HSDOE 02

2. Death of the Moon (1)

“Your Majesty the Empress, it’s time to rise.”

“…?”

The birds scattered at the sound of a human voice.

But what startled Rasillia more than the birds speaking was the content of what the human said.

Her Majesty the Empress…?

Who in the world were they calling Empress?

“I will open the door now.”

Thunk!

The door opened with an unnaturally heavy sound, and several people entered.

Swish!

The smooth curtains, drawn only at the foot of the bed, were pulled back.

“Did Your Majesty sleep well?”

“…!”

Rasillia couldn’t speak. Her mouth opened in shock, but no sound came out.

Six women stood with their hands over their chests, bowing politely. And they weren’t greeting someone else. They were addressing her. They were calling her the Empress.

“Your Majesty, is something wrong?”

The woman standing at the front asked after a long silence.

Judging by her age and demeanor, she seemed to be the highest-ranked among them.

“What… did you call me?”

“Your Majesty the Empress? Are you feeling unwell?”

“…”

She hadn’t misheard. And she wasn’t hallucinating.

There was no one else around her. The women were clearly calling her the Empress.

Why?

What in the world is going on?

“I’m…”

Rasillia swallowed hard. It felt like swallowing a needle, not saliva.

“Who… did you say I am?”

“…Excuse me?”

The six women now wore expressions identical to Rasillia’s.

Soon, rumors spread throughout the imperial palace that the Empress of the Empire, Cartagena Pielion, had lost her memory.

* * *

Something felt off.

Even a prophet from a distant kingdom who had suddenly awoken as the Empress would’ve sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere.

The Empress had no memories, yet no one in the palace questioned it. They just accepted it as fact.

It wasn’t just strange — it was suspicious.

“Well, then… shall we say it’s amnesia… and report it that way to His Majesty?”

The court physician asked carefully, watching her reaction.

‘What is this?’

Neither the physician nor the ladies-in-waiting seemed worried or skeptical about the memory loss.

They just bowed and watched her like hawks.

‘No one believes it. They don’t believe I have amnesia.’

Then why?

After thinking a moment, Rasillia asked:

“Have I had amnesia before?”

“…Pardon? Hmm… No, Your Majesty, never.”

He said no, but Rasillia had noticed his eyes dart nervously before answering.

“So, maybe not amnesia, but something similar happened?”

His eyes twitched again.

“Well… Your Majesty is a sensitive and delicate person… so when the Blue Moon rises, you often experience episodes…”

“Blue Moon?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Blue Moon will rise in a few days.”

Blue Moon…

She’d heard of it, vaguely.

A blue moon that rose only in the Empire — it was said to be the Demon Realm’s moon. Some even called it the Moon of Death.

On nights when the unnaturally large and pale blue moon rose, no shadows were cast. The moon could be seen, but cast no shadow on the ground — a fantastical illusion.

It had always seemed like a fairytale because I’d never seen it myself.

Perhaps that’s why.

Since ancient times, the Blue Moon had been associated with misfortune.

It was said that demons revived when the Blue Moon appeared, or that the moon had the power to grant curses. It drove good people mad and took the lives of the innocent.

So… is my memory loss connected to the Blue Moon? …No, even if that’s true, they should be concerned.

Being “sensitive” and “delicate” didn’t sound like being ill.

They don’t believe me because they think I’m faking it.

The court physician had said she was sensitive and delicate, not sick or frail. That meant something else entirely.

No matter what I say, they won’t believe me — especially not if I say I’m not really the Empress.

Her head throbbed.

What should I do, then?

She needed time to think calmly.

Having made up her mind, Rasillia addressed those nervously watching her.

“If I’ve had such episodes before, His Majesty may already expect it. There’s no need to inform him.”

Informing the Emperor would only complicate matters.

“Oh… truly? Are you sure that’s alright?”

The court physician looked visibly relieved. It was obvious that reporting every minor ailment to the Emperor had been burdensome.

She needed to find a way out of this fast.

I… yes. I can’t just sit here. I need to return to Delarta.

A heavy weight settled on her chest.

If God had brought her back, there must be a reason.

If her death had been caused by Prince Ricardo’s rebellion, then maybe—just maybe—now was her chance to stop it.

“I’d like to focus quietly on recovering my memories. Please leave me alone for now.”

Everyone brightened at her words. But whenever their eyes met hers, they quickly lowered their heads, bowing so deeply it bordered on groveling.

The Empress must be terrifying.

They bowed swiftly and exited in single file. Their silent footsteps were unnervingly fast.

* * *

“What? Amnesia?”

Clatter… roll…

Despite what had been told to the court physician, rumors flew through the palace like wildfire.

