Prologue. Select
Prologue. Select
People often say.
Life is a series of choices.
Certainly, I don’t think that’s wrong.
“Your Majesty, please spare Estillman!”
“Everything was made up by me, my sister did nothing wrong!”
Two men on their knees pleading.
They were the Duke of Bright and his successors.
The emperor’s father-in-law and brother-in-law, and one of the few people with silver hair here in the Kratus Empire.
Besides that, several other nobles were kneeling, each with a wounded face.
“I have committed a mortal sin… ….”
“Please, save the lives of my family… ….”
Sinners begging with tears.
They rebelled today.
So, I was once again at a crossroads.
Looking around, soldiers, attendants, ladies-in-waiting, and nobles, no one had a worried face.
Whether they joined the rebellion or not, I feel no trust or respect for me from any of them.
Everyone hides deep feelings of hatred and contempt under worried faces.
Even my children.
The blue blade of the longsword I am holding.
Only thick blood was dripping from the tip of that sharp sword.
“Ugh… ….”
A woman kneeling right in front of me let out a moan as if in pain while holding onto her arm.
The same goes for her blood flowing down from her fingertips.
Esteel Bright.
She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Bright, and the one and only Empress of the Empire.
But she, too, joined in her treason.
“Esteel.”
When I called her name, she raised her head and looked at me.
The big, round eyes were filled with tears.
Today, her silver hair shines even brighter.
“Why did you do this?”
“I wanted to protect my family.”
What came back to the dull voice was a voice that trembled endlessly.
But even in that trembling feeling, I couldn’t erase a single straight feeling.
She calmly continued her words, suppressing her rising fear.
“I wanted to save her father and her brother, who were about to die in vain in a hopeless battle, and I wanted to protect my children who were being abused.”
Although there was no trust in those eyes, it wasn’t resentment either.
A calm expression that makes you want to pass it by.
“If that is all, you are wrong.”
“That’s not all.”
“Not everything?”
After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her gaze and spoke in a low voice.
“I wanted to give rest to the maddened husband with my own hands.”
“I went crazy… ….”
Saying that in this situation was no different from pouring oil into her raging rage.
What she said was clear sympathy, and it touched her resentment.
She raises her head again and meets her eyes with me while her shoulders are shaking.
Clear eyes without even a slight shake.
With that calm gaze, she seemed to swear that she only spoke the truth. She
She was afraid, but she had already prepared for her death, so it seemed to provoke her to try killing her.
If this body were the real emperor, she would not have escaped her death.
Then one of the men kneeling in the back shouted in a desperate voice.
“You devilish lame bastard! After all, you will be betrayed in the end, and his head will be cut off! When that time comes, all the people will be happy and dance!”
It was a voice boiling like vomiting blood.
Of course, the man wasn’t wrong. In my opinion, it certainly seems so.
I walked with a limp in front of him.
People watching are frowning one by one.
The sight of myself creaking like a wooden doll is disgusting.
A man who glared at me like that and kept pouring out vicious words with all sorts of curses.
“The lame look is hideous! You will eventually be captured by the people and burned to death! He will go down in history as the worst tyrant ever. You son of a cowardly thief who stole my Estill! Even if I die, I will never forgive you!”
Olic Desapio.
A tall man who was aiming for the throne despite being an earl.
The one who dared to incite her rebellion against the empress, and used her as a shield to bring her blood to the palace.
And the one who poisoned this body and crippled it.
And that’s my Estill…….
Because of this bastard’s filthy snout, the empress has been stigmatized for infidelity.
That alone is enough reason to kill him right now.
I swung the sword without hesitation.
Chuhwaak-
The red blood of the traitor was splattered on the floor.
Tuk tuk Degurur-
Stillness settled down in an instant with the fallen life.
I went back to the throne with a limp.
Looking around the crowd, no one wants to make eye contact with me.
Only Estill, except for one.
He was smiling faintly, but with a resigned expression.
That was a face that could have been made only when he had accepted death.
Now that I have been stigmatized for cheating, I am utterly devastated.
Push-
After sitting down on the throne, he carefully opened his fortune.
“I’ve seen enough blood, so I’ll cover this issue at this point.”
For an instant, a sense of desolation as if time had stopped.
No one blinked. He seemed to have forgotten to even breathe.
Everyone was just as surprised.
It was quite the reverse.
The rebels with spears and knives were trying to break into the imperial palace and cause bloodshed.
So, as usual, it would have to end only if the families of the participants were completely destroyed.
Still, I’m going to cover it here.
Those who remained silent with their entire bodies bound look at each other with expressions of disbelief.
It was never expected that it would end with just this.
“In the future, anyone who mentions this again, regardless of his rank, will be hanged. Do you understand?”
Everyone hurriedly responded with bewildered expressions.
“Yes, Your Majesty…… !”
“Soldiers, release their chains, and ladies-in-waiting, attend the empress.”
“Yes!”
Soldiers cling to each other and quickly release the prisoners.
The ladies-in-waiting also rushed to help the injured empress and take her outside.
Everyone looked relieved.
Perhaps they all, in one accord, wished the rebellion to succeed.
Except for one person.
While slowly moving away, Estill kept turning her head to look at me.
Looks full of doubt rather than relief.
It was an expression of complete disbelief that I had saved him.
If I changed my position, I would have done the same.
Anyway, I made a choice once again.
I don’t know what kind of ending this will lead to, but I won’t be able to get this moment back again.
Did I do well…… ?
I don’t know yet.
As expected, three children staring at me with expressions of disbelief.
Resembling this body, they all have red eyes.
I’m sure you’ll be among them.
The one who will kill me and usurp the throne.