Chapter 55 …
Our Future
The passionate kiss left the nobles embarrassed, and they quickly averted their gazes to look at the Empress.
The Empress clutched the armrest of the imperial throne with a face so pale she looked ready to collapse.
She was usually adept at concealing her emotions, maintaining the doll-like composure she was known for—but today seemed to be too much for her.
Well, with her husband behaving like that, who wouldn’t be?
…That was what the nobles thought.
But Euribe felt nothing but disgust.
How could anyone press their lips to someone they loathed enough to want dead?
And with a man old enough to be her father, at that.
Feeling as if she might vomit, she turned her head—and met Leobach’s eyes.
Seeing that he wore the same nauseated expression made her feel a little better.
With that provocative display, the investiture ceremony finally came to an end.
Vintera, who had acted as though she would never leave the Emperor’s side, abandoned him the moment the banquet began and immediately approached the Princess and Marquis Radovich.
Euribe also left the Emperor’s side and headed toward the imperial garden.
By the time she reached the hedge maze, she heard footsteps following behind her.
“Leo…”
Assuming it was Leobach, she turned around—but it was Vintera who had followed her.
Wasn’t she with the Princess?
Caught off guard, Euribe froze. Vintera spoke first.
“Thank you… for healing me. I survived because of you.”
“Ah…”
After hesitating for a long moment, Euribe finally managed to speak.
“…Was it because of me?”
“…?”
“Did you leave the palace because of me? Throw away your entire revenge plan? And then get attacked by a witch hunter because of it?”
It was a question that had tormented her all this time.
She had refused Vintera’s proposal to join the revenge out of fear and helplessness—yet no one wished for the Emperor’s death more than Euribe did.
And because of one foolish mistake, she had nearly ruined everything.
The only chance—and perhaps the last chance—to kill the Emperor.
If Vintera had lost her life because of it…
“It’s true I left the palace to help you, Mama. But I didn’t abandon the revenge plan.”
Euribe’s vision blurred with guilt, but Vintera smiled gently as she explained.
“Even when baking a cake, unexpected things happen. And this is about dealing with people. I only set the broad outline of the plan. In the end, things worked out, and we’re steadily moving closer to revenge—so please don’t worry.”
“But… you almost died.”
“That was my fault for underestimating the witch hunter.”
She was grateful that Vintera insisted it wasn’t her fault.
That consideration, that warmth—it almost made her want to forgive her for betraying the Kingdom of Estum.
Of course—
“By the way, are you worried about me?”
Vintera had a remarkable talent for ruining the mood.
“Why would I be?”
Euribe answered flatly, and Vintera laughed airily.
“Then are you worried the revenge might fail?”
“Yes.”
“Ah.”
The way she laughed, clearly unconvinced, irritated Euribe.
They stood facing each other for a long while—Euribe glaring, Vintera smiling mischievously.
Suddenly it occurred to her that perhaps Vintera wasn’t just teasing. Maybe she truly believed Euribe had no interest in revenge.
She had said revenge was a luxury, after all.
She was still afraid of being directly involved, but…
“…Nugos has been entrusting me with the Empress’s duties lately. As I did them, I ended up learning a bit about the Emperor’s affairs too.”
She didn’t know how much that would help—or if it would help at all.
“And? How was it? Manageable?”
“Huh? Oh… it wasn’t that difficult.”
“Do you want to keep doing it?”
“What?”
“After the revenge succeeds. After the Emperor is dead.”
The conversation had taken a turn she hadn’t expected. Euribe blinked.
She had been trying to say she would help, even indirectly—but now they were talking about what came after revenge.
“What are you suddenly—”
“It’s a vast empire. To destroy it completely would take an enormous amount of time. When I nearly died this time, I realized something. I had set my sights too high.”
“…”
“I’ll leave the empire intact and change the Emperor instead. Kill him—and place someone new on the throne. Someone who will completely transform this empire.”
