# Chapter 01
Chapter 01
Scene 1: The puppet with the broken strings
The most beautiful woman in the world danced in the center of the Great Hall.
When the music ended, she raised her hand in greeting.
The people around him applauded and poured wine from their glasses.
“Please dance with me too, Your Highness!
“It's my turn now, Your Highness!
— The woman's name was Cayena Hill, and she was the first princess of the Eldaim Empire.
She was also the elder sister of His Majesty Emperor Rezef.
“It's the emperor's turn now.
Rezef, who was watching the hall with his chin in his hand, soon addressed Cayena.
He replaced his cold expression with a smile and placed his lips on the back of her hand.
“Happy birthday, sister.
Today, tomorrow and forever, please continue to be yourself.
Cayena laughed at Rezef's words.
“It's like you put honey on your lips!
— Such praise was one of his favorites.
Rezef internally mocked his sister, who sought validation through these meaningless compliments.
“You need to remain beautiful so that your usefulness does not diminish.
Cayena's only merits were her legitimacy in the imperial lineage, her symbol as the most beautiful woman in the Empire, and her status as the only princess.
“My beautiful silly doll.
“Oh, Rezef,” said Cayena.
She grabbed him and straightened his collar with her long hands — You're still a child.
In reality, his attitude was nothing short of foolish.
However, Cayena didn't even realize it was a problem.
She saw her younger brother as someone beneath her, someone she had to take care of.
This was a misperception that made Rezef slowly become emboldened.
“Do you like your gifts?
— Rezef asked.
“Very!
I especially like this dress.
“Since you love roses, I wanted to give you a dress that reminded you of you.
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and Cayena casually accepted his touch.
She was used to this kind of kindness because she had been loved by many.
“Now, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?
“Willingly.
“Rezef!
— Cayena ran to the emperor's room.
“How can you just…
The court attendants were surprised by his courage.
Even though she was the princess, there were still rules that Cayena had to follow.
Even Cayena, ignorant as she was, could not call the emperor by name or run to his room without his permission.
Her rash behavior only worsened over time, and it would ultimately lead to her ruin.
The knights tried to stop her, but Rezef raised his hand to make them retreat.
Cayena, with teary eyes, ran into her younger brother's arms.
“Rezef, this has to be a conspiracy.
It's a plot!
Kill that insolent bitch now!
— But Rezef just looked at his half-sister with indifferent eyes.
Without noticing her cold gaze, Cayena spitefully continued to ridicule the other woman.
“How dare that rude, dirty bitch try to attract Duke Kedrey?
It's all her fault.
He wouldn't be so cold to me if she...
“Cayena.
Rezef pushed her away from him.
Rezef had taken down several aristocrats, dumb men using Cayena as a doll.
He also used her poisonous personality to keep the female aristocrats in line.
So far, she had done an excellent job, but she gradually became a nuisance to him.
“You still don't understand?
I knew you were an idiot, but I didn't know you were so stupid that you couldn't read a situation.
His cold words reached Cayena, and her instinct told her that something was terribly wrong.
Without knowing it, she took a step back.
Rezef grabbed her to stop her from running.
“You can't even kill Olivia properly.
You come running to me with your tail between your legs and expect me to help you?
“Rezef…!
“I have no choice but to take care of you personally?
What a waste…
He brushed Cayena's trembling cheek with a gentle hand.
“How can you…how can you do…!
“It's a shame you weren't able to seduce Duke Kedrey, but his vassal, Viscount Gillian, wants you, so I can at least throw you at him.
Then we can negotiate.
She looked at him in disbelief.
“Rezef, I am your sister.
How can you do this to me?
Rezef sighed at his sister, who still didn't understand the situation.
“You need to realize that all your power was borrowed by me.
Well, it's too late for you to do anything about it, anyway.
“I retreatonly!
How dare you insult me!
— Cayena looked like she was about to go crazy.
It felt like the world and everything she believed in was crumbling around her all at once.
“You can't do this to me!
I was the one who made you emperor!
—Rezef laughed at her anguished cries.
“Haven't you realized why you were used to it?
My poor, pitiful doll.
“Why?
Why are you doing this?
