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Chapter 1
Super bestseller.
The Tyrant’s Flower.
If someone asked me who the dumbest character in that novel was, I could answer without the slightest hesitation.
It wasn’t Odelia, the heroine who hopelessly loved the tyrannical male lead, Kalix.
Nor was it the devoted second male lead who sacrificed his life for Odelia.
No.
It was Iena Licht Haiga.
A forgettable supporting character.
The first Empress of the Emperor and male protagonist, Kalix Wendt Solitea Klose.
She became Empress through a political marriage, lived without ever receiving the respect she deserved, and died.
Not peacefully, either.
She was captured on the battlefield in Kalix’s place—a man who had never shown her even the tiniest shred of affection—and was tortured to death as a prisoner of war.
If she had at least been an important supporting character, it might have been less depressing.
But Iena’s role was as insignificant as her fate.
In a novel spanning thousands of pages, she appeared for barely two.
Her only purpose was to demonstrate just how cold-blooded Kalix was—the kind of man who would abandon even his own wife if it meant securing victory.
To be fair, her sacrifice wasn’t entirely meaningless.
Thanks to Iena, Kalix and Odelia’s romance felt even more dramatic.
A cold-hearted tyrant.
A bold yet lovable heroine.
Meeting Odelia awakens him to true love!
…
Iena was like the wilted vegetables in a bowl of spicy seafood noodles.
She suffered terribly and died, yet no one remembered her.
Just like those vegetables.
No matter how long they simmer in the broth, everyone only cares about the shrimp, mussels, and squid.
Poor Iena.
She never once complained.
She faithfully supported her husband.
She loyally served a man who had absolutely no redeeming qualities.
She even gave her life to save him.
And afterward?
Instead of mourning her, Kalix happily lived his love story with Odelia.
How infuriating that must have been to watch from heaven.
She probably couldn’t even rest in peace because she was so furious.
If it were me… I’d never do something that stupid.
…
That was what I was thinking as I fell asleep.
And when I opened my eyes again…
I had become Iena Haiga.
The most pathetic and foolish supporting character in The Tyrant’s Flower.
The forgotten extra.
The wilted vegetable in the noodles.
The Alkrus Empire, the Empire of the Sun.
Over the past several years, the empire had experienced the greatest prosperity since its founding.
Its territory expanded day by day.
Trade across the sea flourished for the first time in history.
All because of one man.
Emperor Kalix Wendt Solitea Klose.
The man who rebuilt a dying empire.
Of course, nothing had come easily.
His path had been lined with thorns from the very beginning.
After the previous emperor died, everything in Kalix’s life became a battlefield.
Originally, the throne should have gone to his half-brother, Luon.
But after a long and bitter struggle, Kalix emerged victorious.
Once he seized the throne, the young emperor immediately launched one military campaign after another.
Even then, his road was far from smooth.
Those who had supported Luon took every opportunity to rebel.
They claimed the reckless ambitions of a young ruler would destroy the Alkrus Empire.
Instead…
The empire won every single war.
Their accusations collapsed along with their armies.
Returning home in triumph, Kalix publicly executed those who had opposed him and gradually strengthened what had once been a fragile imperial authority.
Still, he lacked sufficient justification to eliminate every faction supporting Luon.
So he chose another path.
He married Iena Haiga.
The Haiga family was one of the empire’s most influential noble houses, and Iena’s father, Edward Haiga, was one of the few nobles who had supported Kalix from the beginning.
With the Haiga family’s unwavering backing and victory after victory on the battlefield, Kalix’s position became unshakable.
Five years later, he possessed the strongest imperial authority of any emperor in Alkrus history.
No one dared oppose him.
“Your Majesty!”
Hearing the tearful voice, Kalix stepped down from his horse and looked up.
The speaker was Paul, the head steward, hurrying toward him from afar.
“I greet the Sun of Alkrus.”
“Do you really have to greet me so dramatically every time?”
His tone was cold and completely devoid of warmth.
Paul wasn’t offended in the slightest.
His moist eyes carefully examined the bloodstained armor, checking every inch as though making sure Kalix hadn’t been seriously wounded.
Anyone watching would have mistaken him for a father welcoming home a son from war.
It was excessive.
Yet understandable.
Paul had been the only person who stayed beside the young crown prince throughout the countless assassination attempts until he finally became emperor.
“Paul.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kalix removed his armor and casually tossed it toward him.
The unexpected weight nearly bent Paul’s back.
“Nothing unusual happened while I was away?”
The campaign had lasted six full months.
Paul had sent reports every morning, but perhaps something had been left out.
“Actually…”
“Actually?”
“There is… something that happened over the past few days. I didn’t mention it in my letters because I feared it might worry Your Majesty.”
“What is it? Have the nobles started spreading more pointless rumors?”
“N-No, nothing like that…”
“Then that’s enough.”
He was exhausted.
All he wanted was to return to the palace, wash away the dust and blood, and finally sleep.
As Kalix quickened his pace, Paul cautiously spoke again.
“However…”
“…However?”
“Well…”
Paul hesitated.
He glanced around repeatedly, as though preparing to reveal a dangerous secret.
“Speak.”
“…It’s about Her Majesty.”
“…The Empress?”
“Her Majesty has… become somewhat…”
Kalix frowned.
Not because he was worried about his wife.
Because she was troublesome.
If something happened to the Empress, he would be the one inconvenienced.
Although his position had greatly improved over the past five years, the Haiga family’s influence remained enormous.
“Has something happened to the Empress?”
