“It’s just an ordinary apothecary’s room. There’s nothing of interest to Your Majesty…”
“It seems you are mistaken, Duke Zikriesen Cassian.”
Psirias cut off the Duke’s words and took a step forward. Their eyes met as she drew closer.
“I am not asking for permission.”
“……Your Majesty.”
“You have no right to refuse. Lead the way immediately.”
In the face of the firm tone, the duke finally bowed his head.
“I apologize.”
There was no longer a smile on the Duke’s face as he lifted his head again.
“This way, Your Majesty.”
He turned and walked towards the end of the hall. Psirias followed behind, silently watching the Duke’s back.
If mere suspicion were enough for him to be punished, she wanted to catch him immediately, put him in prison, and execute him in the most painful way possible.
Whether the Duke noticed Psirias’s intense resentment in her gaze or not, his calm footsteps entered a small annex connected to the mansion.
“It seems to be quite deep inside.”
Feeling the chilly air, Psirias muttered to herself. Instead of answering, the duke stopped in front of the door.
Then, with a firm knock, he spoke.
“Teveroca, come out for a moment.”
Psirias raised an eyebrow at the name Teveroca.
It was clearly not the name of a Sertizan that anyone would expect.
He waited a moment, but there was no response from inside. The duke knocked again, raising his voice slightly.
“The Empress of the Empire is here.”
Finally, faint footsteps were heard from inside. Soon, the lock clicked, and the door opened slightly.
“Teveroca. You may be from another country, but this is the Empire. You must show the Empress some respect.”
As the Duke spoke sternly, Teveroca opened the door a bit more.
She had a small stature and was wearing a flipped robe, making her face not clearly visible, but Psirias immediately recognized that Teveroca was a woman.
“You’re from another country? Where are you from?”
Psyrias asked, and Teveroka wordlessly bowed deeply at the waist to indicate yes.
“Teveroca…., from the…. nomadic people of the South… Tangblaham. I gre…et…your majesty…the em…press.”
Speaking hesitantly in the Imperial language, Teveroca, while greeting, did not remove her robe.
“I feel like I’ve heard that voice somewhere…”
A name she had never heard before, a place she had no connection to. Psirias had never set foot outside the Empire. Yet, somehow, the voice of the woman named Teveroca sounded familiar.
“Are you not going to show your face?”
Psirias’s question only made Teveroca grab the hood of her robe with her hand and press it deeper.
Then the Duke stepped forward and answered in her place.
“She has a severe scar on her face. I hope you’ll understand that she doesn’t want to display an unpleasant appearance, Your Majesty.”
It was a request not to insist on seeing her face. This only heightened her suspicions.
If she insisted on seeing more, she might end up looking like a heartless Empress.
“I suppose there’s no helping it. But that doesn’t mean this room is exempt from being searched.”
Psirias clicked her tongue slightly and gestured to her escorting knights. The knights entered like a tide, sweeping the contents of the room into their bags.
“Ah…….”
Teveroca pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, but that was the end of it.
The various medicines she seemed to be preparing, various medicinal herbs, and books were all quickly gathered into sacks and handed over to Psirias.
“Now, have you gotten what you wanted?”
The duke alternated his gaze between the packed items and Psirias, chuckling slyly.
Psirias found the laughter truly irritating and remarked,
“Well, let’s hope the Duke is innocent.”
“I am innocent indeed. I have nothing to hide.”
Psirias furrowed her brow at the Duke’s confident response. Then, she coldly observed the Duke and the quietly standing Teveroca once again.
‘If only I could at least see the color of her hair.’
It was frustrating that all she could see were her mouth and jawline.
Psirias let out a small sigh and turned away.
“I take my leave.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
After making sure Julion had fallen into a deep sleep, I headed towards the underground prison.
It was to meet with Roxis.
‘I heard he’s still causing a ruckus.’
I heard that he was exhibiting various forms of agitation in the prison after the poison’s paralysis had subsided, whether out of pain or rage.
‘He won’t be able to do anything.’
He was already a convicted criminal, just waiting for the day of execution. Duke Cassian wouldn’t rescue Roxis, unlike when it was Yeffa. Perhaps Roxis knows it, and that’s why he’s so angry.
“I greet Her Highness.”
A guard greeted me at the entrance to the prison. Having already arranged the necessary permissions, he promptly guided me downstairs.
“The prisoner is very rebellious. Please be careful.”
As I walked down the stairs, I heard a loud clanging sound.
Crash!
Kaang!
Clang!
The closer we got inside, the louder the sounds became, almost piercing the eardrums.
