You are at the End of the Downfall

Kaela looked into her husband’s eyes, where various emotions were swirling.

She never expected to see such a diverse array of emotions filling those purple eyes that had always been so indifferent and empty. For her, it was an incredibly strange and rare sight.

“You always forget me.”

Kaela knew he was holding something back, though she didn’t know exactly what.

“To be precise, you’ve never had any interest in me. Even though I’ve desperately tried to prevent your death, you always forget me.”

His face, accompanied by a haha laugh, flickered with intermingling light and black darkness.

“Do you hate me, Kaela? Are you doing this because you hate me? Do you want me to be in pain and suffering? Is that why?”

His questioning voice and shattered expression didn’t seem human. It was chilling. Kaela reflexively shook her head.

“Yes. No. You don’t hate me. Because I’m not even worth hating.”

He laughed again, an inhuman laugh. His beautiful face was so beautiful that it was terrifying.

“I would have let you go if you wanted to live with another man. As long as you were alive, that would have been enough.”

He would have gone crazy with jealousy, circling around, his eyes turning blood-red. Driven mad by jealousy. Yet sometimes he thought that as long as she was alive, it was okay.

“You only ever think about dying, no matter where you go.”

Even though she had returned home after a long time, his wife still spoke of death casually, with nothing in her—no desire for revenge, no will to live.

“That’s why you didn’t even suggest divorce to me. You just decided to die.”

Peon nervously brushed back his hair and pleaded to her, “Wasn’t work interesting? You used to love working. Weren’t you happy meeting father-in-law? Didn’t you like your new dress, or the jewels I gave you, or the food you ate today that you wanted to eat again tomorrow?”

Don’t you want to enjoy more of everything you love, cherish, and adore?

“Don’t you want to learn more, or look forward to the summer roses next year? Isn’t sleeping with me enjoyable? Do you have any expectations for tomorrow?”

When no immediate response came and only her lips trembled, Peon smiled softly. Kaela’s shoulders hunched, but he didn’t care and held her in his arms.

“I know. There’s nothing more.”

No, there was something. There was something, but it wouldn’t last. She would only enjoy momentary pleasure before the end she had experienced would return. Because she had died before without even enjoying anything.

Kaela wanted to say this, but she was afraid of how Peon’s misaligned eyes would react if she did.

She didn’t know why she was concerned about what might happen to him, but she was afraid. She was suddenly bewildered, not knowing what she was afraid of.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

She herself didn’t know why she was acting this way. Strange thoughts were wildly mixing and floating in her mind today.

“I understand that Your Highness is feeling sorry, but…”

“But what?”

Peon asked her, who couldn’t continue speaking.

“Is it strange that I’m trying to be a proper husband now because I am sorry?”

There was a time when Peon had repeatedly begged Kaela, who never shed a single tear, not to cry. It was frustrating and absurd to hear from his perspective. How could he tell her not to cry when she wasn’t crying?

Kaela finally understood those words now. Peon was crying without a single drop of moisture on his face.

“Is it because I love Beatrice Ravalley and not you?”

With a voice wrung out in pain, she recited the predetermined statement dryly.

“Not you?”

Boom, boom, boom. The sound of victory drums seemed to come from somewhere. Boom, boom, boom. It was the sound of a heart she thought had completely died, screaming that it was alive.

“So, is this strange? Do you dislike it? Is it disgusting?”

Hearing the tiny but distinct beating of her heart, Kaela faced her husband, who continued asking questions with eyes devoid of light.

“Nevertheless, I can’t help it, Kaela.”

Peon smiled with a devastatingly tearful face. That smile was steeped in madness.

“I told you to resent me.”

Kaela barely opened her mouth.

“Is this because you want me to resent you for the rest of my life?”

Madness further consumed his beautiful face. With a darker expression, Peon savored the words that sounded too sweet. Then he answered honestly.

“Resent? That’s too much.”

He stared at her blankly as if dreaming, then smiled happily. It was too much for him. A thrilling shiver ran through him beyond mere pleasure.

