Chapter 41: Of the same kind
Ty1yDPDPerda had a dream.KKGf3jB
USoULUlIt was not a blurry and chaotic flow, but a dream of memories, a reminiscence based on recollections.06mNBZ
b6ayFor Perda, it was something that had happened a long time ago.RPj5Po
7ezanyBut it was so insignificant that he had simply left it abandoned deep within his memory.cUS
kkHwThe scenery of that trivial memory began on a balcony.mHUB1nV
ZGJcax3Beyond the balcony, black smoke rose from various points within the empire’s walls.eHwtT
eInjZThe bombs that had been planted in the empire had finally exploded, and everywhere, marches of rebellion were emerging.cDH5bA
z9aThere was a woman watching it all.99yD
iLCShe stood on the balcony railing, observing it with an absent expression.2q7nu
vxI36Like a tragic woman.kX4HP
RcQh— The empire is burning. It burns intensely…4BhAk
DIfUpePerda looked at her in silence.CX8k
id1May3— Are you happy now?VufJ
OVnXoA question directed at Perda.2R7
nRBBhAs if all of this had happened because of him, there was resentment in her words.QjHMnY
NK8tgQPerda let out a scornful laugh at such audacity.WY4dS
NuvHoc“They are dying because of you, Olivia Arken. If you hadn’t intervened, they wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”mA1up
KvidauOlivia Arken.VJOu
5dfKThe most beautiful woman in the empire and a devout believer of Alte.KA6vCLh
guDN2pThe one who was called the embodiment of purity was precisely the one who had raised a sword against the empire.KDy
L6GvGdLIf she had not led everything, within those enormous walls, screams would not have echoed.2PrSc9z
7XH— I thought it would work.TOG
dpbHrShe said in a faint voice.KU5pr1
T64— If I managed to manipulate my little brother and rally the people yes, it was something that could be done. That way, the rebellion would have ended easily.KCk7Dm
6hvME4DShe turned her head.eOW0jd
jQyBlonde hair, blue eyes.t27fzWS
qdF2Olivia Arken smiled brightly.NNSik8
EmyFYHT— But… you, an absurd man, broke the balance.sHRCbz6
kROeRtLHowever, despite that radiant smile, red stains covered her face.8T5673
GC59IBlood.LVtkvAt
uIKLIt was not Olivia’s blood.pD69Daf
H0BMRsrIt was the blood of the owner of that room, the first prince, who lay dead on the bed with his pants lowered.zscKcTV
Ak63PdHe had died by the dagger she held.JjZ
syLnThe first prince died at Olivia’s hands.G69HVUu
Niw6PThe second prince became a traitor, and if this rebellion failed, he would be executed publicly.5wu6
sCOC2And Olivia would not die.e7y
fm2NF6x— Instead, I will become the emperor’s toy. They will put me in a cheap auction and use my body as currency to obtain loyalty.3AVFu
m2j9HdLike what happened to my dear sister.skZ3v
vvwpOlivia murmured in a low voice.YSrj
Y8sE— So I will make you an offer.gVqHK7
TLLlShe extended her hand.DIy
wg5e2ZThe silk gloves that fit her skin were soaked in red blood that dripped down.ydNIG0
zPIjZT— Before I end up in that filthy auction… do you want to hold me?pdgaT
MoP1Perda did not respond.m5NgU
dxKdgHe did not hesitate.QuFo
tleu1nEIt simply was not worth answering.sVUlwPi
6qlotAfter holding her hand out for quite a while, Olivia gave up.TYh55
doQvdRa— In the end… do you hate me?p8h3
RYgTr9AIt was true.kyXxS
rh06tbPerda hated Olivia.E6uZn
qJkNFrom the first time he saw her, and every time they crossed paths, he had felt it clearly.du5w4
1agZ8— Why?RV54b1e
BEFWhhThat feeling did not come from forced hatred or jealousy.gUKxJ
vleeOE“You are like me.”U8bvEa
cwvCuIt was a rejection born from affinity.UBV093
FXiTBYPerda hated the Rosnova who cast him out.rvK
jObmZPYAnd Olivia hated her own blood.vZcnYqr
