Episode 156. I'll Be Your Government
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
Rose's reckless advance seemed to intrigue him.
However, the Emperor's laughter was clearly mixed with mockery.
The laughter that had filled the room gradually died down.
The Emperor, fixing his gaze on Rose, spoke.
"You want to play a game?"
"Yes, of course."
Rose didn't let her guard down. The Emperor could easily have refused her offer.
The Emperor, who had been staring blankly down at Rose, spoke softly, his eyes a mysterious shade.
"I can play a game, you know."
The Emperor trailed off, taking a step closer to Rose. Then, he slowly lowered his upper body and brought his face closer to Rose's.
'Don't come.'
She didn't want to see his burdensome face up close.
For a moment, she almost lost control of her expression, but she managed to hold it together.
"But I don't want to."
"!"
When the Emperor rejected her offer, Rose swallowed hard.
“Why don’t you want to? Didn’t I say I would consider becoming Your Majesty’s mistress if you won the game?”
“That’s why I don’t want to.”
The Emperor’s already close face gradually drew closer to Rose’s.
“Even if I win, it won’t be much of a gain. You're not saying you want to become the mistress, but you're saying you’ll consider becoming the mistress.”
Rose said she would consider becoming the mistress, not becoming the mistress.
The Emperor made sure to point out that part.
“If you want to bet, bet properly. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Yes. Sure.”
Rose’s stern eyes fixed on the Emperor.
“If I lose the game, I’ll become Your Majesty’s mistress.”
A soft voice echoed quietly in the room.
The Emperor’s lips curled involuntarily at Rose’s voice.
“What a queer fellow.”
Even though she hadn’t yet won the game, Rose felt as if she were his mistress.
“And what would Your Majesty bet?”
Rose spoke in a steady voice.
“I have staked my life, so Your Majesty, you should offer something commensurate with the price.”
“Wouldn’t it be polite to tell me what game we’re playing first?”
The Emperor spoke with a clear intention of not losing a single thing.
“May I suggest the game?”
“No, I will.”
The Emperor was by no means easygoing.
He continued, as if he wasn’t giving Rose any excuses.
“Would you like to guess whether my beloved nephew Lucas will die in ten days? I’ll bet on Lucas dying.”
The Emperor’s lips curled into a bitter grin. He meant to kill the Grand Duke of Artaeum and take Rose with him.
Killing the Grand Duke, accused of murder, was a piece of cake.
No, the Emperor knew the Grand Duke’s death was a foregone conclusion.
The Emperor glanced at Rose, who sat quietly.
“I expected you to be furious, but you’re so calm.”
Rose didn't waver at the Emperor's words. In fact, he even smiled faintly.
"Then I guess I'll have to bet my life on the fact that he won't die."
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
Rose's reckless advance seemed to intrigue him.
However, the Emperor's laughter was clearly mixed with mockery.
The laughter that had filled the room gradually died down.
The Emperor, fixing his gaze on Rose, spoke.
"You want to play a game?"
"Yes, of course."
Rose didn't let her guard down. The Emperor could easily have refused her offer.
The Emperor, who had been staring blankly down at Rose, spoke softly, his eyes a mysterious shade.
"I can play a game, you know."
The Emperor trailed off, taking a step closer to Rose. Then, he slowly lowered his upper body and brought his face closer to Rose's.
'Don't come.'
She didn't want to see his burdensome face up close.
For a moment, she almost lost control of her expression, but she managed to hold it together.
"But I don't want to."
"!"
When the Emperor rejected her offer, Rose swallowed hard.
“Why don’t you want to? Didn’t I say I would consider becoming Your Majesty’s mistress if you won the game?”
“That’s why I don’t want to.”
The Emperor’s already close face gradually drew closer to Rose’s.
“Even if I win, it won’t be much of a gain. You're not saying you want to become the mistress, but you're saying you’ll consider becoming the mistress.”
Rose said she would consider becoming the mistress, not becoming the mistress.
The Emperor made sure to point out that part.
“If you want to bet, bet properly. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Yes. Sure.”
Rose’s stern eyes fixed on the Emperor.
“If I lose the game, I’ll become Your Majesty’s mistress.”
A soft voice echoed quietly in the room.
The Emperor’s lips curled involuntarily at Rose’s voice.
“What a queer fellow.”
Even though she hadn’t yet won the game, Rose felt as if she were his mistress.
“And what would Your Majesty bet?”
Rose spoke in a steady voice.
“I have staked my life, so Your Majesty, you should offer something commensurate with the price.”
“Wouldn’t it be polite to tell me what game we’re playing first?”
The Emperor spoke with a clear intention of not losing a single thing.
“May I suggest the game?”
“No, I will.”
The Emperor was by no means easygoing.
