HSDOE 08

HSDOE

Posted by Arsiii_here, Released on July 12, 2025

8. Shuraiden I

Srrk… Thud.

At last, the Emperor’s body slumped to the side.

Not long after eating the fruit, the Emperor’s eyelids drooped heavily.

“I think I’m getting sleepy…” he had just managed to say, before his head dropped down, pressing hard against Rasillia’s shoulder.

She had tried to catch him to keep him from falling. But the difference in size between them was far too great. She grabbed at his robe, but the Emperor, leaning on her shoulder, slid down and collapsed to the floor along with the chair.

Thankfully, because she had been holding onto his clothes, he avoided hitting his head too hard.

“Haa… No good. He’s way too heavy.”

It was impossible to move him to the bed. Rasillia somehow managed to lay the Emperor flat on the floor and fetched a pillow to place under his head.

“I don’t know what kind of fruit that was, but it works really well.”

She mumbled softly as she gazed down at the sleeping Emperor.

“It was easier to get him to eat it than I expected. That’s a relief. But still…”

Why had the Emperor insisted on tasting it first himself?

She was glad it worked out, but she couldn’t help wondering.

“If I didn’t know how bad things were between us, I might have thought he was risking himself first for the Empress’s sake.”

For a brief moment, the strange, unfamiliar, frightening man felt… slightly human.

“It’d be great if he woke up thinking we already had contact. …Ah, maybe I should take some of his clothes off, just in case.”

The moment Rasillia reached out to touch the Emperor’s body—

“Ah!”

He suddenly grabbed her hand, startling her so badly her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She thought he had woken up.

Luckily, he hadn’t. He was still fast asleep—just gripping her hand tightly.

‘What the… How can he do this while asleep?’

She struggled to pull her hand away. He was surprisingly strong, even in sleep. In the end, she had to pry open each of his fingers one by one to free herself.

‘Ouch.’

She worried her hand might bruise. Not knowing when or where he might grab her again, she quickly backed away. As she moved away, his clearly closed eyelids twitched slightly.

‘Oh right. I don’t actually know how long the effect lasts.’

He was asleep now, but no one knew when he might wake. If it was within an hour or two, there was still a risk he could attempt contact.

‘I’ll have to hide until morning. Since I lost my memory, I can just say I got lost in the palace.’

She made the decision quickly—and acted just as fast.

Rasillia headed straight for the door.

Just as she expected, when she opened it, two palace guards looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?”

“His Majesty has fallen asleep.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll be in my room until he wakes.”

“Ah, well… we haven’t received any orders on what to do in this case…”

The guards tried to stop her, but Rasillia had anticipated this.

“If he asks for me after waking, I’ll return.”

That left them with no choice.

Rasillia returned to the Empress’s quarters with the guards escorting her.

Thud.

The door shut behind her.

After confirming again that no one was inside, Rasillia opened the window.

“You said you’d come if I called. Can you come now?”

After a moment, her clever birds arrived.

This time, there were more of them. They chirped loudly, each in their own unique tone, creating a bit of a racket.

“Shh. Someone might hear.”

The birds quieted down immediately.

“I need a place to hide until morning. Is there somewhere I can go without being spotted from here?”

The birds chattered among themselves for a while, then began nodding enthusiastically.

—Yes, yes!
—It’s fine, it’s fine. That place will do!

Rasillia let out a breath of relief.

“Thank goodness. Can I ask you to guide me there?”

After some more chirping, a small blue-feathered bird jumped through the window.

—I’ll take you! Me!

“You’ll guide me? Thank you. Which way?”

—This way, this way!

The tiny blue bird fluttered into the air.

Rasillia followed after it, leaving behind words of gratitude to the other birds.

These birds were clearly something else.

The fact that they could speak was already extraordinary, but they were also intelligent and knew every corner of the palace.

The blue bird skillfully led Rasillia through rarely used corridors, eventually taking her to the North Tower. It took about an hour to get there—the palace was that massive.

As soon as she stepped into the tower, the atmosphere shifted.

Like the rest of the palace, it was spotless and grand, but it felt… still. As if time had stopped here.

“Where are we?”

—No people here. No one comes.

“Why?”

—There’s an owner here.

“Owner?”

Instead of answering, the blue bird pecked at a closed door.

“I go in here?”

—Yes, yes.

Rasillia opened the door without hesitation. She trusted the birds’ intelligence.

But the moment the door creaked open, a voice shouted:

“Who’s there?!”

“Ah—”

Rasillia froze, still holding the doorknob. The blue bird slipped inside.

“Wait! Don’t go in th—”

“Huh?”

With the bird inside, Rasillia couldn’t just leave. Letting out a sigh, she opened the door again to retrieve it.

