Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

“Who are you?”

 

The crooked smile was still on his face. But the playful gleam in his eyes had now turned a little more serious.

 

The gaze that seemed to be persistently searching for something came to me somewhat burdensome. I looked him in the eye and revealed my identity

 

“I am the Empress of Asha,… Daughter of Duke Bledel.”

 

At my words, Henry Child’s eyebrows furrowed as if contemplating something before he let out a small chuckle.

 

“That’s why you felt familiar. Before I knew it, the little girl had become such a great lady.”

 

“…….”

 

“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.”

 

His laughter, giving off a refined appearance, felt somewhat unsettling to my ears.

 

“Seeing you smile, it seems you haven’t grasped the situation yet.”

 

“No way. It’s obvious why you came to see me. Either Her Majesty the Empress came to inspect the house or you wanted to find out something, but I’m guessing it’s the latter.”

 

He seemed to have a fairly good sense, perhaps due to his long career as a fortune teller. The smirk never left his face even though I revealed that I was the Empress.

 

Seeing how he remained unfazed, one could guess that he must have received such threats often. Well, serving the Duchess of Bledel for a long time means he’s not just some ordinary guy.

 

“Yes, I need to use you.”

 

“And if I refuse, what will you do?”

 

“I’ll have to hand you over to the Duke of Bledel, but you won’t refuse.”

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

“No matter how deep the relationship is between you and Rachel, she is not the kind of person who will sacrifice herself. If Rachel finds out about this, she will probably try to eliminate you first.”

 

He nodded slowly, still having that mischievous smile on his face.

 

“Hmm, you’re on the right track.”

 

“I also found out that you have a hidden nephew, and the reason you’re living like this and making money is to cover the huge medical bills of your terminally ill nephew. Actually, he’s not your nephew… he’s your son.”

 

His expression hardened in an instant when his son’s story came out.

 

“I heard that the child is at Hegas Nursery now. He was kept hidden quite well, so it took some effort to find the connection between you and him. I don’t really want to resort to blackmail involving a child, but I have to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. So please don’t betray my trust.”

 

A little later he opened his mouth again, slowly raising the corners of his mouth.

 

“You’re very thorough. Your Majesty is the first person to find out.”

 

“It’s important to me, so I can’t afford to be careless. Once this is done well, both you and the child will be safe.”

 

“You have my weakness, so I can’t help it. I have no choice but to be used. And I do feel a little sorry for Her Majesty.”

 

As I looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression, he rubbed his chin and spoke calmly.

 

“It’s fortunate if you don’t remember.”

 

He smiled broadly.

 

“I like that we communicate well in these matters.”

 

As expected, he was quick on his feet. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, waiting for my next words. His long eyelashes and lips as red as lipstick caught my eye for a moment.

 

He seemed to exude an enchanting aura that unknowingly captivated people.

 

“There are two things I want from you. Report to me all the suspicious activities of Duke Bledel, and… there’s an item that you must find there. Bring it to me.”

 

* * * * *

 

I was on my way back from my meeting with the fortune teller, Henry Child. I looked out the window and reflected on my meeting with him.

 

I had to somehow find the Emperor’s secret order to deal with Ian. I had heard that many assassins had entered the Duke of Bledel’s manor before, only to disappear without a sound.

 

It was a snare that once entered, could never be escaped from.

 

Stella suspected that there was a security spell in place, an advanced spell that was only used by the Imperial family of Xenos.

 

Its magic was so complex that no ordinary mage could crack it. It wasn’t just a place where skilled assassins could infiltrate easily.

 

As such, Henry Child was the only one who could get in and out of the mysterious Duke Bledel’s manor at will and act as a spy. In that sense, he was one of the key figures in my escape.

 

As expected, his relationship with Rachel seemed to be nothing more than a sexual one. A man of his skill and quick thinking, he would be able to exploit any weakness.

 

Just then, the horse whinnied and the carriage rattled loudly. The unexpectedly strong vibration nearly knocked me forward, unable to steady myself.

 

Soon, the carriage came to a screeching halt.

 

“Are you all right, Your Majesty?”

