episode_0030

The Emperor, who came into the bedroom to get some sleep after finishing his morning work, couldn’t believe his eyes.

This was because the Empress was working next to her with Liesel sleeping on her bed.

“Empress. Could it be that the Second Prince’s damn tastes have even affected my bedroom?”

“Are you really crazy?”

“If not, why is this damned little boy lying in our bedroom? Is this really fire…”

“There is also a method of piercing the mouth with a heated skewer, Your Majesty.”

“Well, the Empress is someone who doesn’t know farming.”

The emperor deliberately leaned on the sofa far away from the empress.

“To lie down on the empress’ bed, which I have never laid down in before. This is the first time I’ve felt envious of this little brat.”

“… If Raoul had heard, he would have been angry.”

“I can also take into account this little boy’s misunderstanding of Raoul… but I can’t forgive him for making a joke about you.”

But the emperor did not draw his sword.

“It would be better to let this fool know about my brother’s physical condition. Knowing that you wasted your time must be truly painful.”

There was a subtle anger on the emperor’s face.

That anger was not directed at Liesel, but at his fiancée and mother.

“That idiot bastard won’t even live for a year… I don’t really like them because they are a bunch of people who live in solitude without knowing anything.”

I wanted to go and turn things upside down right now, but I couldn’t.

Even the commotion seen at the family succession ceremony was nothing compared to the ‘just punishment’ they wanted to carry out.

In particular, his fiancée was someone who even told Raoul not to touch her.

“Isn’t it really crappy, Empress? We are the ones who sacrificed, but we are the ones who suffer.”

“… I.”

The Empress was also one of the victims like Raoul, so she had the right to express her opinion.

“If the moment of choice comes again, I will make the same choice. Raoul will do the same.”

“……”

The two quietly reminisced about the past. Although they didn’t say anything, what they both had in mind was the same. Just the perspective was different, but the pain, sadness, and anger all had the same weight.

###

few years ago.

When the madness of the Demon King who lost his companion reached the goal of annihilation, he took countless lives for that purpose.

In the end, all races, including humans, formed an allied force against him, but in front of the demon king called the Evil Sword, they were nothing but dust.

In addition, heterogeneous beings, including dragons who were no different from the Demon King’s slaves, also threatened the Allied Forces.

The most important being among them was the vampire.

“Fuck…!!!”

Penelope, a famous warrior who would become an empress in the distant future, expressed her anger by repeatedly hitting the table.

“That fucking bastard saw through my plan again and ran away…! This side made the sacrifice as it should…!!!”

Chepeshu, the ruler of the vampires, was one of the most annoying beings thanks to his resourcefulness that surpassed that of Penelope and his unique immortality.

Even Raoul, who has the ability to slay a demonic beast over 5km in length, was unable to kill him, so that’s all.

“… I heard that if you drive a silver stake into your heart, you will die.”

“If silver gets stuck in my heart, I will die too!”

“We are confident in our survival.”

“Shut up before I shove the silver candlestick somewhere other than my heart.”

Raoul, who had expressed his own opinion, immediately shut his mouth due to Penelope’s irritation.

“The defense line continues to be pushed back, and if this continues, the main base will be taken out, but damn it…! That unlucky bastard!!!”

Penelope was originally a very calm person, but she was unable to maintain her senses when dealing with the vampire Chepeshu.

He was a person who constantly flirted with him and made all kinds of teasing, a nemesis who always broke his plans and insulted him, and was also an enemy who murdered his younger brother.

“If the main base is taken out like this, everything will be lost…”

“If someone stays and earns time, the rest will be able to survive.”

“Raul I’m doing this because no one knows that right now…”

Penelope suddenly lost her temper and began to quietly analyze the situation.

The 1st Prince was currently fighting against the King of the Dead, Camilla was single-handedly tracking down the Queen of Dragons, and her other friend was blocking the attack of the Dark Elves.

The only ones left at the base are myself and Raoul. Even Raul did not have a good relationship with Chepeş.

Moreover, it was clear that the vampires would attack the main base to capture and harass him.

“…… I will now tell you the strategy, Raoul. First, the main camp retreats. And for a safe retreat, someone must stay behind and block the chase.”

“I understand. Let me take on that role.”

“No. The only one left is me.”

“Are you drunk? Their target is you, Penelope. I don’t want to tell you with my own words the dirty predictions of what I will do to you.”

“I’m saying this because I know that well, Raoul. This is not an operation for a safe retreat… but an operation for the annihilation of the enemy.”

Raoul looked at Penelope with an expression that still seemed to leave his doubts unanswered.

He usually followed his friends’ instructions obediently, but he did not tolerate anything that would put him in danger of taking off his clothes.

“I ask for an explanation.”

“… Sigh. I will explain now, so listen carefully. After you retreat, please pass on the good news to the other idiots.”

Penelope explained her plan step by step, but Raoul’s expression grew darker.

“… You’re crazy. you are crazy Such a crazy operation. If it’s even slightly off, everything will lose meaning and become distorted.”

“So, are we going to make everyone here run away just to satisfy our humble pride? During your speech, you promised soldiers that they would return home? Was it really just a bluff to make such a big fuss?”

