Chapter 368: Evil (1)
vLMfA spark jumped from the fireplace. The sharp squeal was swallowed by the crackling flames.et0
UGULF“Kgggh! Kghh!”gBgE
leycBM1When the queen saw me, her entire body jolted. Perhaps because of the gag, no clear voice came out—only a muffled moan. The emperor touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. As if petting a pet.621
CGTEpmk“Shhh, dear. We have a guest.”ZWm
UCTThe queen’s moan gradually faded.sypffQ
hdstIt seemed she couldn’t even breathe properly.KcV9Ivg
of5q“You must maintain your composure as a member of the imperial family.”MGjz9X
0cARjeThe emperor’s gaze as he scolded the queen was lifeless. The only thing alive on his face was the smile on his lips.exOMso
pnBpE***p6n
twOPqHAs the queen failed to calm down, the emperor brought a metal rod to the torch and heated it. The iron began to turn yellow.Vjs
z5G56MThe queen’s face turned pale.rKNCO4d
qhNzAnd what happened next… The smoke rising from her thigh floated up to the ceiling.5frcH
Bg96SThe queen’s head shook violently. Her entire body convulsed as if she were strapped to an electric chair. The pain of a burn is the worst suffering a human can endure.18j1Hl
gfw“Mmmph! Mmmmmmph!”yOly
7NOThe head of the Imperial Guard, Oscar, seemed to suffer the torture as if he were the one enduring it.80lsUSu
XMOPM…What the hell is this situation?70S
Xtz4SI felt reality slipping away slightly. And it’s understandable. Just by crossing the threshold of that little door, one side was comfort and the other, pure torment.lbS26
ltZjqyCalm down, Kang Geom-Ma. First, understand the situation properly.Z7q
F35f‘The emperor knew about the puppet master behind the scenes.’rf3T
dAQgXThat, at least, was within the bounds of my imagination.bYE5
2XMFadBut that Oscar had such a relationship with the queen—that I hadn’t seen coming.E28StRo
8rQoj‘Ah.’XnF
IwMI let out a sigh just as—GyIfzZ
wlsNyB0“You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”OKqkAau
2InPPThe emperor set the cooled rod aside.fsStS4Y
kiL8eu“It’s quite obvious. My young wife is pregnant with Oscar’s child. That’s why ambition was born in him. For the throne.”BnQC
WsdEThe reason behind why Oscar attacked me so persistently was now clear. Even though he knew he’d lose. Even though his subordinates stopped him, he insisted.JLab
0zRwAlright, let’s review. Oscar’s main goal was to provoke me, but the appearance of Shail and Choi Seol-Ah ruined his plan.2gyVro
OQrQluPWith those two attention-grabbing intruders, the Imperial Guards were unintentionally agitated, and Oscar’s suppressed sense of rivalry was awakened.duBv2e0
BPO‘Since he was like that, he at least had to leave me a wound.’F4mpei
g1D8Oscar gave it his all for that. And up to that point, that was what I had believed.tuyzDU
nEi‘If he was emotionally involved with the one behind everything, then it all makes sense.’26p0SpS
sFIrHe became childish for love.IE5
ICT‘But did it have to be the emperor’s wife?’eTK
HTsyOCLWhat’s disturbing is that the emperor knew all of this and deliberately ignored it.5sOMi79
bBP79V2Why did he do that? I don’t want to know.RiO0kx
OaqwdFlThat man isn’t sane. He’s completely insane.H2I4j
2BmFgNR“Well, was it an unpleasant scene?”ufBYZ9R
w6K4NHis smile remained, but it was cold.2eSiQ
0K7“…I think this needs an explanation.”xJF
zUU“You say that even though you know the answer.”ZXS4mpb
ebvcLvAs the queen lowered her head, the emperor fixed his gaze on me.GeeYp
N2w“Seems I had the wrong idea about you. I thought a scene like this wouldn’t faze you. But seeing your reaction, it seems you don’t like it, huh?”JT3p
8Jw9teR“If you already know, don’t ask.”w95pv
sIviOrBI replied bluntly. It wasn’t a time to be courteous. And he didn’t reproach me either.iNg3V
9GFCf“I thought you’d like it, Heavenly Sword. I guess I ended up ruining my image. It was my attempt to win your sympathy.”fnghg
SPIV“Don’t do things that aren’t yours to do. They make me uncomfortable. Who would be pleased to be invited to watch a torture show? If you really want to fix things, start by dropping that rod.”jqV
730“Hahaha… Not long ago, I thought it was the first time someone had ever threatened me.”TVvJ1
fjbtU5“Oh right. Thanks for handling the thick blood gushing from the body.”aFvO4
N2GkBThe emperor wiped the cooled rod with a blood-stained handkerchief.PRmn
