He stared at Roxana’s face and laughed at the absurd request.
His smile slowly turned into a murderous one, and he opened his mouth.
“Did I mishear you?”
“Judging from your expression, I think you heard correctly.”
“Then the Princess was wrong.”
“I won’t deny it.”
“You say anything just because you used illusion magic. How dare you.”
He wanted to get rid of Roxana right away, but she didn’t exist in this space anyway.
“Is the Magic Tower Lord involved in this?”
Roxana didn’t deny it, but slightly raised and lowered the corners of her mouth.
Linel didn’t ask any more questions. That smile was enough of an answer.
“Why on earth would he...?”
Roxana didn’t say anything to Linel, who was puzzled, that Bellos thought of Zelda as his companion.
That would only provoke Linel.
Emperor Linel might have blown himself up if he found out that Bellos was planning to make Empress Zelda his consort.
Even if this conversation would later disappear from Linel’s memory, it was better to keep quiet about anything that might influence his decision before he made it.
“The Princess seems to think highly of me, but I’m not that great.”
Did she say she wanted to become the Empress of the Lapion Empire?
Linel said coldly, recalling the information he had learned when he closed his eyes.
“Just being next to His Majesty is amazing.”
“After enjoying power, there will come a day when you realize that it’s all useless. How are you going to deal with that emptiness?”
Linel was telling the truth, not persuasion.
Roxana also told her story calmly.
There was no need for a long explanation.
He would have learned about her when he closed his eyes.
Of course, only the information Roxana herself had revealed.
“At first, I thought that living a life without being whipped by my father was enough. However, I learned that it would be difficult to escape my father’s control even through marriage.”
So she said that she needed power that even her father could not overlook.
“Originally, my father’s plan was to use the nobles as bait and use them as bargaining chips to arrange a marriage between me, the Princess of the Principality of Aclatto, and the Prince of the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“But why did the direction change to me? As you know, I already have a wife.”
Linel asked Roxana, looking at Zelda lying on the bed.
“He doesn’t know yet, my father. I planned all this after accidentally peeking into her life.”
Roxana said, staring at Zelda sleeping on the bed.
Linel tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, and she added,
“We lived the same painful life, so why can’t I smile like that? Why can’t I be loved? Comparison breeds anger, and anger makes me bold.”
“Princess, you were too bold.”
“I went too far and ended up here, Your Majesty.”
Roxana dismissed Linel’s advice right away.
“There’s a saying that goes, ‘Don’t covet what’s not yours.’ That’s so foolish. Nothing is mine to begin with. You live by taking and being taken.”
Roxana’s voice gained strength again.
“Do you think I’ll give my heart to the Princess just because I lose my memories of the Empress?”
“Well, neither I nor Your Majesty knows that. Don’t be sure, Your Majesty, won’t give me your heart. Don’t you see, looking at all this?”
Roxana approached Linel and spoke calmly.
“People don’t know.”
“I don’t know, but my soul knows. My heart knows.”
His voice was full of conviction.
“Yes, I can’t help it, but I’m content to be in the place I want, with the people I want, by my side.”
Linel snickered at Roxana’s words.
“Do you know how lonely that makes people?”
Linel looked down at the floor, smiled vainly, and then said with a cold look in his eyes.
“There will be many who will kneel and bow their heads to you. You will feel like you are walking on clouds all day long, surrounded by those who want to please you. But the night is the problem. When night falls, you will be completely alone.”
Linel advised Roxana, drawing on his own experience as the Emperor.
“The sweeter the day, the more bitter and harsh the agony of the night.”
“I will endure it.”
Roxana answered confidently.
But as she looked into Linel’s emotionless blue eyes, a sinister thought suddenly occurred to her.
As he said, even if he loses his memories of Empress Zelda, he might not stay by her side...
No, she just has to do well.
Roxana made up her mind.
“How much time do I have?”
“...Yes?”
“The time I can spend with the Empress.”
He finally made up his mind.
Roxana felt even more anxious as she watched Linel, whose emotions were not as swayed as she had thought.
However, she couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face.
“How long can I keep my memories of the Empress?”
Linel asked again with an emotionless face.
“Until you take the potion and fall asleep.”
