Chapter 15

Rezette turned towards Ruben, the question burning in his eyes. “What did you say to His Majesty?” he demanded.

“I simply reported what I had seen and heard,” Ruben replied, his voice meek.

Rezette’s patience waned. “So, what did you say?”

“For almost half a month, the two of you spent their time together, day and night, without exception. That’s the truth, isn’t it? Don’t look at me like that….!” Ruben’s words hung heavily in the air, and his gaze revealed an unspoken defense.

Rezette suddenly felt drained. The memory of that day by the lake rushed to the forefront of his mind. Though nothing had happened, he momentarily forgot that it might not appear that way to others.

Noyer’s voice rang out with conviction, breaking the silence. “You’re telling me that there’s nothing going on between you? Don’t lie. Would you dare to lie in front of the Emperor?”

“I told you it’s a misunderstanding, Your Majesty,” Rezette insisted.

“Then why did you go to the underground prison the day before yesterday?” Noyer pressed, his tone cold and unyielding.

Rezette didn’t hesitate to reply. “I didn’t go.” But even as the words left his mouth, he wondered if anyone had seen him.

Noyer’s voice grew colder. “Yanok Sihat, the fourth prince of Ugel, has a black eye. I sent for the imperial doctor. How many teeth do you think have been knocked out to make someone’s face look like that?”

“I have nothing to do with it,” Rezette lied.

“Are you saying that someone other than you has the audacity to create such a mess with the Emperor’s guest in this Van Yela?” Noyer demanded.

“Find out and investigate,” Rezette shot back.

“Was it just a coincidence that you left the banquet hall at that time?” Noyer’s voice rose, his patience waning.

“Yes.” 

“Speak sensibly, Rezette Kyrstan. Is the Emperor a joke to you?” Noyer threatened. “Why did you go to prison yesterday? Did you go to check on the woman who banned your child? Huh?” His voice was thick with accusation, and Rezette could feel the weight of his words like a physical blow.

“I already said no… If you were so convinced, why did you call me in the first place?” Rezette’s tone was curt, his patience wearing thin with each passing moment.

Noyer’s response was equally cutting. “When you came running and opened that door, the answer had already revealed itself. After all, to thaw your frozen heart, it would have taken more than just an average beauty. I was wrong all along. I should have sent you the beauty of the continent, not a woman with a sturdy body.”

Rezette’s frustration had reached its peak, as he could not bear the emperor’s relentless accusations any longer. He cut off Noyer’s words with a rude interruption, fearing that his senseless gibberish would only escalate further.

“Your Majesty,” Rezette interjected sharply. “I can assure you that there is no truth to your accusations.”

But to Rezette’s dismay, Noyer paid no heed to his interruption and continued his tirade. 

“I sent a doctor to the Crown Princess. We’ll find out if she’s really pregnant or not based on the doctor’s opinion. That’s the plan,” Noyer announced, his tone icy and resolute. But his gaze suddenly turned to Rezette with a strange look.

If it’s true, can you be sure that the child is yours, Rezette?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

Noyer’s lips twisted into a sneer. “The child might have been conceived by someone else before. The doctor can’t know whose child it is, right? The princess’s claim may not be enough. What do you think? How can you be sure you were the only one?”

“The child might have been conceived by someone else before. The doctor can’t know whose child it is, right? The princess’s claim may not be enough. What do you think? Is she the only person who knows a man like that, or were you the only one?” Noyer’s words were like poison, seeping into Rezette’s mind and filling him with a sickening dread.

Rezette remained silent, struggling to keep his composure in the face of the emperor’s insinuations. Meanwhile, Noyer’s eyes were fixated on Rezette’s face, analyzing every subtle twitch and change of expression. 

“She claims that she seduced you first, but I find it highly suspicious that a woman who lived under my brother’s protection in the palace and only survived there suddenly knows how to seduce a man,” Noyer remarked with a pointed finger. “Before I intervene personally and prevent our barbaric brother nation from causing trouble, I must ask you, Rezette, if you knew Elizabeth Aseica personally. I require a certain level of certainty in this matter, do you not agree?”

Noyer gestured towards the audience chamber door as the Ugel people, led by Yanok Sihat, approached with noisy footsteps. The courtiers quickly shut the door to the chamber.

“Was she a virgin, Rezette?” Noyer continued his interrogation. The conversation had taken a dangerous turn, and Rezette felt his anger begin to boil. He did not understand why he had to entertain such unproductive and impertinent questions.

“I do not know,” he replied in frustration.

