The Hated Empress Tames the Tyrant

The aide entered the meeting room at the same time as the knock.

From his attitude of not waiting for an answer and coming in, it seemed like a very urgent matter.

“What’s going on?”

Zion, who was uncomfortable, asked the aide.

“Well… it’s a bit awkward to tell you here…I think you should go to the office for a moment.”

“There are important guests here now.”

“But…”

At Zion’s cold words, the aide seemed to cry.

“…I will leave for a moment.”

Zion sighed briefly and got up from his seat. He seemed really reluctant to leave his seat now.

Before leaving, Zion bowed slightly towards Arundel.

“…If something happens, scream.”

Zion whispered in Arundel’s ear.

Arundel looked at him, wondering if he was really worried about that. Zion was making a face as if he was really worried.

Arundel herself had no thoughts.

What could the crown prince, who came as a messenger of death, do to him, the empress?

The guards were on standby right outside, and Zion would be back soon.

When Zion left his seat, there was an awkward atmosphere in the meeting room.

It was more so because he had been saying useless things like “the beautiful empress”, “it would be sad if you neglect the empress”.

Arundel just drank the tea in front of her diligently.

“How have you been, Your Majesty the Empress?”

The silence that had enveloped the two was broken by the Crown Prince’s words.

“Yes…?”

However, it was a difficult question to answer.

“I was just wondering if you’ve been enjoying life lately.”

“I… I’ve been having fun lately. How about you, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

Arundel answered appropriately and asked him back.

For some reason, it felt like she should ask.

“I’ve been bored and dull all the time.”

He sipped his tea with an expression that seemed truly bored. He slowly raised his head and looked at Arundel as he spoke.

“Until I met Her Majesty the Empress.”

At the Crown Prince’s smiling words, Arundel felt a chill for a moment.

‘Is he really crazy…?’

Arundel began to feel a sense of unease.

She had laughed at the worry Zion had before he left, but the way the Crown Prince looked at her felt dangerous, as if he had found an interesting toy.

For a moment, she was worried that he might really do something dangerous.

“…I’m glad you think well of me.”

Arundel, who had been hesitating about what to say, finally spoke.

Once again, silence hung between the two.

Arundel, who had been looking around, glanced at the Crown Prince.

She thought he was a pretty man when he got off the carriage, but looking at him closely, he was really beautiful.

His skin was whiter than the average woman’s and his lips were red. She looked closely to see if he had applied anything, but it seemed natural. His eyes were big and his double eyelids were beautifully positioned like a doll’s.

He was not as much as Zion, but he was a man of great beauty.

‘Come to think of it…’

His pupils were ‘purple’.

Arundel thought hard.

To Arundel, an angel, purple pupils were familiar. It was because demons often had purple pupils, but she didn’t know if this was common for humans.

Aware that he was being watched, the Crown Prince spoke with a smile as if he was amused.

“It’s not a common color for humans.”

At Rik’s words, which seemed to read her mind, Arundel looked at him with surprised eyes.

“It might be for a demon.”

He smiled and greeted her again. Arundel’s eyes shook from side to side in surprise.

“…!”

“Nice to meet you, Arundel.”

“How… how…!”

He continued to speak cheekily.

“Do you want to find out who I am?”

“How would I know!”

“It’s disappointing. I’ve been waiting for you to find out.”

At Arundel’s reaction, the Crown Prince pretended to be disappointed.

“It’s me, Hills.”

“…Hills?”

“Right. It’s the great demon ‘Hills’.”

At the words of the Crown Prince, or rather Hills, Arundel’s face crumpled fiercely.

“You bastard, do you know where you are…!”

Arundel got up, hitting the table in front of her with both hands. Her eyes were trembling.

“If an angel speaks so harshly, it hurts.”

Arundel rushed out of her seat and grabbed Hills by the collar.

“I’m going through all this trouble because of someone right now…!”

“So that’s why I came to help you like this.”

Hills spoke cheekily to the point of being cunning. Arundel let go of his collar as if throwing it away.

“Stop talking nonsense. What happened to the real Crown Prince?”

“His soul is fine, so don’t worry. This body is just borrowed.”

That’s why Arundel hated demons. They only care about their own fun. They don’t care at all about what happens to others.

Even now.

He had entered the body of the kingdom’s crown prince and was acting as he pleased. There was no thought at all about what results such reckless actions of an important position as the Crown Prince could bring.

The one in the body of Crown Prince Rik was a demon called ‘Hills’. He was one of the top-ranking demons and had a very powerful force.

If he were to clash with Zion, it would be a ‘great disaster’.

“What were you thinking when you did this?”

“I told you. I came to help you.”

“Please…shut up!”

At his attitude, which couldn’t find a grain of seriousness, Arundel’s head started to throb.

“Really. I’m really serious.”

“How did you know I was here!”

“Heh, I had a hard time finding out.”

Arundel glared at him with fierce eyes.

He was a demon she never wanted to see again, but he found her like a leech.

Hills, who looked complicated, opened his mouth in a reclining position.

“Isn’t it just a matter of dealing with that kid? It’s not hard.”