mXLv5Her life, so similar to his, disgusted him.gt3L4Vv
oKRzJyPerhaps even back then, deep down, Perda already knew that something in him was wrong.02z
P6l8T— I see. Then, for being the same, we are destined to run forever in parallel worlds.xpJfuV
mxzhOlivia resigned herself.xL7c
SmvB92But even so, the smile on her face did not disappear.sNZ
qDMTGThat smile was her mask.8OJ0
GrYEbA thick mask created over many years to hide her resentment and her thirst to kill.gCpRWmD
2d1HRTBSomething that would never break, not even in death.QNe0
vhI3— What a pity. I thought it would be fine with you.6TEydO
vTo69Her smile twisted with sadness.w0xhx
xscF5W— Truly.wdNK
5pWLHer body tilted backward.Y1Gr
wR5NStmAnd she let herself fall into the burning empire.teE
1gDk***jaStUs
lLbQeyLWhen Perda opened his eyes again, he was greeted by an unfamiliar and luxurious ceiling.Qiob
2HeWhen he turned his head, he saw the interior of the imperial palace.784Clm6
bG0Qd0dAnd around him, the imperial guard and high-ranking knights.zXqoxPW
I7YI“Oh, you’re awake.”aTh
9RN8wVNA sweet voice welcomed him.Lkpf
fSgPgsA blonde-haired woman closed the book she had been reading and smiled at him.YmilP5
ne44La3Olivia Arken.8N3LJR
ziB1iexAs the most beautiful woman in the empire, it was enough to see her smile for it to seem as though dozens of flowers surrounded her.Rh2
1g6e2FPerda sat up and asked her,DNJNYs
MkY“How long was I unconscious?”M9x
LVRZDfA“Hmm, about three hours.”yJMv
Yp0“Three hours…”JLZieTA
HMvozFFIt was strange.WnKd37M
PkCSyZxFor three hours to have passed, his body felt far too good.aKe
88apugNot even when Ruri had treated him had he felt something like this.SPvb1ce
hab4Gf“Is this your first time receiving treatment from our Order of Alte?”MCbE
1Gz3Y“Yes.”IgF
JhUv“Hehe, I see. The priests within the palace are all of bishop level. If you receive their healing through His light, you’ll be able to move as if you had a new body.”fIGaaNd
qk8“I see.”Y0A23
MvI4nHwThe reason he reacted that way was because, even in his past life, Perda had never left his treatment in the hands of others.Bqp
TKmfNYHe trusted no one, and would rather die than allow someone to touch his body.gjDq5Z6
rIpkP7‘Now I understand why the priests’ healing is considered the best.’cZXM3e
t7kHe even thought about whether he should keep resident priests in his own territory.01p
hAjW“According to the reports from the rescue team…”IVzNi
TpP7Olivia shifted the topic to the sealed warehouse.IenQY
N8gi“It is said that the magical investigator, Yuren, died, and that you were seriously injured.”EqlSwi0
ZgkFM“Yes.”AHTuY3s
XSVL“I don’t know the details, but Yuren’s body was holding an ice grimorio, and also showed the skin changes typical of a contractor of Marbas. Did he fall into the temptation of a demon?”ZUA
4fLPerda nodded.chD7
0cVv“That’s right.”MlA98h
1Sod“I see… to think that someone like an investigator would fall into the temptation of a demon… You were fortunate to survive.”DpoF3
5qHGSWith a deep gaze, Olivia gently placed her hand over Perda’s.3d7Og
iAn5JPerda lowered his eyes to her hand.tJ6PUfu
J56NkHis own was already small for someone from a knightly family, but hers was even thinner and smaller.XKhKk
DdnA6dK“As you say, the magical investigator Yuren fell into corruption and attacked me.”peR
yZhAbZPerda raised his gaze and looked at her.0g3ia
MSebhqc“But the causality is wrong.”99pus
ZySrD“What do you mean?”3fsZGWk
RVm6“He didn’t attack me because he fell. From the beginning, he intended to kill me, and did not hesitate to corrupt himself to achieve it.”jfORQ9a
U9EY72N“Uh… are you saying that from the beginning he intended to assassinate you?”jjDCq