Noyer persisted, “Can’t you know? There were rumors in Argan that the twins had a relationship beyond siblinghood. Or maybe before the emperor died, he and his sister…”

“Your Majesty,” Rezette’s voice was heavy with anger. It was a brazen and uncalled-for remark, even if there was no one else in the room to hear it. At the very least, the woman did not deserve such endless insults.

“Do you realize that you are insulting Argan’s princess right now?” Rezette asked sternly.

Noyer brushed off the remark with a chuckle. “If the princess lied or if the unborn child is not from your bloodline, she will have nothing to say even if she receives more insults than this. She dared to lie in front of me, after I showed her mercy to let her choose an honorable death? Then I will not hesitate to hand her over to the Ugel prince, alive and intact. She will be given over completely, without a scratch.”

Rezette already knew the fate that awaited the Argan emperor at the hands of Ugel’s warriors. He replied reluctantly, “The princess has never been with another man.”

“Did you confirm this?” Noyer asked skeptically.

Rezette hesitated before finally replying, “I do not know how she lived in Argan, but based on my personal judgment, the princess would not engage in lewd and hedonistic behavior. She would have had to comply only if her body demanded it, but with her poor health condition, even normal daily activities would have been difficult for her.”

“You are aware of the details. That’s why you keep postponing the arrival.” 

Rezette remained quiet, knowing that every word he spoke could lead him further down a treacherous path.

Recognizing his stubborn silence, Noyer sighed, content with the knowledge he had already gained. “First, we need to confirm her pregnancy. We can discuss the future after that,” he said, his eyes never leaving Rezette’s face.

Rezette nodded, acknowledging Noyer’s words. Without a backward glance, he left the chamber and approached an official who bowed in recognition.

“Where is the Princess of Argan being held captive?” he asked, gripping the official’s arm tightly.

“She is in the western tower,” the official replied, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

The western tower was reserved for nobles who had committed heinous crimes. It was as if they had been thrust from the depths of hell into the light of day with a single lie.

How many more lies would Rezette have to tell before he could ensure her escape from the blade hanging over her neck?

It was a thought he didn’t want to dwell on, but the image of the woman kneeling on the ground, her body trembling, kept haunting him. Unnecessary details remained etched in his mind. Her tears flowed down her pale cheeks in an unending stream, creating ripples of annoyance. The handkerchief that Rezette had wrapped around her thin wrists had already been torn and shredded beyond recognition, yet amidst the pungent smells of iron and blood, a delicate floral scent lingered.

Her golden eyes, brimming with tears, implored him for help. They were filled with weakness and a plea for mercy.

“Just help me once.”

Rezette stood motionless, rubbing the weariness from his eyes with his hands. The woman he had once viewed as a symbol of regal magnificence, perched high above everyone else, and whom he had secretly desired to possess, had stunned him with her unflinching devotion.

“I have no regrets. Because there is no other way for me besides you.”

Despite himself, this was precisely what he had wanted.

Shaking off his frustration, Rezette turned his attention to a different direction, striding purposefully towards the western tower. As he made his way, he chanced upon a royal official exiting the premises.

* * *

A member of the Van Yela Royal Court had recently departed, and the physician who had just examined Elise arched an eyebrow.

“I have never seen someone with such a weak pulse.”

Elise feigned ignorance, but she knew better. She had been hearing this same phrase since she was young. Even back in Argan, it had been a challenge for physicians to treat her. Would she continue to exist as precariously as a candle in the wind, despite being twenty-two years old and counting tomorrow and the next day? Elise retracted her hand from the physician’s grip.

“As long as it doesn’t impede my daily life, please make a diagnosis without worrying about it,” she said.

“Yes… but it’s not easy to diagnose with just one symptom like this.”

After scrutinizing her from every angle, the physician sighed and drew a small amount of blood from her fingertip before departing.

Only then did Elise collapse onto the bed. The tension that had been building inside of her suddenly dissipated, causing the world to spin around her.

The sun had already fully tilted towards the west. By now, her execution should have been completed. The crowd that had gathered to witness her head roll would have dispersed.

However, Elise would have already activated the magic circle behind her ankle before being dragged to the execution platform. Her existence would be no more in this world, regardless of what occurred.

Tears streamed down her face.

“I’ve gained another day,” she whispered to herself.

No matter what, the outcomes would be disclosed by tomorrow at the latest.

Elise reminisced about the last person she had seen, Rezette Kyrstan, and his cold expression.

“He won’t help me, will he?” she inquired to herself, weeping uncontrollably.

“I have no desire to embrace a woman who has no control over herself.”

Although she had anticipated a frigid reply, it still stung.