Chapter 133

NMRJKM Chapter 133

The Emperor opened his eyes wide and scanned the surroundings. He saw nothing. Yet, he was certain he felt something.

There was definitely something in the room—or rather, something around him.

As evidence, he found himself unable to move, as if pressed down by a weight.

“……!”

He tried to make a sound, but no words came out. Then, a voice whispered in his ear.

[You foolish one.]

A chill ran down his spine in an instant. What he heard in his cold ear was:

[You who possess deep and filthy desires.]

It was the voice of his daughter, Yermondi, who was already dead.

‘……!’

The Emperor strained against his immobile body. At that moment, something stroked his head.

[There’s no need to struggle.]

The entity that spoke in Yermondi’s voice laughed lowly. With an attitude that seemed to regard humans as beneath it, the Emperor realized its identity.

He knew what Yermondi had contracted with.

‘Are you a demon?’

[You speak just like your daughter.]

A laughter like breaking branches echoed.

Without providing a clear answer, it whispered to the Emperor.

[You possess desires even deeper than your daughter’s. You are one with filthy desires that have already lost their purpose.]

The voice of the entity known as a demon sounded joyful. The Emperor tried to move even a single finger, but it was futile.

[The time is coming.]

The moment those significant words ended.

The Emperor felt something seeping into his body. It was like a pain that pierced the flesh beneath his skin, traveling through his veins.

“……Ugh.”

The Emperor’s mouth, which could not open, produced a groan from deep within his throat. He trembled with the agony that felt as if his eyes were rolling back in his head.

Yet, he could not stop what was seeping into his body. The ‘demon’ slowly began to take control of him and spoke.

[It was your daughter who called for me; it was a destined fate.]

“Ugh…!”

The whites of the Emperor’s eyes turned black. He felt an unknown power occupying his body along with the pain.

But at the same time, a strange sense of satisfaction began to swell in a corner of his mind.

The power that vividly spread to his fingertips made the Emperor laugh as if he had lost his senses.

This was the fulfillment of the power Yermondi felt after contracting with the demon. The emperor realized that the demon was invading his body and sharing that power with him.

No, this was not merely sharing power. This was the very essence of its power.

[I know well that you are struggling to prevent a predetermined disaster…….]

The demon spoke to someone. The Emperor could not understand the words. He merely held his breath at the sensation filling him.

[You will not be able to prevent this disaster either.]

Laughter filled the Emperor’s mind. Yermondi’s—no, the entity known as a demon—consumed the Emperor in that way.

No one knew this fact. Not even the Emperor himself, as he completely forgot the events of the night, overwhelmed by the encroaching darkness.

He fell back into sleep.

And that morning, the emperor opened his eyes.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Upon waking, I stared blankly at the air for a moment. The blue light of dawn was rushing in over the terrace.

Was the terrace door open?

The curtains fluttered, as if the wind was blowing. The maid was nowhere to be seen; she must have stepped away for a moment.

I got out of bed, shaking off the warmth that had gathered in the bed, and walked towards the terrace.

“Ah… Ugh.”

I unconsciously made a sound and shut my mouth at the pain that came.

A wave of despair washed over me in an instant. The realization that I could not sing freely tormented me anew.

‘Even in the midst of this, the world is so peaceful.’

I looked at the landscape faintly visible beyond the thin curtain. Trees were starting to change from green to red.

Ah, the seasons are changing. It was early morning, and there was not a hint of human presence.

Suddenly, an unbearable longing arose within me.

I opened my mouth once more. And I began to sing. With a face twisted in pain, I continued my disheveled song.

My voice trembled as if I had swallowed a needle, and the pitch was uncontrollable like waves in a raging storm. It was painful. It hurt.

Yet, I did not stop singing. My voice came out, but I could not sing properly.

The pain does not completely disappear even with medication. Slowly, I pulled back the curtains of the terrace and approached the railing.

The song continued.

