Episode 160. Just Step Over Me
“I’m serious. Don’t go like this.”
“Eric!”
Rose pressed Eric once more. Then she forcefully shook Eric’s hand away.
“Come back with me, Rose. You’re truly the only one I have.”
His voice was desperate, but Rose didn’t listen.
“Why don’t you go see Doana at a time like this?”
“Why are we bringing up Doana here?”
“You’ve gained quite a bit of weight. You’re about to become the father you’ve always wanted to be.”
“Ha... You weren’t always this kind of woman. Why have you become so insensitive? Even if I spend the night with someone else, you know full well that I only have you. Doana is just my lover. So stop talking about Doana.”
“I’m serious. Don’t go like this.”
“Eric!”
Rose pressed Eric once more. Then she forcefully shook Eric’s hand away.
“Come back with me, Rose. You’re truly the only one I have.”
His voice was desperate, but Rose didn’t listen.
“Why don’t you go see Doana at a time like this?”
“Why are we bringing up Doana here?”
“You’ve gained quite a bit of weight. You’re about to become the father you’ve always wanted to be.”
“Ha... You weren’t always this kind of woman. Why have you become so insensitive? Even if I spend the night with someone else, you know full well that I only have you. Doana is just my lover. So stop talking about Doana.”
“What are you talking about?”
Of course, she had no intention of turning back, but Eric’s words were truly absurd.
He was asking her to understand him being with another woman.
It was outrageous.
“Then why don’t you go instead to the government? Why don’t you go to your second wife, who hasn’t shown up in a long time? She’s staring at you from afar,”
Rose said, pointing to Beliana in the distance.
Beliana had been looking at this place since before Eric knelt.
To be precise, Beliana was staring at Rose, not Eric.
“She's more important to me right now.”
Rose turned away from Eric again without saying a word.
Eric grabbed Rose’s hand again. Then, in a voice filled with pleading, he cried out,
“If you’re going to just leave, step over me!”
Of course, she had no intention of turning back, but Eric’s words were truly absurd.
He was asking her to understand him being with another woman.
It was outrageous.
“Then why don’t you go instead to the government? Why don’t you go to your second wife, who hasn’t shown up in a long time? She’s staring at you from afar,”
Rose said, pointing to Beliana in the distance.
Beliana had been looking at this place since before Eric knelt.
To be precise, Beliana was staring at Rose, not Eric.
“She's more important to me right now.”
Rose turned away from Eric again without saying a word.
Eric grabbed Rose’s hand again. Then, in a voice filled with pleading, he cried out,
“If you’re going to just leave, step over me!”
Rose immediately agreed.
“Yes. If that’s what you want, then I will.”
Rose gave Eric a sharp push on the shoulder. Eric, unprepared for Rose’s action, lurched backward.
Rose stomped on Eric’s stomach as he collapsed unceremoniously.
“Ugh!”
A short, pained cry echoed.
Rose ignored Eric’s voice and stepped over him, leisurely walking away.
Eric, collapsed on the floor, stared blankly at the sky, unable to react to the sudden events.
The people watching whispered among themselves.
“Lady Serviat is truly extraordinary.”
“They say she threw dirt in her father’s eyes before she got married and left home. I guess the rumors were true.”
“I thought it was an exaggeration, but now that I look at it, it all seems to be true.”
“Yes. If that’s what you want, then I will.”
Rose gave Eric a sharp push on the shoulder. Eric, unprepared for Rose’s action, lurched backward.
Rose stomped on Eric’s stomach as he collapsed unceremoniously.
“Ugh!”
A short, pained cry echoed.
Rose ignored Eric’s voice and stepped over him, leisurely walking away.
Eric, collapsed on the floor, stared blankly at the sky, unable to react to the sudden events.
The people watching whispered among themselves.
“Lady Serviat is truly extraordinary.”
“They say she threw dirt in her father’s eyes before she got married and left home. I guess the rumors were true.”
“I thought it was an exaggeration, but now that I look at it, it all seems to be true.”
Amid the murmur of people, a burst of laughter came, unusually loud. Rose glanced to the side. The source of the cheerful voice was Beliana. She clutched her stomach, tears streaming down her face, as if she found something so funny. Rose quickly turned her head.
“I don’t want anything to do with Beliana.”
