🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 17
To entertain the Emperor, they had been rounding up members of the hidden Second Empress faction wherever they could find them. Even their innocent children and nephews were dragged in without hesitation.
What mattered was not whether they were guilty or innocent, but how interesting they were to the Emperor.
In the end, his efforts bore fruit, and the man who once couldn’t even sit properly at the edge of the guest seating had risen to a position of prominence in the center.
But his rapid rise did not last long.
As the Second Empress faction thinned out, the Emperor quickly lost interest.
Evelyn ignored Viscount Cornwell’s gaze and continued speaking.
“If we simply place someone interesting into the arena, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
“Hmm?”
At last, interest flickered across Mary’s face.
“Princess, speak your thoughts.”
“There is someone here who has insulted Your Majesty.”
Murmurs spread through the surrounding audience seating.
The nobles, who were always silent like statues, now looked at the sudden move of the princess with curious eyes.
Mary, who had been gazing down lazily, tilted the corner of her mouth.
“And who would that be?”
“Viscount Bernado Cornwell.”
“What absolute nonsense…!”
Cornwell, who had also risen to his feet like Evelyn, raised his voice.
“Why am I suddenly being accused of something like this?!”
“You would do well to remain silent for now, Viscount.”
A heavy voice came from Robert, who had been sitting quietly.
The moment he heard the word “insult,” killing intent surged in his blue eyes.
When Cornwell met his gaze, his shoulders trembled slightly.
Robert motioned to Evelyn, as if telling her to continue.
Though she disliked receiving help from him, Evelyn decided to prioritize the greater cause over personal feelings.
“This is the list of participants in the ‘Feeding Competition’ that Viscount Cornwell has brought in so far.”
At her signal, Lilia handed a document to a servant, who then passed it to the Emperor.
Mary read it expressionlessly.
“Not only did he embezzle confiscated noble funds, but he also extorted money by threatening the Emperor’s subjects.”
The Emperor’s subjects.
Those who had once been dismissed as mere commoners were now suddenly elevated to the Emperor’s people.
Instead of speaking about the noble faction of the Second Empress, Evelyn began recounting the stories of the commoners.
“There are some who committed crimes and were rightfully placed in the ‘Feeding Competition.’ However, many were forcibly dragged in simply because they could not pay the amount demanded by Viscount Cornwell. Among them, some even received payment from criminals in exchange for participating in their place.”
“Participating in their place?”
“Yes. It seems he especially preferred physically strong individuals.”
Excluding the first event involving the Sands family, the winners of the past five months had all been large, strong men.
Of course, Mary would not care about such details.
But where were they now?
This was a public event meant to display imperial authority.
It was a perfect opportunity to strengthen loyalty among the people and solidify imperial power.
Even if Mary did not care, Robert would not let this moment pass.
“Your Majesty, please consider the grievances of your people.”
As expected, Robert began gently persuading his ruler.
“Is it acceptable that, in an event meant for the Empire’s citizens, one dares to exploit Your Majesty’s will for personal gain?”
“N-no! Count, that is not what I meant! Your Majesty, this is a misunderstanding!”
Cornwell hurried forward toward the imperial seat.
Dropping to his knees, he looked desperately at the chamberlain and then at the Emperor.
“It was merely a donation for an event held in the palace! All funds received were handed over to the Chamberlain!”
“Viscount Cornwell!”
The Chamberlain, who had been standing like a statue behind the Emperor, suddenly erupted.
He turned toward Mary.
“Is he not an utterly wicked man? Not only did he oppress Your Majesty’s subjects, he even insults me, Your Majesty’s loyal servant!”
Then he looked down at his former subordinate, now discarded.
“Viscount, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Chamberlain!”
“Enough.”
The Emperor raised a hand, cutting off the escalating argument.
Silence fell instantly.
Since she had not used aura to amplify her voice, the spectators in the arena could not understand what was happening in the VIP section.
Under countless curious gazes, Mary spoke.
“The Chamberlain and the Count are correct.”
“Your Majesty! No, please, please…!”
“Bind Viscount Cornwell’s mouth and throw him into the arena.”
“Your Majesty!!”
A desperate scream echoed across the arena.
