Chapter 3_How Did It Come to This?

Ha!

A woman who faints from a kiss, that’s a first. Well, it’s been so long that he couldn’t even remember the last time he kissed a woman.

The first and last time was a mere pretense at the wedding. He had been obsessed with other things since then. The fact that he was more excited than he had ever been by such a passionate kiss, to the point where his whole body ached, intrigued him. And it was with Bellita. He had been so engrossed in her mouth, even letting out moans, that he had to forcibly stop.

Because her body had gone limp. As he looked down at her, catching his breath, he saw her face had turned even paler, with scratches here and there, like a damaged doll. His eyes suddenly narrowed.

Scratches…

Still, Bellita’s appearance, fainted and limp, remained unchanged. She looked like a delicate angel. On closer inspection, her lips were noticeably swollen. The frown on his face returned to its original state.

Just from a kiss. Tsk.

After confirming she was breathing, he stayed still for a moment.

What to do now… We have to go back.

It meant he had to take this woman with him. For someone who hated troublesome things, this was a moment of concern. The fact that Bellita’s bizarre behavior today had piqued his interest was undeniable.

But how had things been until now? A relationship formed out of political strategy. An Empress who only caused problems. She was a presence better off gone. But today, the justification to kill her had arisen.

A crime that endangered the position of the Empress. A crime that insulted him and the Imperial Family. So, he should have killed her already. Even if he abandoned her here, his goal would be achieved. She would become a useful meal for the wild beasts.

He stood up immediately, fearing he might change his mind.

***

At the Emperor’s signal to retreat, the elite guard unit of the Imperial Guard, gathered at the foot of the mountain, quietly waited for their lord.

He’s later than expected.

Anton, the captain of the guard, moved his large body from his horse to the ground. Everyone must have thought the same.

They knew the plan was to kill the troublesome Empress and come down.

How did he kill her?

It’s obvious. Her head must be severed.

No matter what the Empress had done, the Emperor had always tolerated it, but running away like this and disgracing the Empress’s position was an immediate execution. Anyone who dishonored the Imperial Family faced death. Anton and everyone else saw that the Empress looked different from usual, but she was still the Adulterous Empress. She deserved to die.

How arrogantly she had behaved towards the Emperor!

Anton knew this better than anyone, having served the Emperor closely. He had never seen anyone so detestable. For the first time, he thought it unfair that such beauty was given to the worst Empress. No matter how enchanting her beauty was to other men, to Anton, she only looked wicked. Though he wouldn’t see that face anymore.

A being that brought disgrace to the holy and great Emperor. A being that should disappear.

Now the goal was achieved…

Gasp!

Suddenly, the air around them tightened with tension. The eyes of all the soldiers waiting froze. Anton, even more so, couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He expected the Emperor to come down alone. But he wasn’t alone. Moreover, he was carrying the Empress in his arms. Hoping it was an illusion, Anton blinked several times, but the Emperor’s figure, approaching steadily, only grew clearer, making him stiffen even more.

Don’t say a word!

Receiving the Emperor’s gaze, Anton immediately bowed his head.

As the Emperor wishes.

Swearing loyalty no matter what, Anton helped the Emperor mount his horse. Even as the Emperor mounted, he placed the Empress in front of him, wrapped her carefully in his cloak, and held her again, all with a blank expression. Seeing the Empress’s head, with her reddish-brown hair sticking out, tightly wrapped in the Emperor’s arms, Anton suppressed all emotions and commanded everyone.

“To the Imperial Palace!”

With a loud noise, all the horses began to run, and Anton drove his horse from the rear, as if to protect them.

The Empress was alive. In the Emperor’s arms, no less.

Though his mind was in turmoil, Anton firmly believed the Emperor had another plan and spurred his horse onward.

As they returned to the Imperial Palace, the moonlight shone brighter than ever, illuminating their path.

***

Ugh…

Her whole body ached. Without even opening her eyes, she moved her heavy body to the other side. But she immediately let out a groan and had to curl her limbs. Her body ached and throbbed everywhere. Opening her eyes slightly, she first checked her condition.

Why am I in so much pain… Ah!

Confirming the bandages wrapped around her arms, she let out a scream at the sight of her surroundings.

Where… is this?

