Chapter 49 The Arrogant One
“There was only one person who wanted to kill the child in my womb, and there was only one person who wanted to kill the emperor who loved me!”
The woman shuddered, her whole body shaking. Her fever was rising, and she felt as if a flame would burst forth from somewhere inside her at any moment.
“Everyone in this world knows who that one person is. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it!”
With a thud, the tension in her body took its toll, and she collapsed, coughing up blood. Her whole body shook violently, as if she were having a seizure.
Killion gestured to Windler, and Windler pulled a small vial from his bosom.
“Holy water from the Great War. It’s a good painkiller and a cure.”
She knew holy water was the best of all remedies. But even as she writhed in agony, Madame Brienne could not bring herself to reach for it.
“It’s your choice,” he said, “… If you doubt it, don’t drink it.”
“…”
Windler counted to himself. If she didn’t hand it over in ten seconds, she would bite her hand again.
Madame Brienne didn’t think long. Even if what was in that vial was poison, it couldn’t hurt.
She was destined to be executed by guillotine anyway.
It was a hundred times better to die here, alone and in secret, than to have her throat cut in front of everyone.
She stretched out her hand and took the vial. Without taking a breath, she swallowed the drug in one gulp.
Fortunately or unfortunately, Madame Brienne did not die. She could feel the pain lessening.
But her face contorted into a wretched grimace, as she did not know whether to rejoice or grieve.
***
As soon as they left the dungeon, Windler spoke in a worried voice.
“Your Excellency, what are you going to do? This is a woman who has already admitted all her crimes at the trial. You’ve crossed the line.”
“…”
“There’s no turning back now, you won’t be able to save her.”
Killion listened to the increasingly angry voices and finally spoke.
“We have to find a way. She’s an innocent victim, isn’t she?”
“But…”
“Death is too harsh a punishment for a crime she didn’t commit.”
Killion was right. But Windler couldn’t help but nod.
He was right.
The water has already been spilled. Madame Brienne has been branded the murderer of the Emperor, and her execution date has already been set.
There was nothing she could do to turn back the tide. Everyone in the world wanted her dead.
But why Killion didn’t want to admit it, he didn’t know.
“I must see the Emperor.”
Killion’s pace quickened. Windler followed closely behind him.
“Do you think His Majesty will listen?”
No one spoke aloud, but the general consensus was that if Madame Brienne was not the real culprit, it was the Empress and the current Emperor.
There was no way the current Emperor would let Madame Brienne live.
Killion must have known this, and yet he had no intention of backing down. His lips were set in a straight line, his determination transparent.
“I must try.”
Madame Brienne’s admission of guilt lacked substance.
The evidence was equally lacking: it was a bit of a stretch to accuse her of arson and murder.
She was a newly crowned emperor. A normal emperor would have been wary of the public eye and wouldn’t have pushed for something so early in his reign that defied reason and logic.
He would listen to his own conscience.
Killion wanted to believe that.
“Let’s hope it works.”
Windler’s stomach churned, but he said no more. It was clear as day that anything more he said would never reach Killion’s ears.
***
The Emperor’s Reality.
Standing in front of Jonathan, Killion bowed his head in respect.
“I am pleased to see His Imperial Majesty.”
“Welcome, Chancellor.”
Jonathan’s voice was bright and cheerful, but his eyes were not. There’s something sharp in his gaze, Killion thought.
In a polite manner and voice, Killion spoke of the possibility that Madame Brienne had been falsely accused.
“This is a woman who was severely burned and miscarried a child. There’s a doctor’s note that says she’s very anxious and not of sound mind.”
“…”
“We can’t take her word for it when she admitted her guilt at the trial.”
Jonathan’s brow narrowed as he listened to Killion’s explanation, but Killion didn’t seem to notice as he continued.
“On the night of the accident, the Emperor and Madame Brienne went to bed together early after a half-bath. They say they drank tea to help them sleep. Here are those statements.”
“Hmphhh…”
A ragged breath escaped Jonathan’s mouth.
“The oil and lanterns found at the point of ignition were found to be arson tools, but that wasn’t the only thing.”
“Not just that? What else was found?”
