episode_0182

‘What the hell is going on… … ?!’

Serpina was momentarily dazed by the unbelievable scene that occurred before her eyes, but soon came to her senses and quickly threw herself into the burning mansion.

What you see inside are countless corpses, dead bodies.

Most of them were public officials from influential families, and many of them were familiar with Serpina.

And what we see shortly afterwards are two corpses of people we know better than that.

“Lily Rose Sister… … ? Stadel Brother… … ???”

As she was staring at the unbelievable scenery in fascination, a familiar voice sounded in her ears.

“Serpina… … !!!”

If you turn your head and look towards where the hateful voice is coming from –

Sidmid, who was vomiting blood from his stomach, was glaring at him with black eyes.

“Serpina… … Four years… … Your years made me… … !”

no.

No, brother. I am-

I want to talk, but I can’t get my mouth to speak.

“Your bitch killed me!!!”

That’s not true, brother! I, I just follow Brother Argot’s orders… … !!

“You!!! Me, my younger siblings… … ! You really intended to do this from the beginning… … !!”

Kwazijijik!!!

As a rock falls from the ceiling and hits him, Sidmead’s terminal energy is completely cut off.

“Hi Iik… … !!!”

Serpina, who had barely escaped the anger, heard a woman’s voice this time.

“Princess! princess… … !!”

“… … Mr. Iria?!”

I quickly headed to the place where the voice came from… …

There, Algoth, who was also bleeding profusely, and Iria, holding his hand, were sitting side by side among the corpses.

“Serpi… … me… … .”

“Algot Brother! Are you alive?! why… … Why is this happening… … ?how… … What on earth happened?!”

“Using private soldiers… … My younger brothers… … After calling it out, with these hands… … Killed… … .”

“… … !!!”

“He also brought a soldier… … It’s like this… … It’s done… … . Heo Eok.”

“Sidmeade… … He will become a tyrant and destroy the empire… … With my own hands… … Just organizing… … For the Empire… … .”

“Brother!!”

“The same goes for my younger brothers… … Pursuing only one’s own destiny, one has no choice but to destroy the empire at any moment… … Wow!”

Algot barely raised his head and looked at Serphina.

The golden eyes that always shine brightly were losing their color.

“Serpina… … you… … He was different from other brothers. Without being greedy for the throne… … For the Empire… … sincerely… … I knew everything… … .”

“I’ll bring the soldiers right away, brother! First, take care of the situation and get treatment… … !!”

“It’s late… … I can’t live anymore… … To that extent… … Know… … .”

Serpina, Algoth, and Aria next to her were all able to intuit it.

That this was the last moment of his life.

“There is only you, Serpina… … Among the characters with Eyngart’s blood flowing… … Anyone who is not covered in dirty blood… … I have only you… … . So, this ugly brother… … To leave everything to you… … do… … .”

“So, I ask you a favor… … . The empire… … A divided empire, united again… … Peace again in this world… … .”

After that, no word.

“… … Brother… … ? Brother Algot… … ?!”

… … dead.

Finally, Algart handed over the name Eingart to himself and died with his younger siblings.

“… … Princess.”

“Aria… … ?”

“His last wish… … Please listen.”

Even if he suddenly said something like that, it would only be embarrassing for Serpina, who had never imagined that she would become an emperor.

Nonetheless, she assessed the situation as quickly as possible.

The thought that those who could be saved should be saved was driving her.

“No, Aria, you shouldn’t be here like this. Get out of here with me… … hey… … !!”

Of course, Algot would want Arya to live, so of course he tried to take her out, but-

Serpina’s eyes widened and she couldn’t say anything.

Aria’s legs, which she thought were just sitting down… … There wasn’t.

“I was wrong, princess… … .”

Only then did the fire of life begin to go out in her ruby eyes.

okay. Until Algot left his last breath, he was ‘kept alive’ by his superhuman mental power. she is.

“Princess. Please, bring peace to this continent that is once again in chaos… … Please build a unified empire again so that my brother can live in peace… … This is my last request.”

bang!!

The mansion was gradually falling apart.

It becomes clear that if you spend any more time here, your life will be in danger.

“Aria… … .”