And two shadow knights tasked with watching the Empress’s every move heard the news quickly.

One of them, Liyan, dropped an apple he’d been about to bite into when he heard the word amnesia.

It was rare for Liyan — who was said to be the closest human to reaching the rank of Sword Master — to make such a blunder. It meant he was truly shocked.

“Yep. Amnesia.”

The one delivering the hot news from the Empress’s quarters was the other shadow knight, Serben.

Serben nudged the apple with his toe, caught it in his left hand, and offered it back to Liyan.

When Liyan frowned, Serben wiped the apple on his shirt and handed it over again.

Crunch!

Liyan bit into the apple and looked at Serben.

“Since when was amnesia such a common ailment? Like Her Majesty’s frequent heart problems, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, or paralysis?”

“Of course not. But think about it. The Blue Moon is coming. Anything’s possible during that.”

“Ah, right. The Blue Moon.”

Their expressions turned sour at the mention.

“When the Blue Moon rises, His Majesty truly suffers, and the Empress doesn’t want to take responsibility for it. So she pretends to be ill ahead of time… Yeah, it’s a pattern. We’ve seen it for four years. But why amnesia this time?”

Crunch!

Liyan took another bite, down to the core, prompting Serben to whistle in admiration.

“Our wicked and cunning Empress doesn’t realize that even with memory loss, she can still make ‘contact’?”

Serben smirked and tapped Liyan’s furrowed brow.

“I can’t believe someone as shrewd as her didn’t account for that. She must have another scheme.”

“What do you think it is?”

“Well… I heard she told the court physician not to inform His Majesty.”

“That’s even stranger. Isn’t the whole point of the act to avoid contact during the Blue Moon? Then why keep it secret? Shouldn’t she be announcing it everywhere?”

“Maybe she’s preparing for a dramatic reveal? She loves that kind of attention — being the center of everything.”

“She loves it too much.”

“Exactly.”

The two knights, born as twins, usually agreed on everything — especially when it came to Empress Cartagena.

They’d already concluded that she was a fickle, shameless fraud.

The way she always took to bed during the Blue Moon was proof enough.

Crunch!

Liyan chewed through the apple core like he was biting an enemy.

“Yeah… the Blue Moon is near. What about His Majesty? No signs yet?”

“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to ask him directly?”

“As if I don’t know that. But His Majesty never complains. Even when he looks like he’s dying, he says he’s fine.”

Unfortunately, no argument was needed on that point.

Emperor Lescal of the Elriaden Empire was far from ordinary.

Even his dazzling golden eyes were unnatural. He was fearsomely beautiful — and alien.

Even when not seated on the throne, his presence was otherworldly.

His eyesight was twice as sharp as a human’s, his lifespan double, his skin unnaturally tough. He knew neither fatigue nor illness.

Stronger and hardier than most men, he didn’t know despair caused by bodily limits — and therefore lacked the human emotions that stemmed from such despair.

It was due to the demon blood in the Elriaden imperial line.

Though the blood had thinned over generations, and some emperors showed no signs of it, Lescal was different. The demonic traits were unmistakably strong in him.

But even that monstrous body felt pain.

The power from his demonic blood overwhelmed his human vessel, causing agony.

When the Blue Moon rose — the Demon Realm’s moon — his blood raged violently, mocking his humanity.

His skin split open, revealing hard, translucent scales. Horns sprouted from his forehead. Wings erupted from his back.

Though the physical transformation faded when the moon set, the pain remained.

Liyan, still chewing his lips, suddenly stood from the floor.

“I need to check for myself. I have to see what our devious and scheming Empress is plotting.”

Serben shook his head with arms crossed.

“Knowing won’t change anything. If she’s faking amnesia again, she’ll stay holed up in her chambers like always. You know how it goes.”

“I know. But I’m dying of frustration!”

Just as Liyan’s voice rose—

Thunk!

The door to the inner office opened without warning.

“Your Majesty?”

It was Lescal.

He walked in, clutching his wrist. Though usually expressionless, he now wore a clear frown — something even the knights could read. A rare occurrence.

“I must go to the Empress.”

“…What?”

That, too, was strange.

As far as they knew, Lescal had never sought out the Empress on his own. While the knights disliked her, Lescal felt nothing — not even disdain.

In fact, he probably found the palace fountain more useful than the Empress.

And yet… he was now seeking her. Something was wrong.

He extended his wrist toward Liyan.

“It’s beginning.”

“Your Majesty…!”

On the inside of Lescal’s wrist, skin had cracked open and translucent, gem-like scales were forming.

“Damn it!”

Liyan shut his eyes tight.

That was why no one dared touch the wicked, cunning, and scheming Empress.

Unfortunately, she was the only one who could control the demonic blood.