Chapter 58
Intention
“What did the Phoenix say, Your Majesty?”
Serven asked urgently.
It couldn’t have been a coincidence that the Phoenix had caught up to the speeding carriage. His expression made it obvious that countless ominous thoughts were running through his head.
“Is it worse than the Emperor’s mutated form wreaking havoc in the capital? Is it?”
“No… it’s not that.”
“Then what is it? Please, I beg you… tell me. I know I’m being foolish, but my heart feels like it’s going to burst.”
Clutching his chest, Serven looked at Rashilia.
He knew that exposing his anxiety so openly might be seen as inappropriate.
Yet, strangely, it didn’t feel wrong.
It started back then—when the imperial tailor had pulled some kind of trick on him and partially robbed him of his consciousness.
And when the Empress had looked him straight in the eyes and restored his clarity—that moment changed everything.
From then on, Serven could no longer hide anything from her.
Even without meaning to, it was just how it became.
And oddly enough, he didn’t find it strange.
There was no point hiding anything from someone who had looked into his very soul.
Serven himself hadn’t realized it, but all the resentment he once held toward the Empress had melted away since that day.
“His Majesty hasn’t mutated.”
“…Pardon?”
“Is that… true?”
The two shadow knights opened their mouths at the same time, wearing identical expressions of disbelief.
Just like Rashilia, they couldn’t believe it.
“Then… then what is it?”
“It’s a demon.”
“A demon…? Another demon has appeared?”
“So it seems.”
Rashilia exchanged a look with Dekan.
Their worst fears had come true.
A demon had taken the consciousness of the imperial tailor and Duke Pielion—and now, it had revealed itself.
“Since His Majesty is leading the Royal Guard, people likely won’t mistake him for a demon. That’s a relief.”
“Pii!”
Pipi nodded.
But to call it a relief was too optimistic.
Dekan muttered quietly to himself.
“A demon’s appearance… The Empire is about to plunge into chaos.”
No one contradicted him.
“…Ah, so fast, too.”
With its black wings fully spread, the demon could plunge an entire plaza into darkness.
Perched atop the tower in the central capital plaza, the demon narrowed its eyes toward the distance.
It saw clearly.
The descendant of Bahamut, riding toward it.
He blended well with humans—almost too well. He practically looked like one of them now.
It was laughable.
“Not a chance. Not a chance in hell.”
The demon, who had worn the shell of Saint Malik, revealed his true self—Hasdeya.
He snapped his fingers.
RUMBLE…
A nearby building crumbled into ruin.
“Aaah!”
“Nooo!”
Screams rang out. The gasps of the dying followed.
“You’ll come back eventually, Bahamut.”
Thud. Crack!
Hasdeya planted his foot.
The smooth marble tower beneath him began to crumble.
“I’m doing all this annoying work just to bring you back.”
With a flap of his wings, Hasdeya took to the sky.
At the same time, the tower collapsed completely.
Whoosh!
He flew off—away from the oncoming Royal Guard.
But not before setting another intact building ablaze.
Tap tap.
This time, it was a pigeon.
“Pii?”
Pipi spotted the bird knocking gently on the carriage window frame.
“Ha… Now even pigeons…”
Dekan opened the window with a resigned sigh.
As expected, the pigeon ignored Dekan and went straight to Rashilia.
It bowed politely to Pipi, then stuck out one foot toward Rashilia.
“You again. Good work.”
Rashilia untied the string holding a message and handed it to Dekan.
The pigeon subtly tried to nuzzle her.
“Pii!”
Pipi suddenly kicked it in the head.
“Coo!”
The pigeon cried out in surprise.
Pipi showed no mercy.
“Pii! Pii!”
Scolding it for daring to sit near her, she chased it out of the carriage.
“Coo…”
Head drooped, the pigeon perched glumly on the carriage roof.
Serven watched the scene, clearly intrigued.
“The Phoenix seems to dislike the courier bird. Did it do something wrong?”
“Pii!”
Pipi shouted indignantly.
Apparently, the pigeon had been terribly rude.
“What did she say? I feel like she answered me.”
Rashilia glanced at Serven before replying.
“Do you truly believe I can understand Pipi?”
“Hm? Of course. Isn’t that obvious?”
Serven seemed genuinely baffled.
“She’s Your Majesty’s bird. Wouldn’t it be stranger if you didn’t understand her?”
To others, that would certainly seem the case.
Rashilia realized that all her efforts to avoid being seen as bonded had been in vain.
Everyone already considered her Pipi’s true companion.
Dekan, sensing her complicated expression, chimed in.
“It was never something that could be hidden, Your Majesty.”
“…It seems so.”
