Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

Emperor Eliope Delfkaiser of Xenos felt his breath caught in his throat when he saw the letter from Asha. The sender was Duke Edward Bledel, but it was clearly from Mary. His first love, now the Duchess of Bledel. 

 

Accompanying the letter was the emerald ring that Eliope had once given her. A one-of-a-kind object, intricately crafted in the shape of her favorite favia. 

 

Once upon a time, when he was a prince, Eliope fell in love with a lady of Asha.

 

During a time of international turmoil, he was sent by the Emperor to Asha. He hid his identity and stayed there for a while.

 

He was favored by the Emperor, but he was only a bastard’s son, so he had to work hard to rise through the ranks of the crown princes.

 

To top it all off, he had voluntarily left for Asha to escape his mother’s attempt to force him into an arranged marriage with Kris, a noble family in Xenos. And there he met a woman.

 

He fell head over heels for her, believing that if the gods bestowed the most perfect beauty upon the human world, it would undoubtedly be her. He had no desire to take any other woman as his wife.

 

The two whispered their love every day. But their happiness was short-lived. Civil war broke out on Xenos, and he was forced to return home.

 

<The crown prince has called a rebellion to overthrow our father, and I must go now. Mary, once I’ve organized everything and Xenos is safe, I’ll be sure to come get you. Until then, wait for me. I swear I won’t keep you waiting long.>

 

Mary wanted him to stay with her, but she didn’t have the heart to stop him. Xenos was where he was born and raised, and his parents and his people were in danger.

 

Only just before she let him go did she ask the question she had hesitated to ask countless times.

 

<What do you think it would be like if…… we had a child?>

 

“That child will never be out of the embrace of a father as devoted as me for even a moment. Next to you, they will be the most precious existence to me. If it’s a daughter who resembles you, she will be even more lovable.”

 

Eliope stroked her face and gave her an affectionate glance. Mary tried to smile calmly.

 

<I’ll be waiting for you, please take care of yourself.>

 

Eliope said, turning back to her before walking away.

 

<I suggest you name the child Marcad if it’s a boy, Siana if it’s a girl.>

 

Those were names given only to children of the Imperial family of Xenos. Mary crammed into his arms. That was the last time he saw her.

 

In the end, his father died at the hands of his son, the crown prince, and great turmoil fell upon Xenos. He had to fight the crown prince at the risk of his life.

 

The fight didn’t end easily. She desperately needed the help of Kris, a powerful military force. But they couldn’t lend him a hand unless he could make his daughter an empress.

 

Then came the news of Mary’s marriage. Overnight, Mary Carlus became Mary Bledel.

 

In desperation, he left everything behind and rushed to Asha. When he met again, her response was cold.

 

<Did you think I was just going to sit here and wait for you? All I ever wanted was to be the Empress of Xenos, and now that you’re a fugitive, hunted by the crown prince, I think our relationship is long overdue.>

 

He dropped to his knees in a heap. Mary’s cold eyes tore his heart apart.

 

<Mary, please don’t do that. I shouldn’t have left you behind. I’ve done everything wrong, and I don’t care if it’s not me you want, but the Empress’ seat. I’ll give you anything you want. Even my life.>

 

<Get a hold of yourself and look straight at reality. You shouldn’t be here. Go back to Xenos right now.>

 

<Mary, please, for the sake of our child, please…….>

 

<It’s not your child. I’m sorry, but you’ve been tricked, so don’t look for me anymore. Now that I have a husband, I don’t want to see you like this anymore.>

 

Tears filled Mary’s eyes as she turned away, leaving him in despair. She, too, knew how the civil war in Xenos was playing out.

 

One day, the lady of Kris came to her, her haughty gaze resting on Mary’s stomach as if they were looking down at her. 

 

She casually spoke vile words to Mary, asking if she really intended to kill him, holding a child hostage.

 

‘Do you want to watch him get caught and hanged by his brother?’

 

The woman thrust words like a knife into Mary’s chest, urging her to part with him.

 

Sadly, she was the only one who could save Eliope. If her family ruled in favor of Eliope, the whole situation would be over.

