Chapter 129
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“…….”
"Such is the life of a slave. Why should it be any different for a slave to warm a bedroom?"
That was all the sarcasm he could muster. Karzen quickly turned his attention away from the two dead slaves. Slaves who had never been the center of his attention before, except for the fact that Raha had brought them back to life in the first place.
The other side was more interesting.
Like the distraught Rosain Ligulish.
"He's different. A lowly prisoner of war, I suppose, but he's got some pedigree, and if he dies without fulfilling his duties as a slave, it'll be a waste of a life."
"......."
"It's quiet here, so there won't be any hustle and bustle."
Karzen said in a voice that feigned friendliness.
"Isn't that right, Raha?"
"......."
This was no imperial palace.
It was a private palace of sorts, located on an imperial estate in the Kingdom. A villa that went by the liberal name of the House of the Winds.
Its architecture was different from that of the huge and grand imperial palace. It was decorated with silver leaf patterns, blue silk, and lots of wild flowers, giving it a rustic and cheerful atmosphere.
As a result, the mansion served as the emperor's vacation home for generations.
Karzen, however, had little interest in the villa, and so it was only used for outings on the Emperor's birthday.
Like today.
Karzen shoved a small vial into Raha's hand. The vial was a pale pink in color, and it was densely painted with unrecognizable symbols.
"You'll have to go and feed it yourself, Raha."
Raha slowly rose to her feet, but before she could take more than two steps, Karzen spoke up.
"No, no. Blake."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You'd better go feed him, because I don't know what else my clever twin will do to give me a headache."
"I understand."
Taking the vial from Raha's soft hand, Blake strode toward the bed.
"......What is that medicine, Your Majesty?"
Karzen shifted languidly in his seat. It was Jamela, who had kept her mouth shut like a wise noblewoman all the way here.
Her hands were shaking.
Normally, Karzen would only bring a limited number of people to this palace. He, Raha, and the First and Second Empress.
Other than that, it was all attendants.
Bringing Jamela had been a mild whim. It was also a favor. He'd brought her specifically because he wanted to get to know the new Empress.
After all, it was impossible to keep the empress completely in the dark about what was happening in the imperial household. Raised as a crown prince, Karzen knew better.
Besides, he was never one to hide his cruelty, and Jamela, who was about to become part of the family, should know better.
She should know what went on inside the palace that she didn’t know, and where to turn a blind eye and keep her mouth shut.
It was training, in a way. The pride of a great noble family should be all the more exalted. Karzen laughed sarcastically.
"An aphrodisiac, my lady. A precious thing I obtained from the desert."
He had Severo retrieve it, who was already dead.
"It's so potent, I'm afraid it will kill you when it's used up."
"Why would you......."
"I told you, young lady. It would be a shame to die as he is; he should die with my twin's bedchamber slaves.”
"......."
"He’s going to die anyway, so you might as well be entertained."
Karzen was speaking while looking at Jamela, but every arrow in his voice was pointed at Raha.
Not feeding him a drug, but a near-pharmaceutical aphrodisiac, was an outright mockery of Raha.
For daring to be loved by a slave, for loving a man.
"Ha......."
Blake cradled Rosain's head and without hesitation, the aphrodisiac flowed into his mouth. He skillfully moved his jaw and passed the aphrodisiac down his throat. Karzen gestured lightly, and Blake set him down.
Raha remained standing and said nothing.
The hand that was deprived of the vial held it gracefully. A hand that might as well have been holding a beautiful fan. Raha's complexion was white and her eyes were unchanged, so much so that it was almost like looking at a holy book.
Though it was far more stimulating than that. As it had been for nearly a decade for Karzen.
Karzen spoke to Raha in a low voice.
"Go and see, Raha, this is your last slave."
"......."
"You need to take those clothes off."
"Until what?"
Raha repeated slowly.
"How far do you want me to take it off, Karzen?"
"Oh no. My twin must be upset."
Karzen smirked as he stood up. Stopping in front of Raha, he whispered.
"But you shouldn't be angry with me, for you have done me wrong."
"......."
"You don't have to take it all off. There is plenty of fun to be had with your clothes on, so do as you please."
