02. Small peppers are spicy. No, they

It’s not just cold sweat. I felt like my life was draining away.

I spoke informally to the Emperor of this country, of all people,

and if that wasn’t enough, I even flicked him on the forehead just now.

 

 

Even 100 lives wouldn’t be enough in this moment.

 

Aran was stiff, sweating profusely, but the two women weren’t paying him any attention.

 

 

“It’s been a while, Theodora.”

“Yes… Your Majesty. First of all…”

“By the way, I’m disappointed, Theodora.”

“Yes?”

 

 

The two women were quite different from how they were with Aran.

Theodora had thrown away her usual dignified and imposing demeanor somewhere, and didn’t know what to do in front of the girl,

and the girl was staring at Theodora with a look that seemed like she would tear her apart at any moment.

 

 

‘What, what is it…? Did something happen…? Ah!’

 

 

The reason why there was an unusual atmosphere between them.

Aran could figure it out without difficulty.

 

 

The reason was that her fiancé, the prince, had died in the Srodia Kingdom.

She failed to protect him, and that’s why the girl, Cornelia, was glaring at her as if she would devour her.

 

If she trusted Theodora and entrusted her son to her, but one day he returned as a corpse, it’s understandable that she would be angry.

 

 

“I believed you were a woman of virtue.”

“What does that…?”

 

 

Theodora retorted as if she didn’t understand Cornelia’s words. Why is virtue suddenly coming up here?

 

 

“Four years. It’s definitely not a short time. But still, isn’t it a bit much to send my son off like that and then have another man? You even brought him to the Imperial Palace. No wonder I’m disappointed.”

 

Aran realized that the other man Theodora was talking about meant himself.

 

 

‘Oh, misunderstanding…!’

 

 

Just as Aran, thinking that he should clear up the misunderstanding, was about to open his mouth,

 

 

“Aiya. It’s certain that you’re an interesting kid, but that doesn’t mean you can join this conversation.”

 

 

Cornelia made the first move.

She clearly wasn’t looking at Aran, but she had an almost ghostly field of vision.

 

 

Aran stepped back slightly, and Theodora opened her mouth.

 

“Your Majesty. That is a misunderstanding. Aran and I are merely in the position of protector and protected, and are by no means in the relationship of affection that Your Majesty is thinking of.”

“Is that so? He said he’s close to you, though.”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant…”

“Didn’t I tell you not to interrupt?”

 

When Aran interrupted, this time she clearly looked him in the eye and stopped him.

She was not the goofy girl who had been joking around with him until just now.

The face of a monarch, the Emperor of the Empire, was there.

 

 

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Theodora, are you saying that you are not in a relationship of affection with this child?”

“That’s right. Aran is a child I picked up on the battlefield because he was in a pitiful situation.”

“Hoh… on the battlefield? Then he must be a Srodian.”

 

Cornelia looked at Aran with interesting eyes.

Aran couldn’t meet her eyes.

 

“Keu keu. Well, fine. I’ll believe you.”

“Thank you.”

“Instead, I’ll take this kid.”

“Yes?”

“Eek?!”

 

A sudden declaration.

Theodora was surprised, and so was Aran.

 

 

“Why are you surprised? Didn’t you say he’s not your lover anyway?”

“That’s true, but…”

“By the way, this kid, while you were gone, your underwear…”

“Uwaaack!!”

 

 

Aran quickly covered Cornelia’s mouth. It happened so instantaneously that Theodora didn’t even have time to react.

 

 

‘Ugh… What, what have I done…!’

 

Aran was surprised by what he had done.

No matter how freely he had been interacting with her until just now, this woman was none other than the Emperor of the Persian Empire! She was someone he should never commit such rudeness against.

 

 

Theodora was also greatly surprised and rebuked Aran.

 

 

“You scoundrel!! What kind of rudeness are you committing now!!”

“Ah…! Th, this is…!”

 

Aran took a couple of steps back.

He couldn’t get his words out properly.

 

 

“Kukukuk… Isn’t it fun? Don’t scold him too much.”

“…I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It’s my fault for teaching him wrong.”

“It’s okay. And it’s fun to live when there’s someone like him.”

“…”

 

 

Theodora glared at Aran without a word. It seemed like he would be severely scolded when they returned.

 

 

“Then I’ll take it that you understand.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t I say I’d take this kid? Or, do you not want me to?”

“……”

 

 

Theodora couldn’t answer for a moment.

 

“…Don’t tell me, Theodora. Are you really in love with this kid?”

 

 

Then Cornelia reversed the momentum. She had an aura as if she would cut Theodora down at any moment.

 

 

“N, no. Absolutely not. It’s just… there was something I wanted to tell you about Aran.”

“What is it?”

 

 

Theodora took a deep breath for a moment.

 

 

“Aran… can wield mana.”

“!!”

 

 

Cornelia’s expression, which had been solemn, was stained with surprise.

 

 

“……Is that really true?”

 

 

She glared at Aran as if she would devour him and pressed him.

To be exact, he couldn’t wield mana, but he couldn’t say no in this situation, so he nodded.

 

Then,

 

 

“Is that so? Then take my sword.”

“Yes?”

 

 

Puwak!

 

 

Cornelia’s sword, which he didn’t even know where she took it out from, pierced Aran’s abdomen.

 

 

“Keuheok…!”

“Aran!”

 

 

As Aran collapsed, painting the green garden with blood, Cornelia said indifferently.

