Episode 141

“How amusing.”

“Ugh….”

Yvonne’s attempt to stab Hildebrandt failed. The sword she had driven down toward his neck was blocked by Francis.

“Did you forget I have a bodyguard?”

“How did you…?”

“He can manage this much even from the doorway.”

Hildebrandt was laughing. But at the same time, he was crying. His tears fell in fat drops onto Yvonne’s cheek.

“Why did you betray me again?”

“Because I hate you.”

“Why? Why do you hate me? You love me, Yvonne.”

Yvonne wanted to finish everything before Yurian returned. She was uneasy. Yurian was someone who had already lost to Hildebrandt once.

This was the imperial palace. There were countless people here for the emperor’s sake. And above all, no one could surpass Hildebrandt’s power. Not even the emperor himself.

That was why she thought it better to act while Hildebrandt was off guard. She was terrified of Yurian dying. Besides, in centuries past, no one had ever succeeded at attempting the second awakening.

While Yurian was away, Yvonne had researched everything she could about the second awakening. And she despaired. Those who failed the second awakening died. Even those who barely survived were often left broken, like husks.

“You said you love me.”

“You believed that? How naïve.”

Yvonne decided not to hide her true self any longer. She couldn’t do it anymore. She was at her limit.

If Yurian failed his awakening, or if he ended up in Hildebrandt’s clutches again—she’d rather die.

“Ugh…!”

Francis tightened his grip on her hand. Because of that, the small knife she’d been holding fell from her grasp.

“Do you know why I never hypnotized you into loving me?”

“Because it must have amused you that I feared you.”

“Ha.”

Hildebrandt wasn’t laughing anymore. His face twisted like a man in sorrow, and he wrapped his hand around Yvonne’s neck.

“Why?”

“Ghhk…!”

Yvonne couldn’t breathe. She clutched his arm, glaring up at Hildebrandt. He looked back at her with resentment, crying all the while.

“Ha… hahaha…”

Hildebrandt had completely lost his mind. He could no longer hypnotize himself.

“Guh, ugh…!”

He released her throat and stared coldly at her.

“Give me a reason to let you live.”

“There isn’t one.”

“Why? Don’t you want to live? Tell me you love me. Then I’ll let you live.”

“Don’t bark orders at me while groveling like a dog.”

At her words, he laughed again. Like a broken doll.

“Ugh…!”

Hildebrandt sank his teeth into her neck with the intent to tear her apart.

“You’re insane! Get off me!”

Yvonne pounded her fists against Hildebrandt’s shoulder in agony. It was no use. Even though the blows made dull thudding sounds, he only paused briefly before biting her nape again.

“It hurts!”

Yvonne grabbed a handful of his hair, trying to yank him away, but it was useless. Tears welled up and streamed from her cheeks and temples, a reflex of sheer pain.

“Stop it!”

“Did it feel good when that bastard bit you? You must’ve enjoyed it, since you let him.”

Hildebrandt could no longer deny that Yurian was the one Yvonne truly cared for. There was no trace left of the hypnosis he had cast on himself, and yet… he still loved her.

And just as deeply, he hated her.

“If you were going to throw it away, you shouldn’t have taken it in the first place.”

“I never had anything like you.”

“Hahaha.”

“Ugh!”

At Hildebrandt’s gesture, Francis grabbed Yvonne from behind. Francis didn’t want to do this. But part of him thought it might be better for the imperial princess to finally submit to the emperor.

The emperor was not in his right mind. The only time he could stay sane was when the princess was with him.

So maybe forcing the princess to submit again… was the only way to restore him.

That’s what he thought, but—

“Francis.”

“Yes.”

“Take off the blindfold.”

“I can’t.”

“I said take it off.”

“Your Majesty…”

Hildebrandt glared at Francis, then looked down at Yvonne, who had been forced to her knees on the bed with Francis still holding her arms. She tried to act unbothered, glaring up at Hildebrandt, but her body trembled with fear.

He saw her trembling chin, her ragged breaths, and those eyes that pretended to be angry but flickered with fear.

“Should the three of us do it? You, me, and Francis.”

“Go to hell!”

Hildebrandt had considered killing Francis too, but hearing Yvonne scream, he decided perhaps there was no need.

“I only need to get rid of you!”