Jonathan asked, his biggest reaction yet. Killion nodded, answering the Emperor’s question.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We have found traces of the magic circle. The oil and lanterns were a trick of the eye, and the fire that killed His Imperial Majesty the Good Emperor was caused by the magic circle.”
“That, that… why have you only discovered that now, isn’t it too late?”
Jonathan asked, his entire face frowning.
“Our initial investigation was lacking in some areas. I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Hmphhh…”
The traces of the magic circle were very faint, and it was not easy to find them, so it was only after much investigation that we found them.
It seemed that the opponents were also cunning, and they had planned ahead to leave no trace of the magic circle.
Jonathan frowned. He sighed, a groan of agony.
No wonder. This was no ordinary case, this was the murder of the Emperor.
“We can’t just change the sentence now. You know it well, don’t you? It’s impossible.”
“Yes, sir. I am aware of that. But I beg of you, Your Majesty, to spare her the death penalty, if not life imprisonment. If Madame Brienne is executed, any future investigations to find the real culprit will be hampered.”
“…”
“It would also be easier to catch the real culprit if she were alive, Your Majesty, for the heinous crime of murdering the Good Emperor.”
Killion spoke, syllable by syllable, word by word. It was spoken with such intensity of will and energy that even the Emperor couldn’t help but interrupt him or vomit.
Jonathan’s eyebrows twitched in displeasure.
He was furious with Killion for not daring to kill her in front of the Emperor, and he felt ashamed of himself for allowing him to be crushed by Killion, who was only one of his subjects.
Irritation and anger welled up in him, but Jonathan hid his expression.
“I’ll think about it. Leave those materials behind. I’ll have a good look through them.”
“Thank you for your graciousness, Your Majesty.”
With a polite bow, Killion exited the Altered Realm.
As soon as the massive, ornate golden doors closed behind him, Jonathan tore the materials from Killion to shreds.
He scattered them nervously across the floor and shuddered. His face flushed bright red.
“Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me what to do? I’m the emperor, you don’t know your place, you’re arrogant …, you’re a bastard I’ll be killing soon enough!”
The words flew out of Jonathan’s mouth in a torrent of profanity, and he slammed his fist down on the table in frustration.
That’s when he remembered the Empress’s words.
‘Don’t share your birthright with others. Don’t be weak, don’t make concessions. Don’t leave them alone.’
The Empress was right. If you make concessions and show weakness, many people will try to climb over your head without knowing what they are doing.
Especially someone like Killion Drea.
“I can’t let him get away with it! I’m going to bring that arrogant bastard down by any means necessary!”
***
In a carriage leaving the palace. Sitting across from each other, Killion and Windler were in a heated conversation.
“The Emperor has said he will consider it. I’ve done what I can, now we just have to wait.”
Killion was a little hopeful, noting that the Emperor hadn’t raised his voice or interrupted him.
But Windler’s thoughts were unchanged. The Emperor would never reverse the death sentence.
He shook his head inwardly, but didn’t show it, instead changing the subject.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Your Excellency, don’t you think you should leave some energy to run your private life?”
“Private life…? What do you mean by that?”
“What do you mean, your Excellency’s recent private life?”
Killion gave Windler a look that said he didn’t know what he was talking about at the moment. He wrinkled his brow darkly and asked questionably.
“What is it, stop going round in circles and tell me.”
“A… you think I don’t know?”
Windler chuckled, then spoke up when he saw Killion’s entire face grow increasingly grim.
“Jediel and his mum.”
“Jediel and his mum?”
Jediel’s mum had only been briefly mentioned when he first met her. But why was Jediel’s mum coming up here? Killion’s face crumpled even more.
Windler’s face contorted as well.
‘Uh, isn’t this… What is this reaction, something’s not right?’
Windler’s palms began to sweat as the situation spiraled out of control. He calmed his trembling chest and began to explain.
“Didn’t you start the nationalization of nurseries when you became interested in a child named Jediel, Your Excellency?”
“That’s right.”
“And when you became interested in Jediel’s mum, didn’t you start a business utilizing horse tools, Your Excellency?”
“That, too, is an interest in Jediel, not his mother. I’ve always wanted to meet her, but I haven’t yet.”
