Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
“Is he the only one who has resentment towards me…?”
Declan whispered low and twisted his mouth frustratedly.
As I was told that it might not be Duke Otien, I laid back on the chair again. However, I couldn’t get rid of my anxiety.
“Well, you did call yourself a tyrant? Isn’t that like asking to increase the hostile forces?”
Although Mason was blaming him, he still had concern on his face.
‘You mean… even only Duke Otien is bothersome enough, but is there another hostile force? Oh, my head.’
Yeah, why is he being a tyrant and making things complicated?
I stared at Declan resentfully and saw a smile hung around his mouth. He said, “The moment I killed my father and brother, my path was decided. What? That goes without saying.”
No, why are you giving yourself scarlet letters? It’s not the people you hate. It’s not too late!
[ T/N: Scarlet letter, from the literature ‘The Scarlet Letter.’ In this word, it meant stigma, sin, or humiliation. ]
I wanted to shout out my frustration, though I couldn’t bring myself to interfere with his conversation with Mason.
“There are so many people who want me to die, this is why I can’t put my sword down.”
“I agree that we should punish them, but that is not the reason why Your Majesty should be a tyrant.”
At Mason’s words, I cried out agreeingly, “That’s right!”
‘Don’t justify being a tyrant with just that!’
“Tyrant?”
Declan scoffed.
“I can’t even kill a dog trying to eat its owner.”
His anger was cold. He is the type of person who gets icy-cold when he’s angry.
“You can’t help it, can you? I can’t violate the Manat Law.”
“I should just cut down Maxion and all of them altogether and kill myself.”
“Your Majesty!”
Listening to his words, Mason was astonished. It was the same for me, seeing Declan casually mention his death, I was speechless.
“The emperor’s position is useless, anyway. Shall we just turn it all over…?”
His eyes shone brightly.
Manat Law.
That was how Duke Otien was able to save his head.
This law was created by the first emperor for the founding of the country and prohibited the execution of the head of the founding families of convictions to the country except for treason. When punished for treason, it was necessary to present clear evidence and a majority vote of the assembly.
There are only three families of national contributors.
Duchy Buckloo, Otien, Castor.
‘Duke Otien is still alive even after killing the princes and the princesses because of that…’
There was no evidence that he didn’t point a sword at the predecessor emperor. Moreover, Duke Otien was a man who was loyal to the predecessor emperor.
‘So, Declan became the emperor to take revenge.’
The duke was eager to kill himself anyway, so Declan thought he could be charged with treason.
“Your Majesty. This time, I will definitely bring you the correct evidence.”
“Would a decision be made at the assembly, even if evidence comes out?”
With his words, Mason bites his lips with a dark face.
Declan concluded his words. “There are still a lot of Otien’s dogs left, so don’t tell me to put my sword down.”
In the end, Mason could only snap his mouth firmly.
“Anyway, study the poison first. Then, you’ll be able to find out who’s behind it.”
I felt sympathized with the sighing Mason, who nodded slowly and sighed together with him.
“Understood… By the way, I’m worried. If we can’t check the poison with silver, how do we test Your Majesty’s food in the future?”
“Don’t worry, there’s a way to figure it out.”
Saying so, Declan glanced at me.
‘Why…? What?’ As I gazed back, tilting my head, he smiled. Mason eagerly asked. “Is there a way? Was that how you knew today as well?”
“…Chloe’s friend helped.”
He replied one beat late, trying to choose his words for a while.
‘Well, yeah, he can’t say the doll told him that, but it still feels good that he calls me a friend.’ I was quite satisfied with being treated as a person, not an object.
“What? What are you talking about?” Mason asked with a confused face.
“The sky must have helped. Anyway, don’t worry about that problem. I have someone to help for sure.
“Who is that? Is it a reliable person?”
Declan’s eyes, still unknown inside, turned to me again.
“…I think I can trust them.”
The words spoken softly hit me in the chest. Not only that I was delighted to have gained his trust, but I was thrilled to feel that I was recognized as a person.
The eyes that gazed at each other naturally fell after Mason’s next question.
“Is this someone I know?”
“It may or may not be.”
“Your Majesty, I am seriously asking you this now.”
“And I answered seriously.”
At the vague answer, Mason’s expression was strangely distorted. He sighed and tried to ask again. “It’s a matter of Your Majesty’s comfort. If you don’t tell me, then I’ll have to do a thorough investigation myself.”
“There’s no need to investigate. You can’t find anything in the first place, anyway.”
“Your Majesty.”
He called Declan in frustration.
‘What is he doing right now? Wouldn’t it be better just to talk this out?’ I stared at Mason, who was frustrated, worrying about how to reveal everything.
“I know the guys who killed Chloe, Mason. I’m not going to die until I take care of everything.”
