And as far as she could remember, the Emperor hadn’t even wanted this night to happen.

He had only done it because the vow required it.

So what game was he playing now?

“What… what are you saying? Why would I ever…”

“Who knows…you might be surprisingly good at it.”

With that, the Emperor raised his left hand and brought it to the back of Freya’s neck.

His fingers slid down slowly, tracing the line between her collarbones.

“…!”

Frightened and stunned, Freya immediately stumbled backwards.

If the Marquis Lambert hadn’t already been tied to the executioner’s pole, Freya might have lost all restraint and slapped the Emperor in the face.

But this wasn’t a situation where she could afford to do that.

Her clenched fists trembled with humiliation.

Her face had turned deep red from the neck down.

‘What am I going to do…?’

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s blue eyes showed not the slightest flicker of emotion.

With his expression completely unchanged, he stared down at her arrogantly –

As if daring her to do whatever she wanted, since everything depended on her.

Freya struggled to breathe, forcing herself to keep her composure even as anger rose inside her.

Her mouth was unbearably dry.

‘If I refuse his offer…’

An innocent man—Marquis Lambert—would suffer horrifically, burned alive before the eyes of the Empire’s people.

It was a fate too cruel to even imagine.

‘If I accept…’

That too was terrible in its own way.

She, a former queen, would be reduced to begging the emperor of a conquering nation for mercy – with her body.

It was unbearable. She felt tears stinging behind her eyes.

As Freya tried to catch her breath, the Emperor silently took a step closer.

The way he moved was threatening, as if he wanted her to make a decision.

His eyes, blue as a frozen lake, gleamed coldly as they locked onto her violet ones – eyes that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

“Ah-“

Instinctively stepping back, Freya stumbled.

Her already weakened legs couldn’t support her any longer.

At that moment, the Emperor quickly pulled Freya into his arms.

He took a deep breath and looked down at her.

And to her surprise, the ice-cold glint in his eyes had softened considerably.

It was the same strangely tender look she’d seen before, the one that stirred something uncertain in her –

The one she couldn’t place, but felt she’d seen somewhere before.

Freya was overcome by confusion.

“You’re… more frightened than I thought.”

Then his strong arms released her.

“I’m sorry… I’m not such a foolish emperor, If I have misled you, I apologise.”

As Freya looked up at him, her eyes filled with resentment, the Emperor simply curled his lips into a smile.

It was a cruel smile – brutal.

❖ ❖ ❖

A cool breeze swept through the dimly lit execution grounds as dusk fell.

Even the stifling summer heat, which had lingered long after sunset for the past few days, seemed to ease now.

Although the execution had been announced without warning, the gates had been quickly opened and the area was packed with people.

Those who’d managed to get a place near the pyre early on squared their shoulders proudly, glad to be able to watch the spectacle up close.

For them, the execution – especially of a foreign criminal – was nothing more or less than a thrilling diversion, a festival that broke the monotony of everyday life.

A man took a large mug of beer in his hand and offered a well grilled sausage to his child, who smiled brightly and eagerly put it in his mouth.

“Get your sausages here! Freshly grilled and delicious!”

“Ice cold beer for sale! Juice for the kids – sweet, refreshing juice too!”

A public execution was an excellent business opportunity for merchants.

They moved among the gathered crowds, selling beer, drinks, sausages and other simple snacks.

In this way, people of all ages, men and women alike, waited with anticipation for the festivities to begin, and the atmosphere became more and more lively.

Until now, most of the burnings had taken place in the central square of the capital.

But today’s execution had been decided so suddenly that it would take place here instead, with the city gates opened especially for the occasion.

This made people even more excited about the chance to catch a glimpse of the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor resided.

“The glorious sun of the Empire – His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”

At last, as the Emperor’s entrance was announced, the crowd bowed deeply in unison to greet their sovereign sun.

A high, raised platform had been erected where the pyre could best be seen, adorned as always with an elaborate throne befitting the Emperor.

Behind it, the high nobles seated in the viewing gallery rose in turn to pay their respects.

When the Emperor finally took his seat and gave instructions to an attendant, an extra seat was quickly prepared beside him.

Noticing this, the crowd began to whisper to each other with curious, excited eyes.

“What’s that seat for?”

“They say the former Empress Tana has returned – could that seat be for her?”

