The Princess' Bedroom Doll

Severo’s eyes widened. With a look that perfectly matched her voice, Raha said in a tone that would soothe a child.

“I think my fiancé is going to be really angry this time.”

“…….”

‘I’m sorry. I am crazy sometimes. It must be the alcohol you used to make me drink.”

“…….”

“My palace doctor says that even if you get out of addiction you will have to suffer the aftereffects for half a lifetime. So you must understand. You made me this way.”

Raha’s voice was soft and sweet. It never sounded like she was blaming Severo. But her eyes looking at Severo were different. Coldness like ice.

Such coldness was her true intention, yes.

In the past, Raha had been badly mistreated by the emperor and empress and it was thought that was how her personality had taken that shape. But in the last few days Severo had a different thought.

 Wasn’t Raha del Harsa such a character from the very beginning? No blood, no tears, ice water in her veins, more calm than a killer on the battlefield……

He suddenly thought it was funny.

What in the world did this royal lord see in the Princess that made him love her so much?

No matter how much he looked back, the royal lord wasn’t like someone who fell in love with her based solely on her appearance.

Did he meet the Princess before? Did he fall in love with her when he saw her in a different, less aristocratic way? Her normal self?

Most likely. ……

What good did such a question have now?

He couldn’t investigate anything further.

Severo’s bound shoulders drooped.The last embers of the fire disappeared as if extinguished. Raha’s hand, which had been hovering over the gag, lightly caressed Severo’s cheek. Her touch on his rough skin felt as fragile as the wings of a butterfly.

Raha said nothing else. She just watched Severo a little longer and then left.

A short time later, the knights under the direct supervision of the wise men came in, took the chairs, and untied the restraints.

Severo moved his tingly limbs slowly. He had been wearing those restraints that contained sacred power ever since the moment he was brought to this prison. Letting go of the restraints could only mean one thing.

It meant that he had been sentenced to death.

The door, which had been closed when the princess came, was now wide open. The bars came down like an ordinary prison cell.

The sun was still glaring.

His hands and mouth were now free. But Karzen must have already left. That must be why the knights had released him from his restraints. It was dangerous to say anything against the odds, since the fact that he had secretly investigated the structure of the wise men’s prison in the past under Karzen’s order could be discovered.

He could not put any more political burdens on Karzen. Such a thing was something he could not commit as the person who claimed to be his confidant.

Raha del Harsa should not have known anything about it. Perhaps she didn’t even know that Karzen might be listening to their earlier conversation. The wide men had already decided to stand by the emperor, so surely they did not even tell Raha of this fact.

She didn’t know anything about it, and she never once showed her true feelings to him. She did not even laugh, asking in her usual soft tone, “How does it feel to be caught in your own trap?”

Raha’s demeanor was impeccable. It was like that for anyone.

Only then did Severo finally realize. What was the meaning of the deep kiss that the Princess gave him that day when she took the holy relic and the mention of Harsel? It was not a kiss in return for the holy relic. It was a grace lightly bestowed on a person who was going to die.

I see……

It was a trap already set in motion since that day.

He lost. 

Completely lost.

He knew he should have asked Karzen to give him the imperial princess before he went to the desert. He should have abducted her when she was emaciated from drinking. He thought Karzen looked just like Raha at the time when she was weak. …. Why did they look so much alike?

At that moment, one unknown faceless shadow approached silently through the bars and quickly disappeared.

Severo approached it slowly. At first glance, a dagger that was black in color was already in place. 

Shoving the dagger into his clothes, Severo knelt down with his back to the bars.

At first glance he looked like a priest praying to God, facing a very small window with sunlight on the other side of the bars.

That night.

Severo committed suicide by cutting out his tongue.

* * *

“Ah.”

Karzen, who was sitting in the chair, lifted his chin.

“Severo is dead.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Severo Crassus committed suicide in prison. We assume that he cut his tongue with a dagger that we do not know how it was brought in.”

“A dagger.”

“We are currently investigating…I think it would be difficult to know for sure who gave him the dagger.”

After saying a few more words, the wise man withdrew.

Karzen was calm and expressionless throughout. But when he lifted his arm, the distinctly dented armrest crumbled.

“He took on the guilt and died alone.”

