IMT 03

Chapter 03

A flood of memories flashed through my mind before I shook them off and looked at Mihail.

He still wore a sorrowful expression. He truly seemed to believe I was going to die.

The reason I had been coughing up blood was because of the magic suppressant I had been taking—a drug that disrupted the flow of mana so no one could track my whereabouts.

In the Vivace royal palace, there was a magical device capable of detecting the unique mana possessed only by members of the Vivace royal family.

There were only two ways to avoid being detected by it: take medicine that blocked the distinctive mana flow of the Vivace royals… or die.

I had run away to survive, not to die, so naturally I chose the medicine.

Its side effect was coughing up blood from time to time. Normally, though, it only happened after I finished my daily work and returned to my room just before going to sleep, so it had never caused any problems.

That was how I’d managed to hide it until now.

Unfortunately, today, while returning from a trip outside the Imperial Palace, something unexpected happened.

I suddenly vomited blood inside the carriage while it was racing down the road.

At the time, one of the Shadows Mihail had assigned as my guard—or rather, my watcher—was sitting directly across from me.

When he saw me coughing up blood, he didn’t even blink.

Just as expected of a Shadow from the Emperor’s personal order, I thought. Even this much blood doesn’t faze him.

Who would’ve guessed he’d report it to Mihail and stab me in the back like this?

The misunderstanding that led to Mihail declaring me terminally ill had also originated from that same medicine.

To explain everything properly, I would have to start with Cassian.

The one who supplied me with the magic suppressant was my childhood friend, Cassian.

He was a mage affiliated with the Magic Tower and held a healer’s license—a qualification every Magic Tower mage was required to obtain.

Because wars had broken out all across the continent, healers were welcomed wherever they went.

Using his healer’s license, I crossed the border as his assistant after nothing more than a simple inspection. As soon as I entered Creras, I applied for Mihail’s secret commission.

Since it involved working inside an imperial palace—and at the Emperor’s side, no less—I had expected an exhaustive screening process.

Instead, I was hired surprisingly easily.

I found it strange, but since I absolutely had to get that position, I simply counted myself lucky.

After being employed by Mihail, I told him I suffered from a chronic illness and that I had a healer who regularly prescribed my medicine. It was my excuse for meeting Cassian on a regular basis.

Mihail said there were excellent healers within the Imperial Palace, but I insisted it wasn’t a serious illness and only asked that I be allowed to leave the palace periodically to refill my prescription.

In truth, that excuse only worked because the healers in Creras couldn’t examine a person’s mana flow in detail.

Once Mihail granted me permission to leave the palace, I had Cassian open a clinic in a secluded back alley near the capital. Whenever I needed more medicine, I would visit him there.

Anyone who saw me leaving the palace would naturally assume I was simply getting medication for my chronic illness.

Besides, healers were notorious for operating however they pleased. They often closed their clinics whenever they went out to gather medicinal herbs, so I believed no one would find it suspicious even if Cassian only opened his clinic when I came for medicine.

Who could have imagined it would lead to such a misunderstanding?

“Six months is the limit. Prepare yourself.”

What he had actually meant was that my body had reached its limit in taking the magic suppressant and that I needed to prepare for Krita’s pursuit.

When Cassian said those words, only the three of us had been inside the room.

The guards never entered with me, so I assumed no one had overheard us.

Apparently, I was wrong.

The guard, unaware of the real circumstances, must have reported Cassian’s words to the Emperor exactly as he’d heard them.

Combined with the fact that he’d witnessed me coughing up blood, the misunderstanding had become impossible to deny.

And I was only going to cough up more blood from now on.

What was I supposed to do?

Anxiety overwhelmed me.

If Mihail knew nothing, that would be one thing.

But now that he’d seen me coughing up blood, there was no way he’d simply ignore it.

The blood wasn’t a symptom of illness.

It happened because the mana suppressed by the medicine struggled to break free.

My body was desperately fighting to stay alive.

According to Cassian, if I tried to suppress the coughing and didn’t spit out the blood, the pathways through which my mana flowed could become completely blocked, potentially leaving me crippled.

So I couldn’t even force myself to endure it.

To clear up the misunderstanding, I’d have to tell Mihail I was taking magic suppressants.

But that would also mean confessing that I’d entered the palace under a false identity.

And once I admitted that, I’d inevitably have to explain what kingdom I really came from and why I’d fled to Creras.

Would Mihail ever forgive that?

Every single thing about the person called “Lin” was a lie.

Absolutely not.

If it came to that, he might even execute me for deceiving the Emperor.

No. No way.

I absolutely refuse to die.

I was completely trapped.

The stress gave me a pounding headache.

Right then, I wanted nothing more than to run to Cassian, grab him by the collar, shake him violently, and demand to know what I was supposed to do.

But Mihail would never let me leave that easily.

In the end, persuasion was my only option.

I had no idea why the perfect opportunity to test how much my speaking skills had improved had to come at a moment like this, but…

Well, desperate people make miracles happen, right?

“Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding. I’m not going to die. Coughing up blood isn’t a big deal.”

I even exaggerated my tone like an actor performing on stage, pleading with all my heart.

Yet…

“So even after everything I’ve said, you still intend to leave my side?”

The result was essentially, Nope. That’s not it.

I couldn’t understand why simply ending our contract had somehow become “leaving his side,” but I certainly wasn’t in any position to argue with the Emperor.

Maybe I hadn’t sounded desperate enough.

Fine.

One more try.

I gently pulled my hand free from Mihail’s grasp, folded both hands over my lower abdomen, and bowed my head.

“The contract period has ended, so I am merely saying my farewell. It carries no special meaning.”

Grab.

Mihail caught my hand again.

Judging by the strength of his grip, I already knew what his answer would be.

Sure enough, with moist eyes, he said gently,

“Just as you said, it holds no special meaning. Then stay a little longer. Don’t you need somewhere to recover from your illness?”

Your Majesty, that’s not what I meant.

I slipped my hand free once more and hid both hands behind my back before speaking even more earnestly.

“I appreciate your kindness, but if I remain in the palace any longer, it will only create more trouble. So please allow me to—”

Before I could finish, Mihail suddenly raised his voice.

“Must I order you confined and treated before you’ll obey me?”

What is wrong with him?

Why is he getting so worked up?

I thought being desperate was supposed to work!

Why are you angry?!

Someone once told me that when things failed, it was because I wasn’t desperate enough.

Apparently that was just an excuse.

I was more desperate than anyone right now, and it still wasn’t working!

While I cried internally, Mihail lowered his voice again and pleaded quietly.

“I don’t want to live with the same regret again. So please… stay by my side, Lin.”

Hearing the desperation in his voice, I suddenly realized something.

Ah.

He was even more desperate than I was.

I’d lost.

Accepting defeat in my heart, I looked at Mihail.

At that exact moment, something surged up from deep inside my chest.

The signs of mana backlash.

I glanced out the window.

The sun had already set.

It was the same time I usually coughed up blood.

Damn it.

I thought coughing once earlier would be enough.

Panic seized me.

At this rate, I was going to cough up blood right in front of Mihail.

That couldn’t happen.

I swallowed back the rising nausea, lowered my head briefly, then looked back up.

“…Very well. I understand. I’m… extremely tired. I think… I need to rest.”

I had absolutely no intention of staying in the palace.

But I had no other choice.

“Thank you for accepting my wishes, Lin. Go and get some rest.”

Just as I’d expected, Mihail released me immediately after I agreed.

I hurriedly turned around and fled through the door.

Things were progressing much faster than usual.

At this rate, I was going to vomit blood right onto the palace corridor.

If that happened, rumors would spread throughout the entire Imperial Palace that I was so gravely ill I was coughing up blood.

Even if Emperor Mihail ordered everyone to keep silent, there was no stopping whispers from spreading behind the scenes.

I was living in the palace under a false identity, serving as the contract Empress.

Drawing everyone’s attention was the one thing I absolutely couldn’t allow.

Please.

Don’t do this.

This wasn’t part of the plan, Cassian.

As I hurried through the corridors, the image of Cassian from earlier that afternoon floated before my eyes.

As always, he had looked completely relaxed, saying only what he wanted to say.

“Six months is the limit. Prepare yourself.”

Was this what you meant by preparing myself?

Not preparing to fight the new queen?

Even while running frantically through the corridors, my thoughts were a complete mess.

He’d been unusually quiet today.

If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve forced him to explain everything back then.

Regret was pointless now.

I had to get back to my room before anyone saw me!

I hurried toward the room assigned to me.

But just as I reached the entrance to the Empress’s Palace, my path was blocked.

By maids.

I didn’t have personal maids.

The only person who attended me was Countess Retel, Mihail’s former nurse before he ascended the throne.

She was one of the very few people who knew my relationship with the Emperor was purely contractual.

The Emperor had told Countess Retel to provide me with whatever I needed.

But I could never bring myself to ask.

She was older than my own mother.

And although she was called the head maid, I knew her true role was that of a watcher.

So I never summoned her.

I washed my face, bathed, and changed clothes all by myself.

Countess Retel came to the palace every morning, stayed with me throughout the day, and returned home around sunset.

The western sky behind the palace had long since turned crimson.

By now, she would already be riding home in her carriage.

So she couldn’t have sent these maids.

Then who?

As if they knew exactly what I was wondering, someone stepped forward from between the gathered maids.

She was a petite young woman.

Jet-black hair, as dark as spilled ink, swayed gently over her shoulders.

The skin visible beneath it was an ivory shade completely unlike that of the people of the Empire.

And beneath her slowly lifting eyelids were black eyes, another rarity in the Empire.

My goodness.

I gasped inwardly.

The face of Eunsu—the one I had seen countless times while playing the game—was standing right there before me.