Chapter 18

“The Emperor cannot tolerate anything that displeases her. The moment something irritates her, she crushes it without hesitation.”

“…”

“For your information, most of the participants in the Feeding Competition were people who once followed my mother. Had you not become a war hero, you might have ended up the same way.”

In truth, that wasn’t entirely accurate.

In her previous life—and the life before that—Aiden had never been forced to participate in the Feeding Competition.

Though it was never made public,  Wilcock brainwashing had failed to affect him because of the immense aura core he possessed.

Left with no alternative, Mary had ultimately executed him by hanging.

“But only for a while. Once the glory of that title fades, she’ll try to kill you again.”

“…”

“Of course, I have no intention of allowing that to happen.”

Aiden’s gaze sharpened.

“Why did you help me? What is it that you want me to do?”

‘He gets to the point quickly.’

At last, after waiting half a year, Evelyn voiced the proposal she had been preparing all this time.

“Petition the Emperor for a marriage between us.”

For the first time, Aiden’s handsome face froze.

The flickering torchlight cast shifting shadows across his features.

“And join me in taking the throne.”

“…”

“You’ll need time to think about it.”

His slightly parted lips produced no sound.

He could only stare blankly at the beautiful woman standing before him.

The woman who had predicted a war.

The woman who had guided him to victory.

The woman who was now calmly asking him to commit treason.

For a long moment, Aiden simply looked at Evelyn, unable to speak.

“Then I shall hear your answer here, three days from now.”

Leaving behind the still-frozen Aiden, Evelyn turned away without a trace of hesitation and departed.

***

After finishing her conversation with Aiden, Evelyn returned to her room with Lilia.

As expected, Morian still had not come back.

“Do you think the Duke will agree to the marriage?”

Lilia asked anxiously while helping Evelyn change her clothes.

Having changed into a light negligee suitable for indoors, Evelyn sat down on the edge of the bed and replied,

“He will.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, you said you’ve known the Duke since childhood, right? You must have been close.”

“No.”

“…And yet you’re that confident? Doesn’t that mean you know him pretty well?”

Evelyn turned her head and looked out the window.

The sun had already sunk toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and gold.

Aiden’s eyes came back to her.

Those brilliant eyes that had shone so vividly within the shadows of the secret passage.

***

Deep beneath the earth, inside a prison filled with nothing but darkness, damp air saturated Evelyn’s uneasy lungs.

One step.

Then another.

With every movement forward, her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.

“Your Highness, this way.”

The calm voice of the guard captain, Maron Lake, echoed through the underground corridor as he guided her onward.

Had Maron not been beside her—the one person who showed her even a measure of goodwill—Evelyn would not have been able to take a single step forward.

“Watch your footing. There are many rats here.”

“…Thank you, Captain.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Of course, he too belonged to the Emperor.

There was a limit to how much they could speak openly.

But unlike everyone else in the Imperial Palace, Maron at least treated Evelyn with the respect due to a princess.

Even now, that much was evident.

Before executing the traitor Aiden Gloucester, Mary had ordered Evelyn to go and hear his final words.

It was an absurdly degrading task for an imperial princess.

Yet no one had opposed the Emperor’s command.

Not even her fiancé, Robert.

“Gloucester is a ducal house. No matter that he is a traitor, it is only proper that someone of imperial blood hear his last words.”

Evelyn had not even been able to protest.

Because her only goal had been to prove her usefulness and loyalty to Mary and Robert.

“We’ve arrived. Once you’re finished speaking, return through the corridor at the end.”

“…I will.”

After handing her a single torch, Maron departed.

Silence settled in his wake.

The smell of burning oil stung her nose.

Drip. Drip.

Rainwater leaking through the ceiling fell rhythmically onto the floor.

From beyond the iron bars came the sound of strained breathing.

“…Your Grace.”

The man hanging limply against the wall, his wrists bound above him, slowly lifted his head.

Their eyes met.

Even the darkness could not conceal the fierce brilliance of his amber eyes.

Without realizing it, Evelyn flinched.

“Princess…?”

His voice was rough.

“What are you doing… here? Ngh…”

“I came to hear your final words.”

Her voice was quiet.

“Is there anything you wish to leave behind?”

“…”

For a long moment, Aiden simply stared at her.

Then a hollow sound escaped him.

A dry, humorless laugh.

The shadows around his face were too deep for Evelyn to clearly see his expression.

But she was certain.

Aiden Gloucester was smiling with bitter contempt.

“Was this the Emperor’s order?”

“…”

“She truly is a cruel person… Her Majesty the Emperor.”

Cough!

His voice began to crack as a fit of coughing overtook him.

“Cough… ngh… cough!”

“There are no final words. Just tell them to kill me as soon as possible…”

“I heard you’re very fond of your younger sibling.”

The dull, fading look in Aiden’s eyes changed instantly.

A killing intent so sharp that it was hard to believe it came from a man on the brink of death pierced the air.

The oppressive pressure felt as though a blade had been placed against Evelyn’s throat.

She swallowed hard.

But she could not stop.