‘Well, it’s not like it’s going to break.’
The guard clicked his tongue, seemingly accustomed to the noise.
I didn’t need to ask to know what the sound was.
It was because Roxis was vigorously striking the iron bars with the chain attached to his hand.
Crash!
Another sharp sound rang out. I told the guards to back off and wait, then I moved closer to Roxis.
Sensing my presence, Roxis halted his wild swinging and fixed his gaze on me.
“……Rottie.”
His heavily strained voice flowed through the bars.
“Roxis Cassian.”
Up close, Roxis’s appearance was quite disheveled.
His dark blue hair was soaked in blood, and his face, as well as his body, was covered in wounds, as if he had been severely beaten.
Given the poison I had given him, it would have been difficult for him to maintain his sanity. Furthermore, after subjecting him to torture during the interrogation, his gaze resembled that of a beast more than a human.
“Give me the antidote, and I will forgive you.”
Recognizing me, Roxis gritted his teeth and mentioned the antidote. His silver eyes, which met mine, were cloudy.
With a smirk, I raised one corner of my mouth and replied, “Unfortunately, there’s no antidote for you.”
“This is your last chance, Rottie. Give it to me now. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise?”
“…I will curse you over and over. Once I leave this place, I’ll gouge out your eyes, cut off your head, feed it to crows, and toss the rest to the sea as whale food!”
Roxis growled, revealing his threats.
It seemed the imprisoned one, having lost everything, had nothing but empty words.
I raised my eyebrows, looking at Roxis, and calmly spoke.
“Poor Roxis. I’ve actually come to offer you a last chance.”
Roxis gripped the iron bars with both hands. With hands nearly drained of color, he squeezed the bars tightly.
I continued to speak. “The purple poison you used and the antidote. You got them from father, didn’t you?”
“…Hand over the antidote. Then, I’ll tell you.”
“Do you have any idea who our father’s apothecary is? It seems like they are not from the Empire.”
Roxis didn’t answer; he just glared at me.
After a brief silence, his opened mouth demanded the antidote once again.
“Give me the antidote first. Then I’ll tell you.”
“Are you really incapable of understanding a word I say?”
I impatiently brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over my face. Roxis continued to stare at me, motionless.
“This isn’t a negotiation, Roxis. You have no choice but to answer.”
“Father won’t stay quiet about this. Think carefully, Rohiriel.”
“What about it? Your beloved father has abandoned you.”
“You’re good at deceiving with your tongue.”
“Believe what you want. But remember this: you’ll be executed in a few days, publicly, in front of the Imperial citizens.”
As I mentioned the public execution, Roxis, who had consistently appeared like a beast, showed a change in expression.
With trembling eyes and a heavy breath, Roxis gritted his teeth.
“Nonsense. He also said he would hand Yeffa to the imperial family, but he asked me to rescue her, so he will also…”
“If you really believe that, there’s nothing I can do. But I can offer practical help. Will you cooperate?”
Roxis’ pupils wavered as we locked eyes. Not missing the opportunity, I spoke again.
“Confess everything you know about Cassian’s apothecary. Beg for your life, and I’ll plead with His Majesty on your behalf.”
Roxis, perhaps contemplating my proposal, blinks several times without saying a word.
Then suddenly he bowed his head deeply, rested his forehead against the grate, and muttered something low.
As the words were barely audible, I took a step closer. It was at that moment.
“……!”
Roxis abruptly jerked his head up, reaching his arm through the bars. I hastily stepped back, but my wrist was caught.
With a sinister touch, I was pulled forward.
Roxis smiled a sickening smile as I was brought near the iron bar.
“Now that I have something in my hand, can we get back to that deal we were talking about?”
Roxis chuckled as if enjoying the situation. The pain radiating from my wrist made my eyebrows involuntarily twitch.
“Even in this situation, you’re resorting to the same kind of threats. You’re not in your right mind, Roxis.”
“Well, is it really just a simple threat?”
“You do realize that if I yell and call the guards at this moment, you could be summarily disposed of.”
“Before the guards come, your delicate wrist will be completely shattered. I still have enough strength left for that much, you know.”
As if not exaggerating, Roxis squeezed my wrist harder.
I bit my lips to suppress any groans that threatened to escape due to the escalating pain. In that moment, it felt like my wrist could truly shatter if things continued this way.
“What…… is going on?”
As a familiar voice reached my ears from behind, the intense pressure on my wrist, like vapor dissolving, suddenly vanished. Instinctively, I turned around and saw Julion gripping Roxis’s wrist with a menacing air.
