PROLOGUE

In the depths of the diamond dungeon, a chilling sound pierced the air

"He~he~he~hehe~" a haunting, eerie laugh that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.

The dungeon, far from its glamorous name, was a place of darkness and filth. Even the knights assigned to guard its cells dreaded their duty, for once someone entered the diamond dungeon, there was no escape. It was a place where hope went to die, and Lady Adeline Dalia Cadelle found herself trapped within its merciless walls.

"It was her again," one of the knights whispered, his voice laced with unease.

"That laugh... it sends chills down my spine," the other knight replied, his hand striking the steel barrier of Lady Adeline's cell. He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze fixed on the imprisoned woman. "She was once a radiant beauty, admired by all. Now, look at her. A mere shadow of her former self. It's hard to believe she was once the daughter of a powerful duke, Lady Adeline Dalia Cadelle."

Lady Adeline, with her, once porcelain-like skin and a complexion as delicate as rose petals, had possessed a beauty that captivated all who beheld her. Her blonde hair, once lustrous and vibrant, shimmered under the touch of sunlight. Her enchanting purple eyes held a magnetic allure, capturing the hearts of men throughout the capital. She was born into the noble house of Cadelle, a powerful family in the Kingdom of Anthelme.

But now, the woman before them was a mere specter of her former self. No longer adorned in beautiful garments, she wore a tattered, dirt-stained dress that had seen better days. Her once radiant skin had lost its luster, marred by bruises and neglect. Her hair, once a symbol of her beauty, hung limp and lifeless, resembling a wilted flower. Her once captivating eyes now held no spark of life. Emaciated and fragile, she seemed as though the slightest touch could shatter her into pieces.

"La~la~la~," Lady Adeline softly hummed, her voice weak and barely audible. Despite her own frailty, she cradled a young child in her arms, attempting to provide comfort and nourishment. "La~la~la~"

"It's a pity that her son has to bear the burden of his parents' sins," one of the knights remarked, a tinge of sorrow in his voice. "He's just a mere nine months old. The emperor refuses to execute them out of pity, sparing the child from his parents' fate. Tsk!"

"La~la~la~"

As darkness descended upon the dungeon, it was time for Lady Adeline's meager meal. Each day, she was given a ration of rice porridge and bread, a meager sustenance to sustain her and provide nourishment for her child.

"Here's your ration for today," the woman delivering the meal hesitantly spoke, her voice trembling with fear. Lady Adeline responded with a sinister smile, causing the woman to stumble and fall to the floor, consumed by terror. "Wh-What are you doing? Why are you smiling like that?"

"It's time," Lady Adeline whispered, her smile still etched upon her face. Slowly, she began to crawl towards the woman, her child cradled in her arms. The woman, paralyzed by fear, could only watch in horror as Lady Adeline approached.

"W-What do you mean?" she stammered, her words cut short as the head of the baby, or so it seemed, rolled towards her. "Ahh!!!" she screamed, scrambling to her feet and fleeing from the cell. "The baby! It's dead! The baby!" her panicked cries echoed through the dungeon as she raced away.

"Whahahahaha!"

Lady Adeline's laughter filled the air, a sound that seemed to border on madness. She reached out for the object that had frightened the woman - a mere coconut, mistaken in the darkness for the head of her child. She cradled it in her baby's clothes, pretending it was her precious son.

The woman wasted no time in alerting the guards. "I saw... his head fell off!"

"Perhaps that's why we never heard the baby cry. It was already dead," one guard speculated. "We must inform the crown prince."

And so, the next day arrived, casting a shadow over Lady Adeline's fate. The words rang out through the dungeon, sealing her destiny. "Lady Adeline Dalia Cadelle, you've been sentenced to death! You have committed a grave sin by starting a rebellion and killing a member of the imperial family! You shall never find peace in your grave!"

Lady Adeline, bound and helpless, knelt before the imposing stage in front of the Imperial Palace. Her hands were tightly tied behind her back, and her head rested upon the cold wooden block, poised for the fatal blow of the executioner's axe. The crowd gathered, a sea of mixed emotions swirling through their hearts. Some felt pity for the condemned woman, while others believed she deserved her sentence. And amidst the turmoil, a voice pierced through the air, demanding attention.