Karzen ran his fingertips lightly down Raha's robe.
"You should take this off, though."
Raha slowly removed her robe. No one noticed that her fingers were frozen.
"Go on. Come on."
She took slow steps. The mattress swayed slightly as she shifted her weight onto the bed.
Rosain’s eyes, which hadn't opened the entire time, fluttered open with a ragged gasp.
An agonized groan followed. His whole body was glistening with sweat. He felt as if someone had forced him into boiling water. His throat was maddeningly dry, as if he'd been gulping down seawater.
It was only a moment. Rosain's grip on Raha's wrists tightened, his eyes darkening. Raha didn't recognize this deep-seated desire. Funny, because she often saw it with her fiancé.......
But Rosain Ligulish was no Shed Hildes.
His eyes never lingered on Raha.
A gaze that roamed.
Where they were clearly headed.
Jamela Winston.
"......."
It was a moment.
Raha's hair fell like a veil. Rosain’s eyes were covered. He saw no one. Not a single person. Except for Jamela Winston, whose gaze was fixed on him.
Rosain yanked at Raha's wrists, her icy cold body crashed into his. Rosain shuddered violently. It was simultaneous. He spat out a gaggle of hot blood.
Raha looked down at her reddened shirt. The sensation of hot blood soaking her body, the sensation of coming face to face with someone's last breaths, was like.......
Rosain's hands slowly slipped away. Karzen didn't even give Raha the courtesy of watching her last.
He clicked his tongue lightly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of bed.
"The branding was stronger than I thought. I didn't think he’d die without a pulse."
"......."
"Raha."
Karzen glanced at Raha's clothes.
"Your dress is dirty. Would you like to change it?"
Raha made no reply. The lack of a smile on her face made her look grotesque.
Until Karzen kissed her forehead soothingly. Nothing changed. Raha remained still.
A strange feeling came over her. It wouldn't be so bad if she stayed like this forever.
Karzen cupped Raha's chin and whispered.
"Tell the royal lord that I have given him a good gift, Raha. That Delo and Hildes will forever be allies."
* * *
"Where has the Princess been?"
"She was headed to the inner Palace as soon as she returned from the Mansion of the Winds."
The slaves who had unofficially gone with her did not return. Only Raha returned alone.
The maids quickly schooled their expressions.
As soon as word of Raha’s return spread, royalty and nobles from other countries were already arriving, demanding a meeting.
Raha knew that the palace was bustling with activity.
But it was none of her business. The maids would be smart.
Raha had gone to great lengths to make them so. There was no one better to vent Karzen's anger on than her entourage.
And yet.......
Why did those at her side die so easily?
Inner Palace.
Silence had long settled over the bedroom. Raha removed the long silk gloves she had been wearing on her hands the entire time. This revealed a palm wrapped in a very thin, tough bandage.
Underneath the bandage, the palm of her hand bore the bloodied marks of a knife.
It was a mark for Rosain Ligulish.
Ever since the day Karzen had murdered the priests, Raha had been secretly feeding him blood.
She knew Karzen's temper well; the mad twin would strangle those around her whenever he wanted to strangle her.
Shed would be the one he would want to kill the most, but since he couldn't kill him, the next most prominent would be Rosain Ligulish.
It wasn't a hard guess.
Just as Karzen could easily guess Raha's actions, it wasn't too difficult for her to read his thoughts.
Thanks to that, Rosain Ligulish was alive.
He would be abandoned like a corpse, but he would not be dead yet. At least, not as quickly as Karzen had expected.
He would live a few more days.
A few more if he was lucky.
In any case, Rosain's body had been weakened by the mage's specialty. Raha's blood in the Eye of the Expanse had worked on Shed, the test subject, so it would surely work on Rosain.
The powerful aphrodisiac would be painful, but it wouldn't kill him.
But the other slaves....
"......."
Raha had to watch them gasp for breath.
Slaves who had never spoken a word to her.
It was not that she had any sympathy for the nameless slaves now. It had been a long time since she'd been able to let go of the bitterness that had kept her heart wet.
It had been a long time.
But.......
They were the ones who survived and breathed without a sound in this silent palace.
***
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