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#6. What Kind of Outrageous Behavior Is This?
“Did you say Elizabet started changing about a month ago?”
Inside the emperor’s office.
Nikolai tapped lightly on the armrest of an antique chair.
In front of him stood a broad-shouldered man with cold eyes—Minister of the Interior, Kares.
“It was such a severe fever that even the healers gave up, Your Majesty. After she recovered, they say her personality completely changed. She cut off parties, alcohol, and even dates.”
“The possibility of Deathblossom?”
“She showed none of the symptoms, sire. No petal-shaped rashes, no strange scent, no coughing, no spitting blood.”
Nikolai knew better than anyone that Elizabet had nothing to do with Deathblossom.
Even so, he wanted someone else to confirm it.
Why he felt that way, he couldn’t say.
“No news from the temple? I heard there’s a priest studying Deathblossom.”
“You must mean Cardinal Arkansas. Shall I summon him?”
“No. More importantly, hurry the empress investiture.”
“And if Lady Elizabet refuses to the end?”
“Has anyone ever defied my command and lived?”
Though he spoke of death for the disobedient, Nikolai looked almost bored.
Even his confidant Kares showed no disturbance.
That was the nature of the throne.
“The closer her chambers are to mine, the better. The concubines’ quarters are too far away.”
For the first time, Kares’s gaze flickered.
Nikolai had countless empresses, but this was the first time he had given such an order.
“Are you saying you’ll bring her into the main palace itself?”
“Why not?”
“A storm will strike, sire. It may even become a bloodbath.”
“Let the world think Casanova the Emperor is just adding another beauty to his collection, as always.”
A mysterious smile tugged at Nikolai’s lips.
He already knew.
That the palace, which pretended to be at peace, would soon be in upheaval.
And that Elizabet would be placed at the very center of the storm.
Some will survive. Some will vanish without a trace. Some may even rise to noble heights.
As if the thought itself gave him a headache, Kares rubbed his temple.
“The House of Lords will surely demand the empress investiture be rushed.”
“Too many rats are greedy for that seat.”
“It cannot be left vacant forever, sire.”
“The master of Heartmann’s Heart will be decided by me.”
The ruby tiara—set with a heart-shaped ruby and hundreds of diamonds—was called Heartmann’s Heart.
Only the empress could wear it.
Nikolai used it to keep the noble families in check.
The nobles bowed, knowing full well how he toyed with them.
If one of the four great families supplied the empress, the fragile balance of power would collapse instantly.
And the power-blinded could never tolerate another gaining more than themselves.
To rule while wearing the mask of a libertine requires skill—carrots to toss to flatterers, whips for the brigands.
What would it take to have Elizabet?
To obtain that alluring crimson silk mouse?
When Kares left, a servant brought chocolate cake.
Nikolai sliced off a piece with his fork and placed it in his mouth.
Chocolate cake—sickly sweet—was the only food he could still taste.
“Sticky and cloying. Was it always like this?”
He licked his lips with his crimson tongue, not realizing how that sight alone could melt women’s hearts.
But Elizabet’s beautiful face refused to leave his mind, no matter how often he tried to erase it.
Just recalling her brought the faint scent of cherry blossoms to his nose.
The cascading crimson hair, the ivory-white hands, the fathomless black eyes—they circled endlessly in his thoughts.
That kiss wasn’t real. It was an accident. Or maybe her scheme.
If it was a scheme, it had succeeded brilliantly.
Just thinking of that kiss made the deadened senses within him tremble.
The sweetness that pricked his tongue, the freshness that cleared his chest, the fragrance that blinded his eyes and ears.
How could he forget such ecstasy?
He wanted her for himself—soon.
He wanted to ride to the Emster estate and drag Elizabet back, even if they called him a tyrant.
And that infuriated him.
“I’ve completely lost control. Has the goddess’s wolf gone mad? Or have I?”
The veins on Nikolai’s hand stood out.
He couldn’t bear to admit that someone could shake him like this.
That it was a woman—and worse, one who rejected him—was intolerable.
Even the faint hope that she might be his one and only salvation was no comfort.
Nikolai glared at the contract bearing Elizabet’s handprint.
But only for a moment. Hesitating, he pressed his lips to that tiny seal.
He drew in a deep breath.
Impossible, yet he fancied he could smell strawberries and cherry jam.
That brief night with Elizabet tangled his reason once again.
“Your Majesty will never understand my heart. You welcomed death joyfully, didn’t you? You were waiting for someone to end it for you.”
Tears born from those black eyes fell on Nikolai’s chest, soaking it with a chilling cold.
How had Elizabet seen through him so completely?
The truth he had told no one?
Nikolai bit his lip.
“Send word to the Emster estate. If she does not enter the palace tomorrow, I will consider the contract null and void.”
He commanded sternly, forgetting he still clutched the contract as if it were precious.
“Another special ability?!”
I was so shocked I fell flat on my backside.
There wasn’t even time to feel pain.
