Chapter 193: A Tough Fight. (1) (1/2)
“You confessed your love to Deculein.”
His clear voice broke the darkness of her room.
“…What?”
It was stupefying nonsense. Ludicrous. Outside the window, the red moonlight glowed against Sophien’s face.
“I should rip off that mouth that’s chattering nonsense, you-“
The Emperor approached Rohakan. His wide-open eyes, his shaking body, a dreadful atmosphere about him, and inside…
—Your Majesty! It’s Lawaine!
The Knights shouted as they approached, stomping up to the door.
—Your Majesty! If you don’t answer, we-
“Back off.”
Sophien restrained them.
“If you dare enter my bedroom, I will behead you.”
—…
“Go back.”
—Yes. I apologize. We suddenly felt the surge of mana, so…
“It’s nothing.”
—Yes, Your Highness.
She listened to them walk back down the stairs before turning back to Rohakan, still cloaked in darkness.
Clack—
Rohakan turned on the light. His spiteful face was revealed in the sudden brightness. His face looked younger than before. The wrinkles had disappeared, and his old man’s visage was nowhere to be found.
“Did you sell your soul to the devil? The nonsense that you can see the future too can also explain why you got younger.”
“I wouldn’t dare that, Your Majesty… tsk.”
Rohakan clicked his tongue. Sophien’s Rune Imprisonment binding him evaporated.
“This formality is so uncomfortable. I’m saying it’s too much.”
Then, he sat as he did often in the past, with a carefree and arrogant attitude.
“Stop it. There is no formality like this in the desert. Even if you are the Emperor. It’s been a while, Sophien.”
Sophien’s eyes were bloodshot. She agreed that formality and etiquette were quite bothersome, but when she saw someone behaving disgracefully in front of the Almighty Emperor, she grew furious.
“…The reason why I didn’t kill you just now is that you succeeded in pulling my interest to a certain degree.”
Rohakan saw the bloodthirstiness in Sophien’s eyes.
“But, I’m not that happy. Be careful if you don’t want to die. From now on, answer only when I ask you.”
Rohakan smiled. He couldn’t believe that the once difficult child became such a stern Emperor.
“Rohakan, did you see the future?”
“Of course. It means I don’t have much time left. I might be a unique case given my talent goes in full bloom when my life is almost over.”
That was Rohakan’s characteristic.
“The sun shines the brightest just before sunset. My death is just around the corner, and I might be greater than Demakan right now.”
Rohakan arrogantly mentioned Demakan, but Sophien could feel it. The glittering spirit of Rohakan right now and the light in his eyes that transcended enlightenment. Rohakan smirked.
“I’ll tell you to satisfy your curiosity. Sophien, you will come to love Deculein.”
Sophien closed her eyes for a moment. She heated up with those simple words, her blood pumping to her head.
…It was an unfamiliar feeling. Had she ever been so angry even after dying hundreds of times? Rohakan continued to talk.
“Sophien, I also don’t know how you can love other people. You probably don’t know either.
But…”
A subtle smile reached his lips.
“I saw your face when you declared your love to Deculein. Sophien, you were so anxious-“
“Stop talking bullshit! Do you think that such childish romance suits me?”
“It does. Like a bouquet.”
“…”
Sophien’s complexion became cold, and her eyes tired.
“Is that the only reason you risked your life to find me? To warn me about those impossible emotions?”
Rohakan looked at Sophien gently. Then, with a bitter smile, he shook his head.
“Sophien, you’ll know it too.”
His voice grew low.
“Everyone around you becomes unhappy. No exceptions.”
Sophien’s bloodthirst lifted. Her hardened eyes shook briefly and faintly.
“That is the curse that you are born with. Knowing that, isn’t that the reason why you don’t keep Kreto close to you? Did I have a choice in killing your mother?”
Rohakan looked at the snow globe resting atop the table.
“I’m not here to warn you about your feelings. Deculein, I came here to protect that man.”
He thought about Deculein. He had no talent, he hated him, and all he had was his pride. That man reached his position with effort alone; he even saved another teacher’s life admirably and discovered a great talent like Epherene. With just his insight, he found out that the real threat in this world was not the Demon Blood but the Altar.
“Of course, I’m not doing anything, and if you look closely, I’ve just been on the receiving end, but that guy is one of my few disciples.”
“…”
“I have no children, and all I have left to me is to die, but if I have to do something, it should be for my disciple.”
Rohakan calmly watched Sophien. She was Crebaim’s daughter, but she was born with a cruel fate and a curse.
“The fact that you will come to love Deculein, the fact that it is you, makes it dangerous.”
Sophien’s mana swayed. The light dimmed.
“Sophien, you should never love anyone.”
Rohakan slowly replayed the future that he witnessed.
“You declared your love to Deculein.”
Someday, in the distant future, or the near future, Sophien would confess her feelings to
Deculein.
A few moments passed.
“You killed him with your own hands.”
Sophien looked to Rohakan.
“I’m saying this because I don’t want to see it happen.”
Sophien regarded him callously.
“Sophien, if you care about Deculein, or if you fall in love with him, I’m begging you.”
A dense air coiled around them.
“Please, stay away from him.”
Even at that moment, the Emperor’s complexion didn’t change. She was pretending that it was nothing to be worried over.
“Are you saying that you are talking like some newbie shaman, all for Deculein’s sake?”
Rohakan smiled brightly.
“You came here risking your life?”
…Even so, there was one more thing left to do for Deculein.
“Then, I’ll get going.”
“Stop. Do you think you can just go whenever you want?”
Sophien recited the rune language to Rohakan again, but Rohakan dismantled it with a wave.
“There’s no need to be hasty, Sophien.”
The head of the worst criminal on the continent and the waning time allotted to that old man.
“We’ll see each other again soon.”
He would give it to Deculein.
*****