Rashilia sighed quietly. Serven looked puzzled.
“Did I say something wrong? Should I stay quiet now?”
“Pii!”
Pipi answered.
She flapped her wings, still furious that no one realized how rude the pigeon had been.
She urged Rashilia to explain.
Rashilia, placing Pipi on her hand, obliged.
“She says the pigeon was rude.”
“Huh? Really? Do birds have some sort of complex etiquette system?”
“Who knows… But I didn’t think the pigeon did anything wrong.”
“Piiit!”
Apparently, touching Rashilia when Pipi was present was rude.
So was sticking out its foot.
“That was to deliver the message.”
“Pii!”
“How would a bird undo a string? Even you can’t do that.”
“Piiit!”
“A messenger bird should manage that? That’s a bit harsh.”
“Piit! Piit piit!”
Pipi turned her head away in a huff—but her butt was still snug against Rashilia’s hand, so she didn’t seem truly angry.
“She’s… just like someone…”
Serven muttered under his breath.
“If Her Majesty were a baby bird… she’d be just like—wait, forget I said that.”
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and tried to change the subject.
“Did you read the message? What now? Is the situation worse?”
“Actually… no. We can head back to the palace.”
“Really? What about the demon?”
“Disappeared. Before the Royal Guard arrived.”
“What the… Was it just testing the waters? But it’s a demon!”
“Whatever its reason, it seems it didn’t intend to confront the imperial family head-on.”
“Then it was just to provoke us… Something feels off.”
Rashilia asked,
“So it showed itself and left? Did it do anything else?”
“There’s some damage around the central plaza. A few people were killed. But for a demon, it wasn’t catastrophic.”
“Even so, the grief of the families left behind won’t be small. They’ll want someone to blame. If enough people gather with such resentment, rumors about demonic blood in the imperial family will rise again.”
Dekan looked surprised. So did Serven.
The former Empress Carthagena would never have cared what others thought.
But the Empress who had lost her memory had not only changed in temperament—but possessed sharp political insight.
“I can’t say I disagree with you, Your Majesty.”
Rashilia furrowed her brow in thought, then spoke again.
“I think I understand why the temple filed the charges against the Empress.”
The shadow knights stiffened.
“What do you mean?”
“Please, tell us.”
“Pii.”
Her furrowed brow looked heavy.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but her voice seemed lower than usual.
“The mark disappeared. And it came out that the Empress hid that fact for four years. Then a demon shows up and kills people… What do you think the public will suspect first?”
Dekan and Serven’s faces hardened.
“They’ll suspect His Majesty. That he couldn’t suppress his blood, so the demon side surfaced.”
Exactly.
The temple wasn’t aiming to ruin the Empress’s honor.
The charges and trial were all to draw attention. To announce that the mark had vanished—and ultimately, to direct blame toward the Emperor.
“In that case… the demon’s appearance might just be the beginning.”
It was something none of them could deny.
Something was beginning.
A new chapter in the fate of the Emperor and his companion.
“We’ve arrived, Your Majesty. But are you sure you want to get out?”
The carriage had stopped.
But they weren’t at the palace. They were near the central plaza, where the demon’s attack had occurred.
“The demon may have disappeared, but there’s no telling when it might return.”
“Still, this is necessary.”
Rashilia gestured to the door with her eyes.
“If the Empress without a mark is a weakness of the imperial family, I can’t just let that stand. It’s better for me to be seen at His Majesty’s side.”
Serven sighed before opening the door.
“I agree wholeheartedly… But I fear His Majesty’s reaction. He might be angry that I brought Your Majesty here. Especially with my demotion and all. But this sounds like a complaint… Forgive me, Your Majesty. I’ll open the door now.”
He awkwardly shut his mouth.
Click.
The door opened.
Stepping out first, Serven turned to Rashilia and offered his hand.
“Please, step down. The step is narrow—watch your heels.”
“Thank you. And don’t worry too much about His Majesty.”
“Pardon?”
Still holding her hand, Serven looked up.
“I insisted we come here. If there’s any scolding to be done, it should be directed at me—not you.”
Serven suddenly squeezed her hand tighter in surprise.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-No, it’s just… I didn’t expect you to say that. It was an offhand remark, but you really…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
It was unexpected. It surprised him. And… it sounded strangely kind. It flustered him more than he expected.
“Let go of her hand.”
A sudden voice.
Serven whipped his head around.
“Y-Your Majesty? When did you—”
“Your hand.”
“…Excuse me?”
With two steps, Rescal closed the distance and grabbed Serven’s arm.
“I said—let go of her hand.”
Honestly the title should be How not to safely divorce the Emperor~