The large bed she was lying on and the grand room around her. Everything she saw was luxurious and fancy. It felt like she was in a museum, seeing such high-class interior for the first time. It was clear this wasn’t Korea, and she instinctively knew this was the Imperial Palace.

The bright moonlight pouring through the high, wide window was so dazzling it made her eyes water. Actually, tears were welling up for another reason. The horrifying incident in the mountains had happened just a few hours ago.

Three syllables came to mind again.

Bel. Li. Ta.

It wasn’t a dream, it really happened.

I really possessed Bellita.

What do I do now? How did it come to this?

Running away.

Almost dying.

Kissing.

Ah.

At that part, her tears stopped.

The Emperor!

Those rough and hot lips.

The forceful penetration.

Her face turned beet red, as if it would burst.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, she shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. After a moment of deep breathing, she felt a bit calmer. She remembered the brutal kiss but had no recollection of what happened next or how she ended up here.

Phew…

A groan escaped her lips.

Click.

Suddenly, hearing the sound of the door, she quickly closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. Footsteps approached her.

“I know you’re awake, so open your eyes, Princess.”

Princess? Wasn’t Bellita the Empress?

The voice, neither scolding nor soothing, but somewhere in between, belonged to a lady standing before her, causing her to reluctantly open her eyes and look up.

She had been so anxious, fearing it was the terrifying Emperor. Fortunately, it was a petite lady with swollen eyes looking down at her, but she had no idea who she was. The original work hardly described the people around Bellita, as she was a character who died quickly. She didn’t know how to deal with this lady.

Seeing Bellita’s blue eyes cloud over, the nanny felt only pity. Her princess should be happy, and she lived for that purpose. Carefully, the nanny helped Princess Bellita sit up. It would be disastrous if her wounds reopened.

“Thank you, Madame.”

“Are you joking right now?”

The lady, surprised by her words, scolded her as if rebuking her. 

Was my tone odd?

“Are you trying to make this nanny die early?”

Surprised by the lady’s strong tone, she nodded without realizing it.

“I’ll prepare the bathwater right away.”

The nanny, who knew how much the princess hated being dirty, commanded the maids swiftly, even though it was early morning.

A partition stood on one side of the large room, beyond which was a large bathtub. The attendants filled it with hot water, and the nanny told her to get in. Having wandered through the mountains, she wanted to wash, so she was glad. The nanny kindly explained that the oil she applied to the wounds would prevent pain when water touched them.

Feeling awkward about being attended to and embarrassed to show her n*ked body, she ordered no one to enter the partition and gently submerged her still aching body into the warm water.

Ah…

Her bent body felt relieved. She let out a sigh of relief. She swirled the water with her hand, looking at the dozens of flowers floating in the large bathtub.

[It’s marigold. It’s good for wounds, so we used it instead of roses today.]

Seeing her wide eyes before entering the bathtub, the nanny kindly explained. She was surprised by the numerous flowers floating, not the absence of roses, but the nanny seemed to misunderstand. But…

Is it okay for this body, Bellita, to be alive like this? Then what happens to the original novel? The story starts after Bellita dies. Does that mean I will eventually be killed as the story progresses, even if the timing is delayed?

She shivered. The warmth of the bathwater, like a hot spring, was a great comfort.

Looking at her body submerged in the warm water, she saw the bloody wounds on her limbs. Just seeing them brought back the horror of that time. But…

Her body, her visible limbs, and other parts were incredibly fair and slender. Her chest, too, was perfectly round and full, showing off a fantastic figure. If her body made her heart race, how much more did it captivate men? She could understand how many men she had seduced with this body.

“Your Highness.”

Huh?

She had ordered no one to enter.

Suddenly, a pretty maid appeared, bowing politely, startling her. She hurriedly covered her important parts with her hands. Though the maid was there to attend to her bath, she wanted to avoid the embarrassment of showing her n*ked body, even to another woman.

“I said… not to come in…”

Even as she spoke, the maid ignored her and started undressing.

“Hey… I’ll do it myself, so please leave…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence and froze.

The maid, now undressed… had… something… between her legs…

It was strange.

Something… was dangling.

Her mind went blank, unable to comprehend. She couldn’t breathe, staring blankly at the maid approaching her. Then.

That thing… dangled.

Finally, her brain registered what it was!

“Ahhh!!!!!!!”