“Ha…”

“Don’t you like it? Then how about becoming a fallen angel? If it’s Arundel, you might be able to challenge the position of the Devil. If you want, I can help with that too.”

Arundel flinched for a moment at the mention of a fallen angel.

Usually, when angels are banished from heaven, they lose their purpose and their existence disappears.

Some of them ally with demons and become fallen angels, but that was a conclusion that Arundel absolutely did not want to face.

It was better to disappear than to become one of the demons. That’s how much Arundel hated demons.

“It’s not a joke. It might be possible if it’s Arundel. After the 2nd Heaven-Demon War, you even got fans in the demon world.”

He laughed playfully, but contrary to him, Arundel’s expression was getting harder and harder.

“You’re more troublesome than I thought. Let’s deal with that kid after all. He’s strong, but he’s just a human…Uh-uh.”

Suddenly, at the sound of the door opening, Arundel quickly covered Hills’ mouth.

“Excuse me. There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

Zion returned with a not-so-happy face.

Fortunately, before he fully entered, she quickly sat down at superhuman speed.

Zion looked at Arundel as soon as he arrived, as if asking if anything had happened.

Arundel just gave an awkward smile.

“The lower ones often make such mistakes. Please forgive them generously, Your Majesty.”

Hills, who was caught by Arundel and had his clothes crumpled, smoothed his clothes and spoke with a smile.

Looking at Hills’ playful expression, it was clear that he was the one who had caused Zion to be called in.

Demons with high magic power could control humans with weak minds. Hills had used his powers to create a time for the two of them to talk.

“Your Highness must be tired from the long journey, I will guide you to a place to rest.”

Zion seemed to want to end this situation quickly. Fortunately, Hills agreed without any further words.

Zion said he would guide Hills to the guest room and left with him. The maid who had been waiting in front came running to Arundel.

“Your Majesty, are you okay? You look pale.”

Arundel wanted to reassure the maid, who was worried, but she simply couldn’t afford to.

“Let’s go back quickly.”

At Arundel’s weak voice, the maids moved busily.

Arundel had to return to the Empress’s Palace quickly and think about this situation again.

Arundel, who had returned to the Empress’s Palace, lay down on the bed without even changing her clothes.

She thought things were going well, but the situation became complicated when a demon intervened. Moreover, ‘Hills’ had entered the body of ‘Rik’, the crown prince of another country.

If such an important person moved thoughtlessly, it could lead to a big problem.

In the worst-case scenario, a war could break out.

It was hard enough dealing with Zion, but now a top-ranking demon was involved.

Arundel resented the heavens.

As Arundel was resenting the god Mannheim, she suddenly wondered.

‘…Come to think of it, how can I know if the conditions have been met?’

Thinking about it, changing Zion was a very vague condition.

The fact that he had changed into a ruler of great benevolence and virtue was a difficult fact to prove objectively.

First of all, a precise criterion was needed to say that the condition had been reached. To be sure, she had to meet the god Mannheim.

Having finished her thoughts, Arundel moved her body to a secluded corner of the garden of the Empress Palace. Arundel looked at the sky and shouted.

“Mannheim-! God-! Mannheim-!”

Arundel sat huddled in a secluded spot and called Mannheim so that others wouldn’t hear. In fact, she didn’t know if he would appear just by doing this, but she called him anyway.

But as expected, he did not appear.

She was about to get up to find another way when suddenly.

‘Hmm… But why am I suddenly sleepy…?’

Arundel, who felt as if she had taken a sleeping pill, could not resist the drowsiness and fell asleep in that huddled position.

When she opened her eyes, a pure white space greeted Arundel. In this unreal space, Arundel stroked her chin.

“Mannheim?”

“It’s been a long time, Arundel.”

Sure enough. This pure white, transcendent feeling space was just Mannheim’s taste. He really liked this unrealistic space, as if to show off that he was a god.

“Why did you call me?”

“Ah, it’s not that. There’s something I need to be precise about.”

“What is it?”

“Well, how can I prove that Zion has become a ruler of great benevolence and virtue enough not to turn the empire into a sea of fire?”

At Arundel’s question, Mannheim laughed kindly.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t tell you about that.”

“…Yes.”

“The proof of that is Arundel’s ‘power’.”

It would be nice if he could explain it a little easier.

Arundel’s face crumpled in confusion, unable to understand what he was saying.

“Power…?”

“Yes. As fate flows in the right direction, Arundel’s power will return.”

Arundel, who understood, nodded her head. She could definitely know that.

And the fact that the power is returning was very good news for Arundel.

But it was still too early to be happy.

“Do you know? A demon has intervened in this matter.”

Arundel spoke to Mannheim with a displeased face.

“Hahaha, things are going interestingly.”

Suddenly, irritation surged. He talks like that because it’s not his business, right?

Arundel criticized Mannheim internally.

“Don’t worry. Arundel is doing well enough now.”

“…Is that so?”

At Mannheim’s words that she was doing well, Arundel’s bad mood improved a bit. Arundel was a bit thin-skinned.

“Then go back and use your power. Some of it should have already returned.”