Despite her weak consciousness, she could still hear those words. A game? Does this person only see life as a tool? No matter how cruel the world is, people are born to live. Each life has value, even if others do not think so. There is a reason for every person's existence, even the evilest ones.

But this person treats life as a game. The previous candidates before her all perished because of this person's lack of value towards other people's lives. Does that make Miss Lilian a cruel person? Zushi did not see it that way.

If Miss Lilian can think this way towards another person's life, she wonders if she valued her own life? Taking this many risks and behaving so recklessly, is it not because the woman did not value her own life?

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"...I feel sorry for you." Zushi managed to say. She genuinely pitied this woman.

The reason she can give up on this world so easily and her own life must be because she does not value herself. Zushi could not imagine how much pain she has experienced. After all, she went through painful situations too. No matter how much pain she experienced, however, she never gave up on the world.

For Miss Lillian to give up like this, exactly what did she experience?

At that comment, Lucas grabbed her neck. Zushi could not describe the look in his eyes. But she knew from the amount of mana she sensed from him that this situation was dangerous.

"Lilian, give me your order. I will kill her right away."

Even without the woman saying anything, Zushi felt that he would kill her. His grip on her neck tightened, and she struggled to breathe. Why is his grip so strong? He isn't even using magic.

"Lucas."

"Lilian, you can't be serious-"

"Such words do not affect me anymore. Calm yourself."

Lucas looked very reluctant, but then a stream of red lilies suddenly appeared. Zushi vaguely made out the woman's eyes color turned brighter red.

"Lucas," Lilian said sharply. "Are you going to listen?" The woman was still smiling, and yet she couldn't miss her demanding tone.

No, this is-- the same as hers?

At that comment, Lucas loosened his grip, and she sunk to the ground.

Zushi wanted to touch her neck and check how badly hurt she was, but she still had no strength due to the fog.

"Using your power on me, you have gotten braver."

Lilian chuckled. "I am flattered by the compliment, sir Magician."

"The guards are coming; let us leave."

Lilian nodded and turned to her. "Let me repeat myself. I enjoyed myself today; I shall see you in the morning meeting tomorrow. For now, you should rest."

....

Empress Quarters - Several hours later-

She must have slowly lost consciousness after then because it was already the afternoon when she next woke up,. An orange light entered the room, and she sighed deeply. For the last few minutes, since she woke up, Zushi has not moved an inch. What happened earlier slowly came back to her.

When Mo hears of this, she will surely get a lecture from her. The head butler too, and the head maid. The latter, however, is not genuinely concerned for her.

From what she has learned the past week, that woman played a key role in driving away the other candidates. Life in the palace is not easy at all. But even then, Zushi thought she could handle the situation better.

Miss Lilian, no sir Lucas, both of them are so frightening. Those people do not fear their abilities at all and use their magic easily. Normally people hesitate to use a lot of magic since they worry about the side effects. But those two carelessly using a lot of magic like that.

Did the previous candidates have to go through this too?

"The moment you enter the palace, you cause havoc, did my teaching you the last few months go to waste?" A familiar voice said.

Zushis eyes twitched, annoyed when she saw the man who just climbed the window. A man with long pale lilac-colored hair wearing a blue and white cloak. "Why do you never use the door?"

"There is a door?" Linden said, puzzled.

This person who is about to get on her nerves is the royal magician, sir Linden. When she first accepted the Empress candidate role, her husband's family arranged for this man to teach her the etiquette of the palace and her duties as the Empress.

It surprised her that they convinced him to agree. From what she learned, none of the past candidates experienced such treatment before.

"Yes, there is; where have you been?"

Zushi thought he would at least show up in the coronation, but he didn't, and a week has gone by. "When I asked, nobody knew where you were."

"I was traveling."

"Linden-!" Zushi exclaimed.

Linden chuckled. "I understand your stress. But you need to calm yourself."

Zushi sighed. "I apologize, but I could have used you a lot the past week. There is nobody in this palace I can trust. Mo is busy as a general, and Astra only just appeared earlier today."

"Miss Astra only just returned?"

Zushi nodded. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"We were both in the North. But due to the situation, I could not leave, so I asked her to go on ahead of me."

But how come Astra just arrived? Did somebody interfere? Zushi got a bad feeling from this.

"She didn't mention this."

"Then somebody must have stolen the letter. How careless of me. But I figured something bad might happen if you did not have anybody with you. Miss Mo is too kind; she cannot refuse those people's orders. If they try to keep her occupied, even if she knows it is a trap, she will not go against them. This is why I tried to send Miss Astra but--"

"-they are one step ahead."

Linden nodded. "It appears so."

This is frustrating; why do they have to do this? "Didn't they want an empress desperately?"

"What they wanted was your power and a puppet they could control. I believe I told you this too."

Zushi looked down. "I know you told me this, and I didn't forget. But I thought I could change the situation."

"But it is difficult, no?"

"It is." Zushi then explains to Linden what happened earlier.

"Sir Lucas attacked you?"

"It seems he was more uncomfortable with the words I said regarding Miss Lilian than the actual person."

Linden beamed happily. "It seems he is becoming more honest with his emotions, that child."

Zushi looked at him dumbfounded. She almost got killed there, and that is the first thing he is pointing out? Why are all the people surrounding her so weird?

"People keep calling him the strongest magician, but if so, what does that make you?"

Linden laughed at her question, and Zushi felt her irritation grow. Why does this man always laugh everything off? It does not help that he is always smiling too. She does not understand people like this.