Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

Ian couldn’t easily believe the chamberlain’s words about Duke Bledel’s death, at least not until he personally confirmed the Duke’s body.

 

Upon hearing the news, he immediately headed to Bledel Manor. There was no time to waste, and he couldn’t shake the suspicion that there might be some cunning scheme at play.

 

The timing was too good to be true. The Duke died suddenly, just before the Bledel faction collapsed. Ian, suppressing his uneasy feelings, hurried along the path.

 

The mansion seemed oddly serene, with no sign of the Duke’s wife or daughter. Only the servants, now bereft of their master, greeted the Emperor with bewildered eyes.

 

Guided by the butler, Ian made his way to the room where the Duke’s body lay. As he opened the door, he approached the glass coffin.

 

Duke Bledel’s lifeless form lay surrounded by white flowers. A bitter laugh escaped Ian as he looked at the scene.

 

‘Is this how it ends?’

 

This man had trampled on his life. He didn’t deserve to die so easily. Ian had sacrificed too much and given up too many things, all because of this despicable man.

 

He had to confess all the wicked things he had done and face public execution, under everyone’s contempt and condemnation.

 

Ian grabbed the Duke’s neck, feeling a surge of anger and frustration.

 

He wanted him to yell at him to open his eyes, but the temperature he felt in his body was too cold.

 

Bledel was dead. However, perhaps it was because he suffered from such severe pressure that his mind was devastated for such a long period of time.

 

Even as he stood this close to the Duke’s corpse, he had an uncanny premonition that he would come back to life.

 

He wondered if the body in front of him was really Edward Bledel, the man he wanted so badly to kill, or if he would come back from the dead by some bizarre means.

 

But the Duke had been dead for more than three days, and it was impossible for him to come back to life, no matter how great his black magic was.

 

After regaining his composure, Ian could finally leave the room. He instructed his attendants,

 

“Search every corner of the manor.”

 

As soon as the order was given, the attendants scattered and began searching the manor. After a while, one of them shouted loudly,

 

“We’ve found the entrance to the underground secret chamber!”

 

The basement contained a large prison and a torture chamber with all sorts of horrific instruments of torture. Inside, many people were trapped, likely those who didn’t comply with Duke Bledel’s intentions.

 

The attendants broke the prison doors and rescued them. While inspecting the basement, Ian discovered a suspicious entrance.

 

Upon entering, he saw an old door that seemed out of place in the opulence and luxury of a Duke’s Manor.

 

[There’s a room in the secret chamber of the manor with dark magic cast on it.]

 

This information had been provided by Lethenia before her departure.

 

The secret order left by the former Emperor in the body of Vanessa, his mistress, was said to contain crucial information.

 

It seemed flimsy enough that one could kick it open, but with the magic cast on it, there was no physical way to open it. They needed to find the black mage who cast this spell.

 

The mage was likely connected to the recent mysterious events. However, the identity of the black mage responsible for all the vile deeds of Bledel remained unknown.

 

He had investigated everyone who entered the Duke’s residence for years, but he couldn’t find any evidence.

 

‘What did I miss?’

 

With a perplexed feeling, Ian stared at the door, enchanted with black magic. Unless he identified the caster, opening the door seemed impossible.

 

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

 

The prison was always filled with a haunting silence. Dust and mold were rampant, and a nauseating stench of blood lingered in the air. It was a tower that confined the most heinous criminals.

 

It was said that once you entered it, you could never get out alive. Unless someone helped you, there was no hope of escape.

 

When I think about how many people have died in this place, an inexplicable sense of dread washes over me.

 

I don’t even know how much time has passed. I could only guess how many days had passed as I watched the sunlight stream in and out of the tiny palm-sized window.

 

All I could do was sit blankly and contemplate the future.

 

<Because…… You’re not Lethenia.>

 

Ian knows I’m not the real Lethenia. Any hope that he would spare me had to be abandoned.

 

I don’t know what’s going on outside, but it’s easy to see that I’m at a terrible disadvantage.

 

I stared at the bloodstain on my dress. Since there were no wounds on my body, it must be someone else’s blood.