Just then, a carriage bearing the Imperial Crest passed through the path leading from the palace and arrived at the entrance to the execution grounds.

A woman slowly stepped out.

“That’s not the former Empress, is it?”

“Then… who is she?”

Those who managed to get a good look at the woman stepping out of the carriage tilted their heads in confusion.

Every citizen of the Empire knew of the former Empress Tana’s jet-black hair and crimson eyes.

It was a famous story how Emperor Seth, known throughout the land for his countless affairs, had become completely obsessed with her beauty.

It had led to a bizarre trend: every woman with a sense of fashion in the Empire tried desperately to emulate her appearance.

Noblewomen and the daughters of wealthy merchants rushed to buy expensive potions in the hope of obtaining black hair and red eyes.

Those who couldn’t afford it settled for dying their hair black, even if they couldn’t change the colour of their eyes.

But the trend didn’t last long.

Most women ended up with dull, crow-black hair instead of the glossy black of black pearls, and eerie red eyes instead of dazzling ruby irises – giving off an air of menace rather than allure.

“This woman is also incredibly beautiful, but her hair is silver!”

“And they say – those at the front claim – her eyes are violet!”

“What? Eyes like that really exist?”

The murmur of the crowd even reached his ears.

‘Silver hair, violet eyes? Could it be…?’

The thin, frail body tied to the pillar suddenly lifted its head.

Dry brown eyes followed the direction of the crowd’s gaze.

For a brief moment, the crowd’s attention, which had been focused on the condemned man at the stake, shifted to the mysterious woman.

As she slowly climbed the steps with the help of a maid, the crowd grew visibly excited.

“She’s not Lady Derigabel, is she?”

“Then who could she be?”

Lady Derigabel, rumoured to be a future Empress, was known to have blonde hair and blue eyes.

She was considered one of the most beautiful women in the Empire – perhaps second only to the former Empress Tana – so there were few who didn’t know her by name or reputation.

“But look at her… isn’t she breathtaking?”

“Her eyes… and her hair, it shines like strands of silver.”

Just as the crowd erupted into loud chatter, a broken voice escaped the dry, cracked lips of the man staring at the woman.

“…Your Majesty… the Queen.”

His hollow eyes, once devoid of the will to live, suddenly softened with aching grief.

Even from this distance, he could clearly see that her face had grown as pale as a sheet.

Tears flowed from his eyes again as he bowed his head.

❖ ❖ ❖

“This way, Your Majesty.”

The seat the servant led her to was right next to the Emperor.

Freya’s heart continued to pound in her chest as she sat and gazed at the Emperor, who stared emotionlessly ahead.

It was because of what he had said to her only moments earlier.

“The execution is about to begin. Why do you still hesitate?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

This was the same Emperor who had mocked her and spoken of pillow politics as if to humiliate her.

She frowned, suspecting another one of his cruel games –

But at that moment, the Emperor raised an eyebrow at her.

“Ah, that’s right. I forgot to mention.”

“Mention what?”

“Though the Empress cannot involve herself in politics…”

“…”

“You are required to attend all official events. Unless there are unavoidable circumstances, you cannot be absent.”

“…Excuse me?”

In other words, Freya was being told she had to witness Marquis Lambert’s body consumed by flames.

‘So the rumors weren’t exaggerated after all.’

There had been a time when she’d thought the stories of the Emperor as a merciless butcher were exaggerated – hard to believe.

But now she realised he was worse, not better.

That a human could be so cruel…

Freya felt utterly disgusted with herself for ever letting her guard down, even for a moment, around someone like him.

The words “I can’t possibly be a part of this” rose to her throat –

But they never left her lips.

Because of what the Emperor said next.

“If you wish to ease even a fraction of his suffering, then you must be with him.”

“…”

“He will not burn as quickly as you think. The torment will last a long time. Especially at this time of year… the air is quite humid, you see.

But…”

He looked at her calmly.

“For your sake, I’m willing to burn as much wood as it takes to ease his pain.”

Whether his words were entirely honest or not, Freya saw for herself.

Below, the executioners added more wood to the base of the pyre.

Though night had fallen, the execution ground was far from dark, lit by countless blazing torches.

From her perch, Freya could clearly see the Marquis tied to the stake, as well as the faces of the people gathered to watch.

‘Marquis Lambert…’