"What happened to the engagement between the Cassil and Westin families?"

"Lady Westin fell into depression after her engagement to Frank Cassil. Her condition improved a lot while she volunteered at the orphanage and she also seemed to develop a good relationship with Richard."

"Wouldn't there be strong opposition from Marquis Westin?"

The Duke of Cassil was executed and the Cassil family lost its strength and allies. The same thing happened to the Marquis of the Westin family.

Later, he broke their engagement off, but that didn't mean that their relationship was gone.

The Westin family had also fallen, but there was no way he would accept Richard, who had the blood of Roum running through his veins, as his son-in-law.

"They were opposed for a year, but in the end, what parent could win against their child?"

Was it really that simple?

Blake thought of Marquis Westin.

The Marquis was always struggling to regain his past glory.

He was obsessed with status and reputation.

As soon as the engagement was broken off, he did not waste any time searching for the next best marriage partner for his daughter.

It didn't make sense for him to simply accept Richard just because he couldn't win over his daughter.

In fact, Westin's second wife even disowned her biological daughter and adopted a foster daughter instead because her daughter insisted on marrying a commoner.

Yet, they let Richard, who had nothing to his name, become the heir to the family.

Moreover, thanks to Richard's luck, he happened to coincidentally see a woman who looked just like Ancia.

Blake was sure that Richard was scheming something.

"Your Highness, is Richard keeping you away from Her Highness?"

"Who told you that?"

Blake snapped at Hans' question.

As soon as he came to the Amoria Palace yesterday, he recalled the woman who had been slandering the Emperor.

"His Majesty is too much. He put you into a separate palace like this just because you were cursed."

She looked like Ancia, yet she acted the exact opposite of her.

Ancia would never speak that way. Blake recalled Ancia warmly consoling him while he was in despair after his father abandoned him.

"Amoria means love. His Majesty loves you. That's why he chose this palace."

"His Majesty loves you. That's why he's so nice to me, his daughter in law."

How could a person change that much?

Ancia wouldn't recklessly say anything without considering the situation.

"I'm not sure of her yet. Don't call her Your Highness until everything is confirmed."

Blake ordered Hans.

***

Richard headed to the palace where Ancia was staying.

When he entered the room, he saw Ancia sobbing like a child.

"His Highness doesn't seem to like me."

"That's not true. You're the most beautiful person in this world, Ancia. There's no way the Crown Prince would hate you."

Richard consoled Ancia.

"But he's so harsh to me. Did he notice that I like you instead?"

The corners of Richard's mouth raised up slightly as he lightly patted her hair.

"That can't be true. Unless you told him yourself, Ancia."

"I never said anything!"

Ancia opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, I believe you."

Richard saw Ancia blindly obeying his words and he smiled even wider.

Richard recalled what happened seven years ago.

He was stripped of his title and became a commoner. He was also kicked out of his home.

Even though he survived, he thought everything was over.

Come to think of it, it was all because of her.

When Ancia suddenly went missing, the whole palace descended into chaos.

Most of the guards who were supposed to monitor him headed to the door of darkness.

Only a few were left behind to keep and eye on him.

A ray of hope shone on Richard once again.

The Duke also recognized this opportunity.

He mobilized soldiers to attack the palace.

Most of their family had already been captured. Even their knights had left.

Eliminating the emperor with the remaining people was not possible.

Richard didn't stop Arnold even though he knew the consequences.

Rather, he even encouraged him.

On the day of the imperial ball to celebrate the release of the Crown Prince's curse, the duke's soldiers stormed into the ballroom.

Richard ordered Domiram to set fire to the east prison where he was staying. It was a gamble.

If something went wrong, Richard's life would be in danger. However, Richard didn't back down.

If this situation continued, he would definitely not survive.

A gamble of this scale had to be made.

On the day of the ball, the prison was set ablaze just as planned. Richard collapsed from inhaling too much smoke.

After a month of being unconscious, he finally woke up,

Although he had suffered minor burns on his right leg, he had managed to win the gamble.