I leaned my belly against the railing and looked down. I could see the distant floor below. I bent my waist a little further.

Then my feet felt light.

Just a little, just a little misalignment of my center of gravity, and I felt like I would fall straight down.

I stayed like that…….

“Ariadeline!”

In that moment, I heard a voice that sounded like a scream. With a loud voice, a large hand snatched my body. I couldn’t even make a sound as I was pulled into someone’s embrace.

I felt a warmth on my back that was not just warm but hot. And as soon as I realized whose warmth it was, I felt my body stiffen.

“Gah……!”

It was Carlothian.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Carlothian woke up early in the morning. He fumbled around in the bedcovers, which felt cold for some reason.

He couldn’t touch anything. He looked at the spot with empty eyes.

The man who had lost everything due to his own mistake could blame nothing. No, he harshly blamed himself.

He got up and slowly left the room. At this early hour, Ariadeline would probably still be asleep.

This was the only way he could approach her, who was uncomfortable with him being close.

Quietly, he could only look at her sleeping face for a moment.

He wanted to see Ariadeline like that, so he quietly headed to her room.

However, as he went downstairs, he heard a voice. A voice singing messily. Carlothian realized that Ariadeline was singing.

She was singing painfully, as if needles were piercing her entire body, perhaps because she hadn’t taken any painkillers.

He tried to turn back at the realization that she was awake, but he couldn’t move away from the pitiful sound of her song.

He ultimately couldn’t resist his desire and slowly approached Ariadeline’s room.

Slowly, he opened the door without a sound.

There, he saw her standing on the terrace, her back turned to him.

As soon as he saw her, he froze. It felt as if the terrible pain of that day was resurrecting from his toes.

A thud echoed in his ears once again. Without realizing it, he stepped forward.

When her body tilted and her feet lifted, he couldn’t hold back. He rushed forward, embracing her and tumbling into the terrace.

“Gah……!”

But as soon as he touched her, he bit his lower lip at the sight of her gasping for breath like a seizure.

“Let go, let go…!”

Ariadeline gasped and struggled.

Carlothian pressed down with his trembling hands, urgently trying to calm her, and quickly released her. But in that moment.

Smack!

Her struggling hand struck Carlothian’s cheek.

His head turned slightly, and Ariadeline, who had slapped him, opened her eyes wide.

“……!”

The words asking if she was okay didn’t come out. Carlothian rubbed his slightly reddened cheek and said,

“……I won’t touch you. Calm down.”

Ariadeline braced herself against the floor and exhaled heavily several times. In between, she looked up at him, drenched in cold sweat.

As soon as Carlothian met her gaze, he took a few more steps back. He knew she was afraid of him.

“……What’s wrong?”

Ariadeline finally caught her breath and wobbled to her feet.

He wanted to support her, but that was his reality.

She rubbed her own forearm, as if the place where they had touched was unpleasant.

“……I missed you.”

Carlothian thought he didn’t want to burden her, but his true feelings burst out without restraint.

“I wanted to see your face. I thought you’d be asleep, so I came.”

“…….”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to startle you.”

At those words, Ariadeline said nothing. She merely sighed and nodded.

“Please go back now.”

You’ve seen my face, right?

Her cold tone pierced his heart. Ariadeline turned her gaze to the side, looking down at the floor.

“……Were you trying to jump?”

“……No. Maybe.”

Ariadeline spoke as if she herself didn’t really know.

She thought to herself. Did I wish to fall from there? In truth, it wouldn’t have mattered if she did.

After all, she wouldn’t die anyway.

Ariadeline looked at the large man in front of her, who was filled with fear.

What should she do about the man who she couldn’t even reach out a hand for fear that he would kill me again, that she would suffer?

“I told you. I need time.”

She noticed Carlothian flinch at her exhaled sigh.

But Ariadeline opened her mouth without hesitation.

“Please leave.”

And then,

“Don’t come to my room again.”