While Alicia was lost in confusion, the investigator began reading through the notebook Rosetta had handed him.
With each page turned, his face grew more astonished.
Rosetta watched quietly, then at the right moment, held up the necklace.
“This necklace is the magical artifact mentioned in the diary. I found it hidden along with the notebook.”
With those words, Rosetta closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.
And then,
“My God!”
“What’s that?”
“Her hair color changed, didn’t it?”
Murmurs arose from the crowd.
Rosetta’s mystical silver hair, like that of the duke and Damian, had transformed into brilliant gold.
From behind, she almost appeared to be Alicia herself. The people around were unable to contain their amazement and shock at the astonishing sight.
The investigator was no different. After a moment of surprise, he nodded to himself.
‘It seems this ducal lady is more likely the true one.’
The old but well-preserved diary was quite detailed.
It explained how the two ducal ladies had been switched at birth, and the methods used to achieve this.
Additionally, the evidence specified in the diary was right before his eyes—a necklace that changed one’s hair color.
He had never heard or seen of such a magical tool, making it likely that it was indeed found with the diary, a rare item.
All evidence pointed to Rosetta Valentine as the last star mentioned in the revelation.
‘Come to think of it, this woman’s name was always mentioned in the background of the monster incidents.’
Being an imperial investigator, he was closely involved in the investigations of those incidents, and Rosetta Valentine’s name had frequently come up.
Considering everything, the woman before him, with her venomous gaze, seemed more fitting for the ‘downfall of the empire’ than the seemingly frail woman lying defeated on the ground.
“We were about to take the wrong person. I’m glad you stepped forward, Ducal Lady.”
“It’s only right. I’m also glad I wasn’t too late. I had no intention of handing over anything to the fake, even the punishment. If it’s truly meant for ‘the real one’, then it’s only right that I face it.”
There was a hint of madness in her voice.
A tone that revealed her deep-seated resolve not to yield anything anymore, tormented by an impostor syndrome.
The listeners gasped.
Somewhere, whispers of her being truly venomous could be heard.
They quickly hushed, but Rosetta gave one last look to Alicia, a look filled with contempt.
“Wretched fake…”
Then, with a short murmur, she moved forward, leaving Alicia behind.
Leaving the duke and Damian behind.
Alone.
“We shouldn’t keep you, Investigator. Please proceed.”
Rosetta’s cold voice hastened him.
The investigator smiled contentedly at her decisiveness and led her away.
Rosetta followed without resistance.
Just before she stepped into the iron cage—
“Wait, Rosetta!”
The duke, who had been frozen in shock, rushed to grab her.
“Don’t go. I can’t even begin to understand what’s happening… But don’t go, Rosetta. I can’t let my daughter… my daughter be taken away like this.”
His voice trembled uncontrollably. Even from his stuttering, it was clear how overwhelmed he was.
His mind was in turmoil, nearing the point of combustion.
Suddenly, an imperial command had come, attempting to take Alicia away.
When he stepped forward to prevent Alicia’s departure, Rosetta appeared, claiming she was the true ducal lady.
That she was the real ‘last star,’ insisting she be the one taken instead.
Too many events had unfolded in a short span, enough to stall his usually sharp mind.
But one thing was certain.
“I can’t let you go.”
He couldn’t bear to send Rosetta away.
Both Alicia and Rosetta were both his daughters.
Regardless of the truth, the fact remained that he could not bear to send either of them away.
Rosetta remained silent.
Motionless.
She only stared quietly ahead. Then, she slowly turned her head to meet the duke’s eyes.
The duke flinched slightly.
Her face, seen up close, was much colder than he expected.
“Let go of me.”
“Rosetta.”
“What right do you have to hold onto me? Was there actually one single moment that you truly thought of me as family?”
Her voice, laced with scorn and mockery, sent a chill down his spine.
It was almost unrecognizable from the Rosetta he had known all these years.
“Ha, laughable. You show pity once in a while and pretend to care, and you think we’re a real family? Oh, and you. Dear brother, did you truly care for me?”
“…Rosetta.”
Damian’s voice was almost a sob.
Rosetta laughed mockingly, so hard that her cheeks turned red.