0R8In response, I drew my sashimi. The emperor backed up to the wall and raised his hands as if he were harmless.T4pno
XM95oUOscar looked at him dazed. Then he seemed to come to his senses and looked toward the queen, still silent and with her head lowered. Still alive. Steam from her thigh wafted gently upward.Rlonl
3b4dTz“Well, you’ve bested me twice. I should be grateful, Heavenly Sword. You’ve let me live very curious experiences.”3anw
iRagJrd“Leave right now.”3speqmW
G5uXGcz“As you wish. But remember this—those two tried to poison Victoria. If I take care of them, no one will raise a fuss.”bDU7
mCsThe emperor cast a glance at the two prisoners and assured me with a firm voice.wlwXnd
gRWj“And if you keep interfering… the person who knows you best will join me.”DTGUWv
WVCpI can clearly see the scene—nobles rising in revolt. And not just them. Even those on my side might start looking at me differently.piud09
CsiX4In short, at this very moment… The emperor has cornered me into an inescapable trap.k4BtJnt
j7w‘Why the hell is he doing this?’IXye
PaxThe only semi-rational reason is—c34efOh
kx5wQi‘He wants to talk to me.’eFJ9MFA
5YAZThat I’m the same kind of person as the emperor?SZ9RX
clilbvXWhen I reached that conclusion, anger suddenly overwhelmed me. What truly drove me mad was not being able to completely refute those words. Because I had the feeling I was starting to understand what kind of bastard that emperor was.DbNpi
io3Vyf‘Damn it.’0lePLAI
RTGCurses rang in my teeth. I swallowed them with a knot in my throat before opening my mouth.vl8R
iuqQpJB“…What you want is to hear those words come from my mouth. Something like ‘Kill those two bastards already.’”rPKne
pQthv“That’s what you’re thinking, Heavenly Sword. They were my hands and feet. Like it or not, if I cut them off, there will be bleeding. That young wife also comes from a fairly distinguished noble family. If I take them out myself, I’ll get into a lot of trouble.”4etCvKI
5s5The rage subsided a bit. I doused myself with cold water mentally and gave a quiet response.Foe
NQznn65“The one who caused this mess is you, Emperor. And honestly, I don’t think something like this would really get you in trouble. After all, you’re the emperor of the Great Empire.”anCXa
JSTH3“Hahaha. You’re not very good at hiding irony in your words, Heavenly Sword. You can’t be completely honest, can you?”x3nu
ZqhuyX“I do it on purpose. And to be honest, I have no intention of being honest. Because I fear becoming someone like you.”St4C
AiDSAt first, I had no clear thoughts, but now I can say it with certainty. I don’t want to get involved with someone like the emperor. To avoid that, I must stay as far away as possible from the peaks of power.R8ioyhh
9NSmYWThe emperor, who had been listening in silence, lowered his hands.83HwdC
yQA68Then he grabbed the queen’s jaw and turned her face toward me. One of her eyes was half-closed, covered by a shadow. Oscar, bound to the same rack, had tears in his eyes. Damned pair. The same ones who tried to kill my disciple.8j2M
Nf6PAnd yet, their faces oozed compassion and melancholy.O8cwE
2ja1c“People often misunderstand. They think that I, as emperor, wield absolute, unlimited power. They’re not entirely wrong, but it’s not the whole truth. Even I have to read the room and time things right. Especially with families like this queen’s, who helped found the empire.”p1Jz
E19qThe emperor loosened his grip. The queen lowered her head again like a criminal.6llnt9
bzcqThe torch flickered to the rhythm of the emperor’s short steps. A moment later, the shadow fell over Oscar’s face.Biv
QOCOscar didn’t even dare to look the emperor in the eye, despite standing right in front of him. At a glance, the emperor didn’t appear physically imposing.VPkE2C5
wtxZAnd yet, that hero of Warrior level was only soaking the muzzle he wore with saliva.ntfeq
xsLKIf you thought about it, with his level of strength, he should’ve been able to break those rusty chains with ease.SnV1
PARhISOThat could only mean one thing—this posture of total defeat was Oscar’s voluntary choice. At least, that’s how I interpreted it.9mhK2fg
SvrRThe emperor crouched to meet his eyes.pdGt
oUB“Look at me, Oscar.”VgNnKi
ggyl“…”h2h0
AQklARs“You’re the captain of the imperial guard. You should be better at hiding your emotions. Weren’t you trained for that?”HOktM
ptICjN“I trusted you. I always did.”UD1m
