* * *
How long had it been since I clung to the emperor’s waist?
“We’re here.”
By the time we reached our destination, the sky had already turned dark. Emperor Yustio stopped in front of an old cabin and quickly helped me down from the horse.
It had truly been an exhausting journey. Ah, I feel like I’m going to die. I was utterly exhausted, nearly on the brink of collapse.
To ride a horse for hours in this cold winter, braving the fierce snowstorm.
The doctor already told me to rest for a while since I’m a patient.
Moreover, the emperor’s grip that pulled me was so rough that I couldn’t help but complain.
“Your Majesty. It hurts.”
Emperor Yustio frowned. “It hurts?” He looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to be in pain.
Could it be that this man never touched a woman before?
However, without saying anything more, the emperor turned and walked towards the cabin. I staggered after him with difficulty.
The emperor boldly opened the door of the cabin, which looked like it could be haunted. Creak, as the door opened,
“Grrr!”
A dark figure leaped out, attempting to attack. I was startled and quickly stepped back.
What kind of beast—! No, no. It wasn’t a beast. Judging by the attire, it was the emperor’s guard, with bright red eyes and drool dripping from his lips.
“Grr, grrr, grrr!”
And the strange howling.
Truly, just like the emperor said, he looked like a carnivorous beast.
“I had tied him up with a rope.” Emperor Yustio grabbed the guard by the neck and lifted him high. “Looks like the rope snapped.” And with that, he carried the guard inside the cabin.
I calmed my startled heart and followed him inside. Emperor Yustio was restraining his trashing guard with one hand and trying him up again with the rope. That sturdy guard was flailing with all his might, yet he was being handled as easily as a child.
At this rate, does he even need a guard? Well, having a guard for the once most notorious inquisitor did seem a bit mismatched.
Then, the emperor asked. ““Have you ever seen such a contaminated person before?”
“No. It’s my first time seeing one.”
Those contaminated by the Rotten Land usually suffer and rot away to death. That was all there was to it… Could it really be a mutation?
A chill ran down my spine.
Why? Why has a new mutant variant appeared now?
There hadn’t been such contaminated people before. Right. There was none of being like this when Rotten Land was at its worst. Where did it suddenly come from?
But now was not the time to think deeply. The condition of the contaminated guard was critical.
I approached the guard and cautiously placed my hand on his body. The moment I gathered my power,
Ah, this is bad.
I immediately had a premonition. My stamina was already depleted. If I performed purification here again—
I might faint.
So, I spoke to the emperor. “Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
“If I happen to faint here, please don’t leave me behind.”
“…”
“I’ll surely freeze to death if you do.”
At that, the emperor furrowed his brows as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Do I look like such a brute to you?”
You’re not one to talk. Didn’t you try to strangle me to death? As I looked at him with those eyes, he nodded with an annoyed expression.
“Fine, just get started already.”
With his confirmation, I finally gathered my power. A bright white light burst from my fingertips. And as expected, dizziness began to set in. However, I didn’t stop and kept my focus. Until the murderous intent in the guard’s eyes disappeared. Until his thrashing ceased. And until the black spots vanished…
It’s done.
Everything was completely purified.
The moment I was certain, my body collapsed like a puppet with its string cut. I thought I would crash to the floor, but I didn’t fall.
It hurts…
Emperor Yustio had roughly grabbed her forearm and pulled her up. If it had been Carl, he would have gently held me here.
Suppressing that sudden thought, I barely moved my sluggish tongue. “To the Rotten Land.”
“What?”
“Take me… to the Rotten Land.”
Emperor Yustio looked down at me with a bewildered expression. “With such a frail body, do you think you can purify again? You look like you’re about to collapse right now.”
Does he think I want to do this? If it must be done, it’s best to do it quickly to prevent any victims.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”
Speaking was difficult, so I barely articulated, mixing in a sigh.
“Please take me.”
It wasn’t like I cared about what happened in this world. But it’s the world where my secretary—Lethe—will live. It would be a disaster if he got contaminated again.
I might not be here next time.
So, for his sake, I had to nip it in the bud.
* * *
In the end, I had to rise with the emperor again. Throughout the journey, I was dizzy with fatigue and depletion of strength.
“You’ll be surprised.”
“What?”
“I’m saying you’ll be surprised when we arrive.”
The emperor’s warning penetrated my drowsy consciousness. It was only after we arrived at the location in question that I understood what he meant.
This place.
Deep in the forest, in a place where the land was blackened and rotting…
They’re the guards.