“Really, you three are a perfect match. Clueless and weak-hearted. Always so busy turning the other cheek. No wonder everyone thought Alicia was the real one.”
“…Was that the truth?”
“And why would I lie at this point?”
Rosetta roughly shook off the duke’s hand in response to his melancholy question.
His hand fell limply, lost.
“I’ve had enough of House Valentine. It’s better to be locked away alone than live here. So, don’t hold me back.”
Annoying.
With those final words, Rosetta stepped into the iron cage.
Creak— Bang!
With a chilling sound, the massive iron door closed behind her.
Through the narrow iron bars, Rosetta’s eyes slowly scanned the members of House Valentine.
Her golden eyes remained glacial.
The investigator secured the lock on the cage and then headed towards the front of the carriage to signal departure.
At that moment, Rosetta, who had been quiet until now, reached her hand through the bars and caught the duke’s drooping arm.
Surprised, the duke looked up.
Their eyes met across the cold vertical bars.
“Rose—”
“Even though we part like this, you must fulfill that request from before.”
Interrupting the duke’s call, Rosetta spoke abruptly.
“Request?”
Confused by her cryptic words, he asked, but Rosetta offered no further explanation.
She simply reiterated her plea.
“Trust me.”
Father.
That was all.
Rosetta pushed the duke’s hand away.
His body, as if soulless, stumbled back a few steps.
Whinny—
The sound of horses neighing filled the air.
The carriage began to move slowly.
On top of the carriage, Rosetta, locked inside, also gradually receded into the distance.
“Sister! No! Don’t go, Sister! Sis… Sister…”
“Alicia!”
As Alicia reached out towards the receding carriage, she collapsed, losing consciousness.
The duke stood there, dazed amidst the chaos.
Rosetta, fading into the distance.
Alicia, fallen to the ground.
Damian and the flustered servants trying to help her.
‘Ah, this is…’
Was this a dream?
It was too surreal.
What on earth was happening?
Had Rosetta truly left?
‘The request.’
What was the request Rosetta had spoken of?
It was Rosetta’s request—he had to honor it…
The duke pressed his temples, weighed down by a throbbing headache, and lowered his head.
Then, like a fuse being lit, a memory surfaced.
“Does that mean it doesn’t matter to you who my mother was?”
“Yes, no matter who your mother is, you are still my child.”
“Thank you, Father. Please don’t ever forget that sentiment.”
The request.
A desperate voice swept through his mind.
Even her slightly melancholic face.
The duke’s eyes widened.
‘Could it be, Rosetta already knew everything back then…’
It was a plausible assumption.
If so, then it made sense why Alicia had turned pale and desperately tried to stop Rosetta from the moment she stepped forward.
Both of them had known the truth.
And they both tried to protect each other…
“This… This can’t—”
The duke, coming back to his senses, staggered forward.
He was the empire’s greatest swordsman, yet his body wouldn’t move as he willed.
His vision blurred.
I need to bring Rosetta back.
I need to hold onto her and tell her not to leave.
I need to tell her that I know she didn’t mean any of what she said, that she does not have to shoulder such a heavy burden.
His eyes continued to blur.
So much so that he could hardly see.
He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, soaking his sleeve with dampness.
Tears.
How long had it been since he last cried?
The unfamiliarity of crying felt strange.
His throat began to burn, his breath grew short.
It felt as if his heart was being torn out, so he pounded his chest.
But it didn’t ease the pain—tears kept streaming like a faucet had been turned on.
His legs remained as heavy as if they were weighed down by lead.
“Please… please… damn it!”
Despite begging, despite cursing and struggling to move, his body refused to budge.
In the meantime, the carriage had moved too far to see.
Only the occasional sound of horse hooves reached him.
“Rosetta!”
The duke’s tearful roar echoed through the household, startling the nearby birds into flight.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
Thud.
With a dull sound, a hand suddenly burst through the sparsely populated land of the Valentine residence.
“Th-that… ugh…”
The emerging hand groped around blindly.
And then.
“Guooh…”
“Grrr…”
Weird groaning sounds accompanied more hands emerging here and there.
They were as numerous as wildflowers scattered across a meadow.
Each hand that emerged was eerily blue.