"Wait! My beloved, may I have a word with my sister?" Adeia's voice rang out, cutting through the tension. With determined steps, she ascended the stage, her presence commanding the attention of all who watched. Adeline's impending death was about to become a spectacle, soon to fade from memory.

"Sister!" Adeia rushed towards Adeline, embracing her tightly. Adeline's expression remained blank, her eyes devoid of any flicker of hope.

"You have truly been unfortunate, Sister. Shouldn't you thank me for showing you mercy and granting you an easy way out?" Adeia's voice dripped with a twisted amusement, her words veiled in a sinister tone. The crowd listened, their curiosity piqued, yet oblivious to the true nature of their conversation. "You will soon be reunited with your husband and child. What a blissful family reunion awaits you, doesn't it?"

Adeline's weakened form trembled, a sour laugh escaping her lips. "My son... He will not be reunited with us. He will live on, and I know he will claim what is rightfully his in the future. The throne you covet will become your very own grave!"

Adeia scoffed, her hand gently caressing Adeline's face, before guiding her gaze towards a nearby pole. Adeline's eyes widened as she beheld the ghastly sight - two figures, a woman and a knight, suspended from the pole. But it was the sight beside them that shattered Adeline's spirit. A child, barely nine months old, hung lifeless, as if the remaining strength within Adeline drained away in an instant. Her jaw dropped, a silent cry escaping her lips, yet her eyes could no longer produce tears. Her child had been left hanging there for days, a cruel display of heartlessness.

"M-My child!!!" Adeline's voice cracked with anguish, her very soul torn apart by the sight before her. She yearned to rush towards the place where her loved ones hung, but the executioner and Adeia held her back, preventing her from moving.

"Sister, just die!" Adeia's voice dripped with venom, her eyes cold and unyielding.

"Sister! Why did you kill my child? He... he was your nephew!" Adeline's voice trembled with a mix of grief and accusation. Adeia fell into silence, her expression revealing a flicker of guilt. She gestured to the knights, commanding them to bring the lifeless baby down. As they did, Adeline's restraints were momentarily loosened, allowing her to cradle her precious child in her arms. Tears streamed down her face as she held him close, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

The air crackled with raw emotion as onlookers witnessed Adeline's inconsolable grief. The marks of the rope bruised her child's delicate neck, a cruel reminder of the injustice inflicted upon them. Adeline clung to her baby, her grip tight and unwavering, as she sank to the ground, her cries echoing through the air.

"My child!" she screamed, her voice filled with unimaginable agony. Adeia approached, a coldness in her eyes.

"Because of you, your son is dead, just as our father and mother are dead. They perished because of you," Adeia's voice rang out, devoid of remorse. Adeline's furious gaze met her sister's, her teeth gritted in a mixture of pain and madness.

"You... are... the reason... why father and mother are gone. They raised a monster in you!" Adeline's voice cracked, her words laced with a bitter truth. In a sudden surge of rage, she unsheathed a sword from one of the knights and pointed it directly at her sister. "I'll kill you!"

"Do it!... Do it, Adeline," Adeia goaded, her voice dripping with contempt. But Adeline's trembling hands betrayed her, not out of weakness, but because deep down, she couldn't bring herself to kill her own flesh and blood. "I know you can't, because you are weak. It's such a shame that Adeleo came from you."

At the mention of her son's name, Adeline's resolve wavered, and she lunged forward, attempting to strike her sister. But before her blade could find its mark, another sword pierced through her back, impaling both her and the child she held so tightly. The sword slipped from her grasp as she crumpled to the ground, her life fading away.

"You... have no right to utter my child's name," she gasped, her voice filled with a mixture of pain and defiance. Her gaze fixed upon her lifeless baby, she let out a cry that reverberated with anguish and devastation. "My child did not deserve to hang from that pole, to be pierced by a sword! You people have no hearts! I am innocent, as are those around me! The one at fault is you, my sister!"

Her final testament hung in the air, a damning indictment of the cruelty and injustice that had befallen her. And without hesitation, the executioner raised his axe, severing Adeline's head from her body. But even in death, she refused to let go of her child, holding him close until the very end.

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