Karzen’s voice was quiet. He was frighteningly calm. He kept talking without turning his head.

“Who taught him how to do that? Did you teach him, Blake Duke?”

“…… I never once told him how to do it that way. Your Majesty.”

Blake Duke’s face was also hard. For three days he had not slept a wink. His eyes were bloodshot and his expression was wretched. What should he do with Severo’s corpse? Would the public opinion of the wise men and the nobles allow them to collect Severo’s body?

Perhaps it would be torn to pieces and then hanged on the city walls. It would be discarded again in the wilderness after it had rotted and stained. Only then would they be able to pick them up secretly in the dim light of night.

Karzen tilted his head back and let out a long breath.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

“…….”

“It’s not pleasant to start getting so tangled up. Isn’t it, Blake?”

“…… Yes, Your Majesty.”

Karzen slowly scanned the audience chamber, which was red-carpeted and decorated with various jewels and expensive masterpieces.

Severo was dead.

The first aide of the emperor took his own life.

It had happened where two dukes watched and even a wise man was there. There …… Karzen was also with him beyond the walls.

It was easier to rule with the sword of war and iron blood. The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace froze every time, and even at the banquet everyone did not take a sip of alcohol and felt sick, but when he saw Raha’s face around there, it almost thawed out.

But now the situation had changed so much.

In no time at all, it became like this.

The lovely twin spent every night with her damn fiancé, and Hildes and other kingdoms were sending delegations ahead of time to celebrate the national marriage.

The royal lord of Hildes dared to take Raha from his arms, tried to take her, and was going to take her ….

Severo also died.

“It seems I have apparently been soft.”

Almost as soon as Karzen murmured, the chamberlain entered with a polite expression on his face. At the mention of the Duke of Winston’s arrival, Karzen sat up. He kept his sword on his waist, which he usually took off.

“Duke Winston.”

“Your Majesty.”

Karzen asked after telling him to take a seat.

“Are you going to the Princess’ Palace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that the Princess was very injured that day and was shocked, so I was worried about her. She will soon be married, and since she will be leaving for Hildes, I have brought her some precious medicinal herbs from Winston’s to help her recover her body and mind.”

A wedding.

Hildes.

They couldn’t be more annoying.

Karzen’s gray eyes slowly scanned Duke Winston. If one offended him, all offended him. 

A great aristocrat buoyed by the anticipation of soon becoming a prestigious family that produced an empress.

For generations, the Empress of Delharsa had come from royal families, so it was very unusual for a ducal family to produce an Empress.

Because she didn’t have the blue eyes Karzen wanted.

So this Duke Winston, who was already a great aristocrat and buoyed by the prospect of becoming the emperor’s father-in-law, went around meddling more and more. Until last year, Duke Winston didn’t care if Raha was in pain or not.

In the first place, did any of the great nobles reach out even when Raha was on a drinking binge? They all couldn’t keep their heads up.

How only a few mere years had passed and the situation had turned out like this? When did the authority of the emperor become so shaken?

Only Raha remained unchanged in this crowd of people. She still loathed him, still feared him, and still smiled lovingly.

“Duke Winston.”

One corner of Karzen’s mouth lifted.

“The Duke is very arrogant these days. Do you know?”

“….. yes?”

For a moment, Duke Winston’s expression hardened in bewilderment.

“My second-in-command is dead.”

“…….”

“I just received word that he committed suicide. His execution has been confirmed, so whether he died this way or that way is the same, though.”

“…….”

“Of course, it is truly outrageous that he planned to do such a thing on his own….. My heart is very sad. It is difficult to find a second-in-command who will be loyal to me to a fault. And so my thoughts are constantly drifting in the wrong direction.”

“What is it ……”

“If the Duke had not taken me to the Garden of the insignia that day.”

“Your Majesty, because the Princess requested it…”

“Since when did the Duke listen to Raha’s request?

“…….”

“Do you think Raha could have done something for you since she recently befriended Lady Jamela? Why don’t you tell me properly? That you enjoy running behind the emperor’s back according to Raha’s request.”

“Your majesty! No, Your Majesty! Why would Winston think such a thing!”

“I do.”

A biting voice flowed out.

“When did I tell the Duke to raise his voice?”

***