“Then, when I wake up again, will only my memories of the Empress disappear?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well... that’s easy.”
Linel muttered as he stared at Zelda’s face.
No matter how deep your love is, you can forget that person with a small potion bottle.
He could only laugh in vain.
It’s a dream.
No, maybe it’s hell.
Anyway, my spine was chilled, and even the air was murky.
Why was it so dark?
“Empress, you’re foolish.”
It was the clumsy demon's voice I had met in the wine cellar.
I felt strangely glad because I had heard that voice once.
It was better than being alone in such a creepy place.
“What is this? Is this hell?”
“I told you. I was kicked out of the demon world... I can’t go back to my hometown.”
“Then where is it?”
“The stage before hell. It’s a relatively comfortable place. I can’t hear the screams of sinners.”
The corrupted demon said that this was where people infected with the demon fire temporarily stayed when they were on the verge of death.
“To demons, aren’t human screams like music?”
“Not me! I like laughter better.”
The cheerful demon’s laughter at the end of his words was somehow sad.
“You know. If doing bad things doesn’t suit you, just throw away the demon.”
“That won’t do. After all, I was born with the seed of evil.”
“I don’t know what to say, but you’re not a person who can do anything great as a demon.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot. I’m just a person who bullies powerless people.”
“Who told you that?”
I asked absentmindedly and looked around.
It was dark, so I couldn’t see well. However, even if I turned on the light, it wouldn’t make much of a difference because everything was pitch black.
“The high-ranking demon.”
“He's a high-ranking person, so his eyes are accurate. Anyway, I have to go back.”
“Yeah, you’ll wake up soon. The wizard made you drink a drug that will make you come back to consciousness.”
It seemed like he was talking about the magic tower.
“Really? Then what’s my state right now? Will it look like I’m just sleeping to other people?”
“It’ll look like you're having a nightmare.”
“It’s a nightmare because I’m with you.”
I looked around the gloomy space again and wrapped my arms around myself.
My body wasn’t in good condition.
“I’m going to die from exhaustion?”
“Don’t say such horrible things!”
What? What about that serious reaction that is unusual for a demon when discussing death?
The demon kindly added an explanation as if trying to reassure me.
“The demon fire I use isn’t that bad. However, from now on, it’ll be a bit difficult to lead a normal life.”
“For example?”
“You’ll feel the urge to kill without realizing it, you’ll want to do bad things, you’ll say what you think without hesitation, and um... so in short, you’ll now...”
“I’ll become a bad villainess?”
“Well, similar.”
“Is that why I want to kill you right now?”
His smile slowly turned into a murderous one, and he opened his mouth.
“Did I mishear you?”
“Judging from your expression, I think you heard correctly.”
“Then the Princess was wrong.”
“I won’t deny it.”
“You say anything just because you used illusion magic. How dare you.”
He wanted to get rid of Roxana right away, but she didn’t exist in this space anyway.
“Is the Magic Tower Lord involved in this?”
Roxana didn’t deny it, but slightly raised and lowered the corners of her mouth.
Linel didn’t ask any more questions. That smile was enough of an answer.
“Why on earth would he...?”
Roxana didn’t say anything to Linel, who was puzzled, that Bellos thought of Zelda as his companion.
That would only provoke Linel.
Emperor Linel might have blown himself up if he found out that Bellos was planning to make Empress Zelda his consort.
Even if this conversation would later disappear from Linel’s memory, it was better to keep quiet about anything that might influence his decision before he made it.
“The Princess seems to think highly of me, but I’m not that great.”
Did she say she wanted to become the Empress of the Lapion Empire?
Linel said coldly, recalling the information he had learned when he closed his eyes.
“Just being next to His Majesty is amazing.”
“After enjoying power, there will come a day when you realize that it’s all useless. How are you going to deal with that emptiness?”
Linel was telling the truth, not persuasion.
Roxana also told her story calmly.
There was no need for a long explanation.
He would have learned about her when he closed his eyes.
Of course, only the information Roxana herself had revealed.
“At first, I thought that living a life without being whipped by my father was enough. However, I learned that it would be difficult to escape my father’s control even through marriage.”
So she said that she needed power that even her father could not overlook.