“I didn’t mean to sacrifice you.”

“It’s just my life. With that alone, countless soldiers and their families, many times larger than that, can live in peace.”

Raoul, who thought of his family at that story, bit his lower lip so hard that it bled.

Because he also loved his family, he had no choice but to be weak in front of their family’s stories.

“… Yes. Tell that to others too. I will also take measures to ensure that they follow the strategy.”

“Thank you Raoul.”

“And I will regret today and blame myself for the rest of my life. Imagining countless what-ifs and blaming myself for not being able to do that.”

“…… Yes. I feel sorry for that part.”

“While I am imagining what if, you will be tormented by the reality. That would be ironic.”

After Raoul finished speaking, he went outside and began preparing to retreat.

His expression showed an unusual sadness.

The next night.

In pitch-black darkness, the vampire army led by Lord Chepeshu pursued the retreating Allied forces.

Since the retreating army was originally the weakest army, it was the right time to inflict a huge blow.

But there was someone who could stop them.

“Hoo… This is surprising. No, it would be more appropriate to call it an unexpected harvest.”

The person who appeared was none other than Penelope, a famous soldier of the empire, and the only one who could understand his plan even a little.

“…”

“The silence makes me a little sad. I wanted to hear that voice.”

The Empress resisted by pulling out her sword and cutting down numerous vampires.

However, as the weakest of the five heroes, she was unable to overcome the power of the group and was eventually captured.

“Uhuhuhu… Just when I was getting irritated with obediently following orders under that madman, something very good came into my hands.”

“……”

Nevertheless, Penelope only shows an expression of resentment in the end. He didn’t even utter a swear word.

“… It seems like it would be a waste to even say something to me. good night. The joy that comes from hard work has its own value. Let me drag you along.”

So she was chained and led like a dog to his castle.

To humiliate her, he did not hesitate to strip her naked, tie her to the tail of a horse, and drag her around.

Nevertheless, she only gave hateful eyes and still did not open her mouth.

“You are an extremely poisonous woman.”

Chepeş ordered his men to whip her as she was dragged away with a whip made of woven cowhide.

Even though three or four people were whipping her at the same time, she kept her mouth tightly shut rather than screaming from the pain and shame.

“You never opened your mouth until you finally arrived at the castle. I’ll admit that one thing. But from now on, everything up until now will feel like a joke.”

“……”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing whether the first sound that comes out of that mouth will be a scream or a beg.”

He imprisoned Penelope and subjected her to all kinds of unspeakable torture.

There were tortures that brought indelible shame on a woman, tortures that would drive an ordinary person crazy, and many tortures that trampled on her character.

They put bugs in his body, did not give him even a sip of water, and brought his dead brother’s body to him to humiliate him.

He also cut the tendons in her ankles to prevent her from escaping.

Nevertheless, her eyes only became more and more vicious. Let alone opening his mouth, he didn’t even show his teeth.

“It’s been a week. Normally, it would be a pain that would make me cringe, but I can’t believe I endured this.”

“……”

“Oh, by the way, you said that nobles value chastity more than life. They say it is only allowed for those who love.”

“……..”

“If you are intelligent, you will know what I will do from now on. This time, let’s listen to that expensive voice.”

So she was dragged into Chepeş’s bedroom and robbed of what she cherished.

And to the hateful monster who murdered his younger brother.

It was a more painful and shameful time than any other torture. Tears flowed from her eyes, but she did not open her mouth.

“Ha, to the end of this poisonous thing…”

Chepeshu, who was looking up at her from his posture, also recognized her venom.

“Okay, once this act is over, I will bow your head with respect. How dare you keep your mouth shut until noon on the seventh day.”

Penelope, who heard the story, smiled an evil smile that made those who saw it go numb.

“…!”

Chepeş, feeling anxious for a moment, tried to let go of her, but the empress held him tightly and did not let go.

And she opened her mouth after a week.

And what came out of that mouth was not a curse, an insult, or a threat, but sparkling silver.

A weapon made by cutting a silver candlestick into the shape of a small stake was driven into his heart.

“… You idiot.”

“Was this your plan? You got the wrong person. I can’t believe you’re gambling like this. Even if I had just forced your mouth to open, it would not have worked. Soldiers gamble.”

“If it works, you’re a fucking idiot.”

“There are too many other risk factors. If you had screamed in pain, everything would have gone wrong.”

“I am confident in my patience, unlike you.”

“Were you sure that I would hug you like this?”

“Okay. I was wondering what you would do. Even though my talent for military service is still less than yours… I am confident in analyzing actions.”

Even so, it was an extremely reckless operation.

If there was even the slightest deviation, the operation would have definitely failed.

She risked her life just for that.

Even if you fail, you will be able to force the army to retreat, and if you succeed, you will be able to kill the demon that is harassing your friends.

For just that, she risked her life and sacrificed what she cherished most.

“Crazy bitch… You really are a crazy bitch.”

“It’s so noisy, don’t make any more noise and die.”

“Yes, I will die and go to hell… but you will also live in hell. May you fully enjoy the victory over hell.”

He said that and disappeared into a handful of ashes.