 

‘The demon has reappeared after all.’

 

If the demon doesn’t disappear from within me, I won’t be able to avoid death. Even if I miraculously escaped from prison, it would all be for naught if the demon took my body again.

 

The scene of Lethenia’s fiery demise that I witnessed in my dreams—was that my future? It seemed that the radiant future I always dreamed of couldn’t be realized in this lifetime either.

 

Memories of futile hope inflated my past days, now mocking me more vividly than reality.

 

An overwhelming sense of helplessness pressed on my chest. In this despairing situation, there was only one person occasionally surfacing in my mind.

 

‘I wonder what Theo is doing right now.’

 

Perhaps Theo is preparing something for me. He has always been that kind of person.

 

Whether I deceived him by acting like Lethenia or when my true identity was revealed, he remained steadfast by my side.

 

I suddenly wished that he wouldn’t get hurt, even if something happened to me.

 

A whimsical chuckle escaped me as I found myself worrying about him even with death looming so close.

 

When I first arrived here, I was determined to survive by any means, even if I had to use Theo, Lethenia’s ally. At that moment, I heard footsteps getting closer.

 

They were cautious steps, as if trying not to be noticed. They didn’t seem like the guards protecting the prison. Finally, a familiar face appeared at the entrance.

 

“Stella?”

 

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

 

Stella looked at me like she was about to burst into tears at any moment. Seeing her, I wanted to collapse and cry, but I managed to hold back and urgently ask her.

 

“How did you get here? No one should be able to enter…”

 

“I managed to buy off one of the guards by emptying all the money I had. But we have to hurry; we don’t have much time.”

 

Stella took out a key from her pocket and opened the massive lock on the prison door. Holding a package, she extended it towards me and spoke.

 

“First, change your clothes so you won’t stand out.”

 

“What’s happening?”

 

Stella held my hand and spoke with an anxious expression.

 

“The trial is about to begin. I tried to plead with my father, but he flatly refused to prevent the execution of the Empress. Unfortunately, this is the only way I can help.”

 

“…….”

 

“I have a carriage waiting for you outside. If you board a cargo ship departing from Riebol Harbor tonight, you can leave Asha.”

 

Her words filled me with intense emotions, and tears welled up and fell uncontrollably.

 

If I were to escape like this, not only she but her entire family might be in danger for aiding a fugitive. Just the fact that she came this far to help me was something I couldn’t express enough gratitude for.

 

Stella’s grip on my hand tightened, urging me to leave.

 

Looking into her desperate eyes, my throat tightened even more. I shook my head and barely managed to open my mouth.

 

“Stella, if I leave now, you’re going to…”

 

That’s when the Imperial Palace guards, clad in golden armor, stormed in. Count Bedos was among them. Stella and I were left speechless at the sight of them.

 

“Drag her out.”

 

It was a trap. Count Bedos had calculated Stella’s actions in advance, waiting to arrest her here.

 

As the Count gave the order, the guards grabbed Stella’s arms roughly.

 

“Stella!”

 

When I tried to intervene, others who had been watching me quickly restrained me and shoved me back into the prison, locking the door promptly.

 

The cruel force of their actions made me collapse to the floor. I quickly got up, banging on the bars and shouting desperately.

 

“Stop it now!”

 

However, my enraged shouts had no effect. Count Bedos sent a sneer in my direction and took Stella away casually.

 

Due to the pouring tears, her fading figure appeared blurry. Stella, always rational and astute, failed to perceive Count Bedos’s intentions, and it was because of me.

 

She had taken risks to save me as soon as possible, and this is what had become of her.

 

“Haah, haah.”

 

Breathing became difficult because of the rising anger and self-loathing. A very hot, intense sensation arose, like a burn in the marked area.

 

At that moment, an unpleasant laughter echoed from somewhere, a laughter I never wanted to hear again.

 

— Hehehehe.

 

I plugged my ears as if rejecting it, but I couldn’t block out the sound echoing from the depths of my being.

 

— I’ll help you. I’ll help you kill them all.

 

The sinister voice of the demon resounded even louder.

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