“Originally, my father’s plan was to use the nobles as bait and use them as bargaining chips to arrange a marriage between me, the Princess of the Principality of Aclatto, and the Prince of the Kingdom of Shattonil.”
“But why did the direction change to me? As you know, I already have a wife.”
Linel asked Roxana, looking at Zelda lying on the bed.
“He doesn’t know yet, my father. I planned all this after accidentally peeking into her life.”
Roxana said, staring at Zelda sleeping on the bed.
Linel tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, and she added,
“We lived the same painful life, so why can’t I smile like that? Why can’t I be loved? Comparison breeds anger, and anger makes me bold.”
“Princess, you were too bold.”
“I went too far and ended up here, Your Majesty.”
Roxana dismissed Linel’s advice right away.
“There’s a saying that goes, ‘Don’t covet what’s not yours.’ That’s so foolish. Nothing is mine to begin with. You live by taking and being taken.”
Roxana’s voice gained strength again.
“Do you think I’ll give my heart to the Princess just because I lose my memories of the Empress?”
“Well, neither I nor Your Majesty knows that. Don’t be sure, Your Majesty, won’t give me your heart. Don’t you see, looking at all this?”
Roxana approached Linel and spoke calmly.
“People don’t know.”
“I don’t know, but my soul knows. My heart knows.”
His voice was full of conviction.
“Yes, I can’t help it, but I’m content to be in the place I want, with the people I want, by my side.”
Linel snickered at Roxana’s words.
“Do you know how lonely that makes people?”
Linel looked down at the floor, smiled vainly, and then said with a cold look in his eyes.
“There will be many who will kneel and bow their heads to you. You will feel like you are walking on clouds all day long, surrounded by those who want to please you. But the night is the problem. When night falls, you will be completely alone.”
Linel advised Roxana, drawing on his own experience as the Emperor.
“The sweeter the day, the more bitter and harsh the agony of the night.”
“I will endure it.”
Roxana answered confidently.
But as she looked into Linel’s emotionless blue eyes, a sinister thought suddenly occurred to her.
As he said, even if he loses his memories of Empress Zelda, he might not stay by her side...
No, she just has to do well.
Roxana made up her mind.
“How much time do I have?”
“...Yes?”
“The time I can spend with the Empress.”
He finally made up his mind.
Roxana felt even more anxious as she watched Linel, whose emotions were not as swayed as she had thought.
However, she couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face.
“How long can I keep my memories of the Empress?”
Linel asked again with an emotionless face.
“Until you take the potion and fall asleep.”
“Then, when I wake up again, will only my memories of the Empress disappear?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well... that’s easy.”
Linel muttered as he stared at Zelda’s face.
No matter how deep your love is, you can forget that person with a small potion bottle.
He could only laugh in vain.
***
It’s a dream.
No, maybe it’s hell.
Anyway, my spine was chilled, and even the air was murky.
Why was it so dark?
“Empress, you’re foolish.”
It was the clumsy demon's voice I had met in the wine cellar.
I felt strangely glad because I had heard that voice once.
It was better than being alone in such a creepy place.
“What is this? Is this hell?”
“I told you. I was kicked out of the demon world... I can’t go back to my hometown.”
“Then where is it?”
“The stage before hell. It’s a relatively comfortable place. I can’t hear the screams of sinners.”
The corrupted demon said that this was where people infected with the demon fire temporarily stayed when they were on the verge of death.
“To demons, aren’t human screams like music?”
“Not me! I like laughter better.”
The cheerful demon’s laughter at the end of his words was somehow sad.
“You know. If doing bad things doesn’t suit you, just throw away the demon.”
“That won’t do. After all, I was born with the seed of evil.”
“I don’t know what to say, but you’re not a person who can do anything great as a demon.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot. I’m just a person who bullies powerless people.”
“Who told you that?”
I asked absentmindedly and looked around.
It was dark, so I couldn’t see well. However, even if I turned on the light, it wouldn’t make much of a difference because everything was pitch black.
“The high-ranking demon.”
“He's a high-ranking person, so his eyes are accurate. Anyway, I have to go back.”
“Yeah, you’ll wake up soon. The wizard made you drink a drug that will make you come back to consciousness.”
It seemed like he was talking about the magic tower.