 

 

“Aren’t you too weak? Can you really say you can wield mana with this?”

“A, Aran only awakened it a few days ago!!”

 

Theodora hurriedly poured the potion she had in her arms.

Aran’s wound, which had been stained red, healed.

 

 

“How fascinating. A man can awaken mana.”

“…Your Majesty. Do you really intend to take Aran?”

“Then would I say two different things with one mouth?”

“Then please promise me. That you won’t hurt Aran… too much.”

“Kekekeke… Theodora. You’ve become very cheeky while I haven’t seen you. How dare you put conditions on me!”

“Aran is a child who was gang-raped!”

“…What?!”

 

 

Cornelia’s movement, which had been about to punish Theodora immediately, stopped abruptly.

 

“He was originally in the Srodian army, but he was raped by his direct superior, and then gang-raped countless times. I felt so sorry for him that I brought him here. Surely… you wouldn’t ignore the same pain, would you?”

“…”

 

 

Cornelia’s expression sank.

 

 

Gang rape.

Her son also died that way.

He was surrounded by Srodian thugs, brutally gang-raped, and eventually murdered.

 

“I believe that Your Majesty, who even waged a war for him, would not ignore such pain.”

 

Cornelia lowered her arm without a word.

 

 

“Theodora. I hate you.”

“….”

“I hate you so much for still being alive so shamelessly when you couldn’t protect my son.”

“…I… I hate myself too.”

“Hmph. If you couldn’t even say that.”

 

 

Clap clap.

 

 

When Cornelia clapped her hands twice in the air, the space distorted and a woman appeared.

She was wearing pajamas and yawning widely, as if she had been sleeping.

 

 

“Huaaam… Your Majestyy… I told you I was sleeping… Uung…”

“…Take care of this kid. I’m going to my room.”

“Uung… Who…? Are you talking about this boy?”

 

She asked, tilting her disheveled face. When Cornelia nodded in affirmation, she used magic to float Aran’s body in the air.

 

 

“I will adopt him as my son.”

“Your Majesty…!”

“Why are you making that face? Didn’t you tell me to treat him well?”

“…”

 

She certainly said that, but to adopt him as her son.

 

 

Cornelia probably overlapped Aran with her son. In that he had the same wounds as her son.

 

“Let’s see each other again soon, Theodora.”

 

 

Cornelia disappeared into the other side of the space with the sleepy magician.

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

A sharp sword pierces into the abdomen.

Like a burning fire, the blade was hot, and an equally hot pain assails him.

 

 

The organs are wounded and cannot perform their roles,

and the bones are crushed, unable to support the body.

 

 

Thus, his body crumbles…

 

 

.

.

.

 

 

 

 

“Uwaaaack!!”

 

 

Aran, who was sweating like rain, woke up from his sleep.

When he hurriedly touched his abdomen, the wound had healed cleanly, making him doubt whether he had even been wounded.

 

 

“What the…”

“Are you awake?”

 

At that moment, the blanket he was covering wriggled, and a face popped out.

It was Cornelia.

 

 

“Hiiik!!”

“What’s with that reaction? Doesn’t it hurt this body?”

“What are you doing!!!!”

 

 

Aran got up from his seat with lightning-like movements. It was a speed that could only be described as the mystery of the human body.

 

 

“Oh. You’re fast. Indeed. So you’ve awakened mana.”

“Wh, why…”

“Are you wondering why you’re here?”

 

Aran nodded.

It was a rude gesture, but he was so out of his mind.

 

 

“First of all, this is my bedroom.”

“Ugh!”

“Didn’t I tell you that such reactions hurt this body!”

 

 

She strode up to Aran and flicked him on the forehead. She was so short that it was difficult even when standing on tiptoes, but she went to the trouble of jumping to make it happen.

 

 

“For the time being, you will live here with me.”

“Are you, are you going to kill me?”

“That’s a rude thing to say. I’m thinking of adopting you as my son.”

“……I’ll be right back after jumping off.”

“Y, you! What are you doing!!”

 

 

When Aran opened the window and tried to jump out, Cornelia hurriedly stopped him.

 

 

“To be tormented by a tyrant and die!! Suicide is better!!”

“A tyrant! How dare you call me a tyrant!”

 

Cornelia pulled Aran away from the window and threw him onto the bed.

 

 

“You’re a dangerous one. To take your own life. Where did that foolishness come from?”

“…I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t understand exactly what it means to adopt me as your son.”

“It means exactly what it says. I don’t understand why you don’t understand.”

“I have another one.”

“What is it?”

“I’m… that…”

 

Aran hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly and said.

 

 

“C, can you get pregnant when it’s that small?”

“……”

 

Cornelia stared at Aran silently, then took out her sword without a word.

 

 

“Uwaak! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I won’t ask anything weird!”

 

 

Cornelia put down her sword.

Then she put on a very serious expression.

 

 

“My son was gang-raped by the Srodian bastards and then brutally murdered.”

“…”

“Theodora is also at fault for not protecting him, but of course the Srodian bastards are more to blame than her. So I will thoroughly trample on the Srodian bastards. Especially those bug-like royal family members, I will make all their holes into gaping wounds.”

 

 

It’s quite a gap when she says such things with a young impression.

 

“Aran, from now on, you are my adopted son. I will give you the Srodian queen and princess. Thoroughly defile them and show the example of a Persian prince.”