The neat handwriting contained earnestness and love. Countless worries before contacting him. And deep love.
It was a letter looking for Roxanne, not Demios.
His temper was twisted again.
Dreaming of love in a foreign country where he was sent to die.
On the other hand, curiosity arose.
The woman the Red King's successor lusted after.
The heart that suddenly arose before it could even come out.
'The High Priest of the Sea has contacted me through the mirror.'
That was when the High Priest had prophesied the new Star of Ishtar.
And that fate pointed to the Duke of Huron's daughter, Roxanne's lover.
The valuable thing Roxanne had.
He had to take it.
And he had to make it his own.
Demios wrote a proposal letter to send to Huron.
Two months later.
The Star of Ishtar arrived in the Beastkin Empire.
At first, he only wanted to take that damn thing.
Until he met her in person.
Blonde hair flowing beautifully, strand by strand.
Straight blue eyes.
The voice that longs for him.
Looking at Sepia, Demios's world, where everything seemed black and white, began to show different colors for the first time.
For the first time, while suffering from a fever, he did not have nightmares.
Because his love was by his side.
The emotions that ordinary people feel.
The thoughts that ordinary beings feel.
The series of experiences he felt while with Sepia were all new and special to Demios.
At first, he felt joy at the thought that Sepia saw him as Roxanne.
He also thought about the despair he would feel if Roxanne came back alive.
However, that feeling gradually turned into anxiety.
Sepia was not looking at him.
He only saw Roxanne through his appearance.
Their first night as a couple.
Demios vividly remembered the rejection he felt that day.
However, he thought that time would solve this too.
He thought that waiting was also a sign of love that ordinary beings felt.
However, there was a limit to his patience.
After Yerdial's death. The magic that had lost its caster began to lose control of Demios' madness.
He quickly searched for the book that the Empress Dowager had, but he could not find even a trace of it.
He was thirsty for blood.
He wanted to kill the living.
However.
'I have to hide it.'
The Empress's aversion to it had not yet been cured.
If she was found out that he was a madman, he could never go back.
He wanted to become normal.
So he waited. He granted Sepia whatever she wanted. He even endured the suffering of buying and saving the worms that deserved to die.
However, Sepia never saw the real him.
His patience gradually reached its limit.
'Cold-blooded Empress.'
Her beautiful blue eyes now looked endlessly cold and harsh.
As time passed, news came that the real one had successfully subdued the barbarians and was returning.
A persistent bug.
He desperately wanted Roxanne to die there.
'I should have killed him instead of chasing him away.'
Demios deeply regretted his decision that day.
At the same time, he heard one piece of news.
A story about a woman with his name.
Demios took Titie in.
Hoping that Sepia would feel jealous.
But all that came back was a perfect evasion.
'If only that guy hadn't been there.'
He wanted to erase all of Sepia's memories related to Roxanne.
And he wanted to kill Roxanne.
But there was no proper excuse.
Furthermore, just as the magic on Demios had been lifted, Roxanne had also regained his memories.
However, the prohibition against speaking was not lifted.
It was his last luck.
Roxanne was unable to reveal his past actions even though he was hovering around Sepia.
He should have enjoyed seeing his suffering, but instead, he was filled with impatience.
The prohibition magic was not perfect.
If someone remembered the past Roxanne exactly, the prohibition would be lifted.
'I was the one who saved her.'
And he had to be the last one.
However, Sepia's gaze was turned towards the truth.
Like a sunflower blind to the sun. As if the fake did not follow.
The frustration he felt every time. Murderous intent.
The emotional pain he had never felt in his life stabbed him like a blade.
Then a black snake appeared. The snake’s offer to kill the Duke was too attractive to refuse. The first beast he sent caused minimal damage. However, before he could kill Roxanne, Sepia had already discovered the truth. In the end, he had no choice but to face her in his true form.
She swallowed the words to forget about the deposed Empress.
The afternoon the Grand Duchess disappeared.
Three days had passed since then.
They searched the Imperial Palace and the surrounding areas of the capital thoroughly, but the deposed Empress was nowhere to be found.
It was as if she had evaporated.
The necks of the knights in charge of the Ghost Palace were hung on the walls.
A murderous atmosphere hung over the Imperial Palace.
Demios ignored the Emperor’s duties and focused solely on finding the deposed empress.
For the past few days, he had spent the night wide awake.
“Any news?”
“...They say they haven’t found her yet.”
The attendant lowered his eyes as if he was sorry.
“And this is the imperial family map that the deposed Empress had.”
This map was not to be seen by other royals as long as its owner was present.
