Princess Colette's life was like a small boat slowly facing a towering wave.
With the emperor falling ill and unable to recover, the struggles within the dynasty intensified, forcing various noble families to choose sides, with the three chosen kings each leading a faction.
In the eyes of many nobles, Colette was taciturn and aloof. She rarely gave public speeches or took the initiative to win over others, which made her the least famous among the three candidates. However, the advantage was that this princess rarely made mistakes and maintained an extremely fair reward and punishment mechanism for her subordinates and members of her camp. She did not have to worry about her credit being stolen or being treated differently.
This advantage attracted a group of talented but unappreciated individuals, most of whom came from less privileged backgrounds and had little opportunity to showcase their talents in other noble families.
Despite her taciturn nature, Colette's authority has been established within the faction over time. The nobles who initially thought they could control her as a puppet have gradually become submissive and no longer dare to recklessly test or overstep their bounds.
Twelve years later, the emperor divided the affairs of the dynasty into three parts, entrusting them to three princes to manage. He also told the three princes that he would choose the successor to the throne ten years later based on their merits.
After that, the emperor went into seclusion in the palace and never appeared again, while the struggle between the three princesses and princes entered its most intense phase.
Many people were puzzled by the emperor's actions, wondering if this meant loosening restrictions and allowing infighting within the Royal Court. However, some argued that this might be the best option.
The most outstanding successor is chosen through the fiercest struggle, while the resources and power of the losers are transformed into nourishment for the new dynasty in order to quell numerous conflicts.
The factions under the three men fought each other, vying for positions in the dynasty, major financial powers, and the ownership of their legions. Initially, they argued in the dynasty council, revealing and cursing each other. Later, important figures from their respective factions died in accidents. Subsequently, some territories even openly declared that they would only obey the orders of a certain princess or prince.
As the situation escalated, Prince Hosha and Princess Eve suddenly joined forces to eliminate the weakest faction Colette. Legions were mobilized within the dynasty, and two grand dukes and six counts were killed one after another. In a short time, the Colette faction was greatly weakened, and the palace where she was located was besieged by the royal guards.
Just as the situation was about to turn in one direction, Princess Colette's palace held out for several months, allowing reinforcements to arrive and resolve the crisis.
Ultimately, the problem lies in the fact that neither side involved in the siege was willing to risk their lives, while the defending side held a do-or-die attitude, making them hesitant to act, fearing that they would lose important combat power during the siege and allow the other side to gain an advantage.
After this incident, Princess Colette's prestige soared, and the nobles who had been wavering within their factions stabilized once again.
In the time that followed, Princess Colette began to truly awaken. She gradually placed loyal people in all the important positions within the faction, and then continuously consolidated the resources under her command, making it as solid as iron.
In contrast, Prince Hosha and Princess Eve, whose power comes from their families, are forced to compromise on certain matters and must prioritize their families' interests. This makes it impossible for them to be absolutely impartial, and they often let corrupt and erroneous members of their families go unpunished.
As one faction grew stronger while the other weakened, Princess Colette's faction became increasingly powerful, until eight years later, when her subordinates, after long-term training...
The well-disciplined legion crushed the Tias Legion led by Grand Duke Felen; the Duke himself was killed in battle, and his family's Blood Seal Knight were also wiped out.
After losing the support of the core of his family, Prince Hosha's faction went out of control, with each side vying for dominance and fearing becoming cannon fodder in the ensuing struggle.
Thus, Prince Hosha's faction disintegrated amidst the internal strife.
The following year, without Prince Hosha's checks and balances, Princess Eve's faction was also defeated, and her family "handed over" Blue Harp Port and were subsequently exiled to the border.
Before the ten-year agreement was fulfilled, Princess Colette had already taken control of most of the dynasty. From then on, her ascension to the throne was a natural progression, and she changed her name to Colevanti.
After Stability her power, Colevanti summoned the witch again.
"Has His Majesty finally remembered me?" This witch is no longer favored; she is no longer a royal advisor but lives in seclusion in a forest not far from the Royal Capital.
"Yes."
Looking at herself in the mirror, Crown of Thorns, Sylutia slowly turned around and looked at the witch in a simple gray robe.
She felt the emotions contained in this memory and wanted to put an end to what happened back then.
"By now, you should be able to find out the truth, so why ask me again?" The witch bowed.
"I know some of the truth, but I still have some unresolved issues." Colevanti raised her hand and gently swiped it, and then their location changed, directly arriving at a secluded Courtyard deep within the palace.
There wasn't much decoration here, just a small mound covered in grass, and an apple tree growing on it.
"My mother, she shouldn't have died back then, right?" she asked, looking at the small mound.
"Yes," the witch replied gently.
Why did she do that?
"Because she wants freedom."