They had only met a few times, but she sensed a strange madness about Beliana. Furthermore, Beliana was widely rumored to be quite vicious. Rose climbed into the carriage, as if she didn’t want to stay here any longer. Beliana, wiping away tears, couldn't take his eyes off Rose's carriage until the very end.
"Oh, what a shame."
Beliana quite liked Rose. Her bold actions were truly admirable. When she heard that Rose had threatened her father, instead of feeling angry, she was immediately struck by her coolness. She was also captivated by the relaxed, confident expression Rose had on her face in court. She had longed to become close to her, but had missed the opportunity while laughing herself to death. Pushing aside her regret, Beliana approached Eric, who lay there helplessly.
Beliana's shadow loomed over Eric's face. Unable to hide her quivering lips, Beliana pressed her foot against Eric's stomach.
"Ugh, what are you?"
Eric frowned at Beliana's sudden appearance and the thought of her stepping on his stomach.
"I'm going to break up with you, too."
Beliana smiled brightly, her expression a bit snickering.
"Since I stepped on you, now we're getting a divorce."
After stepping over Eric, Beliana wore a proud expression. She seemed immensely satisfied with the fact that she had acted like Rose.
“...What?”
Leaving Eric dumbfounded, Beliana left without a glance. Eric had been kicked twice in one day.
***
“Ross! Ugh, we’re in big trouble.”
After the trial, she returned to the Artaeum mansion.
As soon as Rose got out of the carriage, a servant came running towards them, frightened.
“What’s going on?”
“Th-that...”
The servant trembled, unable to speak.
Then, behind the servant’s face, a carriage appeared, unseen.
A magnificent gold-decorated carriage.
“Isn’t that... the palace carriage?”
Rose’s words prompted the servant to nod urgently.
"H-His Majesty has come.”
“His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
Rose closed her mouth and thought,
“He’s acting as expected.”
She wasn’t all that surprised. She’d provoked the Emperor with the Chicagor incident, so she’d expected him to come.
Rose said to the servant in a calm voice,
“Please guide me to His Majesty.”
Rose gave the servant a reassuring smile and walked confidently into the mansion’s reception room.
The Emperor was sitting there, his expression sharp with anger.
“You’ve finally arrived, the daughter of the Serviat family.”
A low, rumbling voice boomed out.
Rose smiled at the Emperor, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and bowed politely.
“Your Majesty, the sun of the empire, I greet you.”
Rose raised her head proudly after finishing her greeting.
“Why have you come to this mansion without an owner? You must know that the owner of this mansion, Grand Duke Artaeum, is imprisoned without a charge and cannot be seen.”
The Emperor didn’t respond to Rose’s words. He simply tossed a flower onto the table.
Rose gazed intently at the roughly tossed flower.
It was a cyclamen.
“My, you even prepared flowers for me. Your Majesty, you are truly a kind-hearted person.”
Rose said the words without thinking, and smiled faintly. Then she slowly lifted the cyclamen.
“The fragrance... is truly wonderful, Your Majesty.”
“...Ha.”
The Emperor quirked his eyebrows in frustration at Rose’s expression.
“You’re so desperate for death that you dare to insult me? What have you done to the prisoners and soldiers of Chicagor!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”
“You ignorant bitch, asking such a question!!”
The Emperor shouted with an extremely furious expression.
“Why are you so angry?”
Rose opened her eyes wide as if she didn’t know anything and continued speaking.
“Ah, I understand. You seem quite upset about losing the bet with me. I asked you to bring three people... It looks like all the people with Your Majesty right now are your escort knights.”
Rose said, looking at the knights who were densely surrounding the reception room.
“Since I couldn’t bring a single person from there, this game is my victory, Your Majesty.”
Rose lashed out at the already angry Emperor.
“You bitch!!”
Unable to control his anger, the Emperor slammed the table.
“Your Majesty, are you getting so angry over losing a bet?”
Rose didn’t even blink, acting ignorant.
“Do you really want to die, you little bitch?! Where have all the prisoners from Chicago been smuggled?”
Even as the Emperor’s voice flared with anger, Rose remained composed.
“The prisoners from Chicagor have disappeared? All of them?”
“Don’t act like a swindler! I know it’s all your doing!”
“Oh my, are you really saying they’re all gone? This is serious. We need to inform the people of the Empire that vicious criminals are roaming the streets, Your Majesty.”