“Someone like a princess… … It would have been great if I had become a sister-in-law… … Because I am a lowly body, I cannot do that… … sorry… … sun… … .”

“Aria… … !! Aria!!!”

Just like that, as she witnesses Aria’s life fading away, Serpina’s world goes dark…

When she came to her senses, what she encountered was the will of the Eingart family.

It was a crown I did not want, the ultimate winner of the battle for succession.

* * *

okay.

I wore a crown I didn’t want.

They suppressed the unrest that continued to occur several times without being satisfied with the results.

All to rebuild a unified empire.

In order to continue Eingart’s will that was passed on to him.

“You asked, right? The likelihood of a series of rebellions is very low. But, I can tell. For me, who always senses the malice towards me spreading in the air… … It’s not strange for traitors to rise up in succession.”

As his face gets more and more iron plated, he accepts the nickname tyrant, which now feels like his fate.

In return for atonement for the original sin of the Eingart family, he reached out for omnipotent power.

Like it or not, the moment I took on that will – it all had to be my doing.

A tyrant who planned everything and finally succeeded in exterminating people was more suitable to rule over people than a scarecrow who was only given power after being swayed here and there.

The only survivor of the Eingart family, a golden-eyed witch whose body is covered in the blood of all her brothers and sisters.

so that… … Serpina brazenly tells a lie to Swen with a cynical smile.

“Yes, it’s natural. I eliminated Algoth, the most likely successor, and Sidmid, who caused the greatest conflict with him, with my own hands. Of course, I have no choice but to hold a grudge. However, in a situation where the previous king passed away without even being able to choose a proper successor, it was very dangerous for there to be more than one person who inherited Eingart’s blood. In the end, a difficult situation unfolded, but if it had been delayed any longer, it is clear that the empire would have disappeared from history.”

Serpina did not tremble after that and continued speaking in a calm tone.

” As the youngest child and with no stake, what I had to do in order to ascend to the position of emperor was purge. If there are no people following me, all I have to do is kill them all and save only those who say they will follow me. Isn’t it such a stupidly simple thing? So, I organized it. Because I was a person who had to wear a crown.”

It was just this trivial story.

however.

For some reason, Serpina… … I wanted to ask a question to Swen in front of me.

“Swen.”

“Yes.”

“Do you not despise me?”

Swen answered in a cautious tone.

“… … This is a sudden statement.”

“This is a woman who killed her own flesh and blood with her own hands. Only for the emperor’s position. Just because I had no foundation, I shattered all my foundations. It is this body that destroyed the empire in order to take control of it. This way, even if there are so many rebels, they won’t be able to raise even a single complaint.”

He lets out a wry smile as if mocking this situation, and shamelessly puts a smile on his face.

” Countless lives were taken. Of course, there’s nothing worse than receiving countless amounts of hate. If you look around, there is a high possibility that at least one person around you has a grudge against a woman. I am… … Because I had to live like that. Isn’t it strange that I don’t despise it?”

okay.

I was used to being hated by everyone. Because I thought that since I inherited Eingart’s will, I would not be understood by anyone.

But why am I… … Is it really necessary to force Swen to answer?

What do you want him to say in response?

Swen lowered his head in thought for a moment, then lifted his heavy lips.

“I… … .”

* * *

“I don’t despise you.”

Serpina smiled and said as if she was surprised by my answer.

“That’s really nice to hear, Swen. If you are doing your duty as a subject, I would like to praise you.”

Although she was pretending to be strong when she said those words, there were actually many strange things about her attitude.

First and foremost, that was the reason why he brought this up to me.

Am I this bad of a person?

To say that she’s the kind of bitch who chooses to do all the most evil deeds?

So, you want me to despise this bad person?

‘no.’

On the outside, it seems like, ‘Will you still serve me like this?’ It may seem like a ‘loyalty test’, but… …

I couldn’t shake the thought that she might have a hidden real intention that even she wasn’t aware of when she brought this up.

Rationally speaking, there is no need to bring up such a heavy topic now.

So, her current state is quite emotionally biased… … From there, the question naturally arises: ‘Why did she have to be emotional?’

Of course, Serpina looked very sad as she said those words.

No matter what words he said with his mouth, his eyes could never lie.