 

Mary was willing to sacrifice herself to save her beloved, if she could prevent him from dying.

 

With Kris’ forces at his back, he who had once been disadvantaged spread his wings and began to soar. The empire was restored to stability, and Eliope became the next emperor.

 

However, the seat next to him was not Mary’s. The Kris family’s young daughter became an Empress, just as they had hoped.

 

Having made a great contribution to suppressing the rebellion, Kris became a strong support base for the empress enough to keep Eliope in check.

 

“Mary…”

 

He murmured her name as if he were possessed by something, the hand holding the paper trembling slightly with the storm of emotion.

 

Her message was clear.

 

[I have something I must tell you in person. I’ll be waiting for you at the Maccabi Cliff, but be sure to come alone, as the Empress’ spies may be there.]

 

A million thoughts raced through his head. Could this mean that Mary was already in Xenos?

 

How could this letter have gotten through? Did the Duke of Bledel let her go?

 

Then he read the part where Mary mentions the Empress, and his resolve seems to crumble.

 

It wasn’t long after Xenos regained stability that he learned what the Empress had done to her. She had visited her, threatened her with his life, and forced her to marry another man.

 

He trembled with anger and betrayal when he found out that the empress had censored all correspondence entering the imperial palace. He did not punish the empress.

 

He warned her that doing this would wipe out all debts he owed to the Kris family, and if she ever touched Mary, he would never forgive her. 

 

The whole situation was questionable, but her straight handwriting and favia ring were enough to paralyze his rational judgment.

 

There was only one thought in his mind now. The Maccabi Cliff. And beside it, the Poisonwood Forest. The place where he was experimenting to develop his magical weapon.

 

If Mary should happen to wander into the wrong place…… he had no time to hesitate any longer.

 

“I’m going to Maccabi. Don’t let anyone follow. I’ll go alone.”

 

It was Nathan, the captain of the Guards, who stopped the excited Emperor Eliope. He spoke bluntly to the emperor.

 

“Your Majesty, it is imprudent to make such a rash move based on a single letter. It’s not too late for you to assess the situation.”

 

“Get out of the way.”

 

There was an eerie edge to Eliope’s voice. The Emperor really was ready to kill the Captain of the Guard right now.

 

Under the Emperor’s murderous gaze, Nathan remained silent, unwilling to move out of the way. Despite knowing how loyal he was, an uncontrollable rage welled up in him.

 

Without realizing it, Eliope unleashed a blast of blue energy from her hand, which struck Nathan squarely in the abdomen.

 

A weak groan escaped Nathan’s mouth.

 

But he remained steadfast, unwilling to back down from the Emperor’s presence. He knew how powerful the Emperor’s magic was.

 

Still, he had never once neglected his duty to escort the Emperor. It worried him that the Emperor, who was usually so stoic, would become so emotional over a single letter.

 

He couldn’t shake the feeling that some dangerous plot might be hiding. If anything happens to the emperor, he will suffer guilt for the rest of his life.

 

In the end, Eliope led only a handful of knights, including Nathan, to the cliffs of Maccabi.

 

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“My dear, such a dangerous place is not for the faint of heart.”

 

A woman approached Alexis as he entered the Maccabi Cliff. She licked the dagger she was holding with her tongue with a sly smile.

 

He recognized the dangerous aura emanating from the mysterious woman. Cautiously, he placed a hand on the sword at his waist.

 

“You better be careful, or the bad guys will get you.”

 

“What are you……?”

 

Just then, a group of black-clad men emerged from hiding in the bushes around the cliff, each with a strange mark on their neck.

 

Some of them had grotesque patterns in the shape of demons extending up to their chins.

 

“The black mages.”

 

These were the homicidal maniacs he had heard of, the ones who offered their souls to the devil to use black magic. It is said that the eyes of the black mage bear the grudge of the dead.

 

They were like cursed dolls, their eyes so black that you couldn’t see their pupils. The demonic eyes turned toward him in unison.

 

A chill ran down his spine at the ominous thought that he might die here today. He hastily drew his sword and took a defensive stance.

 

The woman watched him with a relaxed smile on her face.

 

 

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