CHAPTER 134………………………………….
“Have you come? Come here.”
The soldier approached, dropped to one knee, and lowered her head.
“Lift your head. Let me look into your eyes.”
She obeyed.
The emperor blinked, his vision not so sharp, and stared into her eyes for a long while.
“Pure.”
“……”
“My dear, I’ve always been able to see what a person is thinking just by looking into their eyes.”
“Yes.”
“People whisper that I secretly killed my brothers. That rumor is false, of course. In reality, the one who wanted to kill me was my brother. You can see it in their eyes. My son is no different. At some point, respect disappears, and all that remains is the killing intent.”
It was a line the emperor repeated like a repertoire.
She listened with one ear and let it slide with the other, her mind wandering elsewhere.
There was no reason to give such a long-winded speech just for a routine report. There had to be another variable.
“The reason I chose to treasure you despite my advisors’ objections is that I saw no hatred or resentment in your eyes. No, I saw nothing at all… You are a soul broken. Almost beast-like. You act only to survive. That is why I chose you. And even now, it remains the same.”
The soldier instinctively curled her lips into a faint smile.
The path to the throne was soaked in blood. Once a brilliant emperor, his eyes were now clouded with suspicion.
Why didn’t the emperor choose Arjen as the crown prince’s fiancée?
Even as a soldier, she found it a little unexpected.
If she had to guess, it was probably because Keter had slapped the crown prince.
Striking his cheek publicly was a kind of warning: don’t touch Arjen Marsedes.
He wouldn’t want to earn the emperor’s hatred for no reason.
Perhaps that was why Keter slapped the crown prince in front of everyone—to avoid dragging Arjen Marsedes into this filthy imperial family. He must have seen that future clearly.
But was it really worth getting this anxious?
Though the day was not hot, sweat ran down the emperor’s nape, and his long-winded speech felt unusual.
Even though the situation clearly favored him, the emperor was unusually restless.
“Is Meria dead?”
“I could not confirm the body. However, it would not have been easy to escape a burning mansion.”
“You’ve achieved nothing.”
“My apologies.”
Even with her head bowed, she could feel the emperor’s nervous gaze scanning her from head to toe.
She spoke, prepared words leaving her lips.
“There is a hideout in the Western Desert created by the resistance Meria built. I will personally investigate to see if she has hidden there.”
Six months ago.
The Watson family promised immense investment to subjugate the barbarians along the western border.
The Western Desert was treacherous land no noble would bother with.
At the time, rumors swirled that it was a project the emperor initiated to avoid pressing the crown prince’s marriage, but the truth was completely different.
“Is this reliable information?”
“Yes. I will go and eliminate the resistance base myself.”
“…….”
The emperor was silent.
Just as she wondered if everything would go according to plan, he spoke again.
“My dear, you move according to your survival instinct.”
“……”
“If the day comes when you thrust a sword into my back, does that mean there is no chance of victory for me?”
The soldier quickly raised her head.
The emperor’s jaw trembled with anger and shock.
“What… do you mean, Your Majesty? I have never once betrayed you.”
“Until now, yes.”
At the emperor’s hoarse voice, her eyes shifted to a corner of the office. Another figure was there.
“The Magus Tower Lord dreamed again. In that dream, you were stabbing me in the back.”
This time, the Magus Tower Lord appeared, inhabiting the body of a young boy, emerging from the shadows.
She calmly scanned his entire body.
So it was true—they had dispatched several preliminary bodies to receive the magic of Beast No. 534.
“Your Majesty, you are mistaken. The Magus Tower Lord lost his prophetic power long ago. He is trying to manipulate you with false prophecy to keep me in check.”
“Ridiculous. Why would I tell you lies?”
At that, the Magus Tower Lord hurriedly interjected.
“Because of Dr. Santala’s grudge, the tower has sought to expel me all this time.”
“Absurd!”
The Magus Tower Lord shouted indignantly.
The soldier stood her ground and retorted sharply.
“Dr. Santala died because he defied the imperial will. Those who continued to question him and slandered me were you. Your Majesty, who is truly more insolent here?”
“Enough, both of you!”
The emperor shouted.
The tension calmed.
The emperor gestured for the Magus Tower Lord, who approached and knelt.
“You are equally foolish. You didn’t even know what I ate day and night, nor could you find my missing nephew.”
“……My apologies.”
The Magus Tower Lord raised his head and met the emperor’s gaze.
“However, do not doubt my loyalty. I am fundamentally different from a dog that wags its tail to survive.”
“Enough.”
“……”
The Magus Tower Lord held his breath while fiercely glaring at the soldier. She saw no value in entertaining him.
Finally, the emperor let out a long sigh.
He looked at the soldier.
“Stop. You’ve already failed. Deliver the location of the Western Desert hideout to the tower. They will handle the rest.”
“Then I…”
“You will rest here for a while. A separate palace room has been prepared for you.”
It was effectively a declaration of confinement.
The soldier silently bowed.
“As you command.”
In an instant, two imperial guards bound her hands behind her back.
As she was dragged away, she heard the emperor speak to the Magus Tower Lord.
“Magus Tower Lord, I will have to observe your prophecy’s reliability a bit longer.”
The soldier was once again loaded onto a cargo lift with the two guards.
Closing her eyes, enduring the moment, she rested her head against the lift rope.
The emperor is wrong.
Though she had blamed the Magus Tower Lord to survive, there was no reason for him to lie at such a time.
The prophecy was real.
The emperor would die by her hand.
Only then did she understand why he had been so anxious.
I’ll have no choice but to shift allegiances.
But to whom?
The crown prince? Or…
Arjen Marsedes?
The moment she thought of that name, the lift platform clattered to the dirt floor.
She smirked.
Which path should she choose to survive this time?
First, I need to get out of here alive.
If she continued being dragged by the guards, all that awaited her was a gruesome death.
She had anticipated betrayal, but to be fated like this over just the Magus Tower Lord… it was ridiculous.
Yet no laugh escaped her.
Are there only two guards?
They must have chosen strong men on purpose…
Could I underestimate my subordinates so easily?
Feigning a stumble, she slammed the toe of her shoe into the ground.
Reacting to the impact, a hidden blade shot out from the tip of her shoe.
She raised her leg sharply, slashing one guard’s neck, who was unprepared. Then, taking advantage of the other guard’s shock, she drove her knee into his solar plexus.
She prepared to cut his neck as well but instead struck him at the nape, knocking him unconscious.
No need to increase the body count unnecessarily.
First, the Western Desert. She would flee there, either hide or move toward the temple with Arjen. The destination was set.
Pain shot up her side as she began to stagger forward.
