HSDOE 53

Chapter 53

 A Safe Divorce 

“So that’s why you insisted on a trial.”

There was nowhere left to run.

Rasilia was barefoot. The shadow knights blocking her path could run several times faster than she could.

Step… step…

In the meantime, the emperor approached.

“…Strange. You shouldn’t like this.”

Rescal stopped right in front of her, tilting his head.

His golden eyes were sharp, yet confused.

“You said you’d lost your memory. But it’s not as if you’d only remember the young duke.”

His gaze shifted deliberately to where Ternaden was holding Rasilia’s hand.

“Let go.”

“No… I won’t.”

Ternaden clenched his jaw and spoke nonsense.

“I can’t let go.”

“And if you don’t?”

Rescal grabbed Ternaden’s other wrist.

“What can you do?”

“If I let go of my sister here, then… ah!”

Ternaden’s words broke off in a scream as a cracking sound came from the wrist Rescal held. His face twisted in agony.

“Let go.”

“No, I—”

Crack!

“Aaaagh!”

In the end, it was Rasilia who stopped it.

“Please let go, Your Majesty.”

Rescal slowly turned his gaze to her.

“If you let go of him.”

“I already have.”

“….”

At some point, she had already pulled her hand free from Ternaden’s grasp without him realizing, dazed as he was by pain.

“Sister!”

Ternaden called to her with a pained look. Rasilia gave him a slight, regretful nod.

“…Then so be it.”

With a flick, Rescal released Ternaden’s wrist as if tossing it aside.

“Take him away and lock him up.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Serven quickly seized Ternaden and handed him over to the Imperial Guard.

“Sister! No! You can’t!”

Even as he was dragged away, Ternaden shouted.

His love—love that would never be returned—was somehow heartbreaking to witness.

“This will take a while to discuss,” Rescal said, running his hand through his disheveled hair.

“Let’s return to the palace first.”

He reached for her hand. Instinctively, her hand flinched back.

“….”

He reached again, and Rasilia stepped back to avoid him.

“…It seems you still don’t understand.”

He looked at his empty hand for a moment before speaking again.

“You can’t go anywhere without me. I’ve sealed off the entire area. If you try to leave, the tracking unit will follow. Running away is over.”

“So you want me to go back as if nothing happened? To live as empress again? In this situation?”

Her plan had failed.

The duke who was supposed to help depose the emperor had part of the ritual stolen by the temple, and the young Duke Pielion, who had tried to help her escape, had been captured by the guards.

There was nothing left she could do now—
Nothing except wait in dread for the moment the emperor decided to kill her.

I can’t live like that.

She bit down hard.

I can’t die like that. I can’t accept such a death.

So she had to do something—anything.

“I cannot, Your Majesty.”

“If you cannot… then what can you do?”

Rescal’s lips twisted as he asked.

“You’re barefoot, wearing only a single garment. There’s no one left to help you. In this situation, what else can you do?”

“At the very least, I can say that I do not wish to be by your side.”

“…What?”

The twist in his lips spread to his entire expression, warping it. His familiar blank face seemed split apart.

“I cannot be Your Majesty’s mate. When I heard the mark was fading, I realized—it was proof I was not your mate. Find your true mate before it’s too late. I know your time is running out.”

“Nonsense.”

He refused to hear it.

“You are my mate.”

“No. Didn’t you say the mark was disappearing?”

“You believe the temple’s accusations over my own eyes? There’s no reason for that. No priest has ever confirmed your mark.”

Unless she stripped here and now to prove it, Rescal would never believe the mark was fading.

“That’s how I feel.”

Her words became sharper.

“How can someone who feels no affection fulfill the role of a mate? I cannot love you. My heart, even without memories, must belong to someone else.”

Crack.

Rescal clenched his fist. His knuckles jutted out, looking as if black scales were about to erupt.

“Are you saying that someone is the young duke?”

“I heard rumors that we were lovers. It seems they were true.”

“And you know that just from rumors?”

“You saw it just now—how he treats me. He gave up everything for me. It’s harder not to feel affection for such a person.”

“….”

Rescal squeezed his eyes shut.

“Then take what I have. Whatever you want.”

“No. One person like that is enough. And the young duke already became that person.”

“I… can’t believe that.”

He opened his eyes.

Crack—black scales spread around his golden eyes.

“Your Majesty!”

The shadow knights shouted in alarm, but the transformation didn’t stop.

