for her severe punishment? If I do that, even I, who just liked someone, will become a sinner too."
"Rose, your situation is different from Lady Titonsser's. It's completely different! Why do you view her and yourself along the same lines?"
Wells tried to comfort Rose, but her tears wouldn't stop.
"I don't know. Just... Just looking at her reminded me of myself. I don't know either. Just... I didn't want Ilya Titonsser to face severe punishment."
Rose nestled into Wells' arms, dispiritedly.
"That's why I couldn't confess to His Majesty. I couldn't find happiness by stepping on her."