Episode 58

* * *

The serpent started spouting nonsense again.

Saying that his feelings couldn’t be anything else was a pathetic confession that would go down in history.

As I looked at him with a face full of disbelief, Lian’s smile softened, his eyes narrowing in that way he claimed to like.

There was something seriously off about him, that much was clear.

Before he could continue with more absurdities, I decided to bring up the real reason I had summoned him today.

“As you know, Lian, I have no intention of marrying anyone. So, I would like to end the ‘time to get to know each other’ agreement we made initially.”

Lian’s chuckling came to an abrupt stop.

The smile that had been plastered on his face vanished completely, his expression turning cold as he spoke in an unfamiliar tone.

“I just proposed and confessed at the same time, and your response is rather harsh, don’t you think?”

“You were aware that I was stalling for time for Lottie’s sake, weren’t you? Even when you first proposed, your true objective was to free yourself from the binding oath, not marriage.”

“My feelings have changed, but it seems yours haven’t, Your Majesty.”

“I don’t have the luxury to think about anything other than ensuring Lottie’s safe ascension to the throne.”

“I can guarantee Her Highness’s safe ascension. I believe I’ve already shown proof of my resolve.”

The “proof of his resolve” he mentioned must refer to the fact that he sacrificed his life to bring the Senwood family to ruin.

I wanted to admonish him not to prove his determination with the lives of others, but since his own life was also at stake, I held my tongue.

Instead, I shook my head firmly.

“That doesn’t give me a reason to marry you.”

“What if I decide to no longer cooperate with Her Highness’s ascension?”

Lian’s demeanor turned vicious without hesitation.

His cold, menacing eyes reminded me of the serpent I had first met, more threatening than any beast.

I straightened my back and adjusted my posture.

I had to keep my wits about me to avoid being swept up in his intimidation—just like that day.

“Are you planning to break the promise between Lottie and Melbrid?”

Lian’s right eyebrow twitched, betraying his genuine concern for his brother’s happiness, and he closed his mouth.

He stared at me in silence for a moment, then his expression shifted once more, as if he had come to some realization. His expressions were strangely frequent today.

With his eyebrows slightly drooping and his gaze softening, he asked with a pitiful look.

“Then, am I to die meaninglessly?”

I had a good idea of what he intended with that look—using his handsome face to his advantage.

It was clear he was trying to play on my sympathies, but the thought of him having only four years left did indeed stir some guilt within me.

As he carefully studied my face, seeing me hold my breath and unable to exhale, Lian put on an even more pitiful expression.

“Just four years. Can’t you grant me even four years in return for protecting you and Her Highness?”

“Lian.”

“Now that those who coveted the throne are gone and you’re under the dog’s protection, does it matter whether a creature like me lives or dies? Is this how you cast aside a useless serpent?”

“That’s not it, Lian.”

“Then why can’t you even spare the little time you used to give me, just twice a month?”

Listening to him, it was as if I was some cruel woman who had used marriage as bait to manipulate and then discard him.

Truly, the serpent’s tongue that supposedly controls the Empire.

I composed myself and spoke firmly.

“Lian, stop with the pitiful act.”

“Pitiful act? That’s harsh.”

“Harsh? You’re the one being harsh. You don’t pity yourself, do you? Stop trying to play on my sympathies.”

“Tch.”

“Tch?”

Did he just click his tongue at me?

As I raised an eyebrow, Lian’s habitual smile returned to his face.

That smile might be fake too, but if it’s all a pretense, I’d prefer a smile to a frown.

Before he could start with his manipulations again, I decided to take the lead.

“I regret that you only have four years left, Lian. If your proposal and confession were sincere, then I regret not being able to give you a positive response. But, Lian, none of these regrettable circumstances are my doing.”

As much as I hated to say it, this was the truth from my perspective.

I do feel a sense of debt and guilt that Lian sacrificed his lifespan to protect me and Lottie.

But that was a decision he made and acted on of his own will.

While I appreciate his goodwill, I don’t believe it’s something I should be held accountable for.

I was clear in my opposition, and he forced it through on his own.

The same goes for the emotion he insists is love.

Lian seems to think I’m generous to those I pity, but I can’t marry someone out of a sense of responsibility or sympathy.

The most honest thing I can say to him is, “I’m sorry, but I don’t love you.”

As Lian examined my face, the smile once again faded.

Strangely enough, as the expression left his face, his usually cold violet eyes seemed to heat up.

With the gaze of a heated amethyst, Lian asked, as if to confirm something.

“Are you saying I can never have you, Your Majesty?”

“People are not possessions, Lian.”

“I can’t agree with that, but let me ask differently. Have you fallen in love with someone else?”

“No. I just want to stop wasting meaningless time.”

“Meaningless… time…”

Lian repeated my words, his voice hollow, as if trying to make sense of them.

A strange sensation crept up my body from my feet—a primal sense of foreboding.

Lian had always been a dangerous person, and I had always been wary of him. But at that moment, it felt like I was truly facing the serpent of the Empire for the first time.

It was as if I had seen a massive, coiled viper suddenly rise up, and I almost instinctively called out Aiden’s name.

But Lian’s cold voice cut through the air before I could speak.

“Very well. Since my time is limited, let’s not waste it on meaningless things. Your Majesty, marry me. No, you must marry me.”

“Lian, I told you I won’t marry anyone—”

“If you refuse, I will kill the dog.”

“…What?”

“And the eagle too.”

“Lian, what are you saying right now?”

“I promised not to harm you or Her Highness. I’m a liar, but I keep my promises to you. However, I will kill everyone else. Your maids, the nobles of the Empire, the knights of the Imperial Guard—everyone your eyes have ever seen.”

I stared at Lian’s beautiful, chilling face in stunned silence, trying to process what I had just heard.

He’s lost his mind—utterly and completely. Or perhaps this was the true nature of the serpent he had been hiding all along.

The most terrifying part was that he was dead serious.

And I had no desire to listen to this horrifying madness any longer.

I stood from the sofa and turned toward the door.

“Ai—”

Before I could call out, Lian was suddenly standing in front of me, blocking my way.

“If you call him in now, the dog will die by your hand.”

I found myself locked in the gaze of Lian’s eyes, his pupils narrowed into slits like a snake’s.

He was completely serious, intending to use the power that had driven the Marquis to kill his own wife and son, on me.

I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes directly, so I averted my gaze as I spoke.

“Your power is supposed to manipulate emotions, right? I have no desire to kill Aiden.”

“Are you sure about that? Have you never once thought about getting rid of a dangerous, insolent beast?”

The words caught in my throat, along with my breath.

Not now, but there had been a time when I suspected Aiden might harm Lottie.

Back then, I had thought that all three beasts needed to be killed.

Lian smiled as he looked at my speechless face.

It was a twisted, chilling smile.

“I don’t want to use the serpent’s power on you, Your Majesty. So please, by your own will, give yourself to me for the short time I have left.”

Lian spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone as he extended his hand toward me.

His eyes were still those of a snake, and a crooked smile played on his lips.

I had thought I was dealing with a mad serpent all this time, but I was wrong.

The serpent had been pretending to be sane this entire time, fooling me completely.

Was the Lian I thought I knew—the clever fool who lacked empathy and decency but loved his brother—nothing more than a façade created by the snake?

He was so unfamiliar to me now, and that unfamiliarity frightened me.

I was scared and angry.

I was scared and saddened by how unfamiliar and terrifying he had become.