The everyday life she had finally regained, along with these small moments of happiness, was truly precious.

Along with it, a certain thought grew stronger in her mind.

‘I miss him.’

A single letter, written with words that pressed down on her emotions, had moved her so deeply.

Violet smiled gently as she looked at the letter she had carefully stored away. Despite how fervent her feelings were, it still wasn’t the right time.

She decided to hold onto these feelings, anticipating the moment they would meet again.

* * *

As Violet added explanations to her existing paintings and worked on new ones, she received new information every day. Most of it wasn’t particularly useful and was filled with distressing news, but she listened to it all.

News about the war, spies hidden within the empire, and the political views and interests entangled in between.

‘I’m not even this household’s heir, so what good would it do to know all this?’

The face of Roen, who had to deal with these matters directly, grew older by the day. As she observed the increasing wrinkles on his once fair and smooth skin, Violet wished for Roen’s strength.

The young king of the south was ambitious, expanding the power of his alliance. The ruler of the northern duchy, with its barren land, was building military strength, coveting fertile territories. There were even countries looking to make a fortune from the war.

The news that arrived daily was so serious that it made one wonder why war hadn’t already broken out. The signs of deep-rooted decay were evident not only in the temple but across the continent.

The empire was the biggest prize. If it could be brought down, that is.

Continental war was not just a local skirmish. An unprovoked attack would likely turn the alliances against the aggressor.

Thus, now, with the volatile state of affairs, seemed the perfect time to strike the empire.

The current emperor was a man who had seized the imperial family through brute force. They believed that imperial power, established through blood, would be easy to topple.

But the reality was different. The imperial power was strong, and the empire had many talents. So, with the current military strength, victory was certainly achievable.

Of course, it wouldn’t be entirely without loss. The anxiety along the border was indescribable.

What would happen if war truly broke out? The lives of the empire’s citizens, and Violet’s life as well.

As she painted, Violet looked up at the sky, which was a clear blue.

Soon after, Violet decided to paint a picture about the war. Some might call her a hypocrite for painting from a safe place.

Even so, she decided to paint what she wanted to paint.

Capturing the horrors directly on canvas would make it easier to convey the terrors of war to everyone.

It was a harsh thought if ever there was one.

While she was making such plans that would shock anyone who heard them, news came that Aileen had woken up.

“Hmm…”

The poison Vaughn had brought was a special kind of poison.

It wouldn’t actually go as far as taking a life—it would only make the one who ingested it appear dead. It was strange that Aileen hadn’t woken up after staging such a ruse for so long.

By now, Aileen must have been informed of the current situation. Whatever her reason, Aileen’s plan had failed.

What expression did Aileen wear when she realized her plan had failed? Did she feel despair? Or did she just find it all futile?

Violet gazed down at the paper containing the news of Aileen’s awakening, gently stroking her chin.

There was no point in pondering why things had turned out this way. The sentiment of ‘everything used to be fine’ no longer mattered. The past was simply the past.

In this situation, there was no need for Violet to meet Aileen.

Aileen no longer held a significant place in her life. There was no need to pursue revenge, as Aileen had become almost irrelevant to her.

If rumors spread that the two had met, it could lead to more misunderstandings.

But despite all this… Violet paused her preparations for the exhibition and went to see Aileen.

To bring a definitive closure to the time that had passed.