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Chapter 122
Is the Holy Emperor Behind This?
The room was filled with dim light.
The faint glow poured over Johann’s handsome face. His tall, lean frame was wrapped in a black suit; the coldness of his features made the air around him feel even darker, heavier, and more foreboding.
Even as she flinched, Estella couldn’t help but admire him.
‘He’s so handsome.’
He was absolutely perfect — exactly how the male lead of her story should be for the heroine, Estella herself.
Johann’s sharp eyes drifted slowly toward the Duke and Duchess of Libertan. The moment he appeared, Damien — who had already turned pale and was trembling like a leaf — burst out desperately.
“D–Duke Blanchet! What is it that you wish to say?!”
“What I wish to say?”
Johann’s lips curved faintly, as if he truly didn’t know what Damien meant.
“What could that be?”
His voice was eerily calm, not a trace of anger in it. To a stranger, it might even have sounded indifferent, almost light.
But Damien, who knew Johann’s true nature, trembled all over.
‘Do you know how far black magic can go when it comes to healing?’
Because Johann — with that same casual expression — used to visit the prison and commit unspeakable horrors.
It was a series of moments when they had begged to die. But death had never been granted to them. Whether it was because of the black magic or not, their minds were breaking while their senses remained perfectly sharp.
‘We shouldn’t be shocked already… there’s a reason they call it black magic.’
Even while undergoing twisted, grotesque experiments, their bodies remained intact — and that, more than anything, was the true horror. Through those moments, the Libertan couple realized what kind of monster they had made into their enemy.
The Duke and Duchess of Libertan had long been known as villains in their own right.
But Johann’s madness — his thirst for vengeance — was beyond anything they had ever encountered.
After being tortured by that madman, they had learned one thing with their entire being: Johann never acted without a reason.
With his arms folded, Johann jerked his chin toward Damien.
“Go on then. You opened your mouth — I assume you had something to say?”
“T–That is…”
“I’m fairly certain I told you not to speak unless you had something worthwhile to say. Was I wrong? Or is your education still lacking?”
Sweat poured down Damien’s face like rain. The cold drops slid down his cheeks like tears, and his whole body trembled as if he might collapse at any moment.
“M–My apologies, Duke.”
Johann raised a brow, unimpressed by the answer.
“Then what will you do about it?”
“P–Pardon?”
“I found the daughter you missed so dearly. I tolerated your rudeness. Shouldn’t a man offer something in return?”
Damien didn’t even have time to answer before he started clawing at his throat, choking as though invisible hands were strangling him. He rolled on the floor, gasping.
Johann looked down at him impassively.
“Don’t worry. Even someone as worthless as you still has something I can take.”
Rosaria clutched Estella tightly as she watched Damien writhe. Estella, however, still gazed at Johann as though entranced.
‘If only that fake didn’t exist… that man could’ve been mine.’
His dreadful, merciless power — every movement filled with cold charisma — made Estella’s heart race.
The fact that he wasn’t hers only made the longing worse.
‘Oh, goddess Athea… why have you forsaken him? He doesn’t need to suffer anymore.’
Estella resented her own fate.
She had done everything she could to remind Johann of her. But instead, he had fallen completely — hopelessly — for the fake.
“…Johann. Don’t you really remember me?”
Her voice trembled with self-pity as she whispered.
“Look at my real face again. I’m the one who saved you…”
Back when House Blanchet had not yet been destroyed for treason, Johann had been a boy of extraordinary talent and promise — a young man so noble and brilliant that people called the Blanchets truer nobles than even the Imperial family.
Every noblewoman’s first love, the perfect heir of the great House Blanchet — that was Johann.
And frail, sickly Estella had loved him too.
But then came the day the Blanchets were condemned for treason and wiped out.
By Imperial decree, the Libertans were given the right to decide which of the Blanchet children would be spared.
‘It’s better to keep the girl, Lily, alive. She’ll be easier to control than that boy.’
‘Mother, Father, please — not Johann.’
Her parents, who always indulged her every whim, refused for the first time.
‘No, Stella. That boy Johann is dangerous. Even as a child, he’s cruel.’
‘But Father, I love him! If we marry—’
“Marry him?!” her father had thundered. “The Blanchets are finished! How could you marry a man from such a cursed house?!”
Then, fate itself seemed to offer her an opportunity.
‘Lady Stella, perhaps… there is a way.’
‘A way?’
‘If your parents have no choice but to select Lord Johann Blanchet, the problem will resolve itself, will it not?’
He even told her a way to “damage” Lily — a poison that would shatter the mind and cripple the body.
‘I… I could never do something so horrible…’
‘No one but you can make this decision, Lady Stella. Choose wisely.’
Estella had wept — but in the end, she did it. She fed the poison to Lily, who had been imprisoned beneath the Libertan mansion.
In the end, the Libertans had no choice but to keep Johann alive.
‘I saved him. I couldn’t stop my parents’ sins, but at least I saved him…’
But somehow Johann escaped, and Estella’s own illness worsened until she died.
Her disappointment didn’t last long.
Like a brief trial before the perfect ending, Estella miraculously came back to life — blessed by the goddess herself.
‘Saintess, the Goddess Athea has restored you.’
‘I… I read a book.’
‘Then it must be divine providence. What was it about?’
‘I can’t tell you everything, but… it was about the secrets of this world.’
She had been the original heroine — the one who was supposed to die of an incurable illness.
But some fake, that wretched Estel, had stolen her place — even her husband.
Fortunately, Johann had taken care of that fool himself, avenging Estella.
[The Libertans’ real daughter survived?]
[Technically, I died… but I returned to save you.]
[Don’t be ridiculous. No one comes back from the dead.]
[That’s exactly why it’s a divine miracle. The Goddess sent me to save you from your corruption.]