‘I curse you with my very soul—
The line of the Le Megeton Empire shall end with you.
The imperial bloodline will be severed,
And the empire shall never rise again!’
Vintera’s words overlapped with her mother’s curse.
Ah.
Was this it?
Was her mother’s curse finally about to be fulfilled through Vintera?
“That’s why I’m asking you, Mama. Would you be willing to become that new ruler?”
“…!”
She had only just managed to dip one foot into revenge, and Vintera was already asking something far greater.
How could she bear the imperial throne when she could barely handle revenge?
She had never been meant to ascend a throne—not even a royal one. She had neither the preparation nor the education for it.
Her older sister had been the crown princess.
Just because she had learned a few months of imperial affairs—how could she possibly—
“You’re saying you’ll make me Emperor?”
“If you want.”
Of course she didn’t want to.
She was far too weak to shoulder something so enormous.
She had spent years being dragged around by the Emperor. And now she was supposed to rise above him?
But Vintera’s new plan for revenge could only be completed if she became the ruler.
If she refused again, it would mean rejecting Vintera’s offer to stand together in revenge once more.
I want to help too…
“What do you want me to do?” she asked instead, cowardly deflecting the question.
She couldn’t even bring herself to meet Vintera’s eyes.
“I want you to be happy.”
“…!”
Startled, Euribe looked up.
Vintera’s face looked as though she might cry.
It was an expression she had never seen before.
Why—
Realizing her own expression, Vintera quickly shifted the mood, returning to her usual light, teasing tone.
“I thought perhaps you might want to leave this empire. Leave the palace you can’t even stand to look at, and return to your homeland.”
“My homeland…”
To return home, she would first have to succeed in revenge.
And to succeed in revenge—
“There’s something you need to know.”
Vintera had not been present the day the Kingdom of Estum surrendered. She was a traitor—but still.
No matter how much resentment she felt, she should tell her about the curse.
“The day we surrendered, Mother cast a curse. She didn’t die at the Emperor’s hand—she offered her own life as the price of the curse.”
“…!”
Vintera stared at her in shock, clearly not expecting her to bring up King Elhart.
Soon, behind her green eyes, anger, grief, and countless other emotions began to swirl.
“She said the Le Megeton Empire’s line would end with the current Emperor. That the imperial bloodline would be severed.”
“…”
“That very day, the Crown Prince died. And the Emperor became infertile. Or at least, he seems to believe he did. But perhaps he doesn’t want to accept it—he kept trying to have a child with me. Asking me to bear him a mage son.”
Whoosh!
Flames suddenly erupted from a nearby bush.
Vintera extinguished them at once, but the fire burning in her eyes did not fade.
Knowing something in theory and hearing it directly from the victim were entirely different things.
“That insane bastard… How dare he—”
Hearing the curses spill from Vintera’s mouth brought Euribe a strange sense of comfort.
With a bitter expression, she continued. Though it was the deepest wound of her life, she found she could speak more calmly than expected.
“Mother’s curse didn’t save me. But I believe it will help your revenge.”
“…”
“I was foolish and failed to understand what she intended. But I’m sure she’ll help you somehow. Don’t lose faith. In a long fight, faith is essential.”
“Mama…”
“And I’m sorry to disappoint you again—but I don’t want to become Emperor.”
With that, Euribe turned away.
Then—
“The First Princess could have saved you, couldn’t she?”
Vintera murmured behind her, almost to herself.
Why bring that up now—
Ah.
She said it because I said Mother’s curse didn’t save me.
If Antandre had…
“If you mean she could have appeared like a hero and rescued me—perhaps. But if you mean she would have become Empress in my place, that’s not something I would have wanted. At least I don’t resent her for that reason.”
Euribe answered without turning around.
“And don’t ever bring up Antandre in front of me again. My sister is dead.”
Leaving Vintera—whose thoughts she could not read—behind her, Euribe walked out of the maze garden.
