Augusta Manor, in the reception room.
As soon as Ivyst's abrupt words fell, the entire room was enveloped in a brief silence.
It seemed that everyone was stunned by what she had just said, left momentarily at a loss.
In their original perception, the Imperial Princess, though her journey had always appeared riddled with hardships, had never abandoned her ideals—to become the new Emperor of the Saint Laurent Empire.
*No one had ever understood where that stubborn resolve came from, but her determination was terrifying.*
*Anyone else who had lived through what she experienced would have likely crumbled into a hollow shell long ago.*
*It was precisely for this reason that, despite the fear many harbored toward Ivyst, they secretly carried a sense of admiration for her.*
*Outsiders wouldn't know, but as her subordinates, they understood just how difficult her life truly was.*