Yvonne shouted and kicked. Hildebrandt grabbed her leg and kissed the top of her foot.

“Then kill me.”

“You say you want to die, but you’re trembling like a leaf. Just talk—pretty words, nothing more.”

Hildebrandt wanted to hurt her. But Yvonne no longer seemed affected by his words. She only glared back, unwavering.

“What if I brought you Yurian Leonhardt’s severed head?”

“Do what you want. I couldn’t care less about any of that.”

Yvonne forced herself to say that, but Hildebrandt certainly noticed the flicker in her eyes.

“I’ll tear Marquess Rohan limb from limb. I’ll gift you his arms. As for his legs… I’ll give those to the courtesans who used to sneak into his bedchamber.”

“…”

“What do you think? Huh—!”

Yvonne bit Hildebrandt’s lip. He was close enough to kiss her, so it wasn’t hard. Still, he kept pressing his lips to hers, and she turned her head away.

“Were you trying to kiss me?”

“Wipe the blood off your mouth before you speak.”

“Open your mouth.”

“Don’t!”

“I said, open.”

Hildebrandt grabbed her jaw and forced her mouth open.

“If you want to die, go ahead and bite your tongue.”

He looked into her eyes as he said it.

“Fine.”

A faint smile appeared on her face as she replied.

“Uugh…!”

She smiled, almost blissfully, and bit down on her tongue. Only then did Hildebrandt realize he had lost control of his power.

“Get a healer! Now!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Even Francis was alarmed. Hildebrandt felt as though magic surged within him uncontrollably. But nothing was going the way he wanted. It was like trying to plug a cracked dam with his bare hand.

And that crack was only growing wider.

“Aaah!”

“Quick, get inside!”

Seeing Yvonne bleeding, blinking weakly before him—only then did all of it begin to feel real to Hildebrandt.

“This is a dream.”

“Ugh…”

Yvonne vomited blood again. Hildebrandt trembled as he looked down at his chest, now soaked in her blood.

“Hurry!”

He clutched her tightly, shaking with terror.

Yvonne’s breathing was fading in his arms. Her limbs drooped, and her breath barely sounded.

“Your Majesty! You have to let go or we can’t treat her!”

Four healers had rushed in. Hildebrandt slowly released the arms that held her, his whole body trembling.

“Aaah!”

“Lord Chamberlain!”

“Silence.”

“…Yes.”

The maid who had screamed at the sight of blood immediately went quiet at Hildebrandt’s murderous tone. Then she grabbed the sword of a nearby knight and plunged it into her own chest.

“Ugh…!”

“Derah!”

The maid’s name came from the chamberlain’s lips. Hildebrandt was again struck by the realization that he had lost control of his powers.

He mustn’t speak. Speaking triggered them.

He didn’t know why his abilities were suddenly out of control. Yvonne had tried to kill him. No… was it that she wanted to die with him?

That couldn’t be. She hadn’t meant to die with him. She meant to kill him—and put Yurian Leonhardt in his place.

To be loved by Yurian Leonhardt. To crown him emperor. To fall asleep in his arms every night.

Just like she had with his uncle.

Hildebrandt clung to the last shred of his sanity.

“We can still turn this around.”

He tried to hypnotize himself.

Then he looked at Yvonne. Her half-open eyes were on him. Her unfocused gaze pointed at him.

“We can turn this around, Yvonne.”

Her expression twisted into something like a mocking smile.

“You love me.”

He struggled to hypnotize himself again, even though it was useless.

“You love me, Yvonne. Right? You only love me. You said it yourself. You said I was your whole world. That you couldn’t live without me.”

It was like holding onto sand. No matter how powerful the hypnosis he tried to cast on himself, the emptiness in his chest couldn’t be filled. Like trying to hold water in a shattered bottle.

He was that shattered bottle.

“You said you wanted my child.”

Hildebrandt’s vision blurred, then cleared again. He hadn’t even realized he’d been crying all this time.

“Oh. That’s right.”

He couldn’t hypnotize himself anymore.

“Back then, it wasn’t my child you wanted… it was my uncle’s.”

And in that moment—he snapped.

He lost all control of his mind.

Hildebrandt’s second awakening began.

Triggered by the shock of Yvonne throwing him away.