Charlotte sat elegantly on the bed in her cell.

As the room was for royalty, it was a relatively comfortable environment, and she also didn’t feel particularly inconvenienced. In fact, it was more liberating and easier than living as the crown princess. Although only a few days had passed, she was starting to get used to it.

It isn’t that bad.

When she wasn’t being interrogated, she spent time in her cell. However, she wasn’t chained or shackled, so she was free. She wasn’t studying or working, she was free from the obligations that had always burdened her.

Charlotte was suspected of selling state secrets to the Empire. She had also been found guilty of forgery and concealment, having lost confidential documents due to sloppy management in national politics. Then, in order to cover up the loss, re-created the documents without permission—and not with accurate information, but fabricated.

She didn’t make any excuses. They were all true. She answered the interrogations frankly and honestly. She didn’t clarify why she did it. She told the rest of the story without any lies.

While living in prison, something out of the ordinary happened.

“There must’ve been some kind of mistake!”

The voice of Juliet, who had finally been allowed to visit Charlotte, echoed through the dungeon where she was being held captive. Gripping the iron bars, Juliet shouted with a distressed look on her face. For someone who should’ve been depressed by the marriage of her beloved and the actions of the knight who was her guard, she seemed quite energetic.

A knight stood behind Juliet, escorting her. He had a complicated expression as he watched her, yet opted to remain silent.

As for Charlotte, she didn’t even bother standing up. She calmly gazed at Juliet. Of course, she knew that as an older sister, she was acting very cold toward her precious younger sister, who’d come to visit. Well, the reunion was one sided anyway.

“—There’s no way you’ve betrayed our kingdom! Everyone knows you aren’t that kind of person!” Juliet blindly believed in her sister’s innocence.

“But it’s true. I did betray our kingdom—that fact will never change.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte calmly shifted her gaze to the knight guarding Juliet.

“By the way, what time is it now?”

“…10 AM.”

“Oh, so not yet.”

The guard frowned at her question and subsequent answer. Juliet also seemed puzzled, but Charlotte paid no heed to either of them.

She looked at Juliet, saying, “I’m not that kind of person, you said? What makes you think that?”

“B-because… There has to be a reason! Older Sister did it for a reason!”

“Well, of course I did.” Charlotte smiled. “I was tired of cleaning up after my incompetent sister.”

“Huh…?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear me? I threw everything away because I couldn’t keep taking care of you. Of course, that wasn’t all. I have a lot of complaints. Too many to list.”

For now, she focused on her target, Juliet.

“Your Royal Highness!”

The knight reprimanded Charlotte for cornering Juliet. However, Charlotte sharply glanced at him, ordering, “Be quiet!” and the knight immediately became silent.

For a knight to be intimidated by a younger girl… How pathetic.

“Also, keep in mind that I’m no longer the crown princess, so it’s inappropriate to address me as such.”

Charlotte pointed out with a calm smile that bore no sign of regret at having her title stripped away. No, she didn’t show a single shred of regret.

The knight was rendered even more speechless at her unexpected attitude.

Juliet, on the other hand, seemed to have been greatly shocked. Her face was blue and she was trembling.

“Why…? M-my older sister is the kindest of all… she can do anything…”

“Because if I don’t treat you kindly, His Majesty will punish me.”

Juliet was astonished at Charlotte’s remark. Her face seemed to say, ‘No way!’

Charlotte honestly felt like she was admonishing a child with poor comprehension.

“It has always been like that. Whenever you fell, hurt yourself, and cried, he berated me for not watching over you. Whenever you misunderstood the type of tea you served to the ladies, and proudly showed off your ignorance, embarrassing yourself, he scolded me for not pointing it out earlier and following up properly. Whenever I was busy with my work and the work you abandoned, and failed to meet a deadline, he’d scold me again. Up until now, I had to endure and acquiesce, and behave the way you wanted—for you. I can’t stand living that way anymore.”

“Older Sister…”

“—Hey.”

Charlotte frowned and glared at Juliet, startling her and making her gasp.

“Every time you call me ‘Older Sister,’ it sickens me to my stomach.”

“Huh…?”

“Did you know? Every time you belittle yourself for not being like me, I get blamed by those around me? ‘Be careful not to make her feel discouraged,’ they’d sy. But how about them? How about you? No one has ever been considerate toward me.”

Charlotte stood up and approached the bars.

“Since I was little, I was always told, ‘It’s only to be expected of the elder sister and the crown princess.’ How do you think that makes me feel? While I was busy working, sacrificing sleep, you were playing around without a care in the world. You even brought along the man who was my assistant and my fiancé. What makes you think I’m okay with that? Juliet, as thoughtless as you are, this is a bit too much.”

Charlotte stopped in front of Juliet, with the iron bars between them. Juliet’s expression showed she still had no idea what her sister was going on about.

“How do you think I feel? You were exempt from work just because you were prone to getting sick, and you left most of the few responsibilities you had to me. You didn’t even try to study, you couldn’t even fulfill the minimum of your duties as a princess. And yet, you still get to enjoy the lavish lifestyle of a princess, and spend all your free time playing around. You brazenly imposed your selfish gifts on me and even stole my—your own sister’s, fiancé. And you think I’d be happy with that?”

“I-I didn’t steal him…”

“He spends way more time with you than me. Of course, it’s partly because he cares about you, but you ask for so many things and are so selfish. I can’t count the number of times you forced him to accompany you when we were at work.”

Even as Charlotte spoke, Juliet still couldn’t comprehend the reality of her words.

Certainly, Juliet understood that she spent a lot of time with Quentin. She tried to get along with him because he was her future brother-in-law, and Quentin had always been concerned about her. Juliet simply liked Quentin as a brother.

She never thought of him as a member of the opposite sex. She thought they’d been bonding as brother and sister-in-law, so she never intended to steal him. How could her older sister suspect her of such a thing?

“It’s impossible for me to love you. You’re an overly selfish person, and everything you do is for yourself. I abhor your very existence.”

Charlotte’s contemptuous gaze pierced Juliet from up close.

The shock was so great that Juliet’s legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground. Even though her heart could no longer bear it, Charlotte continued.

“—To begin with, you don’t like me either, do you?”

Just as Juliet had relaxed and was about to give up thinking, a voice fell from above, and she stiffened involuntarily.

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