“How good would it be if you resented me.”

In this barren land where nothing remained, how joyful it would be to barely salvage something as large as resentment.

“You don’t understand. I know I’m a crazy bastard. I’ve gone crazy like this, so what can I do? Don’t even dream of dying, just look at me. I’m going to set this country on fire, and you’ll just watch the flames beside me.”

Peon fixed his unfocused eyes directly on Kaela and spat out the words.

With each of his words, Kaela’s pulse beat faster and faster. Was it because of disgust? Anything would do. A weak hand carefully descended on her white, soft cheek.

“Don’t worry about being purged by Gregory and just look forward to what spectacle you’ll see tomorrow.”

“What have you done?”

“I just set something on fire.”

Peon frowned and kissed her.

“What can I do since you’re curious about such things? Why are you curious about Gregory? Are you that bored? Then play with me.”

He knows his wife has no future, and she only enjoys brief pleasures without expectations. He unbuttoned his shirt and wrapped his arm around her waist.

He pulled her small hand that instinctively touched his arm and draped it around his neck, then lifted her up. Kaela looked down at Peon from the suddenly elevated height. Her pulse was still racing.

“I’ll make it fun.”

“This is my father’s house.”

Her purple eyes curved, filled with heat.

“That’s why it’s more exciting. As long as you don’t make a sound, we won’t get caught.”

Kaela had been asleep for a long time, without any expectations. If she had one wish when falling asleep, it would be to never open her eyes again tomorrow. But she had developed one thing she wanted to see tomorrow.

“Ah.”

“What? Are you hurt? Where?”

She wanted to see this man thrashing, suffering, and confessing.

“My hand…it hurts when interlocked.”

“It hurts?”

“Yes. Your hand is too big, Your Highness.”

Peon looked at Kaela’s hand he was holding with disbelieving eyes.

After a while, her small hand was fully spread, unable to properly interlock with his grip, awkwardly bent slightly. He unlaced his fingers and completely enveloped her small hand as if swallowing it.

“I’m sorry. Did it hurt a lot? I didn’t know. I’m sorry I’m too big.”

She wanted to see him like this—apologizing helplessly, yet never letting go, kissing each knuckle of her fingers.

She wanted to see those eyes again tomorrow—the ones that wouldn’t budge when she slightly pushed away his large hand, looking at her like a child whose chocolate had been snatched away.

She wanted to see, and hear again. She wanted to hear his confession, swallowing his disgust while desperately clinging to her, screaming in hurt.

The scene of a man she thought would never collapse, mercilessly falling apart and going mad because of the insignificant Kaela de Chasser—it was entertaining. She felt a surge of elation.

Thump, thump. Her heart raced with excitement.

‘How despicable.’

****

The Emperor, who had suddenly brought up the Regency Law during the Crown Prince’s engagement week, turned the entire imperial palace upside down and didn’t even attend the eve ceremony.

The Crown Prince’s faction attended the eve ceremony with forced smiles, desperately trying to understand the Emperor’s thoughts while pretending nothing was wrong.

Beatrice also attended the eve ceremony with her mother, the Duchess of Monde, who had returned brilliantly after the imperial palace entry ban was lifted, but she couldn’t hide her exhaustion.

Since last night, the Emperor had been screaming at the Empress non-stop.

‘If you have the energy to scream, use it for something else at night.’

Beatrice thought, pressing her throbbing temples, unable to sleep properly. She wondered if the Emperor would have the mental capacity to attend the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony tomorrow.

‘He’s not in his right mind.’

The magical artifact she received from the upper-tier man had definitely worked properly.

It had seamlessly surrounded the Empress, preventing her from being caught by magic. Yet the Emperor continued to scream that the Empress was disappearing, grabbing her and demanding that magicians be called.

The Empress is right here, isn’t she? Why isn’t this magical artifact working properly? Evelyn!

That damn Evelyn. His voice, hoarse from shouting that name, still seemed to ring in her ears.