Everything around me was white.
Even time, even the flow of air seemed frozen.
『Through the Eyes of Moraşincia, Goddess of Healing, you may perceive illness. By wearing the divine relic, the Eyes of Moraşincia will activate.』
I looked around frantically. Nothing.
This was a world with no Bluetooth speakers, no CCTV.
That mysterious being who had thrust Elizabet’s life upon me had appeared again.
“You—what are you? Why are you doing this to me?”
I clutched my spinning head and asked.
The gentle white light simply spoke its piece.
『Will you accept, or will you refuse?』
Could I even handle a divine relic? What if I refused?
The sudden, absurd choice made my head feel like it would explode.
『I will ask one last time. Will you accept, or refuse?』
The white light pressed me.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“I’ll take it! A Korean never backs down!”
A sharp pain stabbed my chest.
Though I’d spoken bravely, I couldn’t silence the voice inside.
Shamelessly accepting another special privilege? Do you deserve to be called a righteous death when you can’t even survive on your own?
My harshest critic had always been myself.
But this wasn’t the time to drown in self-loathing.
The choice was already made.
『The righteous death has accepted the first divine relic. If the second relic is not found, all privileges will vanish.』
The white light declared—like a blow to the back of my head.
“T-t-the second relic?”
『If the privileges vanish, the soul of the righteous death will return to its former world.』
“You should’ve told me from the start! What happens if a dead soul is sent back?”
『It returns to nothingness.』
Thump, thump—my heartbeat pounded in my ears.
The air thinned, my veins seemed to tighten.
“Why does the hero get every buff and regression, but I get this? Then why even save me? How long do I have to find this second relic?!”
I screamed, but the white light was gone.
I sank onto the dusty floor, staring at the Eyes of Moraşincia.
Or was it another curse threatening my life?
I hadn’t even escaped the guillotine ending, and now a soul-annihilation flag?
Dizziness and nausea struck at once.
“Elizabet! Are you all right?”
Douglas caught me as I swayed.
His face was paler than mine, though I was the one tricked by that damned being.
“There’s a legend that mishandling a divine relic brings harm. Elizabet, you collapsed because of me…”
“The choice was mine.”
“…What?”
“Sir Douglas, did you hear that voice?”
“Voice? There’s only you and me here.”
Though he had been right beside me, Douglas knew nothing.
A spark of hope stirred.
Maybe it was just hallucination. From stress and exhaustion.
With trembling hands, I picked up the fallen monocle.
I hooked it over my ear, clasped my hands tightly, and opened my eyes.
“Elizabet?” Douglas called anxiously.
“Shh! I need to check something.”
I silenced him and looked around carefully.
Nothing had changed.
A cry of relief burst from me.
“Thank goodness! That’s just a box, and that’s just a window!”
The ordinary scenery of this world suddenly looked so lovely.
Yes, it was all hallucination, just hallucination.
Tonight I’d restore myself with boiled duck and fried chicken!
“Just dead bugs, just a rat’s skull! See? No such thing as divine relics!”
No wonder Douglas looked at me like I was mad.
“You must’ve hit your head when you fainted.”
“I’m perfectly fine, healthier than ever…”
I trailed off.
The white light had returned—this time shining from Douglas’s chest.
“No… it can’t be!”
The glow grew translucent, revealing glimpses of his bones and organs.
Panicked, I tried to rip off the monocle, but it clung to me like glue.
Even closing my eyes didn’t help.
Under the darkness of my lids, Douglas’s organs came into sharp focus.
Alive, moving.
That dark red spot on his stomach… what is that? Looks ominous.
I couldn’t look away.
“Sir Douglas, do you… have stomach troubles?”
“…Did Susan tell you? You needn’t worry, it’s gotten better.”
“Better? No, it’s gotten worse.”
His eyes widened.
“You must feel stabbing pain at night, your stomach always unsettled, food hard to keep down, right?”
“H-how could you know?”
Douglas stared like I was possessed.
How could I explain? Would he even believe it?
The Eyes of Moraşincia told me exactly where the sickness lay, its symptoms, its progress.
I didn’t want to believe it myself. I wanted to cry.
And in my mind rose the image of that man, drawn like a painting with delicate strokes.
‘If you want to cry, then cry. I won’t leave.’
How long would those words hold true?
I wanted to ask Nikolai.
I hadn’t expected to meet him again so soon.
“What kind of outrageous behavior is this, Your Majesty?”
I glared with contempt at Nikolai, seated upon his opulent throne.
The crime of lèse-majesté didn’t even cross my mind.
He hadn’t batted an eye even when I’d been tied up in ropes.
And now the crooked smile on his lips—was he actually enjoying this?
“Was the journey here uncomfortable?”
“You dare ask that, seeing me like this?”
“A little misunderstanding, perhaps.”
“Kidnapping an innocent person is a misunderstanding?”
“Is it not the same crime, for a husband to yearn for his wife?”