“Really? Then what’s my state right now? Will it look like I’m just sleeping to other people?”
“It’ll look like you're having a nightmare.”
“It’s a nightmare because I’m with you.”
I looked around the gloomy space again and wrapped my arms around myself.
My body wasn’t in good condition.
“I’m going to die from exhaustion?”
“Don’t say such horrible things!”
What? What about that serious reaction that is unusual for a demon when discussing death?
The demon kindly added an explanation as if trying to reassure me.
“The demon fire I use isn’t that bad. However, from now on, it’ll be a bit difficult to lead a normal life.”
“For example?”
“You’ll feel the urge to kill without realizing it, you’ll want to do bad things, you’ll say what you think without hesitation, and um... so in short, you’ll now...”
“I’ll become a bad villainess?”
“Well, similar.”
“Is that why I want to kill you right now?”
“T-Tell me, isn’t that because you’re just angry at me?”
The demon timidly replied.
“You know, you don’t know, but the magic tower master is quite capable. He’ll create a cure that will remove the demon’s energy.”
“I also have something to say, Empress...”
The demon cautiously asked me if he had something to say.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not just the demons that are evil. Do you really think that the magic tower master’s care for you is really for your own good?”
“What do you mean? It sounds like Lord of Magic tower has another plan?”
“...I don’t know. That’s a trade secret as a demon.”
“Aha, is causing strife also a virtue of the demon?”
I snorted.
“I-Isn’t causing strife?”
“If the Magic Tower Lord had ill intentions toward me, he wouldn’t have risked his life to break the barrier you set up.”
“Ah, humans are really naive at times like this. There’s a saying that you can know ten by seeing one, right? Wrong. Even if you know ten, you don’t know the eleventh. That’s what a human is.”
The demon’s words sounded meaningful.
“Do you know my future by any chance? Is that why you’re saying something like that?”
“Ouch. That was a sharp question. I almost answered. Hahaha.”
“Don’t laugh so gloomily on purpose. It doesn’t suit you at all.”
“T-That’s right. That was a pretty hurtful point.”
“Are you losing patience?”
Was his devilish nature already starting to kick in?
Something inside me began to boil.
It wasn’t about my body temperature; it was about my mood.
It was definitely a different feeling from when I was so excited.
“Probably. You can think of it as getting all the bad things.”
“Ah, I’m suddenly so irritable...”
“From what I can see, it seems like you’ve always been one of those people, so the demon’s energy seeps in more easily.”
“Shut up! Before I show you my true nature.”
It was a pretty credible opinion, so I got angry without realizing it.
Oh, this is a big deal.
The words I was thinking to myself kept blurting out.
Am I really turning into a villain?
“Haa, I’d rather die than live doing bad things.”
I blurted out words I didn’t mean.
Then the corrupted demon bit my words and asked me happily.
“Then your husband will remarry another woman and live with her for the rest of his life? Is that okay?”
Suddenly, both the fire and the evil energy surged up at the same time.
“If you want to stay with Her Majesty the Empress for a long time, try to hold out until you can sleep.”
Surprisingly, Roxana didn’t regret saying these words.
Linel was suspicious that there was some hidden agenda.
“It must have been something that didn’t need to be told, so why are you telling me?”
“I don’t know either.”
It was an unexpected answer.
But Roxana was sincere.
Why did she say that?
She didn’t know.
“I don’t know?”
Linel asked back.
“Yes, it’s just... Let’s say it’s a feeling of pity for Empress Zelda. I briefly thought about whether it was affection for Your Majesty, but I don’t think so.”
It was a strange answer after saying it. But there was no other way to explain it.
The two of them looked at Zelda, who was having a nightmare at the same time.
For a moment, an awkward atmosphere lingered among the three of them.
‘How long can a person endure without sleep?’
Linel thought as he looked at Zelda.
‘How long can I endure it? Three days, four days? No, five days?’
The problem was that sleep was a natural physiological phenomenon that could not be controlled by will alone.
“Your Majesty, would you like to make a deal with me?”
Of course, he would drink the potion that would induce partial amnesia.
Roxana didn’t want to rush him, so she waited a few more minutes.
After a while, Linel held out his hand.
