The Beast Bit The Throat of the Late Empress - Chapter 15

“I didn’t think about decorating the carriage. It’s my oversight.”

“It’s fine. Since when have I ever ridden in a carriage anyway?”

“From now on, you should ride in one. I’ll have it fixed right away.”

For the long-awaited outing, they had searched the stables and found a dusty carriage in a corner, but it couldn’t be used. It was because the eagle insignia, the symbol of the Frentz family, was prominently displayed on it. Instead of the carriage, Finn brought out three horses, and Divlik dismissed one of them.

“Two will be enough.”

“What? Ah, are you planning to carry the former empress yourself? Won’t that be uncomfortable?”

“What discomfort would I have? It’s the former empress who will be uncomfortable.”

Divlik snickered and finished preparing by putting a saddle on the horse. After waiting for quite some time by the fountain in front of the castle’s main gate, Eva still hadn’t appeared, seemingly ignoring the order to hurry once again.

“I don’t understand why she always dawdles like this. How much primping can she do in such clothes?”

“That’s how noble ladies are. Well, come to think of it, maybe she dawdled like this when fleeing before we arrived at the castle, which is why Fabian escaped alone.”

Although it’s unlikely she was that foolish, Divlik smiled, raising one corner of his lips.

“She probably doesn’t realize that today’s procession will serve as a funeral for her lord, whose life or death is uncertain.”

When Finn suggested looking around Hael, the idea of making Eva wear mourning clothes suddenly occurred to Divlik. Since he hadn’t officially held his coronation ceremony yet, if there were still people who thought Fabian was their emperor, they should see this. By displaying Eva in mourning clothes, even the most ignorant would understand the situation. Broadly, that was the intention, but more precisely, it was also a warning to Eva to come to her senses.

Your lord is as good as dead. If you don’t want to die too, don’t even think about escaping from me, and since you’ve endured this far, just quietly come to my bed.

“Could we just change the insignia and use it?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean the carriage? Yes. It was stuck in a corner with a wheel missing, probably under maintenance, but it looked usable if we just put the wheel back on. But instead of changing the insignia, should we buy a new carriage? No, we definitely should. The carriage Your Majesty uses should be even more splendid.”

There’s no way someone who ran away fearing death would come to save Eva when their own death is certain.

While thinking that even if Fabian were alive, he would be as good as dead, Divlik became curious about several things.

Recalling Eva’s reaction at the hot spring, it seemed she knew Fabian wouldn’t come to save her. Was it because she already knew he had abandoned her and fled? But before talking about whether someone would come to save her or not, couldn’t she have escaped on her own?

Divlik increasingly couldn’t understand why Eva had remained here.

Was it because they hadn’t thought of putting the wheel back on the carriage to use it? That could be, but she could have ridden a horse herself if necessary. Horseback riding was an essential part of education for noble young ladies.

In fact, when Divlik took over the castle, the stables were empty, but near the knights’ outpost, there was one horse left that seemed to belong to the knight commander. So if she wanted to escape, she could have…why…?

“That’s impossible.”

At the end, as if concluding, one thought occurred to Divlik, and he denied it.

―I wish for death.

She stayed because she wanted to die? How could that be? The most plausible hypothesis was that Eva, like the servants here, had stayed to protect her own servants. If that were true, it would be an incredibly arrogant decision. What could she protect with a body that seemed like it would break if held just a little too tightly?

“You’re finally here, Former Empress.”

As his thoughts were coming to an end, Eva appeared at the entrance of the inner castle.

“I apologize for the delay. I was looking for a hat that matched the formality. Forgive me, Lord Divlik.”

“What took you so…!”

Finn, who had turned around yelling about how Eva had kept Divlik waiting, lost his words the moment he saw her. Flustered and not knowing what to do, he hastily averted his eyes from Eva, pretending to check the saddle straps that were already fully fastened.

“I hadn’t thought about the veil, but you did well.”

Although he didn’t show his agitation outwardly like Finn, Divlik, who had given a light greeting, couldn’t take his eyes off Eva either.

Eva stood wearing a black dress without decorations, black gloves, black shoes, and a hat with thick netting, and it… suited her far too well.

Behind the veil covering her eyes with old fabric, that infinitely sorrowful and mournful face captivated the gaze. Even though her eyes weren’t visible, it felt as if one had met eyes brimming with sadness. Not all women’s mourning clothes for those who have lost everything to lean on would evoke such sentiment, but Eva… at least Eva… did.

“This is the most becoming look I’ve seen on you yet.”

Was it because she had been an empress that her desolation felt particularly profound? Whats’s especially noticeable was Eva’s slender neck, the only part slightly revealed through lace amidst the black fabric obsessively covering her body, which aroused a peculiarly sadistic impulse to bite it even more mercilessly than before.

“I told you to hurry, and you were late. I thought you hadn’t understood again, but I was wrong.”

I should have embraced Eva right away, whether it was forced or whatever. I thought that wouldn’t be enough to disturb those straight shoulders, but by doing so, I’ve tied my own feet.

Divlik felt almost regretful that he couldn’t tear that dress apart right then and there, but he suppressed such feelings and smiled leisurely. While Divlik had been lost in various thoughts, Eva, who had been silent for a while, asked,

“Is there a reason you wanted me to dress like this?”

“You’ve lost your lord, so of course you should dress like that.”

“Has Emperor Fabian… died?”

Wasn’t that the case? Did she actually believe Fabian would come to save her, despite pretending not to expect it? Did she believe he had fled leaving her behind for some reason, and that if she held out, he would return? Eva’s words asking about Fabian’s life or death flowed out slower than ever before.

“He will die. Whenever that happens, it’s just a matter of time anyway. There won’t be any grand funeral for that man when he dies, so I’m giving you a chance to honor the deceased in advance.”

Divlik carefully observed Eva’s reaction. If Eva decided there was no need to maintain her chastity here any longer, there would be no reason to make her wear such clothes and go out.

“Thank you, Lord Divlik.”

However, as if this much wouldn’t be enough to break her, Eva immediately gave a polite greeting. It was as expected.

Divlik lightly mounted his horse and extended his hand towards Eva.

“Will you mount? Finn, help her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

This is how a former empress should be. There was no need to feel disappointed about not being able to embrace her immediately. How great would the feeling of ecstasy be when I finally indulged in her… Recalling Eva’s lips that had touched his own a few days ago, Divlik simply smiled.

* * *

“It was a longer distance than I thought. I didn’t realize when we came up at full speed. No wonder Fabian had time to escape.”

The city of Hael, which had been visible at a glance from the castle, didn’t come into view as quickly as expected. As they continued down the long slope, Divlik, with one arm wrapped around Eva’s waist, whispered in her ear.

“I heard they built the castle on high ground on purpose.”

“It seems he wanted to show off that he was above the people that badly.”

Although the construction of this castle was over a hundred years old, Divlik didn’t miss the opportunity to criticize Fabian. Eva didn’t think the unprovoked criticism of Fabian was unfair. In fact, it was true. Fabian was someone who thought he was above everyone else.

“By the way, was Fabian allergic to trees or flowers? There were only stones inside the castle, and this place is just as desolate.”

It was the same when they cut down the peach trees that were here.

On the day Eva first rode in a carriage to enter the castle, this road was lined with peach trees on both sides. How warm and beautiful it was to see the pink blossoms in full bloom fluttering in the wind. Reminded of the peach trees that decorated the entrance to Florin, which looked exactly the same, Eva had cried until her eyes were swollen and her throat was hoarse.

―Please… I was wrong. Your Majesty… please spare their lives.

Disliking this, Fabian had all the peach trees here cut down. He didn’t care that there were people who made a living by tending to those trees and selling the fruit.

He said this empire was his, this land was his, so what was the problem? Of course, there were complaints. How many times had she begged, clinging to his legs, when he tried to kill farmers who were grumbling without knowing who might hear?

―If I spare these people, what will you do for me?

How long and endless that night was when she lay in his arms, trying to please Fabian somehow to save those people. Even now, thinking about it made her back shiver, it was such a painful and miserable time.

“Five years ago, there were peach trees here.”

“Peach trees? Do peaches grow in such a cold place as Hael?”

“Because they only bear fruit for one summer, the fruit is actually sweeter than those from the south.”

“Is that so?”

As they passed the hill where the peach trees used to be, lost in memories of the past, the slope suddenly became steeper. As Eva’s body leaned forward, Divlik’s arm around her waist curved around her torso as if to support her chest.

If Eileen had seen this posture, with part of Eva’s chest pressed against Divlik’s arm, she would have fainted, but Eva remained unmoved.

She had known from the beginning that Divlik was doing this on purpose. There was no way Eva, with her eyes covered, could escape on a different horse, and even if she could see and tried to run away, she would be caught instantly. The reason he had put her in front of him on the horse despite this was for this very purpose.

Although Divlik repeatedly mocked Eva, asking if she still thought she could act as an empress, it was actually Divlik who treated Eva in this way, thinking that in some sense, she might have been a flawless empress.

Just like at the hot spring, Divlik thought he could shake Eva with these actions.

Of course, Eva couldn’t be completely indifferent to a man’s body touching her and being exposed in front of him, but it was only momentary. Eva had seen far worse to be shaken by this level of resolve.

Eva gave up trying to escape from Divlik’s embrace and leaned back slightly. Although the feeling of something pressing against her backside was troublesome, Divlik’s chest, which blocked more than half of the wind that had intensified as if making a last push before spring, and even transmitted warmth, helped maintain her body temperature.

“We’ve finally arrived.”

While Eva was hoping there would be no one like Eileen who would be outraged by this sight, the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground changed.