Corpses, stained with black spots, were sprawled everywhere.
Now that I think about it, there was only one guard left. The rest were all killed. Of course. It would have been difficult to kindly subdue and tie up each one when several attacked like beasts. So, they had to be killed out of necessity.
In a half-awake state with a numb mind, I sat down on the ground and began the purification, squeezing out every last drop of power. Then, from head to toe, white light blazed across my entire body. Even a single strand of my fluttering white hair sparkled like moonlight.
I saw the wave of light flowing from my body cover the Rotten Land like a wave. It was being purified.
Ah, it’s so hard.
But I had long reached my limit. My entire power was being sucked into the ground, and I felt that if I closed my eyes now, it would be all over. But it was still far from over. I still needed to hold on a little longer and continue purification…
I lifted my head. In the storm of dazzling light, I desperately searched for something. Something to hold onto mentally.
And then, my eyes met his. It was a calm gaze watching me beyond the binding light. His gaze was so deep and serene that strength returned to my arms.
I stared intently at his eyes as if holding onto a lifeline. I felt like I could hold on a little longer. Just a little more. A little more…
“You’ve worked hard.”
Ah. I blinked.
Had I fainted for a moment? Before I knew it, I had completely collapsed, lying there like a piece of rag.
Success. Judging by his words of praise, it seemed the purification was successful.
At that moment, Emperor Yustio lifted me up with one hand. Strangely, his grip felt much gentler than before.
I suddenly realized. Since I said it hurt earlier, he’s been gentler.
I guess he really didn’t know it would hurt. Of course, when would this man have ever touched a woman before…
With that, darkness came to me again.
* * *
The biting cold that could freeze even the breath swept over. Within the numb sensation, my consciousness barely connected.
Seriously, it’s cold. Very, very cold.
“Cold…”
“I know. So swallow this.”
Cold. It felt like I was going to die of cold.
“Drink this, it’ll help.”
Slowly, my blurry vision cleared.
I was back at the cabin before I knew it. In front of me was the face of a handsome man.
The emperor?
Indeed, it was the emperor. To think that such a man who is hard to meet, like an endangered species, was so close by.
Ah, right, I came with the emperor to purify the Rotten Land…
“Your body temperature is very low. So drink quickly.”
Come to think of it, he had been pouring some liquid into my mouth for a while.
The bitter taste that enveloped my tongue. It was whiskey.
I don’t want it. I don’t want to drink alcohol right now…
I spat out the unpleasant liquid unconsciously. Then, Emperor Yustio’s stern voice fell.
“Do you want to freeze to death?”
Only then did I realize I was shivering uncontrollably.
Right. My clothes are soaked from the snow. I had been hit by the blizzard after all.
“Danae Windsor.”
At that moment, the emperor grabbed my hair tightly. Without giving me a chance to resist, he shoved a whiskey bottle into my mouth.
“Swallow it. Unless you want to die meaningless here.”
The glass bottle hurt my teeth.
Truly, he was a ruthless man without a trace of consideration. But it worked. The whiskey gushed near my throat, and I involuntarily swallowed. My throat felt hot, and I immediately felt a rush of warmth.
“Now you drink.”
The emperor muttered as if sighing and removed the whiskey bottle from my mouth. Saliva stretched like a thin silver thread, and I felt ashamed.
This person is too rough. I already knew that, though.
“…Your Majesty.”
I spoke with a cracked voice and grabbed the emperor’s clothes. He narrowed his brows but didn’t shake me off.
“What is it? Are you finally coming to your senses?”
“Your Majesty, annulment.”
“What?”
“Promise, keep it, the Holy Trial…”
Emperor Yustio looked at me quietly and then nodded.
“Alright.”
It’s done. The Holy Trial would be held by the emperor… So, I’m completely over with Raios.
As my consciousness faded again, I thought. What face would he make when he hears the Holy Trial will be convened? Will he laugh mockingly? Or will he be angry?
I hope he’s so angry that he ends up crying. Just like when he was seventeen, secretly crying after being usurped by his uncle. This time, his uncle would be contributing to ruining his engagement, so it would be quite a shock.
I was already looking forward to that day.
“I will keep the promise.”
Even in such a moment, the emperor, finding her saying such words amusing, spoke with a faint sneer in his voice.
“Now, rest.”
With those words, I completely let go of my consciousness.
Hi, now you can purchase 10 advance chapters in here.
Well he is the emperor I’m sure he’s had to “handle” women…. It I don’t know I feel like he’s going to annul the wedding but turn it to him being the new fiancé