He continued, as if he wasn’t giving Rose any excuses.
“Would you like to guess whether my beloved nephew Lucas will die in ten days? I’ll bet on Lucas dying.”
The Emperor’s lips curled into a bitter grin. He meant to kill the Grand Duke of Artaeum and take Rose with him.
Killing the Grand Duke, accused of murder, was a piece of cake.
No, the Emperor knew the Grand Duke’s death was a foregone conclusion.
The Emperor glanced at Rose, who sat quietly.
“I expected you to be furious, but you’re so calm.”
Rose didn't waver at the Emperor's words. In fact, he even smiled faintly.
"Then I guess I'll have to bet my life on the fact that he won't die."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed at her calm tone. He had no intention of letting the Grand Duke live in the first place. This game was clearly his victory. But... Something felt uneasy. Why was Rose so detached? What on earth could she possibly believe in to act so confidently?
“Ouch!”
Pain coursed through his head. However, anger overtook him.
Neruan quickly sat down and raged.
“The Emperor must be really senile!”
Rose felt a strange sense of relief at seeing Neruan get angry on her behalf.
“We couldn’t negotiate, but... we applied a certain amount of pressure, and we escaped safely, so this operation was a success.”
Neruan, who had been grumbling, calmed down and looked at Rose.
He was curious about Rose’s story of her private meeting with the Emperor.
Meanwhile, the Emperor remained in his seat even after Rose left.
He was holding a green flower stem, no more than five centimeters long, in his hand.
The Emperor’s expression, as he fiddled with the stem, seemed quite complicated.
“...What on earth are you planning?”
The Emperor muttered to himself, recalling Rose’s suggestion.
“It’s a plant stem. This plant grows only in a certain region. Your Majesty, please find out what this plant is.”
“Is that all?”
“No. Wouldn’t it be too disappointing if it were this easy? If we call a botanist, wouldn't we be able to quickly identify what kind of flower it is? Find out what plant it is, and bring me three local residents. You have two days. You must bring them to us within two days, Your Majesty."
It was a completely incomprehensible game.
The Emperor handed the botanist the stem Rose had given him and ordered him to identify the plant.
Soon after, the botanist returned with the stem.
"Yes. Did you figure it out?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. This is a cyclamen stem."
"!"
Cyclamen...!
The Emperor dropped the stem the botanist had handed him.
Cedric died... Was Chicagor well-managed?
"Damn it...!"
A bad feeling arose.
The Emperor led his escort and rushed straight to Chicagor.
Arriving at Chicagor, the Emperor was confronted with a shocking truth.
There was not a single person. Not even the soldiers guarding the place, nor the prisoners being experimented on.
Unable to contain his anger, the Emperor screamed, his eyes bloodshot.
“Ugj!!”
The ugly truth that had been kept hidden was about to be revealed to the world.
'Strange.'
That confidence, that the Grand Duke would never die. It was repulsive to the Emperor.
'Maybe she's got some crucial evidence that could win the trial?'
Otherwise, she wouldn't be so confident. The Emperor's eyes gleamed.
'...Well, it doesn't matter.'
There was no way the Grand Duke of Artaeum would be found innocent. Even if he were acquitted by some unexpected circumstance, the Emperor would kill him. He would eliminate the Grand Duke of Artaeum and take Rose. It was a perfectly acceptable offer for the Emperor.
"If the Grand Duke survives, what will Your Majesty give up?"
The Emperor, lost in thought, slowly opened his mouth.
"If I lose the bet, I will become your man."
A sly voice flowed out.
“Just like you, who said you would become my government.”
Wrinkles formed around his beaming eyes.
The Emperor didn’t waste a single word.
Even though it was clear he would win, he approached the situation with an attitude of not taking any losses.
The Emperor was a very cunning man.
He had won the nobles who supported the previous Emperor to his side and wielded imperial power.
He hadn’t held this position in vain.
The Emperor was applying silent pressure to Rose.
There was no room for negotiation.
The Emperor didn’t want to reverse a situation where everything was already won.
Rose snickered and lowered her head. Then, not long after, she looked up.
“Your Majesty is truly a coward.”
A clear voice pierced the Emperor’s ears.
“I didn’t know you would be so cautious.”
Despite Rose's seemingly provocative words, the Emperor merely raised the corners of his mouth.
"Don't try to provoke me in such a way. I can see right through you."
"You may think it's a provocation, but I'm simply stating my honest opinion."
Rose and the Emperor's eyes locked in midair.
A moment of silence passed. No words were exchanged between them.
The Emperor was the first to speak.
"Yes. What are your demands?"
The Emperor, feigning defeat, began.
"If you ask me to build a tomb for Lucas, I will. While I don't build tombs for criminals, I can be generous."