Roxana opened the cork of the magic potion herself and handed it to him.
Linel stared intently at Roxana’s face and drank it in one gulp.
His eyes were filled with anger, as if he were determined not to forget her face.
But that wouldn’t happen.
If Linel fell asleep and woke up, he wouldn’t remember either.
Even though he knew that, he tried. He would remember Roxana’s deal, the betrayal of the Magic Tower Lord, and Zelda, who controlled his entire body.
No, he changed his mind again.
He would forget Zelda even if he forgot everything. He recalled the feelings he had shared with Zelda one by one, as if engraving them.
‘I must not forget.’
He wanted to write it down somewhere like a diary, but even that wouldn’t be allowed.
He said that since the first potion he drank had a secrecy spell, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone even if he wanted to.
Linel wasn't afraid of dying.
But this wasn't a matter of his life.
He had to abandon Zelda to save her.
And his brother Joseph's life was also at stake.
The potion he had drunk shattered in his hand.
There was a crackling sound, and blood flowed from Linel’s hand.
Time was also passing.
The little time he could spend with Zelda was passing by.
“I wish you would just leave today. I want to spend some time with my wife.”
He walked to the head of the bed where Zelda was lying as if nothing had happened and said to Roxana.
Roxana frowned at the blood flowing from his hand, then shrugged.
“I’ll visit you again tomorrow. You may not believe me, but I feel sorry for Empress Zelda.”
Linel narrowed his eyes and looked back at Roxana.
“What?”
“If she weren’t your wife, we could have been... good friends.”
Linel didn’t believe it.
“Ha, do you really need to act in front of me? I won’t even remember this situation anyway.”
“I’m serious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have given you two times to spend together. Isn’t that what you call a favor?”
“The you who is possessed by the devil, not the Empress.”
Linel snapped, clenching his jaw.
However, Roxana didn’t pay much attention to those words.
It could really be true.
“I’ll come back. It seems the Empress is finally waking up from her nightmare.”
Roxana nodded to Zelda, who had begun to toss and turn, and greeted Linel.
He quickly turned around and hugged Zelda.
“Zelda, what’s wrong! Open your eyes, yes?”
“You’re getting remarried?!”
Zelda grabbed Linel by the collar and opened her eyes.
Did she hear what the Princess had to say?
“...Zelda, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Her face didn’t look okay at all.
“I’m angry!”
Zelda clenched her teeth, which had been chattering just a moment ago, and shouted at him.
“Remarry? Go ahead, I’ll go find you and make a big mess of you!”
Please do that...
Linel whispered as she hugged her.
The demon timidly replied.
“You know, you don’t know, but the magic tower master is quite capable. He’ll create a cure that will remove the demon’s energy.”
“I also have something to say, Empress...”
The demon cautiously asked me if he had something to say.
“Tell me.”
“It’s not just the demons that are evil. Do you really think that the magic tower master’s care for you is really for your own good?”
“What do you mean? It sounds like Lord of Magic tower has another plan?”
“...I don’t know. That’s a trade secret as a demon.”
“Aha, is causing strife also a virtue of the demon?”
I snorted.
“I-Isn’t causing strife?”
“If the Magic Tower Lord had ill intentions toward me, he wouldn’t have risked his life to break the barrier you set up.”
“Ah, humans are really naive at times like this. There’s a saying that you can know ten by seeing one, right? Wrong. Even if you know ten, you don’t know the eleventh. That’s what a human is.”
The demon’s words sounded meaningful.
“Do you know my future by any chance? Is that why you’re saying something like that?”
“Ouch. That was a sharp question. I almost answered. Hahaha.”
“Don’t laugh so gloomily on purpose. It doesn’t suit you at all.”
“T-That’s right. That was a pretty hurtful point.”
“Are you losing patience?”
Was his devilish nature already starting to kick in?
Something inside me began to boil.
It wasn’t about my body temperature; it was about my mood.
It was definitely a different feeling from when I was so excited.
“Probably. You can think of it as getting all the bad things.”
“Ah, I’m suddenly so irritable...”
“From what I can see, it seems like you’ve always been one of those people, so the demon’s energy seeps in more easily.”
“Shut up! Before I show you my true nature.”
It was a pretty credible opinion, so I got angry without realizing it.
