Chapter 111 (1/2)

Chapter 111: <Chapter 111>

My arms were tied again, and they dragged me to the same bedroom where the maids and the servants were suffering from severe headaches.

Everyone was asked to leave and soon, it was just me and the dowager empress sitting across from each other.

Dowager empress Katleyanira.

My mouth felt dry and I tasted blood. I must have bitten my lips at some point.

This was unbelievable. Of all the people to walk by at that exact moment, why did it have to be her?

The dowager empress poked me and laughed.

“What a cute talent you have.”

“How did you know it was me from behind? I was wearing a servant’s clothes and had my hair covered completely. You are very good.”

She scratched her chair with her red fingernail and answered, “The way you walked was not right. You looked like a servant, but you were walking like a noblewoman. You were right in front of the chamber where the prisoner was held, so obviously I had to check it.”

“…”

This woman’s ability to observe was shockingly good.

She said to me, “I can hear you think, but you should know it’s hopeless by now.”

I smiled on purpose to hide my fear.

“You never know. Perhaps Lucretius and his army are surrounding the castle as we speak and about to barge into this very room.”

She giggled. “Maybe.”

She stood up and came towards me. With her sharp nails, she poked me in the neck. It felt like a knife stabbing me.

I swallowed hard as she continued, “That is why I captured you.”

“W, what?”

“Even with Marquis Galisia on my side, I would never be able to raise enough army to go against the emperor. Only the emperor can own and train military men in this kingdom.”

“So you know. Then why did you do this? Lucretius will win no matter what, so you need to give up now. That will be the only way for you to survive.”

“What is the point of life if that is all you have? All my life, I have worked to get what I have right now. Yet if I have to live under your rule, what would be the meaning of my life anymore? It will be pointless.”

“… Nothing is more important than life.”

The dowager empress sneered.

“You know that is not true. You know very well that an empty life is not a life worth living.”

“How… can you be so sure of how I feel?”

I asked even though she was right about me. It scared me to think about how well she knew me.

“Isn’t it obvious? I know you because you are my enemy, just as you must understand me perfectly.”

“…”

Her voice was kind, which was even scarier than if she was yelling at me.

“Anyway, I would never be able to raise enough military to take over the throne by force.”

“So why did you do this?!”

She smiled and raised my chin up with her finger. “That is why I got you. Everything I did for this plan was to capture you.”

“What?”

She giggled. “I never imagined Lucretius would ever fall in love. He knew very well what would happen if he came to love someone, yet he let it happen anyway. How stupid.”

“What are you talking about?”

I tried to get free, but it was useless. In addition to the ropes, the guards tied me further with metal chains to the chair.

The dowager empress watched me struggle with joy and got closer to me to whisper, “You are Lucretius’ heart. If I threaten to kill you, he will come even though he knows it’s a trap.”

She continued to smile and explained to me kindly, “Tomorrow, your execution will take place inside the castle surrounded by my knights. The news has already been spread and I am sure Lucretius heard it as well.”

The dowager empress seemed very sure of herself.

“There won’t be enough time for him to gather all the military forces from different provinces to recapture the castle. This means he will come by himself.”

I gritted my teeth. “No, he’s the emperor. His blood is made of ice. He will never risk himself like that.”

He shouldn’t come. He couldn’t.

This was clearly a trap. If he came, the dowager empress would try to kill him.

This couldn’t happen. I didn’t want to be a burden.