"I will propose the game."
Rose completely ignored the Emperor's words and spoke his mind.
"You know very well that Your Majesty's demands are absurd, right?"
If you have a conscience, you will understand.
"Don't be afraid. It's not that difficult a game."
Rose continued, whispering to the Emperor.
Neruan stood nervously.
He waited for Rose, wearing armor and a helmet.
He was prepared in case anyone recognized him.
Neruan resembled his dead parents exactly.
He had changed his hair color to red, but he couldn't change his facial features.
Having prepared himself, Neruan loitered in front of the carriage.
"Why aren't you coming out?"
It had been quite some time since she'd gone in, but Rose hadn't come out.
He stared blankly inside, his lips burning with emotion.
"Surely, something hasn't happened, has it?"
“Just like you, who said you would become my government.”
Wrinkles formed around his beaming eyes.
The Emperor didn’t waste a single word.
Even though it was clear he would win, he approached the situation with an attitude of not taking any losses.
The Emperor was a very cunning man.
He had won the nobles who supported the previous Emperor to his side and wielded imperial power.
He hadn’t held this position in vain.
The Emperor was applying silent pressure to Rose.
‘There’s nothing you can do.’
‘Grand Duke Artheum will die.’
‘I’ll take you in since you have nowhere to go. Become my woman.’
The Emperor didn’t want to reverse a situation where everything was already won.
Rose snickered and lowered her head. Then, not long after, she looked up.
“Your Majesty is truly a coward.”
A clear voice pierced the Emperor’s ears.
“I didn’t know you would be so cautious.”
Despite Rose's seemingly provocative words, the Emperor merely raised the corners of his mouth.
"Don't try to provoke me in such a way. I can see right through you."
"You may think it's a provocation, but I'm simply stating my honest opinion."
Rose and the Emperor's eyes locked in midair.
A moment of silence passed. No words were exchanged between them.
The Emperor was the first to speak.
"Yes. What are your demands?"
The Emperor, feigning defeat, began.
"If you ask me to build a tomb for Lucas, I will. While I don't build tombs for criminals, I can be generous."
"I will propose the game."
Rose completely ignored the Emperor's words and spoke his mind.
"You know very well that Your Majesty's demands are absurd, right?"
If you have a conscience, you will understand.
"Don't be afraid. It's not that difficult a game."
Rose continued, whispering to the Emperor.
***
Neruan stood nervously.
He waited for Rose, wearing armor and a helmet.
He was prepared in case anyone recognized him.
Neruan resembled his dead parents exactly.
He had changed his hair color to red, but he couldn't change his facial features.
Having prepared himself, Neruan loitered in front of the carriage.
"Why aren't you coming out?"
It had been quite some time since she'd gone in, but Rose hadn't come out.
He stared blankly inside, his lips burning with emotion.
"Surely, something hasn't happened, has it?"
The image of Rose lying coldly on the ground floated through
Neruan's mind. But that didn't last long. Neruan shook his head and muttered,
Neruan's mind. But that didn't last long. Neruan shook his head and muttered,
"What are you thinking?"
Neruan stamped his feet impatiently, his pupils dilating for a moment.
"She's out!"
Rose had come out. Neruan's anxious face instantly cleared. He immediately went out to greet Rose.
"Lady Rose!"
Rose lifted her head as Neruan's voice came from afar.
"Neruan."
Rose gave a faint smile and urged Neruan on.
"Are you okay?"
Neruan asked, observing Rose's expression.
"Yes. I'm fine."
Rose's expression seemed quite bright as she answered. It was a stark contrast to the solemn expression she had given him that morning when she had left the mansion. When Rose had suggested pressuring the Emperor about the Chicagor affair, Neruan had opposed the plan. The Emperor had killed no fewer than three people in the palace: the former Emperor, the former Empress, and even his own wife.
Because of his fiery temper, which would rush forward without hesitation to achieve his goals, he had always had to be cautious. During the attempted poisoning of Princess Diana, Rose had provoked the Emperor. Not only had he mentioned the "cyclamen flower," used as a poison ingredient, but he had also uttered the "light of Chicagor," a slang term used by prisoners undergoing vivisection, right in front of the Emperor. Rose managed to survive despite leaking information about the biological experiments. The Emperor certainly didn't let it slide. It was Cedric.
He suppressed Rose's remarks to avoid the Emperor's rebuke. Rose's image at the time was incredibly dull.
Cedric used Rose's image of foolishness to allay the Emperor's suspicions.
The secret hadn't leaked out, and Rose knew nothing. She claimed she knew nothing, that she had simply been saying things she'd heard because she truly missed the flower.
At the time, the Emperor had been more focused on Duke Flice due to Cedric's discord.
