TTEWD 14

Episode 14: The Most Devastating Moment of My Life

“Let go of your master.”

A deep, heavy voice broke the silence. Clifford, who hadn’t noticed a third presence, jumped in surprise and turned his head.

“Who the hell are you?”

Clifford shouted in a metallic tone. In contrast, a calm, subdued voice sounded mournful.

“The master does not wish it. Let go of the master.”

“H-How dare you speak to the Emperor like that?!”

Clifford was shocked enough to stammer. Not only had someone intruded on the Emperor’s private marital life, but now this intruder was speaking to him disrespectfully—it was almost unbelievable.

Who could do that if they weren’t risking their life? In front of the Emperor of a nation.

“…Enrik?”

Wiping the redness from my eyes, I looked at Enrik, shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

He stared at me with a blank expression.

Even a wild animal facing death wouldn’t have eyes as sorrowful as his.

A man swallowing rising grief, unable to do anything else.

The helplessness in Enrik’s slumped arms cut through my chest.

‘You saw everything? Clifford humiliating and tormenting me…?’

Dizziness hit me. Enrik had witnessed the most devastating moment of my life.

Even if I were pushed off a sheer cliff, it wouldn’t have been this humiliating. Trembling, I pulled a blanket over my legs with shaking hands. I felt as exposed and shameful as if I had been stripped naked and thrown into the plaza.

Enrik didn’t look unscathed either. He was clenching his fists so tightly that veins stood out, and his lips bled from the pressure.

He couldn’t bear to see me defiled. He had even forgotten the refined etiquette he usually wielded skillfully. All because of me.

“A lowly slave dares to block the Emperor?!”

Clifford grabbed Enrik by the collar roughly. Enrik did not resist at all. It was as if he already knew what punishment awaited him.

Enrik’s resigned stance fueled Clifford’s anger. With bloodshot eyes, Clifford roared,

“Arrogant fool! I will make you pay with your life!”

“……!”

“Hey! Is there no one outside?!”

At the Emperor’s shout, the imperial guard knights rushed in. Clifford pointed at Enrik.

“This man has insulted the Emperor! Lock him in the dungeon and torture him until I say stop! I will not give him a merciful death!”

—

The next day, the imperial palace was in an uproar.

“They say Marquis Daycher has been imprisoned! He supposedly insulted His Majesty the Emperor. What could he have done?”

“How can a singer be a marquis? Thought he was so special, now look at him!”

“They say he was tortured badly!”

“The Empress must be heartbroken. Her favorite concubine is about to be executed!”

“What on earth happened last night?”

The rumors, which started from the maids, soon spread across the empire.

Everyone, young and old, was captivated by the story of a man who rose from slave to the Empress’s personal guard.

Bards praised the love story between the Empress and the slave, while commoners gossiped about his exceptional prowess in bed.

Whether he liked it or not, Enrik became the center of attention for the entire empire.

Yet very few knew which country he was from or what he looked like.

The rumors surrounding Stella and Enrik grew bigger with each passing day.

Jacob, wearing a black hood, wrote a letter to send to his lord.

【Because of a slave shrouded in mystery, the relationship between the Emperor and Empress has deteriorated rapidly. Empress Stella has declared she will withdraw from state affairs and has officially recognized the gladiator slave as a government official. The Emperor is expected to expedite divorce proceedings. The Pink Canary remains obsessed with finding a certain book, known as the Dark Scripture of the Goddess Ahala… said to contain secrets of divine power. There are no clues about its appearance or hiding place. Its very existence is uncertain. We must wait until Pink Canary provides more information, but for now, the search is ongoing. The Star-Eyed One must be eliminated, so it is preferable for our side to find the scripture first. It would be more certain to kill Empress Stella, but as instructed by our lord, we will not act hastily and will wait for internal strife within the Angel royal family. Regrettably, there is no new information regarding the Shadow. We cautiously presume it may have perished. Please take care of your health.】

After tying the letter to the ankle of a messenger, Jacob headed to the Ahala temple.

Today too, he planned to meet Pink Canary in the underground chapel.

Jacob walked through the secret passage guided by the oil lamp. Thanks to the secret passage Pink Canary revealed, he could move to the hidden spot behind the goddess’s cross without drawing attention.

Though he had become accustomed to it, he still felt uneasy inside.

“O Goddess Vahula, please do not abandon your humble servant who has set foot in the temple of infidels.”

Jacob whispered a short prayer and pulled his hood deeper over his head.

Soon, Pink Canary’s lively voice echoed.

“O Goddess Ahala, grant your loyal servant the power to punish evildoers!”

Jacob thought it was a prayer that reflected the duality ingrained in the Angel Empire’s people.

‘They do not examine their own actions; anyone obstructing their goals is automatically deemed evil.’

Jacob also used others for his lord, but he never recklessly judged right and wrong.

