The Villainous Family Loves Me Too Much!

‘It means that destruction may come soon.’

Even though my brother died, I still had people left for me.

Colin, the main heroine Beatrice, and Liam, the secondary male lead in this novel, who was also my other brother.

‘Pull yourself together.’

I can’t just mourn my brother’s death and face an apocalyptic ending.

I quickly stood up and opened the door. However, a boy I had never seen before stood in front of it.

“Who…?”

With round eyes and dark brown hair, a boy of my age with a clear face. A pretty boy with a unique aura rarely seen in the Empire.

In the middle of the silver-gray robe he wore, there was a black cross engraved.

“I am Gebino Augusto, the priest of the Julius altar. I am here to see the glorious princess of Castien.”

Gebino Augusto.

I faintly recalled him from my past life’s memories.

In the original work, Gebino was a minor supporting character from the Felosite territory. He originally had a crush on the main heroine Beatrice, I think.

‘Oh, but was he a priest?’

It was strange. I thought he was an imperial knight in the original work.

“Nice to meet you. But why did a priest come here? There shouldn’t be any reason to meet me… no, not yet, or rather, there’s no reason at all, right?”

Maybe he found it funny how I was stumbling over my words, as Gebino chuckled in a boyish manner.

Then, another priest who came with him gave him a glance, and Gebino resumed his dignified priest tone.

“I am a member of the wormhole incident investigation team appointed by the Emperor. I was ordered to bring the princess in connection with the wormhole incident.”

Gebino led me to the conference room.

I simply followed because they said I was needed for a detailed investigation.

But gathering all the members of the imperial family, priests, and nobles sounds…

“The cause of the wormhole’s occurrence is ‘The Power of Light’, Your Majesty.”

“Power of Light? Are you daring to claim the princess is the culprit? What nonsense are you speaking in front of the imperial family and nobles!”

“But it’s true, Your Majesty. According to our investigation, that’s the case. It’s also recorded in the imperial archives.”

The elderly chancellor opened the scroll he held and handed it to the Emperor, who read the record slowly.

“300 years ago, 5th Prince Cassios, who inherited the Power of Light, went on a rampage, and ten wormholes appeared in the palace. As a result… hundreds, if not thousands, of palace residents went missing or died.”

“Furthermore, only the Power of Light can create the environment for wormholes to form. Only light can freely move through the gaps in time and space.”

I felt dizzy. What does all this mean?

‘Is it my fault that the wormhole appeared?’

Gabriel’s story had a sad ending, but strictly speaking, it wasn’t completely different from the original work.

But being targeted out of nowhere deviates too much from the story.

The previously quiet conference room became noisy.

Everyone looked at me with eyes filled with fear. Even a few of the servants sitting beside me started to murmur.

“Power of Light? Isn’t that Princess’s ability?”

“If the wormhole is because of the Power of Light, doesn’t that mean the princess created it?”

“Oh my! After taking charge of all the wedding preparations, was this her plan?”

“Why? Wasn’t she on good terms with the Crown Prince?”

Even Empress Evelyn, who had always been kind to me, looked at me with resentful eyes.

“It’s not me, Your Majesty the Empress! I swear!”

It was unjust and bewildering.

In the original work, Princess Karena wasn’t a standout character. She was just an ally to the male protagonist; she didn’t have outstanding abilities or get involved in the fight for the throne.

Something had changed.

Perhaps I had drawn too much attention to myself, helping the protagonists toward their happy ending within the imperial palace.

But why should I, who isn’t even the main character, suffer like this? I’m even seeing death flags.

Why on earth did this crazy author meticulously create a setting from 300 years ago?

Moreover, the wormhole incident with Prince Cassios wasn’t even mentioned in the original work. I couldn’t have predicted this variable when planning for Gabriel’s happy ending.

‘What should I do now?’

I tried my best to come up with a solution, but I couldn’t think of a clever idea.

“Your Majesty the Emperor.”

Then, a woman’s soft voice echoed through the council chamber.

‘Beatrice!’

The woman standing at the entrance of the chamber looked like she had been through hard times after Gabriel’s death.

Beatrice looked so weak that it seemed hard for her to even stand. Her eyes were sunken, and her skin was pale. Her once plump cheeks now looked hollowed out and skeletal. It seemed she hadn’t been eating properly.

Beatrice staggered to her feet and bowed to the Emperor.

“I’m not sure if I have the right to speak, but if you’ll allow me, may I say something?”

When the Emperor nodded, Beatrice, supported by a maid, walked down the steps.

“Everyone here might doubt the princess, but as you know, the relationship between the princess, me, and the missing Crown Prince… I’m sorry.”

Tears flowed, and Beatrice lifted her gaze to the audience after wiping them with her long sleeve.

She stared directly into my eyes.

“We… were closer than anyone else. Whenever there was a problem between me and the Crown Prince, the princess herself mediated.”

Despite her weak state, Beatrice was willing to intercede for me.

Yes, if Beatrice testifies, it will surely help me.

“A week ago, on the wedding day when the wormhole incident occurred, the princess made the Glass Hall look like heaven. But then…”

Everyone in the room was captivated by Beatrice’s story. The tension was palpable.

“A wormhole appeared. Fortunately, the Crown Prince was hanging at the end of the wormhole, and the princess was lying in front of it.”

Her frail appearance and trembling voice made her testimony more poignant.

“The Crown Prince was slowly coming up, holding the princess’s hand. I was relieved and could rescue the other courtiers. I trusted the princess.”

Looking around, I noticed that everyone seemed to empathize with Beatrice.

‘Good, this should do it. You’re doing great, Beatrice!’

I clenched my fists, silently cheering for her.

But then, Beatrice said something shocking.

“I witnessed a shocking scene. Princess Karena… let go of the Crown Prince’s hand and pushed him into the vortex of the wormhole.”

‘No, Beatrice! It’s a misunderstanding!’

Her eyes, once moist, were now filled with rage.

Her emotions, mixed with anger and hatred, were all directed at me.

I believed that Beatrice was just mistaken.

Until her next statement.

“And she did it… with a smile on her face.”

Everyone in the room was shocked, including me, albeit for a different reason.

“I still can’t believe it. Maybe I saw it wrong. I want to believe that.”

This was no misunderstanding.

How did this happen?

One thing was clear.

This was intentional.