Demios’s face slowly distorted as he checked the map.
On the map Sepia had, there was an underground labyrinth that was not drawn on the Emperor’s map.
“...How dare you.”
Demios pulled out his decorative sword.
Then, he began stabbing the attendant who had brought him the map indiscriminately.
The palace maids were shocked by the sudden death of the attendant.
The Emperor had killed a noble.
The red eyes of the divine beast were the very picture of a madman.
“...Sepia.”
It was the beginning of madness.
It was a letter looking for Roxanne, not Demios.
His temper was twisted again.
Dreaming of love in a foreign country where he was sent to die.
On the other hand, curiosity arose.
The woman the Red King's successor lusted after.
The heart that suddenly arose before it could even come out.
'The High Priest of the Sea has contacted me through the mirror.'
That was when the High Priest had prophesied the new Star of Ishtar.
And that fate pointed to the Duke of Huron's daughter, Roxanne's lover.
The valuable thing Roxanne had.
He had to take it.
And he had to make it his own.
Demios wrote a proposal letter to send to Huron.
Two months later.
The Star of Ishtar arrived in the Beastkin Empire.
At first, he only wanted to take that damn thing.
Until he met her in person.
Blonde hair flowing beautifully, strand by strand.
Straight blue eyes.
The voice that longs for him.
Looking at Sepia, Demios's world, where everything seemed black and white, began to show different colors for the first time.
For the first time, while suffering from a fever, he did not have nightmares.
Because his love was by his side.
The emotions that ordinary people feel.
The thoughts that ordinary beings feel.
The series of experiences he felt while with Sepia were all new and special to Demios.
At first, he felt joy at the thought that Sepia saw him as Roxanne.
He also thought about the despair he would feel if Roxanne came back alive.
However, that feeling gradually turned into anxiety.
Sepia was not looking at him.
He only saw Roxanne through his appearance.
Their first night as a couple.
Demios vividly remembered the rejection he felt that day.
However, he thought that time would solve this too.
He thought that waiting was also a sign of love that ordinary beings felt.
However, there was a limit to his patience.
After Yerdial's death. The magic that had lost its caster began to lose control of Demios' madness.
He quickly searched for the book that the Empress Dowager had, but he could not find even a trace of it.
He was thirsty for blood.
He wanted to kill the living.
However.
'I have to hide it.'
The Empress's aversion to it had not yet been cured.
If she was found out that he was a madman, he could never go back.
He wanted to become normal.
So he waited. He granted Sepia whatever she wanted. He even endured the suffering of buying and saving the worms that deserved to die.
However, Sepia never saw the real him.
His patience gradually reached its limit.
'Cold-blooded Empress.'
Her beautiful blue eyes now looked endlessly cold and harsh.
As time passed, news came that the real one had successfully subdued the barbarians and was returning.
A persistent bug.
He desperately wanted Roxanne to die there.
'I should have killed him instead of chasing him away.'
Demios deeply regretted his decision that day.
At the same time, he heard one piece of news.
A story about a woman with his name.
Demios took Titie in.
Hoping that Sepia would feel jealous.
But all that came back was a perfect evasion.
'If only that guy hadn't been there.'
He wanted to erase all of Sepia's memories related to Roxanne.
And he wanted to kill Roxanne.
But there was no proper excuse.
Furthermore, just as the magic on Demios had been lifted, Roxanne had also regained his memories.
However, the prohibition against speaking was not lifted.
It was his last luck.
Roxanne was unable to reveal his past actions even though he was hovering around Sepia.
He should have enjoyed seeing his suffering, but instead, he was filled with impatience.
The prohibition magic was not perfect.
If someone remembered the past Roxanne exactly, the prohibition would be lifted.
'I was the one who saved her.'
And he had to be the last one.
However, Sepia's gaze was turned towards the truth.
Like a sunflower blind to the sun. As if the fake did not follow.
The frustration he felt every time. Murderous intent.
The emotional pain he had never felt in his life stabbed him like a blade.
Then a black snake appeared. The snake’s offer to kill the Duke was too attractive to refuse. The first beast he sent caused minimal damage. However, before he could kill Roxanne, Sepia had already discovered the truth. In the end, he had no choice but to face her in his true form.
“It was all your fault.”
If she had continued to be deceived. No, if her keen eyes and brain had been just a little less, he could have made her happy forever.
While he was reminiscing about the past, all the beasts in his hobby room were dead.