The massive diamond and pearl tiara on her head seemed to worsen her headache.

‘Should I have just worn a simple single-line diamond tiara instead?’ 

Beatrice glanced around and accidentally met Kaela’s gaze.

Kaela, with her characteristic dull eyes that irritated Beatrice, had her hair elaborately tied up with diamond threads, befitting a newly married woman.

And on top of that, she wore the tiara of the Princess of Ostein, famously gifted by the former Emperor.

‘Has she gone mad? That girl came wearing something so large, and I should just wear a single-line headband? Not a chance.’

Beatrice looked down at Kaela, who was holding a man’s hand tightly—the man she had been most interested in recently.

“Lady Ravalley.”

At the soft call, Beatrice turned her haughty gaze. A servant handed her a small note and then disappeared.

After reading the note, she left her seat and moved to the back. In a place where no one was watching, the head servant, Count Horhen, was standing with a pale face.

“Is His Majesty calling again?”

“He simply cannot calm down.”

“I explained everything properly.”

Beatrice knew how calm, almost cold, Count Horhen could be. He treated all of the Emperor’s mistresses with the same cut-and-dry attitude, and the mistresses, backed by the Emperor’s favor, never dared to challenge him.

Count Horhen was loyal to the Emperor. He had repeatedly told the Emperor all night long that “the Empress has not disappeared,” even being hit by pillows thrown by the Emperor.

Most likely, at this point where the sun had set, he had repeated the same explanation multiple times.

“Now he’s getting angry. He’s saying we’re all conspiring to deceive His Majesty.”

“What a headache. The magical artifact is working properly.”

Count Horhen shook his head heavily.

“Isn’t that so?”

Beatrice’s eyes widened in shock.

“He’s making a squeaking sound like a broken music box. His Majesty is looking for you.”

But she had no better options. Beatrice looked around the banquet hall where she should be taking charge, and reluctantly followed Count Horhen.

The Emperor sat slumped beside the Empress, just like last night, completely disregarding his son’s engagement, the Regency Law, or the diplomatic relations involving the Bayetta Naval Base.

“Your Majesty.”

“Come and look at this right away.”

Knowing he would get angry if she tried to be proper, Beatrice examined the magical artifact as instructed. The artifact, looking like a box placed by the bedside, was now making an ominous squeaking sound.

“All night, all night, that Gusalante bastard was messing with it. He used so much power that the magical artifact is worn out. Isn’t that right?”

Beatrice knew exactly how to respond in such moments.

“Yes, Your Majesty. That’s correct. The magical artifact has been overloaded.”

It was better to simply agree with the Emperor, saying the Empress was disappearing and the artifact was strange.

“That damn bastard! Knowing how much effort went into obtaining this artifact! Trying to steal Evelyn away! I’ll tear him to pieces!”

The Emperor hugged the limp Empress and screamed, though his voice was drained from not eating or resting all day.

For the first time, Beatrice found the scene revolting. She felt disgusted. The old man who kept crying that the Empress was disappearing, even though she had never disappeared since the artifact was activated, was simply mad.

“Your Majesty. Please calm down. You’re holding the Empress right now.”

The unusually rational Count Horhen was trying to calm the Emperor in his characteristically rational manner.

“If this artifact breaks, it’s all over! How dare this beast covet someone!”

The Emperor shuddered as if the thought was too horrifying.

“How dare something that isn’t even human…”

Before he could finish speaking, the light in the magical artifact, which had been diligently doing its job with its lid open, began to dim.

“Huh?”

Beatrice rushed toward the artifact.

“Aah!”

A small explosion erupted, covering her hand. While Beatrice screamed and grabbed her hand, the artifact that had been working perfectly moments ago had turned completely black.

“Ugh… Ugh…!”

As if mocking them, the artifact was charred black without a single spark. The Emperor made a strange groaning sound, looked down at his now-empty arms, and then collapsed, grabbing the back of his neck.