Unlike the Goddess Ahala, who punishes evildoers, the twin goddess Vahula illuminates the path for the chosen. Life and death are human responsibilities, and one must forge their own future. How clear and beautiful that doctrine is.

Yet, to recruit Pink Canary, Jacob had to disguise himself as an Ahala priest.

“According to Michel, the Marquis of Landesta and Empress Stella will clash fiercely. The Marquis is heading toward the capital.”

“Hoho. Have you ever seen me wrong?”

Michel, who hadn’t foreseen the appearance of a gladiator slave, puffed up her nose.

Suppressing his irritation, Jacob appeased her.

“Michel must possess greater divine power than Empress Stella. She sees the future without the Star-Eyed One.”

“Divine power that paralyzes the body every time it’s used—that’s almost divine punishment.”

“Indeed.”

“Are the noble houses backing me being recruited smoothly?”

“The Counts of Fnalua, seeking political influence, have pledged support to Michel.”

“Fnalua? Aren’t they northern wanderers? How could those barbarians help me?”

“Though remote, the Fnalua family has been a border noble lineage throughout the empire’s history.”

“Hmph. Only a great house like the Offan Dukes could be considered a true ally.”

Why would a great house like the Offan Dukes support a minor noble like Michel? Everyone knew their head favored the Empress.

Michel often predicted the future so accurately it seemed like she received an oracle. But politically, she was clueless.

A foolish girl, full of greed without knowledge, a fanatic believing that praying to the Goddess Ahala would solve everything.

Easy to manipulate, yet every time Jacob dealt with her, he longed for his lord’s brilliance and charisma.

‘I must endure, for the unification of my lord’s continent…’

Imagining his lord’s majestic figure leading a brilliant future, Jacob continued.

“I’ll try to establish connections with the Offan Dukes, but it won’t be easy. They operate a trading house and would be well-informed.”

“Ensure you establish ties with the Offan Dukes. They will soon gain enormous wealth.”

“Did you see that in the future as well?”

“Hmph. That’s a secret.”

Michel replied tersely. Frustrated but pretending to be casual, Jacob tested her.

“You do not fully trust me, Michel.”

“I trust no one, so don’t feel slighted.”

“Why? To become Empress, you must build trust with your subordinates.”

“I have learned great lessons through death.”

Michel murmured words that were half-understandable, half-mysterious, smiling with a chilling, serpentine grin.

—

The sounds of bones breaking and flesh tearing reached me. Blood flowed and pooled.

In my imagination, Enrik screamed—not as a strong man, but as a fourteen-year-old boy.

I couldn’t sleep. No, I couldn’t even breathe. I hadn’t known Enrik would suffer because of me.

I hadn’t known that imagining his pain alone would feel like hell.

When I opened my eyes, my thumbnail was stained with blood. Even in fever, I had bitten it.

How much blood was Enrik losing?

I ignored Joan and the Countess of Bauzen’s protests and went to Clifford.

“Has the noble Empress descended to such humble places?”

Clifford sneered, having enjoyed this situation for four days.

“Release Enrik.”

“You’ve lost your mind! You speak so even after seeing the man who insulted the Emperor.”

“All of this is because of me.”

“Return, Empress. I’ll properly bury your slave. Heh heh.”

Clifford laughed quietly. My face grew even paler.

“How will you forgive Enrik?”

“No matter what the Empress does, he must pay for his sins.”

“I am Enrik’s master. Punish me instead.”

“What remarkable love. A historical love that bards would go crazy over!”

Clifford’s eyes glimmered with madness.

My embrace of Enrik seemed to touch some twisted part of his heart.

‘Clifford will kill Enrik just to torment me. Is there truly no way to save him?’

Darkness filled my vision. In such a short time, I had given him too much.

I had given too much and received too much. The heart is most important. Knowing likes and dislikes clearly. He had given me the advice I needed most in life.

I could repay nothing. I could not even keep my promise to grant a wish.

I could not lose Enrik like this.

“I will give you the Star-Eyed One.”

Clifford paused briefly, then smiled crookedly.

“You said you’d never die for it? Is the slave that precious to you?”

“I will show the future to Prince Autonia. Use the 500,000 gold as you wish. Lead the knights personally when inspecting the Autonia border.”

“All the credit to me?”

“Yes.”

“Not a bad proposal. We can uphold national promises, and the Colonatus Empire will be surprised too.”

Muttering a few advantages, Clifford tilted his head slyly.

“But I gain nothing from this?”

“…….”

“Wasn’t this supposed to be the Empress’s duty? I bore the humiliation while she evaded it!”

“Your Majesty.”

“A mere slave even dared to climb! How will that be compensated?!”

Clifford slammed the table harshly. As expected, he demanded more. His pride was severely hurt, so it was clear that most proposals would not satisfy him.

But I had one final card Clifford could not refuse.

“I will grant a divorce. Isn’t that enough?”