“Clean up.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The servants who had been waiting in advance cleaned up the room. Demios, who had been staring blankly at the beast’s blood on his hands, went to the bathroom and washed himself. He returned to the bedroom, wearing a robe, and stood by the window. The lights had already gone out, and the ghost palace was plunged into darkness. The torches surrounding the place meant strict surveillance. Not a single rat could leave or enter. It was a good choice to strip Sepia of her position as Empress. The position of Empress had power. He intended to strip her of her position as Empress, which was her arms and legs, and tie her feet. Just hope for that, wait. Demios was determined to become Sepia’s true savior.
While Sepia was waiting for the divorce trial, the black snake beasts attacked the Duke. It was said that the beast was badly injured by the beast. He wished he had died. And how good it would have been if he had been able to tell Sepia the good news.
Demios watched the ghost palace for a long time. Until dawn, which was darker than night, arrived.
***
Morning dawned. The palace was noisy thanks to the government that had barged into the imperial palace since morning. Titie was wearing a gorgeous dress.
“Your Majesty, I heard that the dress for the coronation has been completed.”
Titie greeted him with a bright smile. And as if telling him to look at this, she began to lightly circle the bedroom. Her movements were slow and cautious because of the weight of the lace, frills, and jewels. However, the government’s expression looked more cheerful than ever.
“It suits you well.”
“Really? I’m so happy.”
Titie, who was about to hug Demios, hesitated because of the puffy dress and smiled as if embarrassed. The servants who were watching her lowered their eyes. The Emperor had been extremely generous to his government lately. To the point of granting her everything she wanted.
‘She’s finally becoming Empress.’
The nobles who had lined up in advance were celebrating their success, and those who had ignored her as a government were now sending her gifts, even if it meant saving themselves.
Demios rested his chin on his hand as he watched Tite, who was puffed up like a cake. It was difficult to leave the position of Empress empty anyway. The same goes for the successor who would follow him. The blind affection toward him wasn’t bad. Wasn’t it like a dog following its master?
‘There needs to be compensation accordingly.’
If that was the position of Empress, there was no reason not to give it to her.
“I think I’ll add some more jewels.”
While Titie was looking at the dress and making various suggestions, the knight, who had become deep in thought, entered the bedroom.
“Your Majesty. I have urgent news.”
“What’s going on?”
The government, who had been showing off the dress for a while, was not pleased with the look. The knight, who had been catching his breath, reported.
“The Grand Duchess has disappeared.”
“...What did you say now?”
The Emperor’s brow furrowed. Before the knight could answer, the armrest of the sofa Demios was holding onto crumbled.
“How long has it been since she disappeared?”
“That’s... The maid who went to put in the food today said she couldn’t meet the maid there.”
When he hurriedly entered the Ghost Palace, there was no one there. That meant that he didn’t know exactly when she disappeared.
“Search the entire palace. Send soldiers to the vicinity of the capital. Find her no matter what. Definitely.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
His red eyes were filled with madness.
“Cut off the heads of all the knights on guard.”
The knight’s face became blank.
He also had a history of guarding the Ghost Palace.
The knight was dragged out by the Emperor’s guard.
A scream begging for his life echoed through the hallway.
Titie tried to approach Demios, but her body froze involuntarily because of his murderous gaze.
“Your Majesty...”
The knight’s face became blank.
He also had a history of guarding the Ghost Palace.
The knight was dragged out by the Emperor’s guard.
A scream begging for his life echoed through the hallway.
Titie tried to approach Demios, but her body froze involuntarily because of his murderous gaze.
“Your Majesty...”
She swallowed the words to forget about the deposed Empress.
The afternoon the Grand Duchess disappeared.
Three days had passed since then.
They searched the Imperial Palace and the surrounding areas of the capital thoroughly, but the deposed Empress was nowhere to be found.
It was as if she had evaporated.
The necks of the knights in charge of the Ghost Palace were hung on the walls.
A murderous atmosphere hung over the Imperial Palace.
Demios ignored the Emperor’s duties and focused solely on finding the deposed empress.
For the past few days, he had spent the night wide awake.
“Any news?”
“...They say they haven’t found her yet.”
The attendant lowered his eyes as if he was sorry.
“And this is the imperial family map that the deposed Empress had.”
This map was not to be seen by other royals as long as its owner was present.
Demios’s face slowly distorted as he checked the map.
On the map Sepia had, there was an underground labyrinth that was not drawn on the Emperor’s map.
“...How dare you.”
Demios pulled out his decorative sword.
Then, he began stabbing the attendant who had brought him the map indiscriminately.
The palace maids were shocked by the sudden death of the attendant.
The Emperor had killed a noble.
The red eyes of the divine beast were the very picture of a madman.
“...Sepia.”
It was the beginning of madness.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment