The Beast Bit The Throat of the Late Empress - Chapter 5

Divlik’s resolute will to not let this pass was evident.

“Please spare her! Lord Divlik! Have mercy… please show mercy!”

Although it was the maid who disobeyed the order and should be begging, it was Eva who pleaded loudly for forgiveness on behalf of the maid who couldn’t even open her mouth, her delicate body trembling. Eva not only knelt on the floor but bowed her head so deeply that it seemed she might swallow dirt, touching her forehead to the ground repeatedly.

Wasn’t she the woman who said she would die? That she would rather die than serve me at night?

Recalling their first meeting and wondering if Eva was a woman who could be so afraid of something, it was clear that Eva’s current fear was because of that maid over there. For fear that the maid might die.

A bitter taste spread in Divlik’s mouth.

Yes, she was such a good Empress. Indeed, it’s no wonder the servants of this castle would risk danger to stay here and protect the Empress’s side.

“Stand back.”

“Pardon?”

“If punishment is to be given, it’s for me to do with my own hands.”

“Ah, is that so? I’ve overstepped. It wasn’t my place to step forward…”

Finn, unable to hide his embarrassment, stepped back and turned the hilt of the sword in his hand towards Divlik to hand it over.

“Please! Please show mercy! Lord Divlik!”

“Why should I do that, Former Empress? Aren’t you the one who rejected the greatest mercy I’ve already shown?”

Divlik continued the conversation while slowly unwrapping the cloth wound around the hilt of the sword he received from Finn. The thick cloth, which would have originally been black, had turned dark red from countless bloodstains absorbed during the war.

“It was me. I was hungry… I ordered her to bring me food somehow. It’s my fault. Punish me!”

How much is the weight of life imbued in this small cloth? Eva bore responsibility for this blood. A person like her should not die so simply.

Despite these thoughts, Divlik’s hand gripping the sword tensed.

You try to deceive me just because you want to save a mere maid?

“How can you lie so unconvincingly while begging for mercy?”

“It’s not a lie.”

“Former Empress.”

With Divlik’s single word calling Eva, a chilling tension settled heavily on the floor.

“Do you think I’m so lacking as a swordsman? To whom did you say to bring food? The soldier guarding here wouldn’t have kindly relayed such a message, would they?”

Instead of answering, Eva tightly clenched her empty fists.

“Why? This time you’re not asking for someone else’s life to be taken instead?”

“If you wish, my life—!”

As Eva shouted as if she had been waiting for this, trying to raise her head, Divlik placed the tip of the sword against the back of Eva’s head.

“No, Former Empress. Keep your face to the ground as it is.”

Eva stopped moving at the chilling sensation felt above her head. A few strands of Eva’s golden hair, touched by the sword, were cut and fell softly to the floor.

“Finn, blindfold the Former Empress with this.”

“Yes, Lord Divlik.”

Divlik, having completely unwound the old and dirty cloth, handed it to Finn. Despite Divlik’s incomprehensible actions amidst the tense atmosphere, Finn wordlessly took the cloth and blindfolded Eva.

“Please consider the blindfolding of your eyes as a strange hobby of the conqueror. Former Empress, I don’t want to show myself to you before I embrace you. I don’t have a habit of embracing women who have fallen for me, you see. From now on, blindfold yourself with that cloth before seeing me.”

Falling for a man who invaded the empire she ruled? If another man had said such a thing, it would have been nonsense. An excessive confidence deserving of a snort, but with Divlik, it made sense.

Not only his body that felt solid wherever touched, but Divlik also had a unique wildness that only emanated from men who had walked rough paths. Thanks to this, there were more than a few noble ladies who willingly threw themselves into his arms on the way here. So it couldn’t be guaranteed that Eva wouldn’t have her eyes widened by falling for Divlik.

“Even after starving like that, you had no intention of coming to me today?”

Despite explaining in detail the reason for blindfolding, Divlik didn’t seem to particularly care about that reason. Immediately changing the subject, Divlik looked down at Eva while pretending to ponder, rubbing his lips with his finger.

“I fell asleep every night hoping you would come to my bedroom, you know.”

“How would you know if she was starving or not? This woman might have been bringing bread every day.”

Unable to contain himself despite being scolded just before, Finn burst out angrily again, glaring at Eileen. Divlik looked Eva up and down, who was lying flat on the floor, then asked.