“It’s not exactly that… it’s just…”
Paul checked their surroundings once more.
“The Empress what?”
Having reached the end of his patience, Kalix snapped.
Paul flinched.
Straightening his bent back with difficulty, he whispered so quietly it was barely audible.
“…I believe… Her Majesty has lost her mind.”
For the past several days, Iena had locked herself inside the Empress’s Palace, organizing everything she remembered.
According to the novel, the original Iena Licht Haiga had died after being captured during the war against the Triania Empire.
At first, Alkrus held the advantage.
Unfortunately, the tide gradually turned.
During that chaos, Iena was taken prisoner in Kalix’s place.
She could have abandoned both her husband and the empire and run away!
That scene had frustrated me countless times while reading.
Anyway…
Iena was eventually executed personally by Triania’s emperor, Raiden Ellard.
One clean stroke.
Her head rolled.
Raiden’s victory celebration didn’t last long.
Alkrus launched one final offensive, and the Goddess of Victory ultimately smiled upon Kalix.
After the war, Kalix wanted to annex Triania completely.
But the conflict had been so massive that the empire lacked the resources.
Instead, he reduced Triania to a vassal state while rebuilding the devastated borderlands.
And this was where the real story began.
Fearing the remnants of Triania’s army might rebel, Kalix kept one important prisoner.
Princess Odelia.
After that?
The two naturally fell in love.
Shared a bed.
Brought peace to both nations.
Meanwhile…
Iena, whose head had already been chopped off, was completely forgotten.
Happy ending.
“Ugh…”
Iena shuddered, touching her neck.
It was still attached—for now.
The problem was that the war between Alkrus and Triania wasn’t far away.
Only a few months remained.
When she had asked what year it was, Paul had answered with a puzzled expression.
438.
That was the very first line of The Tyrant’s Flower.
“Spring, Year 439. The beginning of everything.”
“The beginning of everything” referred to Kalix meeting Odelia.
Worse…
It wasn’t even spring of 438.
It was winter.
The very end of the year.
In other words…
There wasn’t much time left before her own head would be rolling across the ground.
There was only one way to survive.
Escape the palace.
If she managed that, everything else would work itself out.
The novel had barely explained anything about a minor supporting character like Iena, but one thing was certain.
The Haiga family was wealthy.
Not merely noble.
Powerful.
A family influential enough to shape imperial politics certainly wasn’t poor.
Besides, judging by the countless letters filling her bedroom, Iena’s father clearly adored his only daughter.
She considered every possible escape plan.
If necessary, she’d even climb over the palace walls herself.
Her dignity as Empress?
The Haiga family’s reputation?
Those hardly mattered when she was about to die for absolutely no reason.
And surely…
If Kalix possessed even a shred of decency, he wouldn’t charge his runaway wife with treason after everything the Haiga family had done to secure his throne.
First, though…
She needed to speak with him.
…Why the hell isn’t this bastard here yet?
Scowling at the door, Iena sighed.
Paul had said Kalix would arrive by evening.
It was nearly midnight.
Dragging this out only makes me more anxious.
She let out another long sigh.
I wonder what he actually looks like…
She had been so busy planning her escape that she hadn’t spared much thought for Kalix himself.
The novel had basically summarized his appearance with one sentence:
“He’s handsome.”
There had been a few more details…
“I’ve arrived.”
Without waiting for permission, the closed door swung open.
“…”
Staring blankly at Kalix, Iena finally murmured,
“Ah…”
Now she remembered.
It was Odelia’s inner monologue when she first saw him.
“Hair as black as the night sky. Ice-cold blue eyes like flawless sapphires…”
“…Empress.”
“A towering height that forced you to look up, broad shoulders, a muscular physique… He looked like a god from ancient myths…”
“…He’s not that handsome.”
The words slipped out before she realized it.
Sure, he was attractive.
But a god?
Not really.
“Iena.”
Did Odelia just fall in love at first sight and exaggerate?
“Iena!”
“Ah! You startled me!”
Kalix carefully observed his wife, wondering if she truly had gone insane.
Meanwhile, Iena examined him just as carefully, trying to determine exactly which part resembled a god.
Silence filled the room.
“…Paul.”
Kalix finally broke it.
“He told me your health may have taken a turn.”
Their marriage contained no affection whatsoever.
Still, he wasn’t cruel enough to bluntly say, Paul thinks you’ve gone crazy.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“…Fine?”
Her unfamiliar way of speaking made Kalix narrow his eyes.
“…You are well?”
“…”
“…I am well?”
Which one is correct?
“I’m fine.”
“I am perfectly well.”
“Fit as a fiddle.”
Iena mentally exhausted every possible sentence she could think of.
Then she blinked.
Wait.
This isn’t the important part.
“Um… Mr. Kalix… I mean, Your Majesty.”
“…”
“I have something I’d like to say… I mean… respectfully request?”
“…Go on.”
“I wanted to ask a favor. It’s nothing difficult, so don’t worry.”
“A favor? From me?”
“Can’t I? Don’t worry—it won’t cost you any money.”
“…Let’s hear it.”
“Well…”
“Yes?”
“Could you… divorce me?”
“…What?”
“It’s not exactly that… but Her Majesty…”
“I won’t ask for alimony or compensation, so I’d appreciate it if you could do it as soon as possible.”
“…I believe Her Majesty has gone insane.”
“If divorce would look bad politically… then you can just depose me instead.”
Iena smiled brightly.
Kalix didn’t answer.
He simply stared at her in complete silence.