Oh, this is a big deal.
The words I was thinking to myself kept blurting out.
Am I really turning into a villain?
“Haa, I’d rather die than live doing bad things.”
I blurted out words I didn’t mean.
Then the corrupted demon bit my words and asked me happily.
“Then your husband will remarry another woman and live with her for the rest of his life? Is that okay?”
Suddenly, both the fire and the evil energy surged up at the same time.
***
“If you want to stay with Her Majesty the Empress for a long time, try to hold out until you can sleep.”
Surprisingly, Roxana didn’t regret saying these words.
Linel was suspicious that there was some hidden agenda.
“It must have been something that didn’t need to be told, so why are you telling me?”
“I don’t know either.”
It was an unexpected answer.
But Roxana was sincere.
Why did she say that?
She didn’t know.
“I don’t know?”
Linel asked back.
“Yes, it’s just... Let’s say it’s a feeling of pity for Empress Zelda. I briefly thought about whether it was affection for Your Majesty, but I don’t think so.”
It was a strange answer after saying it. But there was no other way to explain it.
The two of them looked at Zelda, who was having a nightmare at the same time.
For a moment, an awkward atmosphere lingered among the three of them.
‘How long can a person endure without sleep?’
Linel thought as he looked at Zelda.
‘How long can I endure it? Three days, four days? No, five days?’
The problem was that sleep was a natural physiological phenomenon that could not be controlled by will alone.
“Your Majesty, would you like to make a deal with me?”
Of course, he would drink the potion that would induce partial amnesia.
Roxana didn’t want to rush him, so she waited a few more minutes.
After a while, Linel held out his hand.
Roxana opened the cork of the magic potion herself and handed it to him.
Linel stared intently at Roxana’s face and drank it in one gulp.
His eyes were filled with anger, as if he were determined not to forget her face.
But that wouldn’t happen.
If Linel fell asleep and woke up, he wouldn’t remember either.
Even though he knew that, he tried. He would remember Roxana’s deal, the betrayal of the Magic Tower Lord, and Zelda, who controlled his entire body.
No, he changed his mind again.
He would forget Zelda even if he forgot everything. He recalled the feelings he had shared with Zelda one by one, as if engraving them.
‘I must not forget.’
He wanted to write it down somewhere like a diary, but even that wouldn’t be allowed.
He said that since the first potion he drank had a secrecy spell, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone even if he wanted to.
Linel wasn't afraid of dying.
But this wasn't a matter of his life.
He had to abandon Zelda to save her.
And his brother Joseph's life was also at stake.
The potion he had drunk shattered in his hand.
There was a crackling sound, and blood flowed from Linel’s hand.
Time was also passing.
The little time he could spend with Zelda was passing by.
“I wish you would just leave today. I want to spend some time with my wife.”
He walked to the head of the bed where Zelda was lying as if nothing had happened and said to Roxana.
Roxana frowned at the blood flowing from his hand, then shrugged.
“I’ll visit you again tomorrow. You may not believe me, but I feel sorry for Empress Zelda.”
Linel narrowed his eyes and looked back at Roxana.
“What?”
“If she weren’t your wife, we could have been... good friends.”
Linel didn’t believe it.
“Ha, do you really need to act in front of me? I won’t even remember this situation anyway.”
“I’m serious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have given you two times to spend together. Isn’t that what you call a favor?”
“The you who is possessed by the devil, not the Empress.”
Linel snapped, clenching his jaw.
However, Roxana didn’t pay much attention to those words.
It could really be true.
“I’ll come back. It seems the Empress is finally waking up from her nightmare.”
Roxana nodded to Zelda, who had begun to toss and turn, and greeted Linel.
He quickly turned around and hugged Zelda.
“Zelda, what’s wrong! Open your eyes, yes?”
“You’re getting remarried?!”
Zelda grabbed Linel by the collar and opened her eyes.
Did she hear what the Princess had to say?
“...Zelda, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Her face didn’t look okay at all.
“I’m angry!”
Zelda clenched her teeth, which had been chattering just a moment ago, and shouted at him.
“Remarry? Go ahead, I’ll go find you and make a big mess of you!”
Please do that...
Linel whispered as she hugged her.
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