Did I do something wrong?
Are you mad at me?
Honestly, I don't know.
You have no reason to do this to me.
— Cayena managed to swallow her anger and tried to convince him in the most pitiful way possible.
Her tears had never failed her before.
“Poor Cayena.
You should have killed Olivia, then.
Shaking his head, Rezef went to sit on the sofa.
“It's very sad.
I can't believe my older sister is such a horrible person.
“What…?
Duke Kedrey asked if he could investigate the incident, right?
Well, I'll allow it.
“Rezef!
— He leaned on the sofa and looked at Cayena, with icy eyes.
“Lock that evil woman in her room.
The knights grabbed her roughly.
Cayena, who had never been treated like this, screamed.
“Let go!
Let me go!
This is crazy.
How dare you?
Who do you think I am?
She tried to push away the knights' hands, but her body was too fragile, having been protected her entire life.
“Rezef.
Cayena called out to Rezef as if she was about to spit out blood.
But soon she was dragged away by the knights, and the bedroom door closed tightly behind her.
The woman turned off her cell phone screen.
It was a novel that she read several times to verify the villain's downfall.
It was heartbreaking to read how she was sold to Viscount Gillian to lead a miserable life.
It was exactly like what she had experienced.
“Manager, don't you have a meeting?
— asked a subordinate to the woman.
The woman nodded.
“Yes I have.
Even while working, the woman couldn't stop thinking about romance.
She continued to have a strange feeling of déjà vu.
The woman and the villain looked alike.
Both were dolls that had been completely used by someone.
“Are you leaving work yet?
The woman rarely leaves early, but her subordinate had asked because she had already packed her things.
Without a word, the woman nodded and left for the elevator.
“Wait a moment.
It was Executive Director Kim.
“Let's go down together.
The elevator door closed.
“You're leaving early today,” he said.
“I saw that your work performance at the mid-year review was good.
You are certainly competent.
He placed his hand on the woman's shoulder.
It felt like bugs were crawling all over his body.
“I'll leave first,” said the woman.
She ran out as soon as the elevator door opened.
Behind her, the director asked: — Are you still upset?
The woman stopped walking.
“Thanks to me, you have become the youngest team manager and will soon become the deputy manager.
"You need to realize that all your power is borrowed from me.
Well, it's too late for you to do anything about it, anyway."
The woman laughed as she remembered Rezef's lines in the novel.
She looked back.
“You're saying that because you need me again, aren't you?
Director Kim smiled and snapped his fingers at her.
“You know, I only have one team manager at the moment.
The woman laughed and turned around.
She was tired of living like someone's doll.
That's when it happened.
“… who are you?
— Someone was standing on the driver's side of the car.
He wore a black sweater and a hat that covered his face.
It looked threatening.
The man turned to her slowly.
“It's all your fault.
The woman took a step back.
“It's because of you that I ended up like this!
— He ran to the woman and stabbed her stomach with a knife.
Director Kim, who was behind her, found the woman collapsed between two cars.
The man grabbed his knife and attacked him too.
“I'll kill you too!
The woman, holding the wound, saw Director Kim being attacked.
“I think villains end the same way.”
His vision darkened.
“It's not so bad to die like this.
That was the woman's last memory.
“Ugh.
“Ha… ha…
She opened her eyes.
Someone's voice was getting closer.
“His Highness has awakened!
Quickly, call the doctor!
— Holding her throbbing head, the woman looked around.
What happened?
She was definitely stabbed.
“Your Highness!
Can you understand us??
She could feel thenervous energy from people running around you.
She squinted her eyes in focus.
An old-fashioned woman, a foreigner looked at her anxiously.
Strangely, the woman felt as if she had seen her before.
Then, the door opened and someone entered.
“Announcing His Imperial Highness, the Prince.
“Sister.
It was a young man with golden hair.
He closed the distance between them in an instant.
“Cayena, are you okay?
“Cayena?
The man held the woman's hand.
Then, the woman opened her eyes in shock.
“How can that be?
“Rezef…
The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
“Yes, sister.
I am here.
The man kissed her hand carefully and looked at her with a worried expression.
“I'm back,” she said.
Then, she passed out.