ctzzTGHer eyes showed confusion.Vu3zRk
fP11U5gBut Perda knew.dEepLQ
EeRDwShe already understood the entire situation.cUWFY6V
Aq7YXBecause the only one who desired that was Olivia.4mgkKWw
jH4“Yes. From the beginning, he took me to the sealed warehouse with the intention of attacking me.”3N4
Wz7dF“Why?”ICu
AQlhwgM“To kill me. To create the excuse that he couldn’t resist the temptation of the warehouse and had to kill me.”RtKa
AInUpon hearing that, Olivia’s eyes widened.yag
wivNR5“Kill someone…? How could he do something so cruel? What would he gain from killing you?”B5ms
XrUvg“Who knows.”jKb7
etlbhtKPerda smiled faintly and asked her,i1Wid
Qt7“Could you tell me?”IbqgFg
LlSOlivia’s face stiffened for an instant.9bPJ2
nooETheir blue eyes met for a long moment.y70yz
tW2ZePMore than a simple exchange of glances, it was a probing of each other’s intentions.5W6H
TemdAfter that prolonged silence, Olivia raised her hand.WNNr
VF8vb“Captain.”rCg5
oglR“Yes.”RMX6N
xP5VlC“Could we speak in private? I would like to be alone.”PKezI
YNUe2oh“Alone…?”fjhBY
yQyv“Yes. Just the two of us.”SuV8
22fThe captain showed discomfort.4Iu4
OcCOlivia looked at him with moist eyes.5yw455L
wk2k“Please?”sesCA
rbRThe captain, as if bewitched, blushed and nodded.jiA0l9
RPSrwt1“Very well. As you wish, princess.”jAtPW
8p2StY“Thank you very much…”JZUh9fR
6vj2XThe imperial guards left the room together.dlH7e
AQGhSkThe blue eyes, once full of softness, blinked once.iLdm4
x2TAMjIn that instant, the flower of the empire, the embodiment of purity, disappeared completely.aIwm4N
bAgJ“I…”EBBuU
mb0DXOlivia’s sweet voice dropped abruptly.6CcLycw
Csp7htVEven Perda felt a chill at the change.yKCl0xH
JYF8O“Do you think I was the one who ordered Yuren to assassinate you?”1CioF
NnkcKShe was a perceptive woman.K3eObMj
OrFIt wasn’t just reputation, she was truly intelligent.8d2Dpa
8Nm23iPerda had thought she would try to evade the situation, but instead she gave the best possible answer.uDz0
jECmVXFor someone who sought to hold her responsible and unleash chaos, it was an unexpected move.ferGh
4vF“It’s the first time I speak like this with someone. Especially with a man.”ZGxmKST
MOutV“Then tell me, princess.”uzj8
obkPerda emphasized his tone with sarcasm.TG2E8
3FwNOlivia was no longer smiling innocently.Ax3DIGi
pbJ8p“To begin with, yes, I had a connection with Yuren. He did many things for me.”TALZ3q2
3SilA magical investigator could enter and leave the sealed warehouse.wACY0c
eBdgThere, forbidden magic, black magic, and also dangerous information were stored.YPtsqLC
EtwrAmong that information were things that could become weaknesses of the empire.W0oI
XkvQs4“But if I say that his actions were a deviation caused by an excess of loyalty… would you believe me?”PlWYa
bQhw5“I am someone who was on the verge of death just a moment ago.”wCLGGP
rwQoWould he believe something like that?MTQi
SdWOlivia nodded calmly.WnYdx4
VMbgex“Once, I spoke with him about how we could strike a great blow against the empire or rather, how we could shake the emperor’s authority. How we could…”GuU
RywMShe smiled softly, like a girl with an old dream.kR9txq
mQz0aoSIt was an expression born of pure emotions.RtQ
8407T“Kill the emperor.”sl5z
qWIA normal person would feel chills at such a twisted way of expressing it.h2L
iKU9LBut Perda empathized with her.K2a
R8wSc3PHe felt a bitter taste in his mouth.fDgf3QW
lX20“To use the Grand Duchess… yes, that was one of the scenarios I had considered. He was already deeply disappointed with the Arken family, wasn’t he? If we disappointed him once more, even if the emperor bowed before him, it would be difficult to survive.”Za0