Kzi“…”nSQNlN
CGi“I watched you from the moment you entered the palace. You exceeded my expectations and developed your talents. I felt the investment was worthwhile. That’s why, even though I knew from the beginning you had a romance with the queen, I turned a blind eye.”JsFa
X0C“…!”T9prw
0la9EaThe emperor showed a bitter smile.upHY
18cXhms“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”EtqobMJ
O9ArA5HOscar looked on the verge of collapse. It was the face of someone who had just given up something vital in their life.YH9Y
kz0Maybe he thought their relationship was a secret.J98vyw
JMiBut everything was under the emperor’s control. The real prison wasn’t the chains—Oscar had been bound to the emperor since stepping into the palace.hiR4q
tryC‘A life no different than that of an animal.’wjlUpkY
qZQ7VoUGet a grip.NvCU9
sAcOHeavenly Sword, you’re in no position to feel pity for anyone!cD2aIvq
NKQ‘With this pathetic mindset, you won’t get anywhere.’fALta0
gbhYNI don’t know if the emperor caught what I was thinking, but he gave Oscar a faint smile.8jaqM
dUpi“Isn’t it funny, Oscar? You tried to assassinate my daughter. I’m not saying this because the Heavenly Sword is here, but I truly didn’t know about that.”BYP
II6pxo2I just kept watching in silence. If the emperor wasn’t a fool, he clearly understood what I meant with my silence.OCCVo1
pMYEhB‘I won’t turn a blind eye to the corruption of the imperial family.’Eoqg5I5
GYVAkThe emperor does whatever he wants. I don’t want to be on his side. That’s why, here and now, I won’t “eliminate” the queen or Oscar.OBIRYR
ZRD“But I also don’t want to blame you. If my daughter wants to inherit the throne, she’ll have to overcome even this. It could be considered just another obstacle. Truthfully, Victoria isn’t that important to me. As you know, I have many children.”2RHy
EAFbP3wGranting me a wish, was it? I don’t want any favor from someone who treats his own daughter like disposable waste.l7YC
EyyaI’ll take only what I must. The agreement we made still stands. I’ll face the emperor ideologically—not with senseless violence, but by following my own path from now on.w0A
Lu3qT8“But you know? I’ve realized Victoria has more value than I thought. I never imagined the Heavenly Sword would end up protecting her. That alone is more than enough to make her valuable.”jd6jSmM
Zr23The emperor caressed Oscar’s swollen cheek.DCFX1
p6HHK1“You almost took that value from my hands… but our merciful Heavenly Sword seems reluctant to execute you right here.”3L10
CCQJjHe turned away from Oscar.LHXP
SczXfpVClack.TuSw
iq76nsWhen he activated a mechanism, the cuffs that bound the queen and Oscar opened. The muzzles snapped off as well. Oscar exhaled deeply, the breath he’d been holding back.lwNm
U7q6At that moment—sZHN
hifv“Armin!”LtnMXwj
YTTThe queen’s torso collapsed forward. Oscar carefully caught her by the chest.lBsto
8TP“You two will be taken before the imperial tribunal.”4XBiJJ
6lmOsug“Ah… Armin…”S1L0S
GIqNThe emperor turned coldly. Oscar wept as he held the queen.wVPi78f
e1Q“I’m sorry. I dragged you down with my ambition…”cBi
e2T0O3O“…This will be an international scandal. But I can’t let the dignity of the empire fall any further. For now, you’ll recover your health in the Tower. You’re not victims, but culprits. You’ll appear before the tribunal as such.”qcJrjr
SMbBIE“Hic…”wLlUZYg
lGremX“There’s over an 80% chance you’ll be sentenced to hang. But since you’re a soldier I value, I’ll ask the judge to at least give you a death by beheading.”RDzhU2
DJjWkHe said it like he was reciting a script without emotion.NK6b
tMEwZThe emperor passed by me, leaving the two behind. In the brief instant when our clothes brushed, he looked me up and down.XhBuU
raTXjt“Heavenly Sword, don’t you find it strange?”rleKFDl
Uf7irP“…”jeZ
4IF“You’ve defeated me without using your sword.”yaROsQ
iLmHis voice carried a chilling edge.njYo
T6F4fR“Truly… you are a terrifying man.”kqMS
fdq8nAEAh… how long had it been since I heard such a warning?yGw
30vQMore than the roars of Ragnarok, the Knight of the End Times, those words struck me deeply.E45wCq
POc68uoThen I understood clearly why the emperor repulsed me so much.3gVlpm
nqkThe emperor stood at the extreme opposite of me.3nUjRK
cm0JAHe was the embodiment of bottomless evil.JOfs
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!