Lizzy Poliana Claudia (9)

"This is nice."

Gremory Elden Ishtar Elmark.

As the wind brushed against her, Gremory drew her favorite sword from its sheath.

As she observed the nobles gathering in the corridor outside the great hall, and her long-silent heart now beat wildly.

Creak-!!

After a while, the doors to the main hall swung open, and the corner of Gremory's mouth curled up as she saw the nobles taking their seats one by one.

"Marquis Phrygia."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"Has the Ernes Empire declared war yet?"

"Not yet. They are probably suppressing information as much as possible to prevent rapid fluctuations in market prices."

"Since we have taken such troublesome steps and set the starting point in the Obern Kingdom, I will not tolerate anyone calling me a warmonger bitch.

"Those who win are never questioned in the first place. And what would the common people know? Their expressed sentiments are but echoes of others' words. They are ready to take up spears and swords in anger, believing that the Ernes Empire has forced them into war. It's a way of distancing themselves from the truth."

"You never seem to tire of your sharp tongue, and you always manage to phrase it so plausibly."

"Haha."

Even when all the nobles heard Empress Gremory's disparaging remarks about him, Marquis Phrygia just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"If we win, I will probably become the most influential statesman in the history of the Elmark Empire, and if we lose, I will be remembered as the most heinous criminal in the world's history."

"You wouldn't end up as an ordinary criminal."

"I am aware."

If his wicked deeds and perverse desires were revealed to the world, he would achieve notoriety in a different manner.

Since the darkness ran so deep, it would shine brilliantly even with a glimmer of light.

If stars appeared in the morning sky, who would consider them beautiful?

Eventually, Gremory, who was resting her chin on her hand, arrogantly surveyed her audience before rising and walking to the center.

"Are you afraid of war?"

"We are not, Your Highness!"

Gremory chuckled at their resounding response, which conveyed readiness to march into battle.

But unlike their words, their gazes averted whenever she attempted to establish eye contact.

"It has been said since ancient times that a person's eyes are a mirror reflecting their heart."

"..."

"I'm not chastising you for your fear. Your reaction is natural. Humans have always been fearful of the unknown."

Kwang-!!

Gremory forcefully embedded her sword into the unyielding floor. She then brushed her blue hair behind her ear and lightly licked the corner of her mouth with her tongue.

"Let me tell you something. The greatest happiness is to conquer your enemies; chase after them as they flee before you; plunder their wealth; and embrace their beloved wives and daughters in your arms."

Gulp...!

Gremory's words, delivered in a calm voice tinged with madness, held a strange, mesmerizing power that rattled the minds of those who heard them.

"Furthermore, they say that the Princess of the Ernes Empire and the daughters of their noble families are very beautiful. Wouldn't they be a great trophy?"

"Th-they will… Ha ha ha ha ha…!"

The nobles watching her secretly wore sinister smiles.

After all, the era's mightiest monster, the human who had achieved the ultimate level of Auror Knight, now stood as their ruler.

With someone like her at the helm, how could they even imagine defeat?

Sensing the growing battle lust in the great hall, Gremory retrieved her sword from the ground.

"Now..."

It was time to remove her father, who had served as a mere figurehead for so many years, from the throne.

The reason she hadn't taken the throne before was that she had no purpose in mind after ascending.

After all, she had reached the pinnacle of the Auror Knight.

Moreover, the battle for the throne had already been concluded.

Inheriting the throne and becoming Empress in such a situation, how could she endure the endless tedium that followed?

She had saved the last piece of candy like a child, but she no longer needed to do so, and a genuine smile blossomed on her lips.

"Now, let's hold a grand coronation ceremony."

"Yes, Your Highness…!"

No…

"Your Majesty!"

Exactly three days later, Gremory Eldin Ishtar Elmark became an Empress

* * * * *

November 13th.

Ferzen, who had remained alone in his office until the early morning hours, rose, took a bath, and changed his clothes.

Just after 3 in the morning, he left the mansion quietly.

Soon after, the lights in the mansion flickered on one by one, but Ferzen was already too far gone to witness them.

Today marked the execution day for Cesar and Lizzy, so how could Euphemia and Yuriel sleep soundly?

Laura, who had no connection to the case, could sleep with a relatively light heart, but the looming threat of war cast a shadow over her mind.

Given her inherent frailty and her female physique, she could have avoided conscription by relying on Rosenberg's background.

However, this would raise questions about how her curse would be managed.

At this point, she had no choice but to muster a half-hearted excuse and prepare to confront her parents.

While she might find it challenging to be placed in the magical corps, she would be content as long as she could serve in the rear troops responsible for supplying provisions.

'Hmm...'

However, the initial skirmishes were scheduled to commence in the fall.

If both Empires agreed to a winter ceasefire, how long would the war last?

'How...'

Sensing that her current life was more eventful than her previous one, Laura yanked mercilessly on the elongated ears of her innocent rabbit doll.

* * * * *

Steps-!!

In the early morning, while most were still asleep.

The area near the entertainment district, which had always been bustling regardless of the time, had seen a decline in activity recently.

Particularly, grocery stores had remained closed for an extended period, and more people were visiting doctors due to worsening conditions.

Many were probably contemplating whether their child could be exempt from the impending draft due to some ailment.

Even though information was being suppressed as much as possible, the populace was well aware that war was imminent.

Rustle-!!

Meow-!!

The only break in the silence of the entertainment district came from a stray cat rummaging through the trash as if welcoming the morning.

Ferzen walked through the streets and entered the Imperial Palace, heading for the execution site situated above the dungeon.

Since it was still early in the morning, a chilly breeze persisted. The location added to the already biting cold.

Creak-!!

Ferzen, seated on an old chair next to the guillotine, took out a coffin from his subspace, issued an instruction to Isabel, and then retrieved a cigarette, something he hadn't done in a long while.

Crackle-!!

Eventually, the blue spark rising from Isabel's fingertips ignited the tobacco. Ferzen inhaled the acrid smoke and exhaled slowly.

Perhaps because he hadn't smoked since promising Euphemia, the sensation of his mind growing hazy felt quite unfamiliar.

"Aren't you even a bit moved?"

Isabel Ron Pierre Genoa was known as the Empire's most ruthless witch. Many descendants of Countess Genova had perished on these grounds, accused of treason.

Yet, in Roer's case, even though he had committed treason, it was a stretch to say that he was the mastermind behind it.

Wiggle-!!

"Haha..."

As feedback from shared experiences flowed in, and his assimilation with Isabel's body accelerated, Ferzen found himself laughing without even realizing it.

'What's regrettable is...'

If he could obtain a method or a completed drug to induce temporary suspended animation, ideally from the factory discovered in the Obern Kingdom, he could use it on Lizzy.

That way, he could entirely thwart Roer and Cesar's last-ditch efforts.

Even if Cesar had some trick up his sleeve, he wouldn't be able to execute it on Lizzy in that state.

So, with feedback from a suspended animation Lizzy, the scheme Roer and Cesar had devised would crumble.

'Even though it's a plan of my own making...'

Ferzen regarded it as an exceedingly ruthless plan. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly.

'In the dictionary, the word that comes closest to 'devil' is… human.'

Empathizing with those words, Ferzen flicked the spent cigarette to the floor and crushed it beneath his boot.

And so, dawn began to creep into the darkest morning sky in the world...

On the morning of November 13th.

The execution of Cesar and Lizzy was set to begin.

After 8 years of entanglement,

The moment had come to sever and incinerate that convoluted knot once and for all.