While Alicia was lost in confusion, the investigator began reading through the notebook Rosetta had handed him.
With each page turned, his face grew more astonished.
Rosetta watched quietly, then at the right moment, held up the necklace.
“This necklace is the magical artifact mentioned in the diary. I found it hidden along with the notebook.”
With those words, Rosetta closed her eyes, then slowly opened them.
And then,
“My God!”
“What’s that?”
“Her hair color changed, didn’t it?”
Murmurs arose from the crowd.
Rosetta’s mystical silver hair, like that of the duke and Damian, had transformed into brilliant gold.
From behind, she almost appeared to be Alicia herself. The people around were unable to contain their amazement and shock at the astonishing sight.
The investigator was no different. After a moment of surprise, he nodded to himself.
‘It seems this ducal lady is more likely the true one.’
The old but well-preserved diary was quite detailed.
It explained how the two ducal ladies had been switched at birth, and the methods used to achieve this.
Additionally, the evidence specified in the diary was right before his eyes—a necklace that changed one’s hair color.
He had never heard or seen of such a magical tool, making it likely that it was indeed found with the diary, a rare item.
All evidence pointed to Rosetta Valentine as the last star mentioned in the revelation.
‘Come to think of it, this woman’s name was always mentioned in the background of the monster incidents.’
Being an imperial investigator, he was closely involved in the investigations of those incidents, and Rosetta Valentine’s name had frequently come up.
Considering everything, the woman before him, with her venomous gaze, seemed more fitting for the ‘downfall of the empire’ than the seemingly frail woman lying defeated on the ground.
“We were about to take the wrong person. I’m glad you stepped forward, Ducal Lady.”
“It’s only right. I’m also glad I wasn’t too late. I had no intention of handing over anything to the fake, even the punishment. If it’s truly meant for ‘the real one’, then it’s only right that I face it.”
There was a hint of madness in her voice.
A tone that revealed her deep-seated resolve not to yield anything anymore, tormented by an impostor syndrome.
The listeners gasped.
Somewhere, whispers of her being truly venomous could be heard.
They quickly hushed, but Rosetta gave one last look to Alicia, a look filled with contempt.
“Wretched fake…”
Then, with a short murmur, she moved forward, leaving Alicia behind.
Leaving the duke and Damian behind.
Alone.
“We shouldn’t keep you, Investigator. Please proceed.”
Rosetta’s cold voice hastened him.
The investigator smiled contentedly at her decisiveness and led her away.
Rosetta followed without resistance.
Just before she stepped into the iron cage—
“Wait, Rosetta!”
The duke, who had been frozen in shock, rushed to grab her.
“Don’t go. I can’t even begin to understand what’s happening… But don’t go, Rosetta. I can’t let my daughter… my daughter be taken away like this.”
His voice trembled uncontrollably. Even from his stuttering, it was clear how overwhelmed he was.
His mind was in turmoil, nearing the point of combustion.
Suddenly, an imperial command had come, attempting to take Alicia away.
When he stepped forward to prevent Alicia’s departure, Rosetta appeared, claiming she was the true ducal lady.
That she was the real ‘last star,’ insisting she be the one taken instead.
Too many events had unfolded in a short span, enough to stall his usually sharp mind.
But one thing was certain.
“I can’t let you go.”
He couldn’t bear to send Rosetta away.
Both Alicia and Rosetta were both his daughters.
Regardless of the truth, the fact remained that he could not bear to send either of them away.
Rosetta remained silent.
Motionless.
She only stared quietly ahead. Then, she slowly turned her head to meet the duke’s eyes.
The duke flinched slightly.
Her face, seen up close, was much colder than he expected.
“Let go of me.”
“Rosetta.”
“What right do you have to hold onto me? Was there actually one single moment that you truly thought of me as family?”
Her voice, laced with scorn and mockery, sent a chill down his spine.
It was almost unrecognizable from the Rosetta he had known all these years.
“Ha, laughable. You show pity once in a while and pretend to care, and you think we’re a real family? Oh, and you. Dear brother, did you truly care for me?”
“…Rosetta.”
Damian’s voice was almost a sob.
Rosetta laughed mockingly, so hard that her cheeks turned red.
