Her Death (1)

Countless people had gathered at the Imperial Palace to witness the death of one person. While the number of people was great, there was no one speaking loudly. In the heavy silence, the Emperor’s stoic yet commanding voice filled the space.

“I shall now commence the execution ceremony for Empress Kilianerisa Sei Resfontia.”

For someone reciting the death of his wife, his voice was devoid of any emotion, as if addressing a stranger.

“I ask Empress Kilianerisa Sei Resfontia. Do you admit to attempting to poison Queen Lerian Ariena Resfontia?”

At these words, Kilianerisa, who had kept her head down the whole time, burst into a sarcastic laugh.

“Keuk, kuhahaha.”

The spectators looked at her with disbelief.

That crazy woman.

Clearly, she had gone insane, knowing that her death was near.

She was Kilianerisa, the society’s infamous villainess. Despite the fact there were many people gathered here, no one was regarding her with friendly or admiring glances. Perhaps that was only natural. After all, who was she? Was she not the evil woman who had envied and caused the downfall of the beloved Queen Lerian? Who had consistently committed evil deeds around the Emperor?

“What’s so amusing?”

From the furthest corner, the Emperor’s voice, who had been sitting on the throne and observing her, reached her ears.

In response to that question, she stopped her seemingly deranged laughter and gazed at him… the man who had been her husband… no, the man she had loved. In the end, she was looking at the man who would send her to her death. But as she looked at him, her gaze held no anger.

My beloved. My prince…

Only now…

“Only now do you look at me.”

Kilianerisa smiled warmly. It was a pure and innocent smile, as if she were a young girl experiencing love for the first time, gazing upon the object of her affection. However, in stark contrast to the brightness on her face, her body was terribly damaged. Her once radiant blonde hair was disheveled, and her skin, once as smooth as pearls, was now dry and wrinkled. Even the once splendid dress had long since become tattered, making her unrecognizable.

However, the Emperor’s crimson irises, which contained an inexplicable gleam, circled around. Despite the bizarre smile that did not fit the situation, the Emperor found himself clenching his lips unknowingly.

To babble nonsense even in this situation. She truly was a deranged woman.

The Emperor shuddered at the thought that he had once made her the Empress. However, he also felt a sense of relief. Once again, his choice was not wrong. Her execution was the right thing to do. Seeing her laugh like that, even in this situation, made him finally rid himself of the lingering doubts and uneasiness he had harbored. She was insane, and he was sane.

With that thought in mind, the indescribable emotions that had been welling up in him seemed to be somewhat subdued. With that alone, he felt like he could endure this torturous situation.

It’s all going to end today anyway. I won’t have to go through this feeling again. As he trampled down the lingering discomfort that had risen to his throat, he spoke.

“Yes, all of your wrongdoings have been witnessed by these eyes all along. Now it’s time for you to pay for your sins.”

In a voice filled with subdued anger, she responded casually, as if she didn’t understand.

“Is that so? What did I do wrong?”

She widened her eyes and tilted her head. Her face, devoid of even a hint of fear, seemed as if she was playing a prank.

Still, as he looked at her, who had not realized her wrongdoing, something surged within him, making him grit his teeth.

How could a human be so shameless as to attempt to kill the Queen of the Empire, the beloved woman of the Emperor?! He felt an urge to tear Kilianerisa apart with his own hands. But the seat he was in was a place where he couldn’t even seek revenge on the woman he loved.

‘There is no need to dirty my hands.’

His emotions, which had been boiling, suddenly quieted down.

“Your mistake in the first place was that you have taken the Empress’s throne.”

What began as words transformed into thousands of arrows that struck directly at her heart. Although there should have been no physical impact, she flinched as if she had actually been hit by arrows.

However, this was momentary as she quickly regained her composure, looking at the Emperor with a calm expression. It was a phrase too familiar to be hurt by. Just as she always did, she ignored the pain in her heart and spoke in her usual soft voice.

“No, I did nothing wrong. As the Empress, I merely attempted to remove that wicked woman who bewitched my husband in my own way. Your Majesty should be grateful to me inste…”

“Shut your mouth! Will you only close it once you feel the pain of your tongue being pulled out?! You, woman, have truly never been in your right mind for a moment!”

Her words paused briefly due to the Emperor’s angry shout, but she managed to force a smile at the corner of her mouth.

Then she continued speaking.

“No, sadly, I have never lost my sanity. Even if this tongue that speaks the truth is pulled out, eyes gouged out, all the blood in my body gone, and my limbs torn apart, I cannot call the truth a lie. So…”

She tried to continue her words but couldn’t make a sound. It was as if invisible hands were gripping her throat. She wanted to laugh, but conflicting emotions held her back. Nevertheless, she quickly dismissed the emotions that were trying to grasp her.

I am the Empress of the Resfontia Empire, Kilianerisa Sei Resfontia.

Never should I appear pathetic.

Kilianerisa wore a radiant smile on her face, hoping to appear as the happiest Empress, one that could never be replicated.

“…You will not hear the answer you desire from me. I do not regret my actions.”

‘Yes. I have never regretted them, not even once.’