Episode 2. You're Beautiful
"How pathetic."
Renisha muttered.
The abomination of Laxus, smiling and pretending to be a loving couple while holding her hand, was repulsive. She was also disgusted with herself, unable to shake off his hand, and being dragged around like a doll.
"Empress, greetings. It's been a while since I've seen you, an envoy from the desert kingdom of Ireb. We've brought you beautiful silk for your birthday."
"Your Majesty, I greet you. Since you're so beautiful, Your Majesty, you'd look even more radiant if you wore the silk we presented."
"Aha. Are you saying she'd look less radiant if she didn't wear the silk you presented?"
Laxus asked, his lips twisting.
His words were languid and leisurely.
The signet ring on the Emperor's left pinky glowed green as he poured himself a glass.
"H-how could that be!"
Despite the Emperor's absurd argument, the messenger forced a smile and denied it. He bowed deeply and lowered his head.
"Your Majesty, the Empress! I apologize if I offended you. I trust you know I absolutely did not mean it that way...!"
Renisha chuckled.
"It's alright."
"Since the Empress says it's alright, let's just ignore it. Bring the silk here, here."
The attendants moved quickly at the Emperor's gesture.
Soon, the silk presented by the Ireb envoy was in the Emperor's hand.
He rolled it on the floor and unrolled it.
The people watched, swallowing, as the expensive silk rolled across the floor. They couldn't even imagine what the Emperor would do.
After killing the Duke and Duchess of Lottera and having the Empress impure them, he now walked around the banquet hall, holding the Empress's hand, as if they were a loving couple.
It was the Empress who was celebrating her birthday, but he was the main character.
Canary, whom he treasured so much, was forbidden from even attending this event.
"What on earth is the Emperor thinking?"
"Shh! He can hear you. Be quiet."
The Emperor, without a care, wrapped Renisha in the silk he had unrolled.
Renisha stared impassively at the Emperor, who was behaving eccentrically.
Her insides were seething, but hiding it was a chore. Blood pooled between her clenched teeth.
The Emperor grinned brightly at the ridiculous Empress.
"Now, look at this! How is it? Does it suit her? Does the Empress look more beautiful?"
"Yes, yes! That's right!!"
Led by Ireb's messenger, the people knelt in agreement.
The Emperor chuckled vulgarly.
He placed the silk spool on the floor in Renisha's arms and said,
"So that's how it is. Today is your birthday, so you should look your best."
In the end, he was telling her to wander around like this.
Renisha snickered with her head bowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
This was nothing more than a circus for the Emperor.
He'd known since he'd offered Renisha a birthday banquet.
This, too, was merely for the Emperor's amusement.
The Emperor grabbed Renisha's arm, which was wrapped in silk, and began to drag her around.
He retrieved the offerings one by one, draping them over Renisha.
A shawl, a tiara, earrings, a necklace, a ring.
Renisha was laughing at herself for looking even more ridiculous than a clown.
"Your Majesty! Cassius requests an audience!"
"Cassius?"
The Emperor stroked his chin.
"Come to think of it, there he was."
Only the Emperor could treat the hero Cassius like this.
Cassius risked his life to save the Empire.
And he returned victorious from the war.
In that war, Loterra's two masters perished.
Cassius returned a hero.
It was a tragically twisted fate.
"Let him in!"
She doesn't understand why the Emperor would drag the hero who saved the empire into this circus without any regard for him.
Renisha stared at the Emperor with a subdued gaze.
She planned to make a decision as soon as she secured the bodies of her family members.
Kill and flee, or die.
She felt she couldn't live under the same sky with Laxus.
She felt she couldn't survive without killing that disgusting bastard.
Renisha clenched her teeth.
The rage that stirred in her heart, unable to be released, was eating away at her instead.
At that moment, the doors to the banquet hall opened.
It must be darker outside than the banquet hall... but it felt brighter outside.
Perhaps that was because of Renisha's situation, trapped in a cage, unable to do anything she wanted.
Renisha blinked.
'A torch...?'
That was Renisha's first impression of Cassius.
Cassius gritted his teeth and stormed into the banquet hall.
He had risked his life to win the war.
He had run like crazy, believing that becoming a hero would grant him a title and a fief.
But this was the treatment he was receiving.
His request for an audience with the Emperor went unanswered.
That was why he had ended up invading the Empress's birthday banquet.
'You're eating and drinking so well in the empire I protected!'