Soon, Raoul and other companions rushed in and slaughtered the vampires in the fortress.

And those three were the first to enter the room.

“… Penelope.”

Camilla also had a look of desperate sadness on her face.

First Prince Asher, who would become her future husband, closed his eyes for a moment and said this.

“You won. Just that. Anyone who says anything other than that will be executed according to military law.”

“… Your Majesty. What happened to the other vampires out there?”

“Rest assured that she is taking care of it.”

“That’s really… fortunate.”

Raoul, who was watching the scene, approached her without a word and threw down his cloak.

So that she can cover her entire body as she sits down.

“… This is something my father made by repairing his own coat to prevent me from getting cold.”

He did not show any emotion as he looked at his friend covered in a cloak.

“No matter what you do inside, I won’t be able to see or hear you.”

Then he adjusted his cane and went out, saying this:

“It’s a precious item, so please come back later to return it yourself. I will help my other half and finish cleaning.”

“……”

“Good job, friend.”

No one knew what she was doing under that cloak.

But fate, as always, turned out tragically.

Despite the 1st Prince’s silence order, the rumor spread, and the rumor was changed by the 2nd Prince to say that Penelope had given herself to her enemies in order to survive.

It was all a lie, but no one believed it. Because the rumors spread by the 2nd prince were more provocative and interesting.

Even though Penelope returned as a war hero, she had to suffer from all sorts of scandals.

Because of the scandal of whispering love to the person who killed her younger brother, she was kicked out of the family without even seeing her parents’ faces.

Even though she sacrificed everything, she gained nothing.

While she was wandering alone in the rain, three gunmen appeared and covered her with their coats.

“Your Highness…? Camilla…? Raul…?”

“Your family is such trash.”

“The empire must be trash. Because this country is a mess from the beginning.”

“… Penelope.”

Because of the scandal, she could not find a wife, her honor was practically tarnished by the second prince, and she was even kicked out of the family.

Even though I lost everything, I didn’t lose my friends.

Her friends were pretty squishy, so there was no way they could get away from her.

“I now have nothing. No fame, no family, now it’s hard to even walk on your own…”

“We didn’t become friends because of that, Penelope.”

Raoul answered calmly, but his words were enough to bring a single tear to his eye.

1st Prince Asher also felt sorry for her situation.

“Did you say you lost your spouse? That’s natural.”

“…”

“For someone like you, the best married wife is suitable.”

“Yes…?”

“I will take you away. These two here recommended it and I accepted it.”

There were only unintelligible sounds.

While he desperately needed a hand in his fight for the throne with the second prince, marriage was one of the best weapons he could choose.

However, it was incomprehensible to common sense that such a weapon would be used against one who had been kicked out of the family.

“You also saved us with a reckless plan that went beyond common sense. I will also save you by breaking away from common sense.”

“And if you lose the competition for the throne…!”

“I don’t lose. With you by my side, I can win even if the entire empire becomes my enemy. At best, how can an empire defeat us?”

“Even so, why are you doing this? No matter how much of a friend you are, you still do that…”

“We are ugly beings. They’re idiots who don’t know how to take care of themselves. These idiots don’t like to see others suffer over such topics.”

The 1st Prince said this while hugging the others.

“So, I want idiots to live for each other. Let’s live thinking only of each other and become better idiots.”

There was no way those who were driven to that battlefield in the first place could have lived a normal life.

“You just have to live by looking at each other’s wounds instead of looking at the circumstances before and after. Even if my friend destroys half of the country, if there is even a scratch on my friend’s body, I can destroy the other half.”

The hearts of the friends were moved by the call to think only of each other and live for each other.

That’s how they lived, embracing each other’s wounds rather than their own.

In this way, the flow of memories accelerated and reached the present.

“… At that time, Raoul did make one exception.”

The two burst into laughter as they looked at the ‘exception’ who had fallen asleep.

“Maybe it was jealousy.”

“After fighting together on the battlefield for several years, he must have felt envious of me for choosing my sister.”

The exchange of jokes seemed to lighten the mood a bit, but the Empress took advantage of the opportunity to say this.

“Your Majesty, how about slowly taking in a concubine?”

“What does that mean? Are you telling Jim to repeat the same mistake as Seonje?”

“I still can’t sleep with men because I can’t shake off memories of the past.”

Thanks to this, the emperor was able to sleep on the sofa every night.

There was also the option of sleeping in another room, but he refused for fear of causing a new scandal to the Empress.

There was also a plan for the Empress to sleep on the sofa, but it was rejected out of consideration for her discomfort.

“The luggage will wait.”

“Yes…?”

“The day my foolish friend cuts down the tree in his heart, the day my idiot friend takes out his buried feelings and confesses, and the day my frustrating friend shakes off the past.”

He ended his sentence with a bright smile.

“The baggage can wait. Even if we don’t see a successor, what will this poor empire do more than fall? Compared to you, it is truly insignificant.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Isn’t waiting a king’s virtue? Just as patience is your specialty, waiting is Jim’s specialty.”

In fact, Liesel, who had just been awake, had to put in quite a bit of effort to keep her hands and feet from shrinking.