episode_0097

“Raul…? Camilla…?”

In front of the cruel smile of Her Highness the Empress, the two of us had no choice but to be punished.

“What are you two doing here…?”

“Well, since the hunting festival is held nearby, I came here to get my act together.”

The Empress smiled kindly, holding my hair, and said something that was not kind at all.

“Life is a very risky bet, isn’t it? Haven’t you ever thought that if you die, you’ll die a dog’s death? Do you really want to die a dog’s death by being beaten like a dog? Oh, when I think about it, my heart races…”

“Your Highness, first of all, think about your dignity…”

“Pain? Do you want to feel extreme pain today? Do you think your mouth is a mouth that was opened to make excuses? When I think about it, your body is in that state, and it was this mouth that sucked up the strengthening drug? Would it be solved if I just sew this mouth shut? Or should I just make a hole in your throat so you can’t speak or swallow? Ah, fucking hot…”

In that moment, Her Highness the Empress’s night fist struck my temple and chin.

I felt a pain like a nail was being driven into my brain, but strangely enough, there was no bruise left.

It was painful, but seeing how even this time of scolding was enjoyable made me realize that there really wasn’t much time left.

“Camilla.”

“Hey, I’m not on a time limit…”

“I warned you to only take one pill of the strengthening agent, right?”

“But it wasn’t an easy situation…”

“You could have fought defensively and bought time. And then you got mad enough to fight and took additional drugs and slaughtered them. Am I wrong? ”

“……”

When Her Highness the Empress pinched Camilla’s side, Camilla let out a strange moan.

“That Penelope…?”

“Your Highness, don’t you know?”

“Your Highness, you are sick…”

“I’m pinching you because it hurts. Are you pinching me to make me orgasm? I’m not interested in women’s sex. You’re not interested in my favor either. I’ll pinch you until you lose all sense of pain.”

“Does it really hurt? I feel like the flesh on my side is going to be ripped off.”

“My heart was torn to pieces when I heard that you guys got hurt like that after sucking it like that. So wouldn’t it be fair to tear your heart apart too? If I knock on this head, it’ll come out empty. Do you have a brain in your head?”

“A little…?”

While Her Highness the Empress was twisting and pulling on Camilla’s ears, His Majesty the Emperor was enjoying the spectacle and drinking wine.

He was looking at us and grinning, as if he was having so much fun.

“What, Empress, go that far. They should reflect on themselves enough…”

“Your Majesty. Didn’t you get injured while chasing the Demon King who was trying to retreat, saying that enough was enough? Your Majesty, please come too.”

“….”

So we gathered together in harmony and endured Her Highness the Empress’s verbal abuse.

After enduring the abuse for about three hours, we finally sat down after wiping the blood flowing from our ears.

Her Highness the Empress also regained her composure as she stroked her stomach and sipped a glass of warm water. Considering that she usually enjoyed coffee or tea mixed with alcohol, it seemed somewhat out of place.

“…. Haa, I really need to control my swearing now. I can’t hold it in because of you guys.”

Then Camilla and even His Majesty the Emperor burst into laughter.

“Doesn’t our Empress swear? Wouldn’t it be better if Raoul became the center of the social party with a big smile on his face?”

“Empress. No matter how much I think about it, that seems impossible. It would be easier for Raoul to be considered one of the easiest people to talk to in the empire.”

The two men had incurred the wrath of Her Majesty the Empress with their mysterious talent for fighting, and I was able to slowly appreciate Her Majesty the Empress’s wrath while sipping my coffee.

“… Sigh. By the way, Raul, do you have any questions for me?”

“Imperial hunting festival, that is.”

“Yeah, to be honest, it’s a lot of money. Considering the cost of capturing and releasing demons and beasts, as well as all sorts of incidental costs. And the timing is also a problem.”

“Then I guess I have no choice but to ask that question. Camilla and I, along with you two, attending the hunting festival at this time…”

“It’s because of the time, Raul. Because of the time. If it were normal, we wouldn’t have opened it because of financial issues.”

I, a dull person, couldn’t understand it.

“The enemy will definitely come to attack us by surprise, targeting the hunting party. That’s the only way to make adjustments. The enemy will think they’ve caught us off guard… But… No, don’t make me laugh. We’re the ones who’re going to catch them off guard.”

Her Highness the Empress smiled that devilish smile she only wore when she came up with a plan.

“The defense of the capital will be handled by the Minister of Defense. He may be a piece of trash in terms of personality, but he is definitely capable, so he will be able to handle the defense well.”

“But no matter how much he is, if the Demon King and the King of Ghosts attack at the same time, he will be defeated without being able to do anything.”

“That won’t happen, Raul.”

Her Highness the Empress pointed to a corner of the map with a somewhat sheepish expression.

It was a place that was about half a day’s drive down from here, and I knew what was there.