“Why not beg for your sibling’s life, at least?”

“And you think…”

His voice was low and ragged.

“…that they would grant such a request?”

His eyes fixed on her.

“Do you trust your sister that much?”

No further words followed.

Even speaking seemed to have become difficult.

Instead, Aiden slowly closed his eyes.

Yet Evelyn continued.

Looking back, she realized she had been projecting her own circumstances onto him.

Just as Aiden cherished his younger sibling, part of her had once wished that Mary might cherish her as well.

“There’s nothing to lose by asking.”

Her voice remained steady.

“You know it as well as I do. At this rate, House Gloucester will be exterminated. And if that happens, your sibling will suffer a terrible fate.”

She paused.

“Perhaps they’ll even become one of Her Majesty’s toys.”

“Are you saying…”

His eyes snapped open.

“…that my sibling will end up like those slaves in the Feeding Competition?”

“They could suffer something even worse.”

The weak thread of his voice finally disappeared.

But Evelyn pressed on.

“So say it.”

Her gaze did not waver.

“Ask for your sibling to be spared. Beg them to protect that child, if no one else.”

“My sibling will be fine.”

Aiden answered at last.

“I already sent them into exile in another country. Even if my house is destroyed…”

“You don’t know Her Majesty.”

Evelyn cut him off.

Her voice was quiet.

Cold.

Certain.

“You don’t know what the Emperor is truly capable of.”

At last, the torch slipped from Evelyn’s hand and clattered to the floor.

The iron bars she gripped with both hands were as cold as icicles in midwinter.

“They’ll find them somehow.”

Her voice trembled.

“They’ll hunt them down. They’ll torment them even more because they ran away.”

A shudder passed through her.

“And then… there’s no telling what kind of punishment they’ll suffer.”

“…”

“Then struggle!”

For the first time, desperation broke through her composure.

“Beg! Plead with everything you have! Ask them to spare your sibling, if no one else!”

Aiden’s eyes shook violently.

Blood vessels surfaced around his irises, which had become stained with the colors of a sunset spreading across a blue sky.

The emotions he had suppressed for so long finally exploded.

“What exactly…”

His voice cracked.

“What exactly did we ever do wrong?!”

The chains binding his arms rattled violently.

“What did my sibling do? What did I do?!”

His rage filled every word.

“What harm did we ever bring to the Empire? To the Emperor?!”

The chains crashed against the wall.

The fury in his broken voice overflowed without restraint.

“The Emperor is worse than a beast.”

His breathing became ragged.

“The Emperor—that monster—will drag everyone into hell!”

Crude, furious words poured from the mouth of a grand duke.

Words no nobleman should have uttered.

“And you…”

His eyes burned as they fixed upon her.

“Do you really think you’ll be spared?”

“Do you truly believe the Emperor—that monster—will let you live?”

“…”

“How can you be so foolish?”

His voice rose.

“How can you?! Princess, you should have been stronger. Instead of bowing your head to a monster, you should have fought back.”

“If you were truly royalty… if you truly cared about this Empire… you should never have yielded so easily!”

“I… I…”

“At the very least, when I came to see you, you should have come to your senses!”

His voice shook.

“Not run away from it!”

“Where…”

His breathing hitched.

“Where did that girl I used to know go?”

“The one I remember…”

“Ngh—!”

A violent coughing fit interrupted him.

“Cough! Cough!”

His body convulsed with pain.

The turmoil boiling inside him finally burned itself out.

Gradually, the harsh sounds subsided.

His breathing slowed.

Across from him, Evelyn stood frozen.

She had been silently swallowing back tears.

Now, trembling, she finally forced out a reply.

“…I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

Faced with the raw despair and anguish before her, it felt as though her chest had been crushed.

She could barely breathe.

At that moment, Evelyn wanted nothing more than to throw herself from a great height and escape the guilt crushing her chest.

But she lacked even that courage.

“Go back.”

“…”

“I’m already finished.”

Aiden’s voice was calm now.

“But you still have a chance.”

In the fading glow of the torch dying on the floor, she could see the coldness in his eyes.

“So if you truly feel sorry for me…”

His gaze sharpened.

“If you possess even the slightest sense of responsibility or guilt as a member of the imperial family…”

“…”

“Bring down the Emperor.”

“…”

“Save the Empire.”

“…”

“That is how you ask for my forgiveness.”

At last, he lifted his head.

The torchlight died completely.

Darkness swallowed the prison.

Only his voice remained.

“Tell the Emperor this.”

“…”

“If she harms my sister…”

The chains rattled softly.

“I’ll follow her even from hell.”

“…”

“She won’t sleep peacefully.”

His voice dripped with hatred.

“She won’t even be allowed to die as she pleases.”

A terrible silence settled over the cell.

“And when I am born again…”

His eyes glowed in the darkness.

Eyes filled with enough fury and murderous intent to make one’s blood run cold.

“I will personally wrap my hands around that noble throat of hers…”

His lips twisted into a grim smile.

“…and snap it.”

The hatred burning within him seemed capable of surviving death itself.

“Tell her that.”