Cassius strode into the banquet hall.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to him.
His behavior was rude and defied all manner of manners.
Cassius bowed crookedly before the Emperor and spoke.
“Cassius, who fought for Hientri at the command of His Majesty the Emperor, has returned with the glory of victory. I dedicate this glory to His Majesty the Emperor.”
This was the message Cassius’s sole aide had brainwashed him with on his way here.
He must have repeated this sentence twenty times before he could even pronounce it.
Thanks to this, the sentence, though mechanical, flowed out of Cassius’ mouth.
“Yes, you were there,”
The Emperor muttered.
Cassius raised his head.
It was against the law to raise one’s head before the Emperor’s permission, but no one pointed it out, because the Emperor remained silent.
The Emperor stared at Cassius with a disgusted gaze, wondering what on earth he was thinking.
But what caught Cassius’s eye was something else.
A woman wrapped in pink silk, her entire body draped in a mummy-like garland of ornaments.
She had long, lustrous platinum hair and flower-pink eyes.
The woman was as dry as wax.
She lacked the slightest trace of life.
Cassius's gaze was instantly captivated by her wafting scent, which provoked Cassius, and by her dazzling appearance, which was almost blinding. Judging by the silence and silence of everyone, it seemed the Emperor had shaped her into such a woman.
"Ah, as expected. As everyone says, the Empress is beautiful and captivating. Cassius, what do you think?"
The Emperor roughly pulled the Empress's wrist and placed her before Cassius.
The cold snap caused the ornaments she had been entwined with to fall with a clatter.
Light scattered across the floor.
Cassius thought the Empress might burst into tears of humiliation.
Surely, that was the situation.
However, the Empress stared at Cassius with a cold, frozen face.
There was only a starkness, a void of emotion.
Then, the Empress's lips moved silently.
"You are beautiful."
"You are beautiful...?"
Cassius unconsciously followed the Empress's words.
"It's so dazzling, I can't see clearly."
"It's so dazzling, I can't see clearly...?"
"Oh, my! That's right!!"
Cassius, who had been parroting along, frowned.
This time, the Emperor pulled the Empress back and stood close to Cassius.
"Do you think the Empress is beautiful? Is she dazzling?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
He didn't know if she was beautiful, but she was dazzling.
All the ornaments reflected the light.
"Good, good. I will think about the reward I will bestow upon you! I have been so indifferent to the hero who saved our nation."
The rumor that the Emperor was mad seemed to be true.
"How can those be the eyes of a normal person?"
Cassius gritted his teeth. He doubted whether Hientri had a future.
"Go back now. Go back and wait for me to call you."
Cassius suddenly turned his head in the direction of the Empress.
He didn't know why.
At that moment, all he could think of was that it had to be done.
The Empress nodded slightly. Cassius gritted his teeth.
The Emperor was mad.
A single misstep here and there would be nothing more than a blow to his head.
The people around him simply wore indifferent expressions, as if the events unfolding were a daily occurrence.
He felt a strong conviction that disobeying the Emperor would result in a pitiful death.
“I will.”
“Yes. You should listen like a dog.”
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction.
Cassius realized his judgment was correct.
“No. What the hell is this place?”
Cassius laughed hollowly.
He had a dizzying illusion that all his hard work was going to be for nothing.
The attendants shoved Cassius on the back, perhaps afraid of what might happen.
Just before the banquet hall door closed, Cassius turned his head and looked inside.
The woman, still as pale as wax and expressionless, was staring straight at him.
With a clear gaze. The door closed with a thud. Perhaps that was why. The woman’s gaze left a vivid afterimage on Cassius before vanishing.
"How pathetic."
Renisha muttered.
The abomination of Laxus, smiling and pretending to be a loving couple while holding her hand, was repulsive. She was also disgusted with herself, unable to shake off his hand, and being dragged around like a doll.
"Empress, greetings. It's been a while since I've seen you, an envoy from the desert kingdom of Ireb. We've brought you beautiful silk for your birthday."
"Your Majesty, I greet you. Since you're so beautiful, Your Majesty, you'd look even more radiant if you wore the silk we presented."
"Aha. Are you saying she'd look less radiant if she didn't wear the silk you presented?"
Laxus asked, his lips twisting.
His words were languid and leisurely.
The signet ring on the Emperor's left pinky glowed green as he poured himself a glass.
"H-how could that be!"
Despite the Emperor's absurd argument, the messenger forced a smile and denied it. He bowed deeply and lowered his head.