Johann had denied the truth at first, but eventually allowed Estella to stay in his home.
[Then what was I…?]
And, as the heroine of the story, Estella healed and redeemed Johann with divine power, even bearing his child — the holy, happy ending.
Now, Johann grabbed Estella by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. Her sad, longing eyes shimmered as she whispered,
“Johann… do you recognize me?”
But Johann — utterly unamused — laughed coldly.
“So this is the face that caused all that commotion?”
His smile turned murderous.
“You thought flashing your face would change something?”
“N–No! Johann, it’s not what you think!”
Estella shook her head, eyes filling with tears.
“I’m not asking you to forgive my parents’ sins. I just want to atone beside you, for the rest of my li—”
Johann suddenly grabbed her face and slammed her to the ground. Estella fell, tears spilling down her cheeks.
“Stella!” Rosaria rushed to her side.
“Please, child. Stop. Don’t provoke the Duke any further.”
Even while comforting Estella, Rosaria trembled in terror, glancing up at Johann.
“You’ll only make it worse. Please, just stay quiet.”
“You don’t understand, Mother!”
Estella glared at her, then looked back at Johann, desperate.
“Johann, I know. I know the wounded boy inside you—”
“Shut that mouth before I tear it off.”
Johann’s killing intent pressed down on her like a physical weight. Estella’s shoulders shook. Rosaria began to collapse, dizzy and terrified.
‘Wh–Why is this happening…?’
Johann’s eyes burned red — demonic, merciless.
He looked like he would really kill her.
‘If I die like this…’
Then Johann stepped on Damien’s hand, crushing it under his boot. Damien screamed.
Johann nodded as if the sound pleased him.
“You’re lucky. You’ll stay alive until every citizen of the Empire knows your crimes and you’re executed. Only then will my wife’s injustice be cleansed.”
“B–But why…”
“Your parents, however, aren’t so lucky.”
Johann’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.
“Let’s see just how much they love you.”
The Libertan couple were suddenly flung to the corner of the room— thud!
Chains appeared from nowhere, wrapping around their bodies and hoisting them into the air. Blue lightning crackled along the links.
The couple convulsed, writhing.
“—Stella! Help us! My child!”
“No! Please, no!”
The pain hadn’t even begun, but already they screamed as if reliving past torment. For the first time, fear filled Estella’s eyes.
“Wh–What are you going to do to them?”
“It’s no fun if I tell you everything, is it?”
As she watched her parents sob and beg like beasts, Estella’s voice trembled.
“R–Revenge through blood won’t bring you happiness. If all your secrets are exposed, please, let me show you how I can—”
“I’m not interested.”
“…What?”
“I already know listening to delusional idiots like you is pointless.”
Johann’s expression didn’t change, but his tone was dripping with scorn.
“And I didn’t come here to see your ugly face, either.”
“…”
“There’s more than one way to shut someone’s mouth, you know — not every punishment needs to be physical. Just like what you and your parents did to my wife.”
The chains sparked violently. The Libertans screamed, calling Estella’s name for help.
She wanted to close her eyes, to block out the horror — but something invisible held her eyelids open. She couldn’t scream. Couldn’t run.
Johann smiled faintly.
“You tried to hurt my wife. That’s why.”
“What’s so special about that fake—?!”
Estella shouted, losing her temper.
“Fake?”
Johann looked at her as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“Is there a ‘real one’ out there even more pathetic than this fake?”
“…”
“No matter what you say, no matter what happened between us — hearing your excuses makes my ears rot. Don’t speak.”
“…”
“The only thing I’ll ask about is my wife — Estel.”
After Estella’s true face was revealed, Johann had interrogated every servant in House Libertan.
‘I’m pretty sure I saw Lady Estella return to the mansion…’
‘The Duke ordered us to treat Lady Estel like a ghost — to ignore anything said to provoke her.’
‘She was often punished with fasting or locked up alone in a small room.’
Their memories were confused, their minds unstable — but with every testimony, Johann’s fury grew.
He could almost feel the pain Estel must have suffered.
‘You did all that… and called it love?’
His red eyes blazed like fire. He wanted to end them right there — but until he uncovered the one behind it all, he would keep them alive.
“Is the Holy Emperor your backer?”
* * *
I went to the art studio Johann had gifted me.
‘What did he even do this time?’
He gave gifts so often — and somehow, each one was always different.
Just then, Patricia called to me.
“My lady, Lord Felsis has come to visit. Shall I turn him away?”
“Yes, please.”
It was a good day. I didn’t want to ruin it by seeing Leandro.
Still filled with excitement, I stepped into the studio. It was beautifully decorated — white curtains fluttering in the breeze.
On the central shelf, adorned with Eden roses, stood two adorable dolls.
“These dolls…”
They looked like Johann and me — dressed as bride and groom, wearing a wedding gown and a tuxedo.
‘Ah… he decorated the studio like a wedding hall.’
I remembered Johann once saying he wanted to hold a grand wedding, since ours hadn’t been proper.
Was this… his way of making that happen?
“Why did he suddenly prepare something like this…”
My eyes grew misty again. I didn’t want to cry — but Johann always made me cry.
‘He’s so unfair.’
As I touched the dolls, I noticed a letter beside them.
[To my beloved Estel.]
[Thank you for marrying me. I’m sorry I didn’t understand your pain sooner.]
“Why is he apologizing…?”
He hadn’t done anything wrong.
[I’ll make you happy — until the day your fears end.]
[And only drink when I’m with you.]
“That part’s really unfair…”
I tried not to cry but ended up smiling instead. I hugged the two dolls tightly, as if they were us.
“…I love you, Johann. I miss you.”
At that moment —
a black hand shot out of nowhere and swallowed me whole.