It was the site of a small city-state that had been destroyed by war. There were no traces of people, but the city was covered in vegetation, giving it a somewhat unique feel.

“… If we hold a hunting festival here, the king will definitely come.”

“I see.”

“Aren’t you going to refute it? I thought you’d refute it, saying, “Does that make sense?” ”

“This is a plan that Her Highness the Empress came up with. It can’t be anything but perfect. It would be somewhat funny for me, a fool, to refute it.”

“Raoul. I want to tell you…”

I deliberately nodded my head because I could tell what the Empress was going to say.

Because the more I spit out those damning words, the more I knew that rather than alleviating my guilt, it would only pile up my guilt.

Anyone could make a mistake. And death naturally follows the operation. It’s just that the target of that death was Leila. It’s also ridiculous to blame the death on my friend, the Empress.

“Anyway, Your Majesty, Camilla, and I are the main force to catch the King of the Phantoms.”

“No, I just want to enjoy the hunting festival…”

“Your Majesty, you should stay still…”

“Everyone, please. And Kyle.”

Then Kyle, who was frightened, knelt down to show his excessive loyalty.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll ask you to watch over the hunting grounds too. There’s no guarantee that there won’t be some idiot among the nobles who’s colluding with the demons.”

“That… I’m currently in charge of guarding Miss Lizel and also carrying out a top secret mission given to me by Lord Raul.”

“It would be okay to do them in parallel.”

“That… idiot… No, are you telling me to guard Lady Lizel and also watch over Raul-sama’s top secret mission?”

“It’s good that you understand quickly.”

” Rub the second princess cubs in the emperor of these dogs … ◦ ◦ ◦

While Her Majesty the Empress was twisting the foul-mouthed Kyle’s ears, I decided to ask in a serious voice what my role would be.

“What should I do?”

“Don’t do anything.”

“It’s hard to understand. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I think it’s an unmissable skill.”

“But he is a sick person and my friend who I cannot leave out in this dangerous work.”

“The arrival of the King of Ghosts is usually not a serious matter.”

“Your physical condition is more serious than that.”

That’s why I didn’t want to argue with Her Highness the Empress.

No matter what I said, there was no chance of winning, so the best policy was to just accept it.

Of course, even if you verbally agree, whether you actually do it or not is a separate matter.

“… Yes. Okay. ”

“Raul, your strength is that you are quick to accept things.”

“Seongeun Lee is so pathetic….”

“And the downside is that you have to think backwards.”

I didn’t know I would get caught this quickly.

While I was looking around to somehow change the subject, I showed her some heart pieces that looked like jewels left behind by the Queen of Dragons.

If it’s like this, I’ll be able to attract attention somehow.

“So this is the heart that the queen left behind?”

“Yes. The King of the Ghosts said this would be a gift that would work for us.”

There were four jewels in total.

Three small gems left after the King of Ghosts broke his heart.

A single jewel set into the necklace the Queen left me.

Her Highness the Empress looked closely at the jewels and then handed the remaining two jewels to Camilla and Her Majesty.

“Your Majesty and Camilla. Please keep that jewel with you. Raoul, you wear that necklace too.”

“This is something the Queen left behind and the King of the Ghosts gave it to me. Could there be some kind of curse on it?”

“There’s no such thing as a curse. It’s just, what should I say… Yeah, it’s small like a small sun, but it feels like it has tremendous power. No, especially Raoul, your jewel… It’s hard to put into words. But just in case. ”

Her Highness the Empress was not usually one to come into contact with unidentifiable objects.

Still, there must be a reason why he tells us this.

Although I wasn’t very impressed, I decided to try the necklace on anyway.

“…?”

“Why, Raul?”

“No. I just felt like this necklace was vibrating a little bit… I guess it’s just my imagination.”

Common sense would suggest that something like a jewel on a necklace would not vibrate.

“… Anyway, Raoul, I have something important to tell you. ”

When Her Highness the Empress nodded, His Majesty smirked and led Camilla and Kyle out.

“Your mother… no, Countess Latri Bergé and Marquis Logie Nevermore will also be attending the hunting festival.”

“……”

“I invited them so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion, but if you don’t want them to be at risk… I plan to send them back.”

“I…”

In that moment, something unknown and hot boiled up.

What on earth is this hot, sticky liquid?

Even if I tried to kill him, I couldn’t.

Because I felt like my hands, which had become soft from touching only good things, would get burned.

“I have nothing to do with them anymore. What can I say? Even if they become dangerous… it’s none of my business.”

“… Yes. As you wish.”

And I decided to congratulate Her Highness the Empress, who had an inexplicable smile on her face, as a friend.

“And congratulations on your pregnancy… no, congratulations on your pregnancy, Penelope.”

“……. Why am I so quick to notice things?”

“Because I showed you twice something you would never have seen.”

I decided to offer up a short prayer for the unseen life.

I’m not particularly sincere, but God doesn’t seem to care about the sincerity of such prayers.