"I see..." Colevanti.
Did she fare well afterward?
"Generally, after losing her status as a princess and finding herself lacking in ability, she would travel to many places, marry an ordinary person, and later, due to differences in values, they would quarrel, after which she would remain single and live a mundane life."
Does Father Emperor know?
"Know."
"Why?"
"He didn't like being emperor either. I thought he was a bit weak at the time, and I even mocked him."
How did you and the Emperor meet?
"That was a long time ago, when he was still a neglected prince. I entered the palace as a brilliant genius, and along with a group of classmates, I received the former emperor's rewards. That's when I met that melancholy boy."
"I had a bit of a crush on him, so I gradually got closer to him and even had a child with him."
"Although I was initially somewhat resistant, he played the role of emperor very well, suppressing various factions with his powerful authority. I'm quite fascinated by him; he's like a perfect masterpiece I created myself."
Unfortunately, he didn't fully accept all of this, and he was always depressed, which eventually led to his illness.
The concept of the " Blood Law " Aspect Power originates from the pulse of the heart and blood. As Transcendent with a higher Aspect Power, his own emotions gradually affect his pulse, much like a slow form of suicide.
"I was angry at his weakness, but I also pitied him. After all, his life was largely changed because of me; originally, he just wanted to be an ordinary prince."
"To ensure that his life's work would not be left without a successor, and to ensure the dynasty's continued prosperity, I began to help him choose a suitable heir."
"Although Red is my child, his abilities are limited, and making him the royal heir would only push him into the Abyss."
"Among the many princes and princesses, there are many outstanding individuals, but none of them are particularly remarkable. I cannot accept entrusting the future of the dynasty to a mediocre person."
"It's like a completed project or an exam. I got perfect scores up to the beginning, so why should it end so hastily? I don't accept this kind of dull and mediocre future from the bottom of my heart."
"An emperor's evaluation of an era's history is not only based on his own time but also on subsequent events. I don't want his achievements to be flawed, so..."
"I have found you, Your Colevanti."
"Please trust the vision and keen insight of a genius. The wounds left on you by the past will also be your most powerful weapon, enough to allow you to view things with absolute calm and rationality, without being easily swayed by emotions. This is the best quality to become an emperor."
"I see—" Colevanti sighed, her long golden hair cascading down to her waist, perfectly complementing her luxurious and elegant red dress, creating a breathtakingly beautiful effect.
She couldn't help but like this witch, but the hatred she had accumulated over the years had also faded, leaving only a sigh.
"I will destroy all of this, both you and the dynasty."
Faced with this threat, the witch simply lowered her head without responding. Seeing her reaction, Colevanti finally felt a surge of anger.
"Including your child, Red."
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty," the witch sighed and knelt down.
After saying that, she took out a curved knife and gently slit her own throat, thus cleanly and calmly committing suicide on the spot.
Seeing the witch die here, with no chance of resurrection, Colevanti's anger vanished, leaving her with an indescribable emptiness.
She closed her eyes, remained silent for a long time, and then summoned her servants.
"Give her a proper burial. As for Prince Red, remove him from the royal register and treat him as if he never existed. There's no need to pay him any more attention."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After that, Colevanti became increasingly ruthless and harsh. She used a tough approach to rebuild the entire dynasty and restore its prosperity. However, such policies also went out of control after her death, and no emperor was ever able to reach her level.
As the dream gradually came to an end, the Impact of those numerous memories often made Sylutia feel disoriented, believing that she was Colevanti. She had become accustomed to her blonde hair and Red Pupil and maintained that cool, monotonous tone.
The corridors of memory seemed endless, and she traversed them time and time again, deepening her understanding of Colevanti with each passing moment, gradually aligning her with the Blood Clan queen in terms of habits, speech, and way of thinking.
If this continues, she might become a spiritual resurrection of that empress.
There was no harm or hostility, but this labyrinthine corridor in her dream became the biggest crisis in Sylutia's life. Once she crossed that critical point, her main personality would change.
Generally speaking, normal people cannot enter a dream and so clearly experience the empress's experiences. Even high-level Transcendent practice the Secret Speech " Aspect Power " cannot do so. This requires an extremely sensitive and clear soul, and is not affected by the rejection of the bloodline of the Blood Clan.
Secondly, if one's mental strength is weak, experiencing such a dream will not last more than a few months before the mind collapses on its own, causing one to wake up and withdraw.
However, Tia possessed both the aptitude and strength to fully experience the entire dream memory and repeatedly repeat it.
In reality, the girl sitting in the cave, holding Camilla, gradually changed. Her long black hair gradually faded from the ends, first turning into a translucent brown, and then slowly turning into gold. Her unopened pupils also gradually changed from black to a touch of true red.