That means that he is thinking about his own safety, so he will carefully choose who he wants to keep by his side.
‘However…’
As I recalled the ending of the original book, his pledge came as unfortunate.
Meanwhile, Mason, though it seemed as though he had a lot more to say, didn’t say anything else.
“There is more we need to investigate into.”
“Please tell me.”
“Our Chl…”
While talking, Declan glanced at me.
‘Why? Is there any trouble?’ As I tilted my head in wonder, he hesitated and pointed his finger at the doll slowly.
‘Oh… that’s because he can’t call me Chloe.’
I was once again grateful for the way he tried to change the name he had called the doll even after a long time.
“Find the doll maker.”
“Why are you suddenly trying to find the doll maker? Were you hurt too when the princess was hurt?”
Saying so, he picked up the doll with an anxious face and tried to inspect it. But Declan’s hand was faster, resulting in Mason having to bite his hand in the air as he pulled the doll one step first.
“No. I just have a question to ask.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
After looking at him for a while, Mason replied softly.
“Whether it’s poison or doll maker, report it as soon as you find out.” Finishing his words, Declan turned away as Mason bowed his head and left the office quietly.
“Has there been frequent poisoning attempts even after you ascended the throne?”
When I was certain that Mason surely left the room, I asked him something I was curious about. As a child, according to the original book, he often faced threats of assassination.
Nonetheless, after he became emperor, I thought it was all right because there was no mention of it, but now it seems like that was not the case.
“It’s my first time encountering such poison. To be honest, I should say that the effort is praiseworthy.”
He replied calmly, even though he was in such a dangerous situation.
‘How many threats has he been threatened to that he became so calm?’
“While all the assassins can be killed, poison is tricky.”
That’s what he can say because he’s a swordmaster! When ordinary people meet assassins, they just die rather than defend themselves.
“It turns out that if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been alive like this.” He said softly.
‘Is he now recognizing my merit?’
I peered at Declan with anticipation.
“Thank you.”
At that moment, my eyes only blinked blankly. Gratuitous, I thought it would be all about recognizing one’s abilities and merit.
‘Thank you…’
I never expected to hear those words from the world’s most careless and arrogant tyrant.
“Don’t worry about the poison, because I’ll keep an eye at Your Majesty’s side without ever falling.”
That was something I had to do to live, anyway. Although there was something I really wanted to say to him…
‘I’ll help you be happy.’
However, these words were quietly swallowed.
“That’s reassuring.”
Declan laughed a little. Though it wasn’t true laughter, I was relieved by that laughter.
***
As he focused on the papers, the office was quiet again. So, I decided to turn around and focus on the book as well.
‘Well, what should I do with this now?’
I tried to focus my stare at the book, but nothing changed.
‘Is this really going to work…?’
Attempting one more time, I gave more strength, focusing all the nerves on my hand, as when I was inside a doll.
Suk.
But my hand passed through the book yet again.
‘Well, of course. I don’t have superpowers.’
Glancing back at Declan, I noticed that he was focusing on his work. His hands were busy moving along with his eyes that were fixed on the papers.
‘Wouldn’t he be angry if I talk now?’
As I remembered his angry face, I shuddered, and a sigh flowed out without my knowledge.
Tak! The sound of putting down the pen echoed in the quiet office, and at the same time, my body trembled.
“Why do you keep sighing?”
“That’s because… I can’t turn over the book.”
‘And it’s not because I don’t want to do that either…’
When I gazed at him with injustice, his dark eyebrows wriggled a little. Sighing, he said, “You can’t just read the same place over and over again until I am done?”
His gaze turned towards the book and me, then clicked his tongue. Declan got up, picked up the book, and sat down again.
For some reason. I thought he would be annoyed, but gently, he flipped over the book himself.
“Thank you…”
Such greetings should be done right away.
Just as expected. As I bowed my head, Declan started working again without saying anything. In the office, again, only the sound of the pen spread calmly.
[ …Humans who had angered God were expelled from Perseum. Worried about targeting the divine tree, Lacande, God hid Perseum and caused the humans to scatter from the continent. ]
After reading both pages, I peered back at Declan.
‘Okay, if I ask him again, he will definitely be angry. Oh, is this really the only way to read a book?’
As I was going to sigh without realizing it again, I closed my mouth hurriedly. Now knowing, it was obvious that sighing would be annoying.
‘…Shall I just go inside the doll?’
Going inside the doll, I could at least move my hands a little, but I don’t know if it’s enough to flip the book.
To do that, Declan needs to move either the book or the doll. ‘So, it’s the same as having to ask Declan one way or another, huh…’ After weighing an option about what to do for a long time, in the end, I had no choice.
“Ah, Your Majesty…”
I managed to mutter a small noise out of my mouth.
As Declan’s gaze met me, looking at me with one of his eyebrows raised, it had numbed me.