“Tell me, Former Empress. Have you been secretly eating something like this without my knowledge?”

“No! This was the first time. I didn’t eat anything, and I didn’t eat this bread either. Please believe me!”

Divlik laughed in Eva’s face at the desperation in her voice.

“You said this while telling an unbelievable lie that you ordered it yourself?”

Eva couldn’t carelessly retort to Divlik’s words. She seemed afraid that Divlik might try to kill Eileen even now. Divlik slowly continued speaking.

“I don’t know why I should ‘dare’ to believe your words, but shall I let it slide?”

“Lord Divlik! Let it slide? Even after seeing this scene with your own eyes!”

Finn was literally jumping up and down in anger.

“We must thoroughly investigate whether today was the first time or not, whether she has eaten anything until now or not, and reveal the truth! And this maid disobeyed Lord Divlik’s orders, didn’t she? She deserves to be killed immediately!”

Despite Finn’s commotion, Divlik kept his gaze fixed on Eva without answering. Finn, who wasn’t particularly interested in Eva, didn’t seem to notice, but Eva’s body was definitely thinner than on the first day.

The feeling of her emaciated body, impossible to hide even under the thick coat, had increased compared to before. Even through the slightly open front of the coat, a large space had formed, with Eva’s chest barely hidden behind the shadow created by the clothing, teetering on the edge of visibility. It was a gap that wouldn’t have existed if she had been eating well.

“Even that bread is as big as Lord Divlik’s arm. It’s enough to last three days if eaten sparingly!”

Whether she ate or not, even if she had already eaten, it was impossible to know now even if they tried to find out, and above all, Divlik didn’t think Eva would have done such a thing.

If Eva had been the kind of woman to satisfy her hunger at the risk of endangering the maid’s life from the beginning, the servants wouldn’t have stayed here to protect the Empress by her side where their lives couldn’t be guaranteed, and this maid wouldn’t have risked the danger of being caught to bring bread to Eva.

“Do you know? I told the servants of this castle that those who wanted to leave could leave, but no one left. They said how could they leave their Empress behind. Isn’t that loyalty greater than that of most soldiers? You must have been quite a good Empress, weren’t you?”

Throwing away her own life so lightly, yet trembling for the life of a maid, Eva must have certainly been a good Empress.

Even so, Eva is now in a position where it’s not easy to save even her own life. Divlik filled his voice with sarcasm to convey this meaning, but even hearing this, Eva showed no interest in her own situation.

“Why did you do that! Eileen! You should have left!”

Surprised by the news she was hearing for the first time, she only shouted towards Eileen.

“Your Majesty… Sob.”

As Eileen burst into tears, an emotional display unfolded as they worried about each other’s safety.

Divlik, showing no emotion at the touching scene between the two, asked Eva with an unimpressed face.

“I hear there’s a hot spring flowing halfway up Mount Frentz behind the castle?”

What’s with the sudden talk about hot springs in this situation? Eva raised her head, completely unable to grasp the intention behind Divlik’s question.

“I said hot spring. Did your ears go deaf just because your eyes were covered?”

Displeased that Eva didn’t immediately understand his words, Divlik clicked his tongue softly.

Does he not intend to kill?

Seeing that the sword hadn’t touched her neck so far, it seemed Divlik had no intention of taking Eva’s or the maid’s life. However, it didn’t feel like he would let this situation pass as if nothing had happened. Divlik had said ‘let it slide’. The senses that had become more acute in place of her covered eyes were still sending warnings to be wary of Divlik.

“The wound on your neck seems to have healed somewhat.”

Divlik suddenly changed the subject again, looking at the fading wound on the left side of Eva’s neck as he continued speaking. The cut from Finn’s sword had healed, but the bruise from where Divlik had bitten hard was still clearly visible.

“I’d like to request your guidance.”

“What kind of guidance…?”

“I forbade food, but I didn’t say not to wash your body. Seeing you so dirty makes me want to soak in hot water too.”

Finally realizing Divlik’s intention, Eva inwardly sighed in relief, careful not to show it lest she provoke him. He intends to take me to the hot spring.

Is he trying to let this matter slide with just that?

Just as Eva was starting to feel relieved at that thought, something like water splattered on Eva’s face along with Eileen’s scream.

“Aah!”

“Eileen!!”

Something sticky and warm.

It was Eileen’s blood.