 

Douglas asked, panting, and I shook my head slightly. Then the coachman appeared with an embarrassed expression.

 

“One of the back wheels got caught in a stone and broke. I think we’ll have to go to a nearby village to repair it….”

 

He began to explain the circumstances of what had just happened, saying that it was rare for the specially made imperial carriage to break down like this, but due to the rough road it was unavoidable.

 

I was forced to stop and wait for the carriage to be repaired. Being bored, I ended up getting off the carriage. As soon as I stepped out, I took a deep breath. 

 

The clean, fresh air was invigorating.

 

The cloudless, sunny weather made me feel like I was out for a walk. A small path was seen right near where the carriage was parked.

 

To pass the time, I decided to take a quiet stroll. Since I didn’t feel like being followed around by my attendants today, I instructed them to wait near the carriage.

 

Douglas stopped me with a worried look on his face.

 

“Your Majesty, this is not the Imperial Palace. There might be dangerous mountain beasts out here.”

 

“It’ll be fine here.”

 

Although this is an outer area a little away from the center of the capital, there are several large and small villages not far away.

 

Usually, the villagers in the forested areas banded together to hunt down dangerous animals on a regular basis to prevent casualties, so, unless it was a deep mountainous area, encounters with dangerous creatures were rare in places with a considerable population.

 

I wanted to tell him not to worry, that nothing could be that dangerous, but Douglas’s eyes were so determined, I gestured for him to follow me. I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I walked ahead, with him trailing behind.

 

As we ventured inward, lush greenery surrounded us, creating a refreshing sight. The long rays of light descending through the tall trees created a beautiful landscape. It was a refreshing change from the gardens at the Imperial Palace.

 

Birds chirped in the distance, sending out delicate melodies, and the forest atmosphere was soothing and relaxing. I hummed without realizing it.

 

Douglas was still following me, keeping a steady pace. We hadn’t walked far when I heard a group of children shouting.

 

“You monster!”

 

“My father said filthy Xenosians like you are cursed by the heavens.”

 

“If you do as we say, we won’t bother you again.”

 

A group of elementary school-aged boys were huddled together on the shore of the lake, with the smallest, shabby-looking one in the middle, unable to speak up, only wiggling his fingers.

 

It appeared that the bigger boys were harassing the weaker child with hostile remarks. And that weak child seemed to be a Xenos slave. The tallest boy among them spoke.

 

“Hurry up and get in here, maybe we can cleanse your dirty blood.”

 

The commoner children tried to pull the slave child into the lake, crying about the dirty blood.

 

‘Children with blood on their heads**, learning nothing but wickedness.’

 

(TL/N: Naive and inexperienced)

 

The common hatred towards Xenosians was evident even among children. In Asha, Xenos slaves are forced to live a more miserable life than the average slave. They were the descendants of a dirty, wicked witch.

 

I snorted when I remembered that the witch was actually a great mage who founded the great empire of Xenos and was also the ancestor of the Asha. It seemed the Asha people had been collectively brainwashed.

 

That all Xenos have demonic blood and must be trampled.

 

There were no laws or institutions to protect them. They were treated worse than livestock, and it was expected that their owners would kill them for the slightest offense.

 

Because of this perception, even young children commit such evil acts without feeling guilty. Suppressing my overflowing anger, I walked determinedly towards where the children were. At that moment, a red-haired boy turned his gaze towards me and shouted.

 

“Hey, there’s someone there!”

 

The children turned their heads in surprise. Shortly after, the tallest boy targeted the smaller boy and pushed him into the lake without hesitation. The other children ran away as if they were waiting for this moment.

 

It happened in an instant. The perpetrators ran away, laughing triumphantly as they fled.

 

Witnessing this scene filled me with immense anger, my face burning with fury. The child who had fallen into the water seemed unable to swim, flailing his arms and legs in panic, drifting further towards the center of the lake.

 

The child’s desperate cry pierced my ears.

 

“H, help me!”

 

TL/N: I’m sorry! I forgot to unlocked chapter 55. I really thought I did. It will not happen again. I’m really sorry and Thank you for reminding me!!!