fzKk“Then, if I died, it would be perfect.”xReOO9
lW1K2G2“Of course not.”R7DC2U7
i3OLv4She tilted her face slightly forward.7rTKm
0qDnxjQA soft scent, as if it were part of her body, spread.Obz
M0ULW“And now, seeing you like this in front of me, I am convinced that plan was wrong.”nl2Nt0
gcEk“Why?”vjTYhRy
8JwzMI“Because you hate me.”rfzlpf
tQ5A sharp perception shone in her eyes.yIGIKb
JtXd“I’m sorry. Deep within you, you despise me. From the very first moment we met. It’s not that you pretend not to show your emotions like a child… you truly hate me…”lp9Z
xetk2vShe smiled faintly.nIWlpI
tmW“You don’t like pure women? The kind who are a bit foolish, who can’t do anything on their own. Men usually love those kinds of women.”h6IJ
BVwPerda did not respond.OWS
BjjOlivia did not seem to expect an answer and leaned back slightly.BbC2
OCCwi“There are many people willing to give everything for me. But no one sees who I truly am.”3fV5
WgWzaFgPerda hated her.u2SfES
OqeFYsAnd precisely because of that, he did not fall for her gestures or her words, but saw her as she truly was.8EoEeK
xci“I need someone like that. Not a slave, but a companion.”bIh
khj3“Wouldn’t slaves be more convenient?”fBK969x
IMyaW“Yuren was my slave. The excessive loyalty of slaves always causes problems. Many times they act ahead of themselves trying to please me with things I didn’t even ask for.”n9zlBz
24WVWaTOlivia sighed as if she had a headache.HRj8GR
VF8“A provincial noble, to prove his worth, sold all his possessions and brought a million roses.”AxbWmu
fhqfeAQuite the romantic of another era.VXMXHt
GR9ZX“Who was it?”YHR30S
8wlPV“I don’t know. I executed him before asking his name.”4BAjm
WzqwxJAnd, without a doubt, the most miserable of all.ho8B
eAg“I don’t want someone who sells his surname and turns his subjects into slaves just because he desires me. For my final objective, they are of no use.”TBrwZK
HWDWAt first glance, it seemed like she was speaking in favor of the people.1tzH0
YGclHBut Perda knew.DNZX
iJV11VOOlivia would start a rebellion in which many people would die and suffer.b2yBl
URIHKB“And even so, you tried to raise black mages within the empire?”rX2
53WZC“Oh my, did you also suspect that of me?”KZebrAh
L2N1aShe covered her mouth while blinking.1nfaD
M6VHpZIt was obvious.vrKHh
7XSbg0She desired the fall of the empire.7aM6
Eg4nHR“Hmm, if you put it that way, I feel a bit offended. Then I have no choice but to show you how sincere I am, right?”dFm
h26BL2With the hand she had placed over Perda’s, she tilted her head.iH3ELww
tmgMana began to circulate through Olivia’s body.KmQWYel
2EBJIt flowed skillfully to her right arm and concentrated there.yK5p
19DQAt that moment, something surprising happened.IIVGb8
HQX3Perda could see it clearly.E2k
2xK55yBOn the back of her hand, a white symbol shone.k7p
sl21“Do you know what this is?”Sdra8S
o79m“…It’s a divine stigma.”5txQ
Y0bFTuThe stigma of God.cdWhQbF
oznCOA blessing that the deity grants when a believer makes an absolute oath, granting them great power.8PDe
ZkPBGJoIt is not given lightly, only to those who possess intense will and the necessary qualifications.V9Gtf
BXO9“This is called the Oath of Vengeance. According to Alte’s doctrine, vengeance should not be directed toward those under the light, but toward those who satisfy their own desires and go against the will of the light.”RIEXBt
1Kbt2Those she had to protect were the people.xKoCB
WksCAnd those she had to take revenge on were the emperor and her brothers.3R9R9l
ARYyHGThat also proved that she had no connection to black magic.jlGxkq