"Your Majesty, the Empress! I apologize if I offended you. I trust you know I absolutely did not mean it that way...!"
Renisha chuckled.
"It's alright."
"Since the Empress says it's alright, let's just ignore it. Bring the silk here, here."
The attendants moved quickly at the Emperor's gesture.
Soon, the silk presented by the Ireb envoy was in the Emperor's hand.
He rolled it on the floor and unrolled it.
The people watched, swallowing, as the expensive silk rolled across the floor. They couldn't even imagine what the Emperor would do.
After killing the Duke and Duchess of Lottera and having the Empress impure them, he now walked around the banquet hall, holding the Empress's hand, as if they were a loving couple.
It was the Empress who was celebrating her birthday, but he was the main character.
Canary, whom he treasured so much, was forbidden from even attending this event.
"What on earth is the Emperor thinking?"
"Shh! He can hear you. Be quiet."
The Emperor, without a care, wrapped Renisha in the silk he had unrolled.
Renisha stared impassively at the Emperor, who was behaving eccentrically.
Her insides were seething, but hiding it was a chore. Blood pooled between her clenched teeth.
The Emperor grinned brightly at the ridiculous Empress.
"Now, look at this! How is it? Does it suit her? Does the Empress look more beautiful?"
"Yes, yes! That's right!!"
Led by Ireb's messenger, the people knelt in agreement.
The Emperor chuckled vulgarly.
He placed the silk spool on the floor in Renisha's arms and said,
"So that's how it is. Today is your birthday, so you should look your best."
In the end, he was telling her to wander around like this.
Renisha snickered with her head bowed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
This was nothing more than a circus for the Emperor.
He'd known since he'd offered Renisha a birthday banquet.
This, too, was merely for the Emperor's amusement.
The Emperor grabbed Renisha's arm, which was wrapped in silk, and began to drag her around.
He retrieved the offerings one by one, draping them over Renisha.
A shawl, a tiara, earrings, a necklace, a ring.
Renisha was laughing at herself for looking even more ridiculous than a clown.
"Your Majesty! Cassius requests an audience!"
"Cassius?"
The Emperor stroked his chin.
"Come to think of it, there he was."
Only the Emperor could treat the hero Cassius like this.
Cassius risked his life to save the Empire.
And he returned victorious from the war.
In that war, Loterra's two masters perished.
Cassius returned a hero.
It was a tragically twisted fate.
"Let him in!"
She doesn't understand why the Emperor would drag the hero who saved the empire into this circus without any regard for him.
Renisha stared at the Emperor with a subdued gaze.
She planned to make a decision as soon as she secured the bodies of her family members.
Kill and flee, or die.
She felt she couldn't live under the same sky with Laxus.
She felt she couldn't survive without killing that disgusting bastard.
Renisha clenched her teeth.
The rage that stirred in her heart, unable to be released, was eating away at her instead.
At that moment, the doors to the banquet hall opened.
It must be darker outside than the banquet hall... but it felt brighter outside.
Perhaps that was because of Renisha's situation, trapped in a cage, unable to do anything she wanted.
Renisha blinked.
'A torch...?'
That was Renisha's first impression of Cassius.
***
Cassius gritted his teeth and stormed into the banquet hall.
He had risked his life to win the war.
He had run like crazy, believing that becoming a hero would grant him a title and a fief.
But this was the treatment he was receiving.
His request for an audience with the Emperor went unanswered.
That was why he had ended up invading the Empress's birthday banquet.
'You're eating and drinking so well in the empire I protected!'
Cassius strode into the banquet hall.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to him.
His behavior was rude and defied all manner of manners.
Cassius bowed crookedly before the Emperor and spoke.
“Cassius, who fought for Hientri at the command of His Majesty the Emperor, has returned with the glory of victory. I dedicate this glory to His Majesty the Emperor.”
This was the message Cassius’s sole aide had brainwashed him with on his way here.
He must have repeated this sentence twenty times before he could even pronounce it.
Thanks to this, the sentence, though mechanical, flowed out of Cassius’ mouth.
“Yes, you were there,”
The Emperor muttered.
Cassius raised his head.
It was against the law to raise one’s head before the Emperor’s permission, but no one pointed it out, because the Emperor remained silent.
The Emperor stared at Cassius with a disgusted gaze, wondering what on earth he was thinking.
But what caught Cassius’s eye was something else.