“You’ve been mine since you were born, just as I am yours. You could never love another man.”

Crack—his forehead split open, blood running down. Soon, horns would sprout from that wound if the transformation continued.

“Your Majesty…”

She could say nothing.

The Blue Moon wasn’t even out, yet the emperor’s appearance was changing. It meant he was so shaken that he could no longer control his demonic blood.

The turbulence in his golden eyes was proof enough—and she could feel that same turmoil within herself.

With fingers reddening into claws, Rescal gripped her hand.

“You can’t shake me off. Even if you somehow escaped now, I’d find you wherever you went. We’re going back.”

“Your Majesty, I—”

She tried to reason with him.

“I cannot feel affection for someone who would imprison me. That only proves I’m not your mate. Please reconsider—”

It happened then.

Wooooom…

Like when she’d been locked alone in that small room awaiting trial, black shadow suddenly spread through the air.

“Ah…!”

The sorcery Ternaden had bought still hadn’t ended.

It had been meant to help her escape safely. Now that she couldn’t, the spell revived.

“Sister!”

The shadow formed a passage, and Ternaden reached out from within.

“Take my hand! You can escape!”

“Damn it… What kind of sorcerer did you meet? Dekan!”

Lian came running with his sword drawn. Dekan crossed his hands, closed his eyes, and began chanting something.

“Sister! There’s no time!”

The passage was narrowing. Lian was charging at terrifying speed.

Rasilia took Ternaden’s hand.

“…Ugh!”

Pain shot through her—Rescal’s fully scaled hand had gripped hers, the scales digging into her skin.

“Don’t go.”

“Sister!”

Crack, crack.

His forehead split entirely now, blood pouring down.

“Sister! What are you doing? The passage is closing!”

Ternaden’s desperate shout rang out, while Rescal’s voice dropped, thick with pain.

“I’ll give you anything. Anything I have—name it. Just… don’t love another man.”

“Your Majesty…”

“If you can’t love me, I’ll accept that. I’ll wait. But that doesn’t mean you can choose someone else.”

“….”

Hot blood drenched her face, the golden eyes standing out all the more against the crimson.

It wasn’t terrifying—it just looked unbearably painful.

“Sister!”

The passage was half gone now. Ternaden called to her again in despair.

“Duke Pielion! Release Her Majesty’s hand, or I’ll cut it off!”

Lian had reached the passage and swung his sword at Ternaden’s wrist.

“…Huh?”

But the sword couldn’t enter the passage.

“Sister!”

Growing frantic, Ternaden grabbed her hand with both of his and pulled.

“Duke Pielion!”

Swish!

Lian swung again, but the blade slid harmlessly off the outside. He threw the sword and tried to reach in, but his hand couldn’t enter either. He could see them, but not touch them.

“Dekan! How much longer? Damn it! I can’t do anything—I can’t get in!”

Dekan didn’t answer, only chanted faster. The passage was shrinking rapidly.

“Sister!”

“Take whatever you want. Anything I have.”

Neither of them would let go.

She had to choose.

Rasilia turned to Ternaden.

“Sister…?”

“Let go.”

“Sister!”

“I’ll cut off the feelings you have for me here. You walk your path, I’ll walk mine. Thank you for your affection until now.”

“Why… why would you…”

His eyes went vacant with shock. She tightened her grip—then slipped her hand free more easily than expected.

At that moment—

“It’s done!”

Wooooom… pop!

Dekan finished the chant, and the passage vanished.

“Sister…!”

Ternaden’s cry faded into the air, a strange and sorrowful echo from someone unseen.

“Now, let go.”

Rasilia addressed Rescal.

When he didn’t answer, still holding on, she grabbed his hand with her other and forced it open.

Scratch!

A scale cut her ring finger. Blood welled up and dripped down.

“….”

Seeing it, Rescal reached for her.

“No, it’s fine,” she stopped him.

Closing her eyes briefly, she took a deep breath.

She hadn’t chosen Rescal because she couldn’t leave him—
She had chosen not to run away with Duke Pielion.

Not by relying on someone else’s power, but to end this properly.

“I will do as you asked—I will forget anyone else. I will never speak Duke Pielion’s name again. If there are feelings I cannot remember, I will erase even those.”

“Then…”

A flicker of warmth returned to his bloodied face.

“You said you would do anything in return. Then here is my request.”

But her next words froze that warmth solid.

“…Grant me a divorce.”