A1QIf she were involved with black mages, that stigma would not shine like that.1aWlXYH
OT5l“Lately there are too many agitators accused of being black mages, so the meaning has been distorted, but true black mages are like insects. I don’t even want to use them.”f0VmZYO
VPJ2UF“I see.”RLeIL
k0GP“And if I wanted to destroy the imperial family, I wouldn’t use such a superficial method as black mages. Even if they make noise, they only harm civilians, and that only strengthens the emperor’s power.”FfEi
IdnjTOlivia played with her lips as she reflected.Uix3cY5
rxahjtT“If someone benefits from black mages being inside, it is probably my younger brother.”RSQdSlf
Dmd6n“You mean the second prince.”jwMQx0
q22HOi“Yes. He is the one who most desires to strengthen military power. He goes out to conquer territories to gather more forces, and if the need for external influences is justified, he will not be able to prevent his connections from entering.”lOalGBd
5jKHearing her, Perda could not help but admire the depth of her thinking.bEwFS
Lt9E0gHe already knew she was not foolish, but even so, it impressed him.H6TUJ
7zLIf Perda had not intervened in the empire, he was certain she would have killed the emperor.TV1Fy
kiH“In any case, as proof, I will make sure that you are not held responsible for Yuren’s death. I will also take care of the book that was lost during the confrontation. Isn’t it enough that I continue to prove my sincerity?”3dr
hkbgAs expected, she already knew.VmpvP
wWe4That Perda had also entered the sealed warehouse with a purpose.MjRgzf
UCql4n“Would you let someone capable of becoming a black mage go free, being a bearer of a divine stigma?”TVUl4
GLheI“Oh my the god of light, Alte, prefers conviction over suspicion. We don’t know how that information could have leaked, but to suspect without evidence a regent who sacrifices himself for the people would go against the doctrine.”4lXg
ztYIn other words, as long as it was not investigated, there was no problem.OUl
BQ7o“So, could you cooperate with me from now on?”sy2XiI8
7gYsXOlivia Arken made her proposal.INQZRcm
qjg“I know that regional lords do not like the emperor’s behavior. And in the far east, which has been abandoned, the situation is even worse. I am sure that you also feel that way. If you cooperate with me, I, Olivia Arken, will guarantee you support and a voice in favor of that region.”UmS
hZeAIgNShe tightened slightly the hand she was holding.pp12
6heA seductive nuance appeared on her face.s1L
jIOsw“I’m sure we could be good allies… or even something more.”AthlCZ
C2i653The temptation intensified.NWzK
IcQePerda could understand a little why men could not resist women.GxA
sBqlG3He knew everything was calculated, and even so, it stirred instincts.CcQmyh
ntcpn“Alright. Then this time I will act.”sjXM
EARP“Thank you. But… what do you mean by you will act?”HsgoXY9
wXIAt the same time Olivia asked, the hallway began to fill with noise.hTUy9
8UY6A— Intruder detected! Level one alert! All to combat positions!bycuX
PTrIThey arrived quickly.Mbcq66Q
MleZwJPerda withdrew his hand from Olivia’s and got up from the bed.l0Ge4
8fxQESuddenly he remembered something and asked her.Gg1Uxv
hKdpVf“You said I don’t like pure people, right?”FriFJLO
gPxJh“Huh? Ah… yes.”o69q
3tECz“I like pure people.”eMz
TgJHaving said that, Perda left the room.cSHx
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationShe is really a clever person. She thinks the whole plan for killing the empire also handle the after math She is really a smart woman.
Kevotrix
Mortali’m sorry but your english has been so abysmal throughout the last comments you made that it became funny 😭