A woman wrapped in pink silk, her entire body draped in a mummy-like garland of ornaments.
She had long, lustrous platinum hair and flower-pink eyes.
The woman was as dry as wax.
She lacked the slightest trace of life.
Cassius's gaze was instantly captivated by her wafting scent, which provoked Cassius, and by her dazzling appearance, which was almost blinding. Judging by the silence and silence of everyone, it seemed the Emperor had shaped her into such a woman.
"Ah, as expected. As everyone says, the Empress is beautiful and captivating. Cassius, what do you think?"
The Emperor roughly pulled the Empress's wrist and placed her before Cassius.
The cold snap caused the ornaments she had been entwined with to fall with a clatter.
Light scattered across the floor.
Cassius thought the Empress might burst into tears of humiliation.
Surely, that was the situation.
However, the Empress stared at Cassius with a cold, frozen face.
There was only a starkness, a void of emotion.
Then, the Empress's lips moved silently.
"You are beautiful."
"You are beautiful...?"
Cassius unconsciously followed the Empress's words.
"It's so dazzling, I can't see clearly."
"It's so dazzling, I can't see clearly...?"
"Oh, my! That's right!!"
Cassius, who had been parroting along, frowned.
This time, the Emperor pulled the Empress back and stood close to Cassius.
"Do you think the Empress is beautiful? Is she dazzling?"
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
He didn't know if she was beautiful, but she was dazzling.
All the ornaments reflected the light.
"Good, good. I will think about the reward I will bestow upon you! I have been so indifferent to the hero who saved our nation."
The rumor that the Emperor was mad seemed to be true.
"How can those be the eyes of a normal person?"
Cassius gritted his teeth. He doubted whether Hientri had a future.
"Go back now. Go back and wait for me to call you."
Cassius suddenly turned his head in the direction of the Empress.
He didn't know why.
At that moment, all he could think of was that it had to be done.
The Empress nodded slightly. Cassius gritted his teeth.
The Emperor was mad.
A single misstep here and there would be nothing more than a blow to his head.
The people around him simply wore indifferent expressions, as if the events unfolding were a daily occurrence.
He felt a strong conviction that disobeying the Emperor would result in a pitiful death.
“I will.”
“Yes. You should listen like a dog.”
The Emperor smiled with satisfaction.
Cassius realized his judgment was correct.
“No. What the hell is this place?”
Cassius laughed hollowly.
He had a dizzying illusion that all his hard work was going to be for nothing.
The attendants shoved Cassius on the back, perhaps afraid of what might happen.
Just before the banquet hall door closed, Cassius turned his head and looked inside.
The woman, still as pale as wax and expressionless, was staring straight at him.
With a clear gaze. The door closed with a thud. Perhaps that was why. The woman’s gaze left a vivid afterimage on Cassius before vanishing.
“...What?”
Cassius muttered blankly and placed his hand on the door. He had thought she was a lifeless woman, but she was filled with the only vitality in the place.
***
Renisha stared at the back of the Emperor’s head.
“Yes, you were there.”
There must be some meaning to the fact that he muttered the same thing twice. What was the Emperor thinking? Renisha's worries ended the moment Laxus pulled her towards Cassius.
"That idiot."
Renisha knew what Laxus was thinking. After a dozen years together, she could at least see the point. No matter how crazy Laxus acted. Right now, Laxus had decided on Renisha's fate.
"I wondered why he didn't kill me. Is it because he can't kill me with his own hands? Oh, because I'm the Empress?"
Renisha had already fulfilled her value as a prize. The Lottera ducal family was destroyed, and her two parents were dead. There were those on the run, but what could they do? Even Renisha had rejected Lottera.
Renisha had wondered why Laxus hadn't killed her. And now she felt like she had found the answer. Laxus had turned Renisha's suspicions into certainty.
“Good, good. Let me think about the reward I’ll bestow upon you! I’ve been so indifferent to the hero who saved our country.”
He showed Renisha and muttered such things. It seemed he was going to send Renisha to that man.
Cassius. Cassius, the war hero. She felt like she knew why she’d mistaken that man for a torch. Red hair and shining golden eyes. His features weren’t delicate, but his features were dark enough to catch anyone’s eye. He was a man with a wild beauty. Overflowing with the wild vitality of the wilderness... He was a man who didn’t fit in this rotten imperial palace.
Renisha fixed her gaze on the disappearing man. No, she stared at him as if possessed. Cassius, burning like a torch.
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