As Cedric had said, he was gripped by the anxiety that Duke Flice might betray him.
However, things were different now.
If Rose brought up the subject of Chicagor again, the Emperor would surely kill her.
Neruan looked at Rose before him.
He couldn't express how grateful he was to see Rose alive and well.
Neruan escorted Rose and boarded the carriage.
Neruan and Rose sat facing each other in the rumbling carriage. Only then did Neruan remove his helmet.
He had sweated so much that his hair was soaking wet.
He placed his helmet on the seat next to him and asked Rose,
“Did the negotiation go well?”
“Um...”
Rose didn’t readily answer Neruan’s question, trailing off. But that was only for a moment, as Rose nodded with a mysterious smile.
“I didn’t negotiate.”
“Huh?”
She went to negotiate, but she didn’t negotiate.
Neruan’s head tilted involuntarily at Rose’s incomprehensible words.
“Well, the Emperor made a very absurd demand.”
Neruan frowned and thought.
“Absurd demand? Did he demand that His Highness live in exchange for Rose’s death?”
“He asked me to become his mistress.”
Neruan, who was lost in thought, suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“Huh?! What kind of...!”
Neruan, who had been spewing profanities, slammed into the carriage ceiling with a thud.
Cedric used Rose's image of foolishness to allay the Emperor's suspicions.
The secret hadn't leaked out, and Rose knew nothing. She claimed she knew nothing, that she had simply been saying things she'd heard because she truly missed the flower.
At the time, the Emperor had been more focused on Duke Flice due to Cedric's discord.
As Cedric had said, he was gripped by the anxiety that Duke Flice might betray him.
However, things were different now.
If Rose brought up the subject of Chicagor again, the Emperor would surely kill her.
Neruan looked at Rose before him.
He couldn't express how grateful he was to see Rose alive and well.
Neruan escorted Rose and boarded the carriage.
Neruan and Rose sat facing each other in the rumbling carriage. Only then did Neruan remove his helmet.
He had sweated so much that his hair was soaking wet.
He placed his helmet on the seat next to him and asked Rose,
“Did the negotiation go well?”
“Um...”
Rose didn’t readily answer Neruan’s question, trailing off. But that was only for a moment, as Rose nodded with a mysterious smile.
“I didn’t negotiate.”
“Huh?”
She went to negotiate, but she didn’t negotiate.
Neruan’s head tilted involuntarily at Rose’s incomprehensible words.
“Well, the Emperor made a very absurd demand.”
Neruan frowned and thought.
“Absurd demand? Did he demand that His Highness live in exchange for Rose’s death?”
“He asked me to become his mistress.”
Neruan, who was lost in thought, suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“Huh?! What kind of...!”
Neruan, who had been spewing profanities, slammed into the carriage ceiling with a thud.
“Ouch!”
Pain coursed through his head. However, anger overtook him.
Neruan quickly sat down and raged.
“The Emperor must be really senile!”
Rose felt a strange sense of relief at seeing Neruan get angry on her behalf.
“We couldn’t negotiate, but... we applied a certain amount of pressure, and we escaped safely, so this operation was a success.”
Neruan, who had been grumbling, calmed down and looked at Rose.
He was curious about Rose’s story of her private meeting with the Emperor.
***
Meanwhile, the Emperor remained in his seat even after Rose left.
He was holding a green flower stem, no more than five centimeters long, in his hand.
The Emperor’s expression, as he fiddled with the stem, seemed quite complicated.
“...What on earth are you planning?”
The Emperor muttered to himself, recalling Rose’s suggestion.
“It’s a plant stem. This plant grows only in a certain region. Your Majesty, please find out what this plant is.”
“Is that all?”
“No. Wouldn’t it be too disappointing if it were this easy? If we call a botanist, wouldn't we be able to quickly identify what kind of flower it is? Find out what plant it is, and bring me three local residents. You have two days. You must bring them to us within two days, Your Majesty."
It was a completely incomprehensible game.
The Emperor handed the botanist the stem Rose had given him and ordered him to identify the plant.
Soon after, the botanist returned with the stem.
"Yes. Did you figure it out?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. This is a cyclamen stem."
"!"
Cyclamen...!
The Emperor dropped the stem the botanist had handed him.
Cedric died... Was Chicagor well-managed?
"Damn it...!"
A bad feeling arose.
The Emperor led his escort and rushed straight to Chicagor.
Arriving at Chicagor, the Emperor was confronted with a shocking truth.
There was not a single person. Not even the soldiers guarding the place, nor the prisoners being experimented on.
Unable to contain his anger, the Emperor screamed, his eyes bloodshot.
“Ugj!!”
The ugly truth that had been kept hidden was about to be revealed to the world.
Comments
Post a Comment