“Who’s there?! WHO?!”

“Uh…”

The voice wasn’t human.

It belonged to a massive parrot. The parrot was perched inside a cage that reached nearly to the ceiling—but the door was open, allowing it to come and go.

The entire cage gleamed gold. Rasillia couldn’t imagine how much gold had been used.

“This parrot… is the ‘owner’?”

The blue bird nodded its tiny head.

—Yes. This bird lives here.

“Ahh… Why?”

This time, the parrot answered.

“AHEM! I am Shuraiden the First of the Tower of Kirne! Duke Shuraiden!”

“Wha…?”

“Pay your respects to the Duke!”

The parrot flapped its wings and screeched. In response, the blue bird darted into the cage and smacked the parrot’s head with its tiny foot.

Seemed like it was telling him to be quiet.

Though tiny, the blue bird was surprisingly effective. The massive parrot immediately quieted down and even stepped down from its perch.

Then it waddled over to the food tray as if nothing had happened.

“Is… is that okay?”

Rasillia asked, peering into the cage.

—Yes, yes.

“Why is this parrot so calm?”

—Just a bird. A bird.

“You’re a bird too.”

—Not the same. We’re different.

“How are you different?”

—Different, different.

“Yes, but how exactly?”

—We’re just different. Different.

“Hmm… I guess that’s as far as we’re going.”

Though incredibly smart, the birds seemed to hit a limit when it came to expressing themselves in human language.

Still, it was more than amazing.

“Just who are you…?”

As Rasillia stroked the blue bird’s head, it closed its eyes and stretched its neck.

—More, more. More, more.

It nestled into her palm like it wanted to be petted forever.

“You like people, don’t you?”

—No, no. Not people.

“You don’t like people?”

—Nope. Don’t like them.

“Then… you mean you like me?”

—Yes, yes.

‘How strange… Did they like the Empress? Were they the Empress’s birds? …No, probably not.’

There had never been a birdcage or any bird-related objects in the Empress’s room. The birds always came from outside and didn’t seem domesticated.

“Do you… know who I really am?”

She asked, just in case.

—Yes, yes. We know.

“You really know who I am?”

—Yes, yes. Really, really.

It was hard to believe—but they didn’t seem to be lying.

Rasillia’s hand trembled as she stroked the bird again.

Maybe these birds were the key. The key to opening the box that held all the answers to the strange things happening to her.

“Then… do you know why I came here?”

The blue bird, who had been enjoying the petting, suddenly opened its eyes.

—Now that the real one is here, he will wake up soon.

“He?”

—He.

“Who is that?”

—Him.

With that, the bird suddenly fluttered up.

—If you call, I’ll come again!

And with those parting words, it flew off.

“This is getting more confusing…”

Rasillia reached out to catch it but gave up and sighed.

“Who is ‘he’? Who’s coming?”

Still, just as the birds said, no one else came to the tower. She could rest easy until morning.

There were no beds or chairs, so Rasillia sat on the floor and leaned against the wall.

“AHEM. I am Shuraiden the First! Duke Shuraiden, at your service!”

The parrot, who had been quiet until now, waddled over and addressed her again.

Rasillia chuckled.

“You told me to greet you earlier, and now you’re greeting me?”

“AHEM! At your service!”

“Alright, hello. Nice to meet you. I must’ve startled you, but thanks for letting me stay.”

She stroked his head, and the parrot flapped his wings happily.

“AHEM! Think nothing of it! I am Shuraiden the First! Breakfast is fresh vegetables and peanuts! Precisely at six every morning!”

“Six o’clock… That means someone comes at that hour.”

She’d have to hide until then and return later. She could mostly remember the path she took with the blue bird.

“So I have about ten hours left. Let’s get along until then, Duke.”

Rasillia smiled, and Shuraiden the First nodded energetically.

Reskal awoke about an hour later. A normal person would’ve slept for two days, but the demon blood in his veins made him unlike any ordinary human.

As soon as he woke, he asked for the Empress. When he learned she had returned to her chambers while he slept, he didn’t even summon his shadow knights and headed straight to the Empress’s palace.

What greeted him was an empty bedroom.

The guards stationed there knew nothing—where she went, when she left, how. Nothing.

She had vanished.

“…Unbelievable.”

Serven, who had come running, muttered breathlessly.

Liyan clenched his fists, his face twisted with frustration.

“Is this happening again? I thought she changed her mind?”

He looked like he might punch someone.

“This is basically torture from His Majesty’s perspective! What is that woman even thinking—?!”

Just as Serven turned to hush Liyan and calm him down—

WHAM!

One of the sofas crashed over.