The confused crowd tilted their heads, while those who understood the situation let out sighs.
Cornwell, gagged and dragged down like a beast, disappeared toward the arena floor.
Evelyn quietly sat back down.
Robert leaned toward her.
“It seems you do not like the Chamberlain’s hunting dog.”
“……”
“No matter what, if you kill another man’s dog so carelessly, won’t the owner be upset?”
“Do I need to care about that?”
“Hm.”
He pretended to think for a moment, pursing his lips, then shrugged.
“Of course not.”
“……”
“Still, thanks to that, the Emperor will have an entertaining match for the first time in a while.”
Robert smiled in satisfaction and turned his gaze toward Mary.
Evelyn followed his line of sight.
The Emperor still looked indifferent, but within her light green eyes—so similar to Evelyn’s—there was a faint glimmer.
“A hunting dog’s life is quite valuable, wouldn’t you say?”
“……”
Evelyn said nothing and instead fixed her gaze on the arena.
Among the chained participants, Viscount Cornwell appeared, gagged and bound.
The Chamberlain continued explaining, and soon the audience erupted into cheers.
“For this match, additional rules have been applied! Not only will participants fight for the prize, but anyone who kills the convicted Viscount Bernado Cornwell will also be declared a winner!”
“Waaahhh!”
“The only way for the condemned to leave the arena alive is to kill all participants! Is it not fitting that the price of offending Her Majesty is so severe?”
The Chamberlain’s voice thundered through the arena.
A heavy fog settled in Evelyn’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Aiden stood frozen in shock.
“So this is the ‘Feeding Competition’ I mentioned.”
“……”
“As you can see, the citizens of the capital have long since lost their will to live. They are simply absorbed in gambling sponsored by the imperial family.”
The audience section descended into chaos once again.
With Cornwell’s arrival, even more people began betting on human lives.
Aiden, rooted to the ground, could not even breathe.
Lilia looked at him and quietly added:
“Once the event ends, please go through the passage we used earlier. Her Highness wishes to speak with you.”
Aiden’s shaken amber eyes shifted from Lilia to Evelyn across the arena.
The emerald gaze that had been fixed on the arena was now looking back at them.
After the event ended, Evelyn immediately turned as if heading toward a side palace.
Her assigned watcher, Moll, had long forgotten his duty.
In her first life and second life, she had never had an official residence at this time, so she had never met him during this period.
The reason she knew Moll had fallen into the “Feeding Competition” was because she had later learned it from him in a future encounter.
He seems even more deeply involved than before.
Still, this gives me more freedom to move.
Soon, she arrived at the secret passage and opened the door.
Deep inside the damp, dark corridor, a faint light flickered.
In truth, she had known about this passage for a long time.
But in her previous life, she had never dared to use it.
Above all, she had not been confident she could escape Mary’s grasp.
After her regression, she had briefly considered it.
Whether she should escape the imperial palace through this passage.
But she quickly changed her mind.
As long as Mary exists, there is no real life anywhere else.
This battle would only end when one of them fell.
As she walked forward, the light grew stronger, revealing a familiar figure.
“…I greet Your Highness the Princess.”
“Duke.”
The person she had been waiting for so desperately was finally here.
The first step toward bringing down Mary had finally arrived.
“Are you injured?”
“Yes. And Your Highness… are you well?”
At the question, a flood of emotions rose within her.
The face she had seen in the arena would not leave her mind.
Shock, rage, despair, and killing intent swirling within those brilliant eyes.
The moment she saw it, Evelyn knew her decision had been correct.
Aiden Glaster would become the sharpest blade aimed at Mary.
“Well… ‘well,’ you say. I am not sure how to answer that. Since I have not yet participated in your so-called Feeding Competition, perhaps I should say I am fine.”
“Then… how often does something like this happen? Does the Emperor always commit such horrific acts?”
“No, it is not a regular event. It depends on her mood. This one was likely held to keep you in check after your victory.”
“The Emperor… is trying to keep me in check?”
Aiden’s brows furrowed sharply.
“Of course.”
“But why?”
“You are a war hero who brought victory, are you not?”
“That…”
The deep crease between his brows clearly revealed his fury.
And Evelyn did not miss it.