Furthermore, other things also went smoothly.

Frank died in the flames.

Domiram also testified that, in the past, the attempt to assassinate Tenstheon and setting fire to the prison were ordered by Duke Cassil.

The Duke of Cassil was brainwashed by Domiram, and he, too, confessed that it was his fault.

The Duke of Cassil would be executed sooner or later anyways. Richard had only hastened the process.

Domiram had finished his job and he would forever be in prison.

Richard felt that it was a pity to let go of Domiram.

He was a capable wizard. It was difficult to find a loyal and capable person like him, but Richard couldn't help it.

Tenstheon was after Domiram.

The Emperor knew that it was Domiram who spread the rumours. Dumb bastard, he made such a simple mistake.

No matter how competent Domiram was, he was not a card that Richard could use anymore.

So Richard abandoned him.

On the day the Duke of Cassil was executed, the Duchess and Neon committed suicide.

It was because of Domiram's brainwashing spell.

Richard was nervous that they wouldn't die at the expected time, but he was satisfied with the perfect timing.

Thanks to this, the public's sympathy for Richard grew even stronger seeing that he was the only person left in the Cassil family.

Arnold was the Emperor's brother. Iif Tenstheon killed an innocent kid, even if the kid's family was guilty, the people wouldn't look on it too kindly.

Tenstheon knew that too so he thought that he would keep Neon alive.

But in the end, there was only Richard left.

Everyone in the family except Richard were killed so the Emperor had no choice but to spare him. Although Richard managed to survive, the last seven years had been a living hell for him

He was stripped of his title and lost his fortune.

He had hidden some of his wealth so he had no problem making a living, but it had to be kept a secret because the Emperor had ordered people to monitor him.

Richard worked hard, and succeeded becoming the son-in-law of Marquis Westin.

But now, their family was weak.

Even though it was a long-standing family, at the moment, they were like a tiger without teeth.

Richard couldn't be satisfied with this.

Then suddenly, Ancia appeared.

"Sir Richard, there's a woman who fainted in front of the orphanage!"

What?

His orphanage facilities were rumoured to be good so all sorts of people came there.

The visitors were all sorts of people, ranging from drug addicts to businessmen who wanted to invest, or even people who asked for sponsorship and swindlers who wanted to eat for free.

Maybe it was like that this time too.

He didn't have any expectations when he went out to see the woman.

But, he was shocked to see her.

"Ancia?"

The woman was Ancia.

She was taller than she was seven years ago, and the atmosphere around her seemed to have changed.

She grew up from a girl to be a perfect woman, and he could recognize her at a glance.

"..."

The woman slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, Richard was even more sure. This woman was Ancia.

Everything about her appearance, from the colour of her hair to her eyes, were the same.

She also had the same wedding ring that the Crown Prince had given her.

Richard took her straight to his house.

"Who are you?"

Ancia didn't remember Richard.

She seemed to have completely lost her memories.

Richard smiled brightly.

"The goddess of light must be on my side."

Was it because a long time had passed or had Ancia lost her memories?

This Ancia from seven years later was not very attractive. It wasn't a matter of her appearance.

She was much more beautiful than when she was younger, but in terms of her personality and attitude, right now, Richard was not at all attracted to her.

Looking at the woman in front of him, he recalled Ancia tying a handkerchief to his mother's grave.

When Richard thought Blake would die, he dreamed of becoming Ancia's husband and having Tenstheon as his father.

He thought he was smart back then but now that he thought about it, he was just immature.

He wasn't stupid enought to indulge in fantasies like that anymore.

That's why he didn't feel anything meeting after Ancia.

However, even though he wasn't attracted to her now, that didn't mean that Ancia had lost her value.

Richard put a brainwashing spell on her.

He tried to raise a new black wizard after Domiram's death.

But he couldn't find anyone as talented as him.

The new wizard was less capable than Domiram but he managed to brainwash Ancia without any problems.

Now, Ancia was like an empty shell who listened to all of Richard's words without any doubt.