Rose spoke with concern, then her expression changed.
Her sharp eyes turned to the Emperor.
“It’s unbelievable that a facility directly managed by the Empire is so lax. If this truth comes to light, it will cause great repercussions in the Empire. The people of the Empire will not be able to sleep at night, and they might even resent you, Your Majesty.”
Rose spoke in a calm tone, then clapped her hands together.
“Ah, I was mistaken. That’s not what Your Majesty is worried about. You’re more afraid of secrets leaking out of Chicagor than of the safety of the people of the empire.”
After the trial, she returned to the Artaeum mansion.
As soon as Rose got out of the carriage, a servant came running towards them, frightened.
“What’s going on?”
“Th-that...”
The servant trembled, unable to speak.
Then, behind the servant’s face, a carriage appeared, unseen.
A magnificent gold-decorated carriage.
“Isn’t that... the palace carriage?”
Rose’s words prompted the servant to nod urgently.
"H-His Majesty has come.”
“His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
Rose closed her mouth and thought,
“He’s acting as expected.”
She wasn’t all that surprised. She’d provoked the Emperor with the Chicagor incident, so she’d expected him to come.
Rose said to the servant in a calm voice,
“Please guide me to His Majesty.”
Rose gave the servant a reassuring smile and walked confidently into the mansion’s reception room.
The Emperor was sitting there, his expression sharp with anger.
“You’ve finally arrived, the daughter of the Serviat family.”
A low, rumbling voice boomed out.
Rose smiled at the Emperor, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and bowed politely.
“Your Majesty, the sun of the empire, I greet you.”
Rose raised her head proudly after finishing her greeting.
“Why have you come to this mansion without an owner? You must know that the owner of this mansion, Grand Duke Artaeum, is imprisoned without a charge and cannot be seen.”
The Emperor didn’t respond to Rose’s words. He simply tossed a flower onto the table.
Rose gazed intently at the roughly tossed flower.
It was a cyclamen.
“My, you even prepared flowers for me. Your Majesty, you are truly a kind-hearted person.”
Rose said the words without thinking, and smiled faintly. Then she slowly lifted the cyclamen.
“The fragrance... is truly wonderful, Your Majesty.”
“...Ha.”
The Emperor quirked his eyebrows in frustration at Rose’s expression.
“You’re so desperate for death that you dare to insult me? What have you done to the prisoners and soldiers of Chicagor!”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”
“You ignorant bitch, asking such a question!!”
The Emperor shouted with an extremely furious expression.
“Why are you so angry?”
Rose opened her eyes wide as if she didn’t know anything and continued speaking.
“Ah, I understand. You seem quite upset about losing the bet with me. I asked you to bring three people... It looks like all the people with Your Majesty right now are your escort knights.”
Rose said, looking at the knights who were densely surrounding the reception room.
“Since I couldn’t bring a single person from there, this game is my victory, Your Majesty.”
Rose lashed out at the already angry Emperor.
“You bitch!!”
Unable to control his anger, the Emperor slammed the table.
“Your Majesty, are you getting so angry over losing a bet?”
Rose didn’t even blink, acting ignorant.
“Do you really want to die, you little bitch?! Where have all the prisoners from Chicago been smuggled?”
Even as the Emperor’s voice flared with anger, Rose remained composed.
“The prisoners from Chicagor have disappeared? All of them?”
“Don’t act like a swindler! I know it’s all your doing!”
“Oh my, are you really saying they’re all gone? This is serious. We need to inform the people of the Empire that vicious criminals are roaming the streets, Your Majesty.”
Rose spoke with concern, then her expression changed.
Her sharp eyes turned to the Emperor.
“It’s unbelievable that a facility directly managed by the Empire is so lax. If this truth comes to light, it will cause great repercussions in the Empire. The people of the Empire will not be able to sleep at night, and they might even resent you, Your Majesty.”
Rose spoke in a calm tone, then clapped her hands together.
“Ah, I was mistaken. That’s not what Your Majesty is worried about. You’re more afraid of secrets leaking out of Chicagor than of the safety of the people of the empire.”
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the emperor jumped to his feet.
He snatched the sword from the knight guarding him and placed it against Rose’s neck.
She felt the cool blade against her skin.
“...Say it again.”
The Emperor thrust his sword further forward, his voice trembling with anger.