So far, the basis for my judgment has been my brain, which has 100% intelligence.

Although the scope is limited, if you ask them, they will always give you the correct answer. I just have to follow that answer.

No matter how many reasons I give, it’s still a bad fight in which I have no choice but to win in the end.

but.

Now, I don’t judge the situation based on such ‘unconditionally correct predictions’.

The subject of judgment is my intuition.

That part where I think ‘it seems like it’.

I answered her solely of my own will.

“No. Even if I hadn’t served Serpina, I don’t think I would have despised her if I had met her in person and heard her story.”

“… … Why?”

I lowered my head and answered slowly.

“I am my lord… … Because I trust you, Serpina.”

“… … !!!!”

I said, looking at her with four hundred eyes in surprise.

“Sorry for the somewhat odd answer, but actually, I’ve been like this once or twice, haven’t I? I hope you can understand with an open mind.”

“Swen… … .”

After that, Serpina looked at me for a while without saying anything… …

Soon he turned around and started taking the lead again.

“I hope you don’t have any regrets, Swen.”

“I have no regrets. It’s all my decision.”

to be honest.

I was thinking that maybe she was just taking it all on.

The basis was only anecdotal evidence, but there was quite a lot.

It’s the same as the story he brought up when we spent the night drinking together in the past, and the way he’s now listing his evil deeds as if complaining.

To me, her appeal seems like she’s trying to say ‘actually, I didn’t do it’… …

So, I gave a somewhat out of context answer, ‘I believe in you.’

“I know this because I was lonely too. Something I can’t tell anyone… … Carrying everything on your own is an extremely lonely thing.”

Indeed, what is the truth in her heart that she is hiding?

What happened to her?

How did she become the heir to the empire, and… … Was it due to some strange fate that he could not become a unified monarch?

At that time when various thoughts were going through my head –

“This is the place.”

Serpina stopped and said.

What unfolded before her eyes… … Four unnamed graves.

“This place… … ?”

“As you can see, it is a tomb. … … What is buried are my flesh and blood.”

“!!!”

“Argot, Sidmid, Stadel, and Lilyrose… … My brothers and sister are buried here.”

“Okay… … ”

“Do you think it is shabby for a royal tomb? I can’t help it. Because the graves of those who were revered became sacred places. In the first place, no one but Yeo knows that they are the ones buried here. No—”

Serpina looked at me and smiled slightly.

“There are two of you now, Swen.”

“… … .”

“Following the bedroom, you have taken the ‘first time’ with you well.”

After saying that, hehehe, he started laughing-

He soon spoke in a serious tone.

“Yeo always comes here before and after purging the rebels. It would be a good idea to say that this means asking you not to forget their loyalty and take care of them when those who gave up their lives to follow your will reach that place. Well, it may sound flashy, but in the end, it may be an avoidance of the weight that must be carried.”

After saying that, Serpina slowly turned her head and looked at the tomb… …

He bowed his head and meditated.

Golden hair fell to the floor, pulled by gravity.

It’s full of contradictions.

Are you paying tribute to the brothers and sisters you killed to ascend to the throne by hiding their graves?

As she said, considering that the tombs of revered people tend to become sacred sites, wouldn’t it be much more reasonable not to build tombs?

Nevertheless, she secretly kept her brothers in a sunny place.

and.

What does it mean to show it only to me?

Maybe she… … Could it be that you just haven’t been able to say what you really want to say to me yet?

Then what kind of story is it?

‘no.’

I easily shook off something that would have caused me to worry for a while.

What’s important is that she brought me here.

And, he only told me something he had never told anyone else.

I vividly remembered the night I spent with her.

I was so drunk that I couldn’t remember everything I said… … Nevertheless, I still remembered what mindset I was in at that time.

I wanted to stay by her side. I am.

And it still is. I wanted to protect Serpina, who seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

Let’s just think about that for now.

Since it’s the unification of the continent, why would she call me here and there and tell me such things? Just throw away all that stuff.

Thinking like that, my complicated mind became clearer.

I slowly close my eyes and meditate next to her, and think of questions that can never be addressed to the dead who are already dead.

What on earth happened to Serpina?

Of course, no answer came… … Only the quiet sound of the wind passed through my ears.