“Really, you three are a perfect match. Clueless and weak-hearted. Always so busy turning the other cheek. No wonder everyone thought Alicia was the real one.”
“…Was that the truth?”
“And why would I lie at this point?”
Rosetta roughly shook off the duke’s hand in response to his melancholy question.
His hand fell limply, lost.
“I’ve had enough of House Valentine. It’s better to be locked away alone than live here. So, don’t hold me back.”
Annoying.
With those final words, Rosetta stepped into the iron cage.
Creak— Bang!
With a chilling sound, the massive iron door closed behind her.
Through the narrow iron bars, Rosetta’s eyes slowly scanned the members of House Valentine.
Her golden eyes remained glacial.
The investigator secured the lock on the cage and then headed towards the front of the carriage to signal departure.
At that moment, Rosetta, who had been quiet until now, reached her hand through the bars and caught the duke’s drooping arm.
Surprised, the duke looked up.
Their eyes met across the cold vertical bars.
“Rose—”
“Even though we part like this, you must fulfill that request from before.”
Interrupting the duke’s call, Rosetta spoke abruptly.
“Request?”
Confused by her cryptic words, he asked, but Rosetta offered no further explanation.
She simply reiterated her plea.
“Trust me.”
Father.
That was all.
Rosetta pushed the duke’s hand away.
His body, as if soulless, stumbled back a few steps.
Whinny—
The sound of horses neighing filled the air.
The carriage began to move slowly.
On top of the carriage, Rosetta, locked inside, also gradually receded into the distance.
“Sister! No! Don’t go, Sister! Sis… Sister…”
“Alicia!”
As Alicia reached out towards the receding carriage, she collapsed, losing consciousness.
The duke stood there, dazed amidst the chaos.
Rosetta, fading into the distance.
Alicia, fallen to the ground.
Damian and the flustered servants trying to help her.
‘Ah, this is…’
Was this a dream?
It was too surreal.
What on earth was happening?
Had Rosetta truly left?
‘The request.’
What was the request Rosetta had spoken of?
It was Rosetta’s request—he had to honor it…
The duke pressed his temples, weighed down by a throbbing headache, and lowered his head.
Then, like a fuse being lit, a memory surfaced.
“Does that mean it doesn’t matter to you who my mother was?”
“Yes, no matter who your mother is, you are still my child.”
“Thank you, Father. Please don’t ever forget that sentiment.”
The request.
A desperate voice swept through his mind.
Even her slightly melancholic face.
The duke’s eyes widened.
‘Could it be, Rosetta already knew everything back then…’
It was a plausible assumption.
If so, then it made sense why Alicia had turned pale and desperately tried to stop Rosetta from the moment she stepped forward.
Both of them had known the truth.
And they both tried to protect each other…
“This… This can’t—”
The duke, coming back to his senses, staggered forward.
He was the empire’s greatest swordsman, yet his body wouldn’t move as he willed.
His vision blurred.
I need to bring Rosetta back.
I need to hold onto her and tell her not to leave.
I need to tell her that I know she didn’t mean any of what she said, that she does not have to shoulder such a heavy burden.
His eyes continued to blur.
So much so that he could hardly see.
He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, soaking his sleeve with dampness.
Tears.
How long had it been since he last cried?
The unfamiliarity of crying felt strange.
His throat began to burn, his breath grew short.
It felt as if his heart was being torn out, so he pounded his chest.
But it didn’t ease the pain—tears kept streaming like a faucet had been turned on.
His legs remained as heavy as if they were weighed down by lead.
“Please… please… damn it!”
Despite begging, despite cursing and struggling to move, his body refused to budge.
In the meantime, the carriage had moved too far to see.
Only the occasional sound of horse hooves reached him.
“Rosetta!”
The duke’s tearful roar echoed through the household, startling the nearby birds into flight.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
Thud.
With a dull sound, a hand suddenly burst through the sparsely populated land of the Valentine residence.
“Th-that… ugh…”
The emerging hand groped around blindly.
And then.
“Guooh…”
“Grrr…”
Weird groaning sounds accompanied more hands emerging here and there.
They were as numerous as wildflowers scattered across a meadow.
Each hand that emerged was eerily blue.