“I told you to play with that mouth again.”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Killing just one of you is nothing.”
Rose chuckled at the Emperor’s words.
The Emperor couldn’t kill her.
If he had, he would have sent an assassin to kill her.
He must have come this way because he absolutely had something he had to get from Rose.
The whereabouts of the Chicagor prisoners.
The Emperor had to know the prisoners’ whereabouts. And he would either imprison them again or kill them all.
To hide his dirty secret.
All of this was just showmanship, meant to scare Rose.
Rose had already seen through the Emperor’s actions.
“Kill me if you do.”
Rose stared at the Emperor with wide eyes.
“What?”
“I said kill me.”
“...”
Despite being told to kill, the Emperor did nothing. He simply glared at Rose with a fierce expression.
But for a moment, the Emperor tightened his grip as if to refute Rose's words.
Rose felt a prickling pain in her neck. This was because the Emperor had thrust his sword deeply into her.
However, Rose didn't take a single step back.
The Emperor, finally overcome by Rose's momentum, lowered his sword. He then flung it to the floor.
With a clatter, it scattered.
Rose smiled, as if she had expected this. However, she couldn't help the trembling corners of her mouth.
Rose swallowed hard, calming her startled heart. Then she turned to the Emperor and said,
"Let the armed knights out."
At Rose's words, the Emperor's knights drew their swords.
They dared not let themselves out.
However, Rose did not back down.
"Let the knights out. Unless you wish to share the entire truth with them."
Rose's words were clearly a threat.
The Emperor raised a hand, trembling with anger. He then pointed outside the door.
“It’s alright. Go out. A frail woman can’t do anything to me alone.”
Although the knights were loyal to him, unethical human experimentation was nothing short of shameful.
There was no law requiring them to keep every secret until their deaths.
The more people knew the secret, the faster rumors would spread.
The Emperor still wanted to protect his throne.
At the Emperor’s command, the knights filed out. They waited outside the door, ready for any eventuality.
“Now we can talk in peace, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor and Rose were left alone.
Rose stood up straight, wiping the blood flowing down her neck.
He snatched the sword from the knight guarding him and placed it against Rose’s neck.
She felt the cool blade against her skin.
“...Say it again.”
The Emperor thrust his sword further forward, his voice trembling with anger.
“I told you to play with that mouth again.”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Killing just one of you is nothing.”
Rose chuckled at the Emperor’s words.
The Emperor couldn’t kill her.
If he had, he would have sent an assassin to kill her.
He must have come this way because he absolutely had something he had to get from Rose.
The whereabouts of the Chicagor prisoners.
The Emperor had to know the prisoners’ whereabouts. And he would either imprison them again or kill them all.
To hide his dirty secret.
All of this was just showmanship, meant to scare Rose.
Rose had already seen through the Emperor’s actions.
“Kill me if you do.”
Rose stared at the Emperor with wide eyes.
“What?”
“I said kill me.”
“...”
Despite being told to kill, the Emperor did nothing. He simply glared at Rose with a fierce expression.
But for a moment, the Emperor tightened his grip as if to refute Rose's words.
Rose felt a prickling pain in her neck. This was because the Emperor had thrust his sword deeply into her.
However, Rose didn't take a single step back.
The Emperor, finally overcome by Rose's momentum, lowered his sword. He then flung it to the floor.
With a clatter, it scattered.
Rose smiled, as if she had expected this. However, she couldn't help the trembling corners of her mouth.
Rose swallowed hard, calming her startled heart. Then she turned to the Emperor and said,
"Let the armed knights out."
At Rose's words, the Emperor's knights drew their swords.
They dared not let themselves out.
However, Rose did not back down.
"Let the knights out. Unless you wish to share the entire truth with them."
Rose's words were clearly a threat.
The Emperor raised a hand, trembling with anger. He then pointed outside the door.
“It’s alright. Go out. A frail woman can’t do anything to me alone.”
Although the knights were loyal to him, unethical human experimentation was nothing short of shameful.
There was no law requiring them to keep every secret until their deaths.
The more people knew the secret, the faster rumors would spread.
The Emperor still wanted to protect his throne.
At the Emperor’s command, the knights filed out. They waited outside the door, ready for any eventuality.
“Now we can talk in peace, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor and Rose were left alone.
Rose stood up straight, wiping the blood flowing down her neck.
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