Spoilers : The Abandonned Empress

Spoilers : Jenna's sentence and Tia and Ji-Eun conversation

When Jieun says to Tia that she was in office (ruling the empire in place of Ruve), Tia understands that Ruve had been forced to abandon the capital to save his life. If an heir had been born, Ruve would have been dead at once.

Jieun says "I was desperate at the time. You had some supporters, but I was on my own. I gave birth to a daughter, and I had to run away with her as soon as she was born, with poor postnatal cares. Eventually we were caught. I resented him (Ruve) for promising me love then tossing me out in the end. I hated the God who had thrown me in this world. As I died, I cursed him (Ruve), vowing to take revenge on him for using me. And then when I opened my eyes he was there again, alongside the man who had stabbed me in the chest."

Tia cries out "You really don't know why he left the capital? How he cared for you?" (because the simplest way for Ruve to stay alive was to kill Jieun)

Jieun answers back "You know what? Actually, I've never liked you either. You say I took everything from you, but I've never really. You were pushed out of the position of empress, but were still supported by your faction. Everyone compared the two of us all the time, finding me lacking. I thought I had at least God's love and Ruve's heart... but they were all yours after all."

Tia is outraged. For when did she have God's love or Ruve's heart when she was living? And what if she did after her death? How is it comforting to someone who (unjustly - I'd like to add ) died? (edited)

Jieun carries on "In a world where I couldn't rely on anyone, I struggled alone to find my share. But everything was yours. No matter how I tried to catch up with you, I had to be crushed by your shadow. I was only a substitute for you. Nobody saw me, the real me. Even coming to this world was not my will. Why did I came back here? Well, you're not the only one who wanted to fix everything. The moment I closed my eyes, I realised that if I were to go back to my own world, I would live haunted by my memories. And if I erased my memories I would be the ultimate looser. That's why I wished to meet you again. I wanted to beat you at least once. I realised I could only be free once my feelings of inferiority is gone. I was so happy when people called me a saint (when she made the flowers bloom at the theatre). I knew I didn't deserve it. I knew better than anyone. Still I felt liberated for some reason. It was the first time I felt this in this world."

Jieun carries on "Do you remember what I said a while ago? There was the man who stabbed me next to Ruve. Do you know who that is? It's Duke Jenna. At first I wanted to get revenge on Ruve first. For promising to love me but abandoning me. So I tried hard to seduce him. I wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt me. But you avenged me. (hohoho lol ^^)

Still Jieun : "Of course I was planning to get revenge on the one who killed me. That's why I became his daughter : to find his weakness. But it was harder than I thought. He didn't trust me at all. That's why I turned to the temple and tried to gather strength from there."

Tia asks "Why did you save me?"

"The day you were attacked, the man I saw (Ruve) was not the man I knew. He (1st timeline Ruve) never looked like that man. That tone of voice, that behaviour... When you said he was different from what he used to be, I thought it was funny. But you were right. He is completely different. He is not the man I wanted to get revenge on. I was so stupid. I don't know why I came back for anymore."

Tia then takes a box. Jieun begins to tremble as she realises what this is. She tries to be brave but her voice is quivering : "How does it work? I'm the daughter of a traitor. Is it death penalty then?"

Tia doesn't answer.

"So it is then" says Jieun with a shaking and fragile voice.

Tia bits her lips and opens the lid of the box and squeezes it. There is two bottles inside. One bloody red to kill instantly. The other one, a transparent one. Then she remembers Ruve's offer to her : "Let me give you a way (to save Jieun). This is a poison that would make her appear dead and we can sneak her out of the palace. However there is a condition attached. She must go on exile and never put a foot back on imperial lands ever again." Tia tries to protest but Ruve stops her : "My concession is already big. You know very well what will happen if she ever reveal that she's not dead (all the aristocrats will rebel against Ruve for going against their decree)." Tia answers "Yes your majesty" Ruve says "I will leave you the choice. But as far as I'm concerned, I would have preferred a way who could never backfire (kill Jieun)."

Tia hesitates. As Jieun saved her life, she deserves the clear bottle. But giving her the poison would completely free her and Ruve from the past. That's when she notices that under her veil, Jieun's hair has turned white. Tia then says "You have been sentenced to decapitation. However, You were offered the alternative of poison. There is no enforcement date, nor coercion. But when the Duke is beheaded, if you're still alive by then, you will be beheaded too. The Duke's execution is in ten days. And I'll tell you one thing. I don't want to see you die looking up at him and me. It would like the nightmare of the past is coming back. Of course, the choice is yours." Then Tia takes one bottle out of the box and puts in on the table in front of Jieun. And she leaves. (We're not told which bottle she chose.)

Tia tells Ji-Eun "this is your choice" and then walks away and you never find out what choice Ji-Eun chose but in side stories I think it says she chose to live.